A/N More Lemony Goodness! Consider yourself warned. (Grumbles to self) I swear a little sex and some people get their freaking knickers in a twist. Sheesh.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Arabian Proverb

InuYasha stood with Isamu at the east wall and turned a grim face towards the forest. It was late afternoon but the sun had long been blotted out by the gathering horde. He gazed into the sky and wondered idle how successful he would be if he tried to send Kagome away, preferable back to Kaede's village and down the well. Having her a few hundred years in the future when the demons finally attacked was sounding better and better to the hanyou, but he knew it wasn't feasible.

He bit back a snort. Even if it had been feasible she still wouldn't have left. His miko could be just as stubborn, if not more so, than he when it came to doing what she thought was right.

His, he thought, and tried to ignore the way that possessive pronoun made him feel. If he managed to survive the night of the full moon he would have time enough to worry about his feelings later.

If he survived, and it was looking like a big if. He glanced at the man standing next to him and noticed the same grim and calculating look on his countenance. The hanyou had no problem discerning what was going through the ronin's mind.

"Riko makes a lot of noise," he said conversationally. The dark look his friend shot him caused his lips to twitch.

"No more so than Kagome," Isamu replied. The half-demon scowled. A few moments of silence stretched and it became clear that neither man seemed willing to continue to pursue this line of talk. Isamu decided to have pity on him.

"How are the fortifications looking on the North wall?" Grateful to be conversing about something other than his sex life InuYasha replied.

"We've reinforced the existing supports with thicker beams and created stronger ramparts for the archers. Other than that…there wasn't much else to do. I will say this, Sango and her people knew their stuff. The bulwark is as strong as any I've seen, and with the natural wall of rock provide by the Western mountain side this village is well fortified."

Isamu grunted in agreement. "That's all fine and good, but that does nothing to help us with manpower."

He had no response to that. He knew the ronin was right so what good would it have done to argue. He scowled at the demons littering the sky and his thoughts turned dark again. They didn't have enough trained slayers and the fact remained that Tetsusaiga, albeit powerful, wasn't indestructible or fool-proof.

In short, they were doomed. His scowl deepened and a soft, "Keh," whistled through his lips. If Kagome was standing here she'd probably sit him till he couldn't walk for all his negative thoughts.

Something of his musing must have shown on his face because Isamu was suddenly grinning at him.

"You know it sure took you long enough." InuYasha snorted.

"Keh…look who's talking."

His friend laughed out loud and then sobered. He crossed his arms over his chest and returned his gaze to the forest beyond.

"Complicates things."

Another snort was his only response from the hanyou, but it conveyed his opinion of that vast understatement perfectly. He had to fight not to grin.

They stood there letting a comfortable silence envelop them, each lost in their own thoughts, when suddenly InuYasha cursed and drew Tetsusaiga. Instantly alert, Isamu drew his own sword and asked.

"What is it?"

The half-demon didn't answer, but his ears and nose were twitching in agitation. He cursed again and raced down the rampant and took off at unbelievable speeds into the village. Isamu cursed roundly and followed. He reached the village square in time to see his friend and another, unexpected but familiar being, snarling at each other.

Well to be truthful InuYasha was snarling, the other was simply gazing at the hanyou as if he was something nasty he'd stepped in.

"What are you doing here you bastard," InuYasha growled.

Lord Sesshomaru, daiyoukai, Lord of the Western lands, and though both he and InuYasha loathed the distinction, the hanyou's half brother, pinned the growling half-demon beneath his laconic and superior stare.

"I was called."

The terse explanation did nothing to clam InuYasha's ire, but only seemed to inflame it more.

"I thought I told you that if I saw you again I'd kill you." Something that looked deceptively like a smirk, quirked the regal demon's lips.

"You are welcome to try."

With a growl he hefted Tetsusaiga and probably would have attacked his brother if not for the appearance of Kagome. Shaking with annoyance, the miko stalked over to the two brothers.

"Sit boy!"

The beads around InuYasha's neck flared and he slammed to the unmerciful earth, shooting his mate a death glare.

"Kagome! What the fuck!"

She glowered at him and then turned to Sesshomaru with a smile.

"Thank you so much for coming. I wasn't sure…"

The demon's expression remained impassive.

"I owe you a life debt miko, and I always repay my debts." She smiled nervously.

"Yeah well…that is…I wasn't sure you'd get my message."

"The stone functioned as it was meant to. Considering the danger, however, I have left Rin with Jaken, but your ward refused to stay behind."

Kagome parted her lips to ask him what he meant when an exuberant yell of, "Kagome!" interrupted her.

She turned and found her arms full of fox kit. Shippo hugged her tightly around the middle and she laughed and marveled, not for the first time, at how much he'd grown.

He was no longer the little boy he'd been when they'd first begun their quest for the shards of the sacred jewel but, thankfully, he wasn't yet fully grown. She ruffled his hair and hugged him back.

"It's good to see you Shippo." The fox kit pulled back and grinned up at her, but his expression suddenly turned puzzled. She watched his nose wiggle and his tail twitch in the way it always had when he was trying to figure something out. His eyes went wide and she felt nerves clench her stomach.

He pulled out of her embrace and looked from her to the hanyou that was still pinned to the ground. His gaze turned incredulous.

"You're mated," he said. Kagome turned bright red and InuYasha growled.

"Hey runt, you'd better run 'cause when I get free I'm gonna pound you good." Shippo turned accusing eyes on him.

"You'd better not have forced her you big moron or I'm gonna…"

InuYasha started struggling against the magic holding him.

"Why you little…I'm gonna…just wait shrimp, I'm gonna pound you into next week!"

"Kagome! InuYasha's threatening me! And it's a legitimate question. I mean, why else would you mate a guy like InuYasha!"

The miko was practically glowing from her embarrassment and now they were drawing a crowd. Murmurs were starting to echo through the growing throng and she knew that she needed to nip this in the butt before it got any worse."

"Shippo," she commanded in her best mommy tone. "That's enough. You know how I feel about InuYasha and you also know that he would never have forced me to do something I didn't want to do."

The fox kit toed the ground and looked properly chastised. "I'm sorry, Kagome." She crossed her arms and graced him with a level stare.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing too."

He turned to InuYasha and mumbled his apologies to the hanyou. Just then the magic that had been holding the half-demon captive released him and he jumped to his feet and hefted Shippo by his shirt.

"Now you're gonna get it runt." With an exasperated sigh, Kagome bellowed.

"Oh, for the love of…sit boy!" He slammed to the ground again and whined piteously.

"Kagome!"

She said nothing to him as she picked Shippo up off the ground and told him.

"Shippo, why don't you go and see what Riko and Benji are doing?" He pouted and glanced from the miko to the hanyou before nodding.

"All right, Kagome."

He stuck his tongue out at the half-demon, who growled at him in response, before scampering away towards Riko's hut.

Sesshomaru, who had been watching the whole scene impassively, stepped forward.

"Do you have accommodations for me?" She felt her stomach jump again, but she managed a nod. She half expect the youkai to say something about what he'd just heard but he surprised her.

"The hut next to Riko's is free it's the one over there." She pointed and then turned towards Isamu. "Can you show him?"

The ronin nodded and gestured towards Sesshomaru. The daiyoukai inclined his head imperceptivity and address his brother, keeping his back to him.

"We shall finish this another time."

"Bastard," his brother growled, and that barely there smirk touched the demon's lips again and without another word he followed Isamu.

Eyes wide, Kagome watched the stoic Lord retreat into the village. The villagers that had stopped to hear the argument suddenly found the need to be elsewhere. Some of them watched the demon Lord apprehensively, but most simply ignored him and left. Soon the crowd had all drifted away, leaving Kagome alone with her hanyou.

She knelt down and he lifted his face to hers, scowling.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Keh," he scoffed and looked away. She shook her head and sighed. Sometimes he made her so mad she wanted to beat him.

"I thought you and your brother had put all that sibling rivalry nonsense behind you."

InuYasha mumbled something unintelligible and she leaned forward to hear him better.

"What was that?"

He scowled and she yelped when he suddenly moved and pulled her to him. Before she could protest he'd picked her up and leapt to the roof tops. She squealed.

"InuYasha!" He grunted when he felt her fists against his back but said nothing until he'd landed near the cherry tree and pulled her into a relatively secluded corner. When he let her go she rounded on him.

"What the hell was that for!?" She growled and beat his chest with her small fists. He easily caught her hands and restrained her. His golden gaze narrowed.

"What the hell is he doing here!?"

She glared right back at him. "What do you think he's doing here, baka! I called in my favor because, 'hello!' we need all the help we can get."

InuYasha's normal scowl took on new dimensions and he digested this. "Keh," he scoffed, turned his back on her, and crossed his arms. She rested her hands on her hips, arms akimbo, and glared holes into his stubborn hide.

He frowned. He knew she was right, they really did need all the help they could get, but why in Kami's name did she run to his brother? She knew how he felt about the bastard. Sure, during the war they'd managed to not kill each other and yes, that truce extended to his reluctant agreement to let Shippo spend time in the Western lands periodically with Rin, but it didn't mean he wanted his brother's help.

His scowl deepened. He knew he was being irrational but then, rational thought never really applied to his relationship, or lack there of, with his half brother. Angry, he rounded on his mate.

"You had no right to summon him." Just as angry she spat.

"I don't NEED your permission to do ANYTHING. You don't own ME!"

Growling her grabbed her upper arms and she winced and flinched as his claws dug in.

"You're MY mate! Mine!" She wrenched away from him.

"That does NOT give you the right to manhandle me! I…Ooooo, I swear I should just si…"

Her words were cut off when he pulled her tightly against his body and slammed his mouth over hers, his tongue plunging deep into her hot depths. She pushed at his shoulders, trying to get him off of her, but it was like trying to move granite. Slowly the kiss changed. His lips softened and his tongue went from punishing to caressing. Kagome felt her lingering anger flow slowly away, and she whimpered as their passion rose.

When he sucked on her lower lip and gently nipped the skin she mewled, and he moaned when her tongue tentatively ran across his and she gently sucked on his invading appendage. They were both breathing heavy when they separated and his golden eyes were glowing.

Gently, he rested his forehead against hers and fought for control.

"I-I'm sorry," he murmured. She reached up her hand and caressed his cheek.

"I-It's okay. I-I should have told you that I called him." He closed his eyes and opened them and parted his lips to speak before clamping them shut. Curious, she brushed her lips against his and whispered.

"What is it?" He shook his head slightly and she felt the motion against her skin.

"What?" She entreated. He sighed.

"I-It's just…Kami Kagome, don't you know that I'll protect you. With my life is necessary. You don't need that bastard here to…"

She placed a finger over his lips stilling them and a tiny smile quirked hers.

"InuYasha, you are such an idiot. Do you honestly think that's why I called your brother here? Because you think I don't think you can protect me?"

He frowned and his brow creased in confusion.

"N-Not that exactly…I just…He's just…" She cut him off.

"It was no reflection on you. I know you're powerful, but you're not powerful enough to take on a near unending siege of demons, and no one here is near powerful enough to help you. He is…he can help you and together maybe you'll stand a chance. I can't lose you InuYasha, I won't lose you, and if it means calling in my favor from your brother then so be it."

He scowled softly. That fucking favor, he always knew that it would come back to bite him in the ass. During the war, Kagome had done something almost unforgivable in his eyes. She'd been injured saving his brother's life. Sesshomaru had been as equally displeased as InuYasha, if not more so, and he'd given her a river stone imbued with magic. He'd told her that he owed her a life debt and that if she'd ever had need, she could use the stone to call in one favor.

"He hates humans." She nodded.

"Yes, but he fought for them once before." He scoffed.

"He fought for his lands, nothing more."

She shrugged. "It had the same result. This time he'll fight because he owes me a life debt and his honor demands it. It will be enough."

InuYasha smirked. "So…you called my brother here to protect me?" She chuckled.

"Ironic isn't it?"

He kissed her again and she clung to him, tongues, lips, and teeth devouring each other. He was panting again when he pulled back. He nipped her pulse point and she sucked in a breath. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and her hands instinctively threaded through his silkily white hair.

"I-I love you, Kagome," he murmured, so softly that she wasn't sure she heard it. She started and he pulled back.

"I-InuYasha?" He looked away, uneasy.

"I…that is…I…" He couldn't say it with her looking at him like that. She smiled softly and tears pricked her eyes.

"I-It's okay. I know." She kissed him again, and didn't protest when he laid her down under the cherry tree.

Soon they were laying on a pile of discarded clothing with him propped up on one elbow his golden eyes feasting on her pale, silky skin. She bit her lip and arched into his touch when he wrapped one large, claw tipped hand around her breast. Slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, he bent his head and captured her other straining nipple and suckled while he gently ran the tip of his thumb claw over the other. She made a sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a guttural moan.

Her chocolate orbs half lidded, she buried one hand in his hair, holding his mouth to her breast and the other trailed down over his tight abdomen, seeking the one part of his anatomy that was sure to drive him wild. She felt the tight muscles ripple under her soft touch and a low growl rumbled in his chest. The rumbled turned to a full pant when she wrapped her hand around his straining cock and started to stroke him from tip to base.

"Kagome," he moaned. She nipped his chin. He deftly captured her hands and trapped it against her hip.

"You sure seem to be fascinated by my cock." She turned crimson and sputtered.

"It's not…I'm not…Ohhh you…you baka!" He chuckled and started kissing his way down her flat stomach down her left hip only to pause over the silky dark haired mound that hid her womanhood."

She gazed at him with wide, curious eyes.

"I-Inuyasha?" He grinned, feral.

"I've been dying to find out if you taste as good as you smell," he rumbled, low. She gasped just as he buried his head between her thighs and ran his long tongue along her dripping labia, before plunging inside.

She screamed and he continued his sensual assault, alternating between running his tongue deep inside to flicking it rapidly against her swollen clit. Hands fisted in the earth beside at her sides she bucked her hips and thrashed panting hard. InuYasha moved up her folds and caught her clit between his lips, sucking hard while he plunged two fingers inside her.

His claws lent him an advantage for he was able to find the line of nerves concealed in her vaginal walls and scrap back and forth against them. Kagome's eyes rolled back into her head and she came so hard her body arched off the ground while she cried his name in ecstasy. Slowly, she came back to earth, falling limp and satiated. InuYasha removed his fingers and licked them clean before kissing his way up her body. She smiled at him and gazed at him with languid, well pleasured eyes. He felt his already sizable ego swell.

"Liked that, huh." She mumbled something unintelligible and nodded. He smirked and grazed her lips with his before nuzzling her neck and whispering.

"Now for round two." Her eyes went wide and before she could protest he leaned his back against the tree and pulled her astride him so her legs straddled his hips. He plunged inside her causing her to gasp. Mindless with want they rocked against each other, grunts, growls, and moans filling the air.

A loud, keening cry was ripped from her throat when he thrust into her deeper, and harder than ever before. Light flared, her senses became hyper sensitive, and she could feel her inner muscles milking him as her orgasm tore through her. He groaned loud and long as his cock spasm and he spilled his seed into her womb.

Breathing heavy the collapsed to the ground and he pulled her into his arms.

Rubbing the smooth skin of her back they laid there together, gazing up at the sky and generally enjoying the afterglow. He felt his heart swell and he glanced down at his mate's beautiful face. Protectively, he gathered her against him and she snuggled into his warmth with a contented sigh.

Mine, his demon growled and he couldn't agree more. She was his and nothing and no one would be taking her away from him anytime soon.

So…he would do as she asked. He would fight side by side with his bastard brother once again, and they would drive off Tatsuo's hordes.

Failure…was not an option.