A/N: Just wanted to say this one message of love to you who read this. To all of you, thank you.
This story is a one-shot and epilogue to the story Winter Wolf.
~X~
In times of sadness, you may need someone to be your rock. You may need someone who can be that special shoulder to cry on. But most importantly you need someone that will bring you out of that sadness. Someone that will make you smile again. To show you that you mean so much to them that you need to wipe away your tears and stand strong for them in return.
Shikamaru was that person for Arielle. It wasn't even a question, because he had done it over and over and over again. When people looked at her weirdly, and pointed fingers and called her odd. He brought back the happy feelings.
No one person mattered more to her than the man that she loved. The man that stood in front of her during the ceremony. The man who said "I do", the man who kissed her with all of the passion that existed in the universe.
~X~
Those feeling's stayed true, until their children were born.
First there were Shikadai. Then Sumiko. Then the triplets Ayame, Ayane and Ayano. Five precious cubs. No one had expected that. Shikamaru almost passed out when the doctor had spoken the word 'triplets', and the man did pass out during the delivery. Which didn't please his darling wife all that much.
With five children in the house, that were close to age. You could never have a quiet moment. Surprisingly, children of the one and only Shikamaru Nara were energetic ones. Well, except for Shikadai, he was the golden 'quiet one'. He had his father would look upon the four female wolf pups and mutter "what a drag" over and over until Arielle would come and rescue them.
She was a great mother, even though she had gone through postpartum depression after Sumiko's birth. It had been a tough time. But she was never ashamed, humans go through tough times. Everyone experience it differently, not everyone can be perfect.
As the children grew their minds became larger, curiosity greater and wills stronger. Every single one of them wanted to become a ninja. Much to their parents worry and pride. After school the Nara children would come home with scrapes on their knees and a big smile on their faces. They had succeeded with a new technique.
Every mother worry, every mother feels responsible for the things their children get themselves into. When their children would scream and fight and curse, they would shout back and hope that the kids would understand that they set boundaries for a reason. When their kids would blame them for that one crappy monday when everything went wrong. Shikamaru and Arielle would just accept it. Arielle loved them. All of them. Her family, no one could change that.
No family is perfect..
We argue, We fight, We even stop talking to each other sometimes.
But in the end family is family, and the unconditional love will always be there.
~X~
They sat under the shade while playing a game of Go. Shikamaru was once again winning. It wasn't weird, since Arielle even at an old age didn't have enough patience to win fair and square.
"Are you not worried?" She asked and drank some of her tea. Healing herbs made the taste raw but the effect warming.
"Nah, they will do just fine" Shikamaru sighed and glanced over their backyard. So many memories, first steps, first sprint, first throwing knife. All happened there on the green grass. He looked at his wife, she looked gorgeous. Her eyes now wise and somewhat tired. Her hair was in a traditional hairstyle and her clothes plain and not suitable for a fight. She was as beautiful as she had been on their wedding day.
Arielle had retired after Shikadai's arrival. Sometimes she complained, but that was rarely nowadays.
"What are you staring at you dingus?" Arielle giggled and rolled her eyes. The look on her husband's face made her blush.
"You. Always you" He grunted and stretched his back. It had been a long day at work. His children were out on a mission. One of their firsts, there would be plenty more when they got back. But it didn't stop Arielle for being worried.
"Stop flirting my love. I don't know what to do with you anymore! Five children isn't enough?!" Arielle laughed when Shikamaru rolled his eyes playfully and muttered something about a 'weird woman'.
"Eww! Mom and dad are flirting" Ayame burst out laughing as every nara child came through the front door.
"How do you think you came into this world? They gotta start somewhere, right sis?" Ayano said and elbowed Ayame in her ribs. Making the girls do gag noises and laugh even more. Shikadai just came up to his mom and hugged her tightly before going over and sit down next to his father. They didn't say anything, Shikamaru just patted him on the back while making a grunting noise.
And so the evening continued. The children told the story of the mission, while eating a bunch of food and drinking their mother's disgusting healing tea. The whole pack were home, everything would be alright.
~X~
The End?