CCNote: Trick or Treat! This is my treat to you!

This is not a short sequel. In fact, it can serve as it's own stand-alone story barring a few mentions that harken back to events that took place during Sleeping With the Enemy. If you haven't read the first story I do recommend reading that before diving into this but you don't really have to. This story is not exactly linear either. It will dip in and out of the years and lives of all the characters we know and love.

This story is unbeta'd. So yea. I've essentially given up on trying to find one so I guess just deal with my drunk mistakes until I go back and catch them later.

Rating: M. Although much tamer than my usual works there will be mature themes, explicit language, and sex (not lots of it but it'll be there).

As always please enjoy and don't forget to leave a REVIEW! Happy Halloween!

A is for Uchiha

He couldn't wait to have his non-scary, non-crying Hinata back...

Thursday, May 31, 2018, 11:45 am

Atami Shrine

…..

"Careful careful!" Mikoto chided as she guided Hinata up the last step.

The Hyuuga let out a deep breath of relief as both of her feet were finally on solid ground. At a little over seven months pregnant she was much too large to climb the many steps of the ancient Atami shrine. However, this was an Uchiha tradition that harkened back to a time before there were even solid steps to climb. Back to when it was merely a path etched into the hill by the many generations that came before. As sweat from the summer sun rolled down her forehead she could only feel pity for all of the other Uchiha women who had taken this trek.

"Ah, she's made good time." Atsuki, one of the eldest Uchiha women, said as she reached the top of the stairs. The wrinkles in her pale face were plentiful, detailing all of her years of wisdom. "The babies will be strong."

Behind her all of the other Uchiha women followed her up the steps, none of them had appeared to even break a sweat despite wearing all black. Inwardly Hinata fumed at the fact that perfection was a hereditary trait among Sasuke's clan. Turning away from the perfect women she looked up at the centuries-old shrine, shielding her eyes slightly with her hand. The Atami shrine was certainly something to behold. As they passed under the blood red archways that led to the open air interior, she marveled at the complex murals on the ceilings and monsterous carvings of the Gods that jutted out from the beams. The air was already thick with the smoke from the incense that were burning at the golden altar. A weathered priest stood next to the altar, a large bushel of burning sage in his hand.

Hinata stepped down onto the graveled inner courtyard, her party following silently behind her save for the crunching of their feet. Mikoto helped to steady her as they trekked across the uneven terrain to get to the priest. This was the most physical activity she'd had in a while and she could almost feel herself sway under her own gravity. A sharp jolt through her belly let her know that her babies were not too happy with this situation either. Mikoto gave her a concerned look when she noticed the flash of pain across her face. Hinata returned the woman's concern with a small smile, grinning through the pinching pain, and kept moving forward. She took a deep breath through her nose and out through her mouth as she rode out another bought of clenching in her stomach. Braxton Hicks contractions were normal. If she just remembered to breathe it wouldn't be too bad.

It felt like an eternity but eventually, they crossed the interior courtyard and presented themselves at the feet of the priest. With great difficulty, Hinata managed to kneel down on her own. If it weren't for the fact that she was having another uncomfortable contraction she would have been miffed at how hard the stone steps were against her knees. The priest brought the smoking sage down, lightly tapping her shoulders to purify the air around her. After alternating between right and left, he placed the sage against the altar before turning to help Hinata stand. His hands were softer than leather but warm and comforting. The Hyuuga woman gasped as she felt the strength in his old grip, helping her to her feet with ease.

Slowly they stepped forward until they were directly in front of the golden Atami alter. He handed her one of the incense that were currently burning and she accepted it with as graceful of a bow as she could muster. She held the thin burning stick between her palms and closed her eyes. Before they had arrived the older Uchiha women had all instructed her on what to pray for. To pray that her children would have the strength to carry the family on their back. To pray for continued wealth and intelligence. To pray for power. They were all admirable suggestions but she already knew what she was going to ask the Uchiha elders.

It was the same thing she had wished for since the day she'd heard their little hearts beat for the first time. It was what she wished for every time Sasuke looked at her or when his rough hands would rub her belly when he thought she was sleeping. All she wanted was for her children to be happy. Regardless of where life might take them, she prayed that they would be happy. Confidently she opened her eyes and placed the incense back into its place on the altar. The priest bowed low at his waist as she turned around to rejoin the other Uchiha women who were hovering silently near the entrance of the interior courtyard. She made it all the way back to the women on her own, wincing the entire way as her contractions became increasingly uncomfortable. Nervously she rubbed her swollen belly.

''Please settle down.'' she whispered to her restless twins.

The other Uchiha women instantly surrounded her and began trying to pry information on what she had prayed for. Hinata felt her body heat up from all of the attention and how the other women were closing in on her. That coupled with the thick the smoke made it slightly more difficult for her to breathe. Mikoto noticed her discomfort and quickly led her over to a stone bench to sit underneath the shade of an ancient oak tree. Grateful to get off of her aching feet for a moment, Hinata sat down and rubbed small comforting circles against her belly.

"This is the first time that twins have been born in this family in over a century." Mikoto said with a soft, proud smile. "The women are overexcited."

"Overexcited?" Snorted one of the white-haired great aunts...or perhaps she was only a cousin, there were too many Uchiha for her to keep track of. "This is nothing. We'd be happier if we knew the gender of the children. We'd be able to prepare better."

"If you knew the gender you'd never let poor Hinata sleep!" Mikoto laughed and Hinata gave a weak smile of agreement.

If the women had known whether she was having boys or girls they would have certainly made more of a fuss. A girl would be special but male Uchiha garnered more pomp and circumstance. There were heir ceremonies that would need to be prepared for soon after their birth. The elder Uchiha women were just itching to get started. Unfortunately for them, it was a Hyuuga tradition to wait to find out the gender until the child was born. It didn't matter if they were a boy or girl, all that mattered was which child came first.

Hinata smiled as she felt a small foot kick against her hand. For all this talk of traditions, she and Sasuke were upending quite a few. He was the second son elevated to the position of an heir, the youngest of any Uchiha to hold the title of Head. Unwed and already expecting two children from a Hyuuga woman. They were together under very unorthodox circumstances but Hinata couldn't find it in her heart to feel guilty even though their ancestors on both sides were rolling in their graves.

"Are you ready to head down?" Mikoto asked and a chill went down Hinata's spine.

Getting up those steep steps had been a miracle. Getting back down would take more than an act of god. The Hyuuga still nodded her head. She was determined not to appear weak in front of all these perfect aunts and cousins. With a lot of effort, Hinata was on her feet again but only for a few moments before another contraction racked through her body. Her face flushed red as she bit her bottom lip in an attempt not to cry out.

"Hinata?" Mikoto asked worriedly, her motherly arms wrapping around the girl's crumpled shoulders. "Hinata what's wrong?"

The Uchiha women gathered in even closer, concern etched over all of their faces. Hinata clutched her swollen stomach as the final throughs of pain left her. Her eyes burned, whether from unshed tears or the smoke in the air, she wasn't quite sure.

'No.' She thought as a warm gushing rushed out from between her legs. 'It was much too soon.'

….

Thursday, May 31, 2018, 12:31 pm

Hyuuga Enterprise

….

"Now if you would look at graphic twenty-two on page fifty-three you will see the gains..." The dull voice of the presenter droned on.

Sasuke resisted the urge to yawn. Looking tired was the last thing he needed to do right now. It wasn't that he particularly cared if anyone was offended by his apathy but Hinata had asked for him to make an effort with her father. He couldn't get much lower in Hiashi's eyes but yawning in the middle of a meeting wasn't going to help matters. Mindlessly the Uchiha flipped to the page the presenter had indicated. The multicolored scatterplot made his eyes cross. All of the numbers jumbled together, his eyelids grew heavy. He wouldn't be this tired if Hinata hadn't kept him up 'nesting' all night...

Sasuke sighed as he left the elevator on the floor of the penthouse. Now that Itachi was off gallivanting who knows where, he was the sole owner of the space. It would have been a lonely existence living so high above the hustle and bustle of the city but Hinata was in there. Soon his children would be playing around inside too. The Uchiha smiled as he turned the doorknob and let himself in. His smile faltered when he didn't hear the familiar sounds of Hinata in the kitchen and the smell of her cooking was nowhere to be found.

He pouted a bit but tried to let his budding bad mood roll off his back. Hinata was likely too tired to cook. She didn't have to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen but he liked it when she was. It meant he didn't have to order takeout. Hinata had spoiled him with her cooking the last few months and now everything tasted like cardboard in comparison. Saddened by the lack of dinner, Sasuke loosened his tie and shuffled over to the kitchen. Maybe there were leftovers in the fridge. He didn't make it far to the kitchen before the faint sound of sniffles reached his ear. Panic sank in and all thoughts of food left his mind.

Quickly he made his way to where his brother's old room was and threw open the door. The inside of the room looked as though a tornado had hit. Bubble wrap and packing peanuts layered over the hardwood like trashy snow. Pieces of dark wood were scattered all over the room. More screws than he thought conceivable were rolling haphazardly on the floor. In the center of the chaos was his crying girlfriend clutching a comically large sheet of paper to her chest. She looked up at him, her face bloated and red, and her bottom lip quivered.

"S-s-Sasuke." She stammered as she tried to wipe her wet face with the heel of her hand. "I-I I didn't h-hear you come in. W-welcome home."

Sasuke did his best to keep his face as impassive as possible. If she knew how scared he'd been for the last few seconds it would only make her cry more. Hinata had become incredibly emotional the further along she got in her pregnancy, the slightest wrong twitch of his eyebrow might send her into a fit. Sure he enjoyed how horny she was now due to her hormones, her libido exceeded his own at times, but a crying Hinata was something he still had no idea how to handle.

She cried when she was unable to sleep but also when she felt guilty for sleeping in. She cried when he made her breakfast because he'd neglected to bring her peanut butter and when he took too long in the shower. She cried because she was fat, for the rain, and for her favorite characters dying on t.v. It was a lot for someone as unemotional as him to deal with but he figured he only had himself to blame. He was the one who got her pregnant. In a way, he supposed that it was better that Hinata only cried. According to Naruto, Ino got angry...very, very angry.

Hinata sniffed, breaking him from his thoughts and turning his attention back to the situation at hand. Sasuke crossed the room and crouched down next to her. He inspected one of the many screws at her feet before taking the large piece of paper out of her grasp. The words on the paper were so obscenely tiny that Sasuke already felt frustrated looking at them.

"It's supposed to be their cribs b-b-but I can't figure it out!" Hinata said, her voice cracking a bit at the end. " I can't do anything r-r-right!"

"Hinata-" Sasuke started but the woman was already on a roll.

"My children don't even have beds! I'm going to be a horrible mother!"

Sasuke frowned and ignored Hinata's tirade. No matter what he said in protest, Hinata would twist it to fit her own logic. She also absolutely hated being touched, especially by him, whenever she was feeling sorry for herself. She wasn't going to stop crying until she got all of her insecurities off of her chest and even then he was sure that she would find more reasons to cry after that. He couldn't wait for the children to be born so that he could get his normal Hinata back. Silently he began trying to decipher the confusing instructions to what were supposed to be the babies' cribs. It wouldn't be so bad to assemble if it was only one but two was a nightmare. Eventually, Hinata stopped crying and had waddled out of the room, likely to forage the fridge for whatever craving had hit her mid-pity party.

She returned only a few moments later with a carton of strawberry ice cream and a large spoon. He raised an eyebrow at her 'meal'. She was supposed to be eating healthy things as per the doctor's orders. Icecream wasn't on the 'do not eat' list but he didn't want his children to already be hooked on sugar before they were born. Hinata's eyes narrowed at him when she noticed the disapproval on his face. Stubbornly she stabbed her spoon into the cartoon and scooped out a big portion of the frozen confectionary just to spite him. A shiver ran down his spine as Hinata simultaneously shoveled icecream into her mouth and glared at him. She was scary when she wanted to be. Only a couple more months and he'd have his gentle, non-scary, non-crying Hinata back. With a defeated shake of his head, he continued working on the cribs...

Sasuke blinked slowly as he tried to focus on what the presenter was saying. He had been up well into the night assembling the cribs and when he'd finished he was quite proud of Hinata for picking them out. They might have been a hassle but the dark cherry wood was incredibly sturdy and simple. He had found it odd that Hinata didn't put any of the handknitted baby blankets or stuffed animals they'd been deluged with into the cribs but apparently those kinds of things could kill babies in their sleep. Who knew?

After the cribs were finally up the Hyuuga woman was in much better spirits. So much so that she kept him up for the rest of the night to express her gratitude. At the time he was a more than a willing participant but now his nighttime activities were coming back to bite him hard in the butt. His eyes had only closed for a moment when an irritated cough from across the conference table woke him up. Hiashi sat stone-faced in front of him, his jaw clenched and his eyes cold.

"Is this boring you Uchiha?" He asked tersely and Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He had to make an effort to be nice for Hinata's sake. He motioned for the presenter to continue and ignored the way Hiashi continued to stare him down with contempt.

"As I was saying-"

Vvvvbbrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Sasuke groaned internally as his phone vibrated violently against the conference room table. He tried to ignore it but all eyes had turned towards him except for Hiashi. The man's upper lip curled in distaste over the fact that Sasuke would allow such a disruption to take place. Soon his phone calmed down and his heart rate slackened slightly. To his left Neji began to fidget in his chair, the faint sound of something vibrating in his pocket. The new heir to the Hyuuga didn't dare do more to acknowledge the disruption but it was clear that he was worried.

VVVVVVVvvvvvvvvbbbbbrrrrrrrrr

Something wasn't right. Sasuke felt his forehead crease as his phone continued to vibrate. Everyone knew he was in a meeting right now. There was absolutely no reason to call him unless there was trouble. Suddenly his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. Trouble. The only thing anyone would dare to call him about would be if it had to do with Hinata. She was much too early to be going into labor right now. Had something happened to her? Were the twins okay?

Hiashi let out a low, disgruntled breath when he picked up his phone but Sasuke couldn't care less. There on the caller id was the number of the hospital they had picked out for Hinata to give birth. Neji peered over his shoulder and was on his feet in the next second. The Hyuuga was already frantically shoving his folders into his briefcase when Sasuke accepted the call. On the other end, he could hear the sounds of machines beeping and nurses shouting orders to each other. He had hoped to hear Hinata's voice on the other end of the phone but instead, it was his mother that spoke.

"Sasuke! We're at the hospital. Hinata-"

….

Thursday, May 31, 2018, 1:12 pm

Leaf General Hospital- Maternity Ward

….

It smelled like antiseptic the moment he burst through the hospital doors with Neji hot on his heels. They got odd looks from those waiting in the lobby area but neither one of them cared too much. They both had only one goal in mind, getting to Hinata in time. She was arguably one of the most important women in both their lives. They may not agree on much but when it came to Hinata it was as though they were on the same wavelength. Quickly they stormed through the busy waiting room and through the double doors that would lead them towards the corridor for labor and delivery. One brave nurse tried to stop them but a withering glare from Neji was all that it took for her to back off.

All around him Sasuke could hear the cries of pain, cries of life. It made his own heart threaten to burst out of his chest at any moment. It was too soon for Hinata to be going into labor. Sure the risk of an early delivery was higher when one was carrying twins but she'd had a healthy pregnancy up to this point. What if something went wrong? What if they lost one or both of the twins? What if he lost her? That dreadful feeling of impending doom washed over him to the point where all of the other noises were blocked out of his psyche. All he could hear was his own blood rushing in his ears as he practically flew down the hallway. The thought of losing Hinata consumed him with guilt. Guilt for being annoyed with her hormones. Guilt for getting her pregnant in the first place and therefore putting her in danger. Guilt for not being by her side right in this moment-

Neji's hand shot out and grabbed his upper arm forcefully. The Uchiha opened his mouth, a scathing remark on the tip of his tongue when out of the corner of his eye he noticed the room number his mother had taken a picture of. Room 306. Without a second of hesitation, he threw open the room door and was greeted by no less than three aggravated nurses, his mother's confused face, and Hinata sitting on the bed with her legs spread in stirrups. Of all the people in the room, she looked the happiest to see him.

"Sasuke-" she started, her voice slightly strained, but she was interrupted by the blonde doctor who emerged from the tent between Hinata's legs.

"Ah." The busty woman said as she looked Sasuke up and down. "So you're the one they paged me about that was tearing through the hospital. Don't worry. You've made it with plenty of time to spare. Her water broke but she's not dilated enough to go into labor just yet."

Sasuke let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Slowly he approached Hinata's bedside and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. She softly patted his hand in a comforting way. Like always, she seemed to know what was going through his mind without him having to say a word. How odd that at a time like this he was the one that needed to be comforted. The blonde woman skillfully removed her rubber gloves before taking Hinata's legs out of the stirrups. With a warm smile, she patted the Hyuuga's thigh and stood up.

"You're in for a long night but you're in good hands. This isn't the first time I've delivered pesky Uchiha's." She said and Hinata laughed.

"Thank you for your assistance Tsunade. " Mikoto smiled with a small bow and Tsunade left the room with her small band of nurses.

Now that the team of medical personnel was gone and Hinata sitting in a more decent position, Neji finally entered the room. Sasuke watched as Hinata's face lit up seeing her worried cousin standing awkwardly by the door with his phone in his hand.

"I tried to call Hanabi but wherever she's at there's no cell service." He said, clearly miffed at his youngest cousin's absence. Hinata only smiled as she rubbed small comforting circles over her belly.

"The last I heard from her they were going camping. She seemed excited."

Unsure of what to do with himself but happy to see that Hinata was alright, Neji mumbled something incoherent and left the room to find something useful to do.

"How are you feeling now?" Mikoto asked Hinata as she took a seat near the window.

"I'm fine now just..." Hinata started to say but her voice trailed off at the end.

"Scared?" The other woman finished and Hinata solemnly nodded her head. "You'd be foolish not to be. Whether this was your first child or your seventh, it's normal to be afraid."

Internally Sasuke could identify with his mother's words. He'd never felt fear quite like this before. Not only was he afraid of losing Hinata or their children but of what came next. He feared dropping one of the twins on their head or not being able to feed them properly. He feared Hinata realizing that she deserved a lot better than him and leaving one day. He feared failing as a father and one day as a husband...

Slender fingers intertwined themselves with his own, the warmth that radiated from them was immense. Hinata smiled up at him and brought his hand to rest on top of her belly. Immediately he could feel one of the twins moving around inside of her. It appeared they were just as restless as he was.

"They're excited to see you." Hinata said softly, her thumb gently rubbing the back of his hand.

"Since we're going to be awhile." Mikoto spoke up, breaking the peaceful moment between the two. "Let me tell you the story of the day Sasuke was born."

"Mother," Sasuke blankly. He did not wish for Hinata to hear yet another one of his mother's embarrassing stories. "Hinata should be resting."

The Uchiha matriarch only snorted and rolled her eyes.

"You clearly have no idea how long it will be before we can even start pushing. These things take time. Grab a chair and don't talk back. Now, where was I..."

….

Thursday, May 31, 2018, 7:45 pm

Leaf General Hospital- Maternity Ward

...

Sasuke winced as Hinata's grip tightened around his own when another contraction racked through her body. They'd spent the last few hours walking up and down the halls in an effort to get the twins to drop but they were too stubborn. The time between her each of her contractions was shortening and they were becoming more painful each time they happened. Apparently, that was a good thing according to his mother...and the nurses...and anyone else that tried to assuage their worries. However, the more time that ticked by the likelihood of Hinata being able to give birth naturally decreased. A small cry of pain escaped Hinata's lips and she leaned heavily against him. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the sleeve of his shirt.

"I-it hurts..." She moaned weakly through the pain, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Only a little longer." Sasuke reiterated words he'd heard the nurses confidently say earlier but his own insecurity shone through in his words. How much longer would she have to endure this? Why weren't the twins coming?

"S-s-Sasuke..."

"Sasuke!" Hinata called out from inside of the house. "I'm in the kitchen!"

The Uchiha closed the door to the penthouse behind him just as he was slipping out of his shoes. The smells wafting from the kitchen made his stomach growl violently, urging him towards the source. Hinata peeked her head around the corner with a big grin on her face and a wooden spoon in her hand.

"Welcome home." She said as he closed the distance between them.

The smell coming from the oven was overpowering, to say the least. He'd almost forgotten to kiss Hinata on the forehead he was so hungry. Curiously he opened the oven door to inspect what could possibly smell so good but the Hyuuga popped his hand with the back of her spoon.

"Don't peek." She chided softly and ushered him back out of the kitchen.

His stomach protested her treatment but he didn't give it any voice. He had learned that after five months with a pregnant Hinata it was better to just do whatever she said. Not that he minded too much since most of her directives were reasonable. Sighing, he sank onto the couch in the living room and noticed a new picture frame resting face down on the coffee table. He picked up the small frame and almost had to do a double take. The woman in the photo was uncannily similar to Hinata. Same long dark hair, same nose, same smile. Those eyes that looked at him softly as though they already knew what he was thinking... The only thing that was off was the fact that the woman in the picture was much further along in her pregnancy than Hinata. Was this woman Hinata's mother?

Sasuke glanced back to the direction of the kitchen and watched as his girlfriend flitted about the kitchen before returning his gaze to the picture. There was no other explanation for why Hinata would resemble this woman so much. She never spoke about her mother but Sasuke had learned from Neji that the woman had passed when Hinata was very young. At the time he didn't think to ask what had happened to the previous Hyuuga matriarch but seeing her now, so young and vibrant, tugged at his gut.

"Dinner is almost ready-oh!" A small voice squeaked behind him and he looked up to see Hinata hovering near the arm of the couch. "I didn't mean to leave that out."

"She is your mother." He said. Hinata's bright face fell a little bit at his statement but she nodded her head."The resemblance is remarkable."

"Yes...I...I suppose it is."

Carefully Hinata came around to the other side of the couch and sat down next to him. She took the frame from his hands and ran her fingers thoughtfully over the glass. Sasuke felt that same tug as before but this time more intensely as he watched Hinata deep in thought.

"What happened?" he asked and her dark brows knitted together. For a moment it seemed as if she wouldn't answer but eventually, she turned to him with eyes glassed over with unshed tears.

"She...she was wonderful. At least I think she was. She was so beautiful and strong. I believed that there was nothing she couldn't do and I always wanted to be just like her." Hinata said, her voice distant as though she were recalling a memory just out of her grasp. "I didn't know this at the time but she'd had health problems throughout her life. Her having me... may have shortened her life. Her having Hanabi ultimately ended it."

Her whimpers through the pain were something he never thought he'd hear. Guilt surged through him once more. It was his fault she was in such a state. A few moments later, her pained moans decreased but the remnants of the hurt she was feeling as still etched on her features. Slowly they made their way back to hospital room which was packed already with medical equipment and staff. With one of the nurse's assistance, he was able to get Hinata back up onto the bed. Carefully they rolled her onto her side just as another hard contraction hit. Her hand shot out automatically to find him and upon coming up empty she clutched the thin white hospital sheets. Quickly he made it around to the other side of the bed and replaced the sheets with his hand in her grip.

….

Thursday, May 31, 2018, 9:00 pm

Leaf General Hospital- Maternity Ward

...

Breathe in. Breathe out.

"Alright, try again." Tsunade urged from between her legs. "Push!"

Breathe in-

Searing hot pain ripped through her as she tried her best to do as she was told. Her vision blurred and all of the loud voices in the room mixed together with the rapidly beeping machine. All she could focus on was her body feeling as though it was being ripped in half. Faintly she registered a hand pressing against her thigh, the signal to stop pushing. She panted from the effort but stopped.

In. Out. In. Out.

Hinata tried her best to remain as calm as possible but the longer this went on the more worried she became. Was she going to fail at this too? No, she couldn't think that way. She could do this.

"Okay Hinata, Push!"

The Hyuuga did as she was told, crying out all the while. She pushed and pushed but despite the pain, there was still nothing to show for it. A hand pressed against her thigh again and Tsunade stood up.

In. Out. In-

Panic gripped her as nurses began to surround her, the sound of her heart rate monitor increased simultaneously. Tsunade was sternly commanding her personnel, pointing in different directions with the confidence of someone who'd done this countless times before. She tried to make out what they were saying but nothing made sense. It was as if her ears had been plugged. Frantically she looked around the room. Something was wrong. Something was wrong with her babies. She tried to sit up but her body wouldn't do as she commanded. Nurses continued to rush around her, new equipment and a stretcher were rolled into the room. Suddenly a pair of warm hands cupped her face, brushing her sweaty bangs off of her forehead.

In. Out-

Sasuke's dark eyes bored deeply into her own. He was saying something. His lips were moving but no sound was coming out. Her heart clenched as she tried to read his lips but nothing made sense. The only thing she knew was that something was wrong. She'd failed.

"My babies." She whimpered through her cracked lips. Fear gripped her as she realized that her voice didn't even sound like her own. "My babies."

She could only utter those two words. Nothing else but that mattered. Her babies. Their babies. They were dying and so was she. Her chest was constricting, each breath harder to take than the last. Sasuke's hands continued to rub her forehead, telling her things she couldn't understand until a plastic mask was placed over her nose and mouth. Her cry for her babies was muffled by the mask. She couldn't even understand her own words. Her tongue grew heavy in her mouth as the world around her faded away.

"My...babies..."

Until Next Time... B is for Discovery

"You are the prettiest of them all."