UPDATES! I am currently hanging out at CONBRAVO! So I'll be off to enjoy, but I'll leave you with this.

The slight woman groaned as she rolled over in her bed, her face wincing as the once familiar dull ache resonated through her body, a slight smile playing on her lips as she remembered her actions from last night, her hand ghosting over the other side of her bed, her blood running cold when felt nothing but sheets, slightly warmed but vacant none the less. Her body pulled itself up to look over at where Sesshomaru had been the night before, her head turning around to look across the room, the clothes the demon had worn the night before were also gone from her room.

Rin flipped her body over as she took in a deep, shuttering breath, her heart freezing as she couldn't find her lover from the night before, her mind spinning as she wondered just when he had left her in the night.

It had happened once again, the demon had told her one thing yet done another, leaving her heart in pieces. And this time, her son's as well.

Her had clamped over her mouth as she tried to will herself not to cry again, her lungs shuttering as she tried to regain her composure, knowing her son would be home in a few short minutes. Using her fingers, she pulled the tears from her eyes, a deep breath taken as she steadied herself.

Akihiko couldn't see her cry, not now. Not when his own worst fear was about to come true.

"Stupid," Rin whispered, "God am I stupid… bastard!"

She shouldn't have trusted him, shouldn't have let any of them in her life or her heart. Her fingers tightened into a fist, cursing herself for her stupidity and for their betrayal.

It should have been obvious when he stepped back into her life that it would end the same, that nothing had or ever would change with him. He never loved her, not like she him, not in the way that mattered to her, or her son.

Akihiko.

Rin's head jerked up at the thought of her baby boy, how devastated he'd be at the loss of his dear father, a man he had quickly come to idolize and unconditionally love and respect. He would become like her, bitter to the world and unable to let anyone into her heart.

Her son would become the demon his father once was; cold, bitter, and cruel beyond all reasoning.

Rin could've sworn she tasted blood on her tongue as she bit her lips; it was that fate she tried to avoid for her baby boy, wanting him to see good in other people and to care for others selflessly, as he always did. The young woman wished she hadn't promised herself to be entirely honest with her son, that she could lie to him and tell him his father needed to go on a sudden business trip or he was off somewhere, and would hopefully come back.

Her black locks shook; Akihiko was a smart child, he knew her tells and he could see through a lie as poorly constructed as that. Besides, his trust was about to be shattered, having another parent, probably the only one he had left, lie to him, would be detrimental to his heart and surely cause him further torment.

The slim form pulled itself towards the closet, Rin telling herself that the things slipping down her cheeks were not her tears, that there was something else trailing tracks down her alabaster cheeks, something that wasn't caused by the tearing feeling in her heart. Gentle fingers trailed over her chest, hands clenching into fists with the material gathered in her palms. She had done this before, moved on without him, raised a child without his father, had a life back.

So why did it seem so impossible now?

Her heart knew she had gone through the motions before and even prevailed, so why did this burn so badly, why did it cut her deeper than before, why did it seem like she had fallen in a pit so deep she couldn't even see the light?

It was because of her bright prince.

Akihiko had been the one thing to keep her going through all the hurt and pain. When she was up late with his wailing form, and her own body had collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down her own face and sobs emitted from her lips, she somehow knew the boy would be okay, that he'd make her a better person because of all this. When she was in labour and the pain was mostly physical, she told herself that it would be worth the sweat and tears. When she felt him kick for the first time, she knew there was something inside her that could let her love once again.

Now, all that would be for nought. The innocent boy she worked so hard to protect would become hate-filled and, though she needed to recall her strength, needed to forget about what the demon made her feel , there was nothing she could say or do to make him trust others again.

He may never again tell her how much he loved her, never do things with her. Everything difficult for him would become an even greater challenge, enough so that he vents. Her son may see no point in trying anything for he would think it would only end in suffering.

Rin dressed in a sweater and jeans, her eyes glancing to the pile of silk that was her dress, her mind unconsciously returning to the demon's face as he greedily tore the garment off her slim form. Hands trembled slightly as she picked up the fabric from the ground, telling herself it would be juvenile of her to tear it to shreds, trying to erase any trace of the demon from her memory. Dark eyes glanced to the bed, wanting to tear the sheets off the frame and set them ablaze.

She never wanted to see the demon for as long as she was on this earth.

It seemed cruel how quickly love turned to hate, how easily the bonds were broken but how impossible it was to rebuild. How could one person, one man, one demon, ruin her entire life with one action? And how could she let him do it twice?

Rin wondered if he was pleased with himself, if he had come back to see her just to see if it could be done. He was probably laughing at her stupidity, probably proud of himself for deceiving such a foolish woman such as she.

Dress folded and bed straightened out, though she felt bile rise in her throat at the touch of the sheets the demon slept in, Rin dreaded having to tell her son the whereabouts, or lack thereof, of a demon he idolized, almost blindly so.

"Idiot!" Rin hissed, her anger unable to contain itself, "MORON!"

Her chest heaved as fury boiled in her veins, tears unrelenting down her cheeks though she told herself not to cry, her head hung in her hands before a soft click of a shutting door had it jerking up.

She felt her heart stop at the sound, her head turning to look at the bedroom door. Hands wiping her tears away as best they could. Her feet were soft as she ran down the hall to the stairs, her head peeking over the banister to see a head of impeccable silver hair move with a small bundle in his arms, the child resting his head on the elder's shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" Sesshomaru asked his son kindly, his hand running through the boy's soft locks.

"Good," the boy chirped, "jus tired…"

"Maybe you should've gone to bed earlier then," the demon told his son kindly, "huh, Akihiko?"

The child grumbled slightly, muttering something to the effect of how much of a good time he was having to fall asleep.

"Well now you're going to be grumpy today," Sesshomaru murmured while the boy whined.

"But mommy lets me sleep when I stay up too late," Akihiko mumbled hopefully, his amber eyes looking towards his father.

"I doubt you stay up that much," the demon chuckled, "but I'll talk to her when she wakes up, until then, you gotta keep quiet, alright?"

"Kay," the child nodded, his body holding onto his father as he was lowered to the ground, his eyes turning to look up the stairs, the amber meeting the chocolate that emerged from the top.

"Mommy!"

Rin seemed in shock as she stared at Sesshomaru, her throat swallowing thickly as she moved to the ground floor, her knees bending to her son.

"H-Hey," the young woman started, "you have a good time honey?"

"Yeah!" the boy smiled, "they were really nice and fun!"

"Did I hear something about you being tired?" Rin managed to pull her face into a small smile.

"Kinda…" Akihiko nodded, his eyes looking downcast and sheepish.

"Thank you can stay up till two?" his mother asked quietly, "I'll let you have a nap then, okay?"

"Uh-huh!" her son nodded happily.

"Akihiko," Sesshomaru interrupted, his hands touching his son's back, "think you can go put your stuff away?"

Nodding, their child hugged them both as best he could before he ran to his room, his backpack in tow while their parents watched them, Rin straightening up slowly.

"Good morning," the demon whispered, his attention turned to her while Rin seemed unable to look him in the eye.

Half of her felt guilty for doubting him, for thinking such terrible things of the man that clearly loved her son dearly, as she knew he would; the other half of her…

A hand touched her cheek, her eyes flickering to look to the demon, his amber eyes looking like a melted honey, something else swirling in their mix.

"Rin…"

"You scared me," the young woman whispered softly as she eased into his chest, tears slipping down her alabaster cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Sesshomaru murmured, his lips pressing to her black locks, "I'm so sorry for instilling this distrust in you."

"I thought you were gone," Rin admitted quietly, "I thought you just… left…"

"Never again, Rin," the demon promised, "never again," his arms pulled back to look at her, "I thought I would be back before you woke. I suppose I should stop making such decisions on my own, that's how we got in this mess in the first place."

Nodding, the young woman turned to the pattering feet, their son pelting towards them with open arms and a bright smile, despite how tired he had claimed to be.

Scooped up in his father's arms, the boy looked to his mother, her smiling though he questioned why she was crying. Assuring him it was nothing and that she was fine, the young woman suggested breakfast for the three of them, something the boy eagerly agreed too.

"Rin."

Their son had since run to the kitchen, free from his father's arms and chanting about wanting pancakes, something his mother had agreed too.

"Rin," a deep voice echoed through her, her dark eyes turning to him questioningly, the demon swallowing before pressing on, "are you still angry with me?"

"I'm still a little… distrusting," the young woman admitted, "but, that boy in there is yours and I shouldn't take that away from him, ever." Brown eyes looked up to meet his amber ones, "I think things are going to be a little rocky with everything that happened but I do believe in second chances so…" her throat caught for a minute before she pressed on, "this is it, understand? Don't pull what you did five years ago, don't do anything to hurt that little boy, and please don't expect another chance after this one."

"Sounds fair," Sesshomaru murmured, his hand rubbing up and down her arms, "and fair is far more than I deserve."

"You're his father," Rin told him softly, "he needs you in his life, as… I would like you to be in mine."

"Still," the demon pressed, "thank you."

The woman only kissed him chastely in response, smiling as she moved over to the boy moving about in the kitchen before his amber eyes looked back over in curiosity at the two of them.

"Tell me, are you still confused?" Sesshomaru asked quietly.

"There are only two things that I know for certain," Rin whispered, "the first is that I have always, and always will, love our son."

"And the second?" the demon pressed, her body moving closer to his, her deep brown eyes meeting his.

"The second is that I have, and always will, love you."

The demon studied her calmly, his eyes flickering over her form before his eyes reached hers, his fingertips reaching to run over her cheek before he lowered his lips to hers.

"Then we are the same," he whispered quietly, "and I swear to you, I won't leave, not this time, not for anything."

Chocolate looked to amber, her heart leaping at the love in his orbs, the trust he showed in his irises.

"Alright," Rin nodded, finally smiling freely up at him, her fingers intertwined with his, "come on, we can't keep Akihiko waiting long."

Not the last chapter, but close. Reviews please?