DISCLAIMER: Not now, not ever, nor before. Naruto isn't mine, darling :D

Ooooooookay! Hey hey, lookit that!
I'm actually updating in a decent time frame!
Yaaaaaay!
Heh, of course, part of the reason I updated was so my little sister would stop randomly coming up behind me and creepily whispering "Chapter niiiiiiiiiine!"
Which was never a good plan to start with cause I'm easily skittish X.X
ANYWAYS!
Here it is for you, my darling and beloved readers.
I hope you enjoy!

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Sakura turned over and opened her eyes. Once more she was greeted by the sight of the black and white bedroom, of course this time she knew where she was. Quite a plus, compared to this morning. She stretched and pushed the blanket away from her.

Why had she been sleeping again?

Thoughts returned to her slowly. After she had cried for so long Sasuke had helped her back into this bed, and from all the excitement and exhaustion, she had fallen right back to sleep. The baby was laying next to her. She had a feeling that was to calm her down, rather then wake her up.

She rubbed at one eye blearily, and reached into her purse, fumbling around for her phone.

Her hand emerged a minute later with the phone grasped in it. She flipped it open to look at the time.

1:38 PM.

She groaned and flopped back into her large mound of pillows. She dropped the phone and it landed on her stomach. She closed her eyes and wanted very much to go back to sleep on this cloud.

But, no. That would be too easy and wonderful. Instead her phone started vibrating and ringing. Lights flashed in all their multicolored glory, and Sakura jerked in a startled motion. The phone toppled to the floor, as the song 'Hanabi' shrieked out of the phones small speaker, alerting the whole room to the fact that Sakura had a call.

Sakura grimaced as she sat up. She didn't like getting startled like that when she just woke up. She practically fell off the bed as she retrieved the phone, but didn't in the end. She flipped it open and was greeted by a picture of Ino, giving her the 'V' sign.

Her thumb pressed in on the little green button and she answered the phone. "Hullo?"

"Hey!" Ino's voice was as loud and boisterous as ever. Sakura smiled to herself, vaguely wondering how she wasn't yet deaf by as many phone conversations with Ino as she had had.

"Hey. Whats up?"

"Well I called your house like 3 friggin times! Where ARE you?"

"Uhm..." The truth...would be a very bad plan in this case. At least at the moment. "No where special. Just not at home."

Ino laughed on the other end. "Yeah so I hear. Ya know, Laddie picked up on that last call, said something about you ended up staying the night as Sasuke's. Now, I'm never one to actually believe that insane British cook of yours, but even she knows how to lie better then that. So i can only assume it's the truth. Is it?"

Sakura sighed. Stupid Adelie. She loved making trouble way too much. "Yea. It's true. I'm here at Sasuke's right now."

"Oh. I see." Ino said. "Well is it a problem?"

"Why would it be a problem?" Sakura asked.

"Well it's only a real problem if you had sex with him." Ino drawled casually, as if it were the obvious answer.

"No!" Sakura cried, flushing a slight pink.

"Oh, yes I forgot you are still a virgin."

"Like hell you forgot. You know full well I am Ino."

"Just making sure, Flower! Sorry but I know perfectly well how handsome men can use their ways to sweep pretty girls off their feet and into bed."

"Tch. Dont give me that. I know for a fact you and Shikamaru did it on your 5-month anniversary, and you were horny too. Not just him. Do remember, I'm the one you gushed to."

Ino grinned on the other end. "Yea, so? It may not have been my specific experience, but I still know what guys like Sasuke are capable of. And they know it too."

"Gee, thanks for putting me on the same level as the average hussy." Sakura said flatly.

Ino just laughed. "Of course, best friend. Only for you, any and everyday." She teased. "Okay now lets have the deatils details details!"

Sakura herself giggled. "I swear, it's not that big a deal. And I'm SURE it's not as big as you're making it up to be in that mind of yours. He came over to my house yesterday, we worked on the packet and after hours and hours of that we decided to watch a movie. I fell asleep during the movie and he took the baby and went home. But then he forgot the bottle back over here. I checked my calls on my cell phone and he's not lying he called and we talked. Even if I don't really remember it. He needed the bottle cause the baby was screaming, and I just barely half remember bringing it over there. You know how much it takes me to get up..."

With that, Ino snorted and attempted to restrain a laugh. "Oh, Gods, do I!" Sakura and Ino had had countless sleepovers with each other, and Ino knew how hard as well as dangerous waking up Sakura could be.

Much less that she and only she could wake herself up properly.

Sakura nodded and continued. "So I drove over here and he didn't want me driving back home with the state I was in, he thought I would find a nice way to kill myself if I did that. So he stuck me in a guest room, and then I freaked out thoroughly this morning."

"Uhhhh...Why didn't he just drive you home himself?" Ino asked.

"Er..." Sakura cast about for an answer, and of course found none. "I...actually have no idea why he didn't drive me home himself. Maybe he was too spazzy from the baby and thinking I was gonna cause my own imminent doom, to be thinking that logically." She babbled.

"What's this?" astonishment rang out from the blond girls voice. "Do my own ears deceive me? Sakura Haruno, #1 Sasuke hater of all time, actually trying to defend the aforementioned most awful being in all of ever? Or am I just totally going crazy?"

"He...isn't the most awful being of all time." Sakura mumbled.

"Whoa. Sakura, what happened? I mean two days ago you would rather die then say something even vaguely resembling that statement. What the hell is going on?" Ino asked, her words intense as she worried over her best friend.

"I...I think I realized he has feelings too...that maybe he's not quite as awful as I thought."

"..." the epiphany was met by silence. Ino was shocked by her friend. Never had she EVER heard Sakura say something so grown up about a person she didn't like.

"I think that's good..." Ino said finally, slowly. "You've never acted quite so adult and grown up, Sakura."

"I suppose." Sakura replied quietly. Ino had never called her grown up, and now that she had Sakura felt silly that it meant so much to her.

"Okay. Anyways, I have to ask you." Ino emerged on the other side of the serious moment smoothly, a light airy tone to her voice. "The girls and I wanted to have a sleepover tonight. We wanted to know if you're in."

"Sleepover? Sure, sounds great."

"Well, it would be. If we could find someplace to have it. You know how all our parents usually are."

Sakura chortled in agreement. Each of the girls families were big-time names, with bigger houses. And while letting their daughters friends over during the day was fine, having 5 seventeen year old girls prowling around it at night made most of the parents want to faint, or possibly shoot something.

"We've got veto's from my parents, Hinata's, TenTens, and Temari's too. We thought Temari's parents might be cool with it, but I think her parents are in a shitty mood on account of three of their three children brought home realistic looking dolls that really like to scream. And apparently the boys aren't that great with their babies. Surprise surprise."

"Oh, God. No wonder then." Sakura replied. "So my house it is then?" she proceeded to suggest.

"Yea. If your mom doesn't like, hate us by now. And only if Laddie promises NOT to put our bra's and panties in the freezer this time."

Sakura laughed. "Well mum still loves you all like you're her own, but I can never make a promise for Adelie."

"As usual. "So you pick the time cause it's your house. I'll call the others and tell them when. Oh, and I'm pretty sure we'll all have our babies with us."

"Uhhhh. How does 5:30 sound?" Sakura suggested. It would give her plenty of time to get home and make sure the house had what it always needed for a sleepover.

"Yea, sure. Sounds great. Now! Little missy!" Ino said cheerfully. "Get your little ass home so your family stops worrying about you, and do anything with Sasuke that I wouldn't do!"

"Ino, that gives me more freedom then I had before!" Sakura teased. "There isn't anything you wouldn't do!"

"Haha. Damn right Flower that's the point! Ja Ne!" and the other line clicked, signaling that Ino had hung up.

"That shit." Sakura said with a smile, and she snapped her phone closed. She sighed once and slipped it back in her purse, and then slung that over her shoulder. She slid off the bed and then picked up the baby, proceeding to walk out of the room, shutting the door with a small 'click!' behind her.

She padded across soft carpet and down the hall to Sasuke's room, and after knocking twice she went inside it. The room was void of people as well as light, but the baby's things were in a lumpy and obvious pile. She took the diaper bag out of its place in the car seat, and strapped the baby in quickly. Once that was done she sifted through the diaper bag, making sure that everything was there, and it was. Bottle, extra clothes, blanket. Yup, all set.

She shouldered the diaper bag and picked up the car seat, and double-checked to make sure she had everything.

Purse, diaper bag, bottle, car seat, baby; each and every thing was accounted for. With that she walked out of Sasuke's room and shut that door behind her. She made her way to the stairs and trodded down them carefully. It was no fun with a car seat, she could assure you. Finally she reached the bottom, and she practically jogged across the foyer. Of course, this specific one was practically the size of a ballroom. She sighed with relief at the fact that she was nearly home free.

"Sakura!" A deep voice called out from above her.

Her whole body slumped a little in defeat. The world just might hate her. She turned around slowly to see Sasuke practically leaping down the stairs to get to her. She inwardly groaned.

"Yeah?" she answer the boy.

"Leaving without a goodbye? And so soon?"

"Uhm, yea. My mom wanted me home hours ago. Plus I've got something going on tonight that I have to get me and the house ready for."

"Ah. So I totally ruined your little escape, did I?" he said with a wide smirk.

"Yes. Yes you did." Sakura replied sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "Seriously though, I have to go." She stepped into her flip-flops, which she had finally reached. Then she walked to the door and turned the handle, but instead of opening the door and walking out she turned back around to face Sasuke.

"Hey...On Wednesday? I dont know whose day it'll turn out to be, but would it be okay if you took the baby that day?"

"Uh..." he was confused by the request, but it didn't really mater to him. "Yea, sure I'll take the squirt. How come?"

"Just...personal reasons." She answered him, with a smile that was obviously forced. "Thanks though. Bye." And she turned away from him, opened the large door and walked out of it.

"Bye." He answered with a sigh. He shut the door behind her, puzzled. She still hadn't told him why Wednesday. But that wasn't his business if she didn't want to tell him...he supposed. He leaned back against the door and folded his arms across his chest with a scowl.

"So she's gone, right?" an angry voice from Sasuke's left arrived.

"Maybe. But certainly not for long. She's my partner on an important project for school." He drawled, monotonous. Then, he pushed off the door with his back and walked up to his brother. Suddenly, his eyes flashed dangerously and he grabbed his brother by the collar of his shirt roughly, and got in his face. "And if you EVER use her like that again I will personally turn you black and blue." he snarled, shoving his brother away from him when he was finished. Sasuke threw him one more look of hatred, but Itachi took notice that his eyes were the ones a protector has, and he glared right back. Sasuke sauntered off to his room.

Itachi glared harder, angrier, and annoyed at the retreating back of his brother. On one hand, he was surprised. He had never gotten such a raise out of Sasuke. Sure, the boy had always hated him, but Sasuke had never in all his life done anything like that. It was...weird. Not to mention he had actually, at least partially believed in the threat. His stupid little brother actually meant it, and that pissed Itachi off. He decided to try something.

"So you love her do you?" his baritone voice rang out through the foyer.

Sasuke didn't respond, or even pause in step in regards to his brother question. Itachi just glared harder at his brothers back. He was expecting a rise, or at least a bit of acknowledgment of some kind. Sullenly, he decided to give up on it.

Instead he straightened his suit jacket and pulled once at his tie. As he stooped to pick up his briefcase, he called out "I'm leaving today instead of tomorrow. Good riddance for now, little brother." With that, he put on his shoes and walked out the door, in just enough time to watch Sakura's little car peel out of the driveway and down the street. He made a small 'hmpf' sound, and walked to his limo and got in, to be taken to the airport.

...
:cough:
Okay...so maybe I didn't find time to start the sleepover in this chapter...I'm sorry T.T
I didn't really mean for the Ino conversation to go for so long
And personally I think my ending was crappy, but it was rushed
Yes, Katie my sister my dear I DO blame that on you xDDD
Plus I didn't know how else to do it.
So whatever :DDD
The sleepover actually IS coming next chapter
But I really feel like I shouldn't make promises X.X
Cuz I don't even trust myself sometimes xD;;;
Anyways, I totally figured out where I'm gonna take the story
And I'm really excited about it.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!