Empty Eyes: The Sequel

Chapter 51

The overwhelming pain in my body had let up only slightly, but it was enough for me to get upright with a hand on a boulder I'd landed near. My limbs shook as I took an unsteady step, looking around.

Where do I go?

What do I do?

All I can think about is finding a safe place to deliver this baby, but I'm not sure I can make it more than a few meters on my own as I am now.

Sweat and tears dripped from my face as I saw blood running down my legs, staining my dress, and darkening the stones on the ground. In my frantic glancing around, I lay eyes on a tiny cave so small that I could see its back wall from afar. It wasn't much, but it'd have to do if I could even get there.

So, I breathed deeply in my nose and out my mouth. One step after another, I shakily approached the natural shelter. Once within a yard of the cave's entrance, that unbearable sensation returned and took me to my knees with a cry.

Blood dripped to the ground as I stared, wide-eyed at it, unable to comprehend how the body could feel such awful things. Only then did I recognize the coppery taste on my tongue. Weakly lifting my head, I forced myself to crawl toward the cave, crying loudly and freely because there was no way to stop it anymore.

Somehow, I made it and collapsed onto my back, chest heaving as I panted. I could feel it, my life force sinking away quickly.

With no other choice, I tried to picture Sasuke's face as I pushed, screaming and squeezing my eyes closed. I remembered the first time I saw him sitting in the dining room with his back turned. When he stood, and I saw his face, I fell instantly. It wasn't his handsome face, attractive physique, wealth, or status.

No.

It was his eyes.

As I was at the time, I'd expected all the royals to have dull eyes, lacking in emotion, and empty, but that wasn't the case. Sasuke was angry. He was full of self-hate, annoyance, and discomfort, and it threw me off so severely that it took me a long time to realize it.

Though it was all negative, it opened my own eyes to the truth: I'd been prejudiced, and I was wrong. Sure, the Uchiha's did little to nothing to help their people at the time, but I let that sully my personality instead of trying to make a change. They were terrible, and so was I.

With that realization, I concluded that Sasuke and I weren't so different. That's when I allowed myself to admit I cared for him for the very first time.

Oh, God, I wish I could see him one last time.

Tsunade said he'd feel she broke the vow and undoubtedly begin seeking us out to figure out what happened, so I'm sure our baby will be found quickly, but I'll be long gone.

The scream's leaving my throat became more choked and harsh as the unbelievable pain sucked away the last of my energy.

My wheezing, heavy breath was the only sound for a moment, but then my heart was hypothetically torn from my chest by the sound of a baby's cry. At that moment, all the sadness and pain disappeared.

It didn't seem possible, but I still forced myself to sit up and move the skirt of my dress to see the beautiful, innocent blessing of a child there. She was covered in blood, with her little legs and arms curled up toward her middle.

"Come here, Sweetheart," I whispered in disbelief, carefully picking her up to hold in my arms.

I'm in love.

She's perfect, the spitting image of her father.

A shuck of thick, black hair was atop her head, and when I brushed my thumb across her cheek, dark eyes like Sasuke's peeked up at me.