Chances Not Worth Losing

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

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--9 years later--

"Anything good in the paper today?" Sesshomaru looked up at his mate and smiled at her. "He wrote something again? Geez, I criticized him once and he still can't get over it. It's been nine years for gosh sake!"

"Don't let him get to you. That's what he wants."

"I know, but it's still stupid."

He pulled her into his lap and smothered her in kisses. The clock in the kitchen chimed killing the moment. "I guess I better get ready." He kissed her one more time before running up the stairs. Rin slowly followed him and dried her hair in the other bathroom before changing into a sweater and a pair of jeans. Sesshomaru joined her downstairs minutes later wearing a button down shirt with the first two buttons unbuttoned and a pair of jeans.

"Ready to go?" he asked her. She put on her coat and picked up her purse before following him to the car.

The car ride was spent in silence except for the radio. They both were nervous about this visit, and both were caught up in their own thoughts. He parked the car and they slowly walked to the office. Sesshomaru sat down while Rin went up to the window to talk to the receptionist. "Hello, Mrs. Ito-Takahashi. Please have a seat and we'll bring you back here in a couple of minutes," the woman behind the window directed her. Rin sat down and nervously played with her fingers. Sesshomaru finally put a hand on top of hers in hopes of stopping her. "Rin," the receptionist called out as she opened the door.

They stood up and followed the receptionist into the doctor's private office. Minutes later the doctor came in and sat down across the desk from them. "I am sorry to give you the bad news, but I cannot find what it is that is keeping Rin from conceiving. There is nothing we can do for you."1 Tears started falling from Rin's eyes, so Sesshomaru held her hand. "I can recommend an agency if you want to adopt."

"That is okay," Sesshomaru told her. He turned to her and asked, "Do you want to go home?" Rin nodded her head. He had to lead her out because her eyes were watering greatly.

The whole way home Sesshomaru thought about how much despair Rin was in. He was rather disappointed to; after all, demons have great urges to produce young just as any animal does. He couldn't think about himself though. Rin had been so excited when they decided that they wanted children, and the past six months had been hard on her when month after month she didn't turn out pregnant. She had became more and more depressed as the months passed. They knew that it couldn't be his fault since demons never had any trouble producing heirs, so they went to the doctor to find out what it was that was keeping her from conceiving.

Rin fell asleep on the way home. Before she fell asleep she had been thinking about how much of a failure she was to Sesshomaru. If he had mated with a demon, she would have produced him pups by now. Instead he couldn't have pups because of her pathetic human body.

He carried her into the house and put her to bed, but she unconsciously wouldn't let go. He lay down next to her and held her tightly. As much as he was disappointed in their fate, he knew he could still be happy without pups. He had her, and if anything, not having pups meant that they could spend all their free time together doing what they always had done.

Sesshomaru laid next to her until she woke around two o'clock. She looked up at him and started crying again. "Rin, please don't cry. It's going to be okay."

"I can't help it. I'm such a failure as a mate."

"No," he said soothingly as he caressed her gently. "You make me happy, and you love me. That's all I can ask for."

"But I'm not giving you pups like a demon mate would have."

"I know, but I can live with that if you can."

"But your demon instincts…" She sobbed for a few seconds before suggesting, "If you want to mate with a demon, I won't stop you."

"Rin," he said in a stern voice as his hand ceased their ministrations. "Don't ever think I will ever leave you for another woman." His voice softened again and he continued to caress her. "I love you. If we don't have pups, I will not love you any less. We can live without pups. We've done fine these past nine years. We can continue behaving the way we always do without worrying about pups hearing or seeing something they shouldn't."

Rin giggled a little before hiccupping. "I am so lucky to have you." She reached up to stroke the marks on his cheek and forehead.

"No, I'm lucky to have you." He took her hand and kissed the inside of it tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

1In this story there is not the option of Invitro Fertilization