Spoiler Warning:

Pretty obvious from the title…don't read if you don't know who Rin is ^_^   (Or alternately, if you haven't read manga 14/watched anime episode #35)

Author's notes: Heh…well, this started out as a short omake piece and ended up as a  WAFF. It's also my first fanfic in a very long time, and definitely my first time writing IY stuff, so please be gentle!   *squeezes her eyes shut anticipating sharp pointy sticks*   :D  No, seriously, please R&R if you have comments, and I'll try to do better next time.

Dedicated to my little cousins, who made this topic just as hard for me to explain ^_^;;;

Speaking of sharp, pointy sticks: (chibi tassa shoves a rather reluctant demon into the spotlight)

Disclaimer:
Sesshoumaru rolls his eyes. "Katassa does not own any part of that idiotic hanyou nor I, the great Sesshoumaru, because if she did we'd probably be tortured more than we already are. Masao and Naoko are filler characters and just as unimportant as the rest of your species. Now read, humans."

"Rin!"

The brown-haired human girl almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of her name before she recognized the caller. A short, stocky boy with most of his hair bound into a tiny topknot skipped toward her and she felt herself relax a little. Rin liked playing with Masao-chan; even though he was a bit older (and a BOY), he didn't mind talking to her and weaving chains out of wildflowers. Sometimes he even let her be his soldier when the other kids played Demon Hunter although she was shy and didn't much like using pretend swords on the bamboo "demons". She was still a bit nervous about being in the village with him, however; although they often met in the flower fields outside town, this was very different. There were so many people here, all sorts of parents and children and grandmas and grandpas in tiny huts crowded next to each other. Equally amazing, they were mostly friendly to each other, quite different from the village she'd grown up in. Rin wrinkled her brow and thought for a bit. Sesshoumaru-sama hadn't specifically forbidden her to come here, had he?  All he'd said was to avoid humans who might hurt her, and so far she didn't think anybody here would do that. Especially not while Masao-chan was around. Besides, what else could she do while Sesshoumaru-sama was away?  Play with Jaken?  Rin snorted. She didn't think the ugly toad liked her much, and he probably wouldn't even if she didn't call him a frog. He certainly hadn't seemed sorry to get rid of her today; Rin was willing to bet he was having more fun without her, doing...whatever it is Jakens do. (She tried not to think about that too much.) The little girl sighed and drew deep grooves in the dirt with her bare toes. She missed Sesshoumaru-sama so much...if only he was around to play with her more often...

"Rin!" Masao called again, a little annoyed. "Mou!  I've been calling you forever!"

"Huh?" Rin replied, startled out of her thoughts. "What is it, Masao-chan?"

Masao's eyes shone happily, and he had a big grin planted on his face. "Guess what I just heard?  Okaa says I'm gonna have a baby brother!" he squealed, bouncing up and down.

Rin blinked. "Really?!" She wasn't sure what else to say. She didn't know a whole lot about babies, other than that they were small and screamed a lot. Jaken was also small and screamed a lot, and that was certainly nothing to be excited about.

Masao nodded happily. "An' I'm gonna be the bestest big brother ever...I'm gonna teach him how to climb trees, an' play Demon Hunt, an' all sortsa stuff!  An' he'll be my best friend, well, other than you of course, and... "

Rin was already lost in thought. A little brother to play with...a little Masao-chan...two friends!  But it wouldn't happen, she realized sadly. Sesshoumaru-sama traveled around so much that she could never be sure she'd be staying around very long at all--their little group could be leaving tomorrow, and she'd never even find out why. It was ok, for the most part: as long as she could be near her Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin figured she'd be happy...but still...

"And he'll be just as stupid as you, wuss!" taunted a brash female voice, interrupting Rin's musings. "Boys aren't supposta to pick flowers!"

Masao and Rin looked up and groaned in unison. Rin didn't like Masao's younger cousin much; Naoko was pushy and liked to boss everybody around even though she was the youngest in her family. And since Rin didn't have a family, Naoko really liked pestering her.

"Why don't you go bother somebody else, dummy?" Masao stuck his tongue out at the little brat, and Rin happily followed suit.

Unfortunately, the brat just turned up her nose. "Heh...well, for your information, I'm going to have a little brother too, and he'll be much cooler than you dorks!  He'll be a famous youkai hunter like my poppa!"

Masao looked skeptical. "Howzat?  I figured your parents wouldn't want any more kids after you!"

Naoko sniffed. "At least my parents wanted me…unlike some people here." She glared rather pointedly at Rin.

"Oh yeah?!  Well, I'm going to have a little brother too, and he'll be just as cool as Sesshou-" She caught herself just before she finished the name. Sesshoumaru-sama might not have specifically told her to stay out of the village, but he had told her never to speak of him. He would be mad if she let that out!  And what was she saying?!  Rin didn't have a family anymore, let alone little brothers.

Unfortunately, Naoko had already picked up the scent. "Oh yeah?  And just who could be cooler than my poppa?"

Rin blushed and suddenly became very interested in the ground. "S..someone I know."  Sometimes it wasn't any fun living with youkai, even Sesshoumaru-sama. If only she did have a human brother like Masao-chan…he would stand up for her. Or a brother like Sesshoumaru-sama…

Naoko turned up her nose and sniffed. "Heh...you're just making that up. "

Before Rin could come up with a sufficient comeback, a horrific noise cut through the air.

"Girl!  Get over here NOW!" screeched the grating, indignant voice from the trees beyond the village wall, and Rin sighed. "I have to go home now, Masao-chan...see you tomorrow!" she called disappointedly as she trudged into the forest's edge.

" 'K, whatever. Bye!" replied Masao-chan happily. Naoko pointedly ignored her.

As soon as her eyes adjusted to the gloom, Rin picked out the short, bumpy form of Jaken, her baby-sitter and sometime enemy. The toad-like youkai turned his bulbous eyes in her direction and stretched out to his full height, trying to look intimidating. Rin giggled. He really did look like a swelled up, over-important bullfrog. Jaken scowled at her.

"Sesshoumaru-sama will be most displeased to hear that you ran into a human village by yourself."

"But you told me to get lost--"

"Quiet, wench!" Jaken hissed fearfully, worried that his lord would overhear. "I did nothing of the sort!  I forbid you to go again!" Grabbing her firmly by the arm (but not too firmly, in case his master was watching), Jaken began leading her back to the clearing she was supposed to be playing in.

"But you *told* me it was ok...Masao-chan's gonna be mad at me!", Rin pouted, disregarding Jaken as usual. Her left foot itched to kick the ugly youkai, but Sesshoumaru had told her not to do that anymore. Pity. She was silent for a moment, and then she remembered something.

"About Masao-chan...Jaken-sama, how do you make babies?"

Jaken snorted and looked at her oddly. "What kind of a question is that?  That's not the kind of thing nice little girls should be asking about!" He continued walking, but at a far quicker pace.

Now intrigued, Rin hurried to catch up with the ugly demon. "Jaken-sama, why shouldn't I ask about it?  Masao-chan was talking about it all day!"

Jaken halted abruptly, looking a little more green than usual. If Sesshoumaru knew a male had approached the human child...he wasn't sure what the outcome would be, but it would probably be very painful. Panicked, he whirled to face his follower. "Silence, human!  Don't say another word!"

Rin was *very* curious now. "What's wrong with having a baby broth--"

"I said, SILENCE!" Jaken followed the command with his staff, punctuating every word with a sharp rap on Rin's head. When all else failed, a good thwomping usually got the message through to the brat, and provided some quality entertainment to boot. So amused was the ugly retainer, in fact, that he was completely surprised to notice his staff was no longer moving forward. He was even more surprised when it lifted him off the ground and propelled him into a nearby tree. "Aa, Sesshoumaru-sa.." *crunch*

"Rin, stop bothering Jaken."

"Hai!" replied the young girl happily as she watched the tall demon toss the Staff of Heads after Jaken. She tried not to look too pleased as it resulted in yet another *crunch* sound. Without additional comment, Sesshoumaru did an about face and began walking quietly in the opposite direction. Rin was used to this, so she paused only briefly to stick her tongue out at the squished green demon behind her before running after her Sesshoumaru-sama.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I missed you!" Rin cried happily as she doggedly followed the inu-youkai. "Rin picked flowers, an' played games, an'..."

"Rin, did I not tell you to avoid humans if possible?" the demon queried, and Rin felt ashamed. He hadn't even been there, and he knew.

"Rin's sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama...but Masao-chan was goin' to have lunch an' he told me to come home and share it, and you told me to find my own food anyways, an'..."

Sesshoumaru looked entirely unimpressed, as usual.

The young human broke off in an awkward pause, not quite sure what to say. Then, she remembered her earlier puzzlement.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, how do you make babies?"

The youkai paused for just a moment, and the briefest flicker of surprise flashed across his otherwise emotionless face.

"Go ask Jaken."

The little girl looked downcast. "But I don't think Jaken-sama knows..."

Sesshoumaru snickered inwardly. If she only knew what she was saying... "No, I suppose not."

Not one to give up easily, Rin began tugging on the drooping edge of the youkai's kimono sleeve. "Ne, ne...can you tell me?" 

Sesshoumaru had to suppress a groan. Why was she being so difficult today? "No, Rin, you'll find out when you're older."

Normally, one word would be enough to silence her. But to his surprise (and dismay), the little girl's face crinkled up as if she were going to cry. "But Sesshoumaru-sama, I need to know NOW!"

Sesshoumaru halted abruptly, a little alarmed. Surely humans didn't start breeding this early...at least, Rin shouldn't for a few years yet. All the parent-humans he'd seen were much older than her, although he had to admit his knowledge was lacking in that department. He'd never paid enough attention to human bitches to notice when they were in heat, and he rarely watched the ugly beasts long enough before killing them to discern their courtship rituals anyways. But...he did know there were some rough males out there who took advantage of silly, inattentive women alone in the forests...desperate enough, perhaps, to take even young ones?  In spite of himself, he found his claws twitching. If anyone had laid a finger on her...No, that couldn't be. Her clothes carried the scent of many humans but no blood, and if she'd been harassed he would have heard about it already. And as for courtship...he pushed the absurd notion out of his mind. Human or demon, she was just too young for that sort of thing.

"Rin, I already told you you'll find out later."

She continued tugging at his sleeve. "But..."

He tilted his head to glare down at her.

"No more, Rin."

Bright eyes looking up at him expectantly.

"That's enough Rin."

Bright, inquisitive eyes looking up at him.

"I said, drop it."

Bright, inquisitive, quivering eyes.

"Oh, hell."

A few hours later--

"That was really funny, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"..."

"I especially like the story about the cabbages!"

"..."

"And the stork demons."

"..."

"But how do the babies get inside the cabbages?  Do the stork demons drop them or do they grow in the ground like radishes? And why only female stork demons, why not--"

"Rin, why do you care about this?"

"...because I want to have a little brother like Masao-chan!  So I can be a good big sister an' teach him how to climb trees, an' pick flowers, an' play with me so I won't be lonely all the time."  For just a moment, the little girl's eyes looked so sad that Sesshoumaru found himself unable to come up with a decent response.

"You know, there's an equally good chance the baby will be a sister." He commented lamely.

"...Oh. Really?"

"Yes."

Rin thought of Naoko.

"I don't know if it's worth the risk." Brightening up, the little girl nodded to herself and fell silent.

They continued on, Rin prancing happily a few steps ahead of Sesshoumaru, her torrent of questions finally dammed. I don't know what that was all about, but at least she's shut up thought the demon to himself, and I think I managed to explain things pretty well, all told... And then, Rin turned around.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"What now?"

"Can you have a little brother for me?"

"...Oh, hell.

Terms:

Mou=untranslatable; expression of annoyance

Youkai=demon

Inu-youkai=dog demon

Hai= yes

-sama=respectful suffix for someone greatly above you in social status, usually a lord

-chan=familiar suffix for someone young (like a kid) or below you in social status

okaa=slangy term for mother