Author's Note: If you have not read my story "Tainted", please click on my name to get to it so you can. This story is a sequel to that and if you don't read Tainted first, you're not going to understand a lot of this.

I had originally written this story on Adult FanFiction, however, I had gone through a bout of Writer's Block and it was put on hold. Now I am picking it back up, dusting off the pages, and getting back to work on it. :) And I noticed that I didn't have this story posted on here. (Shame on you, Tassana!) So, I am correcting my mistake. I hope you all enjoy. And, please, remember to read Tainted. :)

I will warn you, this story does pertain rape and abuse and may even involve killing and death. Remember, Bankotsu was a mercenary who actually enjoyed his job. So, if any of these make you squeamish, this might not be the story for you.

Prologue

Inuyasha threw his set of keys into the tray angrily. "Doesn't he have his own home?" he demanded with a growl.

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow at the hanyou as Kagome and Shiori entered the house as well. He put his son down as Kagome closed the door. Bankotsu answered the hanyou the moment the door was shut. "I just returned from the dead. As far as I'm concerned, my home is wherever my wife and child are. Why are you here?" he added.

Inuyasha snarled as he pointed an accusing finger at the mercenary. "I've been busy doing your job, corpse," he snapped. "This is my home. I pay the bills, put food on the table, and make sure Banryu gets a good education. I take care of him and of Kagome."

"Then it's a good thing I'm back," Bankotsu said. "I can take care of my family from here. We don't need you anymore, mutt."

Inuyasha raised his lip. "It's us who don't need you," he growled. "Now get the fuck out of my house."

The mercenary's eyes narrowed as he took a step towards Inuyasha. His voice was dangerously low as he spoke, "Do not think for one moment that you can order me to do anything. Kagome is my wife. Banryu is my son. Not yours."

Inuyasha took a step closer to Bankotsu. "Kagome is not your wife. This is the modern era now, corpse," he growled. "You wanna be married to her; you gotta get court papers and legalize it. You can't just rape someone and claim them as your own anymore."

"Get the fuck out of my face," the mercenary warned, for the two men were nose to nose with one another.

Snapped out of their states of shock from the sudden confrontation, Kagome and Shiori moved into action. Kagome grabbed Bankotsu's arm as Shiori grabbed Inuyasha's. "Guys," Kagome pleaded, "don't do this. Please don't do this."

"Come on, Inuyasha," Shiori murmured. "He's not worth it."

As Kagome tugged on Bankotsu's shirt sleeve, she whispered, "Bankotsu, please, not here. Banryu is just in the other room."

The two men stared at one another for a moment longer, but it was Inuyasha who backed off first. "Kagome's right," he growled. "There's no reason to fight with Banryu so close by. But I'm warning you, corpse, if you hurt either of them, I'll send you right back to your grave where you belong."

"You worry about your own wench, mutt," the mercenary hissed. "Leave Kagome and Banryu to me. I'll take care of them."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he drew back his fist to punch Bankotsu. Before he could, however, Banryu's voice floated between the two men. "Daddy, look! I got two swords now," he said, as he held up two plastic swords.

The tension in the air quickly dispersed as everyone focused their attention on the little boy. As the boy prattled on about the swords, Bankotsu bent down on one knee to get down to Banryu's eye level and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief.

Shiori managed to pull at Inuyasha's arm until she drew him away from the mercenary. "Why don't we go to the kitchen and get dinner started?" she suggested. "I'm sure Banryu is starving after today."

At the mention of food, Inuyasha tore his attention away from the child and father and followed Shiori into the kitchen. Bankotsu watched the two hanyous leave.

"Is it true?" he asked, glancing up at Kagome. "You're staying with them?"

She nodded. "Well," she corrected with a shrug. "I'm not exactly sure who is staying with whom. The three of us bought the house together and we have divvied up the cost of mortgage and the other bills. So, the house belongs to all three of us. We're all on the deed, though Inuyasha and I are the main owners."

The mercenary frowned. "Is there something going on that I should know about?" he asked suspiciously.

The miko shook her head. "We're just friends, Bankotsu, that is all," she assured him. "After we defeated Naraku, Inuyasha returned here to stay with me. He promised to help me raise my son, even though my feelings for him had changed. We love one another, yes, but it's more or less the same way a brother loves his sister and vice versa."

Bankotsu glanced at Banryu. Kagome could see the suspicion in the man's eyes as he asked, "You're certain that's all he feels towards you?"

The miko thought about that for a moment. Although Inuyasha had Shiori now, Kagome had a sinking suspicion that Inuyasha's feelings towards Kagome had never really changed. The last thing the miko wanted, however, was for the two men to start fighting over her.

Banryu suddenly reached up and touched the tattoo on Bankotsu's forehead. The two adults stared at their son. The boy handed his father one of the plastic swords. "You're not paying attention, Daddy," he growled. "I said I want to sword fight. Uncle Inu said he would teach me, but I want you to teach me. You'll teach me, right?"

Kagome blanched as Bankotsu smiled. "Of course I'll teach you," he told the boy. "I'll teach you all sorts of things and make you into a real warrior."

The miko quickly shook her head. "There's no reason for that," she said. "This isn't the Feudal Era anymore. People don't use swords these days."

Banryu's face brightened as he put his sword down and made a gun out of his hand. "No! They use guns!" he agreed before making gun noises and pretending he was shooting Bankotsu and Kagome.

Kagome's eyes widened when she realized her mistake. A sword in Bankotsu's hands was bad enough. The last thing she needed was for him to learn how to use a gun. She had been so careful to discourage such behaviour in Banryu. It was hard as the boy seemed to have a keen interest in swords and guns.

Bankotsu watched the boy for a while longer before standing up next to Kagome. "What about our marriage?" he asked. "The mutt said something about us not being married? What was that about?"

Kagome nodded. "We would have to go to the courthouse and have our marriage legalized in the eyes of the law," she told him as she turned her head to meet his eyes. "Things are much different in this day and age. You need identification and a job. You have to pay taxes and not break the law."

"Laws," the mercenary scoffed. "Sounds like something my father would have said."

The miko nodded again. "And he would be right," she replied. "Laws are what make up this country now. They run it and keep it from back pedaling. Well, laws and technology."

He slipped his hand around Kagome's waist and pulled her closer to him. A smile spread across his face as he nuzzled her hair. "Laws are so boring," he whispered. "I can think of something a bit less boring that we could talk about."

Kagome placed her hands on his chest and pulled away slightly so she could look into his eyes. He took advantage of that and kissed her. His arm tightened around her waist as his free hand buried itself into her hair to caress the back of her head.

It had been so long since he had held this woman. Bankotsu felt as though he could burst with need. He pressed his sudden erection against her belly causing her to gasp. The mercenary took that gasp and deepened the kiss.

The feeling of a small hand hitting his thigh made Bankotsu growl, but he chose to ignore it. He was enjoying the feel of this woman in his arms. It had been far too long and he wanted to savour every bit of her.

As he began trailing kissing down her neck, Kagome gasped, "Bankotsu, we shouldn't… do this… here. Inuyasha…"

Bankotsu snarled as he tore his mouth from her neck. "What the fuck do I care about Inutrasha? Let him see," he snapped, his eyebrows furrowed. "You belong to me, Kagome. You're mine, not his."

"That's not what I meant," she told him, looking up into his eyes. "I don't want to see the two of you start fighting. Aside from that, Banryu is here and this isn't exactly appropriate behaviour in front of him."

Bankotsu turned his gaze upon the boy who was pouting. The mercenary's eyes gleamed as he smirked. "You should take notes, son," he suggested. "One day, you'll have your own girl and you'll need to know how to pleasure…"

"Bankotsu!" Kagome interrupted in shock. She tried to tear herself from his grip. "You can't talk to him like that!"

The mercenary glared at the woman angrily and refused to let her go. "Do not tell me how I can and cannot talk to my son, woman," he growled. "I can see you and I have been apart for too long if you think you can speak to me in such a manner. You are my wife and you will learn to respect me."

The colour drained from Kagome's face. She remembered well the time they had spent together. Those first two months had been absolute hell. Bankotsu had only relented when Kagome began to cave. The look in his eyes now promised more of the same.

"Let. Her. Go," came a low growl from behind Kagome.

That wasn't Inuyasha's voice, however. The couple glanced at the newcomers to see Shippo and Koga standing in the doorway. It had been Koga who had spoken, though both demons had their teeth bared and fists clenched.

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed as he pulled Kagome more firmly against his chest. "You will not interfere," he snarled. "This is a private matter."

"Then you should have thought about that before making it public," Shippo snapped. "Now, let her go."

The mercenary gave them a cocky smirk. "Or what? Two puny demons are nothing for me," he taunted.

"Which is why you wouldn't be facing just two demons," Inuyasha growled as he stepped into the living room from the kitchen. Shiori stood beside him, her look of anger equal to his.

Realization dawned on Bankotsu as he glanced down at Kagome. "So this is why you live with the mutt, huh?" he asked her.

She shook her head in denial. "I live with him because…"

"Because he's always there to protect you," Bankotsu interrupted. The mercenary shook his head as he eased his grip on her, though he did not release her. "Who is he protecting you from, Kagome? Me? You know I wouldn't hurt you."

She reached up and touched his cheek. She could see the anger in his eyes, but she also knew the man within. "I know," she agreed. "And, no, he's not protecting me against you. It's not personal. You know how hotheaded Inuyasha can get."

"Hey!" the hanyou in question protested.

"Kagome," Shippo said, trying to keep calm, "what do you think he was about to do just now?"

The miko glanced at the fox demon and shrugged. "What did you think he was about to do?" she asked. "Bankotsu would never actually hurt me. I know this."

"Kagome, he was angry," the fox demon pointed out.

She nodded. "Yes, he was. Do you blame him? The last time he was alive, it was customary for the woman to keep her mouth shut and just do as she was told. He knows nothing about how we live in the modern world. It'll take some getting used to."

Koga threw his hands in the air. "I can't believe this!" he spat. "You're actually defending that asshole?"

It was Banryu's turn to speak up as he snapped, "Hey! Don't call my daddy an asshole!"

"Banryu!" Kagome scolded. She broke away from Bankotsu to give the boy her full attention. "What have I said about using that sort of language?"

"But Koga said…"

"I don't care what Koga said," she chided. "Koga is an adult and he can say whatever he wants. You, however, are too young to be using that kind of language. Now, go to your room!"

The little boy stuck his fists on his hips. "Not until Koga says sorry! He called my daddy a bad name and I demand he apologize for it!"

"Banryu! Now!" Kagome shouted as she pointed to his bedroom.

The boy planted his feet stubbornly and puffed out his chest. "No."

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed. "Boy, if you don't do as she says, I'm going to tan your hide," he warned. "Your mother ordered you to do something and you better to it now."

"You're not touching him," Inuyasha growled.

The mercenary's eyes snapped to the hanyou. It was Kagome, though, who snapped, "Inuyasha, sit boy!"

As the hanyou fell to the ground, Kagome grabbed Banryu's arm and practically dragged him to his room. She forced the boy into his bedroom and shut the door. Walking back into the living room, she glared at Koga.

"I'm not defending him," she spat, glaring at Koga. "I am pointing out the differences in our cultures. And pointing out the fact that he was not going to hurt me. Bankotsu and I have argued many times before this. And I had none of you there to stop him from doing anything to me, yet not once during our arguments did he ever hurt me."

"But…"

"No, Koga," she argued. "You're not going to tell me how to act and react towards my husband. Nor are you going to insert yourself into our family disputes. If I need your opinion or interference, I'll ask for it."

Koga's eyes narrowed. "Fine," he growled. He let his hands fall to the side. "But if he hurts you, I'm coming after him."

Kagome shook her head, but Koga turned on his heel and left the house. Kagome watched him leave, a mixture of sadness and anxiety in her eyes. She glanced at Shippo, who had a thoughtful look on his face.

When he spoke, his voice was curious rather than argumentative. "I thought he had raped you."

Kagome sighed. The heat of her anger was diminishing at a rapid pace. "At first, yes," she told him. "But Bankotsu had changed during the course of our being together. When we argued, truly argued, he didn't hurt me. Never raised even a finger to me."

The fox demon nodded thoughtfully as he asked, "And just now? What was that about?"

"That was none of your business," Bankotsu said, moving to stand beside Kagome. "And it still isn't. Kagome and I were having a disagreement. We're a married couple. It happens. And I'm sure it will happen many more times. It's not an invite for others to butt in."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You're not a married couple, corpse."

"Not yet, maybe," Kagome agreed, turning to Inuyasha. "But we will be. Bankotsu and I still have a lot of things to discuss and figure out. He doesn't even have a birth certificate."

Kagome glanced at her spouse curiously. "Should we use your family name?" she asked.

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow as he thought about it. The last time he had been called by his family name, he was ripping open his servant's stomach. "I don't have one," he answered.