One week later

Rin was on her way to Sesshomaru's room once again. She had a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach this time. She wasn't sure how things were going to go now that she knew about his past.

Today, she wore flats. She dragged her small feet through the hallway when the scream of a rebellious patient startled her out of her deep thought. Rin jumped upon the shriek and placed her hand to her thumping chest. The day wasn't getting any easier.

Before she knew it, she finally reached Sesshomaru's room. She took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.

Once she got inside, she saw Sesshomaru sitting on his bed facing the wall with his back towards her.

Sesshomaru let out a disappointed sigh. "I thought you weren't coming back."

"I considered it." She said as she sat down in that creaky wooden chair.

"Hnn. Then why did you come?" He asked as he turned around slowly and faced her.

"Because I want to help you." She replied sincerely.

Sesshomaru shook his head. "I am tired of repeating myself. I don't need anything from you." He said angrily as he gripped the sheets of his bed.

She sighed and hung her head down. "Don't you want to leave here? If I can rehabilitate you, you'll be free."

Sesshomaru sat silent, refusing to answer Rin's question. The air became thick with awkwardness until he finally spoke up and cleared the fog. "As long as my desire to kill won't die down, no one from this hospital will let me leave here."

Rin realized a second before she let it slip that telling Sesshomaru she spoke to Inuyasha would be a signature on her own death warrant.

"You didn't answer my question. Don't you want to leave here?"

Sesshomaru was silent for a few minutes. To Rin, it seemed like hours. She sat still in the chair, glancing around the room. Her eyes became fixated on the barred window and the sunlight coming in. She wasn't sure how long she would wait for a response until…

"Of course I do." He said in a small voice, sounding surprisingly vulnerable. "I've tried to escape but the walls are impenetrable and even I can't handle the constant sedation followed by rebellion." He chuckled. "It's amusing how the same humans who I wanted to destroy are the ones that keep me trapped here."

"I'm so glad you're actually talking to me." She said happily, relieved that they seemed to be getting somewhere.

"I'm not telling you anything you couldn't find out on your own. Besides…what patient doesn't want to get out of here?"

"You've been in solitary confinement for a long time. You haven't been around the other patients. Some of them have no idea where they are."

"Hmph."

"You're not—as much as I hate to use this word…crazy at all. I think you're just full of rage and maybe…" Rin let out a big sigh. "Maybe this isn't the best place for you. Will you cooperate with me? I want to get you out of here."

Sesshomaru didn't respond. He didn't even move. 'Was he even listening?' Rin wondered as she stood.

"Well, you think about it okay?" She put on her smile, as always. "I'll see you on Monday."

As Rin walked down the hall, she started to think taking on Sesshomaru's case was pointless. Then she remembered why she was doing it in the first place.

10 years ago…

Rin was sitting in math class next to her boyfriend, Kohaku playing with the diamond flower ring he gave her.

"Babe, check this out." He said, showing her the article on the front-page of the newspaper.

"'The Hound Strikes Again'?" She read the title and her eyes widened as she looked at the picture of the blood-covered alley. "Who is the hound?"

"You haven't heard? This person has killed fifteen people in the past two weeks! The way they were torn limb from limb…the police are convinced it was a demon!"

"A demon? But why?"

"Cuz he's crazy!"

"Are you guys talking about The Hound?" One student asked curiously.

Kohaku and Rin nodded.

"They're gonna catch this nutcase soon! Most of the people who were killed are connected to one another through Inukimi Enterprise."

"Isn't that the company behind all those popular hair products?" Rin asked curiously as she bit her fingernail.

"The company that used to be behind all those products. It slowly crumbled to the ground." Another student added in.

"So did Inukimi herself do it?"

The student shrugged. "We'll know soon enough!"

Two days later…

Rin was home using the computer one morning and after completing her homework, she decided to check what was going on in the news.

"The Hound Has Been Captured!" Rin scrolled down the article looking for a photo. She gasped upon seeing the stunning young man with frigid amber eyes that shined with the most beautiful gloss even in the lowest quality photograph.

'He's the killer? He looks so dashing, and yet…so sad. Is he truly the mad man everyone calls him?' She thought to herself as she continued to stare at the picture.

"Off the computer, bitch! It's my turn." A cruel male voice shouted from behind as she was struck in the head by an angry fist.

Rin fell to the floor with a thud but she did not cry, nor did she fight. She simply grabbed her school folder off the desk and walked away. The others in the group home were never good to her.

Ever since an intruder murdered her parents and siblings in their home a year ago, she hadn't cried. What good would crying do? It never made anything better.

Rin decided to go outside. There was always one place she could go where she felt safe. She grabbed her jacket and headed towards the door.

"Make sure you're back before nightfall or you get no dinner." A woman said in an abrasive tone.

Rin turned her head and looked into the living room. She put on her usual happy face. "Of course, ma'am. Thank you for reminding me!" And with her sweet words, she was out the door.

Rin sprinted to the sword shop down the block. She spent a lot of time there with Kohaku, his older sister, Sango and their father who owned the shop.

"Good morning!" She said happily as she opened the door.

Kohaku rushed up to Rin and gave her a kiss. "Glad to see you!" He told her as he grabbed her hand and brought her to the back, where his sister was sitting down having a cup of tea.

"Good morning, Rin. How are you?"

Rin bowed before Sango. "Good morning! I'm doing great!"

"Look, Rin!" Kohaku said excitedly. "Look what my father made just for me!" He told her as he swung the blade around.

"Careful with that! You're still training." Sango admonished.

Kohaku sheathed the sword and sat down next to her. "You're right." He said as he turned on the TV.

"Our latest story: The hound to be put down! Sesshomaru 'The Hound' Taisho was arrested last night for a whopping 27 gruesome murders in the past month."

The three gasped upon hearing the amount of people Sesshomaru had killed.

The news showed Sesshomaru being dragged in chains to a police car. The reporters were bombarding him, asking questions and shoving microphones and voice recorders in his face.

"The first fifteen were for the company. The rest were simply for the satisfaction of human blood." He said in a devilish tone. There was no regret, doubt or remorse in his voice at all.

"Traitors." He said through his teeth. It was the last thing out of his mouth before he was pushed into the car.

Rin hung onto those words. 'He killed because he was betrayed? He must've been in a lot of pain to murder. If he did it for enjoyment, wouldn't he be happy about it, or smiling? But instead he looks hopeless and dejected.'

Kohaku poked Rin and she flinched from being startled. "What's on your mind?"

"Oh, sorry." She said with a giggle. "I was just a little surprised by these murders!"

Kohaku nodded and handed Rin a cup of tea. She decided she'd miss dinner tonight.

A year later…

"Please? Can I go?" Rin pleaded on her knees.

"Tch. What the hell are you asking me for?" The woman asked in a cruel tone as she always spoke to Rin.

"I need your permission. I really want to go to this school!"

"You're what…16? Aren't you a bit young for college?"

Rin shook her head. "I have enough credits to graduate this semester! Please let me go!"

"Alright damnit! Give me the papers to sign!"

Rin squealed with excitement and placed the papers in the woman's hands. She signed them and threw them back at her. "At least you'll be one less mouth to feed."

Rin got up and ran to her room to pack. She was finally getting out of that group home and going to stay in a dorm at a college.

Four months later…

"Have you decided on a major yet?" The freshman advisor asked.

Rin nodded her head. "Psychology!"

"Very good!" The freshman advisor said approvingly. "Good luck with your first semester! Come back if you need anything!"

Rin smiled cheerfully and bowed. "I sure will! Thank you!"

Rin left the office and headed to the on-campus dorms. She had already moved in and was anticipating another person to sleep in the empty bed across from hers.

Rin wasn't sure if it would be a guy or a girl, a good person or a bad. But no matter what, she would be kind to them.

As Rin sat on her bed, someone knocked on the door twice before opening it.

"Is anyone in here?" A sweet, timid voice asked.

"Yes, hello!" Rin said as she stood.

"Oh, hi! I guess you're my roommate. My name is Kagome Higurashi. It's nice to meet you."

"My name is Rin Asano. I'm glad to meet you!"

The two exchanged bright gleaming smiles with one another. The room was so full of their radiance, you couldn't tell whose smile was brighter.

That Evening…

"So why did you decide to be a psychologist?" Kagome asked as the two got acquainted over coffee.

Rin set her cup down and began to explain how the case of The Hound prompted her to study psychology. "I want to understand the mind of an angry person. I've seen so many angry and dangerous people in my life but I never judged them for their ways. I just wonder what made them the way they are. Maybe I'll be able to save people who are doing awful things just because they're suffering."

"You know…that case changed my life too."

"Really? How so?"

Kagome was too afraid to mention the relation between her boyfriend and Sesshomaru. The two of them dealt with a lot of humiliation behind it and it was going to take some time to die down. 'I'll tell her later.'

"It was just such a big deal and such a gruesome crime. I never thought I'd witness a serial killer in my local area."

"Same here…"

Present day, 24 hours before Rin took on Sesshomaru's case

"Dr. Asano! You've managed to rehabilitate so many clients this year alone! We've got quite a few vacancies at the hospital. You're phenomenal." One of the co workers praised.

"Thank you! I'm just doing my job." She said happily as she took out the stack of open cases.

Rin loved her job. She loved helping people, but it seemed so easy for her to delve into people's hearts and draw out the good in them that she started to get bored. She wanted a challenge, something as fascinating as the case that got her into the field in the first place.

At the bottom of the stack of files, there was one folder that was a different color from the others. The white folder, unlike the uniform navy, was very thick and had caution tape over it.

"W-w-what are you doing?" The coworker asked as she snatched the folder out of Rin's hand. "I admire your capabilities but I don't think even you should touch this folder."

Rin stared at the folder in the woman's hand. She was dangling it between her fingers like it was an explosive.

"I don't know why this file was in the wrong place but I must return it immediate—"

Rin reached over and grabbed the file out of the woman's hands. "Just whose file is this? Why can't I look at it?"

The woman began to shake like she was convulsing and nervously fidgeted her fingers. "I-I-It's…" The woman leaned in closely to Rin's ear. "The Hound's file."

Rin felt like time had stopped. Was she really holding The Hound's file in her hand? Why didn't she know the circumstances of his case? After finding out he was placed in a mental facility, his name disappeared from the news completely. No one wanted to follow up on him anymore. It was as though everyone lost hope for him.

"We've had professionals with 20 and 30 years of experience take on his case and they all ended up quitting their jobs, losing their own sanity or getting hurt by The Hound. Please, Rin, don't indulge in this. Most of your clients were stubborn, but this man is a lost cause. He enjoyed what he did. He can't be changed."

"I don't believe that. I'm going to try."

"But—"

"I hope you don't mind, I'm taking this home. See you tomorrow!" Rin said with her luminescent smile as she went on her way.

That Night…

Rin finally had the file in her hand. She remembers the case being brought up in one of her classes, but it was only momentarily and no explicit details were discussed. Rin couldn't explain her odd obsession with this case. Perhaps it was her undying desire to help him? Maybe it was more. But she was excited to be able to take on the case firsthand. First, she glanced over all the standard details

"Name: Sesshomaru Taisho

DOB: 07/06/78"

Then she looked at the photographs from the murders. The bodies were torn to pieces and the limbs had large teethmarks in them. 'These marks are way too large to be caused by him, right?' She wondered to herself as she examined the autopsy photos

"The perpetrator transformed into his true form and tore the victim's heads off first. Then the limbs were torn off one at a time and the torsos were chewed on."

'Okay…that's…wow.' Her stomach was knotting up at the thought.

"A majority of the victims were partners at Inukimi Enterprises, known for the line of Kimi products. Each one had recently sold their shares causing the company to plummet. The owner of the company, Inukimi Tono is Sesshomaru's mother. It has been confirmed that she had no connection to the murders."

'Did he do that to protect his mother?' Rin wondered. 'This means underneath the anger in his heart, he's a decent individual. I want to bring the light in his heart out of the shadows.'

Now...

"I can't give up on him. I've already come this far. If I don't try to help him, who will?"

Rin convinced herself she needed to help Sesshomaru—that she would be able to help him. She wanted to prove to the same world that turned their back on him that he wasn't a monster.

Thank you for reviewing, adding me and my fic to your favs and alerts!

I will continue to update as quickly as I can!

xoxo

-VQ