Chapter Thirty Four

Sesshomaru sat in the window on up into the day watching Rin sleep off the events of the night before. He'd checked on and talked to Amari and Izayoi. Amari was at the training grounds and Izayoi had elected to a quiet morning painting back in their rooms. He would check on them both again later. She stirred and he was at her side in a flash, nervous hands fluttering over her.

"Sesshomaru...wha-what time is it?," She said in a tiny voice, eyes still screwed tight.

"It's after lunch," he whispered and brushed a strand of hair back out of her face. "How're you feeling?"

"My muscles aren't so tired..." she complained.

"I figured as much. Don't worry, after you get the hang of transforming your body gets used to it over time. I expected you to be tired though...everyone sleeps the day away the first few times," he tried to manage a smile for her, but her eyes never budged. "But you know that's not what I mean. Please Rin, you have to talk about it."

"Not here...everyone is listening to us."

"How could you possible know that?"

"I don't know. Intuition?"

"Okay fine. But later? We can go to our spot?"

"Sounds lovely."

"Truely...are you alright?"

"Yes...and no. I don't know yet. It could have been much much worse. Thankfully it did t get that far."

"Yes, I'm glad too. I'll kill Koga," he vowed.

"I know."

"I just want to wait for my brother is all...can't deny him the satisfaction after all these years."

"I know," she put a hand to his face. "How're the girls?"

"They're alright, a little scared, but alright. Amari is working it off, Izayoi is painting it off."

"Good, I'll have to go check on them-"

"Later," he put a hand to her cheek. "We should clean you up.

"Okay..."

...

Rin felt substantially better after a bath, electing first a walk in the garden with Izayoi and a few rounds with Amari. Sesshomaru quickly put a stop to the latter, fearing for her safety as she was pregnant. She'd tried to argue with him, citing the fact that Amari is just a child. But Sesshomaru wouldn't hear it. Both of them knew he'd groomed her to be the perfect fighting machine- for a little girl she could do some serious damage. It was after tucking the girls in that they were finally alone, stealing out the window like thieves in the night. Sesshomaru relaxed as he ran, Rin clinging tightly to his back. Even though she could easily keep up with him on her own now, this was their normal, their "tradition". Sesshomaru settled then on the cliff overlooking the hot spring- their hot spring.

"Now, we're away from the prying ears of the castle. Talk."

"Oh, Sesshomaru," her bottom lip quivered and she twisted her fingers with his, not looking up from their hands. "Koga...he'd just wanted to kill me. Finish me off now that I'm not technically human I guess."

"Bastard," Sesshomaru whispered.

"But Hakkaku had other plans...," she shrank even smaller.

"Did he-"

"No. I already told you it didn't get that far. But he tried," she squeaked.

"Oh Rin," she was suddenly crushed to his chest and with that feeling of safety cane a new round of sobs. "I-I-was so s-s-scared," she whimpered.

"I know you were, I know baby, it's alright now, shhhh, don't worry. Just as soon as Inuyasha returns he and I will put an end to those pathetic wolves," he vowed and smoothed her hair.

"B-b-but I don't un-underst-stand," she gasped. "Why? Why?," her eyes bored into his. "Why me? I never did anything to them! I was an innocent little girl and t-they k-k-killed m-m-me. And if t-that wasn't good enough, they had to come back when I was in my HOME. OUR HOME," she growled and Sesshomaru jumped, surprised at anger being the emotion surfacing. "With the girls. Your nieces."

"And yours," he whispered.

"My nieces. I'll kill him myself," she nodded.

"Rin I don't think-"

"I think that if you don't let me kill him, I'll tell Inuyasha that you left the castle and me and the girls alone."

"You wouldn't," his eyes narrowed.

"I would."

"I am five hundred years old, I'll leave my castle if I please," he tried to come off as uncaring as possible.

"Inuyasha won't see it that way. And neither do you. You're killing your self over leaving me unprotected. Well this is how you make it up to me," she said with resolve.

"Alright," he groaned and put his face in his hands. "You are the most frustrating woman I've ever come across, you know that right?"

"I know," she quipped. "But don't worry. I still wanna wait for Inuyasha. I'll let you both have a turn with him. I just want to be the one to rip his fucking throat out and stomp on his annoying ass vocal cords. Ugh but then I'll be covered in wolf blood" she made a disgusted face and accented it with a gag. "It's a loose loose," she sighed. "But I want to deliver the killing blow, got it?"

"Got it," he nodded in amazement. If this is what Rin needs for closure, this is what she will have.

"Take me home?," she pleaded.

"Of course," he nodded and scooped her up into his arms.