OMFG! She's back!!

Chapter 11: Happy Birthday Rin! Pt. 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my shame for not updating sooner. And Maiyu.

Jaken could not understand the pull that miniscule human had over his lord. It was inconceivable the things he let her get away with! First, she invited his hated half brother and his friends into his home. Then she ran around the castle, causing all sorts of havoc on her own, not to mention that caused by her 'guests'. Now, she requested this?!

No. Jaken decided: 'On this I will stand firm! I won't allow it!

Rin blinked up at Sesshoumaru patiently. "Rin knows that Sesshou-tou-sama never lets Rin play in the pretty garden, but Rin thinks that's the only place special enough for Rin's party!"

The little brat even allowed her eyes to swim with tears and her lips to pout.

"My Lord! Although never truly having the pleasure to make the acquaintance of the esteemed Lady of the Western Lands, this lowly service speaks on her behalf," he paused and gave Rin a most menacing glare. "Lord Sesshoumaru must not allow those impertinent ruffians to defile the Southern Gardens! It was the sacred place of your mother, and you know how she abhors humankind! My Lady would be loathed to learn of the state of it all!"

Rin blinked over at Jaken. What was he talking about? "Those are Sesshou-tou-sama's mother's gardens? OOOOHHHHHHHH….." That explained why she was never allowed to play there.

Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples irritably; they were like aggravating lobbyists that wouldn't go away. "Jaken, my mother is no longer living. There are many places in the palace that are reserved in her honour. She never even went into those gardens; she hated them. If Rin so desires that location to serve for her festivities, there is no reason why it should not be so."

"B-but….but….but….MY LORD!" Jaken wailed, although he saw Rin latch her little arms around Sesshoumaru's neck and knew his battle was lost. Jaken turned with tears in his eyes and left the office without even needing to be told to do so.

"I will do it." Jaken muttered to himself. "I will honor you My Lady, I promise!"

"Today's the big day, Rin!" Kagome sang out as everyone filed into the dining hall for breakfast.

"Please don't remind her." Inuyasha muttered. "She talked to me about it for hours last night. Damn brat wouldn't shut the hell up," he folded his arms across his chest and grumbled angrily.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded. She wanted to sit him, but had promised not to as long as they were Rin's guests.

Miroku looked over at Inuyasha and grinned. "I was wondering why you were in such a bad mood this morning—well, worse than usual anyway. I myself slept quite soundly last night."

Inuyasha shot Miroku a death glare from across the table. "Yeah well that's because you sleep like a dead person, idiot. I'm a demon, of course I hear everything," Kagome and Sango both rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

Miroku grinned even wider. "Inuyasha, I find that meditation before bed is quite calming. If you would like to meditate with me later, I can assure you that your dreams will be both plentiful and pleasant tonight."

This time it was Inuyasha who smirked. "You'd know, you dirty damn lecher. I heard you last night calling out to…oh, what's her name again…?"

Miroku blanched. "Inuyasha, DON'T!"

Inuyasha grinned slyly, and imitating Miroku's voice (quite badly), he said, "Oh Mai! Mai, you're so soft and warm and cuddly! I just love your—"

"INUYASHA!!"

"MIROKU!!"

Kagome and Sango both leapt to their feet at the same time, glaring in turn at each male. Inuyasha seemed unaffected by their death glares while Miroku was spluttering apologies to Sango and declaring his undying love for her.

Suddenly the shoji slid open and Maiyu, Rin and Shippou walked in, clueless as to what was going on. Sango was looming over Miroku who was practically sobbing for forgiveness (and mercy) at her feet. Inuyasha was smirking and looking very satisfied, even as Kagome looked as if she wanted to knock him unconscious. Shippou shook his head, "I can't take them anywhere," he sighed melodramatically as Maiyu and Rin giggled and they all took their seats.

Kagome looked up and her face changed entirely. "It's the birthday girl!"

Rin's face split into a giant grin. "Yay! Rin's party is today!"

"Oh brother," Inuyasha muttered under his breath, which earned him a slap on the arm from Kagome in reprimand. "What are we waiting for anyway? Rin's here, good enough for me. Let's freakin' eat! I'm—"

"Inuyasha. Silence." Sesshoumaru's cold voice rang out across the long room. He was standing in the doorway, his arms folded calmly behind his back and Yo-Yo panting happily. He then turned to regard Rin with an imperceptibly softer look. "Happy birthday, Rin."

Rin gave him a wide grin. "Thanks Sesshou-tou-sama!"

Jaken walked into the Southern Gardens, looking around to make sure that nobody else was there. There was a large portrait of Sesshoumaru's mother overlooking the garden; she was looking (more like 

sneering) down her stately nose, golden orbs stern but somehow wise. Jaken felt as if her eyes were boring into his soul.

"I promise, my lady, I will do your bidding!" he threw himself down in a melodramatic bow and simpered. "I admit in order for my plan to proceed they must set their unholy feet in this most holy ground, but I swear to you that they shall never do so again!!"

And with that said, he went about his 'ordained' business.

Maiyu just couldn't seem to understand why Jaken was in such a complacent mood today. It was no secret that he held Rin in great disdain. "What'e you so happy about?" she'd asked him rather rudely. She knew that he was practically her boss' right hand man, but he was acting quite suspiciously and she just didn't like the way he was eyeing Rin.

Jaken turned around with wide, innocent eyes. "I'm just happy to see Rin-chan enjoying herself so thoroughly,"

And then someone screamed and Maiyu could have sworn she'd seen Jaken's smile widened. Instead, he twitched and settled on an unconvincing: "OH MY! What EVER could that have been?"

As they both quickly found out, it was actually Miroku. He was jumping around, everyone forming a half circle around him a safe distance away. "What's wrong?" Maiyu asked.

Sesshoumaru leaned forward slightly, took a slight whiff and raised an elegant eyebrow. "I believe the monk is ailed by…red ants."

Kagome squealed and leaped backwards as everyone else looked at Miroku with either pity or a barely contained smirk. Miroku looked as if he was ready to slide out of his robes and as he took a step forward, everyone else took a large step backwards. "What am I suppose to do?!" he wailed, trying hard not to scream like a little girl again.

Jaken was the first to speak up. "Perhaps you should leave the garden. We wouldn't want you to contaminate anybody else."

Maiyu narrowed her eyes at him. "That won't be necessary. I've hosed my husband down for red ants before. Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm sure you have a servant that could perform this simple task," she said this less as a request and more as a command.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Very well. Monk, stand in the corner while Jaken fetches a servant so you don't—"

Another scream was heard followed by a very agitated "STOP!! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Everyone turned to see Kagome trying to twist out of his grip. Less than a second later, her face contorted to one of agony as she also began hopping around. "Eek!! EEP!!"

"Contaminate anyone," Sesshoumaru sighed more to himself than anyone else.

Forty minutes later found a soaked Kagome and Miroku. They'd both donned new clothing and returned to the party that was in full swing. Kagome almost immediately zeroed in on the little green toad crouched behind the gigantic fountain, eyes darting around craftily.

"What is that crazy toad up to?" she muttered to herself as she walked up behind him and crossed her arms, glaring down at him.

Jaken went rigged when he saw the shadow cast over him. He turned to look up Kagome. "May I help you?" he asked, trying to sound as if he wasn't doing anything wrong or suspicious.

Kagome scowled down at him. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing you nosy human!" he squawked and ran away before she could respond. Maiyu and Kagome both seemed to be suspicious of him, but he wouldn't concern himself with worrying about them; after all, they were only ningens!

The party was in full swing and Rin had the biggest smile ever spread across her face. She kept running up to Sesshoumaru and thanking him every ten minutes. Sesshoumaru was clearly annoyed, but he'd never tell the poor kid that. Finally, Maiyu came to peel her away and she, Kagome and Sango engaged the two children in a game.

As Sesshoumaru stood off in a corner observing his surroundings, he noticed a peculiar nudging at his feet. He looked down but the sensation was gone, and all he could smell was earth, so he simply shrugged (not physically, of course) and went back to his observing.

There was nothing that escaped his attention, his nose or his sight.

Rin was currently hiding from Sango amidst one of the tallest flower beds when she felt something hit her hand that was slightly buried in the rich soil. She looked down when it happened again and snatched her hand back, eyes widening comically. "SESSHOU-TOU-SAMA!! A GHOST!!" She leaped up and ran over to the demon lord who looked down at her with barely contained exasperation.

"Rin, there aren't any spirits in this garden." He muttered as she literally dragged him over to where she'd been hiding. She shoved his hand in the dirt and ignored everyone's curious queries.

Sesshoumaru looked extremely nonplussed…until he felt something cold, wet and slick brush his hand. Quick as lightening he grasped it an yanked it out the dirt as Rin screamed.

Really, really close to his ear.

Inuyasha walked up behind Sesshoumaru and smirked. "Looks like ya got yourself a demon gopher problem, brother."

"A demon gopher?" Kagome questioned as Sesshoumaru grasped it by the scruff and twirled it around.

"They do ten times as much damage as regular ones." Sango whistled as Sesshoumaru quickly called for a servant to dispose of the creature. Sango gasped sharply as she saw the entire bed of flowers get decimated in a matter of seconds. "Uh….Sesshoumaru-sama? I think there might be more than one."

Rin screamed again and started sobbing uncontrollably as the evil beasts began destroying her precious flowers. Sesshoumaru growled slightly and used his poison whip to rid the world of the remaining two gophers. The poison caused the few remaining flowers to literally steam and smoke as they died. Rin practically threw herself over the pile of unearthed soil and dead petals, crying and screaming in her grief.

As Kagome dragged her upstairs to change, Jaken asked "However did we manage to accumulate so many demon gophers on one day, and on Rin-chan's birthday, no less?"

Sesshoumaru didn't respond, but Maiyu scowled down at the toad. "How indeed?" she sneered as she brushed past him to help Kagome with the upset child.

When it was time to eat, Inuyasha nearly bowled everyone over trying to get to the food. His hands were flying so fast that it was hard to see them. "Uncouth mutt," Jaken muttered, and everyone couldn't help but agree.

"Whatever, you stupid toad." He grumbled. "This is actually pretty good!"

Nobody else could concur.

Everyone seemed to spit their food out simultaneously. "What's in this?!" Shippou spluttered as everyone put aside their plates.

Inuyasha (who was wolfing down his food) and Sesshoumaru (who was regally nibbling on his on food) both seemed unfazed. "What?" Inuyasha asked, his mouth stuffed to capacity.

Kagome rolled her eyes and sniffed her plate before her eyes widened. "There's dog food in this!" she sputtered and everyone groaned in disgust.

Sesshoumaru calmly set down his meal and turned blazing eyes onto the toad. "Jaken…you oversaw the preparing of this meal. How could you let this happen?"

Jaken cowered under his lord's fierce glare and was suddenly reminded why his little game of sabotage wasn't such a great idea.

"Great, now Rin'll have to sit and be hungry while they prepare another meal." Maiyu muttered angrily as everyone cast the toad death stares. Everyone except Inuyasha who was in heavenly elation from the food.

Later that night, with two more disasters behind them (they couldn't find the gifts when it was time to open them and Rin and Shippou also fell into the fountain after discovering it was suspiciously slippery), the entire party had retired to their own rooms, muttering about what a terrible day it had been.

Kagome and Miroku, though free from the ants, were sporting lovely red spots and blotches all over their bodies that would take a few days to go away.

Rin and Shippou were probably going to catch colds after falling into the freezing water of the pond.

Inuyasha and Maiyu both spent the rest of the night retching after the dinner debacle (though Inuyasha because he'd simply eaten WAY too much).

And Sango had to make sure there weren't anymore demon gophers in the area to ruin any other gardens on the castle grounds.

PLUS, Sesshoumaru had to make sure the garden was re-planted before Rin suffered another panic attack for her 'beautiful, poor, helpless, unsuspecting, victimized, ravaged flowers'.

All in all a great birthday, Rin chirped to Kagome happily.

OH. MY. GOD. Other than apologizing profusely for the over FIVE MONTH DELAY (for which I am very sorry, btw) I do have a particular reviewer to thank. Dragon77 messaged me early this afternoon and somehow managed the great task of inspiring me to reopen this thing! I was really ready to give up on it, so we all have him/her to thank because they inadvertantly inspired me after months of having nothing in my head to spew out!

ro-iro38 throws herself into a low and dramatic bow THANK YOU MIRACLE WORKER DRAGON77!

Ahem. Now you guys review so I can wrap this thing on up!