Own Inuyasha not do I.

Read and review or I'll add sparkly vampires!

The next few weeks passed by uneventfully. By day the little pack traveled, by night Melissa and Sesshomaru slept snuggled together by the fire. Sometimes they would send Jaken on errands to have some alone time. More often they would steal away from camp once he was asleep, or Sesshomaru would follow Melissa into the forest for a quickie while she was foraging.

They returned to Kimiko's palace for the trip to Daichi's palace to welcome their alley's newest son, then returned to inuyasha's village. They were walking along the river when Sesshomaru heard Kagome and Rin talking around the bend ahead. He could hear the river water splashing and assumed they were washing laundry. Then they rounded the corner, Kagome screamed and ducked down till the water covered her and Rin ran for her kimono as Sesshomaru turned quickly away.

Sesshomaru was in shock! He had seen Rin nude before, he had once supervised her baths to be sure she did not drown or get carried away by water spirits. He had even let her bath with him on occasion. However the Rin that bathed with him was a little child. Now her pubic region was darkened by fine black hair, breasts had budded on her once flat chest. At some point, some how, his little girl had been replaced with a woman.

"You ok?" Melissa asked taking his hand and peering in to his face.

Sesshomaru swallowed the lump trying to form in his throat then met Melissa's eyes. "She has become a woman."

Melissa kissed his cheek and whispered "Children grow up." He gave a very slight nod of the head. He could hear Rin, having dressed, approach while Kagome fetched her baby who was napping near the shore.

He turned to face her then waited for Kagome to join them. "I apologize, I assumed you were washing your laundry." Her face was so young and innocent still, his little girl. However what had been seen could not be unseen. And now that he had seen that she was a woman he could see it in the way her kimono now fit her. Boys would see it too.

He didn't have time to dwell on it as Kagome's baby started fussing. She started to bounce her in her arms. "I'm sorry, her little gums are hurting her." She explained.

Bouncing the baby did nothing to calm her so Kagome excused herself to go home and put medicine on her gums. Melissa, Sesshomaru, and Rin decided to just walk around talkig for a while. Sesshomaru could think of nothing to say, but the women were happy to fill the silence with their happy chatter.

After a long while there was a lull in the conversation and Sesshomaru finally found his voice. "We should find Kagome and Inuyasha, Kohaku also, we need to decide how everyone will arrive to the wedding in a few weeks."

"Oh, we have figured that out, my lord." Rin replied. "Kagomesama is going to borrow Kilala to carry her and Inuyasha, Shippo will fly, and I will ride A'un with Kohaku."

Sesshomaru paused and glanced over his shoulder at her then continued walking. Minutes later they were walking toward a lovely new house, far more elegant than most of the little hovels in the tiny village. The young man had even put a proper Shoji door on the house. He was working with his back to them in front of the house, digging a hole off to the side of the yard, a weeping cherry sapling waiting nearby.

"Is your house complete, Kohaku?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kohaku jumped the turned and bowed to Sesshomaru. "No! I mean yes! I..." He cleared his throat and trid again, "Sorry, I didn't realize you were there, Sesshomarusama. The house is finished but I still have a few small touches to add." he replied, gesturing to the little cherry tree.

"Then it is time we discussed Rin's future." Rin and Kohaku gaped at him. "Am I wrong in assuming this house was built for her?"

"It was, I just wanted to show you I can take care of her before I asked." Kohaku replied, turning red and looking down. Kohaku invited them in and asked them to sit at the table while he made tea.

Sesshomaru saw right away that though they were not married Rin had had a hand in decorating this house. The cushions were made from Rin's old kimonos that had been to stained or torn to pass down to other girls when she outgrew them. A small vase he had given her the year before was in the center of the table full of flowers.

Kohaku had a very hard time talking about himself and why he'd make a good husband, but that didn't matter much, Sesshomaru knew him. There was a lull in the conversation during which they drank in silence. Finishing his tea Sesshomaru set the cup down and spoke.

"What concerns me is not whether or not you can support her, I know you can. I am more concerned about your misplaced guilt and self destructive tendencies. I intend to provide a sizable dowry to support her should she be widowed young, however raising a family as a single parent would be very difficult for any women. I need your word that the past will be forgotten and you will not longer attempt to martyr yourself to make amends."

Kohaku was quiet for a long time, staring into his half empty cup. "I can't do that, my lord. My past is a part of me. Most of the time I know what happened wasn't my fault. But I still have nightmares. And days when it haunts me. I always will.

"But I can promise I won't take any unnecessary risks, not if I have a wife to care for. Rin makes me glad to be alive. I can't forget my past, but I can promise I will live for her."

Sesshomaru studied the boy for long time, then nodded. "You have my blessing. Rin, have you had your bleeding yet?"

It was Rin's turn to blush deep red as she diverted her eyes and shook her head. "Keadesama says I will soon."

"Until you have had your bleeding a date will not be set. Until the wedding night I wish for you to have a chaperone when you are with Kohaku. I will speak with Keade about it before we leave."

A little later that day Sesshomaru and Inuyasha got into an argument. While they pretended to try and kill each other Rin, Melissa, Kagome and Sago went to the fields to gather wild vegetables. Sango's girls were tormenting Shippo and Miroku somewhere and her son was content to sit beside his mother and play a toy so the women were able to talk happily together about Rin's betrothal.

"Are you excited?" Sango asked as they started working. She held her growing belly as she knelt down to gather the greens.

"Very! But... Rin is also a little nervous."

"That's natural, getting married is a big deal. Your whole life will change soon." Kagome assured her.

Rin nodded and worked quietly for a moment, thoughtful. "Does it hurt?" She asked suddenly.

"Does what hurt?"

"You know. The wedding night... I've heard it hurts."

"It is different for all women." Melissa told her. "My first time did, but not so bad."

"Your first... But you're not married yet! Sesshomarusama wants me to be chaperoned, but you two-" Rin replied indignantly!

"Rin, I married before. I am a widow." Melissa explained quickly.

"Oh. Sorry." Rin replied, abashed. "So it doesn't hurt for everywoman?" She asked looking around to the other women.

"Mine didn't." Sango told her, "But Miroku had experience before me. He knew how to help me enjoy it. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but not painful. I could have him talk to Kohaku if you like."

A while later the men joined the women, both bruised and bloodied, but no fatal injuries had been acquired. The moment Sesshomaru sat down Sango's son abandoned his toy and crawled into the doggy's lap. Sesshomaru picked up the little stuffed ball and began showing the toddler the proper way to throw it. Though he proved a little too young to take the lesson in he greatly enjoyed playing with the doggy.

Kagome watched them for a moment then turned to Melissa, "He'd be a good dad. I can barely get Inuyasha to hold Izayoi. He's terrified of her."

"Well she's so small and wriggly. I just know I am going to drop her someday!" Inuyasha replied.

Kagome smiled at him. "You're not going to drop her." She then turned back to Melissa, "I can't complain to much though. He does change diapers, and plays on the floor, he just won't hold her for long."

Later that day Sesshomaru and Melissa joined Kagome, Keade, and Rin in Keade's house to discuss her wedding. The women were making the plans, Sesshomaru was just there as the father of the bride and piggy bank. He was mostly lost in thought, rather bored by the wedding talk.

Then he heard Miroku on the other side of the wall, calling to Kohaku. Both men stopped just on the other side of the wall, not realizing Sesshomaru was able to hear every word. Miroku told Kohau that as he was getting married they had to have a man to man talk, for Rin's sake. Then to Sesshomaru's horror Miroku began telling the younger man, in graphic detail, how to prepare his virgin bride so that losing her innocence would cause as little pain as possible.

Sesshomaru tried not to hear them! Part of him was livid that the monk was speaking in such away about his little girl, but it was for her own benefit. He tried to focus on the women's plans, but could not seem to ignore the monk's voice.

Inuyasha was grinning, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. He could hear them too and found Sesshomaru's discomfort hilarious. He couldn't take it any longer, he stood to go outside, to take a walk. As he passed Inuyasha he stated, "Perhaps the monk can have such a conversation with the man chosen for Izayoi some day." That wiped the grin off Inuyasha's face! All in all it was a relief when, plans made, they left a couple of days later.