Her heart was in her throat since the moment Sai had delivered the news.

"We can't seem to locate him, Hinata."

Naruto had always prepared her for this moment, the inevitable one that always seemed to cloud over them. He had left her a list of numbers to call, and bills that would have to be paid. The key to their old apartment, where they still stored some of their things. And a box of mementos, ones that he'd want her to pass on to their children. She'd always side-glance the desk where he'd keep all of this, praying that she'd never actually had to open the drawer that held all of the things she'd need in case of an emergency.

"I love you," He had whispered the day he had left, kissing her gently as he wrapped his arms around her once more. He had told her not to get up from bed, he had already fed their son and she needed her to rest now that she was with child again.

She didn't want to listen, but exhaustion kept her from fighting him. Instead, she breathed him in as he protectively placed a hand on her rounded stomach. He whispered sweet nothings to their unborn child, kissing her belly for good measure. It made her heart flutter as she watched him, knowing that another child meant another chance for her husband to be a loving father once again.

"Hinata?"

Her eyes fluttered open and met his once again, "Yes?"

"You know what to do if something happens, right?"

Her heart dropped into her stomach at the thought, but she pretended like she was fine. Worrying him right before he took off wouldn't help anyone.

"Yes. But nothing will, Naruto-Kun. You'll come home safely to us like you always do."

A ninja's life was tenuous, short-lived. The young couple understood that, they did. But Naruto...he was the exception to the rule. After everything he had lived through, all the battles he had won, Hinata believed him to be unbreakable, unbeatable. Sometimes she had even wondered if he was even human.

But then something like this happened and it led Hinata to question everything she had ever believed.

"Hinata, did you hear me?" Sai asked, worriedly. He led her to a chair in the couple's kitchen and had her sit down, worried that she might faint.

"W-what do you mean you can't locate him?"

She looked over her shoulder at their sleeping son on the couch, the spitting image of his father. Her hand protectively covered her growing bump, almost as if sheltering their unborn child from hearing what was being said.

"He's been missing for more than a couple of hours now. We've sent out our best team to find him, Hinata..." Sai clasped her shoulder, trying to reassure her.

Still, nothing would ground her. She felt as if her soul had left her body. If it hadn't been for Boruto asking why she was crying, she probably wouldn't have even remembered she had two other lives to care for.

She didn't have time to sit around and be sad, she was a mother first now. She knew that, understood that she and Naruto now came second. But still, she couldn't bear to get up from bed.

"I-I'm okay, baby," She tried, "Your sibling was kicking all night and wouldn't let me sleep."

"Is that why you're crying?"

Her son jumped up onto their bed and gently patted her belly, "Hey you, you're making mama cry. Stop moving around in there!"

Hinata couldn't help but smile through her tears, grasping her son and cuddling him to her chest.

Yes, she and Naruto had the talk many times. What would happen if he died on a mission or if she passed away during childbirth. They weren't easy things to discuss, no, they both would end up in tears, desperately grasping each other and hoping they'd never have to know what life was like without the other.

She had memorized every line on his face by now, every crinkle by his eyes when he laughed. She had always tried to drink in every detail of her life with him and their children, never for a second taking it for granted.

So she didn't understand why, now when it counted, she couldn't seem to picture Naruto's laughing face.

"When is daddy coming back?"

Hinata stifled a sob and looked down at her son, "Soon, baby. He got a little lost on the way back home."

"Oh, well...next time let's draw him a map."

She nodded, "That's a great idea, Boruto. Why don't we do that right now?"

"Yeah?"

She smiled, "Yes, go get your crayons. We can turn on the TV and sit on the floor in the living room."

Boruto bolted from her side and giddily ran down the hall to his room to gather his coloring supplies.

Hinata tried to wipe her tears and compose herself. It wouldn't be good for her or the baby to continue down this road. She knew Naruto would be worried if something were to happen to her or their unborn child, so she tried her best to push away any frightening thoughts and instead imagined her golden boy coming home to her once again.

"Mama, can you help me draw the map?"

She nodded as she poured her son a cup of tea and placed a few of his favorite treats in front of him. He smilingly picked one out and started eating, leaving a few crumbs behind. She watched him in awe, still not quite sure how they had managed to create him. Her heart swelled as she watched him, making the young boy furrow his brow and ask, "Are you okay?"

"Ignore me," She waved her hand and picked up an orange crayon, "Let's draw this for daddy, yes?"

The pair colored for what seemed like hours. Hinata attempted to focus on the task before her, but every so often her mind wandered and her eyes drifted to the phone. Willing it to finally ring, to finally have someone tell her the inevitable.

She just needed to know, either way. She needed to know if she had to go open the drawer, go through the papers, unlock their apartment, and move out their things.

So many things to do, so little time to process.

"Mama!?" Boruto asked frantically, waving his small hand in front of her face.

"What is it?"

"The phone is ringing!"

Hinata jumped up from her seat and dashed to the phone. With her heart in her throat as she picked up and said into the receiver, "Hello?" she prayed for good news.

"Hinata?" She heard Sakura's voice ask.

"Yes!?"

"You need to come to the hospital. Let me send someone to bring you and Boruto."

"I-Is he okay?"

Sakura exhaled, "He's in rough shape, but he's going to be fine."

Hinata's legs gave out from under her, and she managed to fall upon her knees as she cried into her hands. Boruto quickly picked up the phone and asked, "Auntie Sakura? Mama's crying."

"Is she alright?" Sakura asked.

Boruto studied his mother and nodded, "Mmhmm. I think she's okay, just crying."

"You take care of her, okay? I'm going to send Sai to bring you over to see your dad."

"Dad's back!?"

"Yes he is, we'll see you soon okay? Take care of your mama."

Boruto quickly hung up the phone and ran upstairs to grab his coat and his mother's. Just as he heard Sai knock on the door he grabbed the map he and Hinata had just finished and folded it into his pocket.

He was going to make sure his dad didn't worry his mom like that ever again.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Hinata cried as she hugged her husband tightly to her chest.

"Hina, you know I'd never leave you," He muttered as he tried to mask the pain she was inflicting onto his already injured body.

"Daddy!" Boruto called as he jumped onto his father's hospital bed.

"Gentle!" Sakura yelled as she walked in behind him, "He has a long road ahead of him before he can horse around with you again, Boruto."

Naruto look down at his son and smiled, "Did you take care of mom?"

Boruto nodded solemnly, "Yeah, and we made you this," he grabbed the map out of his pocket and placed it on Naruto's lap, "Just to make sure you always make your way back home okay? I don't want you worrying mama like that again."

Hinata brushed Boruto's hair back and kissed his forehead as Naruto tried to push away his tears.

"No matter where I go, now I know I won't get lost," Naruto said proudly as he took Boruto into his embrace and pressed his cheek to Hinata's swelling belly, "I'll always know my way back home thanks to you three."