"DADDY!"

Sasuke didn't have a chance to brace himself before Sofai crashed into him full force. He hugged her back with all the strength he could muster despite his injuries. He had been prepared to die for her and he would do it over again to ensure her safety. He actually felt a tear roll down his cheek as he held her thanking the gods over for keeping her alive.

For Sakura to lose him was one thing, but for Sakura to loose Sofai, that could very well kill her. It all comes back down to one thing: Itachi was to blame.

But there was no use keeping a grudge. Itachi was long since dead and Sasuke was freed. Now there was only one problem to deal with: Sakura had said she wanted to leave him.

As Sasuke finally released Sofai from his hug and cradled her on his lap he contemplated what he was going to do. He wasn't good with words and he didn't easily express emotions; years of isolating himself and bottling it all away didn't reverse in a matter of weeks.

"Sasuke, I have some bad news."

Sasuke finally directed his attention to the Hokage who had been standing in the doorway witnessing the scene. Sakura got up from her chair, her eyebrows furrowed in worry and fear.

"Is there something wrong?"

Tsunade put her hands up. "There's nothing physically wrong with him. He's as healthy as someone can be after getting stabbed over one hundred times."

Sakura and Sasuke both flinched at the number.

How am I even still alive?

"No, you're being allowed to discharge after today. We were going to ask Naruto to look after you but seeing as his son might be arriving any day now I don't think that would be wise. However, you can't be alone in that big house of yours since you still have mandatory bed rest for the next two weeks. So, I'm assigning a nurse from the hospital to live in your house and help you."

Sakura was jumping for joy on the inside! Surely the Hokage would choose her and she would have an excuse to not leave Sasuke's side, at least for another while.

"That's why I'm assigning you Nurse Sheena."

Sakura only just stopped her jaw from dropping to the ground. Nurse Sheena was known to hit on anything that breathed and she was going to be taking care of Sasuke 24/7?! Sakura could only imagine the things she might try to get away with, especially with Sasuke. No, she would not have this.

Sasuke was equally as shocked. He thought for sure that the Hokage would choose Sakura.

"Why Sheena?" Sakura asked attempting to seem nonchalant about it.

The Hokage smirked knowing that this aggravated Sakura to no end. It was not unknown to the Hokage that Sakura harbored a deep distain for Sheena or that she was hopelessly in love with Sasuke (again). If it helped them to admit their feelings for each other she was up for a little pushing.

"Well, I remember how you didn't want to be assigned to monitor Sasuke last time. Now since all he requires is a nurse, we have more available people to help him. Plus, Sheena specially requested to be Sasuke's nurse."

Tsunade smirked as the smoke coming out of Sakura's ears almost became tangible. She knew that last bit would get her if nothing else.

Sasuke was just there cradling Sofai who had fallen asleep in his arms. He didn't know this 'Nurse Sheena' but apparently Sakura was not a big fan of her. Now he would have to get stuck with her in the home he had made THEIR home. Just freaking great.

"I'll do it."

Tsunade felt like smirking at Sakura but knew better with the temper she had.

"Sakura I couldn't do that to you. You just came off of taking care of him for a couple of months strait."

"I said I would do it. In fact, it would be my honor and pleasure. You can tell Sheena that I'll be taking care of Sasuke."

And she better not forget it.

Tsunade smiled and shrugged. "Fine by me. Actually this is more convenient since you haven't moved out yet. Hope you feel better Uchiha."

With that she waved and left the room. Sakura cooled down a bit before turning to Sasuke who had his eyebrow raised in question. Sakura sighed and laughed under her breath.

That sly dog, she knew that this would happen. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up, now I'll have to explain.

"So, who exactly is Nurse Sheena and why where you so opposed to her. It's just a nurse not a suitor."

"That's what you think. She'll flirt with anything that moves. I came in here once while she was 'changing your bandages'. She was practically molesting you while you were in a semi coma."

"And this is exactly why I don't like hospitals. Can we get out of here now? These white walls are giving me a headache."

"Sure, just give me Sofai and we can get going."

Sasuke looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms and shook his head.

"Before I passed out I thought I hadn't been able to save her. I just kind of need to hold her right now, you know?"

Sakura nodded and turned to discretely wipe a tear from her eye. If she had lost either, or worse both of them, her world would have fallen apart. She honestly didn't know what she would have done.

As she waited in she waited in the hall while the doctors finished some last tests and checked Sasuke's health she studied how her life had changed so drastically. She had thought she was fairly comfortable with her life until Sasuke showed up again. Now, she was so accustomed to waking up to see him training in the back yard, to having him brew her a cup of coffee in the morning, to having Sofai so happy about having a father for the first time in her life, to always having that presence that makes her feel not alone.

She didn't want to be alone anymore. She wanted to stay with him, and judging by his actions earlier when he woke up, he didn't want her to leave either. He was so intertwined in her life that she just couldn't remember what it was really like without him there.

Why? Why had she told him that she wanted to leave? Why did she have to be so stubborn and pigheaded? Maybe he wasn't going to reject her, maybe she was just being afraid of getting hurt again. However, she almost lost him. He had almost died and the last real thing that they had said to each other was that she was leaving him. No, Sakura wasn't going to waste this opportunity that she got.

Finally after extensive tests to see if his mental health was stable Sasuke was allowed to leave. With some quick jutsus Sakura transported them strait from the hallway of the hospital to the front door of the Uchiha manor. Once again Sasuke could only raise his eyebrow to her.

She merely shrugged. "I was eager to get home."

Sasuke smiled to himself. He loved the way she said home. It was like she was stating that it was her home, their home.

As Sasuke made his way to his room Sakura went to place Sofai in her own room. Sofai had been going through a lot lately. He only father had been lying on a bed on the brink of death thanks to a man she didn't even know was her biological father. It had been a rough week.

Sakura understood why Sofai got so upset with the news that they were leaving Sasuke. She knew what some of the villagers had been saying behind her back. They were calling her a whore and a slut for having a child outside of marriage. Worse yet was that she refused to say who the father was making people believe that the father might have been married to someone else hence his identity had to be kept secret. These words didn't affect her. She had her daughter and beyond that she didn't give a shit what the villagers where making up. She knew the truth of that horrible event although the only other people that knew the other shinobi. She had asked them to remain quiet; she didn't need people to know her life and pity her for being raped. She didn't need people's pity; she didn't care what those close minded idiots thought.

Sofai, on the other hand, was another story. She was only a child yet all her life she had been looked down upon. She was born illegitimately to a mother that was too young and a father she never knew. Although the adults wouldn't dare insult the daughter of a person that was practically the daughter of the Hokage they would still talk. This talk trickled down to their children who would in turn make fun of Sofai. In all her young life the only adults Sofai was close with where those that were friends of Sakura and knew the truth. She was always made fun of by children for not having a father. Then Sasuke came along and changed everything. When he agreed to be her father she was elated. No longer was she the outcast of the village and no longer would the children have any reason to tease her. She had been miserable at school and now she was so happy she probably could have flied. When she heard that he would be taken from her, that she would have to go back to how things once were, she crumbled.

Running into the forest was not the smartest thing but Sakura understood why she did it. After putting her to bed she went to check on Sasuke in his room. She took her first aid kit so that she could replace some of his bandages. As she entered his room she saw that he was sitting on his bed staring blankly at the wall in front of him. When he heard the door open he turned his attention to her, his intense eyes focused solely on her. She moved slowly towards him his eyes following her the whole way. She kneeled in front of where he was sitting and started to unwind the bandages around his ribs. She felt his eyes still focused on her but couldn't bring herself to make eye contact; looking strait into his eyes might make her break down and she had done enough crying in the last couple of days. As she finished unwinding the bandage Sasuke's hand grabbed her wrist. She finally turned up her chin and made eye contract with him.

"Don't go."

Sakura gasped a little at the expression in his eyes. It was somber and tired as if he had aged too much in too little time. It was then she noticed that his eyes were also slightly watering up.

"Please don't go."

His voice was thick with tears and cracked with the last syllable.

"I can't lose you, not again. I'm not strong enough to take it. I can handle getting stabbed a hundred times, but I just can't lose you."

Sakura felt her own tear rushing forth. She threw herself at him with such an impact that he fell back on his bed. Their lips met while the tears where rolling from both of their eyes. Sasuke wrapped his arms around her small waist as their kiss deepened. When they both finally pulled away for air Sakura placed her hands so that they were cupping his face and rested her forehead against his own.

"I'm not going anywhere. You can't get rid of me that easily Uchiha."

Sasuke started laughing and Sakura soon joined in. Forgetting all about the bandages now laying on the floor they snuggled up to each other on Sasuke's bed both anticipating the new chapter of their lives that was about to unfold. As he was about to go to sleep he felt a small body wriggling its way between him and Sakura. Sofai's small head snuggled into his chest before stilling. He placed his hand on Sakura's waist, cocooning Sofai between them. For the first time in so long Sasuke felt that although this wasn't the ideal situation to be in and as weird as everything had turned out he was perfectly at peace inside and out. He knew things wouldn't be easy and they would have a lot of things to deal with but even with the lows he's had in the last year he wouldn't change anything about it.

THE END

Once again, i only ask for a small review :]