InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 8: Vendetta ❯ Proposals ( Chapter 82 )

~~Chapter 82~~

~Proposals~

 

-=0=-

 

 

“How do I look?”

 

Tanny glanced up from the Candy Bear—she was gnawing on the plastic lollipop despite Kurt and Samantha's insistence that the thing wasn't really candy—and blinked at Kurt, her dark eyes shadowed and mysterious. “Daddy gots tanny?”

 

Letting out a deep breath, he fussed with his tie for a second then shook his arms to straighten the sleeves. “You've got to help me out here, stinky-butt. I'm trying to make sure your mama stays your mama . . .”

 

She giggled and clapped her hands happily. “Tanny!”

 

Kurt made a face as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Hell, he couldn't remember the last time he'd worn anything even remotely like this before. It was . . . strange . . . and he certainly didn't look like himself . . . “So you think that she'll say `yes' if I give her `tanny'?”

 

She stood up and leapt onto Kurt's back. He choked since her hands were locked a little too tightly around his neck as he pried his fingers under her arms to loosen her hold. “Tanny, tanny, tanny!” she hollered.

 

“Keh! She'll say `no' if she sees you in that,” Evan Zelig drawled from the doorway.

 

Kurt shifted his eyes in the mirror to glare at the jerk rock-star. “Thanks, Evan,” he replied stiffly.

 

Evan chuckled and pushed himself away from the door frame and sauntered over beside Kurt. “Shit . . . Don't you know how to tie a fucking tie?” he grouched as he reached over to correct it—no small feat, considering Tanny's little arms were still locked around Kurt's neck.

 

“Give me a break,” Kurt muttered, cheeks pinking slightly. “I've never had to wear one of these.”

 

“That's `cause you're an uncultured baka,” he retorted.

 

Kurt frowned. That word . . . he'd heard it before. Narrowing his gaze, he eyed Evan for a moment. “What does that mean?”

 

“What? Baka?”

 

Kurt nodded.

 

“Means `idiot'. Why?”

 

Kurt blinked and shook his head. “Oh, is that so?”

 

Evan grinned, stepping back and draping his hands on his hips as he surveyed his handiwork. “Yup. Did someone else call you that?”

 

He snorted indelicately before he could stop himself. “Tch! Sure . . . Samantha did, but she said that it meant, `darling' or something like that . . .”

 

“And you bought that?” Evan demanded, his eyes brightening with amusement.

 

“Not really,” Kurt allowed as he deliberately turned back to the mirror once more. “Idiot, huh?”

 

“Yes,” Evan agreed then clapped his hands. “Oi, Tanny-girl. Why don't you come here and hang out with me like all the cool chicks do?”

 

Dangling from Kurt's neck, the girl turned her head to stare thoughtfully at Evan. “Tanny?” she asked suspiciously.

 

Evan's grin widened. “Sure, I got lots of `tanny'.”

 

Kurt grimaced when Tanny braced her feet against his back and launched herself off of him and into Evan's waiting arms. He caught her around the stomach and swung her high into the air, much to her amusement if her delighted shriek meant anything. “So let's see it,” Evan demanded as he continued to manhandle the little girl.

 

Against his better judgment, Kurt scowled but dug the small black velvet jeweler's box out of his pocket and tossed it to Evan. The youkai managed to flick it open with one hand, and he stared at it for a minute before closing it against his chest and casting Kurt a cheesy grin. “It'll do,” he allowed as he tossed it back.

 

Kurt caught it and opened the box to stare at the ring. A simple three-quarter carat round solitaire diamond set in a slightly textured platinum band nestled in a bed of wine-colored silk winked at him, and he let out a deep breath as he snapped the box closed and stowed it back in his pocket.

 

“So you're really gonna do it?” Evan asked at length while Tanny dug into his pockets after the candy he'd told her about.

 

“What? Propose?” Kurt asked as he fussed with the tie again.

 

“Yeah, all that,” Evan commented.

 

Kurt nodded. “Yeah . . . I mean, that's what you do, right?”

 

Holding up his hands in a blatant show of surrender, Evan took a step back. “Hell . . . You're asking the wrong guy about that,” he drawled. “That whole thing is kind of . . .” Trailing off with a huge grin, Evan shrugged. “I like my women, and they love me. Never thought about getting hitched, come to think of it . . .”

 

Letting out a deep breath, Kurt crossed his arms and turned to face Evan. “It's all messed up, you know?”

 

Evan considered that then slowly nodded. “Because of Kich, you mean?”

 

Kurt let out a deep breath, raking his hands through his hair. Tanny wiggled around and dropped to the floor before skittering out of the room. “I don't expect him to forgive me or to forget my part in it . . . but I don't want Samantha put in the middle of it, either. I . . . I don't . . .”

 

Evan rolled his eyes but smiled, and it wasn't a cocky grin for once. “You're a fucking saint, Captain Kurt.”

 

Kurt shook his head and scowled. “No, I'm not . . . It's just . . .” Drawing a deep breath, he struggled to find a way to explain his feelings, and while it occurred to him that he really didn't have to, he wanted to, didn't he? “Samantha's got something that I don't . . . She's got a family who loves her. I . . . I can't take that from her. I can't make her choose.”

 

“But you're asking her to marry you, right?”

 

Grabbing black suit jacket off the wooden hanger hooked over the brass closet handle, he shook it out and carefully tugged it on. “I just want her to know where I stand,” he admitted quietly. “No one says we have to do it right away. Maybe if we take some time . . .”

 

“Maybe Kich'll get used to the idea,” Evan supplied when Kurt trailed off.

 

“Something like that.”

 

Evan nodded though he didn't look very enthusiastic, either. “Look, man . . . Sam loves you. Sure, she loves her daddy, but you're her mate. No contest, right? Just be good to her, and he'll eventually come around.”

 

Kurt rubbed his forehead but remained silent.

 

“Anyway, tell me. You got anything planned as to how you're going to ask her?”

 

Forcing a smile since the doubts still lingered in the back of his mind, Kurt shrugged. “I've got it all planned out,” he assured Evan. “I'm pretty sure that it's going to be cheesy and cliché, though . . .”

 

Evan grinned and clapped him on the shoulder as the two men headed for the door. “All proposals are cheesy and cliché,” he replied with a shake of his head, “but you're missing the big picture.”

 

“Oh? And what's that?”

 

That grin widened. “That's the absolutely phenomenal sex you get to have afterward, and the cheesier and more cliché the proposal is, the better.”

 

“Thought you said you'd never proposed before,” Kurt remarked.

 

Evan chuckled nastily. “I haven't, but I know enough people who have.”

 

“You're a little twisted, aren't you?” Kurt muttered as they headed for the stairs.

 

“Hell, yes,” he agreed happily enough, “and someday, some very lucky woman's gonna thank me for it, too.”

 

 

-OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO-

 

 

Samantha glanced around the opulent little restaurant as she tried to quell the sense of worry that gnawed at her. It wasn't as bad as it had been the first few times she'd ventured away from home, though whether it was because her nerves were steadier or because Kurt was there, she wasn't sure. She had a feeling, though, that it was the latter.

 

Glancing at him, seated across the table from her, she bit her lip and tried not to smile. Straightening his tie in an almost nervous sort of way, he caught her amused expression and forced a little smile. He seemed almost edgy, but that certainly couldn't be it. Why would he be, after all?

 

Tanny babbled to her teddy bear. It had made her smile at the time, hadn't it? The maître d' had seemed surprised when they'd walked in with her, and Samantha figured that they weren't very accustomed to having children in the exclusive restaurant.

 

To be honest, they hadn't planned on bringing her along, but she had been so excited when she'd burst into the room where Samantha was getting ready that Samantha hadn't had the heart to tell her `no', either. Kurt had been a bit stunned when he and Evan met them in the foyer—stunned, but not unhappy—and they'd decided that of course she should go, even if the two were supposed to be going on a real date . . .

 

So why was Kurt so preoccupied?

 

“Evening, folks. What can I get you to drink?” the waiter asked abruptly as he leaned half-over Samantha's shoulder to fill her water glass. Samantha jumped, covering her heard with her hand as she tried to steady her rioting nerves.

 

Kurt cleared his throat. “What would you like, Sami?”

 

She forced a weak little smile. “Um, iced tea with lemon would be fine,” she said, hoping that she could cover up her fluster easily enough.

 

“Sounds good,” Kurt murmured.

 

Tanny cast the waiter a wary glance. “I want tanny!” she said.

 

Kurt chuckled. “Uh, a soda for her, please.”

 

The waiter smiled as he slipped the small pager onto the table. “If you need anything at all, just push the button on that, m'kay?” he rattled off and hurried away.

 

“You, uh . . . you look fantastic,” Kurt said, his cheeks pinking just a little.

 

Samantha smiled. “You think so?” she asked as she glanced down at her little black dress. Simple black satin, the sheen of the fabric was more than enough embellishment.

 

“Of course, but . . . but I always think you look pretty,” he replied as Samantha's cheeks pinked up.

 

“Daddy,” Tanny spoke up. “Daddy!”

 

“Yeah?”

 

She beamed at him. “I pwetty?” she asked, hopping off her chair and holding out the sides of her wide-skirted white linen dress.

 

He chuckled. “Yes, very,” he assured her.

 

She climbed back into her chair and sat up on her knees—the restaurant didn't seem to have any booster seats. “Tanny?”

 

Kurt rolled his eyes but grinned indulgently as he checked his pockets. “Oh, no; no `tanny',” he teased. The child looked sorely disappointed—until she heard the tell-tale rattle in his jacket's left pocket. “Well, look at that,” he deadpanned with a shake of his head as he pulled out a good sized bag of gummi bears. She squealed in delight and reached for it, impatiently opening and closing her hand while she waited for Kurt to pull the seam apart.

 

Samantha laughed. “You know, I do believe you spoil her.”

 

He snorted but blushed just a little. “Like you're one to talk,” he retorted. “You're the one who just had to let her come along with us tonight.”

 

She rolled her eyes but smiled. “As if you didn't want to.”

 

“I would have left her at home if it had been up to me,” he scoffed.

 

“Oh, you would not!”

 

Kurt smiled. “No, I don't suppose I would have.”

 

The waiter reappeared with their drinks. Tanny gave him another wary sort of stare and cradled her bag of candy against her chest when he leaned in to set her glass of soda down. Kurt eyed the cup a little dubiously but remained silent.

 

“Do you know what you'd like or would you prefer to have a bit longer to look over the menu?” he asked with an entirely too-broad smile.

 

Samantha cleared her throat and glanced rather self-consciously at her menu once more. “Do you have chicken nuggets and French fries?” she asked with a slight frown since she didn't really see anything like that on the list.

 

The waiter looked a little surprised. “Um, well, we have chicken plants, lightly breaded with our own signature spice blend spices and . . . potato wedges—kind of like fries but thicker.”

 

Samantha glanced at Tanny and slowly nodded. “Okay,” she said at length. “That sounds good for her . . . and I'd like the filet mignon—rare.”

 

He nodded. “And would you care for the baked potato?”

 

“Yes, please.”

 

“Caesar or garden salad?”

 

“Oh, no salad, thanks.”

 

She didn't miss the look Kurt shot her, and she smiled.

 

“I'll, uh, have the same,” Kurt said, closing the menu and handing it to the waiter. “Make mine medium-well done, though, and . . . and I'd like the garden salad, please.”

 

The waiter smiled and took Samantha's menu. “Not a problem,” he said. “I'll be back shortly.”

 

“You know, you're setting a bad example for Stinky-butt when you don't eat your vegetables,” Kurt pointed out.

 

Samantha giggled. “It's no worse than calling her `Stinky-butt', don't you think?”

 

He chuckled. “Well . . .”

 

Tanny dug the last of the gummi bears out of her bag and scowled as she popped it into her mouth. A moment later, she hopped off her chair and ran over to check Kurt's pockets.

 

“You don't really strike me as a `suit-type',” Samantha commented at length.

 

Kurt grimaced slightly and shrugged. “Yeah, I'm not,” he confessed. “I don't know that I can remember ever having to wear one before.”

 

She frowned and shook her head. “You didn't wear one to your family's funerals?” she asked gently.

 

Kurt shrugged again. “Never went to them,” he mused. “I was in the hospital after that . . . and then Old Granger took me home with him, so . . .”

 

That bothered her, didn't it? It was true that she hadn't known many people who had died, but still, it seemed like such a sad thing. Kurt didn't look upset, exactly, but he did seem a little subdued, not that Samantha could fault him for that, she supposed. Still, on the occasion that her grandmother, Kagome had talked about having to attend her family's funerals . . . She'd said that they had given her a sense of closure, a peacefulness . . . Kurt never got that, did he?

 

“Oowie tanny!” the child exclaimed, drawing Samantha out of her reverie. She had her hands smashed over her mouth as a befuddled sort of expression surfaced on her little face.

 

“What . . .?” Samantha began with a shake of her head. “Come here, sweetie . . .”

 

Tanny dashed over to Samantha, throwing her little arms around her neck as Samantha scooped her up and settled her on her lap. She winced—Tanny had something hard clasped in her hand though Samantha didn't take a moment to look to see what—and cupped her hand, holding it under the child's chin. “Here . . . let me see . . .”

 

Tanny whined but spit out the offending `candy'. Samantha blinked and stared, her mouth falling open slightly as her eyes flared wide. “It's a . . .” Slowly lifting her gaze to meet Kurt's worried glance, she shook her head. “Taijya . . .”

 

He got up and hurried around the table, only to stop short when he saw what his daughter had tried to munch. “Uh . . .” He laughed suddenly and shook his head. “Well, so much for my plan,” he muttered, cheeks pinking just a little.

 

Samantha's brain slowed to a crawl. “Is-is this . . .?”

 

Kurt sighed and reached out to take the ring from Samantha's shaking palm. “I thought . . . We don't have to do it right away or anything, but . . . but I want to marry you . . . someday, Samantha . . . if you'll have me.”

 

She stared at him for a moment, trying to make sure that she was really hearing him correctly. Blinking as she stared at the beautiful ring, only to glance up at his face, then back to the ring once more, she slowly shook her head. “Kurt . . .”

 

Kurt swallowed hard and tried to smile as he hunkered down beside the chair. Not exactly on one knee, but it was close enough, in Samantha's estimation. “Marry me, little demon?” he asked in an almost breathless sort of way.

 

He tried to hide the hint of anxiety written in the depths of his gaze, but even if she couldn't see it, she could feel it, and that was enough to make her smile. “Yes,” she whispered.

 

His expression blanked, as though he couldn't quite credit that she'd actually said she would. A moment later, though, he managed a shaky smile, taking her hand—his were trembling, too—and pushing the ring onto her finger. “Samantha . . . you're sure?”

 

She nodded, leaning forward to kiss him as Tanny played with the ring box. “I love you,” she whispered.

 

He let out a deep breath, but his smile this time was much, much closer than the others had been. “This . . . was just not what I had planned,” he confessed, shaking his head.

 

“You planned it?” Samantha asked with a bright smile though her lips trembled precariously as she blinked and stared at the ring on her finger.

 

“Of course I did,” he said. “Hell, I plan everything, right? So . . . they were going to bring out a single rose with dinner, and I . . . I was going to give it to you and make this stupid speech about how much you mean . . . to me . . . how I'd change everything if I could, but . . . but not the part where I met you . . . Then I was going to give you the ring box . . . and hope you didn't chuck it at my head.”

 

Samantha giggled at that. “Really?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

She bobbed her shoulders, her cheeks pinking. “I rather like this way better.”

 

He shot her a chagrined sort of look for a minute then chuckled. “Nice of you to say so,” he muttered as he got to his feet.

 

Tanny caught his hand before he could head around the table once more. “Daddy! Tanny!”

 

He sighed and shook his head but laughed. “They're bringing your dinner, Stinky-butt. You've got to eat before you get more `tanny'.”

 

She wiggled off Samantha's lap and chased Kurt back to his seat. “Tanny? Pwease, tanny?” she whined.

 

He pursed his lips when he saw the big, fat tears standing in her fathomless eyes. “That is so unfair,” he muttered as he dug a grape Air Head out of his pocket and handed it over.

 

Tanny laughed and grabbed the treat before clamoring back into her chair once more.

 

Samantha giggled, unable to contain the surge of happiness that swelled inside her, and that happiness blossomed into a trill of laughter as the waiter set Kurt's dinner before him, complete with a single, long stemmed peach rose. The man heaved a sigh but smiled at her, and she had a feeling that he was considering how his best plans just never quite went the way he wanted them to.

 

Tanny frowned at the plate of food in front of her. Glancing at Samantha, who shifted her gaze from the child to the plate and back again, the girl heaved a frustrated little sigh and slowly picked up a chicken strip to sniff at it. She must have figured out that it smelled just fine, though, because a moment later, she nibbled on it.

 

Kurt stood up, walking over to give Samantha the single rose and kiss her forehead before he sat back down again. She sat back, food forgotten, as she stared at the rose and carefully lifted it to her nose.

 

Tanny actually did eat one of the chicken strips before she decided that she was finished. Babbling softly to herself while she played with the ring box, she held it out to Kurt. “Daddy!” she insisted, holding it out. “Tanny in the box!”

 

He blinked and stared for a moment, as though he didn't understand what she wanted. It must have dawned on him, though, because he set his fork and knife aside and took the box. “You want a ring, too? Is that what you mean?”

 

She nodded almost solemnly.

 

Kurt chuckled and winked at Samantha as he dug into his pocket once more. She covered her lips when she saw the garish, huge child's candy ring—the kind made out of compressed powder. It wouldn't fit into the box, but Kurt set it inside and held it open, turning it toward the little girl. “Here, Stinky-butt. You want to be my girl, too?”

 

Tanny nodded and grasped the box with both hands, content to stare at the candy ring for the moment. “Tanny!” she hollered happily.

 

Samantha laughed, then sighed when the child grabbed the ring and promptly stuck the fatter end into her mouth. “Is that why we stopped at the store before we came here?” she asked quietly.

 

Kurt shrugged as he picked up his knife and fork once more. “You think we'd make it through dinner without her candy?”

 

Samantha lifted her fork, but she just wasn't nearly as interested in eating as she was in getting a certain man back home and into the nearest bed—fast.

 

 

-OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO-

 

 

Kichiro turned the page of the newspaper and scanned the headlines on the page. Why did it always seem to be the same news, no matter what day it was? Always someone fighting someone else, and while the reasons for fighting were always different, it most always boiled down to humanity's insatiable need to have more of one thing or another.

 

He sighed and tried to ignore the nagging feeling that he just couldn't help; the one he'd carried around for so long that he figured he ought to be used to it. He wasn't, but he ought to be . . .

 

Absently, he reached up and patted Bellaniece's hand as she strolled past and let her fingers trail over his shoulder in passing. It was something that they'd always done: an unspoken reminder that they were together, and always before, it had filled Kichiro with a certain satisfaction that he loved, and even now, it still did, even if there was a friction between them: an unspoken unease that had grown over time since Drevin's unceremonious appearance . . .

 

Folding the paper and leaning forward to drop it onto the coffee table, he sighed. Bellaniece, Gin, Nezumi, and Kagome were sitting around the card table playing a game while Ryomaru and InuYasha were outside doing some night training. Zelig, it seemed, was cloistered away in his studio working on a painting, Gin had said. Kichiro glanced at his watch and shook his head. Going on ten o'clock, and Samantha was still out with that bastard and the child . . .

 

`Who the hell keeps a pup out this late at night?' he fumed. `She ought to be in bed now, that girl—my granddaughter, damn it . . .'

 

He scowled as he got to his feet and stomped over to the window. It bugged the hell out of him, didn't it? That girl . . . she couldn't be coaxed anywhere near him. Gin had gotten into the habit of leaving bowls of candies in everyone's rooms—candies to initiate interaction with her—with Tanny. The idea was that everyone would grab a handful of candy in the morning, and whenever she was around, they were to offer it to Tanny to encourage her into making new friends. Kichiro wasn't entirely sure that the candy bribe was a good one, but it seemed to be working readily enough. Tanny had even warmed up to Ryomaru, much to his chagrin. After all, he was her grandfather, right? Yet she would linger in doorways, staring at him, but she wouldn't come close, even if Kichiro did offer her one of the treats.

 

In fact, she'd warmed up to everyone but him—well, and Zelig, but that wasn't really anything that Kichiro could blame her for. After all, he wasn't too fond of that guy, either, come to think of it. Bellaniece had told Kichiro that she believed Tanny sensed Kichiro's underlying anger toward Drevin, and that might be true. Still, it bothered him, didn't it? His very first grandchild, and she hated him . . .

 

The unmistakable sound of the front doors opening drew Kichiro's attention, followed in short order by the surge of absolute relief that always came with Samantha's return. Irrational and stupid, maybe. Still, he couldn't help but feel it whenever she went out, even if she went with other people. That she'd gone alone with Drevin . . . Well, it just made the feeling that much worse.

 

“Gwamma!” Tanny hollered as she half-skipped, half-ran into the living room and straight to Bellaniece.

 

Bellaniece laughed and caught the child, pulling her into her arms as she got to her feet. “Did you have a nice dinner?” she asked, planting a loud kiss on the child's cheek.

 

Tanny squealed and giggled.

 

Samantha stepped into the room with Drevin right behind her. “Guess we don't have to ask if you had a good time,” Gin piped up as she pushed herself out of her chair and hurried over. “Let me see!”

 

Samantha smiled almost shyly but held out her hand. Kichiro's eyes flared wide as he gaped at the ring on his daughter's finger.

 

“Evan told me that Kurt was going to give that to you,” Gin went on. “How exciting!”

 

Bellaniece didn't look surprised, either. In fact, the only one who was, apparently, was Kichiro. The women crowded around her, hugging her and offering their congratulations. Kichiro gritted his teeth, wondering exactly how they could all seem so happy about what was transpiring. Mates, maybe, but still . . .

 

It took him a few minutes to tamp down his nerves enough to manage a somewhat strained smile, but that smile was on his face by the time Samantha's eyes shifted to meet him. She looked relieved but not entirely convinced.

 

“When are you going to get married then?” Kagome asked after hugging Samantha.

 

Samantha shrugged and glanced back at Kurt. “I'd like to do it as soon as possible . . . It'd be best to be married before the adoption is final, I think . . .”

 

Drevin shifted a little when the women all looked at him for verification. “Uh, well . . . whatever she wants,” he replied.

 

Kichiro frowned and turned toward the sliding doors. He just couldn't stand to hear more, could he? Couldn't tolerate it . . . Samantha . . .

 

He slipped out of the room without drawing notice, breathing in long and slow as he fought to contain the rampant rise of anger, of frustration. In his heart, he knew that he was expected to go back inside, to hug his daughter and tell her that he was happy for her. He couldn't; just couldn't. The entire situation made him sick to his stomach . . .

 

Drevin . . .

 

He scowled. He'd have to admit that so far, Drevin's treatment of the child—of Tanny—was impeccable. He might have doubts about his ability to father the girl, but he was doing well enough, and on some level, Kichiro could appreciate that, albeit grudgingly. No, the trouble wasn't that. The trouble was the absolute and undeniable rage that grew a little darker, a little thicker every single time he looked at that man; when he thought about those tapes, when he knew what Drevin's hand in it really was . . .

 

To marry Samantha . . . Maybe he'd realized on some level that it would come to that. Maybe . . . and maybe he was a fool for ignoring it for so long . . .

 

Drevin deserved nothing that he'd been so readily given. Even Bellaniece, who ought to be the one to understand Kichiro's feelings . . . She'd told him that she loved her daughter, that she'd support Samantha, no matter what. She'd said it all in such an accusing sort of way, though . . . as though she honestly believed that Kichiro loved Samantha any less?

 

Everything he'd done in his life, he'd done for his family—his first family of his mother, his father, his brothers and sister . . . and later, for the new family he'd created for Bellaniece. The gut-wrenching anguish he'd endured for such a long time after that call from Bas on that cold November night . . . and the thing was, Drevin's reasons—his excuses—just didn't do a damn thing to make it better. No, it only served to anger him more and more every time he thought about it . . .

 

His mother had told him just the other day that he needed to let go of his rage, needed to let it go before he let it destroy him. Those words sounded good, didn't they? They sounded nice and positive . . . They sounded like something that he needed to hear, right? That was the thing, wasn't it? Even if it sounded good, being able to put it into practice was anther thing entirely. He couldn't, could he? Couldn't stand the thoughts, the recriminations, the worry, the fear, the dread. It ate at him like a vile, ugly thing. It tore at his soul like a thousand knives, like a million tears . . .

 

He simply couldn't do it, and . . . and he wasn't sure if he ever would be able to put aside his anger, his outrage, his overall frustration . . . He just didn't know . . .

 

Even for Samantha . . .

 

 

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Final Thought from Kurt:

…As soon as possible …?

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Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Vendetta): 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~