InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Be Careful What You Say ❯ Chapter 17: Confrontations ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter Seventeen

A/N : Sorry for the delay. I started a new job and I am working 12 to 14 hours a day, 6 days a week! It makes it very hard to make time for my family and write as well. But, I have a little free time now, so on with the show!

"Flashback 40 years"

"This is not right! Why can't you marry me!?" shouted a young man's voice.

"I have told ye before, what I feel for ye and what ye feel for me doesn't matter. I have a responsibility to this village and I will not forsake it. Besides, ye told me that ye wanted to add miko powers to your clan, and that is why ye courted me." answered a young woman's voice drily.

"That was before I got to know you! You know that I love you and want you for yourself only, not just for your powers." protested the man. "These people don't need you as much as I do!"

Sigh "Toshiro, my duty lies here, helping these villagers. I could as easy ask ye to stay with me. But, I will not. Your duty lies with your clan. So, we must part." said Kaede sadly.

"I don't like it! NOT ONE BIT! You obviously care more about these, these ... peasants and that ... that DOG pinned to the tree!"

"Toshiro! These peasants and that dog as ye put it, are my responsibilty! And I will not forsake that, even for love!

"Fine, then! I'll leave you to your villagers and your dead dog! But just remember this, no one will ever love you as much as I! And I will never stop loving you!" screamed Toshiro. He stormed away. If he had looked back, he might have seen a lovely young miko with her head bent forward, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"End flashback"

"Toshiro! Put me down, ye silly old man!"

Laughing, Toshiro set Kaede back on her feet. "Silly and old, huh! I can still pick you up in my arms! By the gods, I am happier than I have been in years! It is good to see you, my love!"

"MY LOVE!?!?" shouted the group of astonished onlookers.

"But, what about mother?" asked Nagura.

"Kaede, you never hinted that you once had a man in your life!" exclaimed Kagome.

"Figures. One old fool in love with another old fool." groused Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha!" four voices say at once.

"Toshiro. Ye know that was a long time ago. It would do ye well to put those feelings behind ye." admonished Kaede.

"To bad. I haven't forgotten you or any of the feelings I had for you. Can you honestly say that you have forgotten how you felt for me?"

Sigh "Toshiro, ye are enough to drive one to drink. No, I haven't forgotten ye or those feelings, but now is not the time or the place. I have come for Inuyasha and Kagome."

"What is it with you and dog demons?! You wouldn't marry me because of one and now your only interested in ... another ... one? Or is it another one?" The elder turned and stomped to Inuyasha's mat. He squated down and peered closely at the hanyou, who was beginning to growl and lay his ears back. Toshiro's face took on a look of amazement, then of anger. "So, it is you!" he exclaimed. "Well, this time you won't keep Kaede from me! And this time, you have no excuses, Kaede! This dog is alive and doesn't need you!"

"Toshiro, calm down! Inuyasha isn't the only thing that kept me from marrying ye! My village needed me then and still needs me! Besides, I believe your son mentioned a mother." Kaede concluded drily.

Toshiro deflated. "Kaede, Nagura's mother died four years ago. She was a good woman, but I never loved her as I love you. Ours was an marriage arranged by my father after I failed to marry you. She bore me three fine sons and a daughter but something was always lacking. She never complained, though, and I did love her in a way. She was a good companion."

"And now you chose to dishonor her memory by running after an old love like some school boy with no control or dignity!" stated Nagura, his voice full of anger and hotility.

"Do not speak to me of things you know nothing about!" retorted Toshiro. "I allowed you to marry whomever you wished! You and your brothers and sister! I cared for your mother, but she was not my first love!"

"But now you are wanting to control who Kagome marries!" interupted Inuyasha.

"That is different!" protested Toshiro. "She willingly put herself in that position as payment for your cure!"

"A cure I didn't ask for and one you had no right to demand such a high price for! Bringing her into your clan wasn't enough! You had to throw mariage in, as well! You are forcing her to pay for it with her body, just like a whore!" Inuyasha screamed the last.

Kagome gasped and put her face in her hands. Nagura, Sango, and Miroku took on a look of shock. Toshiro's face turned white in shock then red in rage. Even Kaede looked taken aback. Shippo looked around in confusion, "Kagome? What's a whore?"

A/N : Hope you like this one. Again, sorry for the delay. It isn't easy to write with the work schedule that I have! By the way, look for 2 new stories soon. One will be relatively short, about Inuyasha and why he still goes to Kikyo (this idea came from conversations with my daughters as to why Inuyasha does that) and the other will be about Inuyasha's human family. Till next time...