For this piece I'm going to post all my author's notes at the bottom so that they don't detract from the story. I hope you'll enjoy.

"You've got some nerve showing up to our daughters wedding. Do you think that coming here today will make up for all the times you abandoned her?"

"Yuu, come on, this is supposed to be a happy day. I don't want us to fight, can we at least act like we get along. For Taiga's sake." Silence followed Rikurou Aiska's words. Since his arrival he had received nothing but rude comments and dirty looks from everyone, but he had no ill intention for the day. Even his ex-wife had approached him in hopes of getting him to leave, but he refused to. He had a right to see his daughter married, and thi was one thing he would not miss.

"Fine, if you think that you can make up for over a decade's worth of pain, feel free to stay. I won't stop you, but don't think this changes anything between us, you are still despicable." With that Yuu Aisaka began to return to the church. Truthfully, Rikurou had come to support Taiga, but he knew that people would still see him as the selfish man that had abandoned his family on multiple occasions. But today wasn't about what other people thought of him, it was about being there to support his daughter, who on every other occasion he had abandoned. After reassuring himself that this wasn't about making it up to Taiga he turned to enter the church, but an arm grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.

"You shouldn't be here." A girl's voice could be heard. It was quiet and restrained, as if it was trying to hold back some emotions, but there was a crack at the end revealing how she felt. When Rikurou turned around he was faced with the pink haired girl who was Taiga's best friend, Minori Kushieda. She wasn't looking at him, but rather at the ground. She knew that if she looked into his eyes she wouldn't be able to control herself and would most likely attack him, "Why are you here?"

For a moment Rikurou was silent, he pondered the idea which he had just reassured himself of, but for some reason it didn't seem as solid of a reasoning as it had. "Taiga's my daughter, and I'm a terrible father. I know that nothing I do can make up for abandoning her over and over again, but that doesn't mean I'm off the hook. Even if it kills me inside, and people tell me I'm a piece of shit, it's still my responsibility to support her."

Minori looked up in shock at these words. His face looked serious, and it was clear that he believed in what he had said. She knew that no matter what she said he wouldn't leave.

"I can't forgive you, what you did is beyond redemption, but you have just as much a right as anyone else to be here. Please don't do anything to make me regret saying that, okay?" She gave him a light smile. Out of everyone, she may have been the most understanding, despite knowing how despicable of a person he could be.

"Thank you. I only want to be here to support her, that's more than enough for me."

"That's great and all, but can we go inside." The man standing behind Minori finally spoke. Rikurou looked him up and down. There was nothing too special to note about him, he was wearing a worn out leather jacket with a buttoned shirt underneath, his pants appeared to be matching to the jacket, but both were long since past the time they should have been replaced. He didn't appear to be dressed for the wedding, but was speaking in a tone as if he was prepared to attend alongside of himself and Minori.

"I'm sorry. Let's go, I'm sure the ceremony will be starting soon." Minori spoke quickly and seemed as if she was trying to dodge speaking directly to the man, " , would you please escort inside…" she trailed off and began walking towards the door without another word.

"Takasu," Rikurou said in a low voice, "if you'll follow me then." He held out his hand as if to guide him towards the door.

"Don't mind if I do." With that cocky remark the two fathers entered the church to attend their children's wedding.

There was a knocking on the door to the room that the bridesmaid and bride had gathered before the wedding.

"Come in" Taiga spoke. As the door opened she looked at it in hopes of some good news, even though this was supposed to be the best day of her life, it seemed to be filled with bad news followed by more bad news. She hoped that whatever came next would finally turn the day around so that it would be a fond memory when she looked back on it years from now.

And in came that good news, shrouded by a cloud of despair. Minori walked in the room, cheerful and smiling as always, but for people like Taiga and Ami, who knew Minori better than anyone, that smile could not hide the pool of despair.

"You can cut the act Minori, you can't hide the truth from us. We know you much better than that baseball team of yours." Ami said in a stuck up voice, she didn't feel like putting up with Minori's fake persona and wished to get right to the point.

"I really can't hide anything from you two." she gave a light laugh and then began to frown as she looked at the two girls. She took a deep breath and began, "It's Ryuuji's father, apparently he heard about the wedding and came here."

The room was speechless, nothing but the sound of wind coming from outside could be heard. Minori looked down at the ground after finishing, she couldn't look at Taiga right now because the look on her face would most likely tear her soul apart, and she knew that Ami wouldn't look much better. Just as Taiga had regained hope that this would be a happy day, that illusion was once again shattered by bad news.

"But . . . but . . ." Taiga couldn't form a sentence, she kept stumbling and the light began to fade from her eyes as if she were dying. "I . . . can't believe it. . .Ryuuji's . . . father?"

"It's okay, everything is going to be okay. I'll make him leave right now, I've got people who can make him disappear so that he doesn't ever bother you two." Ami quickly blurted out as she reached for her cell phone which was sitting on a small table near-by. One of the perks of being a famous fashion designer was that she could get almost anything with a phone call, but she rarely used that power around her friends because she wanted to be treated like a normal person. This, however, was a very special exception. "I'm going to make that bastard pay . . . he thinks he can walk back into his son's life on his wedding day . . . that piece of shit has it coming." Rage began to fill her voice as she fumbled with the cellphone.

"Stop." Taiga said in a firm voice as she grabbed Ami's hand. "It's not for us to decide. Ryuuji asked me if I wanted my father here, it's his choice if his father is here whether he knows it or not." Ami looked at the small girl with tears in her eyes, this was only the second time she had ever seen her like that, and she hadn't been able to argue with her the last time so it wasn't even worth the effort.

"Taiga, I know this is a thing of respect, but I don't know . . ."

"Ami! I said to stop!" Taiga was yelling now. She took the cellphone from Ami's hand and closed it. "It's not for us to decide. Minori, please go get Ryuuji, this isn't something that we can talk about over the phone."

"Wait, you want me to bring him over here?"

"Yes, and don't tell him anything until he arrives." Taiga said this with such a confident voice that Minori didn't know how to reply. She stood there for a moment in shock, but quickly recovered. She nodded and turned to leave, but before she closed the door she said,

" I hope you know what you're doing" and closed the door.

"Taiga wants to see all of you. It's something important that we all need to discuss, but specifically it has to do with you Ryuuji." Minori was straight to the point when she walked into the room where the Groom and his Groomsmen were waiting in.

"All of us, what could be so important that she want all of us to talk about." Ryuuji seemed surprised, but little did he know of the problem that laid before him

"Will you please just come, Taiga will explain everything when we're all there. This is something really important, so please." Minori began shaking, this wasn't like her. Each of them noticed that she seemed to be somewhat shaken up, but they all silently agreed to just go along with it. They filed out of the room, with Ryuuji in the rear and they began to cross the church to the room Taiga was in.

Halfway across the church they passed by the chapel where all of the guests were waiting, talking with each other before the ceremony began. Minori and the other's shuffled quickly through the crowd trying to avoid wasting time, but something caught Ryuuji's attention. It was the sound of his mother, Yasuko Takasu, yelling at someone. Her tone of voice sounded strained, so even though he could not see her, he still knew that she was angry about something.

"You can't be here! You're going to ruin everything, please just leave!" Ryuuji turned to look where the voice originated from, but that direction was blocked by people. Before he could even take a step in that direction, something grabbed at his suit jacket.

"Please, don't. . . Talk to Taiga first she needs to . . ." Minori's voice trailed off and her hand slipped away from Ryuuji's jacket. He turned his head slightly so that he could see her face. It was hanging down from her shoulders limply and she seemed just about ready to cry. It was the kind of face that he hadn't seen on her face since they had been in Highschool, and he hoped he would never have to see that face again.

"It's okay Minori, I'm coming." He grabbed her shoulder and shook her a bit, hoping to bring a smile back to her face. Although she did return to reality, her face still held a grim look on it and she moved in a very robotic manner. She turned and continued walking without saying a word. Ryuuji walked beside her, but looked over his shoulder a bit, hoping he could see what his mother was so angry about, but the crowd never cleared.

As they continued to walk he hoped that whatever had upset his mother passed and that it had something to do with what Taiga wanted to talk to them all about.

The door to the room Taiga and Ami were waiting in opened, and in came 4 men and a girl. They were Takasu Ryuuji, accompanied by his 2 groomsmen and best man, as well as the maid of honor, Minori Kushieda. The best man, Yusaku Kitamura, was casually conversing with the two groomsmen, Koji Haruhta and Hisamitu Noto, while both Ryuuji and Ami looked gloomy and disturbed.

"Did you tell him anything yet?" Taiga spoke in a loud voice, staring directly at Minori, but she shook her head no. Taiga looked down, a gloomy mood, similar to that of Ryuuji and Minori's fell over her face. "I guess I did tell you to not say anything, didn't I?"

"What's going on? What was so urgent that you had to talk to me in person?" Ryuuji blurted out. His voice was somewhat annoyed, but Taiga didn't react to it, she knew what she had to say would change everything.

"Have you ever met your father Ryuuji?" Taiga looked up, directly at Ryuuji, with a frown and weak eyes.

"No, I never have, and sure as hell would never want to. If he didn't want to be there for me and my mother, then he has no reason to see me now."

"Are you sure? Do you really think that?"

"Of course I do, why would I ever want to see him."

"I don't know, maybe you could just talk to him about. . ."

"Taiga, what is this about? Why are you asking all these question about my dad." Ryuuji grabbed Taiga's shoulders tightly, squeezing her small body, almost in a threatening way, but she knew he wouldn't hurt her.

"Ryuuji," She pulled away from him, and turned to look out the window, her face out of his view, "your father is here today. He arrived with Minori." Her voice was shaking, but her body stood firm. There was a slight air of sadness in her voice, but it came out without a stutter."

"Wa. . .What? My dad here? I can't. . ." Ryuuji began to fumble his words. His brain was moving so quickly that each idea seemed to blend with the last one and it was making his brain go crazy. His body began to sway back and forth in a melodic manner, and his vision was becoming blurred. "Dad?" With those words, he closed his eyes and began to fall.

"Ryuuji!" Ami yelled out and tried to help hold him up, but no one else helped to do the same, but she wasn't able to support his weight. "Ryuuji?! Ryuuji, are you okay?" She was shaking him, and trying to sit up under his full body weight.

"Don't just stand there idiots, help her." Minori said as she bent over to help Ami lift Ryuuji up. Each of the men bent over to help as well, and they managed to place him in a chair.

"Let me check his pulse." Kitamura said as he pushed everyone else away and kneeled next to the passed out Ryuuji. Feeling his neck, he knelt there looking at his watch and mentally counting. "His heart rate is quite a bit above normal, but he seems to just be passed out. He'll regain consciousness soon enough. Other than that, Taiga, is what you said true? Is Mr. Takasu truly here?"

"Yes, he arrived with Minori, but she seems to have just met him on her way here from the train." Taiga had briefly turned around when she heard Ami yell out, but she once again turned to the open window and looked out towards the city.

"Hmmm . . ." Deep in thought, Kitamura stroked his chin, "He's probably overwhelmed by the news. We all need to leave, but you Taiga. When he wakes up, be there for him, and talk him through it slowly. And please, don't let him make a rash decision in his anger, he should finally meet his father. From what Yasuko told me, he needs to find closure in his family before he can truly be happy." As Kitamura finished he pushed everyone out of the room and into the hallway, closing the door behind them. The room fell silent once more, leaving only the bride and groom alone.

"Closure. . ." Taiga whispered these words silently, ". . .I don't know if I can be there to help him. . ." Fear began to swell up inside Taiga, and a cold sweat began to drip down her forehead. Her breathing became inconsistent and frantic, her heart began to race, and she seemed to be leaning towards the window. "I'm so sorry Ryuuji, I can't help you with this."

With that, Taiga crawled out the window and began to run for the city. For the one place she could sit and clear her head, away from all the problems brought by her and Ryuuji's family, somewhere that held happy memories from her days in highschool, the river.

Welcome back to another chapter of my first Toradora fanfic. I can't remember if I've said this, but this is probably the best romance anime I've ever seen, and it ended much to quickly. This story is my way of looking into the future of that world, and what laid ahead in their lives. I've been working on this chapter for the last month since I posted the first, and it has been in editing for over a week (I couldn't figure out how to properly word some scenes without becoming repetitive). But I digress, I hope you enjoyed chapter two, and will look forward to the coming chapters (there will be a lot more coming and some cameos as well). Until then, please feel free to leave a review (positive and negative both help) and follow to receive updates. Until then.