A/N: Glad everyone is enjoying the story! You guys seem to like longer chapters, so I'll do my best to give you that! :-). I'll try to at least do a few thousand words per-chapter. No 100% promises though. Some chapters will be shorter than others. Mainly because, when I write, something inside me just tells me to stop, to leave it there and continue on with the next chapter. So, I'll listen to my writers instincts while trying to give you guys no less than 3,000 words a chapter.

Another thing, a few people have been asking about Kagome. Yes, its sad that she passed away. But, that was my idea that popped into my mind. Without her being gone, it really wouldn't be the story that I envisioned in my mind. So, therefore, Kagome will not be coming back. Maybe she will during a few flashbacks here or there. However; you never know what I'll decide to do with the story. I promise there will be romance. Will it be Inuyasha and someone else? Or maybe something else all together. You'll have to read along! But if you have ideas about what you would like to see within this story of a single father, please let me know! I'm always up to recommendations.

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Chapter 6: Visiting Monks; Tamako's Power

As Inuyasha had first thought, everyone in the village just loved Tamako. It had been a week since she first showed up, and all the villagers seemed to think she was just adorable. And if they thought otherwise, her protective father looming over them surely either changed their mind, or convinced them not to voice their dislike. But, it did seem as though everyone in the village was getting along with her. She had made new friends in Sango and Miroku's children, along with Rin, and a few other kids in the village. It was just so adorable to watch how she had captured their hearts in an instant.

She is so much like Kagome...

Inuyasha couldn't help but see his late mate within their daughter. She had that sparkle in her eyes that Kagome always had, she was so smart, just like Kagome. And she was so trusting and forgiving, just as Kagome was. Her innocence was cute. Might as well let her be innocent while he could. His world wasn't as carefree and safe as the world she'd grown up in. Though she had yet to see any of that as he shielded her from anything too harmful so far. He would protect her with every last breath that passed his lips. He needed her in order for his heart to keep beating, to keep moving forward.

That afternoon they were outside their house by the river. The same river he'd seen Kagome bathing in all those years ago after he'd just met her.

She was so gorgeous...

His thoughts wandered as his golden eyes moved over the water, his hands resting within his haori. His ears twitched, hearing Tamako beside him giggle as she ran to the water, looking down at her.

"Oi, pup...be careful. Always within my sight, you understand?" he asked. Throughout the week he had refused to let his daughter out of his hearing range. He would let her go off and play with Sango and Miroku's children, or Rin, but he was always a short distance away, his keen senses alert in case she needed him. He was protective, yes, he couldn't help it, she was his only link to the woman he loved, she was his heart walking around outside his body.

"Okay Otouuu..." he heard Tamako whine. Giving her a stern look to know he meant business and she looked up at him with those eyes, her own ears pinning down to the side of her head.

Kami, she's got her mothers stare...

It was true, Tamako could look at Inuyasha with those same eyes her mother had, and get just what she wanted from her hanyou father.

After their almost silent agreement that he meant what he said, he looked back up over the lake. I better catch something for lunch...she'll be hungry soon...

His thoughts usually revolved around her needs, lest they roam to other more touchy subjects. He was dealing with his grief, his own way, inwardly. Maybe it wasn't the most healthy way to do things, but it wasn't like him to project his feelings to the world.

Walking slowly into the water, his eyes training to see the fish below the surface. Fish would do nicely tonight...

So, fish it was!

While her father was busy watching the fish and waiting for the right one to come, Tamako played around the river bank. She wanted to go in the water like her father, but she couldn't swim, and she didn't like the idea of slipping and drowning. Whenever she needed to bathe, her fathers strong arms held her in the water and she feared nothing while he was around.

Looking up, her ears twitched a little at sounds in the forest. People were walking along the path just by their house. It didn't sound like anyone they knew at first, but she couldn't help but be curious. Looking up at her father sheepishly, trying to see if he was paying attention to her. At first it seemed like he was concentrated on catching their dinner and other things, which made her smile mischievously. She may be a lot like Kagome, but she was Inuyasha's child at the same time.

Moving her feet slowly as not to draw attention to herself from her father, she glanced back over her shoulder every once in a while at him as she walked until she was in the vicinity of the trees, her smaller frame hidden from view. Maybe he would just think she went to play with the plants by the trees. Still within his sight. She thought defiantly.

Quickly she moved along the forest, trying to be stealthy as she could. She'd snuck away from her father a few times that he didn't know about. Sometimes it was easy to fool him, and then other times he would look at her with that stare and she would know she better not challenge him.

The path coming into view, she looked up to see four men dressed in the same clothing that Uncle Miroku wore, just different colors. She considered Miroku her uncle, and called him so. Seeing these robes, she instantly smiled, not thinking them a threat. Stepping out and looking up at them. "Hi! Are you here to see my Otou?" she asked happily.

At first, the monks jumped, looking at the child by them. A few of them whispered words to each other.

"Demon?"

"No, not demon. A hanyou!"

"Look at those ears!"

"She's evil."

"But she's just a child..."

"A hanyou child!"

The word hanyou coming from their lips seemed almost like a bad word, a curse word. This made her chocolate eyes blink in confusion as she looked up at them. What was wrong with being a hanyou? Her papa always told her that she was perfect just the way she was, ears and all. Something he'd said her mother told him several times. If her mother thought that her father and herself were perfect, then they must be. But these men glared down at her as though she were some sort of insect, and they were above them.

Her ears pinned to her head as one of them pulled out of ofuda from his robes. "Demon, be gone!" he ordered.

A scream ripped through her throat as the charged ofuda came at her. Holding out one hand as if to ward it off, she closed her eyes tightly, turning her head away. A pink light shone from her hand as the ofuda got close to her, the piece of paper disintegrating in a pure light that came from her fingertips as she fell back to sit on her butt, tears welling up in her eyes, leaving the monks to stand, stunned.

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Her scream was what awoke him from his daze.

"TAMAKO!" he yelled, looking around instantly, but his daughter was nowhere to be seen. That child...

Instant thought of harm coming to her pulled at him as he quickly took off towards the sound of the scream. It only took him an instant to be by her, seeing the monks, the pink light coming from his daughters fingers though is what shocked him at first as the ofuda disintegrated as it tried to touch her skin.

Did she just...purify an ofuda? But...how? They're meant to purify our kind...

His amazement was short lived to realize that these monks had just tried to purify his daughter. A growl rose in his throat, quickly moving to his daughters side, picking her up against his chest, shooting a glare towards the men, flexing his claws.

Feeling her fathers strong arms, Tamako melted into them, crying hard into his haori, her hand lowering to grab ahold of the fabric tightly.

The sound and smell of her tears only enraged him more, his ears pinning to his head as he glared at the monks, flexing his claws.

"Did you...just try...to purify...my daughter?!" he asked in a deep growl. He would deal with the fact that Tamako disobeyed his orders later. First, he had other things to deal with.

The monks, still seeming amazed, looked up at a very angry Inuyasha. The look in his eyes told them that they'd made a huge mistake. As one monk slowly reached for another ofuda, Inuyasha shook his head. "I wouldn't do that if you valued your life, monk." he warned. He was a lot faster than them, a lot faster than his daughter too. "You pick on a defenseless pup. Why not pick on someone your own size, hm? You want a fight? I'll be more than willing to oblige after what you've done."

"Papa...don't..." Tamako's shaking voice came from his shoulder. Sniffling and hiccuping, wiping her eyes slowly as she looked up at him.

Inuyasha's face was filled with confusion as he glanced at his daughter. "What do you mean? These men tried to kill you." he asked, astonished. Was she really sticking up for them?

She shook her head, wiping her eyes with her fingers and sniffling. Resting her head on his shoulder just by the base of his neck, breathing deeply and taking in the smell of her fathers earthy scent. The same scent that instantly calmed her every time she smelled it and knew he was nearby. "They...they don't know no better, papa. They just...scared of...what they don't know.."

The words of wisdom he'd offered his daughter their last day in her time rang from her lips, and he couldn't help but smile and nod.

Thats just what Kagome would say...keh, of course she'd let the fools go.

"Fine," he started, looking up at the monks. "My pup wishes me to let you live. So, I will. You better leave, now. If you ever come near my pup again, my decision will be drastically different." he warned, bearing his fangs.

Well, that could have gone better...yeah, like their throats being slit open.

He was still enraged. His youkai blood pulsed in his system with an overwhelming urge to protect his child. Keeping his attention on the monks as they scrambled away from them, his one arm holding Tamako against his side. In that instant instead of Tetsuaiga being the anchor that kept him in control of his youkai blood, it was the girl in his arm.

Once he was satisfied with how far the monks had gotten from them, he turned to walk back towards the river with his daughter. He would not forget though that she'd disobeyed his orders, and now it was his turn to deal with her.

Tamako looked up at her fathers face, hear ears flattening softly. She could tell she was in so much trouble. "Otou..? I...I sorry.." she whined softly. Leaning up to kiss his cheek, pouting cutely at him and giving him her best 'puppy-dog' face that she could muster at the time.

It only granted her a sideward glance from her fathers eyes when her lips touched his cheek, shaking his head. "I told you to stay within my sight, Tamako. What if those monks had hurt you before I got there? Huh? I mean what I say."

She nodded to her father, her ears pinned down as she whimpered and whined lightly. "I knoooow papa...but...but everyones so nice and...and I thought...I thought they were visitors or something.."

Shaking his head, Inuyasha looked forward as their hut came into view by the river. "Not everyone is nice, Tamako. Not everyone likes who or what we are. You cannot go around trusting every stranger that walks by! And you cannot...no, you will not disobey me." he said, catching a glance of her saddened expression, shaking his head once more. "Oi, do not even try it, young lady. You are in trouble. That look cannot get you out of trouble..."

Though, his words were hollow, the sweet look on his daughters face, her whimpers and whines, were slowly breaking him down. Moving inside the hut instead of going to the river, and moving to have a seat, holding her to his side. She whimpered and whined against him, soft sniffles accompanying them. "But otouu..." she whimpered, leaning to kiss his cheek and nuzzle her nose against it. "I sorryyyy Otou...I won't do it again, I promise. Pleaseee?"

A sigh came from his lips, attempting to remain stern. But how was he even supposed to punish a child? He had no idea. He did not know much about being a father, he was learning as he went along. But he definitely knew his pup must listen to him. Sitting her down onto her feet on the floor, looking at her. "No. You must learn to listen to me. I do not tell you things for the hell of it. I tell you to do things because its for your safety. When I tell you to remain within my sight, I mean it Tamako." he told her.

Looking away from his daughter, he could not look at that face any longer, or else he knew she would wiggle her way out of trouble. "Go to your room until dinner, alright? Thats your punishment. No playing, understand? Sit and think about what you've done." he demanded.

Before she could complain, he stood up, looking at her and pointing towards the doorway that led to the bedroom he shared with her. There were two bedrooms, but he always found himself sleeping next to his daughters small frame, not wanting to leave her for even those moments.

Seeing her ears droop and her pout as she sulked her way towards the bedroom, he sighed a little. Damn it kid...you will not make me feel bad for punishing you.

But, she was.

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Throughout the day he had caught their dinner and cooked it within the fire pit of his hut. But his mind kept venturing back towards the altercation they had that afternoon. The pink light that emanated from his daughters fingers made his thoughts race.

I've never heard of someone purifying an ofuda. That pink light though...it was so much like her mothers. Kagome had that light. Maybe she inherited Kagome's light?

He even wondered if such a thing were possible as he thought back to their adventures in the search for the Shikon No Tama shards, and sought to defeat Naraku.

Finally, his mind broke and he decided to visit Kaede, tell her about what had happened. And of course he took Tamako with him. This time, he let her walk next to him, one clawed hand holding onto hers as they walked. Smiling a bit down at her, it seemed as though her earlier state of being upset was completely gone, and she was this happy, carefree child again, skipping next to her father. He let her skip as they walked. He'd wanted to carry her, but she insisted that she could walk on her own.

So Kagome of her.

Still comparing his daughters quirks with being the same as her mother. They'd reached Kaede's hut, knocking on the wood just next to it, hearing the old miko tell them to come in. Walking in with her, bowing his head a little and glancing down at his daughter. He was teaching her manners as she bowed to the elder miko.

Smiling in content, he looked at her. "Tamako, go play with Rin outside, okay? But remember, within earshot. Just outside the hut. Understood?"

"Yes papa." she said, meekly remembering her punishment from earlier for not heeding his words.

"Come along, Tamako-chan!" he heard Rins voice say, seemingly happy to have a playmate for the moment. Watching as Rin took her hand and darted from the hut, his eyes went up to rest on the elder miko before him.

"So, Inuyasha, I assume ye had reason to see me out this fine evening. What is troubling ye?" Kaede asked.

Moving to sit by the fire just by Kaede in his normal stance, his hands resting within his haori, looking into the fire. "We had an...altercation this afternoon.."

"What sort of altercation?"

"The kind where monks tried to purify my pup." he began, looking up at her, recanting the story of this afternoon to her slowly.

Listening intently, the old miko's eye steady as she listened. "I see...so, the young one purified an ofuda?"

Seeing the nod he gave in answer, he looked deeply into the fire. "Yes. Kami knows I do not know what I am doing here, and this to boot? I had to punish her this afternoon for disobeying me, and even that was out of my experience. I sent her to her room, not even sure if that was the right thing to do. But...now she purifies an ofuda? Is that even possible?"

"Her powers are trying to protect her, Inuyasha, nothing more. She is but a child...but if what ye say is true, then she may grow to be a powerful priestess...a force to be reckoned with. Powers showing at such an early age, she may even grow to rival Kagome-sama."

The idea of his daughter being a priestess hadn't crossed his mind. Could someone with half demon blood even become a miko? Wouldn't they just be known as a dark miko? No, he could not let that life fall upon his child. It was bad enough that she was a hanyou, but a dark miko?

Theres no way she'd be a dark miko though... he thought, remembering Tsubaki whom they'd fought so many years ago. His memories drifted off, and he didn't even hear Kaede's words for several minutes.

"Inuyasha?" Kaede asked.

Upon hearing his name, his ears twitched and became alert, looking at her, nodding. "Keh, and what village would accept a hanyou miko? Hm? Think about that a minute, old woman. I will not have my daughter ridiculed. Those monks came through and tried to kill her for being just a hanyou. Imagine a monk coming through and seeing her as a miko, too. No. Thats my final answer."

Kaede nodded slowly. "I understand, of course. Ye said she was only four?" she asked, seeing his nod, she continued. "She may not need training just yet. Her powers may have been arisen in her fear of being harmed. Self preservation. I do suggest that if they arise more frequently, than ye should allow me to train her at least enough to control it. Or, if ye would prefer. Miroku may be able to help the child." she suggested.

Inuyasha nodded a bit. "T..Thank you, Kaede.." he said. The show of gratitude wasn't normal from Inuyasha. But, he was starting to open up, just a little bit. This was something he had never attempted before, he surely needed all the help he could get. And, to not show appreciation of the help that was being given might just cause them not to wish to help him anymore.

The elder miko gave Inuyasha a smile and nodded. "Ye are most welcome, Inuyasha..." she started, glancing at the door. The sounds of Rin and Tamako were even evident by her own human ears, she knew they were just outside. "Ye are good with that child. Do not second guess yeself. Ye both have a lot to learn. It will take practice."

Nodding to her, he sat up straight. "I know it will. I think I'm getting better at it." he said, shaking his head and chuckling a bit. "Keh, I can't even punish my pup without feeling bad about it first.."

Kaede smiled, nodding. "Ahh, I can tell. She is an adorable child." she said, looking up at him. "Do ye have everything ye need? Do ye need some more rice?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No. Everyone's helped out, I've got enough." he said, looking up at Kaede. "Thanks. If her powers show back up, then I'll bring her back." he said, moving to stand up and nodding his head a little to her before he started to walk towards the door. Moving the door, stepping out of the hut and looking down at Tamako.

"Come along, pup. Time to go." he said, offering his hand to her.

Tamako pouted cutely. "But otouuu..." she whined, looking at his face. She knew she'd gotten in trouble earlier, and she didn't want to push her luck. Sighing and looking at Rin, hugging her tightly. "Bye bye, Rinchan!" she said as she stood up straight. Running up to her father, she reached to take his hand, skipping a little in her step along with him.

"Papa, are we gunna see Aunt Sango and Uncle Miroku today?"

Nodding to her question. "If you would like. How about seeing Miroku's temple? Would you like that?" he asked. Over the years Miroku and Sango had made this village their home, raising their children. So, Miroku being a monk, the villagers helped build a temple for him. He'd helped to, for lack of anything better to do.

Smiling happily, Tamako nodded. "Yesss!" she squealed, jumping up and down a little more in her skip.

Chuckling and shaking his head. "You have too much energy for your own good. Alright, we'll go."

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