Long, long ago, there was a boy who loved his father very much.

The boy had never been an emotive child – reserved and rather shy. Quiet. Preferred solitude to social interaction. A gangly, angular little thing with pale skin, long hair and features he hadn't quite grown into yet. None of his little quirks ever seemed to bother his father though and his mother never offered an opinion. The father has been loud and boisterous and always in a good mood. Always coming up with creative games and trying to badger his son into playing "champion". Like moths to a flame, both the small boy and his equally stoic mother were happy to bask in their patriarch's warmth.

All was well.

And…

Then it wasn't.

One day it was all excitement for the upcoming final selection. Hyping up a young son about all the celebrations and parties that would follow when his parents inevitably won. Laughter and joy and confidence. The next day his father abandoned them without any explanation and even less warning. No more games. No more smiles. No calls. Just like that their small family was broken.

Over the next twenty-five years or so, the young boy grew into a bitter, jaded and angry man who scowled every time his 'sperm donor' appeared on the news or won the title of champion yet again. What bothered him most was that his mother never seemed to be bothered by any of it. Never cried or showed any real emotion one way or the other. There were many times the boy was envious of her apathy and other times he wished she'd show something that proved she had a heart.

Not that he was much better but still. Whether he showed it or not, a part of him missed the life he now only vaguely remembered. He missed the energy, the passion, the fun. But never having been an emotive child, he was able to dismiss those feelings as quickly as they appeared.

Upon finishing at the Academy, he pursued a collegiate path rather than one in the arena. Business rather than blood. Something based on actual merit that was superior, and refined. Success in battle was largely based on luck and favoritism. The 'popular' candidates usually won regardless of skill. Out of a desperate desire for something, Sesshomaru made his move. With impressive speed and despite him appearing to have no personality, he moved upwards within the governmental hierarchy with relative ease until he found himself working alongside the daughter of someone whose true position he learned far too late. A fiery, bitter and equally jaded girl who glared at him almost constantly. A refreshing change of pace truth be told. Her fearlessness and snarky nature amused him. His vague inclination and weirdly obvious preference caught the attention of important people. Influential people who approached with an offer. Marry the girl and secure your position of power. Sesshomaru wasn't stupid enough to believe the agents when they said they could 'guarantee' that he'd be the next prime minister. Connections and power were not reasons why he agreed to the match. The girl who wasn't afraid to speak her mind sealed the deal. Cold, calculating and a bit insane. She talked back to him, rolled her eyes and overall was rather attitudinal. Not afraid to get her hands dirty either which was definitely impressive.

Yes, much to his own confusion, Sesshomaru loved Kagura almost immediately. The only added bonus was that his father strongly opposed the match and reached out for the first time in over twenty years to change his estranged son's mind. The man who abandoned his family gave vague warnings and empty statements that it would be in his son's best interest. Even after they were wed, up until the day he died, Toga Taisho had tried and tried to do something about the union. Endless calls. Invitations that went ignored. A few times that bastard had even shown up at the office or tried to make an appointment.

But, in the end, Toga died at the hands of the wrong son. Life went on and Sesshomaru still loved his wife even if he had a strange and virtually nonexistent way of showing it. What he loved most was that she never catered to him. Never held back. Never kept secrets or lied to him. She was always where she said she'd be. Doing what she said she would do. She was passionate and witty and again, a little insane. As time marched forward, more and more it seemed that Kagura grew to love him in some way and no longer saw him as simply some bureaucrat her father forced her to wed. She began smiling at him. No longer glared.

That was enough. For a time.

A few years went by, and a daughter was born after a very limited effort. The decision had been a little impulsive, which was unlike him, but the timing seemed right, and they weren't getting any younger. Kagura agreed to his proposal almost immediately which was helpful as well. The catalyst for his strange newfound desire for a family likely arose from him fully coming to terms with the loss of his father. Sesshomaru was in a place where he could look back at the memories of happier times and much to his utter shock, found he had a desire to recreate a version of that for himself. A version done the correct way . What struck him as strange was that the woman he perceived as passionate didn't have much interest in child rearing. In that, Kagura reminded him of his own mother. By some weird twist of fate, Sesshomaru found that while he had interest, he lacked the capacity to be paternal in the way he would have liked. True, he enjoyed the heavy weight of an infant on his chest and the smiles he received, but the basic care and entertainment of the girl was routinely left to others.

But that was before…

Before he walked in one evening to find his precious tiny daughter bloodied and maimed on the floor. The nanny at the time was nowhere in sight and was never heard from again. Poor little Rin lived just long enough for her father to collect her in his arms and then she went cold. All of her parents' connections, power and influence meant nothing. They failed to protect her. She was brought back of course - almost immediately too since both of her parents were powerful necromancers – but the image haunted him to this day.

He didn't tell Kagura about their daughter's death. Only that Rin had been injured which upset her more so than he expected. Sesshomaru wasn't sure why he felt that information needed to be kept close to the chest but perhaps it was his own fear talking or the fact that her death was largely immaterial. After all, Rin lived.

That was seven years ago now. Rin had just turned ten at the end of the summer. No threats had been made since that time but no threats had ever been made prior either. Perhaps that is where his residual anxiety lay.

In any case, the question as to who and why was answered relatively quickly. His father-in-law owned up to the overkill immediately and very apathetically explained that with her parents being who they were, there had been no point being gentle. The reason as to why arose from why Naraku had been so keen on Sesshomaru marrying his daughter. Despite the official story, it was not a deranged child who killed the famous Toga Taisho but rather his death came at the tail end of an unsuccessful attempt to steal power that simply refused to be stolen. Toga's usefulness has come to an end. Blaming a small child would isolate his heir and, in the end, if that child did manifest the same or similar traits, the government could swoop in to 'save' the young man from his lot in life. After all, isolating Toga by threatening to kill everyone he loved worked fabulously well for several decades so surely isolating the youngest son by making his life a living hell would work to suit their needs as well. Somehow that convoluted plot made sense to someone at some point.

Sesshomaru had but one thought, one impulse, one true goal after hearing this explanation said aloud.

Naraku was going to die and Sesshomaru was going to be the one to kill him.

After Rin died in his arms, after the truth of what actually happened with his father came to light, upon learning that a puppet master of evil controlled the world, something in Sesshomaru snapped. Almost every moment of every day he spent preparing for the day he could exact his revenge. Every precaution was taken. Every invitation or attempt by his father in law to interact was refused. Sesshomaru became very selective in what he told his wife and others. Hardly ever let his daughter out of his sight and only trusted a very select few to watch over her. Worked in the shadows and learned the blind spots in security.

And…he watched over a bastard son and his idiot mother who made any attempts to keep them safe exceedingly hard. From flagrant demonstrations of powers not of record to regularly engaging in prohibited communication, it was almost like those imbeciles were asking for death. The amount of people Sesshomaru personally had to kill over the years was incredibly annoying. Most of the deaths were entirely preventable too but the last thing Sesshomaru wanted was for it to come to light that Inuyasha had the ability Naraku wanted. There was no real explanation as to why that particular ability was so coveted yet given the callous, evil nature of the man, Sesshomaru knew he did not want to find out.

Life was strange but it was much stranger upon realizing that everything you thought you knew wasn't true. Father didn't abandon him because he wanted to leave or didn't care. Father had left because he loved his family and the powers that be didn't shy away from murder. In fact, half the people who Sesshomaru dealt with at the office were very eager and willing to resort to that option for the most basic of infractions. It was an option he himself often resorted to as well. Perhaps more often than he realized.

Governmental duties aside, he spent most of his leisure time investigating and following leads as to the true origin of Tama. What he'd found so far was very concerning and only fueled his resolve.

Thankfully, for now, the bastard teenager was safely tucked away at the Academy where Totosai – one of a handful of trusted men – could keep an eye on him. The mother was dead. At the moment, there was nothing he had to keep tabs on within the confines of the Capital. Other than Rin. Of course. Every single decision he made anymore stemmed solely from concern for his daughter's future.

And the safety of his wife. Naturally, there was that to consider as well although her well being was secondary by nature and a part of him hoped Kagura would understand their child came first if it ever truly came down to it.

As Rin played with her dolls on the floor, Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and scowled.

The way Kagura looked at him. Like she truly believed he would ever hurt her. Perhaps keeping her at arm's length had been a mistake. The feelings he held for her had never changed even if his behavior most certainly had. Would she understand if he told her? Would she join him? Or would she simply run to her father and ruin everything he'd managed to accomplish…

Sesshomaru nearly rolled his eyes at that last impossible thought, but his face remained stoic as ever. Kagura hated her father more than anyone – himself included. To be honest, Sesshomaru wasn't entirely sure why he'd ever thought otherwise. The issue, the true issue, was that Kagura felt protective towards her younger, unhinged, unpredictable and rather disgusting siblings. Specifically, her affection for Kanna - an ageless, emotionless, almost omnipotent child – came very close to making Kagura a liability.

Love was such a dangerous animal. Distracting. He didn't have time to…

Glancing at the clock, Sesshomaru subtly set his jaw.

The way she looked at him…

Whenever things were at their worst, whenever the food had run out and the heat got turned off in the dead of winter, when his body tried to fail, when someone tried to jump him, when they taunted him in the streets or even when things were okay, Mother would tell him things weren't falling apart. They were just falling into place.

But he was tired. Even something as innocuous as a train ride had gone wrong and, per the norm, it had been his fault. Been the results of his choices and actions. Just by affiliating with him, people always got hurt. Gotten in trouble when they hadn't done anything wrong.

So maybe he wasn't going on a walk to nowhere just to calm down. The birdwatchers clearly had an interest in him. Were probably itching for an opportunity to get him alone. Waiting around the corner looking for an opening. Turning himself in would…

Throat growing tight, Inuyasha rolled his shoulders and picked up his pace to cross the courtyard before anyone could stop him.

Giving up was the brave choice. The right choice. The only real choice he had left. One he should've made long ago. Everyone would be better off. Instead, he'd tried to…

He had hoped…

Casually reaching up to flick a tear away under the guise of moving his hair, Inuyasha was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he nearly plowed over the woman who was standing solidly between him and the shrine exit.

"I was just about to come find you," Mama said sweetly as she held up a random box and gave him a pleading look, "We just received a delivery of some artifacts and they're so dreadfully heavy. Would you be a dear and help me carry them to storage?"

It took a moment for him to register what was being asked and by the time he did, a relatively heavy box had been thrust into his chest.

"Thank you," Mama hummed as she bent down and picked up a second box he hadn't noticed, "You saved me a trip."

Too frazzled to really respond or even walk away, Inuyasha found himself awkwardly following the weird woman who allegedly knew his mom to a small shed on the farthest side of the courtyard.

"You'll probably want to put whatever's in your pockets on the bench over there," Mama instructed casually as she balanced the box on one hip and took out her own tablet with her newly freed hand , "It can be a bit cramped and it'll be easier if there's nothing in your pockets. Maybe your coat too."

Mindlessly doing what he was told, Inuyasha glanced towards the shrine steps and sighed. Surely, surely this wouldn't take very long, right? Besides, if he wandered off now, it'd be even more suspicious. Make it look like something was said and everyone would be in more pointless danger than they already were.

Letting out a shuddering breath, Inuyasha picked his box back up off the ground and reluctantly turned back towards the very modest little building. All in all, the ultimate question was really whether he should have stayed back at the Academy and simply visited the old senile geezer or whether getting on the train really would work out in the end? It'd be okay if this was the end of the line. Finally the moment where he could not pass go and what he'd done during a time he couldn't remember finally caught up to him. It'd be…

Mama set down her box, closed the door behind them and then fiddled with a lock…

Wait, a lock?

"W-what-"

"No one can hear us in here. Don't worry," Mama hummed sympathetically – like that wasn't the creepiest and most threatening thing Inuyasha had ever heard, "And I completely understand why you wouldn't tell people you just met what you are and what you can do. I imagine it unnerves most people. I just want to make sure you know it's alright to tell me if you ever have an issue. We could use a code or-"

Chest starting to heave, Inuyasha merely stared at her then at the door in mild panic. Sure, it was locked but it was just a little lock. He could totally just ram his way through should this woman be murderous.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Inuyasha settled on as he took a hesitant step towards the door with the box still in his hands, "So where should I put-"

Mama made a face then her eyes narrowed, and she set her jaw.

"You don't know?" she asked – something strange and angry in her tone, "How do you not know? Kagome said you had a reaction. That there was a rebound. Your mother-"

"Allergy. Just have an allergy," Inuyasha blurted as he set down the box and backed towards the exit, "So are we done-"

If anything, Mama looked angry enough to strike and stopping dead, Inuyasha took a slightly defensive pose out of pure instinct.

"She told you that?"

Inuyasha scowled but didn't answer. Mama's look of indignant rage increased before she stomped down her anger and tried to approach the situation calmly.

"Did your mother…did your mother ever, uh, test your 'allergy'?" Mama ground out while visibly trying to force a reassuring smile on her face, "Or did you ever have a 'reaction' to an empathic ability before? Her ability?"

The use of air quotes disturbed him and Inuyasha crouched down to lunge if necessary. In all likelihood there was more than a simple lock. Plus destruction of property seemed an easy enough crime to pin him on. Cut and dry. This could all be some giant trap. Biting her lip, Mama clasped her hands together and her eye twitched. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath that she let out slowly.

"So…so," Mama mumbled to herself as she shifted her weight, "So you don't know…so…I guess…"

Inuyasha tightened his defensive posture.

"Okay. Okay," Mama huffed as she rolled her shoulders, "So, you have an ability. A special ability. An ability that…what you have is…oh goodness…what you can do is steal…wait that's not the right way to phrase…"

Inuyasha slowly crept towards the door while the threatening woman continued struggling to explain something he wasn't sure he trusted or wanted to know. All this was doing was making him uneasy and lean towards this woman being insane or a liar.

"My understanding is that you take in what makes you, um, stronger," Mama sighed shakily, "And can…can deflect what doesn't. Or just use it? Maybe. Except…well, your mother said you struggled with abilities that, um…"

Inuyasha paused in his attempts to escape and stared at the woman like she'd grown a second head.

"Are you high? You really expect me to believe this shit?" he asked incredulously, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard and coming from you? I don't know you and you sure as hell don't know me."

Mama nodded like she expected that answer before blowing out her cheeks.

"That's… fair but there's no one else so…" Mama sighed heavily before adding in a strained voice, "She really never told you?"

Yeah…this was definitely a trap. Get him to contradict whatever the hell Miroku and Sango had said. All these people in positions of power no matter how low level they might be played such dirty games. Sold out others just to save their own skins. Were always willing to throw the powerless under the bus and-

"The hell would she have told me?!" Inuyasha snapped as a growl began building in his chest, "It's an allergy. Nothing you say is gunna change what you already know so if that's all-"

"I'm not trying to trick you," Mama replied a little too ardently, " I did not bring you here to feed you a lie. I wanted to-"

"And I'm just supposed to believe some random bitch knows all about me, huh? How the hell would you even know any of that?" Inuyasha hissed angrily, "Besides, if I did have some magic power, which I don't, Mother would have-"

Mama wrinkled her nose and clasped her hands even more tightly. The venom in her gaze was almost tangible.

"Yes, yes your mother should have been the one to explain this. I completely agree," Mama managed in a very forced calm tone, "I only know what I've been told. By my husband's account. I do not know how to tell you to use it or how it really works or anything. There's so much I don't know. All I do know…"

Mama squeezed her hands again and set her jaw.

"All I know is that you and your father have…had the same…gift," she offered lamely, "And that it's doesn't…."

Mama paused and cleared her throat.

"Well, the reason you don't know might…it doesn't show up on conventional scans. My husband used to laugh about…doesn't matter. Your power stays…concealed until you're actively using it."

Inuyasha snorted and rolled his eyes, "That's awful convenient. So you can't prove I have some bullshit power and I'm just supposed to take your word for it? That there's just some super secret-"

"Your father called it his fangs," Mama interrupted with a heavy sigh, "Said he only flashed them when necessary. Lots of vampire jokes about vanting to suck-"

Mama cringed at her addition and began to shift her weight anxiously. For some inexplicable reason, her nervous joke made Inuyasha relax a little. Made him believe her.

"That being said…"

And just like that, any good feeling Inuyasha had was gone.

"He had to be careful," she tried with a wince, "My husband-"

Mama let out a shuddering breath and began massaging her stiff hands.

"My husband was his…your father's liaison for a time. Would travel with him on…as ambassadors," she continued in a resigned tone, "You know, a watcher. Not secretly, of course, your father knew what his role was supposed to be but…but my husband would say they got threatened a lot. That's...well that's the entire reason his original team broke up, you know? The danger and...so your mother would come here when they went abroad. Especially after you were born and even…even after everything. Just to check in. It was easier when you all lived so close but after…after he died, just a mess."

Mama's eyes softened and grew distant.

"Well things started really changing when your fangs started to come in, you were so small and there was talk. No one was willing to negotiate. I mean, experimenting on a baby was just.." Mama muttered more to herself than to him, "And so there…"

Mama bit her lip and finished barely above a whisper, "There was punishment. Eventually. And blame. I'll leave it at that."

Sitting back on his heels, Inuyasha was a little mesmerized and confused by this onslaught of information that could very well be false. At the same time, though, Inuyasha couldn't deny that his Mother had come here to this shrine often. A shrine on the far side of the city. They passed up countless other and prettier historical sites on the way. The cost of the round trip ticket wasn't necessarily cheap but no matter how hard up for money they were, they came all the time. Without fail. It had always struck him as odd and a waste of time but it'd made Mother happy so he never voiced those feelings out loud. She was so rarely smiling. Especially towards the end.

"What kind of punishment?" Inuyasha asked in a thick voice and Mama shook her head.

"Sweetheart, it doesn't-"

"What kind of-"

"I shouldn't be the one-"

Inuyasha snorted and set his jaw.

"Who the hell else is there to tell me?"

Mama sighed and begrudgingly nodded.

"You have a point."

A deep breath and then she said something that had Inuyasha's stomach plummeting to his feet. It was the strangest thing. To learn that your entire life was a lie and being set free by the truth at the same time. From the second she began talking, it felt like an elephant had taken one foot off his chest. Because…

"What have you been blamed for all of your life?" Mama offered wearily as she gave him a pointed look filled with sympathy and a twinge of fear.

It wasn't his fault.

"Why do you think your mother's ability was so unstable?"

It wasn't his fault.

"Why isn't Kagome's father alive? They wanted to run tests on you. On a child. On a baby. Your parents' answer was a resounding no. My husband supported that decision. As their friend and ally. The powers that be didn't like that. Didn't like any of that."

It wasn't his fault.

For the longest time, Inuyasha remained where he was while he tried to figure out if this woman was full of shit or not.

"So…so I didn't kill him?" Inuyasha interrupted breathlessly, "You're saying I didn't? I really didn't? You're not shitting me?"

Wilting, Mama nodded and worried her bottom lip. For a moment longer, Inuyasha breathed easier than he ever had before and then something clicked.

"Wait…so...so if you knew I didn't hurt anyone, where were you? During all of that, when we needed someone to speak up…you didn't say anything. You knew and you didn't…," Inuyasha asked as a spark of panicked anger and denial flickered in his heart, "If that's true, if any of this is true, where the hell have you been?!"

"Inu-"

"We were starving. Had nothing! People...people hated me. Hurt both of us! And I…if you knew, then where the literal fuck have you been?! Why didn't you ever defend me?!" Inuyasha snapped as his temper flared out of control, "Why didn't Mother tell me this, huh? Why would she...she even told me I killed my dad and why would she lie and…"

Vibrating with rage tinged with denial, Inuyasha resumed his defensive posture and growled.

"She wouldn't lie to me about that. You're so full of shit! YOU'RE FULL OF-"

"I don't know what she told you or why. I don't and I'm sorry. It could be…there were threats," Mama offered in a calm collected voice even though that strange anger bloomed once more behind her eyes, "I imagine…I imagine your mother thought not telling you what you really were was the only way you'd be safe. You wouldn't have to lie."

"Well, some fucking help that plan was," Inuyasha hissed angrily before pointing at the door, "Almost died because of your bitch of a daughter because I don't know what's happening to me. Say all that shit is true, then what the hell am I supposed to do now, huh? What are they supposed to do? Why should I believe anything you have to say?!"

"I don't know sweetheart and again I'm sorry," Mama sighed miserably, "Never in a million years would… I-I shouldn't have to be the one to tell you. I just wanted to…to make sure you…I don't know. I don't know. I thought you might feel alone now that your mother is gone. That you had no one to turn to over something I imagine no one else knows. I wanted to make sure you knew…you knew there was someone. Someone safe."

The ending was lame but sincere. Nostrils flaring, Inuyasha remained standing for an awkward period of time before glancing around the small shack.

"Still say it's just an allergy. I didn't agree to anything," Inuyasha scoffed hatefully, "You're just full of shit. That's all."

Mama's face crumpled in sympathy and hurt but she nodded.

"And you expect me to believe it's safe in here? That's what you want me to think?" Inuyasha muttered with blatant suspicion, "That why you told me to leave my registry?"

Mama nodded again as she continued playing with her hands.

"I'm rather good at making things computers," Mama offered with a hesitant smile, "Everything in the shrine runs on my system but this is the most encrypted space. But if a registry enters here…well…"

"What about the house?" Inuyasha asked – his anger tapering off in favor of the relief he felt at someone telling him he wasn't the murderer he always believed he was. That he was important and special too made him feel some kinda way. Some of it…some of what she said scared the shit out of him, but it was what it was. Sure, might not be true and this might be a trap but for a moment…

"Certain rooms are more secure than others," Mama replied quietly, "I interfere with signals without meaning to so no one has ever gotten suspicious when there's interference and static on the other end."

"And you said you called my mother. I don't know about any calls. So how'd you do it? When? Dates. Times," Inuyasha asked as he narrowed his eyes. Mama sighed and then headed towards what looked like a large wooden box of some kind. It was only after Mama swung her leg over and began climbing down that he realized it was a passage of some sort.

"I am happy to show you. Answer any question I can. Like you said…it's just me now. Come along," Mama offered hesitantly and despite his better frazzled judgment, Inuyasha did just that.