Thank you to all my faithful readers! No I haven't given up on this story! I have given up on this chapter though; sorry for the shortness! But I can't think of anything else to add to it.

Taboo

Chapter Ten – The Return

xXx Temaris POV xXx

The sky was bleeding light as the world around me began to light up; the sign of a new day, and a new start. As I entered through the village gates, the shinobi on guard looked at me with eyes that I supposed thought I was a ghost. Well, I had been gone for a long time. I wasn't supposed to come back for another four months, but I couldn't wait any longer; it was a long trip and I covered much of the earth with my foot prints. I visited almost ever country and nearly all their villages – the ones I could explore. I breathed in the cool morning air and allowed it to lift me up. The streets were beginning to fill with early morning shoppers and the steam of cooking food.

But I paid no attention to them, there was only one place I was going; the Naras. He'd be able to tell me what's been happening. But as I bean to approach the house, I couldn't help but sense something was wrong; the door was open and I could hear muffled cries coming from inside. I had just arrived back in the village and already there was drama happening. I slowly approached and went inside; following the trail of groans. I came to the main living room and stood in the door way; my eyes wide at the site. He was kneeling on the floor with something wrapped up in his arms. If my eyes didn't deceive me I would have thought it was a baby. As I got closer I saw it was indeed a child, but who's?

"Shikamaru?" I asked as softly and as quietly as I could as I placed a hand on his shoulder. He shot up from his curled poison and looked blankly at me; his eyes were red and swollen while his whole face was glistening with water.

"T-Temari?" He stuttered a managed reply "What are you d-doing here?"

"I came back early; couldn't wait any longer" I simply replied as I knelt beside him. "What's wrong?" I asked cautiously, not sure if it was the best thing to do.

He was silent for a moment before he started to groan again "She died" was all he muffled out "She died. Ino died"

"Ino?" I wondered "Is she the mother?"

He gave a nod "There was so much… so much blood" He burst back into tears "I couldn't do anything to help her. It's my fault she died"

I decided not was not the best time to ask him what happened and decided to ask later, right now he really needed some one to hold him, not blow him away with questions.

"Shikamaru" I attempted to pry the child out of his arms and he eventually gave in.

He uttered not one more word as he collapsed to the sofa behind him and drifted off into a deep slumber. He was exhausted; that was blatantly obvious. I wondered how long it had been since she passed. How long he'd been curled up on the floor; with the baby in his arms. I didn't even know Ino was pregnant, but back then, I was so obsessed with my own life, I paid little attention to others.

I stared at his spore in my arms as it gurgled and cried; my eyes wouldn't latch away from its smooth face; they looked just like her, only with blue eyes instead of green. I held it close to my chest and attempted to sooth it. I hadn't held a baby in so long, it felt so comforting, so right. Like this child was my own. Looking around the house and leaving Shikamaru to his slumber, I could see they had prepared for the baby; there was a cot in the upstairs bedroom and various baby things. They had even bought food by the looks of all the baby jars in the cupboards. I made up a bottle of milk from the baby milk powder and she hastily gobbled it down. She was starving. Just how long had it been?

"Shikamaru" I asked him as he awoke from his groggy sleep. He sat up and I gently placed a hand on his shoulder in support as I joined him on the couch; the baby still in my arms. "are you ok?" it was a bit of a stupid question to ask; of course he wasn't ok. The love of his life had just died, leaving him alone in the world with a new baby. Yea, he was perfectly fine alright. What had happened while I was gone exactly?

He was silent; his lips still and his body stiff. His breathing deep and his eyes closed; it was obvious he was trying to calm himself. I sat patiently and watched as the little child in my arms slept without disturbance. Oh how they reminded me of Karuka.

"Her name is Ino" He whispered, if I were not a ninja, I might not have been able to understand his tiny undertone. "Named after her mother"

"Ino huh" I smiled at that; not only did she look like Karuka… she was a girl as well.

"How long has it been?" I asked softly. The hand that had been placed on his shoulder had moved to wrap around his waist as I shifted closer. He rested his still tired form as he lent against me for support.

"I don't know" He answered honestly "It left as quickly as it happened… I-I can't remember – it all happened so fast"

It couldn't have happened that long ago, I decided. Perhaps it would be best to put the baby in the cot and leave for an hour or two, let him be alone for a bit. But as I tried to stand his voice brought me back down.

"Please, don't go Temari" He pleaded. I did as he asked. We simply sat in silence for a few minutes, until I began to feel the baby begin to get restless in my arms, I stood once more. "Don't freak out, I'm just going to put them to bed is all"

He relaxed and slumped back down in his seat. I did as promised and put ino to bed; racing her soft cheeks gently with my finger, and kissed her forehead goodnight. I quickly went back down stairs to rejoin him.

"Shikamaru, tell me" I began "Where are my brothers?"

At first he just looked at me, but soon answered my question "Last I heard, the ANBU took them and were locked up somewhere, but… no one knows where. Naruto goes to them everyday asking but they always turn the other way and send him off."

"I see" I replied "and… what about-"

"Temari" He cut me off "She still in the hands of the ANBU too"