Reckless

I don't own Inuyasha

Ch 10

Rin picked at her dinner as the other kids chatted around her discussing their plans for the rest of the weekend. She'd asked Vivi about going back over to Sesshoumaru and Sara's but Vivi had declined her this weekend. She'd said that it was because Kita wouldn't be available to go with her but she wasn't sure that she believed that. Rin was sure that Vivi found out about the stealing incident from last weekend and maybe Sesshoumaru and Sara didn't want her to come back. She'd ruined everything.

Rin was actually enjoying being around them. She'd started to spend evenings with them prior to the incident last weekend. Whenever she was done with whatever tasks they asked her to do she was welcomed to just hang out. She never got the feeling they were getting annoyed with her. Sesshoumaru and Sara would help her with her homework or she would watch Sesshoumaru work on one of the models or draw up plans. He'd even given her one of the projects to tackle for herself and figured out how to include her homework into it. Sara would invite her into the kitchen to help finish making dinner or teach her how to bake something and when they weren't doing that Sara was always happy to show her all things fashion. Rin couldn't help but beat herself up about it. Sara looked so upset and Sesshoumaru seemed so disappointed when she'd given them back the ring. She'd messed up and they'd never forgive her this time. Why would they take the risk to let her come back in again? So caught up in her thoughts, Rin hadn't noticed that Vivi was watching her.

"Rin."

"Hm?"

"Do you want to take a walk with me?"

Rin swallowed nervously unsure of what Vivi wanted to talk to her about. Was it about last weekend? Would the probation officer know? Would she have to go back to jail?

Vivi couldn't help but notice the changes in Rin since she'd been working with Sesshoumaru and Sara. She seemed happier despite Kohaku's absence and maybe they were only filling that void for the time being but it was doing the young girl good. Rin's grades were actually improving and the teachers didn't have nearly as many complaints about her behavior. Vivi knew Rin's urge to steal wasn't completely gone. Old habits died hard but she was trying and kids rarely complained now about any of their things missing.

"So, you really like being around Mr. and Mrs. Takahashi don't you?"

"I do." Rin nodded as she looked off toward the playground. A lot of the younger kids were playing on the swings or probably making their way up the ladder to the slide for the fifth time. She could remember not long ago sitting on one of the swings as Vivi talked to her. The first day at the children's home was frightening to her and Vivi took her to the playground before even introducing her to the other kids. She was sure that everyone would think the worst of her if they ever found out how she lost her family. All she did was hide while they were murdered. She remembered how her mother had ushered her into the small compartment under the stairs. Her mother and father hadn't had time to find places for her older brother and sister. And then she'd heard the gunshots. It took weeks for the tears to finally stop.

"Well, we've been talking quite a bit since you started your community service with them. They've been keeping me updated on how you've been doing."

"What did they say?"

"They seem to think you're doing well and they've enjoyed having you there."

"But?"

Vivi frowned. She realized that this was how so many of their conversations started and ended with every family that she was placed with and every placement that failed.

"There's no but this time. Sesshoumaru and Sara have agreed to foster you."

"What?"

"They've agreed to foster you. That means that you'll live with them just as you would a typical family. You won't have to go back and forth or have Kita with you to be there. You'll stay until I can find you a permanent placement."

Rin wasn't sure what to say and she wasn't sure that she completely understood it either. A moment ago she'd thought that Sesshoumaru and Sara would never want to see her again and in the next she'd found out that they'd agreed to let her stay at their home full time. What changed their minds?

"Rin is this what you want? Do you want to stay with them?"

"Of course."

…

"Well, well, look what the cat drug in. I haven't seen you in a while. What's going on?"

Rin joined Yura as she propped herself against a wall. She would watch the streets tonight, her mind racing, the nervousness pulsing through her. She hadn't expected Vivi to bring her any news earlier today but now she wasn't sure what to think about Sesshoumaru and Sara.

"Nothing."

"So you're not going to tell me you got locked up?"

"I figured you knew."

"Look, don't be mad at me. I figured you'd be smart enough not to get caught."

"The owner came back earlier than I'd expected. I've been doing my community service with him and his wife and they seem like a decent couple."

"They have kids?"

"No…and they've been really good to me."

Yura sneered noticing Rin's calm and the way she admired the couple

"Don't be stupid. They don't want you."

"They said they do. At least, they agreed to foster me. That's why I came tonight. I don't think I'm going to be able to sneak out as easy and I kind of don't want to. I really want this to work out you know."

Yura rolled her eyes as she laughed a little. She couldn't believe how Rin could forget what had happened with the other families she'd been placed with. She would always get her hopes up, think that the family she was placed with would be her heaven send. The families either already had one to many kids, wanted the check or would give Rin up because she was a trouble maker. Rin couldn't help that trouble followed her everywhere. It was just the girl's nature. Thefts, fights and running away were things that Rin did well and nothing and no one would change that about her.

"Right."

"I'm not going to mess this up."

"Rin, they didn't even agree to adopt you. They're fostering you. They're not permanent."

Rin watched the street light flicker as another vehicle passed by. Deep down she knew that Yura was right. Sesshoumaru and Sara had only agreed to foster her until Vivi could find her a permanent family but what if she could convince them that she was worth keeping, that she could be with them without being a burden? Would they keep her then?

"They could be permanent. Maybe Vivi won't find another family."

"There you go getting your hopes up again. I don't know why you do this to yourself. Why not just accept that you can be fine without a family?"

"What, and end up out here? Like you!"

"…"

Rin immediately felt guilty as Yura stared off. She knew that Yura didn't want to be in this situation and if she could leave that she would but she didn't have anywhere else to go.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I just thought you would at least be happy for me."

"Whatever."

Yura was slightly taken aback as Rin hugged her but she returned it and she started to wonder if this was really meant to be good-bye.

…

Sesshoumaru and Sara eyed each other as Rin took her time to explore the room. They'd taken a few notes from Vivi about what she might like but ultimately they'd wanted the choice to be Rin's. Sara'd cringed slightly when Sesshoumaru told Rin she could paint the room whatever color she liked. They hadn't planned for her to say orange, but Sesshoumaru promised that they could make the color work and she trusted his artistic prowess. The young girl eventually found her way to around the room exploring the walk in closet that already held a few outfits that Sara provided from her younger wardrobe, the desk that sat against the window displaying a small flower from the garden and a laptop that Rin stared at intently before looking to her new parents for confirmation.

Sara looked at Sesshoumaru as she bit back the smile. Maybe Sesshoumaru was the hardest to convince about having a child, even fostering Rin but when he'd finally said yes she hadn't expected him to go above and beyond hers or Vivi's expectations. Maybe he'd even stunned Rin although there was a catch and Sesshoumaru was already showing himself to be an overprotective parent to password protect any sites he didn't want her on.

"Everything in this room is yours to use. The laptop is for homework."

"But you can have extra time on it if you earn it."

"Why are you doing this for me, even after I tried to steal from you again?"

"We'd kind of been planning for you already. We just had to make sure this is what you wanted."

Sesshoumaru watched as Sara calmed and listened to her explain to Rin why they'd made the decision to foster her. He knew that despite the disappointment that Sara'd felt after Rin's admission of stealing again the plans had been in place and it would take more than that for Sara to change her mind. Vivi was nearly relentless about how she was sure that he and Sara would make good parents. Although Vivi's argument always had Sara in her corner he wasn't so sure of his parenting skills and to make such a big change in their lives in such a short period of time could leave anyone feeling tentative. But, it was Rin's actions that finally led him to say yes. The more time she spent around them the easier it was to understand the flaws rather than just accept them. He wouldn't accept that Rin's fate would be to end up in a jail, on the streets or even dead from stealing or being around the wrong people. She didn't deserve that kind of life. No one did and it hurt to even think about losing her now.

A/N: Thanks for continuing to read and review