I do not own Naruto...

"Tsunade proves to be most masterful in surgical interventions…," the elder Hyuga slowly offered, sensing his son-in-law's distress. "Hinata is also strong. She will pull through."

Recap:

"You've got to keep to your promise, you know?" Hinata emitted while smiling broadly.

"Sure..."

...

...

"Hyuga Hiashi…" Kiba suddenly uttered, breaking the nerve-racking silence.

Looking up and following the Inuzuka's gaze, Shikamaru found his father-in-law striding down the hallway. Hanabi was hurrying beside him.

"Hiashi-sama…" the Nara called before standing up.

As he walked up to the shadow wielder, the Hyuga leader asked gravely, "Is Hinata here?"

Shikamaru nodded.

"Where?"

"In there," he answered, tilting his head toward the room.

Without another word, the father-in-law turned to face the door to the operating room and immediately activated his kekkai genkai.

"We were at your place just now." Hanabi related before she too turned around and activated her Byakugan. "Father said he had a feeling something's not quite right and wanted to visit Hinata just to make sure. Imagine our surprise when we found the door wide opened and the place in a mess."

"We forgot to close the door!" Ino gasped as she exchanged an apologetic look with her husband.

Oblivious to Ino's comments, Hanabi continued, "When we spotted blood on the floor, father was determined that Hinata was in trouble. We came here immediately."

"She has lost a lot of blood," Shikamaru stated in anguish.

"The Akimichi carried her here?" Hiashi asked without turning around, obviously having glanced Chouji's piece of garment without much trouble.

"Yes," Shikamaru answered, only realizing then that he hadn't thanked his best friend.

"Father…" Hanabi suddenly exclaimed. "The chakra…"

Anxiously, Shikamaru tried to perceive what both of Hinata's closest relatives were witnessing.

"She has channeled part of her chakra to the baby," the Hyuga leader slowly explained.

"What?" Shikamaru asked confusedly. "Why…?"

"She's protecting it that way?" Hanabi inquired, eyes still on the door.

Hyuga Hiashi nodded.

"We discussed the ways to overcome any occurrences last week," the father-in-law added. "Her overall chakra is applied to her blood circulation system. She could have bled worse."

The Nara slowly came to understand what his wife had actually sensed ahead and how she had reacted to the situation. That explained her almost sedentary state earlier when he had carried her. Nevertheless, she still had lost a lot of blood…

The corridor became deathly quiet as the two Hyugas slowly played witnesses the goings-on in the operating room. Undoubtedly, their pose would have been an amusing sight to anyone who hadn't heard of the Hyuga's kekkai genkai. Imagine seeing two people standing outside a room, unmoving, while their eyes focused on the door...

Standing between the two Hyugas, the shadow wielder looked from side to side, trying to read what were on the minds or rather, the eyes of Hinata's father and sister. He became nervous when he saw Hanabi slowly opening her mouth in apprehension and was about to interrupt her when he heard the soft crying of a baby – his son…

Turning instantly to face the door, Shikamaru felt his heart suddenly skipped a beat… or two. He could have missed the sound of the baby crying. It sounded more like a little kitten. Soft and weak.

There were shifting sounds behind him before Kiba shouted, "It's the baby!" A loud bark ensued.

"The baby is fine," the Hyuga leader said, his eyes never wavering.

"It… It's a boy," Hanabi added.

"I know," Shikamaru related softly. "How… how is Hinata?"

Hanabi shook her head slightly as she looked on, sending Shikamaru into a deeper state of despair. He immediately turned to scan his father-in-law's expression but that didn't prove helpful either because Hyuga Hiashi was as impassive as usual.

"Tsunade proves to be most masterful in surgical interventions…," the elder Hyuga slowly offered, sensing his son-in-law's distress. "Hinata is also strong. She will pull through."

It didn't take too long before the door to the operating room slowly opened, allowing Sakura, pushing an incubator, through. Nervously, Shikamaru walked up to the crib, looking into the apparatus to see a tiny, helpless baby all wrapped up and wriggling weakly. Soon, he was surrounded by Ino, Chouji, Kiba and Shino.

Looking up at the pink-haired kunoichi, Shikamaru asked in apprehension, "How is Hinata?"

All eyes were on Sakura when she forced a smile and said, "She lost a lot of blood and seemed to be struggling really hard. They are doing a transfusion now but…, I think she is going to be fine."

Nodding appreciatively, the Nara heaved a soft sigh before whispering, "Thanks, Sakura."

%%%

Opening her eyes slowly, Hinata tried to discern where she was. She had just awoken from a dream. She had dreamt of her mother. It wasn't the same kind of dream she had had for days. This time however, it was peaceful… She felt peaceful. Her mother had smiled to her and given her a soft pat on her shoulders before she waved goodbye. Unconsciously, Hinata gave a smile before realizing that she was in a hospital room. She reflexively placed her hands on her stomach.

"My baby," she thought.

As she shifted a little, the Nara wife felt something, or rather someone on her right. Immediately turning around, she found Shikamaru, with his arms on the bed and head resting on them, sleeping peacefully. She smiled to herself again as she realized that her husband had been sleeping by her side.

Softly placing a hand on his cheek, Hinata called, "Shika…"

Inhaling deeply, Shikamaru stirred before opening his eyes to find his wife looking at him.

"Hinata…," the shadow wielder emitted before instantly reaching for her hand. "You have been unconscious for three days. I was so worried…"

"The baby… How… is it?" Hinata asked weakly.

"He's fine…. He's a little small but he's doing alright."

"A little… small?" Hinata worryingly asked.

The Nara nodded with a smile.

"Well, Tsunade said that he is almost fully developed and amazingly, he had no breathing issues and was able to feed well. That's really good for a pre-termed baby. He's already out of the incubator."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Hinata asked, "Can I… see our baby?"

"I'll get Sakura to bring him over," Shikamaru said before standing up and helping his wife to a sitting position.

Then, the door opened with a creak as Ino slowly peeped in. Upon seeing a conscious Hinata, the Yamanaka gave an excited shriek before entering the room, followed closely by Ten Ten and Rock Lee.

"Hinata." Ino and Ten Ten chorused while Lee flashed a broad toothy smile.

"How are you doing?" Ten Ten asked as the three walked toward the bed.

"I'm… fine," Hinata emitted softly.

"She just woke up," Shikamaru explained as he thumbed his wife's cheek lovingly.

"We have been so worried for you, Hinata," Ino stated.

"Why don't you guys accompany her while I… what's with that smile, Lee?" Shikamaru quizzed. Lee was exhibiting an especially enthusiastic, almost comical, smile.

Turning around, he spotted Ten Ten turning pink and, putting two and two together, the shadow wielder gave a grin.

"You've got good news…"

"Shikamaru, you really are a genius!" Ino quipped while Hinata looked on confusedly.

"Lee… what did I miss?" Hinata asked, fully aware that her state of consciousness had left her mental power working a little slower.

Looking over to his wife, Lee exclaimed excitedly "We're pregnant!"

'We?' would have been what the shadow wielder wanted to blurt out but he kept quiet, opting instead to give a crooked smile, shook his head and exited the room.

"Lee! I am pregnant, not we!" Ten Ten exclaimed, missing Hinata's 'Congratulations.'

"Ten Ten," Lee started. "You are wrong… We are in this together. If you are pregnant, that means I am pregnant too. That is what a husband is for… to share the good and bad times."

"Oh, Lee… Get real, won't you," Ino quipped impatiently. "How can a man even come near to knowing how it feels like to be pregnant? Just wait till Ten Ten starts getting all those morning sickness, while her stomach starts to swell like a balloon and her buttocks expand in the most unladylike…"

"Ino…," Hinata uttered, trying to stop the Yamanaka from enlightening further.

"Well, don't you worry Ten Ten, my love knows no boundaries… We will go through these trying times together and emerge stronger than we are now… and with a baby!" he ended with a thumb up.

"Lee… please." Ino threatened, "You're giving me goose bumps."

Then, before Ino could complain further, there was a knock on the door and everybody turned around. As the door opened, Sai walked in with a small basket of fruits.

"If I'm not mistaken, bringing fruits would be the appropriate thing to do when we visit someone in the hospital," the newcomer stated almost mechanically before walking over and placing the basket on a side table.

"Thank you, Sai," Hinata emitted.

"So… how are you?" Sai asked almost uncomfortably.

"I'm fine…" Hinata uttered.

"Umm…"

"Oh come on, Sai. Get it out. What did you learn from your books this time?" Ino sneered, clearly agitated with the carefully, thought-over comments.

"Ino…" Hinata muttered, hoping that her good friend would stop taunting the artist.

"We are pregnant, Sai!" an energetic Lee interrupted, clearly not restraining his excitement.

"Lee!" Ten Ten threw back.

"We?" the black-haired artist asked. "You mean… your wife…?"

Lee nodded excitedly, showing a thumb while flashing his familiar, confident, toothy grin.

"Is that the term to use now?" Sai asked confusedly.

"Oh God!" Ino mocked. "You people are so unbelievable!"

The door to the room opened yet again for the third time after Hinata awoke, admitting Shikamaru. The Nara pulled the door wide open to allow Sakura, who was pushing a baby crib, through.

Acknowledging the moment, the pink-haired medic motioned for the visitors to leave the couple alone before spotting her husband.

"Sai? When did you arrive?" Sakura asked.

Walking up to his wife, Sai paused in thought before he took his wife's hand.

"Not here…" Sakura said, immediately pulling her hand away and pushing the crib towards Hinata, muttering "I'll come back later," then leaving the room with the others.

Without wasting any more time, Shikamaru carefully carried his son from the crib and slowly placed it into Hinata's arms. Taking into account what had happened the past few days, the moment became almost miraculous. They were so close to death and loss that the simple action of holding their son gave them an overwhelming feeling of pure relief and happiness - their anticipations and fears finally over, their apprehension and dilemma, overcome.

A tear flowed down Hinata's cheek as she looked at her baby for the first time. 'Could they have lost the baby if they got to the hospital later? Could he have died if she hadn't protected him with her chakra?' The questions played in her mind but she slowly pushed it away. Her son is safe now. That was all that mattered. She carried the child nearer to her face and gave him a soft kiss as Shikamaru looked on with a contented smile.

"You gave me the scare of my life, you know?" the shadow wielder finally said as he planted a kiss on his wife's forehead. "I thought I'd lose you…"

"I'm sure it would be different the next time," Hinata softly uttered as she held back more tears.

"Next time? …I don't want a next time…"

%%%

Running excitedly into his parents' room, Keitaro was suddenly held stationary by his father's shadow jutsu at the doorway.

"Tou-san!" he cried.

"How many times must I teach you to be wary of your surroundings, Keitaro?" Shikamaru asked as he sat on his bed with a cheeky grin, hands clasped together in the Shadow Possession Jutsu stance.

"This is not fair… Kaa-san wants me wake you," the five-year-old cried.

"Okay, let's see what fair means," the older Nara teased before he pulled his shirt off his body, imitated immediately by his son.

"Kaa-san! Help me!" Keitaro shouted, giggling despite his predicament.

Putting his hands into the blanket that covered half his body, Shikamaru reached for his pajamas pants. The shadow wielder gave a wicked smile before slowly peeling his pants down, while his son involuntarily did the same with his knee-length shorts.

"Kaa-san! Kaa-san!"

"What is happening!" Hinata asked as she came running up the stairs.

Caught off-guard, she was about to reprimand her son for his actions when she spotted the shadow strings holding him in place.

"Shikamaru! What are you doing?" Hinata shouted before picking up Keitaro's clothes.

Releasing his jutsu, the shadow wielder laughed heartily before emitting, "Hinata, I was teaching him to be more aware of the surroundings. He has got to learn to be more cautious, you know."

Then, when she had finally helped her son with his clothes, Hinata motioned for Keitaro to go downstairs.

"This is not the way to teach our son," she uttered when the boy was out of earshot. "You know he picks up your tricks faster than anybody."

"Okay… I'll use a better approach next time."

"Something more appropriate?"

"Yes… Something more appropriate."

"Good! Now go get ready. Your parents will be here for Keitaro soon… and we need to leave by eleven. Don't forget we promised the Hokage we'd help him choose a wedding gift for his wife."

The shadow wielder gave a sigh.

"By the way… put your pants back on," Hinata said while suppressing a smile, before leaving the room.

She didn't need the Byakugan to know that her husband would be as naked as her son was under the sheets…

Subsequently, as she was descending the stairs, the Nara wife spotted Keitaro, with his shirt off and hands on his pants, about to pull it down. Quickly crossing the floor to him, she noticed that he was commanding a shadow that went beyond the front door.

"Keitaro, what are you…?" Hinata asked before she heard her father-in-law swearing outside.

Gasping, she quickly ordered her son to stop his actions before opening the door to find a flustered, shirtless Shikaku while the Nara matriarch laughed uncontrollably by his side.

Embarassed, Hinata apologized profusely before Keitaro ran out and practically jumped onto his grandfather who cuddled him with a smile.

"Jii-san, I caught you this time!" the excited five-year-old exclaimed.

"Well, yes… Although I'd prefer a better way," uttered the grandfather.

"I saw you coming. I saw you with my eyes," Keitaro said, pointing to his own eyes that have the palest shade of brown for the irises.

"Wow, that is so clever of you, Keitaro," Yoshino offered. "Now we know what your parents do around here…" the grandmother added with a wink aimed at Hinata. "Although… I wonder why you're still the only child."

Catching his mother's last sentence, Shikamaru sighed heavily before approaching the party, only to find his father and son shirtless.

"What hap…" he started to ask before concluding what might have happened earlier and turned to catch his wife's I-told-you-so look…

%%%

Hinata heaved a sigh after seeing the three disappeared down the lane.

"You know, your mother's right. We should have another child… I really want to have another one," she uttered as she turned to her husband.

"Hinata, we talked about this before… Tsunade said there is a fifty percent chance the same thing might happen again with a second child... I don't want to take the risk."

"I know, but it can be different this time," Hinata tried to reason.

"How different?"

"Well, at least this time Hanabi's around. Since she's already a medic nin, I can get her to help monitor my…"

"She won't be there all twenty four hours."

"I can get Neji to help too…"

"He just got married. He won't have time."

"I'll stay in the hospital when I'm eight months…"

"Hinata…"

"Seven months…, six months…"

"Hinata…"

"I'll stay with your mother!"

"Hin… what?" Shikamaru almost shouted, clearly convinced that he had heard his wife wrongly.

"I'll stay with your mother if it means that I can have another child," Hinata said, eager to persuade her husband into an agreement. "At least she'll be around to help me in the first few months…"

It meant more than just a thought. It was almost an offer to take on an S-class mission without any weapons in hand, or in this case, to put up with his mother's overwhelmingly meddlesome ways… The Nara knew that his wife was serious when she brought up the offer. He felt like he was almost cornered…

On the contrary though, Hinata thought that she had lost the battle… yet again. Closing the door, she turned to walk away.

"I'll go get changed," she said.

Halfway across the floor, the Nara wife was held motionless by her husband's shadow jutsu.

"Shika, what are you doing…?" Hinata asked before being forced to turn around to face her husband.

Grinning widely, Shikamaru slowly closed their distance with the help of his shadows and held Hinata's hands before releasing his jutsu.

"You know…," he said. "You don't have to stay with my mother. I'll think of something as we go along… Although checking into the hospital at five months might not be a bad idea."

"Five? Shika…"

"Shhh," the shadow wielder said as he put a finger on his wife's lips. "If we're going to have another baby, I suggest we start working on it right now," he emitted before taking his wife by surprise by pulling her close with a jerk and immediately giving her a deep, passionate kiss.

Finally coming apart for air, Hinata smiled as she panted, "Shika, the Hokage will be waiting…"

"I'm sure Naruto won't mind us being a little late," Shikamaru uttered before sweeping Hinata off the floor. "At this moment however, we have more important things to do," the Nara said, grinning mischievously while he carried his wife towards the stairs, climbing up to their room…

A/N: Finally… I do really hope that this is pleasant enough. Fact is, I find happy endings harder to write compared to tragic ones. (Maybe it's the sadist in me. lol!)

Anyway, let me know what you think of the two endings. Which is better? This or 'Anticipations and Fears?' Be my judge.

And if you think I've fallen short in any way, criticize me, correct me, shoot me with your words. I really like challenges and often emerge stronger.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my story. "One would have no stories to tell if there are no listeners... and no stories to write if there are no readers…"

Until I write again…

- softwinds -