AN: Well I'm still sick so I couldn't update this as fast as I would have liked but I finally finished and I hope you all enjoy. It's not as long as the others, but that will be explained later, and thank you to everyone who commented so far and thank you to the ones who checked out my deviant art page I really appreciate it!

Two more fluffy chapters to go and this story should be done, but this is the ending to winter storm. Hope you all enjoy and R&R!

Disclaimer: I own none of the Inuyasha characters.

~~~WINTER STORM FINALE~~~

Kagome hutched low from the window watching whatever was displayed to her. Sure she told herself that she only looked to make sure Rin was alright, but even she knew Sesshomaru wouldn't let the sick girl faint without bringing her in, so it stood to reason that she only spied on the pair to see what kind of scene she could peep at.

Sesshomaru seemed too preoccupied with Rin to notice her and Rin didn't seem to notice either so Kagome stared out the window while occasionally walked around the hut pretending to do something. She could vaguely hear what they were saying, but the closer she got to the window the more words she could pick up. If ever a moment where she wished she had Inuyasha's cute ears. One particular sentence Rin spoke brought her to attention, and made her hutch near the wall to get a better look.

She needs to talk….that sure doesn't sound too good.

~~~o0o~~~

"To talk?" he repeated, resisting the urge to have his facial expression show all that his mind was processing. Anxiety, nervousness, anxious thoughts running through his head that he found a disgrace to even be a part of his mind. The sentence was rarely used around his presence, but he knew it could be either taken as a start to a bad ending, or it meant exactly what she said, she needed to talk.

Rin walked closer to him, and he did indeed notice her slow movement indicating she was as weak ever now, "Mm-hmm, I've just had something bottled up in my min-(cough cough)"

"Go and rest," he advised when her fit of coughing ended, "This can wait."

That tiny little stubborn part was starting to show when she shook her head and tried her best to end that part of the topic. "I want to tell you something, and plus…." She hid her face under the shelter of her bangs to hide her obvious blush, "I never got to thank you properly."

"Hmm," his chest rumbled making Rin turn her head upward to face him properly even though he was given sight to her cherry red cheeks, and they both knew that was not from a fever. "I never thanked you for saving me. If it hadn't of been for you I would have died out there in the snow or drowned in the lake."

Though his face made not one single flinch his chest sure did when thinking that the only reason she had fallen down that lake was because of those hounds, and the only reason the demon canines were after her in the first place was because of him. He could have responded to anything when it came to her words of appreciation, but hearing her thanks only made him feel all the more disappointed with himself.

"Go and rest," he responded quietly while turning away as to end the conversation then and there. Rin, however, was easily able to pick up his distress, but why he felt that way she did not know. She knew her lord rarely showed when he was troubled. If he was he would become even less talkative than he normally was or go off to be on his own for a little while. Turning from her the way he did was an obvious sign, and though it hurt her on the inside it only persuaded her further to find out what was causing him displeasure.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" she hesitated when walking closer. She wanted to know what was wrong but knew that approaching right off the back will only further him from her, and there was no way she was going to be able to get up that red post if he decided to retreat. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he assured, though he still looked away from her. His actions were not purposely given to hurt her feelings, but when she thanked him he began to think of the 'if only' scenarios to his rescue. If only he had not made those orders, or if only he had made it back faster to the village or traveled even faster in the forest. If only he had not left the village at all; Rin would have never have left and she would be safe and in good health right now.

"Are you sure?" she then asked knowing he was keeping something bottled up in that mysterious mind of his. When he didn't turn or even signal that he heard her, her own thoughts began to wonder off into the scarier part of her conclusions.

Is he angry with me?

Her eyes looked down, if what she was thinking was correct than it only made sense that he didn't want to look at her.

If she had only stayed, though, she wouldn't have burdened out lord with this situation.

Rin's head lowered even further when recalling what Jaken said. She could not think of any other reason that her lord would turn his back to her. Perhaps he was angry with her to an extent as to where he didn't mind being around her yet didn't want to look at her. She decided then and there to let him have his space.

She turned slowly and began to walk away.

"Wait Rin where are you going?" Kagome thought as she eyed her friend turning away. Kagome almost felt her stomach clench at the thought of those two actually fighting. It was natural when she and Inuyasha argued; as sad as that sounded their connection sometimes grew stronger from it. But as much as she and Inuyasha fought that was how much Rin and Sesshomaru got along, and to Kagome the mere image of the pair making the other angry was a complete shock when most of the time they seemed inseparable.

Come on somebody say something!

Rin took one step forward and just as her other foot was about to move she decided against taking another. She turned her head over her shoulder knowing full well that she could easily leave the scene without so much as another word, but deep down she had far too much respect for him to just simply walk away. No matter how closer they became or how much their level of connection grew on the friendly side and even, dare she even think, romantic, he was still her lord in and out no matter how old she now was.

She turned on her heels and faced him knowing full well that he was probably not going to respond to her words. "Lord Sesshomaru," she whispered, knowing he heard though he didn't turn around. This is far from what she expected. She hoped to talk to him while they sat side by side, now they couldn't even speak face to face.

"I-I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble," she then said with her eyes facing down not even realizing the face she wanted to see turned to face her. Even though his face was as unreadable as always his mind was unable to process the cold truth that she was the one who was apologizing.

"I know it would have been better for me to stay in the village and (cough cough)," she suddenly chocked out; putting her hand over her mouth and feeling her mind begin to haze all thanks to the fire burning in her head.

"Rin," Kagome gasped when she saw the young woman nearly collapse into the snow. It was obvious the fever was getting to her, and being out in the cold while she was still sick was not the best ideas. Kagome knew that it was time to get her out of there, but just as she was about to turn toward the door her eyes caught sight of Sesshomaru already by Rin's side.

The priestess hutched low beside the window, and she watched intensely how Sesshomaru scooped Rin up with her head cushioned by his fur and her legs hooked over his other arm. Though Kagome was not entirely surprised she still felt her eyes grow wide at seeing that quiet emotionless brother in law of hers perform such a kind act.

But it was Rin so she knew it only made sense.

Kagome expected him to bring Rin straight inside the hut but instead he turned and began walking back to that red post. Halfway there she saw his eyes turn to stare straight at her, and of course what's his stare without that infamous death glare of his.

Kagome laughed nervously when she noticed she was found out, and began dusting off the wood below the window. "Just…uhh…cleaning," she mumbled with a crooked smile while he only huffed at her ridiculous lie and continued walking.

He went as far as the base of the right side of the post, and from there he merely sat down in the snow. His armor made a nice barrier between his behind and the snow, and with his legs bent out and his back against the post he deemed himself fairly comfortable.

Rin blinked a few times to see if what just happened really happened. When she felt herself go down she was happy to see him at her side as soon as she hit the snow, but to her surprise he didn't take her back into the hut like she thought. She looked up at him and much to her relief found that his eyes shined with that soft, warm gaze that she liked to think was only meant for her.

She felt him drape his fur all around her body, and she cuddled more into his lap till her feet dangled off and her head lay comfortably against his fur covered shoulder. There is was again, that wonderful scent. She buried her nose in his fur and inhaled without letting any nose drippings run down. Of course that musky mountain scent was him, and she found comfort in that scent when it brought her back to the days when she traveled alongside her demon companions in the thick green forests and windy open mountains.

When she opened her eyes she found his gaze had yet to leave her, and wondered what the reason was for his peculiar stare. "Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked, somehow wondering if her call tore him away from his thought by his sudden blink. "You needn't thank me nor should you apologize," he spoke, his tone flat yet calm. Rin's mouth opened in confusion, but she soon caught on to what he meant and she too almost forgot about her little apology when her mind got so caught up in the fact that she was in his lap.

"Oh," she responded, having thought of nothing else to say at that moment. "I mean, why ever not my lord?" she then added. His head looked forward, and Rin could obviously see that he was about to leave her with an unanswered question. She wasn't one to push, especially not him, but she could sense he was troubled and that was the last thing she wanted her savior to feel.

It just didn't make any sense to her. He saved her, she thanked him, and he ended up looking away from her after her words of gratitude. She thought on further when she apologized to him, and he told her she didn't need to thanks him or apologize to him. She was so confused, and despite their close contact she felt so distant from him. His eyes looked forward, and they help a sharp intense stare as though he was having an inner battle with himself. There was something he didn't want to discuss with her, she knew, or maybe he was having trouble putting together the right words.

He was a demon of few words, and though his vocabulary was colorful it was also limited.

Rin closed her eyes and layed back against his shoulder. Perhaps it was better to just keep things quiet seeing as she did not know what could be bothering him. She now only wished she had some sort of clue.

Maybe it would have been better if he hadn't of commissioned those orders to be made by Royo… whoever…

Don't go blaming this on Lord Sesshomaru, he had no idea Rin would be out there…

Rin's eyes opened immediately when she thought back on the conversation she overheard. Could that be the reason, she wondered. She didn't know any other answer unless he was troubled about something far beyond her knowledge, and decided she would try her luck at her lord's mysterious mind.

It would seem he beat her to the finish though when he was the first to speak. "Those wolfs," he started off without so much as a tone to his voice or a move to his head. His eyes kept looking forward while he sorted through his words till he found the right sentence to express to Rin his, dare he even think it, mistake. He kept his voice above a whisper as to make it to where only she could hear him instead of that nosy priestess.

"They-"

He stopped in mid sentence when he felt cool fingers touch the lower portion of his jaw. The gently coaxed his face to look at her, and to his surprise he saw her smile brightly which would have given anyone second thoughts when stating she was sick.

Rin's heart fluttered in relief when she found the cause to his displeasure, and what made her heart sing even more was the fact that never once was he angry with her. "I know," she whispered back while her fingers trailed up to palm his cheek. His face was warm and soft; she figured unlike hers which was more than likely cold and just sweaty.

"You knew?" His facial expression shifted to where his brows lowered a little, and Rin only nodded while her smiled widened. "Master Jaken has a big beak, enough to wake the soundest of sleepers," she giggled, and he on the other hand began making plans to throw boulders instead of rocks at his servant head. That blabber mouth. "You know, and you are not displeased by it?"

Rin's eyes grew curious, "Should I be?"

His left hand traveled from his left knee to her wounded arm, "This wound," he then traveled all the way to her wounded ankle, "As well as this one would not be here if…" He released her ankle and could not pass the lump forming in his throat. It was shameful; lords do not stop in mid sentence or stutter and so far he just performed both in a matter of minutes.

Rin felt her brows crunch back as her facial expression grew sad when she dug into the conclusion that he blamed himself for what happened to her. It was a little hard to tell, and if she were to say anything he may have just denied it, but Rin could see the signs that it was more than likely true.

He blames himself.

She quickly grabbed the hand that just touched her wounds and placed his warm palm against her fever burning face. "I'm not one to judge on illnesses Rin," he explained causing her to almost giggle when he thought she wanted him to check her fever.

"Do you remember during the new year when you told me to always survive during battle and wait until your arrival?" she asked. He blinked at her very out of the blue question, and tried not to think back on the day he allowed his whole face to turn a light shade of pink thanks to certain lips claiming a spot on his magenta striped cheek.

To this day he could still feel his cheeks grow hot at the memory, and being that most demons considered act such as blushing to be an embarrassment he did well throughout his life to never show it. Now that he remembered correctly he believed he never once blushed; maybe not even as a young pup when he tried to spy on that oh so famous she male demon's bathing house that the demons in his father's army would brag about. It was a sign of weakness but the blush came as sudden as the peck itself. Oh yes he remembered that day. "Yes…"

"You know, I kept what you said at heart, and thought about it when I was out there in the snow. It helped me in not losing hope, because even though I was scared I had every hope that you would come for me."

He did nothing more than listen, and when he felt her hand squeeze the clawed one that was currently still on her cheek he felt that warm heat growing in his cheeks again. "And you did. You rescued me just as you always have done. Wolfs or no wolfs; had it not been for you I would have died in the snow."

He slipped his hand from hers and ran his fingers down her cheek until he settled it over her legs. "So you are not disappointed?" he asked, his voice flat but his chest thumping. Rin smiled her warm smile again and shook her head. "I never was."

"You still…put your trust towards my abilities?" he then asked with his tone rising to a more curious level. Rin actually giggled a little as she buried her face against his shoulder till all that was seen was her nose and part of her eye. She mumbled into his fur, "My lord makes it sound as though I ever stopped."

The thumping in his chest stopped and he felt overly satisfied at all her answers. She still trusted him, still believed in him, and was not even a bit disappointed by his actions. Had it been any other person they may have given him a different experience with all this. It just stood to reason that the human heart could sometimes be even more complex than the human mind, or maybe was it the other way around.

For some reason he was actually curious to dive into that mind and see what lay with all those emotions and thoughts that dwelled within a mortal. What caused them to think what they think, and what made them believe in a thing called love when all they lay within their bodies was a beating organ known as their heart. If he pulled that from their chest would he be able to feel it too, or was love only formed through the mind. Was it better of arranged or better off fallen by fate.

Was someone like him even capable of feeling much less actually expressing such an emotion?

Honey glazed eyes turned to look at the mortal woman in his arms, and to his surprise he found Rin sleeping peacefully having found all the comfort she needed just by being in his arms. Her face was still red, but not from her fever, and her whole body was bundled into this fur almost the way it was when she was bundled within his true form.

Kagome peeked outside the window after she figured it was safe enough to look without being shot down by that angry again, and was shocked to see Rin sleeping in Sesshomaru's arms with him looking down at her with his amber gaze turning warm unlike the cold deadly one he gave her.

"Figures sleep would find her when she was with him," Kagome sighed, thinking now is as good a time as any to pester Inuyasha into cuddling.

That soft golden gaze quickly sharpened as Sesshomaru yet again glared her way when he could sense her nosiness yet again. Kagome chuckled and quickly ran off to find something to pretend to do.

Once the 'little problem' was put in her place Sesshomaru closed his own eyes allowing himself to recuperate knowing it had been a while since he allowed his eye lids to close shut. His senses were still on high alert and his mind still pondering on all the mysteries of the world between humans and demons.

Once the feel of snow began to fall on his silver head one sun kissed pupil opened to stare down at the slumbering woman cuddled warmly within his fur. He knew he would have to get her into shelter soon, but settled with having her close a little while longer. His right clawed hand, out of its own accord, began running through Rin's long ponytail while she mumbled words he could not even understand.

He thought it was amusing; of all the demons that looked to him with confidence that he would fulfill all the duties and responsibilities a lord like himself should accomplish, never once did he think the trust and devotion of a human mortal would be the one that he cherished the most.

AN: My favorite scene out of that was when he thought she wanted him to check her fever cute XD

That's it for this chapter Rin's so lucky I don't get fur to sleep on all I got was gross medicine Xp I'm still a little sick so this isn't as long as the other chapters. I was hoping to add more to this story describing how Rin gets better and all but I think it would be better to have that as a full chapter all in its own. I will fill it describing how Sesshomaru gets involved in a little get well present given to her. And Kohaku will be in at a little bit, and much to Sesshomaru's pleasure so will the children yaaaa!

I still have to write it so you'll understand more once you read so thanks a lot for reading I hope you enjoyed Winter Storm and I hope you stay alert to see what I have in store for the very last chapter. For those of you who checked out my deviant art page thanks again I appreciate it :D hope you pictured the same scene when you read this.

Thanks for reading and comments are welcomed if you like, till next time!