Disclaimer: I do not own or make profit from the Inuyasha series Copyrights to Inuyasha and Characters belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

I only own the plot, and story line to this story. There. I said it. (sighs)

A HUGE Thank you to Schwarz Stein for being such a good friend! Thank you also to SangOtaku6 for being such a wonderful writing coach and friend! :)

Chapter Three:

A Showdown and Beginning to bond:

Bankotsu stepped n front of Kagome and held the angry wolf prince's gaze. "That is none of your business, wolf boy. Oh and she is my girl now. " He grinned at the pure anger on the wolf demons face.

"What?" A low growl emitted from Kouga's chest.

Bankotsu smirked wider. "You heard me, wolf. Kagome is with me." He stared down the wolf, eyes challenging him to just try and take her away.

'Oh no. Damn. There is one way to settle this hopefully without bloodshed… I just hope Bankotsu doesn't let this go to his head. And that Inuyasha doesn't go nuts.' Kagome took a deep fortifying breath and stepped beside Bankotsu. She met the angry wolf's eyes. "He's telling the truth, Kouga."

"How the hell could you fall for a murderer like him?"

"I have told you before Kouga, you are a powerful ally and a great friend, but I will never see you as anything more than a friend."

"Kagome, you are my woman! I made my intentions known a long time ago."

"Well she's mine now. See these rings?" Bankotsu held up his and Kagome's left hands for the wolf to see. 'Take that you stupid wolf!'

Kouga's eyes narrowed further at the matching metal bands. "So what. What the hell are they, anyway?"

Kagome blushed. "In human culture when a man and woman exchange vows and rings, they are married."

Kouga frowned in confusion. "What does 'married' mean?"

Miroku calmly stepped toward the wolf. "Those rings are the same thing as the demon mating mark. In other words, Kagome now belongs to Bankotsu and him to her."

Kouga clenched his fists to keep from punching something, preferably the arrogant human's face. He glared at Inuyasha. "How the hell could you allow this to happen, dog shit?"

"Obviously I had no say in it or it never would have happened!" His grip tightened on his sword. 'How dare this mangy wolf think I'd allow something like this to take place?'

Kouga sniffed the air deeply. "She is still unclaimed, you may have marked her, but you have yet to mate her."

Kagome blushed furiously. "He is waiting until we feel the time is right."

'Hm, this is getting to be even more entertaining. Bankotsu felt her move closer and noticed that she was fidgeting with her fingers. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side, sending the wolf a clear message with his eyes - Hands off!

Kagome placed her hand on his arm.

Sango looked at Kouga. "She is now married to Bankotsu and you are going to have to learn to accept that, Kouga."

Kouga snarled. "This isn't over yet. She hasn't bed him yet, so as far as I am concerned she is still un-mated. You marked her but it isn't finalized until she is mated." He sent his own challenging glare to the man holding 'his' woman.

Kagome's eyes widened before narrowing. Her jaw clenched. "Kouga, you can't do this! I chose to be with Bankotsu. You can't force me to be with you." She glared at the wolf.

"You are too good for him Kagome and I will not allow this."

Kagome's back stiffened and her hand balled into a fist by her side.

Bankotsu glared at the demon. "You have no say in it. You heard it from her own mouth, she chose me."

Inuyasha glared from Bankotsu to Kouga. "Kouga, you can't touch her. Even demon laws state that once a female is marked no other male can touch her."

Kouga paced. "How the hell can you be so calm about this?"

Inuyasha flexed his claws. "Do I look calm to you? I am not any happier about this then you are! But we both know damn well the laws are very clear. Neither of us can have her now."

Bankotsu smirked. "If you come anywhere near my wife again, I will kill you!" He ground out through clenched teeth.

Kouga snarled and glared into Kagome's eyes. "Until you have actually bed him, I will continue to come for you."

Bankotsu flexed his Banryu in a threatening manner. "If you do, I will kill you, wolf. No one takes what is mine and lives. I will not allow you or anyone else to threaten my woman either."

Kagome held up her bow and notched an arrow. She stood in front of Bankotsu and stared at the wolf. "I don't want to have to use this, Kouga, but I will if you continue to threaten me and Bankotsu."

She watched his eyes widened in disbelief. "I chose to be with him and he with me."

Kouga's eyes narrowed at the arrow. "Is this truly what you want, Kagome?" He looked into her eyes. 'Please tell me this is a nightmare. You can't really love a heartless creep like this. Can you?'

Kagome held his gaze with a mixture of sadness and determination in her eyes. "Kouga, can you cannot accept that I feel nothing but friendship for you and that I love someone else?" She tilted her chin up a fraction. "Go back to Ayame and keep your promise. I only feel for you as a friend."

Kouga's eyes widened and then filled with sadness. "Very well, if this is truly what you wish, then I shall take my leave." He bowed his head to her and then glared at Bankotsu. "You had better take care of her and make her happy."

Kouga took one last longing filled look at the woman he loved and whirl winded off at a frightening speed, kicking up dust everywhere.

Kagome dropped to her knees and her eyes filled with unshed tears. 'Kouga probably hates me now.'

Bankotsu sighed heavily and bent down beside her to place a soothing hand on her head. "Hey, it's okay." She buried her head on his chest and cried. His eyes widened. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to his chest. 'Damn, I'm not so good at trying to comfort women. I never have been! It makes me nervous...But for some reason I can't stand to see her crying.' He tried to swallow past the lump in his throat.

Inuyasha scowled. "I 'm going into the woods for a little bit," he bounded off away from the others, fighting the urge to give in to his intense desire to rip the mercenary apart.

The others looked on at the unexpected embrace between the Miko and Mercenary in shock.

Sango approached them and placed her hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Kagome, I am sure Kouga will understand once he calms down."

Kagome sobbed and looked up sadly. "I'm not so sure Sango. He looked at both me and Bankotsu with anger in his eyes." Her heart squeezed painfully at the memory of the look in her friend's blue eyes.

Shippo spoke up. "It was different than when he and Inuyasha fight, too. This time Kouga was really mad."

"Why is that wolf so important anyway?" Bankotsu stared at the air behind Kagome.

Kagome stared into his eyes. "Kouga is, or at least was, my friend. Now though, I don't know any more." Sadness tinged her voice.

Bankotsu gently cupped her face and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "If he is a real friend, than he would have been happy for you." He stood up and held out a hand to help her up. "Only time will tell."

She accepted his offer placing her slender hand into his warm stronger hand.

He effortlessly lifted her to her feet. "Where did Inuyasha go?"

Miroku shook his head. "Into the woods, most likely to work off some frustration."

Bankotsu nodded. "We should keep going. He can catch up when he's ready."

Kagome nodded. "Okay, come on guys, let's go."

Everyone set off on foot this time. Ten minutes after they continued down the path, Inuyasha ran out of the trees and caught up to them, walking beside Kagome again.

"Inuyasha, why did you take off?"

Inuyasha grunted shoving his hands into the sleeves of his fire rat haori. "I needed time to think."

Everyone continued on in silence until the sun began setting.

At sunset Bankotsu stopped. "We are camping here for the night."

Everyone nodded.

Bankotsu faced his men. "Ja and Ren, you go hunt and make sure you bring back something good. Collect some berries and nuts while you're at it." They nodded and took off to do as they had been bid.

Bankotsu faced Miroku and Sango. "You two go get the water, and plenty of it." Miroku nodded and then he Sango left as well.

Bankotsu turned to Kagome. "Let's go get some fire wood." She nodded. They walked around collecting wood until both had an arm load and then returned to the camp, dropping the wood on the ground by where the fire would be built. Bankotsu showed Kagome how to dig a fire pit.

Inuyasha sat with his back against a somewhat flat boulder and eyed them carefully.

Jakotsu and Renkotsu returned with a big boar and a bucket full of nuts and berries. Jakotsu slung the boar on the ground. Huffing he knelt down, cutting it up.

Sango and Miroku returned with plenty of water and deposited it on the ground by the fire.

Taking two sticks and rubbing them together Bankotsu started the fire.

"Wow, you started that fast." Kagome pulled out a pot and filed it with water and herbs.

Jakotsu rinsed and then added the meat. Everyone sat around the fire and quietly waited for the stew to cook. After the stew finished and was dished up, everyone ate their fill.

Bankotsu and Kagome sat with their backs against a boulder and Bankotsu took out his Banryu.

Kagome watched as he polished his weapon. "Where did you get that weapon from anyway?"

Bankotsu blinked. "It was made for me by a friend of my father."

Kagome blinked. "Oh okay."

Bankotsu stared at her clothes a minute. "Why do you dress so strangely?" He frowned in disapproval. "Your kimono in much shorter than normal."

Kagome blushed. "Well, its customary length in my… village."

Bankotsu's brow rose. "Where is this village of yours?"

"It's very far from here."

'What is she trying to hide?' Bankotsu blinked. "You should get some sleep while you can, we are leaving before the sun rises."

Kagome sighed heavily. "Normally I would lay in my sleeping bag, but I - "

Bankotsu chuckled. "You are not comfortable with me enough to sleep like normal, is that it?"

She blushed and nodded.

"I may be a killer Kagome, but I will not force myself on an unwilling woman." He clucked his tongue. "Even mercenaries have some honor."

She nodded and then tilted her head to the side. "How would you normally sleep?"

Bankotsu shrugged. "Normally I would be patrolling the area, then settle against a tree after the guys had gone to sleep."

Kagome frowned. "Isn't sleeping while sitting up uncomfortable?"

"Not as much as sleeping on the hard ground," Finished with his task, he re-covered his Banryu and propped it against his shoulder like Inuyasha had done with his sword.

Kagome felt a cold breeze blow by and shivered. She pulled out her sleeping bag.

"Are you feeling cold?"

"A little." She sighed. 'Some hot chocolate would come in handy about now. Why do I never remember to pack warmer clothes until after I leave?'

Bankotsu moved one arm so it was around her and pulled her into his side. "Better?"

She blushed as her body felt his minimal heat radiating towards her. She nodded.

"Good, now get some sleep."

Kagome yawned and drifted into a warm sleep.

'Damnit, if only I could kill him without killing her.' Inuyasha settled for glaring at Bankotsu and growling lowly in his throat.

Everyone else settled in for the night. After a while Inuyasha and Bankotsu had both nodded off into a light sleep as well.

Midoriko appeared and looked over at the two sleeping by the tree. She chanted and a luminous glow formed around Bankotsu and Kagome's bodies, as she continued chanting the light grew brighter. When she finished chanting the light slowly faded away. "I have done what I can for you two, the rest is up to you." Midoriko's ghost faded into the night.

XOXOXO:

Author's Note: Okay guys and gals there is the improved chapter three. Please remember to read and review thanks.