Authors Note: I AM BACK! I know that I have not updated in months… almost a year! However, I can now happily say that the two semesters from hell are finally done. I am not exaggeration at all. I had six classes in one semester; five of those classes were half semester classes, one full semester. Half semester classes mean that you get all the work of a full semester class, in half the time. I had APA formatted papers coming out of my ears. Then I started the next semester, after Christmas, and I had five more classes. All of these classes had ridiculous amounts of writing due and little time to do it. Since I waited so long to start writing again, I had to reread Chapter 14. I am inspired and so excited now! Thank You to 'mdtiger', 'Reverence of the Night Rain', 'andersoncami95', 'NarutoFanner', and 'Lostinshanghai' for the reviews on the last chapter. Here's hoping that you, plus anyone else still reading the story, will do the same for this one. Here we go!

What a Life 15

Shikamarus' POV

The chilly wind whipped against my face as a jumped through the air. Chakra pumped into my feet and I stuck to a branch of a giant tree. The snap of a twig alerted me to the right, almost directly, under where I now stood.

Silently my feet moved to the left, I ducked into tree hollow and crouched down. I sat down on the floor of the hollow and waited.

The chakra of the enemy was strong at the floor of the forest. 'Hopefully they won't decide to make camp here. It would be so troublesome to stay up here all night.'

Seconds turned into minutes of waiting. As I prepared to wait until morning, I heard shuffling and the strong chakra slowly dissipate. 'Did they leave?' I silently asked myself. Moving quickly, I scanned the area. The enemy moved away from my hiding place. I retreated into the hollow and sighed in relief.

Opening the pocket in my flask jacket, I pulled out a crumpled letter.

"Dear Shikamaru,

You should have picked this letter up from the base at the border of the Fire Country. I wrote this letter only days after you left. Depending on the time, you should be reading this about a week after the start of your mission. Two days after you left, I went to the hospital for the regulated vaccinations; I found out that I am pregnant… surprise! I know we have only been trying for a few months and I wanted you to be the first to know. Well technically Sakura was the first to know, but you are officially the first person I have told. I would love to wait until you get home to tell everyone else; however, your mission is pretty long and it is only a matter of time before people will find out. At this point, I am a little over three months pregnant, which leaves six months for you to get your butt back here in time for the birth of our second child. Don't you dare say 'how troublesome'; six months is plenty of time. I wish you were here now to celebrate the news with me. Don't worry about us; we will be fine until you get back. I will be telling our parents and Shikamae the wonderful news later today, after mailing this letter to you. Concentrate on the mission and return home safely.

All of my love,

Ino Nara"

My eyes skimmed the page for the thousandth time. I first received this letter a year ago, right before an opponent captured me.

'One year seized in a cell, locked away in a foreign country, missing my family and friends. I have missed the birth of my child. I am not even sure if they are okay. What is Ino got sick or didn't make it through the birth? What if she lost the baby during the pregnancy?' I shook my head, as if to block the questions that had circled through my mind away.

I could not allow myself to think of these scenarios. 'Be optimistic' I told myself. Once again, I crept from the hollow and jumped out into the night.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I immediately had to shut them again for the bright light that blinded me. I heard a gasp and feet moving away. The light on the other side of my eyelids dimmed a bit and I attempted to look at my surroundings.

I instantly recognized a Konoha hospital room and the pink haired nurse standing beside my bed.

"Shikamaru, you are awake. Do you know where you are? Do you know who I am?"

I smirked, "I am back in Konoha. You are Sakura. We have known each other since school. A few months before I left you married Rock Lee and were expecting your first child; which obviously you have given birth to and returned to work."

Sakura smiled dreamily and could seem to hold back a giggle. "Actually, Mr. Smarty-pants, I gave birth to twins. Lee and I have two beautiful daughters, whom Lee loves and has vowed to protect with his life."

I frowned. Sakura seemed to read my mind.

"Ino is fine. She and your second born are at home resting."

I quickly barraged her with questions. "How long have I been unconscious? Does she know I am here? Do we have a son or daughter? How is Shikamae? What about my parents? What have I missed in the year I was gone?"

Sakura laid a hand on my arm. "Calm down Shikamaru. You have only been out for a few hours. We picked you up at the gate just before sunrise. Given the short time, no one has notified Ino that you have returned. As for the rest, you will have to find out when you get home. I can release you after you answer a few questions. You are physically fine, just a few scratches, and bruises. Tell me about the mission and I can let you leave."

After an hour of questions and answers, retelling about the mission, and going into deep detail about my capture, I was permitted to leave. I ran through town, remembering that in a few days I would have to report to the hokage.

The idea of seeing my family flooded my mind; I could not wait to see Shikamae, hold my new child, and wrap Ino in my arms. This made me run faster.

When I made it to my front door I all but burst through it. I sprinted around the downstairs before jogging up the stairs. No one was home.

"You have got to be kidding me! The troublesome woman isn't even home!" I all but yelled in frustration.

Then I felt it. 'That is Inos' chakra!' I thought. I opened the window and jumped to the ground. Sprinting again, I hurried towards Ino. I saw her. Her hair lightly blew in the breeze. She carefully hung laundry out on the line with my mother. She turned, saw, ran.

Opening my arms, I caught her mid-jump.

"Shikamaru! Oh my God, Shikamaru. You were gone. You left for so long. I cannot believe it!" She said between breaths as hot tears ran down her cheeks.

I kissed her, hugged her, and held her. All at once, I stopped, put my hands on her shoulders, and moved her, so slightly, away from me. "Where is she? Where is he? Where is our child?" She smiled brightly. Taking my hand she led my toward the house. Opening the door, I heard the sound of laughter.

"Grandpa! Put me down. I am not a baby; you don't have to carry me around the room! Carry Shikano!" The loud voice, I instantaneously recognized as Shikamae, screeched.

Peering into the room, I saw my father, appearing the same as the day I left, holding Shikamae high in the air.

Shikamae looked older. I felt a punch in my stomach, 'I missed my little girl growing up'.

I saw him. Yes, I had a son. Thick black hair covered his tiny head. My feet planted in their spots; I couldn't move. My father locked eyes with me. He didn't say anything for a few moments. He lowered Shikamae so he could whisper to her. After her feet touched the ground, her tiny hands fisted and she seemed to say between closed teeth, "Grandpa, if this is a trick, I will never forgive you."

When she turned, tears filled her big blue eyes. Much like Ino had, she launched herself at me, and I caught her mid-air. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my torso.

"Daddy you came back!" That is all I could hear. The rest of her speech was drowned out with tears and gasps of air. I took my free hand and ran it through her hair. Slowly I walked to the couch, sat and waited out the crying.

When Shikamae stopped, she pulled herself away from me and wiggled to the floor.

"Daddy, you have to meet Shikano. He is my baby brother. Mommy found out that she was going to have him when you left. Then one day, a little while ago, we were at home and we were making dinner together. All of a sudden, Mommy was lying on the floor in pain. She was screaming and crying and I ran and got Grandma and Grandpa."

It took all I had not to get up and go to Ino. She had to go through that without me. I felt another punch in the stomach.

Her hands covered her mouth, "Oops, I was not supposed to tell you that." She glanced at Ino, who was still standing silently in the corner of the room. "But now you know, so you have to meet him. He is really small. Mommy said I was that small once."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me. I stood up and followed her. I knelt down and stared at him. I moved my hand to him. It seemed so big next to the small body.

"He rarely cries." Ino said over my shoulder. When I looked, Ino had moved into the room and my father was nowhere to be found. "Your mother says he takes after you as a baby. He sleeps constantly and is rather quiet, unless he is hungry."

I turned back when I felt a tiny hand wrap around my index finger.

I locked eyes with my son. All at once, I realized that he looked just like me; dark hair, dark eyes.

I had to say his name once. Strangely, I felt if I didn't say it, this would not be real.

"Shikano."

Inos' POV

"Damn it Shikano, get back here!" I yelled.

I turned and yelled into the house, "Shikamaru go get your son. I told him to stay out of the rain; it is almost time for dinner. What does he do? He opens the door and runs outside. If you don't get him in here, I am going to ring both of your necks!"

I frowned at my husband as he strolled past me. He stopped and backtracked. Quickly, I felt his hand press into the small of my back and his lips lock with mine.

"Oh my god! Please don't do that when Hinato gets here. Please, please, please!" I heard the pleas of my daughter from the stairs. I pushed Shikamaru away and looked, knowing what I would see before I looked.

Shikamae was standing halfway down the stairs; a horrified expression covered her face. "You guys are so troublesome!"

I turned to glare at the man standing before me. "Who taught her that Shikamaru?" He turned and strolled out the door. I turned back to the teenager standing the stairway. "Shikamae, go set the table. I will rip out your vocal chords if I hear you say 'troublesome' again. I already have to deal with it from your father and your brother."

She stomped down the stairs and into the dining room. I moved into the kitchen to finish preparing the meal.

The front door opened, chaos could be heard from the space. I turned just in time to see a dripping Shikamaru and Shikano enter the room.

"I found him. Would you like to kill him not or wait until the guests arrive?" I crossed my arms and stared at the boy, who was growing to be as tall as the man beside him was.

"Shikano Asuma Nara. You will march yourself upstairs and change. I don't want to hear a sound." I said in my best 'Mom' voice. Quickly, the boy ran toward his room. Shikamaru moved to me and attempted to wrap his arms around me. I stopped him mid-hug and pushed him away. "You should go change too, you look horrible!"

Shikamae waltzed into the room. Shikamaru glanced at her, turned to me, and quickly moved his gaze to the 16-year-old.

"I am not the only one who needs to change. Young lady you get up to your room and put different clothes on. I want you in something that covers all of the skin from your neck to your ankles. Don't give me that look. You are too young to be wearing a dress that short!"

I decided not to argue that the dress ended at her knees, or that it was longer than anything I would have worn at her age.

He turned to change and Shikamae stood in the doorway of the kitchen, mouth agape, as her eyes moved to me.

"You heard your father. Don't worry Sweetie, your father is going through a phase. My father went through the same thing. If they are anything alike, the phase should end in about twenty years or at least clam a bit." I ushered her to the stairs as I heard the first knock on the door. Rushing, I grabbed the handle and pulled the door open.

Hinata, Kiba, and Hinato stood on the other side. I welcomed them into the house. Hinatas' large belly bumped into me as I hugged her. Kiba and Hinato scooted by me. A flash of Hinato being born went through my mind. Now he was taller that I am and 16-years-old. He inherited his mother eyes, but that was all. Other than the eyes, he was the spitting image of Kiba.

"How are the four of you Hinata?" She smiled. "We are great. They are moving around a lot now. I hate to say it but I cannot wait to get them out, I cannot sleep half of the time because they seem to be sparing inside of my stomach."

I laughed quietly. 'Hinata having triplets, who would of thought?'

Hinato had taken a seat on the couch and a look of fear struck him as Shikamaru entered the room. Shikamae all but jumped down the stairs, quickly jutting in front of her father. She glared at him harshly before transitioning to a smile and turning to Hinato.

Kiba carefully ushered Hinata to a chair before walking over to Shikamaru and starting up a conversation.

Dinner was over. Hinato and Shikamae had moved into the den. Shikamaru, Shikano, and Kiba were 'covertly' spying on the pair of teenagers. Hinata was trying to get Kiba to sit with her, unsuccessfully. I walked over to the trio, pulled Shikamaru out of the pack, and through the back door.

"How long has it been since we have relaxed on the back porch and sat on the porch swing?" I towed him to the swing with me and we sat.

Eventually, Shikamaru calmed down enough to wrap his arm around my shoulders. In turn, I rested my head in on his shoulder. A light breeze swept by. The rain had stopped for now; although, it was bound to start up again.

"I know what your dad was feeling when we were younger. True this isn't an arranged marriage, but I almost want to strangle the kid for touching our daughter."

I leaned against him harder and tried not to laugh.

"Shikamaru, I love you."

Shikamaru jolted forward and locked eyes with me. "Shit, Ino you are not pregnant again are you?"

I looked at him strangely. 'Since when does me loving him mean I am pregnant?' I told him to relax and he sat back against the swing.

I continued where I left off, "We have been together for years, whether it be in friendship or something more. Either way, I have loved you the entire time. I know we still have a ways to go. I plan on seeing this thing through until we are old and have lots of grandchildren to spoil." I stopped to glance at Shikamaru grimace. "We have had our moments. We have had ups and downs. But I'll never regret that arranged marriage." I grinned up at him and he gave me one of the mind-melting kisses that I love so much. "All I can say is, so far, what a life!'

Authors Note: Written and edited. I want to thank everyone, who has read this, for reading my story. I loved writing it. Shikamaru and Ino are one of my favorite couples and I love writing about them. It does make me sad to announce that this is the last chapter. I feel that this is the right time to end the story. If I continued with it, I would go more into the children's lives, which may or may not make an interesting story or two. Thank you again for the support over these, almost, two years. As I have said in every other chapter… PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!

Blondegirl09