CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:

Six Months Later

It had been six months since Misaki had started having severe headaches and pain. Now she was eight months pregnant and her stomach was very large due to the twins growth. Gaara had temporarily put Kankuro and Temari off mission duty to watch and help Misaki until she had the babies.

It was during this time that Misaki laid on the couch, listening to the wind blow through the blinds and the curtains. She heard Kankuro enter the living room and ask, "Are you feeling well?"

"I'm feeling okay. I don't have a headache." Misaki replied.

"That's good."

"Kankuro..."

"What is it baby?"

"I don't know...I feel weird...my stomach..." She put her hand to her stomach then felt wetness soak through her gown.

"Oh Kami! Misaki, do you think it's time?!" Kankuro shouted.

"I don't know. Get Temari and the medic nin. Hurry!" Misaki ordered the male puppet nin suddenly.

Kankuro left her to run out the door and quickly find his sister, who amazingly was walking down the hall towards the suite. "What's the matter?" Temari asked, seeing Kankuro's expression of shock on his face.

"I think Misaki might be ready to have the babies."

"What! Go get the medic nin! You better get Gaara too!"

"Go to Misaki. She needs someone to help her."

"I'm going!" Temari shouted as she began to run down the hall.

Kankuro began to run down towards the medical ward where the head medic nin resided. He was panting slightly as he opened the door to the office. The nin looked up towards him and asked, "Lord Kankuro? Can I help you?"

"The Lady...we think is in labor." Kankuro explained to the medic nin.

"Oh goodness! I will go see her immediately!" She picked up her back and ran past Kankuro.

Kankuro began to walk quickly towards Gaara's office. His brother's door was open, luckily, and he saw that Gaara was bent over the desk studying some papers. Gaara looked up suddenly and asked, "What is it?"

"We think Misaki is in labor."

Gaara's eyes widened in surprise, "What?"

"Temari is with her and I already got the medic nin to go see her." Kankuro said as his brother stood from his chair.

"Well come on. Let's go and make sure she is alright. We'll go through the tunnel." He opened the door to the tunnel and signalled for his brother to follow him. Kankuro shut the door behind him as he followed his brother to the suite.

xxxx

Gaara was angry as hell. The medic nin had told him that he could not be with his wife during labor...that it was some stupid 'tradition.' Luckily, Kankuro had grabbed him before he sand-coffined her. Temari was with Misaki and the medic nin, but that was the only two women with her.

The two men walked to the couch and sat down. Gaara looked at the door with narrowed eyes. "Don't worry. She'll be fine." Kankuro reassured his brother.

"I still think I should be with her." Gaara replied.

"I know, but we can't unfortunately."

"I'm going to change that stupid tradition."

"Well we will have to wait till later."

Gaara sighed heavily then murmured, "I hope she will be okay."

"Me too." Kankuro added.

Five hours later, the two brothers were wondering what was going on in the bedroom. Especially Gaara, who was now pacing in front of the couch and glancing towards the bedroom door every 30 seconds. Both of the men turned towards the door when they suddenly heard a loud scream echo out of the room. Gaara looked towards Kankuro who told him, "Be calm."

"Be calm! She's screaming!"

"They didn't say labor was easy Gaara."

"How can you be so damned calm Kankuro?"

"I'm not. I just know that she wouldn't want us to overreact. She'd want us to stay calm and not worry for her." Kankuro replied as he wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulders. They heard another scream echo through the door.

"Misaki..." Gaara started to say, but couldn't finish his sentence. He feared for her life.

It was about ten minutes later when the two heard a cry of a baby. Kankuro turned to Gaara and said, "The first baby." About five and a half more minutes later, a second cry met their ears. "She's gave birth to both of them."

"I'm going in."

Kankuro grabbed Gaara's arm, "No. We have to wait till either Temari or the medic nin comes out and gets us."

Gaara gritted his teeth and told his brother, "Fine." He then went back to pacing the floor again.

Another hour passed before the door finally opened and the medic nin and Temari stepped out of the room. Kankuro stood up suddenly and asked, "Is she okay?"

"Misaki is fine. The babies are doing good as well." Temari replied.

"The lady is laying down right now. I gave her some pills for pain. They are stronger since the babies are now out of her body." The medic nin told the two men.

"You'll be very surprised to see them."

"If you need anything else, let me know." The medic told the three siblings then left and shut the door behind her.

"Come on you two. You've waited long enough."

Gaara and Kankuro followed their sister into the bedroom and saw Misaki laying on a bed of fresh linens, curled up underneath the covers. Her eyes were closed and she looked like she was sleeping peacefully. "She must be wore out." Kankuro murmured softly.

"Yes. Almost six hours of labor. Now come and see your niece and nephew." Temari agreed with the puppet nin then shoved him towards one of the cribs, which held the two infants.

"Oh my...Kami!" He exclaimed in surprise. "They look exactly like Gaara."

Gaara laughed at his brother's reaction then looked down at the two infants who were yawning then falling back to sleep. "It wouldn't have mattered to me what they had looked like."

"The council will be happy." Kankuro added.

"Screw them."

"So what are you going to name them? Have you and Misaki come up with names?" Temari questioned Gaara.

"Yeah. We already did. The girl is going to be Mizuki and the boy is going to be Minoru."

"Those are beautiful names." Kankuro complimented.

"Well it wasn't just me that thought of them."

Temari laughed softly at her youngest brother, "Why don't we leave you to lay down with Misaki. She probably will want to see you when she wakes up."

"I'm sure. See you two later. We'll let you know when she feels better."

"Goodbye." Both his siblings waved goodbye at him then left, shutting the door softly behind them.

He turned towards the bed after checking on the infants, who were sleeping deeply, then walked up to it, discarding his robes and other clothing before getting into the bed. Gaara curled up against his wife, pulling her body against his and wrapping his arm around her stomach, which wasn't as big due to the babies being born. He whispered in her ear, "I love you Misaki."

Author's Notes: I hope you all like this chapter. The babies are finally born. A little bit early at that, but they are fine. Please review if you like. I know some of you do like it, because you have favorited it. BTW, Mizuki means beautiful moon and Minoru means truth. Hope you like the names.