A/N: Sorry for the delay! I didn't have this chapter written yet, and I wrote out a first draft over the weekend, only to be unsatisfied, thinking that it was a little boring. So I rewrote it, and made it quite a bit longer, adding his some extra stuff to set up a potential sequel as well. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I appreciated it! And thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story this far. I hope you all enjoy this final chapter!

…

The next three months were definitely the best, but also the hardest of Kakashi's life. Going into the whole parenthood thing he knew there would be challenges, and he certainly faced more than his share of those. After a few weeks though, things had begun to settle down a bit and he had grown accustomed to his new routine…besides, who needed sleep anyway?

Not only that, but he was quickly realizing that his career as a ninja was more or less over. As much as he hated to admit it, he hadn't been able to fully recover from his torture, his arms had yet to regain their full range of motion. And despite his continued rehabilitation, he knew it was likely that they never would.

Plus as a new 'mother' (he still hated that term, and cringed when Minato had used it to explain his mandatory maternity leave) he wouldn't be able to rejoin active duty even if he wanted to until Aiko was at the appropriate age to begin the academy. It was a policy the village had, one that he hadn't known about, but why would he seeing as it hadn't applied to him before now…but when a child is born, and it has two shinobi parents, at least one parent is required to leave active duty, to minimize the risk that that child would be left an orphan, something that happened far too frequently in the ninja world. But once the child reached academy age, they are deemed responsible enough to be able to care for themself if the unthinkable ever were to happen, so both parents would then be allowed back on active duty.

But seeing as how Iruka was an academy teacher, which historically was a fairly safe profession, he could probably argue that he should be allowed back on active duty sooner…that was if he even wanted to.

His whole life he had been trained and groomed to be the perfect shinobi, a tool to be used however his superiors saw fit. And for years his life as a shinobi consumed him, it was all he did or thought about, it was literally his entire identity. And then he gained his sharingan and became famed around the ninja world; further ingraining in him that there simply was no other possible life for him. He lived as a ninja, and he had fully intended to die as a ninja at some point.

But things were different now; he had things to live for, things that made him happy, things that brought so much joy to his life that he didn't think it was humanly possible. The whole thing still left him completely dumbfounded sometimes, and he constantly found himself checking on Aiko and Iruka, just to make sure that they were indeed real, and not just some figment of his imagination. But no matter how many times he checked, they were still there, and no matter how long it has been, seeing them brought warmth to his heart each and every time.

So even if one day his arms did completely heal, and he completely regained his ability to be a high-ranking active duty shinobi once more, he wasn't sure he would ever want to take that opportunity even if it presented itself. Despite his life changing as much as it had, and his entire world being turned upside down with his former identity being taken away from him, he was relishing in his new identity. His identity as a father, as a lover, and as a friend…this was something he never had in the past, something he hadn't even known he wanted, but now that he had it, he never wanted to let it go. But he was probably getting a little ahead of himself. He still had a good 5-6 years to think about it and spend time with his daughter, so for now he was just going to sit back and enjoy it.

And speaking of enjoying it, today was the day of his birthday, a day in the past that he had dreaded every single year, a day that usually held nothing but pain and bitterness. A day where he would normally drink himself into a coma simply so he wouldn't have to feel, something he had certainly done a year ago.

He would've never imagined how much his life could change in the course of a year, and if someone had told him last year on his birthday where his life was going to be by that time next year he would've thought they were insane…literally. Because who would honestly ever have believed that they were pumped full of an experimental drug, about to get pregnant thanks to drunken birthday sex with a complete stranger, end up falling in love with that stranger who eventual returns his feelings and breaks up with his fiancée, only for things to almost end completely by being captured and tortured by two psychopaths, only for things to work out in the end…anyone being told that would have every right to think that the person telling them was insane. After all most of that should've been impossible, yet somehow, here he was.

So unlike most years, he wasn't spending his birthday alone and in a drunken stupor. Instead, he was sitting at his dinning room table, about to blow out the candles, surrounded by the people that cared about him the most. Which included not only his former sensei and his wife like most years, but it now included friends that he never even realized he had, Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, and Tsunade. Not to mention Iruka, who was currently sitting next to him with their gorgeous daughter cradled in his arms.

"You better make a wish," Iruka said, after the small group finished singing happy birthday.

Kakashi thought about it for a moment, and then smiled, before blowing out the candles.

"So, what did you wish for?" Kushina asked, ignoring everybody else's protests about how you weren't supposed to tell.

"I didn't need to make one," he answered, looking around at everybody in the room until his eyes finally settled on Iruka and Aiko, "I have everything I could ever wish for right here."

THE END

2 years later…

"What's all this for? Not that I'm complaining mind you," Kakashi asked, enjoying the delicious meal set out in front of him.

"It's your birthday of course…" Iruka answered, shifting nervously as his lover gave him a suspicious look.

"Yes, but this all just seems so extravagant. I mean, a weekend away at the finest hot springs in the Land of Fire, followed by dinner at such a fancy place like this? It just seems like too much."

"Well, you deserve the best, and I figured we both deserved a weekend away together."

"I can't argue with you there," Kakashi agreed, going back to his dinner.

The two continued to eat, enjoying the atmosphere that the restaurant provided. It was rare that the two of them ever went out anywhere without out Aiko in toe, so places like this were usually out of the question.

This was actually their first weekend away since Aiko was born. They had of course been on dates since then, usually leaving their daughter with Minato and Kushina, but they had never been apart from her for more than a few hours. Kakashi had been uneasy at first, and had taken quite awhile to convince, but now that he was here, he was more than glad he accepted…even if everything did seem to be over the top.

The two finished their meals, before beginning the scenic walk back to the hotel. The resort was truly beautiful, and had a lot to offer other than hot springs and fine dinning. Everywhere you looked the scenery was absolutely picturesque, from the mountains in one direction, to the cherry blossom grove in another, to the flawless garden complete with a koi pond. The whole thing was extremely romantic, and Kakashi couldn't help but blush when he felt Iruka grab his hand.

"Can I give you your present now?" Iruka asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

"Isn't this weekend my present?"

"Not quite…"

"This is already way too much!"

But Iruka ignored Kakashi's protests and instead led him over to a near by bench, that was sitting in front of the koi pond. He sat the other man down, before kneeling down in front of him. The moment he did so Kakashi's eyes widened, as a look of realization crossed his face.

"Kakashi, these last two years have with out a doubt been the best years of my life. I cherish every moment we spend together, and every day I find myself falling more and more in love with you. I never imagined I could be this happy, and I never want to have to let that go. You've already given me the greatest gift in the form of our daughter, but I was hoping you would give me one more gift…" He said, trying to keep any nerves out of his voice as he fumbled around in his pocket for the small box he had hidden there. After finding it, he took a deep breath, before opening it and presenting it to the other man. "Would you give me the gift of being mine now and forever? Kakashi Hatake, will you marry me?"

Kakashi stayed silent, completely frozen as he let the other man's words sink in. He had thought about this moment a countless number of times, and was starting to believe it might not ever happen. Not that he didn't understand the other man's hesitation, considering how things had ended with his former fiancée, and he knew their relationship was strong enough that they didn't really need to make it official… but that didn't stop a small part of him from still wanting it, wanting the world to know that Iruka was his and vice versa, and wanting the three of them to be a proper, legal, family.

He even considered popping the question himself on a few occasions. It wasn't as if he was a woman after all, and even though he may have given birth to their daughter, they still considered themselves both completely equal in their relationship. Iruka even allowed Kakashi to top him a few times, wanting the other man to know that he loved and respected him enough to do anything for him. But all that being said, Kakashi decided that if either of them were ever going to propose, it should be Iruka. He was the one with the former fiancée, and Kakashi didn't want to pressure him into something he wasn't ready for by being the one to ask. So he decided to wait, and he couldn't believe that after two years the wait was over.

"Of course!" Kakashi finally said, after a few moments of hesitation. He saw the worried look on the other man's face when he hesitated quickly disappear, and was replaced by a smile that spanned his entire face. "You shouldn't have looked so worried. Like I would ever say no."

"Well these last two years have been beyond perfect, I was starting to worry that my lucky streak was about to come to an end."

"When it comes to me, to us, you never have to worry about that." He whispered, pulling the other man forward so their lips gently grazed against one another.

Iruka's smile, if possible, became even wider, as he pulled back and took the ring out of the box, sliding it on the older man's finger. The band was fairly simple, he decided against anything too extravagant. He didn't think Kakashi would appreciate walking around with a huge diamond engagement ring, knowing that the other man would associate it with a woman's engagement ring, and he didn't want to insult him by implying anything like that. So instead he went with a simply white gold band, with some rather intricate design work engraved within it. It was elegant, and beautiful, but not something that would be considered exclusively feminine.

"It's perfect," Kakashi said, examining the ring that now sat on his finger. He wasn't sure how he would've reacted if Iruka had pulled out a traditional diamond ring, although knowing him the fact that it was from Iruka would've meant he would love it no matter what, but he was happy he didn't have to find out.

The two soon reconnected their lips, and neither of them was sure how they did it, but they managed to make their way back to their hotel room with out disconnecting their kiss.

Things became heated quickly, clothes being torn away almost instantly. It wasn't until Iruka pulled out his three fingers from Kakashi, and went over to his bag to search for something that things slowed down.

"Shit…" He mumbled, rummaging through the bag multiply times to make sure he hadn't accidently missed it somehow.

"What is it?" Kakashi panted, slightly out of breath from the rate at which they reached that point. He leaned up on his elbows, looking over at his lover…scratch that…fiancée, expectantly.

"We're out of condoms…" Iruka groaned, cursing himself for not being better prepared.

"I thought we brought a bunch?"

"We did…but these last couple of days have been a very active couple of days…I guess I didn't realize just how active."

The two stayed silent for a few moments contemplating the situation.

"I guess you could top me…" Iruka slowly suggested, with as much enthusiasm in his voice as he could muster, but from the look he received from the other man, he must not have come off as very convincing. Kakashi was well aware of the fact that Iruka didn't like bottoming and honestly didn't mind that fact, because ever since he'd been with Iruka he had grown to love the sensation of the other man inside of him more and more.

"No…I'm already prepared," Kakashi answered, biting his lip and thinking over the situation once more before coming to a decision. "Just do it anyway…"

"But, I thought that until we knew more about the drug…"

"It's been nearly two years since there has been any sign of it in my system." Kakashi said, interrupting the younger man's argument. "After I finished nursing Aiko the drug seemed to run its course, and Tsunade hasn't found any signs of it in me since. I know we continued to take precautions anyway, but I honestly don't think it is even an issue anymore, nor has it been for a while."

Iruka quickly grabbed the lube and coated his throbbing arousal, he certainly didn't need to be told twice, and wasn't about to argue with Kakashi's logic. If the other man was okay with it, so was he.

"Eager are we?" Kakashi laughed, only to have it silenced when the other man crashed his lips against his.

"You have know idea how badly I want to make love to my fiancée right now."

Kakashi practically moaned hearing Iruka call him that, and quickly nodded for the other man to go ahead, just as eager to make love to his fiancée.

Iruka slid in slowly, even in the desperation of the situation he refused to do anything that might hurt the other man. But after Kakashi adjusted a rhythm began, one that quickly picked up, filled with all the passion of the situation.

Iruka had become pretty good at finding Kakashi's prostate, and it never took long for the older man to begin crying out as he hit that bundle of nerves with each and every thrust.

"Shit! Iruka!" Kakashi moaned, arching his back as he could feel a familiar heat begin to pool in his stomach. "I'm not going to last!" He cried, as Iruka hit his prostate once more, the combination of that and the fact that he had begun pumping his arousal, pushed him completely over the edge. He saw white, as the familiar sense of euphoria erupted through every cell in his body, his essence splashing over his chest.

Seeing Kakashi in such ecstasy always brought him to the brink himself, and he never usually lasted long after the other man came. He felt Kakashi clench his entrance around him, the added friction sending him over the edge himself, and for the first time in nearly three years, he came inside the other man.

He gave a few more lazy pumps, milking the last bit of both of their orgasms, before he pulled out, practically collapsing on top of the other man.

"Is it just me, or is sex as an engaged couple even better than before?" Iruka asked, after peppering the other man's chest and neck with a few barely there kisses.

"Well I personally think it just gets better and better every time, so I don't think you're wrong."

"Just wait…soon instead of engaged couple sex, it will be married couple sex."

"Mmmm…" Kakashi moaned, placing a slow, passionate kiss on the other man's lips, "I can hardly wait."

Two Months Later…

"Now this next one is a very rich chocolate mousse cake…" The baker said, handing the two men before him another sample to try.

When he had first been approached to make the wedding cake for the controversial couples upcoming nuptials, he had been a little hesitant at first. It wasn't as though he personally had anything against the two men or their relationship with each other, and in fact thought they were rather brave the way they didn't seem to care what the more closed minded people in the village thought. But he was ashamed to say that he had briefly been worried about what people would think when they learned he had provided the cake for their wedding, and what it might do to his business. But after some soul searching, not to mention a lecture about equality from his wife, he quickly agreed.

"I like this one," Iruka replied, taking a second bite out of the sample.

"You would, you're such a chocoholic…" Kakashi chuckled, about to take a second bite himself when he suddenly froze. His stomach suddenly cramped up, and gave the most unpleasant lurch. His mouth began to water, but not in a way that implied he was looking forward to the next bite of cake.

"Are you okay?" Iruka asked, noticing the change of expression on the other man's face.

"Is the cake no good?" The baker asked.

"No, it's delicious," Kakashi said, after taking a few calming breaths, hoping he could push the feeling away but it was no use. He bolted upright, making a mad dash toward the bathroom in the back of the shop.

"Ummm…" Iruka said, after a few moments of shocked silenced passed between himself and the baker. "It really wasn't your cake. He has been ill the last few days, but still wanted to keep the appointment today."

"That's alright," the baker answered, "but maybe we should finish this another day?"

Iruka nodded in agreement, thanking the baker for his understanding, before heading to the washroom to check on his fiancée.

He opened the door, internally cringing at the sound of the other man retching. He hated that Kakashi was ill, and felt helpless, knowing there was nothing he could do to help the other man and take that feeling away. Although, there was technically something he could do, but hadn't so far because of Kakashi's protests and refusal. And when he heard his fiancée practically sob he was retching so hard, he decided he was no longer going to allow the other man to argue.

"We are going to Tsunade," he said, once Kakashi finally got up, flushing the toilet.

"It's nothing serious…" Kakashi began to argue, but was quickly cut off by the brunette.

"You've been getting sick for days now! What if it's something serious? What if it's contagious and you give it to Aiko because you're being stubborn!" Iruka argued, seeing the other man flinch when he mentioned their daughter. He didn't want to make Kakashi feel bad, but if it got the other man to agree to go see the medical-nin, then he didn't care.

"Fine…" Kakashi finally gave in, not looking forward to having to go see the blonde. It's not that he didn't enjoy seeing her; it was just seeing her usually meant some form of needle, and he always preferred to avoid that. Besides, he had a pretty good idea what this could be, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to face that reality yet or not, especially not with everything going on with planning their wedding. "When do you want to go?"

"Now, before we have to be at Kushina and Minato's tonight," Iruka said, shooting the other man a look before he could argue. Kushina and Minato had been watching Aiko for them that day, and invited them to stay for dinner when they came to pick her up. But seeing as the wedding planning activities of the day were being cut short, that left them a few hours to drop by the hospital.

"Fine…" Kakashi said again, following the other man out of the bakery, after he quickly apologized to the owner. The two took off toward the hospital, and Kakashi began internally freaking out about what they were about learn. Iruka must have sensed his panic, because he felt the other man's hand slip into his own.

"Everything is going to be fine," he said softly, doing his best to reassure the other man. Truth be told, he had suspicions of his own about what was wrong with Kakashi, and couldn't wait to find out.

…

"Papa! Daddy!" Aiko practically screeched, running towards her two fathers' when she saw them enter the room. She was running so fast that she ended up tripping over her own feet and would've went flying face first into the floor if it wasn't for the fact that both her dads were ninjas, and had ninja like reflexes.

"Careful baby!" Kakashi said, snatching her up before she could hit the floor. "You need to be more careful sweetheart."

The little girl just giggled, placing a sloppy wet kiss on her papa's cheek, before reaching out and making grabby hands for her dad.

Iruka almost didn't notice, his mind still wheeling from the news they had just received. But snapped out of it when he heard a small whine, quickly taking the little girl from Kakashi's arms, and swinging her around a few times, before placing a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Were you good for Auntie Kushina and Uncle Minato?" He asked, receiving an innocent smile in answer, but knew that likely meant nothing good. Naruto had turned into quite the prankster over the last few years, something Iruka got to enjoy almost everyday now that the young blonde was in his class at the academy, and it seemed some of his trouble making had rubbed off on his young, impressionable, cousin.

"She was perfect as always," Kushina chuckled, entering the living room with a few snacks in hand, waving off the two men's worry. In her opinion kids were going to be kids, and it never hurt to have a little fun. She was fairly mischievous herself as a kid, and believed as long as it wasn't hurting anyone, then it was fine. Something Minato might argue with, after going into work last week without realizing his Hokage's cloak had been vandalized…and on the day he happened to be meeting with the council.

"Are you sure," Iruka asked skeptically, giving the little girl in his arms a mock glare, causing her to break out in another fit of giggles. He couldn't help but smile, placing another kiss on her cheek. He didn't think it was possible to be upset with her even if she had done something wrong. She could probably murder someone, and the moment she batted those eyelashes at him he would forgive her.

"Papa!" She said, reaching her hands back out for her other father, who happily took her, before sitting down on one of the sofas next to his fiancée.

"So how did the planning go today? Did you pick a cake?" Kushina asked curiously, somewhat disappointed that she missed out on the appointment that day. Ever since they had come home two months ago with the news that they were engaged, she had volunteered/forced them to allow her to help in the wedding planning, which Kakashi was more than pleased to accept, he had felt quite overwhelmed at the idea of planning their wedding once he had realized just how much there really was involved in it.

"Actually…I kind of got a little sick, so we had to reschedule the appointment."

"Oh no, are you feeling alright now? You don't have to force yourself to stay for dinner if you feel ill."

"I feel fine now," Kakashi answered, which was mostly true. After receiving the news from Tsunade a few hours earlier, his mind was still trying to mentally wrap itself around the idea.

"Maybe you got whatever it was that Kushina had. She has been getting sick recently as well," Minato suggested, coming into the living room, a few beers in hand. He gave one to Iruka, and put the extra down on the coffee table after Kakashi refused it.

"I doubt it," both Kakashi and Kushina said in unison, exchanging a brief look between them, before a flicker of understanding sparkled in both of their eyes.

"Are you…" Kushina trailed off, leaving her question hanging.

"You too?" Kakashi answered, smiling when the redheaded woman jumped up from the couch.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! I can't believe this!" Kushina practically squealed, pulling Kakashi to his feet after he handed Aiko back over to Iruka. The two embraced tightly, leaving the other two in the room slightly confused, Minato more so than Iruka, who quickly put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"What's going on?" Minato asked after the two pulled apart, seeing signs of tears shining in his wife's eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I'm great!" Kushina sniffled, quickly wiping away any tears before they could fall. "I was going to tell you this tonight, after our guests left, but considering the turn of events, I guess I'll tell you now."

"Well…" Minato urged, after his wife went silent for a few moments.

"I'm pregnant!" She said, watching as the range of emotions played out on her husband's face. It started with shock, to confusion, to understanding, to absolute joy.

"Oh my God!" He cried, jumping up and pulling his wife into his arms. The two of them had been trying for years to have a second child, but something seemed to be wrong. They had recently gone to Tsunade, who had continued her research and development of her fertility drug, and apparently the research was going well, because after just a few months here they were.

"I can't believe this," he whispered, doing his best to keep his emotions in check.

"I know!" Kushina smiled against her husband's neck.

"But wait…when Kakashi said 'you too'…" Minato said pulling away from his wife as the wheels began turning in his head, finally putting all the pieces together again. "Oh my God! Kakashi, you're pregnant again too?"

"It appears so," Kakashi answered, feeling Iruka's hand on his back. The younger man knew how much of a surprise the news had come to him, and that he was still struggling to accept it. Which he could understand. He knew how much his first pregnancy had drained him of his physical and mental energy, and could understand his apprehension about having to do it all again.

"We're going to be baby buddies!" Kushina cheered happily, and as nervous as Kakashi was about the whole thing, he couldn't help but chuckle at that. The older woman's excitement was contagious it seemed, and he could already feel some of his nerves begin to fade.

"Oh God…they're both going to be crazy with hormones at the same time…" Minato commented, receiving a glare from both his wife and former student. "Shit, it's already started! Quick, Iruka, let's run while we still can!"

Iruka laughed, but quickly stopped upon receiving a glare, which was far better then the smack Minato received.

The two couples began to congratulate each other, exchanging hugs amongst themselves. It wasn't until Aiko spoke that they snapped back to reality.

"Baby?" Aiko asked, picking up on some of the conversation that had been going on. She may have only been about two and a half, but she was already incredibly smart for her age. It seemed that she had ended up with some of the Hatake 'prodigy' genes, and she always seemed to be a few months ahead of any other children her age. She had begun talking early, walking early, and was even potty trained by the time she was 18 months old.

"Yes sweetheart, you're going to be a big sister soon," Iruka said to the silver-haired girl still cradled in his arms. Her mouth formed a little 'o', before a smile broke out on her face.

"Yay! Baby!" She cheered, much to the two men's relief. They had been extremely worried about how she might react, and weren't looking forward to having to deal with it if she ended up being upset by the news. But now they would have to try and explain to her the fact that her one daddy was going to be getting bigger because the baby was growing inside of him, a conversation they weren't anticipating having to have with her for years, until the day came when she would inquire about where babies came from, where she came from.

Aiko reached out, once again wanting to be transferred over to her other father. Kakashi accepted her into his arms, surprised when she gave him a somewhat serious look. What surprised him even more however was when she looked down and placed her hand on Kakashi's abdomen.

"Baby?" She asked, causing both Kakashi and Iruka's eyes to widen, and to exchange a look. They knew she was perceptive and smart for her age, but they had no idea she was that perceptive. Maybe they wouldn't have to have the awkward talk they had been dreading after all.

"Yes honey, that's where the baby is," Kakashi answered after a moment.

"Me too?" She asked next, again surprising her fathers.

"Yes. You were in daddy's tummy too before you were born." Iruka said, answering for Kakashi. Aiko gave a nodded, seeming to accept this new information, before her serious look was replaced with another smile.

"Yay baby! I want brother! Like big brother Naruto!" Aiko decided, causing the two men to chuckle.

"Well we won't know that for a few months, but I'll try my best," Kakashi said, giving her a kiss on the cheek, causing the little girl to giggle.

Once the news had sunk in, the rest of the evening seemed to pass by fairly normally. And shortly after dinner, Kakashi and Iruka thanked the other two before heading home.

It took awhile to get Aiko to settle down, she was far too excited about her future baby brother (which she insisted it was, no matter how many times they told her it could be a sister). But after a while she seemed to wear herself out, and was out like a light before too long, curled around her two favorite toys, the dolphin and scarecrow.

After that, Iruka and Kakashi collapsed in their own bed, both beyond exhausted from the days events.

"Well today turned out a little differently then expected," Iruka said after a few moments, rolling over on his back, making room for Kakashi who quickly curled up around him, placing his head on the younger man's chest, his favorite pillow.

"No kidding…" Kakashi snorted, but then sighed, "But honestly, I've kind of suspected this for about a week…ever since I got sick that first time."

"Why didn't you saying anything sooner?" Iruka asked, gently stroking the other man's hair. He had assumed the other man either had the flu or food poisoning, or something, and only began to get suspicious the last day or two when the symptom didn't seem to go away.

"Denial I guess…I had been so sure that that drug was out of my system, and that I was back to normal, that I really hadn't even considered this as a possibility. Its been a little hard to wrap my mind around it I guess…does the fact that I wasn't more excited when we found out make me a bad person?"

"No! Of course not!" Iruka said immediately. "I knew how difficult this was going to be for you the moment we found out, which I think is a perfectly reasonable reaction. I mean, you were given this drug years ago, put through what should've been an impossible ordeal, where people judged you and looked down on you, only to think that things finally returned to normal, and then find out they hadn't. I can't say I know exactly what you're going through, no one can, but I think I can understand it, and I don't blame you for having anxieties."

"Thanks," Kakashi smiled against the other man's chest. He couldn't lie or deny the fact that he had been slightly disappointed to learn the drug still lingered in his system, even though it hadn't come up on any of the tests Tsunade had run. And he certainly wasn't pleased when she had told him that it was likely the drug had permanently fused with his chakra, and the possibility to get pregnant was most likely going to stay with him for years to come, until he was in his 40's or 50's when she assumed his body would no longer be viable for pregnancy, similar to how a woman's would be.

And the idea of having his chakra drained, and his ninja abilities disappear again, was another less than pleasing thought. After two years, he still remained off active duty, spending most of his time with Aiko, although he had picked up a few shifts at the mission room desk, needing to get out of the house himself from time to time, so he didn't necessarily even need his chakra or ninja abilities, but considering what had happened last time he was rendered defenseless, he wasn't exactly looking forward to having to experience that vulnerability again. Although he had to admit, Iruka really had been stepping up the last few years, and he hadn't missed the fact that he seemed to do some extra training. He had even heard from Kushina that Iruka had approached Minato to possibly take the Jounin exam sometime in the future.

Kakashi knew that Iruka loved his job at the academy, and wouldn't trade it for anything, so he knew Iruka's extra training and stuff wasn't so he could switch careers or anything. He knew how much his kidnapping and torture had affected the other man, and how much guilt he carried for not being able to do more, so he knew that Iruka was likely pushing himself so he would be ready if and when something like that ever happened again. And as perfect as Kakashi thought Iruka already was, he couldn't help but feel a little better knowing that Iruka was willing to do whatever it took to keep him and their growing family safe.

"Are you sure you don't want to run? I mean, it's not official yet, you still have a chance…" Kakashi joked, but there was a lack of humor in his voice. He would never say it out loud, but a lingering fear had remained ever present in the back of his mind that one day Iruka would finally come to his senses, and realize all the hateful looks and words they received on an almost daily basis, just wasn't worth it.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." Iruka scolded, but there was no anger in his voice. "I love you. I'm going to marry you. And I can't wait to have another child with you."

Although in his heart he knew where Iruka stood, it was still nice to hear it out loud, and it brought a warmth to him that seemed to calm down the rest of his lingering nerves.

"We do make pretty good kids, don't we?" Kakashi asked after a moment.

"We sure do," Iruka said, smiling when he saw that the look of anxiety had left his lover's face.

"We will either have to speed up the date of the wedding, or postpone it by a few months…" He suddenly said.

"What? Why?" Iruka asked confused, receiving a scowl from the other man, which read 'are you an idiot'.

"The wedding was supposed to be six months from now…if you honestly think I'm going to stand up in front of all those people while being 8 months pregnant, then you are absolutely insane!"

"Alright…" Iruka said, understanding that that might not be ideal for the other man. "Then I vote we scale back the size of the wedding and have it next month instead."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't need a huge party…as long as I have you by my side and we are surround by those closest to us, then I'm perfectly happy. Besides, I don't think I could possibly wait any longer to marry you."

"Your such a sap," Kakashi said, burrowing his face in the other man's chest to hide his blush. He sometimes felt like a teenage girl with a school yard romance when Iruka said things like that, it causing an eruption of butterflies in his stomach every time.

"You love it," He chuckled, not missing the red tinge to the other man's ears. "So, what do you say?"

"Next month sounds perfect." Kakashi agreed, lifting his head when he felt Iruka's hand on his cheek. They exchanged a look before leaning in, their lips coming together and caressing each other's perfectly. The kiss was the perfect way to get across anything that might have been left unsaid between them.

The pace of the kiss began to pick up, when they heard the door to their bedroom slowly begin to open. They pulled apart to see the silver-haired girl standing in the doorway, clutching her stuffed toys sheepishly.

"What's wrong baby? Did you have a nightmare?" Kakashi asked, rolling away from Iruka, making space for what he knew was coming next.

"No…" She said quietly. "But can I sleep with you and daddy and baby brother?"

Both men's hearts melted at her words, and nodded, patting the spot Kakashi had created between them. Aiko beamed at this, running excitedly over, but needed help from her papa to get up on the tall bed. Once she was placed between them, she curled up around her toys.

"Night, night, daddy, papa, and baby," she said, giving a small yawn.

"Night sweetheart," Kakashi said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Sweet dreams baby," Iruka said, doing the same.

The two looked down at their now sleeping daughter before looking back at each other, exchanging a knowing look. One that said, how lucky are we to have made such a perfect angel, and how lucky are we that we are getting a chance to do it all over again.

"Love you," Iruka whispered, not to disturb the sleeping girl.

"Love you too," Kakashi said, placing one last kiss on the other man's lips, before settling down next to their daughter.

Iruka took one last look at the two of them, before settling down himself, stretching his arm across Aiko, resting it on Kakashi's abdomen.

They might not be a normal family, and everyone might not approve, but the love they all shared was just as real and strong as any traditional families. And despite any earlier anxieties, none of them could wait to welcome the new member of their family into the world, knowing that the love they all shared would grow that much more.

…

A/N: So there you have it! That was the last chapter/epilogue. I hope you enjoyed it, and would love to hear your thoughts one last time. This was the longest story I have ever written by like double, and I honestly didn't think I was going to make it to the end. I thought about throwing in the towel a few times, but all your kind words kept me motivated, and I knew I couldn't let anyone down by leaving it unfinished.

Originally the story was going to end after the whole birthday wish thing…that was how I planned it from the beginning. But then I noticed how short that would make the chapter, as well as be rather unfulfilling. So I decided last minute to add in the epilogue and create some motivation to write a sequel. Now we will have a wedding to look forward to, as well as some funny Kushina and Kakashi pregnancy moments (I couldn't resist knocking up our poor little Kakashi a second time.) But it won't all be fluff and fun, because our villains will likely return, and there will likely be some pain and angst along the way. But everyone can rest easy with the knowledge that I am a sucker for happy endings.

Anyway, I will stop rambling now. I just wanted to take the time to thank you all once more, and I hope you will let me know what you thought. Did you like the ending? Was it just okay? Did it make you want to kill me because you don't want to have to wait for a sequel now? Who knows, maybe the reviews might motivate me to want to start the sequel sooner rather than later *shamelessly black mails you for reviews* tee hee.

I might post one last chapter here eventually, not with any story, but with the link to the sequel if and when it comes out, just so those of you who followed this story, and are interested in the sequel can find it easy without having to keep an eye on the main page or actually follow me as an author…anyway, I'm pretty sure I said I was rambling about 200 words ago, so I should probably stop here. Thank you again, I appreciate everyone who reviewed/followed/favorite/ read this story, and I hope you will let me know what you thought one last time and join me for the sequel!

P.S. It is very late right now, and I was barely able to get through the proof reading process. I have no doubt there are a bunch of mistakes and I will try and fix them after a few hours sleep. If you see any major ones, let me know. Okay, I promise this author note that never ends, ends right…now.