Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews so far and the favorites/follows. I'm really excited about this story and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! Please feel free to leave a review after you read this chapter to let me know what you think of it! Hopefully it makes you want more of the story (because it makes me want to write so much more for everyone).

Rin, Age 16

Rin fell back into the grass with an 'oomph', all the breath leaving her body as her butt connected with the dying grass. It was November, getting dangerously close to December and all the leaves were falling from the trees and the growth of the grass had been stunted by the first freezing night of the year. Soon the grass would lose it's vibrant color and wither away under the snowfall that was sure to come, probably sooner as opposed to later. Taking a moment to glare at her combatant, Rin stood up slowly, taking care to wipe the dirt from her hands and onto her black yoga pants.

"Was that really necessary, Sango?" Rin asked just as another kick came her way. With only a slight hesitation, Rin lifted her forearm and blocked the kick, wincing slightly when it connected solidly with her arm. "Ow. Hey, I wasn't ready!" Rin shoved her arm away from her body, moving Sango's leg away from her as well. Why couldn't they do something, anything, other than fight? What was the point of that? Rin should have been sleeping in her bed until noon, not learning basic forms of self defense. Wasn't the point of having bodyguards supposed to be that they would protect her, thus making the need for self defense irrelevant? Ugh, it was so unfair.

"You know why we're doing this. If you want to have boys drooling all over you and into your mouth, you need to learn how to defend yourself against the people you allow closest to you." Sango circled Rin, clearly searching for a weak point. "Besides, if you're going to keep sneaking out and disregarding the rules put in place for your safety, then you're going to be having sessions like this for an hour a day, five days a week until you either knock it off with the running away, or learn how to defend yourself. Got it?" Sango rushed Rin, diving at her just as Rin jumped to get away. Unfortunately, Rin jumped in the wrong direction, the women colliding painfully into one another before collapsing onto the ground. Flat on her back, Rin moaned painfully. Thankful no one else was out in the courtyard to watch them, Rin touched her chest, wincing at the sting of pain.

"I think you bruised my boob," Rin wheezed.

Sitting up, Sango playfully shoved the young girl's shoulder. "What boobs? You've barely hit puberty, kid."

Rin sighed, rubbing her sore chest. Sango's words hurt her to hear, as true as they were. Sure, she hadn't even started to develop a womanly figure yet, she was still all arms and legs and nothing else at 16. How much longer was it supposed to take to be an adult? Rin already had adult feelings and emotions. She knew that what she felt for Sesshomaru was the strongest thing she'd ever felt in her entire life. She didn't think anyone would ever make her feel like he did. She only needed to grow up, just a little bit more and Rin was sure Sesshomaru would see it too. They were perfect together, they would be an awesome couple. Maybe one day they would get married and have kids! Wouldn't that be wonderful? It sounded wonderful, then Rin could finally spend her life with someone who cared about her, who didn't abandon her at the first opportunity and who made her feel wanted.

"Come on, Rin. Time to get up and learn how to defend that." Sango stood before reaching down and helping up the young girl, laughing at the startled look on Rin's face at the contact. "Were you daydreaming? Come on, it's time to practice!"

"I don't know how you can be so excited about beating up a kid, as you like to call me."

"Ah well, we have to find our joys in life somewhere." Without preamble, Sango turned and charged Rin again. This time Rin dodged in the proper direction, narrowly avoiding Sango's body. When the bodyguard whooshed past Rin, the young girl whooped in triumph, jumping up and down in excitement.

"I did it!"

"Rin. What are you doing?" The sound of Sesshomaru's voice had Rin pausing mid fist pump, her eyes widening dramatically before she turned around and smiled sheepishly up at the love of her life.

"Oh, hi Sesshomaru!" Rin shrieked happily, her breath coming out as smoke due to the drop in temperature. "I'm just practicing some self defense moves with Sango." In the past hour Rin had been outside with Sango the temperature had dropped a few degrees, making it almost to freezing. Rin shivered from standing still, zipping her jacket up and moving her feet side to side to keep moving. Rin glanced up at Sesshomaru, enjoying how tall he was compared to her. Would she get any taller before she eventually stopped growing? She hoped not, because she really liked being able to look up at him. His expression was always severe like it was on that day, the wind blowing his hair slightly to the side, giving him an almost mysterious look. He wore a dark pair of jeans and a black sweater, which was almost unheard of for him. Rin raised an eyebrow. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"We will be obtaining our newest member in a few hours time, but until then we will be expected to visit with your father."

"Why is there going to be another bodyguard? Is someone else leaving?" Rin didn't like the thought of that.

Sango came up to the pair, smiling sheepishly. "I need to leave for a few months. My kid brother Kohaku is coming home on leave from the Army and I've promised to spend time with him before he deploys again."

"But you'll be back though, right?" Rin asked anxiously. She didn't know Sango had a younger brother, but that didn't mean Rin thought it would be okay if Sango didn't come back. She would miss her.

Sango gave Rin a hug, squeezing the young girl's shoulders. "Of course I'll be back. Nothing could keep me away from you. Besides, all the men hanging around you all time would drive you crazy if I didn't come back and save you."

"That's true," Rin agreed happily. She looked back at Sesshomaru. "So who is coming while Sango is gone?"

Sesshomaru lifted his upper lip, almost as if in disgust. "Kagome."

Sango squealed in delight before grabbing Rin's shoulders so they stood face to face. "Oh, Rin! You'll love her. She is amazing! And she's closer to your age than any of us, so you two should get along just fine!"

"What, how old is she?"

"I think she might be close to 20 by now."

"What? I thought the only people allowed into the secret sect of assassins were those with experience?!" Rin wasn't sure what she was supposed to call the ragtag bunch of trained killers that protected her, but it was always fun coming up with different names for the group. In the past year and a half they'd all looked after her, it had only ever been the four of them, no one new had ever come along. It was rather exciting to think about, but also kind of scary. What if this Kagome person upset the delicate balance Rin had built around herself? Worse yet, what if Kagome had a crush on Sesshomaru too? Rin didn't think she could stand it if that happened!

"She went to various military schools when she was younger and actually graduated from one of them last year. She hasn't actually seen any combat yet, but she's killer with a bow and arrow, plus she's been waiting for a while to finally be on a mission. So you are her trial run. Nice and easy."

"So who is pulling the strings for you guys? I used to think you were outlaws, but generally you only leave me when someone sends you somewhere else."

"We're part of a company... And that's all you need to know!" With that, Sango departed from the group, leaving only Rin and Sesshomaru behind.

"Well that was awfully cryptic." Rin looked back to Sesshomaru, hoping he would actually give her some answers. Instead, he merely stared down at her, making her squirm uncomfortably.

"We must leave shortly. Change your clothing."

Rin groaned. "Do we really need to go see my dad?" Her father that had promised to keep her safe and stay by her side had practically abandoned her a few weeks after she'd left the hospital, almost as if he was washing his hands of the daughter that had become a burden. He never found out about her drug problem, not that he would have cared, and he scheduled meetings with her ever 3 months so they could 'keep up to date' on each others lives. Technically he lived at the mansion with Rin, but ever since the ordeal he had moved out and to another location hours away from her, hoping to keep her safe. At least that was the bull he had fed his only child. Rin didn't believe him. He had been an absent father before she'd been kidnapped and ever since she had been taken, his parenting had been pretty much nonexistent. The only people she had in her life were Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Sango and Miroku. No one else cared for her and to be honest, no one else mattered. Not to Rin.

"He is your father." Was the only answer Sesshomaru gave before turning and walking from the courtyard and towards the house, leaving Rin to trail along behind him, her short legs doing little to allow her to catch up to him.

One day... One day Rin was going to run away and never look back. She sat back in the car seat, her eyes squeezing shut as tears filled her eyes. Hadn't she known better than to expect anything, anything at all, from her elusive father? Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had driven her a few hours away from the countryside and into the large metropolis her father relished. Senator Hino had requested the presence of his daughter and yet when she'd arrived with her bodyguards in tow, she'd been turned away. Turned away. Like she was some meeting that had been cancelled. Rin scoffed. Apparently that's all she was. A meeting. Something he had penciled in, and then out, of his busy schedule.

He couldn't even call his daughter to let her know he couldn't make the meeting he had scheduled? Rin glanced at her bodyguards before staring out through the window. Why did her father even insist on her having bodyguards if he didn't care about her? To alleviate some of the guilt he felt at disliking his own daughter? Granted, Rin didn't think her father hated her, he was only aggrieved by the sight of her. Rin looked too much like her mother, long black hair and chestnut eyes framed by a heart shaped face. Even her lips were the same shade of red as her mother's and ever since Mrs. Hino had passed seven years ago, Senator Hino had an extremely difficult time of connecting with his daughter. Or spending time with her. He'd once called Rin's mother his soul mate, the reason he opened his eyes in the morning and lived. She had been the reason he breathed, but ever since Rin's mother had died, it was like a shell of her father was walking around. Breathing and alive, but little else. It was like he had stopped living.

Rin had assumed her father would get his act together after she had almost died, but he was much the same. Using his political pull to shut down various underground organizations involved in illegal drugs, sex trafficking and kidnapping. What he did was important, it helped make the world a better place, but it also made him plenty of enemies, some of which had attacked his only child. His reaction had been to work harder to eliminate the evil in the world, not to cherish the daughter almost taken from him. It left Rin with a bitter taste in her mouth and a heavy heart.

"You okay, kid?" Inuyasha asked lowly, almost as if he were afraid speaking too loudly would startle the young girl sitting slouched in the backseat of the SUV. He cast a look at Sesshomaru, who seemed completely oblivious, or different, about the brooding girl in the back of the vehicle. Inuyasha didn't know how his older brother could keep so calm, the smell of Rin's sorrow was beating at his senses like a drum. Turning the wheel slightly to the left, Inuyasha pulled onto the empty street that led to the mansion, his gold eyes peaking into the rearview mirror to glance at the girl in his line of sight when she didn't answer him. "Rin?" She looked up into the mirror, smiling slightly at him as she did so.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I was thinking about something. What did you say?"

Well that answered his question. Obviously the child was devastated. "I asked if you were alright."

"Leave her be." Sesshomaru said, keeping his eyes straight ahead, his body barely moving as he spoke.

Inuyasha nearly rolled his eyes, his irritation evident as he sped up the vehicle. "Why don't you give orders to someone else and get off my back? I'm just trying to see if she's okay."

Rin spoke up before the argument between the two demons in the front seat escalated. She'd seen them duke it out more times than she cared to admit, sometimes over such trivial matters. Sesshomaru always won, probably because he was a full-blooded demon, but Inuyasha always gave him a run for his money, nearly besting him a time or two. Rin didn't know who would win if their spats were ever over anything meaningful enough to them, but she was sure it would be a spectacle of epic proportions. "I'm fine, Inuyasha. Thank you for asking."

"Rin, you don't seem fine. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I said to leave her be, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru's tone turned menacing, almost as if he were on the verge of backhanding his brother. Rin didn't think he would, at least not while they were in the car. If they'd been out in an open field, Rin had no doubt Sesshomaru would have started yet another battle with his brother, all because he'd asked Rin how she was doing. It should have made Rin nervous or slightly scared that someone so powerful would wage violence to defend her, but Rin was oddly flattered. If Sesshomaru didn't care about her, he would have remained silent and allowed Inuyasha to pester her with his questions. Rin might not have known much about the people who protected her, but she knew that about Sesshomaru. He was protective towards her, whether it was someone out to hurt her, a boy trying to kiss her or Inuyasha badgering her about her father. It was endearing to Rin, especially in a world where she had felt neglected and unwanted for most of her life.

"Feh. Now I can't ask her a simple question? Get off my back, would ya?" The SUV pulled into the long drive before Inuyasha parked it behind a sports car, sighing heavily. "Thank God. I can't stand to be around you any longer." With that, Inuyasha opened his door and jumped from the vehicle, wasting no time to enter the mansion after a quick sweep of the perimeter.

Rin stepped from the car herself, shutting the door softly behind her before gathering her peacoat jacket around her, buttoning it up to keep the chill out. Rin looked up at the moon that was shining high in the sky, sighing wistfully to herself as she stepped away from the driveway and out to the grass, admiring the small garden in front of her home as she did so. Rin didn't know what it was about the flowers at night, but something about them was so peaceful when the moon shined down on them.

Rin didn't bother to look behind her, knowing well enough that Sesshomaru would be there with her, standing stoically off to the side as she paced the small garden in front of her. She couldn't count the amount of times she would wake in the middle of the night and make her way down to the front garden, Sesshomaru following silently, like he always did.

"Rin." The young girl turned from her flowers to stare up at her mentor. His hair practically glowed in the moonlight, as well as his eyes. The markings on his face stood out prominently against his light skin, almost making him appear luminous. He kept his eyes focused on her as she made her way to him, standing before the demon who had captured her heart over a year ago. He didn't know the extent of the girl's affections for him, but one day he would. Rin would make sure of it. "Rin. Are you alright?"

Rin smiled sadly before turning away, just wanting the miserable night to be over with. "I'm sure I'll be okay by tomorrow. I just knew better than to get my hopes up, but I at least thought I would see my dad for a few minutes in the least, not be turned away by his secretary. I mean, I'm his only child. You would think he could find the time to at least say hello to me, especially after we spent a few hours in the car to get to him. But no, he couldn't have been bothered. It just puts things into perspective, I guess." She turned back to him, eyes bright with unshed tears. "You wouldn't ever leave me alone like that, would you?"

Rin stared up at Sesshomaru for a few moments, not sure if he would answer her or not, even though she knew what his answer would be regardless if he spoke aloud or kept his answer to himself. He'd been by her side in the past year more than her father had ever been. Rin almost grimaced when she thought of it like that. Not that Sesshomaru was anything like her father, because he wasn't. It was such a weird comparison. The things she felt for Sesshomaru went well beyond fatherly, even if Rin wasn't quite sure why she felt how she did. The only thing she knew for certain was that she didn't ever want to be away from Sesshomaru for any length of time unless she had to be. She couldn't even picture her life without him. What would Rin Hino do if she never saw him again, never knew him? What if they parted ways forever? He couldn't leave her, not like that. Could she exist without her heart? Rin didn't think so, and quite frankly just thinking about it sent a wave of melancholy straight to her heart.

Not waiting for a reply any longer, Rin wrapped her thin arms around Sesshomaru's waist, hugging him tightly to her. She placed her cheek against his chest, closing her eyes to keep any tears from falling as she enjoyed the heat that his body gave off. She clung to him in the darkness, all of her sadness and fears slowly evaporating as she held him to her. It was a minute, maybe a little longer, before the demon's hands came up and circled her shoulders, his chin resting peacefully upon the crown of her head, the moonlight bathing them in its light.

Rin, The Day Before Her 17th Birthday

He was gone. Again. How long had he stayed this time before leaving her? Three months with her before he went off on some other dangerous mission? Maybe four? Rin huffed angrily, picking up a throw pillow from her bed and chucking it at the wall in frustration even as she shrieked loudly. Grabbing another pillow, Rin threw that one harder, wishing it was something that would cause permanent damage, not a stupid pillow hitting a stupid wall. Of all the days to leave, he had to go right before her birthday? How messed up was that? Didn't he know it was her birthday tomorrow? Didn't he care? Or maybe he didn't. Inuyasha had told her that demons age differently and that Sesshomaru was a lot older than he seemed. Maybe he was just so.. so ancient he couldn't possibly conceive of anyone else having a birthday, because he was too old to remember what a birthday was! Probably. What did Rin see in him anyway? He was always so quiet, so pensive, sometimes Rin would talk and talk for hours to him, just to see if he would even utter a sentence. Most of the time he just sat there, listening to anything and everything she had to say. Sometimes she just read books aloud to him, no doubt things that positively bored him, and yet all he did was listen to her. The only time they ever had an actually conversations were when Rin pestered him into telling her stories or if Rin did something she shouldn't have and Sesshomaru would lecture her on ways to improve. Who did he think he was, anyway?

Human or demon, men were all the same. They made women feel safe and cherished, giving them false illusions of security before the rug was swept under the woman's feet and the man was running away, as far and fast as the wind could take him. Men were all the same! Sure, Sesshomaru wasn't running from her, he had been called away 'on business' and would no doubt return as soon as possible, but it still hurt every time he left her, no matter how long he was gone. The older she got, the more the feeling intensified, almost as if a piece of her heart was literally leaving her body and traveling with him for months at a time. She never felt right, never felt together until he got back to being her bodyguard. Rin just felt lost and miserable when he wasn't with her. That wasn't normal, was it?

Flopping onto the large four poster bed, Rin slammed her fists onto the bed, throwing a fit worthy of a six year old. After a few more aggravating jabs at the mattress, Rin finally gave up and fell flat onto her back, staring up at the ceiling and seeing nothing, her eyes staring blankly ahead as her mind kept flying through all different scenarios and ideas.

Was this really how she needed to be acting? Like a child? She was intent on chasing after Sesshomaru as soon as she was old enough, but Rin knew the type of tantrum she was throwing wouldn't help her in the slightest at becoming an adult. Of becoming worthy of someone like Sesshomaru. It would make her seem immature, and if there was one thing Rin wanted to be, it was mature. An adult. It just seemed to be taking forever. At least with her birthday coming in a few hours she was one step closer to adulthood. That was something, wasn't it?

Sighing, Rin sat up before throwing her legs over the side of the bed and looking around her room, more bored than ever now that she had decided to stop throwing decorative pillows as if they were baseballs. Her eyes landed on a small box wrapped neatly in brown paper, complete with a small bow on top. It was simple, yet beautifully wrapped and Rin practically flung herself off the bed to reach the vanity desk across the room to reach her present. She didn't need a card to tell her who the gift was from. It was from Sesshomaru and he hadn't forgotten her birthday!

Rin held the gift in her hands, some sort of small box. Should she wait until her birthday to open it? Everything inside of her was practically screaming to rip the paper off and to immediately adore whatever it was he had selected for her. She took a deep breath, looking down at her watch before setting the present back onto the desk. She only had a few more hours until it was midnight and then she would open her gift. Patience was something mature people practiced. It was a virtue, wasn't it? She could wait. Yeah, she could definitely wait. Rin's hands trembled as they reached out for the gift, almost as if they moved of their own accord. Rin snatched her hands back, holding them to her chest before huffing out a weary breath.

She needed to find something to do to keep herself occupied for the next few hours. One thing was for sure, she couldn't just stay up in her bedroom with her present taunting her. Not wasting another moment, Rin hurried out through the bedroom door and down the hallway before skipping down the stair case and following the sounds of people talking before she reached her destination.

"Rin! Come play this game with us!" Kagome called happily, indicating an empty chair with her hand. Rin sat down at the dining room table, grateful for an excuse to kill some time.

She glanced at the three people at the table with her, sad that Sango had still yet to return. Rin should have realized whenever Sango left to visit her brother she would be missing Rin's birthday, and most likely Christmas. Rin's birthday was December 5th, only a few short weeks away from the best holiday in the world! At least in Rin's opinion.

"What are you guys playing?"

"Well we were playing a drinking game," Inuyasha grumbled before glaring at Kagome, who glared back at him.

"We can't start drinking on the job, especially now that Sesshomaru has left on another mission. Save it for your day off, Inuyasha." Rin almost laughed aloud at the hateful look Inuyasha shot at Kagome, but instead turned her focus to the young woman as she spoke. "We're going to play Crazy Eights. Do you want to play with us?"

"I don't know that game. What about Gin Rummy?"

"Sounds like a winner to me," Miroku said, taking another drink of the beer that was in his hand before dispensing an even number of cards to everyone before placing the remainder of the deck in the middle of the group.

"I thought we weren't drinking," Inuyasha said loudly. Miroku grinned before picking up his beer bottle.

"You mean this? Well, it just so happens that it's my night off, and I plan on having several of these."

Kagome rolled her eyes, no doubt sensing the bickering from Inuyasha that was about to ensue. Inuyasha opened his mouth before shutting it sharply and picking up his small hand of cards, gazing at them intently.

"I figured you would put up more of a fight than that, Inuyasha." Kagome teased him. Inuyasha glared up at her before drawing from the pile in the middle, therefore starting the game.

"Nah. There's no point."

"Why not? Do you know it's useless?"

"Feh. Yeah right. I just know that you're so green you couldn't protect Rin if you two were by yourselves and a few armed men broke in to take her. I also know that if Miroku an I both get drunk and leave that type of scenario optional, Sesshomaru would do his best to kill me when he gets back."

Miroku laughed loudly before taking another drink and winking at Rin. "Yeah, we all know why he's so intense about this job."

Rin furrowed her brow in confusion even as Kagome asked the question forming in Rin's mind. "Why is he so intense about this job? Is it not for the money?"

Miroku sputtered into his beer bottle, sending drops flying over the table. Rin grimaced before wiping off her playing cards on her jeans. "For the money? Yeah, right. It's because he's got a-"

"And that's enough out of you, idiot." Inuyasha grabbed the beer from Miroku from across the table, still leaning over so he could slap Miroku upside the head. "What I tell you in confidence isn't to be repeated. Ever. Don't think for a second Sesshomaru would spare you his wrath if he found out. And don't think I would defend you, ya putz."

"Well, that escalated quickly." Kagome grabbed the beer from Inuyasha's hands quickly and returned it to Miroku, who now sat back in his seat, rubbing his head with his free hand. "Okay, Inuyasha, you still need to discard."

And with that, Rin spent the next few hours playing cards with the people who had slowly become her friends, only slightly wondering about what Miroku had meant to say before Inuyasha had cut him off. Sure, Rin would have loved to know more things about Sesshomaru, but not if those things were not intended for her ears. It wouldn't have been right to learn a person's secrets if they weren't the ones to tell them to her.

Looking at her watch, Rin threw down her card from the table, not even caring that she was winning that round. "I'm really tired you guys, so I'll see you tomorrow!" And without another glance at the small group, Rin rushed from the dining room and practically skipped up the stairs before running to her bedroom. Slamming the door shut behind her, Rin grabbed the gift and sat down at the stool that went with her vanity, staring at the wrapped present for the second time that evening. What could he have gotten her? Whatever it was, it had to be tiny!

Not wasting another moment, Rin slowly undid the bow and string that wrapped around the paper, setting it delicately aside as she undid the paper itself, pulling out a Tiffany's box.

Sesshomaru had bought her jewelry? Jewelry?! No one had ever bought her jewelry before. Reaching for the tiny card under the white ribbon, Rin opened it and smiled, noticing it was in Sesshomaru's handwriting.

Know I am there in spirit. Happy Birthday, Rin.

Rin slowly undid the white ribbon that wrapped around the Tiffany's box before pulling out a velvet box from the Tiffany's container. Hands shaking, she opened the box, sighing in delight at what she saw. Inside was a necklace with a white gold chain. On it there were two pendants, one of a crescent moon and another of some type of dog. Or was it a wolf? Rin didn't know.

Rin pulled the necklace delicately from the box before placing it around her neck, trying a few times before the clasp slid into place, the pendants falling to just above the swell of her breasts. Why a dog pendant? Did Sesshomaru have a fondness for dogs? Rin didn't know, but she was sure Inuyasha might. Standing up she turned and left the bedroom, running back downstairs and to the dining room, not surprised to see Inuyasha and Kagome bickering while Miroku was slouched over in his chair, passed out and snoring.

"Hey Inuyasha, quick question." Rin interrupted, uncaring of how rude she was being at the moment. The half demon looked at her, his ears perking forward slightly. Almost like a dogs. Realization dawned on Rin, but she asked the new question anyway, her previous one forgotten. "Are you and Sesshomaru dog demons?"

"Uh, yeah. Why do you ask?"

Rin smiled happily before sprinting away again, her reply flying back at them as she sped away. "No reason! Have a good night!"

Inuyasha and Kagome stared after her, both with odd expressions on their faces. Kagome cleared her throat.

"Is she always so weird?"

"Eh, it comes and goes in waves. Probably has something to do with Sesshomaru."

"Okay then. Where were we?" Immediately the pair picked up their argument, snapping at each other over something petty and silly and also something they wouldn't remember in a few days time.

Rin, Age 17 (Christmas Eve)

"What would you like to do today, Rin?" Kagome asked, wearing a tacky Christmas sweater and a Santa hat. It was a fun festive combination and oddly enough it looked cute with her jeans and ankle boots. Rin was also wearing a sweater with a pair of jeans and sneakers, wishing she had a pair of really cute boots.

"Well now I'm thinking I want to go to the mall before it closes and buy some boots like yours. They're so adorable! And bad ass. I really like how they lace up, but they have this awesome biker vibe to them. Where did you get them?"

Kagome smiled at the young girl before sitting down on the couch with her. "One; There is no way in hell we are going to mall on Christmas Eve unless it's a present emergency. Two; I don't remember, but we can definitely go to the mall in a few days and find you a pair just like these! Besides, with all the money your dad sent you for Christmas I'm sure you'll want to buy a few new clothes as well." Rin smiled before turning on the T.V., effectively ending the conversation about her dad.

He was three hours away and wasn't stopping by for Christmas, but he had placed $20,000 into her bank account that morning. Probably as an apology for forgetting her birthday a few weeks ago, but Rin didn't mind. She fingered the necklace around her throat happily, knowing it was the best present she'd ever received from anyone before.

"That's a pretty necklace, Rin. Is it new?" Rin stilled, realizing she'd brought her necklace out of her sweater to touch it. Since she'd opened her birthday gift, Rin hadn't told anyone about it, let alone shown anyone the wonderful piece of jewelry she'd received. It was so precious, Rin had wanted to keep it her own little secret, for however long it was possible.

"Yes, I got it for my birthday." Kagome reached out, looking at the pendant thoughtfully before glancing up at Rin.

"It's from Sesshomaru, isn't it?"

Rin blushed before nodding her head, afraid to speak. Kagome smiled sweetly before letting the necklace fall onto Rin's sweater and sitting back on the couch. "You know, Rin, if there was ever something you wanted to tell me, I'm here to listen. Okay?"

"Like what?" Rin stared at her companion in confusion. Kagome sighed, sitting up again and squirming on the couch cushion.

"You and Sesshomaru... Is there something going on you need to tell me?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

"It's a very lovely gift, Rin. I just wonder if it's something your bodyguard should have given you."

"Sesshomaru isn't just my bodyguard. He's my best friend." He was her everything.

"Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru is someone's best friend?" Rin glowered at Kagome's shocked tone, not liking this conversation one bit. Almost as if by magic, Inuyasha appeared, stepping into the conversation smoothly. "So he got the kid a necklace. Leave it alone, would ya?"

Rin rolled her eyes at him. "When are you going to stop calling me that? I'm 17 now. Surely that has to count for something!"

"Tell you what, kid. When you get to my age I'll stop calling you that. Deal?"

"Deal! How old are you anyway?"

Inuyasha smirked. "57."

"What?!" Kagome and Rin yelled at the same time, both pausing to stare at one another in confusion. Kagome blushed before standing up from the couch and moving out of the room, muttering lowly to herself as she went.

Rin and Inuyasha stared at her until she was out of sight. Rin cleared her throat. "Is she always so weird?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Eh, it comes and goes in waves. Probably has something to do with me." That did make sense, at least it did to Rin.

Sesshomaru sat wearily in his usual chair, watching Rin sleep peacefully. One of her bare legs was over the covers, a pillow clutched tightly in her arms as she slept. She was on her side, facing him, the tank top she wore leaving the necklace he'd purchased for her in plain view. If Sesshomaru smiled, he might have at seeing the white gold gleaming against her creamy skin as if it was always meant to hang there. It had cost him quite a bit of money, not that he cared about trivial things in the human world, but it had seemed appropriate to give her, even if it was a bit revealing.

He never bought gifts for anyone. Ever. His pathetic younger brother had nearly had a heart attack when he'd stumbled in on Sesshomaru wrapping the damn thing. Wisely, the whelp had remained silent on the matter, knowing when to prod Sesshomaru and when to never mention such things again.

Sesshomaru glanced at the clock on the wall. It read '3:43', meaning it was the morning of Christmas. Sesshomaru had sped along, even using some of his abilities to ensure he made it back to the mansion in time for Christmas day. Not that he cared for the holiday, because he didn't, but Rin did and he knew she would want him to be there. So he was.

Taking a few more minutes to watch the sleeping girl in front of him, Sesshomaru eventually leaned down and brushed her long black hair from her face, running a clawed finger across her smooth cheek as he did so. He did it again, a part of him relishing the touch of his young mate's skin on his hands before he pulled back abruptly, almost leaving his chair and the room altogether.

Patience. He needed patience. She was still too young, too innocent in all things to become anyone's mate, let alone his. Sesshomaru had known from the moment he had lain his eyes upon her she would be his, but he also knew that he would have to wait until she was old enough to accept something so life altering. The tender age of 17 was not the appropriate time. She needed to be an adult, fully and in almost every way. A child wouldn't fully understand what he would be asking, but a woman would. He needed to wait, that was all. He needed patience.

Lifting his hand again, Sesshomaru gripped Rin's exposed shoulder, nudging her slightly until her eyes fluttered, her long, black lashes lifting to show off her deep brown eyes.

"Sesshomaru?" Rin's voice was thick with sleep as she sat up slowly, rubbing her hands over her eyes. "Are you really here?"

"Yes. Merry Christmas, Rin."

Without another word, Rin threw herself into his arms, holding him to her while they both sat on the bed. "I'm glad you're back. I missed you." Feeling bold, Rin leaned back and gave Sesshomaru a quick peck on the cheek before burying herself in his arms again, her cheeks stained red and burning with embarrassment.

Sesshomaru remained silent, his arms draped around the waist of the girl in front of him.

Patience. He needed patience.