Demoness: walks into the computer room I have brought you the 3rd chapter. brings it from behind her back and light shoots from it as she holds it up

Sesshoumaru: You couldn't find any better special effects than attaching gold strips of paper to the chapter and having a fan blow them from behind?

Demoness: glares I'm on a budget and my monthly manga and anime bill keeps increasing. Well, here you go and I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. I think is one of my better chapters, and is edited. Gotta love my beta! If you would like me to send an email to you when I update then tell me in a review…and don't forget. PLEASE review! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: soaks piece of paper with disclaimer on it in water removing the ink Opps...I don't think I was supposed to do that...

Chapter Three: The Secret Truth

Hakunetsu quietly left the two women, knowing he was a mere bystander, he was unable to bring comfort to Rin. He was the closest thing to a father she had and he never wanted to see tears of sorrow mar her face. He shared in the joy of her accomplishments and would continue to stand by her side, even if everyone else left. Rin's heart was not a frozen tundra, as others would have liked to believe. No, her heart was full of warmth, but guarded by walls designed to keep it safe. The general knew that Rin would cherish her child once the initial cloud of dismay had cleared.

Hakunetsu's imposing form stalked down the halls, with only one person in mind. The proud General was not one to sit idly by while others held answers, and he suspected that Sesshoumaru had the ones he desired. Knowing his friend's proclivity to retreat to his personal study, he marched straight there. Not bothering to knock, he opened the door and let himself in.

He stared at the back of Sesshoumaru's impassive form on the balcony and smirked. Indeed, something was troubling the Taiyoukai. He never stood there unless something was weighing heavily on his mind. Hakunetsu took his time and sauntered around the room, pretending to be occupied by different scrolls and papers, until he finally made his way over to Sesshoumaru's desk. He casually sat in the chair behind it and absentmindedly picked at a scroll.

"Would you care to share your thoughts, Sesshoumaru?" he inquired, looking at the other out of the corner of his eye.

Sesshoumaru did not move from his position and kept his gaze on the garden below. "Why are you here, Hakunetsu?" he asked in his usual detached tone.

The General shifted so that his elbows rested on the arms of the chair with the tips of his fingers touching. "No reason in particular. I thought sitting here watching you imitate a statue would be the highlight of my day."

That statement earned him the full attention of the Taiyoukai. The stoic demon turned towards him with his eyes narrowed. "Your sarcastic remarks are not welcome, nor are they wanted, General."

"No remarks are ever wanted by you, my Lord," Hakunetsu ground out, with the last part stressed to show his contempt. He closed his eyes and forced the next words out of his mouth. "But, quite frankly, Sesshoumaru, I do not care if they are wanted. You hold answers and I will get them one way or another."

Hakunetsu knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but he would not back down. 'No, not now.'

"You are bold, but boldness can be confused with stupidity, Hakunetsu." Sesshoumaru's golden eyes bore into his inquisitor with a barely contained warning.

The cold stare did not intimidate Hakunetsu, who simply remained where he was. "What are you going to do about Rin?" he asked, knowing there was more than one way to get to heart of the matter.

"Her duties will be cut back and then removed until after she has given birth."

Hakunetsu scoffed at the answer. "And you honestly think that will work? She is not some petty officer who holds no standing or responsibility. Rin will not give up her duties without a fight, and I am inclined to agree with her."

Sesshoumaru leaned against the wall and folded his arms. "If she refuses to listen, then she could suffer a miscarriage and lose her child. Which do you think she would prefer?"

The General could see he was getting somewhere with this questioning. He saw the uneasiness in his friend's stance, even though to another it would appear he was the same as always. "I know Rin would do anything to keep her child, but what of the father? Do you think he would acknowledge her as his mate? She bears no mating mark and is with child; therefore, she is considered a whore by youkai standards."

"You do not have the right to call her a whore, when you yourself have taken females into your bed without mating them, successfully shaming them," Sesshoumaru criticized, his voice a deadly whisper.

Hakunetsu rose from the chair and straightened to his full height upon hearing the tone of blame used. "Yes, I have taken many females into my bed, but I have left none of them pregnant…as you have done. It is you, Sesshoumaru, who has stolen her life, and you do not even have the courage to admit it."

He paused and drew a breath in walking towards the enraged Taiyoukai. The normal light and teasing tone was gone form his voice. His honey eyes had hardened over as if he were riding into battle. He didn't care if he lost his life for provoking the powerful youkai before him. All he wanted was for Sesshoumaru to accept what he was denying. He was denying his heart and the love he so desperately needed and deserved from Rin...and the love hiding in his heart, waiting to be given to another. That 'other' was Rin.

Stopping a foot from Sesshoumaru, Hakunetsu raised his gaze so he could stare directly into ones of the person who would have loved to kill him without delay. "You're scared. You have hidden your emotions away for so long; you do not know how to act. You would sooner banish her to exile than face the reality that has been presented to you. Your world is lost without the mundane routines you have lived by since your mother died!"

Hakunetsu found himself slammed up against the wall, held with a suffocating grip by his throat. Sesshoumaru let him dangle a few inches off the ground as his razor-sharp claws dug into the soft flesh of his prey's neck, drawing thin lines of blood. Fury was proudly shown in the Taiyoukai's narrowed gaze, as he fought the urge to sever Hakunetsu's head from his body.

"You let your tongue get away from you without considering the consequences. You do not have the right to speak of the things you do. You have the audacity to chastise me for having hidden my emotions from the outside world, when it is my choice to do as I see fit!" He drove his claws deeper into Hakunetsu's neck, receiving a wince of pain as he struggled for breath.

Sesshoumaru let a small smirk of satisfaction cross his lips at his General's obvious discomfort, then resumed what he was saying. "You have called Rin a whore because she has neither mating mark nor mate by her side, but you are unable to see beyond what is in front of your face. I have been here the entire time, watching over her and protecting her. I was and still am willing to give my life for hers, in order that she might have some semblance of happiness in her life."

Sesshoumaru lowered Hakunetsu to the ground, but he did not relent in his hold of the Inu youkai. "If I were to announce my claim of her and our child, then both of their lives would cease to be. My lands are only allied with the North and partially with the South. The East still desires to strip my title and lands from me, and the next items added to that list would be Rin and my child if I formally claimed her as my mate. I will not forfeit their lives so readily."

He pulled away fully from Hakunetsu and dropped his bloodied hand to his side. Hakunetsu collapsed onto one knee as he gasped for air. His pale blue hair cascaded over his shoulders, hiding a face that showed unconcealed shock. 'He won't mark her…in order to save her?'

Hakunetsu raised his head and viewed Sesshoumaru through different eyes. He saw him not as a ruler, but a person trying to protect his family, one who loved them enough to sacrifice his life and happiness for them, and as a mate who wanted to be with his family, but couldn't. He knew times were dangerous, especially to the rulers of each of the four territories, and he understood his friend's logic for keeping Rin safe.

"Sesshoumaru, I must apologize for my earlier words. I- " He was cut off with a wave of the hand.

The Taiyoukai sat down in the previously occupied chair, licking the blood off his claws. "Iie, there is no need for you to apologize, Hakunetsu. You have been my friend and ally for over two hundred years, but sometimes you need to be taught the hard way."

Hakunetsu grinned and placed a hand on the side of his neck, wincing. "You certainly haven't lost your touch after all these years," he chuckled, pulling his hand away covered with blood. "At least you left my ribs intact, unlike the last time you decided to teach me a lesson."

Sesshoumaru graced him with a small smirk that quickly vanished, as his face grew serious. "I am going to need your help in keeping this matter a secret and in protecting Rin when I am not around," he requested as he stood up.

The General nodded and stood up with him. "Nezumi will be with her when you or I cannot be. Rin will be quite safe, though she's not going to like being watched every second."

Sesshoumaru actually laughed at that. "I have to agree with you, Hakunetsu," he admitted, "but this is the way it must be."

He handed him a scroll, bound with a red ribbon that made the General groan. "This is the list of the new recruits you will be receiving tomorrow. You should have an interesting time, seeing as they are all quite skilled in sorcery--entrapment sorcery."

That earned Sesshoumaru a glare from Hakunetsu, who despised dealing with any recruit that had knowledge of sorcery. That was more of Rin's area, but he would have to deal with them this time. "This is just what I wanted. How did you know?" he muttered sarcastically, through clenched teeth.

Both Inu youkai left the study and trekked back to the northern wing, bidding each other good night. Hakunetsu entered his quarters, where Sesshoumaru could still hear him grumbling about his 'gift' and shook his head at his friend. He quietly knocked on the door to Rin's quarters and was greeted by Nezumi, who let him in.

"Nezumi, I believe General Hakunetsu is in need of some assistance in his rooms. See to him," he ordered coldly, not sparing the spy a glance.

Nezumi was confused, but obediently followed the command, leaving her Lord alone with Rin. Sesshoumaru walked over to Rin's bed where he stood earlier, but his heart was no longer troubled as he looked down at the woman he loved. He smoothed a dark lock of hair away from her face as he sat down on the edge of the bed, which dipped from his added weight.

Rin shifted and started to wake, feeling his presence next to her. She smelled the comforting scent of cinnamon encompassing her. Smiling softly, her hand unconsciously went to rest on her lower abdomen, just over their child. She desperately wanted to open her eyes and for him to be there, she wanted him to hold her as he had done on that night, and she wanted to be loved by him. Rin knew it was but a fanciful dream, yet something urged her to open her eyes.

She inwardly sighed and opened her chocolate brown eyes only to stare into vibrant gold ones. Rin immediately closed them and turned her head away, cursing her mind for playing tricks. He couldn't be there – he simply couldn't. Sesshoumaru would never be able to love her...or their child.

Rin was pulled from her thoughts as the hand on her abdomen was covered by another, not her own. Her head instantly turned back at the contact and she realized that she was wrong; her eyes had not been deceiving her. Sesshoumaru was there and it was his hand that rested atop hers. "Se…Sesshoumaru?" was all she could manage in a voice that belied none of her surprise.

His mask of indifference was still there, but the tone of his voice was soft and gentle as he spoke. "Hai, I am here, Rin. You do not have to worry."

She pushed herself into a sitting position and stared at him, looking over every detail. From the markings that adorned his face, to the perfect silver of his hair, and finally to his amber eyes that entrapped her. Rin had longed for this moment, and now that it was finally here, she didn't know what to say or do. In the end, she just threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, grateful that he wasn't wearing his armor.

The silver-haired demon was startled by the sudden action, but it soon passed. Sesshoumaru mirrored her by wrapping his strong arms around her petite frame, tenderly holding her. However, he pulled back when the smell of salt from her tears reached his nose. Rin kept her head down as her body was racked with quiet sobs.

"Rin, watakushi ga minasai," He commanded softly, placing a curled finger under her chin.

Rin slowly raised her head, disgusted with her inability to keep her emotions in check. She hastily moved a hand to wipe away her tears, but he caught her wrist easily and placed it back in her lap. Lightly grasping her chin in between his index finger and thumb, he titled her head back further as he leaned in closer. He captured her lips in a searing kiss that made her melt at his very touch.

She could feel herself slipping away at this simple caress. Her heart felt alive with passion and love, ready to surrender if he asked. That one kiss said everything that she needed to hear, and she entwined her fingers with his, which rested beside him on the bed. To Rin, it felt like forever before he broke the kiss, leaving her a content daze. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him, feeling fortunate for this time they shared.

Unfortunately, she was unable to stifle the yawn that crept upon her, and she covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes grew heavy. Sesshoumaru gently picked her up and sat back against the headboard, sitting her in his lap. Her head automatically rested on his shoulder, as she absentmindedly fingered the soft silk of his haori. One last question plagued her mind as sleep claimed her.

Her eyelids slowly closed, ignoring her effort to remain awake. However, she could not slip into the waiting arms of the dream world without asking her Demon Lord one last question. "Sesshoumaru, koko de, isshouni iite kudasai."

The stoic youkai looked down at her peaceful face and silently nodded his head once. "Sleep, Rin."

A small sigh slipped past Rin's lips as she let go of consciousness, knowing he would stay with her, even if it were only for that night.

Sesshoumaru watched her while she slept, as her simple question repeated in his mind. 'Yes, Rin, I will stay with you…itsumo.'

Demoness: All right, how was that? In the next chapter, there will be a full description of Hakunetsu, Nezumi and a few others who are going to make life around the castle…interesting. I don't know if I will be able to update this week considering I have my finals to take (the stupid things should burn in hell). I have tried my best with this chapter so tell me what you think.

Stipulation: no reviews, no fourth chapter!

Sesshoumaru: Don't forget the translations.

Demoness: That's right! I'm using some Japanese in this fic so I'll be putting at the bottom of each chapter. I'm not going to put the common words, that most fanfic writers and readers know, but if you don't know a word just ask me.

Translations:
watakushi ga minasai = look at me.
Koko de, isshouni iite kudasai = please stay with me.
Itsumo = Always