Chapter XXI

As Sango and Kagome continued their ridiculous antics, Rin couldn't hold in her amusement any longer and burst out laughing. Seeing that they had finally managed to crack their friend, Sango and Kagome offered each other cheeky grins before turning towards the three in front of them and stood up, though with a little difficulty on Sango's part. Bowing in apology, they both offered sheepish smiles and began explaining themselves, saying that it was all a joke-even if they do have weird names-and that in all seriousness, they were happy to make their acquaintance.

The Taisho men looked that they all had different opinions on what they pulled. Touga looked as if he was amused with the way his lit up is any indication, Sesshomaru looked more annoyed than amused by the scowl etched on his handsome face, and Inuyasha looked angry. The twitching on his eyebrow, the downturned of his mouth, and the fire blazing in his eyes was proof that if he wasn't in a public place where kids of all ages played, he would have blown up by now.

Breathing in deeply to calm down her laughs, Rin offered her friends a smile and with another deep breath stood up from the bench to properly greet her daughter's family. Nodding in Sesshomaru's direction, Rin turned her full attention to Touga and the one called Inuyasha. Tilting her head back to get a good look at them both, Rin noted that Inuyasha took more after his father in facial features than Sesshomaru did. It made her wonder whose personality each both brother had from their father and which they received from their mother.

Clearing her throat, Rin offered Touga and Inuyasha a slight bow and said, "I am sorry if my friends offended you, Taisho-san, but let me properly introduce them to you now that, that is over." Walking over to where Sango and Kagome were standing, Rin placed a hand on their shoulder and was about to reintroduce them when Kazumi came barging in through the circle that had been formed and attached herself to her leg.

"My Mommy," Kazumi stated possessively as she tightened her hold on her leg. For a moment it seemed that Kazumi wanted to do the same with Sesshomaru when her gaze landed on him but stood her ground and held onto her Mommy.

Silently communicating with each other, Sango and Kagome made a slight motion that had Rin looking at them weirdly. Before she could say anything to them, Kagome was already bending down so that she could look her straight in the eyes and asking, "You won't let us have her for a minute?"

Taking on a thoughtful look, Kazumi considered this for a moment before shaking her head and declaring, "No!"

"Not even if it's to talk to your Daddy?"

"No!"

"Not even of it's to play with us?"

Looking horrified at the prospect of her Mommy playing with others but not her, Kazumi shook her head frantically. "She's my Mommy!"

Silently laughing at her reaction and responses, Kagome offered her a huge smile and hoped that her response continued to follow the pattern she had created as she asked, "Not even if it's to meet your grandpa?"

"No! She's my Mommy~" looking on her verge of a tantrum, Kazumi let out a quiet whimper and tightened her hold on her Mommy's leg.

"Kagome, stop it," Rin berated as she bent down at the knees and gathered Kazumi into her arms before standing back up. Turning her so that she was facing her father's family, Rin leveled a look at Kagome before looking at the Taisho's apologetically.

"I'm so sorry Taisho-san," Rin says as she thinks that all she's been doing now is apologizing. "Let me introduce to you to Koizumi, Kazumi Keiko, you're granddaughter." Shifting her gaze to Inuyasha when she heard a noise coming from his direction, she couldn't help but hold in a giggle as she saw the confused expression on his face as he quietly said her name under his breath. In all honesty, Rin couldn't blame his confusion, after all, it's almost completely unheard of for a Japanese person to have a middle name, so to have one given is completely unique. It also doesn't help that Kazumi's name sounds almost completely the same, if it wasn't for the kanji that differentiated the characters, her name would look and sound almost completely the same.

Inwardly shaking her head to get rid of any unwanted thoughts, Rin fixed her hold slightly on Kazumi and said, "Kazumi-chan this is your grandfather and uncle?" Seeing Inuyasha nod that that is his correct title, Rin continued. "Why don't you go say hi to them and your father."

Of all things Rin was expecting Kazumi to do, what she did was completely surprising. Instead of wiggling around in her arms as an indication that she wanted to get down, all she did was look in Sesshomaru's direction hold out her arms in a motion to be held and when he didn't, all she did was hold on to Rin's arms and glare at the two strangers interfering with her life.

"Aren't you going to say hi to your grandpa and uncle?" Rin asked.

"No!" she said resolutely. "I's don't have granpa o' uncles."

"What do you mean?"

"They in sky," Kazumi mumbled. Drawing in a pained breath, Rin tightened her hold on her and let her bangs cover the pain that flashed in her eyes for a second before murmuring in Kazumi's ear that, although she doesn't have grandparents and an uncle on her side, she still had them on her father's side.

While Rin was explaining to Kazumi the facts of having more than just one set of grandparents, the Taisho men and Kagome and Sango were eyeing each other in either disdain, curiosity, or interest. Seeing the looks in their eyes, the eldest Taisho was about to say something when he was interrupted by two girls calling for their "Mommy." Looking down, Taisho saw two dark brown haired girls running towards the one pregnant.

After a quick interlude where the girls talked in a mix of words so fast that only their mother understood, Sango turned towards Rin and apologised profoundly, saying that something came up and that they, the girls and her, needed to leave. Saying that they'll catch up later, Sango waved goodbye and ushered the girls to walk the way they came.

Waving away the odd obstacle, that was that female and her kids, Touga turned to see that Rin was done explaining the aspects of having two sets of grandparents and uncles. Grinning from ear to ear, Touga was about to ask if he can hold her when little Kazumi just about shattered his heart by what she said.

"You're weird."

When Inuyasha looked like he was about to have a conniption and Sesshomaru looked like he was actually about to crack a smile, Touga had to wonder why the world was against him that day. And to make matters worst she continued, "You's gots a scary face and haves a funny look in eyes. You're weird mister."

However, not all were against him for she then turned her attention to Inuyasha.

"You's smell an' look weird."

"Why you-"

"You hard an' nothing like Papa," Kazumi said all cutesy and innocently. Turning to her mother she asked, "Go home now?"

"Ah, Kazumi-chan-"

"Papa and 'Ome come!" Kazumi exclaimed while beaming brilliantly at her father and aunt. "They go 'way," she added pointing at Touga and Inuyasha.

"Kazumi-chan that's not exactly...nice," Rin said.

"Why? Kazu-chan no like them."

"But you don't even know them, and they came all this way to see you."

"No like them."

"Can you tell us why?"

"I did," Kazumi said resolutely, staring her mother down with her arms crossed and a frown on her face.

Scoffing, Inuyasha walked towards Rin and stopped about a foot away from her and Kazumi. Leaning slightly forward, Inuyasha's nose twitched as he took in the scent of both girls. "Definitely the bastard's brat," he muttered under his breath.

Standing straight again, Inuyasha looked down at Kazumi with a glower and with lighting fast movements had Kazumi held up in front of him by the back of her shirt. Waving the growl from his brother and the gasp from the girls away, Inuyasha looked the kid straight in the eye and growled. The growl was low and not heard by ears that weren't related to canines. It was a growl to put someone in their place, and, by the soft whimper and slight baring of the neck Kazumi did, the message had been received.

Humming in approval, Inuyasha offered a few choice growls that had Kazumi lowering her head in submission before perking back up and wiggling to get out of her uncles hold. Letting her drop, Inuyasha watched as she ran for a while before she realised that she wasn't being followed. Huffing out a breath, Kazumi yelled for them to "hurry up" before leaving the others behind as she ran ahead of them.

Shrugging, Inuyasha made to follow when he was slapped at the back of the head and arm, and pinched in the same arm that had been slapped.

"Never do that again."

"If you do that again you'll be sorry."

Staring at the back of the girls heads in bewilderment, Inuyasha could only blink before crossing his arms behind his head and offering a scoff.

"Be grateful that there are humans present, half-breed or you would be in a lot more pain."

"Keh, you guys are overreacting. The brat's fine, all I did was teach her a lesson. Now, let's go."

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