This is my sixth Naruto fanfic. This is a NejiTen. They are nine months pregnant and Neji's uncle or father, I get them confused so whichever one is still alive, arranges a marrige for Neji, for he doesn't believe that he should have anything to do with Tenten. Even though they were having a baby.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.
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Nine months ago, you'd never think that I look like this. My lower abdomen was extended to the size of a beach ball. I stood in my bathroom with my shirt pulled up as far as my stomach. My stomach felt hard under my hands as I rubbed it. In just a few days' time, I would have a new baby.
As I looked up into the mirror, Neji Hyuuga's face was there next to mine. I looked over at his face and touched his cheek. He smiled down at me and I smiled back at him.
"How are you feeling today? Baby been bothering you?" Neji asked, placing a cool hand on my belly.
"Just a tad." I said, feeling a little jump in my stomach right below my belly button. I grabbed Neji's hand really quick and moved it to where the baby kicked. Neji felt it and his smile got wider then I had ever seen it.
"He's coming all right." I told him." Last week he was kicking on my side now he's moving down. I think he's coming in the next day or so."
I stared at my stomach for a while then I pulled my shirt down and walked to the room next door to the bathroom. The baby's room. It was painted a soft blue color and it had teddy bear imprints all over the walls. I smiled and rubbed my hand over the mahogany wood of the crib. It was weird seeing it there but I was going to have to get used to it.
My palms itched with anticipation for the baby's arrival. I wanted it to be a girl but two months ago the doctor confirmed my baby as a boy. I was a little disappointed but I thought maybe the next kid I had would be a girl.
Neji walked into the room to tell me that Temari, Kiba, and Ino had come to for the baby shower we were throwing that day. I walked into the living room and greeted them.
"How's it going?" Ino asked. She was the only girl in the village other than Sakura that I knew that had a baby. She asked me every week how I was getting alone with my pregnancy.
"Good. The baby's been making me agitated but that's okay." I said, lowering myself onto the couch, with one hand pressed to my lower back. I sighed as I sank into the soft sofa cushions.
"That's a sign that he is on his way!" Ino said cheerfully.
"Um, Tenten, I've gotta go see my uncle. He just called but I'll be back soon." Neji said to me. To the people around us he said, "Keep her company and don't destroy my house." He picked the keys up off the coffee table and walked out into the July sunlight.
Temari started to talk to me but I pretended not to hear her. I just sat back and closed my eyes and nodded every once in a while. Then I heard the doorbell ring. I got up and crossed to the door. Sakura and Sasuke Uchiha walked into the room with their daughter, Akira, and their son, Drake. I led them into the living room. Sakura set Akira down on the ground and the two year old started screaming.
"Toy!" she shouted at her mother. When Sakura ignored the child, she screamed even louder. "Momma! Toy!"
"Hush, Akira. You didn't ask to bring a toy, so I didn't grab any." Sakura scolded.
"Daddy! Can I have a toy?!" She asked, putting her head on his leg.
"Sure, honey." Sasuke said, patting his daughters head.
Sakura slapped him. "You have to be consistent with her. You cant give her everything she wants." she said.
"Sorry." He handed the little girl a cracker and she devoured it.
I stared at the eleven month old boy in Sasuke's arms. He was adorable and seeing him made me want take my baby out of me and hold him.
"Sasuke?" I asked.
"Mm?" He mumbled looking up at me.
"Would it be a problem if I held Drake?" I ducked my head to hide the blush that had crept up my neck and into my cheeks.
"No not all." Sasuke said, passing me his son. I put him in the crook of my arm and stared at him. I could see Sakura and Sasuke in his features. He had Sasuke's bone structure and the rest of his face was a spitting image of his mother. Drake was a little premature but he still weighed almost as much a sack of sugar. I pulled the blanket away from the baby's face and touched his soft cheek. He was so cute all I wanted to do was hug him and kiss him, but of course I couldn't do that with someother persons baby. I would have to wait till my own child was born.
"Where's Neji?" asked Sakura. My head snapped up.
"He went to his uncle's house about an hour ago and he's still not back. I wonder what's keeping him." I said, my heart filling with dread.
"He'll come back." said Sasuke, taking his son back. I didn't want to let him go but I didn't say anything.
Ten minutes later I said, "Where is he?" My palms started to sweat with fear. "What if something happened to him. I don't know what I would do."
"Don't worry, Tenten. He'll come back." Sakura hugged my shoulders and I nodded. I had decided to give Neji ten more minutes then I would call him.
Ten minutes later, I picked up my cell phone and dialed Neji. He picked up on the third ring. "Hello."
"Neji! Where are you?!" I asked incredulously.
"I'm still at Hiashi's house. I cant come home for a little while. I've got to get off here now but I talk to you later." He said and hung up.
I was so mad I snapped the phone shut and threw it down. Sakura looked shocked. "What happened?" she asked.
"Neji cant come home. His uncle is talking to him still." I said. I shook my head in disgust.
"It's okay." Sasuke said.
I nodded and sat down. We all talked, but I was only partially listened. I was so fed up with Hiashi. He had tried to convince Neji to go and get married to someone in the Hyuuga Clan but he had refused everytime. I had some things I would love to say to that man, but I stayed calm and collected about it.
All of the sudden, the front door opened and Neji walked into the house. "Tenten, we need to talk." He helped me up and led me to our bedroom. Neji sat me down on the bed and took my hands."I, uh, cant stay with you anymore. Hiashi arranged a marriage with Hinata. I'm sorry." Neji said.
"So, you're just going to take it?So you're going to actually listen to your stupid uncle?! So, you're going to leave me to raise your child by myself?" I shouted.
"I cant disobey him this time. He said that if I didn't marry Hinata, he would find someway to tear us apart. I didn't want that. I'm sorry, Panda-chan."
"Don't call me that! Just take your stuff and leave." I commanded.
Neji nodded and bustled around the room. When he was all packed, he bent to kiss me and rub my stomach in goodbye, but I turned away and waited for him to leave before I cried. My shoulders shook with my sobs. Sakura came into the room and wrapped her arms around me an together we cried. When our tears were spent, Sakura soothed, "I know how you feel."
"How? No one you love walked away from you when you were nine months pregnant." I cried.
"Uh, Sasuke did. When I was nine months pregnant with Akira, he left." Sakura said, matter-of-factly.
"But he didn't go off to get married to his cousin. He went off on a mission. And Sasuke came back. Neji never will." I sobbed.
"I know but you'll have to be strong for your baby. I had to, too." Sakura wiped at her own eyes.
I nodded and hung my head. Sakura hung hers to and we silently cried. Cried for me. Cried for our kids. And cried for the men we lost.
But at least Sakura got her's back, I thought.
Sakura helped me up and we went back to the baby shower, Sasuke, Ino, Temari, and Kiba were waiting for us. Even little Akira was eager to see me.
"Hi." She waved up at me.
"Hello." I smiled down at the little girl.
"Are you having a baby?" the two year old asked, sitting down on the couch next to me.
"Yes." I told her.
"One like Dwake?"
"Yes, one just like him." I took Akira's hand and rested it on my belly. She pulled it away as the baby kicked and she giggled.
"I wanna baby." Akira turned toward her mother. "Momma, will you have another baby for me?"
Sakura laughed and shook her head but Sasuke inclined his. Sakura saw and her eyes got wide. "No. No. No." she said.
"Please. I wouldn't mind having another little baby." Sasuke begged.
"Um, no." Sakura snapped but her eyes were bright with laughter.
"Please." his mouth turned up into a pout.
"I'll think about it." Sakura kissed him and took Drake in her arms.
I breathed deeply and closed my eyes. A sharp pain rippled over my stomach. I winced but ignored it. Ten minutes later another pain shocked me. Worse then the last one. Sakura noticed and she croutched down next to me.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
'My stomach hurts." I took another deep breath.
"Bad? What area?" She asked urgently.
I showed her.
"How far apart are the pains?"
"Ten minutes." I winced as another pain gripped me.
"Just breathe slowly." Sakura turned to the others. "She's going into labor." Then she turned back to me."Shall I call Neji?"
"Absolutely not." I snapped.
"Why not? That's his son." Sakura pointed at my beach ball stomach.
I thought for a moment. "Fine. Call him."
That a huge pain ripped through my stomach and I screamed. Sakura motioned for Sasuke to pick me up and carry me to their car. Sasuke did as he was told and settled me across the back seat of his car.
"Your gonna do great. This will be a miracle to die for." He said, kissing my forehead in a friendly gesture.
By the time we had reached the hospital, the pains had intensified and I was drenched in sweat. I was holding my stomach and moaning. Sakura signed me in and the doctors wheeled me into a delivery room. When the nurse announced it was time to push, I was so happy that the baby was on his way. I grabbed Neji's hand and the baby was soon born.
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I sat on the hospital bed, feeling numb. I couldn't cry, couldn't sleep. I even refused to eat.
My son was sick. I had named him Khusa. The doctor said that he had something wrong with him but they had yet to figure it out. I hadn't even held him yet.
Soon after the doctors whisked the baby away, Neji had took his leave. I had asked him to stay but he had shook his head and had said, "I cant, Tenten. I just cant." and walked out the door.
On my fifth day at the hospital, Dr. Hitake, the doctor called in for Khusa's case, came in.
"What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong with my baby." I demanded, grabbing the man's arm and squeezing it.
"He's not doing good. To tell you the truth, he's a very sick little baby. He has no cerebral in his brain."
I gasped. "Will he be retarded?"
"No." I let out a sigh. But he continued. "He wont live more then a week. Without a cerebral, he cant function. He already cant see, hear, open his eyes. And the worst part is that he cant even breathe on his own. We have him on a respirater. Which is a tube that we put down his throat that breathes for him. If we were to turn it off, he would die. This morning his liver began to fail. I'm terribly sorry. I want to tell you that I give him at least another day or so to live. We cant do much to help him, but keep him warm and comfy. I'm sorry." Dr. Hitake explained.
"So what are my options?" I asked, gulping hard.
"There is only one. To turn off the respirater and let him go. I want you to be with him when we do it. But of course, we have to have your and Khusa's father's permission and you have to be present."
"Uh, okay. I'll call Neji and we'll say goodbye." I said. Dr. Hitake nodded and got up and walked out of the room. Sakura called Neji and he rushed over to the hospital. When he got here, I explained to him Khusa's condition.
"What are we going to do?" He asked.
"We can both take turns holding him and then we can turn it off." I said.
He nodded and said, "Tenten, I have good news."
"Oh, yeah? And what would that be?"
"Hiashi said that if I didn't love Hinata that I could stay with you." Neji told me.
"Really?" My spirits lifted.
"Yeah."
I pulled him onto the bed and kissed him.
"I love you, Panda-chan."
"I love you, Neji."
He kissed me again and rested my head against his chest and we waited till Dr. Hitake came back into the room. "Ready?" he said.
"Yeah." Neji and I said in unison. The doctor got me a wheelchair and we all went to the baby ICU. We dressed in green scrubs to keep the germs away from the babies. Then Dr. Hitake led us to an incubator by the back wall. He lifted the lid and took my son out. He was so small and lovely, I almost cried.
"Here you are." The doctor handed Khusa to me.
I took my baby in my arms for the first and last time. He was very light. "He's so small!" I exclaimed. "I wish we could keep him." I found myself tearing up. A single tear rolled down my cheek and onto Khusa's. I wipped it off and kissed the baby's forehead. "Mommy's here, baby boy. I love you so much and if we wish you could have lived and been the baby I had always dreamed of." I kissed him one more time then passed him to Neji.
His face contorted with pain. "Hi, son. I wish I could have taught you everything I know. I'll take good care of your momma I promise. Daddy loves you."
I almost cried at Neji's tenderness to his son.
"Here, Mr. Hyuuga. The staff took a picture of Khusa so that you could always remember him." Dr. Hitake handed a photo to Neji. It was of Khusa and he was wearing a New Baby hat on his head and he was sound asleep. I smiled and took the photo and held it close to my heart.
"Alright, it's time." Dr. Hitake said. Neji passed Khusa to me and the doctor counted to three and turned off the machine. Then he pulled the tubing from the baby's throat. My son's chest rose a couple more times then all was still as he went to a better place. His body started to go cold and I knew that my only son was dead.
The heart monitor let out a loud whine and I knew it was true. The doctor unplugged all the contraptions and Neji and I wrapped our arms around each other and cried for the boy that never lived.