"Itachi, is that you?" Itachi sighed in defeat at the sound of his mother's voice.
I should have known I couldn't get past her. "Yes, Mother."
"Would you come in here a moment and help me?"
Itachi walked into the kitchen, only to frown. His mother was standing on her tiptoes trying to reach something above the refrigerator. With ease, he pulled it down and handed to her. She beamed at him, only to suddenly frown.
"Itachi. What's the matter, Baby?"
Itachi's brow crinkled in confusion. She hasn't called me that since Sasuke learned what the word meant. "Nothing is the matter, Mother."
"Pish-posh. You look tired. Are you overworking yourself? I've told that father of yours not to push you so hard, but he forgets to listen sometimes."
"Mother, I'm fine." Itachi wished to cut her off before she got going. He had work to do. No matter how much he wanted to drop onto the nearest comfortable object and sleep, he had a mission in two days and needed to prepare.
Mikoto waved her hand at his insistance, taking one of her boy's hand in hers and led him to the family room. She knelt down, bringing him down with her, even as he protested.
"Oh hush, Baby. You may be growing, too fast in my opinion, but you will always be my boy. Now, why don't you tell me why you look like an old man, instead of a vibrant twelve-year-old, like any normal child?"
"I'm not normal, Mother." Itachi started to protest, only to sigh in content as she began running her long fingers through his silken hair.
"Hm, don't I know that. I lost you because of it."
"You haven't lost me, Mother. I will always come back to you and Sasuke."
Mikoto leaned down, laying a kiss on his head, before leaning her forehead against his head. "I know, Baby. I'm your mother. I just can't help feeling you're growing much too fast. I want you to be my little bright Baby forever."
"Mother-"
"Shh," she whispered in his ear, continuing to massage his scalp. "Sleep, Baby. I'm here to watch over you."
(Four Hours Later)
Sasuke walked into the house, slipped off his shoes and immediately made his way to the family room, where his mother always waited to help him with his homework.
"Mother, I'm ho-"
He stopped when he found his mother kneeling beside the tea table, her finger to her lips, Itachi laying in her lap fast asleep.
"Is Nii-san alright?" He asked in a whisper, pulling his book bag over his head, frowning when it caught a little.
His mother nodded. "He was just a little tired. I helped him sleep."
Sasuke nodded. He understood, his nii-san often forgot to sleep and he coughed a lot when he got streesed. Sasuke never told his parents though, because Nii-san begged him not to. He hadn't told his mother, so if she knew, that meant Nii-san had told her and she took care of him. It was what mothers did after all.