Chapter 9

The past few weeks were busy for Rin. Although being reassured by Kagome, Rin felt like she needed to earn hr keep. She felt bad for mooching off of the two and decided to help. On some days Rin would gather herb for Kagome. They were usually the wrong types but Kagome didn't mind and she learned every time. Other days she would help the villagers do tasks throughout the day. She would farm, rearrange decorations, clean and transport items back and forth and sometimes Shippo would help when the items were very heavy. She was everywhere.

Despite her busy schedule she was still able to make room for Sesshomaru. They always met at the lake, same time everyday. She talked most of the time but her breath was taken away from her every time he spoke or smiled. Very rarely would he laugh and when he did, it was always a small chuckle.

They had grown closer together and enjoyed one another's presence, especially Sesshomaru. With Rin the world didn't seem as cold and drab. He stopped seeing his life as a burden and started to appreciate it because if he wasn't here, his Rin would not know him, and that seemed like an even colder and drabber world.

Sesshomaru was watching over Rin like he did everyday. She was farming with some of the other farmers. She looked beautiful in the light of the sunset. She had her hair tied up high in this stretchy fabric, called a hair tie. Some of her bangs fell out and masked her face. She was shining with sweat.

A few miles down he heard some screams and, preparing for the worse. He came to Rin's side. He had gotten there so fast he startled her.

"Oh! Sesshomaru! You scared me." She looked up and saw the concern on his face, the small furrow in his eyebrows and slight downwards twist to his mouth. "What's wrong?"

He didn't reply but she understood when the screams reached her ears. Most of the villagers ran when Sesshomaru appeared but the rest disappeared after the screams. Rin instinctively took a step behind Sesshomaru and looked around his arm.

People started to run up over the hill wildly, but none seemed to be hurt. After they dispersed Rin could see something coming up. She saw the head of a beast and then…..ANOTHER HEAD?! It was built like a dragon but with a bigger torso and legs. It had a long tail and voluminous hair and cute little ears.

For some reason the youkai didn't seem to scare her. In fact it looked like it was trotting up to her and Sesshomaru excited. Rin stepped out from behind him and reached her hand up to the creature. Sesshomaru watched carefully, making sure that Rin and

A-Un had a peaceful reunion.

Rin felt like she new this creature. It was like connecting another dot to the puzzle. She gently touched her finger tips to one forehead and the youkai nuzzled against it. She giggled and was now petting both heads.

"This is A-Un. He used to travel with Rin and I. He's like a pet." Sesshomaru informed her. She smiled more and turned to Sesshomaru.

"You and Rin traveled?" She asked.

"Yes. I didn't like staying in one place for too long." He said. A-Un was bowed down, inviting Rin to get on his back. Sesshomaru picked Rin up by the waist and hoisted her up. A-Un still had on the saddle. When she was comfortably settled, he got up and started to walk. Rin was a little off balance but Sesshomaru's hand steadied her.

"I always liked going to new places and seeing new things. Every place is unique in its own way and sometimes finding the beauty in it can be hard. That's why you have to look at every angle of it before you make an assessment." She looked up in the sky and a few birds flew away.

"Well then why don't we go? I'll take you where ever you want." He said. She looked down at him bewildered. Would he really take her anywhere?

"Thank you but…I think I'll stay." They reached the little hut and she jumped down into sesshomaru's arms, which gently set her down. He looked a little disappointed. She patted his chest and turned to enter.

When she walked through the doorway she was scarred for life! Kagome and Inuyasha were…were… Oh you get the idea! Rin ran out of there screaming. Sesshomaru was still standing there…grinning. That bastard probably knew what was going on in there.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning." Rin said scowling at him. Sesshomaru looked very satisfied.

The next morning Rin had all of her things in her bag.

"We'll miss you Rin." Kagome said. Inuyasha scoffed. "He will too."

Rin giggled. "So I guess Shippo isn't going to say goodbye." Rin frowned unpleased with this.

"He just doesn't want you to leave, that's all." Kagome rubbed her shoulders as a comforting gesture. Rin understood. She and Shippo had gotten closer. He was her new best friend. If only he could understand.

She decided to leave the bicycle with Kagome when she saw how excited she was to see it. They all said their goodbyes and Rin was on her way with Sesshomaru and A-Un. She waved back at the two happily.

"So where are we going?" Rin asked looking down at him from on top of A-Un.

"Where do you want go?" He asked.

"Some where beautiful." She replied and he looked up at her. The side of his mouth twisted up a little.

After an hour on the move Rin felt the urge to use the bathroom. She shifted uncomfortably. Sesshomaru took note of this and stopped. He looked up at her and she avoided eye contact.

"Rin." He said. Rin looked in the completely opposite direction and bit her lips. "Rin." He said more forcefully.

"Fine!" She jumped down off of A-Un, "But you have to stay way over there!" She waved her hands to the other side of the road. He turned and walked away. When she was satisfied with the distance, she turned in the opposite direction and walked into the woods. She walked a few minutes and found the perfect spot. She dug a small whole and relived herself.

When she was done she covered the spot up with leaves. She turned to walk away but she heard an air of a whisper in the wind. She couldn't make out what it said but it peeked her interest. She turned her head to the whisper and followed it out.

"Hello?" She called out to the air. She kept walking and the whisper became clearer. It called out to her, saying her name calling her my love.

"Rin." She jumped and turned to see Sesshomaru.

"You scared me….again." she laughed.

"Let's leave." He said again. He was very serious and on edge.

"Okay…" She was skeptical but she left with him any ways.

Sesshomaru smelled the scent in the air and he too heard the voice. He couldn't believe his senses but when Rin came back he couldn't then either. Did another person come back like Rin? Has another soul come back? If so what did he want with Rin?

They walked in silence until something hit Rin.

"Wait a minute! Were you watching me?!" Rin yelled.

"No." He said.

"I don't believe you, you peeping Tom!"

Sesshomaru stepped in front of Rin and got really close, standing over her. "Rin, I was not watching you." Her breath hitched and her heart raced. They had never been this close before. The intensity in his eyes made her chest tighten.

"Okay." She breathed. He picked her up and set her on A-Un. "Did you hear that back there then? Is that why you showed up?" He didn't say anything and just kept walking forward. She took that as a yes.

She started to hum after a few moments. The silence was too much and this helped keep her thoughts diluted. What ever happened in the woods kept crawling it's way back into her mind.

She knew Sesshomaru was worried about it. Rin realized early on that not much upset him so that made this even more alarming. What could it possibly be? Another youkai?

The sun was now set and the owls hooted through out the woods. The fireflies illuminated the forest and the crickets jumped. The forest was alive. Rin was walking and trying to catch the fireflies. Even though she was 16 it was still something she enjoyed.

How she would catch them was to hover her hand beneath them and then raise her hand quickly, forcing them to land. Some would fly away instantly but others would stay and crawl up her arms. She giggled at the tickling sensation.

Sesshomaru found her cute. This is something the past Rin would do. He remembered her showing him every catch she made. The small smile of achievement and wonder in the little bugs graced her face.

When he remembered, the hurt of her death wasn't as prominent. It was barely even there. He had this new Rin to thank. In no way did he think of her as a replacement but something new to explore and experience. The old Rin was his first love but this Rin was different in some ways.

That's when he saw it. The difference. It just wasn't the time or how they were raised but in how she treated him. Sesshomaru was never her lord. He was not below or above her. To Rin they are equal and that gives her even more of an edge. She addresses him as a friend or even more than that. The old Rin, however, addressed him as lord and she always saw him as above her, someone to rule.

So he's not her lord, just someone she can talk to and have fun with. Someone she can stand in silence with and watch another sunset with. But also someone who will always protect her and now, quite possibly, love her.

Rin's stomach growled alerting Sesshomaru to her hunger. She blushed a little. They decided to stay there for the night. Sesshomaru and Rin gathered sticks and made a fire with some matches. It was new to Sesshomaru, the matches. Rin took out a small pot and grate setting it on the coals of the fire. She filled it with water and when that boiled, she added some noodles and flavoring. She ate quickly not realizing how hungry she was.

She was stuffed when she finished it. She leaned against a tree and sighed. Sesshomaru sat down next to her, their shoulders touching. She was quit tired and instinctively leaned against Sesshomaru. His moko-moko feeling Rin's warmth wrapped itself around her. This shocked her at first but she liked the way it felt. He handed Rin a blanket and she draped it over her body and his moko-moko.

The coals crackled and she was warm and happy. In just a few weeks she had gotten to know this beautiful man. This youkai. He didn't seem that bad. He was always nice to her but she saw the way he acted towards others. She couldn't ask him to change but wished that, maybe, he wouldn't be so cold to other people.

Her dreams were full of darkness. In her dreams she was back in her time, at her house in the living room. She saw her father sitting on the couch. The doorbell rang and he got up to answer it. Rin was astonished to see who was there.

"Hello." said the social worker. She side stepped Rin's father and walked into the living room.

"Excuse me, who are you?" He asked. How dare this lady just walk right on in.

"Where's Rin?" She asked. She looked around and not seeing her anywhere.

"She's….. at a friends right now. Why? What do you want with her." He was getting a little nervous with this woman. The air around her swirled with mystery.

Teruko turned quickly and grabbed her father by the throat and lifted him in the air, all with one hand. Rin screamed out but nobody seemed to notice. This lady, what did she want? Was she even a social worker?

Her eyes turned a stark white. "Why must you treat my love so badly?" The father gasped for air and tried to pry her hands from his throat. She was no human. She threw him up against the wall.

Then her eyes turned back to brown and she toppled over, a white ghostly form coming out of her body. It took the shape of a young man. He had jet black hair tied up high. He wore a black outfit with turquoise lining and mossy green padding.

"Let's take car of you now." He entered her father's form and got up. He grabbed the keys on the table and went out to the car. Rin followed the two. Her father got in the car and so did she. He drove out onto the streets and then started speeding when he got on an interstate. He collided with another car and that's when Rin woke up.

She jumped awake, gasping for air and trying to stop her tears. She felt the moko-moko tighten around her and a hand on her face. She looked up to Sesshomaru's concerned eyes and burrowed her head in his neck, sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her tight and kissed her forehead.

"My father's death was on purpose. Someone possessed him and crashed on purpose." She kept sobbing. Seeing what happened was horrible. The pain stabbed at her heart creating holes that leaked out the feelings that had become numb.

A/N

I hope you guys liked this chapter! Can you guess who the ghost is?

I'll see you guess in the Reviews!

See you next time!