The Second Horror Of Having A Teenage Daughter -- Questions

It is a peaceful day. They have settled into a quiet glade for the evening, and Rin is chasing butterflies as Jaken pokes at the fire with a disgruntled look and the mongrel settles back to stare at the stars, listening for Rin with half an ear.

Eventually, the little girl comes over and sits next to him with a thoughtful expression. "Lord Sesshomaru? Where do babies come from?"

He snaps his head around to look at her, his expression surprised. Jaken's head jerks up from next to the fire, and Kiare wraps her arms around her head and collapses into laughter, keeping it muffled.

"Lord Sesshomaru? Do storks really bring the babies?"

He blinks at her. "No, they..." And stops.

Rin tilts her head curiously. "Lord Sesshomaru? Don't you know?" She thinks about it some more. "Is that why you don't have any babies?"

Kiare buries her face in her sleeve, her shoulders shaking.

Jaken lets out a single undignified snicker before his lord gives him a look that clearly states 'silence or death.' He returns to his contemplation of the fire.

He sighs, takes a breath, and starts to explain.

"Whoa, whoa," Kiare says. "Let's not get too graphic."

"Then you tell her."

"Oh, gee, thanks." Kiare tilts her head back, thinking about it. "Well, you know, it's like he said. When too people love each other, they do...something, that makes a baby, the baby grows inside its mother, and about nine months later, you've got a kid."

Rin frowns. "But how does the baby get inside the mommy?"

"Um."

"Oh, yes, mongrel, do tell," Jaken says.

"You wanna do this, toadboy?"

"Oh, but you're doing so well! Besides, I know nothing of human atanomy, save the basics."

"Like I do?"

"You're part human, after all!"

"Like I've had a baby." Kiare sighs. "Look, Rin...it's something that's...very special, and, if you try to explain it, it sounds...really gross."

Rin wrinkles her nose. "Making babies is yucky?"

"Depends on your point of view, really." Kiare is blushing furiously, and gives the snickering Jaken a hard look. "I repeat, do you wanna do this, toad?"

"Lord Sesshomaru? Is it yucky?"

Both Kiare and Jaken shut up, although he could tell Kiare was trying, once again, not to laugh.

"It can be...messy, yes. But not nearly as disgusting as Kiare makes it out to be."

Kiare shrugs. "Young and innocent. I have an excuse."

Jaken snorts. "Young, perhaps, but innocent I doubt."

"Hey, one out of two isn't bad."

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

He sighs. "Yes, Rin?"

"Why don't you have babies?"

"My last mate was murdered."

Kiare jerks, her eyes going wide, but she goes still and silent.

Rin's eyes widen, fill with tears, and she flings her arms around him. "Oh, I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru."

"By humans." He gently disentangled her arms from around him and rose to his feet, walking away.

He hears Rin begin to follow him, and hears Kiare murmur to her gently, settling her in for the evening.

He stays where he is, within earshot of them, until the night is almost over. He hears them begin to stir in the morning, Kiare murmuring to Rin and sending the little girl out for food for them before they depart. He hears the customary exchange of insults between Kiare and Jaken.

He hears Rin return to camp, and hears her approach Kiare. "Kiare? Does Lord Sesshomaru blame me?"

There's a moment of silence. Then, "Blame you for what, love?"

"For...what happened."

Another moment of silence. "No. I think it was a long time ago. He doesn't blame you, because he knows it had nothing to do with you. You're not like them, and he knows it." Another pause. "I think it just hurts for him to think about her."

"It would explain his hatred for most humans," Jaken says.

"Yeah," Kiare replies. "Who can blame him? I'd be pissy about it too." There's another pause, and she sighs. "It has nothing to do with you, Rin. He...doesn't put you in with the rest of the humans. You're different for him. For all of us. Right, Jaken?"

"She's more tolerable than most of them."

He hears Rin approach him. "Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Yes, Rin?"

She pauses, and her hand hesitantly creeps into his. "Are you angry at me, Lord Sesshomaru? I didn't mean to make you angry."

"No."

She beams up at him, and spontaneously hugs him. "Thank you, my Lord!" and runs back to camp.

He watches after her for a moment, before following.

Life was much simpler before.

End