Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, merchandise, TV rights, ect… (I think you get the point.) Nor do I own the song 'Precious' by Annie Lennox.

Summery

ONE SHOT – You can never truly appreciate how wonderful the gift of life is until you hold that miracle in your arms. (Sasuke/Ino)

Like all of my work this is just something that happened to float through the empty void inside my head. Like it or hate it please R and R as honest opinions are always welcomed, as are random acts of worship.

Lamb: I'm so sorry I've bee AWOL for so long guys, the only reason I have is that I have a dance exam tomorrow and I've been training like crazy for it.

Muse: Sound's like a rather pathetic excuse if you ask me.

Dedi: Well no one did. But this fic is dedicated to WolfFlowerz, cus she is just a loyal reviewer. So WolfFlowerz, this is for you.

Lamb: As always sorry for any bad spelling and if you feel the need to throw things at me please wait until I've hidden behind the sofa kay!?

Muse: On with the fic!

I loved her first I held her first,
And a place in my heart will always be hers,
From the first breath she breathed,
When she first smiled at me,
I knew the love of a father runs deep,

Heaven Sent

She didn't scream, Uchiha Sasuke noted with pride. Sweat ran in rivulets over skin flushed red with excursion and pain. Her normally flawless face was twisted into a mask of agony, and her eyes were screwed tightly shut yet tears still managed to slip from between her lids. But she did not cry out. Beads of sweat ran in trails over her face, which was tinged grey under the sheen of the tan she had gained, and mingled with the tears she had not been able to hold back.

Hours stretched into an infinity and with each passing moment seemed to sap away what little remaining strength she possessed. When he had first met her he had thought her weak, a silly child that allowed others to push her around and dictate her life. Over the years his opinion had changed, but up until that moment he didn't realise how truly strong she was.

The pain past momentarily and Uchiha Ino relaxed her grip on his hand but he did not let go. Instead he curled his fingers around hers, offering reassurance and comfort the only way he knew how, not with words but with actions. Her head lolled back on the pillow, her hair a bright shinning wave against the stark white of the hospital bedding. The reprieve was only brief, and Ino screwed her eyes tightly shut as the next contraction struck, sending spasms rippling through her body and causing her to bite down hard enough on her lower lip to draw blood.

Looking up he caught the eyes of the pink haird medic her hands glowing a pale milky green as she poured pain-blocking chakra into the body of the breathless blonde, for the little relief it offered. It was a hard thing to judge, too little and the act was pointless but too much could render someone unconscious, which even under normal circumstances would be a dangerous thing for both mother and child. And Ino's pregnancy was anything but normal. Sakura's emerald orbs met the concerned onyx eyes of her long time friend and team-mate, saw the worry and confusion that filled them and offered him a small smile before focusing once more on her task.

It was a miracle that the blonde had managed to carry to term but she had already been in labour for almost twelve hours and her strength was fading fast. The baby had still been turning even as Ino's waters had broken and the birth was proving to be just like the rest of the pregnancy; filled with painful complications. Sakura only hoped that her friend was strong enough to fight her way through this.

Well I was lost until you came,

Precious little angel,
Take a look at what you've done,
Well I thought my time was over,
But it's only just begun,
Precious little angel,
You're my own sweet turtle dove,
Won't you stay with us for ever,
In a bundle full of love,

Well I was lost until you came,

Ino had always known that he wished to rebuild his clan, and they had both known that it would a hard, if not impossible thing for them to accomplish. With her ninja life style and arduous training program, the beautiful blonde shinobi's periods had been irregular, when they came at all, for many years. After consultation with the Godaime Hokage, who was the most skilled medic anywhere in the whole of Fire Country, the hope of them having a family together was not good.

It was called Amenorrhea, when women skipped their periods as much as the young blue eyed woman. It was not an uncommon phenomenon for females in heavy training which was why so few kunoichis ever went on to have families of their own. Yuhi Kurenai, being one of the few exceptions, but with her mainly genjutsu based attacks her body was not put under as much physically stress as other kunoichis. And the same was true of Hyuuga Hinata who was already expecting her second child. But for women such as herself and her long time friend Haruno Sakura, the Hokage had explained, it would be very difficult.

Difficult, the older woman had said, but Sasuke had seen the look in those amber eyes and felt the fear strike through him to his very heart. Her mouth said difficult, but her eyes said dangerous. And so he had pushed her for the answers he knew she did not want to give, for selfish, unfeeling bitch that she could be, he knew her well enough to know how much it would kill her to be the one who crushed their dreams.

Tsunade had said that, in her opinion, it would be unwise for Ino to even consider having a child. The risks were far to great she told her, and could well result in not only the death of any baby she tried to carry but in her own as well.

With his free hand he brushed a few stray pale gold strands from her sweat soaked forehead. At the contact her eyes immediately opened, and he was caught in the warm fire of the sky blue gaze he had grown to love over the years.

Ino had been adamant. It had been the worst fight they had ever had, and while he had screamed and raged at her that the risks were too great to ignore she had stood serene and calm at the eye of his storm. He who had never been one for words unleashed them on her in that moment, trying in desperation to make her see sense. He wanted to rebuild his family almost more than anything else in the world. Almost. What he desired above all else was to have her safe and well and at his side.

Until at last when there seemed nothing more that he could say, she turned to him and told him, not asked him but told him, that if he was honest this was what he wanted too. And she had been right.

Precious little angel,
Won't you spread your light on me,
I was locked up in the darkness,
Now you've come to set me free,
I was covered up with sadness,
I was drowned in my own tears,
I've been cynical and twisted,
I've been bitter all these years,

"Just one more time." Tsunade told her, for it was she who was in charge of this delivery. The risks alone were enough of a reason for her to be the one over seeing the birth of their first, and probably only, child. But also there was the emotional connection that had formed between the Godaime Hokage and the girl she had taken as her second apprentice. And Sasuke could think of no one that he would trust more to bring forth the future of the Uchiha clan.

And he held Ino's hand tightly as she arched into the pain, tendons standing proud on her neck, jaw clenched against any cry that might try to force its way past her lips. He could feel her hand trembling as she clung to him, her eyes were screwed tightly shut against the agony that swept over her like a wave as she pushed with every fibre of her being. Offering all that she had, to give life to their unborn child.

Slumping back onto the bed, every muscle screamed with exhaustion and fatigue, but a smile crept onto her mouth as the infant's cries reached her ears. Whatever else the child might have it defiantly had Ino's lungs. Looking down at her he thought that in all the years he had known her she had never look more beautiful that she did at that moment. Tired and sweaty, but with a look of calm self-satisfaction that she so well deserved.

He caressed her hot cheek with his right hand, his cool fingers gliding over her warm skin in a display of affection that he could never voice aloud. Fighting the desire to sleep, which was consuming her, she looked up fixing him with large questioning eyes. Nodding in answer to what even he was unsure, a rare smile found its way to his lips transforming his face.

Weak? How could he have ever been so blind? Her strength far surpassed his own, and just when it seemed that the end was near, that she had given all that she had, she would once again rise up, like a phoenix from the ashes, fighting with all that she possessed.

Sakura approached, a small bundle held carefully in her arms. The young woman on the bed locked eyes with her friend and indicated with a tilt of her head that the child should be given to the dark haired man beside her.

"Sasuke-kun, your daughter." She said gently placing the new born in his arms.

Well I was lost until you came,
Well I was lost until you came,
And wouldn't I run a thousand miles,
To be with you,
And wouldn't I run a thousand miles,
To be with you,

It hit him with such impact that he was left almost breathless, a wave of emotion that left him dizzy in its aftermath. Never before in his life had he felt such and overwhelming connection to another person. He loved the young woman lying beside him, he knew it for a fact and was no longer sacred of his feeling for her. But they were feelings that had grown steadily over the years, looking at the child staring curiously up at him he felt the pull of a love so intense it was almost painful.

She was perfect in every miniature detail. Ten fingers ten toes. Eyes of bright flawless blue, her mothers. Hair, thick fuzz on her head, the blue/black of a raven's wing, his. He found it hard to believe that he with his sometimes harsh temper and antisocial manner could have had anything to do with creating anything as innocent her. It was so strange to think that this small miracle was really a part of him

He sat on the edge of the bed holding the bundle in his arms as if it was some item of tremendous value that could brake at his lightest touch. Their daughter, theirs. He had thought himself to be blessed on the day his golden haired angel had walked into his life He found it so hard to imagine what he could have done, to have been granted the gift of having two such wonderful creatures enter his life.

But with that love also came and overwhelming fear. Fear that someone would come and try and take his tiny, fragile miracle away. He had fought so long and so hard for a family to call his own and now that it was here it almost terrified him. What if he was not a good father? What if Ino came to her senses and realised that he was not the person that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with? What if…? What if…?

The questions were many and varied and fearful of dropping the tiny girl child, he delicately placed her in the young woman's arms and then lent back slightly so that he could see them both. The way that Ino held the baby, with such practised ease, tugged at something deep inside of him, Sasuke had never had a single moments doubt about what kind of parent the blonde would make. He had seen enough of the way that she interacted with the children of their friends to know that she would make a superb mother. But him…

Ino looked up at him then, her eyes, tired but bright with joy, locking with his and Sasuke felt his doubts melt away like frost under the warm glow of the spring sun. It didn't matter if he made mistakes, if sometimes he got things wrong or if he could not do all that he wanted, for the fact was that they were in this together. A small voice at the back of his mind spoke to him then, it said they were his now and that he must protect them. Him and no one else.

Precious little angel,
Tell me how can it be true,
That such a gift from heaven,
Has been sent for me and you,
Precious little angel,
Don't you worry don't you cry,
When this bad old world has crumbled,
I'll be standing at your side,
I was lost until you came,

"So beautiful." Sasuke murmured, as bent and gently pressed a kiss to Ino's brow, the salty tang of sweat sharp on his lips.

She was exhausted, her energy all but spent yet in spite of that Ino moved her self across the bed, making enough space so that Sasuke could sit beside her, instead of perch on the edge, which he instantly did. Sakura had to smile when she looked at the small family, they looked so good together, so right, as if they were all pieces of a puzzle that just slotted neatly together. Not really wanting to brake in on the moment but driven by curiosity she voiced the question that had been buzzing in her mind since she first set eyes on the newest member of the Uchiha clan.

"Sasuke-kun?" She tentatively asked, causing him to raise his eyes from a drowsing Ino and focus instead upon her. "Please, what are you going to call her?"

"Call her?" He said questioningly, and then smiling slightly looked down at mother and infant. "We're going to call her Katsumi. Uchiha Katsumi."

(A/N) Katsumi – a Japanese name meaning 'victorious beauty'.

Muse: And why would anyone care what the name means?

Lamb: I didn't say they would I just put it up there for the hell of it.

Muse: Stupid reason if ever I heard one.

Dedi: Free to any home, one muse rather foul mouthed and driving us insane. Anyway we hoped you liked it WolfFlowerz.

Please R and R I'd love to know what you thought.

Big luv see ya

Lamanth