So I am glad that a male Rin was well received. To be honest I think it's a fascinating concept and might do a spin off to delve further into that story…. Anyway, here is another installment!

He didn't come to the party but she wasn't too surprised. It would have been nice to see him again though she knew time moved differently for him than it did for her – she didn't have many years left while he had many lifetimes.

"Dona Amparo, you have spent too long out here. You'll get sick."

"Shh. I am old, not dead. I need sunlight."

"Are you looking for him again?"

Amparo looked over at her handmaiden and met her knowing gaze with a serene smile. "What makes you think I am looking for a man?"

"Forgive me, I did not mean-"

Amparo quieted her with a wave of her hand. "I do not keep you here for your modesty. You have a sharp tongue and a quick mind. Tell me what you think."

"You search the streets with the focus of a hawk. I suppose it could be a woman but the fierceness in your eyes suggests otherwise. I haven't known a world beyond the New World but my mama spoke of a world less savage than this."

"The Spaniards only know savagery. They think they conquered the savages but it is the other way around. And yes, my nina, I do look for a man but not as you think. I am too old for love."

"Too old for love? There is no such thing!"

"The older you get, your heart calcifies. I am not there yet though. But I know a man who is."

"So old? Maybe it isn't age but lose."

"Perceptive. I think it is both. He once looked for the woman he had lost within me. I thought for a while he had found her, but in the end we both knew it wasn't so."

"I'm not sure-"

Amparo turned away from her companion, silencing her. Her hands fluttered around her face before moving to block out the sun. "You are right, the sun is draining me. Let's go back inside"

Her handmaiden looked out at the street before turning back to watch her mistress go. "But the man…"

"He isn't coming, my child. He isn't real."

She still hadn't called her parents and it was dumb luck that Maya was visiting family for three weeks. With neither Mom and Dad nor Maya to bother her, she was able to wallow in peace. It wasn't her relationship with Kenta that she mourned; it was her sanity that seemed to have left her.

Rin scrubbed a hand over her face and stared bleary eyes at the clock on her bedside table. It was strange to think that almost two months had come and gone since she had begun working for Mr. Tashio. It was already winter break but she had convinced her parents that it was okay she wasn't coming home; work was just picking up. It wasn't a complete lie – Mr. Tashio had been brutal since he'd given her a pay grade. Since that day with her home cooked meal, or as she saw it , a lack of a shared meal, he had been more distant than ever but that didn't stop work from piling on. She rarely saw him at the office and he only communicated with her through text or email.

She hadn't seen Inuyasha since then either…

Rin sat up and let the weight of the world reaffirm its position on her shoulders. As it settled into place, she rose and went through her morning ritual on autopilot. Brush teeth. Brush hair. Put on presentable clothing. Put on enough makeup to hide the bags under her eyes. Grab various objects that needed to go into her purse. Leave.

An uneventful train ride later, Rin arrived in front of the office building that had become an unfortunate second home. At the front doors she stopped and turned around. It seemed cruel to herself to go in early and it had been forever since she'd been into that quant coffee shop across the street. Sure enough, she was greeted with the same warmth and luxurious smell of fresh brewed coffee. Behind the counter was the same doe-eyed woman as before. Kagome?

"Hey!" the barista waved emphatically at Rin. It caught her off guard; there was no way this woman could remember that Rin and come in all those months ago… right? As the woman approached with a smile radiant enough to block out the sun, Rin felt herself shrinking away. What was she supposed to do?

"I just went on break! Wanna sit with me and have a cup of coffee? My treat!"

Rin couldn't help but feel suspicious and was about to say that she was in a rush when the woman pulled out a chair for her and plopped down in the one across.

"Sorry. I know I am being pushy. I just," Kagome paused and snorted; it was oddly endearing. "I thought about you from time to time. Not in a creepy way, I swear. I just thought if you ever came in again I would make sure you left as a friend. Or an acquaintance at the very least."

The raw honesty in her gaze gave Rin pause and before she knew it she was sitting down and drinking coffee with her first smile in a month.

"So what exactly do you do over there anyway? Is it as salacious being a secretary as the romance novels have led us to believe?"

Rin almost chocked on her coffee as she managed to suppress the manic giggle that had worked its way up her throat. "No, nothing like that. I barely see Mr. Tashio. He's very," Run paused and looked out the window at the front doors of the Tashio building. "He's cold. But not in a cruel way. He reminds me of an ice sculpture. It can't help but be what it is." Rin looked back at her acquaintance and found Kagome staring at her with wide eyes.

"Oh god. I'm sorry. I must sound crazy."

"No! No, not at all! I completely understand what you mean."

Rin smiled softly and nodded in acknowledgement but she seriously doubted that this woman could understand the depth of her confusion over her distant boss.

As if sensing Rin's doubt Kagome smiled and shrugged. "There's a guy who comes into the café sometimes. But he seems to wait until I am not the one taking orders to get something. It's like he doesn't want to talk to me or something. But then he sits there and I swear he's just watching me. I know I should be afraid but it doesn't bother me as much as I think it should." Kagome's cheek tinted pink at the memory of this mystery man.

Rin's eyes softened with Kagome's words. She knew a thing or two about feeling things you shouldn't towards a man you barely knew.

"But the reason I say I know what you mean is that…" Kagome paused for a moment, wringing her hands, "This guy burns. Like, I don't know, like his mind is on fire. No, his soul! He always seems to have this pained expression and such sad eyes. Maybe I am just as crazy as you!"

Rin laughed along with Kagome and their conversation took a turn from the serious to lighthearted joking. It was amazing how she went from being 15 minutes early to 20 minutes late. It wasn't until Kagome jumped out of her chair and shouted that she was super late to getting back to work that Rin looked at her phone for the time. It had been so easy to talk to Kagome. It was like they'd known each other forever

As Rin got up to leave, Kagome handed her a napkin with her number and asked if they could go to a mall or something. Rin smiled and agreed to text her soon.

The rest of Rin's day went by uneventfully – she did most of her tasks of autopilot. There was nothing particularly pressing for her to get done. A few things to reply to, a few things to copy over to her stoic boss, a few things to send down to the other floors of busy worker bees that made up the Tashio hive.

Time ticked away and with no one else on the executive floor to keep her company, Rin found herself watching to clock and counting the minutes until she could get a drink. God, did she need a drink. Something smooth that would burn all the way down and set a fire in her belly. A whiskey neat would do perfectly for that.

When time finally trudged forward to the appointed hour, Rin raced out of the office like a bat out of hell and barreled into the first bar she found. It was a posh one that was obviously for the business execs in the area. Women - who were probably paid well for their services - chatted up men that fell way below them on a scale of attractiveness. Groups of businessmen with their ties undone sat in circles going over the horrors of their day's and rating women as they walked by them.

After taking a quick inventory of the situation, Rin briskly made her way over to the bar and sat down in the corner. She wanted to attract as little attention as possible for everyone except the bartender; from him she wanted his full attention and an open tab.

"What can I get you?"

"Whisky neat. A double."

"A little hard hitting for a first drink don't you think." His voice was smooth and he was attractive but she wasn't interested.

Rin shot him a look that said she wasn't to be messed with and the bartender held up his hands in mock surrender and poured her drink.

Rin shot it back in one go and slammed the tumbler back on the counter with a little more zeal than she meant to. The bartender chuckled softly and poured her another and then another.

Somewhere around the third Rin woozily realized that the second and the third (maybe even the first) had been a mistake. She sluggishly looked around the room - not entirely sure what she was hoping to find - but was disappointed when she didn't see "it". With her head resting on her hand, she stared off into space and not for the first time wondered how life had gotten so confusing.

"Can I call you a cab?"

"Huh?" Rin looked up into the clear blue eyes of the bartender. He was kind of cue for a blonde; she'd never really liked blondes.

"A cab? Generally yellow. Usually driven by men with thick accent and smell like a million car fresheners?"

"I know what a cab isssssss!" She hadn't meant to sound quite so whiney.

"Uh huh. Yea, how about you just sit here and I'll get you one. Do you know your address?"

"Of course! You're rude!" Rin's head slipped out of her hand and made a b-line for the bar before a hand on her shoulder pushed her upright.

"Easy there. We'll get you home in a minute." A minute turned out to be over a half an hour, but true to his word the bartender got her a cab and got her home.

Upon entering her apartment Rin thought that maybe she should've asked the 'tender to come back to her place. But, just as soon as the thought occurred to her, another feeling hit her full force - nausea. She hadn't had that much to drink but her mostly empty stomach was not pleased with what she had chosen to fill it with.

Rin ran to the bathroom and stayed there for quite a while wrapped around the toilet.

Sesshomaru sat on the hotel bed with the sheets wrapped around his waist. He knew he should get dressed; there was work to be done and it wasn't as if he enjoyed his company. Looking over at his companion, Inuyasha slept upright in a chair on the other side of the room.

Though Sesshomaru had repeatedly told his brother that he could afford another room, Inuyasha had insisted that it was safer this way. While there was truth in that, Sesshomaru was more than capable of taking care of anyone who dared bother him. However, he hadn't felt like arguing and therefore was now in the company on his petulant half-brother.

But just because of the company, Sesshomaru wasn't about to change his habits and thus slept naked. Inuyasha had blanched at that little nugget of realization but then pretended like it didn't bother him. It was hardly their biggest problem anyway. Inuyasha knew that Sesshomaru had done something for Kagura to get the location and meeting time with this "important individual". Thankfully, Inuyasha didn't know what it had cost him and he hoped it would stay that way.

Sesshomaru laid back down with his hands on his chest. His heart beat was steady under his palms. For the first time in quite a while he felt content but he knew it wasn't his emotional change, it was hers.

He had managed to stay away from Rin though it hadn't been easy. God, just thinking about staying away from her was a curse. His heart sped up as he imagined her in front of him. Her long black-brown hair whipped around her as she stood on the balcony of their imaginary penthouse. She wore little more than a slip. She smiled at him and held her arms wide open. How he longed to have her wrap those delicate limbs around him...

Inuyasha's breathing grew shallower and Sesshomaru knew he would awaken soon. He sat up again and set about getting dressed in a charcoal three piece suit.

Fantasizing about her was useless - he had chosen his path. Sesshomaru understood that to avenge the memory of the first Rin, he would let the last one go…. For now.

As he fastened his tie, an unfamiliar feeling crept up from his stomach. He felt a strange rolling sensation that he vaguely remembered occurring when one of the pervious Rin's had been with child. The sudden realization of what it might be did not prepare him for the overwhelming sting that coursed up his esophagus and caused his eyes to water.

Dear lord in heaven, she was going to kill him if she didn't get her broadcasting under control. Sesshomaru gripped the dresser in front of him until he was white knuckled. The urge to vomit was overwhelming but he would be damned if he lost control. He wished there was a way to make her stop his incessant intrusion into his life but that would require explaining far more than he had deemed necessary.

Damn it, the first time had been so much easier….

"Rin, come away from there."

The beautiful creature before him turned around and fixed her dark chocolate eyes on him. She had changed so much from when she was a child. Though Inuyasha had told him it was foul to have an intimate relationship with her because he had once played the role of her surrogate father, neither he nor Rin seemed to mind and that was all that mattered.

"Why are you unhappy?" he asked softly.

"My lord, I am-"

He silenced her with a narrowing of his eyes. "Do not lie to this Sesshomaru. You were," he paused while searching for the right word, "broadcasting your emotions rather clearly."

"I don't understand." She stared at him bewildered. Those eyes searched his own for comfort and understanding.

Sesshomaru internally bristled. He didn't know why but he had expected her to just understand these things. But why would she? He had kept her very sheltered in the ways of his people.

He took a step back from her and motioned for her to sit down, which she did without question.

"When mates are beginning courtship there are certain things that occur to strengthen their connection. One of which may be the ability to communicate with thoughts and feelings."

Rin nodded and smiled up at him. He knew he was completely blocking her from reading his emotions but was sure that she still somehow knew that this conversation made him uncomfortable.

"I can feel what you feel when you don't control it." The words hung in the air.

Rin looked down and Sesshomaru knew he had made her feel ashamed. He swallowed hard and tried to think of how to stop that feeling as it began to clog his throat. "I shall teach you how. Do not fear this." What went unspoken but was understood by both was the "do not fear me" that followed.

Run looked up at him once again and Sesshomaru couldn't help that his heart leapt at the sight up her dazzling smile. She was everything he needed and more.

The nausea eventually passed but not before Inuyasha woke up and began to pester him. Of course, once his idiot brother figured out what was going on, he made jabs at Sesshomaru's expense for what seemed like eons. Even after they left the hotel there was no solace; not from Inuyasha and not from the oppressive weather.

The heat was stifling outside of the crisp air in the limousine. But the heat was nothing compared to the wait - waiting was unbearable. To be so close to answers only to find himself being delayed was enough to make his blood boil, ungodly temperature aside.
Inuyasha shifted next to him and tugged on the collar of his button down."Keh, I can't believe you got me to wear this thing. It's strangling me."
"It is hardly the first time in your life you've worn formal attire nor will it be the last. Cease your incessant complaining, I have little patience. "
"Little? How about none. Not that I blame ya but I don't think this guy's coming, Sess. "
Sesshomaru didn't respond though he couldn't help but agree with his brother. They'd been here for long enough. If this ancient creature was going to show, he would have come already.
Rising from in his seat in the crowded cafe their mysterious companion had chosen, Sesshomaru straightened his suit jacket and gave his brother a withering glare.
As Sesshomaru turned to go back to the limo a powerful presence pushed against his mind's defenses, making a show for domination.
Growling, Sesshomaru spun around to meet this faceless foe. His eyes landed on a middle aged man reading a book against the wall at the far end of the outdoor veranda.
Sesshomaru stalked forward with Inuyasha close behind. As he neared the man in question, the stranger neither looked up nor closed his book.
"I was wondering how long you'd sit there waiting." The man addressed Sesshomaru without so much as a glance.
"If you mean to test me, you will fail"
"Fail?" The demon finally looked up and smiled. "My boy, you have already failed. If you had not we wouldn't be here."
Inuyasha moved closer to his brother as a silent reminder that attacking this man in broad daylight wouldn't be particularly useful. Knowing that Inuyasha was right, Sesshomaru held his tongue and arched an eyebrow in response.
"Such control boy. Far less brash than your father. Before your brother there loses control of his mouth, yes I knew your father. When he was young, in fact. And yes, I am far older than I seem. I saw this world born so do not think I have not seen all that you are." He looked at each other the problems in turn.
"But enough of that," the demon shut the book and it disappeared from his hands. "Don't worry no one is looking at me. They are too busy ogling you two." He turned away and began to walk down the street.
"Keh, does he just except us to follow him?"
"It would appear so..." Sesshomaru ground out as he started after the old demon.

As they walked, the elder man not turning to check that they were following, Sesshomaru racked his brain for a time where he had met this demon. The man was pretty average looking. From what Sesshomaru could see, there were no distinguishing marks to show what sort of demon he was. His eyes looked human and were a soft brown. His hair was salt and pepper and his skin a common Mediterranean olive. Even his build was nondescript. Only about 6 feet tall, he was of average height and weight.
"This guy is a freak. He's got a Lord's aura but I can't get a wiff on him." Inuyasha said with a finger pointed at the demon's back.
Sesshomaru breathed deep, ready to tell his brother that his skills were subpar when he realized Inuyasha was right. It wasn't just this man's physicality that was odd - he didn't smell like anything; not demon, not human, nothing.

Inuyasha moved forward as if to jump the demon from behind but Sesshomaru shook his head slightly, indicating otherwise. Their eyes met in a sidelong glance and they agreed to wait and see what happened. The Tashio brothers continued to walk in silence behind a man neither of them trusted until they came to an office building. It seemed normal but it reeked of magical energy. The older demon entered and after an exchange of displeased expressions, the brothers followed suit.

They found themselves in a glamoured space. The exterior building was a front hiding the demons home.
The interior walls were of paper and wood, reminiscent of Japanese folding walls. The ceilings were high and domed, covered with an imitation of the Sistine chapel. There was an abundance of furniture; couches and chairs scattered around the room all facing a large fireplace. To say the very least, it was odd and unappealing to Sesshomaru though he did sense a feeling of "warmth" and "hominess" in the cluttered array.

Sesshomaru stopped in the middle of the room, between a red velvet ottoman and a green leather couch. Inuyasha followed suit and leaned against a rattan chair while they waited for their host to reappear.

At the far end of the room, the wall slide open to reveal an open metal door. The demon who had led them here waited within its frame, smiling gaily.

"Welcome to my home. You could not have entered if you had been impostors. I'm pleased to allow you in, sons of the Great Lord Tashio." The demon bowed just enough to be polite. "You may call me Yomi. Please follow me into the study."
Sesshomaru stood there for a moment taking stock of the situation. It seemed unwise to enter further into the home, much less into a room with what looked like a reinforced steel door.
As if reading his thoughts, Inuyasha asked, "Should we get out of here, Sess?"
"No. We stay. We learn what we came for and we kill him if necessary." Even as the words left his mouth, Sesshomaru was weary of the idea of challenging this man. He was an enigma Sesshomaru was not interested in cracking.
Sesshomaru led them into the indicated room where he found Yomi sitting in one of four chairs arranged in a loose circle in the center of a large room. The rest of the space was empty and lacked any decoration. It was a strange change from the entrance way.
"Come in already. Dawdling only wastes your time." Yomi gestured for the brothers to join him but neither moved closer.
"We ain't sitting until you prove you can be trusted." Inuyasha snapped. Next to him, Sesshomaru growled a wordless warning. "Come on, Sess, this guy is a kook. It's a con!"
Yomi's easy smile turned serious as he sat up straight. "Careful boy- "

Before he could continue, Inuyasha cut him off "And another thing. I seriously doubt you're THAT old. You never knew our dad. "
"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru hissed at his idiot brother. Did he not notice the energy rolling off Yomi? It was palpable.

Both parties seemed to ignore Sesshomaru as Yomi clicked his tongue and responded to Inuyasha's jab in kind. "You speak as if you know something when all those present, yourself included, are keenly aware of your abundant limitations."

"Enough of this!" Inuyasha shouted as he rushed towards Yomi. Sesshomaru moved forward to stop him when a great weight pressed down on his shoulders, forcing him to his knees.
Inuyasha went down shortly after, grunting from the strain.
Locking eyes with Yomi for a moment, Sesshomaru saw that the stranger's eyes had gone completely white as he stood before them, arms outstretched, palms up.
Another wave of force pressed Sesshomaru's chin to his chest, much to his chagrin; he growled at the vulnerability of his position.

As he willed himself to move against the relentless force, a voice boomed inside Sesshomaru's head, ceasing his struggle against invisible bonds.
"Foolish children. You are nothing but spirits corporealized at the whim of the gods. Do not think you have power here. What you seek is beyond your own kind. You look for not a man, not a demon, but a god. If you do not learn control yourself, you will fail."
The voice faded to a distant echo and weight eased enough for Sesshomaru to look up. Yomi sat back in his chair looking at Sesshomaru as if nothing had happened.

"Well don't just kneel on the floor. Come sit." Yomi joked with an easy smile as he gestured to the chairs across from him

Sesshomaru was up on his feet and across the room in a flash. The urge to attack, to defend himself, was all consuming. He could see red bleeding into his vision and his blood lust was intoxicating.

"Calm yourself, Lord of the West. I am not the one you want to fight." As if the words themselves held power, the red withdrew enough for Sesshomaru to regain his composure.

"Your brother will not be joining us for this conversation but rest assured he is safe in his trance until our business is through."

A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed the demon's words. Sesshomaru internally sighed and softly replied, "His health is a minor concern. Tell me what I want to know."

"Do you always demand from those who are doing you a favor?" Yomi chided as he shifted in his chair. A glass of white materialized in his hand and he took a large gulp before continuing. "You are marked. A creature such as you is made to take and to kill, not to love. Yet, it is not love that has marked you. Do you know what you bear?"

"I am in no mood for riddles," Sesshomaru voice remained calm even as his insides roiled with anger and doubt. He forced himself into the seat across from Yomi as he continued, "I do not seek to understand myself. I know what I am capable of. I want the one who destroyed my home and killed my mate. Man, demon or God, he shall pay."

"Brash words," Yomi murmured, looking into his glass. "You are marked by the destruction of your soul. It is you, in fact, who destroyed it. To be the cause of your own unhappiness…. It's sad really." Upon getting no reaction from Sesshomaru, Yomi sighed and looked up at the stoic demon across from him. "What have you given up to get this far?"

Without a moment's hesitation Sesshomaru replied, "My future."

Yomi snorted, his eyes flashed with an emotion Sesshomaru could place. "Only a fool trades their future for the past. Very well, I will help you. To be clear, even if you beat the demons of before, they will do nothing to help you face the ones that await you. But first, there is much to explain."