She couldn't tell him.

"Are you sure you won't come?" Gaara asked her. Over the months his usual stiffness had remained but she saw the warmth behind his eyes. "I'm certain that Naruto would love to see you."

"So you can guilt me into telling him?" Sakura sneered as she waddled angrily down the hallway. Of course her child would have a giant head. Just look who the father was! She was firmly into the realm of very pregnant. She looked to be a month ahead of schedule with the size of her child. "Besides, travel wouldn't be a good idea right now."

Gaara nodded, she had gotten used to reading Gaara's expressions. It was easy when he only had one with different settings. This one was especially common, one where he was trying his best to decide the correct one in a social situation.

"Would it not be romantic for you to show up and object to his wedding?"

"Temari has been forcing to many movies on you recently." Sakura sighed, bracing against the door hallway for a moment. Damn, she hated having no energy. It was a good thing she only had to teach medical jutsu right now. A surgery would be far to taxing. "But no Naruto and Hinata deserve their happily ever after, I'd rather them have a happily ever after."

"And what about your child." That was his ace in the hole. "Naruto was abandoned by his own father, good intentions or not, he was still left without a father, do you think-"

"Enough." Sakura silenced him. "I don't want to hear anymore Gaara."

"But you need to." He stood in front of her, somehow towering over her despite only having an inch on her. It was a different kind of fear from when she was genin, she still feared for her life, but it was different from a sudden terrifying end. Gaara was promising her a lifetime of suffering. To watch as Hinata and Naruto married to live alone and raise her child in the shadow of the perfect family Naruto deserved, tainting it.

Her child would suffer, knowing that their father couldn't love them as much as they deserved.

"Please, this is for the best." Her voice cracked and she could no longer look him in the eyes.

"Naruto will come for you, even if I don't tell him that you're pregnant with his child. He will still come the moment I ask to have you transfer to will be no warning for you because there will be no hesitation from him." Gaara placed a hand on her shoulder. "I will listen to your request Sakura, but I will not lie to my friend."

Dammit, why was everybody so loyal to Naruto? What did he do to deserve this? Anybody that she could trust, trusted Naruto more. She was trying to do the right thing. Couldn't they see that? If she wasn't pregnant she'd fight back, punching her way out of this situation. If she wasn't pregnant she wouldn't be in this situation. She bit her lip and balled her fist. "I understand, Gaara."

"If this is what Naruto wants as well." His tone changed, neither one of them believed that Naruto would be okay with this. "Then you and your child will be welcome here in Suna."

"I ask you one more time Sakura, will you come to Konoha with me? You'd save Naruto a trip."

She wanted to see Naruto again. Since her pregnancy went into full swing she had dreamed of that one night with Naruto countless times. The differences between memories of the dream, and what had really happened began to blur as it was crystal clear what had happened that night.

"It's not safe for me to travel right now," She placed a hand on her belly. It was a weak excuse, but the only one she had. "Just try not to crash their wedding. Wait… wait." The words burned in the throat. "Wait until after they're married before you tell him."

Gaara nodded, "I do not wish to be a -I believe the term is- wedding crasher."

Sakura sighed, slinking into her room. Her life was so over. How could she have been so stupid to tell Gaara. She should have lied saying it was Sasuke's child, or some medical experiment gone wrong. Anything but the truth.

XXXX

He wanted to be with Sakura.

He didn't want to marry Hinata.

When he told her this, she would just smile and continue to talk about whatever she was boring him with. It was a soft droning noise like the humming of a light bulb. Then she would say something subtle, something that would bring up Neji, or how she was so lucky to have a kind faithful fiance like him. Shackling him to her with chains of guilt.

What's worse was that everybody. Everybody. Was on her side. Saying "oh that's just the pre-marriage jitters" and that everything would be better given time. It had only gotten worse. He had never felt so trapped. He should have gone with Sasuke. To join him on that adventure around the world, that way he wouldn't be stuck here in a cage being told he should be happy.

It felt like he was losing his mind. How on earth was he getting married today? He thought he had more time than this. A lot more time. At least another few months. Not right now as he stood in his suit greeting the guests to his wedding.

Still no Sakura. Still no Sasuke. The people in the world he could trust the most. The ones that would listen to him and help him out.

He was trapped. He had to marry Hinata. It was for the good of Konoha. Shikamaru said so, Kakashi said so, he was complaining too late. The political situation was too delicate. They needed this marriage to show unity between the nations.

The world didn't need anymore drama.

Why did it matter? Why would it matter to world peace if he married Sakura instead of Hinata if he left her to be happy? His happiness and peace should not be married. They were two exclusive things.

After shaking yet another lord's hand whose name he probably should have known Naruto finally saw someone friendly.

"Gaara!" He all but shouted, he had forgotten what it felt like. Without waiting he reached forward pulling his friend into a tight hug. "I missed you! How have you been? Where's Sakura?"

The words fled his mouth before he even realized it. Sakura, she was the background noise of his brain, the sun on his back as he worked, the promise of something better, the fond memories that kept him going forward. Not a moment went by where she wasn't somewhere in his thoughts.

At this point she had infected his heart.

Gaara returned the hug. "It's good to see you as well Naruto." He spoke softly, like sunbaked sand at the water's edge. "But Sakura, couldn't join us."

The sun seemed to dim, and a dull grey began to seep into the world draining it of color. "Oh, I see."

"She's pregnant."

What? He pushed Gaara back. To look him in the eyes. Gaara wouldn't lie. He couldn't. It just wasn't in him. He probably didn't even know how to lie. Which made him a scary politician, and a great ally.

"With your child."

Naruto felt the world around him freeze. Sakura's actions. Her coldness, her leaving Konoha. It all made sense. He looked to the ring on his finger, feeling the chill run up his spine. This was wrong. This was all so very very wrong. "I need to see her."

Gaara nodded, his lips twisting into a playful smirk. "She's been staying with my family, I trust you-"

"Thank you Gaara." Naruto pulled him into a tighter hug, slipping off the wedding ring and handing it to Temari. "Uhh, you can marry Shikamaru or something. I have to go see Sakura."

Probably not the smartest thing he could have said at the moment. But it was all he could think of besides going to go see Sakura. She was pregnant with his child. His! He was going to have a family! His heart beat in his chest, pulling him forward. Towards Sakura.

"Are you really doing this?" Kurama asked, rumbling from deep inside of his being. The dull roar of Kurama's chakra excited him, boiling his blood and making him feel alive for the first time in months. "I guess that's a stupid question, about damn time you stopped being stupid."

He really should listen to the giant fox inside of his stomach more often. Tossing his jacket to the side Naruto let it loose, he could travel fast in this form. Fast enough to be there before the sun set. But he could be there faster. "Kurama, give it all to me."

The laughter of the fox matched his heartbeat.

He could feel the eyes of all those around him, as he was gathingering so much chakra. As much as he had when they were fighting Kaguya. And all of it was for one thing and one thing only: To get to Sakura as soon as possible.

"Tell everyone I'm sorry!"

Gaara watched his friends form vanish through the trees, leaving a river of leafs and branches in his wake. The ground where Naruto once stood was indented, the ancient brick road ruined. It brought a smile onto his face. He did a good thing today.

"Gaara," Temari asked, her hand shaking under the weight of Naruto's ring. She look terrified. "Do I really have to marry Shikamaru right now?"

"Only if you want." Gaara nodded, before proceeding towards his seat. Part of him felt sorry for all these people that had gathered here. But he knew Naruto's heart well, if Sakura had raised their child alone, it would have ruined him. Yes this was a disaster, but it was for the best.

XXXX

She would never be ready.

He was coming.

Sakura paced on the balcony, though it was more a distraught waddle than a proper pace. Part of her wanted to run, Karin might trust her more than she did Naruto. She might even be happy to hide her and her child from Naruto because it meant she'd get Sasuke. But that involved finding Karin, and being willing to put up with Orochimaru. Something she wasn't willing to do.

She looked out towards the desert sun set as the land began to chill from sweltering heat to freezing cold. It was when Suna was its most beautiful, turning from orange and brown to red and purple.

It was the date of the wedding. Gaara would have arrived at Konoha by now, that meant that he had already told Naruto of everything. It would take Naruto a few days to arrive, hopefully he went on a long honeymoon with Hinata and -

He was here.

His glowing chakra cloak rivaling the setting sun for brightest object. Then it vanished, and his blue eyes outshined them both. Her heart tightened, as she looked at him, he was wearing part of a tux, only the white shirt and pants remained.

For the longest time she could do nothing but stare at him. He had found her. He knew the truth, her protruding stomach was evidence enough. Why was he smiling? Why was she smiling? Now as not the time to be smiling. She needed to get away. To run away.

She took a step forward. Then another, touching him on the cheek. "Shouldn't you be-"

He grabbed her, pulling her into a tight hug that she never wanted to escape from. "I'm sorry Sakura! I should have known. I regret everything. Let me make this right. Let me stay with you and raise our child together. I love you. I love you and only you."

She should push him away. Instead she returned the hug ten fold, crying into his shoulder like that weak willed girl she had always been. "But-"

"No!" Naruto pushed her away. His blue eyes out doing the light of the heavens. His face reddened as he looked at her, his lips move but no words came out. "Sakura listen to me. Please I want this. I want a family with you more than I've ever wanted anything in the world. But I want you to want this to. So please. Will you let me love you?"

She whipped a tear from her eye, and leaped. Trusting Naruto to catch her. "It's okay that I love you? You're not just saying that because of our child?"

"That child is a symbol of our love Sakura." How could he be saying this. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real. "Please. Can we please be in love?"

He was begging. Begging her to finally let go. She hadn't stopped smiling, her cheeks hurt. "Yes."

There was more to it than that. She wanted to say yes a thousand times and then a hundred more just to get it through his thick skull. But instead he kissed her. Pulling her tight so that she might never escape.

The passion of that night was there. But it was coherent, clear, and loud. Louder than it had ever been for Sasuke. Every twist was familiar in some new way. Every nerve of her body was demanding more. So much more.

She pulled away from him, turning in his arms so that his hands rested on her belly. "He's a boy by the way."

Naruto hummed in her ear, his eyes locked on the setting desert sun. "Do you have a name for him?"

"I'd like you to name him, he's your son." She laid her hands on top of his, finally letting the worries of her life fade away. This. This felt right. "But shouldn't you be worried about what everybody else will think of this?"

"Ehh," Naruto shrugged, kissing her on the neck. It was enough to make her coo. There it was, that tender sense of familiarity that she had been longing for. "Fuck 'em."

For once, she couldn't agree more.

She would never let him go.

AN: Beta'd by xxTerror33xx

Abrupt ending is abrupt. There's like a Naruto and Hinata focused chapter missing. But just writing it. Felt so... so... so bad. Like it was just bleh. I just don't like writing Hinata I guess. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy. Replacing this fic in my Time slot will hopefully be another Narusaku story... but with a twist!