Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Yet.


Itachi had not been able to tell if Sakura had been pleased or not by the news, by how stunned she had looked. It had hardened his resolve, though, because he knew, no matter what she had told him, it was his duty to care for his expecting mate, and their progeny. He had wanted this before, but at her slightly fearful expression, Itachi had recognized it as more than a responsibility. Sakura may have been afraid of having to raise two children on her own, not that Itachi would ever allow such a thing. He was not yet sure how, but he was going to tie himself to her. Legally. He was going to make her long for him as much as he did her.

Everything had been done out of order, but the way Itachi saw it, it was better late than never. He was going to court Sakura, after having already bedded her, having already planted a seed in her womb. He did not care what he had to do, because deep down, Itachi knew that he loved her. He had the upper hand in the situation as well, because even if her heart lay with another man, it was his children she was carrying. She already loved him too, Sakura just did not know it yet.

Sakura had let him walk her home that day, with her apartment building being not three blocks from the hospital, and in a haze, she had, again kissed him back when he had pressed his lips gently to hers outside her door. The silent look she had sent him as she had closed the door to her apartment had distressed him, because amiss all her bewilderment, she was terrified to be alone, and she had been too afraid to ask him to stay. Itachi would have, but he did not want to push her, when she was in such a state of amazement. Longing to see her, even as he stepped away from her apartment, Itachi had let her be, so she could think.

It was a week later that he could wait no longer. He had always been an impatient sort of man, when it came to getting what he wanted, and in this case, it was no different. So, dressed casually, he had gone immediately back to her small flat, in hopes of seeing her shining face again. How she had known, Itachi did not know, but as he reached the door, there had been a post-it note, clearly for him.

Itachi, at pool-it had read. Again, he was annoyed with her blatant lack of concern for her own safety, and felt the urge to scold her for it. He took the paper, hoping that no one beside himself had seen it, before returning to the elevator, taking it to the roof. Closing his eyes, he waited through the ride up, clenching his teeth in an attempt to calm himself. It would not do to be angry with her, even if all he was worried about was her well-being.

It did not take very long for him to find her, considering she was the only woman laying out that had obnoxious, pink hair. Arms crossed, he stopped in front of her pool chair, giving her an amused look. She had large, Hollywood sunglasses that reminded him more of a bug than anything else, with how large the lenses looked on her face, and a red bikini with black trim. He supposed she was the epitome of fashion, but he thought personally that the petite woman was much more glorious wearing nothing at all.

Her eyes must have been closed behind the sunglasses though, because she did not address his being there. Itachi would not have been surprised if she were asleep, with how motionless she lay there, soaking up the sun's rays. Carefully, he sat at her feet, moving her legs slightly to make room for himself.

"Hey, what's the big idea, asshole? This is clearly my spot, so-

Sakura froze, propped up onto her elbows to see the entertainment dancing in his eyes. Her cheeks burned a bright, endearing red. "Oh. Hello, Itachi."

"Good afternoon, Sakura," he answered smoothly, leaning in to lightly touch his lips to her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

She smiled gratefully, sitting up completely. "I've had better days, but I'm glad you came." Sakura admitted shyly, uncertain of what she should think of the look he was sending her, and the kiss he had just given. With a sigh, she continued. "I shouldn't have acted so rude last week. I was just a little shocked by the thought of...two." She whispered softly.

Itachi allowed himself to smile. "I understand, Sakura. I could never have imagined that we would produce twins, so there is no need to be so concerned. I think we both needed some time to think." Not really. He paused, before delicately asking, "How is it that you knew I would be coming to see you today?"

Sakura had not known. She had been hoping, more than anything, that he would show up at some point, seeking her out again. She had wanted him all throughout the week they had been apart, but she had bothered him too much as it had was. Sakura could never have asked him to come over to her apartment just to hold her, when she had already asked so much of him. She should have been thankful for what he had been willing to give her, but she felt selfish for his company, and jealous of the woman whom he was so in love with.

At first, she had not put much thought into it. Itachi had every right to love someone besides her, even if it hurt to think there was a woman who was capable of catching his attention, when she had failed to. Then, it had felt so cruel of him, to have feelings for someone other than her, whose heart belonged solely to him. She loved him so dearly, and he could only think about that other woman, who was too stupid to even love him back. Itachi deserved better than that. Sakura could never give him her opinion, but she felt it acutely.

Her grin was mocking. "Woman's intuition," she said seriously, before adding jokingly, "and of course, it helps to have psychic powers. My 'Itachi senses' were tingling this morning."

He rolled his eyes. "Sakura, does it cause you physical pain to be serious, just once in a while?"

"Yes," she retorted. He gave her an annoyed glance, though, and she dropped her saucy grin. "I didn't know you were going to come, but I figured you would want to get the chance to see my ass get kicked at Halo eventually. It's been three months since we made that deal, you realize."

He hummed with agreement. That had been the night she had first gone to him, begging for help. Itachi would never forget anything about what had happened in that short hour they had spent together. "Yes, as I recall, you claimed the rocket launcher ammunition, and refused to play unless it was on Heroic. I still say Legendary, but I wouldn't want you to slow me down too much." He smirked.

Sakura smacked his arm playfully. "No need to rub it in, Itachi. We both already know you're better at Halo than I am."

"You know," Itachi commented, decidedly changing the subject, "you have to be the worst doctor ever. First the ice cream, and now you decided to sun bathe. As an oncologist, I would have thought you would avoid the sun like a vampire."

Sakura huffed, getting onto her feet slowly, before picking up the white towel she had laid on top the pool chair. "I have a Vitamin D deficiency, and I hate taking pills. I figured spending an hour at the pool once a week would be fine." She snapped, throwing the towel over her shoulder. "Besides, I'm the oncologist, so I would know how long is best to spend in the sun without causing cancer, thank you very much."

His lips curled upwards with mirth, and Sakura knew then he had only been teasing her again. She exhaled, wondering if he knew just what that sort of expression was capable of doing to her. It warmed her insides with a delight she had only ever felt with him. Unconcerned, Itachi wrapped an arm around her waist, perfectly aware of the impression he was making. Of course, she had no idea how easily she attracted eager males to herself, and Itachi was a possessive sort of man. As far as he was concerned, Sakura was already claimed.

She did not mind that he had curled his powerful arm around her waist, his hand heated on her bare skin. Sakura did not understand it either, but she decided not to question it, and enjoy the intimacy while she could. There was no telling when he deemed it too much, and disappeared on her. She was surprised he was hanging around her, knowing at some point, she was going to become the mother who was too preoccupied with her dearest babies to have the sort of fun they had been used to.

"So, are you up to the challenge? I think we can get through the whole game in one night this time." Itachi asked, leading her to the elevator. Sakura could hardly refuse. Especially not if he had every intention to leave only when they had gotten through the entire game.

She laughed, though. "Hey, pregnant lady here. I'm not pulling any all-nighters, you hear me?"


True to her word, Sakura had not stayed up past eleven. Of course, by nine-thirty, their remote controls had been tossed aside, her coffee table shoved elsewhere, and what had been her tackling him in frustration at first, had been quick to turn into something much more carnal. It had not been Itachi's intention, but, in this case, he had not been the one to instigate the situation. It had led into one of the most wonderful nights of his life.

Whatever the case, she had pounced on him, and for once, she had been the one to hungrily kiss him. One thing had led to another, until he found her beneath his larger body, her legs spread out like eagle wings. Itachi had never realized what it was like to have sex with a pregnant woman until then, and with how sensitive she was, it had been beyond enjoyable. She had cried his name so many times, her voice had become hoarse, and he had exhausted his little mate so much, she had been lulled to sleep, resting on the living room floor and nestled in his arms.

Unashamed of his nudity, he had carefully detached himself from her soft, slender figure to turn off the x-box and television set, before effortlessly picking her back up and taking her into her bedroom in the back of her apartment. He told himself that he should go, and let her wake up without having to worry about being embarrassed about him. Seeing her alone, curled up in the sheets, however, had been too much. He could not bear to imagine her waking up in the morning to an empty bed, feeling abandoned.

So, he had slipped under the comforter as well, pulling her smaller form into his chest and breathed in her sweet, fruity and floral scent. Itachi could not fall asleep, not with the armful of woman he had pressed against his bare body. She had been completely satisfying with their lovemaking, but now, he just wanted to admire her beauty without having to hide it. There was something wrong with what they were doing, and he was perfectly aware of that.

He should have never agreed to help her, not the way she wanted him to. Itachi wished he had simply told her how he really felt, instead of feeling the necessity to keep it from her. If he had done it that way, telling her how much he loved her, before they had created twins together, it would have been much easier. Waiting to make their relationship official until later would make things look bad, and even if he did not care much about his public image, Itachi did not want his family to attack her, assuming he only would marry her so that he did not have to father a pair of bastards.

Feather light, he grazed his fingers along the feminine curve of her side, before moving pink locks of hair from her heart-shaped face. Her lips were swelling from his rough, abusive kisses, and his eyes caught with pride the reddish bruise-like marks he had created along the slender column of her neck to the base of her throat. Pleased with himself, he ghosted his lips over her ears, before sinking down into the covers of her bed, drinking in her warmth and heady, addictive scent.


She stood motionless outside heavy, oak doors, wondering if entering the office was really worth the trouble. Sakura supposed she had no choice, since she had waited so long, and her godmother had finally summoned her to the office, determined to speak with her. Why she had avoided Tsunade for so long, Sakura was beginning to question. She had no doubt Tsunade was going to have a yelling fit, for not being told sooner.

She was every bit her daughter, as Tsunade was more of a mother than hers had ever really been. It had been years ago, so it did not bother her so much, but since the age of eleven, she had grown up under Tsunade's watchful gaze, and had her to thank for becoming a doctor. Sakura would never have been interested in medicine, if it had not been for seeing Tsunade run a hospital for most of her life.

Guilt ran over her, because she really should have gone to Tsunade sooner. The coward she was, Sakura had been afraid of what her godmother and mentor would say, at mere mention of the name Uchiha. As she glanced down at the small bump making itself visible, she knew it was her own fault. Sakura should have spoken to Tsunade about her plan long before it had even happened. Now she was a month into her second trimester.

Sighing in defeat, she pushed the oak doors open, stepping inside the roomy office Tsunade had been given as Dean of Medicine. She smiled weakly, trying to remain calm as she crossed the room, and took a seat before the large desk Tsunade worked at. Golden, honey eyes shot up at the sudden entrance, before honing in on the pregnant woman that sat opposite of herself. In all honesty, Tsunade wanted to hear the entire story of how Sakura had gotten herself pregnant. She deserved some sort of explanation.

"Good afternoon, Tsunade," Sakura whispered, meeting her gaze anxiously. Tsunade sighed, shutting the laptop on her desk, and lacing her fingers together on the desktop. "I'm guessing you want to know how this happened," she added, indicating her growing abdomen with a gentle hand.

Tsunade scoffed. "I sure as hell do. You should have told me about Itachi a long time ago, before he got you knocked up."

Sakura blushed, silently agreeing. "It wasn't like that, Tsunade. I'm not in any relationship with Itachi."

She had to wonder if that was even true, though, considering what had happened last time he had visited her at her apartment. Sakura could not deny that he had returned each of her kisses with such affection it made her heart ache. He had taken it farther, making sweet love to her on the carpet of her living room, disregarding everything else besides her. The memory still warmed her insides, how wonderful it had felt to have him hovering above her, his sinful lips latched onto her skin.

Tsunade nodded her head. "Of course not. You're just having his kids." She muttered sarcastically. "It's perfectly normal to have sex with the guy you've considered to be your best friend for the better half of ten years, right?"

Sakura did not have to ask to know if Tsunade was at all angry with her. She could never blame her, though, for her disappointment. "If I explain what happened, will you calm down about Itachi?"

Tsunade had to think for a moment. Itachi was, to his own fault, an Uchiha. Tsunade was familiar enough with that damnable clan of self-righteous, pompous men who deemed themselves so above everyone else. She had gone to the same high school as Uchiha Fugaku, after all, and if that were not enough of an excuse to curse the Uchiha name, she did not know what was. They were all unbelievably good looking, naturally, and loved taking advantage of the people around them. She would not have been surprised if Itachi had done just that, having sex with Sakura just because he could, and she was there.

"I suppose I have no other choice, do I?" Tsunade asked rhetorically.

Sakura smiled, shaking her head. "You should know that Itachi was not taking advantage of me." She said, ignoring Tsunade's dubious look. "If anything, I'm taking advantage of him."

That seemed to shock Tsunade so much, that she would be silent for what she needed to say.

"You already know that I've been close to Uchiha Itachi for years, since we met in college. Now that I look back on how things have always been between us, it seems inevitable that I would fall for him. We were together more than we were apart, back then. Stupid me, though, waited until know to realize how I felt about him." Sakura murmured, her cheeks warm. Tsunade had never approved of their friendship either, and had been more displeased each time he had showed up at the front door, asking where that pink-haired brat was. Itachi had always been a teaser.

She cleared her throat. "Anyway, a year ago, I decided he was the only one who could possibly ever love me in the same way I loved him. So I started to drop hints. You know better than anyone else that I want to start a family, and he's the only man I could possibly do that with."

Tsunade could not help pitying the girl, for her want to have children to love and care for. Her parents had been ripped from her at a young age, and she had barely had the chance to get to know them before they had both died in a tragic car accident. Tsunade had seen the girl suffer over the accident for years, and was well aware how it had affected her. Sakura, since turning twenty, had concluded that she would one day have children of her own, to make up for the lonely years she had spent as a child. She wanted to be loved, to be able to see something she created grow up and be happy.

"When he failed to realize just how I felt, I knew I had no other choice." Sakura sighed sadly.

"You managed to seduce an Uchiha?"

She laughed at that, shaking her head. She wished it were as simple as that. "No. I told him I wanted a baby, and I asked him to help me conceive. He agreed."

Tsunade stared at the pink-haired woman in astonishment. She had never begun to even think the likes of Uchiha Itachi would sincerely be interested in Sakura. She could think of no other reason for him to agree to such a preposterous plan, because she had enough experience to know that no man, no matter how well Sakura knew him, or who he was, would ever agree. They were clearly meant for each other, if they both were such idiots.

"Sakura, are you sure that Itachi doesn't know how you feel about him?"

Sakura's smile was absolutely grievous. It was almost too painful for Tsunade to look at. "I'm not sure Itachi hasn't figured it out now, after all that's happened, but it doesn't matter, because I know he's in love with someone else."

Golden eyes narrowed with suspicion. "He told you this?"

"I don't know who she is, but I would be able to tell if he loved me. After...the first night, when the twins happened, he said his love was unrequited. If he had any feelings for me, he would have said so then."

Tsunade doubted that. She had never sat down with the Uchiha in question, and had a proper conversation with him, but she could figure easily enough that the girl he believed felt nothing for him was Sakura. It was unusual for a woman to simply ask a man she had known for a decade to get her pregnant, rather than admitting how she felt to his face. How else was he to interpret her feelings?

She could not tell Sakura this, though. If, as she believed, Itachi was in love with Sakura, then he would do something about it himself, and it would be best Sakura heard his proclamations from his lips. Tsunade sighed.

"Sakura, you always seem to love doing things in the wrong order."


Itachi was uncertain of where his concern for Sakura stemmed from, but he felt worried for her. All the time. He knew what it had to mean. Itachi had to spend more time with her, to check in on her. She was already four months into her pregnancy, and he hadn't seen her since the time they had played Halo, before...participating in less innocent activities.

He really had to stop giving her so much room. He was afraid to smother her, though, and did not want to push her away in the process. So, he had called her. She had not been busy, and was quick to invite him over. Itachi did not want to hope that she had missed him as much as he had her, but her tone had been desperate for his company. At this point, he had his own key to her apartment; after their last incident, they had decided it best he have a copy, if he was going to come over so often without calling before hand.

She had been in the kitchen when he arrived. He was not sure what to think, upon entering such an interesting scene. From what he could tell, Sakura had been snacking on some baby carrots as she cooked. Why she had decided to bake a cake for dinner, was beyond him, but she had a bowl of chocolate frosting she had made herself cradled in her arms. Apparently, the idea of using frosting as a dip for carrots had occurred to her as she had been waiting for the cake to bake.

He leaned on the archway into the kitchen, watching in bewilderment as she happily snacked on chocolate-covered carrots. Itachi could vaguely remember what sort of cravings his mother had had when she had been pregnant with Sasuke, but as a five year old boy, it had not left such an impression on him. This, however, he doubted he would be able to forget.

Finally, she looked up, lips curled adorably around a slender finger as she sucked it clean of frosting. Her face was covered with powdered sugar and cocoa powder, undoubtedly from when she had made the frosting. Amused, his eyes caught the smear of thick chocolate across her cheek. He stepped forward as she embarrassedly set down the mixing bowl, letting both hands fall to her sides. Much to her astonishment, he leaned in to lick her cheek clean.

"A little too much butter," he commented softly, referring to the chocolate frosting. She was so flustered, she had to struggle to find the words she wanted to say.

"It makes it more rich." She replied slowly, trying not to choke. Unconsciously, she lifted a dainty hand to her growing abdomen, pointing out to him the difference between how she had looked last time he had seen her, and how she looked then, glowing in feminine splendor. Her hair seemed to give off a healthy shine, and her face, though covered with ingredients for frosting, was more clear than when she had been in college.

He wondered what she looked like naked.

It was obvious her body was changing beautifully to make room for the fetuses nestled in her womb. It was absolutely glorious, and a certain pride he had never experienced before spread through his chest, because it was him that had caused such alterations in her. Her stomach, though not yet particularly large, had grown quite a bit since when he had seen her last. A surge of absolute adoration heated his limbs.

His voice was so low, she had almost not heard him at all. "Sakura, would you mind...can I see?" Itachi's gaze had been so affectionate, she had hardly known how to respond. She nodded though, carefully hopping onto the one counter that was not covered with baking goods. Slowly, he approached her, not bothering to wonder what she must have thought of him.

Itachi untied her apron, setting it aside, before lifting her shirt, rolling it up just to the curve of her breasts. Her skin was pale, despite whatever tanning she had been doing previously, and the fine, light hairs of her stomach stood on end when his warm, large hand pressed gently to her skin. He stretched his fingers out as far as they would go, holding her in his palm completely. His eyes flitted up to hers for a second, before he bent over to lightly touch his lips to her abdomen.

It felt as if he had to relearn her body again, each time he saw her. That had to stop. Itachi wanted to see the changes as they happened, to know what every inch of her body looked like, without having to ask permission first. It was getting to the point of being ludicrous. They were dancing around each other in circles, and perhaps they had been for years. Now, however, when she was in such a delicate state, and needed him to be at her side more than ever, he had to put his foot down. He had to forget the fact she was in love with someone else, and simply take her. Sakura belonged to him, now.

Humming against her skin, he asked at last, "Are you hungry?"

Sakura laughed as he stood erect, and still towered over her. "Why do you think I started to bake a cake?" She asked back, eyes bright with entertainment as he easily lifted her from the countertop to set her back down on her feet. She rolled her tee back down over her stomach, smoothing away the wrinkles with care.

Curiously, he switched on the oven light and got onto his knees to look inside at the cake. He chuckled slightly at what he saw. "I believe you may have put in too much baking powder. Did you follow a recipe at all?" Itachi snickered.

Horrified, Sakura tugged him away from the oven to open its door, looking inside to see a monstrous thing growing inside. It hardly counted as a cake anymore. "Dammit, that's going to take forever to clean out!" She wailed, before staring at Itachi as he laughed. Apparently, he found it humorous that she was going to have to get on her hands and knees for hours to scrub her poor oven clean again.

She shut off the heat in defeat, looking again at what would have been a cake, if she had bothered with a recipe. It looked so pathetic, she could not help laughing as well. "I really suck at this sort of thing, don't I?" She questioned rhetorically, wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes.

"That's okay," Itachi murmured softly. "I think your cake...thing is cute."

Sakura blushed. "Shut up, Itachi!" She slapped him flippantly, unappreciative of his teasing.

It went without saying that it was necessary to got out to eat, since all she really had in the house was a bowl of frosting, baby carrots, and packets of instant miso. While Itachi did not approve, he understood that she spent most of her day at the hospital, and that she bought her lunches, and sometimes her dinners, there, and when she did come home, she usually brought take-out with her, being too exhausted to cook. He was no different, in that case, because after a long day at the office, he just wanted to pick something up and put the television on to watch the news.

He had watched his little mate as she ate half of a pizza, then drank more iced tea than he had thought possible. Incidentally, it was quite amusing for the waiters to see a small, pink haired woman in a T-shirt and yoga pants eat more than expected for her petite size, while sitting across from a man dressed in an Armani suit.

Sakura's excuse: she was feeding three. Itachi dared not argue.


It always seemed so strange, how Sakura managed to run into people she would be perfectly glad not seeing for the remainder of her life, in the most unusual of circumstances. Yet, she managed to cross paths with the man who, at this point, almost two years previous, had been her significant other. The relationship she had with him had not lasted longer than four months, and it was Naruto who had introduced him to her, at his wedding reception on the day he married Hinata.

When she had broken up with him, he had disappeared from her life altogether. Why he had decided to reappear two years later, Sakura did not know. But she did not want him back.

If Ino had not had the day off, Sakura would never have even seen him, but looking at his face again reestablished all her feelings for Itachi. That was not to say he was particularly bad looking, but Sakura did not find herself attracted to him in any way. To some, he would have been considered quite handsome, but she simply was not interested, and wondered why she had ever had a relationship with him.

He had knocked on the door to her office wordlessly, and Sakura had never imagined that it could be him, of all people. "Come in," she had said in a bored tone, her head bent down over a stack of paperwork she needed to get filed by the end of the day.

The door opened, then shut, and she was much too busy to really care who it was. Her visitor stood silently, as if waiting for her to give him the attention he believed he deserved. Signing something, she set aside one of the files she had managed to get through. "How may I help you?" She asked, her voice almost contradicting what she had just said, finally looking up.

Seeing him standing there so cozily in her office, Sakura froze.

"How have you been, Ugly?" He asked cheerfully, wearing the same smile he always had. Shocked, she set her pen down.

"What are you doing here, Sai?" Sakura asked back, not sure of what else she could really say to him.

"I've been well, thank you for asking," he answered seriously. "I finally got my gallery opened in Osaka, but it looks like you've been getting places as well."

Sakura groaned. The man was such a puzzle to her. He did nothing but make her run around, trying to figure out what he was saying. "That isn't what I asked." Sakura told him bluntly.

"I heard what you asked me, but in light of the situation, by the rules of society, you should have asked me how I was doing, as well. I addressed that instead." He replied frankly, that eery smile still plastered on his pale face. Sakura grit her teeth together. His regulations on what was socially acceptable had always annoyed her.

She huffed. "Very well then, I have been doing rather nicely. I became head of the Oncology department around a year ago. Now, can you tell me what the hell you're doing here?"

She watched as he angled his head curiously, eyeing her left hand. "Ugly, it appears you still haven't gotten married yet." He commented slowly, before saying, "I never liked how our relationship ended."

Sakura was not surprised. She had left him, too angered and frustrated with his character to stand staying with him. He had not understood her explanations of how he ran her up the wall, and she had given up, dumping him with no regrets. What was shocking though, was that he was still thinking about what had become of them enough to seek her out again, even two years later.

She glared up at him, not wanting to go through the same conversation they had when she had broken up with him.

"Sakura," he addressed her by her name, rather than the awful nickname he had given her, "I want you back."

Sakura palmed her forehead. She could not believe the audacity of the man. Had he honestly thought that because he was the last formal relationship she had, she would take him back with open arms? Oh, hell no.

"That isn't going to happen, Sai." She replied with no preamble.

He did not seem shocked by her announcement, but asked anyway. "Why not?"

She answered in the best possible way, abruptly standing, so he could see what had been hiding behind the desk. He was utterly silent, staring in that infuriatingly calm way of his at her growing abdomen. Sai remained silent at first, probably uncertain of what he should say, if anything at all. Sakura felt satisfied, glad to think that he would give up on her, knowing she had every reason in the world to not go back to him.

"It was that Uchiha, wasn't it?" He asked quietly, his voice only just above a whisper. "You always had loved Itachi, even when you were with me."

Sakura nodded her head, unashamed to admit the truth to him. "I'm having twins."

"Yet you aren't married to him." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Sakura shook her head, trying not to look too upset by the fact. She stared into his blank expression.

"He doesn't love me."

At this, Sai grinned again, as if he knew something she did not. "Ugly, you have no idea how jealous that man used to be of me."


It was strange, how easily things fell into place. Itachi was coming over to her apartment two to three days each week, now that she was twenty weeks into her pregnancy. At least one of those days, he spent the night, which he said was only because he had to be sure she ate a relatively normal breakfast once and awhile. Sakura hardly knew what to think of how her relationship with him was, anymore. He was startlingly intimate with her, kissing her often, touching her expanding stomach, and occasionally, having the most wonderful sex ever with her.

She was afraid to ask him what he was trying to do, what his actions meant. Sakura just wanted to enjoy his being there, and was not about to question it, when it could very easily ruin everything. She had not thought it possible, but she was more in love with her than she had been before. It was her hormones, she realized, but that did not change how her heart ached every moment they spent apart. Sakura longed for him with an intensity that was getting much more difficult to ignore.

So, when he had told her to join him at the office for lunch, she could not refuse him. Going up the elevator to the twenty-seventh floor of the company building, she straightened her sweater over her bulging abdomen, before moving her hair from her face. She had been growing it out recently, so it was starting to reach her shoulders. While she could never be certain with a man like Itachi, she was under the impression that he liked her hair longer, with how he had taken to stroking it every time they would sit on her couch together, or after an especially enjoyable round of lovemaking.

Stepping through the elevator with her head up confidently, she moved towards where she knew Itachi's office was, only to be stopped by a woman about her age with square glasses and cherry-red hair. Sakura could only guess that she was Itachi's secretary.

"Excuse me, Miss, but Uchiha-sama is currently on his lunch break. Can I get your name?" She asked, eyeing her pregnant state suspiciously.

Sakura smiled. "Itachi told me to come over so we could have lunch together. The name's Haruno Sakura."

Karin's eyes narrowed suspiciously. She recognized that name; how could she not remember? It was the crying girl that had called months back, asking to speak with her boss. It was for her that Uchiha Itachi had ran from his office anxiously, asking her to clear his schedule for the rest of the day. Now, it was obvious why Itachi had acted so strangely, because the woman was clearly carrying his child.

It frustrated her to no end. This Haruno Sakura was nothing, compared to her. Karin would have never stupidly gotten herself pregnant, if Itachi slept with her. She was smart enough to think of using contraception.

Still, it was her job, so she had to tell her boss that the woman was there, waiting for him. She picked up the phone, dialing her boss's office number, and was silent as it rang. "Uchiha-sama, there's a woman here for you. She said her name was Haruno Sakura." Karin said into the receiver.

There was a quiet rustle of papers. "Thank you, Karin-san. Please tell Sakura that I need to sign a few things, and I'll be out in five minutes."

"Yes, sir."

"Also, move my meeting with Hyuga Incorporated back a half hour."

"Of course," she answered, hanging up.

She smiled as politely as she could. "Uchiha-sama will be a few minutes, Haruno-san. He said he still has a few papers to sign."

Sakura nodded, taking a chair tiredly. She stared down at her feet, questioning to herself why she had ever worn heels, when she had so much extra weight. Absentmindedly, she caressed her swelling midsection, humming to herself off-tune. She did not notice how closely Itachi's secretary was observing her with envy.

The door opened, and whether Karin was surprised or not, Itachi was dressed to leave, with his suit jacket and fedora on again. Before the woman could get back on her feet, he was standing there to help her up. Sickened, she watched as her boss gave the Sakura woman a lingering kiss, before rubbing her belly gently. Evidently, Itachi was not at all upset that the stupid woman had gotten herself pregnant.

"How are you feeling today?" Itachi asked through half-lidded eyes, watching as Sakura's cheeks warmed.

"They've been very active. I'm beginning to think they might have a future in wrestling, because they haven't stopped rolling around in there since I woke up this morning." She answered, tugging his hand down when it slipped under her sweater, and giving him a dubious look.

"Hm. I still think they're both boys."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Don't say that, Itachi. The amount of activity does not indicate anything. You're going to jinx it, and you know I want girls."

Itachi had honestly wanted to say that they could always try again, if they were boys. Instead, he sighed, wrapping an arm around her, and leading her away from his floor.

"Fine," he muttered, nuzzling her neck as they waited for the elevator down, "What happens if you get one of each?"

She exhaled exasperatedly, squirming away from him. "I think I would have to live with it, now wouldn't I?" She asked back sarcastically.

Sakura chose to ignore his amused smirk, turning from him as the elevator dinged, indicating it had reached their floor. Itachi said nothing in response, but frowned when the door slid open, revealing his father there, and looking most surprised and displeased by what he saw. When Sakura froze, Itachi guided the nervous woman inside, meeting his father's glare with one of his own. He was just lucky that his father decided not to confront him then, because it was obvious he would see this as an issue.

Itachi, as calmly as he could, walked Sakura away from the elevator when they reached the lobby, fearful to know what sort of expression his father had, or what the repercussions would be for his father now knowing the truth. Whatever happened, it was easy to guess that it was not going to be a pretty sight, when the storm struck.


Sakura was surprised. She appeared to have gotten away with whatever she had with Itachi. Uchiha Fugaku had not looked pleased when seeing his pride and joy, Itachi, with his arm around her and openly displaying his affection, but perhaps, dare she think it, Itachi had said something to him later, because it had been a week and a half, and ninja assassins had not been sent after her head yet. Everything was going so beautifully, too, so perhaps Fugaku was going to accept their unusual relationship.

Sakura was really beginning to think that the relationship she had with Itachi could very easily become something permanent in her life. They were talking about names, and arguing about the sexes, and he kept giving her this look, as if to say he thought she was the most beautiful creature on the planet. He still never said anything, not about how he really felt, but Sakura felt so, so loved around him.

The way he touched her, she could not imagine that feeling he gave her being something false. It was not something a person could easily fake.

That was when there was a knock on her front door. She had been curled up on the couch with a bag of shrimp chips, watching reruns of an anime she had watched when she was a kid. Sakura had not been expecting anyone, even if it was her day off, and Itachi had been coming to her apartment every night since his father had seen them together. He usually did not get there for another two hours.

When the knock repeated impatiently, Sakura supposed wryly that she had no choice but to answer it. Heaving herself up, and wrapping the throw blanket from her couch around her shoulders, she padded over to the front door. She opened it, only to wish she had pretended she was not home. She had been wrong, after all, because on the other side of the threshold stood Uchiha Fugaku, looking quite irate. She gulped.

"May I help you, Uchiha-san?" Sakura asked respectfully.

It only made sense that he would show up to ruin everything. Fugaku had not approved of her when she became Sasuke's friend in high school, both because of her decidedly different physical features, and because she had been Tsunade's goddaughter. He had grown to like her even less, when she had met Itachi in college, and grown close to him as well. She knew for fact he blamed Sasuke's marrying outside the family on her, since she was such close friends with Ino.

How he must have absolutely hated her now, since she was carrying the offspring of his favorite son, and Itachi was becoming rather attached to her. Sakura had no doubt that Fugaku had once had plans for his eldest son, and who he would wed, and now she had ruined that, by her pregnancy through Itachi. It probably did not matter to the salty, old man that she was happy beyond belief now, and that his son was content with her being his mate.

"That depends if you would be gracious enough," Fugaku paused, looking inside her apartment with distaste, "to invite me into your humble abode." He answered gruffly.

His insult was not lost on Sakura. While she understood why a man of his stature would look down upon where she lived, considering he lived in a mansion, Sakura did not see it to be necessary for him to express how lowly he thought of her in such an obvious way. She may not have lived in a freaking palace, but she was well off, with the pay she had from the hospital. Besides, her apartment was respectable enough, for a woman living alone. She did not need a four-story manor with three different wings to it, like he seemed to believe.

She could not leave him there though, and had no choice but to step aside, and let him in. He removed his expensive looking dress-shoes almost reluctantly, as if her were concerned his socks would get dirty on her carpet. She did not say anything to him about it though, even if she vacuumed the entire apartment twice a week, without fail. She followed him into the living room, picking up the remote and shutting off the television.

"Can I offer you something?" She asked hesitantly, "I was about to make some tea for myself, if-

"No, thank you." He interrupted brusquely, much to her relief. It meant one thing to be sure, he did not intend to stay long. Sakura did not want him in her house, so even if he had so rudely cut her off, she did not take it personally.

She breathed out her nose. "Then, can I ask what it is you want with me?" Sakura asked. "No offense, but I was not expecting any house calls, and I wanted to start making dinner in an hour."

Sakura could not tell if he was amused or not. "Don't you worry, Haruno. I don't plan to stay here for very long, if I can help it. I just have a proposition for you to consider." Fugaku, signaling for her to sit at the couch as he placed his briefcase down on the coffee table. "I believe I can make it worth your time." He said, the briefcase popping open almost violently, before he turned to reveal its insides-stacks of money piled in an orderly fashion.

Anger rose in her. "I don't know what you want, but you sure as hell can't buy me, Uchiha." She snapped.

He sighed, not at all surprised, but let down all the same. "Please, Haruno, calm yourself. You may want to listen to what I have to say."

Sakura bit back the insults and curses burning to be let loose on the elder man, not wanting Itachi to get into any trouble with his family because of something disrespectful she said. "If you think you can come here to take advantage of me just because Itachi isn't around, you're sadly wrong. I'm going to do whatever the hell I want, either way."

He huffed. "Itachi said you might say something to that effect. I'm afraid you're wrong about my taking advantage of you, because this is for your good as much as it is for mine."

Sakura stared at him with wide eyes. Itachi had already spoken to his father after all? She was afraid to know what the results of that were, but it seemed she had no other choice but to hear Fugaku out, since he was already in her home. It did not mean she had to agree to whatever he wanted. The decision was still up to her.

"Say what you need to say, then leave my home." Sakura said darkly.

The smirk she was so used to seeing on Itachi and Sasuke's faces made its way onto that of their father's. "Very well, then, Haruno. I will get out of your hair in due time. Have the patience to sit through everything I have to say, would you? Itachi warned me that you would not like what I have to say." He sneered.

Sakura did not respond, instead crossing her arms.

Pleased, Fugaku continued. "It is very obvious, especially after seeing the pair of you in the elevator that you are carrying the progeny of my eldest son. Unfortunately, Itachi had no right to plant that seed in you. He has been betrothed since he was born, and one day, another woman will bear him an heir. While Sasuke was permitted to settle with a bride outside of the family, Itachi is next in line as head of the Uchiha, and this tradition has been withheld for centuries. He has no other choice, but has foolishly tried to defy his name."

Swallowing dryly, Sakura placed a hand on her abdomen faintly, feeling instantly concerned.

"He has seen the error in his ways," Fugaku said smoothly, "and agreed that it would only be right that your pregnancy be terminated."

She gaped up at him. "You want me to abort my babies? To kill what I created with Itachi?" She asked. "I'm not going to murder my own children!"

While Fugaku was stunned to hear that she was expecting twins, he did not let it show. "Those children are not yours, Haruno," he stated coldly. "They are Uchiha, and if you know what is best for everyone in the situation, you will have them aborted. They would be a disgrace, hated by the entire family, and cursed because of your thoughtless decisions. Not you, nor your children, will be accepted by us, and it will only cause you a lifetime of pain, by keeping them."

Sakura pushed back the urge to cry at what he said. Instead, she stood furiously. "I don't care what you or Itachi decide. They are my babies, and I'm keeping them." Sakura growled, jabbing her pointer finger into his chest. He looked mildly entertained.

"I'll let you think about it, then," Fugaku said at last. "The Uchiha would cover all medical expenses, and this," he waved towards the briefcase of money, "would be a gift."

"Get out. Now." Sakura snarled, her finger pointing at the door.

He bowed. "Have a nice evening, Haruno."

Then he was gone, the door shut behind him. The only thing he had left behind was a paper with information, stating when the abortion was scheduled for. As if she would ever do such a horrible thing to her growing children. Sakura peered down at the paper for a moment, before she furiously snatched it up and crumpled it, throwing it down to the floor, insulted by the fact he had already scheduled the operation before seeing her.

Then it hit her suddenly, all the anguish and misery she had been holding back in Fugaku's presence. She could not believe that Itachi would ever speak with his father about such things, and she wanted to think that it had all been a lie, that he would never agree with Fugaku that it was best she abort the twins. It made sense, though.

Since the beginning, she had only been a part of his life because she was fun, and different. Now, things were getting more serious, and if she knew anything, men were cowards. He was backing out of her life, because mothers were not fun. Itachi had only wanted to experience the part where she prepared herself for motherhood, because he had thought it would be interesting. Now, the game was over. As she had originally thought, he had only been taking advantage of her. All the sex, the gentle kisses and touches, the soft-spoken words; none of it had been real. Just like any other insufferable Uchiha would have, Itachi had played her. Worse than that, he had been acting the same as usual, pretending that nothing was wrong all through the past week and a half, even after speaking with his father about her getting an abortion.

She deserved it, she knew, because even if she had loved him more than her own life, Sakura had asked something of him she never should have. Now, she was paying the price for that.


Just as he had been the past week and a half, Itachi left the office for Sakura's apartment, anticipation rising in him to see her face again. He had been worried after the short, chance meeting with his father in the elevator, but Itachi had not seen him since then, and it appeared that he was not going to do anything about it. Itachi was not the one to be hopeful, but if his father had not made his move yet, it was unlikely he would at all.

Naturally, when he got to marrying Sakura, which he still wanted to do, his father would have more to object to. There would be no avoiding a confrontation when that happened, but Itachi knew he would be able to prepare for that. It would be on his terms, rather than stumbling upon his father in the elevator by accident.

Feeling particularly pleased, he unlocked the front door, perplexed to find the flat completely dark and silent. He stepped in quietly, looking around in confusion, before switching the light on. He looked around the kitchen and living room, finding nothing. An inexplicable sense of dread surged through his chest, and he knew something had to be wrong.

He could think of no reason why Sakura would leave, unless there had been an emergency, and even then, she would have called him beforehand. It was then that he heard it. Her voice, softly sobbing from the bedroom. Itachi raced down the hallway, more than just concerned. Throwing open the door, he stepped in to see her back to him, her small body curled on her side as she clutched a feather pillow to herself. Disturbed by the sight, he slowly walked towards her, listening to her cries, and feeling the same pain she did.

Tentatively, he sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her back as emotions he was not familiar with tore through him. It hurt so much to see her like that, utterly broken, and he was at a loss of what to do. Sakura startled him, however, when she abruptly sat up, grabbing his wrist and wrenching it away from herself, not wanting his comfort.

"Sakura, what happened?" He breathed, alarmed by her enraged expression.

His question only seemed to add fuel to the fire. "What happened?" She seethed. "What kind of bullshit is that? You know perfectly well what happened. How could you even ask such a thing, pretending as if nothing was wrong?"

He stared at her in shock. "I don't understand."

She laughed venomously, wiping tears from her face. "I'm sure you don't. I'm sure you thought you could come back here after what you and your father did, thinking I would be okay with it. Well, I can promise you this much, I'm not okay with what you did. I can understand your father, but what you pulled was just low."

His blood ran cold. "My father was here?"

"Don't play innocent with me!" Sakura roared. "He already told me what you want, so you can just go, and not come back!"

"What did my father tell you?" Itachi asked quietly.

"As if you don't know!"

"Sakura, please-

He was interrupted by an outraged screech. "Get out of my house!"

Itachi had no choice but to do as she said. With a heavy sigh, he stood, giving her a small, helpless look, before turning to leave. Lightly closing her bedroom door, he heard Sakura wail, "I never want to see your goddamned face again!"

Itachi had been too optimistic, and he knew it. His father had made his stand, and because he had not been properly prepared for it, everything was falling apart. With the weight on his shoulders, he made his way into the living room with every intention in leaving, only pausing to find a crumpled piece of paper on the floor. Curious, he picked it up.

Bile rose in his throat at what it said. He still did not know precisely what had occurred when his father had appeared, but he got the gist of it. Itachi had no doubt that his father had tried to persuade Sakura to terminate her pregnancy. Disgusted, he wondered how much his father had offered her to have such a thing done. She would never abort the twins, and neither would he, but somehow, his father must have twisted it to make it appear that he had no interest in their children.

Gritting his teeth in frustration at his father's unwanted interference, Itachi gripped the paper, leaving the apartment. This was not something he would let go passively, and his father should have been able to predict that much.


AN: Yeah, so I thought I would be able to complete this in two chapters, but I guess not. So, this is officially going to be a short, three chapter fic! Yay!

Thank you everyone that has left me a review. Your opinions and questions are always enjoyable to read. Please, drop me another review and feed the starving artist! ;D