A/N: Yay! My first Sess/Rin fic! I just looove this couple, and I've been reading a lot of fics about them, and so I decided to try my hand at writing one! Please read it, and leave me review! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INU-YASHA, for all you lawyers out there.

"Sit, Inu-Yasha!"

"OW! KAGOME!"

Kagome smiled charmingly up at the Lord of the Western Lands. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-san. As you surely know, your brother can be a bit-er- temperamental. I didn't tell him I'd invited you, and he was, well, surprised."

"Indeed." Sesshoumaru glanced down at his half-brother. "So, Inu-Yasha. Still under the control of this human, I see."

"Well, she is my wife," Inu-Yasha growled in reply.

"Hello, Rin! It's been a while," Kagome said to the girl.

Rin was looking back and forth, from Kagome to Inu-Yasha, who was just now getting off of the ground. "Kagome-san, I forgot that you could do that!"

"Oh, yes," Kagome grinned. "Even though he's gotten more mature, that necklace still comes in handy once in a while! Do you want to come and help me make dinner, Rin?"

"May I, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked her protector.

"Yes, Rin," Sesshoumaru replied, not looking at her.

"Inu-Yasha, would you please go and tell Sango and Miroku that they should come over soon if they want to eat with us?" Kagome asked.

"Yes," Inu-Yasha said, rolling his eyes. "Whoa!" he cried, as he was almost knocked off of his feet by a small creature. "What the-"

"Sesshoumaru-sama! I finally found you!" A panting Jaken rushed over to him. "I thought I had lost you, milord!"

"Go with Rin, Jaken," the youkai commanded. "Make sure she is all right."

"But, Sesshoumaru-sama-"

"Now, Jaken."

Grumbling, the frog demon walked into the house.

"What are you worried about?" Inu-Yasha asked his half brother disgustedly. "She's with Kagome, not some murdering youkai."

"Do not question my orders to my underlings," Sesshoumaru said in an even tone. "Remember that you are still only hanyou."

"Fine, be that way," Inu-Yasha snapped. "Are you planning to just stand there all night?"

"It is none of your concern," Sesshoumaru responded, turning his gaze up to the sky.

"Idiot," Inu-Yasha muttered as he stalked away.

"Kagome?"

"Yes, Rin?"

"I, um..." The sixteen year old was still shy around people. "I was wondering...how is it that you control Inu-Yasha with that necklace?"

Kagome laughed. "Oh, that happened a long time ago, when we had just started looking for the jewel shards. It was Lady Kaede's doing, actually. She put the prayer beads around his neck, and then I just had to say-" Kagome glanced around to make sure her husband was not in the immediate vicinity. "sit, and then he would land on his face! It's something every woman should have," she confided.

Rin giggled, then sighed.

Kagome asked, "What's the matter, Rin?" Concern was evident in her voice.

"Nothing important," Rin replied, looking down at the floor. "It's just-"

"Something to do with Sesshoumaru-san?" Kagome asked, rather astutely.

"Well...yes. He won't look at me anymore. He won't talk to me much, either."

Kagome got a strange gleam in her eye. "Ah."

"He's the most important person in the world to me!" Rin burst out. "Oh!" Rin's hand flew to her mouth. "Did I just say that out loud? You don't think he heard, do you?"

"Don't worry," Kagome assured her with a smile. "I have a pretty good idea of what inu youkai can and can't hear."

"Oh, Kagome-san," Rin cried. "Sesshoumaru-sama has been saying he'll leave me here, or at another village! Ever since I turned fourteen, he's been talking about it, but now I think he means it! He says I should be married already, but-" Rin suddenly looked defiant. "I don't want to be married! I want to keep living and traveling with Ah and Un, and Jaken, and Sesshoumaru-sama forever! I-it's the only life I want! Why can't he see that?"

"Men sometimes have a hard time seeing things like that," Kagome told Rin, who now looked miserable. "Tell you what. If you want to, we can talk with Sango later. Maybe she'll have some ideas about how to get things through a man's thick skull."

"All right, Kagome-san," Rin said. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome, Rin," Kagome responded warmly.

Dinner would have been a fairly quiet event, but for the chattering of Sango and Miroku's three children, and Inu-Yasha and Kagome's twins, who'd been spending the day playing with their friends, as always. Sesshoumaru sat silently, not speaking and not eating. Kagome noted that he was carefully avoiding even a glance at Rin.

Inu-Yasha glared at his brother until Kagome subtly grabbed hold of a lock of his hair and pulled, causing him to yelp. This brought no reaction from Sesshoumaru, which was odd. He usually would have graced his hanyou half- brother with a look of disgust, at least. Miroku, however, nodded sympathetically in Inu-Yasha's direction.

Rin had been kept busy by the children, who seemed to be everywhere at once. The twins, who were two years old, were especially distracting. They both had inherited their father's ears, although only Kaede's were white. Sota's were as black as his mother's hair. They both took immense pride in these signs of their demon heritage, and insisted that Rin admire them, which she did.

Sango and Miroku's children were mostly less rambunctious. Kohaku, the eldest at seven, was quite disdainful of the younger children's antics. He was sitting by his father, very well behaved and well mannered. Rumiko was four and painfully shy. She hid behind her mother, occasionally sneaking glances at the white-haired youkai lord across from them. Nezuna was the same age as the twins. They had a running argument (in their limited vocabularies) about whether dog or human ears were better. None of them paid any attention to Sesshoumaru, after discovering that he was not inclined to play with them.

Jaken, like Myoga before him, had discovered it was best to hide rather than to try to intimidate the little ones with age and status. He was behind Sesshoumaru, nursing his face (which had been poked several times) and his pride, and once in a while muttering things like 'insolent whelps' and 'barbarian savages'.

Afterwards, Inu-Yasha and Miroku were literally assaulted by a wave of children, after Sango not-too-gently suggested that the little ones leave Rin alone, and Kagome told them to go play with their fathers.

"Sesshoumaru-san, I hope you were satisfied with dinner," said Kagome politely, although it was clear that the youkai hadn't eaten a bite. "If you would like, you could go with the children. They like to visit a very pretty pond that's right over there. Or you could go in the house, where it's more comfortable."

Sesshoumaru looked as surprised as he'd ever looked. Surely this human woman was not trying to dismiss him, the Lord of the Western Lands. That was certainly what she was suggesting with her tone.

"I may prefer to stay here," Sesshoumaru said coolly.

"I doubt that," Kagome said cheerfully. "With three women discussing the men in their lives? You would hardly be at ease."

Rin, being very intelligent, also realized what Kagome was doing. "Kagome- san," she whispered anxiously. "Do you think-"

"Don't worry," Sango whispered back, as Kagome winked. "Kagome knows what she's doing, Rin."

Of course, Sesshoumaru caught this entire exchange. For the first time in a while, his gaze caught and held Rin's. "Three women. Yes, of course. My presence would not aid any of you."

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin began, but the youkai had already gotten to his feet and left, going in the direction of the house. "Wait!" Jaken wailed, running after him. "Don't leave me here with three women, milord!"

"Now we can talk!" Kagome said brightly, as soon as Jaken disappeared from view.

Rin was appalled. "But Kagome-san, Sango-san, what you just did to Sesshoumaru-sama-"

"Completely necessary," Sango interrupted. "A man with no one to discipline him is a danger to everyone around him, including himself."

"And stop with this –san business," Kagome told her. "It's just Kagome and Sango, okay, Rin?"

"Well...okay," Rin agreed hesitantly. "I suppose so, Kagome-sa...Kagome."

"Good!" Kagome exclaimed happily. "Now we'll think of something to get that man to notice you more, demon lord or no demon lord!"

"All right," Rin said, still not sure about their irreverent attitude toward her lord.

"So, Rin, he doesn't pay much attention to you, hmm?" Sango asked kindly. "That must be hard for you, since he's your only company."

"Well, there's the servants at his house, and Ah and Un, and Jaken..." Rin started to say.

"Yes, but he's been your protector for years, right?" Kagome said. "You said he's the most important person to you. It's not fair of him to just start ignoring you. I saw how he wouldn't look at you throughout dinner. Is that how he is all the time?"

"Well, um, I guess so, mostly," Rin said in a small voice. Then, more sadly, "Yes."

"But how are we supposed to get a powerful youkai lord like Sesshoumaru to do anything he doesn't want to do?" Sango asked Kagome thoughtfully.

Rin and Sango both looked at Kagome for an answer. Kagome had an odd expression on her face. "Kagome, that face is a little scary," Sango laughed.

Rin agreed. Suddenly she felt... happiness. Being around Kagome and Sango, who were so caring, helpful, and capable gave Rin a good feeling. She also felt sort of worried for Sesshoumaru-sama.

"What are you thinking about, Kagome-sa...Kagome?" Rin queried. "I wouldn't want to inconvenience Sesshoumaru-sama..."

"Of course not," Kagome agreed, too amicably. "Now, I think we should all have a good night's sleep, and then we can talk in the morning, okay, Rin? If you'll go on up to the house, Sango and I will be there in a minute. We have to rescue our husbands, I think."

"Wh-what?" Rin asked, startled by how quickly the other woman had changed the subject. "I mean...that would be fine, Kagome. Thank you." Rin walked away, still puzzled.

"That poor girl," Sango commented, shaking her head. "I don't think she has an assertive bone in her body."

"Oh yes she does," Kagome said, grinning almost demonically. "It's buried in there somewhere. We just have to bring it to the surface."

"What are you plotting?" asked Sango, chuckling. "I almost pity Sesshoumaru, with that look on your face."

Rin opened the door to the house. She ran into Sesshoumaru, who was on his way out. "Rin!"

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin said, backing away.

"You needn't apologize for everything small such as that, Rin," Sesshoumaru said, staring at her with a strange intensity.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama," she replied, her eyes never leaving his face.

"Rin, I-" he began to say. Then Jaken's ranting could be heard as he came from the back room of the house. "Those women! How insolent, to speak so to the great youkai Sesshoumaru! And those brats! Sesshoumaru-sama, if you'll excuse my saying so, I hope we never come back to your brother's house!"

"Sesshoumaru-sama, are we going to stay the night?" Rin asked him hopefully.

"Yes, Rin," he replied. "I will leave in the morning."

It took her a second to understand the implication of what he'd said. "Sesshoumaru-sama," she whispered. "You do not mean-?"

"Yes, Rin," he repeated. "You will stay here. There is a village with boys and girls your own age near to here. You seem-" he paused. "You seem happy with Inu-Yasha's mate and their children."

"No, but Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm happier with y-"

"That is because you have never known another life," he responded curtly. "You will be happier here, with humans."

Tears welled up in Rin's eyes. She started to speak, but could not form coherent words. Then she whirled and ran out the door.

"A wise decision, to be sure, milord," Jaken stated. "That human girl has been a great inconveni-"

"Hush, Jaken!" Sesshoumaru snarled.

"Yes, milord," he simpered in return.

Sango stared at her friend in awe. "Kagome, you are remarkably devious!"

"I suppose I am, huh?" Kagome giggled. "We just need Kaede's help, and this plan will be perfect!"

"Are you going to tell Inu-Yasha?"

"Oh, no," Kagome said, waving a hand in dismissal. "That way he can claim innocence, and his dear brother won't have another reason to kill him. I'll just need to borrow Kirara later."

The women grinned conspiratorially.

A/N: Hmm, what are they plotting? If you'd like to see more of this story, please review and tell me! Thank you for reading this far, even if you don't review! ^_^