Chapter 12 One Last Word

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Here we go…

This is going to be the last chapter…

Don't come crying to be if you don't like it…

Here we go…

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Gallaya stood in the small field of fallen cherry blossoms, her lips on fire, her cheeks aflame. She slowly straightened her head and raised a hand to her lips, touching them to see if they were still there, or if they had left with Sesshomaru.

Gallaya wondered if she had been hallucinating, but the sweet sent that trailed Sesshomaru was left with her, clinging to her, and staid with her while Sesshomaru was long gone.

Gallaya left…

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Three days had passed since Sesshomaru had met Gallaya in the cherry blossoms, and his mind was elsewhere as Jaken spoke, ticking off things that he disliked about humans. Sesshomaru remembered feeling the warmth of her lips beneath the blossom petal and the smell of the wood and fresh water that emanated from the woman and filled his nostrils, the taste of her mouth, the feel of her…

What is wrong with me? He thought, I was way too rash. She is nothing but a human. She is young, inexperienced, and defenseless. Yet, I get this unsatisfiable need to protect her. I want to heal whatever scars have been put on her.

A small exasperated sigh escaped his lips, but Jaken was absorbed in what his was saying and did not hear.

I even called her "lover". I don't feel that way about anyone, let alone a pathetic, worthless… beautiful human! But, who wouldn't feel that way with her in that stupid excuse for a dress, she would have been better off without anything on, in fact-… What am I thinking!!! I must correct my dreadful mistake. She needs to know that nothing can become of this…

Sesshomaru stood abruptly, catching Jaken off guard.

"Milord?" the green imp asked, "Uh, Sesshomaru-sama?"

Sesshomaru did not respond, only walked in the direction of his brother's house.

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"Please help me?" Rin asked of Gallaya, holding the dress out to her.

Kagome had given the two of them extra cloth that she had to sew a couple of dresses for them until they were able to get some more from a better source. It was an advantage that Gallaya had always been very handy with a needle and thread.

Gallaya took the cloth from her, it was finally looking like a dress. Gallaya had just finished with hers, it had taken the entire three days to make it.

Gallaya untangled the last couple stitches, "You have to go under, up, and through." She told the twelve year old.

"Oh." Rin said, taking the dress from her, smiling brightly.

Gallaya could see why Sesshomaru had kept the child all those years, despite her being a human. Rin was bright, happy, learned fast, and had this air of joy around her. Gallaya watched the child as she sewed, completely absorbed in it.

"Do you think Sesshomaru will come for us soon?" Rin asked.

Gallaya remembered that Rin had not seen Sesshomaru for the past few days, but neither had she. Not since the field and Sesshomaru had…

Gallaya shook her head, trying to put it out of her mind. She tried to convince herself that Sesshomaru did not feel anything special towards her, despite anything that might have proved other wise. If there was anything that Gallaya had learned during her time in the world, it was that demons and humans were not compatible. Gallaya still did not convince herself.

"He will come when he wants to, not any sooner." Gallaya patted the girl on the head.

"I know." Rin sighed, then she lowered the cloth she was working on into her lap,

"You know, when I first met Sesshomaru, I knew nothing of the relationships between humans and demons, but over time I learned. At one point, I hated humans, and I still do for the most part." Rin looked up at Gallaya, "But you are an exception. I really like you. I want to stay with Sesshomaru forever. And I want you to be with us too."

Rin tossed down the stuff from her lap and rushed into Gallaya's arms, catching the woman by surprise with the hug.

"Please stay with us, forever. Don't leave us." Rin buried her head in Gallaya's neck, causing the woman's ponytail to fall down.

"Rin…" Gallaya uttered, not knowing what to say.

"You have to! I like you, and so does Master Jaken, and Lord Sesshomaru does too, even though he doesn't show it."

"Rin. Rin." Gallaya pulled the child back, "You know that I can't stay forever, one day I will leave. One day, I will die.

Rin's shoulders went limp and her head fell.

"We are humans and we can not hope to live nearly as long as Lord Sesshomaru. He is a powerful demon. We are only humans and we will die and Lord Sesshomaru will continue with out us by his side." Gallaya told the girl's down turned head.

Rin started to cry.

"But listen Rin." The child looked up at her, "We…you, can stay with him as long as you can, okay?"

The girl nodded.

"It can not be forever, but it can be for as long as you live." Gallaya said, pulling the child into another hug.

The girl laughed in her hair, "As long as I live."

Hear that, Sesshomaru? Gallaya thought, As long as I live I will be with you, by your side.

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Sesshomaru opened the door to the house without knocking. It was near dark and everyone was sitting down to dinner, ready to eat.

The door swung open and everyone turned to look. Sesshomaru stalked to the table where they were sitting.

Rin did not call any sign of greeting, she knew that Sesshomaru was in a bad mood and was wise enough to stay silent.

"Lord Sesshomaru." Gallaya said, trying to lie to herself about what happened in the field, "It is nice to- OW!" she cried as Sesshomaru jerked her up by the arm.

"Come with me." Was all he said, not giving her a choice, dragging her to the door.

"Wait!" cried Rin, who through herself in front of Sesshomaru, "What are you doing with Lady Gallaya?" she asked, trying to defend the woman, not knowing the reason for Sesshomaru's anger.

"Move aside, Rin. I need to talk to this woman." Sesshomaru commanded the child.

"It's okay, Rin." Gallaya said, smiling, even though Sesshomaru's grip on her

right arm was still tight and his nails were digging into her flesh.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru told the imp who had followed him into the house.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Stay here."

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama."

Gallaya smiled once more at the girl as Sesshomaru, with a steady and quick pase, pulled her from the house. He drug her pass the tree line until Gallaya finally started pulling on his arm.

"Stop!" she said, tying to get loose. "Let go! That hurts! Stop Lord Sesshomaru!"

Sesshomaru stopped and released her arm without turning around, "Woman, have you told Rin about being a woman?"

Gallaya was caught off guard, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Answer me." His voice was calm, monotone, and gave her chills that ran up and down her spine.

"Not yet." She rubbed the area right above her elbow where Sesshomaru had grabbed her.

"That is the only reason I am allowing you to stay with her. You have until tomorrow to tell her." Sesshomaru started to walk away, deeper into the woods.

"What if I don't?" Gallaya asked, defiantly.

"Either way, we will leave this place without you."

"You can't do that!" Gallaya declared.

Sesshomaru turned, slowly. He grabbed her and shoved her against a nearby tree in a swift move.

"I will do what ever I please." He declared, "I do not need your permission."

"You will take her away from a chance to learn about her own kind. She is a human, one day she will die." Gallaya declaired.

"She deserves to learn what it is like to live as a normal person. She should grow up in a stable environment, marry and have a family." Gallaya said, eyes full of her rebellious gaze, as if she had never been broken.

"If she stays and lives out her days with you, she will have nothing, no family or anything to carry on her name or thought. All she will have is a heartless demon" she was yelling at him, "Who will care nothing for her!"

Her screams echoed against the trees.

He was unmoved, "Who are you to tell me what I should do with Rin? You do not own her! She belongs to me! I will do whatever the hell I want with her!" he fumed, coming so close to loosing his cool for the first time in years.

"That's your problem, you see people as things, to own, conquer, and destroy. Not as living creatures. You are heartless, and you are a monster! And let go of me!" Gallaya fought as Sesshomaru tightened his grip on her.

The wind started to blow from behind the tree on which Gallaya was pinned. It swept through her hair and blew back Sesshomaru's.

Sesshomaru felt something wet fall on his face, a droplet touched his forehead, one hit his cheek, another his mouth. Shocked, he realized Gallaya was crying. She looked at him with a despairing lostness.

A sob racked her body, shaking her. Sesshomaru felt it through his arms, saw it with his eyes.

"Uh." The small sound was a symbol of his surprise.

"Get away from me, you jerk!" Gallaya shouted, pushing at him.

Sesshomaru let her push him away, not knowing what to do. Every woman he had met, refused to show any emotion, just like him. They were of course demons. Part of Sesshomaru felt distaste at her reaction, another, a softer part that he had never felt before, wanted to go to her, to stop the tears.

Gallaya started to run away, but her eyes were filled with tears and she could not see where she was going. She tripped and fell, landing on her knees and hands.

She pushed herself up and stood with her back to Sesshomaru, shacking, "You are cruel, you are inconsiderate, and you are heartless!"

Sesshomaru stepped closer, looking at her. She shook even harder.

"Don't come any closer! Get away from me!" she screamed at him.

She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, hugging herself as if she had been greatly hurt. She sobbed loudly.

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Inuyasha frowned at Sesshomaru's reply of letting her go, giving Kagome a look. He, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku watched from some nearby bushes downwind from the two, so that Sesshomaru could not smell them.

Sesshomaru walked away, the opposite direction from the house.

"Sesshomaru's an idiot!" Kagome whispered.

"I agree!" Sango whispered back from the painfully crouch.

"Well, Sesshomaru has always believed that demons and humans should not be together. It's only natural that this would be his reaction."

"Feh! Sesshomaru doesn't know a good deal when he sees one."

"Umhm!" Miroku agreed.

"So what? A woman wanting to be with a man is nothing more than a deal!" Sango cried. "That's all we mean to you men?"

"Uh… No! Never, Sango, you mean more than the world to me."" Miroku exclaimed putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Inuyasha! You jerk!" Kagome said, standing. Inuyasha could almost see the black aura surrounding her.

Inuyasha cowered, "What? What did I do?" he asked, putting his hand over his heart, breathing in fast.

Kagome and Sango picked up rocks and started chunking them at the men and managed to get a couple of satisfying "Thunk"s out of it.

"You are heartless!" both the women shouted at the same time and stalked off, back to the house.

The two men clung to each other, "Scary!"

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Gallaya put the dress that she had made for Rin into a small bag, then the blankets that Kagome had given her and a couple of things to eat.

She had not yet told Rin that she would not be going with her to travel with Sesshomaru. Rin was still sleeping soundly and Gallaya did not want to wake the child with the news. She sighed and put her head in her hands, sitting on the floor next to the bed in the guest room that Rin was occupying.

It was early morning, the sun had not even rose yet, the nocturnal animals had returned to their homes and the birds were starting to chirp with anticipation.

Gallaya shook her head and stood up and slipped into one of the dresses that she had made on her stay their. She slid open the door into the main part of the house and went to sit down next to the warm embers of the previous nights fire.

Inuyasha was sitting there gazing into the fire and did not acknowledge her presence.

They sat in total and comforting silence for a long time. Gallaya watched the embers dance in the heat that they created. She sighed and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"What will you do now?" Inuyasha asked, breaking the silence.

"With my family gone, I have no place to go. I still have plenty of gold to live in comfort for a time." She paused for a minute and thought a little bit more before continuing, "I might find a nice village far away and get a job as a maid, a hostess, something. I might settle down, get married…" she broke off.

No! I can't think about relationships right now… it hurts. Why does it hurt so much. Tears started to fall from Gallaya's eyes. She clung to the cloth over her breast, My heart, it hurts. Why does it hurt so much?

She started to sob, Oh, Gods, now I'm crying… what's wrong with me. I feel as if my heart is breaking.

She felt a warm arm around her and looked up at Inuyasha who had moved to sit next to her. She dug her head into his shoulder and clung to his kimono as she cried as quietly as she could.

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Kagome watched for a minute or two more before sliding the door shut. She leaned against the wall. She looked to the roof of her home, the home that she shared with Inuyasha, and thought back to her fifteenth birthday when she first traveled through the well. It was so long ago, but she remembered all the details of their fights with Naraku and how long and hard they had fought him.

She had fallen for Inuyasha shortly after they met, despite his cold and rude demeanor. Inuyasha seemed to care for her too, there was just one problem… a woman named Kikyo.

Kikyo had been a wonderful, talented, and beautiful priestess. It was almost inevitable Inuyasha had loved her. Inuyasha's heart had been caught in a struggle between the two women.

Like Inuyasha, Kagome thought, there is someone competing for Sesshomaru's heart along with Gallaya… Pride.

Kagome felt pity for the girl, knowing the struggle that she was going through. Knowing the hurt that she felt, for she had often felt it.

Sesshomaru, I hope you realize the right decision. Kagome thought bitterly.

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"Gallaya, Rin!" Kagome shouted, "Sesshomaru is here."

Gallaya helped Rin outside. Sesshomaru was standing next to Ah' Un, Jaken at his feet. The sunlight shone down on them, painting a perfect picture as it danced around.

Gallaya's breath caught when she saw Sesshomaru standing their in all his glory.

His hair was a brilliant white, his cheeks white and the thin purple lines framed on them along with the blue crescent moon on his forehead.

With a pain in her gut, Gallaya ripped her eyes from him and slowly walked to Ah' Un. She placed the bag on his back. Then returned to Rin and the others.

Gallaya patted Rin on the head and leaned down to look her in the face.

"Rin, I want you to be good to Sesshomaru, okay?"

Rin had tears in her eyes, "I want to stay with you." She sniffed.

Gallaya shook her head, aware that Sesshomaru was watching her and was determined not to cry.

"Not today, but one day I'll see you again." She told the twelve year old.

"Promise?" Rin said, wiping a hand across her eyes and brushing the tears away.

Gallaya looked at Sesshomaru straight in the eyes, "Yes, Rin" she turned back, "I promise."

"Then this isn't really good-bye for forever?"

"Nothing is forever."

Then Gallaya held out her arms and Rin rushed into them. The two hugged for a long time. Despite their age differences, the two had grown close during the short time they had been together. They had become like sisters.

Rin finally pulled away and looked up at Gallaya, "Bye, Lady Gallaya."

"Good-bye, Rin." Gallaya said.

Rin turned and walked to Sesshomaru and the four started to walk down the tree lined lane. The breeze picked up, blowing a few leaves off of their trees.

Sesshoamru turned his head back for a short moment, hair blowing in his face. His eyes were serious, but Gallaya saw that they held something new in them, a new look that shone out to her over the distance.

Gallaya saw his mouth moving, but the words were stolen from her by the wind whipping around her, but her stomach clenched and her heart stopped as she saw one last word forming his lips.

One word that made Gallaya's head soar.

One word that cut into her heart deeply.

One word that fell from his pink tinged lips.

One word…

"…lover."

Then he turned around and was gone.

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That's it…

It's over…

I don't really like the ending, it's really sad…

I want Gallaya and Sesshomaru to get together…

But, that's just not how it turned out…

I think I might write a second one…

If I do it will be called "Like Sisters"...

Luv ya guys…

Peace out!