Part Six

SASUKE'S POV

Chimes

I lifted my head from the pillow at the sound, Naruto was calling; I ignored it. I couldn't keep my eyes open for long or the spinning of the room was going to cause me to vomit, I felt like I was ran over by a truck. The throbbing in my head started to lessen the longer I stayed in bed but I couldn't stand the disgusting taste in my mouth, which drove me toward the bathroom after I caught my balance.

I looked like pure shit and I feel worse, I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth to get that god-awful taste out of my mouth; I'm never drinking again. I checked my watch, it's barley 7 in the morning; what the hell am I doing up? I only slept for 4 hours. I wandered back into the bedroom; it was a mess with my clothes thrown all over the carpeted floor, food, and at least five bottles of alcohol littered throughout the room – some empty and others spilling out onto the floor.

"Shit. What did I do last night?" I pulled at my hair in frustration; I was going to have to pay for this. I gathered all the clothes and put them away, then cleaned up the food and alcohol stains as best I could but the carpet is white, and none of the alcohol was clear. At least I didn't punch another wall, I'm sure I'll get a bill for that incident too.

Chimes

Naruto's name flashed across the screen, why is he calling so early.

"Aa."

"Teme, she told me everything." My eyes widened, I remained silent; I wasn't trying to think about Sakura right now.

"Sakura told me everything." I heard him sigh. "When she called late last night I knew something was off, I could hear it in her voice! You're a father, Sasuke!" My heart dropped into my stomach.

"Aa."

"What are you going to do now?" He questioned. Hell if I know, I don't know what to do, of course I want children but this child is already here, he's been living for the last five years and has no idea I even exist.

"I don't know." I vaguely answered.

"You want to see him, don't you?" I frowned; yes, I desperately want to meet him. I'm curious about who he favors more, if he has Sakura's bright green eyes and hopefully he didn't inherit her pink locks.

"Yes." I answered truthfully.

"That's what I hoped for; I knew you wouldn't leave the kid." I could practically see his grin through the phone. "I've already claimed the role as Uncle Naruto, Sakura promised to bring Shoda for a visit."

"Shoda?" I repeated.

Shoda Uchiha.

"Don't tell me you forgot your own son's name, teme."

"I didn't even ask." I felt terrible, I was so angry with Sakura last night that I didn't even think to ask for his name. "I was so pissed off at Sakura, that's all I could focus on." I sighed.

There was a moment of silence before their conversation shifted.

"Are you going to forgive her?" He spoke softly almost as if he feared the answer.

"She kept him from me, dobe. She lived every day for the last five years as if I didn't exist, all because of the mistake I made in the past."

"I hate to break this to you, Sasuke, but none of this would have happened if you would have kept your dick in your pants. Wrong is wrong, you can't pick and choose what wrong outweighs the other."

Since when does the dobe make sense all of a sudden?

"You have eighteen years to get through with Sakura; wouldn't it be easier if the two of you got a long? For the sake of Shoda, he's the one that you should be focused on right now."

I ran my hand over my face as I leaned on the counter. "I… I just need a little time."

"Um, Sakura also mentioned that she was seeing someone." He added, timidly. "What's he like?"

"You'd hate him, trust me."

SAKURA'S POV

I packed up our luggage since our checkout was at noon; Shoda wandered into the bedroom, rubbing the sleep from eyes.

"Momma?" He said as he caught my attention.

"Morning baby." My stomach was in a knot. I planned to tell Shoda about his father this morning but now that he is standing in front of me, I am losing my nerve. "Did you sleep okay?" His shaggy dark locks swung into front of eyes as he nodded his head.

It's now or never.

"Come here, let me hold you." I offered as I sat on the bed, Shoda smiled as he climbed up and sat in my lap. I wrapped my arms around his little body and swayed back and forth, "You know I love you right?" I rested my cheek on his soft hair.

"Yeah." His little voice was so innocent.

"I have something important to tell you." He turned his face to look at me. "I need you to listen to everything I say, ok?" His green-eyes focused completely on me.

"Your father is here." His little eyebrows scrunched together, he almost looked sad as he turned away from me.

"Oh."

"Aren't you happy?" I craned my neck over to get a look at his face, he didn't look very happy.

"I don't need a daddy, I have you." He pouted.

"Don't say that Shoda." He climbed out of my lap and sat across from me, still pouting his little lips.

"Why, he's not been here?" He lifted his little hands up.

"It's not your daddy's fault, I kept you a secret. I'm the one that didn't tell your daddy about you." I held my hand against my chest.

"It's your fault he's not here?" I nodded my head.

"Yes, Shoda it's all my fault." I repeated.

"It's not because he didn't want me?" His little voice broke as tears filled his eyes.

I'm a horrible mother.

"Oh, baby, of course he wants you." I hugged him tight against me as he cried softly. "None of this is your fault." I rubbed his back in a soothing manner.

He pushed against me, hard. "Shoda." I was surprised by his actions.

"Let me go!" He squirmed against me for a second before I did as he asked; he quickly hopped off the bed. "Shoda, wait." I called after him, he left the bedroom quickly. "Shoda!"

"I'm mad at you." My eyes widened, he's never been this upset with me.

"Don't talk to me, mommy!" He stomped his little foot and went into the next bedroom, closing the door behind him.

I was left standing there in the living room.

"He just needs time, Sakura, his whole life has been consumed with you, and hearing that he actually has a father is a lot for him to take in." I soaked in Ms. Senju's words.

"You're right; I'm just not used to him being upset with me, Shizune, yes but never me."

"Aa, give him time and he'll come around. What time are you checking out of the hotel?" She asked.

I glanced at the clock on the nightstand; it was only nine in the morning. "Before lunch."

"Alright, I'll be there to take you to the apartment."

"Thank you, Ms. Senju." I was grateful for this opportunity; none of this would have been possible for me without her support.

After we hung up, I knocked lightly on Shoda's door; "Shoda, how about we get breakfast?"

"Shoda, open up please. I know you're mad but I'm still your mother."

Nothing. Silence. I started to get worried.

"Shoda!" I turned the doorknob, it wasn't locked but the room was empty! I frantically checked every spot that his little body could fit in but he wasn't nowhere in the room! I was only on the phone for ten minutes, I didn't even hear the door open and shut, where could he had gone!

Oh gods! He ran away; I grabbed my shoes and was out the door.

SASUKE'S POV

I was heading downstairs for breakfast, I'm in dire need of food after that I planned to call Sakura; Naruto gave me her cellphone number. I called Itachi and told him that I'd be staying a little longer, I didn't want to tell him about Shoda over the phone; this was a face to face conversation since Itachi now has a nephew.

As I got into the elevator, I noticed the dark-haired boy from yesterday, he was holding a small red backpack, and he looks troubled.

He is alone; his mother does not seem to be coming this time. It's not my business but I'll feel guilty if I see him on the news marked as missing.

I clear my throat, "Where's your mom, kid?" I waited for an answer.

Silence.

I try again.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." He says as he steps even further away from me. I can't help but chuckle lightly.

"Fair enough." At least he knows that not every adult has good intentions. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha." I held out my hand for him to shake, when he looks at me his eyes are almost the same shade as Sakura's but slightly darker. It's wishful thinking but I can't help but want him to belong to me. He's wearing dark blue jeans with a Spider-Man t-shirt and blue shoes, his hair is a mop on his head; he needs a haircut but all and all he's a good-looking kid.

He lifts a brow and eyes me skeptically. "How do I know that's your real name?" His little arms cross his chest as the elevator takes us to the first floor.

I smirk and decide I'll play along, I take out my wallet and show him my drivers' licenses as proof. "See, Sasuke Uchiha."

He blew out a raspberry, I hold my hand out again and this time he takes it, his little hand is closed in mine and I feel warmth spread through my chest, finding out I have a son has made me soft already.

"And your name?" I asked but the elevator dinged and the doors opened to the first floor where a group of security guards are huddled together, the guards see me exit the elevator with a small boy and soon they swarm around us.

"Son, do you know this man?" A guard asks as he kneels in front of the little boy. Great, I'm going to get arrested; he looks frightened by their presence and doesn't answer but he hides behind my leg.

"Sir, is he your son?" The guard turns to me. I don't know what the fuck to say, "Uh- well I-" I felt his little fist tighten his hold on my jeans.

"Shoda! Oh, thank Gods!" I hear Sakura's yelling coming from behind us.

Shoda. My eyes widen as I look down at the little boy but he releases me and runs into Sakura's open arms, he's been here this whole time! Practically right down the hall; we shared the elevator, I ran into this kid - literally, yesterday afternoon, I met my son yesterday and he didn't like me all that much.

"Sir, if you'll come with us; we have a few questions." The guard grabs my arm and tries to pull me away.

"No! Wait." Sakura rans over to us, "That's his son."

I hear those three words, and my knees almost buckle; "He's your son." Sakura says, her voice is quivering with emotion.

She cleared her throat. "Thank you for help, but everything is okay now." She tells the guard, and he wishes us a good day before he leaves.

"Shoda, don't you ever run off again." Sakura hugs him close to her. "You scared me half to death, I don't know what I would do without you." I watch the scene unfold in front of me.

Sakura's hair is pulled into a messy bun high on her head, she's wearing skinny jeans and plain grey t-shirt but she's still as pretty as ever and seeing her standing there with Shoda does something to me.

I regret what I did back then but seeing them both standing there and we aren't a family is so hard to swallow, I ruined our life together when I could have had everything. I could have had this, I could have married Sakura back then and we could have had Shoda together but instead that didn't happen because of me and it's so fucked up.

I've been absent this whole time, even if it wasn't my fault completely; I will right my wrongs not just for Shoda but for myself. That doesn't mean that I have to be Sakura, but I will be there for Shoda.

"Would you like to join us for breakfast?" Sakura asks me with a small smile. I want her so badly it hurts, I want us to be family but I understand that it isn't going to happen overnight; but I'm willing to work for it, I'm willing to do anything for them.

"Okay." I want to spend as much time as I can with them.

Shoda hasn't stopped staring at me, it's like he's trying to memorize every inch of me; I frown at the thought, I'm never going to leave him again. I wish I could tell him that but it doesn't feel right, he doesn't know me that well.

It's uncomfortably quiet, I feel like I don't belong with them; "We have the same hair." He points out, Sakura looks nervously back at me, biting her bottom lip.

"Uh, yes." We do except his actually sits on his head and didn't stick up in the back like mine did when I was his age.

"Do you like tomatoes too?" He asks as he eats a cherry tomato, Sakura can't contain her snort; I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.

"I do, I actually like them a lot." I chuckled.

"Tomato's are my favorite." This feeling is surging through my chest; pride? love? happiness? A mixture of everything. It's definitely overwhelming, he's like me after all. "But mommy says that I can't live off tomato's forever." His little face is so disappointed by that fact.

"She's right." I glance up at Sakura and she's smiling slightly.

The feeling doesn't last too long because then he says. "Mommy said that this was her fault." He says so casual about it as he stabs his fork into a pancake.

I glance back at Sakura and she shrugs her shoulders, "I told him the truth."

"It's not all your mother's fault." I say as I look at Sakura, pain flashes very quickly in her eyes before she takes them off of me.

"Is that why you runaway?" Sakura asks Shoda.

Shoda shrinks into his chair, "Yes." He whispers softly. "You hurt my feelings." I watch as Sakura blinks away her tears and her cheeks turn a lovely shade of pink.

"Shoda." His name sounds foreign on my tongue. "Why did you plan to go?" I asked curiously, obviously he had a plan because he packed a bag.

He fumbles with this forks before he says, "To find you."

Sakura's eyes widen, she quickly wipes away tears before Shoda can see it.

Note: I felt like Sasuke's feelings in the last chapter about Sakura not telling him about Shoda are valid, maybe not to a certain extent but how he felt about it is important as well.