So sorry this took so long! I've been a bit busy with my Mini Winter session in college (we have a session that is 6 weeks before the spring semester begins in February, so I'm trying to make sure I graduate as soon as possible. Good news, I have Anthropology which I love. Bad news, I'm in Math which is my worst subject since my mind can't understand numbers unless it's applied to shapes; yes I know…I can do Geometry but not algebra don't ask why, it's weird I know.) Anyway, I was working on someone shots for Wripples as a substitute. I was using my IPod for my writing since I was barely home so I apologize if you find some spelling errors if you wanna take a peek at that.

On with this now! ~POG

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Lately, I've been losing sleep.

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For the next few days he had her, Sasuke tried his best to conceal his condition from his daughter as much as he could. It was difficult and required a lot of bathroom breaks (to steady himself and take his medication without his daughter seeing him) in order to accomplish this. Sakura encouraged him full on, which is what he needed. He noticed that Suta became a bit more distant than the first day she stayed with him. She'd hold his hand, but look straight ahead and not talk unless spoken to. Her face was stoic, a trait he kicked himself for; it was a bit difficult to tell what she wanted or how she felt about certain things. Most of the time during the night, she would sit on the couch with Itachi and drink tea. They'd watch a little TV before she'd fall asleep on the couch and was brought to Itachi's room. That made Sasuke a bit agitated. When the subject was brought up to his brother, Itachi explained that he was the worst when he woke up; the anxiety meds wore off and he would be a mess until Sakura made him eat something and take his other meds. At this, Sasuke couldn't think of a comeback. Once again, his older brother has given him a piece of reality on a silver plate and made him eat it with a rusty spoon.

Suta's birthday had been interesting. It was held at Shikamaru's house (naturally) and when the Uchihas arrived, the air became a bit stuffy. Everyone had greeted Itachi warmly; however there were just small smiles and nods at the raven haired young man. Sakura introduced herself simply as a friend, not wanting to blow up her client's spot, even though everyone in the room knew. He wasn't allowed to drink, so Sasuke sat on his island stool next to Neji and watched as his daughter was being showered with affection. Tenten had only approached him in greeting, other than that her full attention was on her daughter. Sasuke marveled over the fact that Neji was being aloof. When he asked why he wasn't with the others, the response reminded him why he was best friends with him in the first place;

"In all honesty, I feel that it's a bit unfair to put someone with your reputation in this situation. Being social in a context that can't even understand you is almost impossible to take in and can cause one to become anxious. Unfortunately, people dwell on the past so much that a person is no longer even part of their circle; they're just there because they are there with no significance to them in their minds. I find that form of socialization to be unsettling. Especially since I-myself can relate to your manner of separation from a group that you were probably never apart of in the first place. I also find it understanding since opinions make society the way it is. All we can do is accept it and move on."

Neji was that man that he wished that he could become. The Hyuga was put together, he had success, he had pride-he had Tenten. Sasuke never really realized until that moment that Neji was that person that he could never be, no matter how much he tried. In a way, they were similar, verysimilar. Both Neji and Sasuke kept to themselves by never sharing too much. They found peace in silence and comfortable company. However, Neji was comfortable with being within his own mind; Sasuke was not. In fact, he could not and he can't stand it. Right there, that's it; he couldn't accept it. He refused to accept it. And that's what made that crack in the ground seem like a cliff between the two of them. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't come to terms that he wasn't like the others; he wasn't stable. Moving on was nothing but a goal; a goal that he couldn't reach. The fact that he was only able to compute this in his mind six years after his daughter was born caused his hands to shake. He was broken and could never be fixed. As much as he thought about it, he always wondered why Neji stayed by him, even now after all this time of not talking for years. It wasn't pity, Neji was a tad bit cold hearted like that, he thought. Was it simply for the fact that he actually gave a damn? Probably, but Sasuke wasn't going to question Neji about it in fear of the response. The response he feared most was: Because Tenten told me to keep an eye on you. Trust was a big thing with the Uchiha. He feared that this kindness was nothing more than an act based on a request from his ex-fiancee.

A few days after his daughter turned six, he approached Tenten at a café in the city. At first he was unsure of what to say (and the way she looked at him wasn't helping him get his thoughts together), standing in his spot awkwardly swaying from side to side. After a moment, he did speak. It was difficult, but he did it. He told her about his time in treatment, he always thought about her and Suta. He told her about his break downs; what the psychologist found, what caused the snap to occur that night. He promised her he was trying hard to get better at controlling himself (although from a science point of view that was close to impossible since his condition of being bipolar was legit). What made the bun head shocked was when he apologized. Sasuke apologized for not saying anything when they were dating. He apologized for causing her so much trouble. He apologized for being unable to be himself; the person she grew to love back then. And at the last moment before leaving her at the café; he apologized that he couldn't be fixed. He felt weird after that. The medication must be trying to prevent him from phasing down to depression. He'd be silent for days if that happened, which isn't good since he didn't have must time left in the city. His daughter didn't want to be with him, his friends from high school had erased him from their group, and now he was left with a person he could never be and his mind playing games with his emotions. Later, he went back to the hotel and sat on the couch. His nurse brought him his medication and sat with him. Sasuke stared into the TV, not paying attention to what was on. He thought about what he was going to do with his life. He was going to join the force with family full time in order to keep him busy. He was going to spill his heart out to his daughter before he left. He was going to get better, or at least try to. That was one goal he kept putting for himself but never meant it full heartedly. But this time, he realized that the more he feared himself, the more alone he will be. And that, is a punishment he will not accept.

Even if it kills him.

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Tenten laid down in Neji's bed and stared at the ceiling. Since Neji's mother had returned home, Suta had the room to herself. Most of her gifts were toys, so she had things to do in her room, which allowed Tenten to relax a bit. She had told Neji about her conversation with Sasuke.

"He literally just spilled it all out," she said.

Neji hummed to indicate he was listening as he combed his wet hair.

"I had no idea how to react. It was unexpected and out of character for him." She continued. "Then I get a text this morning saying that he wants to talk to Suta about it before he left the city."

"That's not too bad of an idea." Neji replied.

Tenten sat up.

"Explaining all of that to a six year old? That's too much for her to take in." the bun head said.

Neji shrugged, stating that it was better to know early while there's still time. Tenten shrugged and laid back down, too tired to argue. Neji pulled up his sweats and sat himself on the other side of the bed. He whipped out his phone and started to go through his emails. After a few moments, Tenten turned to him.

"How can you be so indifferent about this?" she asked.

"It's really not about being indifferent. It's more of acceptance. I see this situation as Sasuke trying to patch his life together now that he is an adult. Popping up out of the blue like he did was odd, I admit. However, he found his chance to take down fences that he has put up." Neji stopped checking his emails for a moment, his thumbs hovering over the keys. "I see it as he is trying to grow up. At the party we spoke briefly."

"Oh? About what?" Tenten asked.

"He questioned my friendship with him. I think he was trying to piece together where he stood with everyone. It was obvious the others had casted him aside, but I don't see a reason to. He was in the picture before his break down. Instead of trying to understand and support, you all ran and erased without understanding."

"You make it seem as though we're the bad guys." Tenten said as she referred to herself and her friends.

Neji shook his head.

"No. I'm not really blaming anyone. That's just what had happen. You of all people know what it's like to grasp onto something so tightly that letting it go would cause great distress. So, I feel for him. He became alone. All he has is his daughter and brother. It was never like Sasuke to talk about his parents, he was always to himself, even before he met you. I always knew something was off. And yes," Neji turned to look at her. "I knew he was Bipolar even in high school."

Tenten's eyes went wide.

"You knew?! Why didn't you tell me?" she exclaimed.

"Because of that same reaction you just had." Neji replied flatly.

Tenten pursed her lips together realizing what he meant.

"It's his business. Something he had shared with me on his own back then. I was shocked myself since he was a bit arrogant and witty, but when he told me I noticed the changes in his behavior more."

"Is it…genetic?" Tenten asked.

Neji cocked an eyebrow. So Tenten rephrased it; is it possible for Suta to be Bipolar as well?

"Yes. However, there is a small chance. Since you were mentally stable throughout your pregnancy and have no traces of clinical depression, she has a healthy mind." He said. "But, since she does have the gene for it, it could develop over time, or something could trigger it."

Tenten groaned. That meant she had to be a bit more cautious with her daughter. Neji looked at her and kissed her cheek. She didn't have to; all she had to do is watch for signs. Tenten rolled herself into the Hyuga's side and closed her eyes. The bun head didn't want to deal with this at the moment. The doctor draped his arm around her and continued to check his emails.

The next morning, Suta walked into the next bedroom and found that her mother was alone in bed. Not wanting to wake her, the ravenette went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth. Hearing the TV on, she walked into the living room where she found Neji on the couch with some coffee in his hand and various folders on the coffee table. Hanging onto Mei-Rei, she climbed onto the couch net to Neji and turned her attention to the TV. Looking down from his papers, the Hyuga put down his coffee and ran his warm fingers through her hair. It was moments like this that he liked. Suta wasn't as hyper as his nieces and nephews, she was calm and intelligent.

"Would you like something to eat?" Neji asked after he put his papers back in his folders.

Suta nodded. Picking her up, Neji brought her to the kitchen and opened it. Suta reached for the eggs, butter, and tomatoes. There was shuffling heard from the other room, but Neji ignored it since he knew that it was Tenten.

The bun head had emerged from the bathroom and blinked at the scene before her. Suta was standing on a chair holding a spatula and Neji was pouring the egg batter with tomatoes into the pan. She stood there with a small smile on her face. It's almost as if Neji was her father, she thought. Suddenly she frowned, remembering the conversation she had with the Hyuga last night. Sitting herself on the couch, she opened her phone and sent a text message to Sasuke. Almost instantly, she got a reply:

Thank you.

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Well, that's all she wrote for right now. I hope you all liked it. In all honesty, I feel Sasuke would have been a nice character in Naruto if all that shit didn't happen to him. But he did marry Sakura and have a child in the end so I guess it's all not too bad. Also, I have no fucking clue where I'm going with this story; I'm just pulling shit out my ass. I'm not sure how long the next chapter will be but I normally write a good….5 pages in MW per chapter….not bad I guess….Well, til next time!~ POG