InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The curse of the dragon ❯ Dark Illusions ( Chapter 50 )

~<>~ Curse of the Dragon ~<>~

 

 

~<>~ Chapter 50 ~<>~dark illusions

 

 

-Wow…fifty chapters…I just want to thank ya'll for putting up with me this long…hopefully you will all continue reading. Thanks again to all of you for your continuous support and wonderful praise. I love you all.

 

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InuYasha ran past the chorus room, slowly beginning to understand what Sesshoumaru had been trying to tell Rin. There was no scent of Naraku in the school at all. It took InuYasha a moment but he was starting to see that Rin wasn't in the best of mind sets at the current moment. `is she losing it,' he thought with a grimace, `I guess I would too…if I were her. I guess it's like leaving an imprint after something is gone…it's still there even though the weight isn't. His presence is still in her mind even though he's behind bars. Bastard…he really fucked her up.' he clenched his fist, feeling slightly ashamed of himself for a momentary praise to the Kami's that Kagome wasn't burdened like that. `If that bastard even thought of stepping foot in this school again…I would end his life, not a damn question about it.' He paused, his eyes locking onto Kagome's back, who was standing with Sango and Kenchi at the bottom of the chorus room. He sighed and leaned against the doorframe, watching his girlfriend walk about the room, obviously ranting and raving about something. `She's probably pissed at me.' He ran a hand over his face and shoved his hair behind his shoulder. `I really am fucking this up again, aren't I? Damn Bankotsu and Hiten for showing up. I…I know I've changed…I know I'm not the same guy who used to run with them. I'm happy…I think…this way. I know I love Kagome…I know I love being with her and spending time with her. I love holding her….' he sighed again and rolled his eyes. `She doesn't understand what's going on in my head. If I tell her, though, that I want to hang out with the guys…that I want to be friends with Bank and Hit again…she'll flip. She'll think I want to do drugs and get drunk every day…like how I used to be.'

 

A very small voice in the back of his mind took the free moment to stab at the wound that refused to seal, `but don't you? Tell me that you didn't want to grab that joint from Bankotsu and forget what's happened. It's been nearly three weeks since you were high and you have so much stress on your mind. What does it matter what a stupid bitch thinks…'

 

InuYasha closed his eyes and sighed heavily. `No…I will not go back to that stuff. I…I can't. I promised Kagome that I would stop.'

 

The voice spoke up again, suddenly taking on Bankotsu's voice, adding to the chills that were running up and down Inuyasha's spine. `Manipulative. She is making you stop what you want…but she wouldn't even consider not going out for the play. You sacrifice for her and what does she do for you? Nothing. She won't even stand up to her mother for you.'

 

InuYasha blinked and growled in a hushed tone. `Great, she has me fucking arguing with myself now. I swear she is going to be the death of me.' he was ready to stab himself in the ear with a q-tip to make the arguing stop when he nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand grazed his shoulder.

 

Kagome stood in front of him, her chest nearly pressing against his. Her eyes were wide with unshed tears and she looked…. `Crap.' InuYasha melted at the look on her face and brought his hand to her cheek. Instantly, he begged, “don't cry baby…please.”

 

Kagome sniffed and rested her cheek against his chest, right over his heart. He had to strain to hear her voice. “Are you mad at me?”

 

InuYasha gulped, his eyes widening in shock. `She thinks I am mad at her? Here we go again…' he reached down and grabbed her chin in two fingers. Lifting her face to look at him, he stared down into her giant chocolate eyes. “Princess, I have no right to be mad at you. I was worried that you were mad at me.”

 

Kagome scowled at the name then lifted herself onto her tiptoes to plant a soft kiss on his right cheek. “Can we talk?”

 

If there were three words in the language that worried him, those were the three. He nodded then glanced over his shoulder. “Just follow me. I need to report back to Sesshoumaru.”

 

Kagome fused her brows in worry but followed behind him regardless. They jogged through the halls onto to find where he left Sesshoumaru completely vacant. She glanced around then at InuYasha. “What's going on?”

 

InuYasha frowned and sniffed the air. He glanced towards the door to the school past the parking lot outside. “Something isn't right.”

 

Kagome instantly felt her muscles freeze up as she glanced around the area. “What…isn't right? What's going on?”

 

InuYasha sighed and tapped his foot on the floor. He glanced down at Kagome and quickly told her of the turn of events with him finding Rin crying and Sesshoumaru's words. “I don't know, Kagome, but I really think Rin is losing it.”

 

Kagome bit her bottom lip and slowly nodded, “I have to admit it, InuYasha; I still think about what happened and sometimes it even haunts my dreams. But I'm okay…I can talk about it and move on. I don't like to but I can if needed to. Rin…” she shook her head and hugged herself, trying to stop the shiver that overwhelmed her body. “Rin dealt with it in silence for six months. That's some serious stress. I'm worried for her, seriously worried. She seems really happy one moment then the next moment she's depressed and stuff. She won't talk about it to save her life and really has been pulling away from hanging out with the groups we used to.”

 

InuYasha scowled and tilted his head, “Kagome, you don't hang around with the people you used to. She changed her group to accommodate for Sesshoumaru and us. I'm more worried, though, about her and him. He is understanding of these things, don't get me wrong, but I don't know if the baka will actually admit that she needs help. He's kind of touchy on those things. He likes to handle things himself, ya know?”

 

Kagome huffed and crossed her arms, “look, I don't care if he is the fucking Prince of tides…Rin needs help. She needs a support group or something…someone she can talk to.”

 

InuYasha shrugged and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling Kagome into his chest. He rested his jaw on the top of her head and asked quietly, “what makes you think that she would actually talk?”

 

Kagome sighed and nuzzled his chest. “I don't know…hope?”

 

InuYasha nodded then looked out the doors. “Hey, Kagome…”

 

Kagome looked up at the hanyou and blinked. “Yeah?”

 

InuYasha frowned and broke away their embrace. “Rin's Porsche is gone.”

 

Kagome blanched and ran to the window. Glancing through the pouring rain, she widened her eyes. “You don't think he'd let her drive, do you?”

 

InuYasha shook his head and grabbed her book bag. “No…come on, we'll wait at the main entrance. Your mom should be here soon to get you and the brat, right?”

 

Kagome blinked then trailed behind the hanyou. “Uhh…yeah, she'll be picking up me and Souta,” she grumbled the last part under her breath, “as always…no trust what-so-ever.”

 

InuYasha nodded nonchalantly and walked to the foyer of the school. Dropping their book bags, he turned and wrapped his arms around Kagome. He kissed her forehead then her left cheek. He just about purred out, “Good…I'll go back with you and have Ryen get me later.”

Kagome smiled into his neck and rested her right cheek on his right shoulder. “what about Sesshoumaru and Rin…don't you want to know if they are okay?”

InuYasha shrugged as he pressed his thumb against her lips. he smiled at her icy glare and kissed her forehead again, “if I have learned one thing about my brother, it is that I need to stay out of his business…especially when it comes to girls. I'm gonna sit this one out…waiting, you know? If he needs my help, I'll jump in no questions asked…but I'm not going to throw myself at him to help this time. he needs to ask.”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes and pushed lightly against his chest with her hands, “like he would ever stoop to asking you for help. Come on, InuYasha, I've known your brother for just about a month and I know he would never ask for help. Ever…period.”

 

InuYasha shrugged and nipped at her ear. She giggled and he smiled. “look…I'm just going to watch for right now. if I see things getting messy, I'm going to step in. but there are others things I need to take care of.”

 

Kagome smiled as he kissed the brim of her nose and met his amber eyes. She nearly fell over backwards at the sudden change from worry to passion that ignited in his eyes. He was staring at her as if she was the main course to a meal. She gulped audibly and put a hand to his chest, “and what, per say, would that entail of?”

 

InuYasha waggled an eyebrow suggestively at her and gave smiled a rather hentai grin. “Oh…I would like to say…me and you…” he kissed the side of her neck and grinned when she moaned softly. He pulled away gently, letting his breath wash over the suckled skin, “and a real nice soft bed…maybe some candles…” he leaned down again and licked the small bruise that was forming where his lips had been, “or I could just shag you rotten on your living room couch…whatever you prefer…”

 

Kagome gulped and inhaled sharply, pulling back away from the boy with a scowl on her face. “You're a jerk, you know that right?”

 

Inuyasha's mouth fell open then he snapped it shut with a rather adoring pout on his face. “What did I do now?”

 

Kagome tapped his nose with one finger and gave him a glare, “You know you have to behave yourself at my house…none of…” she waved from his mouth down towards his groin, “that…and no cursing and no screwing around…” she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder as his fingers traced the small of her back. “none of that now…come on…are you trying to kill me?”

 

InuYasha smiled and lifted her head with left hand and kissed her on the lips. After a moment of a brief but passionate kiss, he pulled back and felt a smile graze his face, “I think we did enough screwing around to last us for today, don't you think so babe?”

 

A rather loud groan followed by a growled out, “InuYasha….”, echoed from behind the two on the other side of the doors. The two jumped apart and turned to see the older man standing across from them, a scowl written across his face. Kagome blushed and InuYasha blanched, and answered with a stubborn, “Keh.”

 

Ryen lifted himself away from the wall he had been leaning on, waiting for the group to get out of school and slowly wandered across the hall to the two embarrassed teens. He stared at InuYasha for a long moment before switching his gaze with a blink to Kagome. He sniffed once and threw the boy a hostile glare. “I thought we talked about this…”

 

Kagome's eyes widened as she backed away from Ryen to hide behind InuYasha. “Can he…?” she shut her mouth as her blush darkened. `Of course he could smell it…Inuyasha's scent had to be all over her.' She closed her eyes, begging for it all to be a dream. `There goes the new car,' she thought with a loud groan.

 

Souta skid around the corner and nearly trampled Ryen while running out the door screaming, “is that really your car? Holy shit, is it really? Can I drive it?”

 

Ryen chuckled at the kid's ambitiousness and turned, throwing a glare over his right shoulder. “Kagome's mother asked me to pick the two of them up. I'm going to take it from your…pleasant…conversation that you shall be joining us?”

 

InuYasha grabbed their book bags with a scowl on his face. “Bastard.”

 

Ryen turned his head slowly again over his right shoulder, daring the boy to open his mouth again. When silence ensued, he turned back and continued towards his Shelby 500.

 

Kagome stared up at InuYasha, who seemed a little more controlled over the situation then she was. A part of her was sweating bullets, pleading with whatever gods existed that Ryen would keep his mouth closed to her mom. Another part of her was begging InuYasha to keep his mouth closed from saying anything else that could very well get her grounded for life. `This is just not my day.'

 

Getting to the car, InuYasha jumped into the backseat and beckoned for Kagome to follow him. Ryen simply put a hand on her shoulder and nonverbally commanded Souta, who was circling the car with glimmering eyes, into the seat next to InuYasha. Kagome was to sit up from with him. Ryen gave InuYasha a wicked grin when the hanyou made a face. `The hell they will do anything in this car.' Ryen closed the door behind Kagome then got into the car himself. The drive was a quiet one, to say the least, and sitting in Tokyo traffic did not help.

 

Growing stifled by the silence, Ryen commented, “I will not…repeat…what I heard from the two of you to your mother. You just got to bet your ass I better not hear it again. Cause if I do…”

 

Kagome obviously sighed in contentment, as if a burden had been released from her shoulders. She shot Ryen a brief look of gratefulness before Souta's voice shattered the moment.

 

Souta, who had his nose in a manga comic at that moment, dropped it at gasped, pointing a finger at the boy next to him. “Dear god, tell me that rumor is not true! I've been getting into verbal fights all day cause people were saying that you nailed my sister in the…”

 

Both Kagome and InuYasha screamed in unison, “Shut up, Souta!”

 

Ryen lifted one eyebrow, glancing into his rearview mirror to see the crimson face of his youngest nephew. With a smirk, he glanced back at the younger boy, “Souta…please, by all means…go ahead and finish that…”

 

Kagome glanced at Ryen over her left shoulder then looked over her right, giving Souta a mental brief but valid threat upon his life. Her eyes darkened when the boy grinned like the Cheshire cat.

 

Souta saw the looks he was getting from both said parties and licked his lips. He had put up with so much crap from kids in his classes over that incident that he deserved some kind of retribution. “Well…in my third period English class, a girl who knows a junior said that Kagome made it rather…crystal clear…that her and InuYasha were being…non to discreet…about their relationship in the gym stairwell.”

 

Kagome put a hand to her face and cringed. `Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit!' she rolled her eyes and looked out the window, begging to be free from the car that was suddenly to closed in for her liking.

 

Ryen chuckled once and shook his head, letting out a deep sigh. “InuYasha…did what we speak of mean nothing to you? Are you really that insatiable?”

 

InuYasha glared at Souta out of the corner of his eyes, thinking of a hundred different ways he could kill the kid without anyone knowing, and answered, “not really.”

 

Ryen sighed again and broke through the traffic. With a shake of his head, he pulled around the corner to Kagome's house. “Then we're going to have to have another talk, now won't we?” he glanced at Kagome, who seemed like she was ready to cry and raised an eyebrow. “I would have expected more from you Kagome.”

 

InuYasha growled and shoved the back of Ryen's seat. “Leave her the hell alone, asshole. You don't know her so you don't need to expect shit. If you pissed, talk to me, but leave her the fuck out of this!” glancing at Souta, he growled, “and if you mention this to her mother, I'll gut you like a fish, got it?”

 

Ryen snapped back, “watch your mouth, InuYasha. Threaten that boy again and you'll become intimate with the floor,” throwing a, “got that?” onto the end of his threat with a rather mocking tone.

 

InuYasha scowled and shoved his way out of the car the moment it stopped and after Kagome climbed out. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the house, without looking over his shoulder at his uncle. “Get me the hell away from him.”

 

Ryen closed the doors behind Souta and called out, “InuYasha…you two are to remain downstairs in her living room. I am expecting you to be on your best behavior while we are here. Do anything out of place and I'll break your fingers, capiases?

 

InuYasha snarled, his entire body begging to give the demon his middle finger but scoffed instead and yanked Kagome into her house. `Fuck.'

 

Ryen sighed again, laughed lightly and walked up to the house behind them, a smirk etched onto his face. `This is to easy.' He turned to Souta and ushered him into the house with a finger to his lips, making sure Souta didn't tell his mother of what transpired.

 

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Sesshoumaru carried Rin inside of the house bridal style, leaving the front door open behind him as he whisked her upstairs. Reaching the bathroom across from his bedroom, he deposited her on the closed toilet lid and immediately turned on the hot water to the tub. He turned to the bathroom towel closet and took out a bath towel, instructing Rin to lose her wet clothes and wrap herself in it. He closed the door behind him, making sure that she wasn't uncomfortable with his lingering presence while she changed, and chose to run back downstairs and lock up the house. He noticed immediately the present lack of his ignorant brother and made a mental note to call the boy's cell phone to get a time when the baka would be returning to the château. He locked the front door and walked back upstairs, stopping in his room to change from his soaking wet jeans into a pair of cargo khakis and a loose fitting sweatshirt. Taking the all of five-minute endeavor, he returned to the bathroom and tapped gently on the door with two fingers. “Rin…are you decent?”

 

There was a long pause followed by a short sigh. “Yeah…the door's open.”

 

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and took a deep breath before going back into the bathroom. The steam from the hot water in the tub had long fogged up the mirrors and raised the temperature in the room by about five degrees. He winced and moved across the room in one fluid step to turn down the hot water and add some cold, before allowing it to begin filling the tub. Only after he was sure of the temperature did he turn to the young girl who still was sitting on the toilet, clothed only in a towel. Her hair was bundled on the top of her head in a messy bun with a few loose strands that grazed her neck and settled majestically on her shoulders. Sesshoumaru swallowed the lump in his throat and soothed the burning desire to take the radiant beauty in front of him right then and there. He brought one knuckle under his nose and grunted once. He sighed again and looked back to the tub. The water still had a long way to go. He fidgeted once and grit his teeth together. `This is going to be harder then I thought. She looks so beautiful…so peaceful. But I can't…we can't…she needs time to heal…she's obviously hurting and needs help; help that I myself can't give her.' he let his eyes linger on her neck where the bruise from the attack in gym blotched her perfect skin. Anger surged through his veins and he had to clamp his jaw shut to keep from growling. He wanted those sons of bitches dead, `…how dare they attack Rin. Did they not know whom they were dealing with?' They very quickly had earned their way onto his shit list, two steps above Bankotsu and Hiten and one step below Naraku. Oh they would all pay eventually…time was the only distraction. `Thinking of distractions…' he turned his attention back to Rin.

 

Rin lifted her eyes from the floor to gaze at the unsettling look on her lovers face. She made a face and looked to her hands, staring at each individual nail on the ends of her long fingers. She was trembling…that hadn't stopped since she had run out of the high school. A small part of her wondered if she would ever be able to stop shaking. She looked up again at Sesshoumaru and felt her eyes fill with tears. He was anxious…nervous even. `The great lord Sesshoumaru nervous?' she scoffed and looked towards the door. `Why…why is he this jittery? Is it me…is he…' she swallowed again and fought back the onslaught of tears that waged a war with her heart. Somewhere in her mind, a rasp voice screamed, `he's disgusted by you…you're tainted; he has no need for you. You remember what he said in the library back when Naraku tried to rape you…you are his responsibility. He told you he would protect you…he never said he would love you. He could have, maybe…but he knows now. He knows how dirty you are…he knows what Naraku has done. He's probably thinking of ways to get rid of you…I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to drown you.' Rin blinked away the voice was a mental retort, `he would never…ever think of that. He loves me…I know he does. Just like how I love him. He knew what Naraku did to me…he knew all along and he still stayed by my side.' she blinked again and sniffed once. She was cold…her body was still trying to warm itself from the freezing cold temperature of the ravine. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back to rest against the cool marble wall.

 

Sesshoumaru reached down and turned off the water after testing its temperature. `This should be good enough to warm her up.' he turned once to see Rin pressed back against the wall, bearing her neck to the dog demon. He felt his heart skip a beat as he looked up on the face of his angel. `She has no idea what she is doing to me right now.' He leaned down, placing his hands on either side of her shoulders and kissed her chin lightly, “Rin…”

 

Rin snapped her eyes open to gaze up into the two topaz colored eyes that she adored. He startled her…to say the least. But his lips on her skin were not something she was expecting…it was something she missed though, desperately. She adverted his gaze, the feeling of shame washing over her again as she pushed her way up past him. “Are…are you going to wait outside?” she closed her eyes, her back to Sesshoumaru, and felt every muscle in her body contract. She wanted him to say no…she wanted him to say that he would be getting into the tub with her and do just that. But a part of her knew better…a part of her knew he would never touch her like he used to.

 

Sesshoumaru watched Rin tighten her joints and frowned. “Do you wish for me to wait outside?” he couldn't help tone of his words…it was a cold and rather emotionless question…more posed in a rhetorical fashion then anything else. He knew that he could not hold her the way he wanted to…he could not do the things his body begged for him to do to her.

 

Rin winced at his tone and gnashed her teeth together. `So he is repulsed by me…' she couldn't help the choked sob that escaped her lips as a single tear streamed down her cheek. She tried to circumvent looking behind her at the Youkai as she dealt with her own rationalizations.

 

Sesshoumaru was by her side in a second, his arms wrapped around her from behind, her back curved delicately into his chest. He ran his nose against her cheek, kissing away the falling tear. “Rin…don't cry…please...” his voice was suddenly filled with raw emotion…love and lust, pain and sorrow all found there ways into his pattern of speech.

 

Rin's mouth went dry as she felt his skin against hers. She closed her eyes, remembering the times not long ago when he would hold her against him as his hands roamed her body freely…as his mouth would graze her neck and ignite a heated passion in her blood. She sniffed once and let her head roll to the right to press her cheek against his. “What changed?” she hardly recognized her own voice…so weak and lifeless, cold and emotionless …she sounded so dead. The mere echo of her words sent shivers up her back.

 

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as well, suddenly finding himself overwhelmed by the amount of pain that radiated from this girl. `Damnit, I'm still hurting her even when I am trying not to…there is nothing I can do to not make her hurt…there's nothing.' He slowly opened his amber eyes with the instant dread lingering inside of them. Something else inside of his chest broke at that moment, and it was for Rin…it was always for Rin. `If I feel this torn over what she has gone through…what she has it done to her…how torn is she? What is going through her mind?' when her words reached his ears, he blinked slowly. It was a question that haunted his dreams…it was a question that he feared she would ask sooner or later. What had changed? Everything. He wasn't the selfish person he had been upon arriving to Tokyo a month ago. A month ago he would have taken Rin all the times she had offered…used her to his liking then would have thrown her away. The person he used to be would never stand here ready to die for the girl in his arms. The person he used to be had never been in love. He had once thought himself to be…and now he knew different. He blinked once again and turned slowly to look at the girl in his arms. “What changed?”

 

Rin squeezed her lips together into a small thin line and closed her eyes. “Yes.”

 

Sesshoumaru turned Rin slowly by her shoulders, and looked down to her face. He gently traced her jawbone with a clawed finger and let out a short sigh. “I realized how much I am in love with you…and how much I cannot hurt you.”

 

Rin licked her lips and opened her eyes slowly to look up to Sesshoumaru. That had been the furthest thing from what she expected to hear. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Tears leaked from her eyes instead, speaking heightened emotions she could not understand nor speak of. She saw it in his eyes…the fire she though long ago smote; it was the fire of need and of lust…the fire of amorous emotions that nothing could ever tame. She lifted herself onto her tiptoes and cautiously pressed her lips against his, as if for the first time ever. The transaction began slowly…him placing one hand on the small of her back to support her, then his lips slowly caressing hers. Soon she was pressed against his chest, her tongue invading his mouth as she took dominance over the kiss.

 

Sesshoumaru ran his free hand down her neck, feeling the burning need nearly flowing through her skin in radiation. He stifled the moan building in the back of his throat as Rin nipped at his bottom lip, catching it gently between her teeth and sucking lightly on the appendage. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he pushed her back against the sink, her back against the cold marble. He picked her up and deposited her on the countertop and pushed his way to stand between her knees. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her with renewed vigor as his hands pulled away the towel that was wrapped around her body. He broke away the kiss to gaze down on the tempting flesh that was his queens…the light of his life…. She was everything to him. He let his eyes roam over her, like an animal sizing up its prey. His Youkai demanded satisfaction with its mate…it had waited long enough. His blood was surging through his veins and his breath was coming in short pants. He pressed his lips against hers again in a claiming bruising kiss as his hands wrapped around her body, pulling her towards him.

 

Rin whimpered as he pulled his lips from hers, only to gasp as he pressed them against her neck, suckling at her pulse. His hands gently slid around her waist and up her flat board stomach to the swells of her breasts. Rin let her head roll back to rest against the mirror as she closed her eyes with a deep moan. She gasped as he traced his fangs along the tender flesh of her neck and let her eyes open lazily to gaze towards the ceiling.

 

Sesshoumaru grinned as he got the pleasing response from Rin. He kissed his way up her neck to graze her lips with his, as one hand left the rosy peaks of her breasts to travel south along the middle of her body. He kissed her cheek and lowered his head to her shoulder to continue the onslaught of emotion. He kissed his way down her collarbone slowly, savoring the taste of his angel. He brought his lips to one rosy bud on her chest and let his tongue trace it slowly, before taking it into his mouth as his other hand came to rest between her legs. `God she wants as bad as I do,' he realized slowly as he dipped one finger into her wet cavern.

 

Rin moaned loudly, not giving a damn if they weren't the only people in the house. She had longed to be at this point with the man before her and she was not about to stifle the response. She lifted her head to look down at Sesshoumaru as he worked his magic on her body, quickly bringing her near her climax. She bit her bottom lip as he pressed another finger carefully into her, letting the pad of his thumb press against her clit. She threw her head back again, her eyes tightly screwed shut, and narrowly missed putting her head into the mirror that lined the wall and moaned again. She grinned as he pressed himself closer to her and she could feel exactly how much he wanted this. `I was a fool to think otherwise. How could I have doubted him?' she slowly opened her eyes to look upon her lover.

 

An image in the mirror behind her head made everything inside of her body freeze. In the mirror, she saw herself yet it was not Sesshoumaru in front of her. No… the silver locks she loved were now ebony and untamed; the eyes she found her life in were soulless…. Rin choked on her breath and slid further back to the wall, pinning her back against it in absolute fright, her eyes wide with absolute panic. Ripping her gaze from the mirror to that of the startled boy in front of her, she instantly realized her mistake.

 

Sesshoumaru gawked for a moment at the lack of girl in his arms to snap his head up to meet her horrified glare. It was there for only a brief moment before her face fell and she looked behind her at the mirror then back to him. Tears instantly welled in her eyes as she pushed him out of the way with his legs and jumped from the counter. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, mentally berating himself for letting things get that carried away and quickly wrapped one arm around Rin's waist before she could run from the room. He felt her struggle for a brief moment before erupting in loud sobs, falling to her knees almost instantly. Had he not been a demon, he would never have been able to support her weight. But alas, he was able to catch her and hold her up with one arm before crushing her into his chest. He stroked her hair, cursing himself to hell and back, as he whispered calming phrases to the girl in his arms. “It's okay Rin…it's only me…Rin, don't cry…it's okay…”

 

Rin sobbed into his shirt harder then she had at any point that day. `How could I have been so foolish? How could I have mistaken…. He'll never look at me the same…how could he? I'm only hurting him more and more…bringing him to points where he thinks….' She sniffed once, trying to control the sobs that wracked her body before pulling out of his arms. She couldn't meet his gaze, even as he tugged at her chin with two fingers, his voice near pleading. “Rin…look at me…Rin.” she kept her eyes steadfast on the mirror that had destroyed yet another part of her sanity, watching her silver haired dog god fall to pieces over what had happened. She spoke in a hushed yet demanding voice, “I want to take a bath…so…maybe you should…wait outside…” she cringed at the look of absolute desolation that crossed the lords face before he planted a kiss on her forehead muttering apologies. He turned slowly and Rin's heart broke into small pieces. `I just hurt the one man who I thought untouchable…I hurt the one person who I swore I would never ever hurt….'

 

Sesshoumaru wanted to argue with her, he wanted to tell her that it was okay and he understood her situation. Yet the words wouldn't leave his mouth. `Baka…how could I have been so stupid? After seeing what I did from her at the school I had the nerve to try…what was I thinking?' he balled one hand into a fist as he walked to the door. Calling back to Rin yet not daring to look over his shoulder, he added, “When you're done…I'll make diner.”

 

Rin quickly retorted, “I'm not hungry.”

 

Sesshoumaru's brows fused as he walked from the room, closing the door behind him.

 

`He did it. He accomplished the one thing I swore I would never let that bastard do; Naraku finally broke me.' Rin slowly sealed her eyes shut as she slid to the floor in another requiem of sobs.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~

 

Ryen slammed open the door to the mansion, InuYasha in tote behind him with a rather smug look on his face. Ryen, on the other hand, was seething. He stalked up and down the hallway for a moment, as InuYasha darted to the steps. Ryen held out one finger at the boy and growled, “Hold it!”

 

InuYasha froze mid step and turned slowly to give the older demon a befuddled smile, leering at him in mockery. He feigned innocence in his words, but his eyes told a different story, “what?”

 

Ryen shook his hand twice at the boy before scoffing loudly and grabbing InuYasha by his arm. Nearly dragging his nephew down the steps, he tore him away from the stairs and shoved him towards the kitchen. “In there!” he didn't wait for InuYasha to reach the kitchen before he starting ranting, “Honestly, InuYasha…I wonder what the hell goes through your mind sometimes. Did Kagome not tell you to keep your hentai thoughts in that damned head of yours while at her house? Do you think, for one moment in your life, you could show the least bit decorum around people? On the couch, InuYasha…honestly!”

 

InuYasha moved with the shove reluctantly, rolling his eyes and dragging his feet the entire time. “Look, old man…”

 

Ryen thumped him once over the head with a closed fist before growling, “what did I tell you about calling me that?” shoving InuYasha into the darkened room, he pushed him towards the chair. “Sit.”

 

InuYasha collapsed into the chair and rested his feet up on the table with a defiant glimmer in his eyes. “It ain't like we got down and dirty there…”

 

Ryen turned and snapped back, “you were just about fingering Kagome on the couch…with her mother in the room directly across. Seriously, InuYasha, are you just some sort of wild animal that gets off on things like that?”

 

InuYasha grunted and stared towards the door to the house, wondering how long it would take for him to escape from the persecution. “Her mother wouldn't have fuckin known if you could keep your trap shut…”

 

Ryen quickly responded, “or if you could keep those damned hands to yourself. Honestly, I should have you neutered…it would do the world a fucking favor!”

 

A pair of amber eyes stared at the two from the darkest corner and Ryen paused his harassment of his youngest nephew as he met the troubled look. Reaching over, he turned up the dimmer lights to find himself facing at a rather angry Inu Youkai.

 

Ryen shifted his weight back on his heels as he looked over his oldest nephew before turning to InuYasha. “Go upstairs, we'll talk about this later.”

 

InuYasha gave Ryen the finger before leaning around him to stare at Sesshoumaru for a moment. “You look like shit…what happened?”

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes held murderous intent as they fell upon his younger brother. He bared his fangs at the younger kid and held up one clawed hand. His voice was emotionless with a bitter sharp edge to his words. “I will slit your throat, hanyou, if you open your trap one more time.”

 

InuYasha held up his hands then turned around. He punched Ryen in his shoulder and gave him a bright, sarcastic smile, “all yours Buckie. Enjoy.” He winked at Ryen and walked towards the steps, laughing callously at his uncle.

 

Ryen narrowed his eyes and grabbed his shoe from his foot and hurled it at the hanyou's back, hitting him square in the middle of his back with a thundering crack. InuYasha tripped forward, threw a scowl at Ryen then ran up the steps a little quicker with his mouth sealed. Only after InuYasha was up the steps did Ryen turn to Sesshoumaru. “what happened?”

 

Sesshoumaru merely glared at the older demon before turning to look out the window into the bleak night. “Did I not tell you I do not need your interventions in my life?”

 

Ryen dropped into a chair at the kitchen table and gazed at the boy. An empty bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey was sitting on the counter across from the older teen. He nodded towards the bottle as he kicked off his other shoe. “How long did it take you to polish that off?”

 

Sesshoumaru stared at the bottle from the corner of his eye then towards his uncle. “What does it matter?” he looked back outside before saying any more.

 

Ryen sealed his lips for a moment then tapped his socked foot against the floor. After a moment, he sighed and retrieved a Budweiser out of the refrigerator. He cracked open the cap and took a long swig before carefully placing himself on the chair, dangling the bottle between his legs while he propped himself up on his elbows, planted firmly on his knees, and he leaned forward, slightly closer to his nephew. “You know…I used to be a lot like you, Sesshoumaru. I hated asking people for help…I hated feeling like I needed to rely on other people to get what I needed done. I thought it was a weakness…a flaw in my person. Then I got into some shit with some guys…got a little bruised and you want to know what? When I needed him…my brother was right there by my side. I never needed to ask…I never needed to beg…he helped me out. Because that is what family does…they are there for each other. I learned after that day how much I needed my brother.” He took another gulp of the liquid and sat back in the chair, “and there isn't a day that goes by where I wouldn't gladly lay down my life to have him back.”

 

Sesshoumaru blinked once and snapped back, “your point?”

 

Ryen grit his teeth together and put down his bottle of beer. Standing from the chair, he paced in front of Sesshoumaru for a moment. “I'm here for you, Sesshoumaru. You don't need to ask me to be…you don't need to look behind you to make sure I'm there…I'm here for you now and I'll help you as much as I can.”

 

Sesshoumaru slowly turned his gaze from the window to the older man who stood before him. He felt his lip curl up on one side as he barked back, “I don't need your help, or your pity.”

Ryen studied his nephews face in the moonlight for a moment before crossing his muscular arms. “What happened with Rin?”

 

Sesshoumaru couldn't help the wince that crossed his face or the look of despondency that overwhelmed his once so proud eyes. He closed his eyes at the mention of her name, his heart once again trying to break free of his chest. He had sat with his back against the bathroom door for two hours, listening to Rin sob her heart out for the umpteenth time that month. It tore pieces of him along with each dark whisper…each of her sobs…each of her cries. He caused this…he knew that she wasn't ready and yet he lost control…he pushed her into a corner like a rabid animal and had managed to shatter her again. He sat at the door berating himself as he listened to her cry…he had never hated anyone else in life more so then he did himself at that moment. Only after her cries lessened to a dull roar was he able to peel himself away from the door…and he only moved to the kitchen and grabbed the first bottle of liquor his set his eyes on. He had drunken the entire bottle in less then twenty minutes, and it burned like there was no tomorrow. What Ryen did not see, however, were the other two bottles; one of vodka and the other a foreign tequila that were behind him, half finished. It had taken Sesshoumaru everything under the sun to force himself to stop drinking. Then he sat…in the dark…for over three hours before the front door jarred him of his current state. He stared to the floor for a moment before muttering in a barely audible voice, “I fucked up.”

Ryen clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and leaned against the counter and slowly nodded, “how?”

 

Sesshoumaru growled lowly, more so to himself then his uncle, and shook his head slowly. “She…she thought,” he abruptly stood from his chair, knocking it backwards, and paced back and forth for a moment. “She thought in school…when I left her side to use the bathroom…that she saw Naraku. She lost her sanity for a moment, and when I tried to talk to her, she thought me him and decked me in the jaw before running off down the hallway. When I finally caught up with her, she was hysterical in the arms of her ex boyfriend.”

 

Ryen straightened his back and put a hand to his forehead, “tell me the ex boyfriend is still alive.”

 

Sesshoumaru turned to glower at Ryen for a moment before repeating, “yes, the ex boyfriend is still alive. He knew of the Naraku incident and when I arrived, I dispatched InuYasha and Kouga to check the school…to make sure he wasn't around. I attempted to talk sense into Rin but she wouldn't hear it….” he growled loudly and grabbed the empty bottle of whiskey and hurled it against the wall, his eyes growing colder as it shattered into a thousand pieces. `Like our hearts.' He turned slowly to look at Ryen, rage playing with a deadly fire in his eyes. “She said that she was unworthy of my love…said that I deserved someone who was not tainted then ran from the school. I chased her…giving her some room to at least think and get her anger out. I thought…maybe it would help for her to run…to get away. She jumped over a creek but ended up falling backwards into it.”

 

Ryen stood up alert, his eyes wide and held a hand out to Sesshoumaru, “is she okay?”

 

Sesshoumaru hardened his stare at the older demon and spat, “would I be here if she were not?”

 

Ryen nodded once, slowly, then leaned back to the counter. “Go ahead.”

 

Sesshoumaru sneered and turned his back to Ryen. Staring into the wall, he finished, “I dragged her out and for a moment, I thought her fine. I took her back here and drew her a bath, leaving her to change. When I returned to help her into it…to make sure she was okay…she asked what happened to us. Then things got…” he closed his eyes and spit out with as much self loathing as he could, “…heated. I did things I knew I should not have done…that she was not ready for again…and yet I did it regardless. She looked into the mirror at a point and freaked out. I can only guess what she saw.” He was unaware of when he had clenched his fists but blood now ran between his knuckles and dripped to the floor. “She panicked and pulled away…I tried to comfort her but…” he grit his jaw shut and shut his eyes with a deep hiss. “She cried for two hours straight…with me unable to help her…unable to reach her. I couldn't control my desire and hurt her…I fucking did this to her.”

 

Ryen blinked and sunk against the counter. He could just about feel his nephew's pain and it tore at a piece of him. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath, “Sesshoumaru…I do not believe you can reach her at this point. Look, son…it's called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder…when someone undergoes something traumatic, it can really fuck him or her up. The disorder, if not dealt with by a psychologist, can cause hallucinations of situations that had occurred, it can send someone into a deep depression…it can really mess with their head.” he cracked his knuckles as a look of foreboding and a memory of the day came back to him. “What she dealt with…with Naraku…I don't want to think about it.” he chewed on his bottom lip for a moment while his nephew fumed in anger. He grabbed his bud and took a sip. After a moment, he lowered the bottle from his lips and added, “I went to him today.”

 

Sesshoumaru snapped his head around to glare at his uncle with a demanding glare. “You went to whom?” each word brimmed with enough rage to ignite a war.

 

Ryen stared at Sesshoumaru for a moment, taking the time to read the emotions in his nephew's eyes. Only when Sesshoumaru was angry did Ryen ever get a glimpse at what was going on in his head. With a grimace, he realized that Rin was not the only one suffering from the atrocities that the hanyou bastard had committed. Ryen licked his lips then stated, “Naraku.”

 

Sesshoumaru growled and stepped out from behind the island to stand in front of his uncle. He glared at the demon eye-to-eye and spit back, “why?”

 

Ryen stared at Sesshoumaru before putting a hand on the boy's forehead to push him back a step. His hand was instantly swatted away and he was quite sure he saw the want in his nephews face to deck him in the jaw. He chuckled once, lowly, at the thought and shook his head. “I went because I wanted to see if he had any hand in what happened the other night with Rin and her hallucination.”

 

Sesshoumaru was livid. He growled then backed away from the demon, obviously trying to control his temper. “As if that piece of shit would tell you the truth.”

 

Ryen nodded once, and shrugged, “I think he would have admitted it after realizing no one was going to stop me from beating the living crap out of him until I heard what I wanted to.”

 

This stopped Sesshoumaru. Though he wanted to be the first to beat Naraku within an inch of his life, and then allow him to recover only to beat him again…if Ryen had laid into the hanyou, he would not be opposed to the idea. “And did you?”

 

Ryen grinned wickedly and grabbed his bottle. Bringing the rim to his lips, he commented, “like a red headed stepchild.”

 

Sesshoumaru let his lips fall to a scowl as he raised an eyebrow at the man, “and that means?”

 

Ryen nodded swiftly, “Naraku got a hard dose of a good Tashio-ass-whoopin. He actually thought I was you when I first got there.”

 

Sesshoumaru ran his eyes over the other Youkai then sighed heavily, “and did he admit to anything?”

 

Ryen's eyes darkened as the boy's words rang like a crystal bell in his ears. `“why would I waste my time on Rin? I got what I wanted from her…if she is having regressions over what happened, then it is strictly her own doing. I have higher priorities in life then an old used and tainted sex toy.”' He couldn't help the growl that built in his throat and coursed through the thick night air.

 

Sesshoumaru read the hatred that crossed his uncle's face and he blinked once, “what did he say?”

 

Ryen blinked away the anger and stared at Sesshoumaru. `To tell him what was said would be like inciting a riot.' He licked his lips and shook his head, “Don't worry about what the hanyou said…he tried to get under my skin. His words though were put to a quick end by the tip of my boot.”

 

Sesshoumaru took his turn to cross his arms, staring at his uncle with a slight indication that the news made his day. “Tell me…is he still alive?”

 

Ryen dropped his shoulders and stared at Sesshoumaru. “Do you think I have the power to kill someone inside of a national security prison?”

 

Sesshoumaru blinked once and quickly responded, “It is not hard to pay off favors to those who would get them done.”

 

Ryen nodded and finished off his beer. “Yet would that not berate Rin the chance to take the stand against him?”

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes darkened as he marched towards Ryen, “she will do no such thing. She can hardly tolerate the thought of that filth…to see him would destroy her.”

 

Ryen nodded slowly, “do you think me a fool? I know that, Sesshoumaru. The trial isn't for a number of weeks yet. A debate is going on whether or not it shall be a national aired trial or a private city trial. In the mean time…you have time to get Rin the help she needs.” He took a step towards Sesshoumaru and planted his right hand firmly on the boys shoulder, “and Sesshoumaru…Rin needs help. This cannot be avoided.”

 

Sesshoumaru glared at his uncle's hand then shrugged it off his shoulders. “I shall find her someone to help.”

 

Ryen yawned and dropped is bottle into kitchen recycling can. “Do as you like…just get her the help she needs.” He grabbed his coat and put back on his shoe, moving into the hallway to retrieve his other one. Calling from the doorway, he added, “Sesshoumaru, check the phonebook…you might find some useful numbers there.”

 

Sesshoumaru scoffed and watched Ryen walk from the house without a goodbye. He waited for a long moment, glowering into the dark again until he moved to the kitchen table where the phonebook seemed to be strategically placed. With brimming curiosity, Sesshoumaru opened the cover to pause at the first page. Print outs from online medical sources that were pages long cluttered the front of the book, all focusing on Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome as well as a list of psychologists and psychiatrists from the local area. Sesshoumaru pulled them from the book and stared for a moment before sighing in slight relief. `Family huh?' he blinked at the idea and then shrugged it off. He grabbed the house phone and began dialing numbers.

 

~*~*~*~**~*~*~~*

 

InuYasha sat on the top step of the stairwell, his eyes darkened with anger and pain. Everything was swirling in his mind of what he overheard and he wasn't quite sure how to react. He stood slowly, and turned to walk down the hallway towards Rin's room. Pausing at the door, he pressed his ear against it. He could hear her muffled sobs from inside and grimaced. `Poor kid…this is really hitting her hard. I don't know what I would have done if that was Kagome…' he shook his head once, deciding against interrupting and turned back to the steps. `If Sesshoumaru can't help her…then I sure as hell can't either. He needs to find someone who can…and quick.'

 

 

~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Okay, now the action can begin getting moving again. yay!!! Sorry it took so long…I've been sick so getting these up has been both a gift and a curse in the same hand.