thanks guys, appreciate your support :)

Hinata reached Sasuke's apartment later that evening. Excited, she knocked on the door and waited for it to be answered.

"Hi Naruto!" the brunet greeted before giving her friend a hug.

"Hi, come in…" Naruto returned with a bright smile on his face.

The blonde stepped to the side and she entered, waving a greeting to Sasuke who sat on the floor, scribbling in a book with the toddler before him doing the same. There was crayola strewn around them and it looked like they were doing something as a family.

Sasuke nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"So, how far along are you?" the woman asked excitedly.

Naruto couldn't help but giggle. "Two weeks."

Hinata hugged him proudly. "I'm so happy for you, Naruto. So is Sasuke…?" she asked after pulling back and looking into his eyes.

"Ecstatic," Naruto finished brightly. Hinata was having lots of problems with her own family so he didn't find her question strange.

They walked over to the couch and took a seat before chatting up a storm, exchanging different baby stories, planning parties and implying the sex of said child and what they would get each.

After a while, Sasuke was tired of all the baby fawning.

"Will you two can it? The baby will get here when the baby gets here and your only two weeks Naruto, not two months," the Uchiha muttered annoyed.

Naruto laughed, "Nothing's wrong with planning early, Sasuke."

Shaking his head, the brunet stood up, took the Kiichi in one hand and the books and crayon in the other before heading for the bedroom.

Hinata giggled. "He's so stubborn…"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "You don't know the half of it."

"But you're happy though, right?" the woman asked with a far away look in her eyes; she's always wanted a family of her own.

Naruto returned her gaze endearingly. "Way too happy Hinata."

She patted his hand softly as they both exchanged smiles.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door again and Naruto went to answer it. He acted surprised, though he wasn't, when Kyuubi just walked into the apartment after he opened the door.

Kyuubi took off his jacket and tossed it on the rack beside said door, then turned around to face Naruto, not realizing Hinata was sitting a few feet away.

"What the hell do you mean you're pregnant? Why would you get pregnant for that no good Sasuke? Are you crazy?"

Naruto shook his head before ignoring Kyuubi in favor of walking over to Hinata, who was staring down at her fingers that she was playing with in her lap.

"Oh," Kyuubi muttered unsurely when he realized Hinata was sitting there. He hadn't tried talking to her since the break up and he could see that she was equally as nervous. He knew Naruto was to blame for their little 'accidental' meeting.

"Hi," Kyuubi muttered to Hinata while approaching the couch.

The woman only hid her face and waved in his general direction. "Hi."

Naruto looked sympathetically at them both. "Sorry about this, in my excitement I hadn't realized you two were coming over at the same time."

"Bullshit," Kyuubi growled. "Now go away, we need to talk."

Naruto turned and walked towards the bedroom around the corner silently. He hoped they would be able to work their differences out.

Kyuubi sighed and Hinata fidgeted in answer.

"Are you alright?" Kyuubi asked in earnest.

Hinata started playing with her nails. "I-I'm fine, y-you?"

Leaning back in the couch, the red head only grunted in response.

"H-how's your baby's father?" the woman asked in a low, uneven voice. It was riding her, knowing the man she loved would be having a child for another man.

Kyuubi snorted, "That rapist? I want to hang him by the god damn balls. How would I know how he is?"

Wide, frightened, petrified violet eyes looked at Kyuubi. "R-rapist?"

Seeing Hinata like that and knowing she thought ill of him, he just felt like telling her the truth. Not. The truth was, he missed her, and he decided to take Naruto's advice. Maybe he could explain to her and she could forgive him. Seeing her after two weeks only drove home how much he'd missed her. Maybe they could reconcile and he'd get his girlfriend back.

"Yeah, it wasn't consensual, what happened between us…" the redhead sighed.

Hinata froze, trying to process in her brain what Kyuubi was telling her. He was raped? "You were, like, rape raped?

Kyuubi frowned at her question, "There's more than one type of rape?"

Hinata shook her head in a negative gesture, simultaneously trying to get rid of her rampant thoughts. "I'm sorry, I wasn't…"

"Don't worry," Kyuubi cut her off.

The woman smiled a sad smile. "I'm so sorry about how I acted…but why didn't you tell me before?" she asked, pulling closer to the man she cared for, holding his hand beside her and squeezing tightly.

Kyuubi squeezed affectionately in return. "I didn't want you involved in this, he might hurt you too if given the chance."

Hinata hugged Kyuubi around the shoulders and planted a small kiss to his cheek. "You still should have told me, we could have sorted something out."

Kyuubi smiled, he really liked Hinata. Naruto was right, he should have told her earlier.

But, there was still one other thing he knew she might have a problem with…

"So, if that's the case, what have you done about it?"

Why did she have to ask that so soon? He wasn't going to lie though, he was done with lying. The hopeful look she had in her eyes, he prayed he was telling her what she was willing to overlook.

"It's still inside me…"

He could feel the relaxed aura around them change to something way more solemn. The look in Hinata's eyes, God they spoke volumes of her inner turmoil.

"So you're sure about keeping this child then…."

It sounded rhetorical and he could tell she was hurt by it. "I don't know…"

"Well, the fact that after all this time you're still carrying means you either want this baby or something," Hinata responded.

"No! I mean…I'm just uncertain…" Kyuubi sighed. He kept his gaze before him because he was afraid she would say with her eyes what he hadn't heard yet with words.

"I love you…"

That sentence caught Kyuubi so off guard is eyes snapped up to Hinata's face. He could feel his heart racing in anticipation. Would she put this behind her and be with him, support him, help him?

"…but I can't do this," she finished.

Kyuubi swallowed a lump in his throat. He would not beg her to stay, he would not grovel even though some small part of his brain was telling him he should; to make her stay.

"Why?" came out of the redhead's mouth meekly. He didn't want to sound so small, so hurt, but he was and unlike everybody else who he put up this façade of being unbreakable for, she meant a lot to him.

Hinata smiled sadly. "I have dreams Kyuubi. Ever since I was a little girl, my family has been having problems, emotionally and physically. I've always dreamt of having the perfect family, breaking the cycle of what has become known as a common Hyuga trait in our town. I want to build and mold my own, that's my desire, and as it stands right now…I'm sorry."

Kyuubi nodded, he understood. She loved him, and he loved her, but what she needed the most he couldn't give in his current situation. It would hurt her too much. "I understand."

Hinata took his hand in hers and kissed him chastely on the cheek. "I'm sorry, please take car of yourself…"

Kyuubi nodded once again, swallowing a lump in his throat as the woman stood and walked towards the door, shutting it gently behind her as she left. He understood where she was coming from, even if he wished she would reconsider. The damage was already done, and he knew even if he gave up on the baby now she still would not see him as she once did. Her looks of affection would be laced with doubt and suspicion and she would never be able to love another's child unconditionally. They would not be happy.

She had countless steps and in-laws at home and that was one of the main causes of her constant family feuds. She would look to any child not her own like outsiders and she didn't want to go through that, or put any child through that either.

And to be honest, he wasn't sure he'd want to raise a child not his own under such conditions himself.

So he let it be, let sleeping dogs lie and hope for a brighter future with the one meant unconditionally for him.

Naruto rounded the corner a moment later, looking at the door his friend just went through. When he looked at his brother's dejected face, he knew that must have hurt much more than he was letting on. There were tears brimming in his eyes and when he looked up and spotted him, he wiped them with the back of his hand and smile.

"I'm so sorry Kyu…" Naruto muttered regrettably with arms outstretched. He had hoped they would have gotten back together, but as it were they both spoke their piece and separated in a civilized manner, which was a lot compared to what he had imagined would happen with his brother's ill temper.

Kyuubi stood and returned Naruto's hug. "Don't worry, it's for the best."

Naruto smiled sadly while looking into his brother's eyes.

"Now…" Kyuubi started, changing the subject. "How far along are you? And where is that bastard?"

Naruto rocked back on his heels like a kid with a secret to tell. "I'm two weeks preg…"

"WHAT?" Kyuubi shouted in disbelief. "So we both…at the same time?"

Kyuubi's mind was reeling.

Naruto was about to answer, but Sasuke rounded the corner with a scowl on his face. "What's with the noise today Naruto? Kiichi's asleep you know…"

"Sasuke, I'm sorry…" Naruto started, but Kyuubi flew past him in a flurry of red to grab his lover by his shirt front.

"You ass, why did you get my little brother pregnant?" the red head gritted out.

With a nonchalant look on his face, Sasuke answered, "Because I'm fucking him and condoms break apparently."

Kyuubi clenched his fist as if to punch Sasuke, but Naruto grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back.

"Kyuubi, you can't want to hurt my Sasuke, he hasn't done anything wrong!" Naruto shouted.

"He's no good, godamnit," Kyuubi hissed.

Naruto was about to answer, but Sasuke cut him off.

"Look, I'm an Uchiha, not Itachi. Please do not blame me for my brother's uncouth deed against you. I will never hurt Naruto, nor have I ever tried to hurt you, and I never will so obviously your resentment for me is because of my brother. I in no way support what he did, and I never will. He was wrong, he's dangerous and he needs to get what's coming to him," Sasuke finished.

Kyuubi was surprised. He honestly thought Sasuke would defend his brother because if Naruto had murdered somebody, he would have covered for his brother no matter what. It was the type of bond that gave truth to the saying that blood is thicker than water. He honestly thought Sasuke had that type of bond with Itachi, seemed he was wrong. He looked into those baby blue eyes and they were pleading with him, begging him to not ruin the mood, to go easy.

"I'm sorry," Kyuubi grudgingly muttered to Sasuke while he looked anywhere but at him.

With a nod Sasuke walked to the kitchen, he'd needed something to drink before the altercation.

Sighing, the red walked to the couch with his brother in tow, who rested a hand gently on his shoulder after they took a seat. Sasuke walked pass them again, heading back to the bedroom with a can of soda in one hand. They were duly ignored by the uptight brunet and he wondered how Naruto could put up with somebody so snobby like that.

Naruto could clearly see the emotions flickering across Kyuubi's features, especially as he eyed Sasuke, and when he turned to say something, he cut him off quickly, "Don't ask. He's rarely ever like that with me…"

Kyuubi nodded. "Fine. Are you really happy with him?"

A concerned Kyuubi could be quite endearing and Naruto hugged his brother. "I am, thanks."

***********************SaSuNaRu***********************

A few days later, at the appointed time, Naruto took his brother to a quaint little house on the outskirts of the city. The house, decorated with sculptors and paintings of some important people, some he recognized, belong to Shizune Nemoto, the mid-wife Haku told them about.

The atmosphere was soft and warm; inviting as they thread barefoot on the thick burgundy rug that covered the entire living room. There was a hearth to one side with heated logs inside and they were led to a very comfortable cream couch in the centre of the room by a young woman with long white hair pulled up into a ponytail and green eyes. She met them at the door, invited them in when she realized they did in fact have an appointment and led them to their current location. She identified herself as Naomi and she was very friendly.

"Can I get you boys anything to drink?" the woman asked curtly with a smile.

"No," they both answered in unison. Kyuubi was nervous and Naruto was excited.

"Please be patient, Lady Shizune will be with you momentarily," the woman bowed before walking away.

Nodding, they watched until she disappeared around a corner, down what they presumed was a hallway.

A few moments later, a woman with shoulder length dark hair with bangs that fell across her forehead and dark eyes emerged in a long bluish-black kimono with white trimmings, except for the sleeve that were held close by a white obi.

This was the traditional dress of a Konohagakure private midwife and when she emerged, she bowed in greeting. "Kyuubi Uzumaki?"

The red head cleared his throat.

"Ah. Then you are…?" she asked, turning to Naruto.

"Naruto Uzumaki," came the blonde's reply.

"Oh, brothers I assume?" the woman asked. She took a seat across from them while simultaneously offering her hand as a gesture for them to sit.

They did.

"You asked to see me, why?" Kyuubi started after they sat down.

The woman turned affectionate eyes on Naruto. "It was your last name, I know your brother."

Kyuubi looked to Naruto, who looked as confused as he was.

"What, how?" the blonde asked, needing clarification.

"She loved you, you know. She talked about you everyday like you were her own child. Delivering your baby made her so happy," the woman smiled.

Realization dawned on Naruto in that instance. "You were Granny Tsunade's apprentice!"

The woman nodded proudly.

"Yeah, it's been two and half years since she died," Naruto reminisced sadly. Tsunade was like family, he cherished her dearly. She died in a drunk driving accident a week after she delivered his baby.

"I'm sure she would have loved to deliver your brother's child too," Shizune smiled sweetly.

"Oh yeah, about that…" Naruto blushed. "… I'm expecting too."

There was surprise clearly written on Shizune's face at first, but then her eyes softened once again. "She would have been so happy."

"Hey, what about Tonton?" Naruto asked, referring to Tsunade's pet pig. How a midwife could keep a pig as a pet was beyond him, but she loved it. It seemed she could even understand it sometimes when it snorted...like a pig.

"Oh, Tonton died six months later from heart disease," Shizune answered. "I say it was loneliness and heartache."

Kyuubi just sat there and listened, he didn't see the need to interrupt the two when they were reminiscing about a loved one lost. It sounded like this Tsunade woman was a great person.

"Oh, sorry to hear that," Naruto answered. "But she drank way too much; I often feared it wouldn't end well."

"As did we all," Shizune sighed tiredly. "Pity we were right."

Naruto gave a sympathetic sigh in answer.

"You know, if she was here she'd probably say 'how the hell did you get knocked up again, Gaki!'" Naruto laughed, doing his best impression of the always drunken woman.

Shizune giggled. "You're right; she would…" then a more professional demeanor came over her. "But for now, shall we do what you came to do?"

The two nodded.

"Can you lift your shirts a few inches?" the woman asked.

They did as asked, exposing their stomach as the woman poked and pressed right above their pelvis area with her fingers.

She sat back down, indicating for them to pull their shirt down before drawing a folder from the side of her seat. She wrote some things down, including their addresses and phone numbers. She capped her pen, then put the folder back down before looking back at them.

"You're both in your first trimester, and as it stands now, seeing your both male and that in itself is an anomaly, you will both need closer monitoring than a female would. You're both twice as likely to have problems during pregnancy, you're high risk patients. As of now, no strenuous activities. If either of you have a job that requires lifting heavy objects, you will be in trouble. Sex should not be vigorous or back breaking and it's imperative you keep your blood pressure down," Shizune informed.

She also gave them tips on proper eating habits and natural ways to relieve lower back pain which they would encounter at some time once their stomach grew. She also suggested loose fitting clothes and getting plenty of rest.

All these things Naruto knew since this was his second child, but Kyuubi had to take everything in with keen ears. He still wasn't sure about keeping this baby, and he had a little more time to change his mind, but as it stood, he would need to take care of himself anyways in the mean time.

It was another half hour when the pair left Shizune's home a little more educated about what they would be going through later down the road.

***********************SaSuNaRu***********************

It was late one night and the rain fell hard outside while the wind howled with fury. Zabuza was home, lying down and wrapped in a blanket on his couch while the tv before him played some black and white, cheesy horror movie. The popcorn bowl placed on the coffee table before him was half empty and so was the cup of soda.

Neither was his.

He had in fact managed to take a small nap, but due to the alarm he set on his cell phone every night for 11:45, he was awoken. Taking up the remote, he pressed the power button and turned the tv off. He threw the blanket to the edge of the couch and sat up before putting his feet inside his night slippers, all set to go up to Haku's room.

Every night, somewhere between 12am and 12:15, Haku would wake up with a scream, something he hadn't managed to get use to over time. His partner was delicate and fragile.

Haku was far from weak, but he was traumatized because of his rape.

The man that did such a thing was never found since his partner was attacked late one night around these times. It was as if his body subconsciously knew every night what time it was and he would relive it, like a dream eating him alive. He took him to psychiatrists, specialists, guidance counselors…but nothing worked, nothing at all.

He even went to an herbal specialist once, acquiring some bush the man said would put his partner's mind at ease; it didn't work.

He was at the foot of the stairs when the screams started, causing him to rush to the room adjacent to his, which was at the end of the hall. Flinging the door open, he quickly made his way over to his partner who was kicking and thrashing on the bed, begging his peripheral ghost to stop, to leave him be.

It broke his heart into tiny pieces every time this would happen; it touched him to his core. He couldn't begin to understand what Haku was going through and he wanted it to end, for him to be at peace.

After grabbing the smaller man by the shoulders, he held him firmly and pushed him down before calling his name and prompting him to wake up. For some reason, the younger always slept without hinder after 12:30; he only needed to wake him once.

Haku's hair had become loose from the scrunch that held it together during his inner struggle and the long tresses fell across his face like a spider's web, becoming matted and entangled. There was sweat forming on his brows and forehead as his lips parted in agony and his body went rigid.

"HAKU! WAKE UP, HAKU!" Zabuza commanded with a few light slaps to the pale cheeks. Those wide, dark brown eyes were unfocused after opening, but they slowly gain recognition after a few more shakes and shouts.

"Zabuza…?" Haku sobbed. "Zabuza?" he shouted after recognition dawned on him and he hugged the man with all the strength left in his frail body. A glass of water that laid by his bedside every night was passed to him and he took greedy gulps, getting himself wet in the process. His throat was normally dry and hoarse after his screaming bouts, so his partner made sure he was always hydrated. The man quickly laid down beside him and he hugged him close as he threaded his larger fingers through his hair and lull him back to sleep. He didn't know why, but he always felt safe with the older man, like a butterfly with Zabuza as his encompassing cocoon. He needed that safety net, an anchor back to reality because it honestly made all this a little easier to accept. If he was alone he might have killed himself already.

It had been two years since Haku's attack, and even if he did have a theory about why Haku couldn't forget, the older man knew that closure was mainly what his partner needed. He knew that for Haku, every man on the street was a suspect, his potential attacker. Haku had begged him six months into their living arrangement to help him become a police officer, citing he needed to help people who ended up in situations like his or worse. The younger one begged and begged until he gave in, and even though he didn't have much hope for him with his frailty, he was surprised when through sheer determination and focus Haku made it through the academy in one year.

He was proud and had made sure that Haku would eventually stick with him by making him his partner. It was a conflict of interest, especially since they lived together but once he explained in utter confidence to his boss the situation, and his own fears, the man agreed.

The guilt of what Haku was going through ate at Zabuza like some type of parasite, a blood sucking thirsty monster that fed on his heart and soul. But he had to be there for the younger man who had come to depend on him for his sanity, his safety…until he would find out the truth.

He feared that day more than his own death.

***********************SaSuNaRu***********************

The day Zabuza met Haku, he had come in for work a little later than usual due to a bad hang over from a night of heavy drinking. His head was hurting, he felt nauseous and his body felt weird. He'd managed to get a little paper work done, but by lunch time he decided to take another set of acetaminophen tablets. While at the water machine, he over heard two social workers talking.

"Wait, are you serious?" the taller of the woman with ash blonde hair cut short asked.

"Yes, I got him this morning," the other woman with cropped brown hair answered.

Their backs were to him so he couldn't see their faces.

"No, that's so sad," the blonde answered sadly.

"Yeah, he's just seventeen and they raped him and left him in that alley behind the Striker bar down the block," the other woman said.

Zabuza almost choked on the water he was drinking when the woman said Striker Bar, that's where he got smashed the night before.

"The poor kid, the police statement said he couldn't identify his attacker because he was raped from behind, and investigations revealed he was homeless. His father killed his mother before shooting himself for infidelity and he's been lost in the system since, until he ended up on the streets."

'Please, what are you doing, STOP…!'

Zabuza felt sick to his stomach when images of a girl, she seemed young, with very long dark hair had one hand twisted behind her back painfully while she was pushed against a dirty brick wall and her pants were pulled down to her knees.

"No, please, I've never had sex! I'm only…"

He could make out the girl in his mind getting punched in the face for speaking.

"One side of his face is swollen so big, like he was repeatedly hit there," the woman continued.

Zabuza had to hold his stomach when he felt like throwing up.

"And he can't sit. He was a virgin and the tearing was so bad we had to sedate him to numb the pain…"

There was suddenly a guttural scream from the young girl as he entered her harshly, which was drowned out by the noise from the bar. She was small, petite, exactly what he need for the night and she was lying on a piece of card board on the ground as if waiting for him to arrive. She cried, she looked so beautiful when she cried and god he was horny.

'Please….it hurts so bad,' she would sob and it sounded like music to his ears. That meant she liked it, right?

He was glad he was wearing a condom, because even in his smashed mind he didn't want to get her pregnant.

She cried and she cried, cried until she fell to the floor when he was done with her. There was some red liquid on her leg, what was that, ketchup? Kinky, somebody must have been into ketchup foreplay.

He walked away and left her there, not caring about what he'd just done because she loved it so much and it was time to head home, he felt way too sleepy.

The entire day Zabuza's body shook with fear. He wanted to see that kid, wanted to make sure his suspicious weren't true, wanting to close this black hole that opened in his heart like some kind of deep abyss. He eventually found out from the woman where her office was and pointedly ignored the concerned look and questions he was getting from those around him.

He felt it down to his core and it showed.

When Zabuza worked up the courage later that night to visit the boy, he openly broke down and cried for the first time in his life.

One week. It took him exactly seven days to visit again, to see for himself if the kid was alright. His eyes were dull and he looked so broken. After his fifth visit he took the kid in, praying to every deity he knew for repentance.

***********************SaSuNaRu***********************

"Zabuza!" Haku shouted merrily when he ran down the stairs with his shirt undone for breakfast in the kitchen. He was simultaneously trying to put his shirt on, fix his tie and button his shirt. By the time he reached the kitchen table there was a huge plate of fried dumplings and fish waiting for him with a steaming cup of green tea. His favorite.

"Thank you so much, I don't know what I'd do without you," Haku beamed before digging in.

Zabuza faintly smiled. "Why are you ready so early? It's only six in the morning."

Haku remembered to swallow properly before trying to speak, something his partner had taught him. "I was asked by the Chief to go down to the councilor's office. He said I had to come in early to beat the morning crowd and traffic."

Zabuza nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have accompanied you," the older man suggested.

Haku smiled. "Don't worry, I won't be by myself at anytime before you arrive at the station."

"Alright," Zabuza answered. He always made sure all of Haku's needs were met and he was happy. He even cut his toe nails once a week because he like them trimmed. It wasn't much compared to the hurt he had put him through, but it was a start and as long as he can see that face smiling, he could bear the heavy burden of what he'd done a little longer.

In a few minutes, Haku was full, clean and out the door. He watched the youth leave, his energy seeming boundless. He sighed bitterly like he did every time Haku's back was turned.

Haku was afraid as much as he was, but for another reason entirely. He wanted to keep deluding himself into thinking they were a happy family of two; protector and protected, and maybe one day, his demons would stop gnawing at his soul like termite on wood.

It took only another half an hour for Zabuza to get ready and he sat on his bed, fixing his socks before he could put on his shoes. He grabbed his cell phone, getting ready to head out when the device started buzzing in his hand.

Checking the led display, he realized the number was private.

"Hello?" he answered, wondering who was calling so early in the morning.

"Zabuza…" answered a low monotone voice. "I have a request and I would implore you to fulfill it, or suffer dire consequences."

Zabuza chuckled mirthlessly. "I'm an officer of the law, I do not take to idle threats."

The voice scoffed. "What kind of officer of the law rapes seventeen year old boys?"

Zabuza paled, he could literally feel his heart dropping to the bottom of his stomach. His hands were clenched until his knuckles turned white and he felt so weak in the knees he had to take a seat.

"W…where did you hear something like that?" the man asked shakily.

"That doesn't matter…" the voice answered. "…what I want you to do in exchange for this secrecy is to get rid of the evidence against Itachi Uchiha."

"I can't!" Zabuza shouted at the request. What they were asking him to do went against everything he stood for as both an officer and a man.

"Fine, I'll be making a call to your partner next…"

"Wait…!" Zabuza shouted in a panic. "I'll do it, don't tell him."

If this got out not only would he lose Haku, but his freedom and dignity as well.

"That's what I want to hear," the voice chortled before the call was dropped.

Zabuza rubbed one hand over his face before collapsing on his back with his eyes blearily looking up at the ceiling.

"Shit," was all he managed to mutter. Things were looking bad, very bad for him at the moment.

/tbc

So, the dirt is thrown! Stay tuned for more and don't forget to tell me if it sucks, concrit is greatly appreciated^^

Sorry about Tsunade guys, it's one of the first thing I wrote in the beginning and I don't want to go back on my word now.