I don't own Naruto! I only wish I did.

Her Teal eyes looked back at me. The exact shade and shape of her mothers. She yawned, snuggled into my chest and went to sleep. She was definitely my daughter. I looked at my wife.

"I'm sorry." I sighed. She just laughed.

"For what?"

"I wasnt there and I promised I would be"

"Don't be rediculous Shika. You were on a mission and she was a week early, and it wasnt like I was alone. I had your mother and Ino."

"You were still scared, Mari. I should have been there."

"You're here now. Thats all that matters." She was smiling but I could still see traces of panic in her eyes. The baby had given her the fright of her life.

Temari's POV

Flashback

"Come on Temari, push" Ino encouraged me. She was holding my hand and my shin, "come on honey this baby cant come out by itself you have to push" It was surprising but Ino and I had really bonded scince her and Choji had started dating and I realised that she didnt have the hots for Shikamaru. I know its petty but Ino is really pretty. I started to sob.

"I cant do this, not without Shika" I cried. Yoshino grabbed my chin and pulled my head up so I looked at her.

"Well Shikamaru isnt here right now, so you are going to have to get over it, because this baby needs you right now so push." She held out her hand. I gripped it tight as I pushed with everything I had.

"The baby is crowning" Sakura informed me, "Just one more big push" So I pushed harder which I didnt think was possible. There was an unbelievable pain and then all the pressure stopped. I looked at Sakura who was holding something big and pink. The room went deadly silent. Why wasnt my baby crying? My heart started to break. Shikamaru and I were so waited 9 months for this. We have clothes and a crib and we made the spare room into a nursery. We painted it yellow. How was I going to tell him? Yoshino and Ino had tears in their eyes. Then my baby yawned. She looked at Sakura and let out a big wail."Its a girl" she sighed. I sobbed in relief. Yoshino, Sakura and Ino were laughing. "She is definitely Shikamaru's daughter" Ino giggled. Then Sakura handed me my daughter. She had dark skin and hair just like her father but she had my eyes.

Sakura took her off me so she could clean her. When Shikamaru turned up 2 hours later with blood on his face and wild eyes, the first thing I said was "Your daughter gave us quite a fright." He looked at me then at the little plastic crib beside my bed. He didnt start crying until he picked her up. I was very proud.

Flashback over.

Shikamaru's POV

"what shall we call her?" I asked, staring at the bundle in my arms. We had names picked out but none of them fit. Akira? no. Suki? no. Mai? Hell no.

"Shika" she said.

"What?" I looked up. She laughed.

"No. Thats what we should call her" She answered. I looked down. It suited her.

"Shika it is" I smiled. A tear ran down Temari's cheek. I put Shika back in the plastic crib.

"Those better be happy tears because there is no escaping now. You're stuck with me forever" I joked. She just moved over in the bed and patted the space beside her. I climbed in and wrapped myself around her. She buried her face in my chest and her breathing slowed down almost instantly. She hadnt slept after the birth because she wanted to wait for me. I looked at my baby for one last time before I fell asleep.