Hakkai stood before his father with confidence that he would accept them. Lucca could only stare and wait to see what happened. Sesshomaru stood before Hakkai and moved his fingers through his sons red hair. He looked at Lucca and let his hand drop to his side.

Rin stood slowly. "Lord Sesshomaru?" she said as she watched curiously.

"You both have some of your mother in you." he said and then moved past them outside.

Lucca stood, feeling the weight of her heart sink into her stomach. "He...rejected us?" she leaned against the wall, staring in disbelief.

Hakkai shook his head. "He must not think we are ready to travel with him." he said trying to keep his hopes up.

Lucca turned to him and hit him across the face. "Don't be stupid Hakkai. That was it. He just passed judgement on us Hakkai. He does not want us." She moved quickly out the door.

Hakkai slowly took off his shoes and moved into the house. "Are you alright?" Rin asked him as he moved past her.

"I'm tired Aunt Rin, I'll see you in the morning." he moved off to the back room and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling.

Lucca stormed down the street, keeping herself from crying. "I have to work harder." she said to herself. "I have to, I want to be with Father and I wont be rejected again." she closed her eyes, shaking her head before glancing upwards.

Before her stood Sesshomaru. He watched her carefully, a small green demon standing next him.

"Lord Sesshomaru, is that Lucca?" the green demon asked.

Sesshomaru said nothing to the demon. "Lucca." he said after a long moment.

Lucca could feel the knot in her heart tighten but she moved foreword towards him, standing a few feet away from them both. "Yes Father." she said lightly, hiding her pain and fear from him.

Sesshomaru stared at her for a long moment. Lucca couldn't even begin to guess what he was thinking, his face was so blank and emotionless she began to wonder if this demon befor he was her real father.

Hakkai sat up in his bed and looked out through his door to Rin who sat, drinking warm tea. Hakkai stood and moved to his door and sat back down. "Aunt Rin, why did Father leave?" he asked, resting his hands on his knees.

Rin looked at him. "No one could ever guess what Lord Sesshomaru is thinking or what his next move may be. In all the years I traveled with him, I could only hope my guess was right." she said, sipping her tea. "You mother, Lady Hari, found a way. She knew what he was thinking even when he did not know himself. She was an amazing woman." Rin smiled.

"How did Father and Mother meet?" Hakkai asked.

Rin set her tea down and turned to face him. "You mother was lost in the forest and seriously wounded when I found her." she states. "I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had the reddest hair you could imagine and it was so long, I could cover myself in it when I was younger." Rin smiled. "Her eyes clashed with the lovely color of her hair, a brilliant blue they were, like your sisters."

Lucca couldn't stand just staring silently at her father. She couldn't understand why he rejected them, why he didn't even explain herself. She couldn't care if he was her Father at the moment, or if he could kill her without a thought.

"Why?" she said after a moment. "Why will you not take us with you? Why are you so emotionless?" her voice began to raise. "I don't understand! We worked so hard for you, we practiced everyday to make our skills better and yet still you refuse to take us with you. What is wrong with us that you can not even stay to talk?"

The little green demons eyes widened. "How dare you talk to Lord Sesshomaru that way!" he took his two headed stick and went to hit her head with it.

Sesshomaru grabbed his stick and just stared at his daughter.

"Sesshomaru just ignored her at first." Rincontinued"He didn't take her staying with us for a while a long term effect. Jaken continuously helped with gathering herbs and bandages and Sesshomaru would only scoff at my efforts to help her."

Hakkai listened intently. "How did they fall in love?" he asked. "Father was the strongest demon, it just seemed that loving someone would be excessivly hard for him."

Rin nodded. "Oh it was!" she laughed softly. "Lady Hari stayed with us long after her wounds were healed, she watched over me and she was the only person I knew who would talk back to Lord Sesshomaru and press him with questions. Many a time I thought he would kill her but her never touched her and often just left her standing there angry. Lady Hari had disappeared one morning. I thought she had gone to get something but when she did not return that evening, I started to get worried. Finally, after two days of pacing and not wanting to travel onward, I begged Lord Sesshomaru to go and find her. At first I thought he would not do so, but he did. He took Jaken and I with him and he followed her scent it seemed."

Sesshomaru pushed the green demons stick out of the way and moved towards Lucca. She didn't flinch and the very thought that this was her death ran through her mind. She could feel her heart pounding within her chest. She braced herself for the worst.

Sesshomaru did not reach to strike her, instead he pulled her close and hugged her gently. She froze, confused for the longest moment before resting her head on his shoulder.

Jaken placed both hands on the staff and smiled, not saying anything to disturb the moment.

"Needless to say, when we found her she was crying by a stream and the moment she knew he was their she covered up her tears and faced him boldly. Before I could get close to her, she began to yell at Lord Sesshomaru, telling him that he was heartless and it was unfair to Rin for him to be so. She said quite a few other things as well and I knew for sure she was dead. However, Lord Sesshomaru surprised both Jaken and I and moved towards her, wrapping his arm about her waist and kissed her." Rin smiled softly, staring out the window.

Hakkai smiled. "Father is unpredictable." he stands and moves towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Rin asked, watching him.

"I have to find Lucca. I don't want her doing anything she'll regret." he smiled as he slipped on his shoes and moved out of the house.

Sesshomaru pulled away from Lucca and then moved away down the street. Jaken bowed to her and quickly followed him.

"Lucca!" Hakkai's voice called out to her as he moved up next to her. "Are you..." he stopped staring at his father.

Sesshomaru stopped for the second time and turned to them both. Hakkai stood emotionless next to his sister, taking her hand in his. Sesshomaru gave the faintest of smiles as he watched them. "Hakkai...Lucca." he said before finally turning for the last time and leaving the village.

The next morning, Lucca and Hakkai ate in silence, a big smile on their lips as the quickly consumed the breakfast Rin had made.

"What is up with you two this morning?" Rin asked, pouring them both more milk. "What happened last night?"

Hakkai paused and looked at Lucca who had set her chopsticks down and looked at Rin.

"Its just a good day Aunt Rin." she said drinking her milk. She stood and moved to Rin, hugging her. "Thank you Aunt Rin." she said and then moved to her shoes.

Hakkai finished his food quickly and hugged Rin as well. "Yes, thank you so much for everything Aunt Rin." He followed after his sister.

Rin sat in silence before smiling warmly. "Farewell you two." she said gathering the plates to clean them.

Lucca and Hakkai quickly ran down the street, smiling widely as they passed the other villagers who watched them in sheer confusion. They made their way out of the little village and deep into the forest, laughing softly as they did so. They finally reached a large clearing in the middle of the forest and glanced about.

From the trees, Sesshomaru stepped towards them. "Are you ready?" he asked them.

Hakkai nodded. "Yes Father."

Lucca watched her father for a long moment. "Always Father?" she smiled at him.

Sesshomaru nodded and turned, walking into the forest. Hakkai glanced at his sister and moved quickly after his father. Lucca had to pause a moment, glancing behind her. "Good bye Aunt Rin." she said lightly.

"Lucca." Sesshomaru turned and waited for her.

Lucca turned and looked back at him. "Coming." she said quickly moving after him and her brother.

FIN

for now...