A/N: Welcome to chapter 80. Crazy. Thanks everyone for sticking with me and for loving all of these characters that I have spent some time on shaping and creating a universe for them all to exist in.

I know that Sana and Jiro is the next ship you all want to see set sail but I think that one may take some time given how they both are. I expect they may fumble around one another for a bit, which will be fun to see.

For now we're back in the village with Rin and Sesshomaru, enjoy!

For better, or for worse, Inuyasha returned to the village in a few days time with Miroku and Hisui. Rin was delighted to see them all again visiting with everyone while Sesshomaru stayed back in the quiet of the surrounding forest most days.

He had made certain the village was a place for Rin, there were people within it that she had come to know and trust making it easier to leave her in their care. It was never his place however.

Being back did not necessarily hold any significance for him aside from his memories of Rin, visiting with her and watching her from a far to make certain she was well.

Coming out of his thoughts he saw the sky beginning to brighten with orange steaks as the sun began its descent to the horizon. Standing he wondered if Jaken had been able to procure any fish as he had requested for Rins meal.

Walking to the village did hold nostalgia for him as it was a trek he had made many times over the course of a decade.

A part of him almost expected to see a younger Rin come running to him with wild hair and a dirt smudged face in her orange checkered kimono.

Smirking to himself he found Inuyasha instead sitting outside of Kaedes hut holding Hotaru on his knee. Much the same way he had played with Hisashi now he jostled his daughter around.

Standing a ways off he could see the wide, happy smile that Hotaru was giving him. She breathed out something that sound like the beginning of laughter as Inuyasha blew a soft breeze to ruffle her hair.

His daughter was smiling at his brother. Setting his jaw he went towards them and deftly took Hotaru from him.

"Really?" Inuyasha stared up at him. "This is probably the only time I'm gonna be able to spend with her."

Looking to his daughter she smiled at him too in recognition but not the same way she had just been.

"It is getting late." He said. "Rin."

"I am coming Lord Sesshomaru." She called back sweetly.

"Whatever." Inuyasha frowned crossing his arms across his front and closing his eyes. Rin exited the hut with a small jar of rice to cook and bid her good-byes.

Leading her to the cave Jaken had already started a small fire at the cave mouth and set the fish to cook on sticks.

"Wow. Good job master Jaken. You caught a lot of fish today." Rin said as Sesshomaru sat against the wall staring intently at their daughter.

"It was nothing Rin." He replied clearly enjoying the praise. "Catching fish is easy enough."

"Would you mind going out to get some mushrooms as well? I would but it's time for Hotaru to nurse." She requested.

"Sure Rin." He obliged glancing at Sesshomaru as if checking to see if he were paying attention.

"Thank you master Jaken." She said watching as he left. With her hands behind her back she sauntered over to her husband. "What's the matter Lord Sesshomaru? You seem distressed."

"Hotaru was smiling at Inuyasha." He said.

"Okay…" Rin said slowly as if in question as to what the problem was.

"It was how she smiled, she doesn't smile at me in that way." Sesshomarus voice came out soft as he held his daughter in his hands.

Rin held back her smirk and sighed. He was jealous. Sitting beside him she rested her head against his arm.

"My lord, she is a baby. Babies smile at anyone who pays attention to them or cares for their needs. She was probably happy to be held." Rin tried to assure.

"Inuyasha was playing with her. It made her laugh." Sesshomaru said. "I watched him do the same thing with Hisashi, I do not understand it."

"I have seen you play with Hisashi. It's not so different. Granted, right now, you cannot be so rough with Hotaru but you still do things that make her smile. Our daughter loves you."

Not seeming reassured Rin knelt and took Hotarus hands in hers. Making little movements with them and kissing her knuckles with an exaggerated noise Sesshomaru watched as her little mouth turned up.

Nuzzling her nose to Hotarus and kissing her cheek made the infant kick her feet and coo. "Mama loves you Hotaru." She sang out making her laugh in the breathless way she did.

Smiling softly as he watched her play with their daughter he decided that he would put more effort and time into finding out how he could make Hotaru light up the way she did.

Jaken returned with the mushrooms for them which Rin skewered and cooked along with the fish. She and Jaken ate before deciding to turn in for the night.

Staying outside the cave with An and Un for the night Rin settled with Hotaru on their pallet. Wrapping the moko-moko around them she found she could balance Hotaru on her stomach that seemed to have grown even more.

"I am getting so big, so fast." She commented as she nursed. "Maybe this pup is growing faster than Hotaru did."

"There is more than one." Sesshomaru smirked at her. Looking at him she shrugged somewhat.

"Guess we will find out." She said.

"No. There is more than one."

"Really?"

"Yes. Twins."

"How long have you known?"

"It was after we arrived here that I could tell."

"Do you know what they are yet?"

"No. Do you want to know again when I can?"

"I already know what they are. Now I just know that I am giving you two sons."

"We shall see."

"You say that as if you already know something."

"No."

"I'm having more daughters, aren't I?"

"I honestly have no idea Rin." Sesshomaru looked at her taking in her inquisitive expression. "You are reading into things."

Sighing out she sat Hotaru up to rub circles on her back and pat it. "Why do you want us to have a son so badly?" He asked.

"I want to have a boy with you." She said. "Not that I would be upset if I had more daughters but doesn't every male want more sons?"

"I don't care about that." He said quickly. "I have never cared about any of that."

"Then what do you want Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin questioned.

"To stay by your side for as long as I can, in whichever way I can."

"Because, you bonded to me." Rin said. Placing Hotaru down in her lap she wrapped her blanket around her as she began to doze. "My lord, was it by accident that you bonded with me? Izumi explained to me once that dog demons become attached to one person whether they meant to or not."

"The truth…" Sesshomaru replied open ended as if it were a question.

"Yes."

"No. It was never my intention. In fact it was the last thing I ever wanted or expected." Closing his eyes he seemed to be thinking. "Every time I was going to leave you in a village or someplace other humans would find you some instance would prevent me or I talked myself out of it."

"At first, looking back on it all, I had thought it was a gradual affection for you that grew over time. Now though, I have come to realize it was from the start." Reopening his eyes he smiled at her softly. "Our daughter has your smile and has seized my heart the same as you did when I first saw yours."

Breathing out air she didn't realize she had been holding Rin felt her love for him wash over her in waves. Taking his hand in hers she entwined their fingers together.

"Thank you, for caring for me and loving me when no one else did." She whispered out despite herself.

"Always. You are my one and only Rin, in every way."

"You will love someone after me, like you promised, just as I am sure you did once before me."

"There has never been anyone else. Only you."

"There had to have been someone else. You…" Taking her face in his hands she stared at him as he held her gaze with such intensity it was almost hard to hold it.

"Only you." He repeated. Rins eyes went wide as she realized what he was telling her, what he had been telling her all along. She was his first in all matters of the heart and intimacy just as he had been hers.

It suddenly made sense as the past year came to mind; his fear and apprehension at breeding Izumi. His premature marking of her, his possessiveness over her when he felt threatened.

Sesshomaru was older than she could ever imagine and she had always held him up on a lofty pedestal but now she saw him, the real him, she felt for the first time in her life. He was young and she was his first love.

Smiling at him she placed a hand over one of his and moved her lips to kiss his palm.

"Only yours." She said softly putting him back at ease.