Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any related characters.

A/N: Thanx for the reviews, they helped me write this chapter. Just let me know if anybody is out of character. I tried to imagine them saying all the stuff but eventually I didn't know anymore. And there is something I would like to know if anyone can answer, you know the part where most of the Inuyasha fics involve marking one's mate, is that a great idea created by a fan or is it really in the show?? I watched the show till episode 52 so I have no idea whatsoever. Please answer this; it'll make my nights a little more peaceful. Thanx again for the reviews.

Chapter 3: Deal

More dreams plagued her sleep, although luckily she didn't remember them when she woke up. Her mother was right next to her and she nearly squealed in happiness when she saw her daughter flutter her eyelashes and then open her eyes fully. But Kagome saw, that even in that moment of happiness, her mother's face held disappointment. Kagome knew that she had a lot of explaining to do.

She looked around the room, it was stark white, she had white clothes on and some beeping equipment stood nearby, it was safe to assume that she was in the hospital.

"Oh Kagome, I was so worried." Kagome's mother's worried expression made Kagome wish she really had died. Now she's causing grief to her won family members.

"I'm fine now Mum," Kagome said with a very fake cheery smile, "It was just a very bad night." Such a lame excuse, Kagome mentally spanked herself for not coming up with a better one. Luckily, the doctor chose that very moment to enter, asked her a couple of questions like if her head hurt, did she feel dizzy, etc etc.

Apparently, she was fine to go home, just she had to make sure not too move around too much and eat energy foods to replace the lost blood. Kagome barely registered this and her eyes travelled to the far side of the room where there was a figure clad fully in red hovering near the door. Kagome's stomach leapt into her throat as she squinted to make sure that it wasn't the person who she thought it was. It wasn't.

"Kagome!!!!!" Souta ran into the room, he was wearing a red shirt and blue shorts, but they were more or less hidden by the long shirt, "How are you Sis? You had us so worried. Grandpa says that its teenage hormones, I don't believe 'im, is it really???"

Kagome laughed at her Grandpa's logic, "I guess you could say that Souta, but not everyone goes and cuts up their wrists." Somehow saying it out loud made her feel better, like when you're scared of something in the dark but when the lights go on its not scary anymore.

'No, Only the great Kagome Higurashi cannot control her emotions and decides to rid the world of her presence. Only the great Kagome Higurashi will be afraid to face the world after finally losing something. Eh Kagome?' Kagome forced herself to look towards the sound of the voice; nobody else seemed to have heard it. She looked towards the window and saw a red-clad figure leaning on the glass, arms crossed as usual. Only, this wasn't the half- demon Inuyasha, this was the human Inuyasha. His dark hair framed his pale face; his violet eyes fixated on Kagome's black ones.

"What do you mean?" She asked shakily, immediately her family looked up, wondering whom she was talking to, "what do you mean I'm afraid to face the world?"

Kagome's mom grasped her hand lightly, and asked her softly, "Who is it, Kagome? Who are you talking to?" 'Aren't you afraid to face the world? Why else would you try to kill yourself?' Inuyasha laughed at her, removing one hand from his chest to push a stray lock of dark hair behind his shoulder. 'Why else would you leave Miroku, Sango and little Shippo to fend for themselves, when you could be out there finding the jewel shards and defeating Naraku?'

"I can't defeat him. We can't defeat him alone, without you." Kagome's eyes started filling up with tears again, her family was quietly watching the one-sided conversation.

'The he's won, hasn't he?' Inuyasha mocked her, 'all he had to do was kill little old me, and he's won.'

Kagome contemplated this for a moment. If Naraku wins, all the people in the village will be endangered, not to mention Miroku will die an untimely death and Sango will never be able to release Kohaku from that vile creature's clutches.

She suddenly made up her mind, determination flowed through her very blood as she ripped out the pipes of glucose and whatnot from her wrists and arms, "I won't let him win. He will not win, not as long as I'm alive."

Her family watched the life return to her eyes, as she clawed at the various tubes and pulled them out of her wrists and arms.

'That's my Kagome,' Inuyasha said fading out, 'and that's why I fell in love with you.'

'What?' Kagome thought, 'no, he's probably just my imagination. I always wanted him to say that, there is no way he really...'

Kagome broke her chain of thoughts, this was Inuyasha she was talking about, he loved Kikyo not her. Free from her bondages, she got off the bed. She had overestimated her strength and suddenly had trouble standing up.

Her Mom was immediately on her feet, supporting Kagome and nudging her back to bed. Kagome would hear nothing of it, she knew what she had to do and she was going to do it. No amount of coaxing and nausea was going to keep her from doing it. Okay, maybe the nausea will keep her from doing it, right now. She laid back on the bed as a wave of nausea struck her. She will get back to Feudal Japan, as soon as she was feeling better. Maybe tomorrow morning.

Kagome spent the whole day at the hospital, the doctor kept her for observation and by early next morning, she was leaving for home. What troubled her most was that even in her conscious and coherent state, she could still see Inuyasha. He looked as real as any other day; except that this was the first time she had seen him in human form during the day. Needless to say, sunlight did well to his features. He looked amazing. Kagome believed he was the product of hallucinations caused due to denial, if there is even such a thing.

Two days later, she was jumping through the well, eager to see her friends and finish that bastard of a demon once and for all. And that couldn't be done with two warriors missing from the group.

'Don't flatter yourself, Kagome' Inuyasha's ever present figure spoke, 'you're not a warrior; you're an archer. You're Kagome, you don't slay demons, you fry them.'

"Ha ha," Kagome said out loud, "even after death you don't lose that sarcasm of yours."

With that Kagome jumped into the well and was greeted by fresh air and the smell of drenched earth. It smelled like Inuyasha. She looked at his apparition, he was with her, and at least she could see him. She could even smell him. Could she...touch him? To confirm, she pulled out her hand and met with nothing but air, a little warmer than the surrounding air, though. She pulled her hand back quickly, not knowing whether this was an apparition like she had believed or something more real.

"You're not real," She said to him, "you're not real at all."

He looked hurt, then with a frown he answered, 'Depends on your definition of real.'

Kagome didn't have time to ponder over it. Miroku came running, well...chasing, after a very excited fox-demon. Shippo must have smelled her, Kagome bent down to receive the little cub.

Happy at seeing the cub, she smiled and looked up at Miroku. He didn't look so happy. On the contrary, he didn't even seem to be looking at her. He was staring straight-ahead right into ... Inuyasha??? She looked up at the apparition and saw that he was too staring back.

Without breaking eye contact, Miroku held out a hand and swung it right through Inuyasha. Looking a bit shaken, he retrieved his hand, "Let's go Kagome."

Kagome looked back at the red-clad image before she took off after Miroku. Inuyasha didn't move from his place. He stood there, staring straight- ahead, his hands clenched so tight his knuckles were white. But Kagome didn't see that, she was following Miroku wondering if he could see the apparition as well.

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Kagome and Miroku reached the village after a few minutes only to find panic-stricken people running in every direction. The words 'demons' and 'dragon' drifting from all directions. Kagome distinctly heard the 'swish' and 'clang' of the giant Boomerang. Miroku and Kagome took off in the direction of the sounds, but not before Kagome safely tucked the little cub away safely in the hollow of a giant tree at the boundary of the village.

Kagome nearly fell over Miroku when he stopped suddenly. His left hand was resting on his right, ready to take off the beads if necessary and unleash the hellhole that resided on his right palm. Sango was looking tired, she had taken quite a beating, well she didn't have a bruise or a cut or anything but it was mostly from the exhaustion of several attempts and no hit. The demon was strong, fast and agile. This was without the sword that hung on the left side of his armour. He dodged every blow as effortlessly as if ...well, effortlessly. Kagome withdrew a sharp breath as she recognized the demon standing calm and collected before her.

"Sesshomarou," She whispered. Sesshomarou turned to look at the maiden who had muttered his name, "What is your business here, Sesshomarou?"

"Jaken, take care of her." Sesshomarou stepped lightly to the left to allow the toad-demon to take his place. Miroku jumped to push Sango out of the way as flames shot out of Jaken's staff. The act however, left Kagome to fend for herself.

"What is it that you require, Sesshomarou?" Kagome asked him, trying to keep her voice steady.

Sesshomarou raised a silver brow, amused at her courage. Then again, none of his brother's comrades had yet failed to amuse him in some way.

"I have come to retrieve the tetsusaiga." He answered, "I believe my brother was poisoned and killed in the process," he spat the word 'poisoned' out with disgust and the word 'killed' came out worse, "I am here to take the heirloom back."

'Don't give it to him,' Inuyasha was back, 'it's mine.'

"Of course I won't give it to him," Kagome spat at him, "what do you take me for?"

'You don't have to get all bitchy with me,' Inuyasha replied looking a bit hurt, 'you just have a knack for getting into trouble.'

"I believe you are in possession of the sword," Sesshomarou said ignoring the one-sided conversation Kagome was having, "if you will not give it to me willingly, I will be forced to fight a human for it." He unsheathed his Tokijin and swung it threateningly.

'Fight??' Kagome mind registered, 'fight for the tetsusaiga?'

'Kagome, don't fight him,' Inuyasha sounded scared and was genuinely worried, 'he won't give you a chance, don't fight him.'

"Well, what do you expect me to do? Shake his hand and say,'Sorry sir, but your request cannot be processed'? It's not like he'll let me walk away from a fight?" Kagome spat out, she had forgotten for sometime that she was talking to a figment of her imagination, and her retort was directed at a very live half-demon.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Sesshomarou answered, "however, I give you a choice. Human females are weak, and so I will fight any one of you, the monk, exterminator or the miko. The decision is yours to make."

"Kagome," Miroku came running and stood in front of her, "let me fight."

"What are you crazy?" Sango spat from behind him, "what are you going to do, poke him with your staff? You can't even use your wind tunnel, there are Naraku's insects hovering nearby."

"That may very well be, but you are still exhausted from your fight with Sesshomarou earlier and you are not going back into the battlefield without having rested first."

"And what are we going to do with Sesshomarou, ask him for tea and cakes while we rest?"

Sesshomarou had sheathed his sword and was rubbing the bridge of his nose with frustration, 'fighting demons is less exhausting than this bunch.'

Kagome decided that she was the best fighter they had at this point. She could shoot arrows and well, hit him on the head with her bow, or something.

'You will not fight him,' Inuyasha said sternly, He was looking right at his older brother with nothing but contempt, 'you will not fight him, none of you will survive an encounter with him.'

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

'Anything, just don't fight.'

"Look, you're dead and nothing but a figment of my imagination or some sort of prolong hallucination. I certainly don't need to take orders from an unreal entity."

'You don't want me around then.'

"I want Inuyasha around, not you."

'Oh.' Inuyasha started fading again, 'then I guess, this is goodbye.'

Kagome didn't know what to make of it. Suddenly, he was all hurt and pained, his body fading into nothingness. She was not sure if he really was an apparition or something more. Before she could ask him to stop and stay, he was gone.

Kagome didn't know why she felt like crying, it almost felt as if she'd lost him all over again. This new state of depression gave her an idea.

"Sesshomarou," She addressed the Demon Lord, "I will fight you."

"Excellent. Shall we begin then?"

"However, I have a deal. I will fight you only if you agree to the terms."

"A deal," He raised his eyebrow to indicate interest, "Interesting."

"We fight a fair fight," she stressed on the fair part, "so, no Jaken to take over for you."

"Agreed."

"If you win, I hand over the tetsusaiga."

Sesshomarou nodded his approval, but Miroku and Sango immediately started criticizing her idea. They thought it was crazy to give an already very powerful Sesshomarou a very powerful sword.

"However, if I win you bring back Inuyasha."

"A resurrection?"

"Yep, you resurrect Inuyasha."

"Agreed."

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A/N: REVIEW!!!!!!