A/N: well, it's about time, right? THANK YOU TO ALL WHO REVIEW, and thanks for putting up with my slugish writing. My last day of school is Thursday, so you can expect me to update faster. Sadly, there will only be a few more chapters. Maybe two plus an epilogue. Sad, isn't it? Be happy I wrote this before I watched the last episode of Code Geass. It makes me cry and I get depressed every single time I watch it and my mood affects my writing :( Uchiha Chi also beta'd this chapter.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter Fifteen: Future

"You're pregnant Sakura?" The voice exclaimed again.

I cringed slightly. This could not be a good thing, could it?

How had I missed the familiar hint of Kakashi's Chakra? That was a terrible rookie mistake.

He read my body language immediately. "Oh, Sakura, I didn't say that was a bad thing." He sighed. "I was just… surprised."

I blinked incoherently. What?

Deidara took me hand in his. "Well, I'm glad." The large grin spread across his face attested to that.

I looked up. Itachi shrugged nonchalantly. He'd known, I could tell. Kisame's expression flickered back and forth between teasing and affection. He couldn't decide on one. Kakashi… his expression was unreadable.

"Are you going to tell Naruto?" I whispered. I thanked the heavens that it hadn't been him who'd come back. Which reminded me… why had Kakashi come back in the first place?

"No." he murmured delicately. Kakashi was smart enough to know that as much as I really wanted Naruto to know—he was indeed my best friend—that the result of informing him could be deadly. I didn't want my best friend to hate me anymore than he already did.

I nodded. "Why did you come back Kakashi?" I asked. I bit my lip in worry. He must have some sort of important reason.

"Ah, um." He hesitated. "I came back to talk to you alone. As angry as Naruto is, Tsunade doesn't want to force you away from your home because of him. But now things are a little more complicated."

The expression I got from his one visible eye was enough to understand that he was sorry. I forgave him.

I sighed. "I know, Kakashi."

Deidara squeezed my hand lightly. I looked up at him with a weak smile. I did manage to notice that both Kisame and Itachi had tactfully left the room. That was a good thing.

I motioned for Kakashi to sit down. He sighed, but took the seat.

"Naruto doesn't know you're here." I said. It wasn't a question. No. It was a statement of truth. If Naruto knew Kakashi had come back to talk to me, he'd be furious.

It hurt that he could hate me so much.

"Well, it's going to take awhile to sort all of this out now."

"No."

"What?" Kakashi looked surprised again.

"I don't want you to work this out. I will figure this out on my own. I made my choices, and although they may upset some people, I am perfectly happy with them. I don't want you to clean up after me anymore Kakashi. I'm done being immature and irresponsible."

I felt the moisture beading up at the corners of my eyes. "I'll stay in touch with you, Kakashi."

He nodded. "I understand Sakura." Kakashi reached over and embraced me, somewhat awkwardly, since Deidara still had my hand. "Don't think you've heard the last of Tsunade and me." He threatened in a mock tone.

I smiled. "I expect I won't."

Kakashi gave me once last wave before he disappeared in a little poof of smoke. I leaned onto Deidara heavily.

"Sorry." He murmured.

I shook my head. "It's not your fault, Deidara." I sighed.

"No, it is. I should have been more careful. I'm irresponsible." That was a big confession, coming from Deidara.

"I love you."

I saw his grin a moment before he was on his feet with me scooped up bridal style in his arms.

He spun me around in one of those little clichéd movements. I thought it was adorable how he did little things like that. "But I love you more." He argued playfully.

I stretched my neck up to kiss the tip of his nose. "Whatever. I'm not going to argue because I know the truth and that's all that matters."

A small chuckle bubbled past Deidara's lips. Then his expression became serious. "Sakura, you are the most beautiful, amazing, talented, spirited, loving thing in the whole wide world and you are much, much too good for me—I don't know how I managed to end up with you—and we are going to have a baby."

"We're going to have a baby." I echoed. The whole concept was strange to me, but I knew that I already loved our baby with all of my heart.

"We're going to have a baby." He said again before pressing his lips to mine.

I probably took more advantage of this that I should have. I wound my fingers into his hair and parted his lips with my own. This is one of those moments where you know that all the choices you've made were the right ones. For yourself.

I was with the man I loved. We were going to be parents. I was happy. He was happy. That was all that mattered.

Deidara groaned softly and put me down. "We need to settle down." He laughed.

Or we would spawn like bunnies.

"I know," I winked.

"Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?" Deidara was trying to distract me, and we both were perfectly aware of that.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "It's still too early for that. Would you want a boy or girl?" O asked him.

"Girl." His answer surprised me.

"Really?"

He nodded. "Seriously."

I nodded slightly. "I like the names Seth and Liam for a boy and Abrielle and Peyton for a girl." I smiled. I'd had baby names picked out for years, since I was like eight. Of course, at the time, I'd been thinking about raven-haired children with green eyes.

But now… hell no. It was going to be blonde babies with green eyes. Or something like that. I hoped we wouldn't have a pinked haired boy…

Deidara smiled. "I like those. I like Caden for a girl and Nyx for a boy."

I raised my eyebrow. Partially at the fact that he had already though of baby names, and partially because he'd actually just suggested the name 'Nyx'.

He shrugged. "There isn't much to do in Iwa. Or as a missing nin."

I laughed. "Sure." My voice was thick with sarcasm.

"Well at least I have some ideas." He defended himself. "Would you rather I not?"

I thought for a moment. "No. I'm glad you gave it some thought." There was still a trace of sarcasm in there.

Deidara smiled at me. "You should go eat. You need to keep your nutrition up."

Already, he was stepping up. He was going to be an excellent father, if he kept the insanity toned down.

Now doesn't every girl have that fantasy of a modest little yellow house with a white picket fence at one point in her life? Well I had. I still did, really. Whenever I thought of how I would end up living that was the picture I got.

I conceded to his 'eat something' plan. I made toast. It burnt.

Of course, Deidara laughed and the faces I made while I ate the burnt toast. "You try some." I challenged.

"It's not my toast. I wasn't stupid enough to burn it." He stuck his tongue out at me in a childish manner.

I rolled my eyes. I shoved the rest of the toast down my throat. "Come on, let's go." I mumbled to Deidara.

"Where?"

"I don't care." I sighed. "Anywhere."

He laughed under his breath before standing up and grabbing my hand.

He glanced out the window. "Well, it will be getting dark soon…ish… but we can still go do something."

I smiled. "Can we fly on one of your birds?" I loved the sensation flying gave me.

"Sure." An evil grin spread across his face.

"What are you plotting?" I muttered.

"Nothing, nothing." He sighed. Deidara grabbed a handful of clay in his free hand. It began to chew away.

I watched the process curiously. His whole bloodline limit intrigued me. "Will they have mouths on their hands too?"

"Huh?"

"Babies." I laughed. "Will our baby have your bloodline limit?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. It depends."

I cocked an eyebrow. "How is it inherited? It's not a dominant trait?"

He shrugged again. "It usually shows up, but that's with two parents who have it. I'm not sure with us. If you're so interested, go to a Punnett Square." Now that was definitely mocking my medic abilities.

I rolled my eyes. "I'd have to know if it is dominant and how it's inherited. And your genotype. So I can't." So there. I mentally blew a raspberry at him.

Deidara laughed. "Nerd." He coughed.

I glared at him. "I don't think nerds do a lot of the things I do." I murmured. I stroked his face gently just to get the point across.

"You've got me there." He smiled at me tenderly. His hand spat out a little bird, which proceeded to make larger. Enough room for two.

The sun was just barely starting to go down. "Let's hurry." Deidara suggested.

I nodded. I didn't want to miss the sunset either. I hoped onto the bird behind Deidara. I wrapped my arms around his waist securely. As much as I enjoyed these flights, I was terrified that I'd fall off. I knew, of course, that Deidara wouldn't let that happen to me, but still.

When we lifted off, I couldn't help but to smile. I clung tighter to Deidara.

After the steep incline, the smooth, straight course seemed like a bunny slope, which is what it probably was to Deidara. We were just in time to watch the last of the sunset.

Deidara turned to sit sideways on the bird so he could embrace me.

I smiled gently. "Whether you admit to it or not, you are a hopeless romantic, Deidara."

"No." he countered lamely. He didn't read his tendencies too well.

I sighed to myself. Whatever. He could believe whatever he liked. I knew that Deidara considered himself as the greatest artist, and a madman. A good killer. A psychotic missing nin. Well, that was partially true, but not completely. He was all of those things, but he refused to see the positive qualities he possessed. He was a good cook, a good lover, and a good husband. He didn't think so though.

I pecked him on the cheek as the last rays of sunlight disappeared, leaving us in the slight moonlight.

Deidara gave up on sitting sideways, so he swiveled so he was facing me to kiss me more easily. "Love you," he murmured between kisses.

My hands clutched at the front of his shirt (he'd forgone the cloak). "I love you, too."

He sighed in what I assumed to be a happy manner. "Wanna go back?" he asked me quietly.

"If you want to." I murmured in response.

He smirked. "Yes. There are a lot of things I want to do to you right now that would be very difficult at this altitude."

A pink spread across my cheeks. I probably should have been used to comments like this by this point in my life, considering my profession. Ninjas were often assigned to missions that took a large deal of sexuality. But I, being the Hokage's apprentice, had never been on such a mission. I almost regretted that now.

I patted Deidara's thigh. "Now, now." I kissed his cheek gently. "Let's settle down." I kissed his lips.

That may not have been the smartest idea, bearing in mind that I'd just told him to settle down.

Deidara ran his hands up and down my back. It practically made me melt into his arms.

His lips began to trail down my neck. Those made me shiver uncontrollably.

"Yes. Settle down, Sakura." He breathed against my skin. He pulled away, and I found myself disappointed. After all, we'd yet to have sex on one of his birds.

I shook the dirty thought away.

We had more serious business to attend to; our future.

"Deidara," I started. "We really do have to talk."

His face dropped. I realized my mistake at once; that was the classic dumping line.

I raised my hands in front of me and waved them frantically. "No, no! Not that!"

He exhaled in relief.

"We have a future to talk about." I told him. "I'm having a baby and I do not want him—or her—growing up around Itachi and Kisame." They would certainly be a bad influence, no matter how soft they may really be at heart.

"Well, about that…"