Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any creations of Rumiko Takahashi. This is not written for profit.

Chapter 4: An Independent Companionship

Weeks passed. Sesshomaru was up to 50 words per minute on the computer. He had mastered knot tying with one hand. Balancing his dinner tray had become easy. Still no prosthetic. His tutor kept handing him impossible assignments related to business models and cost/ benefit ratio analysis. Fuyu had proven surprisingly smart and decided not to seek revenge. And although he had yet to address Rin by name, and although she spent the majority of her day engaged in activates he was unaware of, it had become accepted as common knowledge that the silent girl was under his protection.

Her things no longer went missing, and he had seen neither bruises nor bandages about her person sense the fight in the kitchen. She still cocked her head to the left , her eyes searching when the silence went on for too long. She still sat hunched into the corner of the couch and had neither grown or brushed her hair. All the same Sesshomaru felt she looked…happier. He did not want any part of it.

She had stopped bringing him "gifts", thank goodness. Their reading time continued uninterrupted. Sesshomaru did not encourage further interaction. He sat alone at meal times, and really saw her at no other time throughout the day. So when Rin stood in the doorway of his room on a Saturday morning Sesshomaru thought long and hard about yelling at her. But in the end the girl had never asked anything of him, and one couldn't wish for a more silent companion. Sesshomaru looked at her, waiting for an explanation for her presence. Rin lifted the nylon jacket in her arms then turned her gaze out to the gardens. Sesshomaru contemplated. Saturday was visiting and the common area was crowded with parents and siblings making a weekly pilgrimage of duty. Fuyu's parents had managed to bring a dog for their son and the deep bark reverberated through the clinic giving Sesshomaru a small headache. It was highly unlikely his mother would appear and this would probably be the last day to feel the sun before snow fell. Sesshomaru pulled a white camel hair coat out of his closet and looped a great fluffy white scarf around his throat. Rin shrugged into the nylon jacket as she led him through a part of the clinic he had never been to. They stepped into the heavy mellow sunlight of late autumn, the air brisk and biting on Sesshomaru's cheeks. They were in a tangled and overgrown section of the gardens- the stone benches were crumbling and coffee tins filled with cigarette butts sat beside them. Sesshomaru breathed the cold into his lungs, letting some of his anger at the world, at least for today, drift away with his crystallized breath. Rin looked at him, grinning like she had that first week, and began to run among the small runty trees. Sesshomaru followed at a more sedate pace, but his longer legs easily kept her in sight.

The wandered through the small forest Elmview kept as a nature preserve. None of the trees were especially old, and being so late in the season, gallons of sunlight poured through the naked branches. There was a pleasant crunch underneath his feet and the pungent sent of wet earth and harvest filled his nose. This was a day worth living. Sesshomaru could hear Rin scrambling up trees and crawling over logs, first on one side of him and then the other. He was content the follow the overgrown path, the sun baking his shoulders until he was almost too warm. Sesshomaru pulled the scarf away from his neck, arranging it more loosely on his torso as Rin stopped in front of a thick stand of pines. Making eye contact and putting her finger to her lips Rin pushed the braches aside.

It was a fairy ring. An almost perfect circle of evergreens completely enclosed the clearing. Protected from the wind the smaller sapling inside still clung to their leaves, making it seem as though this was a place time forgot. Rin giggled as Sesshomaru forgot to keep his impassive mask in place and turned the corners of his lips up. Well, this place was spectacular. Rin was probably the only person that knew about it too. They had been walking for almost two hours- Sesshomaru doubted any other patient had bothered to hike out this far. Rin jumped up to reach the lowest branch of the largest tree in the space, swinging herself up with practiced ease. Sesshomaru settled onto a boulder that seemed to have been carved especially for him. Rin waved at him excitedly then continued to climb higher and higher. She was an agile thing indeed, reaching the top in a short amount of time. Sesshomaru lazily watched her, enjoying the delicate wind that whispered past his ears.

They spent the rest of the afternoon there, taking pleasure in the silence of each other's company. As the shadows began to lengthen Rin led the way back to the clinic. She used a straightforward path this time and they were back within 45 minutes. Rin turned down an unfamiliar hallway as soon as they were back inside, leaving Sesshomaru to navigate his way back to his room alone. It was almost full dark by the time he shrugged his coat onto the bed. This may well have been the best day he had spent here.

"Shesshomaru! Where have you been. The nurses are all in an uproar!"

"I went out."

"For six hours! Without a day pass. Without telling anyone!"

"I was on the grounds. I owe no one an explanation for my every move."

Saitou threw up her hands. "Of course not! But you need to let someone know so we don't send out a search party. The head nurse was this close to calling your mother and I can only guess that's something you don't want."

Sesshomaru jerked his head down slightly in acknowledgement of her reasoning. He would leave notice from now on, but there is no need to tell her straight out. It would be losing too much ground. He didn't want anyone here thinking he would obey orders.

The nurse sighed. He was so stubborn, and arrogant to boot. Oh well, no harm no foul she guess. He was back safe. "At least go eat some food- you must be starving"

In fact Sesshomaru was famished. But he still waited 20 minutes to prove to Nurse Saitou, and himself, that he was no one's subject. Once in the cafeteria even the smell of overcooked carrots was heavenly. He carefully balanced his bowl of rice, vegetables, and a cup of tea on a plastic tray. He had experimented with palming the whole tray and gripping the edge very tightly. He found the most stability by hooking his thumb around the lip of the tray and spreading his fingers out beneath. It worked 9 timed out of 10, but he was helpless if the drink toppled over. Luckily that did not happen and Sesshomaru sat at his solitary table. He did a quick scan of the room but could not find Rin's disheveled head in the cafeteria. He was surprised- he had supposed she would have been just as hungry as he. Perhaps she had already eaten and left.

Sesshomaru was tired. The short walk he had first expected when Rin came to his room had turned into an epic hike, and his body was not pleased. His legs ached and the muscles along his left shoulder had tightened into a line of barbed wire. That had been lit in fire. Then extinguished with salt. So when Fuyu appeared at the end of the darkened hallway as Sesshomaru walked back t his room he found he was all out of patience for the day. He walked steadily towards the younger boy standing bandy-legged in the doorway.

"Move."

"You think you can beat up me and my boys and walk away clean. You ain't nothing but a cripple. A cripple that hangs out with a freak on top of that. Well, you can just take you holier than thou nose right outta your ass and get the fuck out of here. We don't want you. Or your freak friend."

"Move out of the path. I will not ask again."

No you won't ass-hole. Your mouth's gonna be too full 'a your blood and teeth and do any asking."

Fuyu lunged forwards. He attempted a right hook, missed and tried to kick Sesshomaru's feet out from under him. Sesshomaru turned sideways, highly annoyed that he needed to repeat this experience. Before Fuyu could fully extend his arm for another punch Sesshomaru gripped his wrist spinning Fuyu until his face was presses against the dirt tiled wall.

"Lemme go! I'll screa-ahh-ahh"

Sesshomaru put more pressure into the wrist hold. He pushed Fuyu's arm up while pressing his wrist down, making it feel like all three joints in his arm would break. All Fuyu would need to do was kick backwards but he seemed a little preoccupied. This was becoming obnoxious.

"I do not wish to engage in this power struggle any longer. You will not speak to be or interfere with me in any way until I leave. I cannot waste my time proving I can break your bones every time you feel inadequate. If you must continue I will be forced to tell the nurses about the zip lock full of meds taped inside your toilet. I trust you will see reason."

Sesshomaru gave a final twist to Fuyu's arm then let him slump to the floor. Sesshomaru heard the boy hiss as he cradled his bruised arm against his chest. There would be no permanent damage and he might at last get some peace in this hell hole.

As Sesshomaru lay in bed that day, his body tired from honest exercise for the first time in a long while, he thought over the day. Sunlight, a peaceful mind, and a fight well won. Defiantly his best day here. Sesshomaru didn't realize he was smiling as he drifted into sleep.

A/N: Look, a new chapter!! I'm sorry if this feels, slow- this is building to something. I want Sesshomaru and Rin to have a solid foundation to their relationship, and that can only come with time and experiences together. I am trying to incorporate what I can from the anime, so there might be recognizable plotlines or dialoged. I hope you're enjoying! Please review, a constructive critique is always welcome, along with praise.