"Ino, what's wrong are you okay?" Sakura's concern flooded the phone and Ino grinned thinking of her plan.
"I just got a new plant today Sakura. It's a Leech plant, usually I can handle it safely with a Chakra barrier but since Chakra would hurt the baby…" Ino let her voice trail off "you know what? Forget it…I'm sure it won't take long. Bambie won't even feel it I bet."
"No!" Sakura cried "I'll be there in a few minutes."
Ino sat back and smiled.
Sakura emerged from the storage room her pink hair flew in every direction and a slightly burnt smell wafted after her. "You left out the part were it shocks you if you touch its thorns with Chakra," Sakura twitched involuntary as another jolt went through her.
"Oh?" Ino said with feigned innocence "I cant seem to think straight without my coffee."
Sakura flopped onto a stool and glared at the blonde. Ino smirked back.
XxXx
Ino stood on a chair as she replaced everything in her top shelves including her coffee. She had dragged Sakura out shopping with her and forced her to stand there in total silence as she fill her wooden basket to overflowing with; sushi, full fat dairy products that may or may not have been pasteurised, red meat, coleslaw, soy sauce, she didn't even like soy sauce but she was taking it anyway! And coffee lots of coffee and the kind of ice cream kids could only take a bite of before going into a sugar coma. She got two tubs.
Sakura flinched with every item that hit the basket. She looked ghastly pale and sick. Ino had never been so happy. She got the special kind of chip that you could dip into anything just to really make Sakura turn green.
She didn't plan on eating most of it as some could actually harm the baby but she wouldn't tell Sakura that. She was fighting for freedom. When they reached the check out Sakura miserably reached for her purse. She had to pay for this as the cherry on top of her punishment. No one stole Ino's coffee. No one.
XxXx
"SAKURA!"
Sakura jumped as her name was shrieked. She had been reviewing medical cases in her office when her secretary hurled into her room and slammed the door.
"Quickly Sakura-sama! You go out the window, we'll hold her off," her secretary grabbed her arm and hustled her to an open window.
"What-! Get off! What's happening?!" Sakura said her weariness rising as she struggled in the other woman's grip. She was already halfway pushed onto the window ledge when the door burst open in a fiery explosion.
"THERE YOU ARE, YOU TRAMP!"
"My door!" Sakura yelled outraged. She threw the fussing secretary off her and turned to face the intruder.
The smoke cleared to reveal a very pissed off blonde. "Ino?!" Sakura said confused.
"I'm going to kill you," Ino enunciated with deliberate loathing.
Sakura felt fear steal over her for no reason. Surely Ino was exaggerating, she hadn't did anything-oh no. She found out about the coffee. "Now Ino," Sakura began nervously "I only switched to decafe and you can barely notice the difference!"
"Twins?!" Ino growled like an attacking bear. She advanced on Sakura with deadly intent.
"Twins?!" Sakura said delighted. Today was Ino's scan.
"Twins," Ino affirmed and Sakura's new found joy withered at the venom in the blondes voice. "They don't run in my family."
"Ah, hehe," Sakura started to back away as Ino skirted the desk and got much to close for comfort "my grandmother was a twin."
"And you didn't think that was worth mentioning?" Ino said with a crazy look in her eye.
"Well I was the father in this case, I didn't think it was relevant!" Sakura said desperately as she hit a wall.
"Leave now," Ino didn't even look to see the secretary scramble for safety. Her hands thumped down on either side of Sakura's head. "You didn't think it was relevant? I have two babies inside me!"
"But that's good!" Sakura tried to be positive and not scared witless.
"No! No its not," and a frantic panicked tone entered Ino's voice for the first time "there's two of them! Having one was scary enough but now they can double team me!"
Sakura realised what was wrong. She smiled gently at Ino and hugged her. Ino still lent against the wall then slowly returned the embrace.
"I'm so scared Sakura…" Ino whispered "what if I don't know what to do with them."
"Then I will or we'll ask someone. And if all that fails we can give them up for adoption," Sakura grinned as Ino gave a wet laugh.
Ino allowed herself to be seated on the couch and Sakura sat at her side and stroked her hair. Ino lay down and the raised bump of her stomach became more prominent. Ino placed her hands on it and seemed to marvel. To Sakura she seemed quite small to be four months along and carrying twins. She absently made a note to feed Ino more. Her hand twitched to touch the bump but she hesitated then shelved the desire altogether. It somehow felt wrong to intrude on Ino's personal space like that. She settled for watching the blondes pale hand stroke the bump lovingly.
XxXx
"What are we going to call it now?" Sakura asked sitting on Ino's couch as the blonde ate twice her body weight in pasta.
"Huh?" Ino grunted. She had skipped lunch but wasn't going to tell Sakura that.
"Well we were calling the baby Bambie but now there's two, so what do we call them?" Sakura asked frowning, trying to think of names.
"We'll just call them the twins," Ino said. It seemed obvious to her "by the way did you increase the maternity wards budget?"
"Yeah, we have updated machines," Sakura said rolling her eyes "we should be able to detect twins on the first scan now," honestly the way Ino got on it was like her hospital was using medieval equipment. It was an honest mistake on the doctors part, he was rushed and didn't notice the second heartbeat. He was now the laughing stock of the maternity floor but it would teach him to pay attention. Which also reminded her that she had to find the money for refresher courses. She groaned, no one liked to take a refresher course, even she had hated it when she was working on the floor. She was going to hear grumbling now.
She grabbed Ino's nearly empty glass and refilled it with milk. Ino glared at her and swallowed what was in her mouth "I didn't want anymore milk. I wanted orange juice."
"Milk's better for the baby," Sakura waved away the blondes ire. Ino slowly set her fork down. "Get out," she said calmly and Sakura stared at her "get out before I kill you," she repeated.
"What?" Sakura said her brows drawing together in confusion. What was Ino saying?
"I am sick and tired of you doing everything for me. I am pregnant not invalid. I can get my own drinks and I can carry my own shopping. What I can't do is watch you fuss over me," Ino stood and tugged until Sakura was standing also. She was pushed towards the door "I swear don't you dare come near me unless you've learned that I can do things for myself. God I'm surprised you haven't tried to come into the bathroom with me!" And the door was slammed shut in Sakura still shocked face.
XxXx
"…What?" Sakura picked up the phone absently still chewing on her pen as she reread the proposals on cutting down waiting time in the A&E.
"Sakura…" the pain filled voice made Sakura instantly snap up straight. She clutched the phone hard enough to crack the plastic "Ino? Are you okay?!"
"I fell."
"Fell?!" Sakura shrieked her panic rushing through her and eating at her insides "are you okay? What about the baby?! Is there any blood?! You're at home right?! I'll be over there in two seconds don't move!"
"I think I'm okay, I hurt my foot and I couldn't heal it because Chakra would hurt the baby…" Ino was babbling which made Sakura nearly hyperventilate because Ino only babbled when she was scared. She threw a book hard against the door and the secretary peeked in to see what had caused the noise. She waved her over and thrust the phone at her "there's been an accident. Talk to her and keep her calm." She rushed out then because she definitely wasn't the person that could be calm in this situation.
She bombed down the stairs, the elevator taking to long. When she reached the main exit two medics with a stretcher were already waiting. Gossip travelled fast in the hospital especially if it was about her. She was immensely thankful today for that fact. She didn't even slow and the men ran along side her without needing to be told.
She must have broken a land speed record getting to Ino's apartment. She burst through the door and was surprised that a scene from a battle field didn't greet her. She had expected smashed china, glass and blood everywhere. She called out and a weak answer reached her from the kitchen area. She jumped over the counter and saw Ino propped up against the counter, the phone was still issuing soothing nonsense as it lay on the floor forgotten. Ino turned watery blue eyes to Sakura and she immediately knelt at her side.
The paramedics hovered like hens in the background. She checked quickly to see if Ino had any broken bones. Thank god there was no blood "what happened?"
"I was putting things away and I fell," Ino gestured to the knocked over chair that she had fallen from. It was stupid and normally she would have bounced back up but her leg had connected painfully with the counter top and she hadn't been able to get her balance as she was unused to the new weight she had gained. She felt like an idiot. She should have listened to Sakura, not that she would ever tell her that. It was all she could do to drag herself to the phone. She was going to be sick, the worry that she might have hurt the twins had been worse than the fall.
"You did this out of spite!" Sakura snapped her own worry turning to its only comfortable outlet: Rage. "I told you about stretching and over doing it!"
Ino let Sakura brow beat her because she felt like she deserved it. Sakura glared at her but a the building that had settled on her chest since she had heard Ino's voice on the telephone was demolished by her routine check. She swallowed hard "there could still be damage to the babies. We have to get you to the hospital to make sure but there's no blood. That's a good sign."
Ino grabbed onto those words but they didn't stop the dread inside her swelling up to choke her.
XxXx
Sakura nearly fainted when the tests results came back that every thing was okay. Being the chief meant she could rush these things and she had never been so glad to abuse her power before. Doctor Botan shared her relief and handed her a copy of the chart. She felt her legs give way and she found a seat. She felt insanely grateful that everything had been okay. It was hard now to believe that she originally thought of the twins as a science project. How idiotic and stupid she was.
She pushed herself off the chair her knees still a little weak. Ino would want to know immediately. She staggered into the blondes room with a smile. Ino was washed out with worry, she had been staring out of the window her hands gripping her slightly swollen belly in a protective shield. Sakura felt whatever anger at Ino's actions flow away at the nearly tortured body of Ino. Ino turned her head slowly not wanting to know the results, too afraid that they might be bad.
"It's okay," Sakura said coming and taking Ino's hand. Ino gripped it painfully. "Nothing out of the ordinary. You probably cushioned them when you fell. Everything's fine Ino," she said again to reassure the blonde who didn't quite believe her.
"No, its not," Ino choked out "I could have…it might not have been fine. My pride, I just wanted to annoy you, I-we, could have lost every thing."
"But we didn't," Sakura said sitting down at Ino's bedside. She placed her hand on the bump and realised that this was the first time she had actually touched it. She had wanted to, on numerous occasions but it hadn't felt right. It was still Ino's body and Sakura didn't think she was welcome. Now though she ran her hand back forth on the bump. She could feel the heat of skin through the hospital robe. Ino had been check out earlier, she had suffered major sprain to her ankle. She would have to keep off it for a few days and then not strain it after. An idea occurred to Sakura and she grew nervous. She fumbled with the wires on the monitor that Ino wasn't hooked up to.
"You won't be able to do much," she started badly as Ino seemed to take that as a criticism and shrink into herself. She rushed on "I want you to stay with me…"
Ino looked at her like she was crazy "what?"
"You'll have to get that girl who helps you, Sophie or something, to run the shop for awhile while you recover. There's too many stairs to your place, my apartment is on the ground. I can be there to change the bandages or if something else happens. I promise I won't suffocate you as long as you don't…" she stopped herself from saying 'do something stupid again,' it would only be rubbing salt in the wound.
"I'm not sure…" Ino hedged looking pained at the notion of living with Sakura.
She tried not to be offended but once she realised Ino wouldn't agree easily she put her foot down. "I'm part of these babies lives. You said so yourself. I'm their parent and its my job to protect them so you're coming home with me so I can watch over you and fuss. You might not like it but I've listened to you, I've watched as you ignored my advice and glared at me. I won't let you do it this time. It's stupid to do it and not only that, its dangerous."
Ino's hackles rose at the demands Sakura was making and they glared at each other "I'm not a baby Sakura I don't need a nanny."
"Well obviously you do!" Sakura had had enough. Ino was being stupid. She was putting their children at risk because of her pride, because she didn't want to spend any unnecessary time with her. She shoved that hurtful though out of her head. "Look where we are! It's not my fault we're here!"
The unspoken it's yours made Ino flinch. She turned away from Sakura and hunched her shoulders. Sakura watched feeling guilt but didn't take it back. After a while, when the air got so thick with frayed nerves, Ino nodded feebly. "Okay," she agreed still not looking at Sakura.
Sakura swallowed and nodded. She left and felt like she hadn't won anything but a kick in the chest.
XxXx
It had been a week since Ino moved in after being released from hospital. Ten days since the fall. Tenten helped her move the stuff Ino had stiffly requested from her home. A week were Sakura felt like a dog and crept around the stifling silence of her apartment hoping not to disturb Ino who hadn't spoken to her at all. She was an enemy in her own home.
Sakura waited until Ino went to bed, her bed of course, because the apartment only had one useable room and the pregnant lady got priority. The other room was filled with junk that Sakura was going to sort out so she could use it as a nursery for when the babies stayed with her. She settled down on the sofa which was starting to give her neck pains.
She could take a weekend off. She was the boss and before this year had never taken a day off not even her allotted holidays. She frowned as she realised how sad that was. Her life certainly had got more brighter and interesting since Ino had her crazy idea. Tenten could give her a hand throwing out the stuff in the spare room.
She looked up as the door creaked open. Ino froze on her way to the kitchen. Their eyes met and Ino turned away first. Sakura flopped down then regretted it as her head hit the armrest hard. She had done the right thing, she told herself but didn't really feel like it was the truth at the moment.
XxXx
"She's still not talking to you, huh?" Tenten said tying a bandana around her head.
"Nope," Sakura said. She was in a pair of old jeans and a wrinkled band t-shirt she didn't remember owning.
"I'll take the back while you take the front, we'll meet in the middle," Tenten said scoping out the amount of useless stuff in the room. She set her shoulders and climbed gamely to the back.
"I did the right thing, right?" Sakura said the doubts driving her crazy. She couldn't take much more of the silent treatment from Ino.
"Definitely. Although…" Tenten was quick to reassure Sakura but trailed off.
"Although?" Sakura prompted.
"You were a bit mean in how you did it," Tenten immediately put her hands up in a peaceful gesture "you had good intentions and of course Ino would need someone to keep an eye on her but you were mean when you did it."
Sakura frowned "She was being stubborn and stupid!"
"All very true," Tenten said diplomatically "but the fact is you bullied a pregnant woman into living with you when you could have gone another way, that's all I'm saying."
Sakura glowered and sorted through a pile of shoes. Why did she have a pair of golf shoes?! She had never golfed in her life. She threw them in the good will bag and then looked at Tentens back. She might, probably, okay did, have a point. She had been rather curt with Ino when she told her to move in. "Do you think she'll forgive me?"
"Well, it is Ino," Tenten said not sounding to hopeful at the prospect "but maybe the pregnancy thing will mellow her."
They both looked at each other plainly, their doubt clearly conveyed.
XxXx
Sakura listened as Ino limped in late from the flower shop. It was eleven forty five nearly. She didn't say anything as Ino switched on a low lighted lamp and made her way in to the kitchen. She heard her find the dinner she had left for her under the oven. She didn't move or open her eyes but felt she might actually get some sleep now that she knew Ino was safe.
She woke a little later in surprise as Ino shook her softly. She opened her eyes and her mouth stumbled out her concern "are you okay…?"
"Are you going to slink about here forever?" Ino asked and her voice seemed harsh in the low light.
Sakura just blinked at her with a fuzzy look that clearly conveyed she was still half in her dream about pickled eggs and pandas. Ino huffed in annoyance and grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her until she followed, as docile as any lamb, into the bedroom.
The bed was rumpled and the dinner plate sat at the edge of the night stand. Her room was much bigger than Ino's. She had a night stand at either end of her bed equipped with lamps. She had a walk in closet and set of drawers on top of which a tv blared softly. The furniture was beech wood while the bed was a dark brown leather with cream sheets. It was very earthy but Sakura had always found it empty like a hollow trunk. Ino seemed to fill it though as she added splashes of colour with her make up spread out crookedly on one nightstand and her cloths draped over the dresser, on the floor and the single chair. Sakura's glasses and book which were placed in a straight line perpendicular with the wood had been knocked until they were askew. The remote was flung beside them and the covers left rumbled in a way that would cause wrinkles. Ino had totally invaded her space and made it better.
Sakura took all this in in an absent dreamy fashion as Ino pushed her down in the bed then crawled over her and tucked herself in. Sakura was quite content to sleep as she was with the covers somewhere down at her knees but Ino seeing this let out another huff and pulled them up around her. Sakura smiled benignly at her but immediately went to sleep