CHAPTER 12

It wasn't very long before they did. Jaken and Rin had almost given up on Sesshoumaru. They were found sitting by a river looking totaly dejected.

"Who are they?" Mearle asked pointing at the small figures. "I knew you had friends but ouyuo never said their names."

"The little girl's name is Rin," he told the cat girl. "The imp is called Jaken." he pulled on the cat's hand. "Let's go."

The two walked out of the trees. "Hello!" the dog demon called.

The two looked up. At first their faces showed surprise then Rin squealed with happyness and ran up to him and hugged his legs. "Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"You're alive!" Jaken said walking up to them slowly. "What happened?"

"I got wounded," Sesshy replied simply. "This cat girl helped me." he turned to Mearle when he said this.

The cat girl looked nervous and seemed to be trying to disappear.

"She did?" Rin asked looking over at the woman.

Mearle leaned down and looked the little human girl in the eye. "Yes, I did," she answered smiling.

Rin looked at the two demons and came to a child like conclusion. "Is she going to be my new mommy?"

Sesshoumaur couldn't give her an answer.

A few hours later after it got dark Sesshoumaur walked off into the woods to be alone. He found a high tree he liked and jumped up into it. He sat down on a branch and looked up at the moon. He started thinking. Mostly about what Rin had said. The little girl's question bothered him. Do you love her? she'd been implying. How could he? He didn't know Mearle very well. All he knew was a slight feeling of security when he was with her. It wasn't very considerable but it had been there.

I have to understand my own feelings, he concluded. I cannot fall inlove with her right away because we barely know each other. Then again maybe it doesn't matter. Love is confusing. I do not understand it at all...

"Sesshoumaru," a voice below called to him.

The dog demon looked into the forest below. He saw Mearle standing under the tree he was in looking around for him. "Where are you?" she aksed looking around.

"Up here," he called.

She looked up. When she saw him she said. "There you are! Would it be all right if I come up there? I need to talk to you about something."

"I don't care."

With one cat leap she was on the same branch he was on. She sat down beside him and stared at his face. "Can I ask you something?"

"I don't care."

He'd openeend the floor. She began. "You don't seem to be happy I came here. If you didn't want me to come with you you could have told me so."

"I told you," he said not looking at her, but focusing his attention on the big harvest moon. "I don't care what you do."

Mearl studied him a minute. "I don't think that's the case," she murmured.

Now he did look at her. "What do you mean?" he asked.

She looked away. She swung her legs back and forth. "I was wondering... Maybe the reason you said I could come is because... you love me?"

"I love you sorta," he admitted.

She looked back at him. She hadn't expected him to be so open about it. "Sorta?" she asked.

He nodded slowly.

"Okay then. How sorta?"

He smiled slightly. "Sorta of like a man loves a woman but not totally," he replied. "I don't want to get that close to someone."

Why not? She put a hand on his. "I understand," she said even though she didn't. "I won't push you. You can love me for whatever reason you want." Even if it's not the reason I want it to be.

Then she did it again. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He put a hand over his face when she was done and had moved away again. The spot where he lips had touched his flesh tingled. He looked at the cat girl one last time.

She smiled at him. "You can feel whatever you want," she told him. "You can hold it in or tell me. I don't care. I like you for you."

For some reason that statement made him smile. It felt nice to smile. It felt nice just being with her. After all, he owed her his life. She'd saved him more than once though she didn't have to. He leaned toward her face and kissed her. It wasn't on the cheek or forehead. She started purring. They were content for a moment.

Finally Sesshoumaru moved away from her and said. "We'd better go back Rin and Jaken before they worry about me again."

She nodded, still purring.

He stood up and took her hand. They jumped to the ground. When they were on the forets floor again they looked at each other's faces. Nothing else was said. He gripped her hand tightly and they walked into the deep deep forest.

THE END

A/N

Finished! Sorry for the completely sappy ending. I hope you liked it anyway.