Sorry for not responding back to over half of the reviews you guys sent. I guess I just got lazy… Well I'm back from vacation, exhausted, and ready to write!

Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto and all the other characters except for the kiddies. They're all mine.

Sasuke carried Hinata into his bedroom, carefully placing her on the bed. She was his fragile bride; he had to be cautious so he didn't break her. To never break her.

In the dark room she practically glowed. It took all his self control not to pounce on her right then. "Hinata, before we make it final… I have to tell you something." She nodded, giving him a quick kiss on the lips, only to find that she wanted another and then another.

'I… I… Have to tell her. But it feels so good…' He thought groaning as she moved on to his neck. "H-Hinata." She'd never heard him stutter before. Normally things would be going the other way around but then again alcohol did mess things around.

Gently she pushed her away and looked in another direction. She was too beautiful. He couldn't take it much longer. "Sasuke?" She turned his head to face her, confused now. He grabbed her hands. "When I married you, I promised to stay by you forever. I can't keep that promise Hinata."

His voice rung solemnly and clearly through the room. "I will leave you. There's no way I won't." His bride did something completely unsuspected. She smiled sweetly at him. "I already knew that. I'll only ask you to love me until that day you must leave." Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned forward, kissing her. He had never known a kiss to be so wonderful before in his life.

Hinata wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep warm. She had on a jacket but the storm's cold wind and rain cut right through her. 'Just a little farther.' She reminded herself, trying to keep walking against Mother Nature.

Finally she reached her destination, a small bar at the end of town. It was practically empty except for a few men playing poker in the corner. She walked up to the bar where the bartender was playing around with a bottle of sake, trying to throw it up in the air, catch it behind his back, then pour. The bottle fell to the ground and shattered.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked worried. The man just grinned. "No worries. Fifth bottle tonight." 'So that's why the poker players didn't even look up.' She smiled at the man; he was very easy to talk to.

The bartender squinted his eyes and looked closely at the Uchiha woman. "Uh?" "Ah! Don't tell me. You are the woman who is married to the guys passed out in my back room?"

The petite woman nodded, a bit confused to how he would know that. "Hey guys! This is the woman who had 3 pairs of twins!" The bartender began to clap as if she had just an amazing feat of acrobatic skill right then and there.

The guys in the corner just waved the bartender off, not looking up. "Don't mind them. They're playing for a woman named Sakura's under wear supplied by some masked ninja." The bartender let out a good hearty laugh taking the lingerie out of his pocket. .

He led Hinata into the back room where Sasuke was laying against a crate labeled "Fragile". The bartender kicked the crate from behind Sasuke, causing him to fall back and his head. Hinata winced as the sound of glass breaking filled the room. Her husband didn't wake up.

"I guess he's more out of it then I thought." The bartender gave a sheepish laugh. "I can't help you carry him home; I can't risk those damn poker players raiding the bar." He stuck his head out the door and glared at the men, one of which swatted a fly, still none of them looking up.

Hinata stuck her head out as well. "They don't seem like raiding type." She inquired. "Tell that to the summer of '76." Her eyes widened a bit in surprise and he only nodded. They both slipped back into the back room.

"The storm looks to be letting up." Hinata said wrapping Sasuke's arm around her shoulder, lifting him up. The bartender nodded placing an arm on her other shoulder. "If you don't make it home by sun set, you will be known forever in this bar as the brave woman with a womb of steal!" 'Okay… This is starting to get a little weird.' She blushed saying goodbye, heading back home, practically dragging Sasuke with her.

'I never knew Sasuke was so heavy before.' She gave a sigh of relief, dropping him on the ground. She had gotten them both almost to the house. They were in the woods surrounding when she decided a break was much needed.

The rain wasn't as fierce as before and the wind was almost gone but they were both soaked. She sweetly moved the hair off of Sasuke's face. She frowned seeing his face unconsciously twist in pain.

Quickly she made a few hand signs and released the proper amount of charka out of her hands. The back eye on his face slowly began to fade away as did the other bruises that couldn't be seen to the naked eye alone.

"Alright! Everyone listen up!" Aiden had called a family meeting, the topic being the return of their father. He and Hizashi stood up in the front of the living room, with everyone else sitting on the couches. Hinata sweetly ruffled Taiki's hair.

"In order to protect mom, extreme measures must be taken!" 'Protect me? I'm a ninja too!' She sighed, crossing her arms across her chest. 'Let's see what exactly they're going to do before objecting.'

"Taiki, you and Ryu will guard mom inside her room. Seito, you and Kakashi will guard both the front and back door. Me and Hizashi will cover her front door and window." "Hey!" Hinata yelled out in protest. "No one's going to be in my room, playing with there weapons when I'm trying to sleep."

Kakashi shook his head. "I don't want any part of this. He won't come back on his own tonight." Hizashi looked desperately from his mom to his younger brother. "But mom! You can't be too sure Kakashi." Aiden put a hand on his stressing brother's head to calm him down.

"Okay, change of plan. Ryu, take the back door. Taiki, the front door. Seito you get mom's door. We'll rotate outside around all the windows." "If I forbid you to do this, it wouldn't work would it?" Hinata asked shaking her head. "Nope." Taiki answered cheerfully.

'I'll have to go in through the roof then. I found a secret door up there going into my room last time. I wonder if I can find it again…' He lifted Sasuke up again. He was even heavier then before because now he clothe were soaked through.

Focusing all the charka to her feet she used one powerful jump to get her on the roof. They landed with a loud thud but Aiden and Hizashi were on the other side of the house checking the windows.

"I figured you'd go get him." A voice called out to her. She saw a wet head of reddish hair bob up from behind the chimney. "What are you doing up? Don't you have a mission in the morning?" She asked the youngest of her middle pair of twins, trying to change the subject.

He shook his head, now right in front of her. "I don't like him anymore then they do." He told his mother, seeing Sasuke beginning to open his eyes. "I know." She answered sadly bowing her head a bit.

"I won't say anything." Hinata looked at her son in surprise. Soon the surprised face turned into a grinning one and she hugged him. Kakashi just shook his head. She was his mom and yet sometimes she acted more like the child.

The teen lifted his father over his shoulder, who now was pretending to be asleep so he didn't get his ass whipped yet again. Hinata smiled at the sight. 'Out of all my kids I would never have thought he would be the one to help Sasuke like this. He normally acts so much like Gaara… I'm glad though.'

Hmm… Okay, here's chapter 22! Have I lost my ability to write? I'm not sure so how about you guys let me know in a review?