A/N: Yes, its been way too long. No, I'm not dead. Yes, this is somewhat shorter than most. No, I'm not going to take half a year to update again. Love you guys.

Conceiving With You

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Chapter Four

It was easy to forget everything when she was like this. All of her problems, marital or motherhood alike, blended into one incomprehensible cloud that seemed to drift away. Sakura heard nothing, not even the thumping of her own heartbeat.

That was before she resurfaced, of course. Gasping, she sucked in air. With the flood of oxygen came all of her problems, one by one. The water from her bath clung to her form while she inwardly groaned.

Another day. It had occurred to her long ago that she couldn't just hide from her daily struggles in the depths of her bath tub.

With another huge intake of air, she ducked back under the warm waters to collect her thoughts.

When she broke surface, she was not alone anymore.

Staring at her with an expression that should have been abashed but most certainly wasn't, Sasuke leaned against the door frame of their bathroom. She flicked a few wet strands of hair out of her face and smiled lazily at him.

In response, he offered her the same. He strolled over to the tub's side, taking his sweet time in doing so.

She quite literally had to swim from one edge of the tub to the other just to meet him halfway. Besides her, the many new additions to the house included a rather grand sized tub. No complaints from her end, though.

"I'll never know why you insist on taking these morning baths," he murmured as he knelt beside the bathtub.

"And I'll never know why you don't join me."

He sent her a look that was apologetic yet exasperated. "You know we've been through this Sakura…"

"Kidding," she said, playfully. "I know that you have briefings, reports, blah blah blah."

He sighed, his fingertips stroking from her eyelids to her jaw. He repeated the action several times, all the while being silently amused by his wife's face. Her eyes were closed and her lips were parted softly as if she were savoring the feeling.

"Ibiki has none too subtly noted that I should join ANBU again…"Sasuke whispered.

"Is that so?" She mused, eyes still closed.

He nodded – the action missed entirely by the pink haired woman.

"But I told him to hell with it."

Finally registering his words and their implications, her eyes snapped open. "Oh, why would you do that?"

"Because I'm away from home enough as it is. They'll find someone else."

Unable to control her sudden jubilation, Sakura yanked him forward into a kiss. At first, the shock had him completely rigid but he was aware enough to stop his body before it tumbled into the tub with her.

It started off as mild but as she pressed her body closer to his, soaking his shirt, it grew into something else entirely. Some kind of sound erupted from the Uchiha's throat. A groan? A growl? Sakura could care less as she lost her hands in his hair.

She was just about to pull him in with her – to which she found her husband all too willing – when the doorbell rang. Sakura rumbled a curse against his lips, but it came out sounding like a gurgle.

"Ignore it," he muttered in a huskier voice when she tried to protest. His hands found the sensitive skin under her thigh – hoisting her into the air.

"What…where..."

"Bed," was all he replied. But the knocking did not stop and if anything it grew into a culmination of sharp pounding.

"Oi teme!" A loud voice from outside yelled. They both groaned once they realized who the intruder was.

Sasuke placed her onto her feet with the silent promise of his quick return. As he disappeared through the doorway, Sakura pulled on the pile of clothes that lay on their bed which she had originally intended to wear.

A quick peep around the corner revealed an interesting scene.

Naruto stood facing Sasuke who appeared to be pissed. "How come you didn't answer the door, teme? And why's your shirt all wet?" The blond shuddered and then shook his head. "Okay never mind that, I'm sure it has something to do with Sakura-chan and that's just disgusting to picture. I mean not her. I mean her with you."

Sasuke frowned. "You're disgusting. Now can you just leave my wife and I in peace dobe?"

Naruto grinned his feline smile like a mischievous five year old. "So, you can get back to doing the dirty? I'd be more than happy to oblige but baa-chan has requested your presence immediately."

Before she realized what had happened, Sakura gasped. Both men turned towards the sound and looked at her expectantly.

"Hey Sakura-chan!" Naruto waved at her, his eyes taking in her disappointed face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she managed to mumble. That was a definite lie. Her husband had just returned home from a morning briefing and he was already being called back in. Where was the justice in that?

It mattered little she supposed. Orders were orders.

Sasuke stared at her, his hard black eyes softening when they took in her suddenly, small frame. He noticed that her once tall and proud silhouette was now slumped in disapointment. It broke his heart.

"Just go," she whispered. Naruto left through the door with an equally sad face. At least he knew when to pick his battles.

Sasuke sighed and slipped out the front door which Naruto had left ajar for him.

***

The sky had just turned a shade darker than navy when Sasuke returned home. On his way up the path to the front gate, he could see clearly that all the lights in the house were off. Either Sakura was out for the night with friends or she had simply went to bed early.

His arm burnt slightly and his eyebrows drew together in guilt. Sakura would not be happy.

He stopped in his path when the last person he wanted to see rounded the corner.

"Neji," he observed aloud.

"Sasuke," Neji remarked with a courteous nod of his head. The tall brunet man had gained another head on the Uchiha though it did not seemed to bother Sasuke in the least. He scowled up at the white-eyed male. Neji raised a russet eye brow.

"What are you doing here and where's Sakura?" The Uchiha asked bluntly. He was irritated beyond measure not to mention he had missed dinner.

"Sakura called me," Neji replied, his voice completely polite. Though there was the tiniest amount of discontent in it jumbled with antagonism. "You've been gone all day and it worried her. She just wanted you home."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You didn't-"

Neji hardened his jaw. " I did."

The Uchiha shoved past him, not worried about his presence at all. He burst through the gateway and then through the front doors of his house. "Sakura!"

She stepped down the staircase, her eyes blotchy and tinged with red. He stepped closer, his own heart thundering in his chest.

"You promised," she whispered. The accusation was as clear as it could be. "Let me see it."

He tensed. "It won't help things…"

"Let me see your damn arm!" She yelled, her voice shrilly and broken all at once. He obliged her. It seemed as though time had slowed and he could see with perfect clarity how her olive hued eyes followed his hand as it lifted up the black sleeve of his left shoulder.

He watched her reaction as she drew back in fear as if he had struck her. Sakura's eyes snapped to his and their gaze met for the briefest of seconds and then her vision was once again drawn to his arm - his burning arm.

The spiral tattoo that was branded into his skin glowed faintly.

"You joined ANBU again," Sakura whispered. Her eyes were still watching his arm where he had been re-branded.

There was no denying the truth not even if he was somehow able to, Sasuke didn't think he could lie to her one more time. "This morning you said you wouldn't do it," She whispered again, the accusation loud. He sighed. "The Hokage did not leave me much of a choice."

She snapped. "I'm guessing I'll never be the choice then. You'll never pick me, not over work, not over missions…not over vengeance!"

Sakura covered her mouth with both hands - as if in an attempt to stop the words from flowing. It was futile. They had both heard it. The raven haired Uchiha stared past her as his eyes unfocused a bit - seeing into the past for the tiniest of moments - and then back at his wife. "I see."

"Don't," She hissed, her short pink hair plastered to her neck and shoulders. "…Make this about you. I can't take this anymore."

"Why are you acting like this?" He finally asked. Distressed. " Why? You know me, better than anyone. I need this - this thrill. I can't spend my time taking on weak and lower tasks. That's not me. Why can't I have this?"

She had started to cry. Fat crystalline drops dewed at the corners of her eyes, the shape of almonds, and her shoulders shook violently. "…Because I'm pregnant!"

Sakura gave a heartbroken sob and stumbled backwards into the wall and when she couldn't move any farther than that - she sunk into the floor, her hands covering her face as she wept.

Pegged into the ground by some unseen force that seemed to be stronger than gravity and completely overcome with astonishment - Sasuke stood still looking at the same point where his wife had once been.

So this was what the first joys of pregnancy felt like.

A/N: Wow! All I can say is thanks for the awesome support. As most of you may know I have three stories in progress so updating always takes some time. Though my oldest story is on its last chapter so I'll just have two stories to update, this one and Say When. I'm going to respond to the reviews as soon as I get the chance but I'm trying to crank out updates as fast as I can. My laptop was broken for awhile and let me tell you going through college with no computer sucks….but all is well so I can update regularly now. Thanks so much!

Surmise