Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Lunar Flower	By : SplendentGoddess Category: InuYasha AU/AR > Het - Male/Female Views: 2407 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi or VIZ Productions, and I do not gain financially from my fanfic in any way.

Chapter List
- 1-Lunar Flower
- 1
A/N:
Greetings! As the summary explained, this is the third (and final) installment to my �Silver Fang� universe. I wasn't originally going to make a third part, but people have asked, and since unlike last year I hadn't already had any other specific ideas in mind for this year's Halloween fic, I decided what the hell. In keeping with my own personal tradition when it comes to Halloween and Christmas multi-story universes, this sequel takes place in 'real time', meaning that since the first sequel �Of Fangs and Flowers� was written two years ago, this story now takes place two years after that one, and three years after the original. I will not be writing a forth installment.
If you haven't already read both �Silver Fang� and �Of Fangs and Flowers� I highly, highly recommend you do so. Could you imagine watching �The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King� without having seen either �The Fellowship of the Ring� or �The Two Towers�? Not that my humble little werewolf and vampire universe even comes close to that level of greatness, but I'd like to think it's great in its own unique ways. I'm certainly a fan of it, or I wouldn't have bothered honoring your requests for a third installment. I know what you want to see, even more than what Inu/Kag are up to these days. Even though Inu/Kag are generally speaking my favorite pair to work with, there is also plenty of Sess/Rin in this particular one-shot. Ask and ye shall receive, at least in this case.
On that note, enjoy!
~ Lunar Flower ~
�I really appreciate you guys doing this.� Souta said from his place in the backseat of Inuyasha and Kagome's car, the trio currently on the freeway en route to the big city, and more specifically, to Universal Magic Berry Mountain, for their special after hours Halloween Frightening Haunt Fest.
Tonight was Halloween.
The now seventeen-year-old had wanted to go into the big city to the theme park's Halloween extravaganza for several years now, but it'd just never worked out for one reason or another. He'd almost gotten to go last year, one of his human friends from school having won a pair of tickets on the radio, but he had ended up bailing on the teen wolf at the last second, deciding to give the extra ticket to his girlfriend instead.
This year, Souta had decided that he wanted to go no matter what, but still being underage Mrs. Higurashi hadn't felt comfortable letting her son go off all by himself overnight like that into the big city. Unbeknownst to Souta, Mrs. Higurashi had discussed the matter with Kagome, and the former she-wolf had been more than happy to act as chaperone.
�Don't sweat it.� she told her kid brother then, as she turned around in the passenger seat to look his way. �We didn't have any other plans anyway, and if you ask me, this sounds like it'll be fun as hell. A larger, more professional version of the local haunted maze we went to two years ago.�
�Yeah, it'll be like that except way better, and with roller coasters!� Souta replied with unrestrained excitement, sounding more like a seven-year-old than a seventeen-year-old.
The family had gone to the theme park a couple of times before in his lifetime, but only during the day, and he hadn't been there at all since a couple of their newest, most awesome looking coasters had been built. He was looking forward to riding those, plus a couple of the older coasters, ones he remembered riding as a child, were going to be on their tracks backwards. He loved Halloween.
�I've got to admit, I've never even been on a roller coaster, so I think I'm looking forward to this as much as you are, kid.� Inuyasha spoke up then, glancing Souta's way briefly in the rear view mirror. �Even though they stay open late enough even during normal business hours that I could've went after dark to experience it, I'd just never used to care about that sort of thing.�
Leaving it at that, the other two occupants of the car knew exactly what he was talking about. He'd used to be a bloodthirsty monster. Having 'fun' had been the last thing on his mind, unless you counted murder, which was very fun indeed. But even though if you wanted to get technical he was still a bloodthirsty monster, and so was Kagome, Inuyasha was honest to truly looking forward to a night of fun at the theme park, riding the rides and even pretending to be scared by the humans in costumes pretending to be monsters themselves. It was all thanks to the woman sitting beside him, and, in fact, thanks to the boy in the backseat. He and Kagome probably never would have thought to go to the theme park for Halloween night if it weren't for Souta's desire to go and his need for someone to go with him.
Fortunately, with the sun setting earlier that time of year, they were able to hit the road about an hour before the park reopened for their 'graveyard shift' operation, pun intended. They still wouldn't get there until around two hours or so after opening, but better to get their late than not at all. At least he was finally going. Inuyasha and Kagome had promised they'd stay until closing time at 2am to make up for it. Souta wasn't going to let himself feel bummed about the lost time when he knew damn well why his sister and future brother-in-law couldn't hit the road until the sun was out of sight.
Yeah, future brother-in-law. Kagome and Inuyasha were now officially engaged. Thanks to Sesshoumaru's connections, Inuyasha finally had in his possession a shiny new fake ID, along with all the other fake paperwork a centuries old demon needed in order to pretend he was a human in his early thirties. True, he'd actually been in his early twenties when he'd been turned, but a giggling Kagome had playfully threatened to never stop teasing him if he got paperwork that actually said he was younger than she was. Besides, since the life expectancy hadn't been as great back then, he'd looked older than people that age looked nowadays. He wasn't baby-faced. He was a man. And as a man, he'd manned up, the first thing he'd done when Sesshoumaru had presented him with his new identity being to drop down on bended knee in front of a stunned Kagome. Hell, she was the reason why he'd asked Sesshoumaru for such a huge favor in the first place.
Although it had more or less been presumed that the two of them were going to be together forever, literally, Inuyasha had known that officially getting married was important to the girl. They'd never discussed it; they hadn't needed to. The way she'd referred to him as her 'boyfriend' had been enough of a clue in and of itself, the woman thinking of their relationship in modern, human terms. So if she was his girlfriend, but they were going to stay together forever, then the only logical conclusion was to make her his wife. The way a teary eyed Kagome had immediately said yes, her hand shaky as he'd slipped the diamond ring he'd bought in secret on her finger, had told the older vampire he'd made the right decision. They couldn't have a church wedding, for obvious reasons, but there were plenty of alternatives. They were going to have a nighttime 'winter wonderland' wedding outdoors at the campground clearing in the forest, in the snow. It would be beautiful.
There was plenty of time to think about that, though. Right now, the trio were going to quite thoroughly enjoy a 'spooktacular' Halloween nights together. When Kagome had first asked Inuyasha if he'd mind taking Souta to the theme park, not only had the older vampire decided that he wouldn't mind it in the least, and that it would probably even be fun, but he'd even volunteered to pay. Souta had saved up money he'd earned doing various small jobs for people to pay his own way, back when he had been prepared to go by himself, but Inuyasha wouldn't hear of it, telling Souta to keep his money. Tonight was on him.
Finally arriving at their destination, they parked in the first available spot they found and scurried towards the gate as fast as they could without it being inhumanly fast, pre-purchased tickets already in hand. Let the games begin.
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Back in the peaceful mountainous suburbia they called home, another centuries old vampire and his girlfriend had Halloween plans of their own.
True to his word, Sesshoumaru always came back to visit with Rin whenever his busy schedule permitted, which was usually at least once a month for a couple of nights, if not longer. In fact, he had more or less turned her apartment into his home base. He'd never really felt the need to have a home base before, wandering from place to place as he always did while out on his hunts. Not for prey, but for reckless youthful vampires that needed to be reformed or dealt with. While traveling, he would hide out from the sunlight as nonchalantly as one of his caliber was capable. Able to go for several days in a row without sleep, he would pick a business center, sometimes a museum, and meander unnoticed by the humans until sunset. Whenever he needed to stay in one particular location for an extended period of time, or whenever he actually needed to sleep, he would simply get a hotel room.
That was still what he did while out on the hunts, or whenever he traveled to pay his various human contacts across the country a visit to reinforce their loyalty, but now, whenever he had no current assignment, instead of continuing to wander aimlessly, he always went straight back to Rin. He even paid her rent. She had protested at first, of course, but the fact of the matter was that she could not easily afford her rent on her own and would have ordinarily been in need of a new roommate. That would not be acceptable, he'd informed her, not that she'd had any arguments there because how was she supposed to have crazy hot vampire sex with her demonic boyfriend if she had a roommate? But instead of only paying half of her rent in order to make up for her lack of a roommate, he paid the whole thing.
She had protested, but ultimately caved. Still working at her family's flower shop, she took advantage of having the extra money to spend the way most any girl would do, by going shopping! When Sesshoumaru had first arrived for this latest visit a couple of nights ago he'd spent the first hour or so sitting on Rin's couch as she'd put on a little fashion show for him, modeling one after another all of the various new outfits she'd bought for herself over the last few weeks.
That night, she was doing a different kind of modeling.
The revealing tight black leather, the bindings, the leash... Rin was a good girl in the light of day, but they had been together now for a little over two years, and in that time Sesshoumaru had learned that his 'innocent' little Rin was more than capable of showing a wilder, darker side. She'd jokingly told him that he'd corrupted her, and maybe it was true, although, on the other hand, there was no denying the way his little vixen had seduced him the very night they'd met. Granted, he had felt some kind of unexplainable attraction to her as well, but she had been the one to kiss him first. She had been the one who'd crawled into his lap, straddling him. And now, she had been the one to do herself up in the sophisticated dominatrix ensemble, which consisted of a black leather corset that exposed her breasts and matching crotchless panties, forcing him to wait out in the living room, nude, while she 'slipped into something more comfortable' she'd said. Indeed.
�You've been a bad boy...� Rin cooed, tugging on the leash in her hand after fastening the collar around his neck, her own neck protected by a thick leather choker with sharp spikes. Not that it needed protecting, but it was an erotic sight nonetheless.
�So what will it be?� she asked, standing provocatively with her hip jutting out as she posed with the index finger of her free hand on her chin, as if contemplating. �Trick?� Smirking wickedly, she moved her index finger away from her chin and pressed it hard against one of the sharpened spikes on her choker. She then took her lightly bleeding fingertip and smeared the blood all over her erect nipples. �Or treat?�
His eyes widened.
He loved Halloween.
But not as much as he loved Rin.
Eyes flashing to red and back, Sesshoumaru reached up with his right hand and tugged on his own leash, causing a giggling Rin to fall into his lap. Wrapping his left hand around her and against her back to hold her in place, he lowered his face to her supple breasts, licking the blood from her perk nipples one after the other, an approving rumble deep in his throat letting her know just how much he was enjoying her 'treat'. Letting his beast rise to the surface, he delicately traced her nipples with his fangs, not hard enough to hurt. Never biting. Never causing pain. If Rin bled herself he would gladly taste her proffered ambrosia, but he would never ever be the one to break her skin. Unless...
She arched her back, pressing her breast more fully into his mouth, feeling his fangs as they pressed ever so softly against her pliant flesh, but it still wasn't enough to break her skin. Distracted from his previous thoughts, he delighted in her responses, rubbing the tips of his fangs across her nipples a second time.
Rin mewled. The feeling of his fangs excited her; she trusted him fully and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he'd never hurt her. It wasn't even the fact that he could hurt her that turned her on so much. It was knowing that he wouldn't, knowing that she had such a vicious beast under her control. She'd tamed him. But it wasn't a game. Tonight it was, but she wasn't really his master, any more than he was hers. She loved him, and it was the fact that this centuries old demon, this bloodthirsty killer, loved her as well and would not harm her for that reason... That was what excited her most of all.
Feeling how excited he was as it pressed up between their bodies, Rin smirked and began gyrating her hips, rubbing herself against him, lubricating him as the friction excited her further as well. He rumbled again, a type of growl from deep in his chest, and the vibrations of it traveling straight into her nipple sent tingles throughout the rest of her body. Reaching between them, she grabbed his shaft, and he pulled his mouth away from her chest then, hissing in pleasure as he tilted his head back while she worked him, stroking him expertly. Just another shift of her hips, and he was inside her. They both moaned at the sensation.
Grabbing her waist to still her movements, then, Sesshoumaru offered Rin a wicked smirk, one that silently translated as 'brace yourself', which she did, and then with no further warning he began hammering his hips up into her as swiftly as he could move without harming her. Rin cried out at the sensation, loving every minute of it. It was the way they'd made love the first time and while he'd since taken her in her bed on plenty of occasions, and pressed against the wall in the shower, and bent over the kitchen counter...this way was still her favorite. She knew his favorite position was with her on the floor on her hands and knees and him kneeling behind her, but she also knew his inhuman stamina meant they'd be able to run through the full gamut of positions if he wanted to. The night was still young.
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Inuyasha had never had so much fun in his entire life! Roller coasters were awesome! And all of the various haunted mazes the park had assembled especially for this occasion were pretty awesome, too. Even some of the slower, normally boring, what Souta had called 'rest your feet' rides, like a train that traveled languidly through mountainous caverns, had been altered and manipulated in honor of the holiday. Instead of a peacefully slow train ride through a fake logging community, the animatronic ax men had been replaced with chainsaw massacre victims, the fake forest's former serenity transformed into the backdrop of the kind of horror film that spawned seven sequels, each even more ridiculously gruesome than the last. The lights were low, fog machines operational, and the centuries old vampire had, for the first time in his life, experienced being startled.
He wasn't afraid of the humans and their make-believe; none of the guests in attendance were honestly afraid, everyone knowing deep down that it was fake. But even knowing there was no way in hell that chainsaw actually had a chain on it, it was still instinctive to jump back when it was suddenly shoved, loud and running, in your face.
�Ha!� Kagome had laughed at him afterwards, even though she'd jerked away from the chainsaw too.
He loved Halloween.
Deciding to really get into the spirit of things, Kagome and Inuyasha had even decided to refrain from breathing whilst walking through the mazes, which meant they couldn't smell. With so many humans shoved into those mazes all at once and their pounding heartbeats and screaming, plus the piped in music and fake moans and groans of pain, detecting the unique heartbeats of the hidden 'monsters' was a downright impossible task. Both Inuyasha and Kagome had been caught off guard several times now. Inuyasha knew he should have been embarrassed, especially since his fianc�e's little brother was also bearing witness to his momentary lapses in superiority. He was a centuries old vampire, being laughed at by a teenaged werewolf for mere humans managing to make him jump in surprise. It should have been humiliating! But it was all in good fun and Souta was family. Souta found it quite hilarious, indeed, as his sister and future brother-in-law kept getting caught off guard, but it had been their choice not to 'cheat', even though the teen-wolf knew where all of the costumed humans were hiding. Inuyasha couldn't have cared less as the boy laughed. They were family, and they were having fun. Unlike he and Kagome, Souta had to breathe, so he had no choice but to 'cheat', a wolf's nose being even better than a vampire's when it came to scents other than blood.
Souta also had to use the facilities on occasion, that last extra large soda making him do a rather interesting dance as they waited in line for Kagome's popcorn. He again looked more like a seven-year-old than a seventeen-year-old.
�You okay there, buddy?� Inuyasha asked; it was his turn to laugh.
Flushing, Souta darted his eyes towards the nearby restroom. He sighed.
�I gotta go. Be right back.� That said, he made a beeline for the men's restroom.
Inuyasha and Kagome laughed, and getting her popcorn, Kagome headed over to the benches near the restroom to wait for her brother while Inuyasha decided to play Good Samaritan and get in line for a churro in the boy's stead.
Taking a seat beside a lady who was most likely waiting for someone in the men's restroom as well, it caught Kagome by surprise when the sudden scent of a wolf other than Souta reached her nose. She turned and looked steadily at the woman sitting beside her, inhaling in a way she thought was discreet enough.
She smells human... Kagome realized. But yet, the scent of wolf is so strong...
Her inspection wasn't as nonchalant as she'd hoped as the human woman suddenly turned and looked her way more than a little nervously.
�Can I help you?� she asked, trying to sound brave.
Kagome mentally cursed herself. Had this woman only caught her staring, or had she actually noticed the way she had been smelling her? Her nervousness and false bravado would tend to suggest the latter.
Realizing the cat was out of the bag, or wolf, rather, Kagome offered the woman a kind smiled, not wishing to frighten the lady.
�I'm sorry, your...perfume...just caught me by surprise. I didn't mean to intrude.� She popped in a few pieces of popcorn into her mouth, turning her attention back to the restroom door.
As if somehow sensing something supernatural about the young lady sitting beside her, and indeed if the woman kept supernatural company of her own then it wasn't a hard leap to make, she asked Kagome conspiratorially in that moment, �Do you like wolves?�
Kagome's smile widened even more as she turned back to glance her way again. �Indeed, I'm quite fond.� She ate more popcorn.
The woman relaxed immediately, as if realizing she was among friends. She almost seemed unnaturally relieved, Kagome noted, as if hers was the first friendly face she'd seen in quite some time. She was cautious to keep the conversation somewhat encoded, but just had to open up in that moment.
�My husband...he used to live in the northern mountains before we met. His family, they didn't like me. He defied their wishes by marrying me anyway, and they disowned him, so now we live alone with our son, here in the city.�
Kagome nodded her deeper understanding. She'd come from a long line of purebreds, too. Although her pack hadn't even disowned her, not officially, at least, and she imagined that in the end nobody would be expelled from the pack for marrying a human, either, it would certainly be frowned upon. To choose love over his pack, some would say her husband's loyalty was misplaced, but after everything she'd been through in the last three years, Kagome thought her husband's loyalty was right where it should be.
�A difficult decision, but I would say he made the right choice.�
The woman smiled kindly at that, again appearing relieved. Kagome imagined it was probably the first time anyone who'd known what her husband was had not shunned them for their interracial relationship.
�I can't honestly imagine how hard it must have been for him, to have to leave the pa- family.� she said. �That he did it for me, even before our son was conceived, I'm eternally grateful to him.�
�It's very hard to leave one's pack.� Kagome replied, not changing the word as her senses assured her there was presently no one without hearing range, aside from Inuyasha of course. �But for love, it's worth it.�
�Do you speak from experience?�
Kagome smiled pityingly.
�Not to the extent of yours. My situation is certainly not your husband's. I have left my pack, indefinitely, but my own family has not disowned me.�
�I...don't understand.� the woman stated, clearly confused. Usually, pack and family were inseparable and considered one and the same.
�My mother, grandfather and brother, they still accept me.� Kagome explained..�In fact, my fianc� and I brought my younger brother here with us today. He's who I'm waiting for in the bathroom.�
She nodded her head towards the restroom and ate another mouthful of popcorn.
�Your fianc�...� the woman started. �He's the reason the rest of the pack no longer welcomes you?�
Kagome furrowed her brow.
�In a manner of speaking.� At the woman's continued look of confusion she waved it off. �Don't worry about it.� Kagome said dismissively. �They might not really accept me anymore, but they accepted my decision, and we're not enemies. That's the important thing. My situation... it's unlike anyone else's on the planet, I would imagine.� Glancing towards where Inuyasha was finally paying for Souta's churro, she added, �But I don't regret my decision for one minute.�
Something in the woman's eyes clicked with dawning realization, at least in part. She gestured to the diamond ring on Kagome's left hand.
�He is not like me.�
She meant human.
�No, he's not.�
�But he's not like you, either.�
Kagome knew the woman thought she was a wolf.
�It's complicated, but especially on tonight of all nights, there are no enemies. You have nothing to fear from either of us.�
She ate another handful of popcorn as the woman slowly nodded her head in at least partial understanding. She looked nervous again.
Kagome thought to change the subject then, giving the woman another big smile. A smile that reflected the a sincere kindness in her vividly royal blue eyes. Eyes that seemed too blue to be natural, come to think of it...
�I'm Kagome, by the way.�
Wiping her buttery hand off on her jeans, Kagome stuck her hand out for the woman to shake in formal greeting.
Smiling again, finding that she felt at ease around this woman whatever her situation, she reached forward and grabbed Kagome's hand.
�I'm-�
�Sarah!� a man suddenly yelled, approaching them swiftly from the direction of the bathrooms.
At the same time he was yelling �Get away from her!� � and Kagome could not tell if he was telling her to get away from Sarah or the other way around � a little boy no more than six years old with adorable red hair tied up in a ponytail that reminded her of a young male Ayame was also shouting �Mama! Guess who we met!�
Souta was trailing after them both, yelling �Kagome!� in worry because of the man's reaction.
With all the screaming from the nearby rides and mazes and people running around pretending to be scared all over the park, nobody paid their little display any attention, thank goodness.
The man, clearly her husband and very obviously a wolf, approached them swiftly and would have yanked his wife out of Kagome's grasp had the vampiress not already retracted her hand herself, backing away with both hands raised in surrender, her box of popcorn abandoned on the bench.
�Calm down, we were just talking.� she said, shifting her eyes to the rapidly approaching Inuyasha and giving him the slightest of gestures of shaking her head no, letting him know everything was fine and there was no need to rush in and play hero. He approached the rest of the way at a normal pace, then, assessing the situation warily.
Sarah's husband darted his eyes between the two vampires, and then back to the young man he and his son had been speaking with in the bathroom. Had that boy actually called out to this demon? He'd said he was here with his big sister and her fianc�, but there was no way he'd meant-
�Would somebody please tell me what's going on?� Sarah asked timidly, her nervousness back tenfold. She hated being around beings who could sense things she couldn't. More so, she just hated being the human, the one left out of the loop. They always seemed to communicate with their other senses, leaving her completely in the dark.
�Just a simple misunderstanding.� Kagome stated, answering Sarah but keeping her husband's gaze. She then continued, speaking directly to the man. �I was just sitting on the bench, waiting for my brother...� A nod of her head gestured to Souta. �...and when I noticed her scent we started talking. No harm, no foul.�
Michael wasn't going to start a scene in such a public, human place, especially on Halloween night, but he would call the demon out on her blatant lie.
�Your brother?� He snorted, the sound rude. He glanced back at Souta, nodding in gratitude to see the way he had a protective hand on Shippou's shoulder. They'd really hit it off in the bathroom, since Shippou had never seen another of his kind before. Turning back to look Kagome in the eyes, he darted his gaze between her and Inuyasha and then asked her point blank, �Did you capture him? To what purpose do you hold claim on him?�
It had to be some kind of bargaining chip. It was the only thing that made sense.
Sarah, meanwhile, was quickly realizing that Kagome's fianc� wasn't the only vampire. She'd started to suspect that he was from the subtle clues. Kagome had left her pack for him, he wasn't human, he wasn't a wolf... What else was there? It would have seemed impossible, but she had said she was probably the only one on the planet in her situation, and she didn't think Michael would react so strongly to Kagome merely smelling like she'd been with a vampire. No, she'd seen him react that way plenty of times to realize instantly that she, herself, had to be one as well. But then how could she have once had a pack of her own? And how could Souta...?
�No, he is my brother. I was once like you.� Kagome stated then, her voice calm, placating, begging for peaceful understanding.
Michael snorted again, and would have protested the absurdity of such a farfetched notion, but in that moment Shippou started tugging not-so-discreetly on Souta's sleeve.
�What's going on?� he whispered up to the older boy, loud enough still that even his human mother heard him. �I thought vampires were bad.�
Inuyasha's eyes softened at the boy. He'd heard Kagome and Sarah's conversation, of course. He could sympathize with them. He was definitely no longer the heartless, ruthless monster he'd used to be. This could be solved peacefully.
Still, he was eternally grateful they were currently in such a public place, and it being Halloween night was most definitely an added bonus.
�Most of us are bad, kiddo. Very bad. Me 'n' Kagome are probably the only ones that'll never attack your kind except in self defense, and even then we'll run away rather than stay and fight.� Crouching down a little and looking Shippou right in the eyes he added, �If you ever smell anyone else other than the two of us you run and you run fast.�
Wide eyed, Shippou nodded his obedience to the instruction.
�Really?� Michael intoned sarcastically. �You'd run away? You wouldn't stay to try and finish the job?�
Inuyasha didn't hesitate for even a second. �Absolutely not.�
Michael raised an eyebrow. �Why?�
Standing back up, he nodded his head towards Kagome. �Her.�
�I can explain.� Kagome said then.
�Please do.� replied Sarah, who gave her husband a look meant to let Kagome and Inuyasha explain themselves. He gave his wife a disapproving look back but otherwise didn't interrupt.
Deciding to keep the story simple, and definitely G rated because of the little one, Kagome said, �Inuyasha and I fought once, on Halloween so we weren't really trying to kill each other. It was more sparring, and we...got to know each other.�
If Sarah or Michael picked up her subtle hint they didn't show it.
�Later...� Let them decide how much later. �...I was attacked by a bunch of other vampires, and I wasn't going to make it. At that point, I became human. Inuyasha had nothing to do with my attackers, and he even came to rescue me at my call but was too late. All he could do at that point, was save my life.�
Michael absorbed that bit of information in silence for a moment, knowing it was at least plausible. If she truly had been dying from her injuries, from blood loss, then he knew that not only would she have indeed turned human, but that it also meant she would have been able to be turned into a vampire.
�That explains why your pack doesn't really welcome you anymore but yet are not your enemies.� Sarah commented, more thinking out loud. �And why your mother, grandfather and brother still accept you.� She shifted her eyes over to Souta, also smiling at the way he still had his hand on her son's shoulder. Meeting her eyes, Souta nodded, smiling brightly.
�It's true.� the seventeen-year-old confirmed. �We're just glad she's still alive.�
�I'm still confused by one thing, though...� Sarah said then, reaching over and picking up Kagome's abandoned popcorn.
Inuyasha couldn't hide his amused smirk as Kagome sheepishly accepted the cardboard box back from the human woman.
�What?� she asked defensively, darting her eyes once at everyone present, including her brother. �I like popcorn.� With that, she ate another handful. Inuyasha and Souta just laughed while Sarah also looked on in amusement and Michael stared in open surprise. Shippou didn't understand what was so funny. He liked popcorn, too.
With the tension defused, the most amazing thing happened. The two families ended up hanging out together the rest of the night. Little Shippou's excitement in the mazes enabled Inuyasha, Kagome and even Souta to see things from his younger perspective, and they ended up having even more fun then they'd already been having. Even though he had a werewolf's sense of smell, Shippou was young, and he was unused to being in such close quarters with so many people. His nose was easily fooled within the mazes and he was startled on several occasions. He was startled, as the vampires had found themselves being, but even the six-year-old was not truly afraid, also comprehending that it was all make believe, it was all fun and games. He pretended to be afraid, and ran away screaming on several occasions, but he was laughing as he screamed, getting a kick out of the entire experience. The park actually recommended that Halloween Frightening Haunt Fest not be for children under the age of thirteen, but it was only a recommendation and kids of all ages were permitted within the park. They'd seen several older children completely freaked out, balling their eyes out and begging to go home, while young Shippou was having the time of his life.
�I love Halloween!� he shouted joyously.
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Lying together in bed, the morning sunlight would have been filtering in through the blinds had they not been replaced with heavy, hotel quality curtains. Only the brightness of the living room, visible down the hall through the open doorway, illuminated the otherwise shadowed bedroom in any way, revealing that it was in fact morning.
Slowly, Rin moved her left index finger around on Sesshoumaru's bare chest in nonsense patterns, as she lied on her right side, snuggled up in his embrace at his left, his arm around her, left hand cupping her left shoulder.
�I've been thinking...� she stated after a moment, breaking the silence that had held since she'd woken perhaps twenty minutes prior.
�This does not bode well.� the wide awake Sesshoumaru teased in return, chuckling deeply when she playfully slapped his chest in retaliation.
Rin's amusement was short lived, and as she got serious again Sesshoumaru's mood also sobered, somehow sensing the seriousness of the moment.
�What have you been thinking?� he asked, his tone genuinely inquisitive, in no way implying he was merely humoring the girl.
Rin in turn could sense her partner's seriousness, and took a deep breath, bracing herself for his reaction.
�I...I want to do it. I'm ready.� she said. She held her breath, not daring to meet his eyes.
He stiffened in her embrace, and shifted his gaze to spy the top of her head since she was refusing to look at his face.
�You are certain?� He just had to be sure.
�Are you not?� she countered. She'd picked up his more sophisticated manner of speech whenever the moment called for it, and this moment certainly did.
�You know I would never have any regrets for myself, but if you were ever to regret...�
�I would regret it more, I think, if I did not do it. Life, mortal life, is riddled with regrets. Of looking back and wishing something had been done differently. It's been two years, and my decision has not changed. Please do not make me wait until it is too late, until we both realize it should have been done long ago.�
And it was true. Per Inuyasha's suggestion, Sesshoumaru had actually braved discussing the notion with Rin without delay, on that first Halloween night two years prior, his very first night back with her after their initial separation. At that time, he had wanted only to gauge her reaction to the possibility. He'd wanted to see if it was something she was willing to consider, to weigh the pros and cons of, versus something she would outright refuse to consider, no ands, ifs or buts. It had surprised him when she had agreed almost immediately, nodding her head and telling him she would do it. But at that time, she had been willing to do it for him, and while that was what he wanted, it was also not what he wanted. If he were to turn her, he would want it to be for herself, because that was the life she had chosen. Even hypothetically should their romantic relationship not last, or if something tragic befell him, she would remain stuck being what she had become, and for herself, by herself, she would have to be okay with that. He had refused to turn her that night, insisting that she give the matter more thought. Serious thought. Over the next couple of months she'd felt relieved they had not jumped into anything prematurely, not from a fear of possible regret, but from realizing she simply hadn't been ready yet, at that time.
Now, she was ready.
�I've discussed it with my family.� she informed him then.
Yes, her parents and brother, they knew both who and what her boyfriend was. They had never met Sesshoumaru, mainly because he was only ever in town for a few short days at a time and he spent the majority of that time locked away in Rin's apartment. Days she had taken off of work in preparation for his visit. But they had met Kagome several times and Inuyasha more than once, and Rin never failed to gush about how awesome Sesshoumaru was to her mother whenever the women saw each other, or even talked over the phone. Of course, her parents had been apprehensive at first. Who in their right mind wouldn't be? And one could even argue that Rin didn't really know Sesshoumaru all that well, since they only saw each other a few brief nights a month. A conjugal visit was never Sesshoumaru's primary intention, although with Rin's influence never once had their time together remained platonic. But there was an undeniable connection between the two of them, undeniable even to Rin's parents and brother. Just like Rin, they had come to accept that it was foolish to try and deny the existence of beings you simply knew to be true, and understanding that Sesshoumaru meant their daughter no harm, they had come to accept him as a man, no different from any other. At least where it counted most, in Rin's heart.
�They told me the decision was mine to make, that much like Kagome's family they will accept my decision, if that is what I choose, and that they'll always love me and I'll always be their Rin, no matter what.�
�You will have to watch them grow old and die while you remain the same.� Sesshoumaru felt he had to point that out. This was a decision that should not be made lightly.
�If I do not, then you will have to watch me grow old and die.�
He closed his eyes, willing away such unpleasant imagery.
�If you will recall, I asked that you not do it for me.�
�Yeah, yeah, yeah...� she waved off. �Maybe I'm greedy and want more than one human lifetime with you. I don't want to give you up, because surely you'd eventually find another girl after I die. So this way, I can keep you all to myself, prevent any other girl from ever having you.�
Sesshoumaru chuckled at her possessiveness. While it was true his previous encounters with women, be they human or vampire, were few and far between, they had happened on the rare occasion, and it was most certainly true that he was unwaveringly loyal to Rin in that regard. He would not have sex with another while the two of them were together, and � as far as Sesshoumaru was concerned � he and Rin would be together throughout the remainder of her life. If that life became immortal to match his own, well then he would remain loyal to Rin for all eternity, simple as that.
Still...
�You love the sunlight.�
It was true. The girl was like one of her flowers. Little ceramic pots with live flowers littered the windowsills in the kitchen and living room in her apartment. A passion she'd inherited from her mother, he'd learned. A part of him was actually surprised she hadn't been named something that meant flower.
She actually snorted at his comment about the sun, pulling him from his thoughts.
�I love you more.� she stated boldly.
�You will have to quit your job at the flower shop.�
�You pay my rent. I'm sure you could afford to pay my utilities, too.�
I would buy you a house... he thought but didn't say out loud.
�You will become a bloodsucking demon.�
Way to state the obvious. But Rin merely shrugged.
�I don't have to kill the innocent, though. Kagome found a way around it. Whenever you're away on business, if I can't come with you, I can feed with her and Inuyasha. I'm sure they'll help me so I don't slip up.�
Sesshoumaru was well aware of his sire-brother and future sister-in-law's feeding habits, but it surprised him to hear Rin talk so easily about killing, even though she had said she would not kill innocent people. Kagome's philosophy was true, after all. There were plenty of human monsters in the world. But that Rin would be willing to kill, even if the men were murderers themselves and their deaths would result in innocent lives being saved, it still surprised him. It would seem Rin really had been giving the matter serious thought over the last two years.
�You will never be able to have children. While male vampires are capable of siring half-breeds with human women, female vampires are sterile.�
�We were never going to have children anyway.� she pointed out logically. They'd already had that discussion. Fortunately, there was quite a lot involved with siring a dhampir, and part of it involved draining the woman almost to the brink of death, so their 'activities' were always risk-free in that regard.
He nodded, accepting.
�If you are certain you are certain, then I will deny us both no longer. I must depart tonight, and will not abandon you after the change; upon my next return it shall be done.�
Hugging him tightly, Rin leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. She tried to pull away after a moment, but the hand that had been on her shoulder shifted to the back of her head, holding her in place as he deepened the kiss.
He did not get any sleep that day. It was early afternoon before he even let Rin get out of bed.
That night, he left her like he'd said he would, but in secret he was delaying his departure by one more night. There was a council meeting he needed to attend, but he had plenty of time to arrive. He fed that night, but in accordance with Inuyasha's wishes, he too made the journey into the big city. He would not desecrate the small town even he himself now called home. Thanks to Rin's words and her influence, he also sought out the dregs of human society. Inuyasha had shared with him many of his and Kagome's favored hunting grounds. He had never before cared how innocent his victims might be, but from now on, for Rin's sake, if she could make such a colossal change of her own, then this much smaller change from his perspective would be easy. He owed her at least that much.
Shortly before sunrise he arrived at Inuyasha and Kagome's apartment. He did not need to knock on the door before it swung open in front of him, a confused Inuyasha in the doorway. Confused only because he too had thought Sesshoumaru had left town. Stepping aside to let his brother enter, Sesshoumaru nodded his greeting to an equally confused Kagome in the living room. Inuyasha and Kagome both quickly learned of Sesshoumaru's situation and his plan, and they supported his decision wholeheartedly.
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Humming a light little tune to herself as she deadheaded the geraniums in the hanging baskets, Rin was unaware of her silent observer as she occasionally peered up through the skylight overhead, admiring the sunshine she was ready to abandon for true love. Her family's flower shop was a little bit florist, a little bit nursery. In the front they sold cut flowers in fabulous bouquets her mother had arranged; a few of the freezers also had loose cut flowers so that customers could custom order a bouquet, vase or flower basket of their own design. But Rin had always preferred working in the back half of the shop, in the greenhouse. She preferred live flowers to dying ones, even though she'd always appreciated the analogy for mortality in the temporary beauty of the cut flowers. Now more so than ever.
Most of the cut flowers came from home, her family's home. Her mother had beautiful rose bushes, and lush raised beds of just about every other type of blossom one could imagine. It had always been her mother's passion to make arrangements in their own house, at least one vase in every room; it had been her father's idea to open the shop. In the back of the shop, Rin's favorite place, they sold color bowls and hanging baskets of live, planted flowers. Arrangements she was responsible for those days. They also had a small selection of live flowers sold in regular six packs, not really meant to compete with the big nurseries for landscape purposes, but rather, they were also for customers to pick and choose what they'd like in a custom made color bowl.
Furrowing her brow, unconsciously ceasing her humming, Rin tried to work out a workable schedule in her head, to still be able to assist her family's shop in at least some small ways. She could still come to the shop at night to make the color bowls, for example. Both the ones they sold already designed as well as the custom ordered ones, if the customers didn't mind picking them up the following morning. She could also still monitor the seedlings, and transfer them into bigger pots as needed. Any type of maintenance could be done over night, really. She could even still water, doing it just a little before dawn instead of a little bit afterwards. But regardless, it would undeniably be a burden on her family to fill the time slot she would no longer be able to work during the morning hours. It had been her mother's shift, originally, but she and her brother had always helped out, even when they were young. Rin had wanted to take the job for her mother to pay the woman back, to let her keep the family business while also regaining some free time to enjoy with her husband. It had been a win/win situation since the money still stayed in the family. Paying Rin was better, her mother had said, than paying some other random employee. Rin had gained a touch of independence while still remaining tied to her family, as she'd wanted. She had been able to afford to move out of the house, but she was a little birdie who hadn't moved too far out of the nest. Now, though, what she was proposing she do... She shook her head. No longer being able to work mornings at the flower shop was the least significant change she'd be undertaking, all things considered.
Was she ready?
Most definitely.
Smiling, she resumed her humming.
From his place across the street, watching her through the shop's large front window, Sesshoumaru's face was expressionless, but that didn't stop the man and woman who came up beside him from reading him like an open book.
Shadowed by the large black umbrella he held above him in a white knuckled grip, Sesshoumaru did not so much as glance at the newcomers, although he was the one who had requested they meet him across the street from their shop. He had wanted them to feel more comfortable, if they would have not wanted to invite a beast such as himself into their home. The woman had certainly sounded surprised earlier when she'd realized who was on the phone.
Indeed she had been.
When this demonic man standing beside her had introduced himself on the phone she'd nearly dropped the receiver. As if sensing her surprise he had politely waited for her to compose herself, and had then requested that she and her husband meet him out front the outdoor bistro across the street from their flower shop. Her intelligent reply had been �But it's daylight...� and she could have sworn she could hear the ends of his lips curling up in a sadistic smirk.
�Then it shall be easier for you to eliminate me, should you feel inclined to do so.� had been his reply, and before she could protest that she'd had no such intention, he'd hung up.
So now here they were, and the centuries old vampire standing in broad daylight before her seemed completely oblivious to their presence, his inhuman eyes only for Rin.
Rin's father stared him down, sizing him up. He had never once doubted his daughter's story from three years prior. When Rin had first told her family about being attacked by a vampire on Halloween night, and how a wolf � the same wolf � had shown up out of nowhere to save her life a second time, they had all known from the unbridled fear in her eyes that it must have been true. A few months later, when she had suddenly come home for a visit one weekend and had told them all how she'd met the wolf, who was no longer a wolf but also a vampire, along with the original vampire who'd attacked her, and how he'd apologized, it had been a little much to take in, at first. But her mother had met Kagome herself not long after, and from that moment on they had known it was all true, every word of it. Not that they had doubted her before, but they had doubted the sincerity of Inuyasha's apology, and whether or not Kagome could be trusted. Now, they knew it to be true.
So when Rin had gushed to her mother on the phone about Inuyasha's older sire-brother and how absolutely dreamy he was and how she already knew she was in love, her family had 100% believed the man genuinely was a vampire. From what Rin had previously told them became of Becky, they had been undeniably nervous, but she'd then confessed to having previously told an edited version of the story. They had at first only heard how Sesshoumaru had saved her, and how the story for the police, should they have asked, was that she was staying with Inuyasha and Kagome so that Becky could've had Victor over at the apartment. She'd left the little detail about how she'd been left alone with Sesshoumaru at her friends' apartment out of the original story she'd told her family. It had been the day after Halloween when Rin had fessed up, and at that time her mother and father had both had basically the same message. They trusted her, but be careful. They could accept her being with a vampire if he made her happy; they had just been nervous, at first, about the safety of their little girl.
They wouldn't have been very good parents if they hadn't held that worry deep in their hearts. Now, in that moment, as they both silently stared at Sesshoumaru who was still silently staring at Rin, it was Rin's mother who braved breaking that silence first.
�She truly loves you, you know.� she said in her motherly way, her tone suggestive of warning a bad boy to not break her daughter's heart.
�And I her.� was the vampire's immediate reply. He then finally shifted his unnatural eyes to meet the gazes of his girlfriend's parents. �I find your acceptance of our situation unfathomable, but you have my gratitude.�
�We all want the same thing,� Rin's father spoke up then, �Rin's happiness.�
�If she wished to remain human, I would not endeavor to change her mind.�
�Yet you are the one who first put the suggestion in her head.�
Rin's mother's tone was still lightly scolding, reflecting perhaps a twinge of dissatisfaction, but as if what they were discussing was no more serious than him having talked Rin into playing hooky for a day. It was still baffling to Sesshoumaru just how understanding the girl's parents were actually being.
�It would have been deceptive of me to keep such a desire from her. The thought would have inevitably crossed her mind, at some point. I did not want to risk her mistakenly assuming I myself did not wish it, for having failed to mention it as a possibility.�
�And why do you desire to turn my baby girl into what you are?�
Her father's question.
Sesshoumaru shifted his eyes away from her parents and gazed back out across the street again. Rin was now in the front part of the shop, assisting a customer.
�Because I had thought I was without a soul, without a heart, until meeting Rin proved otherwise, and one human lifetime goes by so quickly to one such as myself. I immediately realized I never again wanted to experience what it was like to exist without a heart or soul. I found myself preemptively mourning not only her inevitable death, but my own second death, as well, at my loss of her.�
Her mother inquired, �Yet, if Rin told you to leave her alone and never see her again?�
He shifted his gaze back to lock eyes with her mother.
�I would leave her alone, and never see her again.�
It was her father's turn to interrogate once more.
�What if Rin's heart doesn't change, and she still wants to be with you, but we are the ones who forbid you from seeing her ever again?�
Sesshoumaru was much too old to fall for such a trap question.
�You have already stated your desire is Rin's happiness, and if that is true then you would not make such a demand of her. She is an adult, and should not have to choose between her lover and her parents.�
The look in both of their eyes told Sesshoumaru that they acknowledged he was right about that, but even more so, he could tell that they did not honestly disapprove of him. They had wanted to see what he was about, yes, but if his feelings were really real, as they really were, then they were honestly all right with that.

He had known they would have questions for him. He was the one who'd called this meeting, after all.
�So what happens now?� asked Rin's mother.
He told them the truth.
�I must depart tonight. The council of elders has matters to discuss, for which my presence is required. However, while I am there I shall make arrangements to procure an extended leave of absence for myself. As her parents Rin will always be yours, but upon my return in one month's time, I will make her mine.�
Digesting that bit of information, Rin's parents too stared out across the street for a moment, observing as Rin assisted another customer. Turning back to Sesshoumaru, they were both surprised to find that the silver-haired vampire was no longer there.
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�Shippou, run!� Sarah instructed in a frantic whisper as the vampire approached her slowly from across the street.
She was a fool.
She should have realized it had all been a setup.
She knew the dangers of going out after dark, especially for someone like her, smelling like how she did. With a son smelling like how he did. Their scents were like neon lights as far as vampire noses were concerned.
Whenever something needed to be purchased after dark, a last minute ingredient for dinner, for example, Michael always purchased it for her, or they simply went without. While it was true his scent was even more of a beacon to the other type of demon that frequented the city streets off and on, it was also true that he could at least defend himself. Odds were better that he would emerge the victor from such a confrontation, and if he were outnumbered, then Michael would at least smell them coming and the brief warning would give him the chance to run away. But Sarah was a nearly helpless human woman, with a defenseless wolf cub who was much too young to transform. Shippou, as distracted as he'd been by the all too recent tragedy, hadn't noticed the scent of death until it was too late.
Michael worked late on Fridays. A routine she supposed, looking back on it, was easy enough for anyone to become aware of. Sarah had had no intention of going anywhere, having all she needed to get dinner ready, which she had been in the middle of preparing when the fire happened. The fire had not been her fault. It had started in their apartment, yes, but not in the kitchen. In fact, looking back on it, since it'd started inside the front living room wall that faced the outside world, she wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find out it hadn't actually been faulty wiring, but arson. They were only on the second floor, after all.
Of course, that was assuming she lived long enough to find that out, which in that moment looked doubtful.
As the vampire paused to glance after the retreating Shippou before turning his attention back fully to her, she clutched her silver dagger tightly, her hand shaking in her fright even as she prayed for Shippou to make a successful escape, regardless of what happened to her.
Their entire apartment building had been evacuated. While Shippou's nose had told him he'd smelled something burning, when he'd told his mother Sarah had only double-checked her cooking food. Then the fire in the wall had burst through, and unlike in a house where one might grab the garden hose to make an attempt at fighting it yourself, she'd had no such option. Not even a fire extinguisher, she'd cursed, although the flames had quickly grown too severe for such a device, anyway. Grabbing little more than her purse, which fortunately had both her car keys and cellphone within it, she and Shippou had fled for their lives. She hadn't even bothered turning off the stove. What was the point?
The next twenty minutes or so had been a blur she couldn't really remember. People screaming, breaking glass, the terrible heat even from across the street, and then the wail of sirens. She's spoken with a man. The fire chief? A police officer? They'd taken her statement, and then left her be. She'd stared, hypnotized, as her life went up in flames.
A few people had remained out front the complex even as the blaze got under control, milling about while the fire department did their thing, hoping they would be able to retire to their own beds at some point that night. The fire had reached a lot of apartments before the fire department had arrived, but most of the building was relatively intact. Most everyone, though, had ventured off to spend the rest of the night elsewhere, figuring they would assess the situation in the morning. In the dwindling crowd, what few people remained more or less keeping to themselves, Sarah had felt unusually exposed, and had made the quick decision to head for a motel for the night, herself.
She'd called Michael and explained everything, of course. He hadn't told her to stay put, supporting her decision to go to the motel. He'd sounded in shock, and rightfully so, but since their own dwelling was assuredly destroyed they'd definitely needed a place to stay that night, and for the next indefinite number of nights to follow. Neither of them had suspected anything at the time, as he'd told her he'd leave work immediately, that he'd meet her there.
En route to the chosen motel, Sarah's car had suddenly gotten a flat tire. She'd cursed the universe, punched the steering wheel, and had then gotten out of the car. She hadn't called the auto club. That would have been a waste of time, she'd concluded. She was a big girl, and she was perfectly capable of changing a tire, feeling grateful, at least, that the donut spare in the trunk had plenty of air. She'd known she could change it herself faster than a tow truck could get there to assist her. A part of her latent survival instincts were functioning and she'd wanted to get indoors as quickly as possible, even though at the time she'd just thought she was shaken up from the fire, from knowing all their possessions were gone, their lives destroyed.
She hadn't known until now just how literal that last thought had actually been.
Halfway through changing the tire, little Shippou had suddenly rushed around the car to her side, telling her he smelled a vampire. They were sitting ducks, their car missing a wheel as it presently was, raised up on their jack. There was no time. Spotting the undead man approaching from across the street, Sarah had done the only thing she could do and told her baby to run away to save his own life. If she stayed put she could provide a distraction, hopefully giving Shippou enough time to escape. Michael was on his way; she had to have faith that he would find and save their son.
�My my...I didn't know such a pretty thing as you could be into bestiality.� the vampire taunted as he drew ever closer, pulling her from her thoughts. He was taking his sweet time, relishing in the scent of fear pouring off the human woman in waves.
�St-stay back!� she shouted, wielding her silver dagger to the best of her ability.
Darting her eyes around their surroundings, she cursed her rotten luck. They were on a dark side street in an industrial district, non-residential buildings flanking them on either side. They weren't the type of businesses that would still be open that late, either. No grocery stories, no all night fast food restaurants. Sign printers and tire shops, a closed Chinese restaurant and a mail box store. There were no witnesses. Nobody to rush to her aid.
He lunged, and she tried to fight him off, remembering the moves Michael had taught her, but her attacker's physical strength greatly surpassed her own. With the dagger knocked free, he sank his fangs into her neck. She thought she heard her husband's voice screaming her name from somewhere in the distance. Then her world went black.
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Inuyasha and Kagome were just starting the hunt. The night was young, to them at least. Wandering the backstreets only a couple blocks away from a few less than desirable nightclubs, they were like fishermen waiting to see if they'd get a bite. Both literally and figuratively.
All plans of feeding that night came to a screeching halt, however, as a terrifying � and for them, recognizable � howl pierced through the night. While it wasn't close or loud enough for human ears to pick up over the thumping nightclub music, their demonic hearing caught it loud and clear. For one fraction of a second the male and female vampire pair met each other's eyes, and then without verbal communication they both took off towards the sound, faster than human eyes could follow.
Arriving on scene only a few short minutes later, the scene in question being a dark side street between buildings out of sight of the main city streets, they both smelled the scent of both wolf and vampire as well as human blood and felt a cold sense of dread wash over them. For Inuyasha, there was a sense of d�j� vu added to the mix, as well. A lot could happen in only a few short minutes, and back when Kagome had sounded the alarm she had been consciously calling for help. For an exiled lone wolf to make such a cry, it was instinctual.
Or perhaps the last shred of hope; a desperate attempt by a desperate man.
They landed in the street just in time to see a large reddish brown wolf be thrown several yards back by his vampiric attacker, the wolf yelping loudly in pain on impact before suddenly going deathly silent, converting back into human form. They would have both thought that Michael had died if it wasn't for the way he quickly turned back into a wolf again, struggling to get back to his feet as quietly as possible. The attacking vampire, as distracted momentarily as he was by Inuyasha and Kagome's unexpected arrival, made the fatal mistake of taking his eyes off his main opponent, mistakenly believing the wolf was down for the count and turning his back on the canine to challenge the new arrivals. Noticing his distraction, Michael planned on taking full advantage of the opportunity, and our couple, immediately realizing Michael's plan, had no intention of pointing it out.
�Hey, go find your own mutts to play with! I was here first!� the vampire spouted off to the newcomers, displeased by the interruption. The cub was still out there, hiding not too far away underneath a parked car, and if these two thought he was going to let them take his last bit of fun away for themselves they had another think coming.
Meeting this vampire's eyes, Inuyasha narrowed his, careful to avoid glancing at the silently creeping wolf behind the man.
�You picked the wrong family to feed from, parasite.� Inuyasha replied then, eyes cold. He crouched, as if preparing to strike, wanting to keep the man's focus on him.
Beside him, Kagome couldn't even speak, her eyes burning red in her anger, fangs bared.
�Aww, how cute. I didn't know you were members of PETA.� the punk taunted.
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed further, but remained golden. This prick wasn't a fledgling, but it was surprising he had lived so long since he had just made such a stupid mistake, and even though Inuyasha knew that together, he and Kagome could easily take the guy, the death blow wasn't theirs to make.
Finally in range, Michael lunged, and ripped the distracted vampire's throat out. The demon barely had time to realize what had happened, his eyes opening wide in panic, and then he disintegrated into a pile of ash.
Collapsing again, the large auburn wolf once again converted back into a nude humanoid male. The way Michael just lied there silently looking at Kagome and Inuyasha spoke volumes for how badly he was injured, the former sniffing out and retrieving his pile of clothing. It also didn't take either vampire very long to notice Sarah's body lying off to the side. Inuyasha glanced over at Michael's wife, the human woman clearly fed from, although she wasn't drained completely, having bled out the rest of the way. He would bet that Michael had arrived right as the vampire began feeding and with the main artery pierced it had unfortunately been too late to save her life. Now, they had arrived too late to save Michael's life. The scent of wolf was fading, the man's scent becoming more and more human by the second. Inuyasha knew Kagome had to have noticed, too.
As Kagome brought Michael his clothing, seeing the way they weren't shredded also told both vampires that he hadn't changed in a frantic life or death moment, as Kagome had done that fateful Halloween night three years prior to stop Inuyasha from attacking Rin. It confirmed their belief that Sarah must have already been done for before Michael had arrived, and so then he'd taken the few seconds needed to strip before transforming in order to attack her attacker. It really was better if you could keep your clothing intact so that you could redress afterwards, since humans tended to frown upon public nudity.
Michael mumbled a garbled thanks to Kagome as he sat up when she handed him his clothes, the man coughing up blood. He winced in pain as he struggled to dress, but he managed it. He was bleeding internally, several bones broken.
�I...do you...� Kagome didn't know what to say. Should she offer the man the same choice Inuyasha had offered her? Would he want it? But if he did want it, surely he'd ask, wouldn't he? She held out her wrist towards him, her eyes questioning.
He understood. He shook his head.
�Sh-Shippou...� he rasped instead, and Inuyasha's hand on Kagome's shoulder got her attention in that moment, as he nodded his head towards where the wolf cub was hiding, terrified but unharmed, underneath a parked car.
Inuyasha then met and held Michael's gaze, nodding solemnly. �He will be safe, you have my word.� he told him with conviction, and Michael sighed heavily in relief, his last breath. Kagome gasped.
Apparently, his worry for his son had been the only thing keeping him alive even that long.
Sighing herself, Kagome gazed at Michael's form with sad eyes for a moment longer, and then shaking herself out of her stupor, she went over to where little Shippou was hiding.
Crouching down, she saw the boy lying on his belly underneath the car, eyes wide in shock and fright. Her heart went out to the cub, unable to truly fathom what it must have been like to watch both parents be murdered right in front of him, and especially at such a young age.
�It's all right now, you can come out now.� Kagome said in a soothing voice, hand extended out towards him. �Remember us? We're the good vampires, because I used to be a wolf like your dad. We're not going to hurt you, I promise.�
Sniffling, Shippou at first didn't look like he was going to respond, but finally he nodded and wordlessly reached for her hand as he crawled out from under the car. There was about a three second delay as he stood there just staring up at Kagome, but then suddenly he released her hand, only to crash into her embrace as he sobbed, and not knowing what else to do she wrapped her arms around the boy and just let him cry.
Passing a silent look Inuyasha's way, the look in his eyes reflected her own unasked question. What the hell were they supposed to do now?
As if reading their thoughts, it was only a few moments before Shippou, still sniffling, asked in a voice muffled by his face still pressed into Kagome's belly, �Wh-what's gonna happen to me?�
He was old enough to understand that, under normal circumstances, an orphaned boy such as himself would be taken away to go to the place where other orphaned children lived. But he also understood that these circumstances were not normal. Heaven forbid some random human foster family found out what he was. There was no point in trying to contact his father's old pack, however. He had heard that his father had phoned his father when they'd first found out Sarah was pregnant, wanting to let him know he was going to be a grandfather, and Shippou's grandfather had responded that he would never recognize an impure mongrel as his own blood.
�I...I have no pack.� Shippou's voice didn't even quiver that time, it was haunting.
�Maybe not...� Kagome conceded, meeting Inuyasha's eyes again, nodding back in thanks to his silent nod of agreement. �But I do.�
Pulling back, Shippou blinked up at her in surprise. She rested her hand on the top of his head in a comforting gesture.
�Although I'm no longer a wolf, my old pack is not our enemy, and while I don't associate with the others I'm still close to my immediate family. I think for the time being, you should come with us. You can stay with me and Inuyasha tonight, and in the morning I'll call my mother. I'm sure she'll take you in.�
Shippou nodded his understanding, but then glancing back at his parents' bodies, he worried his lower lip, a few more silent tears falling. He was far too young to have to bear such a heavy burden; under the circumstances he was handling it rather well.
�But what about...�
Letting his words trail off, he couldn't complete the question. Even so, that he was thinking along such mature and responsible lines instead of crying and screaming hysterically just proved how strong of a wolf he would be when he grew up. His parents had raised him well.
�I'm already calling my brother.� Inuyasha said in answer to the unfinished question, raising his rarely used cellphone to his ear.
Sesshoumaru answered after the first ring, knowing Inuyasha would never have called unless it were important. Quickly and concisely, the younger white haired vamp explained the situation to his sire-brother. It came in handy having an older brother who had all the connections Sesshoumaru had. It meant that, in an emergency such as this one, Inuyasha now also had all those connections. Getting everything settled as far as their plan of action, Inuyasha sincerely expressed his gratitude to his brother before putting his phone away; it was time to get to work.
Because the dead vampire could obviously not conceal his own kill, Sarah's only sign of trauma being two puncture wounds to the neck, the task of masking her cause of death now unfortunately fell to Inuyasha and Kagome. After learning why Sarah had been away from home at night in the first place, a question Sesshoumaru had asked that Inuyasha had relayed to little Shippou who had then told them about the fire and flat tire, Sesshoumaru said the best thing to do would be to leave the car and bodies where they were. With the fire department and Michael's work both aware that the family was supposed to be staying temporarily at a local motel, if they disposed of the bodies and had them both become missing persons it would actually trigger an even larger police investigation, Sesshoumaru had explained. It was better to make it look like a crime of opportunity. Michael was beaten to a bloody pulp but bore no distinguishable fang marks, so the only thing they needed to do was take care of Sarah. A quick slash to the throat with a knife to conceal the fang marks was the best course of action. The bodies would still relay a rather accurate tale, minus the fact that their attacker had been a demon who was now also deceased. Police would correctly conclude that Sarah had been killed quickly, her husband trying to fight off their attacker but ultimately proving unsuccessful. They would search for the killer, but they would never find him.
Using his connections, Sesshoumaru had also stated that he would ensure Shippou disappeared into the system as a runaway child. Less was more and it would be far easier to let the human world just forget about the boy rather than trying to falsify a connection between Kagome's family and his parents so that they could go about trying to adopt him. It would become assumed that he ran away as his parents' attacker struck, and with nowhere to go, his home destroyed, that would explain why he was never seen or heard from again. There would temporarily be a BOLO out for him, or course, but the urgency would fade with time. Pine Shadow Estates was far enough away that the local police would never think to search for him there. The same connections who had provided Inuyasha with his fake identification would be used to create a new identity for the boy so that he could blend seamlessly into Kagome's family.
�I'll take care of this...� Inuyasha said then, gesturing to the scene while pulling his knife out of his pocket. �You get Shippou out of here, he doesn't need to see this.�
Nodding her understanding, Kagome said, �We'll wait for you at the car.�
Crouching down, then, she met Shippou's eyes with a sad smile, and trying to draw his attention away from what had happened she asked the redhead, �Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly?�
Sniffling again, his eyes met hers with a questioning gaze. Vampires couldn't really fly, could they? He'd thought that was part of the stuff the humans had made up.

�Y-you can fly?�
Kagome smirked.
�It comes close enough.�
Turning around and kneeling down onto her hands and knees she instructed the boy to climb onto her back piggyback style, which he hesitantly did. Rising carefully to her feet, then, she hooked her arms underneath his legs, hoisting him up a couple of times until it felt like he was in a good position.
�Hold on tight now. I don't need to breathe so don't you worry you're holding on too tightly. Hook your arms around my neck and grab each wrist with your opposite hand.�
Shippou did as instructed. He leaned against her tightly, and the majority of her cascading raven locks were actually pinned between them which was good because it would prevent her hair from whipping him in the face.
�Don't scream now. I promise I won't let you fall.�
�I...I trust you.� Shippou stated quietly, and her heart melted at his tone, knowing how hard it had to be for the wolf cub to trust two vampires, especially after witnessing a third vampire brutally murder his mother before fighting his father to the death. At least Shippou's father had managed to avenge his wife before death claimed him, but that was of little comfort to the boy who had still lost both parents.
Kagome was just relieved the vampire had not gotten to Shippou, that they had managed to arrive in time to aid Michael in taking that bastard out. She was also grateful they had already met the family two weeks ago at Universal Magic Berry Mountain. It was meant to be. She knew even if Michael had still howled on instinct � and they would have responded to a howl even if they hadn't known the wolf � that there was no way he would have trusted them, and no way she could have convinced little Shippou they meant him no harm. It was horribly unfortunate that they had not been able to save his parents, but at least they had saved Shippou, and he was not alone; Kagome would look at the positive.
�Okay, here we go!� she warned before taking to the air in a powerful leap that had them immediately on the rooftop of the nearest building.
Shippou's breathing hitched, but he didn't cry out in alarm. As she immediately began launching the two of them from building to building it wasn't a scream of terror Shippou actually had to repress, but a squeal of joy. This was so much fun! Of course, his momentary feeling of joy was incredibly short lived as he immediately remembered his fallen parents, and then he felt guilty for having felt happy for even a moment. Depression returned, but he could still not deny the fun sensation of the ride.
Arriving at where she and Inuyasha always left their car, in the parking lot of a 24-hour Walmart on the other end of the city, Kagome asked Shippou if he was hungry, offering to buy him something at the 24-hour taco place in the same shopping center. He mumbled a quiet no thanks, that he wasn't hungry, even as she heard his stomach growling. She didn't argue. She imagined she probably wouldn't want to eat anything either if she were in his shoes. She'd let him skip dinner, but not breakfast. It wouldn't do any good to save him just to have him waste away.
What's done is done, all we can do now is move forward... she thought, as she got Shippou settled down into the back seat and turned the key into auxiliary mode so she could turn on the radio, finding an easy listening station. She figured the distraction would do them both some good.
Inuyasha arrived about a half hour later, Sarah's purse in hand. After masking the bite mark on Sarah's neck he'd figured stealing the purse out of the car might help it look like a robbery gone bad. He'd also figured Shippou might want something that smelled of his mother, and also her cell phone � he'd destroyed and discarded the SIM card so that it couldn't be tracked � was full of photos he figured Shippou would want to keep as well.
He'd also taken the time to dispose of the pile of ash and dust the attacking vampire had become, which was what had taken him so long. He'd gathered it all up in his shirt, and running shirtless with his cargo he'd let the wind dispose of the punk once and for all before slipping his shirt back on. He'd gotten out of there just in time, too, having heard a gang of humans on the approach, although he suspected those humans were just passing through and while they would probably discover the bodies they hadn't been heading that way because they'd heard the wolf cry or any sounds of a struggle and were investigating. On the one hand it was a wonder people hadn't come rushing on the scene since Michael had let loose such a terrifying howl, but on the other hand most humans had probably either been afraid, and had thought that if there really were somehow a wolf loose in the city that they wanted to stay as far away as possible, or they had assumed it was somebody's caged pet merely wailing at its plight and hadn't cared. Either way, Inuyasha had made sure to leave no evidence pointing to himself or Kagome at the scene. He had deftly avoided making any bloody footprints as he'd taken care of Sarah's body, and he had left not a single fingerprint on the car as he'd stolen her purse through the window.
Sliding wordlessly into the driver's seat of his own car in that moment, he turned and handed Shippou his mother's purse, and Inuyasha knew he'd made the right decision as the boy practically snatched it out of his hand, clinging to it desperately. He met Kagome's eyes then, the two sharing a grim nod of understanding. Trying to put on a brave face for the boy, he turned around to glance Shippou's way once more.
�It sucks, I know, but don't let it rule you. They would want you to enjoy the rest of your childhood.�
Shippou nodded absently, staring unseeing out the window, arms wrapped tightly around the purse in his grasp.
Kagome thought of something.
�You'll get to live with my brother Souta. You liked him, right?�
Shippou nodded again, then sighed.
�I'll...I'll be all right.� Turning his head to meet Kagome's eyes, he added, �And don't worry, I won't turn against you two when I grow up. I might hate all other vampires, but I know you two are different.�
Kagome offered him a sad smile at that, and Inuyasha started the car. It was a few minutes later, pulling onto the freeway, when Shippou spoke back up with, �I'm...sorry you two had to skip dinner to save me.�
Inuyasha looked surprised for a moment before realizing even at his age Shippou's sense of smell was phenomenal. He would have easily been able to smell it on their breaths if they'd fed that night.
�Keh, don't worry 'bout it. Saving you was far more important.�
�I'm not even hungry.� Kagome lied smoothly, just as Shippou himself had done. She met Inuyasha's eyes again, and he nodded his understanding.
He knew the boy was hungry, but if he didn't want to eat he wouldn't force him to. As for himself and Kagome, a vampire couldn't really die from hunger, but that might only be because the longer they went without feeding, the more their demon instincts rose to the surface, driving them to feed. As it was, though, they never pushed themselves to the limit, and they both knew they would be fine fasting for another night. They definitely wanted to feed the next night, though, to be on the safe side, since it'd already been quite a few days since their last meal. Kagome worked tomorrow night, but only a few hours. They'd forgo the hunt and just pay a few bums to let them feed from them. That'd be enough to tide them over until the next time they could really hunt. With that plan worked out in their minds, the rest of the drive home was spent in silence, save for the easy listening station they left playing on the radio to prevent the awkwardness of total silence. Nobody spoke again until they pulled off the freeway, when Inuyasha glanced at Shippou in the rear view mirror and told him they were almost there. Wordlessly, the boy merely nodded.
Arriving at their apartment complex, Shippou got out of the car more or less on autopilot. Kagome and Inuyasha eyed him carefully as the three of them made their way to their specific apartment; it would have seemed wrong for the boy to be in good spirits so while his demeanor was depressing it was completely understandable. He didn't say much, but when they first headed into the living room he did glance around in surprise.
�It looks...normal.� he said quietly.
Kagome smiled softly at that. She understood, because when she'd been a wolf she too had been under the impression that vampires lived in squalor. It was a stereotype unfair to many of them since there were plenty of well off nomads like Sesshoumaru who could afford luxurious hotel rooms, but like most stereotypes there was at least some basis in reality that had gotten the rumors started. She remembered well the abandoned hellhole Inuyasha had been staying in prior to them renting their modern apartment using her very real ID and credit history.
As if not denying that back when he'd been on his own he'd never cared about such things, although the reality was that he'd simply been unable to attain them for himself with no fake ID at the time, Inuyasha responded with, �Kagome deserves as close to normal as I can give her.�
Shippou merely nodded again; perhaps he truly did understand. They showed him the whole apartment, then, which was only a one bedroom but was very nice. The wolf cub was relieved it looked like a normal apartment, even though it smelled of death. He was especially relieved the bathroom was clean and functioning, not stagnant from lack of use. Tactfully, Kagome explained that they occasionally needed the facility themselves, whenever they indulged in some sort of food item for the taste of it, since they were still capable of eating regular human food even though it did nothing for them. He nodded again, remembering how Kagome had been eating popcorn the night they'd met. Besides that, the former she-wolf said they also kept it clean and stocked with the basic necessities because of their human friend Rin who would visit on occasion. He nodded his understanding to that as well. During the rest of their night hanging out together two weeks back on Halloween night he had learned of Rin's existence in passing conversation.
The rest of the tour went by quickly and with Shippou voicing no further observations. Entering the kitchen, Kagome apologized that there was presently no food on hand, not that it was really a major concern since if he'd wanted to eat they would have gotten him fast food. He was the one who'd chosen to skip dinner. Kagome got him a glass out of the cupboard and filled it with water from the filter in the fridge door before setting it down on the coffee table out in the living room in case he got thirsty during the night.
This, of all things, surprised the boy, and he spoke again.
�Glass?�
The former she-wolf quickly and accurately guessed at his reasoning. At his age, he had almost definitely still been using plastic cups at home.
�We don't have any plastic cups,� she said, �but if you accidentally break it don't you worry. We won't get upset.�
�After everything you've been through, I'd say you're old enough for glass, anyway.� Inuyasha added.
�I guess so...� Shippou sounded uncertain.
Explaining that he'd have to sleep on the couch, but also assuring him that it was a very comfortable couch because that was where Rin always slept as well on the few occasions she'd spend the night, Kagome then disappeared down the hall to retrieve the spare blanket and pillow they kept on hand for the human girl. Bringing out said items and handing them to the boy who'd taken his shoes off and was lying back on the sofa, Kagome grinned as she saw the way Shippou inhaled deeply the delightful lingering scent of human and flowers that permeated the fabric of their guest blanket. Settling down for the night, still clutching his mother's purse, almost like a teddy bear, the redhead worried his lower lip, momentarily lost in thought.
�Try to get some sleep, if you can.� Kagome said then, wanting to pull the boy out of his thoughts if he was just thinking about his parents again.
Shippou nodded his understanding, sniffing the blanket again. The lively, flowery scent was pleasing to his nose, much to his relief, and immediately reassured him that the story of their human friend was true. Not that he hadn't believed them. If he'd been afraid of these two he never would have come back with them to their home, he would have actually ran away, as the story went. But he knew if they'd wanted to hurt him they wouldn't have bothered saving him; Shippou had had a good time with these two back on Halloween and he knew that despite how weird it seemed, these two vampires really were good guys. They smelled of death, and that was yucky, but with the pretty scent of the blanket, and his mother's scent on the purse, he found his eyelids growing heavy.
Deciding they might as well try to get some sleep themselves since there was nothing else to do and they'd also have to be up for at least a few hours in the morning, Inuyasha and Kagome retired to take a nap in that moment, telling Shippou not to hesitate to get them if he needed anything. The boy mumbled a semi-coherent acknowledgment before drifting off. Fortunately, he slept soundly through the remainder of the night. If he did have any nightmares he didn't voice them in his sleep, no whimpering or whining that either of them heard. Perhaps, as they'd hoped, he had been too exhausted to dream.

Getting up a little past 7am, Kagome headed silently into the living room, smiling at the sight of little Shippou still asleep on the couch. Knowing her mother would be awake by that point she grabbed her phone and slipped out the door. There was plenty of shade the way their buildling was set up; crossing her legs she leaned casually against the stucco wall and dialed.
Mrs. Higurashi hadn't expected to hear from her daughter, especially during morning hours, but the pleasant surprise quickly turned devastating when Kagome relayed all that had happened the night before. She knew who Shippou and his parents were, Souta having happily told her and his grandfather all about meeting the family at the amusement park. As her daughter finished explaining the unfortunate tragedy Mrs. Higurashi didn't even have to think about it; of course they would take Shippou in.
She and Souta arrived at Inuyasha and Kagome's apartment around an hour later, Shippou wide awake by that point. The boy was relived to see Kagome's brother, and he even smiled a little when the seventeen-year-old presented him with a fast food breakfast sandwich and orange juice. Kagome smiled in turn at the sight of him eating. While Souta and Shippou got reacquainted Inuyasha relayed to his future mother-in-law everything Sesshoumaru had told him in regard to giving Shippou a new identity within her family. It would sort of be like he was in the witness protection program. Mrs. Higurashi said she had discussed everything with her father-in-law, Kagome's grandfather, and he too had agreed they would take in the boy. While their pack also prided themselves on being purebreds and mating with a human would be very looked down upon, they were not as strict as Michael's former pack had been, and even if they had previously been that strict these last few years had definitely taught them all the value of tolerance and acceptance. She imagined some of the individual families might have issue with Shippou wanting to mate with one of their daughters when he came of age, but that was a worry for over a decade down the road. While he was a boy nobody would look down on him; he would be welcomed.
After visiting for a short while longer the trio left, after Shippou surprised Kagome and Inuyasha each with a brief hug and a teary eyed thank you. Heading out with his new pack mates, then, his mother's purse still firmly in his grasp, the vampires knew this was by no means the last time they'd see the boy. He would be coming to the wedding, for one thing.
Kagome's eyes sparkled as something came to her in that moment.
�I want to make him ring bearer.� she said. Inuyasha merely smiled and nodded, wrapping his arm around his fianc�e before leading her back to the bedroom.
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Elsewhere in town, approximately two weeks after the orphaned wolf cub got taken in by his new pack, a human girl named Rin was about to join a new family of her own, for all eternity. As promised, Sesshoumaru had returned, and this time, he would be staying for quite some time. When he did finally have to leave again, he would offer to bring her with him.
He'd come back the day before, and they'd discussed everything in great detail. Rin told him of how she'd learned he'd spoken with her parents, and that it really meant a lot to her, how he'd given them the opportunity to meet him, to question him, to refuse him if they were so inclined. During the last month Rin had spoken with her family as well, on numerous occasions, and her mind was made up. Yes, it would hurt to watch them grow old while she remained the same, and it wasn't even really from a place of selfishness for her own self that she wanted to become immortal. The idea of growing old and eventually dying herself didn't really frighten her. She wasn't trying to cheat death. She loved Sesshoumaru, and she didn't want to force him to have to watch her grow old and die. But she wasn't only doing it for him, either. Yes, she was selfish, but not with regard to immortality. She was selfish when it came to Sesshoumaru, and she wanted to keep him all to herself. She wanted to spend eternity with him. Yes, she understood what he'd needed her to understand, that should something hypothetically happen to their relationship, or should something hypothetically happen to him, she would still have to live with what she had become. Rin could accept that. She would never regret her choice. She would regret it forever if she chose to do nothing. She loved Sesshoumaru and she wanted to do this, for the both of them, so that they could be together forever. But it definitely helped knowing she wouldn't be all alone in the world for the rest of eternity even should something tragic befall him. She also had her friends, after all: Kagome and Inuyasha. Kagome was like the sister she'd never had, and Inuyasha, well...he had already become like a brother to her even before she'd gotten together with his brother. Now, they really would be family.
Lying over her in bed, although at the moment he was wearing boxers and she a nightgown, Sesshoumaru gazed deeply into Rin's warm chocolate eyes, his own golden orbs flashing to red and back as he struggled to keep his demon down for a moment longer. He wanted to do this, but he also wanted to be absolutely certain she was ready. He asked her exactly that.
�Are you absolutely certain?� His voice took on a desperate edge, wanting to stress, �Once it is done, it is done.�
Rin smiled up at him, no hint of hesitation in her gaze.
�Make me yours, for all eternity.�
Eyes flashing red again at her words, this time, they did not fade back to gold. Instead, his crimson gaze pierced hers, fangs bared, his nose flaring as he searched for even the tiniest hint of fear in her scent. There was none. Postponing then no longer, especially since this was something he wanted with all his heart, Sesshoumaru snarled and clamped down on the throbbing throat bared before him. Rin's pulse called out to him, her heartbeat thumping loudly in his ears. A thumping that rapidly picked up speed as he drank from her, although there was still no fear in her scent, only pain. Neither of them could help that it hurt, and she'd known it would, but she still trusted him fully. Her increased heart rate was an automatic reaction to what was happening, and he used the sound of its increasingly irregular rhythm to help guide him.
Drinking her slowly and carefully, much more cautiously than any of his kills, Sesshoumaru knew through instinct when to stop, dutifully ignoring just how delicious she actually was. Botching this was not an option. Fortunately, since this was far from his first taste of her, it was even easier than he'd feared it would be to stop when it was time, refusing to lose himself to gluttony. Just because most vampires embraced being the monsters they had become, and indeed he had, for hundreds of years, it did not mean that vampires were incapable of feeling love. He did love her, with all his heart, and in that moment he retracted his fangs from her throat while her heart still struggled to beat. He then immediately bit down into his right wrist and held the bleeding appendage to her mouth. Rin's left hand came up weakly to grip his right hand, helping to hold him in place as she drank from him long and deep.
While the taste of blood had never really been disgusting to Rin, neither had it been particularly delicious to the human girl, until that moment. As she eagerly swallowed all he gave her, she felt it as the changes washed through her, and she knew she would never regret her decision, for as long as she lived.
Whimpering in pain as her human body died and her demonic one was born in its place, Rin tried her best to stay calm as the sensation of being torn apart and put back together again finally subsided to a low all over body ache. Sesshoumaru had warned her in advance what it would feel like, but she had assured him she could take it, that she'd already been ripped apart once before as a child and knew what it felt like, herself. Indeed, being literally torn to shreds by a rabid wolf had been more painful, and it had especially been more terrifying since she'd honestly thought she was going to die at the time. What was happening to her now was just as spiritual as it was physical, as her very soul got rearranged, but she had nothing to fear, and that made all the difference. While she knew there was a remote possibly something could have gong wrong, she trusted Sesshoumaru with her life, literally; she had had faith that he wouldn't let her die.
For Sesshoumaru's part, he had known of her history with the wolf, of course, but despite that he was honestly impressed by just how well she had been able to bear the pain. Reverted back into his docile state, resting both hands on the pillow at either side of her head as he held himself above her and peered down at her with concerned eyes of molten gold, Rin blinked up at him in that moment, her eyes a stunning and rich velvety chocolate brown the likes of which he'd never seen before.
Even in it's simplicity it was an inhuman color, which, of course, was the point. Her raven hair, too, was suddenly blacker than black, an unnatural shade mortals would assume must have come from a bottle. She was paler than she'd previously been, her flesh tone reverting to what was natural for her ethnicity without any influence from the sun, her light tan a thing of the past. She was now incapable of tanning, and instead exposure to sunlight, or in fact any source of UV light, would immediately burn. Long enough exposure would indeed result in combustion and death. She had known what she was signing up for. She had loved the sun, but she loved Sesshoumaru more.
As the moon set on her first night as a vampire Rin held Sesshoumaru tightly in her arms. They did not make love that night. They didn't need to, having shared something immeasurably more intimate. That morning, as the sun dawned, she discovered there was no awkward jet lag transitional period with regard to getting used to being nocturnal. Sleep came easily, and Sesshoumaru, deciding he didn't need to sleep that day, spent the daylight hours watching her sleep as he held her close. That night, she would need to feed. Inuyasha and Kagome had already said they would meet them at Rin's apartment after sundown.
It was easier than Rin had thought it would be, making the transition into what she was now. She had told Sesshoumaru she was prepared and she'd been telling the truth, but even so, a part of her had still feared it would be difficult, at first, to feed from a human being. She had even been torn when it came to her reservations, unsure if what she really feared was lingering morality that would make her not want to feed, or a new found demonic appetite that would make her not want to stop.

To at least alleviate the first concern, for her first time out they went easy on her, and for her first hunt they didn't actually go hunting, instead going to the underground fetish club they knew of where men who deep down thought she was just pretending to be a vampire voluntarily let her feed from them. She was hot, dressed the part of demonic confidence, and while there was no sex involved it was the fantasy itself those men got off on. Thinking of the whole thing kind of like Halloween, because while she wasn't pretending, the men were, Rin surrendered to the idea of make believe, knowing not to seriously harm them, and she was relieved to discover the whole process came as naturally to her as eating regular food had previous been. Hollywood had temporarily frightened her, making her think controlling her blood lust would be as difficult as controlling a drug addiction, but while a desire to drain her victims did indeed linger in the back of her mind it was as easy to control as portioning her plate at an all you can eat buffet. Sure, she wanted to grab mountains of desserts, but that didn't mean she did. She kind of had to talk to herself in her mind like her mother used to scold her when it came to not eating too much candy all at once, but even with a mental groan of disappointment, she still pulled back and away from her victims before they truly became her victims. Killing would come in time, but baby steps. She would only kill when the men deserved it, like a serial killer child rapist on the FBI's most wanted list. If that were the case, then she agreed with Kagome's philosophy; it was for the greater good.
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The month of December just breezed by. Before everyone knew it, it was Christmas time. Rin's family's flower shop had ordered a shipment of poinsettias in vivid reds and frosty whites and she'd brought several of each home, bought and paid for, making displays in the apartment that rivaled most department stores. Yes, she still helped her family out at the shop whenever she could. Her brother had even joked that it was like having elves, because if he left something unfinished when he closed up shop for the night it would usually be done for him when he reopened in the morning.
To keep the shop in the family their mother had resumed working a few more shifts, but she didn't mind it. It was originally her shop, after all. For convenience's sake they'd also trimmed a couple of hours off each work day, opening an hour later and closing an hour earlier than before. Those hours had always been dead, anyway. Rin's brother's girlfriend also helped out whenever she could. Their relationship was relatively new and the woman had not yet been let in on the family secret, but if he decided she was a keeper he would do the honorable thing and tell her the truth prior to marrying her, giving her the chance to back out if she couldn't handle it. So far, she and Rin were casual friends, and she had accepted the vague explanation that Rin could no longer be out in the daylight because of a 'medical condition' without question. She loved her boyfriend's family, and helped them at their flower shop voluntarily on her days off, refusing to be put on the payroll. Rin also refused to accept a paycheck any longer, not needing the money and wanting her family to keep all the profits for themselves. Sesshoumaru paid her way in her apartment now, not just her rent, but every other bill as well. Although, that was temporary. They had already started house hunting.
The Christmas holiday went by splendidly. Rin and Sesshoumaru had dinner at her family's home; the invitation, not only for Rin but for himself as well, meant more to Sesshoumaru than he had realized it would. It was also his first time eating regular food in he couldn't remember how long. In the past he'd had a few alcoholic drinks in a bar, but it was play acting, while on the hunt for his next victim. Those days were long gone, but even though he'd changed his eating habits for Rin's sake he hadn't, at the time, thought he'd change them that much. There was simply no point in eating food, except, as Rin had put it, to enjoy her mother's fabulous cooking. It wasn't about the food, it was about coming together as a family. He had a wonderful evening, indeed.
And speaking of families, Inuyasha and Kagome spent the holiday with the former she-wolf's family, and the younger white-haired vampire, already accustomed to occasionally eating human food for the hell of it, hadn't even batted an eye as the delicious looking plate of goodness was placed before him. The only one surprised to see him eating was little Shippou, but the boy quickly got over it, remembering what Kagome had explained about how they did sometimes eat food simply because they wanted to. It was just such a strange sight to see!
The boy was adjusting well in his new home and new life, all things considered. He'd taken over what had once been Kagome's bedroom and had several of the pictures from his mother's cellphone printed out and framed on the walls. He was eternally grateful to at least have that much. Everything else was gone; he didn't want to lose his memories of his parents, too. They would give him the rest of this school year off to grieve, and adjust further, and next year he would be enrolled in the local public school. The backstory went that he was Kagome and Souta's cousin, the son of Mrs. Higurashi's late brother. Sesshoumaru had looked for the easiest, least complicated route to make the forgeries, and upon discovering that Kagome's single uncle had past away only a few short years prior, that had been the easiest course of action, by far. Shippou's 'mother' � a supposed fling of Kagome's late uncle who of course did not really exist � purportedly dumped the boy off on his father's family. A forged birth certificate and custodial document signing over custody to Mrs. Higurashi was all that was needed, plus a new SSN for the boy, which Sesshoumaru's connections had easily provided. 'Shippou' was now legally his middle name, a courtesy so that the boy could still go by his original name since this wasn't as serious a situation as the witness protection program. There were no bad guys after Shippou they had to hide the boy from, only a missing person's file in a cabinet somewhere. With the forged documentation he clearly belonged to Kagome's family; no one in law enforcement would dispute that.
Kagome's mother had gone along with everything without question. Even if her brother had left a real family behind she knew he would have approved of the tactic in order to help young Shippou, but with him having no wife or children she couldn't argue against how perfect an idea it'd been. If only Michael truly had been her brother, as well. They never would have exiled him from the pack. If only he had found them. His entire family would have been welcomed to move within their community. But what was done was done; at least little Shippou had a home.
Everyone got together for New Year's Eve, Rin's family and Kagome's family both joining the vampires as everyone ate, drank, and acted merrily as the TVs in the child friendly bar/restaurant showed the famous ball drop. Rin's father concealed a knowing smirk when, right as the ball dropped on the screen, Sesshoumaru dropped down to one knee in front of Rin. The newly christened vampiress gasped in surprise, and tears of joy flowed down her pale cheeks as she held out a shaky left hand as her sire and lover slipped a diamond ring on her finger.
Kagome and Inuyasha shared a knowing look. It would be a double wedding.
About another month and a half went into the final preparations for said wedding. It was clich�, but since the theme had become winter wonderland anyway, so that they could excuse having a nighttime ceremony not within the church, Kagome had decided to shoot for Valentine�s Day, or Valentine's Night, rather. Rin had readily agreed. Clich� or not, it was also hopelessly romantic, and each bride to be enjoyed teasing their future husbands that at least that way they'd only have one romantic date to remember for the rest of eternity instead of two.
Bachelor and Bachelorette parties were more or less a non-issue, since neither man had any 'buddies' to throw them such a party and likewise neither woman had any girlfriends they felt truly close to besides each other. Besides, the purpose of such a party was more or less to enjoy one last night of 'freedom' before tying the knot, and each vampiress was very much so bonded to her respective sire. They craved no other, and likewise neither vampire saw any other woman as anything more than mere prey. Even though they had reformed their feeding habits, a hunter who no longer hunted would still look upon a deer as a deer, nothing more. So Kagome and Rin did have a girls' night out, but it had nothing to do with boys. Deciding to be girls for one night, they went to the local mall the instant the sun set and had manicures, pedicures, and got brand new haircuts. They also did a fair amount of shopping, for the types of clothing the women at most other guys' bachelor parties might wear. As for our guys, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru decided to let their demons loose for a night. The same night, while their women pretended to be human and pampered themselves, they took to the streets deep in the big city, in as close to the good old days as either of them would allow. They didn't like looking at nearly naked women dance, they liked smelling a woman's fear. Inuyasha had the ingenious idea of turning it into an unofficial public service announcement for all the dumb bitches who probably would have gotten themselves raped and/or murdered if it'd been any other night and the human scum they fed from those days had found them instead.
Stalking lonely, unsuspecting women who were usually at least a little tipsy and wearing 'asking for it' clothing, they followed them one by one to a dark corner somewhere. They'd get them in the right frame of mind, turning to glance over their shoulders in fear of being followed multiple times only to see nothing there every time, and then just for fun they'd let the women suddenly see two pairs of glowing red eyes glaring at them from the shadows. Good and frightened. A few times, either Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha actually got up in a woman's face, fangs bared, but when they screamed and instinctively turned away to shield themselves the vampire would be gone the instant they blinked their eyes back open, and the woman would be left wondering if they'd imagined it. Inuyasha knew they couldn't go around officially announcing their existence to a bunch of random women, but spooking them was fun, and beneficial at the same time. Letting them know in a rather direct way just how dangerous it was to walk the streets alone at night might very well save some lives somewhere down the road. The women would most likely either come to assume they truly had been hallucinating, or that human men in costumes were fucking with them, but even if some of them were convinced they really had seen a real vampire, who would believe them? Either way, the experience was bound to stick with them and make them think twice about taking late night strolls again in the future. Plus the guys got to have fun scaring them! Win/win!
Soon enough it was time to act like two mature multi-century-olds again. Getting back home shortly before sunrise, each male was greeted by their respective female modeling some of the new clothing she'd bought at the mall. Sesshoumaru managed to restrain himself long enough for Rin to frantically strip out of her lingerie. Kagome's new teddy would need to be replaced.
The last few days before the big day ticked by rather uneventfully. Soon enough, it was their wedding night, not in that sense, but just in the sense of it being their wedding day...at night. It wasn't long before everyone was in their place, the ceremony about to begin. The scene was breathtaking, even for the four participants who didn't need to breathe. Rin's mother had outdone herself when it came to the floral arrangements. The soft glow from Asian style red paper lanterns with candles inside hanging all about on wires strung between the trees provided more than enough light for the few humans present to see by. Even nature itself had added its touch to the ambiance, a light dusting of snow from early that morning flocking the bows of the evergreens.
The minister performing the wedding had no idea what types of creatures were in his midst, but that was the way of things and every demon present, vampire and werewolf alike, were used to the game of hiding in plain sight. Some of Kagome's coworkers from the diner had shown up, plus her three old best friends from the hospital were also in attendance. They'd never even known she was a wolf, let alone what she had since become, to that day never knowing the real reason why she'd quit her job at the hospital to become a waitress. Likewise, Rin had a couple of old friends she'd lost touch with that she'd invited to the wedding, and they were just as clueless, as was her brother's girlfriend. All things considered it was a very small wedding, though, especially for a double wedding, and the vast majority of people present were in the know. The vast majority of people present weren't actually people at all. Not every single resident of Pine Shadow Estates was present, but there were more wolves in attendance than vampires and humans combined. The pack as a whole held no ill will towards Kagome but most of them had more or less written her off as no longer one of their own, but a few of the people Kagome had been closest to not only came but were happy for her and the way things had turned out. Marrying the man you loved sure as hell beat bleeding to death.
Rin, on the other hand, had perhaps made a more controversial decision in the eyes of the wolf pack, considering she had been perfectly healthy, and had merely fallen in love with a vampire and had then chosen to become like him, but since she had previously been human and not one of them it was really none of their concern what she did. The wolves all knew of Rin, of course, because of Kagome's previous connection to the girl, back when the former she-wolf had kept silent vigil over the former human, but it was really none of their business what Rin decided to do, and marrying Sesshoumaru at least kept it all in the family, so to speak. Rin was also Sesshoumaru's only turning. Before they'd gotten reacquainted Inuyasha had had no way of knowing if perhaps his sire-brother had accumulated himself a vast army of 'children' over the last few centuries, but such was not the case. He had acquired for himself a vast collection of human insiders in positions of power, but he had not sired anybody to plant actual vampiric moles within said positions. It would've been too hard keeping tabs on them all if he'd done so, and many of their state or federal positions required being out in the daytime, anyway. It was much more logical for his insiders to remain human and merely properly 'motivated' to maintain their loyalties. As such, Sesshoumaru had no vampiric family, save for Inuyasha. There was nobody to feel jealous of Rin as Sesshoumaru himself had once felt jealous of Inuyasha, back when their own sire had turned the younger blond. With their own sire Toga no longer in the picture there was also nobody to disapprove of his actions from the position of a reprimanding parent. Not that he would have listened even if his sire had in fact still been around and had indeed not approved, but it was easier without such complications.
The ceremony itself went off without a hitch. Rin's brother's girlfriend had a baby sister, so she was the obvious choice for flower girl. The deep red rose petals were courtesy of Rin's mother, and were a vibrant contrast against the crisp white, wintery landscape, accented by the matching red paper lanterns. Shippou played ring bearer just like Kagome had wanted, and the former she-wolf was walked the down the snow-dusted path by her grandfather alongside Rin and her father, a stupidly grinning Inuyasha and sophisticated yet clearly pleased Sesshoumaru both awaiting their arrival at the alter.
Everyone had written their own vows, and while not every single person in attendance understood how literally our couples meant it as they promised to love each other for all eternity, there was not a dry eye even among the human women not in the know. One glance at his teary-eyed girlfriend had Rin's brother feeling a burst of love for the woman sitting beside him; he would tell her the truth before too much longer and hopefully, if she didn't freak out, his would be the next nighttime wedding.
Once the ceremony was complete it was time to party, and the reception also went off without a hitch. While Sesshoumaru and Rin elegantly placed little bits of cake in each other's mouths those who knew them were not surprised when Inuyasha and Kagome smashed their first bites of cake in each other's faces. After that, it was time to slice the rest of the massive cake for all the guests, and then as the music started playing courtesy of Souta's professional sound system it was time to eat and dance. Our two favorite couples fulfilled their obligation of the first dance, which they shared at the same time, getting the party going, but then after that it was time to eat.
It didn't matter that they didn't need to eat, even Sesshoumaru was used to it at that point and the food, courtesy of both brides' mothers, was absolutely delicious. Besides, as Kagome caught up with Yuka, Eri and Ayumi she had to keep up appearances. They were mildly concerned for her health, since she was so much paler now than she'd used to be, but Kagome assured them she was fine and merely didn't go out in the sun 'that much' anymore. They accepted her explanation without protest.
Once it was over and everyone dispersed, everyone who slept at night going home to do just that, our newly married couples went home briefly to change and then went back out again, to the big city. The night was still young, and while the human food had been tasty they were all craving actual sustenance. Our foursome stuck together that night, making it an impromptu after party.
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Life continued to move forward for everyone, or in the case of our foursome, unlife. Existence was hardly boring, however. Kagome and Rin, for the most part, each continued to pretend being normal. Rin helped out at the flower shop because she wanted to help her family, although she didn't need any other job since Sesshoumaru was an excellent provider in that regard. Kagome didn't really need to work, either, with Inuyasha raking in plenty of money doing his various schemes in the big city, but she liked her job at the diner and she liked her coworkers. Her coworkers also liked her, even though they didn't really know her. It was nice having casual friends or even just acquaintances who thought she was a normal human being.
Taking advantage of it getting dark so much earlier during the wintertime, Sesshoumaru managed to find a Realtor willing to take he and Rin to a few houses much later in the day than what was usually custom, siting Rin's fabled (but technically accurate) photo-sensitivity as reason. Finding their dream home, he paid cash. The house was deep within the wolves' side of the small city, but Kaede herself had given them permission to live within their borders. It was an exception the pack would grant to no outsider vampires, but the wolves knew our foursome were trustworthy and the truce between them was strong. Kagome and Inuyasha were even toying with the idea of buying a house as well, although for the time being Kagome was fine staying in their apartment. Rin had always had the dream of one day having her own home with her own lush garden just like her mother's, and Sesshoumaru had wanted to provide that for her. Just because she could no longer be in the sunlight didn't mean Rin had lost her love of flowers. She didn't merely help her family out at the shop from a sense of obligation or duty, she still wanted to work there.
As the days got longer and the nights subsequently shorter, it was during the summer months that our nocturnal comrades had fewer hours with which to get things done, but since hunting was also better during the warmer months, as more human losers and lowlifes frequented the back allies of the big city that time of year, hunting was easier which in turn meant they still had plenty of time to accomplish whatever else it was they needed to do. Kagome and Inuyasha worked out a system; she had managed to get a steady schedule at the diner and now, always working the same hours every week meant that they could plan other activities around her part-time job much more easily. Inuyasha went into the big city alone on the nights she worked, doing his own thing to make his own money. The only exception to that was fight club, which might be held on a specific night and he would have to attend if he wanted to get in on the action. The underground poker games and other illegal gambling happened pretty much every night of the week, if you knew where to look for it. He did. They worked out a schedule of hunting two nights a week, and those nights, the four of them always hunted together, unless Sesshoumaru was out of town at the time, in which case Inuyasha and Kagome would most definitely still bring Rin along. Sometimes, Rin went with Sesshoumaru during some of his shorter trips. Sometimes though, when they both knew he would be gone for at least a few weeks, doing a massive rotation over the entire country checking in with his various 'human assistants' as he called them, Rin would choose to stay at home because she didn't want to be away from her garden for that long.
True, everything was on an automatic drip system for watering, but there was much more than watering when it came to taking care of a flower garden.
Sesshoumaru stood on the patio, observing Rin as she worked with a pleasant upturn to his lips. It was not dissimilar to the time he had watched her work in secret through the large front windows of her family's flower shop, but this time, there was no glass or street between them and she knew he was there. She offered him a grin from over her shoulder before getting back to work pruning back her evening primroses. Beside her, the moon flowers were in full bloom, and on the other side of the large plant a sea of rainbow colors shown brightly in the moonlight courtesy of her many Casablanca lilies. Sesshoumaru had procured them for her; she deserved only the best. Behind her, on the other end of the yard, her many night gladioluses were already done blooming until next spring, but the large night blooming jasmines behind them against the fence more than made up for it. She was eternally grateful becoming a vampire had not hindered her sense of smell when it came to such things, although, on the bright side, she found she was also no longer allergic to the gladiolus, one of the few flowers she'd previously had to avoid.
Her garden also had a colorful collection of four o'clocks, Rin having placed the tender evening blooming perennials in a spot where they got plenty of daytime sunshine. The dragon fruit flowers weren't in bloom at the moment, but the Cooperia rain lilies were. All in all, their backyard looked like something out of The Secret Garden. Their front yard was also beautifully landscaped with rose bushes. Somebody might as well enjoy the sunshine, Rin had joked. Sesshoumaru knew it was a part of her bid to look and act 'normal' in the eyes of the rest of the world. None of their neighbors knew who or what they were, and they both wanted to keep it that way. He wouldn't be surprised if next Christmas their house got done up in a bunch of colorful lights. In fact, he was looking forward to it. Seeing Rin happy made him happy and after living alone for so, so long, 'happy' was one thing Sesshoumaru had honestly never thought he would be. He was ever so grateful to have been proven wrong. Rin was like one of her flowers, so colorful, so fragrant, so full of life. Even in her newfound unlife she hadn't lost that spark, that thing that made her uniquely Rin. She was his flower. At first he had been afraid to take her from the sunlight, but he was glad to discover she thrived in the moonlight just as strongly. His lunar flower, his Rin.
~ Fin ~
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Lunar Flower