Author's note: Just a few days short of being a year, this story is finally completed! Took us only 22 long chapters when initially it was only supposed to be 5 LMAO I'm so grateful for all of you who read and left reviews behind; I never expected this story to get this much attention and I'll be forever grateful for that!

STAY TUNED FOR THE LAST AUTHOR'S NOTE BECAUSE I HAVE SOME NEWS FOR YOU!

Thanks to the following reviewers: Meehalla; Redfoxshadow; M4573R; Insidegem; Melyway; mofokz; The Only One For Soujiro Seta; Neoh; yukino76; MistressofFiction; SehunsBea37; nenesse; SoraROCK; Mkayemolina; Sweetciel; KitsuneJen; Atari 9

Warnings: Set a few years into the future; implied mature content; MPreg; time skips; a bit of angst

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.

For the last time, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

22 Completing: Epilogue

"I'm really sorry I'm so late," Yuuko said embarrassed, bowing as much as her big belly would allow her to. "I thought I could do a quick grocery run before I would need to pick him up, but I underestimated just how many people would have the same idea as I had."

"Hey, it's okay," he smiled and turned around, calling out, "Sena-kun, your mum is here!"

"Okay!" the three year old yelled back from the back of the room, where he'd been stacking blocks as high as he could. He hurried over to them, brushing his curly brown hair out of his eyes. "Mummy!"

"Hey, honey, you ready to go home? Go grab your jacket, can you do that?" she smiled encouragingly and the little boy grinned widely, rushing to the hallway to grab his jacket and scarf.

She turned back to Naruto, offering him a shy smile. "My apologies again. I promise I won't be this late again."

"Don't worry about it," he reassured her, pressing the colourful small chairs back underneath the low tables. "He didn't misbehave at all. Besides, I get being surprised by the amount of people in a store – you don't want to know how many times I had to call my husband to tell him I would be later after all."

That made her laugh and relax. "Yeah, guess I learnt my lesson for next time. Either go way earlier or go after I've picked him up." She smiled ruefully, stroking her belly absently.

"How are you feeling? I was told you weren't well last week when you picked up Sena-kun," he asked concerned.

Yuuko had been dropping off her son at the day care since the day Naruto had started working here and her easy nature and tendency to chatter whilst waiting for Sena to finish getting ready had bridged the distance between them somewhat. He wouldn't exactly call them friends, but he was definitely closer to her than to the other parents.

"Oh that." She flushed, smiling awkwardly. "Yes, I'm fine. I got a bit dizzy because I hadn't eaten enough yet that day, so the little nugget here was protesting that." She patted her belly. "I'm not making that same mistake twice, trust me."

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he smiled, thinking absently that Sasuke had always made sure he'd eaten enough during his pregnancy.

"I'm ready!" Sena cried out, coming to an abrupt stop in front of his mother.

"All right, what do you say to Uchiha-sensei?"

"Bye, bye, sensei!" He waved furiously with one hand and clutched his mother's hand with the other.

"Bye, Sena-kun, I'll see you next week again," Naruto grinned, waving as well. He nodded at Yuuko. "See you on Monday, Yuuko-san."

"Have a nice weekend," Yuuko smiled and then they were off, Sena telling her excitedly about all the toys he'd played with today.

"Is everyone gone?" Kurenai asked, closing the door which led to the garden. She pushed a couple of errant black strands back into her ponytail before rubbing her hands together. "Brrr, it's getting really cold now. I won't be surprised if we'll have snow soon."

"Yeah, the last kid, Sena-kun, just left with his mother," Naruto confirmed, stretching his arms.

"Oh good, I was already starting to wonder where she was," she commented. "Did you manage filling in the diaries?"

"Yes, just finished now," he smiled, nodding at the stack of notebooks on the counter.

She wandered over to him and squeezed his arm gently, grinning. "I knew I'd made the right choice to hire you; less paperwork for me," she joked and he rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

He'd been working for her for two years now and he loved his job. The kids were a joy to work with, the hours allowed him to pick up his own son on time and Kurenai was an amazing boss.

"Now get out of here," she said, shooing him towards the door. "You've stayed long enough here already. Can't have your husband thinking I'm keeping you captive here."

He snorted, but acquiesced and went to gather his stuff. "Don't worry about that, he still has a couple of hours left on his shift."

"Yes, and we all know he has never quit his work a bit earlier to surprise you, hm?" Her red eyes glittered amused and she smirked when he blushed, remembering a few months ago when Sasuke had shown up unexpectedly early at the day care with twelve roses and an invitation for a reputed ramen restaurant to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

He had of course made sure to thoroughly thank his mate later on in the evening for being so thoughtful and sweet.

"Oh hush, like your husband doesn't do the same," he muttered and grinned when her cheeks pinked. Her husband, a guy named Sarutobi Asuma was a Beta who divided his time between working in construction and teaching teenagers karate at a local dojo. He regularly showed up with flower bouquets or boxes with sweets to surprise his wife.

She swatted his arm and stuck out her tongue. "So we both have thoughtful husbands, woe is us," she laughed.

They joked around a bit more before Naruto finally left, shivering when he stepped outside and was hit smackdab in the face by the stinging cold. Kurenai was right; he doubted it would be much longer before it would start snowing. Itachi would love that, he was sure. He and Sasuke could barely get him inside during snowy days.

He was glad to get into his car and get the heating started. He'd got the small car a year ago when public transport became too time consuming to get to his work and back. With his car, he was at the day care in half an hour tops, maybe a bit longer depending on traffic, while the bus took at least an hour. Having a car of his own also made it easier to pick up Itachi and do a quick grocery run or a visit to mum and dad without having to wait for Sasuke to be home.

During cold days like today, having a car was even better because it meant not having to wait in the cold for the bus to show up.

It was nearing half past five when he parked his car behind a large jeep and got out, his breath escaping him in small white puffs. He fished out the key and opened the front door, sighing in relief when pleasant warmth instantly enveloped him.

Pulling off his shoes for the moment, he called out, "Sorry for being so late, the last kid got picked up late."

A blond head poked out of the kitchen. "Hey, Naruto, it's fine. I figured that was the case, un," Deidara smiled warmly, despite the bags underlining his eyes.

"Still, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to have him stay for so long," Naruto sighed, walking to the kitchen after getting rid of his jacket.

"I don't mind, un. He and Asami played nicely together. Gave me a chance to feed Natsuo and change his diaper without any interruption," Deidara replied and shrugged.

"Daddy!" Itachi cheered when Naruto entered the kitchen. The three year old boy – about to turn four in just a couple of weeks – jumped off the chair, leaving his drawing behind on the table. He scurried to Naruto, holding up his arms in a silent demand to be picked up for a hug.

Naruto obliged immediately, bending down to pick up his son. Itachi clamped his legs around his daddy's waist and squeezed his neck tightly. "Missed you, daddy!"

"Missed you too, Itachi," Naruto smiled, brushing black bangs back to kiss his forehead. "Have you been a good boy for Deidara-jisan?"

Itachi puffed up his cheeks. "I'm always good, daddy!" he declared primly.

"I good too!" Asami chirped, dropping her red crayon on the table. Her brown eyes – ones she'd inherited from Sasori - shone when she looked up and gave Naruto a toothy smile. Her dark blonde hair had been braided into two pigtails and finished off with bright red bows. The dress she was wearing was a darker red and had black dots. "Hi, Naru-jisan!"

"Hello, Asami-chan. You look very pretty," Naruto smiled, hugging her back when she flung her arms around his leg.

"Thank you!" she giggled, bouncing in her seat.

Natsuo, Deidara's four month old son, mewled, blinking up large blue eyes at Naruto. Unlike his sister he'd inherited his other father's hair and the red tresses covered his head in a thick mop of hair.

"Aw, does someone else need some attention too?" Naruto cooed and Itachi let himself be put down, going back to his drawing so that Naruto could pick up the baby.

"He loves hogging all the attention, un," Deidara drawled, easily handing him over to the younger Omega. "I'm a bit afraid of how he'll turn out when he's older."

"Aw, don't listen to your dad, he's just a bit cranky because he doesn't sleep much," Naruto told Natsuo, who blinked at him before snuggling against his chest, letting out a small sigh.

Something fluttered in Naruto's chest and he started rocking the baby gently, inhaling his soothing scent. Man, this little guy was so cute. Not as cute as Itachi had been, of course, because no kid would ever be as cute as Itachi, but still.

Really cute.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, eyeing his friend. Natsuo seemed to be a more restless sleeper than his sister had been, judging by the deep bags underneath Deidara's eyes.

Deidara waved his hand haphazardly. "Ah well, can't really complain I guess. I'm tired, of course, but." He shrugged and sighed softly. "I just hope he'll sleep easier in a couple of months."

"I can ask my parents or one of my friends to pick up Itachi next time," Naruto suggested in a low voice, leaning against the counter.

"Nah, not necessary, un. I love having Itachi-kun over," Deidara smiled and it was a genuine one even with the traces of fatigue visible on his face and in his voice. "Asami loves having her cousin over as well. Besides, I know you'd do the same for me."

"Of course I would," Naruto immediately retorted and his friend's smile widened.

"How was your day at work?"

"One of the kids tried to strip and run outside buck naked," Naruto answered dryly and Deidara threw his head back laughing. "Kurenai managed to stop him just in time."

"Maybe you should bring Itachi-kun with you, so that he can keep the kids in line, un," Deidara grinned and Itachi perked up.

"Can I, daddy?"

"We'll see next week, okay?" Naruto smiled and Itachi hummed, bending over his drawing again.

Occasionally Itachi spent the day with him at the day care and the children there all loved him and the employees and the boss adored him. Honestly, no matter where he was, Itachi had that inane gift of wrapping everyone around his little finger, no matter how old they were. Must be the Uchiha charm.

Itachi himself loved being at the day care because it meant he could play with the children there, act like a big brother to them – something he excelled in even if he didn't have any actual siblings to be a big brother to.

Not yet anyway.

They ended up talking for a bit longer, Deidara explaining about a new exhibition Sasori was putting together, but when the microwave clock showed it was a quarter past six, Naruto decided it was time to leave.

"All right, time for us to go, it's my turn to cook tonight," Naruto announced, trailing his hand over Itachi's head. "Go get your stuff, Itachi, and then say goodbye to your uncle and your cousins, okay?"

"Okay!" Itachi trotted off to gather his bag and wherever he'd ended up throwing his jacket.

"Ready to go back to your daddy?" Naruto asked Natsuo, who pursed his lips and blew a spit bubble. The blond accepted that as a yes and chuckled when he placed the baby in Deidara's arms again. "Thanks again for picking up Itachi, I really appreciate it."

"I'm happy to, un," Deidara reassured him and rose up from his chair, cradling Natsuo against his chest. "All right, Asami, say goodbye to your uncle and Itachi-kun, they're going home now."

"Back soon," Asami said hopefully, wrapping her arms tightly around Naruto's leg again. For someone who'd only just turned two a couple of months ago, she was surprisingly strong.

"We'll be back soon, Asami-chan. And next time Sasuke-jisan will be here too," Naruto promised, swinging one of her braids gently back and forth.

"I like it!" she declared, beaming before swiftly turning around to hug Itachi when the latter skipped back into the room. "Bye, bye, 'Tachi!"

"Bye!" Itachi grinned, hugging her back before lifting up his backpack. "Daddy, look!" He was already wearing his jacket, but was still walking on socks.

"Good, now say goodbye to your uncle and your other cousin too," Naruto smiled and watched how Deidara lowered the baby carefully so Itachi could brush a gentle kiss against the rosy cheek. He had to restrain the ridiculous urge to coo; no matter how many times this scene repeated itself, he'd never get tired of how cute Itachi looked being so careful and sweet with his youngest cousin. He'd really make a good big brother. No surprise given who he was named after.

"Bye, Natsuo," he whispered, mindful of the fact that Natsuo was close to falling asleep. The red haired baby mewled softly, clenching and unclenching his little fist.

"Bye, Deidara-jisan!" Itachi then grinned, hugging the older blond. "Thank you for the sweets!"

"You're welcome," Deidara chuckled and ruffled his black hair. "I'll see you soon, okay, un?"

They exchanged a couple of more goodbyes before Naruto helped Itachi get into the car and get buckled into his seat. By now evening had fully set in and the only lights present were the streetlamps and the occasionally light shining through one of the windows of the nearby houses. There was an old man walking his dog and Naruto exchanged a friendly nod with him before getting into the car himself and driving away.

He had around an hour left before Sasuke's shift at the precinct would end; that should be enough to make something decent for dinner. Maybe he'd go for spaghetti; Itachi loved it and it had been a while since they had last eaten it.

Plus it was a quick dish to make, so there was that.

"Papa!"

Naruto smiled, stirring the tomato sauce, and listened to Itachi running into the hallway to greet Sasuke. It was a bit past seven and dinner would be ready in a couple of minutes – enough time for Itachi to greet his dad enthusiastically like he did every evening.

Arms slipped around his waist soon and lips pressed a kiss in his neck. "Hey there," Sasuke murmured, nuzzling the spot behind his ear.

Naruto turned around to give him a proper kiss. "Hey there, yourself. How was work?"

"Fine," Sasuke hummed, stealing another kiss. "Rather slow day. Some kid tried to vandalise a car with graffiti but was unlucky enough to have been spotted by a patrol car."

"Should have been more careful," Naruto said amused and turned around to shut off the stove. "All right, dinner's ready. Where's Itachi?"

"He was going to show me the drawings he made at Deidara's place today," Sasuke spoke, loosening his tie. "He also asked me if I wanted to play some football with him tomorrow in the garden."

"It's cold as hell." Naruto wrinkled his nose and began filling Itachi's plate.

The Alpha shrugged. "I know, but he wants to play and I'm not scheduled for a shift this weekend anyway. Besides, we'll get warm while playing."

"That's true," Naruto concurred; his gaze flitting briefly to the window looking out on the garden. The blinds had already been lowered, so even if darkness hadn't already settled in, he couldn't see the grass or the trees fencing off the garden.

They'd moved out of their apartment a year and a half ago, wanting Itachi to grow up in a more peaceful and quiet place than the city in which they had studied and graduated. When a house with a decently sized garden at the edge of their home town had been put up for sale, Naruto and Sasuke hadn't hesitated for long. They had bargained about the price – as the attic had been in need of some repair and the roof had needed a touch up as well – and had managed to get it for a cheaper price in the end. Cheap enough that the bank had okayed a loan for them.

With the both of them working and Sasuke's mostly untouched inheritance, they had been able to snatch this house for themselves. The garden was big enough for Itachi to run around and play in and was fenced in on three sides with both trees and a wooden fence. It had three bedrooms on the first floor and a small study; the kitchen was nothing to sniff at and the living room was big enough to have a large table in it so they could invite people over.

Naruto had loved their apartment, but he'd fallen in love with this house the moment he'd laid eyes on it. It was perfect for their little family and being in the same town as his parents made it easier to visit them.

Deidara and Sasori had moved out to the neighbouring town one year ago, when they'd decided to expand their family with a second child and had decided their apartment had become too small for that. Them living in a neighbouring town had been purely coincidental; Deidara had been accepted at the secondary school there and Sasori had found a better building to house his art exhibitions in.

With both their families living on the edge of their respective towns close to each other, it made it easy for Itachi to stay at his cousins' place and vice versa.

"Where are Shukaku and Kurama?" Sasuke questioned, but his inquiry was soon answered in the form of thundering paws.

A couple of seconds later a three year old German Shepherd and a two year old black and tan European Doberman came bounding into the room, excited to greet the last member of their family.

They had adopted both dogs from the shelter nearly a year ago. Both had apparently been listed into the police force to be trained as police dogs, but both of them had been considered too gentle and had been put up for adoption. Naruto had been a bit wary of adopting both dogs at first. Not because he disliked dogs, but because he hadn't been certain how they would act around Itachi. Itachi was still just a little boy and it wasn't like a German Shepherd or a Doberman were small breeds.

When they had introduced Itachi to the two dogs, however, they had acted as if they had grown up with the little boy. They'd allowed him to stroke their heads and pet their muzzles, all the while panting happily.

Seeing the dogs behave so gently around Itachi – a strange kid at that point still basically – had sealed the deal for both parents and twenty minutes later they'd walked out of the shelter with two very happy dogs and a very excited toddler, who'd immediately exclaimed he'd be giving the dogs their new names.

They might look like scary guard dogs, but essentially they were just big puppies all too happy to get some good cuddles. Not to say they sucked at guarding the house – no strange person could come near their home without both of them alerting their family about it.

"Well, hello there," Sasuke chuckled and ruffled Shukaku's, the German Shepherd, and Kurama's, the Doberman, heads. "Here are my good boys!"

Both dogs panted happily, nuzzling his palms and licking them in greeting.

Neither dog looked like their mythical counterparts in the stories – how could they, when one was a sly tanuki and the other a mischievous nine-tailed fox? – but Itachi had been adamant those would be their names and neither dad had seen a reason to object to that.

"Itachi, dinner's ready!" Naruto called out and a chipper, "Okay!" came back from the living room.

When Itachi entered the kitchen, he was already waving his drawings around in the air and telling his parents all about them.

Their son didn't seem to run out of steam throughout the entire dinner, jumping from one topic to the next, while his parents listened patiently to him. He talked about his classmates and the little kitty they had found on the playground, about the games he'd played with Asami and how he'd helped his uncle with changing Natsuo's clothes after the baby had accidentally thrown up a bit on it.

"Deidara-jisan says I'm a good big brother!" Itachi said proudly, stuffing the last part of his meatball in his mouth. "'Cause I help him so good with Natsuo!"

"You are a good brother to them," Sasuke agreed, making the boy beam brightly.

Naruto's eyes briefly met black ones before they both turned to look at their son, who was now talking about the cartoon he'd been watching before Sasuke came home.

Itachi would make a great big brother – that was something everyone who knew him agreed on. He loved playing with his cousin and the children at the day care; he was always careful when handling babies and liked taking care of Natsuo. He was immensely proud whenever someone mentioned what a good big brother he would make.

If there was one thing Naruto could be fairly certain of, it was that Itachi wouldn't mind becoming a big brother to his own brother or sister one day. He was certainly vocal enough about it.

The conversation shifted afterwards to talk about their work days once Itachi had talked to his heart's content, but the odd sensation which had arisen in his chest when hearing Itachi talk about behaving like a big brother remained.

It was a sensation he was experiencing more and more these past couple of months. Something had to give soon before it would drive him crazy.

But when?

Stifled moans slipped from between reddened lips when their mouths parted and nails dug into clammy skin. Bruises were slowly forming; ones which would be hidden underneath their clothes. There was one right underneath his collarbone when the Alpha had nibbled and sucked before shifting his attention to his nipples; another one blooming on his right hip and some adorning his left thigh.

His Alpha hissed when nails ranked down his back, leaving angry red lines behind. Black eyes flashed and Sasuke swallowed his moan when his next thrust had more force put behind it. A hand gripped his right thigh and pressed it upwards, throwing it over a pale shoulder marked earlier by enthusiastic lips. The change in position caused Sasuke to sink even deeper in him, a feat which he honestly thought hadn't been possible, and he groaned, mouthing at Sasuke's collarbone, his hot breath washing over the smooth skin.

Naruto pulled back and looked straight into burning, black ones; his mind blanking for a second. When he opened his mouth, maybe to lick his lips or moan when Sasuke deftly flicked one of his nipples and kissed his neck, he didn't know, but instead of doing either or, he said breathlessly, "I want another baby."

If he wasn't so stumped by his own comment, he would have found it almost comical how Sasuke paused first before he stilled completely, his hips stuttering to a stop. When he raised his head, his eyes were wide and his reddened lips were parted in surprise.

"What did you say?"

Naruto swallowed, his mouth oddly dry all of a sudden. His heart felt like it had jumped straight into his throat and got lodged there, and he forced himself to repeat it, no matter how daunting that prospect was. "I said, I want another baby with you."

A couple of years ago they had talked about the possibility of having more children. Back then Naruto had reassured the other man he would love to have more children but that he wanted to wait a while with that. Until they had graduated and got settled at the very least. Sasuke had agreed and that had been that. After that conversation they hadn't talked about having more children, not when they started their jobs, not when they moved out of their apartment and into their new house.

The ball for that laid completely in his court, Naruto knew. Sasuke would never force him to do anything; if Naruto wanted to wait years and years on end to have a second child, Sasuke would be okay with that. He'd never push him before he was ready.

The first couple of years after Itachi's birth had been filled with getting their degree, getting married, then starting working their first job. It could be rather hectic at times, especially when Sasuke was scheduled for the night shift, but they made it work. For a while Naruto had been content with how his life had turned out so far: he had an amazing mate, a wonderful son, and a fun job he loved to do.

Then Deidara's son was born and they got a couple new babies at the day care and suddenly there was that itch Naruto just couldn't manage to scratch completely. The desire to have a second child started to grow with every day that passed and it was becoming difficult to ignore. It lingered in the back of his mind every time he picked up a baby in the day care, present whenever he helped take care of Natsuo. It hovered near the front of his mind every day he took his suppressants, the strips paradoxically growing heavier with each pill he took.

He was twenty-four and really wanted another baby. Itachi was about to turn four in just a couple of weeks; he didn't want the age difference to get too big. Sure, twenty-four wasn't exactly old for a second baby, but they had had Itachi when they were twenty and they had been doing a pretty good job of raising him so far. Another baby would be more than welcome.

What did Sasuke think, though? He'd been all for having more children when they had talked about it, but it had been more than two years since then. He could have changed his mind in the meantime, could think having one child was enough.

Which would make asking him whilst having sex incredibly awkward and he really, really hoped Sasuke would react soon, before he got himself even more worked up in a worried tizzy.

"You mean it?" Sasuke's soft voice broke through his thoughts and he blinked.

"Yeah, I mean it. I wouldn't say it otherwise," he replied, stroking the back of Sasuke's neck absently. His thigh was starting to cramp up a bit from the position now that he was no longer distracted, but he didn't pay it any mind.

He watched Sasuke turn his head to the side for a moment, a contemplative look crossing his face. "Next week your heat starts, doesn't it?"

The Omega nodded, even though it was unnecessary. Sasuke knew his schedule as well as he did after all these years of being together.

When Sasuke turned to look at him again, Naruto's breathing hitched at the way black eyes shone brightly like the stars outside. "Well, guess we'll find out then whether we'll be just as successful as the first time," he smirked and started moving again, drawing smoothly back before slamming inside forcefully, hitting the blond's sweet spot dead on.

Naruto hissed and arched his back, gasping out, "So I guess that means I can throw out my sup-suppressants?"

"That definitely means you're off suppressants starting tomorrow," Sasuke growled, eyes flashing.

Naruto's excited laughter was muffled by hungry lips and no other words were exchanged between them. There was no need for words, when their bodies said it all.

"Second of January and we kick off the new year with a lot of snow. In the north we can expect …"

As the reporter of the weather forecast showed the expected snow fall for the entire country, Naruto helped his son put on the new sweater he'd specially ordered for this moment.

"All right, Itachi, you know what you have to do now, hm?" he asked, straightening up again.

"Go to papa and show him my sweater," Itachi grinned, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"Exactly, go on now, show him your new sweater," Naruto grinned and excitement swirled around in his belly as he watched Itachi skip towards the kitchen where Sasuke was putting away the dishes.

"Papa! Papa! Look! My new sweater!"

Naruto peeked around the doorframe and saw Itachi jumping up and down behind Sasuke. The older man chuckled and placed the mug he'd been drying on the counter before turning around.

"Okay, okay, let me see. What kind of sweater did you get?"

Obediently Itachi held still and proudly showed off his bright blue sweater. Naruto saw the exact moment Sasuke realised what the text plastered on the front of the cloth read and he smiled when the dark haired man mouthed the words to himself, his eyes glittering wetly.

'Big Brother To Be!' was the text Naruto had chosen to put on the sweater and underneath it in a mimicry of a child's drawing, there were two stick figures, one bigger than the other one, holding hands and laughing.

"Do you like my sweater, papa?" Itachi asked, brimming with excitement. Smart boy that he was, he'd recognised the kanji for 'big brother' on his sweater and together with the addition of the drawing, it hadn't taken him long to figure out just what exactly was happening now.

He'd spent more than twenty minutes jumping up and down and squealing with joy after finding out the news. Naruto had only kept him from blurting it out to Sasuke by telling him what kind of plan he had in mind with the sweater. Itachi had instantly agreed to the plan when he was told how exactly they would break the news to his papa.

"Yes, I like it very much, Itachi," Sasuke smiled, grasping his shoulders gently and bending down in front of him. "Do you know what it says?"

"'Course! It says I'm a big brother!" Itachi beamed and clapped his hands. "There's a baby in daddy's belly! I'm getting a little brother or a little sister, but I still have to wait, 'cause the baby's too small now to come out!"

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Yes, for now the baby is still too small. Where's your daddy, so we can celebrate the news?"

"In the other room!"

But when Sasuke rose up, Naruto entered the room, cocking his head to the right; his hands clasped behind his back.

"You did the test?" Sasuke asked and there was a rough edge to his voice. His eyes gleamed when he crossed the distance between them.

"Two even. A week ago," Naruto said brightly. "Both positive naturally." Sasuke's hands hovered in front of his stomach and he grasped them, pulling them underneath his shirt. Pressing the slightly cool hands against his belly, he murmured, "You're going to be a papa again. What do you say about that?"

The kiss he gave Naruto was both heated and filled with love; one hand slipping from underneath the shirt to cup his cheek. "I say that I love you very much," he replied in a thick voice, awe brightening his eyes.

Naruto smiled and closed his eyes, resting their foreheads against each other. "I love you too."

They were going to be parents again for the second time. Their family was going to expand once more, becoming bigger. Itachi would finally get the little sister or brother he'd been longing for.

When their mouths met again, they tasted of excitement and love.

It happened late at night when Naruto was almost six months pregnant.

One minute they were both asleep, tired after a long day of work, and the next minute the both of them woke up, their ears pricked.

"Did you hear that too?" Naruto whispered tense. Maybe it had just been something in his dreams and Sasuke being awake at the same time was just a coincidence. Then Kurama growled low in his throat at their bedroom door and his heart skipped a beat.

Not something in his dream then.

A wooden floorboard in the hallway near the kitchen creaked and Naruto sat up slowly, barely daring to breathe.

"Sasuke, someone's in the house," he whispered tersely, bringing his arm around his belly when their daughter kicked, startled awake. She must sense how tense he was becoming, because she started fussing around, rapidly growing restless.

There was a sliver of moonlight spilling from between a gap in the curtains and that was enough for him to see Sasuke's face. What he saw there, made him freeze.

His eyes were black naturally, but they seemed to have become even darker still, a strange gleam lurking within their depths. His skin was paper white, his eyes too large, but his voice was steady when he said, "Naruto, grab that bat in the closet, go to Itachi's bedroom and stay there with Shukaku. Use something to block the door and call the police."

"And what are you going to do?" His hand shot out, clamping Sasuke's wrist when he made to get out of the bed.

"Kurama and I are going to check who our nightly visitor is," he replied coolly.

"No, Sasuke, that's too dangerous!" Naruto hissed, panic flaring up. "What if that person has a weapon? Just come with me to Itachi's room and we'll call the police from there."

Sasuke kissed him and that move was so unexpected, Naruto's grasp on him grew slack and the Alpha smoothly got out of the bed. "I am the police, remember?" he said and tilted his head to the left. He listened for a moment and then murmured, "Don't think there's more than one downstairs anyway. I can handle him."

"And what if you're wrong and they're with more than one?!" Naruto demanded, barely able to supress the hysteria which was threatening to overwhelm him.

This was how Fugaku, Mikoto and Itachi had died.

Thirteen years ago a group of men had broken in to the Uchiha family home and had killed three members of the family, losing their own lives in the progress. Sasuke was the only one who'd survived, because he'd listened to his older brother when he'd told him to stay hidden.

Now history seemed doomed to repeat itself. And Naruto was afraid to find out just how exactly it was going to end now.

"Sasuke, it's too dangerous, you should stay with us! I don't care about what that guy's taking with him, I don't want you to get hurt!"

"I won't," Sasuke said calmly, snapping his fingers. Kurama looked up and ceased growling; instead he sat up and waited expectantly for his master.

Normally Naruto would have no trouble believing his mate; he spoke in that kind of way he only did when he was absolutely certain about something and before that would have put the blond man at ease.

Now his family was potentially at stake if that person downstairs was anything like the group who'd attacked Sasuke's family before and he couldn't bring himself to really believe the Alpha.

He got out of bed too and sighed frustratedly. "You can't be sure of - " The rest of his protest was muffled when Sasuke cupped his cheeks and kissed him softly.

"Naruto, don't worry. Think about our daughter, think about Itachi; they need you now," Sasuke whispered, his thumbs stroking Naruto's cheekbones. "I can handle whoever is downstairs, I promise. You know I won't ever lie to you."

"What if he has a gun?" To his immense frustration, tears started to prickle the back of his eyeballs and he viciously bit down on his lip, gripping Sasuke's pyjama shirt tightly.

The dark smile gracing his mate's face sent shivers down his spine. "Well, it's a good thing I've got a gun of my own then too, no?"

"But the bullets," Naruto protested faintly, furrowing his eyebrows. Sure, police were allowed to keep their guns at home in their country, as long as it was put in a safe, but the bullets were kept at the precinct. Sasuke could play bluff, he supposed, but that would be taking an enormous risk if the burglar accepted the bluff.

"You're mad if you think I didn't take any precautions to keep my family safe," was all Sasuke replied before he drew back and walked to the closet in which they had hidden their safe. "Go now before Itachi wakes up."

"Don't – don't …" Don't die were the words he couldn't get over his lips and he watched helplessly how Sasuke opened the safe and retrieved his gun.

"I'll be fine," Sasuke murmured, giving him a soft smile. It stood in sharp contrast to the deadly weapon he expertly put together. "I'll be back with you before you know it. You won't even have time to miss me."

"You better be, or I'll make you regret it," Naruto said, pressing his lips together.

A door opening downstairs broke his resolve and after another look at Sasuke – which was ridiculous, because it wasn't like he was never going to see him again; they would be fine, Sasuke promised him that. And Sasuke had never broken a promise before, so why would he now? The queasy feeling rising up in him thought something else about that – he left their bedroom quickly. He made a short detour to the closet to grab one of the baseball bats stored there – a souvenir from that one summer he and their friends had been playing that regularly – and then hurried to Itachi's bedroom.

Shukaku was lying in front of the door, but instead of asleep, he was on full alert, his ears twitching with every sound he picked up downstairs; his sharp eyes trained at the top of the staircase.

"Hey boy, let's get inside, okay? Keep an eye on Itachi," Naruto said, hating how his voice trembled slightly.

Shukaku huffed, but got up and walked into the boy's bedroom when Naruto pushed the door open. Before he closed it, he caught sight of two shadows slipping downstairs. He swallowed and closed the door completely. After a quick look around, he shoved the small bookcase in front of it, thanking his past self for having the smarts to get the entire floor covered with carpet. It muffled the noise of him shoving the bookcase in front of the door; hopefully whoever was downstairs hadn't heard anything.

"Daddy?"

Itachi's sleepy voice had him turning around quickly. The little boy sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. There was more moonlight spilling into the room here, because only half of the curtains was drawn. Itachi must have pulled back the other curtain in order to look at the stars. He'd become fascinated by them around a month ago and now only could fall asleep if he could look at them through his window. Sasuke had even moved his bed underneath the window so that their son could have an easier time star gazing.

"Daddy? Why are my books there? Why are you here? It's late." Itachi looked around confused, briefly lightening up when he caught sight of Shukaku. He patted his mattress and while the German Shepherd drew closer, he didn't jump on the bed. Instead he kept his gaze fixated on the door as if he knew something bad was happening downstairs.

Not wanting to scare his son, but also not wanting him to grow too loud just in case the burglar decided to go upstairs, Naruto hastily sat down on the bed and placed the bat next to him on the floor.

"Okay, sweetheart, I need you to be very quiet," he said softly, stroking messy, black hair back.

"Why?" Itachi asked curiously. "Are we playing a game?"

Jumping on that, Naruto nodded quickly and started saying, "Yes, that's right! We're playing a game and - "

At that moment a loud crash came from downstairs and Naruto's heart skipped several beats. He couldn't hear any voices, but didn't know whether that was a good thing or not.

Itachi's eyes were wide and fearful and he asked in a shaky voice, "Daddy, who's there?"

There was no way to spin this into a tale about a funny game. Not now his son could easily pick up the tension that seemed to have descended over the house.

"There's someone downstairs, someone we don't know, and your papa and Kurama have gone to check who it is," he explained, trying not to show how off balance that crash had made him. The last thing he needed was for his son to see him panicking.

"Is it a bad person?" Itachi asked worriedly, grasping his sheets with claw like hands.

"Maybe," Naruto said and placed his finger against his lips. "That's why we have to be really quiet now, okay? I'm going to call the police, but we'll have to be really quiet, so that nobody knows we're here. Can you do that for me, Itachi? Can you be really quiet?"

Eyes growing to the size of saucers, Itachi nodded rapidly. "I be really quiet, daddy!" he promised in a hushed voice. "And I protect you and little sister too!"

"No, no, daddies protect their children, not the other way around," Naruto said quickly, typing his code into his phone to unlock it.

"But I'm an Alpha like papa and Alpha protect," Itachi said determined, before gently patting Naruto's stomach. "And I'm a big brother now too, so that means I have to protect my little sister!"

Naruto let it go, not in the mood to get into an argument about this now. Not when it made him remember the story of another older brother who'd been desperate to protect his sibling from any harm and had ended up paying for that devotion with his life.

A lump forming in his throat, Naruto took a deep breath and dialled the police's emergency number.

"Police, how may I help you?"

"There's a burglar at my house." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Please send someone immediately."

Before it's too late.

A shot rang through the house.

Naruto's mind was completely blank when he grabbed Itachi and pressed his head against his chest, keeping his ears covered as much as he could. The boy was trembling in his embrace, his breath shaky, but he did what his daddy had told him to do and didn't even make a peep.

There was no way Itachi didn't pick up the way his heart pounded in his chest; his own ears were ringing with the rapid beating sound and his knuckles whitened when he gripped the bat tightly.

Shukaku was in front of them, his hair raised high on his back and a threatening growl continuously rolled from between his bared, sharp teeth. He was ready to attack the second it was necessary.

Would it be necessary? Who had – who had shot just now? Had the bullet hit its intended target? Was Sasuke safe?

Or was he …

He tried to listen, tried to prick his ear to catch any sound from downstairs, anything that would tell him what was going on. Any sound that would reassure him he hadn't just become a widower at twenty-four years old.

He choked back a sob and tightened his arm around Itachi. If that made the boy uncomfortable, he didn't say anything. Instead he just clutched his daddy's shirt tighter, hiding his face in the cloth.

They could do nothing but be quiet and wait and that fact was killing Naruto right now. How was he supposed to sit here and do nothing when his mate might be bleeding to death right now? What was he supposed to do when he didn't even know whether he would see Sasuke alive again or not?

It killed him not knowing what the fuck was going on.

He should have tried harder to convince Sasuke to stay with them. He should have fucking clung on to him if that had been what it took to keep him with him. Hell, he should have used their unborn daughter somehow in order to have Sasuke here.

Here with him and Itachi and their dogs, where they could safely stay hidden and let Sasuke's colleagues deal with the burglar. People who were on shift, who didn't have the past Sasuke had with burglars and people attacking his family.

That was what possibly scared Naruto the most: Sasuke drowning in a flashback of that one night when he was twelve and leaving himself vulnerable like that. His sessions with Orochimaru had helped him very well, no doubt about that, but Naruto knew about triggers, okay, and shit like that didn't disappear that easily.

Especially now when almost the exact same scenario was unfolding right now.

Fuck, what was he supposed to do now?! He had to know who had fired his gun, had to know whether Sasuke was all right and where the fuck was the police, shouldn't they have been here already by now? Why was it taking so long and why was it so fucking quiet? How could –

He froze when footsteps approached the door and Itachi whimpered quietly, his nose digging into Naruto's sternum. His daughter was kicking up a major fuss in his stomach, upset because he was upset, and he tried to soothe her by caressing his stomach, but it was hard when …

"Naruto? Everything's okay, it's safe now."

Oh god. He started crying, even as he hurried to the door to pull the bookcase away, Itachi clumsily helping him while Shukaku relaxed his aggressive stance now that the danger was over.

He'd never been so happy to hear his mate's voice.

It had indeed been only one guy who'd broken into their home. A man who'd broken into several homes before and who the police had been searching for months as he was wanted for both burglary and assault with a deadly weapon.

The guy had managed to evade Sasuke at first, but then he'd been about to run upstairs. Fuelled by both fear and his desire to protect his family, Sasuke hadn't hesitated to shoot him when the man had pointed his gun at him. He'd shot him in the stomach and the man had got knocked out when he fell off he stairs, smacking his head a tad too hard on one of the steps.

"You could have died," Naruto said accusingly, his hands shaking when he reached out to clasp them around Sasuke's neck.

His colleagues had finally left, the ambulance with the burglar having departed a bit earlier. It had taken a while before Itachi had been willing to go back to sleep, but having both Shukaku and Kurama staying in his bedroom had put him at ease enough to fall asleep again.

Naruto's dad had been one of the police showing up at their house and the look on his face had Naruto feeling glad he wasn't the burglar in question.

Not that he cared about that son of a bitch. Not when he'd broken in their home and had almost killed his husband.

"I had to keep you safe," Sasuke said and at least he wasn't denying the accusation. He sat on the arm of the couch and wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, pulling him close to him. "I couldn't let that guy get to you."

Not again.

Naruto looked into his eyes and despite the events of the night, they looked oddly light as if Sasuke had somehow shed off a burden he'd been carrying for a long time. He seemed several years younger now and Naruto had never realised before how much Sasuke's worry about not being enough to protect his family had marked him.

Until now.

"I've always known you could keep me safe, you know," he said quietly, running his fingers slowly through black locks. "From day one, I've felt safe with you. That never changed."

"Maybe I just needed to prove it to myself," Sasuke said softly, turning his head to kiss Naruto's wrist. "Needed something to reassure myself I'm not weak."

"You've never been weak, Sasuke," Naruto instantly retorted. "You're one of the strongest people I know. The things you've been through … Other people would succumb to that, but you didn't. You only grew stronger."

Sasuke was strong. That was something Naruto had known from the moment he had got to know the other man. Sasuke might not have believed that himself for the longest of times, but it was clear to everyone else.

His family's death might have broken him, but it hadn't shattered him. Piece by piece, he had put himself together again.

"You helped me," Sasuke confessed, cradling his face gently. "You helped put the broken pieces of me back together. You made me whole again."

Naruto smiled, bringing their faces together. "Nah, I might have been the push you needed, but you did this all by yourself, Sasuke."

But whenever Sasuke needed that push, Naruto would be there to give it to him. Because they were mates and husbands. Because they were Alpha and Omega.

Because they were two halves of one whole.

But mostly because they loved each other.

A hand came to rest on his belly and his own laid on top of it. When he opened his eyes, he met loving, black ones and he smiled.

"I love you, Naruto," Sasuke whispered.

"I love you too," Naruto said and kissed him.

He was glad seventeen year old him had had the courage to approach the mysterious black haired boy in his new class. His past courage had led him to this: a life together with this wonderful man.

It was a life he loved and cherished.

He couldn't wait to find out what their life together had in store for them. Whatever it was, they could handle it.

Because they were strong and they had each other.

Forever.

The End

AN2: Will I ever make a good ending? Who knows? (Stay tuned for that *coughs*)

I hope you enjoyed this epilogue - I definitely had a lot of fun writing it, which is why it grew out to be a lot longer than expected *coughs*

Now while this story has finally come to an end, this doesn't mean I don't have any more plans for this particular universe ;) Yes, you read correctly: there will be more works for this universe! To be specific: three more!

"Never Again" will tell Sasuke's point of view of this story and will naturally span across several long chapters. I've already made a start on that one. If you have any specific scenes you want to read in his pov, let me know :)

The second one will be called "Metallic Revenge" and is a oneshot set during Naruto's first pregnancy in which he gets revenge for Sasuke tying him to the bed.

The third one will be called "Glue between the Cracks" and will actually be an alternate universe of this story: what if Itachi had survived? (How many of you are excited for that?)

Keep an eye out on those titles if you're interested in reading more :D

For now at least I say goodbye and for the last time I ask to please leave your thoughts behind in a review. Should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.

I hope to see you all back in my future stories!

Cuddles

Melissa

P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.