Feudal Affair

I don't own Inuyasha

Chapter IX

Rin sang quietly to herself as she rubbed her growing belly. She'd walked her current path many times before along the outside of the village. These had been the trees to which she had escaped when Sesshoumaru had first left her in the village. She'd only known the death and sorrow inflicted by humans, her savior, a powerful demon. So, getting used to living in the village had been difficult. She'd run away to the protection of these trees where Sesshoumaru would sometimes find her. She'd only imagined he'd picked up the scent of her tears or maybe he was in the vicinity and could hear her quiet sobs to return to his side. He'd comforted her, encouraged her to give the human village a chance despite knowing how sure she was that this was a place that she'd never stay forever. The first year without him was hard. Kaede had done her best to keep her occupied with chores or find ways to integrate her into the community of children but she'd felt displaced among them. It was strange for a little girl to speak of demons so fondly or to mention how much that she'd travelled with them. She regretted speaking of demon heads and fangs being forged into swords, narrow escapes of death, hell hounds, and ruthless, relentless battles. The other children seemed to cringe away and eye her with suspicion as if she herself could possibly be a demon. Kaede had explained to her why the children found her stories strange yet to her they were not. They had simply been a part of the life that she'd survived. Yet that year alone had given her the most hope toward a happy future.

Rin left her past behind her as she smiled feeling the baby find a new more comfortable position inside her. She'd finally told Kohaku of the expected arrival and as she'd expected, he was overjoyed with anticipation of their child. She'd known Kohaku's reaction wouldn't be the same as Sesshoumaru's. Kohaku, as of yet, had no reason to doubt the child being his, but Sesshoumaru did. Honestly, she hadn't given as much thought to the child being Kohaku's as it being Sesshoumaru's. It was easier to envision the latter. She knew that Kohaku would never destroy a child, never kill her if the baby wasn't his. Some time ago she may not have said that Sango was capable of such either but Kohaku's sister was now a very real threat.

"Where exactly do you think you're going?"

Rin stepped back as Sango approached her.

"I'm just taking a walk Sango. Nothing more."

"I know that he's been here and quite a few times. Don't think for one moment that I'm ignoring this."

"Kill me now then, along with your nephew."

"You think that's going to save you? What are the possibilities that you'll birth a half-demon rather than a human? What will you tell Kohaku then? Try to convince him that you've got demon blood running through your veins?"

"Sesshoumaru has already assured me that it won't be. He knows the scent of my blood, human blood."

"You think I'm stupid enough to take your word for it? And even if I did, who's to say that Sesshoumaru didn't lie to you?"

"Why would he? If he knew the child was his, don't you think he would have taken me away? He wouldn't risk the birth of his child to an existing threat. Even so, do you truly have it in you to kill me?"

Rin noticed Sango shift uneasily. The moment made her question if Sango was second-guessing her actions. When she'd first come to reside in the village it was Sango and Kagome that she'd consider like older sisters. It hadn't taken her marriage to Kohaku to build those bonds. They were already there. Yet the woman in front of her was now proving to be something more deadly.

"I never thought you had it in you to be unfaithful to Kohaku. But you showed me different. Who you really are."

"I haven't changed Sango. I always loved Sesshoumaru. I always have and I always will. But I thought he'd abandoned me. I thought it was clear that we would never be together, that I would forever have to remain in this village for the rest of my life. I thought that by marrying Kohaku I could somehow make things normal, move on, but I was wrong. I made a mistake and I can't take it back. I was never trying to hurt Kohaku."

"The truth is that you feel no remorse for what you've done to my brother. Because even if you could take back what you've done, you wouldn't. The only thing that you care about is how to end this farce of a marriage and escape into the sunset with your demon. If you birth Kohaku's child what will it be, an accident, illness, that takes the baby's life? Maybe Sesshoumaru will do it himself? I wouldn't put it past either of you."

"You are wrong! How dare you believe that I would kill my child."

"You're capable."

Sango brushed by Rin as she held the tears away. She turned to see Sango heading back toward the village.

"Maybe you think I'm capable because an evil still resides in you. I guess you're wishing now that you'd killed me as a child when you'd taken aim at me in Naraku's body, all for the sake of your love."

She watched Sango pause. The words had taken the demon slayer by surprise reminding her of quite possibly the worst decision she'd ever made, the one regret that she'd held onto for so many years.

"I atoned for my mistake."

"And I forgave you, and so did Sesshoumaru."

"... It's not the same."

"I guess you're right. Taking a life is better than what I've done."

Rin watched Sango look off before leaving. She sighed as she calmed her racing heart. It was all that she could do in hopes that Sango would not go through with a decision that she too would regret. She winced as she felt pain with the baby moving again and wondered if that was normal. Rin refused to look back toward the village for fear she might see Sango still watching her. She allowed her steps to lead her unsure of where she was going but anywhere was better than here at the moment. The dusk dark didn't stop her steps in the familiar yet less travelled territory. There wasn't an area of these lands that she hadn't explored with her demon protector. Placing her hand against her stomach again she attempted to calm the movements of her growing child. She leaned into a breeze and looked toward the skies to see the first stars surfacing from the darkness.

"Rin?"

"Sesshoumaru?!"

"How did you know I was here? You know it's not safe for you outside of the village."

"I didn't. And you know I'm not safe in the village either. I'd say my heart led me to you but I think even that would be too good to be true. Honestly, I just started walking. It felt like I was allowing the wind to lead me."

Sesshoumaru could see the smile that he was so used to but could see the discomfort as she kept her hand pressed against her belly.

"What's wrong?"

Rin shook her head not wanting him to worry. "He's just been moving a lot. Sometimes what's comfortable for him isn't always what's comfortable for me."

"You seem sure that it's a boy."

"Too active not to be. Are you sure you can't tell?"

"There's no demonic aura."

"But that doesn't...I mean he could still be, maybe he's just not strong enough yet, right?"

Sesshoumaru took her hand in his, drawing her closer. It was easier to comfort her in the moment even as he searched for an aura through touch. There was nothing, not even a faint signal. Even Inuyasha's mother, Izaiyoi had an aura when she was carrying him and it didn't require contact to feel it.

"I don't want you to get your hopes up..."

Sesshoumaru could see the lowering of Rin's eyes, could almost read the thoughts that she was thinking.

"...but he is no different than you. He will still have my protection no matter what."

"If he's Kohaku's, you know I would never leave them."

"I know."

Rin leaned her head against Sesshoumaru's chest, letting her emotions ease as he kissed her forehead. She was sure that he could feel the baby's movements against him as her belly played into their space. He couldn't help but smile as the baby played along his mother's belly seemingly stretching limbs as the space became more limited. The movements slowed then stopped and the tension in Rin's body dissipated as she let Sesshoumaru take her fully into his arms. The scent of her hair and skin was still like the flowers that he identified with her. As much as that familiar scent brought happiness, this time he longed for the less familiar. He longed for the scent of a half-demon. A sign that the child inside her was his.

A/N: More to come soon! Thanks for R&R everyone ;)