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A loud sneeze echoed through the house as Rin doubled over, the Kleenex to her nose capturing any remnants of her sickness before she blew, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she threw the napkin in the garbage, her nose still sniffing and red as her hands were washed with thoroughness.

"Mommy?"

The young woman turned to the sound of her son, her feet moving across the tiles to scoop out the scrambled eggs on her son's toast.

"Hmm? What is it sweetie?"

"Are you okay?" Akihiko asked, his eyes still on his mother as she slipped the pan into the sink.

"Mommy's just a little sick," Rin admitted as she drizzled honey into her tea, "it's just a cold."

"Like what I get sometimes?"

"That's right," the young woman nodded, her throat still scratchy and raw, "just like when you get one."

"So mommy should stay in bed then," the boy practically informed her, the serious look on his face almost enough to make Rin laugh, "and mommy should eat soup and sleep," he suddenly lit up, "and I can take care of mommy! Like when mommy takes care of me!"

His mother actually laughed at his words, the laughter turning to coughing for a brief moment.

"I don't think so honey," Rin murmured, "it's not that I don't want your help, I think it's very sweet of you, but I don't want you to get sick too."

"But-"

"I'll be okay," his mother promised softly, "but I can't run around with you today."

"But if mommy's sick-"

"Mommy needs to take care of you, not the other way around," Rin smiled kindly, her slightly aching body standing to pat her child's head, "but, mostly I need a lot of rest and a quiet day," she looked down at her son, "would you rather spend time with InuYasha or Kagome today?"

"Y-You don't want me here!?"

"No, of course not!" the young woman told him, her heart hammering at his pouting lip and almost tearful eyes, "I just don't want you to get sick is all. And I'm not going to be a lot of fun today since I'll be resting so, if you want, I'll call someone to take care of you for today, okay?"

"Okay…" the boy looked towards his breakfast, his fork fiddling with his breakfast as he thought of his day, his mother's actions seemingly sluggish and slightly pained. "Um… mommy?"

"Hm?"

The boy swallowed thickly, "could I um… could I see someone today?"

"Morning Akihiko!"

Rin watched with a soft smile on her lips as her boy bounded over to his uncle, the boy's backpack filled and his coat over his body.

"Hello InuYasha," the young woman murmured from behind her son, her hands reaching to touch the boy's shoulders, "will you be okay with this Akihiko?"

"Uh-huh," the boy nodded, "you said you want a quiet day and I wanna play but you gotta sleep and-"

"Okay okay," Rin laughed lightly, her throat still raw, "and are you okay with this InuYasha? It is quarter end."

"It's fine," the half-demon brushed off, "I handle most of the marketing, not the finances. Kagome's the one who's busy, she's rushing around with our kid in her checking up on her patients."

"If you're sure-"

"I am," InuYasha grinned, "now, off to bed and don't worry about us, we're gonna have fun!"

"Just bring him back in one piece by five," Rin murmured, his lips lowering to kiss the crown of white hair on her son, "and you behave for him, okay?"

"Kay mommy," Akihiko smiled, "feel better kay?"

"I will," his mother smiled, "a lot of rest, bit of work, and I'll be back on my feet by dinner time."

Her son nodded as he waved to her while the two of them slipped out the door, Rin sighing as she turned to the couch, her hands reaching to pull her work towards her, her heart slightly thankful for the extra help, her memories reminiscent of when her son was a wailing infant, the stress from everything making the young woman cry herself from the frustration. Rin grimaced slightly at the memory of calling Kaede up, her own sobbing self letting her foster mother calm her infant to a deep sleep before she was tended to, her confession and worry that she could not do this on her own spilling out of her like her tears.

"Oh Akihiko," Rin murmured, "what are we going to do?"

"So Akihiko," InuYasha started as he let the kid into his home, "did you have fun at the park with me?"

"Course!" the boy grinned, "but hide and go seek is never really all that much fun…"

"Kinda sucks when you got a nose like a dog," the elder smirked while the boy giggled, "I was always the best at it, but it gets real boring."

"Yeah," the younger laughed, his little body lifted to the bar stool surrounding InuYasha's kitchen island.

"Want something to drink?" his uncle asked him, "preferably something with less sugar then the crepe I got you."

"Kay,' Akihiko nodded vigorously, his body calming slowly from the sugar high of his snack.

His uncle had taken him to a park by his house, the two spending the day playing outdoor games like tag and hide and seek, his uncle buying him a snack of a chocolate banana crepe, the two gabbing and chatting about mainly Akihiko's life, though the one topic the boy wished to question never touched upon until now.

"Uncle Yasha?"

"Hm?" the half-demon turned to the boy, a small smile on his lips as he grabbed the two cups of apple juice, "what is it?"

Akihiko shuffled awkwardly for a moment on his bar stool before he found his words.

"What's a half-breed?"

InuYasha froze for a moment as he looked to the innocent amber eyes, his throat forcing down a lump as he handed the kid his juice.

"Why-uh-why are you asking?"

"Cause," the boy mumbled, his ears drooping slightly, "cause… I got called it from a kid on the playground…"

"Oh," InuYasha sighed, "did-did you tell your mom?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded as he took a sip, "she got this upset look on her face but then she said that it was a deruga-drugat-"

"Do you mean derogatory?" the elder half-demon asked, the boy beside him nodding, "your mom uses big words round you, huh?"

"Mommy says kids aren't dumb," Akihiko mumbled, "we just don't know lots of things so we do dumb things sometimes."

"So… do you know what derogatory means?" InuYasha asked his nephew, the eared head nodding again.

"It means… like, you're being mean to someone, but you're making them seem like they're a lesser person," his nose crinkled slightly, "she tried to tell me what that meant, but I still don't understand it…"

"It's tricky for adults too," his uncle murmured softly, "so, your mom told you that is was bad?"

"Kinda," he shook his head, "she said it was a bad word for a half-demon," innocent amber eyes looked towards the elder, "have you been called it?"

"Kinda… a little…" InuYasha sighed, "a lot, actually…" he turned to look at the boy, "listen. When you hear someone call you that, or anyone else, go tell your mom, okay?"

"Okay," Akihiko nodded, "but… why do people call us that?"

"It's… well," the half-demon looked down at his nephew, "see, a long long time ago, a bunch of demons did a bunch of bad things to humans and, because of this, some humans think that because we're half-demon, we're bad like them-"

"But demon's aren't bad," the boy protested, his uncle chuckling softly as he patted the boy's head.

"You're right, they're not," InuYasha murmured, "but some people think they are. On the other hand, some demons, not all but some, think that humans are… weak, cowardly; and that we half-demons, because of our heritage, are weak too."

"So… because of all that… where do we fit in?"

His small body was scooped up by his uncle, the boy nearly spitting out his drink in surprise as he was tucked under the elder's arm, his lips squealing as his legs kicked while he struggled harmlessly and fruitlessly against his elder.

"You and I," his elder started, their drinks taken in his other hand and placed on the coffee table beside the couch he chose to settle on, the boy still laughing and kicking, "fit in," his hands held the boy on his lap, "with the people that love us and accept us."

"You mean… like my mom… and my dad?" Akihiko asked, his bashfulness revealed on his blushing cheeks as he mentioned his father.

"Yeah," InuYasha smiled, his hand patting the other's head, an action the boy would normally detest from anyone save from his mother, though he was slowly becoming use to it from others, "like your mom and your dad and me and Kagome and your grandpa and everyone else you think of as a friend or family."

"Kay," the boy giggled, his eyes turning to the cups on the coffee table, "um, uncle InuYasha?"

"What?"

"Which one's mine?"

The elder half-demon followed the amber gaze to the two cups, embarrassment flushing on his own cheeks.

"Um… oops."

Akihiko burst into a fit of giggles at his uncle's mistake, InuYasha laughing softly before he turned his head to the sound of the approaching car, his nephew doing the same.

"I think your dad's home," InuYasha suggested though he found it to be unnecessary, the boy's face appearing to light up at the sound.

His body lifted off his uncle's lap as his feet pattered to the front door, InuYasha watching with a smile as Akihiko ran to his father.

Sesshomaru sighed as he listened to his client blither on about his concerns and his paranoia, the demon sighing deeply a second time as he stepped into his brother's house, the half-demon practically demanding to see him as soon as he could.

"Yes Mr. Yamada, I understand your worries," the demon started as he shut the door softly behind him, "but as we discussed this morning, you needn't be concerned about-"

"Yes I understand that Mr. Takashi, but-"

Whatever his concerns were, Sesshomaru didn't listen, his eyes too focused on the little boy calling his name and scampering towards him with a wide grin on his face and his arms outstretched for his father.

"Daddy!" Akihiko laughed as his arms surrounded the demon's legs, "welcome home!"

The demon felt his heart quiver slightly at the words, his eyes looking down at his son, a part of him surprised by the fact that he was not accompanied by his smiling mother.

"Mr. Takashi, are you still there?"

"I-yes I-listen, Mr. Yamada, I'm afraid I need to go."

"Go!? But, wait, what-"

"Something incredibly important has come up," Sesshomaru told the other honestly as he lowered himself down to his knee, "I have to go."

"But-"

"We'll talk in the morning," the demon concluded, his phone shutting off as he turned his full attention to his son, a soft smile on his lips.

"Hi daddy!" the boy giggled, Sesshomaru chuckling softly at the child's exuberance, "welcome back!"

"Thank you," Sesshomaru murmured softly as he brought his child to his chest, the boy safely in his arms as he rose, "when did you get here?"

"'Bout noon," InuYasha interrupted the two of them, "I tried calling you, but your phone's been busy nonstop today-"

"Meetings with China," the demon sighed, his amber eyes turning to the boy's, "so why are you here?"

"Mommy got sick today," Akihiko explained, his father's eyebrows rising at the news.

"Is she alright?" Sesshomaru asked as he stepped towards the living room, his son still in his arms.

"It's cold sick," the boy murmured, "like what I get sometimes, and she said she didn't wanna get me sick too so she asked me if I wanted to spend the day with uncle Yasha!"

"Uncle, Yasha?" his father repeated, a smirk on his lips as he turned to look at his blushing brother.

"I like that name," the half-demon defended, "what of it?"

"Nothing," Sesshomaru murmured, his attention focused back on his son, "I'm very happy to see you Akihiko, don't get me wrong, but I can't spend a lot of time with you today."

"Why not?" Akihiko whined softly, his ears drooping slightly.

"I have a lot of phone calls to get through this afternoon, so by the time I'm done, it'll be the evening," his finger touched to boy's nose, "and I think your mommy wants you home by then."

His son giggled for a moment at the teasing before he was set down on the ground by his father.

"If you want, you can take him home," InuYasha murmured softly, his face apologetic while Akihiko's looked shocked, "sorry; I promised Rin he'd be home by five for dinner. If we want to get him home, it has to be now."

"But daddy just got back," Akihiko pouted, "can't I stay a little longer?"

"Sorry kiddo," his uncle shrugged his shoulders, "I promised your mom."

"But-"

"It's alright Akihiko," Sesshomaru murmured softly, his own face hiding his own disappointment, "we can make up for it later, okay?"

"How?"

"Well-"

"How about a sleepover!" InuYasha suddenly interrupted, the other two turning to look at him in surprise, Akihiko's face lighting up at the thought.

"Yeah!" the boy suddenly bounced, "can we daddy?"

"I-uh-but-"

"Just for a night," his brother encouraged, "and not right away; maybe in like a week or so when quarter end dies down."

"Well-"

"Please!"

Sesshomaru turned to look at the pouting child, his eyes pleading with his father, the demon sighing before smiling softly.

"If you can get your mother to agree to it, then I will too," the demon promised, his body rising to stand by the now excited boy, "speaking of which, we shouldn't keep her waiting should we; especially not if I want to stop off somewhere for something for your mother."

Akihikostood outside his door, his hands behind his back with the flowers his father got for his mother hidden, the lie already present on his lips though it tore him up to break his mother's trust.

"Mommy?"

"Akihiko?" Rin started from the kitchen, "you're home already?"

"InuYasha said work came up and he had to drop me off," the boy closed the door behind him, his feet following his mother's voice only to see her bent over papers, her job as an editor giving her the freedom to work from home and care for her boy. "Are you feeling good mommy?"

"Better," the young woman smiled to her son, "I'll start dinner soon, okay?"

"Kay!"

"Now, what do you have behind your back?" Rin asked the boy softly as her red pen moved across the paper while Akihiko fidgeted slightly before he withdrew the bouquet from behind his back.

"I found these on the front door when Kagome brought me home," he explained as he handed them to his mother, the young woman's eyes widening as her jaw slacked, her hands gently taking the flowers from her son, "I think they're for you."

"Oh Akihiko," his mother breathed softly as she turned them over in her hands, "these… these are beautiful… but… who sent them?"

"Dunno," the boy shook his head, "like I said, they were here when I got home and I don't see a card or name, why?"

"Because," Rin swallowed, "these are Calla Lilies," her brown eyes turned to her son, "they're my favorite flower, not many people know that."

"Maybe… Mr. Shen sent them," Akihiko suggested bitterly, hoping to convince his mother that he truly didn't know anything of their origin, "and just got lucky."

"Like you said, they're no card," the delicate hands turned the white flowers around in her hands, "he's incredibly pretentious, if it were his, it would have his name all over them."

"Per-tend-tous?"

"It means that they're very showy and arrogant," her eyes noticed her son's still confused face, "you're just really really confident."

"But…" the boy mumbled as he pieced everything together, "you said being confident wasn't a bad thing."

"It's not," Rin explained softly as she looked down at her son, "it's when you start thinking that you're better than everyone that you become arrogant."

The boy nodded as he finally understood, a small smile playing on his lips as he saw his mother absent mindedly stroke the petals.

"Mommy," Akihiko asked quietly, causing his mother to look up at him form the white flowers, "do you like them?"

"I-uh," Rin sighed before she smiled to her son, "yes, yes I do, I like them very much."

"So then… you're not going to throw them out?"

"I still don't know who they're from," his mother pointed out, "I-I don't want to give anyone the idea that I'm looking for someone."

"But it's supposed to be a secret, right?" the child perked up while his mother sighed, "then, maybe the person just knows and just wants you to be happy?"

"I can never get anything past you, can I?" Rin smiled down at him, before she looked over at the flowers, "alright," she conceded, "I'll keep them."

Akihiko bounced lightly on his feet as he cheered, clapping his hands while his mother giggled at his antics, her body standing to retrieve a crystal vase on the top of the kitchen cabinets.

"Mommy," the boy suddenly asked, "why are those flowers your favorite?"

Rin froze slightly at the question, her heart hammering slightly before she took in a deep breath of air and turned to her son.

"Because," she started, taking the flowers and removing them from the gold ribbon, a small cutting knife removing the tips of the ends, "when I was a little girl, my own mother would give me Calla Lilies for my birthday, every year up until she died," the vase was filled with water and two drops of bleach before she took a shuddering breath and pressed on, "then, about fifteen years later, when I met your dad, I came home on my birthday to a beautiful bouquet of Calla Lilies on the kitchen table," misty eyes turned to her son as the flowers were settled in the vase, all but one which she held in her hand, "you're father never knew about what my mother did until that day, he only bought them for me because he said they were as beautiful as me," she smiled, "we were even thinking of naming a baby girl that, Sayuri…"

"You love lilies, huh?"

Rin looked up at the demon she was lying on, his arm around her waist while her black locks splayed on his chest, their legs intertwined on the couch they were lounging on, Rin's delicate fingers playing with the petal of the flower.

"I do," the young woman sniffed quietly, "I'm sorry about the tears."

"Don't be," Sesshomaru told her softly, "I understand, it's me who should be apologizing."

"You didn't know," Rin whispered as she snuggled closer to him, "I didn't tell you. Besides, I don't hate you for it, I could never."

"But now that I do," the demon murmured as he picked one out of the bouquet and gently brushed the petal across the skin of her cheek, "I am prepared to give you them every day until the day I die."

"Just my birthday is fine," the young woman confessed, "it makes them all the more special."

"Hm," Sesshomaru hummed as he gently kissed the flesh of her cheek where the petal had been, "I'll still give them to you, even when it's not."

"If you insist," Rin gigged softly before she twirled the flower in her hand, her nose inhaling the fresh flower's scent, "they're so beautiful, thank you, Sesshomaru."

"They are nothing in comparison to you," the demon told her, "but yes, they are beautiful flowers. And," his amber eyes looked towards her, "it would make a lovely name for a baby girl."

"You think so?" the young woman asked timidly, his iris looking at her through the corner of his eye, his nose inhaling the scent from the lily as she did.

"I do," he confessed, "a beautiful name for a beautiful baby girl."

"A beautiful baby girl you would spoil rotten like a princess," she teased softly while the demon chuckled.

"I would," he agreed, "I would treat her like the princess born of the queen she would be."

"A queen?"

His lips hovered over hers for a moment, "yes, to me you are nothing less than a queen, my Rin."

"Mommy?"

"I'm sorry sweetie," Rin murmured as she wiped her eyes with the back if her wrist, "I-I didn't mean to cry in front of you."

"S'okay," the boy murmured as he hugged her legs, "it's okay mommy."

"Thank you honey," the young woman told him softly as she bent down to hug him tightly to her chest but never hurting him, the lily still in her hand, "thank you so much."

"Mommy," Akihiko started again, "are you sad cause of the flowers?"

"No," Rin told him truthfully, her son held at arm's length as she smiled softly at him, "no, I'm crying because it's… it's a good memory."

"Why?"

"Because," Rin bit her lower lip, "because that was when your father made me happy."

"So," the boy gently started, "does this mean that you… still love my daddy?"

The young woman looked at him in silence while the child fidgeted, her brown eyes darting to the flower in her hand before she sighed softly.

"Yes," she confessed as she stood up, "yes, I think… I still love your father."

Absolute elation flooded through her son before he saw his mother's face, her sadness hidden in her deep chocolate orbs were enough to make his budding face falter.

"So… why are you so sad? You said-"

"I know I said that love is a wonderful thing," Rin told him softly, "and it is, but, see… when you love someone so much and they end up hurting you, that pain stays with you for a long time."

"Why?"

"What would you do if I suddenly started being mean to you?" the young mother asked him, shock falling on her son's face while his ears drooped.

"B-But… wh-why? Wh-What did I do!? Wh-What-"

"Hush," Rin murmured as she bent to her knees to her son once more, the boy held in a comforting hug, "I would never be mean to you, I can't be mean to you. It's just a question; would you still love me if I did that?"

"Of-Of course," the boy stammered softly, "you're my mommy."

"Thank you," the young woman smiled at him, "and that's kind of what I feel; even though I got hurt, I still love him, and I think I will always love him."

"Mommy," Akihiko started again, burying his face into her shoulder, "is this why you don't talk bout my dad?"

"Yeah," Rin confessed sadly, "it's because I don't know how too. Akihiko," the boy turned his head to his mother, "I promise, once I figured out what to say, I'll answer your every single one of your questions honestly."

"Kay," the boy murmured as guilt washed over him before his memory slipped to the forefront of his mind, "mommy?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Miss Kagome asked if I wanted to come over to her house this Friday and have a sleepover," his body fidgeted slightly, "can I?"

"You've never been away from me for a whole night," Rin started as she looked at her son, his ears drooping slightly before she smiled at him, "but if you really want to-"

"I do! I really do!"

"Then I'll say okay to it," his mother told him kindly, the boy bouncing on the balls of his feet while his mother laughed softly.

"Thank you Mommy!"

Rin continued to laugh as he boy practically bounced off the kitchen walls, giggling the entire way.

"Oh! And Akihiko…"

The boy looked up from his bouncing to see his mother hand him the lily in her hand, "thank you for the flowers."

Wow... for four thousand frickin' words, that felt rushed to me... damn...

Reviews?