A/N; Hello, I have a favour to ask. My interest with the current Naruto shippuden has declined severely recently since they forgot all about Sakura and Sora came and Naruto once again did the 'he's like me' routine. If I'm still updating this story and the series actually picks up, please let me know because I still love the characters and world of Naruto. Thank you.
XxXx
"Tenten!" She yelled in the empty book shop "get out here so I can kill you!"
"I take it Ino stopped by?" a disembodied voice called from the stacks.
"Yes, with my report in hand. She thought I left it in order to guilt trip her!" Sakura said starting her searched along the stacks.
"What? No way, dramatic much?" the voice called back.
"Well how did you think she would react?!" Sakura blazed again.
"I thought she would be a bit more grateful," Tenten answered. Her voice was much closer now. Sakura crouched down ready to attack. She saw the other woman trying to blend in with the light coloured scrolls. She would have missed her if the other girl hadn't called out to her. She tackled the bun head and they grabbled along the floor knocking against shelves and displacing books. Sakura ended up on top due to her fury and she glared down at Tenten before she unclenched her hands from around her friends neck. "I know you were only trying to help," she sighed "but Ino doesn't appreciate being pressured. Like it or not she has more say over that kid than I do and you'll, we'll, just have to respect that."
"But that sucks," Tenten whined "its half yours as well."
Sakura shook her head "I give up that right when I went into this thing thinking of it as a science experiment. She loved it from the start."
Tenten sighed resigned then groaned as she caught sight of the mess they had made "this is going to take me ages to clean up."
XxXx
The telephone was a great invention. Sakura had always thought so. Many times she had wished she could have had excess to one when she used to do her missions. They would have made some things a lot easier. But the new device had her cursing the advances of technology when it shrieked shrilly in her bedroom at three o clock in the morning.
"Hello..?" She said groggily.
"I want ice cream."
"What?" she stared at the phone in a daze. The phone wanted ice cream?
"I want a tub of strawberry and chocolate ice cream and I've left my door unlocked so hurry up."
"Ino?!" Sakura said her sleep fogged mind finally realising who was on the other end of the phone.
"Hurry up Sakura." Click. Dial tone.
Sakura put the phone back on its hook and sat up. She ran her hand through her tangled hair and wondered if what just happened was real. She decided she couldn't risk not doing it so heaved herself out of bed. She stumbled her way into her pants and dirty tshirt she had worn the day before. Yawning she closed her apartment door and then realised a big problem.
Where the hell was she going to get ice cream at three o'clock in the morning?!
As expected the ice cream parlour was closed. She nibbled at her lip. Ino was giving her a chance, she couldn't blow it. She infiltrated the shop like the ninja she was. She got the asked for ice cream and left money, slightly more than the ice cream was worth, and a note to explain what had happened. She would swing by in the morning to clear up any misunderstandings. She exited the shop as if she had never been.
"Ino?" She called softly in the darkened room. She had been here enough times to know the layout without turning on a light. She made her way to Ino's familiar bedroom and opened the door. Ino had sat up reading waiting for her. The blonde was now slumped over her pillows her book forgotten in her lap. Sakura smiled and crept out to put the ice cream in the fridge. She then went back to straighten Ino and turn off the light. As she turned to go a hand stopped her and pulled her down beside the blonde "we'll work it out in the morning," Ino said stiffly.
Hardly daring to breath Sakura shifted to kick off her shoes and settle for the night.
XxXx
She snuck out in the morning because she had a meeting with the Chiefs of each department. She left a note to explain to Ino so she didn't think she had changed her mind. When she reached the hospital the entire place was holding one whispered conversation. When she was spotted the noise died abruptly. She glanced around in confusion. Her secretary was pushed forward. She held the hand of a young boy and lifted him up so he was in front of her. Speaking around the boy she asked "Is it true? Did you really come here from Yamanka-sans?"
Sakura now understood the reason for the innocent shield. She growled "do you people have nothing better to do than spy on me?!"
The entire hospital put their heads down like abashed children. She walked passed them but her secretary once again thrust the boy in front of her and tentatively spoke again "is it true but? Did Ino change her mind about the baby?"
Sakura looked at them amazed and annoyed they knew so much. She threw her hands up and gave in "yes, we're talking about it now."
The whole hospital erupted in cheers. Medical charts, flyers, canes and bed pans were threw in the air with jubilation. Sakura received many pats on the back and congratulations on her way to her office. She stopped and watched as nurses and orderly's danced with patients and doctors, a smile tugged at her lips but she tried to hide it. She tried to scowl and sound angry as she shouted "can we please get back to work?! I have a hospital to run!"
XxXx
"People are treating me like I'm carrying the messiah."
Sakura shut the filing cabinet with a snap "Ino!" She said with surprise. She dropped the file onto the top of the cabinet then hurried to usher the blonde into a seat. "I'm sorry about all that. I didn't tell them, they have spies."
"Or they're half decent ninja's," Ino said drolly. She held up a carton of vanilla ice cream "Mr Yen's going to rename vanilla to vanIno."
"Good ," Sakura said nervously "now everyone can eat you."
Ino looked at Sakura abashed and Sakura mentally slapped herself. She coughed into her hand and then rubbed the back of her neck "I'm sorry, I just get so nervous around you lately…"
"Yeah I know, I'm sorry. We should have talked before this," Ino leant forward and placed her hand on Sakura's knee.
Sakura blushed and moved to sit in the seat beside Ino. "You want to talk now?"
"If you don't mind, I could come back later," Ino said making as if to rise.
"No!" Sakura quickly stopped her then pulled back her hand "this is more important."
"Well," Ino took a deep breath then laughed nervously. Sakura did the same hanging on Ino's every word "I-no. If you want to be involved I won't stop you. But remember that the basic rules are my call. Things like curfew and manners are my call and I expect you to support me in those."
She nodded "sounds fair…but what about the big stuff?"
"We do that together," Ino said mentally ticking things off in her rehearsed speech "like picking the name and what school he or she will go to."
"You know it would be easier if we found out the baby's sex," Sakura said.
Ino shifted but shook her head "I want to be surprised. We can call it Bambie if you want, I always liked the cartoon."
"Well it is 'deer' to me," she smiled and Ino frown "did you always make such corny jokes?" Sakura laughed "yes actually but no one really noticed because Naruto's were worse."
"I hope Bambie gets my sense of humour," Ino said standing.
"Me too," Sakura said.
"There's something else though," Ino said her expression serious.
"What?"
"I don't want this child to be part of your case study. It'll be looked at by all these doctors and poked and prodded and the subject of debates if you publish it. I would appreciate if you don't," Ino said then continued slowly unable to look Sakura in the eyed "in fact, if you do I don't think I could be around you…how would I know if you still thought of them as a science project?"
Sakura sat back stunned. That was all her hard work. Ino was asking her to hinder the medical process, to wait until someone else came up with the idea and got the credit because nothing stayed undisturbed for long in science. She thought it over then gave the only answer she could "okay. I won't publish my findings." All that hard work gone but not wasted.
Ino nodded relieved and the air became much thinner. Sakura smiled back excited at the prospect of being included. She got up and opened the door for the blonde. Staff immediately snapped back to what they were doing and pretending that they hadn't had their ears pressed to the door two seconds ago. Sakura was in such a good mood that she wasn't going to yell at them. She escorted Ino out "call me if you need anything!"
"You'll get sick of me with an offer like that," Ino warned.
Sakura waved away the concern.
XxXx
"Ino! What are you doing!" Sakura demanded.
Ino raised her eyebrow at the sharp tone but Sakura still looked annoyed. She was about to jump down from the counter but Sakura nearly had a heart attack so she waited until the other woman came and lifted her down.
"You could be hurt!" Sakura said checking to see if Ino was indeed ok.
"I have changed a light bulb before Sakura," Ino said pushing away from the pink haired girl.
"You were never pregnant before though!" Sakura said following Ino behind the counter. Ino slammed it behind her in annoyance. She reached up to pull the blinds but Sakura was there. She watched amused as the smaller woman nearly strained something trying to reach them. Sakura eventually pulled the shutter and Ino was slightly impressed. She sighed and waved for Sakura to lock the door. She turned on the hose to give the flowers a quick drink before she went to bed. Sakura followed her up the stairs and Ino kept glancing back at her little shadow with annoyance.
"Are you hungry?" Ino asked going into the kitchen filling the pot with water.
"Yeah that would be nice," Sakura said. She then smiled "look at what I got Bambie!"
Ino looked at the white rabbit that Sakura held as if it where the secret fortune of the Hokage. She smiled but when she turned away she rolled her eyes. She tore through the pack of noodles with her teeth and was about to add it to the boiling water when Sakura stopped her.
"That's what you're eating?" Sakura said disgusted.
"Yeah, its quick. I've had a long day at work, you know I only offered you to be polite, you don't have to eat it," Ino said shrugging out of Sakura's hold.
"Gimme," Sakura said nudging Ino out of the way "I'll make you some real food. Go watch TV or something."
Ino frowned and left.
XxXx
"I'll have a coke please," she smiled at the waitress who nodded. Sakura frown at her choice of drink and Ino growled. Sakura ducked her head and pretended nothing had happened. "Also give me anything that's cooked in a white wine sauce." Sakura winced at the waitress left.
Ino savoured every bit of her steak in the sauce. She chewed it with deliberate relish as Sakura shuddered with every bite.
The worse than normal morning sickness was worth it.
XxXx
They were watching TV. Ino was eating cookies and laughing she reached forward for her milk but Sakura jerked in order to get there first. She gave the milk to the blonde then took it off her after she drank so she didn't have to exert herself stretching.
Ino smiled and tried to remember that Sakura was trying to help, not annoy the living daylights out of her.
XxXx
"Here! I got this!" Ino found her shopping bags swept away from her and into Sakura's arms.
"Where did you come from?" She asked frowning flexing her hands were the shopping bag had bit into her flesh.
"I saw you from my office window so I came to help," Sakura said taking the other bag from Ino.
"You ran out of work to come and carry my groceries?" Ino said the vein in the side of her face beginning to throb.
"It's okay, the meeting wasn't that important," Sakura said smiling.
Ino took a deep breath. Remember she's trying to help. Her hands clenched. She was trying to help.
She took a deep painful breath and said "thanks."
XxXx
Ino frowned as she saw her reflection in the flower shop window. She had come outside to place a fresh display of sunflowers but caught sight of her rounded figure. Her clothes were becoming tight and her well develop stomach muscles were fading and bulging with new life. Turned to the side, it was the first time in her life that she had a gut. She pulled loose her top from her trousers but the bulge still showed slightly.
Sakura's face appeared at her shoulder in the glass "you're beautiful Ino."
"Well I know that," Ino said brushing Sakura aside.
Sometimes Sakura actually did help.
XxXx
Ino rolled out of bed and stumbled to her kitchen. She woke up abruptly when she opened the cupboards and found nothing on the top shelves but everything crammed into the bottom two. She sighed frustrated and began her search. A few moments later she stomped over to the phone.
"Sakura, where did you put my coffee?" She demanded.
"Oh, I threw it out. It's unhealthy for the baby," Sakura chirped through the phone.
Ino slammed the receiver down on its hook. Her eye twitched. Sakura had gone too far this time.
XxXx