I hope this goes over well. Please review.
Here is a list of the kids names and their meanings and ages;
(1,2)Miu - beautiful feather. Mizuki - beautiful moon; twins girls (6)
(3)Satoru - wise, fast learner; first son (5)
(4)Kenichi - strong, healthy; second son (4)
(5)Mitsuo- shining hero; third son (3)
(6,7)Suzu- bell. Saki - blossom of hope; second twin girls (2)
(8)Aki-bright/autumn; fourth son (1)
Chapter 2 - Listen
Rin arrived at the hut as the neighboring huts began to stir. She peeked in to find Kaeda still sleeping. She considered waking her but decided there was no need. Kagome helped Kaeda more now-a-days despite InuYasha's complaints. His arguments always fell flat when Kagome pointed out that Kaeda was getting too old to walk all the way into the forest and bend down and collect herbs on her hands and knees. He would point at her stomach that was now very visible in her priestess robes but Kagome would always retort with how many women worked well until they gave birth, some even squat in the field to give birth. At this InuYasha would bark something stupid that would be rewarded with a 'sit-boy" usually and that was the end of the argument.
"Rini!"
Rin turned in time to catch a small boy with dark black hair as he threw himself into her arms. Rin stumbled back and almost fell, her sense of being grounded thrown off by her shoes. Dark blue eyes looked up at her with a sleepy smile. Rin smiled back as she adjusted the child in her arms to rest on her hip. "Good morning Mitsuo."
"Morning Rini."
"It's Rin!" came another voice. Both looked up to see another small boy. This one with lighter brown hair, but the same blue eyes; looking both pouty and smug at the same time.
"I don't mind Kenichi." Rin said as she walked towards the boy. His pout grew larger and he crossed his arms over his chest and turned away. A habit he had seemed to learn from InuYasha. Rin tilted her head to the side and looked at him with a soft smile, "You can call me 'Rini' too if you want to Kenichi." At this the boy blushed softly and turned even more and verbally scoffed at her. Rin giggled and Mitsuo giggled with her as she continued towards the hut that the boys had emerged from.
As Rin lifted the flap to the entrance she was met with a soft cheap of a pur from Kirara who had been waiting next to the door, making sure the boys didn't go too far on their own. The sight in front of Rin made her blush and turn away. She should have been use to it by now. 8 kids in 6 years was obvious enough of how Miroku and Sango felt about each other but to catch Miroku on top of Sango in a passionate morning kiss was a little too much confirmation. Without batting an eyelash Mitsuo chimed in with a, "Mamma's being squeeshed!" The cry caused the two to surface for air and they saw Rin in their doorway with two of their sons.
"Oh my!" Sango blushed and pushed Miroku off of her as she collected herself and tried to compose herself.
Miroku only grinned like a stupid idiot but did have the decency to look slightly guiltily at Rin for having to witness that. "Sorry Rin."
"It's my fault. I should have, before I entered, knocked or something." She stammered as she placed Mitsou down and he ran to his mother and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Her embarrassment vanished with her son in her arms.
"You're up early." Miroku said as he softly made his way towards Rin, trying not to wake his other children as he went.
"I didn't want the day to get away from me." Rin said slyly, waiting to see if he would remember.
Miroku finally seemed to notice Rin's clothes and shoes and the fact that she was clean. "Why all dressed up?"
With a dejected sigh she turned towards Kirara and said, "No one remembers, do they?" To which the demon cat meowed at her.
Miroku made a face and turned to his wife for help. Sango looked thoughtful for a second as Kenichi joined his brother on her lap when she finally had it. "It's your birthday."
"Of course! How could I have forgotten. Please forgive me Rin! Happy Birthday." He said with a smile.
Rin smiled eagerly at them and clapped her hands behind her, "Thank you. I actually came to see if Miss Sango could help me tie my sash. I want to look perfect today, for when Lord Sesshomaru comes."
"How do you know Sesshomaru is coming for a visit?" Miroku asked, inserting his foot into his mouth.
"Because he always comes on her birthday." Sango answered as she stood to walk towards Rin, pinching her husband's arm as she passed him. "And of course I will help you." She smiled sweetly at the girl.
Rin stood with her arms raised outstretched to her sides and tried not to move as Sango fixed what Rin had done wrong. As Sango worked, Miroku began making breakfast and waking the rest of the children, starting with the oldest. The 6 year old twins girls, Miu and Mizuki woke with some difficulty and sleepy eyes. 5 year old Satoru rubbed his dark brown eyes. As he crawled out of bed Rin could see that his light brown hair was tousled about as if an animal had come into the hut in his sleep and sucked on his head to cause his hair to stand up. Satoru drooled even after he was convinced to sit up with his sisters. Kenichi, the begrudging 4 year old took his place next to his older brother, and dragged 3 year old Mitsuo along with, despite his desire to join his mother and Rin. Miroku kissed the small dark haired heads of Suzu and Saki to wake the 2 year old toddlers up. It seemed that twins run in Sango's family. The only one left sleeping was the soon to be 1 year old Aki, who slept soundly in a straw woven crib next to Sango and Miroku's bed. Sango explained that Aki had started teething and he had been up half the night fussy over it. Letting him sleep til the pain in his gums woke him again seemed a good idea to Miroku.
As the children finally seemed to gain full consciousness they started talking to their father about their dreams and what they wanted to do that day, each trying to be heard over the other. But Miroku missed nothing and answered each one in turn.
Sango was finished with Rin and invited her to eat with them but she excused herself to wake Kaeda. The children all asked Rin to play later and she half heartedly agreed, wondering if Lord Sesshomaru would have arrived by then or not.
Rin made her way to Kaeda's hut to find her awake and already beginning her day. Rin set to work helping her separate and mix herbs being very careful as she worked to not get her kimono dirty. Kaeda did not ask about Rin's appearance but then she didn't have to. Kaeda had become used to Rin's mind and her thoughts over the last 6 years and if there was one thing she knew it was that everything Rin did, was for Sesshomaru.
While she worked Rin wondered again how long it would take for Lord Sesshomaru to arrive. She prayed she would not be forced to wait too much longer. She missed him so much that it seemed to consume her. Now that the idea of her re-joining him was so close she couldn't seem to stand being out of his presence anymore.
Once Rin was done with a few mixed potions she set to cooking breakfast for -
"You really should be lying down Kagome." InuYasha's voice carried in from behind Kagome as she entered the house. Her hand rested on her round growing stomach absentmindedly as she made her way towards Rin's work to see if there was anything left that she could help her with. "I could have brought you your food. You didn't have to come here."
"InuYasha, will ye stop barking. It is too early for such excitement." Kaeda chided at the man as she in turn handed Kagome some of her unmixed herbs.
"Thank you Kaeda. It's been like this for almost an hour. He almost didn't let me get dressed! That's how much he wanted me to stay in bed."
Rin blushed and giggled. After her earlier encounter with Miroku and Sango it was hard not to imagine the scenario. Kagome looked slightly pink as the double standard of her statement sunk in and InuYasha was practically the same shade of red as his robs. Thankfully Kaeda seemed to miss the joke or choice not to react and so no one actually made a comment. InuYasha instead sat and pouted against the wall while the women quietly worked in the morning air. Rin enjoyed this morning ritual. She and Kaeda would begin the preparations and then Kagome would either help or start cooking if Rin hadn't started already. They would sit in a small circle while InuYasha moaned and or doze until he finally left the women to their work and did whatever he felt needed to be done in his forest. After enough time had passed Kagome cleared her throat and said "Happy birthday Rin. You must be so excited. I love your kimono. It's so pretty and it really suits you."
Rin smiled at her, "Thank you, Miss Kagome. It means a lot to me that it looks good. Miss Sango helped me tie it. And I took care in walking through the forest in it."
"That's we're ye was? By ye self?" Kaeda stopped working and seemed to really see Rin for the first time that day.
"I was fine. It was early so I thought no one would follow me. Tho I was followed by that Warlord Kitsume but he only showed up as I was leaving." Kagome and Kaeda exchanged a look Rin knew well enough by now. She cut them off before either could start. "I couldn't wait for someone to take me. I had to bath and get ready for Lord Sesshomaru . I didn't want to risk him seeing me dirty."
InuYasha made a noise in the back of his throat. "Ain't nothing he hasn't seen. You were a scrawny street urchin when he met you. You don't have to go get all pretty for him. Not like he would notice anyway."
"InuYasha." Kagome's voice held a warning tone. InuYasha's ears flattened against his head.
Rin ducked her head, hoping that her bangs would hide her blush as to how much his words hit her. "I don't care . I just, wanted to feel 17. Grown and pretty for him."
Kagome leaned towards Rin and rested her hand on her shoulder. " I understand and feeling that way is normal when you love someone . Don't ever feel stupid for acting in honor of love." The two shared a secret smile. Rin love how Kagome always knew how to sooth her, like an elder sister. She also took comfort in the fact that they both loved and choice demons for companions. Even in their relaxed village, it was rare to find women such as Kagome to see eye to eye with.
InuYasha 'keh'ed but said nothing more. Rin served the reheated stew to Kaeda and Kagome first. She stood to served InuYasha and he eyed her through half closed eyes, trying to look unimpressed. The expression struck a cord in Rin's mind.
Cold gold eyes looked at her from his place leaning against the giant tree. He was aware of her presence but choice to ignore it as she approached him. In her hands she held a fish spread across a leaf. She knelt down to give him the fish but he didn't motion to take it. She finally put the leaf down within his reach and turned to leave when he spoke. "I do not need food." She turned to look at him. "Mind your own business. I don't eat what humans eat." He had closed his eyes but other than that he had not moved. The next time she brought him food it was less, only berries and mushrooms, because she had been caught stealing the fish and had been beaten for it. Again he refused to eat with a simple "No need. I told you I don't need anything." She still left the food but this time when she went to leave he questioned her. "What's with those bruises on your face?" She turned and just stared at him in wonder. "If you don't want to talk thats fine." His inquiry about her injury sparked an emotion in her that had not been felt in almost a year. Her cheeks raised, forcing her healthy eye to close as well as her swollen eye to shut tighter. Her lips stretched and cracked to be pulled taut over her teeth. "What're you smiling about? I only asked a question." Smiling. She had forgotten what this expression felt like. She was happy and smiling because of this man. At that moment she knew she would follow this man to the end of the Earth.
"Hey, you ok kid?" The gruff voice broke Rin from her thoughts. InuYasha looked at her full on now with open curiosity. It was nice how easy it was to read the emotions on his face. Rin nodded and handed the bowl to him. He gingerly took it and nodded his thanks as she turned to go retrieve her own food.
/:/
The rest of the morning proceeded without incident. Rin was allowed to play with Sango and Miroku's children instead of doing her daily chores, so she would not get her dress dirty. InuYasha ended up doing most of the chores because he refused to let Kagome do them and Kagome refused to let Kaeda do them. Rin balanced Aki on her knee as Sango did laundry with the help of her eldest daughters Miu and Mizuki. The rest of the children played make believe games in the grass, pretending to be hunting demons or that they were the demons being hunted. All in all Rin's birthday was turning out to be a wonderfully calm day.
A loud roar rang out from the tree line. The children stopped and looked towards the noise. Sango was about to call out to them when Rin bolted up and ran towards her to give her Aki. Sango looked confused as Rin headed towards the noise. She stopped at the edge of the hill with the children and looked down. Holding her hands in front of her like she was praying. The roar came again and A-Un was visible over the tree line. On his back was master Jaken and another body. Rin wondered if it was Lord Sesshomaru but then she saw a flash of blue light strike in front of the dragon creature and landed at the bottom of the hill near the river. The light grew and Rin saw as Lord Sesshomaru stood where the light had been moments before. Without thinking she ran towards him and was about to throw her arms out to hug him when she almost tripped. She caught herself and bent forward with her hands resting on her knees. She looked up and saw Sesshomaru looking down at her with the usual indifference. She righted herself and swiped her bangs out of her eyes. She smiled up at him and said, "Good day Lord Sesshomaru. I'm so happy you came to see me."
"Happy Birthday Rin." His soft voice almost purred at her but his expression gave nothing away. He looked up and down at her and added. "You look lovely today."
She blushed and thought her heart would stop beating. She just stood there smiling at him. Luckily A-Un had arrived and master Jaken interrupted them.
"I say Rin, you are a lady now. You shouldn't go running down hills like that. What would you have done if you had fallen and got hurt? Or ruined that kimono that Lord Sesshomaru had given you? Don't be so disrespectful."
"Nice to see you too master Jaken." Rin beamed down at the small green imp creature, ignoring most of what he said. "I was just so excited about seeing Lord Sesshomaru that I couldn't wait."
Sesshomaru made no comment on the matter. To any spectators he would have seemed bored but to Rin he just seemed slightly content with the small banter. Rin seemed to finally take notice of movement off to the side and turned to greet A-Un. She was caught off guard by the young man who climbed off the dragon and started walking towards their small group. He wore fine white robes with red trim and soft gold embroidered around the hemline. He had delicate features that almost made him seem feminine, his height and shoulders were really the only things that gave his gender away. Rin turned to look at Lord Sesshomaru questioningly. Sesshomaru raised his right hand and motioned for the man to come closer.
"Rin, this is Kyo. His father is a Lord of the Northern territories. He is the first born and heir to his father's legacy. He shall be your husband."
:p I'm such a naughty thing. Sorry for the cliffhanger.
Ok so I have almost all of chapter 3 done but because it has been so long I was going to post it along with a chapter 4 back to back. Do you want to wait or do you want it now? Let me know asap please.
