Disclaimer: Nope...don't own Inuyasha.
A/N: I know you all have lotsa questions...I know icygirl has...all I have to say is...flow with the story and all will be answered. I feel quite weird sayin' this...hehehe...chapter ten! Oh yeah...Rin can't forget our Sesshy...she can forget everybody but not him!
Chapter ten
Sesshoumaru stood rooted to the spot. He could not believe his own eyes.
'What is wrong with her?' Sesshoumaru thought. Regaining his composure he turned to look at Miroku and Kouga who had a stupefied look on their face.
"Okay girls, not much noise. And Rin stop ruffling Kaede's hair for kami's sake!" Kikyo came to drawing room, drying her hands. She had just come from the kitchen, the smell of cookies strong on her. She looked at Sesshoumaru and smiled.
Miroku and Kouga were still gaping at Rin. They turned to see the dead-miko. Their expressions changed and now, they had a serious one.
"You are still alive, miko." Sesshoumaru started the conversation.
"Yes. I am. Thought it would be better this way. Considering the turnabout of events, I think it was the best." Kikyo chose her words carefully. She had to get it straight and at the same time, she had to be careful. The people she was with now were not at all her friends, but they were not enemies either. But she had a strange bond with them.
"So how is...Inuyasha and Kagome?" Kikyo asked.
"You don't have any right to ask about..." Kouga was silenced by Miroku's look. Miroku looked at Sesshoumaru whose eyes were trained at Rin who was literally enjoying an altercation with Kaede. He just wanted to be with her. He wanted to take her in his arms and never let go. She was with him all the time, but not exactly with him.
Seeing Sesshoumaru's position, Miroku filled in.
"I think she is entitled to know about them, Kouga. Yes, they are fine." Miroku said.
"I guess, Kouga is still sore about what happened all those years ago. But in the end, I just..."Kikyo could not continue further. Tears were threatening to spill.
"Control your emotions miko. Tell me what is wrong with my mate. You said she is alive." Sesshoumaru said in a cold voice.
"Tea and cookies." Rin suddenly popped between them, smiling brightly.
Sesshoumaru was caught off guard. He sat there, eyes observing her every moment.
Rin poured everyone's cup.
She asked how much Kikyo wanted and then, Kaede. But when it came to the other three, she mechanically did it and handed over the teacups to them. She sat with them and sipped her own tea. Then she realized.
"Oh I am so sorry. I did not ask you..."
"It is alright. It is just how I have it." Sesshoumaru said, looking at her.
Rin looked nervously at Miroku and Kouga who were nodding their heads.
Rin was confused. She could not take her eyes away from this silver haired demon.
Yes, she knew they were demons. She had lived with them throughout her life. In fact Kikyo was a miko and little Kaede was a miko in the making. But she had kept herself aloof, studying like any other normal human being.
And this demon was confusing her. It was as if she had some connection with him. When she opened the door and saw his face, she felt like seeing something that she wanted to see. A sight for sore eyes. The face she yearned to see. And she was afraid. Something inside her had started to tug. For the past two weeks, it was living life in a dream. And whatever that was before was completely vague. But she knew Kikyo and Kaede. But she didn't know anything. Thinking more about this gave her headaches. She did not say much about this to Kikyo. She knew Kikyo would be worried silly. She knew her sister. She reminded her of someone else. She even remembered a strange smell that comforted her but she could not point it out.
She knew she was pregnant. Yes, it was Kikyo's. Her sister was unable to have a child and Rin had volunteered to be its surrogate mother. But still, the baby was hers. It felt so much like hers. Not only that, the baby communicated with her. It was a sweet feeling and she knew somewhere deep within that it was her own flesh and blood.
"How is the baby Rin?" Sesshoumaru spoke up.
Rin jolted back to reality.
"Yes. The baby is fine." Rin's face lit up and her face showed warmth and love. She petted the bally and suddenly snapped up.
"Wait. You know about the baby?" Rin asked looking at the stranger and her sister.
"Of course. Rin this is Sesshoumaru, you remember..." Kikyo asked.
"Yes, the Lord of the Western Lands." Rin answered. She felt weird that her sister was introducing him to her. She knew him. She really knew him more. As her soul. But yet, she did not know him.
Sesshoumaru was losing his senses. She doesn't recognize him. But she knew him very well. He could feel her fluctuating moods. She was tensed one moment and relaxed the other moment. Yes, she tensed when she was thinking and she relaxed when she was looking at him or the others and when he spoke.
"And Miroku and Kouga." Kikyo said pointing to them.
"Yes...Miro-kun and Kouga-kun..." Rin said smiling and sipped her tea. She stopped when she realized what had come from her mouth. She looked stricken.
"Rin...honey...you alright?" Kaede asked.
"I don't know." Rin answered. 'My dreams...I am day dreaming too.'
"Please excuse me." Rin said and got up.
She went to the backyard and sat on her sister's favorite swing. So many things on her mind, but nothing. Random thoughts were flying in and out. She started swinging. It reminded her of kids. She thought about her baby and her hand went instinctively to touch her belly.
'Kikyo's baby.' She corrected herself. But something inside her head said, 'my baby... our baby...'
" A penny for your thought...or by the look of your face...thoughts..." Kaede said.
"Haha..." Rin laughed. It felt great, whatever the feeling was. And she knew, it was because of a certain Lord sitting in her drawing room.
"...So...I had no other choice. I had to give her a temporary one or else she would have gone crazy. We could have lost her." Kikyo was explaining her actions.
"We...you never would have lost her." Kouga spat. Kikyo looked hurt for a moment but she collected herself.
"You forget Kouga...that she in mine more than yours. Our bond was made when she was born in this world...the minute her heart started beating." Kikyo said sternly.
"But...she has to know me." Sesshoumaru said cutting both of them.
"Yes...she knows you...but she won't recognize you..."Kikyo said.
"I get it, will she ever be back to normal?" Miroku asked.
"Yes. She will be fine. This is a temporary phase, we have to protect her or else end up losing her and the baby for good." Kikyo said.
"Yes. We will not you. We are taking her with us." Kouga said in a strong voice.
"That could be disastrous. She knows only us. And however you all might be similar to her, you are strangers to her."
"Yes of course Kikyo-san. When Kouga said we are taking her, he meant all of you. It was Inuyasha's and Kagome's wish too." Miroku said.
By that time, Sesshoumaru got up to follow his mate. His senses were driving him toward her. He had to be with her. He looked back and Kikyo and she nodded.
He went to the backyard. It was a beautiful place. It had trees and a mini garden with butterflies and bright flowers. It was soothing. But what was more soothing was his mate. He saw her swaying with closed eyes and a smile on her lips. And he knew why she was pleased. It reassured him.
Kaede looked up as soon as he stepped foot on the grass. She smiled knowingly and scrambled to the flowerbeds.
"It was Inuyasha and Kagome?" Kikyo asked.
"Yes. Even after your betrayal, they still care for you." Kouga said this time, somewhat calm.
"But you must understand why I did that. I was in love and I had to destroy Naraku. And...I had to protect Kagome. I am sure they both understand. Everything happens for a reason...how are they?" Kikyo asked softly.
"They are fine." Miroku said softly.
"Do they have any ..."Kikyo left the question.
"No. They...have adopted Shippou. You remember the little kitsune?" Miroku asked her.
"Ah yes. The little fox...but why? And what about you and Kouga?" She asked.
"It is Kagome. She will be not able to have a baby thanks to Naraku." Kouga said, the name Naraku bitter in his tone.
"And myself and Kouga have kids. I have two daughters and Kouga two sons and three daughters." Miroku said.
Kikyo had an unusual expression on her face. The fact that Kagome could never have a child struck her, but something else made her feel funny.
"What is it Kikyo?" Kouga asked confused by her look.
Rin opened her eyes as she felt someone behind her. She had a good clue who was behind her and her heart fluttered. She was behaving like a twelve year old who was having her first crush. She scolded herself mentally.
She got up gracefully and bowed.
"My Lord..." Rin said quite to her surprise. A flash of an orange haired woman telling her the ways to behave like a Lady crossed her mind. Rin got puzzled. She never bowed to anybody.
She looked up to find golden orbs looking at her with an intense emotion.
She knew him. His hair, his unusual golden orbs, his ethereal features, they were all familiar to her. She was feeling strange things and this too, was not strange. It came naturally. She inched back clasping her chest.
She knew this feeling, it was love...
Miroku stood there dazed. Kouga was doubling over and Kikyo was trying not to laugh.
He replayed every word that flew out of Kikyo's mouth.
"Houshi has no boys?"
Every disrespectful word. It had Kouga in fits. Actually Miroku had dreamed of having boys and he was so confident that he would have a baby boy every time Sango became pregnant. But he was shocked every time. Not that he did not love them, but a shock was a shock.
"Guess every girl's curse did come true..." Kikyo had added right after that.
Miroku braced his chest and let out a sigh. He shook his head as he watched the laughter subside.
It actually felt better to have a light moment after all these hard times. He knew they would have to face harder times now. And he welcomed it seeing Kouga laugh.
Sesshoumaru bridged the gap between them. He knew he had to restrain himself but he could not help it. She was right in front of him, there. His life. He had wanted to say so many things, show so many things. But he could not. It was frustrating.
He could actually sense what she was going through and it lifted his spirit.
Rin looked up to the stranger. He was not a stranger. Her mind was battling with her emotions. Did they know something that she doesn't know? She completely felt helpless. She did what she thought was best.
She went into his arms. She locked her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. She inhaled deeply the musky scent that was coming from him and it soothed her. She felt at home. She felt secure. She felt...loved.
Before she knew what was happening, she was crying.
She felt Sesshoumaru returning the embrace. He snaked his arms securing her within his grasp. He inhaled her scent deeply and felt content. She was back to him. Back where she truly belonged. He let her cry and for his part, ran his fingers through her hair.
"Help...save me..." Rin started mumbling through her sobs. It was what she always wanted to cry out in the night when she had nightmares.
Sesshoumaru heard her and lifted her face to face him.
"I will never leave you alone." Sesshoumaru said.
He kissed her with Rin kissing him back.
Rin knew this was not right. She did not know him yet she felt that he was everything for her. She did not know why she said those but she had to say them. She silenced her rebelling mind. Her head started to split but when he kissed her, it ended. It was silenced. She felt warmth throughout her body. She welcomed it. She pulled at his clothes and he held her more tightly.
She knew him...she could almost hear something in her mind. 'My mate...mine...'
Inside the house, Kikyo suddenly snapped up.
Kouga also had the same expression.
"What is it?" Miroku asked but he eventually realized.
"Demons...many of them..."
"I can't believe it is happening again." Kouga said shaking his head and nodded to Miroku.
A/N: Oh yeah...Naraku again...and people I have sumthin' for you...for some it will be gud, for others I dunno...in this whole story...Kikyo and Inuyasha and Kags will never meet in 'those' circumstances.
Next chapter: Naraku comes too close...and Rin seems to recognize only Sesshoumaru and Kagome loses somebody who is very close to her heart...(Think people think...who would it be?)