Disclaimer: my older brother is currently glaring holes into the back of my head. If I DID own Inuyasha, I would not fear banging him on the head and having a lawsuit filed against me coz I would only have to bribe him NOT to file one against me. Does that actually make sense?

A Cool Kind Of Punishment

- Chapter Eight : Ms. Kentlyn

The old lady bustled about her living room, straightening rugs out, rearranging furniture and dusting things that really didn't need to be dusted. After she was done, she rushed into the kitchen and started kneading dough.

She sighed and looked at the pictures on her windowsill. One was of her husband, long gone for mysterious reasons, and another was of her precious Rin…

The old lady wiped her forehead and looked wistfully out into the sun; when would they come back to her?

Dear Diary,

I guess you're wondering how it is such a girl grew up with just a father? I mean, who could I have turned to about periods, pimples, boys… all that messy girl stuff?

Simple: Ms. Kentlyn.

… I shut the door in Sesshoumaru's face…

I inhaled like crazy. I think people call it hyperventilating.

I hyperventilated.

I paced around the bottom step of the staircase before walking into the kitchen and disposing of my paddle pop. As my buttocks hit the bottom step he knocked on the door again. My breathe hitched and I felt my eyes widen.

"Rin? Open up! I won't hurt you!"

What the…

"Inuyasha!" I asked incredulously as I yanked the door open.

Upon seeing his face, I let out a breath and a short laugh. I sniffed and asked him why he came by.

"I came to ask you about my brother… he didn't rape you did he? If he did I'll kill him" he said savagely. I was shocked and blinked a few times as Kagome peeped out from behind him.

"Sorry about his uh… rough tendencies but he's just like that, you know? He really is just a nice person…" she giggled. "Kagome" she stuck her hand out.

I took it and said slowly, looking at them warily, "I'm fine. It's nothing much – honest"

Inuyasha growled and looked like he was going to say something… not nice before Kagome grabbed the collar of his shirt and started tugging him away.

"Sorry" she managed "It was nice meeting you, Rin!"

I waved slowly at their fading backs and moved back inside, bemused. Blinking a few times I figured – at least it wasn't him (1 – Sorry to disappoint all who was anticipating the reaction of Sesshoumaru!)

(A/N: OK, basically, this part I'm editing because I've been warned by a nice reviewer that this part may be a slight breach in ratings. I want to keep this story PG-13, so I'll be asking the admins if this section is bad enough to make the whole entire story R-worthy. For now, you will have to put with a shoddy remake that I put together... it's a dream by the way!)

Is making out with Sesshoumaru passionately. Element of desire. Such and such. Scene change. Parents with blood coming out of wounds, evil red eyed creatures stab her parents over and over. Bees are everywhere. Rin screams "No" blah blah blah. Then Rin is the one holding the knife... blah blah blah...

"NOOOOOOOO!"

I sit up, eyes wide. I am hot, I am sweating.

I can't breathe.

I run out my room, stumbling.

Why can't I breathe?

I quickly kneel in front of the toilet, palms flat against the cool tiles.

I heave.

As soon as I am finished I flush and sit back gasping.

Air, just the air.

I shivered and I knew it was not because I was cold.

I drew my knees to my chest and I hugged them. I did not know what I was staring at. Usually after these nightmares I could only see me stabbing my parents over and over…

… but I saw nothing.

I felt Sesshoumaru's hair in between my fingers. I felt his skin pressed against my stomach…

I massaged my temples with my fingers and look up as I heard some rustling in the corridor. I saw my dad staring at me from the bathroom doorway, concern marring his young features.

"Are you alright?"

I just nodded, shaking back and forth.

"I told you that you shouldn't have eaten so much junk today" my dad gently chided me. Sitting down beside me on the cool tile and leaning on the glass shower barrier.

"It was another nightmare wasn't it?"

I nodded.

My dad put his arm around me and I leaned into him. We stayed like this for a few minutes.

"Dad, I'm never gonna get married, am I?" I asked sullenly. He looked back at me shocked, as though not expecting me to speak at all, and that even if he had, those were not the words he had expected to spill out of my mouth.

"Why do you say that? What happened to your plans of marrying an old but extremely wealthy man, then poisoning him before taking all his money?"

"Dad, in case you haven't noticed, that was when I was fourteen" I said, exasperated.

"And you're barely fifteen" I sulked. He was right.

"Is there any reason you asked me? Got turned down by a boy? Do I have to do that triple X talk right now?"

I giggled despite myself. "It WOULD be interesting to get a man's point of view…"

I laughed when I saw my dad's horrified expression. "No, Rin… NO!"

I laughed harder.

I clutched my hand to my mouth and lent back over the toilet bowl to throw up the remainder of the pizza we had that night.

"Seriously, why did you ask?" My dad asked after I spat and flushed.

"… I don't know. Average teenage morbidity?"

"Well I hope you won't start chucking a tantrum every night though, I got to get to work in the morning, you know" I smiled and hugged my dad hard. I held on or a few seconds before letting go and leaning back onto his shoulder.

"I think I should stay home err…" I checked the bathroom clock. 2:30am "today. I might just pick myself up and get a few things together"

My dad knew what I meant and he nodded. He kissed me on the forehead before carrying me back to my room, tucking me in and kissing me on the forehead again.

"I love you"

"I love you too"

I woke up fresh as a pansy… aside from the fat my mouth tasted like crap.

I rubbed my eyes and got out of bed immediately to brush the taste out of my mouth before going back to my room and changing into a simple white v-neck t-shirt and an old pair of jeans. I slipped on my sneakers and grabbed an apple. I took a bite as I wrote a note and stuck it in the window, then I treaded outside and locked the door behind me.

I only had to walk about ten metres before I made it to my destination.

Ms. Kentlyn's home.

OK, let me explain. But first, I must ask you a question: how do you expect my dad to teach me how to use a tampon?

Ha! Got you there didn't I?

Answer is: he didn't – Ms. Kentlyn did.

Ms. Kentlyn is an old lady who lives next to my house. She may be old, but she's pretty cool. For a really short, plump woman, she really can bustle about! I remember when I was about eight or nine, I always went over to Ms. Kentlyn's place for lunch, so eventually she taught me how to cook. She taught me a lot of things, but not like as if she actually lectures me.

I think that's what sets Ms. Kentlyn (and the older generations in general) apart from 'adults'. She listens to me rant on about my pathetically study-filled life and then tells stories of her own, and from them, I learn. She knows almost everything about me, the only things she doesn't know is my job; the homework and stalking one. Though stalking sounds so unprofessional.

I smiled. This was life as I knew it. They say simple pleasures are the best. And if being with Ms. Kentlyn is a simple pleasure, I wholeheartedly agree.

So anyway, before I even knocked on the door, it swung open and I was pulled inside.

"Oh, Rin! Your father told me about the stitches you had to get on your back! Are you OK? You simply must tell me what went on that dreadful night!" Next thing I knew, I was tossed onto her sofa, a plate of biscuits thrust in front of my face. I took a biscuit and began to nibble while Ms. Kentlyn began to move around the kitchen, talking to herself.

I suppose you're wondering how Ms. Kentlyn and I met? Well, it's kind of a cliché story, even if I do say so myself.

See, I was playing ball myself, which now that I look back at, really is a simple pleasure and a happy memory, although kind of sad and pathetic. Anyways, I was playing ball and next thing I know, it's over the fence, stuck in a rose garden. Don't ask me how it happened, after all, I was playing by myself. Must have been something to do with my hand-eye co-ordination skills… I am proud to say I can actually catch a ball now, and quite spectacularly too (I can recall this one time some kid threw my keys at another kid and I dived to catch it and I crash dived into… well, that's a story for another day)! So then I went over to Ms. Kentlyn's place and she gladly gave me back my ball following a lovely lunch involving jelly cups and a sandwich.

Next day at breakfast my dad gave me an earful about destroying other people's rose gardens which, might I add, was extremely unwise considering I was holding a knife and chopping up carrots for a snack. After about 20 minutes of non-stop "You just can't do that, Rin!" he told me that I had to go over Ms. Kentlyn's home and help her re-plant her roses.

In the end, Ms. Kentlyn and I ended up on her back porch talking about how to make orange juice. Well, she was talking about it, I was just sipping it.

About a week later, I decided to start volunteer work. I was and always have been obsessed with helping other people. It must have something to do with my adoptive mother lying in hospital, close to death…

I decided to do some work at the nursing home. Upon arriving there, they said that they only wanted qualified people. And that's when I got pissed. Around me, all these older people were just being looked after, they didn't look like as if they were actually visited, or given any attention to. So I started the water works.

I may not cry a lot, but when the occasion calls for it, salt water start pouring. Loudly.

So in the end, they gave me an address to Ms. Kentlyn's home and said she needed the company. It's a small world after all, huh?

I've been coming back ever since, at least once a week visiting for an hour or two. It's amazing what we find to talk about and I guess I can really connect with her. She's like a grandmother to me, not like I'd really know considering all my grandparents are dead.

I haven't visited her in ages, and it felt like I had come home. Her old mouldy-smelling living room seemed so familiar and for some reason, like as if I was about to die, I breathed in so deeply, it hurt my chest. I felt tears prickling my eyes and I sniffed. Only three days ago I was living life happily, not a care in the world, full of hopeful dreams. Now… now I felt like everything I had ever worked for was all fake. Everything I had ever really done wasn't just to make my dad proud. Childishly, I had believed that if I was good at everything I did, the boy from so long ago would fall in love with me. Knowing that that boy is… him, I just felt like it was all in vain.

Stupid, I know.

Ms. Kentlyn came back into the room, carrying a tray of tea and juice. She always gave me a choice, saying that in her day, everything had to be a done a certain way, no decisions. So now she had this thing about letting everyone decide for themselves. It's another thing I love about her so much.

Just looking at her, it made me feel this overwhelming sense of affection and soon as the tray was safely on the coffee table I leapt over it, hugging Ms. Kentlyn as though life itself could only continue if I did so. I immediately started to tell her about my job, the story and the connection to the little boy so long ago. Although I was not crying, my heart was racing and I was having trouble breathing. As I finished my story I did not sit back, instead I tightened my grip around her sweater and buried my cranium in its woolly depths. She softly rubbed her hand in circles on my back, slightly rocking me back and forth.

After a few moments, she leant back, her arms still wrapped around me.

"I don't understand why you help those morons" I glanced up and laughed as I saw Ms. Kentlyn's genial smiling face looking down upon my own. I cuddled closer. "So I'm guessing you don't know whether to like this boy or not right?" I nodded. I heard her sigh and her chest lightly heaved. "It's hard to say, had I been in your position I would have kissed him"

"What!" What was the old lady thinking, suggesting that to me! Ms. Kentlyn looked at me seriously.

"Life is too short to have regrets, to hold grudges and to always be curious. Sometimes you just have to do something more… out there to find the answers you seek"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean as in well… I remember when you were six all you did was smile and make daisy chains. You were scared of the dark and you wanted all the bugs in the world to stay from my garden. Now, you don't just smile, you expressively speak with not only your voice, but with your eyes and your actions. You aren't scared of the dark anymore, in fact, you prefer the dusk to dawn. And you no longer squash all the ladybugs on my tulips. People change Rin, but underneath, every person remains the same. It's just a matter of knowing how they've changed, how they've grown and how they still are. Do you understand me?"

I looked up. I understood. She was saying that perhaps Sesshoumaru still had an Inner Child. Who woulda thought?

"I understand what you mean, but it's hard to think that perhaps that boy still resides somewhere within Sesshoumaru…" I said reluctantly.

"Sometimes it's hard to find good in a person, and at other times you can doubt it's even there at all. All that is needed in the world is Faith. The belief a person can have in another is a powerful thing. Perhaps that little boy may not be there, perhaps in his place is someone who has grown; changed… but still carries the same traits. It can be hard to see but all you have to do is look"

I tried my best to understand Ms. Kentlyn's words but it was trifle bit difficult to figure out how the equation

Sesshoumaru x Cute Little Boy Sesshoumaru x Biggest Ass in School

worked. Instead of dwelling on it, I concentrated on the love and affection Ms. Kentlyn radiated and was just about to fall asleep when I heard soft footsteps on Ms. Kentlyn's wooden porch. I lifted my head and perked up my ears only to hear a fist tapping on the door. I groaned. The one moment of peace and contentment I got that didn't involve binging in the past two and a half days was disturbed.

I felt Ms. Kentlyn's arms slipping from my back and I pushed her back down.

"Don't worry about it, Ms. Kentlyn, I'll get it" I stood up and almost stomped my way to the front door, ready to give the intruder a tongue lashing… after of course, I beat him or her to a pulp.

I opened the door and for the second time in two days, I slammed the door in Sesshoumaru's face.

A/N: YAY! Can you believe it took me 25 days to finish this? Like OMG. And a week of it was spent starting up various other fanfictions. Then when I went back to this story, I only wrote another two or three paragraphs and I was done. Like, how is that for a subconscious vacation? Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Oh and since I've got a tonne of assignments to finish off, forgive me if the next chapter doesn't come out in less than two weeks. Also, would anyone like to volunteer to help me get some facts for my other non-AU fic?

Lynn-Minmay: really? Me too. Well, not that often anyways lol! Thanks for the review!

Forever and a Day: I'm really happy that you think that my story deserves more reviews but in the end I think most of the people who read fanfictions like to see lots of Sess/Rin love-interaction… FAST, whereas I prefer the journey of how they got there, you know? Still, it's nice to know I have a lot of dedicated reviewers!

IceSugarHigh: LOL, I guess you were pretty disappointed, huh? And now you probably think the ending is another fake one… sigh that was a pretty funny idea you had for the outtake it was very in-character, unlike most of my OOC ones hehe.

FallingKag: You glomped that many people? O.O Nice to know it's funny hehe.

Jade Eyed Neko: I don't know whether or not to feel guilty, on one hand I made you laugh, and on the other hand I got you in trouble -.-;

Trinity: Argh, I guess you're another unhappy reviewer, ne? Considering it wasn't ACTUALLY Sesshoumaru… I feel like I've let you down T.T Thanks for reviewing all the same! I took your advice on putting the note next to the thingy so I hope that makes the reading experience all the more enjoyable! Yes, well she was upset, so I guess it calls for more eating, right? And just so she won't lose her figure, I'll make Rin have a fast metabolism.

San San As Herself: O.o Ghostrider?

Einld: Haha, you're not the only one thinking that! Well I guess the point was that she was really depressed without knowing it and so she turned to food and didn't realise she was binging… does that make sense? Lol really? reads over the outtakes lol yes very much so wink wink nudge nudge

And unconditional love goes out to:
IYWriterGirl
CometsChaos
Angel Trainee Flonne
C'Fay
Athana233


Next Chapter: Jakken is… Married? A REAL Sesshoumaru encounter!

Outtake #1:

… I shut the door in Sesshoumaru's face…

I inhaled like crazy. I think people call it hyperventilating.

I hyperventilated. OMG what should I do? What should I wear? Is my hair OK?

Outtake #2:

"Dad, I'm never gonna get married, am I?" I asked sullenly. He looked back at me shocked, as though not expecting me to speak at all, and that even if he had, those were not the words he had expected to spill out of my mouth.

"Why do you say that? What happened to your plans of marrying an old but extremely wealthy man, then poisoning him before taking all his money?" I waved my hand, dismissing his statement.

"Been there, done that. The profit isn't that great after you've negotiated with lawyers – damn cheapo bastards"

Outtake #3:

My dad knew what I meant and he nodded. He kissed me on the forehead before carrying me back to my room, tucking me in and kissing me on the forehead again.

"I love you"

"I love money – I mean - you too"

Outtake #4 as suggested by IceSugarHigh

… I shut the door in Sesshoumaru's face…

I inhaled like crazy. I think people call it hyperventilating.

I hyperventilated.

I opened the door, preparing to see the handsome face of Sesshoumaru but instead saw…

Two lizards!

I yelped and stepped backwards. What the!

"A little memory I stored into your digital camera, since I found Ah and Un playing with it… you know, the lizards" he added when he saw my blank expression.

"Oh… right"

"Well just so you know, Ah and Un enjoy sweet virginated flesh so don't expect me to help you next time, moron!" he turned around and walked off.

My breathe grew even and I looked down at the camera in my hand – that's when realisation hit.

"WAIT! THIS ISN'T MY CAMERA!"

OK! Send me any ideas you have for Outtakes and I'll try my hardest to type 'em out!

Did you know that more reviews makes my fingers type faster?