A/N: THE LAST CHAPTER! Are you as excited as I am? I realize this story isn't that long compared to most chapter stories out there, but this is a HUGE accomplishment for me, so I'm very proud of it. I really hope you all like the ending (I'm not always great with endings). I sort of doubt it'll feel rushed, but, you never know. Oh, and, Sesshomaru will probably be OOC, 'cause that's about the only way he would ever say 'I love you'. Hope it's not too bad. Anyway, enough of my babbling, read on! Please?
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I listed all the characters I do own last chapter, and I don't feel like repeating it. If I did own Inuyasha, this would be how the series ended. Probably. Or maybe even the 'spin-off' series. Y'know, 'Sesshomaru' instead of 'Inuyasha'. Ok, I know, pathetic. Onwards!
Someone to Protect
It had been another week since their conversation in the forest, and Rin had gotten no closer to discovering why Sesshomaru had been acting so strangely lately. He'd accompanied her nearly every night since that night when she went for firewood, and even Jaken had begun showing signs of having noticed the behavior. She suspected he didn't know any more than she did, which meant she couldn't ask him. Something told her that whatever it was would severely alter their lifestyle. She could only pray that he wasn't preparing to abandon her. She'd all but decided that if that did happen, she'd simply move to Inuyasha's village, and thereby be assured to see Sesshomaru at least once more before she died of that cursed mortal disease: old age.
It was late afternoon, the sun would be setting in about an hour. Which meant that, assuming nothing out of the ordinary happened, they'd settle down for the night in two or three hours. That was just how they did things. Jaken and Rin were both lost in their own thoughts, not paying a whole lot of attention to their surroundings, when Sesshomaru stopped. Jaken, who'd been walking in front of her, barely stopped before running into his lord; Rin, therefore, tripped over him and did fall into their lord. After Jaken had scrambled out from under her, he began squawking.
"Watch where you're walking, Rin! You tripped over me, and into Lord Sesshomaru for goodness' sakes! You absolutely must pay more attention, you stupid human!"
Righting herself quickly and bowing politely, she said, "I'm sorry, my lord! It was my fault, Master Jaken is right. I really should've been paying more attention!"
"Silence, Rin. Jaken, you cannot scold Rin for doing exactly what you were doing. Do I make myself clear?" At their nods of agreement, he continued. "We are stopping here for the evening. Jaken, make a place for the fire and begin dinner. Rin, come with me."
"Coming, Lord Sesshomaru." She said, falling into place behind him as Jaken called out.
"Am I supposed to find dinner and firewood? Isn't the firewood Rin's job?"
"Not tonight, Jaken. You have your instructions."
"Yes, m'lord!"
------
Sesshomaru said nothing more as they walked through a thick line of trees. Rin was bursting with curiosity and slight apprehension. What if he's going to send me away? UGH! I don't know why I worry about such things; he wouldn't go out of his way to rescue someone he was only planning to abandon me two weeks later. Alright, so, what's going on, then? She snapped out of her thoughts as they cleared the trees and entered a meadow that was framed with trees on one side and a small creek on the other. The field was full of beautiful flowers and the sun was just barely beginning to set; they had a perfect view. She watched in silent fascination as he moved to the center and sat down, legs crossed, arms folded. Glancing over his shoulder at where she still stood, he said, "Come, Rin. Sit beside me."
Snapping herself out of her trance, she moved gracefully towards him and sat on his right, legs out to her side. Glancing over at him, she saw him watching the sunset, so she turned her head and watched it, too. It was the most beautiful sunset she'd ever seen in all her nearly 20 years. She couldn't help but feel that it was a good omen about whatever it was Sesshomaru obviously wanted to talk to her about. These thoughts, and the sight in front of her, caused her to smile subconsciously.
-----
Sesshomaru watched her out of the corners of his eyes as she watched the sunset. He didn't honestly know why he'd decided to bring her there to watch it; they could've watched it from just about anywhere. Not that it mattered. He had to tell her, and this was the perfect opportunity. When he saw her smile, and the happiness in her eyes, he decided to wait until after the sun had set. It would only take a couple of minutes, after all. Shifting his attention back to the sky, he allowed himself to appreciate it's beauty as well.
------
Once the sun had set, he returned his focus to matters at hand. Shifting only slightly, he faced the human woman who'd become so important to him. Of course, she wasn't quite sure of just how important she was yet. That was what he intended to change this evening. It is time to get this over with. To tell her how I feel. Taking a deep breath, his sensitive nose was greeted with her scent and he smiled just a bit, something telling him that this wouldn't go badly. Not unless he chickened out, as his half-brother had done numerous times many years ago.
"I have something of great importance that you need to know, Rin. What happens afterwards will be entirely up to you." He knew it was an unnecessary statement, but he felt he should start as gently as he could. He waited silently for her reply.
"Very well, my lord. I am listening." Rin replied, not overly sure of how to handle the second part of his statement. She only hoped that her reaction to whatever-it-was that he had to tell her wouldn't be too embarrassing. She smiled sweetly, signaling that she was ready to hear it.
Sesshomaru paused, trying to find the proper way to articulate his feelings. This wasn't a problem he was used to having; after all, he was Sesshomaru. He always knew how to say what he wanted, and when to say it. Except now. Then just get it done with. Terrific, in my state of confusion I have begun to sound like my half-wit half-brother. Excellent. He thought sarcastically, before clearing his thoughts again. Finally, he spoke.
"Rin, as you may or may not know, quite a lot of my life has changed in recent years. As I am certain Jaken has told you on numerous occasions, before I resurrected you, I loathed all humans. I blamed them for my father's demise; along with Inuyasha." When she nodded, he continued. "Recently, however, many of these same opinions have...changed. I was reluctant at first to accept these changes; for I did not know what to make of them. Over the last month, I have finally figured out why I am changing. You have allowed me to see that my blind hatred of humans as a species was wrong. That, ultimately, humans and demons are not all that different; they have the same basic needs, as do all living creatures. I may never have realized this had I not met you." He paused to prepare himself for the final statement, and Rin mistakenly thought that he was finished, so she did the proper thing.
"Thank you for such a compliment, my lord."
He allowed a small smile to grace his elagant features at this. "I was not quite done, Rin, though you are welcome." Her blush amused him and she mumbled an apology before allowing him to continue. With an almost unnoticable inhale, he finally stopped beating around the bush. "Rin, what I have been trying to find a way to tell you for a few weeks now is...I am in love with you."
Rin's head snapped up so fast he almost expected her to scream 'spider!', but when her gaze locked with his, he knew that she was merely shocked at his words. He allowed his walls to fall, for the first time in years, and therefore granted her access to his hidden emotions. After a moment, she clearly found what she was searching for, and let his words fully sink in. Her resulting smile was far too big, too happy, to be suppresed. Her body tensed as though she were containing herself, and she said, very quietly, "I am in love with you, as well, my lord."
Reaching out, Sesshomaru gently cupped the side of her face in his clawed hand as he spoke. "Now I have but one more request of you. Would you permit me to take you as my mate?" He resisted the urge to smile at her intake of breath. The two concepts obviously hadn't connected in her mind yet. Her response came much quicker than he'd thought it would.
"Without hesitation, my lord." She looked away after she'd spoken, something clearly still eating at her. It didn't take him too long to figure out what; he'd expected as much.
"Rin, are you forgetting the connection between a demon and his mate?" At her questioning look, he continued. "You will live as long as I do, just as Kagome will live as long as Inuyasha." He saw the look of understanding dawn on her face and her smile returned instantly. Then he remembered something else. "Also, as of this moment, you will no longer need to refer to me as 'lord' unless you wish to do so. We will be equals; Lord and Lady of the Western Lands. That, you shall have to get used to. Can you do that?" He teased, smirking just a bit.
"I believe so, Sesshomaru." She replied, smiling more. He found he liked how easily she'd dropped the 'lord' from her speech.
"Good." He replied.
Rin got up wordlessly and took one step forward before plopping softly down in Sesshomaru's lap. As she rested her head on his right shoulder, she prayed she didn't blush too hard for the audacity of her actions. Inside, she was greatly embarrassed at what she'd just done, but she also figured he wouldn't really mind; they were alone and he'd just asked her to mate with him, after all. We'll have to be a lot closer than this if we're going to follow through with that, anyway. Oh dear, this may take some getting used to after all! She thought, sighing lightly and burying her face into his long, fluffy tail.
She started when she felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her closer. Shifting slightly, she wound her arms around his torso in response. None of this, however, prepared her for the sensations that raced through her when his lips lightly brushed over her forehead. She let out a small gasp as an unfamiliar tingling sensation shot through her, literally from head to toe. Leaning back slightly, she moved her arms from around him to place them on his upper arms, and locked eyes with him. After a moment, they simultaneously leaned in towards each other and their eyes drifted shut a fraction of a second before their lips touched for the first time.
Though it was her first kiss, she didn't feel inexperienced. She kept her arms on his shoulders, more to remind herself of the spikes on his armor, while his tightened around her waist. After a few moments, Sesshomaru's tongue traced a thin line on her bottom lip and she reacted instinctively. When their tongues met, new, even stronger, sensations rushed through her and she moaned, leaning a bit more into him, allowing him to deepen the kiss.
She could feel the growl that began as a rumble in his chest when her tongue began lightly tracing his fangs, so she did it again. By now one of his hands had wandered up to support the back of her head, and hers had grasped onto the base of his neck, completely covered by his long, silky hair. The kiss continued like this for a while longer, before they finally had to part to breathe. They stared at each other in silence for a few minutes while they caught their breath. Sesshomaru, of course, caught his first.
"So, will we...get to do that often?" Rin asked mischieviously, twirling a strand of his silver hair around her fingers delicately.
"As often as you like, Beloved." He responded, realizing that their dinner was probably getting cold, as it was getting late. However, he didn't fail to notice her small smile of pleasure upon hearing her new nickname.
"I like that." Then she paused and her look got serious. "Is something the matter, Sesshomaru?"
"I believe we're late for dinner, Rin. It is time to go."
"Oh, ok. Um, how will we explain this to Ma-Jaken?" She asked, quickly correcting her slip-up.
"If he hasn't already guessed why I've asked you here, I shall explain it to him while you bathe."
"Ok then. Let's go, I'm hungry." She encouraged, moving to stand before being scooped up when Sesshomaru stood. He then placed her gently back on her feet, and they returned to their camp.
---------
It was nearly two weeks later, and, after a four-day stop-over at Sesshomaru's family mansion, they were once again traveling the countryside. Two nights prior, Sesshomaru had proudly informed Rin that in a few months time they'd have to return to the mansion and live there for at least a couple of years, and they could decide whether to travel again afterwards. When she'd asked why, he'd explained that she was pregnant and wouldn't be able to travel long distances after a few months. She was so thrilled about being a mother that it didn't occur to her until the next morning that he may not like the idea of fathering a half-demon child. Sesshomaru had, of course, quickly dispelled that notion, saying that that was one of the things that had changed (gradually) about him over the years. Now, they were on their way to the Forest of Inuyasha, to give their only living family the good news.
---------
The next afternoon, they reached their destination. Jaken had opted to stay behind for this particular excursion, so they didn't have to worry about making him stay by the well. They paused just outside of the village. Rin looked up at Sesshomaru, who met her gaze silently.
"It's now or never."
"Indeed. This should be...interesting."
"That's one word for it." Rin joked, following him as he entered the village. They received only a few stares from the villagers as they walked by; most, apparently, remembered them.
------
Just over half-way to Inuyasha and Kagome's home, they heard a young, familiar, voice. "Pllleeeeaaassseee Momma? Dad'd let me do it!"
"Which is exactly why I won't. Your father hasn't been known for making the best decisions in his lifetime."
"He married you, didn't he?"
"Our son has a point, Sango, dear."
"Do you want me to smack you?"
"Kohaku, your mother's right. The answer is no, now stop--begging." Miroku's voice trailed off as the happy family four - soon to be five, based on the size of Sango's stomach - recognized the demon and human directly ahead of them. Kohaku, apparently, recognized them, as well.
"Hey! I remember you two! You were here a couple of months ago, right? Hi!"
"Kohaku, mind your manners!" Sango scolded before turning to face their 'guests'. "I'm sorry; he's young. How can we help you? Is anything the matter?"
"No, we're looking for my brother once again. Is he here?"
"Yes, he should be. We were just there, so he couldn't be too far, anyway." She looked down upon feeling a tug on her kimono, finding her 4 year old daughter looking up at her with big eyes. "Yes, Rika?"
"Carry me, Mommy?"
Sango chuckled quietly and bent to pick up her youngest. "Ok, Sweetheart." Then she returned to her interrupted conversation. "I don't know if you've already met, but this is Rika. She's a bit more shy than her brother."
"Hello, Rika. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rin, and this is Sesshomaru." Rin introduced, smiling sweetly at the little brunette. "You have beautiful eyes." She added; she truly loved the child's big blue eyes that so obviously came from her father.
"Thanks. It's nice to meet you, too." Rika said shyly, looking down when she finished. After a couple more minutes of conversation, the two groups parted and continued on their separate ways.
-------
Inuyasha let out long breath as he leaned back against the wall of their 'living room' - as Kagome called it. A moment later, from the back room where they kept most of their stuff, Kagome let out a happy shriek that roused his curiosity, so he stood and headed back to see what was going on.
"Alright, what the heck's goin' on here?"
"We're having a 'tickle-war', Daddy! I think I'm winning!" Chikara cheered, releasing her mother from her 'torture'.
"Chi, honey, it's time to go play with your father, ok?" Kagome offered, knowing it would get her off the hook.
"Hey!" Inuyasha protested as his energetic daughter jumped at him. With a quick side-step, he managed to avoid her tackle and catch her by the back of her kimono. "Maybe you should go torture Shippo, instead, 'Kara. Bet that pup won't even see you coming. What d'ya say?"
"I'm allowed to go play with Uncle Shippo? Ok!" Chikara agreed, landing gracefully when her father released her and running quickly down the hall.
"She gets all her energy from you, I hope you know." Kagome chided teasingly, standing and brushing off her skirt. Her statement caused a cocky grin to form on his face.
"Yeah, well, you asked for it." At her look of mock anger at his words, he added, "Twice, it seems." That stopped her in her tracks.
"'Twice'?"
"Yep. Twice." He replied, resting his clawed hands on her hips and kissing the tip of her nose. He stayed silent for a moment while the meaning of 'twice' sunk in.
"So, I'm-?" She was cut off by a shout from the main part of the house.
"Mommy, Daddy, Unlce Sesshomaru's back!"
-----
Kagome followed Inuyasha into the main room just in time to see Chikara make her escape, leaving the adults alone. Clever girl. I wonder why they're here this time, though. More trouble with the snakes, maybe? And why in the world is Inuyasha grinning, of all things? Kagome thought, glancing sideways at her husband, confused at the obviously full-of-himself grin that had returned to his face. That's just such an odd reaction to Sesshomaru's presence.
"So, I guess the business with the snakes is over, then?" Inuyasha began, crossing his arms confidently.
"You guess correctly this time, Little Brother. The snakes are gone. We are here, today, for a different reason. May we sit?" Sesshomaru asked, permitting himself to be second-in-command for a short while, as he was in Inuyasha's village.
"Absolutely; make yourselves comfortable. Would either of you like any water?" Kagome offered, automatically switching to 'good hostess' mode. If there's one thing Mom taught me. She reflected.
"I'd love some, if you don't mind, Kagome." Rin replied.
"Not at all, Rin. Inuyasha?"
"None for me, Kagome." Inuyasha replied, sitting across from his older half-brother and placing the Tetsusaiga beside him. Kagome nodded and headed into an adjacent room to find two water bottles. They stayed silent until she returned; Inuyasha noticing the signs between his guests that all agreed with the scent he would've sworn was eminating off of Rin. Pregnancy. Go figure. Last time I see him, he's stuck in denial; maybe two months later, she's pregnant with his first pup. An' here he always hated our old man for mating Mother and having me.
Kagome returned a few moments later, feigning obliviousness to the silence that had stretched, albiet not uncomfortably, in her abscence. She wasn't self-centered enough to think they were there to talk to her alone; more that Sesshomaru probably didn't want to have to repeat himself, or leave it up to his brother to accurately recant the story.
"Here's your water, Rin." She said, holding out an unopened bottle.
"Thanks."
"Ok, so, what's going on?" Kagome asked politely, taking her place beside Inuyasha and across from Rin. She, too, noticed a difference in their guests; she just couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"As you are my only family, and we are no longer attempting to slay one-another, I feel you deserve to know the latest development in my life." Sesshomaru began, pointedly ignoring the gleam in his brother's eyes. Though he knew, as he had known before he'd decided to come, that he'd have to endure his brother's teasing when this conversation was over, it was just one of those things that had to be done, no matter how much the person involved didn't want to do it. Gathering his formidable resolve, he began. "Rin and I..."
-----
"Congratulations! That's wonderful!" Kagome cheered, smiling happily. I knew it! I'm glad they figured it out, too. She's perfect for him. She'll make an excellent mother. Huh, I guess that's what Inuyasha was smirking about earlier. She thought, truly happy for her friend.
"Y'know, Sesshomaru, travelin' won't make raisin' a pup any easier. You'll have to stay home, in the old man's house; unless you've got your own." Inuyasha stated, knowing full-well that his brother had most likely already come to that conclusion.
"I'm impressed that you deduced that so quickly, Inuyasha."
"Hey, I may be younger, but I've got more experience than you when it comes to raisin' pups."
"That is only because you-"
"That's enough, boys!" Kagome interjected quickly, hoping to avoid an argument that, since Inuyasha was involved, would most likely get physical. Inuyasha grumbled something that she was pretty sure Sesshomaru could hear and she shot him a glare that shut him up instantly.
"We ran into Sango and Miroku on our way here; they look well." Rin commented.
"Yes, they're very happy. Sango's due in about two weeks; they were here for her check-up. I'm the closest thing this village has to a doctor, after all."
"Looks to me like you're doing well. You'll come visit from time to time, won't you?" Rin offered, secretly hoping she wasn't crossing a line. She considered Kagome her closest friend besides Ah-Un, who couldn't talk, and she wanted to see her again sometime soon.
"Well, that's not really up to me, but I'd love to. And since you won't be able to travel much longer, I guess it would be up to me."
Inuyasha cleared his throat and then, in true form, said, "You won't be traveling too much, soon, either. Remember? It'll have to be after our pups are born."
It was silent for a moment, as the two without demonic senses registered that statement. Rin looked over at Kagome, wondering if she'd heard wrong. Kagome looked to Inuyasha. "'Pups'? Plural?"
"Twins, near as I can tell. So yeah, plural." It was obvious he was trying, to his credit, not to smirk. That, of course, doesn't mean he succeeded. Proud though he was, he wasn't positive she would be thrilled. His answer came quickly enough, when she threw her arms around his neck and squealed happily.
"Twins! Are you sure?"
"It'll be a couple more weeks 'til I'll be positive, but, if I had to guess..."
"Well, I suppose it will be a little while before I can visit, Rin. Do you mind?" Kagome asked, pulling slightly away from Inuyasha.
Rin smiled and shook her head. "Not at all; I'm happy for you. Though I'm sure it won't be easy, you'll do just as well with them as you've done with Chikara so far. We'll have to keep in touch."
"Absolutely."
"It is time for us to be leaving, Rin. Until we meet again, Inuyasha."
"Likewise, Sesshomaru."
Inuyasha and Kagome walked their guests to the door way and watched them leave, each with small smiles on their faces. Once they were gone, Kagome turned to Inuyasha.
"I told you it would work between them!"
"Keh. Typical; you find out you're pregnant again an' all you care about is someone else's relationship. Crazy woman." He muttered that last part, thinking she wouldn't hear it.
"What was that, Honey? Am I not allowed to be happy for others? I see, please forgive me." She replied sarcastically.
"Knock it off, stupid. You know what I meant."
"Maybe I didn't."
"Keh, yeah right. You're just draggin' me along, waitin' to find a good reason to 'sit' me again. I ain't that stupid!"
"You're right, what was I thinking, trying to bait you? Oh, now I remember; it's more fun that way!" She teased, moving to walk around him and down the hall. When she heard the door slide shut, she knew she was going to lose, but she tried anyway. Three feet later, he caught her around the waist and pulled her into the nearest room, which happened to be theirs, and shut the door.
-------
"That went pretty good, I thought." Rin commented when they'd exited the village.
"It could have been worse. No encounter with my brother will ever be good." Sesshomaru stated bluntly.
"Um, Sesshomaru, did I-should I not have invited them?" Sesshomaru stopped upon hearing her words and turned to face her. Gently cupping the side of her face in his palm, he took a moment to answer.
"You did nothing wrong. Kagome is a good friend of yours; I am aware of this. I don't mind that you've invited them; dealing with Inuyasha is not as...irritating as it used to be. Eventually, I imagine I will be able to consider an encounter with him as slightly higher than tolerable. Therefore, having them come to visit you will not bother me. You never need consider another's opinion in such a situation. If you have a friend, or family member, that you wish to invite to our home, then do so. You will know far ahead of time if I disapprove of them."
"Ok. Thank you, Sess." One of Sesshomaru's delicate eyebrows arched curiously at this shortened version of his name. She blushed profusely and mumbled, "Do you mind?"
"Not at all, Beloved." Was his only reply, before he leaned down and caught her lips with his for a brief kiss. She returned it equally.
They parted after a moment, and she placed her hand in his, a smile on her face. An instant later, they were flying peacefully above the tree-tops on his personal cloud. Half-way through the journey home, he released her hand and placed his arm loosely around her waist, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. As they neared their home, she subconsciously placed a hand upon her stomach, allowing a small smile to light up her face. This was where they would raise their family. This was, and hopefully always would be, home. Sesshomaru smiled a bit, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She was happy, and knowing that left him feeling oddly peaceful. It was a feeling he hoped to get used to. Tightening his arm slightly, he inhaled her scent and, suddenly, he couldn't wait to get home.
The End
A/N: It's DONE! Wooohhooo! Lol. So, did you like it? Did the ending stink? I really hope you enjoyed it; I was thrilled when I finally got to finish it. If you didn't like the way I ended it and you really want to tell me so, I'd appreciate it if you did that without flaming me. Hopefully I have nothing to worry about flame-wise, but just in case. Anyway, thanks to all of you who stuck with me through all eight chapters! I hope no one was too disappointed in the ending (if you can't tell, I'm a tad insecure about my stories). Ok, well, I'm done now. Bye! Oh, and Merry Christmas!