Hello. Goodbye.
I OWN NOTHING.
''I asked him, I begged him to leave, but he doesn't want to,'' Rin explained.
''That man's crazy. What does he want?'' Father Jaken questioned. ''For Sesshomaru to find out and something terrible to happen?''
''What Kohaku wants is for me to go with him,'' Rin revealed.
''It can't be. It can't be!'' Father exclaimed. ''What did you tell him?''
''I said no. I said no,'' Rin answered. ''Under no circumstance would I leave with him.''
''You did good,'' Father complimented. ''Because even though you're a married woman before God, this isn't the way to do things.''
''What should I do, Father? Tell me what I should do to kill all the love I feel here, with everything I feel for him?'' Rin cried.
''Oh, dear child. Can't you see that man's only offering you to run away like thieves?'' Father questioned causing to sob. ''Look, since he seduced you, he's always tried to run away with you.''
''No, he-he was going to talk to my dad-'' ''But he never did!''
''He tried. He went several times but he never could!'' Rin cried.
''Excuses!'' Father shouted as he slammed his fist down on the desk. ''The truth is that he never had the courage to face your dad. And what happened on your wedding day? Eh? Why didn't he stand in front of Sesshomaru to fight for your love? No, on the contrary. The gentleman chose to hide. And ask you to run away together. And what happens now? He comes here, hiding again, and pretending to be someone else without showing his face! And he asks you again to go with him, poisoning your soul. And he also demands that you leave everything for him. I'm sorry, child, but that man is a coward. A real man shows his face and deals with the consequences. He doesn't hide or act underhandedly. Sweetie, explain to me how you can love a man like that.''
Rin wiped her tears away. She had no words to argue. She couldn't deny anything he had said no matter how much she wanted to. Rin gestured for Father Jaken to go ahead of her out the office but ran into his back when he stopped abruptly. Rin looked around him and noticed two people she had never seen before standing in the doorway.
''How about you eat with me and my wife tonight?'' Sesshomaru asked Kohaku as they finished walking through the stables.
''Of course,'' Kohaku agreed.
''Sesshomaru!''
Sesshomaru heard his younger brother call out to him. ''Inuyasha? What are you doing here?''
''I went to visit mom and dad but instead I found a note they had written for the lady in the kitchen, Kikyo. They said they were coming here!''
Sesshomaru's eyes widened and he ran full speed towards the house.
''Inutashio. Izayoi,'' Father Jaken greeted them.
Rin's eyes widened. Sesshomaru's parents.
''Good evening Father Jaken. How are you?'' Izayoi greeted while looking at Rin with interest.
''Good. Good. Rin, I think you should introduce yourself,'' Father suggested to her.
''Yes, Father. Hello. I'm Rin Yamamoto. Well I guess now, Rin Takahashi,'' Rin attempted to smile.
''Takahashi?'' Both of Sesshomaru's parents eccoed.
''Yes. I am Sesshomaru's wife,'' Rin informed them.
Inutashio and Izayoi looked at each other when Inuyasha and Sesshomaru ran in.
''Hello Inuyasha. Nice to see you again,'' Rin greeted.
''Oh, so you know Inuyasha?'' Izayoi noticed.
''Yes, he was at our wedding,'' Rin answered.
''Oh was he now?'' Inutashio glared at his youngest son until he coughed and excused himself into the kitchen for a glass of water.
''Father. Izayoi. I can explain,'' Sesshomaru said.
''Oh I'm sure you can but I'd rather talk to your wife. Where's your room dear?'' Izayoi asked Rin. Rin allowed Izayoi to follow her down the hall.
''Lets you and me talk, son,'' Inutashio suggested. ''And you can stay in the kitchen and continue to be a coward Inuyasha.''
''Thank you,'' Inuyasha called from the kitchen.
Sesshomaru and his father walked out into the yard.
''Your wife is beautiful,'' Inutashio complimented. ''She looks like a good person as well.''
''She is beautiful. Sometimes I think she's a good person and other times I feel like she's always lying to me. She's distant, cold, uncaring towards me,'' Sesshomaru sighed.
''Well you must've married her for a reason Sesshomaru. What's going on?'' Inutashio asked.
Sesshomaru shook his head. ''It's a long story.''
''I've got time,'' Inutashio assured.
Rin invited Izayoi into her room, letting the older woman look around.
''I don't see any of Sesshomaru's things in here,'' Izayoi noticed making Rin fidget with discomfort. ''What's wrong, dear?''
''It's a long story,'' Rin shrugged.
''I've got time,'' Izayoi smiled.
''That's...a lot,'' Inutashio said after his son finished telling him everything.
''I know,'' Sesshomaru agreed.
''But you love her?'' Inutashio asked.
''More than you can imagine,'' Sesshomaru sighed. ''I don't think I could live without her, no matter how badly she treats me because the time we spent together before everything went wrong, was the happiest time of my life.''
''You want my advice?'' Inutashio asked.
''Please,'' Sesshomaru replied.
''I suggest you-'' ''Sesshomaru Takahashi!'' Sesshomaru and his father were interrupted when Izayoi stomped out into the yard and slapped him.
''Izayoi, what are you-'' ''Your son decided to be an ogre and force himself on his wife!'' Izayoi exclaimed.
''She's my wife,'' Sesshomaru argued, earning him another slap.
''That does not give you the right to do whatever you want, without her permission. Let me make this very clear, I am going to be dropping by, unannounced whenever I feel like it to check on things and if she tells me you touched her in any way, shape, or form without her consent again, I'll take her from you and you will never see her again. Got it?'' Izayoi warned him.
''You can't do that-'' ''Try me.''
''It won't happen again,'' Sesshomaru promised.
''Sesshomaru, you wanted my advice? Well here it is,'' Inutashio continued. ''Take care of your wife, respect her, love her, show her what kind of man you really are. You understand?''
''Yes, sir,'' Sesshomaru nodded.
''We're gonna go. Good luck, son,'' Inutashio placed a comforting hand on his son's shoulder while Izayoi gave him the death stare.
Sesshomaru watched his parents leave before going to the kitchen to find his brother.
''Is it safe for me to leave?'' Inuyasha asked.
Sesshomaru nodded. ''Yes but I need a favor from you. You can't tell anyone. Because if Rin finds out she'll just hate me even more and if mom and dad find out, they'll probably take Rin away from me.''
''What do you need?'' Inuyasha questioned.
''You remember Rin's best friend, Kagome. You met her briefly at the wedding,'' Sesshomaru reminded him.
''Oh, I didn't forget about that one. If she wasn't married I would've left the wedding with her,'' Inuyasha smirked.
''Follow her. Watch her,'' Sesshomaru instructed.
''Why?'' Inuyasha asked.
''I want to make sure Kohaku Mai is dead and she's the only one Rin confided in,'' Sesshomaru explained.
''Alright. You got it,'' Inuyasha agreed.
''Thank you. I'm going to check on my wife,'' Sesshomaru excused himself and walked across the house to Rin's room. ''Rin?''
''Yes?'' Rin answered from the other side of the door.
''May I come in?'' Sesshomaru asked.
''Yes, go ahead,'' Rin allowed him in. Sesshomaru walked into her room and found Rin standing as far away from him as she could.
''I didn't want to tell your stepmother everything but she insisted,'' Rin explained.
''That sounds like her,'' Sesshomaru chuckled and moved to sit on Rin's couch.
''You're not angry?'' Rin questioned.
''No, of course not. I told you what happened that night, won't ever happen again. I promise,'' Sesshomaru reassured. ''What did you think of Izayoi?''
Rin moved closer and sat down next to Sesshomaru. ''She reminds me of my aunt, only more eccentric.''
Sesshomaru chuckled. ''That's a way to put it.''
''Oh! Father Jaken is still here!'' Rin exclaimed and hurried out into the living room leaving Sesshomaru to smile at her behavior.
Sesshomaru, Rin, Kohaku, and Sara were all gathered at the table ready to eat when Sango came in with a tray.
''What is this?'' Rin asked.
''It's lamb, ma'am,'' Sango answered.
''But-I asked not to cook lamb, to make pork loin,'' Rin reminded.
''Well, we made you pork loin in plum sauce,'' Sango replied and had another worker place a plate down in front of Rin.
''What's going on?'' Sesshomaru questioned.
''Well, they sacrificed a lamb in the morning and, under your wife's orders, they also killed a pig,'' Sara told him.
''That's too much waste,'' Sesshomaru responded.
''Well, that's what I said, but two animals have been sacrificed and the meat doesn't fit in the freezer now. But you tell me, ma'am, which we should throw in the garbage?'' Sara fake smiled at Rin.
''I didn't know they'd already sacrificed that animal,'' Rin defended.
''We're in the country. Here we don't go to the butcher for a pound of meat,'' Sara pointed out.
''We don't waste anything, Sango. Please make sure to distribute among the workers-all the meat that doesn't fit in the freezer,'' Sesshomaru ordered.
''Of course, Sesshomaru,'' Sango complied.
''Sango, bring me pork loin too, please. I feel like it,'' Kohaku requested. Sango nodded and left.
''Can you pass me some lamb, please,'' Sesshomaru asked. Sara immediately put some on his plate.
Rin felt her face get hot with embarrassment but pushed back her tears. She wouldn't give Sara the satisfaction.
A while after dinner Sara was with Sango in the kitchen.
''Did you see her face? She was red with anger,'' Sara laughed. ''She looked like an idiot in front of Sesshomaru.''
''Oh, Sara, Sara. You're pushing too much,'' Sango warned.
''Sango,'' Sayo appeared in the back door.
''Yes?'' Sango answered.
''What are you doing here? Out! Get out! I don't want to see you near this house again, is that clear? Go out with the pigs, where you belong!'' Sara shouted at her.
''Sayo!'' Rin slammed the kitchen door. ''You shouldn't pay attention to this one, who has no more authority in this house than you or Sango.''
'''This one' is who gives orders here. Sesshomaru said so,'' Sara said.
''Perhaps that's how things were before I came here, but-'' ''No, no, no. No but. Sesshomaru said it after you came here, because he knows perfectly well that I can run a house better than you. The proof is all that meat that went to waste because of you,'' Sara smirked.
''It's over, Sara. It's over. From now on, nobody does anything in this house unless I say so!'' Rin ordered.
''Here, the only one who can give me orders is Sesshomaru,'' Sara argued.
''And I'm his wife,'' Rin smiled and held up her hand with her wedding set on. Sara angrily pushed past her. ''Sayo, get coffee for the master, please.'' Rin sighed.
''Yes, ma'am,'' Sayo complied.
''Sango, I need your help to run this house as best as possible. I have never lived in the country. There are things I don't know,'' Rin pleaded.
''Of course, ma'am. It'd be my pleasure,'' Sango smiled.
''Thank you,'' Rin left to find her husband out in the living room with Sara.
''She disrespected me. She says I'm nobody. That the only boss here is her,'' Sara cried.
''Rin, what happened now?'' Sesshomaru questioned.
''She's rude. She pushed me,'' Rin shrugged.
''Don't tell lies!'' Sara responded.
''Ask Sango and Sayo. They're in the kitchen,'' Rin retorted.
''I didn't push her, Sesshomaru. I moved her aside because she wouldn't let me go through to come talk to you,'' Sara lied.
''I have lots of problems, and the truth is that I don't want to waste my time settling arguments between women,'' Sesshomaru sighed.
'''Arguments between women','' Rin scoffed. ''You're putting me in the same place as her?''
''Rin, please. I don't like this situation at all-'' ''Me either!''
''Then why do you cause it?'' Sesshomaru accused.
''Oh, great! You already decided it's all my fault,'' Rin felt the tears of frustration threaten to come out.
''No, no, I didn't blame anyone nor do I want to. But if you were angry at Sara over what happened at dinner, you're wrong. Even though, thank God, there's food to spare, we can't afford to sacrifice two animals on the same day and waste so much meat,'' Sesshomaru told her.
Sara smirked at Rin behind Sesshomaru's back before pretending to cry again. ''That's all I was saying.''
''Yes, but you said it at dinner, in front of everyone to ridicule me!'' Rin exclaimed.
''Then you should have asked me before!'' Sara argued.
''Why should I have to ask you? Shouldn't it be the other way around?'' Rin questioned.
''Enough!'' Sesshomaru yelled. ''Sara, leave, please.''
''Yes, Sesshomaru,'' Sara left out the front door.
''What do you want, Rin? To make my life hell?'' Sesshomaru questioned.
''Why don't you tell me what you're looking for, Sesshomaru? To give me more reasons to get out of this place?'' Rin retorted.
''No, don't threaten me,'' Sesshomaru stated.
''Then start by respecting me and giving me a place in this house!'' Rin left her husband alone and went back to her room with him following shortly after.
''Please, Rin. Let's talk calmly,'' Sesshomaru suggested.
''I-truly, it hurts me that you think that of me,'' Rin admitted. ''But as your wife, I'm only trying to fulfill my duties.''
''Yes, but you have to understand that you can't-'' ''If i make a mistake it's because I don't know. I didn't do it on purpose. You know very well that I'm not used to living in the country. If anyone had told me they'd already sacrificed some poor animal, then of course I wouldn't have asked them to sacrifice another one. I have no problems with learning all those things, Sesshomaru. I just need your support, your patience.''
''And what I need is for you to learn to rein in your temper. The workers here are people too, Rin, and in no way should we insult them or humiliate them,'' Sesshomaru told her.
''Perfect. If that's what you think, then you should tell it to Sara, who treats everyone, especially Sayo, worse than a dog!'' Rin exclaimed. ''And I'm not making anything up. Sesshomaru, I want you to tell me something. Am I your wife only in name or do I also have the rights I deserve as your wife?''
Sesshomaru took a step towards her. ''That's up to you.''
''Good. I want to take over all of my obligations,'' Rin announced.
Sesshomaru moved closer so their foreheads were touching. ''All of them?''
Rin moved to the other side of the room. ''Of-of-of all the people that work here, of running the house, of shopping-'' ''Nothing else?'' ''What are we talking about?''
''Okay,'' Sesshomaru agreed. ''And I'm telling you now I don't want any more problems between you and Sara. She's a simple and kind woman. Her brother died not too long ago, and she feels very lonely. She's confused. So please, be patient and stop humiliating her.''
Rin was flabbergasted when Sesshomaru left her room.
''Don't be angry or upset, but Rin is right. She's my wife, and it's logical that she wants to run the house,'' Sesshomaru spoke to Sara as they walked around the field.
''But she doesn't know anything about living on a ranch, for God's sake. She'll do tons of stupid things, Sesshomaru. You saw it,'' Sara tried to persuade him.
''Perhaps she'll make some mistakes, but it doesn't matter, Rin wants to learn. She's my wife, Sara, understand,'' Sesshomaru replied.
''But the other day you said-'' ''If I asked you to keep running the house, it was because she didn't want to. But she changed her mind,'' Sesshomaru shrugged.
''Right. And you do everything she tells you to,'' Sara sneered.
''Us being friends doesn't give you the right to talk to me like that. Don't make me set rules between us,'' Sesshomaru warned her.
''Forgive me, Sesshomaru,'' Sara apologized. ''I love you like nobody else, but it makes me very angry that you're so weak with her. You're being too kind. She doesn't love you!''
''Enough! Things will be done as I say, Sara,'' Sesshomaru ordered. ''And if you don't agree and I see you don't respect or help Rin, then think well about Inuyasha's offer, and go work at the company.''
Sesshomaru left Sara alone with her anger.
''Kohaku, I don't know how much more of this I can take,'' Shippo told Kohaku. ''That Tinoyo has it out for me, and me, him. If he says one more word to me, I won't hold back!''
''Rin promised me she'll make a decision today and I know what her answer will be. So pack your bags, because the three of us will be leaving, tonight,'' Kohaku grinned.
Rin turned to Sayo in her bedroom.
''Sayo..You're the only person in my life right now I can trust. The only one I'm sure cares for me,'' Rin whimpered.
''Yes, ma'am,'' Sayo responded.
''I need you to do me a very big favor. But no one can know. No one, especially my husband,'' Rin reiterated.
''What do you need?'' Sayo questioned.
''Take this letter to the foreman, Shiro Kon,'' Rin requested. ''But no one can know, please. If they find out, I am lost.''
Sayo looked at her sister-in-law with concern but took the letter handed to her and left.
''This is from the mistress,'' Sayo handed Kohaku the letter when she reached his house.
''Her answer,'' Kohaku smiled and opened the envelope.
'I thought it through, Kohaku, and I reached a decision. I'm not leaving with you. What we had isn't possible anymore. And you being here worries me very much. So I'm begging you, imploring you for the sake of both of us, to leave.'
Kohaku looked up at Sayo. ''Tell Rin that I want to see her. That I need to talk to her. You understand? Tonight or tomorrow at the latest, I need to see her.''
''Sesshomaru, have you seen Sayo?'' Rin asked her husband when she came into the living room.
''No,'' Sesshomaru answered. ''Do you need her?''
''No. I just asked her a favor a while ago, but I haven't seen her since,'' Rin looked around the room before looking back at Sesshomaru with interest. ''You know, you have very pretty things here. And I don't want you to get mad, but I feel the house's decor is like-some things don't go with your personality. It's just my opinion, that's all.''
''I didn't pick anything that's in here, Rin,'' Sesshomaru told her.
''But you grew up here, right?'' Rin questioned him.
''You could say that,'' Sesshomaru replied.
Rin looked at him for a moment before taking the spot next to him on the couch. ''Don't you want to tell me what you're keeping in your mind?''
''I told you when I started getting into my teens, I decided to rebel and do things that I actually wanted. What I didn't tell you is that my mother didn't like that at all so she decided to teach me a lesson. She made me into just another one of her workers. She paid me minimum wage, made me eat outside, live in the house with the workers, she was waiting for me to learn my lesson and come crawling back but I never gave her the satisfaction. I lived out with the workers from when I was eighteen until she died. I bet you're even more disgusted with me now, huh? My father told me to come live with him a million times but I couldn't leave the people I had begun to care about with her. That's why this house looks like this, that's why Sara and I are close, that's why I take care of all of the workers, and that's why I've never traveled. I didn't have the money,'' Sesshomaru revealed. ''You aren't going to say anything?''
''No, I have nothing to say,'' Rin responded.
''You really don't care?'' Sesshomaru questioned. ''You care about me so little that you're not even affected by what I just told you?''
''That doesn't matter to me. I feel for you because I can see it hurts you, that you feel bad,'' Rin comforted.
''You feel bad about your mistakes, not other people's,'' Sesshomaru reminded her.
''Then why didn't you ever tell me anything?'' Rin asked.
''Because your mother didn't want me to,'' Sesshomaru answered.
''My mother? She knew? And my dad?'' Rin asked.
''No. He didn't know,'' Sesshomaru answered. ''Your mom cared more about the money I now had instead of my poor upbringing.'' Rin groaned and hid her face in her hands. ''You really don't care, Rin?'' Sesshomaru questioned her.
''No. You know, I would have liked to have known it before. Because I would've seen you differently, not as the man I saw, all powerful, but as more approachable, more sensitive. I would've understood you so much more,'' Rin and Sesshomaru looked at each other for a moment before Rin excused herself. ''I'm gonna check and see if Sayo is in the kitchen.''
Rin walked into the kitchen but all the lights were off so she just leaned against the counter and thought about her husband.
''We need to talk,'' Kohaku voiced from the corner.
''Are you crazy? Sesshomaru is in the living room, don't close the door,'' Rin told him but he closed it anyway.
''You still love me as much as I love you, Rin. This can't be over,'' Kohaku pleaded and pulled her into his arms.
''Don't you see you make my life even harder? If you're here, I'll never be able to forget you,'' Rin tried to push him away.
''But it's just-'' ''Shhh!'' ''I don't want you to forget me, my love,'' Kohaku tried to pull Rin in for a kiss but she broke free from his arms and ran out.
''What do I get for killing Sesshomaru?'' Tinoyo asked the person on the other end of the phone.
''The only thing Naraku wants are those lands, you can have the ranch. Isn't that what you actually want?''
''Yes, yes. I get to keep the ranch. But I'll also keep his woman.''
TA-DA! Tinoyo is gross. Reviews people, reviews.
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