I'm back and a little motivated, just spent the whole day at home watching romance movies so kind of want this to be another fluff chapter but I'm not sure yet so stick with me here.

Review Corner

Arcander: Yes, well one day I hope I do make those brothers get along . But thanks for the review I am honored (bows)

Angel maiden: I will try to write as soon as possible for every chapter in this story and I'm touched that you think I'm a good author. (Bows again)

Kage no Ni yoru: this shall be extra fluffy just for you my friend just don't hurt Sesshy and Inuyasha! (Whimpers slightly)

(Divider)

Rin gave out a deep, happy sigh before giving her a head a little scratch. She felt way too comfortable at the moment to get up. Wherever she had crashed last night had to be the best decision she had ever made. The bed she was on was firm without being too soft, and was incredibly warm.

Rin let out another deep sigh as she tugged her blanket a little bit higher over her body. I wonder where Sesshomaru went? I don't remember much after the conversation we had last night, Rin thought to herself as her eyebrows furrowed forward slightly. She would've left it at that and continued on with her dream, but was jolted awake when her bed began to move underneath her.

Her eyes shot open as she frantically pushed off what she thought was the mattress to sit upright. Instead of seeing a plain mattress like she had hoped to see, it was Sesshomaru she saw instead. Or his chest, to be more precise.

Rin quickly leaped off of Sesshomaru, frantically moving to put space between them, as she fought to keep her balance when she nearly tripped over her coffee table. Glancing around the room, Rin realized that they were still on the same couch they had been on when they had finished talking last night. Had they not gone anywhere else?

As her eyes trailed over Sesshomaru's sleeping form, Rin slowly began piecing together what had happened the night before. She remembered lying her head on his shoulder as they continued to talk, and then he had said something about her going to her room to sleep.

Rin had then offered to bring him some blankets, and then somehow they had ended up sleeping on the couch together.

Rin felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment at the idea that she had been sprawled over her guest's body like they were...lovers!

Sesshomaru seemed oblivious to the realization though, since he hadn't budged from his spot on the couch. One arm was lazily thrown over the top of a pillow while the other was hung over the side of the couch. Rin noted that his oddly colored hair looked silver in the sunlight; the window next to him allowing the sun to shine through inside the little room.

Why had she been asleep on top of Sesshomaru's chest? Her cheeks burned just at the thought, and then they grew redder as she thought about how comfortable it had felt as well. He still laid there on the couch, his left arm hanging from the coach lightly grazing the wooden floor.

Shaking herself out of her ogling, Rin hurried over to her kitchen, intent on feeding her rumbling stomach that she was sure even her horses in the stables could hear. Her footfalls paused mid step when she realized that she didn't know if Sesshomaru would be hungry when he awoke, if he even woke up at all.

Taking the chance to steal a glance back at the man spread out on her couch, Rin saw that Sesshomaru could have passed off as dead if his even chest falls weren't evident every time he took a deep breath.

Pulling herself back into the kitchen, Rin scoped out the ingredients that she had in her possession to see that she'd just have enough to make waffles. She could use an old recipe that her father had taught her, and she was sure she could melt the heart of even the most icy soul.

Grinning broadly at her brilliance, Rin hurried to create the dish. She grabbed a large mixing bowl that she proceeded to fill with flour, vegetable oil, a few eggs, and a little vanilla and sugar for flavor. She mixed it until the batter looked like silk, and then poured some of it onto her waffle maker. Shutting the lid and flipping on the start button, Rin waited patiently for her first waffle to cook.

She followed similar motions until four or five waffles stood stacked in a sort of waffle mountain on one plate that she would then split with Sesshomaru when he woke up. Much to her delight, Rin noted that each waffle was a pretty bronze, and she hadn't burned one! Surely an achievement for the Burn Queen!

As the familiar nickname often bestowed to her by Shippo flooded into her thoughts, Rin let out a snort despite the fact that she wanted to remain as quiet as possible. Out of respect, of course, for what kind of hostess would she be if she didn't allow her guest to sleep as long as he desired?

Grinning from ear to ear at that, Rin proceeded to softly hum to herself as she went around grabbing syrup and butter from her fridge. When she assorted the condiments on the table, and was pleased with the overall presentation, she proceeded to sit on one of the empty chairs circling her kitchen table.

She sat there for what felt like hours, but were merely minutes, until she let out an impatient breath. Her waffles were getting colder the longer she waited for Sesshomaru to wake up, but she'd feel rude if she ate without him.

Just as that thought finished in her mind, another surfaced as moments from last night again flashed before her eyes. A fleeting scene of her and Sesshomaru working to carrel all the horses into their stables and cover them in fleece blankets. Another of them sitting obnoxiously close to one another, to the point that Rin could have concluded that she was basically sitting on him. To another curious image of Sesshomaru calling her to his side, telling her to sleep next to him. 'For warmth' she remembered him uttering softly, as if to explain why he would offer such a thing to her.

His voice had been smooth, clear, and oddly comforting. Though, Rin was sure that she had never heard his particular voice before, and was confused why it would have such an affect on her.

Rin was thrown out of her thoughts at the sound of clothes rustling followed by soft footfalls coming towards the kitchen. She glanced up from the plate of waffles just in time to catch Sesshomaru's cold and distant gaze. Their eyes lingered on one another for only a moment, but in that moment it was like the two understood each other far more than they ever had before. Far more than they had ever understood anyone before.

"You made breakfast," it came out as a statement rather than a question, but Rin nodded her head nonetheless; enjoying the slight look of surprise that tinted the color of her guest's peculiar eyes.

"Why?" he asked, though his voice hardly rose at the question that it took Rin a moment to even realize that it was a question.

"I'd feel bad if I sat here eating while you went hungry," Rin answered, finding it strange that Sesshomaru found her small act of kindness so strange.

"I don't eat hu – I don't normally eat breakfast," he caught himself, though Rin cocked her head slightly to the side at the quick patch up job he had done, most likely to save his own skin. Though Rin could only reason that he had stopped himself from saying he didn't like waffles, she was still touched that he wouldn't come right out and tell her that.

Finally, he's starting to see past that rude city-slicker way of his, Rin thought with an inward smile of triumph. It was only after her excited thought that she realized they were staring at each other in silence, and she noticed that Sesshomaru was waiting for her to say, or do, something.

"Well, if you don't want to try my cooking, it's probably for the best," she stated with a slightly nervous giggle, "I'm not that great of a cook anyway. I'll just save these for tomorrow," she added as she hurried to put four of the fives waffles on another plate and store it in her fridge.

Sesshomaru said nothing as she moseyed around the kitchen, though Rin didn't miss the fact that he kept his eyes on her as if studying something foreign or interesting. Had it been someone else, Rin would've felt uneasy by his undivided attention, but something about Sesshomaru called out to her. He made her feel like she was someone important, like she was more than just a client or customer.

And, for some reason, Rin really wanted to be more than that to him.

She didn't know or understand why, since he had been cold and hard to work with from the start. Heck, she had hated the man when she had laid eyes on him back at her first barn sale of the month. So, what had changed? Why, suddenly, was Sesshomaru so interesting and so interested in her? What could a simple farm girl offer a big city business man?

Mika, that's what, her thoughts finished for her, and it was then that Rin's mind shut off. Of course that was why Sesshomaru was so interested in her. It wasn't because he suddenly found her attractive, and would sweep her off her feet merely because he wanted her. It was so he could gain her trust, and in turn, Mika.

"Is something bothering you?" his baritone voice asked gently, far gentler than Rin had heard him speak to her before. It was as if he were genuinely worried about her wellbeing. No! Her mind screamed back in response, he wants you to think that he cares! It's all part of his plan to get Mika!

"Nothing," Rin chirped as she whirled around to face him with a smile that was a bit forced. His eyebrows furrowed forward slightly at her as his eyes moved to her lips, as if able to tell that her smile was fake.

"I've decided that I'm going to leave this morning," Sesshomaru stated suddenly, his eyes slowly returning to her own, "I'm sure I've overstayed my welcome, and can see now that any further efforts to buy your precious Mika are futile,"

"Your leaving?" Rin parroted back in surprise. Though, she didn't understand why she was surprised, she knew that this day would eventually come. So why did she feel like all the wind was knocked out of her at the thought of him leaving?

"Would you rather me stay?" he asked back, his eyes glowing in mild interest. Rin felt her cheeks flush at that as she hurriedly found something else to look at.

"It's just that – I've gotten kind of used to you being around, and it's been nice having someone to help me take care of the horses. I haven't had anyone around since my dad..." Rin gulped, silencing herself before she started sobbing outright in front of him.

"You find my company...pleasurable?" Sesshomaru asked, though seemed to find the statement odd and rather precarious.

"I – yes," Rin replied, finding no reason to outright lie to him to save face. It wasn't like the man hadn't ever been told that someone liked him. Rin was sure that his looks alone won over thousands of hearts over the years. She was most likely one of the many who admitted to liking him. Though his expression proved otherwise.

To say that he was staring straight at her like she had two heads was an understatement. Sesshomaru looked positively flabbergasted at her even mentioning an inkling of even remotely enjoying his presence. Well, as surprised as his emotionless mask would allow him to look.

"Gosh, you look like no one's ever told you they liked you before," Rin laughed, though gradually quieted down when Sesshomaru didn't return her smile.

"Has anyone told you they liked you before?" she couldn't refrain from asking, though regretted it when Sesshomaru adverted his eyes to gaze down at the floor. His eyes lost that small brightness that Rin enjoyed, and his lips pulled down in a slight sneer. It was as if all the features on his face had temporarily shut down.

Figuring that she had struck a chord with him, Rin remained silent as she too glanced down at the floor.

"I'm sorry," Rin murmured when she couldn't take the silence any longer, but gave a jolt when she heard Sesshomaru begin to walk away. His soft footsteps would have been almost inaudible if the room hadn't been quiet enough that a pin dropping would have been deafening.

"Sesshomaru!" Rin called out, unable to stop her almost desperate cry.

"You would not understand my reasonings for being alone," was his simple answer after a moments pause, "you will no longer be haggard by my presence," he added as he continued on his way.

"So, you're just going to run away like a coward because things didn't go your way?" Rin asked, though trembled slightly at her confrontational words. Never was she the one to pick a fight, but then again she was not one to let those that she...cared about fade out of her life so easily either.

That seemed to do it, because Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks at her words and Rin was sure that he was most likely glaring at whatever was in his present line of vision. She didn't envy whatever it was.

"I run from nothing," he replied softly, almost too softly. Rin felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end at the odd sound of his voice. It was as if it should not be possible for one such as he to speak in such a soft and almost tender tone.

Rin visibly gulped before answering, finding it harder and harder to move her lips in the right formations to form words,

"If that's true, than why don't you stay? Prove that your more than just bark," she offered, though felt the unease inside her increase when Sesshomaru would not turn around to look at her. She felt so unprepared, given that she could not decipher what he was thinking since she couldn't see his face. Not that his face gave much away anyway, but it was still slightly more comforting than staring at the back of his head.

He did not respond, but did turn his head slightly to look back at her. She couldn't read his expression, and she drank it in hurriedly since she didn't know if she'd get the chance to see it again. She felt slightly disappointed when she couldn't read his eyes, the windows into the soul as they were commonly called, told her nothing.

"Do you fear being alone?" he asked and Rin furrowed her brows slightly at the switching of tactics. It seemed that Sesshomaru had turned to the offensive, given that he now knew partly why she wanted him to stay.

"Yes," she replied confidently, figuring it was only right to be honest and straightforward with him. Though she had to admit that she felt a little self conscious of how she must look to him as well. She had never told anyone about her fears of being alone before, not even Shippo, her best friend.

"Why would my presence soothe you?" he asked, and instead of sounding threatening or impatient, he sounded...curious.

"I have no idea myself," Rin replied truthfully, "maybe it's just because I haven't had another human being living here in a long time,"

Sesshomaru turned fully around to stare at her then, his eyes piercing and almost too much for her to bare. It was like she was staring at two suns rather than a pair of eyes.

But before Sesshomaru could get a word in, and Rin knew he was about to say something because his mouth opened, a gun shot echoed only a few yards away from them. Rin let out a faint scream of fear while Sesshomaru effortlessly glided to the nearest window, his tall silhouette blocking everything from Rin's view.

"More robbers have come," he stated idly, as if the information did not bother him in the least.

"And they have guns!" Rin cried out, finding his calmness about the whole situation a little bothering.

"I will take care of them," he replied just as calmly as he had before, and left Rin standing in the kitchen with mouth a gap. Just what did he expect to achieve against robbers with guns? He hadn't even grabbed anything to use as a weapon against them!

Figuring that he'd get himself killed, Rin hurried to grab the pocket knife she kept in her utensil drawer as well as the gun that her father stowed under the sink, the same gun that he thought she didn't know about.

Stowing both weapons in her pockets, Rin made a mad dash outside her small house to head towards her stable. She didn't catch sight of Sesshomaru anywhere, and could only assume that he had made it over to the robbers already.

She let out another worried cry when a few more gunshots filled the empty air, echoing as if they stood in an enclosed auditorium rather than in a wide open clearing. Sesshomaru! Rin wanted to scream out his name again and again, just to hear his voice call back, or even to see his face to make sure he was alright.

As Rin got closer to the stable, she started to hear the distressed neighs of her horses, and prayed that the robbers hadn't shot any of them. They were her world, and she knew that no amount of money or jail time would make it up to her.

Another gun shot fired just as Rin made it to the large barn doors, and she quickly ducked out of instinct. The shot had been no where near her crouched form, but she had done the action merely on an impulse rather than common sense.

In fact, everything she was doing right now was all on some insane impulse rather than common sense. If she had been relying on her sense, she would've called the police and waited patiently in her house for the law to settle things. But she wanted to be a part of the action. She wanted to prove to herself that she wasn't the helpless little girl she had been as a child.

When she was certain that no more shots would be fired, Rin gently slid one of the large doors open enough so that she could slid inside without drawing too much attention to herself. She wanted some of the glory, but she wouldn't be stupid enough to just run into the fight like she was invincible.

The sight that played out before her eyes was baffling. Two men were huddled in a far corner, clinging to one another in fear, while the third stood firm by Sesshomaru. Again, Sesshomaru's back was to her, so Rin could not see the expression on the man's face. Though, by the looks of the two cowering men in the corner, it had to be quite fearsome.

"You seem to be pretty sure of yourself," the man standing up to Sesshomaru stated with a quick bow, never taking his purple eyes off his taller form, "no one has ever had the guts to stand up to me in demon form," he added with a wide grin, his light pink hair only now apparent to Rin's eyes.

Demon form? She asked in wonder, taking in the man for a split second. He looked like any other human besides the strange coloring of his hair and eyes. Had she seen him on the street, she would've assumed he had dyed his hair and wore colored contacts to look "cool."

"You are a pathetic excuse for a demon, which is why I have no problem 'standing up to you'" Sesshomaru replied coolly, his voice far more intimidating than Rin had ever heard it. She wondered at that moment if he knew that she was there. Would he know to protect her if one of the men came after her?

"If that's true, then prove it," the man coaxed, his large grin looking more fearsome than friendly as he glanced back at his comrades, "isn't that right lads? We can stand up to one has-been demon, can't we?" he asked.

Rin's eyebrows rose at that as she glanced at Sesshomaru's back in surprise. Sesshomaru was a demon too?

"Yeah!"

"Right Jurumaru!" the two men chorused together as they rose to their feet, newfound courage shining in their matching blue eyes. Rin rose slightly as she fingered the gun in her pocket, waiting for the opportune moment to shoot if Sesshomaru needed the extra help. Though she had never shot a gun before, Rin figured it wouldn't be all that difficult. At least, they didn't make it seem too difficult in the movies.

"From what we've heard, you've been playing human these past couple hundred years, Sesshomaru," the one named Jurumaru stated with his grin still in place, "which means you're out of practice. That gives us the upper hand in this match, not to mention it's three to one,"

"If you think you can all defeat me, then go a head and try," Sesshomaru replied, and Rin could practically hear the smirk ringing in his voice as the three came at him at once. Rin wasn't sure if what she saw next was what really happened, because it all seemed too unreal to be real.

Sesshomaru had disappeared out of sight just as the three men attacked, and reappeared fast enough to toss one of the men against the nearest stable wall. The man moved in a blur, so it was only when Rin heard the loud bang of a body hitting wood that she realized what had happened. The two other men looked just as confused as Rin had moments before as they tried to piece together what happened to their fallen comrade.

A second too long, because Sesshomaru just as easily threw the second man against a different wall, knocking the man out cold. Jurumaru was the only one left standing now, and Rin felt like this must have been happening a couple of times, because she saw the worn and agitated look that crossed over Jurumaru's features quickly before he masked them away behind his wide grin.

"I suppose you can't believe all of the rumors that you hear, now can ya?" he asked in good humor, "it seems that you are still too powerful despite being in a dormitory state for so long, Sesshomaru. We'll have to do this another time," Jurumaru added before glancing in Rin's direction for a split second.

"Do give your little friend my best," he stated while giving Sesshomaru another low bow before hurrying to gather his fallen comrades. Rin stared back and forth between Sesshomaru and the robbers, waiting to see what he would do first before she acted. It was obvious by Jurumaru's comment that he knew she was there, was Sesshomaru thinking that over as well?

It only took Jurumaru a second or two to gather the other men, and he was off without much of a fight. Rin remained poised behind the boxes she was hiding behind just in case the three men tried anything funny. She had learned from past experience that robbers had a tendency to attack when they thought their adversary's guard was down.

"They are gone," she heard Sesshomaru say, and turned in his direction to see that he had not moved from his spot. He hadn't even turned to look at her when he spoke. Rin stared at his back for another moment before she lowered her weapon and stood up.

"Do you think they'll be back?" Rin asked, though felt her skin crawl when she thought she heard him omit a low growl. Sesshomaru did not answer her, but she saw that his stance had grown considerably more relaxed than it had been during the fight. If he could relax, than so could she.

She glanced up expectantly when Sesshomaru turned around to walk towards her. She waited to hear him say that everything was well, and that she could go back to the house. But that's not what he told her when he opened his mouth,

"You, are an idiot," he stated with a slight narrowing of his golden eyes. Rin could only stare at him with widened eyes, momentarily taken aback at his words. Not only had he sneered at her intelligence, but he had the balls to tell her that while she still held a gun in her hand.

Rin wasn't crazy or anything, but Sesshomaru couldn't possibly know that after spending only a few days with her. For all he knew, she could've shot people for less!

"How dare you – !" she began, but was cut off when she heard the sound of something whizzing past her. Her blood ran cold at the feel of the sharp object cutting her cheek, just barely missing her left eye. She didn't have time to see what had been thrown at her, but brought her arm up to shoot in the direction it had come from.

Her shots were not aimed or even relatively close to their target, but they were enough to get her horses riled up and cause whoever had been hiding to forcibly reveal themselves. The man fell from the ceiling and landed gracefully on his knees on the straw ground, his black clothes the reason he had been able to blend in with the shadows so well.

He glanced up at Rin with curious black eyes, and then slowly shifted his gaze to Sesshomaru. The two stared at one another for a good minute before the stranger stood up, his curiosity still shining in his eyes.

Rin brought up her gun as she pointed it at the man's chest,

"I'm giving you until three to leave my barn and never come back," she stated as calmly as she could, considering the wound on her cheek that was still stinging. The man inclined his head slightly, as if considering her offer before he brought up his hands. Rin assumed that he was doing the action to surrender, but she let out a surprised yelp when a strong force pushed her back and she was roughly thrown against the nearest wall.

The gun fell harmlessly from her fingers as she squinted her eyes against the pain. Her head pounded inside her skull, and she was too scared to try and move. She was fearful of the man, yes, but far more frightened to search for broken bones. She hadn't broken a bone in her body since birth, and she didn't want to break that record anytime soon.

She let out a labored breath when she heard the sound of rustling, and a menacing growl emit from one of the men. Unable to quench her curiosity, Rin peaked out of one eye to see the two men fighting with one another. Their motions were smooth and effortless, the two looking like they were toying with the other. Sizing them up even.

Rin watched as one attacked just as easily as the other dodged. From her spot, they looked evenly matched. As if they were twins, both sharing the same mind, the same thoughts. Their lethal dance had Rin transfixed as she waited for one to deliver the final blow. She desperately hoped it would be Sesshomaru.

"Who are you?" Sesshomaru asked once his feet touched the ground, and the other man fell in step behind him. Rin noted that Sesshomaru didn't even look worried or fearful that his opponent was in a perfect position to strike.

The man remained mute as he took out what looked like an ordinary kitchen knife and move to stab Sesshomaru in the back. Sesshomaru jumped out of the way in a blur of silver, his hair all Rin's eyes caught as the man disappeared. His opponent was next, his black hair just as easily seen as Sesshomaru's silver blur.

Rin watched the mixture of color move back and forth in the barn, the horses frantic cries keeping time with each blow the men made with one another. It took a moment for Rin to realize that while the stranger was using the knife as his weapon, it looked like Sesshomaru was using his hands. They were moving too fast for Rin to keep track of each blow, but of the few she saw she was certain that Sesshomaru was using his fingers to deflect the knife.

How he was doing that was past Rin, but she silently prayed that he would keep the stranger away from her. She didn't think she'd survive another one of those gusts of wind. She also hoped Sesshomaru survived. She had pegged him as a man who knew nothing of survival. She had gone off the stereotype that all city dwellers became dependent on technology to do all that they needed done. Never in a million years would Rin have guessed that he was practiced in fighting, and at such speeds too!

Suddenly, a crash sounded nearby and Rin's eyes frantically searched for one of the men's bodies to appear. She instantly spotted the stranger's dark clothing as he struggled to stand, one arm flung at an odd and almost painful angle.

Again, the man did not speak as he jumped at a random blur of silver, his good arm outstretched towards it. Rin waited to hear the sound of a clash or a body hitting cold ground, but neither sounded. Instead, the man fell forward onto his legs, almost awkwardly, as he braced his fall. Rin noted that Sesshomaru was yet to be seen, and had easily evaded the man's attack.

Sesshomaru speed was another mystery to Rin, and the term 'demon' kept popping up in her head. The men from before had called him that, but Rin refused to believe it. Sure, Sesshomaru looked a little different than other humans, but that wasn't enough to peg him as a different species.

She also knew that she was being selfishly ignorant. Nothing but supernatural powers could give Sesshomaru the speed and power that no mortal could posses. Rin was merely kidding herself to keep herself sane, and also hopeful that her life wouldn't spiral out of control after this.

She gave a start when the stranger was yet again thrown to the ground, his clothes and hair disheveled from all the fighting. He cast a glance in her direction, and Rin held her breath, but his eyes were instantly drawn away when something bright and green wrapped itself around his body.

Rin watched in awe as the lasso-like creation threw the man across the barn, the collision causing the entire wall to shake and groan under the pressure. A second later Sesshomaru appeared in front of Rin, his form setting a protective barrier between her and the stranger. Rin let out a happy sound at the sight of Sesshomaru, even though his back was to her, again.

The stranger let out a labored breath before, with great effort, he stood up once again. Rin's features became serious at that as she eyed the man, surprised that he could still stand after such a beating.

"Leave," Sesshomaru commanded, his low voice seeming to echo across the barn. The man let out a quick huff at that before a slight smirk brightened his somber features. Instead of replying, he simply shook his head.

"Sesshomaru..." Rin murmured her companion's name, fearful that he would turn that sheer power on her if even mildly agitated. His golden eyes found her cinnamon gaze as they shared a silent moment together. His eyes said everything and nothing at the same time. Protection, no need for fear, silence, dominance, and a faint air of kindness. A very, very faint air.

Rin remained silent as he slowly turned around at the sound of footfalls on the straw floor. Their eyes were drawn to the stranger's form as he moved up to grab for something by his ear. Rin had to squint to see that he was pulling off an earring. He gave them each a slight smile before he threw it to the ground.

A large cloud of fog exploded out of the tiny earring as the man's form was instantly covered and concealed by it.

"Sesshomaru!" Rin screamed, holding her gun to her chest in fear. Her mind didn't register her movements as she cowered by the wall, unable to even see her companion who was a mere few feet away from her.

There was a loud bellow from somewhere nearby. Something that sounded completely inhuman began echoing around the walls. The horses' wails answered the loud call, their own scared neighs and kicks amplifying Rin's own fear. She was practically blind in all this fog, and knew that she was virtually helpless. If Sesshomaru should get overpowered, or if the stranger should sneak around the fog to get to her, she'd be done for. She knew that the stranger's speed was almost equal to Sesshomaru's, and her coordination and reflexes could never compete with that.

She was sure she wouldn't even be fast enough to draw her gun.

There was a loud crash as Rin let out a loud scream when cold, blistering air swept into the barn from a bright opening. One of the men had thrown the other into the wall, hard enough that it had created a hole where all the fog was escaping.

Rin stared into the receding grayness to see a flash of black before twin red dots appeared nearby. By the shape and distance between the two dots, Rin could tell that they were eyes. She wasn't sure which man they belonged to though, and gave a start when those eyes turned in her direction.

Their red glow held Rin hostage as she stared at them like a deer caught in headlights. They held her gaze for a fleeting moment before turning around and heading in another direction. Sesshomaru, Rin thought. If it had been the stranger, she was sure he wouldn't have hesitated to kill her.

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the fog was gone. It had escaped through the hole in the barn, and Rin could rightfully breathe again. She took a moment to compose her racing thoughts before she stood up cautiously. She wanted to blend in with the stalls as she stood, as well as find any bruises or broken bones. Luckily all she found were bruises, a few on her legs and two on the backs of her arms.

Both men were gone, and judging by the trail of blood that led out of the barn, one of them had made the lethal blow. Rin took a few extra seconds to try and calm down the horses before she ventured out of the barn. The cold was already seeping into her clothes, and her teeth began to chatter just as she made it to Mika's stall.

The Russian mare let out a grunt at the sight of her, but instantly calmed down. Her long black mane hung over her neck like a dark waterfall, and her black eyes were focused on Rin's form. In any other case, Rin would've pegged her horse as more than just a horse. A demon, perhaps? She thought as she stared back at Mika. She waited for the horse to speak, or to nod her head, like she knew what Rin was thinking. But she did neither. She simply stared at Rin expectantly, most likely waiting for a treat. Rin felt her shoulders fall in disappointment, but then her features brightened as she gave her friend a smile.

"I'm glad you're OK," she told her horse as Mika let out a snort, as if agreeing with her. Rin's smile widened as the possibility of Mika being a demon reappeared in her mind, and she darted out of the barn to try and find Sesshomaru.

He wasn't too hard to find. She saw his tall stature in the distance, his long silvery hair billowing in the breeze. There was a blood trail leading up to his feet, but it stopped there. Rin felt fear grip her chest at the thought that it could be Sesshomaru's blood that decorated the pale landscape.

But when she reached his side, her worries were instantly put to rest when she saw that the blood was indeed on him, but it wasn't his. He did not acknowledge her presence as he seemed to stare determinedly towards the distance. There was blood on both his hands, and a large amount on his lips and down his jaw. Rin noted that his eyes were also still red.

"Sesshomaru?" Rin asked gently, not wishing to break him out of any important train of thought. His eyes snapped in her direction at the sound of his name and Rin felt her face flush in embarrassment at the impatience she saw in his eyes. It was obvious his previous statement about her being an idiot was still ringing in his head.

"I was only trying to help," Rin defended, not wanting him to think that she had foolishly gone into the barn to die.

"It was unneeded," he replied stoically as his gaze crawled away from her to stare into the distance once again.

"I know, but I didn't know what else to do," she answered quietly.

"You could've called the police, gotten trained humans to come and fight," he answered. Rin's eyes shot up at that as she sent him a glare.

"I already told you I just wanted to help! I can't help it that I was useless when it came time to stand up! I tried my best!" she cried out, enraged that he would insult her for risking her neck for him.

"You could've been killed," he replied just as stoically as before, his face giving nothing away.

"Well I wasn't, and I'm fine now!" she yelled back, feeling her anger spike at the sight of him standing like the alpha male in front of her. Like his tall body or red eyes could really scare her into submission. He said nothing for a time, just continued staring into the abyss.

"Where's that man?" Rin asked, noting that Sesshomaru hadn't answered earlier because he didn't want to fight with her. Whether it was because he didn't want to rile her up any further or he thought fighting was "idiotic" was a mystery to Rin. Though she had a strong feeling that it was the latter.

"He escaped," he replied, "but he won't get far. Even a demon's body wouldn't last too long in this cold, not to mention he's bleeding profusely,"

"Will any of them be back?" Rin asked, finding that Sesshomaru only seemed to talk to her if she asked him a question.

"Possibly,"

"What do you think I should do?" she asked, "if you're still going to leave...then I'll need someone else to watch over me in case they come back," she added quietly, not wishing to give her inner feelings away to Sesshomaru.

"If you only gave Mika to me to begin with," Sesshomaru stated suddenly, catching Rin off guard, "then you would not be in any danger," he added as he cast a glance in her direction, his red eyes slowly dimming to their natural golden hue.

"I already told you I'm not giving Mika to you," Rin pointed out before rubbing her arms when a strong wind passed them, "and I won't cave in simply because a few men tried breaking in to get her. I knew after she was on the news that I'd be getting a lot of unwanted guests,"

"Get your horse a bodyguard then," Sesshomaru replied, his voice still sounding the least bit interested in their conversation. Rin gave out a sigh, finding his rather rude presence both agitating and comforting.

"Fine," she caved in after a moments pause, "I'll look for a bodyguard for Mika tomorrow. Right now I need a drink," she sulked as she headed towards the house. When Sesshomaru did not immediately follow Rin turned her head back to glance at him in question.

"I'll search for that demon," he merely stated, his back to her. He had only inclined his head slightly to signify that he had been talking to her. Rin gave him a faint nod even though she knew he couldn't see her face. He didn't wait for a response, and slowly began walking towards the West.

Rin gave him one last worried glance before heading towards the house.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru waited until he couldn't smell Rin's scent any longer to transform. He hadn't been in his true form in over a century, and wanted to keep Rin at a distance in case he lost control of his inner self.

Sesshomaru never doubted himself, but when it came to letting a demon loose who had been imprisoned for so long, anything could happen. He wouldn't take the chance that Rin became the demon's first taste of freedom.

The transformation began gradual and slow. His bones constricted and shook underneath his human skin; the sensation feeling both foreign and familiar to him. In the past he had been able to transform in a matter of seconds, his body so used to switching between his two forms that it hardly took any effort at all. But now, he was out of practice.

To say that he was paying the price for his choices was an understatement. He let out an involuntary growl when his bones began dislocating themselves from their human sockets. His fingers constricted back into his hands to form paws, and his backbone outstretched to fit the dog rather than the human anatomy.

As he grew in incredible size, his face outstretched forward just as painfully slow as the rest of his body. His jaw slackened and stretched forward to meet his new snout, his human nose breaking to lie flat against his face before growing into his snout.

Endless amounts of white fur covered his body next as the human clothes he wore ripped and tore, his new body proving to be too vast for it to cover any longer. Sesshomaru pawed at the ground with his new appendages to try out his reflexes as his body reached its full size.

When the last of his bones fell into place he threw back his head and let out a loud, melancholy howl. He didn't understand why he had done it, but it felt right. His vocals traveled across the empty white wasteland for miles before it dissipated into the distance. His large green irises stared in the direction the demon had gone, and he tested the air for his scent.

The demon had been able to transport himself elsewhere right as Sesshomaru was about to close his jaw on the man's windpipe. Normally he wouldn't have resorted to such bloody actions, but the demon was being difficult. Having Rin there made things much more urgent as well.

He knew that he had to take care of the demon fast before he found Rin and either killed her or used her as a human shield against him. Which in turn resorted in him taking such vital and drastic action.

His demon nose already proved to be much stronger than his human one, since he caught the demon's scent in a matter of seconds when his human one couldn't pick up a trace. His head jerked in the direction of the scent as he moved towards it. He would prove far stronger in this form than in his human one, and he figured that they were far enough from the city that he needn't worry about pedestrians seeing him in his true form.

He took the time to stalk his prey, enjoying the animistic and dominating air that filled his chest at being in his prime after so long.

(Divider)

Nightfall had fallen on the small one-story home that Rin now resided in. She had a cup of coffee in her hands to warm up her still chilled body while she looked out for Sesshomaru. She hadn't seen a sign of him since a few hours earlier. What was that man doing?

She had thought about calling the police to send out a search party for him, but after the day's events she figured that that would be the worst thing she could do. She didn't know how many people knew Sesshomaru's secret, but she assumed that it was very few. Should one of the officers find Sesshomaru fighting the demon the way he had in her barn, he would surely be exposed as inhuman.

Based on what Rin had learned from her history books, people never took too kindly to those who were different than themselves. Having Sesshomaru's secret broad casted across the world would send the global population into a panic. It could even be a repeat of the Witch Trials, expect everyone would be accusing their neighbors of being demons rather than witches.

So, cops are definitely out, Rin thought to herself as she worried her lower lip gently. But what would she do if Sesshomaru didn't come back that night, or any night after? She knew that she'd never forgive herself if something bad happened to him while she stood there doing nothing.

Deciding that it was better to trust her gut, she hurried around her kitchen to grab for her coat and gun. She hadn't put the weapon away since coming back because she couldn't trust that Sesshomaru would "take care of it." Though he had proved to be far stronger than any other human being she had ever met, their enemy had proven to be just as strong.

She checked the barrel of her gun as she stepped out into the bitter cold, the icy air prickling the skin that was exposed. She stood on her porch for a good minute, weighing the options on which direction to go. Sesshomaru had gone West, but he may have backtracked and gone East, not to mention the fact that the robber could have gone North or South as well.

A second later something large caught her eye. Rin turned towards it, but couldn't make out the large shadow. Holding the gun to her chest like it was her own heart, Rin took three cautious steps towards the large object before she got cold feet, in both the literal and metaphorical sense.

The snow had seeped into her boots within seconds, and Rin could feel her favorite pair of fuzzy pink socks begin to freeze over in her shoes. But she hardly felt it when her eyes got a better view of the large presence in the distance.

It definitely wasn't a shadow.

Rin continued to stare at it in awe and dismay, finding what she saw hard to believe. What stood before her, only a few yards away, was a large white dog. And a rather fearsome looking one to boot. It only took her a moment to realize that this large creature had to be Sesshomaru, for when she looked into it's eyes she saw that they were the same red that it had been in the fog a little earlier.

He didn't acknowledge her at first, merely stared at her like he didn't believe that she was there either. Then his nostrils flared as he took in the scents and smells around him, his snout nearly the size of her entire body.

His white fur bristled in the wind, or had he suddenly grown rigid? Rin wasn't sure which, but noted something she hadn't earlier. There was a fresh coat of blood on his lips and muzzle. When Rin surveyed him longer she saw that there were wounds all along his legs and sides. He didn't acknowledge that he was injured, or that the fight he had just come back from had tired him out at all.

He stood like a perfectly preserved statue. And Rin couldn't mask her adorations of this mythical beast that she would've thought as extinct or fairy tale.

They did not approach each other for a time, both seeming to be satisfied with the silence that surrounded them, until Sesshomaru let out an uncharacteristic whine. At first Rin thought she had imagined it, since she hadn't thought she'd ever hear Sesshomaru whine about anything. But then she saw that he had indeed uttered the unusual sound. His mouth had parted and it remained slightly slack as he stared at her with those large red eyes.

"Are you hurt?" Rin asked, finding it odd that she was talking so leisurely to a beast the size of a skyscraper. He did not respond, didn't even move his head, before he began to shrink. Rin watched in astonishment as the large white beast suddenly turned into the shape of a man. It all happened so fast that Rin felt like she had merely blinked, and the Sesshomaru she had come to know magically appeared before her. He had even managed to materialize clothes for himself.

"I'm fine," he replied once he closed the distance between them. What had been mere yards had turned into multiple now that Sesshomaru was in his human form once again. Rin glanced up at him with impatience as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you sure? Because you looked pretty bad to me in your other form," Rin replied with raised eyebrows.

"My 'other form' was merely in the process of healing after lying dormant for so long," he replied, "it takes on whatever damage my human body may receive, and can only fully heal when I am in the form of a dog,"

"I see," Rin replied, though felt completely lost and unsure on how she should feel about it, "Jurumaru mentioned that you were a 'has-been demon' – his words, not mine – what did he mean by that?" Rin added. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes slightly at her before replying,

"A demon that lies dormant for more than a century is considered an out-of-date demon," he stated as he altered his gaze to stare at her house, "which typically means that any demon should be able to overpower them. Any demon that defeats another wins both power and prestige for the victory. I was, and still am, the demon that many wish to defeat,"

"If there are so many demons after your life, than why did you keep your demon state dormant for so long?" Rin couldn't help but ask, finding the whole situation a bit weird but interesting.

"I never had the need to use it before, and my wounds were minimal enough that I hadn't needed to transform to heal them," he answered.

"Does your demon status make you...invincible?" Rin asked, and almost laughed at how child-like her question had sounded.

"In a sense, yes," he replied before returning his golden gaze to her cinnamon one, "compared to a human body, a demon's could withstand any form of attack, excluding massive amounts of blood loss,"

"Are there a lot of you left?" Rin asked.

"Not many, but enough that we could overpower the human race if such an action was needed,"

"All 6.2 billion of us?"

"Yes,"

"Wow,"

"Indeed,"

"I'm starting to lose feeling in my toes," Rin suddenly stated when she felt another ounce or two of snow seep into her boots. Sesshomaru did not respond to her dilemma, but instead, began walking towards her house. Rin watched in slight disbelief as he almost glided through the large amount of snow like it wasn't even there.

She tracked after him, at a much slower and less graceful pace. The snow became such a pain after a time that Rin started walking in Sesshomaru's footsteps, literally. His larger feet gave Rin's feet a good amount of wiggle room as she trekked after him.

Halfway to her house, Rin turned towards her barn out of habit, and saw that the gaping hole had been miraculously fixed. Glancing from the barn to Sesshomaru, Rin cleared her throat to get his attention. When he paused with his back to her, she spoke,

"Sesshomaru? Did you fix the hole in my barn?" she asked, and almost felt like a fool when he didn't immediately answer her.

"It needed fixing," he merely answered before continuing towards the house. Rin blinked at him in surprise before she gave a lighthearted shrug and kept on the path back to her house.

(Divider)

Rin was surprised when things had suddenly returned to normal between her and Sesshomaru the next morning. Neither spoke of the night's events, nor did either speak of Sesshomaru's supposed departure. One of which he had not yet made.

Another odd behavior that Rin noted that morning was that Sesshomaru seemed more distant all of the sudden. Not that he hadn't been the whole time, but Rin had really started to believe that she was making headway with him. He had opened up to her about a variety of things that she assumed he had not told many others. Was that the reason why he was acting so distant? He regretted telling her so much about him?

"I won't tell anybody about you being a demon," Rin stated suddenly as the two sat near one another in front of the television. They had been silently listening to a news report, a past time that Rin did every morning after her father went to the hospital. It had become somewhat of a tradition between them, and Rin didn't dare miss a day of the news while her father was gone. It'd hurt too much to give up their hobby just because he wasn't there.

This morning, a news broadcaster was shedding light on some random sightings that a few towns people had made the night before. Rin hadn't missed that each witness testified to seeing a large white dog parading around the country side. They even said they had seen it fighting with something.

Rin wasn't too worried about it though, and she could tell that Sesshomaru wasn't either. The news caster seemed the least interested in it herself, and kept checking her watch during her interviews with the witnesses. Not to mention the numerous times that she kept picking at nonexistent lint on her bright green suit jacket while she "listened" to the many accusations of the sighting. Even the people standing around the news cameras looked skeptical.

Sesshomaru remained silent beside her, and Rin suddenly felt foolish for even saying anything. Of course she wouldn't tell anybody about Sesshomaru being a demon, who would believe her? She'd look as dumb as the rest of the so-called witnesses on TV did.

The sound of her cell phone ringing brought Rin back to the present as she hurriedly grabbed it to stop her obnoxiously loud ring tone from blaring in the tiny room. After a quick check of her caller ID, Rin answered the call with a quick hello.

"Rin, I need to talk to you," Inuyasha stated, his grim voice causing Rin's heart to beat fast in her chest. Inuyasha hardly ever sounded so serious, in fact he'd normally address everyone with either a joking sneer or a cheerful voice.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Rin asked, and felt Sesshomaru stiffen slightly at the sound of his brother's name.

"Have you seen the news this morning? If I know my brother, and I sure as hell do, than it has to be him everyone's talking about. Kagome's worried sick that there will be an investigation and demons will be brought into the government radar and hunted down. While I know she's overreacting – "

"I am not overreacting!" Rin heard Kagome cry out furiously in the background.

" – I'd still like to know if it was Sesshomaru out there last night or not. I don't know what your relationship with my brother is, but I had a hunch that you'd be the one to know where he was last night," Inuyasha continued.

"He was here, with me," Rin replied, glancing back at Sesshomaru for a moment, unsure on how to go on from there. She wasn't sure if Sesshomaru wanted his brother to know that he transformed or not.

"I thought he might be. Did he transform at all, or leave your house for any long span of time?" Inuyasha asked.

"It really isn't that big of a deal, Inuyasha. None of the reporters or anyone who didn't see anything last night believe that there was actually a large white dog prancing around last night," Rin stated, and felt a smile pull at the edges of her lips when she saw Sesshomaru smirk slightly when she mentioned "prancing."

"Still, I'd rather know if it was Sesshomaru or not. I'd feel more at ease if I knew it was him and not some random demon that thinks he can pull off a stunt like that without any consequences,"

"Tell him," Sesshomaru murmured softly, so only Rin could hear. She gave him a curt nod before bringing the speaker close to her mouth.

"It was him last night," she replied, before diving into the details of their day. She left nothing out.

"Rin, you should have called the police instead of running after Sesshomaru like that. You could've gotten yourself killed!" Inuyasha stated as Rin rolled her eyes, yet another action that got a smirk out of Sesshomaru.

"I understand, Inuyasha. Believe me, Sesshomaru didn't think it was too bright of an idea either,"

"Just promise me that you won't do something so reckless again,"

"OK dad," Rin laughed.

"I'm serious Rin. My brother hasn't got a lot of friends, and believe me, he's one of the select few that hardly has anything to lose. If the situation was flipped, I wouldn't imagine he'd do the same for you," Inuyasha stated gravely. Rin decided against telling him about the numerous times Sesshomaru had saved her life.

"Just, don't worry about me, OK? I'll be fine," Rin reassured him, knowing that Inuyasha's intentions were good. Even if he did have a muddled perception of his brother's character.

"Alright, don't forget about what I said. Normally I wouldn't have cared either way, but Kagome's incessant worrying has rubbed off on me," he told her in a hushed voice, and Rin smirked slightly when she heard Kagome give Inuyasha a loud smack.

"I can hear you, you idiot!" Kagome growled on the other line. Rin couldn't hear what Inuyasha replied back, and then heard the two suddenly became developed in their own conversation. Rin figured that Inuyasha was done talking to her, and simply forgot to hang up. She ended the call with a simple 'click' before setting her phone down on the coffee table near their knees.

"Inuyasha was worried about me," Rin stated softly, though figured that Sesshomaru had probably been able to hear Inuyasha's voice on the other line.

Again, Sesshomaru said nothing as Rin began to awkwardly wring her fingers together, unsure of what to say from there. After a moment or two, Rin let out an impatient sigh before dropping her hands in her lap. Instead of trying to get Sesshomaru talking, Rin grabbed for the remote and increased the volume on the TV.

The report on the demon sighting had just ended and another had begun.

"...Marks the eightieth anniversary of St. Miracle Hospital's grand opening. Unfortunately, not all the patients and staff could celebrate this momentous occasion. A Miss Tahoe Sake has just informed me that they lost five patients last night, all due to cardiac arrest. None of the names of the deceased have been made public yet. Miss Sake, does it seem odd to you that so many of your patients had cardiac arrest on the same night?" the reporter asked a young nurse who looked shaken and had dark rings under her puffy blood shot eyes.

Rin didn't stay to listen to the rest of the report, she simply stood up and made a dash for her coat. She found it on her table and quickly put it on before fastening all the buttons to keep her warm. She had just reached for her hat and scarf when Sesshomaru appeared in front of her, his demon speed beating her to the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked, though hardly sounded all that curious.

"I have to go to the hospital," Rin told him as she tried to get around his larger frame, "let me through!" she barked when Sesshomaru wouldn't move out of her way.

"Why?" he asked before his eyes traveled over to the television, "is it because of what that reporter said?"

"Yes," Rin replied helplessly, ceasing her frantic paces to answer his question, "I have to find out who died last night,"

"Why would you want to visit the dead?" he asked, and Rin would have been ecstatic about Sesshomaru suddenly talking again, if only it had been about something else.

"Because, my father could have been one of them," Rin managed to choke out after a moment of silence.

(Divider)