For someone not known to be demonstrative Neji had spent a lot of time touching her in the last hour. She stared down into his face as he raptly watched his own finger trace her folds, occasionally leaning in to lick, nip or suck. It was an easy sweet torture occasionally increasing to a demanding pace until she crested and then he went back to the soothing touches. Gently stroking his hair Hinata decided to ask the question that had been bothering her.

"Neji"He looked up with a questioning lift of his brow. "Do you want to be a father?"

Neji seemed to stare off into space for a moment before he looked into her eyes and answered. "If you had asked me six months ago I probably would have told you no. It is not something I really considered. I was focused on my role as a shinobi and my place in the clan. Now though, I think I want this child. I want to make sure it grows up well. I want to make sure it doesn't grow up like me."

"Neji, you're a good man. I would be thrilled if our child grew up to be like you." With a small smile Neji leaned up to kiss her. After a few moments he pulled back suddenly, activating his Byakugan.

"Hinata get dressed" As she clamored out of bed Hinata activated her own Byakugan trying to see what had him so upset. As she was pulling on her pants she finally spotted it, a masked shinobi closing in on them.

Once they were both dressed, Neji had her create a shadow clone. Making one of his own he left the clones pretending to sleep in bed and pulled Hinata out of the cottage. Hiding under the cover of trees Neji used his Byakugan to watch the shinobi peer into through the window at the sleeping couple. Apparently satisfied with what he saw he made sure all the exits were blocked and set the small cottage aflame. The assassin backed far enough away to make sure no one exited the building while not getting caught in the blaze. He stayed until the destruction was complete and it was obvious that no one could have survived. Neji followed him with his eyes until he was sure the assassin was gone for good.

When Neji relaxed a bit Hinata knew they were safe for the moment. She started to step out to go toward her ruined cottage when Neji grabbed her arm to stop her. "What" she said trying to pull her arm free. "He's gone right?"

"Hinata I don't want you going anywhere near that cottage ever again. Someone just tried to kill you, me or both of us, and until I know what is going on we will meld with the background."

"We maybe be able to discover something if we take a look around.'

"I'll come back and take a look later. Let's get you someplace safe first."

"I'm not weak Neji, I can help."

Neji sighed "Hinata I know you are not weak but you are pregnant. You need to put the baby first. That is who you protect and I protect you."

"Fine" she relaxed her arm and Neji finally let go. As he searched the area for someplace safe to leave Hinata while he tried to find clues in regards to the assassin two more people came into is view. After waiting a moment to make sure he was correct he turned towards Hinata dragging her back into the foliage. He recognized the shinobi and Hinata would too, he just didn't know why they were here.

A few minutes later Shino and Kiba made it to the cottage; Neji briefly wondered where Akamaru was but decided that wasn't important at the moment. Kiba ran up to the smoldering remains. "She was her Shino! Oh, God you don't think she was inside do you?" His head whipping around to look at his partner.

"Don't guess Kiba, find proof," was his reply.

"Shino" Kiba whispered after a moment. "I smell Neji"

"Recent?"

"Yes, with Hinata" Kiba replied.

"At the cottage?"

"And leaving the cottage," with that Kiba started heading in their direction.

Neji knew he had to make a split second decision. They were currently out of Hinata's range. He could take her away before she even knew they were there or they could confront her teammates. "Hinata do you trust Kiba and Shino"

"Of course, I trust them with my life. Why?

"They are on their way here" he told her.

Hearing that Hinata rushed out into the clearing and straight into Kiba's arms when he got there. Kiba for his part swung her around and then put her on the ground with a big kiss. "Where have you been? We have been so worried! When Hanabi told us she knew where you were….."

"Hanabi told you I was here?"

"Yeh, she said she got a letter from you that told her where you were and that you didn't want your father to find you. She asked if Shino and I could come and make sure you were alright. I guess if she knew Neji had found you she wouldn't have bothered. Wait, Neji didn't find you for your father did he? "

"No Kiba, I didn't find her for her father" Neji answered finally coming out into the open. "Aburame" He said in acknowledgement of Shino's presence.

"So, what happened at the cottage?" Kiba asked as Shino exchanged a quick hug with Hinata before going back to his normal hunched stance. Hinata thought he must have been very worried to show that much affection.

"It burned down." Neji told him.

"We got that much." Kiba replied in a dry tone. "Exactly why did it burn down?"

"That is what we are trying to figure out. It was intentional. I saw someone coming so we left some shadow clones sleeping while we hid. The assassin burned the house down around "us". I'm not sure who they were after. "

"Wow, did anyone else know you are here?" Kiba asked.

"No, just Hanabi and I don't know if she knew Neji had found me" Hinata finally spoke up.

"Kiba, would you mind staying with Hinata, I want to go check out the cottage see if I can find out anything about who did this." Neji asked. "Shino would you mind helping me?"

"Of course" Shino said as he moved to follow Neji.

Once they were out of earshot of the others, quite a ways in Kiba's case. Shino asked 'Who is the father?"

Neji didn't pause. "Hinata will tell you when and if she is ready" He thought Shino would drop it but after a few more steps the Aburame spoke again.

"Is it you?" Neji stopped dead in his tracks for a moment, which of course was answer enough. He was not going to give verbal confirmation though. Once they started walking again Shino decided to continue. "I don't judge. Your family is messed up; if you two find comfort in each other it isn't my place to say anything.'

Neji just nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Expect Kiba to know too." When Neji quirked his brow Shino elaborated. "He'll smell the changes in her body. He'll smell you on her also. He may act dumb but he'll put two and two together."

"Will this be a problem?"

"He won't say anything to anyone else, he wouldn't hurt Hinata. I can keep him in check with you as long as you do not do anything to hurt her."

Again Neji nodded his head. He was starting to get worried. Too many people knew. As much as he enjoyed playing "relationship" at the cottage he knew it was only fleeting. They would never be a family. He could never acknowledge his child. Their relationship was taboo. The only problem was they weren't hiding it well.