EPILOGUE TEIM!

Gaara looked out his window in his office at the village entrusted to him. 3 years, it's was 3 years to the day that his son had been born. He smiled slightly at the recollection of the day that made him one of the happiest men on earth. His smile grew wider as he thought of having that feeling again in 2 months. Yes, Kiya was pregnant again and just as ornery about it as the first time. His smile widened even more as he thought of the rest of his family. Temari and Shikamaru had their first a year ago, a gorgeous little girl named Lin. Naruto and Kankuro had decided to live together and adopt twins that seemed to be into as much mischief as their fathers (A/N: OH LAWD SAVE US ALL!) named Daichi and Daisuke, or Mayhem and Chaos as their fathers affectionately call them.

Gaara along with everyone else had not been so surprised when Naruto revealed why he had been so secretive the last few months of Kiya's first pregnancy: he had been chosen to become Hokage after Tsunade. He wanted it to be an "after-nephew" surprise. Again another not-so-surprising surprise was when Lee proposed to Sakura about a month after Kiya and Gaara's baby. She said yes of course and proceeded to drive every one crazy with wedding details for a whole year until their wedding, which Kiya planned and managed.

Gaara turned from the window when he heard a soft pattering of feet outside his office door then a little knock. He couldn't keep the chuckle down as he answered in his most exaggerated serious voice "State your business."

A little giggle erupted from outside the door then said "I'm on off-…offiscal birfday business!"

Gaara recognized his son's voice even if he was attempting to lower it to sound more imposing. This was their little game they always played, Etsuo would attempt to fool his father into thinking that he was a real ninja on real ninja business and Gaara would pretend to be surprised when it was his son on the other side of the door.

"Very well, enter." Gaara said sending his sand to assist the now three year old with pushing the door open. As soon as the door was open enough Etsuo burst in shouting "Supwise! Supwise! Supwise!" Gaara's jade eyes closed as he held in a laugh then opened and he put on his best play-stern face.

"Etsuo, you knew I was waiting for that important "offiscal birfday" business man and I thought he was really here. It's not nice to trick people especially when they are your favorite daddy." Gaara actually struggled to keep his face annoyed as his son smiled shamelessly up at him.

"You're my only daddy! You knew it was me." Etsuo scolded his father back, even wagging his finger in an incredibly good impression of Kiya, as he did so.

Gaara broke. Sweeping his son into his arms and resting him on his hip he smiled and said "that I did, nothing gets past you does it?" tapping Etsuo on the tip of his nose.

Etsuo smiled widely and shook his head. Gaara opened his office door looking around for Kiya and seeing her just getting to the top of the stairs, winded and looking rather annoyed. Gaara looked at his son's wide blue eyes then put him down. He then walked over to Kiya and picked her up carrying her into his office.

"Gaara! You put me down RIGHT NOW! I am perfectly capable of getting myself into your office by myself! And another thing, who said I wanted to go to your office any way?!" Kiya shouted right in his ear, but by now Gaara was used to it.

"Because it's 2:30 and it's time for me to watch Etsuo as you take your afternoon nap." Gaara pointed out.

"I'm not tired! And I don't need to be put down to a nap like a child by my own husband!" Kiya argued back.

"Well I'm taking Etsuo this afternoon so just relax on your couch and we'll see you in an hour." Gaara said calmly. He then took Etsuo's hand and led him out of the office, sealing it after them. He waited a few minutes through Kiya's grumbling until she finally settled and slept. Oh man, was he going to get an earful that night!

~ FF 2 years~

Etsuo clung to his mother's pant leg as he sneaked peeks at the threatening building in front of them.

"Can't you come with me?" he looked pleadingly up at both of his parents.

"No sweetie, you have to do this on your own, we won't always be here to hold your hand." Kiya smiled down at her first son, her second on her hip, picking his nose because his mother was currently distracted until she noticed and said sharply "Kyo! Yucky, don't do that. Gaara can you handle this, I need to wash his hands." And she strode off to find a bathroom smiling at the other parents trying to get their children to enter the academy on their own.

Gaara knelt down by his son looking into his round, bright blue eyes. Setting his hand on top of the identical red hair adorning his son's head he smiled and said "School really isn't that scary, you don't have to be scared just because it's new and different. I'm sure you'll go in there and make lots of friends with kids that, right now, are just as scared as you are. A friend or two makes everything less scary."

Etsuo shuffled his feet in the dirt without looking up at his father. "But you're not scared of anything and I wanna be like you."

Gaara smiled a sad smile "it's not that I'm not scared of anything, there are lots of things I'm scared of. The day you were born I was scared that your mother might die. I was scared when the fourth ninja war started and I was scared going to my first day of school just like you. But here's the thing: we can't let that fear get in the way of how we live." Gaara felt his heart lift seeing his son's face light up when Gaara said he had been scared of his first day of school.

"I'll do my best and make lots of friends! I'll work really hard so I can be as great as you!" Etsuo shouted. Gaara stood again seeing Kiya coming back from the bathroom.

"Now don't forget to bring your lunch box and your coat back home, okay?" Kiya reminded as she handed Kyo to Gaara so she could give her first son a kiss.

"Mom! Stop it! You're gonna make me look like a wuss!" Etsuo said, desperately glancing around seeing if anyone had noticed his mother kissing him.

"Alright, alright. Go to school and have fun. We'll be here at 3 when you get out!" Kiya called after him as he dashed for the Academy.

"Well. One thing's for sure: he's YOUR son." Kiya said out of the corner of her mouth to Gaara as the waved at their swiftly disappearing first born's bright red locks.

"That he is." Gaara whispered back.

Kiya turned and hoisted Kyo out of his dad's arms "Alright, this one is mine then. See you here at 3." She tossed over her shoulder as she started to walk back to the mansion. Gaara just smirked and shook his head.

~FF 6 years~

"GAARA! DINNER!" Kiya shouted from the kitchen.

Today was a special day, Etsuo had gotten his head band and he would soon be assigned to his Genin team. Kyo looked a little petulant as he sat watching his mother cook an elaborate dinner.

"Kyo, don't look so crabby. When you graduate from the academy we'll have a party for you too." Kiya said smiling at her second son. She smiled as she watched him; he was the exact opposite of Etsuo, her dark hair and Gaara's jade eyes, minus the insomnia rings of course.

Kiya smiled as she thought 'Oh my Kyo, you are gonna grow up to be one crazy lady-killer.'

"Hey dad! Can you tell me who my Jounin leader is? Please, please, please?" Etsuo pleaded with Gaara at the dinner table.

"Etsuo don't pester your dad about that, you know he can't tell you. Besides the surprise is half the fun." Kiya smiled as she tried to get their 4 year old son, Kosho, to eat. "Come on, sweetie, one little bite, just for mommy?" she smiled as the dark haired boy reluctantly shoved a fist full of noodles in his mouth.

"Your mother is right Etsuo, I'm afraid I can't tell you." Gaara wore his tiny smile as his son deflated.

As Stella put Kosho to bed Gaara and Kyo were doing the dishes.

"Dad?" Kyo's little voice could barely be heard over the clanking of the dishes but Gaara looked up.

"D-do you think…um…do you think maybe I could…not-be-a-ninja?" he said quickly all the time keeping his eyes on his shoes.

Gaara paused and considered the question. Then knelt down and looked at his son's face.

"Why don't you want to be a ninja?" he asked and the softness in his voice drew Kyo's eyes to his.

Seeing no judgment Kyo explained "I'm just not very good at it. I can't hit my marks and I'm way behind. I think everyone else is passing me."

Gaara smiled his little smile "you might not believe this but Uncle Naruto used to have the worst marks in his class when he was in the academy."

"Nuh-uh! Uncle Naruto is the Hokage! He's the best there is…besides you." Kyo smiled a little sheepishly.

"Yes, believe it or not Uncle Naruto was horrible when he first started learning. When he saved the leaf village from Pein he was still technically a Genin. But Uncle Naruto is important because he worked hard for something he believed in, you can't give up just because you fail a few times. You have to keep trying but only if it is what you really want. You have to try for you, not for anyone else. Your mother and I will be perfectly proud of you no matter what you decide to do, just as long as you try your very best."

"Really?" Kyo smiled still a little unsure.

"Of course. You know your mother and how protective she gets. She would never not be proud of you." Gaara hugged his second son then sent him to bed, finishing up the dishes the heading to bed himself.

Upon entering the bed room Kiya sat up and smiled. "You're such a great dad. I don't know why you were so afraid before Etsuo."

"I must admit I had some help along the way." He sat next to her and pulled her closer.

"So would you say that being 'daddy' is the best job you have?" Kiya grinned up at him.

"I definitely would have to say that is true." Gaara said breathing her in.

"Well that's good because babe, you're gonna be a daddy again."

THUD went the floor as Gaara fell off the bed.

~FF 6 years~

Gaara had all five of his sons lined up in his office. This was bad; this was really, REALLY bad! He surveyed each of his sons in turn starting with Etsuo, now 17, his dark red hair was untamable just like Gaara's and his bright blue eyes twinkled with the comedy of the situation. Sending him a look that said 'Not one word.' Gaara moved to look at his second, Kyo, 14, who had indeed decided that being a ninja was not for him and worked at the local ramen shop, much to Naruto's satisfaction. Kosho, 10 and the middle child was always attempting to get into trouble along with his two younger brothers the twins, 5 years old both of them, named Raiden and Arashi. Together they were known in the village as the thunderstorm twins.

Gaara walked up and down the line of his sons once more then decided to speak "Well, we all know why we are here. We, even though it is mostly my fault, collectively forgot your mother's birthday yesterday." He stopped when there was a snicker from the two youngest. "And of course to make things worse she's moody because of the baby." Gaara continued referring to Kiya once again being pregnant and in the final months at the moment. "So I will need your help to make it up to her. Ideas?"

The boys just looked around at each other, confused expressions exchanged and hopelessness soon set in. Gaara felt about ready to rip his hair out! He couldn't believe that he had forgotten his own wife's birthday! He turned and sat in his chair then promptly banged his forehead down on the desk, effectively worsening his headache.

Ignoring the poorly hidden laughter Gaara groaned "laugh all you want, our lives are collectively over."

"Uh, dad?" Kyo said hesitantly. "I have an idea."

Gaara looked up waiting for his second son to continue.

"Well, it's not much but I thought we could go home and clean for her."

Gaara nodded "Okay, that's a start."

"I hate cleaning." Arashi whined.

"Me too." Raiden agreed.

"Do you want to have me cook dinner again?" Gaara answered them with a stern look.

"No." they both replied in unison.

"Right, then I suggest that all of us go home and clean like it's our favorite thing in the whole world!" Gaara then had an idea. "I know. This is a mission. Kosho, Arashi and Raiden you three go home and start cleaning your rooms. If you do it right you get three desserts tonight at dinner!"

The three of them were out the door no sooner than Gaara had finished his promise.

"Now," Gaara stood "Kyo, I want you to go home and start cooking something for dinner. Everyone knows you're an infinitely better cook than any of us." Kyo nodded and left to go to the market.

Gaara turned to Etsuo "I need you to go to the flower shop and buy them out. Everything!"

"Geez, overboard much?" Etsuo crossed his arms and smirked at his father.

Gaara scrubbed his hands over his face; Etsuo may have looked up to him but he got his attitude from his mother. He took Etsuo by the shoulders and said very seriously "When you have a wife you'll understand but for right now I need you to go buy all the flowers in Suna."

"Can you believe he forgot my birthday? We've been married for how long now? I've given him 5 sons and another child on the way and he forgets MY BIRTHDAY?!" Kiya ranted to Aliya over tea.

"Well you never know, he might have just been trying to really surprise you? Like he is pretending to have forgotten your birthday so he can really go all out." Aliya offered, trying to placate the loud and angry Kaze-hime.

"Gaara's not that kind of guy, much more straight forward; he probably forgot and is now attempting to apologize by doing something outrageous. I brought it to his attention that my birthday had been yesterday before I went out this morning." Kiya reasoned with her friend.

"Well then why are you still mad if you know that he's doing something huge to make it up to you?" Aliya asked lowly.

"One: because he still forgot and two: this supposedly amazing thing he's doing hasn't happened yet, therefore I can bitch and moan about it all I want!" Kiya laughed and sipped the rest of her tea as Aliya gently shook her head.

A few hours later Kiya waddled home. Opening the door her eyes widened momentarily in shock, the entire foyer was bursting with flowers! Quickly she hid her surprise, after all she was still mad but this lessened the sting significantly.

"MOMMA!" her twins shouted from the top of the stairs then stampeded down to crush each of her legs in an affectionate hug.

"We cleaned our room!" they chorused in unison.

"Oh really! I'll have to see that to believe it!" the moment she said it she regretted it because both the boys began tugging her toward the stairs. Thankfully she was rescued by Etsuo.

"Raiden, Arashi. Not right now, it's time for dinner." He announced.

Kiya looked slightly confused "What do you mean? I haven't cooked anything…?"

"Kyo took care of it Mom." Etsuo said leading Kiya into the kitchen and to the head of the table.

It was getting harder and harder to keep the smile from her face. "Alright! Fall in!" and the boys scampered into a line, oldest to youngest.

She couldn't hold it back any more and the grin blossomed on her face. She strolled down the line giving each of her sons a kiss on the cheek. Straightening up again she looked around then said "where is your father?"

"He said he had to go get something and that he would be home a little after dinner." Etsuo said a little apprehensively.

Kiya's face darkened momentarily but then he smiled at her boys "Well I suppose that we had best eat this before it gets cold." And they all sat down to eat the dinner Kyo made.

Gaara had racked his brain for the perfect gift idea as his son's carried out his orders. He couldn't do anything half-assed or cliché because that would tell her that he hadn't thought things through. He couldn't get her anything pertaining to cooking or cleaning, that would just be rude and she didn't tend to wear a whole lot of jewelry now that they have almost 6 children! And of course sex was WAY out of the question. Kiya was in her 9th month! The baby could come any day no-

"DAD!" his thoughts were cut off by Etsuo violently throwing open his office doors. "Mom's having the baby! She's in the kitchen but she won't leave without you!" Etsuo had gone through this before so he wasn't as panicked as his younger brothers had been when Kiya said that she was going to have the baby soon.

Gaara allowed himself a little smile at the fact that she still wanted him to take her to the hospital like every other baby they had had. She would stop where ever she was and tell the nearest person to go get the Kazekage because she was not moving from that spot until he was there to take her.

"Let's go." He said and led the way home with Etsuo tailing behind him.

"I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" Kiya screamed, bearing down and crushing his hand in hers.

She had only been in labor for about 4 hours but seeing as this was her 6th baby she had progressed fairly quickly compared to her first 2 children.

Gaara just smiled softly, squeezing her hand back and kissing her forehead, he knew she didn't mean what she said.

"Okay a few more should do it!" the doctor said.

Kiya nodded taking in deep breaths in the seconds between contractions then pushing again. For the last few pregnancies they had opted not to know the gender because it seemed less and less important but everyone was surprised when the doctor announced that they had finally had their first girl.

Kiya flopped back down on the bed panting raggedly. "Really? I finally…have a girl?" at Gaara's nod she continued "alright, well in that case…I'm done…no more babies."

A few minutes after Kiya was holding her new daughter in her arms feeding her and the doctor asked for her name.

Gaara answered "Hikari."

A/N: and they lived happily ever after! for real though, this is the end.

Thank you all for reading and commenting and sticking with me through this whole thing! this is the end of the first fanfiction I ever even dreamed of writing and I want to thank you all for helping me bring it to life, it never would have happened if not for you guys so thank you, thank you, thank you!