To Love and To Love Again Chapter 21: Repercussions
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!
Kakashi sighed as he stepped into his house. When he called Anko, she said she was busy with a case and that he should grow up and get over himself. Needless to say that left him in more of a slump. Sakura was gone all but seven hours and already it felt like years.
He hung his coat and kicked off his shoes before his dogs came to greet him as usual. They could sense their master's distress. Kakashi lazily patted their heads and continued to walk into the house when his cell phone rang. He saw the caller ID as Asuma.
"Kakashi here," he said as he plopped down in his arm chair. Asuma's voice sounded grave on the other end.
"Kakashi…" What he heard next was the most heart stopping sentence he had ever heard in his life. "Sakura…she…" Asuma went onto explaining the incident. Kakashi listened in absolute fear before he bolted from his home and speed off towards the CIA base, where he knew a helicopter to Tokyo was waiting for him.
The doors to the ER were flung open as its CEO came bursting through. Nurses, doctors and other personnel alike moved out of his way as he charged through the ward. Sasuke had received the phone call from Itachi about the break in at Sakura's house. He spotted Hinata at the work station and made his way over.
He paid no attention to the stares and murmurs that lingered in the air. Sakura's arrival in the ER and the circumstances that brought her there was a hot topic that he just didn't care for at the moment.
"Where is she?" he practically growled as he placed his hands on the counter. Hinata looked at him worriedly.
"She's in MRI with Neji. So far there's no major damage. Just minor injuries," she said quickly, however that didn't sustain Sasuke at all.
"And what about Sora?"
"He's with Naruto in Pediatrics. He sustained minor scrapes and bruises…" she didn't get to finish as he turned around and immediately headed in that direction. The night shift personnel cleared the way when they saw who was storming down the halls. After passing the many beds that made up the ward, Sasuke pushed open the double doors that lead into Pediatrics, where he immediately spotted Naruto with Sora.
Both turned their heads in his direction, and it took Sora a few seconds before jumping off the gurney and running toward him. Sasuke could see the fear in his eyes and increased his pace, meeting him half way in the aisle. He caught Sora as he ran into his arms and held on as the boy began to sob. Relief washed over his body now that he knew Sora wasn't seriously hurt.
Naruto stood dumbfounded at the sight. For one thing, he was not anticipating Sora running to Sasuke as is he was his father.
What was even stranger was Sasuke's behavior. The way his eyes changed from furious to worried, then down to relieved when he caught sight of Sora was that of a parents. Sasuke meant so much more to Sora than he had anticipated. That much was now clear.
"You're safe," Sasuke breathed as he placed his large hand over Sora's little head. He noticed the gauze that was wrapped around his forearm. "It's okay now," he soothed trying to calm him. He caught Naruto's eye and walked over to him with Sora in his arms.
"What the hell happened to them?" he hissed, trying to keep his fury in check.
"All we know is that they were attacked as soon as they got home. Some random act of burglary according to the cops," Naruto answered. "She was on an adrenalin high by the time she got here and needed some serious sedatives before testing. Anyway the cops won't say anything else but all we know is that if Kiba hadn't shown up when he did, who knows what might ha—"
"Kiba?"
"Yeah, it was great timing on his part. He was out walking his dog when all of the sudden, Akamaru bolts towards Sakura's house. Kiba followed and heard the commotion before he actually figured out what was going on and stepped in. He saved them both. Who knows how much worse she—"
"What happened to her?" Sasuke interrupted with a new level of rage in his tone. "What did that bastard try to do to her?" he asked refusing to picture the thoughts that were running through his mind.
"That, I don't know," Naruto replied. "What I do know is that he wasn't anticipating Sakura being at home, and that resulted in the…assault." His voice contained just as much fury. He felt as though someone just tried to kill his sister.
Sasuke clutched Sora closer as it all settled in. He was beyond furious at this point. He was downright livid.
Police tape was placed around the perimeter of the building. Several cops were stationed around the place and a team of investigators were inside documenting and extracting evidence. Out of the ten officers stationed to the precinct, four consisted of undercover CIA operatives.
Itachi had arrived moments after he had placed the call to Sasuke. He walked towards the building, ducking under the yellow caution tape and treading carefully towards the back end of the house, where he was stopped by guard, who asked him for his ID.
As soon as Itachi flashed his detective's badge, the guard immediately apologized and allowed him entry. He walked up the stone steps and over to Sakura's home taking in the sight.
"About time you got here," Shikamaru grunted. He got up from his kneeling position on the floor near the blood stains. Itachi quickly scanned the entire room with his eyes.
"He was looking for something," he stated, taking note of the pulled out drawers and overturned furniture.
"Yeah, and most likely he didn't find it before he got interrupted," Shikamaru surmised as he stared pointedly at the blood stains on the wall and carpet. "We won't know for sure until we have Sakura go through her things and verify if anything is missing."
"This encounter happened as soon as they arrived," Itachi noted. "Follow the marks. It started here," he said indicating the entry way. "Then it dragged to the hallway," he said pointing where the cracked mirror lay broken on the ground.
"The blood on the wall most likely belongs to Sakura," Shikamaru thought. "The pool on the floor isn't hers. A dagger was retrieved, and since neither Sakura nor Sora had any knife wounds, it belongs to the attacker. Kiba can give us a better insight to his physical appearance, but he's down in the Agency giving his report."
Itachi nodded.
"How long do you think until the Commander shows up?" Shikamaru asked.
"Two, maybe three hours tops," he replied. "I'm going to examine the exterior of the building. He'll want a full report by the time he gets here."
Shikamaru sighed and placed a hand over his forehead. "…troublesome."
Sasuke sat in his office as he waited for Sakura, who was still in the ER. His computer was on and he was busy pulling up security databases and floor plans. Apparently, Sakura's house was not equipped with a security system, and he was going to make sure she had one. Sora, who refused to remain in the ER, had long since fallen asleep on the couch with Sasuke's coat wrapped around him.
It was nearing 6:00 am and the sun was beginning to rise, casting an orangey morning glow through the glass walls of his office. He was waiting for the phone call giving him the clear to take Sakura and Sora home, and by home he meant his own.
The phone finally rang around 6:15. Sasuke picked it up and received the clear.
She opened her eyes slowly and looked around the room, which was slightly blurry until everything came into focus, as well as the memories of last night. She got up with a jolt, nearly falling back down from the blood rush. A pair of arms caught her shoulders before she could.
"Take it easy there," Naruto chided. He was dressed casually in jeans, a black jacket and his signature orange t-shirt, meaning he wasn't working at the moment.
"Where's Sora?" she asked as she brought a hand to her forehead. Her voice was slightly gruff and her neck was sore. Naruto helped her sit up carefully.
"He's with Sasuke in his office. They're coming down right now." Sakura sighed with relief and gave Naruto a small smile, which made him grin. "Well you look like you're getting better if you can smile."
She groaned. "How bad am I?" Her body couldn't register any pain, but she did feel heavy and sluggish. They must have drugged her up good.
"You managed to get away with some bruises and pretty bad gash on the side of your head," he said watching her touch the white gauze covering the wound. "And the scrapes on your knuckles mean you were trying to fight him off," he said shaking his head.
"Sora's okay?" she asked. "He wasn't hurt?"
"Just some scrapes, I checked him myself," he said with his big reassuring eyes. He looked behind her. "There they are." Sakura followed his direction and saw Sasuke walking down the hall with a sleeping Sora in his arms. Sasuke had covered him with his coat.
Sakura got off the gurney with Naruto's help and walked to meet them, placing her hands on Sora's head.
"Oh my baby," she whispered in relief. She kissed his cheek softly and rested her head against his for a moment. Then she looked at Sasuke and felt even more relief as she gave him a small smile.
"You got this?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded and Naruto bid them farewell before leaving.
"Neji signed your release papers," Sasuke said taking in her appearance and not liking the bandage on her head or the bruises on her neck. Sakura nodded.
"Okay, so we can go home," she thought. Sasuke shook his head.
"Not at the moment. Your house is a crime scene. You can't go back until the police investigation is over and they clean up the mess. Can you walk?"
She nodded and followed him out to the main entrance. Sasuke shifted Sora to one arm and used his free arm to hover behind her back. "I'll need to go back and get our things at least and take them to a hotel. Can I at least do that?"
"That's not necessary," he replied as they walked outside where his car was parked in front of the entrance. "The police pulled your bags from the trip and you're not going to a hotel. You're coming home with me," he said as he unlocked the doors.
Sakura stopped in surprise. "But that's not—"
"Don't argue with me on this," he said sternly as he rounded on her. "We'll talk more about this when we get there. Suki will be surprised." Sakura let it go after that.
She sat in the back seat of his car with Sora. Having him cradled in her arms calmed her. She was so glad he was okay. She couldn't remember much after the attack, only bits and parts of being transported to the hospital and the MRI's. She didn't even register why Sasuke was there, although she knew was because of her.
Sasuke didn't speak at all during the car ride to his house. Sakura took a chance and glanced at his rear-view mirror, only to see that he was glaring at the road as if it had pissed him off in some way. Yet still, she found his presence to be comforting. She wasn't scared…at least not right now.
It was 7:00 on the dot when they arrived at his house. To her great surprise, his mother was the one who greeted them at the door with a smile.
"I'm so glad you're back." Mikoto's long raven hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and she was wearing an apron over her attire. "Suki has just woken up," she said while allowing them entry. She smiled at Sakura as she passed her.
"It's good to see you again Mrs. Uchiha."
Mikoto smiled and patted her arm. "Likewise, although I would have hoped for a less serious occasion. I'm so sorry about what happened you must be really put out."
"Well it's over," she replied watching Sasuke walk upstairs with a still sleeping Sora. She felt Mikoto's hands guide her to the kitchen, where she could smell delicious aromas of breakfast in the air. She could also hear soft classical music. She recalled Sasuke mentioning that his mother liked to listen to music while cooking.
"Well I'm glad you're staying here for the time being. We can't leave one of our best doctors alone in a time like this. Have a seat and I'll get you some breakfast."
"Oh let me help you." Mikoto only shook her head.
"You're here to rest," she said as she led Sakura to the dining table. Seeing as how she still felt groggy, Sakura complied. She didn't realize it before, but she was starving. It had been a while since she had eaten anything. Mikoto brought her a fully loaded plate of every breakfast item imaginable along with a glass of juice and a cup of coffee. Sakura dove right in.
A few minutes later, the sound of small scurried footsteps caught her attention. When she lifted her head, she saw Suki make her way around the corner and run in her direction. She was dressed in her happy yellow pajamas and what she assumed was Sasuke's white business shirt since it dragged on the floor. She was also carrying her little doctor's kit. She looked like she was on a mission.
"Aunty Sakura!" Suki shouted as she came and hugged her waist. Sakura put her fork down and turned in her chair to hug her back.
"Hi cutie pie," she greeted fondly. She heard Mikoto chuckle in the background. Suki looked at her face and gasped.
"You got a boo-boo aunty Sakura." Her eyes zeroed in on the white gauze on the side of her head.
"Yes I did, but Uncle Neji and Aunty Hinata fixed it for me," she said before turning her face into a mock pout. "But nobody gave me a get well kissy." Suki's eyes went wide.
"Not even Daddy?" she asked, her little voice echoing in the large kitchen. Sakura gaped and blushed at the same time, well aware that Mikoto was in hearing distance and listening in. She heard her pause whatever she was doing for a moment.
"No!" she said quickly. "Not your daddy…but I still need one. What do you say doctor Suki?" she asked as she picked her up. Suki wasted no time giving her Aunty Sakura a kissy on her cheek.
"All better!" Suki declared before she was placed back on the ground. Mikoto came around to the table with a plate for Suki and placed it in the chair with the booster seat that was across from Sakura.
"Come and eat your breakfast dear."
"Grandma I want to sit next to Aunty Sakura," Suki said as she shuffled into the chair next to her. Mikoto slid the plate over to her and chuckled. Sasuke made his way downstairs dressed in a blue business shirt and black slacks with his coat draped over his shoulder. Sakura watched him come down and set his coat on a chair across from Suki before going to get himself a cup of coffee.
"Going so soon Sasuke?" Mikoto asked as her son grabbed the newspaper on the counter.
Sasuke nodded and skimmed the newspaper, where an article regarding the disappearing person's cases was once again on the front page.
"At least eat something before you go." Sasuke was about to decline, before Mikoto gave him a stern look. "You're not to leave until you eat."
He sighed and went to sit at the table without any complaints. She was still his mother after all.
Suki smiled at her father as he sat down and swung her legs back and forth underneath the table, giving her a little bounce in her seat.
"Is Aunty Sakura gonna live with us Daddy?" she asked as she shoved another piece of toast in her mouth.
Sakura chuckled. "Only for a little bit. Sora and I can't go home right now so we'll be here until we can," she said while patting her head. Suki smiled at the thought.
"They'll be here as long as it takes," Sasuke said with a certain edge to his meaning. This went unnoticed by Sakura. His eyes shifted in her direction briefly before going back to the paper. Mikoto brought him his plate of food, which was stacked with generous proportions. Sasuke began eating while reading the paper.
The three of them sat at the table, eating breakfast and talking. Well, Sasuke was eating while Suki chatted away to Sakura about her upcoming ballet recital. Mikoto joined them at the table and observed. She found Sakura to be highly interesting. Sasuke got up once he finished his breakfast and prepared to leave.
He gave Suki a kiss goodbye, and a ruffled her hair. "Take care of them."
"Do you have to go Daddy?" she asked with disappointment laced in her words. Sasuke stopped and braced himself to explain.
"He'll be back as soon as he can," Sakura replied before he could say anything. "In the meantime, we can bake some new kinds of cookies for him to try when he comes back. How does that sound?"
Suki's eyes lit up with the thought of cookies clouding her mind.
"I want to make chocolate cookies with gummy bears!" she said happily. "You can eat them when you come home Daddy."
Sasuke mentally cringed but smirked and nodded. He then gave Sakura a meaningful look, still conscious of his mother's presence, before grabbing his car keys and leaving.
Sakura turned back to her plate, which was almost empty since she'd eaten everything Sasuke's mother had made. The coffee helped wake her up, which was good. She didn't want to spend her time here sleeping. Not after she had just promised to spend the day with Suki. She sipped more coffee and glanced at the small girl sitting next to her.
"Are you excited about you're ballet recital Suki?" Mikoto asked. "Grandpa and I will be there to see you this time."
"Uh huh! We get to dress up like flowers this time. And we can pick what kind of flower to be."
"That sounds nice," said Sakura thinking that it was so Ino. She was probably having a field day thinking of flower costumes for the girls. "What kind of flower are you going to be?"
"Aunty Ino said I can be a sakura blossom," she said happily. Sakura looked surprised for a moment before smiling.
"Is that because you like pink?" Mikoto asked eyeing Sakura on the sly. Suki shook her head.
"Aunty Ino said it's because she thinks Daddy loves Sakura's," she answered. Sakura choked on her coffee and brought her hand up to her chest. She turned her head to the side and tried to control it.
"Damn you Ino," she seethed knowing full well what the blonde was up to. Ino was downright nosy when she wanted to be, and to spread her influence on little Suki was really unexpected. Oh Ino wanted things to take off with Sasuke. She wanted it bad. Ino was probably planning her wedding as well. Sakura wouldn't put it past her. She would need to be more careful from now on.
"Really?" Mikoto said knowingly. She seemed less shocked than Sakura at least. She had her eyes glued to choking woman the entire time, taking in her reaction to the info. Sakura composed herself as best she could and turned back with watery eyes.
"Well," she croaked. "As soon as you're done with breakfast, we can get started on those cookies." She laughed hesitantly. She would definitely have to call Ino and find out what the hell her most vivacious girlfriend was planning.
"Well perhaps you should wait until your son is awake," Mikoto suggested. "His name is Sora correct?" Sakura nodded and Mikoto smiled. "You named him after the skies."
Sakura chuckled. "Yes. He was such a feisty little guy, even in the womb. Looking at the stars seemed to settle him down so his father thought we should name him Sora." She looked at Suki and ran her fingers through her midnight locks. "He's still a trouble maker isn't he?" Suki giggled.
"Yeah. Can we make him tomato cookies to make him feel better?" she asked. Sakura mentally gagged. The things this child said absolutely amused her.
"Uh…maybe we should start with the chocolate ones," she suggested. Suki agreed and soon they got started with Mikoto's help.
After Sasuke had come home to more than five batches of cookies, some of them smelling suspiciously like tomatoes, the four of them ate dinner and turned in early for bed. Sora had been deathly quiet the whole day, which worried Sakura but she chose to let it go. She had gotten one of the guest rooms and Sora was sleeping in Suki's room.
After battling with sleep for an hour, Sakura decided to check in on him for a bit.
She went into Suki's room and laid her head next to Sora's and smoothed out his hair. He was sleeping soundly with a peaceful look on his face, for which Sakura was grateful. She only hoped that he wouldn't have any nightmares tonight. He was prone to nightmares every time he thought too much of something. Sakura thought it was because he retained such a good memory of things that he found it hard to let go, even in the subconscious. Forgetting this incident would be almost impossible for him.
Sora stirred and Sakura smoothed out his hair once more. He settled back down at her comforting touch. She placed a soft kiss on his forehead and patted his back. Yesterday was the scariest night of her life and no doubt Sora's too. She could have lost her baby and that just ripped at her heart. She couldn't keep him safe. Not by herself.
Feelings of guilt of self-hatred washed over her weary body. Sure she was taken by surprise, but she should have been better prepared for situations like that. She had a security system installed and everything. Perhaps it malfunctioned and she just didn't notice. She was never the one to maintain those things. That was Sai's job. She should have learned how, and tonight she almost paid dearly for not doing so.
She felt her eyes closing as her body finally began giving into her stress and exhaustion. She was out.
Sasuke had just made sure the security system at his house was stable. Not that he needed to, but he was just too paranoid to the point where his tattoo had begun to throb again. He had every right to be suspicious. Ever since he began seeing Sakura, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.
It had happened on several occasions and all of them when he was around her. He paused at the balcony area for a minute and watched the trees that lined his large back yard. This was one of the spots where he first had those feelings.
Never doubt your instincts. No more mistakes. He'll be damned if his past caught up with him and interfered with his life now. There were only so many ways you could learn your lesson. After he finally felt settled with the security, he headed upstairs.
He opened the door to Sakura's room and found it empty. Panic didn't have time to set in before he went straight to the kid's room, where he found her asleep besides Sora's bed. He took a moment to let the relief wash over him before approaching her. He glanced at Suki and saw that she was still asleep before he knelt by Sakura.
He carefully picked her up, keeping in mind where her bruises were and walked out of the kid's room. He walked past the guest room and made his way towards his bedroom. He had a feeling that she wouldn't want to be alone, regardless of what she might say if and when she woke up.
He carefully placed her on his bed and pulled the covers over her. Sakura began to stir and slowly opened her eyes. She saw Sasuke walk to the other side and slide his robe off before slipping in beside her. He knew she had woken up, but opted not to say anything and just wait and see what she would do.
She blinked twice before speaking. "I'll be fine. I was just worried about Sora," she said with weariness in her voice. Sasuke took a good look at her face. Her eyes were puffy and her skin tone was shallow. The white gauze that was keeping the cut clean, stood out. She looked so vulnerable.
"Hn," he responded as he lay flat on his back. Sakura shifted beside him.
"I know you're worried about me, but I should just stay near Sora in case he wakes up." She moved to get out of bed, however she found herself being pulled back and into his chest.
"He'll be fine," Sasuke said as he held her against him. "You on the other hand, I'm not so sure of." Sakura sighed and tried to move out of his grasp, but she was just so weak and tired that it was impossible. "You really think I believe that you're okay?" he demanded, making her stop her fussing. "After what you went through, do you really expect me to think that you're not the least bit shaken by it?" He forced her to plop down on her back.
"Of course I'm shaken by it!" she yelled with as much force as she could. "I'm terrified. Can you imagine how scared Sora must have felt? He's prone to nightmares. I don't want him to wake up alone. I don't want to leave him."
"He's right down the hall. If he needs you you'll be there in seconds. If you could just look at yourself then you'll see how much you need to rest." Sakura winced as the pressure from his grip made the bruises on her arms tingle. Sasuke released her arms immediately when he realized he was holding her too tightly.
"Rest," he ordered.
Sakura took in a deep breath and suddenly felt light headed. She practically fell back down beside him in defeat. She didn't have enough strength left. This startled Sasuke, making him lean over her to make sure she didn't pass out on him. She could barely register his face above hers as she tried to fight sleep.
Each blink she took made his face blurrier and blurrier until it seemed to shift into another face… a familiar face. Though she wanted to remain seeing this face, her eyelids fell for the night.
Kakashi walked with a purpose on his way to the crime lab. As much as he wanted to run to his daughter right now, he had to follow procedure and give it a day. He used his pent up fury to fuel his investigation. Every little detail was not to go unnoticed. He would get to the bottom of this. All members of the agency were well aware of the situation and steered clear of him.
Kakashi entered the crime lab of the Tokyo branch and swiped his card in the entry pad. The black air-tight titanium doors pulled apart and allowed him access. He made his way to the exam table, where several people in dark shades and white coats were working on several evidence kits.
One of these scientists in particular was working on Sakura's case. He was a quiet young entomologist who joined the Forensics Lab of the CIA not long ago. A brilliant mind for someone as young as his daughter, with a personality as mysterious and elusive as the insects he worked with.
Shino Aburame was working on the blood samples taken from the dagger and the carpet samples from the house. The small corner he was working in was covered in a neon blue light, with a jar of something moving right next to him.
Kakashi didn't even have to make a sound for Shino to realize he was there. The young scientist looked up from his work and nodded in his direction.
"Commander," Shino acknowledged in a deep uninvolved voice. The only part of his face you could really see was the skin around his eyes. Everything else was covered by the coat and shades.
"Tell me you have something. Anything at this point will do," Kakashi pleaded in a defeated voice, although he wasn't really expecting much. The incident occurred only a matter of hours ago. Still, he was hopeful. Shino went back to his work as he responded.
"You can't really call it something, yet it's not exactly nothing as well," he replied as he held up the jar with something dark and moving inside it. "Unknown particulates and residue were found."
"Specifics," Kakashi demanded. Now was not the time for word games.
"The leeches were able to extract some information from the sample. With all the factors given, we were able to obtain a genetic profile of the attacker," he said as he pressed a button causing a large holographic plasma screen to slide in front of them. There was a picture of a DNA strand with several genetic markers highlighted.
"And it didn't match anyone from the criminal database," Kakashi said knowing that if it did, they would have their guy by now.
Shino nodded. "Not only that, but my leeches have been engineered filter residue from the samples and purify the strain, enabling me to distinguish human genotypes and differentiate between genetic codes. I've engineered them to be highly discriminate to ensure purity of the blood. These samples show an extremely rare genotype among this individual," he explained as he stared at the holograph. "Even without a suspect, this person would have physical traits that stand out. Exactly what those traits would be are not in my field of knowledge."
"What are the odds that we find him?" Kakashi asked.
"With this genotype, he's one in three hundred billion and once you find the physical characteristics associated, it should help the search. Determine those characteristics, and it's no doubt that we have him."
Kakashi nodded. So this bastard may not have left anything obvious, but his unique DNA profile narrowed it down to favorable odds if he was still within the country. The question was, who the hell is he and how do they find him? There was only one person capable of getting to that.
"We need Tsunade."
Sasuke sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees and hands folded with his chin resting on top of them. It was 2:30 in the morning and he hadn't really gotten the best night's sleep. Besides the fact that his girlfriend and her son were ambushed in their home just last night, something else disturbed Sasuke to the point of insomnia.
He closed his eyes as he recalled the moment before she fell asleep.
Sasuke hovered over her as she suddenly plopped back down without a fight. Perhaps she had passed out? Her eyes were slightly open and getting smaller with each blink she took. As he leaned over her, he noticed how her eyebrows furrowed and her green irises tried to focus as they concentrated on his face.
Her lips parted ever so slightly as she tried to say his name.
"S…ai…," she whispered before she closed them for good. She couldn't see how his back stiffened or how his eyes enlarged before narrowing down again.
Him…she was thinking of her husband. She must have been. That look in her eye was full of struggle. A low growl escaped his throat before he lowered his face to hers and harshly demanded a kiss from her unconscious form.
He would make her see him. Even in her dreams, he would make her see only him, and no one else! She responded to him, and he could only hope that she knew who she was kissing. Her arms feebly tried to go around his neck but fell back down. He pulled away before he could bruise her lips and stared at her face.
She sighed heavily and murmured something incoherent. He wasn't going to get any sleep after this. He lay back down and brought her into his arms, where he knew she would be safe.
Sakura shifted, making Sasuke snap his eyes in her direction. He watched as she rolled on her side and let her arms fall in the spot he had been laying not too long ago. It appeared that she had missed the warmth he had provided her with throughout the night. She sure was clingy when she wanted to be. Sasuke got up and brought the covers over her more securely. He caught a quick glance at the bandage on her head, which had soaked up a good amount of blood overnight. It would need to be changed soon.
The sudden sound of small hurried footsteps caught his attention before the door swung open. A frantic looking Sora stood in the doorway panting hard. He didn't speak as he saw his mother sleeping with Sasuke right beside her. Sasuke quickly stood up.
"What's wrong?" Sora took another look at Sakura before sprinting in her direction.
"Mommy!" he shouted as he tried to get up on the high rise bed. Sakura jolted in her sleep and sat up quickly at the sound of his voice.
"Wha…what happened?" she asked groggily. She quickly rubbed her eyes and opened them in time to see Sasuke raise Sora onto the bed. "Oh sweetie you're awake," she said before he lunged himself at her. Sakura fell back onto the bed with an "oomph".
"Don't leave me!" Sora yelled as he hugged himself closer to her. Sakura gasped and wrapped her arms around him. Sora was near tears.
"Oh…." Sakura cradled him against her. "I'm sorry Sora," she said kissing his forehead. "I'm here, we're both here sweetie it's okay," she soothed while running her fingers through his hair. "Were you scared? Did you have a nightmare?"
Sora nodded his head, but didn't say anything. Sakura looked up at Sasuke with an expression that was both apologetic and accusatory. This was precisely why she didn't want to leave his side. It would take him weeks to get over nightmares.
"I won't leave you again," she promised. "You want to sleep here with me?" She pulled the covers over the both of them. Sora nodded as Sasuke got up and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?"
"Check in on Suki."
He walked down the hall and peered into Suki's room. His little angel was still sound asleep, oblivious to the dangerous of the world for the time being.
He walked toward her and knelt down beside her bed. As he watched her sleeping form, his earlier feelings about Sakura's worry came into perspective. If anything like that had happened to Suki, wouldn't he be just as worried about her post traumatic state as anything else? Not that he would ever let anyone or anything hurt her. He would kill the bastard before he could even think about doing any harm.
But for someone like Sakura, who didn't see it coming, it would be twice as hard. It's amazing that they made it out okay for the most part. It was all thanks to Sora. Sasuke couldn't help but think he had something to do with the boy's initiative. Perhaps their training had been more helpful than he thought. All in all, you just don't see children taking down burglars.
Sasuke nearly smirked. A sense of pride washed through his system at the thought Sora taking him down.
Suki stirred in her sleep, but didn't wake. Sasuke tucked the covers over her body and made sure she was snug before running his fingers over her cheek. The day any danger came to Suki was the day that the danger would die at his hand. The same applied to the two people in his room.
There was no turning back for them at this point. He wouldn't let them go…he couldn't.
With one last look at Suki, Sasuke got up and went back to his room to find Sakura lying down with Sora snuggled against her in the middle with the covers over them. She turned her head towards him when he came back in and smiled.
Sasuke glanced at the clock on the dresser. It was now 3:00 am. He hadn't gotten much sleep as it was since the break in and it was taking its toll on him. If he ever wanted to survive work tomorrow, he would need at least three hours of rest. His feet carried him to the other side of the bed. He got under the covers and lay flat on his back, keeping a small distance between the other two.
He closed his eyes and felt her shift beside him. He opened his eyes when he felt a warm hand on his cheek. He turned to see her adjust back into her side with a smile on her face.
"Why don't you take off work tomorrow?" she whispered as she slid her hand across his cheek. Sasuke brought his hand over hers and held it.
"There's too much to do."
"You'll be exhausted," she said glancing at the clock. "You might as well take off."
Sasuke inhaled slowly and closed his eyes. He really wanted nothing more than to go to work and clear his head. At the same time, he didn't want to leave Sakura and the kids by themselves and unprotected. Granted he did personally set up his own advanced home security system, but that wasn't the point.
"Hn."
"Is that a yes?"
He opened his eyes and gave her a half smirk. He got a smile in response to the smirk and it was settled. He would stay home tomorrow. He looked down at the sleeping boy between them and wondered how bad the next day would be. He's never had to deal with nightmares before. Suki was always a happy sleeper. She's never had nightmares, at least none that he knew about. But that would all come tomorrow.
Sakura's hand went limp. Sasuke could tell by their even breathing that they were both asleep. And with that in mind, sleep came easily to him.
Sasuke certainly had an interesting morning. Upon waking up he noticed that his right side felt heavier. He turned his head, only to come face to face with a head of pink hair.
Sakura's head was resting against his right shoulder. She was significantly closer that she was last night, and sandwiched awkwardly in between them was Sora, who had somehow managed to become transverse ( lying across them). Sora's head and arms were positioned across Sasuke's upper abdomen while his legs stretched over Sakura's hip.
It was sort of comical.
After wondering how the hell that happened, Sasuke carefully shifted out of bed and made sure Sora wouldn't fall off before getting ready for the morning.
"Aunty Sakura I'm hungry," Suki complained.
Sakura and the kids had been in the living room watching TV all morning while Sasuke busied himself with work downstairs in his "gym". Curiously enough, he refused to let anyone go down there.
Sakura nodded and turned to Sora who was sitting right next to her. "What about you sweetie? Hungry yet? You haven't eaten much since we came here," she said worriedly. Sora nodded. Why wasn't he talking? He'd hardly said anything apart from this morning's hysterics. Sasuke chose this time to finally come upstairs.
"What do you want to eat sweetie?" Sakura asked Suki. She scrunched up her face in concentration for a moment before shouting "Okanomiyaki!"
"I'll go out and get it," Sasuke offered as he went to grab his keys.
Sakura turned back to Sora. "Sora, why don't you go with him? Make sure he gets the right ones okay?"
Sora shook his head.
"You don't want to go?"
Sora shook his head again and held her hand. Sakura sighed and turned to Sasuke "I guess I'll just write it down for you."
"He'll come. Let's go Sora," he ordered with a stern voice. Sakura was about to confront him about it but stopped when she felt Sora get off the couch and walk towards him. That was surprising. She wasn't expecting him to yield like that.
"O-okay," she said looking at him worriedly. "Just don't take too long. I'll make dessert while you're away."
Sora came back and gave her a hug before walking back to Sasuke. She watched as they both walked toward the hall and in that instant, she noticed that Sora wasn't afraid anymore. Not with Sasuke near him. Suki walked up to her just then.
"Can we make pudding aunty Sakura?" she asked. Sakura smiled and brought her into a hug and kissed her cheek.
"We can make anything you want. Pudding will make Sora feel better, right?" Suki nodded and together, they left for the kitchen.
They had just bought the food and were on their way back to the car when they passed by a flower shop. Sora took a glance at the flowers, his eyes landing on a bunch of pink roses. He stopped walking and looked down at the ground. They reminded him of his mommy, and suddenly he became sad.
Sasuke stopped when he notice that Sora wasn't following him anymore. He looked over his shoulder and saw him staring at the roses. Since they were pink, he must have been thinking about his mother. Sasuke turned back and stood by him.
"I think Sakura and Suki would like some flowers. Should we get some for them?"
Sora continued to stare at the flowers. He saw one of the rose heads wilt before falling off the steam and onto the ground. His eyes widened before he began to tremble. Images of his mother being hurt came back to him, making him relieve the experience.
"You're scared because that man hurt you?" Sasuke asked. Sora shook his head and sniffled. "Then why?"
"Because he… (sniff)…hurt my mommy," Sora choked as he began to cry. "And I'm not strong enough to… (sniff)… protect her like grandpa said," he added before letting the tears fall freely. Sora kept his head down and covered his eyes with his arm. He didn't want to cry in front of Sasuke.
"So that's why," Sasuke said to himself as he knelt down to Sora's level. He placed his hand over Sora's head and ruffled his hair. "But you did protect her."
"But… (sniff)…she still got…hurt. It was scary," he admitted as he tried to wipe the tears away with his little sleeve. Sasuke sighed. He couldn't handle tears. Sora was just a boy and he shouldn't have to feel like it was his fault.
"It's okay to be scared, but you still protected her," he reassured. "In the end, that's all that matters. She loves you even if you couldn't do that. You protected the one you love, right?"
Sora looked up with teary eyes before launching himself at Sasuke and sobbing. Sasuke was surprised at first, but held onto him anyway. In that instant, he was reminded of how Suki would put on a brave act to make him happy.
Sora was the same, acting brave for Sakura. Sasuke placed his hand on the top of Sora's head and held onto tight. He wasn't one for words, but Sasuke wanted to comfort the boy somehow and make him feel safe. After what he went through, it would probably be a long time before Sora would go back to normal.
A plump elderly woman wearing glasses and an apron came outside carrying some small potted plants. She spotted Sasuke and Sora and felt her heart melt at his tears.
"Oh what's the matter darling?" she asked as she placed the plants on display. Sasuke looked over at her and stood up with Sora in his arms. Sora sniffled and held onto Sasuke as he turned his head to look at the elder lady. "Here." She dug through her pocket. She pulled out a small red lollipop, the kind you get at the doctor's office, and handed it to Sora. "That should make you feel better."
Sora took the lollipop and quietly thanked her. The woman smiled at him.
"Actually, we'd like to get some flowers for his mother."
The woman looked at Sasuke and smiled. "Oh that's wonderful. What kind of flowers would you like?"
Sasuke turned to Sora. "You pick. You know what she likes." Sora nodded, but still clung to Sasuke. Somehow, he just felt better being carried. The woman turned to Sora and pointed to all the flowers.
"What's your mother's name honey?" she asked smiling fondly at Sora.
"Sakura," he said softly, making her smile.
"Ah, the cherry blossom. Such a delicate flower. What color does your mother like sweetheart?"
Sora gave a hint of a smile. The color that always comes to mind with his mommy was…
"Pink."
"Well I just happen to have some lovely pink roses today," she offered as she led them towards the roses. "The pink ones show someone that you care about them," she added.
Sora smiled. "I like those."
"We'll take a dozen pink roses, and one single pink rose wrapped separately please," said Sasuke. The woman nodded and began to wrap up a lovely bouquet. Sasuke paid her and took the flowers. She then pulled out a small red box and handed it to Sora.
"Here you go sweetheart. Chocolates for being so well behaved." Sora smiled and thanked her. The woman smiled back and turned to Sasuke. "Such a good boy you have. You and your wife must be proud. I think she'll love the flowers. She's a lucky woman to have such a caring husband."
The tiniest hint of a smirk made its way onto Sasuke's face as he glanced at Sora, who was preoccupied with the chocolates. He thanked the woman and she bid them farewell. She gave Sora one final smile as she went back inside the shop. Sasuke began to walk back to the car with a happier Sora in his arms.
He walked away with an unfamiliar feeling. He felt as though he accomplished something. For once, he had taken the fear away from someone, rather than instill it. He hardly ever had to this with his own child, let alone Sakura's son. It was a new feeling…and it felt good.
They made it back to the car and drove home. Sora decided to sit up front this time. As they drove, Sasuke kept taking glances at him every now and then. This might have been pushing it, even for him, but he now considered himself the father of two children. He certainly felt like he had two, and it's not like he was going to push Sakura out of his life anytime soon. Why would he? She belonged to him now, and to hell with not rushing it. Would she really be able to turn away from him? He wouldn't know, and he wouldn't let her anyway. He was too possessive for his own good.
What he did know was something that tugged on his inner father. He looked down at the boy sitting next to him. Images of the times they spent with training, karate matches, and talks about getting stronger came to him.
"This must be what it's like," he thought. "…to have a son."
Sora looked up at him with a small grin…that suspiciously could have passed off as a smirk.
Sasuke and Sora began to walk to the front of the house with the food. Before they went inside, Sasuke knelt down so that he was level with Sora. "You're growing up to be a strong man, and your mother is worried about you. Be brave for her, okay?"
Sora held onto the flowers and nodded.
Sasuke opened the front door and walked inside. Sora immediately went scrambling in and headed straight for the kitchen. Upon entering, Sakura looked up from her work on the counter and smiled at him.
"Hi sweetie. You guys sure did take a while," she said as Suki scurried into the kitchen pouting. She was waiting for her lunch after all, but she gasped when she saw something pink behind Sora.
"What's that?" Suki asked pointing at the pink. Sora walked up to them and pulled out the bouquet from behind him and held it up to Sakura, who gasped as well.
"For me?" Sora handed her the flowers with a smile. "Thank you sweetie," she cooed as she hugged him. "They're beautiful."
Sasuke came in and placed the food on the counter before walking over to Suki and handing her the single rose, much to her delight.
"Thanks Daddy!" She marveled at her little flower. Then she spotted the chocolates that Sora had, and moved in for the kill. Meanwhile, Sakura got up to put the flowers in a vase with Sasuke right behind her.
"Looks like he feels better now," she noted as she pulled a crystal vase from the cabinets. While the "men" were gone, she did a little exploring and found many nice kitchen items that were screaming to be used.
"Did you expect him to be crying all day? He may be your son, but he's not a girl," Sasuke replied. Sakura rolled her eyes, but allowed a small smile to creep onto her lips.
"Thank you. Whatever you told him seemed to have worked," she said as she smiled at her son across the room.
"Hn," said Sasuke as he looked away. He felt her hand on his arm before she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"I love the roses," she whispered as she slid past him to take the food over to the table and began serving the kids. He followed her and sat at his usual spot at the table, while the area of the kiss still tingled on his cheek.
After exiting the crime lab, Kakashi checked his watch. He had waited at least fifteen hours post-attack time, and now he couldn't wait any longer. He had to see them, and his sources indicated exactly where she was. He was determined to get her out.
It was toward the end of lunch when the doorbell rang. Sasuke got up from the table and went to the front of the house. Sakura watched him leave before wiping her hands clean with a napkin and getting up to follow him.
Sasuke checked the security monitor near the keypad in the hallway and saw that it was none other than Kakashi Hatake standing outside his door. Somehow, he wasn't the least bit surprised. He opened the door without hesitation. He was met with a stone faced patriarch, whose steely eyes actually forced Sasuke to pause before resuming his position.
"Is she here?" he asked just as Sakura appeared behind Sasuke. Kakashi's eyes hardened when they focused on the white gauze strapped to the side of her head, before they melted in heartache.
"Daddy," she said with surprise. "What are you doing here?" she asked and then immediately regretted asking when she focused on his face. He was upset, and clearly he knew about the break in.
"What am I doing here? You really need to ask?" He pulled her into his arms and held her there. "You really think I wouldn't find out about what happened to you?"
Sakura hugged him back, suddenly happy about his arrival. "Why didn't you call me?" he asked.
"I didn't want you to worry about me and come all the way down here," she answered. "I'm fine, but I'm glad you're here anyway. How did you find me?"
"I checked in with the Tokyo PD. They told me you were staying here for the time being," he said as he directed his gaze to Sasuke. "Thank you for taking care of her."
Sasuke nodded. "Come in. It's cold out," he said motioning with his head to enter. They moved into the spacious living room and settled on the couch, with Sakura sitting next to her father and Sasuke sitting in the arm chair before them.
"How long do you plan on being in town? My house isn't livable at the moment."
"I'm staying in hotel downtown. I'll be here as long as it takes for you to get back into your house with a security system in place. Don't argue with me about that," he warned when she was about to protest.
"I already have a security system, but obviously it didn't work. I'd like to know what went wrong with my old one," she said noticing right away that it surprised both of them. "What?"
"What do you mean you have a system?" Kakashi asked. "Sakura, you don't have any security system installed. We checked."
Sakura looked confused now. "No, I had one installed the week we moved in. I have the receipts and everything. I was planning on calling the company and complaining too. What do you mean you didn't find one?"
"That's a problem," Kakashi said darkly. "That means someone was skilled enough to completely remove a built in system."
Sasuke remained silent the entire time, processing the info. "It's not as random as we thought. Clearly this was planned," he said surprising both Sakura and Kakashi as they turned toward him. He had a look in his eye that was a bit intimidating. His eyes seemed to simmer.
Kakashi agreed with him nonetheless. "Yes, it's more serious than we thought," he said more to himself.
"Well how much more so?" Sakura asked. "You think they broke into my house for a specific reason?"
Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts. "They were probably trying to find things of value to sell off. I'll make sure you and your entire building have a custom system installed. It could have been anyone, but it just had to be you this time. It's not enough that I'm a cop is it?" he lamented while shaking his head.
Sakura grinned. "I do have a tendency to attract trouble don't I?" she asked recalling a few accidents that had happened in her past. "Anyway, do you know how long it will be until I can go home? I want to see if anything was taken."
"I had the Tokyo restoration team speed up the process. You can go back tomorrow morning. All the evidence has been removed."
"Well that's good. So I guess it's just one more night here then," she said glancing at Sasuke.
"Hn." His eyes shifted to hallway. Two little pairs of footsteps could be heard running towards them before they rounded the corner.
"Grandpa!" Sora shouted as he spotted his grandfather in the living room. He then ran towards him with Suki right behind. Kakashi got off the couch and waited. To everyone's surprise, both children lunged at him in a hug.
"Hi Mr. Sora's grandpa!" said Suki with a giggle. Kakashi was more than happy to hug both of them back.
"Hello there," he greeted. Sakura smiled at them. Now Sora had one more reason to be happy.
"I'll make some tea." She got off her spot on the couch and went into the kitchen, well aware that Sasuke had gotten up to follow her. The kids should keep her father busy for at least five minutes. She walked over to the cabinets and pulled out a few tea leaves. She was more acquainted with Sasuke's kitchen than her own at this point. Sasuke got out a small pot and filled it with water for her.
"Thanks." She took the water-filled pot from him and placed it over the stove. "So I guess tomorrow things go back to normal." She heard him grunt behind her and smirked. "Are you going to miss me?" she asked as she turned on the burners. He stood directly behind her and leaned over her shoulder, his warm breathing tickling her ear. "I'll take that as a yes," she grinned. Sasuke brought his head level with hers.
"You will not be working this week," he informed. "As of today you're on medical leave."
"What? That's ridiculous. I don't need a whole week off."
"You don't have a choice," he said, placing his hands on her waist. "In the event of a traumatic occurrence, the physician in question is to take at least one mandatory week of medical leave in order to physically and mentally recover and organize their affairs," he recited as if he was reading straight from the manual. He probably memorized it. "Any such violation of this rule will place your practice in jeopardy and will call for disciplinary action."
"Are you talking to me or giving a lesson on hospital policy to new hires?" she asked sarcastically. "I have patients who are scheduled to deliver this week. I can't just take off."
"You don't have a choice," he repeated. "You're not to come within fifty feet of the hospital unless it's a medical emergency to yourself."
"You're just making that up," she accused when she saw him smirk.
"One week off. No negotiations."
"I don't like your tone," she said, turning to face him. "You have control issues don't you? You can be so pushy sometimes."
"It's for your own good, and its hospital policy," he repeated crossing his arms over his chest. "You would say the same thing to Hinata or the dobe if they went through what you did."
Sakura opened her mouth to argue, but closed it when she knew he was right. She would tell them to take off. But she wouldn't say it like he did.
"I would suggest it, but I wouldn't "force" them," she clarified. "I don't like being told what to do or how to do it Sasuke," she said while crossing her own arms. "My whole life, people have been telling me what I can or can't do, trying to make it "easy" for me," she said making air quotations. "I can take care of myself."
"You also need to take care of your son," he reminded. "Is he not a good enough reason for you to stop being stubborn and remain at home?" He could tell by the way she stilled that he had probably just offended her. He didn't care. She was just being stubborn.
"Is Suki not a good enough reason for you to remain at home sometimes?" she returned.
Now Sasuke stilled. The environment was slowly becoming hostile. The teapot began to whistle as it came to a boil, but neither one moved. Cold onyx eyes met fiery emerald counterparts without blinking. It wasn't until the teapot began to bubble over that Sakura moved to turn it down.
"You don't really see it do you?" she asked. "I mean you get that she's disappointed when you can't play with her or make it to her recitals, but you don't really see just how miserable she can be without you."
"This isn't about the kids," he said stiffly.
"Then let's make it about them. I will take that week off for Sora's sake. You're right. I should be with him right now. I'll take Suki too since you seem to be so busy with work. But don't think that having me around her will make up for you not being there. I'll be there for her whenever I can, and I really want to be. I love her like my own daughter, but Sasuke she needs her father there. She won't be five forever you know."
The sound of Sora and Suki's giggling could be heard from the living room, and that was quite a distance too. Sasuke walked up to her and trapped her at the counter, just like the first time. Without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her—hard. She leaned back in surprise, but he wouldn't have that. He brought his arms behind her and pulled her against him, keeping a firm grip on her. It didn't take her long to drop her resistance and return the kiss. She lifted herself on her toes and wound her arms around his neck.
Something about the way he kissed just made her lose any kind of resolve she may have had. It was almost like a form of manipulation. Either way she couldn't fight it, and he knew that. He took advantage of that every chance he could. He kissed her jaw and then went down her neck. He could feel her flush as her breathing hitched. Then the resistance came back.
"My dad's in the living room," she whispered.
"So?" he asked as he continued to kiss her neck. He could care less that her father was in the living room, so long as she stopped talking. He went back to her lips and tried to kiss with more intensity, but was stopped by her fingers.
"I love when you try to distract me," she breathed. "But I wouldn't be surprised if my dad brought his gun with him. Let's not keep him waiting." She sighed and stepped away.
"Annoying woman," he mumbled as she took the tea out to the living room.
For the next half hour the three of them talked about work and other things. Kakashi had made it clear that he wasn't going anywhere for a while and after that, Sakura went upstairs to pack their things. Tomorrow they would leave for home again, and for some reason, Sasuke was annoyed. But nevertheless, it had to be done.
Next day...
Kakashi was currently sitting on the couch with Sora, while Sakura was making dinner in the kitchen. Pakkun was curled up on the couch besides Sora while a select few of his dogs lounged around the house. Since Sakura's home couldn't accommodate all ten dogs, the rest of them were currently with Kiba at his kennel.
Kakashi listened as his grandson talked animatedly about his current drawings with a smile on his face. His attitude suggested that nothing even happened to them.
"Grandpa?"
"Yes?"
"When can I get my kunai back?" he asked looking up at him. Kakashi struggled to find an explanation for him to understand. He didn't want to bring up anything that might make him remember the night of the attack, therefore he had to choose his words carefully. He got a report on how reclusive Sora had become the day after it had happened.
"Well, you see my friends at the police station have it, and they can't give it back until they're done working on it."
"What are they going to do to it?" Sora asked worriedly.
Kakashi patted his head. "Do you know what I do at work?"
Sora nodded. "You're the boss of the police guys."
"That's right. It's my job to make sure that all the police officers work hard to catch bad guys. Do you know how we catch bad guys?" Sora shook his head "We have to follow the clues. Clues help us find them faster."
"Like a treasure map?" he asked innocently. Kakashi chuckled.
"Yeah, sort of. Anyway, the kunai I gave you is a clue. So the police need to keep it for a while so that they can find a bad guy."
He eyed Sora's expression carefully, taking note of the subtle changes in his mood. He can tell by the way Sora looked down in his lap that he knew what bad guy he was referring to.
"You were very brave," he continued, hoping to encourage the boy. "You protected your mommy and helped us get a clue to catch the bad guy. I'm very proud of you," he said ruffling his hair. Sora grinned. Getting praise from his grandfather made him feel special.
Kakashi was very interested in his reactions. From what he knew, Sora was traumatized the night after the event. If anything, he was expected to remain in a reclusive state for much longer than this. But he was so well composed, it hardly seemed like anything had happened. Perhaps he was so traumatized that he was mentally suppressing the event. At least that would be something that Agent Ibiki Morino, his best interrogator would say. He figured he might as well probe Sora's mind a bit and see what he could get out of it.
He cast a quick glance toward the kitchen, where he saw that Sakura was busy over the stove with her back to them. He promised her that he wouldn't talk to Sora about the attack, but this was necessary.
"Weren't you scared?" Sora was in the middle of drawing a picture, but Kakashi didn't notice.
"Yeah… it was really scary. But I had to help Mommy."
"That's right. And you did a good job, but weren't you scared afterwards? You didn't cry?" he asked. Sora shook his head and continued to draw.
"Sort of," he admitted. "Then Sasuke told me I was strong and to be brave for Mommy. So I didn't cry. I'm not scared when Sasuke and Suki are here," he said as he smiled into his drawing. Kakashi glanced at it and saw that he was drawing what appeared to be Sasuke in a ninja costume.
"I see…"
So Sasuke was more involved in this picture than he ever anticipated. This worried Kakashi. Things were moving too fast for his liking. It's not so much that he disliked Sasuke, but more that he was worried about Sakura choosing him for all the wrong reasons.
Did she really like him? Or was she inadvertently seeing another Sai? Was Sakura's mental health more of a concern than Sora's? Kakashi knew he couldn't trust his own judgment on that. He was too biased in this case, and anything he said would be dismissed as an overprotective father. He needed an outside opinion; someone who knew Sakura when she was with Sai, who can keep a close eye on her while she's with Sasuke. He could only think of two people for the job, but he could only hope their current situation wouldn't prevent them from doing so.
Just then, a beeping noise came from the coffee table. Sakura's pager was going off. All the dogs lifted their heads up in response to the noise, and didn't ease up until Sakura came to pick up the pager. Her eyes widened for a second before she smiled.
"Tenten's in labor!" she shouted as her smile got wider. "I'm going to be a godmother!" she squealed hopping up and down.
"Damn," Kakashi mentally cursed. The Hyuga's were the two people he was thinking of for the job, since they knew her before and after Sai. That plan just went straight to hell. Tenten was officially out and he would never ask Neji to go on a personal mission now that he was about to become a father. "That's great. Tell them I said congratulations."
"I will." She looked down at Sora. "Okay sweetie, I have to go help Aunty Tenten have the babies. I won't be back until late, so you'll just have to stay here with Grandpa alright?"
"Okay. Can I see the babies?"
Sakura smiled. "Of course you can. I'll take you to see them as soon as possible. I'll go get ready then," she said before running upstairs to get changed. Kakashi sighed and began to think of other people he might get into the action.
Less than five minutes later, Sakura came down the stairs and talked a she shuffled through her bag.
"Okay, dinner is still simmering away on the stove and it should be done in another ten minutes. There are juice boxes in the fridge, and I bought some popcorn if you want to watch a movie together after dinner. Not too late, I want him showered and in bed by eight. He has school tomorrow and I probably won't be back in the morning," she said as she slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her keys. "If that's the case then you can just drop him off. Or I can call Ino and ask her to do it if you'd like."
"I may be a grandfather, but keep in mind I'm only forty-three," Kakashi said dryly. "It's not like I don't know how to take care of a kid. The one kid I do have turned out to be a doctor, who's going to be late if she doesn't get out of here," he said noting the wondrous look his grandson was giving him. "What?"
"Do I get to ride in the front seat Grandpa?" Sora asked. Ever since Sasuke did it, Sora had wanted to sit up front again, but his mother always preferred him in his booster seat in the back.
"Sure…or we'll talk about it," he said after he got a look from Sakura. She smiled at him and leaned down towards Sora.
"You be good for Grandpa alright?" she asked as she ruffled his hair. "I'll be home as soon as I can," she said as she kissed his cheek. "I love you."
"Love you too Mommy," said Sora as Kakashi got up to walk her out the door.
"Call me as soon as you get to hospital." Sakura resisted rolling her eyes as she nodded in agreement. "Want me to walk you to your car?"
"Relax Daddy, I'm fine. I'll call you as soon as I'm there," she said as she stood on her tip toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek as well. She went out the door and closed it behind her. As soon as she was out, Kakashi pulled out his cell phone and dialed Asuma's number.
"She's heading out," he said as he kept an eye on Sora sitting on the couch and drawing again. "Follow her."
"Will do," said Asuma. He hung up the phone and watched the building from a black car with dark tinted windows parked on the curb. He lit his cigarette and exhaled a small cloud of smoke when he saw "little Sakura" make her way down the stone steps from her home and over to her car.
He sighed as he got ready to follow her to work. He wondered if she would even remember her old uncle Asuma. Sakura was just a little thing the last time he physically saw her. She couldn't have been more than eight or nine years old before he was assigned to yearlong reconnaissance missions for the agency.
He felt guilty following her like this. The girl had less privacy than she knew of, and that was all because of her father. Kakashi was always the best of the best in his ANBU years; a fierce and skilled fighter who thought of nothing but the mission. He didn't always have the best relationships with people, aside from Rin. But all that changed the minute Sakura was born.
Asuma saw how losing Rin and gaining a daughter brought out more of Kakashi's humanity. He began to treasure the people in his life, starting with Sakura. She was his life, and he went to great lengths to keep her happy and safe, and for good reason.
There were many enemies out there who would jump at the chance to terminate any CIA member, especially high standing figures such as Kakashi. To anyone else, it might seem overprotective, but it's all standard procedure. Sakura wasn't the only agency child being monitored. She just happened to be the Commanders daughter, a princess of sorts and top priority.
But still, it felt so wrong to stalk her. Asuma watched as she pulled out the driveway and drove off. He made sure that her car was on his GPS navigator, before starting his car and following.
Sakura walked into the labor and delivery section of the hospital and was surprised at what was waiting for her.
"Doctor Haruno," Hinata called out with a surprised face. "What brings you here?" She looked nervous all of the sudden and actually checked behind her shoulder as if someone was watching her. Sakura raised an eyebrow.
"Tenten's in Labor. Didn't you page me?"
Hinata was still looking at her with curious eyes. "I know she's going to deliver tonight, but I was told not to page you. We've requested another doctor for the delivery."
"What?!" she shouted. "That's ridiculous. Who told you not to page me?" Before Hinata could respond, Naruto's voice interrupted.
"Sakura! What're you doing here?" he asked nervously. "If Sasuke see's you here he's going to kill someone. Who called you?"
"Sasuke's here?" she asked before shaking her head "Whatever, the point is I'm Tenten's OB and she's in labor, so I'm here. And was Sasuke the one who gave the order not to page me?" Judging by the way Naruto and Hinata glanced at each other, she was assuming it was true. She sighed.
"He just wanted to make sure nothing interrupted your recovery time," Naruto explained.
"I'm fine," she stated as she tried to pass them, however Naruto moved to block her path. Sakura tried to side step him again, but this time Hinata moved to block her. "Oh come on! What, did he threaten you to stop me from coming?"
"Yeah pretty much," he admitted. "It's not just us. The whole department was notified about not paging you, so I have no idea how you found out."
Fury pulsed through her veins. This was a whole new level of controlling. How dare he try to prevent her doing her job!
"I have three babies to deliver," she said slowly. "I don't have the time to be angry with him right now, but feel free to tell him I'll give him a rain check." She shoved past Naruto as walked towards L&D.
Naruto sighed. "He's going to kill me." Hinata patted his arm. "Who told her though?"
"I can only think of one person," said Hinata while shaking her head. "Never deny a woman in labor."
Sakura knocked on the door to Tenten's room. When she heard Neji say come in, she entered to his surprise.
"Sakura?" said Neji as he got up from Tenten's side. "What ar—"
"What am I doing here?" she asked for him as she strolled over towards the bed. "That seems to be the question of the night considering the answer is oh-so-obvious."
"I knew you'd come," Tenten grinned. Her hair was tied back in a low ponytail and her skin looked flushed and moist, but she was glowing. "Glad you got my page."
Sakura smiled at her friend.
"So you're the one who paged me. No wonder everyone was shocked that I came. Thanks Tennie," she said patting Tenten's shoulder. Unlike everyone else, Tenten knew that Sakura wouldn't and shouldn't miss out on this.
"Tenten," Neji shook his head. Tenten just shrugged her shoulders and smiled at Sakura.
"She would have killed me if I didn't call her," Tenten defended. "There are some lies that are just not okay to tell," she said pointedly at him. Sakura didn't understand that last sentence, but she did notice that it made Neji drop the subject. She shook it off as she scanned the room for Tenten's chart.
"How're you feeling? Did you're water break yet?" she asked as she checked her vitals on the monitors. Tenten shook her head.
"Not yet. But the contractions started a few hours ago and they're getting pretty bad." Sakura took a look at the little machine recording the contraction waves.
"Sasuke will find out about this," said Neji. "He was very particular about you getting your rest, and I agree with him."
"Yeah yeah," she mumbled as she scanned the graphs. "Where's your chart?"
"With the new physician who came to do the delivery," Neji answered. Before Sakura could protest about it, the door opened revealing a stern looking Sasuke standing in the way.
"Doctor Haruno," he ground out in his annoying authoritative tone. "I'd like to speak with you outside." He looked like he was trying hard not to yell. Sakura squared her shoulders and nodded.
"So would I," she seethed as she walked out with him. As soon as he closed the door, he rounded on her.
"Who paged you?" he demanded.
"Our very own mommy-to-be. Tenten paged me. And why shouldn't she? Why can't I be here?" she asked feeling the frustration growing inside her.
"You don't have the clearance to be performing major surgery. It's a liability to the patient and the hospital, plus you still need time to recover."
"I want people to stop telling me that!" she shouted. "I wasn't run over by a truck. I'm not disabled and don't even give me that liability crap. You just don't want me to work. You're not my father for crying out loud."
"I'm not negotiating this," he said as he ran his hand down his face in an effort to calm himself. "Other arrangements have been made and you're not needed here."
"Are you implying that I'm incapable of doing my job?" she asked. "I'm perfectly suited to deliver these babies. I'm their attending physician. I've been monitoring their week by week progress, their stats, and I'm coordinating the cesarean section. You can't just shift all that to someone else."
"You are on doctors' orders to remain on medical leave until otherwise stated. And yes, I'm implying that you can't do it!" he said towering over her.
"What doctor? Neji is not my doctor," she said thinking that perhaps Neji had requested her off the case.
"I've got this case handed over to another doctor, who also agrees that you are not in the right state of being for this procedure." Before she could argue, a familiar voice boomed through the hallway.
"Doctors are truly the worst patients." Sakura gasped and looked to her left and saw a tall busty woman with blond pigtails and fierce red nails wearing a lab coat.
"Tsunade Sama? What are you doing here?"
"Keeping you in check, and I'm also taking over the Hyuga delivery," she answered as she pulled out Tenten's file. "Don't argue with me you know you'll just lose," she added when she noticed Sakura begin to talk.
"This isn't your average patient, its Tenten. I can't miss this, you know I can't," she pleaded. Tsunade glanced at her former apprentice and sighed.
"I never said you couldn't participate. You're just not going to be the Attending. I'll be performing the Cesarean and you can assist me in the delivery, just like you used to do," she said as she skimmed the chart. "You are more familiar with this particular pregnancy so that's a plus. Although I'd much rather you go home and rest. But I can see you won't have that," she said before mumbling something about stubborn children.
Sakura sighed, but settled. It was better than not being in there at all, which would have been exactly what Sasuke wanted. She was very upset that he would work so hard to keep her out of it. Calling Tsunade of all things.
Speaking of Sasuke, he was still standing there looking like he didn't even like the idea of her being in the delivery room at all. What the hell was his problem? This was beyond protective, this was just condescending.
"Well let's not just stand here," Tsunade announced, snapping her out of her rage. "We have a woman in labor that needs an ultrasound and biophysical profile stat!" she shouted as she walked in between Sasuke and Sakura towards delivery. Sakura watched Sasuke with hard eyes and gave him a look that was just downright icy, before walking to delivery. Sasuke said nothing, and just watched her go.
"Quit your simmering," Tsunade ordered as she and Sakura walked side by side to Tenten's room. "I wouldn't want you here with that attitude either."
"He's so...stupid," she huffed. "I'm fine! Do I have to tattoo that on my forehead? There's plenty of room up there. Maybe people will believe me then." Tsunade sighed.
"He's just worried about his girlfriend. What's wrong with that?" she asked. "Oh don't look at me like that. You wouldn't be able to fit anything else of your forehead when you've got "I'm dating Sasuke Uchiha" written all over there. You're not as subtle as you think. You're a terrible liar Sakura."
Sakura blushed but huffed none the less. "Dating or not, he shouldn't order me around like that."
"In case you haven't noticed, ordering people around is his job title. That includes you, only he has more incentive to keep you safe. I imagine he's getting it good with you." Sakura nearly fell over.
"I-It's not... like that."
"But it's come close several times. I can tell," Tsunade said smirking "I'm guessing you're the one that does the backing out at the last minute. Any reason for that?" Sakura couldn't look her in the eye. "Any moron could tell he's worried about you; we all are, especially your father. You really should appreciate the people that try to protect you."
"But that's just it," she said. "I'm so overprotected! I'm sick of it. People just need to let me be. I'm not a weakling. I have my own life and I want to live it the way I want. It's like no one trusts me to survive on my own. Frankly it's insulting."
"You're just being stubborn...as usual. Anyway, suck it up. We have triplets to deliver and I don't like to waste time."
The two of them switched to doctor mode and prepared for the delivery.
A lanky looking woman wearing a dark red suit with long red hair and black rimmed glasses stepped out of her vehicle. Her pointed high heels made sharp tapping noises as she slowly walked up to the hospital building and looked all the way up to the top tower. A sinister smile made its way onto her flaming red lips as she closed her eyes and inhaled. She knew he was here. She could feel him. She stared directly at the top office level and sighed.
"I've found you at last...my Sasuke," she said as she walked towards the entrance. "Karin will always know how to find you."
Authors Note:
Special shout out to darkpetaltalki, x-LlOVe, nanamisakurachan, and for questioning my updates lol.
Ok so here's chapter 21. I know it's late and you may have forgotten my story, but whatevs. Let me know what you guys think. I know I have a few beatings to take so lay it on me. I feel like this chapter drags, but hopefully I can spice up the rest. It's all ROMANCE from the next chapter and beyond. And some drama C.I.A stuff lol.
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