The Return

Chapter 59

 Comforts of Home

Ino glanced down at the small pink plus sign gleaming back at her. How was she going to tell Sai? Would he be happy? Sad? Or would he simply turn away blankly like he did when he was upset, but trying to hide his feelings? Honestly, why couldn't anything be straight forward with him? Plus, it wasn't like she could ask Sakura or Hinata for advice. They had their own pregnancies to worry about. Pregnancies...the word hung thickly in her mind like a fog clouding her judgment. She bowed her head, wondering how she was going to make it out of this situation in one piece.

"Beautiful? I'm home!" His voice rang through the hallway.

Damn, the very time he gets home early, she thought. She didn't answer as she heard him take off his shoes on the porch.

"Good news! It looks like we might be able to team up for our next mission. I know you're still a chunin, but this could be an opportunity for you to get promoted. I know how much you've wanted to become a jonin like Sakura over the past few years."

Shoot, she'd forgotten all about that! What was she going to do now? Could she even work in her condition? No, if Sakura could go on a mission with Sasuke, she could do the same with Sai. She took a deep breath and prepared to face her fiancée.

There was a knock on the bathroom door. "Ino? Are you in there?"

"Yeah!" Her voice sounded foreign as she called back to him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah" her voice caught as a lump formed in her throat. With his simple consideration for her well-being, she felt her world collapse in on itself. "No" she responded again. "No...I'm not."

With that single word, Sai barged in with concern and protectiveness. "What is it, Ino?!" he walked over to her, as she stood gripping the sink.

She shook her head, unable to get the words out.

"Feeling sick? I can make you some soup?" he reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She pulled back at his touch.

He removed his hand and waited for her to continue.

Eventually, she couldn't contain it anymore. He deserved to know. She took a deep breath and stared into his dark yet kind eyes, filled with compassion and worry. "Sai, I'm pregnant."

He stared blankly back at her.

She shifted uncomfortably as the silence lingered. She tried again. "I'm going to have a baby." Still nothing. "We're going to be parents." He wouldn't budge. She threw her arms in the air. "Fine, I'm going to be a parent and you're going to leave. Is that what you'd prefer?!" she stormed off.

As she left the room a hand grasped her arm tightly. She was pulled into a tight embrace unexpectedly. Sai kissed her tenderly and held her close. "Are you serious, beautiful? We're going to be parents?" he shook slightly.

Ino's gaze softened as she wrapped her arms around him. "Yeah. We're going to be a family."

As Sai released her, she could see that his smile was sincere. He was truly happy.

***

"Hinata!" Naruto called as he entered his house. "Sorry, I'm late! Kakashi-sensei made me go over his paperwork for the thousandth time. I swear he's trying to work me to death."

"Hinata?" he called again. It was oddly quiet in the hall and the lights were out in the living room. Walking down towards the kitchen, he saw a faint glow. He smiled, "There you are". He froze at the sight before him though. "Hinata? Hinata!" he called, rushing to his wife's side.