Author's Note: None for this chapter. Please read and review! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

Chapter Three: Howling Winds of The Enemy

Inuyasha and Kagome left the children's room for their own as soon as all 'goodnights' have been said and done. Kagome yawned and scratched the back of her neck. "I'm so tired." She murmured as she and her husband entered their room.

"Me too." Said Inuyasha at the asme time he and Kagome practically fell on their futon with exhaustion. He took off his haori and his white top that was under it.

"You do know that most of that story you just told our children was a lie, don't you?" Kagome asked carelessly and also undressed.

Inuyasha shook his head once, "It was not a lie...Well.. It was as close to the truth as it was gonna get." Inuyasha responded and draped an arm over Kagome's shoulders, pulling her closer to him. She faced him and she leaned her head against his chest. A couple of minutes later, she very slowly pulled back a little and looked at him.

Kagome smiled as she cuddled up with her warm blankets. Inuyasha yawned and Kagome saw his white fangs until he closed his mouth again. They reminded her of her children. They had fangs yes, but they weren't as sharp as Inuyasha's.

Great sadness filled Kagome's heart and soul as she looked at Inuyasha's closed eyes. She suddenly felt bad now, she was positive that Inuyasha wanted strong, and powerful demon children like himself. And she, a mere human, had taken that chance away.

"Why are you still awake Kagome?" Inuyasha only whispered curiously as he opened his eyes to reveal the golden color of them that she had fallen in love with so long ago.

Kagome jumped a bit, temporarily forgetting that he could tell when she was asleep or not. "Oh, I just...I" She tried to say, but she turned her head from him and instead looked at the ceiling of their room. Inuyasha sat up slightly, shifting his weight on his elbow and lower arm that now lay against the futon. He was on his side and turned Kagome's head gently with one hand for her to look at him, "Kagome...I know something's bothering you, tell me." He said in a soft voice that she couldn't help but answer to.

She leaned her cheek in his hand more, "I've just.... been having some thoughts on my mind is all." She tried to say and closed her eyes in means to rest. She tried desperately to fool her loved one, but it obviously didn't work. Inuyasha grunted and sat up, taking Kagome with him, "Kagome, tell me what's wrong, please." He asked and held her hands. 'What is she afraid to tell me?' He thought and saddened. He didn't want her to feel distressed about anything, and so he was going to help her.

Kagome sighed and knew she wasn't going to win and go to sleep, so she just told what was in her heart, "Inuyasha, are you… disappointed?" She asked quietly. Kagome looked down at his hands that were holding hers.

Inuyasha blinked, "D-Disappointed?...About what?" He asked, confusion engraving itself on his face hastily.

Kagome looked down, "Well, I have mixed feelings about this but...do you ever regret, having me as your mate?" She whispered.

He narrowed his eyes in much bewilderment, "Regret? Of course not. Why would you think that Kagome?" He asked in desperation and shook his head.

Kagome closed her eyes and breathed in a heavy sigh. She opened her eyes again and looked at Inuyasha, "What I'm trying to say is, that one thought had came to my mind more than once before and," She said in a whisper, "I know you Inuyasha...I know that long before you and I were together, that you spoke of wanting strong and powerful demon children...And I'm afraid that I haven't given that to you..." She admitted and looked down again.

She spoke before he could, "I know that you absolutely love our children to death Inuyasha, of course, and so do I. However, because I am only human, I have created them to be weaker than you have ever intended them to be...I feel like I made you lose something you always wanted, and that you can never get it back now..."

She closed her eyes now and did not speak any longer. Then suddenly, she felt familiarly strong arms wrapping themselves around her. She opened her eyes to be met with Inuyasha against her, hugging her tightly, "Kagome, in my past, I have only dreamed of raising strong children to follow my guidance and have possessed great strength. It is all that male demons wish for... But when I met Kikyo, I still had that wish, I still had that dream. I had to struggle with the feeling of letting it go when I had met her, I still hadn't trusted anyone then..."

Kagome froze, "When I was with you Kagome, and got to know you more, things changed...I became merciful and trustworthy of others like I couldn't believe." Inuyasha said quietly and pulled away from their hug to look at Kagome, "I wanted strong and wonderful children, yes, and you know what?" He smiled.

"What?" Kagome asked quietly.

"You gave that to me Kagome...You gave me everything I could ever want...That I could ever need." He whispered and brought his hands on her cheeks gently. "I have everything...Everything that makes me alive and happy, it's all here..." He whispered and kissed her softly.

Kagome became suddenly shy and bashful, as she always did when Inuyasha would be like this with her, despite the passing twelve years of being together. She kissed back nonetheless, and still felt that wonderful heart racking shock that she had felt when he first kissed her in her upstairs bathroom.

As they kissed, they lay back down together...and got a little frisky...

Inuyasha undid her kimono and kissed her more passionately. They were about to have more fun, until they heard a faint cry.

It became louder. It turned out to be the sound of a little girl crying in the other room; Kagome immediately shot straight up and bumped her head against Inuyasha's "OW!" They both groaned and rubbed their heads. Kagome stood up and laced her clothes together again, "I'll go see what the matter is." She mumbled and Inuyasha just rubbed his head where she bumped hers against it. His ears drooped as he did this and laid back down, "I was so close..." He whined and then just shrugged it off. 'Oh well, I'll get her next time.' He thought and closed his eyes.

Kagome entered her children's room and saw that little Kaden was crying. Her golden eyes shed tears and they shimmered in the moonlight. Kagome grew concern as she reached her daughter's side of her futon and hugged her. She noticed her other children still appeared to be asleep as she whispered, "Kaden, its ok, Mommy's here. What's wrong?"

Kaden wiped her tears from her cheek with a tiny balled fist, "I-I had a bad dream." She whimpered and cried into Kagome's neck as she held the girl in her lap. Kaden held onto her mother's shoulders tightly and continued to cry.

Kagome began to rock back and forth slightly and rub Kaden's back smoothly. Kagome closed her eyes and let tears slide down her cheeks as she remembered a time when she was Kaden's age and had had a nightmare. She remembered how she cried out for her mother and how she had came in to see young Kagome crying. Her mother had held her, just like this, and sang to her. Kagome smiled, she felt happy now. Her mother had done this for her, and now she could do it for her own daughter. Kagome was so happy that she had this chance, and thought that this must be what her mother was thinking when she had held her like this, and so, she sang also.

"There's no one in town that I know. You gave us someplace to go." She sang quietly. And just like twelve years ago, Inuyasha was standing right at the doorway, hidden in the shadows. He watched his mate and daughter cry. He watched with sad eyes and wanted to go comfort them, but he kept his distance. This was a time for his wife and daughter to have alone, and besides, he wanted to listen to Kagome sing again like she did often when she didn't know that he was near.

"I never said thank you for that. Thought I might get one more chance... What would you think of me now, so lucky, so strong, so proud." Kagome swallowed down the sob that was building in her throat and squinted her eyes to try and rid the tears that were on the edge of them.

Kagome soon ended the song and looked down at her sleeping daughter.

"Goodnight Kaden." She whispered and kissed her forehead. She laid Kaden back down in her futon and tucked her in. Kagome smoothed out her daughter's hair a couple of times and finally stood up. Kagome wiped her remaining tears that were still present on her face.

When she looked towards the doorway, no one was there. She sighed and walked slowly out of her children's room inaudibly. She stopped just outside the room and sighed again as she looked down.

Then, she felt someone hug her from behind, "I-Inuyasha." She jumped slightly and didn't even bother to turn around. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist and shoulders. He brought his head on her shoulder and kissed her neck. Kagome hugged his arms and closed her eyes and she leaned her head back against his chest.

She turned her head towards his, "I love you."

He smiled and kissed her again, "I love you too." He responded and carefully brought his hands under her knees and back. He slowly lifted her off the ground and carried her to their room again. He looked down at her and saw that her eyes were still closed. 'She must be so tired.' He thought as he lay her down next to him on their futon.

He sighed and hugged her to him again. He brought the covers over them and brought his head next to Kagome's. With his mate by his side, and the love that he felt for her and his family, he fell asleep with no doubts or worries in his heart.

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The morning was bright and warm, like it had been everyday this week and no one minded at all, for that was what they desired.

"Inuyasha, where are the kids? We're going to Miroku and Sango's home today remember? I'm sure Shippo and Kaede are already there!" Kagome called from her room getting dressed. Inuyasha sighed as he stood up from putting the extra firewood away in a bin, "Their right outside playing ball or something!" He called back.

"Playing outside? Did they take a bath yet?" She called from their room again.

"Yes." He said loudly enough for her to hear. "Ok, just make sure they don't get dirty." She replied and didn't say anymore.

Inuyasha occasionally looked out the window to see his children playing outside as he cleaned up the place a little before they left to go to their friends' place.

"I got it! I got it!" Taikan shouted and as predicted, he got it.

The young hanyou had jumped in the air and rolled on the ground with the ball that he had just caught. "Yes! That's five points for me!" He called to his sisters.

The girls frowned, "Nuh uh! You cheated!" Shouted Sanae and moved some of her dark hair out of her face.

"Oh no, not again." Whispered Kaden as she held both her hands politely in front of herself. Rikku pouted and scrunched up her face in annoyance, "I just want to play, not watch them fight all the time." She muttered and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I did not cheat, I caught it before it hit the ground, and therefore I got the point!" He said loudly to his sister rather rudely. Sanae wouldn't back down, "I saw it touch the ground before you had both your hands on it! So you don't get the point!" She said back to her older brother inappropriately.

"Shut up Sanae! You don't know anything!" He shouted and out of frustration, kicked the ball near the forest and next to the stream.

They went on bickering as Rikku and Kaden watched the ball fly away from them, and they sighed.

"I'll get it." Rikku muttered to Kaden and ran off to get the ball where her brother had kicked it at. The two older siblings didn't even notice her run by them to retrieve the valued toy as they continued to argue.

Rikku's ponytail bounced up and down as she ran to get the ball that was in front of the forest. She was almost next to the ball when someone else picked it up. She looked up to see a very tall man in front of her holding her ball. He looked very unfamiliar to her and so she cocked her head to the side in uncertainty, trying to figure out who he was.

Any other person would have chuckled at her cute face that was so confused, but not he.

The man dressed in mysterious dark robes, and had short black hair and darker black eyes kneeled down in front of Rikku, only then did he smile faintly.

He held out the ball to her, but close to him still, so that she would have to walk over to him to get it.

Rikku hesitantly walked closer to the strange man that smiled so oddly. As if, it weren't real.

"Here you are little girl." He spoke with a deep voice and held the ball closer to her. She accepted the ball slowly into her own small hands as she never broke eye contact with the man in front of her.

She held the ball and didn't move from the man or walk away, she could only stare.

The man didn't move either, until finally he slowly placed his larger hand on her head, covering her face. She didn't move. She couldn't.

"Rikku!" Inuyasha called from where he was on a small hill away from where his daughter and the mysterious man were. Rikku was out of her trance in a split second and turned around to look Inuyasha scowling.

Forgetting about the last moment's events, she smiled and ran to Inuyasha, "Daddy!" She exclaimed with joy as she dropped the ball carelessly to the ground.

Inuyasha kneeled down quickly and opened his arms for her to jump into them. Once she was safe in his arms, he stood up again and shifted Rikku to his side and held her close to him. Inuyasha looked at the man who now stood up also, but his smile had disappeared.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Don't ever touch my daughter again." He threatened dangerously. "Well?! Tell me who you are!" He shouted again and brought one of his hands from his daughter, to the hilt of the Tetsusaiga.

"I am the one who you will last set eyes on before you leave this world." The man said in a deadly voice and disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

"Wait!" Inuyahsa shouted and ran after him, holding Rikku closer to him.

But, a mere second later, the man's scent vanished, but left a heart stopping feeling that screamed only one word...Death.