I do not own Inuyasha & Company

Well, this chapter was certainly a long time coming, but I am glad to announce that this chapter is extra long, and is also the last chapter of Avoidance. So, I hope you have enjoyed this fic, and thanks again, everyone, for the encouragement to continue. Lemon Warning!

Chapter 19

(Inuyasha's POV)

The idea had to work! As soon as I heard Kagome's explanation, I knew we had a chance to outsmart the jewel. I grabbed the bewildered girl and ran back towards the mansion. Koga kept asking me what we were doing.

"Shut up! Just follow us! I have a great idea, but we need to get back in time!"

"Inuyasha, what is this plan of yours?" Kagome panted and worked hard to keep up.

"We need Sesshomaru to wield a sword! That's all!"

"That's all? Why didn't this occur to you when we were at the mansion?" Koga closed the distance behind me.

"Because it didn't occur to me at that time! Getting Kagome away from there was most important then!" I stopped suddenly and knelt down before her. "Get on, Kagome."

She climbed onto my back and we shot off quickly through the trees.

A short time later, we arrived a the mansion to see the dojo almost destroyed, and no one in it. I cursed and ran up to the swords.

"Where's Sesshomaru? Wait, one of the swords is missing." I knelt down and Kagome stepped up beside me.

"They took the fight outside, and it looks like he took his sword with him." I stood up and lifted Tetsussaiga from the middle shelf of the rack.

"Is the sword you spoke about the one missing?" Koga walked up behind me as I removed the sword from it's sheath to inspect it, set it back in and then handed it to Kagome.

"No, he took Tenseiga, and I will ask Sesshomaru to wield Sounga."

"Sounga?" I grabbed the sword, tied the sheath to the tsuba with the long lacing and held it before Koga.

"You want me to carry it?"

"Yes, while I carry Kagome on my back. We need to hurry!" I knelt before her again, she climbed on and we jolted off through the battered doors to follow the path of destruction.

After running through a trampled forest for over a mile in the dark, I caught sight of an explosion. "We're almost there!" I kicked up the speed.

"Good! Oh my God! Inu, something's wrong with Koga!"

"What?!" I slid to a stop and looked over my shoulder. "Shit! The sword is breaking the seal!"

I set Kagome down. "Kagome, stay here and do not to approach him!"

I ran to him and stopped when his eyes focused on me. They'd turned red, and drool dripped from his teeth as he growled like an agitated wolf. The seal on the sword broke in a blinding light and entangled it's tentacles into his hand and slithered around his arm all the way up to his elbow, causing Koga to double over in pain.

"Koga!" I ran up to him and took hold of the tsuba to try and pry it away from him. A moment later, the tentacles had adhered to his limb. He cried out in pain again.

"Hold still!" I removed Tetsussaiga from it's sheath and it transformed into the fang.

"Inuyasha, what are you going to do?" Kagome came a bit closer than where I left her.

"Kagome! Stay Back!" I held out my hand to get her to stop.

"You're not going to cut off his arm, are you?!"

"I got no choice!" Kagome got to me and held my arm back. "Let me go!"

"No! What's the sword doing to him?"

"The sword chose him as it's host. I need to detach the sword from him, and the only way to do that is to cut off his arm!"

"You will not harm Koga!" Kagome left me and ran to him.

"Come back, Kagome!" I took off after her and just reached her as Koga growled and started to swing the sword at her. I pushed her over and stopped his swing with my sword.

"You took my prey." Koga's intense red eyes bore into my soul.

"You're not to harm her!" I knocked him over.

I pulled Kagome to her feet and ran toward the fight in the distance. "What are we doing? We have to help Koga!"

"I can't help him; not on my own! I was hoping to avoid this, but now we have no choice! We need Sesshomaru's help!"

Once we go into range of the fight, I stopped and turned to see Koga not far behind, still seething. I looked up into the tree above and stepped around the trunk and jumped up to a branch out of sight. I let Kagome down beside me and watched as Koga ran right for the fight ahead.

Koga slashed at Sesshomaru. He dodged Koga's attack and took a step away from the wolf. Shimarayama stopped his attack and watched Koga go after Sesshomaru. My ears perked up at his comment, "This is Inuyasha's fault."

"Tsch...You Jerk."

"What?"

"He has already blamed me without even asking what happened."

"Well, you did hand him the sword, didn't you?"

"Tsch...Yeah, but I didn't know this would happen! The seal broke! How was I supposed to know it would break while he held it?" I turned back to watch the fight when Sesshomaru dodged another attack and then lept into the air toward us.

"Shit!" I grabbed Kagome and lept from the tree to the ground.

Sesshomaru flew toward us, grabbed my neck and lifted me off the ground as I choked. "You idiot! You gave the sword to him!"

"I didn't know this would happen."

"No low rank demon can wield this sword, not even you. Only our father was able to control this demonic sword because of his demonic power level."

"Sounga is the only means of sending that incarnation to the underworld."

"You're wrong. That sword is not the only one that can send him to oblivion." He dropped me and flew toward Koga as I gasped in air.

Kagome knelt and put her arms around me as I coughed. "What did he mean by that?"

We waited and watched Sesshomaru's actions for a few moments. Suddenly, he was behind Koga, his whip wrapped around his body. "Inuyasha, remove the sword's hold."

I stood and looked to Kagome. "Stay here. I promise, I won't cut off his arm."

I ran over as I pulled Tetsussaiga from its sheath. Once I got to him, I grabbed the sword's tsuba and rammed the untransformed Tetsussaiga under the tentacles. Koga screamed as I turned the sword and cut the ties. Once his arm and hand were freed, he dropped the sword. I morphed Tetsussaiga and hit the sword away. It flipped in the air and landed blade first into the grass a short distance away from Koga. Sesshomaru released his poison whip and Koga hit the ground from exhaustion.

"Well done, brother." Sesshomaru walked toward Shimarayama and drew Tenseiga.

"What are you going to do? Cut him alive?" He stood before the demon and made eye contact.

Shimarayama snickered. "I heard about your sword. According to what father said, the sword you received from your father could bring the dead to life, but could not cut down an enemy. He said he never saw you draw that sword during battles with you."

"Back then, I was not able to attack with this sword. But that has changed since his demise." Sesshomaru kept his cool facade.

"Sesshomaru, this is ludicrous! Grab Sounga!" I pointed toward the red-glowing blade sticking out of the ground.

"I do not need that blade. Watch and learn, brother." I shut my mouth and paid close attention.

"Meido Sangetsuha." Suddenly a portal opened behind Shimarayama.

"A path to the underworld!" My eyes opened wide in surprise.

Sesshomaru stood before the portal and Shimarayama and did not show any signs of attacking the demon. I ran forward and lifted Tetsussaiga for a full swing.

Shimarayama braced himself for my attack. I closed the gap and took a swing. He grabbed my sword and stopped me mid-swing. I grunted as I put my body behind the sword. "You thought you could push me into this portal?"

"That was the plan." I growled to gain more strength.

"Pitiful fool." He pushed me back.

I lifted Tetsussaiga and swung sending a Kaze no Kizu at him. As the blasts of light came his way, he dodged them before they reached him. I took my left hand and sank my claws into my right arm. I flung Blades of Blood his way only for his arms to get cut up. I sank Tetsussaiga into its sheath, closed the distance and threw a right hook at his smiling face. He stepped back only slightly.

I threw punch after punch at him, causing him to back up five feet. His back was very close. I lept up and kicked him in the gut. He doubled over and grabbed my leg.

"Shit!" I struggled to free my foot from his grasp as the portal began to pull him in. I lost my footing and hit the ground face first. I dug my fingers into the soil.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome grabbed my wrists and braced her feet against the soil.

Sesshomaru released his poison whip and snapped it on Shimarayama's arms to get him to release my foot. "NO! I will not let go!"

"Get off me you asshole!" I looked over my shoulder at him.

"I will not lose!" Another snap of the whip set more poison into his right arm.

"You have already lost." Sesshomaru ran to the portal, grabbed his exposed right arm and set a more concentrated poison into his flesh.

The demon screamed as his arm melted beneath Sesshomaru's grip. A few moments later, his left forearm's bone disintegrated and fell to the ground. His right arm lost its grip on my foot.

Kagome immediately pulled me a few feet away from the portal. We sat in the grass and watched the incarnation disappear into the portal to the underworld. A moment later, Sesshomaru turned his back on the portal, it shrank away and disappeared.

I fell onto my back panting. "It's over." I closed my eyes.

Kagome knelt beside me and ran her soft thin fingers over my left cheek. "Are you okay Inuyasha?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you." I opened my eyes and saw a smile form on her lips. I raised my left hand to press hers to my lips for a kiss.

"It's not over yet." I looked over to my right and saw Sesshomaru standing a few feet from Sounga.

I could hear the sword's pleas for a demon nearby to wield it. I released Kagome's hand and stood up. "Stay here, Kagome."

I made my way toward the sword in the ground. I looked at Sesshomaru beside me. "Are you able to put Sounga back into it's sheath?"

"I do not know. I've never handled this sword before."

"I'll go get the sheath." I turned and walked toward Koga. He was still laying on his side in the grass. I walked up beside him and saw the sheath on the ground a distance away.

I knelt beside him and put my hand on his shoulder. "Koga, are you all right?"

"The wounds won't stop bleeding. Is it over?" He looked over his shoulder and surveyed the scene.

"Not yet. The incarnation is gone, but now we need to take care of Sounga. I'm sorry about what happened Koga."

"Don't worry about it. You saved my life, so I owe you one."

"Kagome! Come help Koga, his arm needs tending to."

"I'm coming, Koga!" She ran quickly to his side.

I walked the short distance, picked up Sounga's sheath and headed back to Sesshomaru. "Here." I held the sheath out to him.

He took the sheath and stepped up to the afflicted sword. He grasped the hilt and lifted it from the soil. The demonic aura flared from the sword. He grunted to harness the demonic energy and a moment later, it dissipated and the sword went quiet. I breathed a sigh of relief as he slid the quiet blade into it's protective sheath and then tied it to the tsuba with the lacing once again.

Without a word, Sesshomaru left the scene with Sounga in hand. I walked over to Kagome and Koga and did what I could to help. Kagome tore her right long sleeve from her shirt and wrapped it around his upper arm as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding on his right forearm.

I helped him up, and knelt before him. "Get on, Koga."

"Are you kidding?"

"No, I'm not. You're hurt and exhausted. Plus, if you move too much, you'll lose too much blood out of that arm of yours. So, get on!" He reluctantly climbed onto my back and we walked back to the mansion.

"Where's Sesshomaru?"

I looked and noticed Tenseiga and Sounga were set back on the rack where they belonged. "He's gone."

"He didn't give us the chance to thank him for saving all of us." Kagome followed me as I continued through the dojo and down the hall towards the first bedroom.

"He's not the kind of guy to accept or even care about anyone giving him thanks for his deeds. I'm just glad he didn't give me more of a beating for handing Sounga to Koga. As far as I'm concerned, he let me off the hook." I slid the bedroom shoji open and knelt down to let Koga step away from my back and lay down.

"You're brother is interesting. You two are nothing alike, save for the eyes and hair." Kagome sat down beside Koga to inspect the wound.

"I'll be right back with supplies." I turned and left the room. I headed down the hall and back to the dojo to grab bandages and ointment.

When I arrived back, Kagome had the tourniquet off and was putting pressure on the large wound on his forearm. I sat beside her and undid the wrapping from the bandages and she opened the container of salve. I laid out a long stretch of bandage and she scooped the salve and smoothed it over his long wound. Once the wound was covered, I set one end of the long bandage strip onto the top end of the wound and lifted his arm. Once I'd properly wrapped his arm and hand with the bandage, I tied it off and he flexed his hand to test the comfort.

"Ah, that feels much better. Thanks."

"You're welcome, Koga." I stood and started to leave the room.

"What are you going to do now, Koga?" Kagome was still at his side.

I turned and looked at Koga. "I think I'll go back to Ginta and Hakaku. After everything that's happened, I think it's best if we part ways."

"Good idea, Koga. Now that everything's as it should be, it would be great for us if we just moved on and forget all that happened."

"Forget everything that's happened?" Kagome looked from him to me. "I know I'll never be able to forget what happened today, or even yesterday."

"Look, Kagome. It's over! Koga has no purpose here now that you're safe, right Koga?"

"I guess you could say that. But, what about you, Kagome? Are you going back to your apartment?"

"I can't." She looked to her hands in her lap.

"Why not?" I crossed the room and knelt beside her.

"I don't want to be on my own anymore." She looked up at me. "Inuyasha, can I stay with you?"

"Why?"

"Well, haven't we gone through enough to know that we're meant for each other? Plus, since all the strife is over, there's nothing to worry about, right?"

I looked to her hands in her lap. "Well, not necessarily now that you mention it. The jewel is still here with us." I rested my hand on her chest to feel the ball of energy close to her left breast.

"What are we gonna do?"

"Well, since the worst is behind us, there's only one thing to do." I reached into her shirt and grabbed the jewel. I held it up before my eyes. "All we can do is to purify the jewel. I will wish on it to become human."

"Inuyasha, no!" Kagome wrapped her hands over mine and the jewel.

"Why not?"

"Because...I love you as you are!" Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes.

"You..." I gasped. "You love me as I am? Even though you will age while I stay the same? Kagome, I want to die with you, not be left behind after you've lived long enough."

Koga stood up. "Well, I can see where this may be going. So, I'm going to take my leave."

Kagome shifted her eyes to him "Oh, goodbye, Koga. And thank you for all you've done."

"You're welcome! See you guys again soon!" He made his way out of the room and walked down the hall to the entrance of the mansion.

"Inuyasha, I know that you fear being left behind once more, but I would miss the things about you I've come to love. I love how you look as a half demon, almost more than when you're human like me. I want you to know how I feel about you as a whole. I love everything about you."

"Kagome, I've lived over 500 years. I don't want to live after your death. Not only that, but with the jewel here, we'll need to protect it from any sort of spirit within a hundred miles of this mansion. It's a full time job doing just that, Kagome. Plus, I don't want you to be at risk anymore."

To stop her from responding, and to show her my affection for her, I set the jewel down and held her hands in my right hand tightly to my chest. I embraced her to me with my left arm and kissed her hard. She tasted so good. It felt as if the rest of the world didn't exist. She kissed me back with the same pressure and my hand let her hands slip over my chest and up to wrap around my neck. She pressed her chest firmly to mine and I fell back to the floor. Our legs intertwined as the kiss grew steadily more passionate.

As we kissed I rolled us over and I covered her small physique with my long and muscular body. She moaned excitedly and we progressed into a more passionate embrace as the jewel shined on the floor adjacent to us. So caught up in the moment, I just didn't give a damn if a demon sensed the jewel. I was going to enjoy this loving time with Kagome, and nobody was going to distract me. Just moments after beginning the kiss, skin embraced skin heatedly.

"Oh, Kagome...I can't live without you...I will kill myself to follow you if I have to." With a jerk of my hips, I moaned in ecstasy. Kagome ran her hand lovingly through my long silver tresses. I grasped her hips, kissed her hard and we continued for the rest of the night.

'Kagome, I love you...more than I love myself.'

*

Well that was it! It's been fun working on this story, and it's come to be one of my favorites I've written so far. I'm going to miss getting into Inuyasha's head, and it's been quite the journey, hasn't it? He is ultimately the best muse for a writer to have, and I will miss writing him in first person.

Also, it was brought to my attention that the writing in the previous chapters needs some doctoring regarding conversation sentence tags. I completely agree, and I have been going over the previous chapters to alleviate that. With the tutoring I've received over the past year, I came to learn to write effectively, as you probably have noticed the changes steadily appearing in the later chapters. So, have no fear, I will be uploading the revisions as soon as I'm finished revising all the earlier chapters. So, feel free to re-read the fic in the future if you like.