adksjhdajs sorry sorry this chapter was long overdue. It's just...every time I thought I had free time, the baby would wake up! blah blah...enough about me. Here's the chapter I owe you all. Thank you for reading and being patient :)

xoxo

-VQ

Rin parked her car in the parking lot and slowly headed into the hospital. There was something eerie about the institution at that hour. She had never been in the building past 7. So this was strange to her.

"Tonight?"

"2 AM."

"Why that hour?"

"A few reasons. One of them being the silence and lack of staff. I'll feel like it's just you and I here."

"If that will make you more comfortable, I'll oblige."

"There's one more thing I want."

"What's that?"

"To go outside while we talk. Perhaps to the courtyard or better yet...the roof."

"..."

"Are you worried I'll flee? I've had far too many chances to do so already. But there's no need. What I intend to tell you, only the dead know. The further you're willing to go, the more I'll have to say."

Rin walked through the dark halls. She could hear all kinds of strange and creepy sounds coming from each room. Tapping, crying, laughing, murmuring and even some humming. 'Its like being in a horror movie.'

She decided to wear regular clothes. There was no need for professional attire so late at night. She wore a grey hoodie over an orange tee, grey sweatpants and black sneakers.

Her small feet squeaked across the floor of the dimly lit halls.

"Rin? What are you doing here?"

Rin turned around to see one of the staff members who bound Sesshomaru for her. "Hi, Hojo. I'm here because I promised Sesshomaru I'd come back. I know it's weird but—"

"You don't have to explain. I know you're willing to go to crazy lengths to assist people. Just take this with you."

Rin looked down at his hand and reluctantly grabbed the syringe with morphine.

"Thank you." She said with a cheeky smile.

Hojo nodded and grinned before heading into the elevator.

Rin slipped the syringe into her pocket and continued down the hall. She opened the door to Sesshomaru's room and there he was, lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, bound in his straightjacket.

He turned to look at her, eyes scanning her body from head to toe.

"I almost didn't recognize you, doctor." He said sarcastically as he sat up.

Rin giggled as she began to remove the straps on the jacket and set it aside. "Well I'm not on the clock so I didn't see a need for work attire. "

Rin continued to display her cute smile as Sesshomaru cocked his head and stared in confusion.

"Why do you always smile?" He asked.

"Because I'm happy!"

"How can you be happy at this hour?"

"I'm always happy. Even when I'm upset, I always manage to see that the grass is greener on the other side." She said as she giggled again. "You should smile too!"

Sesshomaru gawked at her before turning his head away. "You're ridiculous."

Rin shrugged and grabbed his hand. "Let's go."

Sesshomaru stared down at his hand and the way her small warm fingers grasped his. It was almost a heart melting feeling. Almost.

"Where?" He asked as he met her eyes.

"You said you wanted to talk on the roof. It seems pretty exciting. I've never been up there in all the years I've been here." She told him as she led him to the elevator.

Rin pressed for 23, the top floor. The doors shut and their silent ride began.

Sesshomaru leaned against the wall and crossed his arms as Rin stood on the opposite end scrunching her mouth from side to side and watching the numbers go up as they ascended the building.
Rin glanced over at him as he stared at the ground. His face often looked calm, yet emotionless. The only color in his life was the markings on his face and Rin wanted to change that.

The elevator ding startled her out of her thoughts. In front of them was a pair of steps and a door that lead to the roof.

Not that he would show it, but Sesshomaru was anticipating being outside after 10, almost 11 long years.

Rin headed out first. She pushed the heavy door open and the cool breeze kissed her face the second she was outside. Sesshomaru slowly followed her out and looked up at the moon.

She looked back at him as he stood close to the door staring at the sky. 'I wonder what he's thinking about.' Rin wandered close to the edge and realized how high up they were. Her breath caught in her throat as she backed away slowly, bumping into Sesshomaru.

He suddenly ran his hand down her side, causing her to gasp. He then took the syringe out of her hoodie pocket and threw it off the roof.

"You don't trust me."

"It's not that. I just know I'm responsible for whatever happens to you."

"Sounds like you care more about your job than helping others."

"Helping others is my job!" She argued.

"Helping others the way you're told to."

"If that were true, I wouldn't be up here with you. I broke many rules tonight. To make you happy."

"Make me happy..." He repeated. "Why is that important to you?"

"Because if you're happy, I'm doing my job right."

"Even if you have to break rules, huh?"

"Yes. Whatever it takes. I want you to trust me."

"Trust is a lot to ask of me."

Rin's smile turned to a disappointed frown. "Why is that?"

"It's the only thing I can offer you as long as I'm here. Once I give you my trust, I'm at your mercy." He told her as he laid out on the gravel rooftop.

Rin sighed and sat next to him. She couldn't argue with his point. He obviously had bad history with humans.

"I know you don't trust me." He deducted.

"To a certain degree I do. I know you're honest but I also know I can't predict your actions."

"I've heard you can trust someone who is willing to tell you secrets they don't want to talk about: the things they're ashamed of...the things that hurt the most."

Rin nodded in agreement. "That may be true."

"Tell me what happened to you over the weekend. You aren't as happy as you think you are. Your scent gives off sadness. As much as you smile, it doesn't seem to suit you to be sad."

Rin began to explain her encounter with Kohaku. She hadn't talked to a single soul about it and the fact that it hurt to talk about it proved to her that the wound was wide open and needed time to heal.

Sesshomaru was angrier than he let on. He never understood how a man could abuse his mate. Especially someone as fragile and harmless as Rin. 'Humans never keep their word and they constantly change their minds. They are the most indecisive, weak minded creatures to walk the earth.'

He looked at her and the frightened and crushed look on her face was disturbing. He could only imagine how she cowered in a corner begging for her life that day. "That's how humans are. They can become possessed by their own emotions, obsessions, guilt and even their desires."

"Ever since I was a little girl, all I've encountered are evil humans. I don't even feel like I fit in with my own kind sometimes." She took a deep breath and let it out before putting her smile back on. "Things will get better. At least I'm alive."

"Hmph."

Rin had never spoken about herself with a patient. It was awkward and made her eager to change the subject. "So how about you continue where you left off earlier?"

He let out a sigh.

"It's a long story. Do you even have that kind of time?"

"You're the only patient I'm working with." She said with a grin. "I have plenty of time for you!"

For some reason, Sesshomaru liked that. He knew she was dedicated: Not only to her job, but also to him. It was pleasing to know.

"What time is it?"

Rin looked down at her watch. "It's 2:30"

"Perfect."

"What is so special about 2:30?"

13 years ago

I had just arrived at my mother's office and saw a group of humans leaving.They all had their manila folders, briefcases and tacky business suits on. I brushed past them and into her office.

"Mother, what the hell-"

"Please, Sesshomaru. Calm yourself. All of those humans were looking to help me expand my business. We will make billions at this rate!"

I didn't like it. I know my mother was a savvy business woman but she had enough trouble with humans when she caught my father in bed with Inuyasha's mother.

"Do as you please." I told her. It wasn't as if I could control her actions anyway.

"As years went by, our company did indeed flourish. Our profits were unbelievable. My hatred towards humans began to wane. Until the morning I overheard them conspiring."

11 years ago

I was heading into my own office which mother granted me recently, along with my own share of the company, when I heard those humans whispering amongst themselves.

"The stocks are dropping."
"Indeed. It appears computers are a better investment than hair products."
"Let's sell our shares and invest in Apple and Dell stocks."
"Yes. That will take us far!"

Right under my mother's nose. The people she welcomed into the company and treated as equals were attempting to overthrow her.I rushed into my office and called my mother, hoping she had some kind of scheme under her sleeve."I know." Was all she said. She sounded exhausted. I wanted to do something to stop the company from plummeting, but from how she sounded, it appeared inevitable.

"How did you feel about it?" Rin asked.

"I was infuriated. I knew she shouldn't have put her trust in those humans. She entrusted them with something far too dear to her."

A week later...

All those humans left the company and took their shares with them. Luckily for my mother and I, we still had our fortune, along with what my father had given her in the divorce.

Unfortunately that wasn't good enough for her.

I had come home that evening from an outing with a friend.

"That lady friend again?" Rin wondered.

"No." He said in an irritated voice.

As I went upstairs, I could hear my mother sobbing inside her room. The door was ajar and I let myself in.

"What is it, mother?"

She wiped her eyes and blew her nose as she sat up in bed and turned off the television. "Please forgive me for this unsightly display of weakness. I'm just so overwhelmed that I cannot take it."

My mother gave me life. She raised me and took care of me on her own when my father left. I knew strength always existed in her…Even if she cried. I never saw it as a display of weakness. I'll admit it was unsightly, nonetheless.

"What happened?" I asked as I sat at the edge of her bed.

"Everything has been taken away from me. Completely out of my control. Why was I damned with such a terrible fate?"

All these worthless humans did was take without any regard of others. What she lost was a loss for me as well. I couldn't take it back, but I could take what belonged to them.I got up to leave the room.

"Sesshomaru where are you going?"

I didn't tell her, but I was going out for revenge. Out for blood. I was hell bent on destroying the worthless creatures that did nothing but ruin lives. All they were good for was prey. I planned to hunt them all.

"So you also made your decision to kill at 2:30?"

He nodded. "I lived up to the name my father had given me."

"The killing perfection."

"I killed each one in the order they sold and left the company. Starting with Megan Harris, an American businesswoman, and ending with Yoshi Higa, a callous obnoxious fool who deserved a place on my list."

"Weren't you worried about getting caught?"

"I don't worry about anything." He said confidently.

"What was your motive behind the other people you killed? The ones that weren't part of the company?"

11 years ago

After I finished tearing apart my last victim, I wasn't satisfied. I became addicted to the bloodshed. I developed an insatiable taste for human flesh. I realized the moment after I killed Yoshi Higa that it was over and I had gotten my revenge but revenge wasn't what I wanted anymore—not at all.

I left the scene sloppier than I usually did. I didn't bother to clean the blood off myself or change my clothes like I always did. I left the parking lot that I ended his life in. I was out for more blood. I wanted a new victim.

I saw an unsuspecting man on the street walking ahead of me. I didn't know his name or his life story, but, I sped up to him and before he could even see my face I struck him down and turned into my true form. That was when I—

"Uh what exactly…is your true form?" Rin asked nervously.

He gave her a long blank stare. "You seriously do not know? How do you think I earned the name 'The Hound'?"

Rin nodded. "I know that but what does it look like?"

Sesshomaru slowly stood. "Why don't I just show you?"

"I-I guess."

Rin watched in surprise and amazement as Sesshomaru transformed into a gigantic white dog with terrifying red eyes.

'Such a majestic creature' She thought to herself as she stared in awe.

She grasped her chest and gasped slightly as he moved dangerously close to her and growled viciously. Rin apprehensively reached out her hand to touch him but quickly pulled back. 'He's filled with an incredible amount of rage. I can tell when he's in this state.'

She watched as he returned to his human-like form and stared at him sadly.

Sesshomaru looked at her suspiciously. He didn't like the look in her eyes. It was pitiful. "What?"

"I want to help you."

"You told me that already."

"What do you want to do when you leave here? Do you want to reunite with that lady friend of yours, perhaps? Or your mother?"

"This lady friend that you keep prying about…was a detective. She was also the one who caught me immediately after I killed my last victim. I initially intended to kill everything and everyone that tried to take me down. I never expected her to be the one to pursue me. The moment I considered striking her down, I hesitated."

"Did you love her?"

"I regret not killing her."

"But that doesn't mean you didn't love her."

Sesshomaru didn't respond. He sat on the rooftop glaring at her with a devious threat in his eyes. Rin decided to stop asking about that woman because it obviously bothered—or even hurt him to discuss her.

"What about your mother?"

"She committed suicide three years ago. My last psychologist had informed me."

'That must be why he injured her.' "I'm sorry." She said sincerely as she looked down. "What about your father?"

"That bastard is still alive. Hopefully living a miserable existence."

Rin sat silently beside him twiddling her thumbs, thinking of more questions to ask since he was being so open with her. "So, you didn't tell me what you want to do once you're out of this hospital?"

He shrugged. "I can just imagine the outrage and uproar you would cause by releasing me from this place. Are you sure you can handle that?"

"I have rehabilitated 20 patients in the past 4 years. Once they were released, they never killed or hurt anyone ever again. People believe in me."

"So you believe you can "rehabilitate" me?" He asked, making quotations with his fingers.

"I just want to do whatever I can for you." She said in a small voice, believing she offended the demon, judging by the angry expression on his face."

"You cannot fix me. I am not a broken piece of equipment you put a few screws in. I will not change." He moved next to her and pulled her close to him by her arm. "I am the way I am. I did not crack, I did not fall off the deep end nor did I lose my sanity. I made a decision because I was born a killer."

Rin sighed and looked into his eyes. "You said yourself you became addicted to killing. Addiction is never healthy. I don't want to change who you are, I want to change what you're doing."

Sesshomaru let go of her arm and stood. He looked into the sky, which was beginning to become light. "Dawn is approaching. I'll return to my room now."

Rin looked on as he headed towards the door. "B-but you haven't been outside in such a long time. Didn't you miss it?"

"If you are as capable as you boast, I won't have to miss it for long."

Rin smiled and followed him to the door. She was satisfied with the incredible amount of progress she had made in such a small amount of time. "He's almost ready. I'm just going to do a little more delving."