AN: It's late at night and I can't sleep so I thought I would finish up this chapter. I don't know why but I am getting caught up in the fluff all of a sudden lol must be the cold weather it always inspires sweet tender moments. Anyway hope you all enjoy so please R&R!

Disclaimer: I own none of the Inuyasha characters

A young woman stretched her hands up to the sky as a yawn escaped her dried mouth and sleepy tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "It's so early the sun hasn't even begun to show yet. Why did you decide to get the chores done so early Rin? Hey, are you listening?"

Rin ran frantically around the river gathering as much water as she could into a bucket to take back to Kaede. "Yeah, what you just said," she answered to her long time village friend Saki.

"What is with you? I have never seen you work so fast during your chores before," she said comparing Rin's bucket full of water to her half filled one.

"I've just got a lot to do today," Rin answered back as she whipped the sweat from brow. It was not as cold as it was yesterday and the early morning did show signs of the sun coming out that day, but the chilly air still lingered around and the wind had its cold moments.

I wonder if Lord Sesshomaru is still by that tree. I hope he's ok; the weather was so cold last night I could barely get any sleep without worrying about him.

"I prefer the warm weather over the cold any time. How am I supposed to find a suitable husband while all the men are working during the winter," Saki said as sulked over her own life problems. "What kind of weather do you like Rin?"

When Saki was again not given a quick answer she dipped her hand in the river and splashed some water on her cloudy headed friend. "Rin!"

"Hey!" Rin said in surprise as she shivered from the cold water splashed on her face. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"What's the matter usually you're the one who can't stop talking," Saki said as she put her hand on Rin's forehead. "Are you getting sick?"

Rin laughed a little and moved the intruding hand from her head. "No no, it's not that I just have a lot on my mind."

"I bet it's those new guests of ours isn't it? They give me the creeps they stand ready for battle every second of the day; it's as though they expect a demon to pop out of the forest any minute."

"Yeah I am not too fond of their stay either, but Lady Kaede said we couldn't send them off in the cold weather yesterday. Hopefully today they will decide to leave."

Rin eyed her friend and thought up of an interesting question to ask. "Saki what are your thoughts on demons?"

"My thoughts," she said as she put a finger to her chin and looked up to the sky pondering the question asked.

"Well I know that half demon Inuyasha lives here. When I was little he was pinned to a tree in the forest and my father told me never to go near him. Then he was released by that priestess and now he lives in this village with her. My father now says he is a respectable demon since he has saved the village more than his fair share of times."

Saki looked back to Rin with a smile on her face. "I really don't know any demons personally. I've seen the fox travel around here but that is about it. I can't say that I hate them because I don't, but I also know that there are still some evil demons out there so I can't say I necessarily like them either."

A short moment of silence passed between the two before Saki spoke again. "Good enough answer for you?"

Rin smiled and nodded. "Would you be willing to give them a chance if you met one?"

Saki chuckled a little. "If it was a he and he was marriage material then perhaps, but I don't think my father would approve of me marrying a demon." Saki laughed at her own joke while Rin only wished she would have answered seriously.

Looks like Saki was not yet ready to meet Sesshomaru if she took the question as a joke. One day though Rin will tell her friend about the powerful demon that saved her as a child and gave her the life that allowed her to be where she was now.

"Is your mind on a boy Rin?"

Rin's cheeks turned slightly red as she looked back to a grinning Saki. "W-What are you talking about I never mentioned anything about a guy."

"You don't have to when it is obviously in your eyes," she said as she grinned more while moving closer to a blushing Rin.

"I'll bet it is that demon slayer that's been hanging around with you lately. I've always seen you two around each other even when you were little."

"You mean Kohaku?" Rin questioned as she thought about her dearest friend. "Don't be silly Kohaku is just a friend. If he had any other feelings for me he would have said something." Rin waved her hands in her face trying her best to forget the subject and move on.

"Maybe he is just the shy type. I have been close to a few guys like that and trust me they always have a hard time expressing their feelings. They usually turn red and change the subject or try to make up something to cover up the embarrassing thing they may have said. It's sweet, but it can be a little annoying if you ask me."

Rin thought a little about what Saki had just said, and she distinctly remembered Kohaku acting that exact same way yesterday when he mentioned his concern over her health.

"I-I don't know what to say….." Rin felt her face heat up more.

"Well you have known him for a long time. You can't tell me you never had any kind of feelings for him."

"I always thought he was cute when he was a boy, and now that he is older he has grown to be a very handsome man." Rin knew she was as red as Saki's kimono by now. It was true though; Rin would not lie to herself and say she never had a little puppy crush on Kohaku.

"It was just a childhood crush that never went anywhere," Rin said as she began to stand with her bucket in hand.

"Why ever not? You say he was too shy, but if you had some feelings for him why did you never say anything to him."

"The….time was never right I guess," Rin answered followed by a laugh in hopes of ending the conversation. "Look there is somewhere important I have to be so would you be kind enough to take my bucket to Kaede please. I will see you later bye!"

Rin waved her hand back to her friend as she ran up the path from the river while Saki shouted back to wait. The young woman looked to the buckets of water she wasn't even given the choice to carry and hung her head low in defeat.

"Why me," she mumbled

xxx

Rin ran as fast as she could to her hut. She knew she will get scolded at for running around like a child, but knowing that her lord was waiting for her made her all the more giddy inside. Normally she was the one waiting for him, but this time is was the exact opposite.

He was waiting for her arrival, or so she hoped. She did not want to keep him waiting, and she most definitely didn't want to run straight for him without bringing a few supplies in hand.

After a few good sprints passed a few huts Rin finally made it to hers. She made her way inside her door and bumped right into the one person she did not feel like talking to at that moment.

Rin stumbled back a little and looked up to the scar faced woman with temper rising in her eyes. "If you had any decent sense you would have known that I was coming," Sue said as she sent sparks of tension shooting from her eyes.

Rin could have been smart and asked what the woman was doing in her hut in the first place, but held her tongue in. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of yesterday; she only wanted to get her things and leave.

"You look sweaty where are you heading to in such a rush?"

Since when was that any of her business, but yet again Rin kept her words from starting a fight.

"I have a lot to do today," she answered while trying her best to avoid eye contact.

"I see," Sue replied as she walked past Rin with her eyes set forward. "Well don't go getting in our way today. We plan to search the area for any demons, and the last thing we need is for you to go around protecting those beasts."

Rin took in a small gulp. If they were to survey the spot where Sesshomaru was then a fight would certainly break loose. Knowing Sesshomaru's power though, it would hardly be considered a fight. Rin could not help but still worry though.

It was obvious the fight would go one until someone met their death, and as much as Rin wished Sue Lee to be gone from her life she will try her best to make sure the foolish woman did not of getting herself killed by Sesshomaru.

Rin pointed her finger in the direction Sesshomaru was. The end of her fingertip aimed right at the top of the cliff where she last saw him.

"There are lots of demons in that area over there. I would suggest you go take a good look there."

Sue arched her brow and gave Rin an unsure look.

"Really, why would I lie to you?"

Sue got face to face with a trembling Rin. "Because I know you hold kindness for those disgusting creatures. The only explanation as to why you are telling me to go there is because you are really trying to lead me away from where they truly are aren't you?"

Sue noticed the countless amount of time Rin looked toward the opposite direction she pointed. The female assassin turned her head over her should to look at the exact opposite location Sesshomaru was located at.

"So that is where all your little friends are hiding."

"NO! I did not point in that direction. I did not say anything like that!" Rin shouted as she pulled off the best act she had ever performed in her life.

"As if I would go where you told me to; how foolish do you think I am?"

"Very," Rin thought.

Rin allowed her facial expression to show off the look of sadness and worry as Sue only smiled at what she thought was a victorious discovery.

"Well thank you for the information girl. The rest of the army will definitely use it well."

Rin fell to her knees and hid her eyes from view as Sue only smirked and left the broken girl on the ground.

After a few moments Rin turned her head to see that Sue was completely gone, and after a good pat on her back she ran inside her hut.

She picked up a piece of silk and began putting a few things inside to make a small bundle. She brought a blanket for the obvious reasons, and she also brought along a few rice balls and a small bamboo container of hot tea to keep her hunger and thirst at bay.

She wasn't sure how long Sesshomaru was going to stay this time, so she wanted to put in as much time with him as she could.

All set and ready for another day to see her lord, she thought as she walked out of the hut.

xxx

Tree after tree after tree; Rin was certain anyone could get lost in this forest if they did not know the way around. She however, knew her way through these woods very well. She traveled around here since she was little and knew just about every dip slope and mushroom there was to pick.

She became more anxious with every step she took. Would he still be there? Could she blame him if he decided to leave? The weather was at its coldest temperature yet the other night. Rin even found herself walking up half the night with the idea of going back to him and telling him to come back with her regardless of who's there.

She never did and she not only spruced up more worry within her, but she had a lousy night sleep as well. Now she was worried if perhaps he had gotten ill. Do demons even catch cold, she wondered.

The more appropriate question was if Sesshomaru himself could even catch a cold? The more logical answer would have to be no in her mind, but that still didn't slow down her speedy pace through the forest.

After what seemed like running around in circles she finally recognized the cliff he was on the previous day.

She surveyed the area and sure enough there he was.

Rin stopped and smiled when she noticed his long silver white hair flowing in the cool wind. Sesshomaru stood proudly at the edge of the cliff as he looked down at the village and noticed all his recent enemies leaving in the opposite direction.

A strange action for them to take and an action he would have looked into if not for the woman standing behind him.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin said as she walked up slowly behind him. He turned his head over his shoulders to meet her bright sunny face. She gave him her happiest smiles and took note that with his facial expression being stoic as ever he must mean that he was ok.

"I'm sorry if you had to wait long," she said as she extended her fingers to grab his hand. "Are you ok? Last night was….." No sooner had she spoken a word before a surprising gasp escaped her mouth.

Rin felt his fingers and if it was not for the sight of his hand she could have sworn she was touching the cold freezing texture of ice.

Soon what was supposed to be a tender moment of lacing fingers together became an inspection of his pale freezing hand. It was like feeling cold air in the center of her palms.

Sesshomaru turned around fully to see what she was doing exactly, and the arch of his brow was all that needed to be said.

"My lord are you not cold?" she asked s her concern filled eyes searched his as her hands kept massaging over his palms and fingers. "Your hands certainly are?"

Rin's own hands swept over both of his as she tried her best to get his blood circulating. While she worked on that Sesshomaru on the other hand had no idea what she was so worried about. He felt fine; yes the weather the other night was cold but it was not as though it affected him.

Same processed as if he was burned; there will be a scar left in the process but that did not mean that it caused him pain or that he felt it. Same occurrence now, but he didn't find himself complaining over her concern for his well being.

He felt her hands leave his for a moment as they began to get near his face. She hesitated for a moment, and the look in his eyes gave her all the permission she needed to see.

A gentle warm hand gently cupped his left striped cheek, and soon the same process happened with her other hand is it made contact with his right cheek.

His whole face was cold as well, and she almost felt like cursing herself over the guilt she felt. She knew it was wrong to blame herself, but he stayed the night in the cold weather for her.

Even if it seemed to not bother him the fact that he waited for her the whole night in the cold was all the more reason why she did not need to hear any words of affection spill from his lips. Not when his actions spoke for him, and it was times like this that she knew he cared about her.

"Your face is so cold," she pointed out as she ran her thumbs up his stripes. She took her actions slowly and knew that one flinch from him meant it was time to release him. It was her moment to get to show him her side of the affections they shared, and she loved every minute of it.

"Do you have a fever?" Her right hand went to his forehead and tried her best not to notice how soft his hair was even in this cold dry weather. Still as soft and silky as she remembered it to be, and after realizing his forehead felt fine she went back to warming up his face and neck.

"I'm sorry what you had to endure last night. Are you sure you're ok?"

"It is no bother," he answered truthfully as she looked up at him with confusion swimming around in her warm brown eyes.

"Such weather like this does not affect me."

Those brown eyes widened in shock as her face began to turn a bright red. Well if there was ever a time she felt silly for worrying so much it was now. "Oh," she said as she laughed a little at herself. Rin gently released his face as she spoke "I'm sorry I guess it was kind of foolish of me to have….."

A clawed hand held her right wrist to keep the hand cupping his left cheek in place.

"It was not foolish…." he interrupted as his gaze never left hers.

Rin felt her face heat up more at the fact that he wanted her to stay her hand, and his own heated gaze almost sent her on her knees for she felt her legs beginning to shake.

"I…I uh…." Whatever she was trying to say was not coming out properly for every time she looked into his eyes she found herself lost in his golden gaze. She didn't even notice her thumb rubbing his cheek in a tender way nor how close they seemed to have gotten.

It was all too much for her, and she knew she had to say something before the heat in her cheeks decided to burst through her ears.

"I-I brought a blanket with me," she said as she smiled before letting go of his cheek and clutched her bundle to her chest.

"Would you like to go sit down?" she motioned to the tree not far away from them.

Sesshomaru's gaze went from her to the tree she pointed to as his eyes squinted in an annoyed look. Rin caught on and turned her head and almost laughed. There draped against the tree was a knocked out snoozing Jaken that blew a large snot bubble in and out of his nose as drool dribbled down the side of his beak.

"Well first we will have to see if Master Jaken is still alive," she teased as she began to walk toward the silly imp before something ear piercing rang throughout the forest.

"What was that?" Rin said as she looked in the direction of the trees as Sesshomaru did the same.

A few moments passed by before both Sesshomaru and Rin heard it again.

Someone was screaming.

AN: Totally finished this chapter at 4 in the morning lol I'm so tired. This chapter came out good in my opinion. It was not what I planned at first but things always change half way though so I hope you all enjoyed and please leave me a comment if you can! Stay alert for the next chapter and get ready to meet a small blast form the past ;)