Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: I'm back! As in the words of Rock Lee, "Yosh!" Okay, really this took some major editing on my side. For some reason I don't like using betas(no offense to anyone who does or is one) I just find that I like to edit my own work. Call it self-satisfaction or what not. But please keep in mind that this is the sequel for Missioning With You but I guess it could stand alone. But I strongly advise going back to read the original.

Rating: M to be safe.

Conceiving With You

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Prologue

She could feel it, the end of another greatly anticipated conversation. In Sakura's opinion, the allotted hour that she was allowed to talk to her husband on the phone would never be enough.

"I miss you…" she breathed into the receiver.

Static and jumbled noises answered her saddened voice. Another moment passed before she heard him shout an order to one of his subordinates. "I'm trying to talk to my wife!" Another minute passed by before he finally returned to her. "Sakura?"

"Still here."

"Another week," came his exhausted answer.

Her sigh was heavy when she replied, "I'm counting the seconds."

"Do me a favor, will you? Look under your pillow right now and tell me what you see." She rolled her eyes, not that he could see and scooted closer to the headboard. She lifted the satiny object and then squealed.

"Sasuke!" He chuckled tiredly at her delighted response. "You like it?" In her hands she held a cropped photo of them on their first night in Suna on their honeymoon.

"I do," she agreed, close to tears.

"You're not crying are you?" He asked wearily. She could make out Ibiki's voice, warning them that they had minutes left. It seemed so unfair. This would be her last contact with him for another week, if she was lucky. Maybe his team's departure would be delayed due to the extreme weather of his location. The trip back would take two days timing at best.

"Oh shut up Uchiha," she teased tearfully. Just then a bout of depression winded through her. They had less than sixty seconds left and she already missed him.

"Just remember to use tissue," He paused. "I love you."

And the line went dead.

Chapter One

She awoke, as was the case more often than not, alone. "Get a grip Sakura," she muttered to herself, clearly alluding to the fact that she would be alone for another week. So she might as well suck it up. On her way to the shower, she stopped.

Her hands found her stomach with a slow sting in her chest. Of course she wouldn't feel a round-barely-there-bulge. She wasn't pregnant like she had previously assumed.

Her puking bout could solely be constituted to the stomach virus and nothing else. And her wild misinterpretation was only the product of a defected pregnancy test. She'd expected him to be angry. Possibly at her. Except that he hadn't been.

"Excuse me?"

The doctor shuffled uncomfortably in front of her. He clearly didn't like where their conversation was heading, although there was some pity in his eyes. "I said you…are not pregnant."

All of those sweet kisses to her tummy from her husband meant nothing then. All of the daydreams of what her child might possibly look like faded from existence, as if being erased by a looming darkness. It left her in shock.

"What happened to one hundred percent accuracy?" She asked dully.

"Ah, you used an at home treatment?" She nodded. "Then I would be well advised to remind you that it is ninety-nine point nine percent accurate. There's always that chance-"

"What about my late period?"

He squirmed again. "Irregularity does happen, Uchiha-san."

"Morning sickness?"

"You had a minor case of the stomach virus. I prescribed you some medication for that. Perhaps you'd like to stay for an IV? I'd be happy to get a nurse for that, the fluids would do your body good."

She burst into tears, her shoulders digging into her neck. The doctor, feeling awkward, shuffled out of the room with a mumbled apology. The meaning of time seemed to matter very little in her state. Two days could have passed and she would not have realized it. She sobbed even harder when familiar arms encased her.

"The baby…" She started but found that her words just slurred into more sobs.

"I know." Sasuke whispered into her hair. "And it doesn't matter."

She pulled back against his hold violently. In an effort to give her what she wanted, he released her. "How can you say that? That was going to be our child! What am I saying?" More tears spilled over. "There never was a baby, right? So you can leave me now, if that's what you want. I'm sorry-"

He shook her fiercely until her teeth rattled inside her mouth. Her moist eyes searched his enraged face, with panic. "Don't ever think that," he hissed. "I don't want you because of children! I could have had children with anyone. I want you. How many times do I have to tell you that? I'm not leaving you."

"I'm sorry…"

"Stop that!" He demanded as he shook her again. "Quit apologizing over such pointless things. It was an easy mistake to make. We can try again, Sakura."

"But-"

"No! Stop thinking up reasons to take this onto yourself." And then she threw herself back into his arms. They tightened around her as he kissed her forehead delicately.

"We'll try again," he promised in a whisper. "Tonight, if you want to. Or as soon as we get out of here. Hell, right here on this hospital bed is fine."

She made a sound that was an odd cross between a hiccup and a watery laugh.

"We'll have children," he promised in her ear. "As many as you'd like."

She didn't realize she was crying until her face was suddenly hot and wet. It was times like these that she felt the overwhelming need for his presence. He assured her that it was mutual but she couldn't help but think that he sometimes enjoyed his missions. The chance to stretch his legs was always welcome with him.

On the fifth day, she had a feeling. A feeling that continuously nagged at her gut, telling her that something was wrong. It could only be described as dread. Then again she was rather pessimistic.

"You okay?" Ino questioned as she dug her glove covered hands into the ground.

Ignoring the question, the pink-haired woman continued to plant her seeds in the soil. Planting flowers around their huge estate was no small feat. "No, not really."

"What's bothering you, now?"

She shrugged. "It's hard to tell. I feel so nostalgic all of the time because of the pregnancy issue," Her eyes prickled. "And Sasuke's never home enough to actually try again…and I got this feeling all of a sudden."

Ino nodded her head in understanding. She dusted her dirt covered hands and came to kneel by her best friend. "Are you sure you aren't feeling, you know, neglected?" Sakura stared at her confused. "What?"

"Erm…you know, sexually?" A few fair strands of hair fell into her blue eyes. "It's perfectly normal in marriage. Are you sure that feeling isn't just bedroom neglect?"

"Ino!"

She held up her hands defensively. "Just sayin', it could be."

Sakura pouted before resuming her gardening. Was Ino right? She doubted it. It wasn't like her sex life was taking a huge beating, maybe just a small roughening up. But she could completely deal with that. She had known that when she had married him, of course. His profession – their profession – often called them away from the household. Sasuke was okay with that.

Then why couldn't she be?

The kunoichi liked to think that her problems were more linked to emotional neglect rather than sexual. She hadn't seen him in a month after all. Nevertheless, Ino had been separated from her Shikamaru for weeks at a time and she looked perfectly happy.

No, she was glowing.

"Hey!" She exclaimed. "Toss me that kunai." She caught the tiny object with ease before resuming her hacking of weeds. "So, how have things been with Shikamaru? Was the honeymoon great?"

The blonde actually blushed at the question. "We're fine plus the honeymoon was amazing! But I did feel rather queasy towards the end…"

Sakura stopped mid cutting and turned to look at her thoughtful companion. "Have you considered that you might be pregnant?" I refuse to be jealous. I refuse to be jealous. I refuse to be -

"Actually, I am!"

She realized that she had stopped breathing all together and that Ino was looking at her quizzically. "Congratulations Ino, when you'd find out the good news?"

"Yesterday when Tsunade-sama asked me if I was. Of course I hadn't even thought of that but she insisted that I take "the test" because I was glowing. Can you believe that? Glowing!"

Yes. Her sunshine haired friend was practically on fire, her blue eyes wet with triumph. Of course, she was happy for her. It was the kind of news most people would be delighted to hear. But she was a little disappointed. Maybe if her husband were home enough to actually do the deed than maybe; just maybe, she wouldn't be that far behind Ino.

A soft touch to her temple, stirred her awake that night. At first she thought that maybe it was just a figment of her dream. But when the cool stroke turned into a searing kiss against her forehead, her eye lids fluttered open.

"Hey," he breathed. He was still dressed in his jounin uniform, having quit ANBU the past month so he could be closer to her when he thought she was actually with child.

For a moment all that she could comprehend was the feeling of his hands against her body. That was before she actually realized that her husband was actually home. "Sasuke…" She threw her arms around him, her lower body still tangled in sheets.

He made an uncomfortable sound, his fingers prying her arms from him. Before she let the rejection set in, she noticed that he had winced. "Did I hurt you?" She didn't remember putting any chakra into that hug…

"I'm fine," he lied smoothly. The muscles of his upper body were revealed to her as he removed his vest and shirt. He disappeared into the bathroom, presumably to take a shower.

Wow.

She was amazingly dumb to be so smart. Had she just ruined what could have possibly been a tender reunion? Maybe. Honestly, she didn't know what she did wrong. Perhaps she had been a little too overenthusiastic with her physical contact. She was married to Uchiha Sasuke after all. He did like his space.

Maybe she had misjudged his presence and he didn't want her to touch him. But he had seemed so sweet. With a groan, she flopped back onto her pillow and rolled over. He would be out in another thirty minutes or so. And he would climb into bed and probably ignore her for some reason or another. And she would pretend to be asleep.

Basically she had two options. She could sulk over their "argument" or whatever it was and keep her feelings inside. Or she could be a woman about it and go confront him before she missed her chance. Deciding that it wasn't worth it, she closed her eyes and prayed for sleep. But it never did come.

Sakura rose from their bed, her fists clenched determinedly. She entered their bathroom with hesitant footsteps, unsure as to whether her courageous act might blow up in her face. She could make out his perfect silhouette through the glass door leading into the shower with ease. If not for all of the vapor that clouded the sliding door, she would have been able to see him with surprising clarity.

Her fingers encased the handle, but didn't go any farther. She had maybe two seconds before he realized her presence and she would lose the element of surprise. With a silent intake of breath, she slid open the barrier and stepped inside.

The water was hot against her skin but not uncomfortably so. It drenched everything from her short pink hair to the flimsy material of her nightdress. She took a step forward – and reached for his shoulder.

"Sakura," he murmured with his back to her. She nearly jumped from her skin and had a heart attack. Had he known she was outside of the shower all along? Of course, he had.

She smiled briefly at the realization. Who knows what she had been thinking when she had the bright idea to sneak up on him of all people. Alas, he did turn to face her with an unreadable expression.

"Do you need something?" His voice was strained when he took in her tentative form.

Yeah, you. She wanted to say but swallowed it down. God, she was such a coward. "Are you angry at me?" The words were rushed.

"No."

"Then, why won't you at least talk to me? If this is about the baby-"

With a swift move of his arm, he pushed her into the marbled wall, his hands on both of her shoulders. "This is not about the baby or you, God you just don't get it!"

Fed up with being confused by his stoic antics she shouted back at him. "Then what is it, then? What. Is. Your. Problem?" Their breathing increased as they stared heatedly at one another. "I don't see you for a month and when you come home early by two days, you ignore me!"

He looked like she had just slapped him. His eyes, partially hidden beneath wet black hair, narrowed dangerously. And then at her fiery expression, they softened. "I haven't been much of a husband, have I?"

She didn't answer; her eyes continued to prickle. "And yes, maybe this is about the baby – or lack thereof." She flinched at his whisper. "My point exactly. I've just been so damned frustrated because I feel like I'm walking on eggshells with you. You're mourning something that never even existed."

His words allowed her to look at the situation with a whole new set of eyes. It wasn't him that had changed. It was her. He was so right that it was laughable. She was constantly depressed because she wasn't pregnant. But they had years to raise a family and truth be told, she hadn't been worried about having kids until she falsely thought that one was growing inside of her.

"You're right." Her head sagged until there was nothing but the sight of their feet to greet her. His fingers lifted her face to meet his. "I know," he claimed arrogantly. "But that doesn't make my behavior right either."

Suddenly his nakedness was all that she could think about. Her body, still covered in her nightdress, was fully aware of his. Judging from his expression that feeling was mutual.

Her eyes centered on his lips and then darted back up to his face. "Sorry, what did you say?" His hands slid from her shoulders to the curve of her hips to hike her body up.

"Nothing important," he whispered before urging his mouth onto hers. His tongue cool as it always was, parted her lips with impassioned insistence.

To be continued…

A/N: Huzzah! Another chapter down. I think I updated Waking to You yesterday but I'm not for certain. I've been writing chapters for that story and for this one like crazy. Anyways keep in mind that this story is about the conflicts of Sakura and Sasuke's relationship as a couple and as the title suggests, pregnancy. And Sasuke is still Sasuke no matter how close they are, which sadly, might drive a wedge between them. Also, it was pointed out to me that all of my story titles include the word "You." LMAO. Ciao.

Surmise