My anonymous flamer is back with a vengeance! I thought that the first time I got a flame I would be crushed, but honestly it made me laugh. I wish they could be signed in, because I have no way of writing them back. So, against my better judgement, I will answer here.

To: I hate you

I'm sorry you feel that way about this fic. But (like all writers who get flamed for this particular reason) I have to point out, if you hate this pairing why are you reading it? That's the thing that I don't understand the most. If you don't like it there are plenty of other fanfics out there to read and honestly, I write for my own enjoyment so what input you have given me is unnecessary. Reviews that offer encouragement and constructive criticism are acceptable, random insults are not.

To my other reviewers: Thanks for having an open mind and supporting this story! And so sorry about the wait.

00

Chicken was the more popular choice for breakfast ramen. Inuyasha was grumbling because he, of course, wanted beef. Sesshomaru had apparently left sometime during the night...more than likely after the talk with his father and brother. But those things weren't what concerned her at the present.

It seemed to Kagome that, for some reason or other, everything their recently acquired companion did or said or thought had an odd monopoly on her interest. It was a constant wonderment, a constant facination that scared her with its intensity even as it confused her with its mere presence. Speaking of confusion, it should have bothered her, but instead she welcomed the feeling because he happened to be the one that caused it. She had met this man, this youkai, yesterday and already she felt as though their one conversation held more meaning in it than any other conversation she had participated in during her entire lifetime.

"Wench! Give me more ramen!"

She let out a sigh as her inner monologue was interrupted. After she had killed Kikyo, Kagome hadn't been able to bring herself to use the cursed rosary on Inuyasha when he was irritable with her. She simply filled his bowl and returned it to him. Inutaisho spoke then, and his eyes were an angry red tint.

"No son of the West will speak to a woman that way."

Inuyasha turned to him, his countenance a scoff at the words addressed to him.

"Good thing I'm not a son of the West."

Utensils clattered in their respective bowls as the rest of the group's jaws dropped at the foolish statement. Throughout their travels, any mention of Inuyasha's father was met by him with scorn, but that was usually tempered with sadness. This though, was a challenge. Kagome was also in shock, but more than that she was angry at his careless words. She rose from her seat, storming over to the stunned Inuyasha, and yanked the Tetsusaiga out of the former hanyou's grasp. Just holding it she could feel the sword's spirit's discomfort at serving one who was full youkai, but couldn't disobey because it had been mastered by the Inuyasha was a hanyou...and there was something else. An invasion? It was just a flash, but it struck her soul.

"If you aren't a son of the West, you don't need this anymore." Everyone but Inutaisho gaped in surprise; Kagome hadn't spoken like that to Inuyasha since before Kikyo died. She usually just went along with whatever he wanted.

She couldn't help herself. Inuyasha could insult her all he liked; she deserved it, really. But to insult his father, the youkai that had his teeth removed to create a sword strong enough to protect his youngest son even though it put him at a disadvantage fighting Ryuukotsusei, which in turn got him a fatal wound for his troubles. The one who died the most horrible way imaginable, being burned alive, to save an infant Inuyasha and his mother not just once but twice...she could go on and on! What an ungrateful brat!

And so she told him that, her thoughts nearly word for word. It left her breathless, and then...

"Kagome." The deep voice of Inutaisho broke in through the interlude and she whirled around to face him.

"I know it isn't my place to say all of those things and it really should be you two discussing this but there really isn't any practice of psychology in this era and even if there was there would be no way Inuyasha would listen to the suggestion forget actually going and talking about the deep-rooted issues that growing up without a father figure has caused, not to mention the ridicule he endured for being a hanyou, but that's no excuse to blame you and yelling at him seems to be the only way to get through to him and you sacrificed so much..."

"Kagome!" This time it was Inuyasha that stopped her tirade. For godssakes, she went from a towering inferno of rage to a crazy wench offering explanations in return for forgiveness just like that. He sneaked a glance at the others and saw that they were still stupefied. It figured.

Inutaisho was stunned as well, but for other reasons. He only knew half of what she was talking about (sigh-call-owe-gee?) and the other half...well, he felt proud that she was defending him, but really, he was a dominant adult male; he could handle his unruly pups. Yet instead of telling her that, he chose a different route, a route that would stop her, but not make her feel bad for her actions.

"This Inutaisho is appreciative of your concern for his feelings, but I will deal with this on my own."

He could almost see her physically swaying between the decision concede to his wishes or to argue. Finally, after a few tense moments and with a frown adorning her lips, she backed down, but he suspected it was more due to the fact that she realized it was not her place to overrule him, rather than reflex. After the things he heard about the future, she would more likely have challenged him too had they been more well acquainted. She was strange, so unlike the women he was familiar with. So...passionate and disobedient, willful like a demon, yet fragile and as breakable as Izayoi.

At the thought of his former lover, Inutaisho set his hand on the hilt of Sou'unga. He could feel the sword screaming, the spirit struggling and striving underneath his palm to move away from Kagome, something it had been doing from the time he appeared on the living plane and breathed in air once more. It didn't like the purity that radiated from her in waves. More than that, it was afraid of her.

These musings and realizations came to a halt as his youngest son perceived his innocent gesture to be a challenge. Inuyasha snatched the Tetsusaiga from Kagome, lightning-quick, and unsheathed it with a growl. Inutaisho was both amused and saddened.

"You think to turn my own fang against me? It will not obey."

Inuyasha grinned at his statement and pointed a finger to one of his canines. It was only half grown back.

"I think the fang will have no other choice, Fath...Inutaisho."

The others sat in silent horror until an angry voice broke the standoff.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Sango rose from her seat, no longer mesmerized by the scene in front of her. "Your father comes back from the dead and you try to kill him? You renounce him?"

Inuyasha began to speak, to explain his position, but she stopped him, her voice semi-hysterical.

"Don't even start that 'he was never there for me' bit. I held my tongue those handful of times when you would rage about that, but no more. Did you ever wonder why I've never mentioned my mother? Never curious as to whether she passed away from disease or by accident? The reason why her ending was never included when I had only slight discomfort telling the story of how the rest of my squad died? Do you think it was too painful for me to recount her death above all others? If so, you were right on that last bit, but wrong on the first. You want to know now what happened to her? Well here it is: she died protecting me and my brother. We were so young I can't even remember what she looked like. All the memories that I have of when she was alive is the roar of a snake demon, torn flesh, a woman's scream, and being drenched in blood that was not my own."

She had tears in her eyes and that sign of weakness was enough to convince anyone who knew her.

"Just like that youkai there did for you, she gave her life for her children's. Was I angry that she left? Yes, of course. But if she were to ever, ever somehow come back to life, my first reaction damn straight wouldn't be to teach her a lesson for leaving by denying my birth and threatening to kill her."

The taijiya thumped back down on the fallen log, sobbing into Miroku's shoulder who knew to keep his hands above the waistline for once. Inuyasha's ears were flat on his head and he was the picture of someone duly reprimanded. And then Kagome felt sorry for him, looking so shamed and forlorn. She went to him, embracing the boy she set free from a curse and grew up to love.

He was still and aloof for a only a second before crushing her to him and burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"It...it was so hard."

Kagome didn't know who that was directed to: her, Sango, or Inutaisho. But Inuyasha saved her the trouble of guessing or asking.

"You didn't even ask about me, my life. You talked to Sesshomaru about the running of the Western Lands and the only thing you said to me was that I was welcome to come home."

Kagome was shocked. Inutaisho's actions had pretty much told his youngest son that he was just a background figure. Inuyasha chose that moment to break away from her stiffened body and run from the situation. Miroku helped Sango up and steered her in the direction of the nearest water source to clean up. He had seen the look in Kagome's eyes as she turned. So, apparently, had Shippou and he left with the monk and taijiya as well.

Inutaisho was the last to see the hardness in Kagome's eyes. He nearly sighed in frustration. And it had been going so well.

"What kind of a father are you?" her voice was dangerously low. He had to stop her before she got momentum.

"He is a stranger to me."

Wrong thing to say. Now she looked like she was going to stab him and the nearest things available were tree branches and chopsticks, both options very blunt and very painful to be pierced with.

"I have no knowledge as to how to act around him. This Inutaisho has met him for less than five minutes in his entire life. I realize he is my son, but its ridiculous to think that our relationship would be this instantaneous."

"That's foolish," Kagome spat. "You didn't know me at all and we conversed throughout the entire night! You should have been spending that time with him, not me! Your son is more important than I am!"

The look in Inutaisho's eyes told her differently, told her of a want and a longing that could not be filled by a son.

Inutaisho saw elation then sadness cross her eyes. She sighed and looked away from him.

"There is nothing more important than family, Inutaisho-sama."

He smelled her tears. Yet, even as she was crying, he had to admire the picture she made. If he had been alive, he would have noticed that, as she got older, Kagome began to look a bit more like Kikyo. Nothing too drastic, but she had grown taller and her hair was sleeker and it had lost a bit of the wildness it had when she was younger. But she made such a beautiful, forlorn image standing there in the new sun, the light dappled by the leaves and branches above. She kept her face to the side so that a curtain of hair hid her from him.

"I took away the woman he loved, I will not take his father also."

And with those words Kagome walked away.

00

Long-ish...