Ayame followed Rin as she went to the main house and searched out Izayoi and InuTashio. "Is something wrong?" Izayoi asked as she noticed how determined Rin looked at this moment. It was at that moment that Izayoi and InuTashio noticed Ayame's rather nervous face, which only added to their concern for Rin.

"I need to talk to you about Sesshomaru, but I would prefer it if he were here to hear it," Rin signed to them. They both looked at Ayame, who in turn interpreted for them.

Their gaze once again returned to Rin before InuTashio yelled out Sesshomaru's name. Within seconds they could all hear Sesshomaru's footsteps as he ran out of his room and down the stairs. Any time his father called up to him with that tone meant that something bad was about to happen. He noticed Rin's anger and he realized that he had every right to fear her right now. "Before she says anything, perhaps I should explain it."

Rin pursed her lips together before squaring her jaw. "What's going on?" InuTashio finally asked his son.

Sesshomaru looked at his father while he body was squarely pointed in Rin's direction. "At the beginning of the year I made a bet with Kouga that I could get Rin into bed before the end of the year." He watched the anger build up in his father as his father's face grew red and his jaw tightened. "But I was wrong for doing it; I know that now. Somewhere along the way I came to realize she had feelings." He turned his gaze back to Rin and she said directly to you, "And somewhere along the line I fell in love with you. So last night when we got a little too close I had to end it there.

"I called up Kouga this morning immediately so that I could forfeit because I should have done it a long time ago but forgot until yesterday. And I guess Ayame heard it." Rin's eyes looked up into his and he could see that she was rather torn between a few emotions. "I wasn't going to tell you because I was afraid that you would think horribly of me and wouldn't believe that I love you." He wanted to reach out and hold her and beg for forgiveness, but he also knew that she could easily push him away.

Rin looked into his eyes searching for the truth. He could be a good liar, but right now he had laid out his emotions in his eyes for her to see. Sesshomaru had even admitted his feelings before his own family and Ayame without thinking anything of it. "I'm rather disappointed in you," InuTashio started to say. "But if you are being honest, I guess I can overlook this indiscretion." He then addressed Rin, "Is he lying?"

Slowly Rin turned her eyes towards InuTashio and shook her head. She gave him a half-hearted smile before looking back at Sesshomaru. "Rin, I'd do nearly anything right now to wipe any last doubts you have in your mind. I'd even marry you now if that was your wish."

"Whoa!" InuTashio called out. "Don't go there. You're both too young, and you've only been dating for a few months. Wait until you're out of college before even entertaining that idea."

Rin laughed at InuTashio for even thinking she could so easily jump into marriage. She turned to Ayame and signed to her, "I guess if he can prove to me that he can remain committed to me through college I will consider marrying him." Ayame smiled and the interpreted for her.

"I like that idea," Izayoi suggested hoping to break some of the tension that still remained in the air.

--

A month and a half later Rin packed up her things and moved to college. Sesshomaru made sure to call her every day. Their relationship had been rather strained for the past month partially because Rin still felt a little hurt that he hadn't told her about the bet but mostly because of the stress of the end of the year. Sesshomaru didn't give up hope though that one day he could convince her of his true feelings.

Every couple of months he would go out to visit her. They made sure to never get close physically since they knew they would have a long wait. But she was glad that after three years of being apart he was still coming out to see her.

--

23 years later

Rin sat down on the bed next to her youngest child, who lay sobbing on her bed. "I can't believe he did that to me," she whined. Rin comfortingly pushed her daughter's hair out of her eyes and then stroked it. Saki, now eighteen years old, had just had her heart broken when he boyfriend suggested to her that they break up before going to college so that they could explore other options. "My life is over," Saki droned.

Quietly Rin said to her, "I once thought that when I was your age, but my boyfriend had been trying to get me into his bed to win a bet."

Saki looked up at her mother's wistful face. "Really? You had a boyfriend who wronged you?"

Rin smiled at the girl and said to her, "Yes, but things turned out differently for me."

"What happened?"

"He had his chance but decided that he loved me too much to carry through. Things were rather strained for years afterwards." Her hands ceased their mindless movements and she put them in her lap.

"Did you finally break up with him for Dad?"

Rin laughed slightly before saying, "You don't need to worry about Hiroshi. If he loves you, he'll find out soon that he was a fool for breaking up with you. But if he finds someone else, you will know that he wasn't the best choice for you. There are plenty of other men out there for you. Don't settle for one who doesn't love you with your whole heart."

Saki nodded her head, but Rin knew that she probably wouldn't understand until later in her life. The teenage brain wasn't developed enough to fully understand logic, so her emotions would still control her for awhile. Hopefully Saki would find another man, a better man, that would soon replace Hiroshi in her heart.

"I'm going to make your favorite meal tonight," Rin said before kissing her on the forehead.

As she got up to leave Saki called after her, "Mom." Rin turned around and smiled at Saki. "Who was the guy that broke your heart?"

Rin closed her eyes and pictured Sesshomaru in her mind before answering her, "Your father. It took him years, but he proved beyond a doubt that he loved me. That's how I knew he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with." She smiled again for her daughter before exiting the room. Sesshomaru was standing in the hallway leaning against the wall. He was greatly worried about his little girl. "She'll be fine. It'll just take her a little time. She's still young."

He held her close to him and kissed her forehead. Obviously this boy wasn't good enough for his daughter because a man in love would fight for what he loved like he fought for Rin. "I'm glad that you never gave up on me," he whispered lovingly into her ear.

Rin lovingly stroked his face as she said, "I'm glad you once made a bet."

--

The End!