A/N: Hey you guys!!! I bet you're glad to hear from me, huh? Cause you know this means you get another chapter for. . . *drum roll* "Shop til you drop!" Wow, I am in a great mood today!!! I'll tell you why. I just got into Asian dramas (You gotta check 'em out!) And I have been watching a good one called "Hana Yori Dango" the Japanese version. (It's the drama version of the manga, "Boys over Flowers" It's really good, but let's stop my babbling so you guys can actually read!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha you guys! Please keep those lawyers on a leash!

Chapter 16: Finding my own truth

Saturday came without much else happening. After the little incident with Takeshi, I decided that I needed a break. A break from everything and anything that had to do with boys. That's why Sango stood outside my house with her car.

"Hey, Sango!" I yelled from my opened window. She smiled and waved from where she was standing. I quickly dressed in a light gold summer dress, since the days were getting warmer. Come to think of it, school had already progressed since the start of the year. One more month and I was going to graduate.

"Took you long enough," Sango joked as we got in her car. We were going to go shop and then she was going to drop me off to where I needed to go.

Twenty minutes later, we came to the parking lot of the biggest mall in town. I smiled in glee as we made our way in. The mall was a beautiful place. I wasn't talking about the stuff in it, but the actual architectural design to it.

The ceilings arched gracefully over stone fountains. The lighting was dim, but bright enough so that everything was visible. The stores were also created in an antique way, making them seem old fashioned. The food court was normal as any could be, with your regular restaurants nearby for a quick grab on the go.

That was just one half of the building. The other was as contemporary as any other mall, but it had it's class. Sango and I dove into a little antique shop on the corner.

"Sango, this is so pretty!" I pointed to a key chain necklace. It was a small version of a key, with rubies placed carefully on them.

"Yeah," She touched it for a moment, then grabbed my arm to drag me out. "Come on, Kagome! We still have a lot of other stores to hit!"

I laughed, but watch the little key until it was out of sight. I really liked it.

As we made our way to the main department store, I saw crowds of people walking the opposite way. I looked around in confusion, but since it wasn't that big of a crowd, I shrugged my shoulders.

We entered the main hall and the crowd seemed to be thinning. What was that all about? Sango and I exchanged a glance. Suddenly, we came to hear loud voices in one of the jewelry stores. Although the small crowd surrounded them, they were a good distance back.

"I'll be back tomorrow. You better have it done." A man with silver hair tied in a ponytail said menacingly. He looked oddly familiar but he looked old enough to be my father. He had on a black suit and he walked with a regal air. I whispered to a woman near me.

"Who is he?"

Her eyes went wide. "You don't know who that is?" She gasped. "Why that's the leader of the infamous underground mafia, "The Silver fangs," Inutaisho Takahashi" She shuddered.

"The Silver fangs?" I glanced at the man again. Sango nudged me, pulling me aside.

"That man looks like he could be related to Inuyasha!" She whispered harshly into my ear. I nodded my agreement.

"His last name is Takahashi . . . Who could it be?" I questioned to myself.

Then it clicked.

I gasped at my sudden realization. He had to be Inuyasha's father! That's why they looked alike and the last name. . . it fit perfectly! That's why Inuyasha didn't like to talk about his father. He was a freakin' mobster for god's sake! I pulled Sango away from the crowd.

"C'mon, Sango. I have to leave now."

She whined as I pulled her away. "But I haven't bought a single thing! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" She screamed as I practically had to drag her away from the shop.

We piled into her car again and I gave her the directions to where I wanted to go.. She dropped me off and said to call her when I was finished. I smiled and nodded toward her.

I stood in the familiar meadow. I had only been here once with Inuyasha, but I felt as if I'd known it all my life. The colors were all so much prettier when I stood still. I could hear the river in the distance so I followed it. To get to the cottage, I had to pass it right?

Finally, after what seemed like an hour, I came upon the house. I ran up to it and knocked on the door. It opened, revealing Kaede inside.

"Ah, Kagome. What a pleasant surprise." She opened the door wider. "Come in." I stepped inside, hesitant at first. I followed Kaede to the living room, where she had been previously knitting, by the looks of the half-finished sweater.

"This is a beautiful home, Kaede." I offered politely as I stood over her threshold. She smiled and nodded at me.

"Why thank you, child." She picked up her needle work and sat on the rocking chair. "Sit down, you must be awfully tired."

I sat down on one the soft chairs in the room, my hands folded in my lap. I bit my lip as I tried to gather my words for what I was going to ask her.

She smiled at me. "Tell me, child. Have you come for information?" Her one eye landed on me and I gasped.

"How did you know?"

She laughed, and the sound was filled with age and wisdom. "I know many things, Kagome. Now, tell me. What is it you want to know?" She laid down her needles to give me her full attention.

I gulped, but I'd have to ask sooner or later. "Forgive me for being so forward, but . . . What exactly happened to Inuyasha's mother?"

Kaede's face turned sad and she was silent. I was about to apologize again but she spoke.

"It was a tragic thing, what happened to that poor woman." She looked away, her eyes taking a far away gaze. "I was there when it happened and so was poor little Inuyasha." She closed her eyes and I'm sure flashes of her memory were coming back to her.

"Then, what happened?" I leaned forward in my eagerness.

Kaede voice was sad as she began her somber tale. "It was raining that particular day. Everything was normal and we were in the little cottage down stream. I had just arrived to help around a little but I ended up staying longer than expected." She glanced at her hands for a second. " I stayed the night, as per the request of Izayoi. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next."

I waited for Kaede to continue and I sat there wondering what kind of mother Izayoi had been. I've never seen a picture of her, so I didn't know what she looked like. Inuyasha looked so much like his father, so I don't think he resembled his mother much. Just then Kaede began again.

"It was in the middle of the night when I awoke to Izayoi shaking me. She was frightened and told me that 'they' had come for her. I tired to reason with her, but she told me that Inuyasha and I had to hide. When I heard the screech of the tires, I knew we had no time to lose. No one knew about that particular cottage except me, Izayoi, Inuyasha and Inutaisho."

I nodded, taking in the information.

"Isn't Inutaisho the Mafia leader of "Silver fang"?" I asked.

Kaede nodded. "The very same." She stood and moved toward the window. "Well, after we had all gotten up and Inuyasha and I were hidden, we heard the men come inside. Izayoi stood up to them, far longer than I would have thought. While we were hidden, we could still see what was happening from a little peep hole in the false wall we were behind. But when she wouldn't tell them where we were, they shot her."

I gasped and suddenly the room filled with a heaviness I had never known. It nearly choked me and the tears came from out of nowhere. I was reminded of my own father's death and how similar they were. Both were shot for information they didn't want to give.

"I'm sorry." I said, my voice cracking. I felt what Inuyasha must've felt when he saw his mother get shot. It was a horrible feeling, but I understood it all too well.

"You don't have to apologize, Kagome." She smiled warmly at me and walked over to place a hand over my head. "I'm just happy Inuyasha found someone like you to understand him."

"Huh?" I wiped away the tears as I looked at her.

"After she died, Inuyasha had ran to her. By the time the police arrived, he was covered in her blood. Of course, the police didn't suspect him, being a child and all, but the rumor flew around to some very worthless people who said many worthless things."

"What kind of things?"

Kaede shook her head. "They began rumors that it had been Inuyasha who had killed her, that he was just like his father. At the funeral, he didn't cry because he had already shed all the tears he could ever shed for her. He was more like a statue, but the people took it wrong. They thought he didn't cry because he didn't care." She shook her head. "What foolish people!"

I sniffled and awkwardly stood up, looking at Kaede. "Thank you for telling me all of this." I smiled. "I'd also heard rumors, but I wanted the real story and I wanted to know the truth. I love Inuyasha, and nothing will ever change that. I just wanted to find my own truth."

Kaede put her arms around me in hug. At first, I was stunned but then I wrapped my arms around her as well.

"You are a lovely child, Kagome. I just hope Inuyasha realizes that soon." She let go and for the first time, I saw the tears in her eyes.

After saying my goodbyes, I walked along in the meadow for a while. I needed time to sort everything out, to think things through. I soon found myself near the river and I sat along it's banks. I slipped my feet into the cool water.

I thought about a lot of things. I thought about my father, Inuyasha's mother, his father and what they all had in common. I thought about my job and what we were going to do to Naraku. I thought about Kurena and wished fervently that she was doing well.

One thing still bothered me.

If Inuyasha's mother had been killed, who did it? I assumed that it was a closed case, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe they were still looking for the man who had ordered her death.

A shiver ran down my spine, and it had nothing to do with the cold water. I got up and I turned when I bumped into the someone's chest.

"Kagome?"

I looked up and met the brilliantly gold eyes of Inuyasha. I was stunned for a moment, but I quickly found my voice.

"Inuyasha! What are you doing here?" I asked, giving him my most dazzling smile.

He chuckled and grabbed my hand. "I think I should be asking you that question." He smiled and bent down to give me a kiss. I sighed when he pulled away.

Inuyasha pulled me from the river up the hill. "So what are you here for, Kagome?" He asked, glancing back at me. I stared at his back, pretending to be suddenly mesmerized by his blue collared shirt.

"Kagome?" He asked, fully turning to me, pressing a hand to my cheek. His eyes locked with mine and when I opened my mouth to say something, I found no words. I wanted to tell him why I was here. I wanted to tell him that I would never believe what those women said. I wanted to tell him that no matter what, I would always love him.

"I . . . just wanted to see Kaede," I smiled at him, trying my hardest to sound convincing. I was lying through my teeth but I felt I had no other option. I wanted to tell him, but I couldn't. Would he think I'd be prying? That it was no good for me to meddle in his life? I glanced down and sighed without really think about it. Inuyasha just took my hand and pulled me along downstream.

"Well, since you already went to see her, why don't we spend the rest of the day together?" He squeezed my hand. Though I really wanted to stay with him, I still had a lot to sort through.

"Actually, I have to do something after this." I stopped and looked at him. "I'm sorry," I frowned and glanced down. I felt Inuyasha let go of my hand and he lifted my chin with his index finger.

"I understand. I'll see you at school on Monday, ok?"

I nodded and he bent down to kiss me on my forehead. " But will you at least let me escort you back to your house?"

"Of course."

So Inuyasha took me home and nothing else happened. It wasn't that late but I felt so tired that I went straight to bed. I laid there, tossing and turning, thinking about what I'd learned. At least I knew why Inuyasha never talked about his father. I groaned into my pillow. There was just to many things going on. Next week would start our plan to drive Naraku out of the store. I prayed it would work.

It just had too.

A/N: Oh, you guys I am so sorry it took me this long to update! My internet was disconnected for a week and I just got it back. So please don't kill me!

So Kagome believes Inuyasha! Yay! And what does Kagome has in store for Naraku? You'll find out in the next update!

REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S Remember the story I was going to start, "Death angels"? Well, it will be up right after this so please check it out!!!!