Summary: Five years ago, Shikamaru was killed during a random act of violence, leaving fifteen-year-old, six months pregnant Temari all alone. Her and her son have been living with Gaara, Kankuro and Kiba ever since. But all this time, Temari just has been trying to get back the dreams she lost those years ago. Now, she's finally going to act on them for the second chance people rarely get.
…
"Are you completely sure you won't be returning?" A blonde-haired man sitting behind a desk asked to the blonde-haired woman standing in front of him. "If you return within a week or two, your spot will probably still be open."The woman shook her head, her long pigtails moved around her head as she did so. "No, I won't be returning. I'm sorry."The man sighed. "Oh well." He stood up and held out his hand. "It was good having you work here while you did, Temari."
Temari shook his hand. "You were a great employer, Naruto. Maybe I'll see you again." She pulled her hand away and turned out of the office.
As she was exiting the K-Mart she no longer worked at, she looked over at the clock. It was 9:30 PM, her shift ended ten minutes ago. She looked forward again and walked out into the night. Her house was only a block away; she had no need to waste money on a car to get to work.
"Wait up, Kara!" A child yelled to his sister near the end of the block.
"Come on, Kai, you're so slow! Mom and dad will kill us if we're late again!" She yelled back.
Temari stopped and watched on solemnly as the siblings ran home. "Jin." She always had the same reaction.
She thought of her son, Jin, as she heard children laughing and running around. He would never have a normal childhood, no, never. Especially not after tonight…after tonight, he may see her again.
…
My eyes are open wideBy the way, I made it through the day
I watch the world outside
By the way, I'm leaving out today
…
"I'll be there when your heart stops beating/I'll be there when your last breath—"
Temari answered her phone as her ringtone – "When Your Heart Stops Beating" by +44 – went off. "Hello?"
"Temari, where are you?" The man's voice asked in a slightly uncaring way.
She sighed; it was just her youngest brother, Gaara. "Sorry, my shift ran over a bit because some people wouldn't leave. I'm heading home now."
"Alright then. Jin is beginning to worry about you. He's been sitting in front of the window for ten minutes. Kankuro almost joined him." In the background, another man—Kankuro yelled, "Shut up!"
Temari laughed a bit. "Yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes. You can tell Jin that I'm almost home."
"Alright then." Gaara hung up the phone.
She let her face drop as she clicked the number three on her cell phone and clicked "call". She waited a moment for the other end to pick up.
"Hello?" A woman said as she picked up the phone.
"Hey Hinata, it's Temari." She said as she leaned against the side of a nearby building.
"Hey. I've got everything set up. Just come by before you head to the station."
"Okay…"
"…Are you completely sure you want to do this? I mean, think about Jin. Think about what—"
"I am thinking about him! I'm not the best choice for him right now, and I probably never will be." Temari took a breath. "Give me an hour and I'll be there. I have to make sure Jin's asleep, plus I don't want Gaara, Kankuro, or Kiba realizing anything."
Hinata sighed. "Okay, see you then."
"See ya." She flipped her cell phone shut and shoved it back into the front pocket of her cargo pants. She looked up at the moon. "I know what I'm doing. I can't stay put in this same place any longer."
…
I just saw Haley's Comet, she waved
Said, "Why are you always running in place?"
…
"It's not healthy here any more."
…
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere
…
Temari turned back in the direction she was walking and continued for home. Upon walking up to the door a few minutes later, it opened to a small dirty blonde-haired five-year-old boy. He ran outside and glomped Temari's leg.
"Momma's home!" He said happily.
Temari laughed to cover up the tears that she wanted to cry and picked up her son. She kissed him on the cheek. "Jin, have you been a good boy for your uncles while momma was at work?"
Jin laughed and said, "Yep!"
She walked inside, smiling at him. "That's my boy! I bought you a present today!"
He smiled even wider. "What, what?"
Temari put Jin down on the large dark blue couch that dominated half of the far wall in the living room and pulled a gold necklace with the word "Mom" engraved on a heart. "Here you go."
He looked at it funny, not understanding the meaning of the necklace. "Huh?"
She laughed a bit and put the necklace around his neck. "It's so that you never forget me." She pulled out another with Jin's name engraved on the heart. "I this is so I never forget you, not that I ever could."
Jin smiled again, though not so wide as before. "I could never forget you, momma, but I like it anyway!" He stood up on the couch, his legs wobbly with fatigue, and wrapped his small arms around Temari's neck. "I'm tired."
She picked him up again and turned to where his room was. "Then it's time for you to go to sleep. You shouldn't have even been up this late to begin with."
He yawned. "I was waiting for momma."
Temari smiled sadly as she walked into her son's room – designed like a typical five-year-old boy's room – and set him down in his red race car bed. "Good night, son."
Though he might've heard her, he was already asleep. She mumbled, "Goodbye," under her breath and kissed him on the forehead.
Temari stood up and walked into the kitchen, where only Gaara sat. "Kankuro and Kiba asleep already?"
He nodded. "Yeah. You worried them both so bad that they tired themselves out…or, at least, that's what they said."
She sat down across the table from him. "I have tomorrow off, so I'm going to go spend the night with Hinata tonight. I'll be back before Jin gets up, so don't worry about him."
He nodded again. "Okay then." He stood up. "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."
"See ya." She watched as her brother walked off. Once he closed the door to his room, she put on the necklace with Jin's name and stood up to walk to her room.
She stopped at Jin's room again and simply stared at the door for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry."
Temari turned around and walked into her room. She grabbed the already prepared backpack and unzipped it. She threw her MP3 player and a few of her favorite CDs in it before zipping it back up. She took her cell phone out of her pocket and laid it down on her bed before slipping into her white jacket to cover up her gray tank top.
…
Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can
To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
…
She put her backpack on and walked straight out of the front door. She didn't even look back as she strolled past her brothers cars and right down the street. She continued walking and walking for a half an hour until she walked up to an apartment building. She walked up to the apartment labeled "113" and knocked on the door.
Immediately a girl with long black hair opened the door. "Hey, Temari. Come on in."
Temari nodded and walked inside, she sat down on the light brown couch. "Thanks for this."
"It's nothing. I know how you feel, wanting to get away from everything and all." Hinata walked into her kitchen and picked up the bus ticket she had gotten for her friend. "Why are you going to New York?"
"There's some auditions for a movie soundtrack there. I'd like to see what they think of me. Hopefully, they'll let me record."
"Of they don't?"
"…I don't know." Temari hung her head, she hadn't thought of that.
"Come back here if you don't get it. I'm sure everyone will forgive you if you do." Hinata handed Temari the ticket.
She stood up off the couch. "I couldn't come back here. Jin won't forget this…he'll think it's something he did…I could never face that. Besides, Gaara, Kankuro, and Kiba will never forgive me. No, even if I don't get to record, I'm starting a new life."
"Oh…"
Temari hugged Hinata. "Thank you so much for this. I'll never forget you, my friend." She let go of her friend. "I'll call you as soon as I get to New York, I promise."
Hinata nodded and sniffed. "See you around, then?"
"Maybe." Temari turned to the door and walked out.
…
Please don't cry one tear for me
I'm not afraid of what I have to say
This is my one and only voice
So listen close, it's only for today
…
She walked another ten blocks until she reached the bus station. She waited until nearly midnight for the next bus, but it came. She stood up and got on as soon as the doors opened. Temari smiled as she sat down near the back of the bus, happy that no one had caught her – she was finally beginning her new life.
…
I just saw Haley's comet, she waved
Said, "Why are you always running in place?"
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere
Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can
To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
…
Temari sank down in her seat and pulled out the information that she had printed off the internet the week before. It had been an advertisement to record on a new vampire movie's soundtrack. The name of the movie hadn't been released just yet, but it seemed like a good opportunity to her, so she took it.
…
Here is my chance
This is my chance
…
She leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes, knowing that it would take at least until the next afternoon to get to New York City. As she drifted to sleep, she began to wonder about the reactions back at her brothers' house as everyone woke up and found her gone. But the thought was soon gone as dreams took over her mind.
…
Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can
To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
…
Next morning, at the boys' house…
Jin woke up and stretched as he stood up on his bed. He laughed as he saw the necklace again, the jewelry seemed a strange gift to him, but he didn't really care. He jumped off of his bed and ran into Temari's room across the hall.
"Momma, get up!" He yelled. He stopped when he found the room empty, save for the cell phone that stated it had ten missed calls laying on the bed. "Momma?"
Kankuro had seen Jin from the kitchen and stood up slowly. "Jin."
"Uncle Kankuro, where's momma?" The five-year-old asked to his much taller uncle.
Kankuro sighed and picked up his nephew. "Jin, there's something we have to tell you."
"What?"
Kankuro walked into the kitchen and sat Jin down on the seat that his booster seat was currently attached to. Gaara, Kiba, and Hinata sat around the table silently drinking coffee.
"Auntie Hinata?" Jin tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why are you here?"
Hinata took a deep breath. "I guess…I should…be the one to tell you." She looked at the men for a "no", but got none, so she said, "Your momma is…gone…somewhere else."
…
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
…
"Like where?" Jin asked with the obvious enthusiasm that he thought his mother was coming home from work.
"…New York City." She said with her head hung.
"When will she be back?" He asked with a smile. "I wanna go to the park today with her."
"S-She's not…" Hinata sniffed and wiped off her cheeks. "S-Someone else…please…"
Gaara looked at the other two, who couldn't even look up to look at anything before he said, "Jin…Temari, your momma, is not coming back."
…
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
…
"W-What?!" Jin said, threatening to cry. "She's not coming back?! Why not?!"
Gaara stayed silent for a moment before saying, "I…I don't know why."
The little boy started sobbing and started asking everyone why his momma wasn't coming back. No one, not even Hinata, knew the real answer to that. They all stayed silent, only talking to comfort Jin as he continued sobbing in Kiba's arms.
…
Meanwhile…
Temari set her bag down at the edge of the stage and walked out onto it with a sheet of music titled "Second Chance" in her hands.
"Your name?" The producer asked from his seat in one of the auditorium seats.
"Temari Nara." She said flatly. She had decided to use Shikamaru's surname that morning when she walked into the auditorium.
"Okay then, Miss Nara, go ahead."
She smiled and began to sing to piece in her hands.
…
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance