Don't mind me while I take a moment to vent… Computer crash. Lost story. Rewrote story but don't think it is as good and I haven't had much luck with finding a Beta. Maybe I'm not meant to have one… who knows. –Venting over-

On another note, thanks for reviewing! You guys have such nice things to say and it truly warms my heart. I really appreciate all the lovely comments and even the critiques. Constructive criticism is always welcome. =]

But enough about me! Onwards with the Sess. /Rin. (People have pointed out a few discrepancies such as Rin's boyfriend not being around – it will be touched on in this chapter and the forefront of the next one.)

He'd sent a hair stylist and make up artist over to her apartment. There was something that inherently agitated her about her boss assuming she wasn't capable of putting her hair up nicely or splashing on some makeup.

As Rin sat there and had her hair pulled around her head, she did her best to ignore the burning of her scalp by trying to remember her dreams from nights pervious. They all reminded her of the dreams she'd had as a child. She was never the 'Rin' she knew – always a new identity in a foreign world, sometimes recently, sometimes in the distant past.

There were dreams that were simple. They revolved around her living her life in India or Spain – Mr. Tashio's double would not appear. But then there were dreams that centered on his double and sometimes those dreams were… well she hadn't had dreams like that as a child; those were a more recent addition.

"Close your eyes please."

Rin refocused on the task at hand and shut her eyes, doing her best not to scrunch her eyelids as the other makeup artist poked and prodded her face with various implements.

Honestly, were they trying to get her ready to go out or torture her – ineffective as it may be?

By the time the women were and Rin was allowed to move again, Maya had gotten home and was staring at Rin with wide eyes.

"Can I help you?" Rin snapped, her patience worn thin.

"You just," Maya paused and bite her lower lip, "You look so beautiful, Rin."

That surprised Rin. Maya wasn't one for seriousness.

Rin rushed into her room and looked in the mirror, shocked by who was looking back at her. The woman in the mirror was lovely. Her hair was done up in a twist that she could see as it poked out from above her head. The sticks that held it in place were beautiful, engraved with light blue swirls of clouds. Her lids sparkled with blue and silver and her lips were a soft peach, shimmering with the same iridescence as the rest of her makeup. Rin was radiant.

The winter theme reminded her of a story she'd read about an ice goddess who cursed the world into a frozen eternal slumber when her lover left her.

Rin tore herself away from the mirror and walked over to her bed. The dress Mr. Tashio had sent was laid out before her. It was a late 19th century style dress, with a high waist and a long flowing skirt. The corset-like bodice was embroidered with swirling clouds over the bust. There were even matching silk opera gloves to accompany it.

Rin ran the tips of her fingers over the silk, savoring its softness for the first time; she'd left it in its wrappings since it had arrived with the note "Don't spill anything on it." She had to admit she appreciated Mr. Tashio's decision to send the women more now, after seeing how meticulously he must have planned this. Then again, maybe he had shown a picture of the dress to the women and had them pick the hairstyle and make up. Maybe he hadn't even picked the dressed in the first place…

Rin shook her head and sighed. It was so hard to tell whether or not he gave a rat's ass about anything, let alone her. Not that she wanted him to, of course. He was her boss and their relationship was strictly professional. He just needed someone to escort to the gala – it was not personal.

But even as Rin tried to convince herself of this, she couldn't help but smile at the thought of taking his arm in her own while dressed like a queen.

By the time the dress was on and in place, Rin could feel butterflies settling into her stomach – ravenous meat eating butterflies that were munching on her insides. She paused at her bedroom door, suddenly fearing she had made a terrible mistake. Her thoughts were short lived, however, when Maya burst through and giggled.

"Oh my god! You look so freaking amazing! I think I'm going to die!"

"Always with the drama," Rin chided, but she couldn't hold back a smile.

"I need to take a million pictures! When is he picking you up?"

Rin glanced at the clock on the wall as she exited her bedroom. "In 15 minutes. But it's not him. It's just a car to get me."

"Well that's a shame. I was hoping to take pictures Prom style."

Rin snorted. "As if he would let that happen. His bachelor standing would be compromised."

"And you'd shoot the stardom. Maybe you posing with that sexpot would be enough to be Kenta back from Chicago." Maya squealed as she snapped photos of Rin from every angle.

Rin ignored the latter part of Maya's statement because she dint want to think about her estrange boyfriend.

"I'm starting to see why celebrities beat paparazzi. Get that out of my face Maya or so help me!"

Their intercom buzzed at the same moment Rin was about to bat Maya away. She quickly composed herself, as if the person on the other end was able to see her, and with her finger on the 'call' button answered.

"Yes?"

"Ah, Ms. Sato?"

"This is she."

"I'm here to drive you to the gala. If you'd kindly come down."

"Oh yes. Of course. Thank you." Rin let go of the call button and turned to pull on her shawl and grab her purse. Maya was still snapping photos as Rin waved her goodbyes and headed out the door.

As Rin finally reached the front steps of her apartment building, she was cursing her 3-inch heels and the fact that their apartment building didn't have an elevator.

A man was waiting right out front, standing beside a limo. He was handsome with a short ponytail and a black suit. The purple shirt and tie underneath matched with striking precision the hue of his bright purple eyes. Rin wondered briefly if they were natural or contacts.

He smiled warmly at her and opened the back door. "Good evening Ms. Sato."

"Rin." Rin corrected with an equally pleasant smile.

This seemed to cause the man to smile even wider, his eyes alight with happiness, not that Rin could guess why.

"Miss Rin it is."

They drove in relative silence for which Rin was grateful. She had a sense of impending doom the closer they got to the gala. By the time she said goodbye to mystery-purple-eyed man and walked into the main hall, her mind was a jumble and her nerves were raw.

All around her were unfamiliar sights and sounds. A thousand women in beautiful dresses of every color of the rainbow moved like waves. The cacophony of noise, both voices and music, was almost painful to her ears. Rin wanted to leave the moment she arrived.

Then, a figure stepped up beside her and somehow blocked out the onslaught. It was like their body absorbed the sound around the two of them. Rin looked up and smiled gratefully only to find that her would-be savior was none other than Inuyasha.

"How did you…"Rin's voice trailed off when she realized she was about to ask a really stupid question. Of course he wasn't actually mitigating the noise. His presence was just comforting or something…

But he seemed to have known somehow as he quirked up an eyebrow in a way that reminded Rin of his elder brother.

"May I accompany you, Rin?" Inuyasha held out a hand and smiled toothily.

Rin quickly glanced up and down, sizing him up, as she took his arm and nodded.

He was wearing a classic tux and it looked good. His white hair was far shorter than the last time she had seen him. Now it was only a bit below his shoulders. Its layered shagginess made it impossible to neatly put back so it hung around his face. Though not usually one for hair in a person's face, Rin didn't mind it at all. If anything, she wanted to touch his hair and see if it was as soft as she imagined Mr. Tashio's hair to be.

As she was led around the room, Inuyasha pointed out people and Rin tried her best to attach names and faces – Rebecca had briefly mentioned during their time together that it was important for her to recognize important allies and enemies of Tashio Industries. It was also why Mr. Tashio had her there. But, if she was honest with herself, she hadn't studied nearly enough.

This was all a part of a world that Rin never knew existed. The upper tier of society lived very differently than she did in the solid middle class. Everything about these individuals screamed money and privilege.

Needless to say, Inuyasha's descriptions of the patrons were probably not the most helpful ones. The fact that the CEO of Edgewood Electronics had hemorrhoids and his wife's breasts were fake wasn't really pertinent information. Still, it did make Rin laugh and she was grateful for the company. No matter how much her clothing made her blend in, she still felt like everyone noticed that she didn't belong. Inuyasha made the discrepancy in social standing a little easier to stomach.

After circling the room a few times, Inuyasha led Rin over to a table close to the stage at the front of the hall and pulled out a chair for her.

"Are you sure it's okay to sit this close to the stage? Isn't this for important people?"

Inuyasha snorted. "You're here with Fluffy, aren't you? This is where he sits. Of course you'd sit with him."

"Oh. Yes."

"By the way, the gloves are a nice touch. Classic." Inuyasha complimented though it was hard to tell if he meant it.

Rin looked at her gloved hands as she sat down in the indicated chair.

"Yeah, I guess so. It's not really my thing."

Inuyasha quickly joined Rin on her left and shrugged in response. Soon after almost everyone else took their seats around the hall. Their table quickly filled up until only the two seats to Rin's right were left unoccupied. The other four people at the table talked amongst themselves, clearly ignoring Rin and Inuyasha though Rin was sure she had heard them say "half-breed" and "human" as if the words left a bad taste in their mouths. It made no sense – everyone here was human and 'half-breed' seemed very rude regardless. Perhaps it was because Inuyasha looked like a mix of Far East Asian and Western European?

Rin opened her mouth to ask Inuyasha what they could possibly mean when a breathy laugh from behind her gave her pause. Rin didn't need to turn to know who it was. From the tenseness of Inuyasha's broad shoulders to the grimace on his face, she could only guess it was that woman from before. Rin heart sank though she did her best to ignore it. Of course she would be here. There were two empty seats, one for Mr. Tashio and one for his date. Rin was his assistant, not his company on such an occasion.

Rin cleared her throat and turned around in her seat, smiling broadly. "Hello. I don't believe we've been properly introduced ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you I'm-"

The red-eyed woman held up a hand dismissively and spoke with a chilling tone. "Please. Spare me. Introductions are not necessary. And before you start to speak again know that it isn't needed or wanted." The woman reclined, leaving the chair between the two of them empty for Mr. Tashio. "Now turn around and flirt with your dog-friend, mmk?"

"Watch it Kagura," Inuyasha growled from behind Rin.

Rin kept her smile plastered on her face. She feared that if it fell she wouldn't be able to keep up her polite demeanor. This woman had no decency for no good reason! What had Rin ever done to deserve such venom?

"How kind of you. Enjoy your evening." Rin ground out through clenched teeth. She scooted closer to Inuyasha and turned back to face him but not before Kagura cooed, "Aww, can't have one Tashio so you settle for the other?"

Rin stiffened immeasurably and bit her lower lip hard. She wouldn't turn around; she wouldn't rise to the bait. Instead she looked up at Inuyasha and smiled at the softness of his eyes.

"Thank you for you concern," Rin murmured softly. She was surprised when his hand closed over hers as if offering her the same comfort that he had before when he'd saved her from being overwhelmed at the beginning of the night.

"Don't mind her. She's just jealous that both of us prefer you."

"Prefer? What-"

"Never mind that," Inuyasha interrupted her and Rin sighed. People seemed to be making a habit of not letting her finish a thought lately.

"So what do you think of it?"

"It? The gala you mean?" Rin moved her hand out from under his and gestured around her. "It's wonderful. Though I can't imagine having to do this regularly," she pointed at her dress and styled hair.

"Tell me about it. I've been doing this for centuries and I still can't stand it. You never get used to it."

"A little overdramatic don't you think?" Rin snorted in reply. "You're what, 25? You can't have been at it for that long."

"27 actually," Inuyasha quickly responded, glad she hadn't taken his slipup about age as anything more than hyperbole. "I've been forced to attend these since I was… 18. It's been a long 9 years. Sess's mom is a slave driver."

"Mr. Tashio's? Forgive me for prying but don't you have the same mother?"

Inuyasha smiled and his eyes shown with mischief. He leaned closer to Rin as if sharing a secret. Rin leaned closer in turn until their foreheads were almost touching.

"Nah. Same pops. Totally different moms. Pops left his mom for mine, kinda like a mistress I guess. Sess was pretty sore about it for a long time. But we've gotten past it mostly."

"Well it's hardly your fault. How can he-"

A low unearthly growl came from behind both of them; it reminded Rin of the noise she had heard in Mr. Tashio's office when he and Inuyasha had argued a week prior.

Rin quickly straightened up and looked dead ahead. Inuyasha didn't move from his position, his eyes now trained on the side of Rin's face.

"About time you showed up, Sess."

Sesshomaru stood rigidly behind Rin's chair glaring daggers at his little brother. After a few agonizing moments he pulled his chair back, careful to keep it from scarping across the floor, and sat between Rin and Kagura, or more accurately between fire and ice.

Rin was positively frigid next to him, as if afraid to move. Kagura, on the other hand, was smoldering with barely controlled passion and rage.

Rin took a deep breath and mustered up a smile as she turned and dipped her head in acknowledgment. "It's wonderful to see you, sir. Thank you for allowing me to accompany you."

Mr. Tashio didn't respond as he took his seat beside her. He turned his body towards her and opened his mouth as if to speak. Then, as though thinking better of it, he swiveled around in his seat and began talking to the red-eyed woman to his left.

Rin swallowed hard and turned back to Inuyasha. Her smile wavered but she managed to keep it in place even though it was far from believable.

"Sorry. What were we talking about?"

Inuyasha sighed. "Nothing worth mentioning. Enough about the Tashio boys. Tell me more about you, Rin."

Seeing Rin so close to another man - his brother no less - made Sesshomaru's blood boil. Upon sitting down he found himself about to chastise Rin and tell her she needed to respect her place as his one-day-in-the-not-so-distant-future mate. Realizing this would be a terrible mistake he quickly avoided disaster by turning towards Kagura, who so clearly wanted his attention anyway.

"Bring-your-assistant-to-work-day? Really Sesshomaru?" Kagura purred.

Sesshomaru sneered and leaned as far away as possible from Kagura without touching Rin, who was still seated behind him.

"Don't behave as if who she is alludes you." He spoke softly so as not to alert Rin. But even at a low tone his voice was menacing. "Don't forget your place or purpose."

Kagura leaned forwards so that her chest was fully on display. "I used to be pretty multipurpose if you recall. I could relieve some of the tension you've obviously got building up inside you." She licked her lips, her eyes trained on his mouth.

"Hardly." Sesshomaru responded coolly. "This Sesshomaru has no need for your assistance now or ever again. Don't overstep your boundaries by presuming you know anything."

Kagura's eyes turned cold and she looked past him. She scanned the crowd for a minute before she focused on something over his shoulder. After a few moments she smiled broadly and leaned back looking smug. "One thing I know for sure; you better watch out for the half breed. Maybe he's over the miko. I mean, he seems to be all over your little ward."

Sesshomaru whipped around, barely able to contain the snarl that threatened to escape past his lips. He scanned the crowd before zeroing in on his prey. Off to one side was HIS Rin laughing and turning in slow circles with his shit-for-brains little brother on the center dance floor. They were close. She hand one hand in Inuyasha's and the other on his shoulder. Inuyasha's other hand was on the small of her back, far too close to her backside for Sesshomaru's comfort.

"Now, now," Kagura chided, "Don't make a scene. Mommy wouldn't approve of you ruining her ball."

Under normal circumstances, Sesshomaru would not allow her to speak to him so candidly but at the moment, not only was Kagura right but he had far bigger things on his mind than the harlot's insubordination.

His mother's displeasure at him for ruining her party hardly mattered to him either. What did matter was that Rin would be afraid of him if he did anything too extreme. In past lives Sesshomaru had tried to take Rin by force with disastrous consequences. He would be damned if he'd make that mistake again.

As Sesshomaru watched Rin move around the dance floor, he was reminded of a time many years ago when he stole his Rin away from her homeland during a festival. He'd stolen her away while she was dancing.

She moved with the grace she always possessed. It wasn't the same as the fan dances she did for him once upon a time but it was still beautiful; even if it was far more primitive. She spun around the fire, her skirts twisting around her lithe body and her skin, sweaty from exertion, glistened in the dying light.

She was so exotic to him, so erotic as well.

Sesshomaru skirted along the edges of the light cast by the bonfire. He was careful to keep himself out of her eyesight. He didn't want to raise any alarms.

The yelling and chanting of the men and women clustered around the flames and the undulating bodies packed tightly together made it hard to get close to her without attracting attention. He knew would have to wait until the festivities died down.

It only took an hour or so before people started to disburse and his lovely reincarnated Rin was almost entirely alone and yet she was still dancing, albeit slower than before.

She stopped suddenly, her chest heaving and bent over with her hands on her knees.

Sesshomaru approached silently, stalking his prey. She remained unaware of him as she faced the fire, a silhouette in an otherwise desolate landscape.

"You've changed."

Sesshomaru stopped mid-step; he was mildly surprised that she knew anyone was there.

"I remember you from my young years. You followed me while my family moved across the planes."

Sesshomaru remained silent and watched her as she turned to face him. Now backlit by the fire, she stepped towards him. Her face would have been unreadable to a human but his keen eyes saw in the dark and could make out the questions that burned in her eyes as well as the scars and wrinkles on her cheeks and brow.

"Who are you? Why have you haunted my dreams?"

He still didn't speak. In truth, he wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't expected her to be aware of him. Years ago when he had finally found her, she was in her teens and living on the Steppes in what he would come to know as present day Russia but he hadn't known what to do. So he'd followed her and waited.

After a few years, Sesshomaru had grown tired of his own inability to act and had left in search of something to quash his needs for her only to return years later. But now she was old and married. She had bore children to another man and though she was healthy and strong, she was still in her late 40's and no longer his innocent Rin.

Bu for a reason he couldn't comprehend, somehow none of that seemed to matter to Sesshomaru. She was his forever and he would have her whenever he wanted. Her past was irrelevant as far as Sesshomaru was concerned. After all, what would be better than a future with him?

"Have you come to take me?"

He inclined his head in the barest of nods.

"I will not go easily White One. If you take me from my young ones I will fight or die."

Sesshomaru growled and stalked towards her until he was so close he could feel both the heat of the flames and of her flesh. Her nose brushed against the plate of his armor and she had to crane her neck back to look up into his eyes.

"If you restrain me I will starve myself. If you force me to eat I will make myself sick until I waste away and die. Will you take me to bed? I will howl in the night and you will never rest. I will kill you or myself."

"Don't make threats you cannot keep." His hands slid around her shoulders and he ever so slightly lifted her off the ground.

"I will haunt you for eternity White One. An eternity is an awfully long time, especially towards the end."

"What would you know of it?"

"I have had many lives with you before. I loved you as them but now I have found another and you have missed this life. Go, White One. Find me another time."

Sesshomaru was taken aback by her knowledge of the truth of their relationship. She seemed to remember their past together. It should have given his joy but the truth was that their lives together so far were far from perfect.

"You will come with me regardless."

"Then I will die with you."

Not wanting to hear about her demise any longer Sesshomaru hoisted her over his shoulder and began to run. He was surprised by how complacent she was as they flew over the ground and far from the bonfire and her people.

It wasn't until a few hours had passed and Sesshomaru was certain that they wouldn't be found that he returned to a normal, human pace.

It was then that the overwhelming and pungent smell of human blood filled his nostrils.

He quickly slung Rin around so that she was cradled in his arms.

His white sleeves immediately soaked through with blood that dripped down his forearms and onto his pants. He was sure his back was covered in her blood too. Was it possible he had been so caught up in himself and his thoughts that he hadn't noticed the stench of his mate's blood?

She looked up at him with wide eyes and blood gurgled in her mouth; she tried to speak but the gaping hole in her throat prevented any words. The red, angry slit that went from ear to ear seemed to smile perversely at Sesshomaru as he watched the light leave her eyes.

He held her and looked at her bloodied face until long after the sun rose.

How could he have not noticed that he had a knife on her? How could he have been so confident and so careless?

He memorized every inch of her visage as the early morning light bathed them both in warmth. He would never forget this moment, this image, this memory. It would be recalled over and over and would grow more gruesome with each revisit but that didn't bother him – he deserved it.

A dead Rin, bloody in his arms. It wasn't the first time this had happened but he would make sure it was the last.

Sesshomaru pushed the memories of his failings aside and stood. He ignored Kagura's snickering as he weaved through the crowd. They parted as he walked by which made it nearly impossible for him to be subtle about approaching Inuyasha and Rin.

Inuyasha watched Sesshomaru move towards himself and Rin with caution. He kept Rin with her back to his elder brother and if making sure she wouldn't know he was coming.

By the time Sesshomaru reached them, Inuyasha was giving Rin a rather idiotic reason for his need to depart.

"Sorry. Nature calls, ya know." Inuyasha smiled widely and bowed in a joking fashion that made Rin laugh giddily. It was a musical sound and it made Sesshomaru's heart seize with want.

Why couldn't he just have her now?

Sesshomaru quashed a growl as his inner demon burned with the need to claim Rin. Instead, he cleared his throat and waited for Rin to turn around and look up at him with innocent, wide eyes.

"Mr. Tashio. Hello."

"It seems appropriate for us to dance as we are both presently on the dance floor. Does it not?" He couldn't believe how imbecilic he sounded. But Rin didn't seem to mind or even notice as her eyes grew wide and she gave the barest of nods in consent.

The music of the previous song had just died down and she stood there staring at him as the first chords of the next song began.

He remained still, waiting for her to move close enough to dance with. She seemed like a timid rabbit. Being the superb hunter that he was, Sesshomaru knew it was best not to approach until the creature was lulled into a false sense of security – not that he planned to hurt Rin.

Rin could barely breathe as she stepped into the circle of his arms. She had never imagined being so close to him. One hand clasped her gloved one and the other went to the small of her back. He guided her towards him until there were scant inches between their chests.

Rin looked straight ahead at his shoulder, acutely aware of its rise and fall as he breathed.

The music picked up again and Mr. Tashio moved, pulling Rin expertly along with him. They twirled across the dance floor, Rin only keeping up because of his strong arm on her back directing her.

Colors and shapes flowed around her but all she noticed in those moments was Mr. Tashio. She stole a peak up at him and found him looking out at the crowd over her head. Maybe he wasn't all that interested in dancing with her. Could it be he felt obligated to dance with her since she was, in an odd sort of way, his guest this evening?

Rin bit her lip and tried to ignore the acid that rose up her throat at the thought. She stomped the feeling down, frustrated by her lack of emotional control.

The jolt of adrenaline her annoyance brought on was enough to make her step forwards too quickly and onto the hem of her dress. Rin stumbled, unable to keep her balance. However, the floor stayed a long way away from her face as Mr. Tashio quickly caught her, holding Rin upright with a hand on her shoulder. It was the first time they had had skin-to-skin contact.

Sadly, it wasn't at all pleasant.

The relief Rin felt for not having fallen was quickly overshadowed by a heat that built up from where his hand was against skin her. It burned with an intensity she had never felt before, threatening to make her black out from the pain. She reached out, her hands clasping the fabric on his upper arms and she scrunched her eyes shut, her mouth open in a gasp of silent pain.

Images flashed on the backs of her eyelids. At first they were slow, agonizing snapshots of people she didn't know in places she had never been. Then they began to move faster, flashing brightly. Rin couldn't keep up with them. Life and death. Happiness and then utter terror. Smells and sounds she didn't know, couldn't know. Horse drawn carriages and the sands of Egypt.

Rin's nails dug into something, probably Sesshomaru if she was still holding him but the real world seemed so far away. She vaguely heard someone calling her name. Rin desperately wanted to respond but couldn't as she was fell into a swirl of imagery. It was consuming her, tearing her apart. She wanted to die.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, all movement within her mind stopped. All the pain faded for a moment.

As Rin's eyes focused in on a singular image, she saw through the eyes of another. Or maybe they were her own.

She looked over her swollen belly and could just make out the top of a women's head, who was kneeling between her spread legs. To her left and right were two other women, both holding her hands and cooing praise.

"Rhoda, you're so close."

"Just a little more. Push Rhoda."
"It'll be okay."

Their accents were foreign. British? Australian maybe?

The woman between her legs gripped both of her knees tightly and looked over her bloated stomach at her.

"This'll be the hardest thing you've had to do. I need you to push Rhonda. Push as hard as you can."

She grunted and pushed, her muscles screamed under the strain and it felt like they were tearing apart. Her stomach convulsed with the pressure of her pushing and she saw stars.

What should have followed were the cries of a babe born. What did follow was absolute silence.

A minute passed. Then two. A high-pitched keen filled the air and it took a moment for her to realize that it was coming from her.

She had lost yet another child.

The three babes before hadn't made it past the first five months but she had been so sure about this one. This child had made it until labor. How could it not live?

"We need to stop the bleeding." She was vaguely aware of the voices around her but she wasn't processing what they said. Nor did she worry about the sticky wetness pooling on the bed.

The women left her sides and she saw one take a bundle out of the room.

"Was it a boy or a girl? Tell me!" Her voice was hoarse and weak.

"A boy, Rhoda. I'm sorry," The woman whispered.

Rin looked into the woman's bright blue eyes and saw herself reflected there. Light brown hair and equally blue eyes but everything about her seemed duller somehow, like all the light had been sucked out of her body. Her cheeks were sunken, her skin sallow.

It was then that she knew she was dying but it didn't scare her.

She let her head fall back on the pillow.

"Rhoda?"

"Oh lord, I think we are losing her!"

"Get her husband in here quick! Rhoda!"

The darkness that followed was soft and comforting like a room made of feather down. There was peaceful silence and Rin relaxed into it until a familiar voice disrupted her thoughtless suspension in space.

"Rin? Are you awake?"

Rin moaned softly and flexed her toes. Sheets covered them and kept her from moving her feet much. She moved her fingers next and found them equally bound by fabric.

"Rin? Hello? Anyone in there? I know you're not in a coma. It's not funny. You really scared me."

Rin tried to open her eyes but her lids felt so heavy. Her dream had sapped all the energy from her. She groaned again and managed to mumble, "Maya? What are you doing here?"

"Of course it's me! What am I doing here? I live here with you! What, are your eyes glued shut?"

A hand touched her cheek and Rin relished the warmth it brought.

"Feels like it," Rin said after a moment. She slowly opened her eyes and was blinded by the brightness of the room.

Rin quickly became keenly aware of the fact that she wasn't at the gala but in her bedroom.

"Maya? What's going on?" Rin attempted to sit up only to fall back onto the pillows out of dizziness.

"Rin, it's okay. Calm down."

Maya sat on the edge of the bed and held out a brown paper bag.

"I brought raspberry scones! Lord knows, if you don't eat soon you really will need to stay in the hospital and you know what they say about the food in there. Belch!"

"Hospital?" Rin looked around again, "Aw, jeez. What happened? The last thing I remember I was at the gala dancing with… oh shit! Mr. Tashio!"

"He's the one who brought you back here. I got a call from the hospital 'cause I'm your emergency contact. Don't worry I called your parents. Kenta too. He is flying back from Chicago right now. But anyways, he took you in, had them give you some stuff and then somehow convinced your doctors to let you rest at home. It was like a knight in shining armor how he carried you up to your room in his arms."

Rin closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. None of this made any sense. How could she have fainted? Why didn't she remember anything except that freaking dream of dying during childbirth.

"You got flowers, which is weird since, you know, it's only been like 12 hours."

Rin looked up at Maya and then over at her nightstand. Sure enough, a beautiful bouquet of flowers in a glass vase sat there. They were lilies of all different colors; Rin's favorite.

"Is there a card?"

"Yeah," Maya reached over and plucked it out of the flowers. "But there's nothing written in it."

"You read my card?" Rin chided playfully, pulling her arms out from under the blankets and plucking the card from Maya's grip.

"Glad to see you've got some strength in you. And yea, not that it matters."

Rin smiled. With every passing minute she was feeling a little bit better. She slowly opened the small card and saw that Maya was right – it was blank. But it smelled. Not in a bad way and not like the lilies it had been sitting with. It smelled like something Rin grew up with.

When she was little, her parents used to take her down to Washington D.C. every spring to see the Cherry trees bloom. Sakura trees were her mother's favorite.

The smell was something Rin knew instinctively and this card smelled of Sakura blossoms.

"Any ideas, Rin?"

"No," Rin replied absently. "Not a clue."

"Oh well. But man is he yummy with that short shaggy hair!"

"Short?"

"Yeah. Like you don't know what I mean. It frames his face so well, don't you think?"

The light bulb finally went off as Rin realized that Maya was describing the younger Tashio brother and not her boss; she decided it was better not to correct Maya's misconceptions.

Maya continued chattering about how she'd been freaking out for hours and Rin had been mumbling in her sleep. Rin halfheartedly listened ad she fiddled with the card and she mused over why it was Inuyasha who had taken her back home.

It wasn't until Maya said "Rhoda" that Rin tuned in again. It wasn't very nice but she often tuned out Maya without meaning to.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Hmm, oh yea. You kept saying weird things like. 'Rhoda. No, it can't be.' and 'Please don't let him die.' It was kinda creepy honestly." Maya fished out a scone from her bag and started to munch on it.

"How weird," Rin responded as she looked out the window and wondered, not for the first time, if she was starting to lose her mind.

"Yea…" Maya paused for a moment and looked at Rin with great scrutiny. "Though now that I think about it, there was another model-like man at the hospital arguing with a doctor. He looked a lot like your knight in shining armor. You didn't tell me there were two!" Maya jumped up and down on the bed, jostling Rin. "Who's the second one?!"

Rin sighed and shook her head. "I don't know the first one, let alone the second."