New –AN: This just got rewritten and changed to a bit. The ambitious mass multi-chapter fic was just not a good idea right now. HOWEVER there are still TWO more chapters that need to be written. This AU couple's story must be told!

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So there it was.

Who would've thought that one little line on a piece of plastic would change her future so much?

But she had a feeling it would be there when she bought the three different boxes. Three different pieces of plastic. All three sitting on the quaint little bathroom countertop and bearing that mocking, thin line.

The line represented a lot of things she realised. The first would be the end to her career as an ANBU operative, she can't be one now not with this news. It would be something she'd miss. They all payed so very well and the dangerous work was exhilarating but that's just why she wouldn't be able to be deployed any more. The missions were far too dangerous for her in her current condition. She was still trying to wrap her head around this new and unexpected development. 'But then again we have been fooling around a lot more recently.' But they used birth control. He remembered the condoms. And she was on the field active kunoichi compulsory prescribed pill. 'All kunoichi that are active in the field, are required to take the obligatory medicine to prevent unwanted conception,' she mentally parroted the words drilled into her mind during her medic training under Tsunade, Shizune and Sakura.

This reasoning led to the second: money; it would become increasingly tight over the next few years. There was no question that she would exhaust a lot of her savings.

The third: and, at least for a while, no more hanky pa- *knock, knock, knock*

She glanced at the oven clock. '5:30? He's early...' she thought a slow and worried smile spreading on her face.

...

Things had progressed quickly for both him and her.

It was a surprise for both to find the other nursing a sake bottle the night an engagement was announced; of course this was after both had managed to slip away from their large group of friends. The girl who had pined for the missing boy had been overjoyed when he had proposed.

At the bar they had seen and silently acknowledged each other with a simple smile and nod and continued drinking alone. It wasn't until some of the other patrons started to get a bit too handsy with her that he moved to the seat on her right and shooed them off.

So they started talking. Both dancing around why they were there, it was just the same reason from two different sides.

She had stumbled from the bar after final call and he gallantly escorted her to her apartment.

The atmosphere around the two changed when she invited him inside.

She had then sashayed away to her bedroom, shedding her off the shoulder, short sleeved blouse, and gave him a seductive look over her shoulder as she entered her darkened bedroom. She silently hoped that he would accept her unspoken invitation. She absolutely did not want to be alone tonight of all nights.

She did not have to wait long.

Their first time together was supposed to be nothing more than a drunken plea for a little comfort, for the both of them. The blushing and avoidance of the other's gaze the following morning, along with an awkward breakfast, made it appear as if it was nothing more than a one night fling.

Two days later found them both welcoming an encore for a repeat performance. Each with a clear mind that was free of the dampening effects of alcohol. The experience was far more satisfying, him taking his sweet time teasing her to the brink before gliding in to connect them at her core. Gasps and moans filled the semi darkened room. She had gripped him tightly when she went over the edge dragging him down along with her, pushing the both of them over and into the never-ending abyss of pleasure and ecstasy.

The second morning had started with broad smiles which did not leave their faces till the end of the day when they returned to her apartment. This would later become their unofficial rendezvous spot.

And that was how they found each other that night and nearly every night since.

...

The front door opened steadily. She never locked the green painted door. Not when they were both in the village and especially not today.

"Ino!" He called. "I'm here!"

They were not together officially. They were not living together. They did sleep in each apartment multiple times but neither ever called the others place home. Their whole relationship was based around a wall of silent agreement that none were to know of their involvement. Not until the right time at least. But when had their plans ever achieved its goal according to specifications.

And now the worry had returned. The nervous anxiety that threatened to plunge her straight into a single-parent life. Nerves that wracked with worry that he would become angry. That he would leave her. That he would leave their child. Their child. They were going to be parents. 'Oh boy...' The novelty had worn off and had been replaced by shock.

Naruto Uzumaki was worried.

Whenever he arrived at their shared ho- 'No. Not yet anyway. Hopefully.' – at Ino's apartment, he announced himself quite loudly. And Ino would, without fail, sound off a greeting and her current location. This was punctuated more often than not with Ino also shouting back to quiet down.

Today however silence was the only greeting he received.

'Ino is here, I know it! She must be too busy with something to answer...'

But Naruto knew he was bending the truth a little. Ino always replied. ALWAYS. She replied even if she had food in her mouth. Even if she was still getting ready to face the public. And he knew that if he had to search her large apartment for his lover, he would find what kept her from answering.

Crossing through and slowly checking her living/dining combination room, the kitchen was his first stop. Decorated with good quality appliances received during her house warming party (he had a good paycheck that week and had chipped in with Choji to buy her a large and well stocked fridge). The walls painted a subdued yellow. Inspecting the kitchen he found the open spaced area to be empty and filled with some tantalizingly good memories. He remembered sneaking up behind her the one morning and trapped her between the kitchen counters and his warm body. He remembered smelling her loose and beautiful blond hair. He remembered covering most of her neck with hickeys. Nibbling on her soft skin. Licking the shell of her ear. Hearing her forced down moans bubbling to the surface. Turning her around slowly. Picking her up, one hand on her delightfully soft and well rounded tush; the other placed on the back of her thigh above the right knee, and sitting her down right on the edge of the countertop. They're gazes had locked.

And then their mouths descended towards each other. He remember tugging down her stolen boxers so that the pooled on the ground. By then she had already tossed his shirt with it landing directly in the sink, half filled by cold slightly soapy water from the night before. They had to separate for air but then they connected instantly through their- 'STOP. STOPSTOPSTOP. STOP AND FOCUS HERE. Gotta find Ino,' Naruto berated himself for reminiscing on some rather distracting moments.

Facing the door to the bedroom, he pondered the wisdom of entering their- 'HER' bedroom. Even if they were mostly dating ['Well "not" dating,' he mentally added], he still found it difficult to enter her bedroom. A scary memory flitted past as he saw her raise a very large shuriken and throw it, hitting the hastily closed door as he quickly retreated from storming into her bedroom and interrupting her morning preparations. He sighed thinking about how she was only clad in a hastily tied towel which had slid to the floor after her violent throw. He also remembered her dagger filler glare as they both exited her apartment that morning.

But her private bathroom was connected to the deep purpled themed boudoir and having seen the main bathroom empty, these two rooms were the only ones he had not yet searched.

Squeezing down and compressing his fear of much unneeded impalement, he steadily opened her doorway. And heard sobbing. Very familiar sobbing. Those cries he had not heard since that terrible war. The war which separated their friends... and killed her father.

He rushed towards the burgundy colored door and threw it open. Entering quickly he found her. Found the girl that had entered his life in an unorthodox way. The girl that was occupying his mind more and more. The girl who turned from acquaintance to friend and now lover, was curled up on the tiled floor and sobbing her eyes out.

Immediately he went to her. He sat her up and embraced her. Cradling her head in the crook of his right shoulder and he gently comforted her, making slow rocking motions and stroking her head. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear showing her how she was with him. Telling her that everything would be alright.

Still continuing his comforting from his seated position he glanced around the room to see what might have prompted her outburst. Seeing nothing immediately he resolved to remove her and cradling her gently in his arms he stood and carried her out towards her bed. Placing her upon it he lay there with her.

When her cries had drifted down to soft whimpers he resolved to get the answer to the question that burned in his throat: why?

She lifted her tear stained eyes to gaze into his deep blue eyes. And mumbled.

"Sorry, Ino. Could you say that again?"

She whispered but he still could not hear the answer he wanted.

Seeing his confusion she repeated herself. But gone was her self-confident haughty manner. Instead her voice wavered and she squeaked out two words:

"I'm pregnant."

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A/N: HAHAHAHA. *sigh* ok I know how everyone feels about cliffhangers. I know that I really can't wait for the "what happens next". When I was a kid I remember watching Dragon Ball Z and every damn time they used a variation of the phrase "Find out on the next episode" or "Stay tuned for scenes from the next episode" I would moan at the tv thinking of all that time I had to wait to watch the next episode. But you guys don't have to worry. The next chapter is already in my head it just needs to write itself down so expect an update to Ch1 in the next 2 weeks. So it should be here by February 7th. Thanks for reading and Stay tuned for the next chapter!