Chapter 15: Mother's smile

Sakura's heart was beating so loud and so fast she had to tell herself to calm down. She had forgotten that Sarada was here until she heard her foot steps getting farther away from them. She turned her head in her direction just as Sarada disappeared out of the doorway. She knew something was wrong, she always knew when something wrong when it came to Sarada. She turned to the direction Sarada had gone and hastily walked the same way frantically wiping at her eyes. She hurried her steps and only stopped when she heard sniffling come from the room she had woken up in. She stood in the doorway looking in, watching as Sarada stuffed the limited things she had scattered on the bed. She sniffled again wiping her eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked her daughter as she leaned against the door frame. Hearing her voice, Sarada tried to hurriedly wipe her face of any trace of her tears. Sakura sighed as she pushed her self off the door frame and walked inside the room. "What have I told you about keeping secrets from me?" Sarada continued to sniffle looking down at her lap. "We only have each other, so we tell each other everything." She said repeating the thing she had told her daughter a million times.

"Well, now you have him so…" Sarada trailed off miserably. Sakura sat down beside her daughter, a sigh escaping her lips as she did so.

"Listen…you," she started, taking Sarada's hand in her own, "are my daughter. No one can take that away from us. You are my number one priority. Do you understand?" Sakura said looking at the top of her daughter's bent head. "If you are unhappy with any of this, then it all stops. We will just go home and carry on as we always have, alright?" she said gently, still waiting for Sarada to lift her head. "Hey…" she called out softly putting her fingers under Sarada's chin, lifting her face up to meet her eyes. Sakura pursed her lips as she saw the tears in Sarada's eyes as she attempted to hold them back. "But I always want you to tell me if you are not happy with something, okay? You have to talk to me or I won't know." She said as she wiped tears from Sarada's pink cheeks. "Okay?" she asked again, and Sarada finally replied with a nod of her head. "Okay." Sakura said smiling down at her daughter. "Now get your things and we'll leave." Sakura said preparing to leave, but before she could, she felt a tug at her wrist and she sat back down looking at Sarada.

"It's okay." Sarada mumbled looking down at her lap again, her mother's hand still in hers.

"What is honey?" Sakura asked confused.

"You and him…I'm okay with it." She murmured and Sakura's heart squeezed at her daughter's defeated look.

"You don't have to force yourself to do anything."

"I'm not." Her daughter finally looked up her, her eyes determined and her voice stronger. "You've always done things for my happiness. You have always made sure I'm happy before you think about yourself. I want to do that for you too. I want you to be happy mama." Sarada's words made Sakura's eyes well with tears.

"Honey, I'm your mother. That's what I do and I love doing it." She said softly, tucking a strand of dark hair behind Sarada's ear.

"And now I want to do that for you. If he makes you happy…I can forgive him." She finished but Sakura could still see that she was having a hard time with her resolve.

"Sweetheart, I told you, you don't have to force yourself to do anything." Sakura said giving her daughter as much opportunity as she can to opt out of what she is offering. She knew it can't be easy for Sarada to forgive Sasuke like this. She knew it would take time, it did for her.

"I'm really not mama. When he said those things, you looked really happy. I want you to be happy all the time like that. I don't want you to be sad when anyone talks about him. I can forgive him for you. I want to do this for you." Sakura was very aware of the tears that were now falling down her cheeks. But it was nothing compared to the pride she felt for having raised this angel. Sakura pitied Sasuke for not being able to watch her grow up, but she also silently thanked him for bringing Sarada to her all those years ago. She ran her tongue over her now dry lips before speaking.

"Just so you know…I have never in my life been more happier than I was watching you grow up. You may think he holds my happiness and it's true, I do love him and he does hold a big part of my happiness, but you… hold the biggest part." She said as she hugged Sarada to herself and she felt her daughter's small hands wind around her waist. "I love you sweetheart." She whispered as the hands around her tightened.

"I love you too mama."

When Sakura finally left her daughter and went back to the kitchen, Sasuke was sitting at the table leaning back in his chair. He straightened as she entered the kitchen, sitting up and looking at her with what Sakura could only name as nervousness, but she couldn't fathom why he would be nervous. She sat down on the chair across from him and neither said anything for a long time.

"What does this even mean Sasuke? For us? For her?" she asked motioning towards the door.

"What do you mean?" he asked as if their world hadn't just been turned upside down. Sakura felt a little anger at his words because she knew what he was thinking and she didn't like it.

"Don't even think about it Sasuke. If you want to be a part of her life, you are going to have to make an effort." She said raising her voice. "You've missed so much of her life already. Do you really want to miss the rest of it?" she asked wrapping her arms in front of her chest showing her defiance. "She has decided to forgive you, don't take that for granted Sasuke, you need to do your part too." As she said, she saw his lone eye widen with surprise.

"She has?" he asked in shock.

Sakura's eyes softened at the hopeful look on his face and she remembered that he has been waiting for this more than anyone. Sakura was suddenly reminded of the look she saw on his face when he had handed Sarada to her 12 years ago.

"Yes, please don't break her heart." She pleaded softly. Sakura watched as Sasuke contemplated, his eyes looking far away where she couldn't possibly reach.

"What about you?" he finally asked, his voice only a murmur that she barely heard him. At her confused look he went on. "Have you forgiven me?" he asked, turning his eyes towards her own that she felt he was staring into her soul. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she understood what it is that he was asking her.

"It's all in the past Sasuke. You brought her to me, that's all that matters to me because thanks to you…she's mine" She told him with a slight parting of her lips that clearly showed her happiness. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Sasuke stood up from his chair and stood beside her. She followed him with her eyes in confusion and looked up as he stood beside her. She was taken off guard as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. He pulled back slightly, but he was still so close to her that she felt his hot breath fan over her lips as he spoke.

"You didn't say it." He murmured, his eyes boring into her eyes.

She raised her hand up and caressed his cheek softly with her thumb, "I love you." She said with a smile gracing her pink lips.

"Good" he smirked before landing his lips on her forehead this time. She wanted to slap him a little bit just to wipe that arrogant smirk off his face. But she was too happy for that kind of violence just yet so she stood up instead and wrapped her hands around him resting her head on his collarbone.

Sasuke's own heart was pounding with happiness. He didn't think it would ever be possible for him to feel this happy again. He certainly didn't believe he deserved it. He was grateful for the fact that they can finally be a family. He knew that he would have to work hard to fully gain forgiveness from Sarada, but knowing that Sarada was prepared to forgive him was a load off his mind. And to finally have Sakura in his arms like this was a dream he had had many times over in his lonely journey. He couldn't help the smile that came to his lips as her warmth and scent surrounded him.

Sarada hid behind the door frame watching her parents with an embarrassed smile and pink cheeks. She couldn't remember how many times she had wished to see her parents like this, every time the seventh would hug Hinata-obachan, which was all the time, she wondered when she will ever see her own parents like that. Her heart fluttered at the sight and she knew that in that moment that it was not a mistake to have found her father just to see her mother smile the way she is doing now.

Okay its done. I hope you guys enjoyed it. A lot of people thought that Sakura didn't carry Sarada because she is physically unable to for some reason, which is not the case. Sakura didn't know that Sarada had been put in someone else. Just to clarify, SAKURA CAN HAVE CHILDREN. After her rescue both she and Sasuke thought that the baby didn't survive.

Anyway, its done. There was a lot more sasusaku in it than I thought it would. I honestly didn't mean for them to even end up together at the end of this, but I couldn't carry on writing the story if that were the case I realized. I just love them too much.

I think a lot of you were confused about the timeline. But it takes place half before the war and half after. I mean I changed events to match my story, but Sakura was kidnapped about 5 months before the war and Sasuke brought Sarada back about 4 months after war after he came across Karin, Suigetsu and Kabuto on his "redemption" journey. Hope it wasn't too confusing.

I can't believe so many of you thought I would be unfaithful to the love of my life, which is sasusaku. I actually had a great time reading your comments because I kind of laughed when you guys said something that you thought was coming but I knew you were in for a surprise. Thanks for reading and having the patience to read till the end because I know it was kind of confusing.

I am really glad for all of your wonderful comments and support, please review and rate.