Temari sat nervously on the examining table, fidgeting as she waited on the doctor's arrival. Her stomach was tight and her foot tapped impatiently on the foothold below her. Her eyes roamed the room, not focusing on anything in particular. She was completely lost in thought. Her eyes fell on the wedding ring around her finger, and she took a calming breath.

It doesn't matter what happens today, she told herself. She thought about the little pink plus sign that had been causing her such distress. He'll be happy either way…won't he? Shikamaru had rarely discussed children with her; neither of them had enough off time to worry about those things. In passing, they had said they might want them one day in the future, but things seemed to be coming along much faster than they were expecting.

No, Temari reassured herself, Shikamaru loves me. She smiled at the thought of their baby, and when she pictured it, the image of a perfect little boy who looked just like his father popped into her head. She smiled widely at the thought. Temari remembered the day they met, when she fought him in the Chunin Exams. That day, he had surprised her. Although she was a few years older than him, he had impressed her with his skill and intelligence. That day, he had caught her attention, and it didn't take long for him to peak her interest.

She thought back to the second time they met, when she killed Tayuya of the Sound Four. Shikamaru had nearly lost to the skilled ninja, but Temari had come to help and quickly ended the battle with her Quick Beheading Dance jutsu, and accompanied him back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Their first real conversation took place that day, on the way back to the village, and they made a real connection when he broke down in front of her at the hospital. She smiled and reminisced about that day.

Past

Temari glanced down at the fallen body of Tayuya before turning around to face the leaf ninja behind her.

"How badly are you hurt?" She asked him, concerned.

The tough young genius shrugged his shoulders and began assessing his condition. "My finger is broken," he stated matter-of-factly. "My chakra is low, but I'm fine. We should find the rest of my team."

"Don't worry, they got help, too. We need to get you back to the Leaf Village," she told him, but he shook his head defiantly.

"I won't leave my teammates behind," he stated.

The sand ninja looked at him, surprised. "There's nothing you can do to help them right now, Shikamaru. You need medical attention."

"No," he said, stopping her. "We'll find my comrades, and then go back to the village, together."

Temari admired his strength and determination, and she agreed, taking off alongside him to find his comrades.

Present

Temari was jerked out of her reverie when she heard three quick knocks on the door. Her doctor entered the exam room and sat down in front of her.

"Good afternoon, Temari," he said, smiling. She greeted him and looked at him expectantly as he looked at a folder that she assumed held her lab results. "Well, it looks like congratulations are in order for you," he said, smiling at her. Her stomach tightened in hope and fear as his words registered with her mind. "You're pregnant," the doctor stated, closing the file. He grabbed the tissue box from the counter and held it out to her as tears filled her green eyes. She was completely overwhelmed by her happiness.

It was at that moment that she realized that Shikamaru was not going to be upset or disappointed; she had no doubts anymore that he could be any less happy than she was at this moment. After she wiped her eyes, the doctor got down to business.

"Now, you'll want to schedule regular appointments, and make sure you are taking a prenatal vitamin. If you'll lie back, I'll do a quick ultrasound for you." Temari laid back, lifting her shirt and exposing her flat stomach. She couldn't believe that there was a baby in there, growing inside of her. The doctor put on gloves and held his hands over her belly, and chakra began flowing around them. The chakra bounced off of the life inside her, and an image began to show on a screen next to her, where she saw the outline of her uterus. The doctor stopped and pointed to a small black dot on the screen, and smiling at her. "See that?" he asked her. She nodded as she stared at it in wonder. "That's your baby." She reached out her fingers and brushed them tentatively against the image, and felt her emotions overwhelming her again. "It would be best if you take it easy from here on out. You don't want to put unnecessary strain on your body during the pregnancy." The blonde ninja nodded at the doctor and continued to stare at the dot in wonder. The doctor began to stand. "Take your time, Temari. And congratulations!" She nodded in thanks as he left, and she gathered her things to head home.

On the walk home, she felt lighter on her feet than she had in days. She was consumed by thoughts of her child, and of her husband. She was certain that he would be happy, and this newfound confidence gave her strength. When she reached the Nara residence, she began cooking mackerel and kelp. She would tell Shikamaru about her condition when he arrived home from work, over his favorite meal. While she prepared the fish, she returned to her earlier thoughts, and remembered the day that her husband had cried in front of her in his sadness about his inability to protect his teammates.

Temari had watched in silence as the young genius's father scolded him about his attitude. She had not offered him sympathy, knowing that it was not what he needed. He felt guilty that his comrades had been so badly hurt, and he needed to be pushed out of the hole he had dug himself into. She was hard on him, as was Shikaku, but it ultimately helped the leaf ninja; Shikamaru vowed to do better next time he led a team, and his skills as a ninja and leader showed great improvement in the many years ahead.

She remembered once again the determination in Shikamaru's voice when he made that vow, and she knew that he would have the same determination when it came to their child. Shikamaru is going to be a wonderful father, she thought to herself. If he's anything like Shikaku, then he will be one of the best. Temari put one hand on her belly and smiled peacefully, certain that the baby they had made would be loved and cared for unconditionally.