R&R, please!

All Tenten could manage at that point was stare at Shizune. She tried numerous times to make an effort to speak, but Tenten's body was frozen. She had no idea what she should be feeling. Happiness? Sadness? Anger? Worry? The only thing she could feel was emptiness.

"Tenten, do you understand what I'm saying now?"

Tenten summoned up enough energy to nod her head. The silence that followed seemed to last for an eternity. Shizune was too afraid to speak to Tenten. Was a congratulation in order? No, it was clear that this was not the kind of pregnancy where friends gather to cry tears of joy. This was an undesired pregnancy. This was a pregnancy that is going to cause so much sadness and frustration for Tenten in the future.

The silence lingered, but Shizune soon sighed, unable to maintain the current dreary state of the room.

"Tenten, I don't know what you're thinking right now, but remember, you're not alone. You are a member of the Hidden Leaf Village. You have so many friends, myself included, who will do anything in their power to help you and to allow you to be happy. This is not a burden that you have to bear alone."

While the expression on Tenten's face did not change, her figure did lose a few vertical inches as she released the tension in her back that she did not realize she had.

Shizune seemed to relax a bit at Tenten's reaction and continued to talk to her.

"Speaking of which, you've had a friend outside your room for quite some time now. My guess is that he's very worried about you. Do you want me to invite him in?"

Tenten nodded, knowing exactly whom Shizune was talking about. Shizune gave Tenten one last small smile before she turned and walked towards the door. Tenten heard Shizune speak with someone before Lee entered the room, trying his best to appear as small as he possibly could. He shut the door behind him, but he stayed near the entrance to the room, cautious about the possibility of frightening Tenten if he was too reckless.

"Um, Tenten, may I come in?"

Tenten's response was a small nod.

Lee took quiet steps towards Tenten's bed. Once he got close to her, he stopped moving and kept as still as he possibly could. At that point, he took in Tenten's appearance. While she had no visible wounds, the exhaustion on her face was all too obvious. She had bags under her eyes, she had hair sticking out from all corners of her head and she was trembling slightly. Lee's heart broke, for he had no idea what was causing Tenten's poor condition, nor did he know how to help her. All he could do was watch as Tenten was slipping further and further from sanity.

No. This was not acceptable. If Sakura or any of Tenten's other female friends were here, they wouldn't hesitate to attempt to comfort her. If Gai were here, he would begin a kind conversation in an effort to prevent her from thinking about what was putting her into her current mood. Even the genius Hyuga, as stoic as he was, never failed at putting a smile on Tenten's face. With this thought, Lee swallowed the large lump that had formed in his throat and he started to speak.

"How are you feeling? I was shocked when you passed out while we were training. I caught you when you fell, but after that, I was petrified and had no clue what to do. Thankfully, some animal caused a nearby bush to shake, surprising me and I was able to think clearly again. I carried you straight here and Shizune took you into a room. That was about four hours ago. I know I should have gone home, but I wanted to be here to make sure you were alright."

Tenten listened to Lee's words, but she did not reply. She stayed in the same position that he had found her in. Her eyes were lifeless as she stared at the bed sheets. What Lee did next caused emotions to come flooding into Tenten's mind. He slowly reached out his hand and gently touched Tenten's. At that moment, Tenten flung her arms around Lee's shoulders, pulling him close to her, as she wept hard. Lee was shocked but still wrapped his arms firmly around Tenten's waist. Lee has seen Tenten cry many times but never has he seen Tenten lose her composure this much. Even when they discovered the news that Neji was dead, Tenten had tears streaming down her face but she stood tall and was in control of herself. Lee knew at this moment that something was truly wrong with Tenten.

He held on to her until her crying finally subsided. She was still trembling and was breathing hard, but Lee knew that she was in a significantly better emotional condition than she was a moment before. He took this time to speak to her again.

"Tenten, you do not have to tell me what is wrong if you do not desire, but I wish to help you. I would like to know what is causing this sadness so I can try to put a stop to it. In the meantime, Shizune told me that there is no need to keep you here, so if you do not mind, I would like to accompany you to your house."

Tenten sniffled then lifted her head to look at Lee. She had a small smile on her face, for she was glad that Lee was there for her at that moment. Say what you want about Lee, but he is a caring and compassionate teammate and friend, through and through.

Lee helped Tenten as she got out of bed. She was sore from the exhaustion she has endured, but she was fully capable of moving independently. She made her way out the door, Lee following closely, and headed towards the hospital exit. As Lee and Tenten were walking, they ran into Sakura, who seemed to be beginning her shift at the hospital. She gave a loving smile to the two teammates.

"Hey, Tenten! How are you feeling? Shizune told me that Lee brought you here after you passed out during training."

Despite Tenten being glad that Sakura was worried about her, her eyes widened in shock.

"Did Shizune tell you anything else?"

Tenten was well aware that even though patient confidentiality rules existed at the hospital, she knew that certain medic ninjas did not always follow these rules. Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura were known to discuss when a friend of theirs was in the hospital for whatever reason. If someone was sick or hurt, all three women knew and in turn, all of Konoha knew. Tenten did appreciate her friends, but no one was allowed to know the reason behind her hospital visit today.

"If you mean 'Did Shizune tell me why you passed out?' then no. She seemed pretty eerie though. Is everything okay Tenten?"

Tenten looked at the ground and stayed silent, not wanting to answer Sakura's question. Thankfully, Lee noticed Tenten's emotional drop and answered Sakura's question for Tenten.

"Tenten seems to still be shaken up from when she collapsed. I suggest we let her go home and give her time to think before we pressure her with questions."

Sakura looked at Lee, her mouth slightly ajar. She was shocked at how much Lee has matured in this moment. She rarely had any chances to spend time with Lee since the war ended, so Sakura had to wonder, was he acting like this because the war changed him, or is it simply due to his feelings towards his teammate?

"Yeah, you're right Lee. Sorry for bothering you guys. I hope you get to feeling better, Tenten."

Tenten gave a small smile while Lee had on his large, trademark smile, his teeth slightly gleaming in the light.

"Thank you, Sakura! I will make sure to take great care of the Leaf's precious weapons mistress."

Sakura gave a small chuckle in reply. War or not, Lee is the same upbeat and charismatic person he has always been.

And with that, Lee and Tenten made their way out of the hospital and in the direction of Tenten's house. The trek was silent, but not the same uncomfortable silence that the two had to witness in Tenten's hospital room. The slight chatter of the Konoha Streets kept the two sane. It was relaxing hearing the hustle and bustle of the village. Many repairs still had to be made to most of the buildings, and there were many people still grieving the loss of loved ones, but generally speaking, the village was livelier than it has ever been.

Tenten and Lee eventually arrived at Tenten's house. She opened the door and walked in, Lee following her inside. Tenten took a few steps inside and stood in the middle of the living room while Lee continued walking, attempting to start some kind of conversation.

"I could cook dinner for you if you would like. I am sure you are hungry after that hospital visit. Or we can go out to dinner like we usually do. Though your stomach was causing problems this morning, maybe I should cook something light to settle it. Whichever you decide, you should get washed up regardless. I will go draw a bath for you."

When Lee turns his back on Tenten, making his way to the bathroom, he hears Tenten mumble something, under her breath. Lee turned back around to see Tenen clenching her fists and staring down at the floor.

"I'm sorry Tenten, I could not hear you. Could you repeat what you said?"

Tenten picked up her head and Lee could see the tears falling from her eyes. After a short pause, Tenten repeats what she said, this time loud enough so Lee could hear.

"I'm pregnant, Lee."

Lee's eyes widened and he took one step closer to Tenten, reaching out a hand in the process, though he could not bring himself to touch her. Many emotions ran through his head. Confusion, relief, anger, finally ending with sorrow. He opened his mouth, intending to speak, but it took him a minute to finally vocalize his thought.

"You mean… Is it…?"

Tenten choked back a sob as she answered Lee before he even got the chance to finish his question.

"Yeah, it's Neji's."

Looking ahead, I wanted to let you know that the next chapter will be a flashback chapter. That means Neji is back. Yay!