Hello one and all and welcome back to A Favor for a Favor, I hope everyone has been well in the past week! I've been struggling with writers block! I also have made a very big mistake but I will make it up to you please re-read chapter 17. Instead of posting 17 i posted 18 so this is just a repeat. I'm so sorry but I will post chapter 19 sometime this week instead.

Thank you to everyone who added me to alerts and favorites, even if they're not reviews I still enjoy seeing them in my mail box! There is also a very special thank you to those who reviewed.

Osuwari13: Thank you for reviewing even though it isn't signed. I wanted at least a few cute scenes in this play and I have a difficult time writing mushy scenes, not to mention it's far to early for that kind of thing. So this is my fix to all those who like a little fluff.

Animelover4ever456: Thank you so much! Please keep reading.

princess of the western lands: Thanks a lot for the review, I sent you a message because my explanation would be long and could probably be made into a one shot.

Animefollower101: Thank you for the review and I will be going into a little more depth with the structure and there will be (what I'm hoping) is entertaining scenes with some of Sesshomaru's choices for mates.

That is all of them so that means it's time for . . .

DISCLAIMER: (I don't know why I don't just copy and paste) I don't own the characters from the show or anime, I just warp and play with them to fulfill my own creative desires!

I am very glad that I didn't say twisted desires, that would be weird.

Now that I'm distracted enjoy chapter 18!

Chapter 18:

Kagome opened her eyes only to shut them again as the sunlight stabbed her eyes, she wasn't sure what had happened all she knew was that her body felt like had been attacked by a few demons intent on eating her. She remembered the fight with the northern prince and talking with them and then getting ready to fight the demons that had been attracted by the smell of blood, not her actual scent in the blood but the metallic smell that all blood carried.

She had the utmost confidence in the demon prince and Susuki, but there was no way that the demon lord could have defeated all those demons after using most of his energy fighting her. Susuki's energy was dependent on Kagome and her state, and for a moment Kagome considered how pointless the spell really was. Granted the spell wasn't a spell to actually bond a familiar to someone it was just used to form a bond of trust, and boy did she blow it. She just hoped that Susuki was okay.

She would have to be considering Kagome was alive, and there was no doubt about her state. She wouldn't be in any pain if she were dead since pain was only a physical attribute, and she was in a lot of pain. Still it was meant to be ignored and holding true to that belief Kagome forced herself into a sitting position, and pushed her body's protest to the back of her mind as she looked at her surroundings.

She was on the floor, not uncommon for this era, and there were several other cots around her although most unused. So she was in a room used for medical purposes, a cot not too far from her own had recently been occupied since the cot was still a mess but there was no trace of an aura left so it was vacant for some time now.

Most people in this era couldn't afford a room specifically to see to medical needs, which she could make an educated guess that she was in a lords home. She could still feel the bond she had with Susuki so she was still alive which meant that this was a demon's home and since she had been taken care of that meant she could be in two places.

The demon prince Ozu's home or she was back at Sesshomaru's castle. Kagome closed her eyes and allowed her power to flow slightly through the castle picking up auras and feelings, it felt familiar and so Kagome hazard a guess she was back at Sesshomaru's castle. This meant that either the other Taiyoukai or Susuki ran for help, which meant that the stoic demon lord had seen her in a weak state yet again.

Kagome was mildly shocked to feel heat rising to her face, she was blushing and all because Sesshomaru would think her weak. She hadn't realised that she had wanted to show him that she was strong, but now that she had failed she felt horrible. Even worse when she had failed to show Inuyasha that she was strong, and that had been painful.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the demon lord himself walking through the door, she glanced at him briefly before looking back down at the ground. This was no time to show how weak she really was and so she bottled her emotions refusing to show him just how ashamed she was.

"This Sesshomaru thought you would have been unconscious longer, miko."

"Small scratches can't keep me down," Kagome said and shot the demon lord the best carefree smile she could.

"The injuries you had were more than mere scratches," Sesshomaru said his eyebrow raising slightly as he spoke, and Kagome groaned. 'now he thinks I'm insane'.

"I'm pretty sure I've survived worse," Kagome said and resisted the urge to groan again as the demon lord's second eyebrow joined the first.

"Any worse would have killed this Sesshomaru. Your injuries were bad enough to keep even this one in bed a few more hours," Kagome smiled up at him then he didn't view her as weak after all and that made her happier then she cared to think about.

She was trained under two demons and often came to think like them and to most demons being strong for their pack was important. The stronger the male was in the pack the stronger the rest should be, and not being that strong would be seen as a disgrace. She had felt disgraced that Sesshomaru, her new alpha, had to come save her. However he was congratulating her on her strength and the disgrace she had been feeling before was now gone.

"Thank you Sesshomaru-sama."

"Are you well enough to join us for a meal?" Sesshomaru asked and she nodded her head and smiled before jumping out of bed.

She started to waver as the blood drained from her head and she was sure had it not been for the demon lord's arm securely around her waist she would have fallen. She blushed again at her weakness and a little more as she realised how close she was to the demon lord. She would have never thought she'd end up as part of the demon lord's pack, not since he was known for hating humans and his half-brother.

She could understand now why he did hate humans, if what Susuki had said was the truth and Kagome believed the small kitsune who seemed to be very close to the demon lord. The knowledge of what Sesshomaru detested in humans made her weakness even more of a disgrace. Sesshomaru had lost much of his family thanks to humans and their weak emotions and little control over their actions, and here she was being a weak human.

"Miko," Sesshomaru said his voice surprisingly soft and very, very close to her, "Not only were you injured but you have used up a great deal of your energy. More than you normally tap into do not rush your healing."

She had expected him to call her weak or to realise that he was holding a human and drop her. She wasn't expecting him to be so nice and caring, and instead of letting her go when he had thought she could stand on her own he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led her out of the room.

Kagome couldn't stop the small smile that came to her face as she thought about just how different Sesshomaru could be, and about how much she didn't know about him. She'd get to know him and then she'd pay him back for everything he had done for her, she'd just have to think of a way.

Kagome once again was shocked when the demon lord didn't drop her arm as they entered into the company of the other Taiyoukai, her kit, Rin, and Susuki. He led her to the very end of the table and situated her in the seat next to his own. Rin was directly across from her and her kit was on her side across from him was Susuki and next to her was the Ozu.

Had she been alone she would have been a very bright shade of red, Sesshomaru had given her a great privilege by seating her next to him. The seat was reserved for the alpha's mate or the alpha female while the seat on the other side of him was reserved for his heir or pup. By placing her here instead of a seat down he was showing everyone present that she was the alpha female at the moment. She was the strongest female in the pack and all responsibility was left to her when Sesshomaru had to leave for whatever reason.

Rin was oblivious to the significance of her seating but her own kit was surprised as were the other two demons sitting with them. Kagome smiled at Rin and Shippo as the filled her in on what she had missed while she was travelling and told her that she had only been unconscious for a day after Sesshomaru had found her and brought her back.

Kagome had been surprised that it had only been a day the last time she had seriously been injured it had been a week before she could move again. She shot the stoic demon lord next to her a thankful look before she was drawn into the conversation again, eventually even Ozu was included and Kagome started to relax.

It was odd for her to enjoy herself so completely, she hadn't done it so long and she missed being this carefree. Her life had once been innocent even after dropping into the feudal era, obligation hadn't risen to choke her yet.

"Miko," Kagome looked up in surprise at the demon lord that was hovering over her she smiled and waited for whatever he had to say, "You must rest."

Kagome nodded and attempted to keep her blush at bay she had managed to forget about her injuries, again. Just as the blush was starting to recede Kagome found her arm linked with the demon lords again and it was back. She wasn't so much embarrassed about their contact it had to do more with her apparent weakness.

)(

"Sesshomaru," Susuki growled as she jumped on to the demon lords desk, "You forgot to mention to undo the spell."

"Susuki whining is unbecoming of you. The miko needs her rest you do not want her to mess up changing you back, correct."

"You didn't mention it, now would be a perfect time since she will feel bad about the situation and I can better protect her in my human form!"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the small kit on his desk, "You want to protect her now?" Sesshomaru smirked as the fur on Susuki's face darkened.

"Feh. She needs all the protection she can get," Sesshomaru was sure that Susuki would be crossing her arms in a very Inuyasha like pose had she been in her human form.

"You still act like Inuyasha," Sesshomaru commented as he turned back to the scrolls on his desk and bit back his smirk as Susuki growled.

"I do not act like him!"

"Hn"

"Bastard!"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at Susuki and she glared back, "Inuyasha would say that."

Susuki growled again before jumping off of his desk and walking out of the room. She continued to growl until she found herself standing in the northern wing in front of the infirmary doors and growled at herself when her body refused to move from its place.

They had only travelled together for a few weeks and she had watched the miko fight in many battles and gain many shards. Her story was inventive and would have been completely unreasonable had Susuki not witnessed her sudden appearance in the garden. The girl was annoying. She insisted on conversing even through the other party would not respond, the miko stopped to help anyone she could even if they were demons and would attempt her life the moment she helped them.

The worst was that she liked to cuddle and Susuki found herself wrapped in the miko's arms more than once during the night. Susuki was used to being alone; it happened when the Lord of the Western lands took you in and trained you next to his heir.

Sesshomaru was always busy and while yes they are really good friends now she had felt lonely in her child hood. Her parents had been killed and Sesshomaru's father had taken her in and no one knew why, but her loneliness ended when Inuyasha came around. Sesshomaru's training was completed then and they all spent time playing with each other, although it was mostly just her and Inuyasha.

She went back to being mostly alone after the night Inu Tashio had died. They helped Inuyasha and his mother to flee and defended the castle from invaders. Sesshomaru was lord now and she was his right hand.

Company was something a demon learned to be without and the damned miko was making her miss being around others and being friends. She wanted to growl at the miko, that was her reason for being here.

She pushed her way into the room and sniffed out the miko, which was when she caught two other smells. Walking a little faster now she was determined to tell the two children that the miko needed her rest and that they shouldn't be here.

The miko was asleep cuddled around Rin who was sleeping with Shippo in her arms. Susuki had noticed that the miko had a knack for taking care of things and helping people out, but she had no idea that the miko this maternal. The two kids absolutely loved her, for Shippo it was understandable he had said a number of times she was like his mother. Rin, as far as Susuki knew, had little exposure to the woman but loved her almost as much as Shippo.

Susuki growled lowly before walking over to the crowded cot and adding her own body heat to the mass. She didn't know exactly why but she wanted to be near the miko and this was te only time to do it. She wouldn't be stuck in this form forever.

Sesshomaru had growled at his healers as they asked for his presence in the infirmary, but his agitation was replaced by worry as he remembered who was in the infirmary. There was no possible way that they miko should have gotten worse, she had been up and walking around acting as normal as he could guess her to be.

His worry was replaced with agitation as he stepped into the infirmary, nothing was wrong with the miko. He was about to demand why he was here, loudly too, but they motioned for him to be quite. So he was and walked down to where they were pointing at.

His annoyance was replaced with amusement, and another very foreign feeling as he saw the miko and her bed partners. He had expected Shippo to be there and Rin was a pleasant and less shocking surprise. He didn't expect to see Susuki cuddled into the crook of the miko's neck, he had seen it in the field the day he saved them, but he didn't expect to see it ever again.

Surprising himself and his staff Sesshomaru let out a small quite chuckle. The woman attracted everyone to her and was impossible not to like. Two of the most feared youkai in Japan liked her, and they were known to not like anyone.

"Let them sleep," Sesshomaru said softly he doubted that there would be this much peace for him after tonight. Shippo had told him his mother was a handful and from Susuki's report he believed it, but that didn't stop the small smirk on Sesshomaru's face. This situation promised amusement and he enjoyed amusement.

Sesshomaru went back to his desk and worked through his scrolls again, until yet another dreaded mating request popped up. This time from the Southern lord a demon whom had a shakily alliance with the west, it was best not to outright reject this demon's demands.

He didn't like talking with people and said very little during meetings with the other lords, if he was being realistic he found many of them far too old and closed minded. However until the old lords retired he was forced to keep a traditional alliance with them, and so Sesshomaru wrote a message back informing the lord that the search for the evil hanyou has continued now that there is a new trail to follow. He ensured the lord that when the half-breed is close to being finished he would pick a mate, but by time that happened Sesshomaru was sure the new lords will be in power and he can live the rest of his life without a mate.

If you missed my first post re-read chapter 17 and then this one if you want but I made a mistake with the chapters.