InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Strength of Love ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshoumaru, but I do own Akito...hehe...

The Strength of Love

Thank you Citrus-luvr, HikoCassidy, essis, and Tiger5913!!! I hope I'm not disappointing any of ya'll!!

ON WITH THE STORY....

---

"Rin," said Sesshoumaru as he opened the door to the bathhouse.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru," she said hoping he would leave.

She heard his feet walk behind her and around and into the water. Rin opened her eyes slowly. 'I don't want to talk to you. I've done something wrong. I've hurt you and you don't know it yet.'

Sesshoumaru leaned over and pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "I think he looks a lot like my father."

"Huh?"

"Tatsuki. He looks more like my father than me," he said.

Rin's mouth slowly formed a smile. "I wish I could have met him. I bet he was just like you."

"He was not. He was better than me. One day I hope to become half the man he was," said Sesshoumaru as his eyes wandered away from Rin.

"I wonder why our son has marks and Inuyasha doesn't," pondered Rin, trying to change the subject.

"I do not know. I hope this does not hurt him later in life."

"I'm sure it will only make him stronger," said Rin smiling again.

She moved to sit beside him and rested her head on his left shoulder. He moved his hand to caress her cheek.

"I'm sorry, my Lord."

"For what, my Rin?"

She lifted her head and moved in front of him. "For things." She moved her hands to his cheeks and moved him towards her for a kiss.

Sesshoumaru leaned in and moved her closer to him. As strong as she had become this past month, her legs started to buckle as the kiss continued.

'This is right,' she thought as they walked out of the bathhouse and into her old room to spend time together without disturbing the sleeping child.

She opened her eyes as she heard knocking on the door. She moved her head from Sesshoumaru's chest and looked up at him. His eyes were closed in obvious attempts to rid himself of the noise.

"Go away," she whispered loudly.

"The child!" replied a squawk.

"Get the maid! We are busy! Otherwise he will quiet down soon. He's not ready to get up yet."

"But the noise."

"Go away Jaken!" she said a little louder to show her annoyance.

"But my Lady..."

"Jaken. Do as she said," spoke up Sesshoumaru.

Rin waited for Jaken to say something more, but it never came. She looked back at her mate. "How can you do that? He'll listen to anything you say. If you tell him to jump off a cliff he would!"

"He knows I mean business. He's learned," said Sesshoumaru as he took his arm from around Rin to put it behind his head.

Rin sat up beside him. "I suppose he has." She laughed. "I suppose he has." She put her arms on either side of his body and leaned down to kiss him on his crescent mark.

"You seem stronger, Rin."

"I do?"

"Yes."

"I hadn't noticed," she lied.

She moved off the bed and put on her robe. "I guess I should check on Tatsuki anyway."

He stood up and followed her into their room.

"Mommy and Daddy are here," said Rin as picked up Tatsuki. She handed him to Sesshoumaru. "He wants you."

"How do you know?"

"I can tell. He wants to know who you are. You haven't been here for a while."

Sesshoumaru held him in his arm as Rin looked on, smiling.

'He is my son. He is my mate. We are a family. They are my family. This is right. Akito is a friend. He is not right. Sesshoumaru is mine. I will do nothing to hurt him any longer.'

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The sun was setting after a long day in August. Rin walked from the garden carrying the flowers that she pruned. She walked up to the bedroom and put them in the vase then she breathed in their sent.

"Are we going to train tomorrow?" asked Akito who was standing close behind her.

"Yes," said Rin, not taking her eyes off of the flowers.

"Then I will see you tomorrow," he said putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes."

She heard his footsteps walk back outside of the room as she continued to look at the white flowers with specks of red and a golden center.

"My Lady, dinner is ready," said a servant.

"Thank you," she said and she walked to the bed where Tatsuki was sleeping surrounded by pillows and blankets that prevented him from falling off.

"It's time to eat, my son," she said as she picked him up. His maroon colored markings on his cheeks grew to the length of Sesshoumaru's in his short life.

"You look more and more like your father," she said as she kissed his forehead after brushing his white bangs from his face.

She walked into the dinning room and saw Sesshoumaru patiently waiting for her.

"Sorry I'm late. I was marveling on how our son looks so much like you," she smiled.

"And my father," he said as his eyes softened.

Rin sat down with Tatsuki on her lap. He started to babble as Rin fed him some of the broth of the soup.

"There is something I need to talk to you about after dinner," said Sesshoumaru after the main course was set in front of them.

"Are you leaving again?" she asked with curiosity.

"We will discuss this in my study after dinner," he said sternly.

"All right."

The rest of the dinner was eaten in silence. Rin didn't know what to say to him. 'The past six months have been terrible. I feel like I'm keeping a huge secret from him. I want to tell him, but he wouldn't let me in the first place. And there is that time...'

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Akito lied on top of Rin after they had sparred and Rin unsuccessfully tried to win. Their chests were heaving as they tried to catch their breaths.

"I like sparring on these days," said Rin.

"So do I," he said with a smile. "You are a tougher opponent on these days."

"I am always a tough opponent," laughed Rin.

"Yes," he said as his eyes looked at her. She looked away from him. "You are beautiful."

Rin moved out from under him and sat up. "Um, thank you."

"Does he ever say that to you?" asked Akito.

Rin looked at him. "Sometimes. It's been less and less as the days go on. He doesn't show me himself like he used to. I wish he would. It's been..." Rin blushed at the thought of what she was about to tell Akito.

"What?"

"Don't make me say anymore. It's embarrassing," she said, looking at the ground.

"It's only embarrassing if you think it is. I like hearing things about you and I don't mind if you want to open up to me."

"It's just that it's been almost four months since he's...he's touched me. I reach out to him, but he pulls away. He hasn't even slept in our room for a month now. I must not be who he wants anymore. I've done my part."

Rin felt his hand move from her cheek to her chin and he moved her head so she stared directly into his eyes. "Don't talk that way. You are too beautiful to be sad. I like you when you smile."

He moved in and she did also. They kissed as he pushed her back onto the ground. Rin moved her hands through his hair. He took the ribbon from her hair and let her hair move around them in the breeze.

He sat back up and started to take off his haori. Rin looked at his exposed chest and then looked away. She quickly moved away from him and to her kimono.

"Rin!" called Akito.

"I can't! I...I...This is wrong. I lo...lo...There's Sesshoumaru."

Rin ran out from the garden and straight to the bathhouse. She took off her clothes and went into the water trying to get rid of the smell that might be on her. 'I can't let him smell me. He'll know. I can't let him know. I shouldn't have gone against him. I...'

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

'That was a few days ago,' she thought as she walked behind Sesshoumaru to the study. 'I hope he didn't find the clothes. I had them washed as soon as they could. I don't want him to ever find out.'

"Rin," he paused as she put Tatsuki on the floor so he could crawl around. "I am going to patrol the borders. Do you and Tatsuki want to come?"

"I don't think that is a good idea. Tatsuki is still young and we would be slowing you down. Maybe in a year or two," said Rin as she kept one eye on the baby and one eye on Sesshoumaru. "You should spend time with your son before you go, though. It will probably take you a couple of months and I don't want him to forget about you. I will leave you two alone." She walked past him and she felt him grab onto her shoulder.

"Rin."

"Spend time with him. He misses you," she said as she stood waiting for him to let go of her shoulder. "You have to let go of me to play with him."

He let go of Rin's shoulder, but she felt his arm move around her waist. It startled her to feel him touch her there so she quickly turned around moving her right elbow into his face. Her left knee then went into his stomach and he doubled over.

"Sesshoumaru!! I'm sorry!! I don't know what came over me! I'm so-" she said trying to help him up.

"Rin!" he yelled standing back up.

"Yes, my Lord," she said looking down at the floor.

"Look at me!"

She looked up as her chest moved up and down in terror of his words and actions to come.

"Where did you learn that?!"

"I just picked it up?"

"Who is teaching you?!"

"No one! I just picked it up from something." She looked away knowing it was futile to keep something like this from him.

He moved his hand to grab tightly onto her arm. She looked up and into his changing eyes. "I told you I didn't want you to learn!"

His claws started to dig into her arm and all the training she received left her thoughts. Then the picture of the dagger popped into her head. She pulled it from her obi that closed her kimono and moved it to his throat.

"Let go of me," she said, almost growling.

"I will let go when you tell me who taught you."

The baby started to cry as he picked up what was going on between his parents.

"I needed to learn. I needed to protect Tatsuki. I needed to protect our home."

"I already told you what I thought about it. I do not like it when my people go against me."

"I am not just one of your people. I am your mate."

"You are just the mother to the heir," he yelled as he let go of Rin and pushed her into the bookcase behind her.

She let out a yell as she hit it and Tatsuki screamed.

"My Lady!" yelled Akito as he burst into the room.

"You are the one!" growled Sesshoumaru.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin yelled as she stood up. "He is not the one!"

"Lord Sesshoumaru," said Akito as he bowed.

Sesshoumaru hit Akito while he was bowing and the force made him fall back through the wall.

"Sesshoumaru! You may be angry with me, but that does not mean you can hit one of your men!" Rin ran over to him to try to hold him back from hurting Akito again. She knew her small body would be no match for him, but she had to try. He moved his elbow and easily threw her off. She got up and walked to Tatsuki who was still screaming. She picked him up and walked to Sesshoumaru.

"You wouldn't hit me now. Not while I have your heir in my hands." She paused. "I asked him to teach me after we became friends. We have been secretly training in the afternoons. Don't be mad at him. Please, be angry with me."

She paused once again as she saw Akito slowly get up. She watched him walk towards the door and she walked towards him to block what ever Sesshoumaru had planned for him.

"Take Tatsuki and patrol your borders. He is your son." She kissed Tatsuki's forehead and handed him over to Sesshoumaru. He took the baby and Rin turned around and took Akito's hand. "I will find someone to look at you. I am sorry for Lord Sesshoumaru's actions."

She walked out of the room with Akito as she heard a growl escape from Sesshoumaru. Tatsuki started to cry and Jaken scuttled out of a corner he was hiding in.

"Take him," she heard Sesshoumaru say.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" she heard Jaken squawk in surprise.

"Take him!"

"I am truly sorry for any trouble I have caused between the two of you," said Akito.

Rin focused her attention to him. "It is not your fault. Love is not enough. I thought he was treating me like a child and not like the adult that I am. I was wrong. I am still a child because I thought that everything would be fine between us. I really thought he loved me as much as I loved him. I now see differently. He marked me because he was telling everyone that I was his. I was his property, not his equal. I am going to leave. I don't feel like being other people's property."

"Where are you going to go? What about your son?" asked Akito as they made it to the door of the dinning room.

"I don't know. I won't be accepted anywhere, will I? My son will be fine here. Sesshoumaru won't hurt him, unless..." She motioned to the table.

"Unless he finds someone else to give him a full demon heir," said Akito understanding Rin.

"Is anything wrong?" she asked.

"Not really. I'm just a little sore."

"That's good," she said trying to crack a small smile, but the only thing that came from her was a tear. "I'm glad he didn't hurt you. I just hope he doesn't hurt Tatsuki."

"Come here," Akito said.

Rin sat down and moved into his arms and started to cry. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten you into this mess. I...I...I love Sesshoumaru with all my heart. I wish he would tell me. Once he let me see his journal." She smiled. "Yeah, he keeps a journal. I read some things he was thinking. I felt closer to him at that moment than any other time. I've been with him since I've been young, but I still have no idea what he is thinking. He won't tell me anything anymore. He won't even hold me anymore. I just want him to hold me like this. The last time he held me it was because he wanted to, not me." She paused to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. I just feel...I feel like I can say anything to you."

She backed away from his embrace and looked into his eyes. "Those eyes are so loving. They look like Sesshoumaru's when he still loved me."

"I am sorry, Rin," Akito said wiping away the last of her tears. He leaned closer to her and gave her a kiss she didn't want to leave from.

"Rin?!" yelled Sesshoumaru.

Rin moved away from Akito and turned to face an angry Sesshoumaru. His eyes were a deep red and his breathing was erratic. He moved from her and to Akito. He grabbed onto him and threw him across the room.

"Sesshoumaru!!" she screamed. She saw Jaken in the doorway holding Tatsuki. "Get him out of here, Jaken!" But the toad didn't move. "NOW!!"

She turned around to see Sesshoumaru holding Akito up by the neck.

"I'm not sorry, Rin. I'm glad I met you. I love you, Rin," he gurgled before Sesshoumaru squeezed his neck, crushing it instantly.

"SESSHOUMARU!!!" Rin screamed as she ran to Akito's body on the floor.

Sesshoumaru moved his arm across, backhanding her to ground before she got Akito. "You brought this on yourself! It is your fault he is dead!"

She sat there for a moment with her hands over her mouth and nose. She stood up slowly and looked him straight into his eyes. She uncovered her mouth and saw that there was blood on her hands.

"Yes, I guess it is. It is my fault he loved me the way you used to do. I don't know what happened to you. You were never the same after you returned from that meeting. I don't understand? Is there something that you want to tell me? I guess it doesn't matter anymore. I am human. I'm supposed to be the bad one, right? I guess I was weak. I needed someone to hold me like you used to do." She closed her eyes waiting for Sesshoumaru to say something. When she heard nothing coming she opened them again. His red eyes calmed into its normal gold. "Release me from my hell, please. Release me!!"

"This is your hell, Rin?" he asked calmly.

"It is now. You have killed my friend. I love you. Wait, I loved you. No, that's not right. I still love you and I always will. Like I said, I am human so that makes me weak. I'm sorry if you ever loved me. I did not mean to bring you any heartache. I should leave you. It was my fault so I should go." Her eyes went from him to the table. "All I ask is that you do not hurt Tatsuki." She turned around to go to the kitchen to get some water to wash her face off.

"Rin."

She stopped, but stayed facing the door to the kitchen.

"I will never hurt our son." he said softly.

"Your son. Tell him I love him everyday." The tears welled in her eyes as she tried to say more. "I wish you luck in everything. I'm sorry I brought you so much trouble."

"You cannot leave. It was..." he said.

"I have to. I brought you too much pain and disgraced your name. All I ever wanted was to be yours and I blew it. Even though this is just a word, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for causing you so much pain because I was too weak."

She slid open the door and walked into the kitchen. Her tears came as she slid the door closed and fell to her knees and cried.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

After cleaning up and spending the rest of the night in the garden looking at the stars she walked into the empty bedroom. She looked at the flowers as their scent rushed through her nose. She walked to the vase they were in and picked them up. She walked out and onto the balcony and threw them over.

"I do not need these anymore," she said as she watched them fall gracefully to the ground.

Rin walked back into the room and was startled to see Sesshoumaru there holding Tatsuki.

He looked at her with stern eyes. "I believe he wants you."

She took him from Sesshoumaru. "How are you Tatsuki? You look so sad. You need to cheer up," she said as she tickled Tatsuki's stomach.

He laughed as he said, "Mama..."

Rin smiled and looked up at Sesshoumaru, but her smile quickly faded.

"Can you say Daddy? I'm sure he would love that," she said as she felt her heart beat with pain. She closed her eyes and let some of her tears fall.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru," she said. "I am leaving now. I'm sorry that I still love you."

She opened them and looked at Tatsuki. "Mama's going to leave for a bit. Stay out of trouble for Daddy."

She looked at Sesshoumaru as she walked closer to him. She let Tatsuki grab onto his haori and she kissed him on the cheek. "Goodbye, Tatsuki. I will always love you."

She walked out of the bedroom door and to the main door. 'Goodbye.' She opened the door to the palace and walked out. She looked at the clear blue sky as more tears fell from her face.

---

Since I posted this today, I'm going to probably have another one out by this weekend. I hope ya'll still like this story. Well, I better go and write more!! Thanks again!!