Damn those three and this stupid tradition. Nara Temari paced back and forth in front of the bathroom sink with sweaty palms. It was Ino's fault. She just had to go get pregnant and start the infamous Ino-Shika-Chou ball rolling. It wasn't long after this that Karui announced her and Chouji were expecting their own little bundle of joy. And that left her in last place. It wasn't for lack of trying.
She equated it to the lazy Nara genes. Ino had given birth to Inojin in January and Chouji's son or daughter was due in May. Now, it was the last week of February and if there was any hope of having all three of their children in the same year she needed to get pregnant by March.
This was the second test she had taken this week and she was an inch away from throwing her hands up in the air and calling it quits. Grumbling she picked up the stick and threw it in the trash. It missed and hit the floor instead. Here, she noticed the two little red lines.
She stood there in a daze. Perhaps it was a false positive? She had heard of these things happening. It seemed too good to be true that in the eleventh hour she would actually get what she'd been wishing for. A loud rattle on the door shook her back to reality. She stuck the test in her pocket and rushed to see who it was.
"Good morning Temari-Chan," she was greeted by Yoshino Nara. Though she hadn't said anything about it, Temari could sense the tension surrounding the woman. She never missed an opportunity to ask when she could expect a grandchild. This tradition was just as important to her as it was for Shikamaru and his friends. She felt a little smug now with her news. "Is my lazy son home?"
"Uh- no, he left for work an hour ago." Her mother in-law gave her a quizzical look. That woman had the uncanny ability of read others. The two stood in an awkward silence. The Sunan girl avoided looking her in the eye, hoping to keep her secret safe. She wanted her husband to be the first to know.
"You're pregnant!" She shrieked. Well, so much for that plan.
"Shh, don't just shout it out!" The younger girl quickly scanned the area to make sure no one had heard. Her mother in-law marched into their home grinning from ear to ear. She could practically see the wheels turning in her head. With her luck half of Konoha would know before Shikamaru got home.
"Truly, I never thought I'd live to see the day! We're going to have to go shopping for the nursery. How far along are you? Why aren't you at work? Are you already taking leave?"
It wasn't that she and Yoshino didn't get along, but she had never been very comfortable with this woman to woman talk stuff. How was she supposed to tell her anything when the reality of her situation hadn't even sunk in yet?
"I'm not taking leave. I have the day off today," she sighed. "And I just found out a couple minutes ago so I was hoping to tell Shikamaru when he got home," she eyed the women intently trying to get her message across.
"Ooh, of course. My lips are sealed," she smiled. "You're taking it surprisingly well for having just found out. But you should really see a medic to get an accurate diagnosis." Doctors, due dates, this was really happening. She was going to be a mother.
A wave of dizziness came over her. The whole thing seemed off somehow, unreal. How was she going to raise a child when she could hardly remember her own mother? "Dear are you feeling okay?"
"I don't really know…," she responded numbly. The older woman reached out and touched her shoulder in understanding.
"Temari, you're ready for this. You're a smart girl and even though my son is the laziest man I've ever known he will be a good father." She couldn't remember a lot about her mother, but in that moment, she had a strong sense that this is what their relationship would have been like.
It wasn't until she had gotten serious about her relationship with Shikamaru that the idea of children became appealing. She knew that she was ready but was taken aback by how fiercely she wanted this now that the opportunity had presented itself. Before she knew it she was crying.
"Damn, hormones. I thought this wasn't supposed to start until later," she grumbled, rubbing her runny nose.
"Would you like me to go with you?" Regardless of that fact that Yoshino would probably follow her anyways, it comforted Temari to know that someone had her back.
The moment of truth was almost upon her. She had gone to hospital with Yoshino and had been very much surprised when they told her she was already a month along. That was the last time she ever bought a drug store test! The Nara matriarch had laughed at the young girl's startled expression. Now she waited, staring at the clock.
Her hand absentmindedly rubbed her flat stomach as she waited for Shikamaru to come home. When Ino told Sai she had left a trail of elaborate clues. Karui had cooked Chouji a large and fancy dinner. None of those things were really Temari's style. She was to the point.
She heard the latch click and the door open. Then she felt a sudden wave of irrational uncertainty. This was stupid. Of course he had always wanted children. But when Ino had told everyone her news, for a brief moment, a flash of some foreign emotion crossed his face before he smiled congratulated his friend. Was he really ready for this?
"Are you feeling sick?"
"What? Why would you ask that?" She asked nervously, her voice coming out in a squeak. He looked at her, unimpressed. She hadn't even noticed him walk into the room.
"You're hand is holding your stomach so I thought you might not be feeling well." He looked tired. She wasn't surprised though. Anyone who was around Naruto for more than six hours a day, with the exception of his wife, had to lose steam at some point. He let out a long yawn before reaching down to take off his shoes. As far as she knew his day hadn't been too bad. It was as good a time as ever.
"I – um – I saw your mother today," she sputtered.
"That's what made you sick?" He gave a small laugh. Her face burned red as he turned to leave the room and change. She quickly gathered all her courage,
"I'm pregnant," she stated point blank. He froze with his back to her. In those few seconds she imagined everything, from him awkwardly pretending to be excited to just walking away. None of that happened though. He didn't turn around and she became worried. "Shika? I know this is sudden but… I thought that you," she was cut off by his hand covering her mouth.
"Of course I want this," he finished her sentence. He looked offended that she had thought differently. "It was hurting me to see how badly you wanted it too. I saw your expression when Ino told us she was pregnant. I didn't want you to feel pressured." Then the idiot gave her the most sentimental look that had ever graced his face.
"You know I had really wanted to do this without crying," she sniveled. "Gosh, I've cried more today than I have in years," she laughed as the tears continued to escape from her eyes. He kissed her with untamed joy and finally, his eyes shone with the excitement she had wanted to see.
"How long?" he asked.
"A month. They've set a temporary due date for November second." She could see him thinking.
"This is why mom came into the Hokage's office today and gave me that look!" He shouted suddenly, startling her. She couldn't believe it, after the woman had promised to keep it a secret! Well, there was nothing she could do about it now.
"You don't think she'll tell anyone else do you?" The shadow user pulled back slightly. He looked at his wife as if she had grown another head. She knew the chances of Yoshino not telling every stranger she met on the street were slim to none but there was a rule about this sort of thing right?
"Have you met my mother? I can assure you that the entire clan knows by now. That woman will take every opportunity to brag about this."
"Aren't you supposed to wait three months to tell people? Something could happen." She hadn't really given those sorts of things too much thought. She could definitely resume her job but she wouldn't be able to train anymore. Ugh, the thought of cutting caffeine out of her diet made her a bit miffed but it would be worth it.
"You want to wait?" Though he was a man of his word, she knew that her husband would have to exercise all of his willpower to not tell his best friend. She let out a long sigh. Since most people would probably know by tomorrow she figured there would be no harm in telling their closest friends.
"We can tell Ino and Chouji but that's it. I don't want it to be a public service announce -,"
she stopped mid sentence and her hand flew to her mouth. Pushing past Shikamaru she ran to the kitchen and released her stomach into the sink.
"I can't believe I'm going to go through nine more months of this…"
When the three month mark came around they decided it was time to tell her everyone. The trip to Suna had been long and slow due to her persisting morning sickness but they got there eventually.
Gaara's eyes had widened slightly at the news while Kankarou had spat out the water he was drinking. The rest of the Konoha eleven had more standard reactions. It was during a barbeque, where they told the rest of their friends the news, that Karui went into labour. Later, it would be an ongoing joke that the child could smell the barbeque and decided to make its grand entrance.
ChouChou was a beautiful and healthy baby girl. She took mostly after her mother but there was definitely some Akamichi in there. When they got back from the hospital that night the two of them collapsed into bed. However, Temari's mind was far from peaceful.
"I hope the baby doesn't get my hair," she said as she turned towards her husband. Shikamaru frowned and faced her. Before smirking,
"I think the kid will be blonde," he teased. She grimaced and hit him lightly with her pillow. She didn't expect him to understand the daily hassle she went through to make her hair mildly presentable.
But if their baby did inherit her unruly locks there wasn't anything she could do but apologize. She rested a hand on her stomach, which was just beginning to show. Who would this small person be? Boy or girl? Would they take after her or Shikamaru? Perhaps, her brothers might even get a hand in the baby's genes.
"Do you still want a girl?" He looked surprised. She knew all about the 'perfect life' he had created when he was younger. Needless to say, almost nothing had turned out as planned.
He had climbed the ranks as a shinobi and married a troublesome woman just like his mother. Now, he had the chance of getting something from that fantasy he had made.
"Mari, there's no way of knowing. I thought you wanted to be surprised anyways."
"I know that! And I don't want to know. But, if you had a choice, what would you want?" It was somewhat of a loaded question. She hadn't really thought of it herself. Regardless of gender, she would love her child but she had a feeling that it was a boy.
Call it a mother's intuition. Besides, she didn't know how to look after a girl. She grew up in a male dominated family and took little interest in what other females her age were doing in Suna.
"I just want a healthy son or daughter who preferably won't scream throughout the night," he confessed. "Though seeing the genes the kid is inheriting I'm going to say that will be impossible."
It was November the ninth, a week past her due date, and no baby.
To say she was miserable would be an understatement. Swollen feet, back aches and an inordinate amount of discomfort was just the beginning. She felt like a walking globe. The wise man that he was, Shikamaru had fled from the house and immersed himself in his work.
Regular Temari was moody but full term pregnant Temari was a nightmare. She went from laughing to shouting to crying in the span of a couple minutes. He walked on eggshells around her and only ever asked what she wanted.
"I don't understand," she wailed to Ino, who had come over for tea. "Why won't you come out?" Her friend smiled nervously as she bounced Inojin on her lap. Remembering all too well that a short while ago she had felt the same way.
There was nothing you could say in this situation to make it better. "I swear this kid will be exactly like Shikamaru...already late for the first day of its life," she grumbled.
Everyone was extremely grateful when Temari finally went into labour two weeks past her estimated time. The girl thought she would be frightened but she mostly felt relief as she got used to the idea of meeting her baby. However, fate would make her wait a while longer.
The labour progressed uncharacteristically slow. The birth was long and, as most would expect, painful. However, Temari was a fighter and she wasn't going to quit, even if it meant breaking Shikamaru's hand in the process.
"I am never doing this again!" she conceded through gritted teeth.
"Okay," he replied calmly. No one would be able to tell he was in pain as he wiped the hair off her forehead.
"I'm dead serious; never again!"
The light had long since faded outside and it was a couple minutes past midnight when she finally heard it. A baby's cry filled the room and she hung her head back in complete exhaustion.
"It's a boy!" The doctor announced. Shikamaru leaned over and kissed her temple,
"You did such a good job, he's beautiful."
She was vaguely aware of the proceedings; the cord was cut and the team of nurses cleaned him up. Although she was utterly drained she forced her eyes open. In no time at all a nurse placed the boy in her arms.
All she could do was stare in complete wonder. He was an average sized baby but seemed so small. She counted ten toes and fingers. Everything about him was delicate and perfect. From beside her, she heard her husband clear his throat. She glanced over to see that his eyes were shiny; figured.
"He looks like you," she whispered, while caressing the soft tufts of brown hair that already rested on his head. She didn't miss the proud look on his face with respect to her statement.
The more she looked at his sweet face, the harder it was to tell if he bore any resemblance to her at all. It was only when the boy drowsily opened his eyes that she saw a tiny part of her in him. They were dark but not completely black and there was no way Shikamaru could take any credit for their shape.
"The time was 12:07am November 17th, eight pounds and three ounces." the doctor said as she reentered the room. "Do we have a name yet?" The nice woman was roughly pushed aside as Yoshino burst through the door.
"Grandmother coming through," she snapped.
"I've been waiting in that room for most of the day and -," she stopped short when she saw her grandson who was now in his father's arms. The sight of her little boy holding his own son made her weep almost instantaneously.
She became even worse when she looked at the baby and saw the uncanny resemblance he bore to Shikamaru and her late husband. "Your father would be so proud," she blubbered as Shikamaru passed him to her. The doctor cleared her throat from the side of the room,
"I'm sorry to interrupt but do we have a name? There's no rush if you don't." Thankfully, they had picked out names beforehand so there was no surprise when Temari said,
"Shikadai, Shikadai Shikaku Nara."