"Bankotsu?" Kagome struggled to her feet. Sesshomaru remembered this man, he was the one that turned her over to him, he is also the one Kagome claimed as hers. He wondered who this Bankotsu was, he couldn't have been that much older than her.

"Long time no see." Bankotsu smiled. Sesshomaru growled taking a step forward.

"No," Kagome put her hand in front of him, "let me handle this." She stepped around him. "So, how have you been?"

"Same old and you? Glad to see your safe. I would have spoken to you earlier but-" he trailed off. There was a moment that they both just stood there looking at one another.

"Please don't do this." Sesshomaru could hear the shakiness in her voice.

"You know I wouldn't if I had a choice." There was a sorrow in him as well. "You know I would rather it be you."

"But I don't want to."

"That's too bad." He lunged at her. "Because if your heart's not in it you have already condemned yourself to die!" His foot was meant for her jaw but Kagome blocked it with her forearms, but it wasn't a solid block and she stumbled back. "Is that the best you can do? I was hoping this would be a good fight." He laughed.

"I'm just getting warmed up." She laughed back.

"Yeah that's what you always said." Sesshomaru granted her wish and stood back as she fought this Bankotsu. While he watched he noticed a few things, her body language for one. She was focused, matching him move for move. She knew all his openings and all his techniques. His strength seemed to be the only thing that she was struggling with, despite that any one could look at her tell she was lethal. He landed one good kick on the inside of her thigh and it brought her down into a pile of loose chain links."This is the Kagome I remember." He smiled drawing a knife. "But the trip down memory lane is over." His voice seemed to go from light laughter to heavy sorrow.

"It was a good last round." She picked up one of the chain links and wrapped it half way up her arm. "Next move wins." They smiled in agreement. He dove at her with the knife and Sesshomaru couldn't believe what happened next. She met him head on, in her condition she was crazy. When he was just a few feet away she jumped wrapping her legs around his arm a squeezing as she stretched her body out, hyper-extending his elbow. He dropped the knife and caved under her body weight. Once he was distracted by the pain she wrapped the loose end of the chain around his neck and flipped over the edge of the walkway.

For a moment she hung there waiting for him to stop struggling. She closed her eyes and tried to take her mind some where else, some where happier. Nothing seemed to work, she was very aware of his movements becoming slower and slower until there was no life left in his body. Finally she loosened herself and dropped to the floor beneath her feet. Once he was sure the man was dead Sesshomaru climb down a latter to Kagome's level and helped her to her feet.

"Let's go." Most of Kagome's weight was supported by Sesshomaru until they reached the top. "Where's Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru shrugged. He figured he got tied up with another guy. "Izaiyo should be in here." She opened a door to a lounge like area, and there Izaiyo sat in a chair tied up with a bandanna tied around her head and in her mouth. They walked over to untie her when Kagome noticed the knot.

"What's wrong?" Sesshomaru walked around to look. With out a word Kagome untied the knot in one pull and instantly he came to the same conclusion.

"Mother!" Inuyasha came through the door. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine." She smiled as she stood from the chair. "Let's just go home." She began to leave. "Oh and if we could, keep this whole ordeal from your father?" Every one nodded.

The car ride back was quiet. As if every one was afraid to speak for fear of saying the wrong thing. Sesshomaru watched Kagome out of the side mirror with a sad look humming a melody some times singing a line or two.

Once they arrived every one went to Kagome's to get clean and presentable. Not much was said there either. Inuyasha agreed to walk back with his mother while Sesshomaru stayed behind so Kagome could stitch his wound. She took him into her room and told him to sit in one of the chairs while she gathered everything. When she came back she stretched his leg across her lap and began to work, both sat in silence yet again. She seemed so focused on the task he dared not interrupt her. Instead he thought about what happened at the warehouse, seeing her in action made him think that maybe her father wanted her back because of her skills. There was no doubt in his mind she could be the head of her family.

He played with that thought a little, the two of them in charge of their families? They could create an empire together. But even he knew those were high hopes. The bad blood between the families runs too deep for that, and she didn't want any part of this life any way. "You should refrain from bending your leg too much or you'll rip them." Her voice brought him back to reality.

Once she put everything away she walked out of the room and curled up on the couch watching the fire play in the fireplace. She could feel him standing there just looking at her. "I thought you had nothing to say to me."

He sighed taking seat next to her. "Who was he?"

More tears began to run down her cheeks. "Why would you care?"

"He was important to you."

There was a pause as she sniffled and rubbed the tears from her face. "When I was younger," she started. "my father loaned money to a man, but he wasn't able to pay him back, so fathers payment was something different."

"Bankotsu?"

She nodded. "We grew up together. We trained together. He was like a brother to me, but the more time we spent together the more our feelings evolved. We lost contact when my father left."

"I see." He nodded.

"He basically asked me to kill him. He could have easily killed me. During sparing he would always win I could never beat him. And when I found Izaiyo I knew I was right. Her knot wasn't even a real knot." Sessshomaru had figured as much when he saw her untie it.

"But why did he go through all of that trouble?"

"When your in something with my father, the only way out is death." She nodded her head to some inner conversation with herself. "If death is what he wants, then I'll bring it to his door step."