Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor any places, characters, things, or ideas therein. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Shounen Jump, Viz Media, TV Tokyo, etc. I am writing this fic for entertainment purposes only, not monetary gain.

Summary: Three women muse on how their lives have changed for the better. :Gaara x Hinata, Itachi x Temari, Neji x Tenten: Oneshot sequel to "Shadows"

Rating: K+

Warnings: Fluff, cuteness, and babies!

Pairings: Gaara/Hinata, Itachi/Temari, Neji/Tenten

Sequel to: Sunshine, Light and Dark, and Shadows

Author's Note: I am happy to bring to you a very special sequel to Shadows! Like many of you, I wanted to do a sequel, but I wanted to have what I felt was a really good idea before I did it. And then I got this idea, which takes place before the epilogue, and Hinata, Temari, and Tenten all started nattering away in my head, all excited - so I had to write it! And because of the subject matter, I decided I'd post it on mother's day. So to all you mothers, I hope you have a beautiful Mother's Day! And for everyone, I hope you enjoy this fic, and thanks for reading!

*~Dawn~*

.:fyd818:.

Sabaku Hinata woke very late - or very early, depending on one's viewpoint - every sense on high alert. She held her breath, eyes closed, focusing entirely on her second sense, listening, listening...

There it is again. Soft, very faint, but still enough to stir her from exhausted slumber. Easing out from under the blankets - and her husband's protective arm - Hinata slipped across the bedroom on bare, silent feet. With only the moonlight coming through the narrow windows close to the ceiling to guide her, Hinata paused between the two cradles only a few steps away from the bed, eyes drifting from her son's serene face to her daughter's upset one. Cooing softly, comfortingly, Hinata lifted three-week-old Hoshi from her tangled nest of blankets and cradled the infant close to her.

Hoshi fussed for another few moments, but eventually stilled as her mother's warmth soothed her. Her big pale eyes - tinged with the barest trace of green - fixated on Hinata's face, studying her intently as one small hand reached up to latch onto a loose lock of midnight hair just like her own. As her rosebud mouth widened in a toothless grin, she gave a surprisingly strong yank.

Wincing, Hinata gently untangled her hair from her daughter's grasp and shook her head so her long locks fell over her shoulder and down her back, out of reach. "So strong already," she whispered, words meant for Hoshi's ears only. "You probably think you're going to be a ninja someday, hmm?"

Her daughter giggled, as if in agreement.

Adjusting her hold, Hinata slipped out into the main room so she wouldn't disturb Hiashi, who was being quiet for once, or Gaara. She didn't breathe easily until she managed to close the door quietly behind herself. Gently bouncing up and down as she paced, Hinata hummed a lullaby she vaguely remembered Hoshi's namesake singing to her. She didn't remember all the words, but there was something about a red star and tears...

How my life's changed. Hinata missed a beat, but quickly regained her rhythm when Hoshi's sweet face scrunched up, like it did right before she let out a wail to rival a sandstorm's fury. She hadn't really taken time to think about the truth in those words, at least not lately, but as she smoothly segued into another song, she allowed her mind to wander.

A year and a half ago she'd been a terrified eighteen-year-old moving away from everything, everyone, she knew and loved. Hinata arrived in Suna with no idea what to expect, from her future or her husband - who, at the time, she didn't realize she'd met before.

Her gaze flitted toward the closed bedroom door. How had she ever thought of Gaara as a monster? He only had to touch her, or hold one of their children as if they were made of glass, to prove beneath his rough exterior, hardened by his past experience, lay a gentle man overflowing with love and devotion, though sometimes he wasn't sure how to show it.

Hinata pressed a gentle kiss to Hoshi's forehead, never breaking her soothing hum. Though their life together had started out rather rocky and uncertain - filled with danger and secrets - they had prevailed, their relationship all the stronger for the trials they'd endured. Now she couldn't imagine a future without Gaara, or the two precious children whom they'd created together. Hopefully, the first two of several.

She closed her eyes, taking a moment to relish everything she had. A husband who adored her; children who hung on her every sound, every touch, as if she was their entire world; two families - the Sabaku in Suna and Hyuuga in Konoha - who had vowed to protect and love her, and whom she fiercely promised to cherish and defend in return.

A nephew in Suna and a niece in Konoha, with the promise of more in the future. The next generation to carry on the legacies of their clans and their villages, to protect and serve and love with a passion beyond words.

So much pressure. Hinata let out her breath on a gentle sigh, careful not to wake Hoshi, who had drifted off into a light doze. Once upon time she had felt the weight of her clan's expectations, of her duty, on shoulders which felt too thin and weak to hold it. But others had gathered around her and helped her carry the load - Itachi and Temari, Kankuro, Neji and Tenten, Matsuri, and above all, Gaara. There had never been a road too long, a burden too heavy, as long as they stood beside and around her.

Even when their entire village had been destroyed at the hand of the Akatsuki, Hinata felt sure of their ability to rebuild and thrive. Her new life in Suna, with Gaara and the Sabaku (and, in Itachi and Temari's case, Uchiha), had helped her rebuild herself, in a way. She felt confident - in herself and her abilities, in her husband, in her village, in her children. Instead of backing down from a confrontation, she rose to meet it - to defeat it.

She would cower no longer.

As Hoshi's breaths deepened, indicating her slide into true sleep, Hinata returned to the bedroom, slipping in as quietly as she'd left. Creeping past Hiashi's crib, she settled her daughter back into her own, gently smoothing and arranging her blankets around her. Unable to resist the smile tugging at her lips, she ran the back of her finger along her daughter's plump, rosy cheek. "You are so strong, so beautiful," she whispered. "Never let anyone tell you otherwise."

Gentle hands cupped her shoulders, but Hinata didn't startle. Even though Gaara moved with the silent grace of the deadly ninja he'd trained since childhood to be, she always knew when he grew close. "Like mother, like daughter."

Hinata closed her eyes, relishing her husband's whispered words as she cradled Hoshi's incredibly tiny fist in her own hand, usually small and delicate but now large in comparison. "And like father, like son." Glancing over her shoulder, she allowed her eyes to drift from Gaara's face to Hiashi's, still thankfully relaxed in sleep. Usually he was the fussy one in the middle of the night, but apparently Hoshi hadn't wanted to be outdone this time.

They stood together in silence for a long time, simply enjoying their children: Watching them sleep. Listening to them breathe. Occasionally reaching out to touch one or the other, to soothe them back into sleep if they grew fussy.

Had Hinata been able to choose her own future, she would have stayed in Konoha, married someone else, bourne his children. But, with this future chosen for her by her uncle/father, she'd found something even better than her own idle dreams. Even though she'd feared it at first, Suna had become her home. Gaara, her husband, in every possible way and more. And she could not imagine children any more perfect than Hiashi and Hoshi.

No, Hinata mused to herself as Gaara twined his fingers with hers and led her back to bed for a few more precious hours of sleep. Even if she'd written her own story, she couldn't have come up with a better happily-ever-after.

And she eagerly looked forward to seeing where their story took them next.

Uchiha Temari opened her bleary eyes to predawn stillness, for a moment lost to the enigmatic land between waking and sleeping.

As soon as she identified the familiar shapes of the furniture in her room, she withdrew her hand from beneath the blankets to rub her eyes, yawning widely. She stretched, then allowed her hands to fall across her belly, once again flat and toned. She'd trained hard to work off the extra roundness left over after her baby's birth, and had lost it in record time, according to Granny Chiyo.

Her hand went from merely resting to exploring, rubbing gently from one side to the other as she stared up at her bed's canopy. Temari's eyes slipped closed as she remembered the feel of her stomach rounding as her son grew. Of the first fluttery feel of his foot against her ribs. Of the sweet pain of him stretching and growing impatient with the confines of his small world, contained inside his mother's womb. He'd been so anxious to get out...

A soft cooing murmur brought Temari's eyes wide open once again. Rolling over, she leaned over the side of the bed to dangle her hand in the cradle right next to her, relaxing when she felt Shisui's small fist bump her hand, then curl around her index finger.

"Good morning," she whispered, afraid to speak louder for fear of breaking the magical spell. Even though several months had passed since his birth, part of her was afraid if she even blinked her perfect little boy would vanish. Even now she still dreamed of the child who had been ripped from her, though Shisui's birth had helped ease them to an occasional, instead of nearly nightly, occurrance.

Shisui gurgled a response, shaking his mother's finger in a silent demand. Shifting so she was sitting on the edge of the bed, Temari pulled her son, blanket and all, into her arms before once again settling back against her pillows. "Shh," she whispered. She ran her hand over his head, covered with thick dark hair, and smiled down into his cherubic face. "My sweet little boy."

He yawned, then nestled his face against her. Temari knew he was hungry, but she didn't move for a long moment, wanting to cherish his warmth, his sweet weight in her arms, the curve of his cheek and softness of his skin and the gentle puff of each breath which lifted his tiny chest. My son.

A few minutes later, as Shisui happily went about getting his breakfast, Temari leaned her head back again and closed her eyes. Only soft breathing and her baby's suckling filled her ears, and she relished the peaceful quiet of the morning. Before long she'd have to get up and start going about her daily routine. But, for now...

She must have drifted off to sleep again, because the feel of warm, familiar lips pressing against her temple woke her what felt like only a few minutes later.

This time when Temari opened her eyes, bright morning sunlight spilled into the room, stretching across the foot of the bed. "Hmm," she groaned. She must have slept for at least an hour, but it only felt like a few minutes. Especially since sleep was a rarity nowadays.

Itachi smiled down at her, dark hair still hanging in a curtain framing his face, tousled from his own night's sleep. "Good morning," he greeted huskily. He brushed the backs of his fingers down her cheek, then leaned over to kiss his son's forehead.

Temari smiled sleepily, willingly easing over to lean into Itachi's side as he slid his arm around her and pulled her against him. "Good morning," she echoed, feeling uncharacteristically mellow. And lazy. And just generally - happy.

Giddy and excited were probably more appropriate terms, but she'd yank out her hair from the roots before admitting that aloud.

"Am I dreaming?" Temari asked quietly, vulnerably. She felt Itachi's strength around her, Shisui's sweet warmth in her arms, but she still had to ask. Her biggest fear was that one day, somehow, one or both of her boys would be yanked away from her. It wasn't beyond the realm of possiblity - her past had taught her nothing if not that. Even with the old Council gone, things could still happen to her baby. Suna still had enemies, even with the Akatsuki destroyed. And, above all else, Itachi was still a ninja - one of the best. He could protect himself well, but it also meant he was in even more danger, because what enemy wouldn't like to take out the famed Uchiha Itachi? Or (not to brag - no, seriously) even his wife, who shared his fame as well as his danger?

"No." Itachi shifted to press his hand gently against the side of her head, guiding it to rest against his shoulder. "Stop thinking too much, 'Mari. We're all here. We're all fine, and we'll all remain that way."

Even though she knew it was a promise neither of them could keep, because her experience had taught her life was extremely fragile, she still whispered, "Do you promise, Itachi?"

He pressed his lips against the top of her head, and she could feel his confidence seeping into her - and, through her, Shisui - as he replied firmly, "I promise."

At long last, she felt like she could finally lay her final demons to rest.

Hyuuga Tenten smiled, eyes closed as she listened to the laughter drifting in through the half-open shouji across the room. The rich, deep notes of her husband's voice combined with the high, sweet giggles of her daughter, forming the most perfect wake-up call she could ever ask for.

Sliding out of bed, she pushed her night braid over her shoulder before creeping over to the door to peer around it, afraid to open it all the way lest she disturb Neji and Hikari's father-daughter moment.

Neji sat in front of the open doors leading out to the garden, Hikari sitting on the table in front of him. The little girl watched with wide pale eyes just like her father's as the head of the Hyuuga threw aside the cultured, proper mask he put on in front of the clan to play with his daughter. With one of the widest grins Tenten had ever seen him wear on his lips, her husband covered his face with his hands, waited a few seconds, then pulled them away, a new and increasingly silly expression on his face.

Hikari's laughter trilled through the air, sweet as honey and musical as bells, and Tenten felt herself fall a little bit more in love with both of them, even though she hadn't thought it possible. She already loved them both so much, she felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest and go galloping across the room to join them.

Abandoning the game, Neji swooped Hikari into his arm and kissed her cheek. "Oh, my baby girl," he said softly. "You and your mother are the lights of my life, do you know that?"

Regarding her father solemnly, Hikari reached out one small hand to touch his cheekbone, just beneath his eye. A soft, breathtakingly beautiful smile curled her lips, and she spoke her first word, loudly and imperiously, "Light!"

Neji's own grin was back, and even wider and prouder than before. "That's right!" He pulled her into a gentle hug, then settled her in his lap, arms loosely wrapped around her. "You are my light, my clever little girl."

Tenten swallowed back the urge to giggle. Or sigh. Or cry. Or all three. She knew Hikari had had Neji wrapped around her tiny little fingers from the moment she was born, but she'd never seen the two share such a beautiful moment, not like this. It easily leaped into the lead for the best moment of her life. And even though she felt like she should turn away, leave her husband and daughter to their sweet, private moment, she just couldn't do it. She was too captured by the innocence of the scene.

Besides inheriting her father's eyes, it also appeared Hikari had inherited Neji's genius. She was not yet a year old, but she was already talking - and Tenten knew she would continue growing at a frighteningly fast pace.

For a moment she felt a moment of panic at the thought. The Hyuuga Elders were sharp, despite their old age, and hardly missed anything that went on within the estate's walls. If they learned how quickly Hikari's mind was progressing, they might want to put her through some sort of training.

And even though she was infinitely proud of her daughter, and would never deprive her of her family birthright of being a ninja, at the same time she felt terrified they would turn Hikari into someone she wouldn't be able to recognize. Tenten was one of the few outsiders who knew the bloody origins behind the development of the Hyuuga clan's jealously guarded secret technique. And knowing such things were in the past of the clan she now called her own terrified her. What if they wanted to turn her sweet little girl into some sort of super ninja? An assassin?

She jerked out of her thoughts just in time to see another breathtakingly sweet, innocent smile curl Hikari's bow-shaped mouth. Her pale eyes glowed with joy, and she tossed her head of hair - the same color as her mother's - and laughed at something her father had just done or said.

Tenten felt the knot inside her ease slightly. Even if the Hyuuga Elders did want to try something with Hikari, she and Neji would fight them with ever fiber of their beings, every drop of their power as heads of the clan. And, even failing that, the strength and spirit she saw in her daughter's eyes made her confident no one could possibly change her, turn into anything besides who she was, even now.

She must have made some sort of sound, because Neji turned and spotted her in the doorway. "Tenten!" Sweeping Hikari into the crook of his arm, he stood and came across the room to join her in the doorway. "I'm sorry, did we wake you?"

Smiling, she shook her head, even though they had. But she wouldn't have asked for any other wake-up call. "Not at all. How are my two favorite people this morning?" she asked.

"Light!" Hikari replied, grinning and clapping her small hands gleefully.

"Her first word," Neji said proudly. His smile gentled, and he leaned forward to kiss Tenten - quickly but sweetly - ignoring Hikari's response of slapping her hands over her eyes.

Reaching up to rest her hand on her daughter's back as she wound her other around Neji's waist, she smiled up at both of them as she said honestly, "It's a perfect word, because both of you are the lights of my life, too."

She had been raised in an orphanage, and only got into the ninja academy where she met Neji because of her hard work refining her natural skill with weapons into something which made the heads of the school sit up, pay attention, and give her a scholarship. For so many years of her life, she had been just Tenten, the clanless orphan who had trained tirelessly until she became Tenten, known in the ninja world as the Weapons Mistress of Konoha. She was admired by her fellows, feared by her enemies.

And though she still held those honors, and her nickname, she had gained another name: Hyuuga Tenten. She had a clan - and though she really couldn't stand most of her in-laws, she could (and would) put up with them every day for the rest of her life because of Neji - her partner, her best friend, her husband, her lover - and Hikari, her precious and beautiful little girl.

Tenten would always be the Weapons Mistress of Konoha, and feel proud of the accomplishments which earned her that title. But there were two more she would always prefer, deep in her heart:

Hyuuga Tenten, wife and mother.

*~The End~*

Author's Ending Notes: I am happy to present to you a very special sequel to Shadows! Like many of you, I also wanted a sequel, but I wanted to have what I felt was a really good idea before I even tried to write it. So, when Hinata, Temari, and Tenten started nattering away in my head, begging me to write this, I felt really excited that I finally had something I felt was good enough to follow the original. And then, due to the subject matter, I decided I wanted to post it on Mother's Day. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there! I hope it's a great one!