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Author's Notes: Alright, another day, another dollar, and another chapter for all you wonderful readers! Sorry I'm slowing down a bit with my updates, but please understand that my life has taken an unexpectedly hectic turn, proving to me that it's true what they say: when it rains, it pours.
I went out on the first date of my life (not joking) and am now experiencing all the stress that goes along with that, including the whole problem of trying to guess what he's thinking (always a fun game). On top of that, I tried out for cheerleading, having done it the past two years, but the new coach this year changed the policies somewhat, so I didn't make the squad. Needless to say I'm a little down about that, but never fear, I shall recover! So, like I said, one thing after another, but hopefully the drama is finally over, and I can get back to what really matters, like writing these stories for all of you!
This chapter is more of a filler then anything else, but then I'm a firm believer in the importance of fillers. They give us a chance to better understand what's going on in the minds of the characters, which I think is important. You'll get to see a little more of the grief that Kagome and Inuyasha are experiencing at losing the baby, and how their relationship continues to grow. I hope you like it, and thanks as always for the reviews! Enjoy!

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Title: Soldiers in a Timeless Battle

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Nine

Rating: PG-13 (for language and, at times, sexual implications)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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"How did you feel when you heard you had lost the baby, Kagome?"

"Um," Kagome rubbed the back of her head absentmindedly, her eyes roaming about the office, decorated in dark blues, from the carpet to the curtains, all the furniture, including the bookshelves, black. The tones were obviously meant to soothe the nerves. "I guess it was a shock mostly, when I first heard. I mean, I didn't even know I was pregnant."

The woman sitting across from her crossed her legs elegantly, fingering a black pen as she scribbled some notes, her cropped brown hair falling across her face. She had a pleasant personality, one that made people feel comfortable in her presence, and her eyes were kind and warm, though she herself was not exactly what someone would call an attractive woman. But she wasn't exactly ugly either.

When Mrs. Higurashi had heard about her daughter's ordeal, she had immediately set Kagome up to see Dr. Bradley, the resident psychiatrist, and while Kagome had protested, in the end she had gone simply to appease her mother. But deep down, she really didn't want to be sitting across from this woman; she wanted to be with Inuyasha.

"And how did you feel once the shock wore off?" Dr. Bradley swept her hair out of her face, but it seemed pointless since it fell right back where it was a few seconds later.

"Well, I suppose I felt a great sense of loss. I mean, even though I hadn't known I was pregnant, the idea that I had been meant something was lost. And, deep down, I do want children eventually, and though I wasn't ready yet, I would have still welcomed the child with open arms."

"I'm sure you would have," Dr. Bradley smiled, but Kagome just felt like she was a child herself in the presence of this calm woman. "I think that's all for today Kagome. I'll see you next week, same time?"

"Sure," Kagome hastily rose to her feet, afraid it appeared rude, but the older woman didn't comment on it, so she left.

It was strange, Kagome thought that when a person saw a psychiatrist or therapist, all their emotions came bubbling to the surface, and they left feeling purged and relieved. But all she felt at that moment was like her emotions retreated while she was with Dr. Bradley, only to resurface once she left, because now she felt the prickling of tears in her eyes.

She was feeling the loss of the baby more then she let on, though Kagome suspected Inuyasha had a better idea then the rest just because he knew her so well. She would dream at night about holding the child in her arms, Inuyasha walking at her side in the park as they pushed a stroller, passersby commenting on what a beautiful child they had.

But what killed her more then anything was imagining the baby's smile. She pictured the child as having amber eyes like its father, eyes that would light up with innocence she had never seen in Inuyasha as its cheeks dimpled and its toothless mouth opened into that unique coo that only a baby could produce.

"Oh," she whimpered, stumbling into her mother's minivan in the cement parking garage next to the medical plaza. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks, and her eyes grew puffy and red, her lips swollen as she literally bit back the urge to whimper.

She wanted, oh so desperately to hate Sukiono for what he had done. She so desperately wanted to fall into that dark trap of despair and revenge, and it was like fighting the currents of the ocean not to.

The only thing holding her back, other then Inuyasha's love, was that she had seen the results of such desires in so many different people.

Onigumo had hated Kikyou for not loving him, and in turn became Naraku, a bloodthirsty, inhuman monster bent on world domination and the destruction of a simple miko whose only crime had been guarding the Shikon no Tama.

Sesshoumaru, who had moved somewhat passed his grudge against his father, had sought so long to kill Inuyasha because he hated the fact that the hanyou had been granted the tetsusaiga and he had not. In truth it was only Rin and Nancy who had changed his personality, truly, for the better.

Kikyou, for the longest time, had not allowed herself to move on and live a normal life because she wanted revenge against Inuyasha for betraying her. And then later, when she knew the truth, she couldn't let go, instead insisting on staying in the realm of the living, dead souls in her body, to take Inuyasha with her to hell, still hating him in a sense for living when she had died.

There was Sango, who believed so fervently that Inuyasha had killed her family she was blind to reason, ready to kill him in an instant.

Even Inuyasha, who Kagome loved with all her heart, would have done anything, no matter how evil, if it had meant the destruction of Naraku. Luckily, he hadn't been pushed to that point, but Kagome knew it wouldn't have taken much.

And then there was Sukiono, the man who had craved revenge so desperately he had caught the eye of his father, and thus become the monster Kagome and Inuyasha had so desperately wanted to defeat once before. He would have been so much better off, Kagome was sure, if he had never met Naraku in the first place, but unfortunately no one can turn back the clocks of time and undo what is already done.

Sitting back up, her mind slowing down as the tears faded away, Kagome sucked in a deep breath, pulled her hair back into a ponytail using the rubber band around her wrist, and started the car.

The drive home was silent; she didn't even bother to turn on the radio. But that didn't matter, because she knew her mind needed time to process everything that had happened.

In some ways she felt thought was more of a hindrance then a help, because the more time she put between the present and the moment she had found out she miscarried, the more pain she felt. Her mind should never have been given the chance to ponder what might have been, but now that it could, it had taken ideas and ran with them.

Pulling into the driveway, Kagome sighed and reluctantly turned off the ignition, smoothing her hair and running a hand over her face, trying to rid her cheeks of their abnormally red color.

No one in the house seemed to notice, except for Inuyasha, but he remained silent, obviously deciding she had talked enough for that day. For this Kagome was grateful, and gave him a warm embrace, which he returned firmly, giving her that familiar feeling of security.

"Hi sweetheart," Mrs. Higurashi called from the kitchen, and Kagome smiled in response. It was so like her mother to carry on as though nothing was wrong, but then that was just her personality; all sunshine and no rain.

"Hi mama," she called back, pulling free of Inuyasha's arms and walking into the living room, where all she wanted to do was collapse on the couch and sleep. Grief was exhausting, she decided with an inwardly sardonic chuckle.

Curling up into a ball on one end of the comfortable piece of furniture, Kagome closed her eyes and tried to will her body to sleep, ignoring everything else around her for the time being, including Sango and Miroku, who were sharing the recliner opposite the couch.

"Hey, I had my eye on that couch before you got here," a familiar voice complained, and Kagome smiled, opening her eyes to see Nancy standing before her with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

The group had remained in Kaede's time for almost an entire week after Kagome first woke up, waiting for Sesshoumaru to return the woman under his care. When he finally had arrived, they had been bombarded by teasing from everyone, including Kagome, as well as questions about what might have 'transpired' between them during their time alone.

But Sesshoumaru, stoic as ever, had looked everyone in the eye and insisted that nothing had happened, and because he was so noble, Kagome was forced to believe him, though her imagination liked to believe otherwise.

"It's mine now," Kagome replied to her friend's comment, and Nancy shrugged, falling instead onto the carpeted floor in a crisscross position.

She looked better after receiving medical attention from some of Tokyo's finest doctors, though it had taken some serious lies to explain her unusual bruises, both internal and external. No one could understand how the woman had bruised all of her ribs, as though she had been thrown to the ground and rolled a long ways.

Naturally, Kagome had acted as clueless as everyone else when they voiced their confusion.

But Nancy still bore several signs of battle, including a hideous black eye and a sprained ankle, for which she wore a brace. Still, she didn't complain, because when the firm heard she had been in a 'car accident', they immediately gave her two weeks off for recovery, in which time she had hardly left Sesshoumaru's side, or he hers.

"So, have a good meeting?" The lawyer asked, as to the point as ever, and for some reason, that made answering the question easier for Kagome. She didn't feel like Nancy was trying to skate the subject or treat it so dramatically.

"It went okay," Kagome replied honestly, "Though I have to admit I didn't feel like talking much."

"I should think you wouldn't," Nancy concurred, lying down so that she was sprawled all over the carpet. "Frankly, I don't think you should have to if you don't want to. Everyone grieves in their own way."

Kagome smiled at that. "It isn't that I don't want to talk about it, I just don't want to right now."

"That's my point; you should be allowed to grieve at your own pace. I say you don't go to see Dr. Whatever anymore." She winked. "Why should you when you have an expert like me practically living at your house?"

Kagome laughed. "That reminds me," she commented, "Don't you have your own apartment?"

The blonde waved the comment away casually. "Nah, who wants to go there when I can come here and hang out with a demon lord who has a sword that brings people back to life, hair any woman would kill for, amber eyes that are more gorgeous then a sunset, and who feels so protective of me refuses to leave my side?"

"Good point," Kagome agreed, "Who would want to leave that?"

"Exactly."

They all lapsed into silence, though comfortable, for a time, and Kagome felt sleep overcoming her again, only to be interrupted when Inuyasha stormed into the living room sounding irritated.

"Who ate my sandwich?"

"What?" They all asked together, sounding annoyed. The hanyou fumed and grunted.

"I asked who ate my sandwich."

"What sandwich?" Miroku clarified from where he sat lazily, Sango sitting on his lap comfortably.

"The one Kagome's mother made for me," Inuyasha almost sounded depressed that someone would touch his precious food.

"That was for you?"

Inuyasha turned to face Sesshoumaru, who stood in the doorway to the kitchen, looking as passive as ever despite the fact that he had stolen his brother's sandwich.

"Duh it was for me, baka, who else would it be for?"

"Considering there are nine people currently living here, I had no idea, and since it was just sitting there, I helped myself. Is that a problem?"

"Of course it's a problem! Stop stealing my stuff! Or better yet, why don't we have Kagome take you home right now?"

"Because I'm too lazy," his wife replied from the couch, annoyed that her sleep had been stopped yet again. Inuyasha grunted in frustration but turned away, realizing he wasn't going to win that particular argument.

"Why are you so upset anyway?" Miroku asked. "It's not like you can't make another sandwich."

"Keh, that's not the point."

Kagome sat up, suddenly picking up on his tense tone. "Then what is the point, Inuyasha?"

He met her eyes briefly before looking forward again. "Why are we sitting here when Sukiono walks free in the Feudal Era? We should be trying to find him!"

"Because we need to regroup," Sango replied. "He's a new enemy, and we need to reset our plan of attack."

"How hard can it be? We find the guy and kill him, simple as that."

"But it's not that simple, Inuyasha," Kagome soothed, recalling Sukiono's strange attitude toward her, and how he almost seemed to have a split personality. "You've heard it said before; we need to understand our enemy better before we can attack him."

Inuyasha huffed. "I understand perfectly what he is: he's just like Naraku, bent on world domination and, for some reason, having you all to himself. And I'll be damned if I just sit around and let him take what he wants!"

Kagome was shocked to see his eyes flicker red, and realized he wasn't holding the tetsusaiga. Instantly she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his back, her smell comforting him, somewhat.

"He's not going to take me away again, Inuyasha, because I won't let him. And he doesn't want me, he wants the power of the Shikon no Tama which, coincidentally, I can give him."

But the hanyou was gruffly shaking his head. "You don't get it Kagome, because you didn't see him after you saved me from the attack. He looked so stunned, and so afraid that you might be dead, that I think he was as concerned as I was, and I'm your mate."

"So he has a crush on me, what's the big deal?" Kagome was trying to make light of the situation, though she saw the point Inuyasha was trying to make.

"You know it's more then that, Kagome-chan," Sango replied, voicing everyone else's thoughts. "If Sukiono is anything like Naraku, then he won't just have a crush on you, he'll become obsessed, and an obsessed, half-crazed man is extremely dangerous."

Kagome rolled her eyes, feeling slightly irritated. "You think I don't know that? I'll be careful, okay? It's not like I enjoyed being the one who was, once again, captured, you know."

"Of course you were the one who was captured," Inuyasha snapped, "You're the one with the powers he wants. So don't act like it's some big deal, because it isn't. You just have to be more careful, and not so stupid regarding your safety."

"Stupid!" Kagome felt her temper flare. "Where do you, mister-charge- blindly-into-a-fight, get off calling me stupid? How many times have I saved your butt, anyway?"

"We're not talking about me, wench! We're talking about you, and I don't really want to have to go looking for you again because you're his prisoner."

The room went silent, and only Inuyasha seemed unaware of what he had just said. Kagome couldn't believe it.

"So, on the one hand I can't help that I'm captured, and on the other I'm still just the helpless victim, is that it?" Her voice was cold, and Inuyasha suddenly felt his high horse collapse beneath him.

"Kagome, you know that's not what I meant."

"Isn't it though? What else would you have meant?" Tears were in her eyes, and Kagome turned away from the group. "I'm sorry you have to watch over me all the time, Inuyasha, maybe if I just died you wouldn't have to worry about that any more."

It was a cruel thing to say to a man she knew loved her more then life itself, but frankly at that moment she felt like being selfish. It wasn't like she was that way all the time.

Storming out of the living room, she marched upstairs and slammed her door, locking it and then proceeding to throw herself dramatically on her bed, weeping into her pillows. Out of habit, she found herself reaching for the stuffed dog, and curled up into a tiny ball.

The sound of someone trying to open the door reached her ears, but Kagome ignored it, surprised when Inuyasha made no effort to yell at her. Instead, he seemed to relent and walk away.

But she was quickly proven wrong when a few seconds later he came bounding through her window, and she mentally cursed her stupidity for leaving it open.

Taking her in his arms, she was surprised to feel hot tears transfer from his cheeks to hers. He was crying.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, and he clutched her tighter, as though to squeeze her into his very body.

"You stupid, stupid girl," he muttered over and over again. "How could you think I would want you dead? Don't even think it!"

"Inuyasha, you know I didn't mean it. But ever since I've met you, I have a bad habit of saying things out of spite."

She meant it as a joke, but he only seemed to grow more somber, practically squeezing the air from her lungs. But she didn't care. She still felt so much inner pain over the loss of her baby, and the turmoil surrounding Sukiono, that it was nice to feel safe within a pair of iron-strong arms.

"I worry about you, Kagome," he whispered, and she opened her eyes in surprise.

"About me? Why?"

"Because you don't talk to me about, um, the baby."

"Oh," Kagome turned into his shoulder, not wanting to meet his eyes. She had been avoiding that topic with him, but only to save him the pain. "Sorry, I guess I was trying to save you from going through what I am."

"But I'm already going through it, and more." He pulled away and put his fingers under her chin. "Do you know how desperately I want to rip Sukiono in half for what he did to you, and for what he stole from us?"

"I know Inuyasha," and Kagome truly believed he meant what he said, and that frightened her. "But you can't allow yourself to feel that way any more then I can. He's not worth it."

The hanyou looked away, his ears drooping in the signal Kagome knew meant he had an embarrassing question to ask. "Do you still, um, want to have my children some day?"

Kagome felt tears in her eyes again, but this time they were tears of indulgence and love as she threw her arms around him once more. "Of course I do, Inuyasha, more then anything in the world. And we have lots of time for children." She pulled away and winked at him. "What do you think? Ten or fifteen?"

He laughed at that, and she relished the sound as she kissed his cheek lovingly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap.

"We have to go back," he said finally, and she nodded.

"I know."

Their eyes met, and Kagome found herself forgetting everything else, including her pain, as she became lost in his beautiful amber orbs. He blushed, and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was.

"We could wait until tomorrow though," he whispered, his voice raspy, and Kagome could only nod before succumbing to something her body had wanted, and been denied, for the past several weeks.

Down in the living room, the two remaining couples heard the thump as Inuyasha and Kagome fell to the ground awkwardly, and while Miroku smirked, Sango just rolled her eyes.

"How incredibly rude, to do that where we can hear," she whispered, her cheeks stained red. Miroku squeezed her hands.

"I don't know, doesn't it kind of put you in the mood?"

"Absolutely not!"

Sesshoumaru just grunted and looked away, but Nancy was smirking at him from where she still lounged on the carpet.

"Oh I don't know," she commented, twirling her fingers in small circles, "I think it's kind of sexy, in a way. Don't you, Sesshoumaru?"

Sango and Miroku could only stare as they saw the stoic Lord of the Western Lands blush profusely as his eyes lit up with desire. Just what had that pair been up to while away from the rest of the group?