InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 2: Defiance ❯ Inevitable ( Chapter 23 )

~~Chapter 23~~

~Inevitable~

"You all right?"

Sierra glanced over at Toga and forced a weak smile. "Sure."

His gaze darkened. "You're a terrible liar, Sierra."

She winced. "Maybe a little nervous."

Toga nodded as he turned his gaze out the cab's window at the rapid approach of dusk. "You sure you want to do this?"

"Nope." She shook her head as the Florida landscape flashed past the window behind her. "But I might as well, since I'm here . . . ."

"That's the spirit," he drawled as the taxi stopped. Toga didn't wait for a total as he got out and dropped a wad of bills through the driver's window.

"Wait, this is too much," the man hollered as Toga hurried around to help Sierra out of the car.

"Keep it," he told him.

"Thanks!" he beamed as Toga closed the door.

"Do you want me to wait out here?"

Sierra shook her head as she stared at the antiseptic white stucco building. "No . . . please . . . ."

Toga nodded and slipped an arm around her waist as she straightened her skirt and squared her shoulders. Toga didn't rush her as she gathered her nerves and stalked forward.

She stopped on the front porch, shooting him a nervous glance before she rang the doorbell with a shaking finger.

Toga could smell the man on the other side of the door before it opened. There was no mistaking his scent. Sierra was definitely his daughter. Quickly kissing her temple, as if the gesture could comfort her, he pulled her back just a little, making sure there was room between her and this stranger, just in case.

"C-Coral?" the man stammered as he opened the door.

Toga felt Sierra's shock as she stared at the man with the strawberry-blonde hair, the same peridot eyes . . . . "Sierra," she corrected. "Sierra Crawford."

"I'm your fa---"

"You know, you're really not," she cut in coldly. "I don't mean to be rude, but my father died a few years ago. He was still my father, though."

The man looked stunned at Sierra's vehemence but nodded. "I understand," he replied quietly as his gaze shifted to Toga. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Jerry Connors," he introduced himself as he extended his hand.

Toga accepted the gesture. "Toga Inutaisho."

"Would you like to come inside?"

Sierra didn't seem like she wanted to do any such thing but she let Toga escort her through the door. Jerry led them into a well-appointed living room, and they sat down. Toga was careful to sit between Jerry, who sat in a plush recliner, and Sierra, who sat as close to him on the sofa as she could.

"Your wife sounded like she needed to see me," Sierra said, her voice oddly calm as she broke the stilted silence.

A wealth of emotion shot through his eyes as Jerry nodded slowly. Wincing, he heaved a sigh and steepled his hands together. "She did."

"Did?" Toga echoed.

Jerry shook his head. "She's . . . sick."

"Sick?" Sierra intoned.

Taking his time in answering, Jerry seemed to be having difficulty in finding a way to explain what he was trying to say. "She has a disease. Huntington's disease. It's progressed rapidly since Christmas. She can't even write anymore, and most of the time she doesn't recognize anyone." Standing up, Jerry retrieved a book from the bookshelf and handed it to Sierra. "She wrote this for you, in case she couldn't tell you . . . ."

Sierra stared at the journal with no change in her expression. "I see. If she wrote everything down, why the urgency that I come here?"

Jerry sighed as he slumped back in his chair, his eyes clouded as he let his gaze fall away. Jowls ruddy, eyebrows drawing together, he shook his head slowly and cleared his throat. "There's no cure for her disease," he said slowly. "It just gets worse and . . . and she wanted to see you before she forgot she ever gave birth to you. I guess it's a little late for that."

Sierra peeked up at Toga. He telegraphed her an encouraging smile.

Sierra shook her head and rose abruptly. "I need to go," she said.

Toga stood as Jerry got up. "Wait, Coral---"

"It's Sierra, and I think I should."

Jerry glanced at Toga, looking for help in convincing Sierra to stay. Toga's expression told the man he'd do no such thing. Jerry sighed and nodded. "Will you come again?"

Sierra leaned toward Toga as he slipped an arm around her waist, reassuring her that he would stand behind her, no matter what she chose to do. "I don't know," she answered quietly. "Goodbye."

-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-

Sierra stared at the book on the coffee table with a frown. Toga was watching her. She could feel his gaze on her. Turning to stare outside at the sunny skies, Sierra stifled a sigh. He hadn't pressed her at all, allowing her to say what she wanted, when she wanted but she could sense his questions.

It confused her, how he seemed to know exactly what she needed. As thankful as she was that he would drop everything to come with her, she had to wonder just why he would do such a thing. Sure, he was her boyfriend but she also knew that most guys wouldn't have even offered to come along, and that Toga was here . . . .

Opening the sliding door that led out onto the balcony of the impressive suite that Toga had reserved, Sierra closed her eyes as the pungent tang of salty air hit her nose, ruffled her hair.

He had been so pensive, so quiet after leaving Jerry's house. Toga hadn't spoken much during dinner though he had smiled encouragingly, and she knew that it was solely for her that he did this. Today was much the same, and the gentle squeezes on her shoulder, the quiet companionship he offered made her want to cry.

The phone rang. Sierra heard the rustle of Toga's clothing as he moved to answer it. His voice was soft, even, and she didn't try to figure out who he was talking to.

She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to make sense of anything at all. She didn't even want to be here, and yet something made her stay.

She heard him hang up the phone. A minute later, his arms slipped around her as he pulled her back against his chest. She crossed her hands over his and sighed as he kissed her temple. "That was Jerry . . . he wanted to invite you to dinner."

"What did you tell him?"

She felt him shrug. "I told him I'd ask you. If you'd rather not go, then I'll tell him that when he calls back."

"Do you think I should go?"

Toga took his time before answering. "Depends on what you want."

"I'm asking what you think."

He shook his head. "Isn't that the point? It doesn't matter what I think. It matters what you think, what you want. I'm just here to be with you, not to tell you what I think you should do."

"That's just it, Toga . . . I want to hear your opinion."

His smile was almost sad. "I've never been in a situation like yours, Sierra. I honestly can't answer that."

"I feel like they're putting me on the spot," she admitted. "I feel like they're trying to force their way into my life, and . . . and I resent that. It was their choice, to give me up for adoption. it should be my choice, if I want to have anything to do with them."

He shrugged. "Isn't it?"

Sierra shook her head. "Not really, no . . . if I do what I want and ignore it, I feel guilty. I mean, do I owe them something for at least having me?"

Toga sighed. "You don't owe them anything."

As much as she wanted to believe him, she couldn't. On the one hand, she didn't want to know them, at all. The only real emotion that she felt when she thought about them was anger, hurt. Even worse was the guilt. The consuming feeling that she was being cold, unfeeling. How bad was it, that she couldn't even muster the will to be sad about her biological mother's disease? Did that make her a monster? "I don't . . . I don't even care, one way or the other that she's sick . . ." Sierra admitted. "How awful is that?"

"Did you want her to be sick?"

Sierra frowned. "No . . . of course not. I don't mean I don't care . . . but . . . . Have you ever read an article about people who get sick? You feel sorry for them because it has to be hard on them, but it isn't personal to you?"

"I think I understand."

She shook her head. "I don't. I mean, she's my biological mother, right? Shouldn't I feel something?"

"Depends. It's really not so awful, is it? How can you care when you don't even know them? And that was their choice, not yours. Don't feel bad."

"You know what I'd really like?"

"What's that?"

She shrugged, forcing her mind off of dinner plans, off of the things she'd been told. "Let's go to the beach. I just . . . don't want to think."

"All right," he agreed softly. "If that's what you want."

She craned her neck, smiled up at him, saw herself reflected in his gaze. "Let me grab my camera."

He agreed as he squeezed her gently and let his arms drop away. Sierra hurried off to grab her canvas camera bag and a light jacket. Determined to spend the afternoon thinking about anything but her biological parents, Sierra slipped her shoes on, careful to avoid looking at the book.

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A/N:

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Reviewers

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psyco_chick (AFFnet) :

. Why can't Aiko and her husband be named Inu-Taisho, since Toga so obviously isn't interested in the whole marrying of a youkai bitch thing?

First because Aiko is a girl...... second and most importantly.... Toga is technically their first born.

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chichiwvu-nsi (MMorg) :
I love how sierra is becoming possessive of Toga like Toga is of her.. There is so much that can happen at this point of the story, and the office buddy.. Why do I feel like she is planning something devious and evil?

… because you know me, maybe? lol!!

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MMorg

cj flutterbye ------ DarklessVasion ------ Iggy Lovechild ------ angelica incarnate (can't sign in but can review!!) ------ pyro007 ------ Kyonarai ------ Akihanah

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FFnet

oakzap425 (It's a work charity calendar… none of the rest of the family would be involved …) ------ Drake Clawfang ------ Ryguy5387 ------ Flames101 ------ myeerah ------ lil-epad ------ grand admiral chelli ------ sari15 ------ HIkaru1617 ------ Manda (Normally, they can … Sierra doesn't realize she should be able to, though… yet … ) ------ ILOVEINUS589

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AFFnet ------ AScom ------ ATnet

Wlfhund ------ Pao (I don't claim to be the best artist there is, but that was rude… ) ------ akdreamer ------ Midnight_Sparrow (LoL… You're probably right!) ------ moon_girl ------ Sess_2005 (Not necessarily … she's just never really had a serious boyfriend other than Allan… ) ------ lamo ------ Mel (They all speak English to her… She doesn't speak Japanese. Toga, himself, is more fluent in English since he works for his father internationally. The boys? They've got a friend whose mother was American. Toga does well… every now and again he has trouble with slang … )

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Final Thought from Toga:

How do I get her mind off this stuff?

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Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Defiance): I do not claim any rights to InuYasha or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi, et al. I do offer my thanks to her for creating such vivid characters for me to terrorize.

~Sue~