Chances Not Worth Losing

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Inuyasha.

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--15 years later--

Rin stared out front window lost in thought. Her mind was replaying the times she spent with Sesshomaru. In 15 years she hadn't been able to think of any guy but him. She loved him, and she would always love him.

A knock on the door startled her. At the door was Sango begging her, "Miroku and I need a babysitter. We have to help out with a sting tonight, and we're the best demon exterminators they have."

"Sure. My house or yours?"

"Mine? It could be a late night."

Rin grabbed her coat and purse and followed Sango to her house. On her way into the house Miroku ran past her and jumped into the car. Six faces watched from the door and front windows. Rin sighed thinking of all the work cut out for her.

They rushed to her immediately. "Can we go play in the backyard?" Miroku and Sango's five year old daughter asked.

"Sure. Why not?"

They ran outside and started wrestling in the leaves. Their laughter carried through the neighborhood. All of a sudden the little girl came running to Rin crying, "They hurt me." She held out her hand to show a small cut.

"Hey," she yelled to the remaining kids. "Why don't you play something a little less painful?" They started playing Frisbee when she took the girl inside to clean the cut and put a band aide on it. The Frisbee went flying into the next yard only minutes after they started playing. Sango and Miroku's eldest child, their 11 year old son, ran into the yard to get it.

--

Sesshomaru had just moved into his new home in Springfield earlier in the week. His mother had insisted that she see his house. Immediately upon seeing it she had started criticizing him for buying a modest house in a residential area instead of outside of town. "There's a human boy running through your backyard," she pointed out.

He could have cared less, but she would have lectured him all night if he hadn't. He went outside and picked the boy up by the back of the shirt as soon as the boy picked up the Frisbee. There were five children in the next yard staring at them, so he figured that's where the child came from.

The exact second he stepped into the yard, Rin came out the back door. Sesshomaru dropped the boy upon recognizing her. She had aged some, but her beauty still shined through. The boy started complaining about being dropped, but Sesshomaru could have cared less. "Rin?"

She looked up to see Sesshomaru standing there in all his glory. She thought he was a dream. "Sesshomaru? Are you really there?"

"Yes…Your son was running through my yard."

"Oh, that's not my son," she laughed. "I'm babysitting for Sango and Miroku. He's their oldest, and the other two human children are theirs. The fox demon belongs to the people across the street, and the two half demons live on the other side of you. I don't have any children. You…live here now?"

"I was appointed to the senate after Trotter died."

"Oh, wow! I had read about his death. Your father would be proud of you!"

"Almost." His father would be proud except for letting his pride get in the way from making Rin his mate. He could hear a growl from his mother. "My mother is in town. I should see to her."

"Yeah." She looked down at the ground and then back up at him. "Tell her that I said, 'hello.'"

"Sure." He turned around but then stopped and looked at her again. "Will I ever see you again?"

"I'm here quite often." She smiled at him, and for a second it seemed like the world suddenly stopped. He returned to his house.

"It's that human again." Her voice was full of venom.

"Her name is Rin, and she sends her greetings."

"Of course she would. Try to get on the mother's good side so it's easier to get to the son."

'She doesn't need to go through my mother to get to my heart,' he mused to himself.

"That human is bad news. She's trying to use you to gain wealth and power like that wench your father married…Now that I've been here and have been insulted by that pathetic human, I will be going home to Chicago." She got into her limo, and it drove away. Her private jet was waiting for her at the airport. Her lifestyle was always extravagant, and she could never understand why he chose a slightly more modest lifestyle.

He looked out his back window at Rin playing with the children. She should be out there playing with their children. Instead of the two half demon children from next door playing with her, they should be their half demon children. He couldn't allow that though. How could he defend her against the party leadership, the other members of his party,…his mother? How fair would it be to their children to not be accepted by either humans or demons?

Around eight o'clock Rin watched as the kids walked home before putting the youngest to bed. The next child went to bed an hour later, and the last child followed an hour after that. When 11 o'clock rolled around she made a bed on the couch. Tomorrow was Saturday and she had no plans.

An hour later Sango shook her awake. "We're back."

"I'm tired. Can I sleep here?"

"Yeah. I don't think Miroku will object, and if he does he can think again."

"Thanks. By the way, I saw Sesshomaru."

"You are tired."

"No! I did. He lives next door."

"Are you sure you didn't imagine it or dream it?"

"I'm sure. I thought I was at first, but then he spoke to me."

"Okay. I think you need some sleep."

Sango ate her words the next morning when she went out to get the newspaper. Coming out of the door in the next house was Sesshomaru. "Sesshomaru Takahashi?" she yelled towards him.

He looked at her curiously as she ran to him. "Sango, correct?"

"Yeah. I thought she was dreaming you up when she told me that you moved in here."

He nodded his head as he opened his car door. "Is she there now?"

"Yes."

"Can you give her this?" he asked handing her his business card.

She took the card from him and noticed that he had written his home phone number on the back. "Uh, sure."

"Thanks." With that he drove off.

Sango walked back into the house to find Rin awake. "I was asked to give you this." She gave Rin the business card. "Wait to call him until tonight."

"What does this mean?"

"He wants to see you again. I don't think he cares if you are a human." She nudged Rin gently before going to draw her daughter's bath.