This chapter starts at the Gala and then continues on to the next day. Author's notes at the bottom - enjoy, friends!

Force Majeure
Chapter Twelve: Vis Major

vis major: 'greater or superior force'
Force majeure, specifically events over which no humans have control, and so cannot be held responsible. Equivalent to an "Act of God"

-Part One: Crazy like a fox-
idiom. Person who is very clever, cunning, or shrewd while appearing foolish or mad

Naruto felt the rigidity in Tenten's fingers as he pulled her through the crowd to join him and Lee. A quick glance over his shoulder was enough to solidify his suspicions that something wasn't quite right.

He positioned her to stand in front of both himself and Lee.

"So you can see," he said nudging her forward.

She flashed a grateful smile and turned to face Ino and the projection screen.

Naruto waited until Jiraiya's video feed began to nudge Lee's shoulder.

"Wasn't she all smiles a second ago?" he whispered, flicking his eyes to Tenten and back again. "What gives?"

"Not sure," Lee answered quietly, "Although," he looked past Naruto and into the crowd. "I might have an idea."

Naruto followed his line of sight where Neji stood, arms crossed, scowling.

"Ah, I see," Naruto said. "I thought they were hitting it off," he turned back to Lee. "They've been dancing for hours – what happened?"

Lee gave a barely noticeable one-shouldered shrug, and they remained quiet until the video ended.

Naruto and Lee both watched Neji's posture go rigid as Hizashi approached (And Naruto was certain it was him and not Hiashi because Hiashi wasn't able to attend this evening), agitation clear even in the control of his aquiline features. Tenten turned around just in time to see father and son speaking heatedly, (Well. Heatedly for Hyūgas) and all of the blood trained from her face.

"It's after midnight," she said abruptly. "Time for these glass slippers to turn back into crocodiles."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked.

"C'mon," she waved for him to follow the short distance to their seats from dinner. Lee darted ahead of Naruto and bent to retrieve Tenten's large bag from where Ino dropped it off under the table.

"Thanks" she said with a wry smile. "Wondered how I was going to do that in this dress." She leaned the bag up against the leg of her chair and fished out a pair of green croc flats. She crossed her legs and pried one heel off, rotating her ankle and pressing a thumb to her arch.

"Good for another five years?" Naruto asked.

"More than good. Might even make it seven," she put her shoe on the floor before slipping on her croc and repeating the process with the other foot. She sighed happily as she wiggled her toes in the shoes. "At least seven," she amended.

"So," Naruto clapped and then rubbed his hands together. "What's it going to be this year? The Observation Room or the Rooftop?"

"Either way, we'd better hurry," Tenten reached down for her shoes. "Fireworks start any minute now."

"We've got a minute," Naruto stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Ino arranged to have the fireworks pushed back by twenty minutes to allow for Jiraiya's announcement."

Tenten's small evening bag began to vibrate and shimmy across the table. She fished out her phone and smiled when she saw who was calling.

"Hey," she grinned. "Yes, they just announced it – that is so exciting! We can't thank you guys enough." She glanced up at Naruto. "Oh he did, did he?" Tenten smiled up at him. "It's Temari. Says that you basically badgered everyone in Suna until they donated just to shut you up."

"Sounds about right," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck.

Tenten laughed. "No, Naruto has not eaten all the food, but the night is young." She listened a little while longer, nodding her thanks to Lee as he began to gather up her things and zipped her bag closed. "I'll tell him," she promised, and then, "See you soon!"

She finished her call and put her phone away. "Temari says that you should go forward with your negotiations, and to try not to be too big of a pain in the ass while you are in Konoha."

"Nice," Naruto chuckled. "So what's it going to be?" he looked between his two former foster buddies. "Rooftop or Observation Room."

"I vote Rooftop," Tenten leaned back in her chair to look up at them. "Ino said they've set it up this year, so we don't have to sneak out like when we were kids."

"That was half the fun of it," Naruto pointed out. "Lee?"

"Rooftop," he agreed.

"Rooftop it is!" Naruto beamed.

"Let me just run to our room," Tenten stood, reflexively checking a watch that wasn't there. "I have just enough time to drop off my big bag and to grab Gai's blanket."

"I can't believe you still have that thing," Naruto laughed.

"Of course I do," she accepted the bag that Lee handed her. "You want me to get anything from the room?" she asked him.

"No," Lee shook his head. "I'll take Gai upstairs."

Tenten darted a discreet look to the dance floor and her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. "Alright, then," she slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'll be right up. Save me a spot!"

With that, she walked quickly for the main exit, before breaking suddenly to the left and taking the side stairs.

"Wow," Naruto snickered. "She's fast."

"Always was good at evasion techniques," Lee agreed. Both of them looked back to where Neji was walking through the crowd, making his way in the opposite direction as Tenten.

"So," Naruto kept his eye on the departing Hyūga. "As her best friends and pretty-much-brothers, do we find out what happened or just keep him away from her."

"Talk to her first," Lee's gaze followed Neji. "Then do what she wants us to do."

"Does she know this guy is into her?" Naruto arched an eyebrow. "Or is she being normal kinda-dense-about-guys-that-like-her Tenten. Because from what I saw he likes her."

"No way of knowing," Lee said abstractly. "Either way, let's be in place at the rooftop so she isn't there alone, should she want to avoid conversation. You go ahead," he nodded back to their mentor. "I'll stay with Gai."

"Roger," Naruto mock saluted, and followed the crowds to the fireworks. "But first," he thought, "I have a quick stop to make."

-Part Two: Non constat-
'it is not certain.' Refers to information given by one who is not supposed to give testimony, such as an attorney bringing up new information that did not come from a witness. Such information is typically nullified.

The Gala officially ended at 2:00 AM, but since so many guests chose to stay at the Grand, multiple gathering areas were still populated even at this late hour. Having finished his ceremonial duties, Professor Sarutobi had suggested retiring to the cigar room for a pipe and a snifter of brandy. Hizashi had taken him up on that suggestion and was comfortably ensconced in one of the large, comfortable chairs when his son slipped into the room and proceeded directly to the small bar tucked in the corner.

The bartender tossed ice into a short, squat glass before pouring a generous dose of amber liquid overtop and placing it on the cocktail napkin on front of Neji. Hizashi waited several moments before approaching.

"Didn't find her, I take it?"

"No," Neji sipped at the strong liquor. "I didn't."

"Mm," Hizashi slid into the seat next to him, and nodded to the bartender. "I see."

The bartender quickly replaced his empty glass with a fresh drink. Hiashi took a sip and sat a moment longer before offering: "I am sorry that I couldn't have told you more."

"I know why you couldn't," he shrugged one shoulder. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"That's alright," his father said kindly. "It was a lot to take in. So," he tipped his glass, and slid a glance to his son. "Precisely how badly did you cock this up."

Neji gave a derisive snort. "Enough that I couldn't find her to apologize. As many people that are here, I still can't believe that is a coincidence."

"That bad, huh?" he tried to suppress his smile, and failed.

"Yeah," Neji grumbled into his glass. "That bad."

"Well, there's always tomorrow."

Neji checked his watch. "We arrived at the 'reassuring platitudes' stage sooner than I would've imagined."

"Actually, I was being quite literal," Hizashi ignored his son's sarcasm. "Tomorrow, there is an extended brunch/luncheon for the alumni. It goes from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, presumably to accommodate both those that need to catch an early flight as well as those who might have morning obligations."

"Are you sure it isn't just to let people sleep off a hangover?" Neji muttered.

"That is an added benefit," Hizashi drawled. "One of which you may have to avail yourself, should you keep knocking back those drinks at that rate. But, no matter. We have an open invitation to the event. I have it on good authority that Gai will be there for the entire function, and it is unlikely that he will be alone," he looked at his son meaningfully. "Perhaps it would make more sense to stop sulking and to get home and get some rest."

"I'm not sulking," Neji frowned, but he waved off the bartender from refilling his drink. It was not long before they said their goodbyes and were being chauffeured home.

Hizashi watched his son.

"So how do you know her?"

Neji kept his gaze forward. "She is a student at the University."

"So are approximately 40,000 other people," Hizashi jibed. "And in all of your years of study there while still at Konoha Prep, and then in your Undergraduate, I've never once heard you mention noticing another student. Much less a female."

"That is because I didn't."

Hizashi raised both eyebrows as the car was pulled up to their home. "Why do you suppose that is?"

Neji considered the question.

"Because none of them were her."

With that, he stepped out of the vehicle.

"Good night, Father," he nodded, and disappeared inside their home.

Hizashi watched his son go with a sigh.

"It's like watching my brother all over again," he shook his head. "Where did I go wrong?"

-Part Three: Realignment-
Wheel alignment, sometimes referred to as breaking or tracking, is part of standard automobile maintenance that consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are set to the car maker's specification.

Tenten didn't make it to the luncheon. She'd gotten up, worked out with Lee, showered and changed, eaten an early breakfast with Gai, Lee, and Naruto, and packed up her car. On her way in from the parking lot, she caught sight of a sleek, silver Jag pulling up to the front of the Grand. The valet hurried out in the cold morning air and two men stepped out of the car.

Tenten froze.

She'd know that car anywhere, and she'd definitely know the two men that just exited it. She stood there dumbly for a few moments wondering if she should return inside.

She checked her watch. 9:35 AM. Of course they were the kind of people to be ridiculously early.

Tenten worried her lip, trying to decide if she was being prudent, silly, or a coward. A cold gust of winter wind sliced the air around her and she burrowed into her coat. Well, she wasn't going to get any warmer standing out in the cold, so she might as well head inside. Bricking up her resolve, she bent into the wind and headed back to the hotel.

"Tenten? Is that you?"

Tenten turned around on the main steps to find Kakashi, hands jammed in pockets, sauntering up behind her.

"Hey," she lifted an ungloved hand in greeting.

"Heading in?" he nodded to the hotel.

Tenten's phone buzzed in her hand. It was a text from Lee. "Did you know Neji was coming? Because he is here."

Tenten looked up just in time to seek Kakashi shake his head at her phone. "Shame," he said. "That brunch was going to be good. But I guess it can't be helped – you'd better hurry or you won't make it to the airport."

"The airport?" Tenten quirked an eyebrow. "Why would I go to the-"

"There you are!" a voice sing-songed from the doors of the Grand. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me!"

"How could I?" Kakashi said in an ostensibly polite voice. "Terumī Mei, Tenten. Tenten, Mei." He turned back to the tall woman with the auburn hair. "Tenten has graciously offered to take you to the airport for me," he said, fishing out his keys. "I got a call from the precinct. A few drunk and dissorderlies last night that I need to go down and check out. I'm afraid I can't keep our original plans."

"Well that is a shame," her full lips downturned into a pout. "I had hoped to get to know you better – Shizune says so many nice things about you."

"Yes, well," Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck and gave an awkward cough. "Some things can't be helped."

Before she could protest, he scooped up her luggage and offered his arm. Tenten smothered a laugh as he bustled the preening woman into his car and helped her into the passenger seat. He closed the door firmly then handed Tenten the keys. "I'll drop your car off at the garage," he said simply.

Tenten arched an eyebrow as she took the keys.

"He was looking for you last night," Kakashi slid a glance back to the Grand. "I'm guessing there is a reason he never found you."

She stared at the keys in her hand. "One good eye and you still see more than anyone I've ever met," she half laughed. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he shrugged. "I have to bring it in to be serviced soon anyway."

Tenten dropped Mei off - who was far less talkative when there was no attractive man around (although she did ask Tenten if she knew Kakashi, and did he have any other attractive friends?)– and then went directly to the garage.

And that was how she ended up at work 20 minutes after she was supposed to be sitting with Gai at the luncheon.

Lee sent her a text: "Kakashi is most grateful for your help and Gai is proud. It is a shame you won't be able to come back before the event ends – we will miss you."

She smiled at her phone.

Lee knew she could make it back… he was telling her she didn't have to.

She sighed and tossed the keys on her desk. She'd thought about going back for her car, but decided to do maintenance on Kakashi's instead. He was right; he was due to come in next week anyway, and she could use the distraction.

She hung up her jacket and changed into a faded, comfortable set of coveralls that she didn't wear when she was officially working. They were left over from her dad's garage and had belonged to a female mechanic that had worked there for about 6 months before moving to Kumo. She'd turned her uniforms over to 8-year-old Tenten with a smile and her blessing, and she loved that she still had a reminder of her dad's old shop.

The coveralls were faded and gray – not the sharp, crisp navy and light blue that Ibiki insisted on. Tenten zipped them up over a fitted pair of athletic shorts and a tank top before lacing up her shoes.

She was already in work mode by the time she pinned the inspection checklist on a clipboard and headed back into the garage.

The garage was quiet, save for Ibiki's old boombox crackling out some classic rock. They had a main sound system, and she had both a dock and earphones for her own ipod, but she didn't want to lose herself in music today.

Today she wanted to lose herself in the garage.

She was grateful they were closed for the day, although she was sure Ibiki would be in at some point to do some paperwork and office things. Ibiki took about as much time off as she did, which is to say almost none.

It wasn't that either of them couldn't afford to take some time off, or that they disliked being away – it was just that they both really loved what they did.

She was lucky, she supposed, to get to do what she loved – what she had always loved – every day. Her being settled into a working zen as she began the routine of servicing a car. She zoned out as she checked brake lights, and tire tread depths, and the wear on the windshield wipers. She got the car on the lift and decided to rotate the tires while the oil drained. The relative quiet was punctuated by the loud whir of the impact wrench as she removed the lugnuts and stored them appropriately. It was her father that taught her to love these kinds of things, and to not be bothered by the noise.

Her mother, though, taught her to love the boom of fireworks. She spoke only sparingly of her family, but she loved fireworks as a child, passing that love on to her daughter. It was one of the first things she'd bonded with Lee and Naruto over – one of the first times she felt connected to them as a child.

She'd been in a hurry to join them last night, and had stopped in her room just long enough to put her bag on the bed, grab Gai's blanket, and pull a long dress cloak around her shoulders. It was warm and soft and comfortable, and didn't snag her dress. More importantly, it hid the telltale green under the folds of the black material. She had to give Ino credit – again – on the recommendation.

"Who knew capes could have pockets?" she'd asked, when she tried it on.

"It's not a cape," Ino had rolled her eyes. "It is a cloak."

"Fine," Tenten shrugged, "but if the opportunity comes up to fight crime, I'm taking it."

Sadly, the evening turned out to be devoid of any excuses to fight for justice, liberty, and the Konoha Way.

Once she stepped out onto the patio, she filled her lungs with the crisp, clear night air.

Naruto found her immediately and pressed a warm cup of hot cocoa into her hands.

"Gai's sensei's over here," he led her to where Lee, Gai, Genma, and Kakashi were chatting pleasantly.

Naruto held her drink while Tenten took the blanket folded over her arm – the same one Gai had used with the three of them so long ago - and tucked it over Gai's lap and his legs.

"Just in case," she said with a kind smile, and he beamed at her.

"That's my Lotus," he declared proudly. "Always prepared."

"Well, we learned from the best," Tenten accepted her drink back from Naruto.

"You flatter me," Gai put a hand to his heart.

"How do you know she wasn't talking about us?" Genma quipped. "You aren't the only one that whipped these three into shape."

Gai gave a hearty laugh as he clapped Genma on the back. "That is true! You had your share, didn't you?"

"So did Ebisu," Genma drawled. "I thought Naruto had broken him…at least until he got stuck with Asuma's nephew."

"Oh yeah, Ebisu," Naruto's eyes widened. "I'd almost forgotten about him. How's he holding up?"

"He's doing well. Now come!" Gai boomed. "Let's hear what Naruto has to say for himself. Any youthful prospects on your horizon?" he waggled substantial eyebrows at him.

"Eh," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, "Well…Oh, Look!" the first twisting trail of light rocketed into the sky. "The fireworks have started!"

The rest of the crowd fell into a low buzz of conversation as music swelled over the sound system. The fireworks were choreographed to the music, and Tenten loved how the blasts reverberated through her.

Lee stood next to her, not saying anything. He simply draped an arm around her shoulders and waited. There were multiple smoke shadows of spent fireworks hanging in the sky before either of them spoke.

"He knows," she said quietly.

Lee didn't have to ask 'whom' or about 'what.' Instead, he asked:

"How?" and then, as an afterthought, "His father?"

"No," she gave a wry laugh. "He figured it out. Turns out all of that studying isn't for show - he's ridiculously clever. He narrowed it down to us three, and then to just me… he just didn't know that I'm Tiān ."

"…Who he thought must be here, and that is why he was surprised when Naruto hadn't heard that name in a while," Lee filled in the blanks. "He is clever."

"And funny, and charming, and considerate," she added. "Not to mention easy to talk to, and a really good dancer, and…" she buried her head in Lee's shoulder with a groan. "And I'm never talking to him again."

"I can see why," Lee drawled, eyes on the fireworks. "Sounds like a real jerk."

"I wish he was," Tenten sighed. "That would make this easier."

"Sounds like you are being awfully hard on both of you," Lee said gently.

"You didn't see his face when he figured it out," she burrowed deeper into the folds of her cloak.

"How much does he know?" Lee pressed. "It might not be so bad."

"He knew it was me ten years ago, and judging from his expression, that wasn't welcome news."

"Maybe it was just unexpected news," he offered. "This all had to be strange for him, too, Ten."

"If it was strange tonight when we were almost on an even social footing, how strange is it going to be in real life?" she shifted to look up at him. "I'm playing dress up for a good cause like I do once a year; this sort of thing is probably normal for him. I fix cars, Lee, and take five-year breaks between wearing heels. He probably has multiple tuxedos hanging in his closet and attends high-end social functions ad nauseum."

"Give him some credit, Tenten," Lee chided gently. "He had the good sense to dance with you for hours."

"Until he realized who I was," she sighed. "I just…" she paused, watching the night sky.

Lee waited, as everything lit up in shades of red and blue and green and white as the explosions littered the sky with sparks.

"I just want to watch the fireworks," she murmured. "For tonight."

"Alright," he kissed her head.

He didn't say anything more on the subject.

She and Naruto and Lee stayed with Gai until about 2:00, when they went back to their room and sat around and talked. She'd stayed up too late, enjoying the company of her two best friends (not counting Temari) and fallen asleep happy.

It had been a restorative return to her 'normal' world that her heart had sorely needed.

She needed the reminder that no matter what happened (or didn't happen) with regards to Neji, she'd always have Lee and Naruto. And it wasn't like Neji was really so much a part of her life that he was unavoidable – after all, she'd been around Ibiki's garage since she was 13, and hadn't seen his dad before then.

"Life will go back to normal," she assured herself, lowering the lift. She popped the hood and propped it open.

Tenten was just double checking the supplies on her cart when she heard the chime for the side entrance echo in the almost-quiet of the garage. She paused a moment to listen. It was too early for Kakashi to have come by with her truck. Maybe it was someone Ibiki was expecting? One of the mechanics? Probably Kotetsu – he was forever forgetting things in his work locker. The familiar ding of the door sensor meant that Ibiki was here and had buzzed whoever it was in.

That officially made it none of her business.

She turned her attention back to own work, humming along to the radio.

-Part Four: Locus poenitentiae-
'Place of repentance.' When one party withdraws from a contract before all parties are bound.

The cab pulled up to the garage.

Before he could allow any rational part of his mind to engage, Neji paid the fare, jumped out, and strode quickly up the shoveled and salted walk to the main entrance.

The sign on the door was still flipped to read "Closed." He peered in through the glass door into the lobby, shading his eyes to better see. There was no one at the reception desk, and he couldn't see the offices from the door.

"Service entrance," he said under his breath. "Has to be a service entrance."

He circled the building until he found a smaller side door. There were a couple sets of footprints in the snow near the cleared path, so someone had been by this way earlier.

There was a buzzer/intercom and keypad under the small placard reading "Ring for Service."

Neji took a deep breath and pushed the button.

A chime rang on the other side of the door before relaying through the building.

"Yes?" a gruff voice came over the speaker.

Neji's eyes flicked up to the security camera.

"Neji?" Ibiki's voice held a note of surprise. "Can I help you?"

"I just came to make a delivery to one of your mechanics," he held up a bag.

There was an audible click and there was no longer a buzz coming from the speaker. Neji heard nothing for a full thirty seconds. There was an electronic whir from inside the door and a buzzing – the door had been unlocked.

Neji presumed that was his cue. A single, pleasant tone alerted anyone inside that someone had walked through the door. It took his eyes a second to adjust from the bright sun of a snowy day to the sedate lighting of the hallway. In that second, he realized a very large figure was making his way through the hall toward him.

"Neji," Ibiki nodded a greeting, holding out a hand. "Good to see you."

"And you," Neji returned the firm handshake, idly noting that he hadn't seen his hand look so dwarfed since he was a child.

"So," Ibiki crossed his arms, almost filling the not-narrow-hallway as she stood in a modified parade rest. "You said something about a delivery?"

"Yes," Neji cleared his throat. "I did."

Ibiki raised both eyebrows in question.

"It seems that one of your mechanics – Tenten," he clarified, keeping his tone as casual as possible, "left behind something at the Gala last night. I would like to return it to her."

"She's working," Ibiki nodded his head toward the corridor behind him. "Would you like to leave it with me?"

"Actually I'd rather give it to her in person," Neji said with just the right note of apology in his tone, even as his heartrate kicked up a beat or two per minute. "I won't take too much of her time."

Ibiki looked him over, considering. "Down the hall. Last door on the left," he finally said. "Hooks on the wall for coats. I'll be just in my office, should either of you need me."

With that he stepped to the side allowing Neji enough room to get by – even though the quarters were tight enough that he had to cross into the much larger man's airspace, however slightly.

He nodded his thanks as he passed.

"She's here on her own time," Ibiki said, and Neji halted in his steps, looking over his shoulder. "I ask you to be mindful of that."

Neji gave a respectful nod. "Noted."

Without another word, Ibiki continued down the hallway, leaving Neji to make his own way to the garage.

The high ceilings and cement floors allowed for sound to both bounce and be swallowed. He could just make out the crackling of a radio and the clinking of metal as he stepped into the room. The lights were on in only one quadrant of the large space so he directed himself toward it. One lone car was on the lift, lowered to ground level. As he drew closer the sound of someone humming threaded its way in between the crackle of power chords and solo guitar.

Mesmerized, he stood in silence wondering what to say to her. He watched as she stepped away from the car and went to a tall metal cabinet and retrieved five quarts of oil. After that she went to the office, clearly visible through the large windows. As he watched, the corners of his mouth tipped upward. He was fairly certain he'd just found his opening.

-Part Five: Stalled out-
A stall of an engine refers to a sudden stopping of the engine turning, usually brought about accidentally. It is commonly applied to the phenomenon whereby an engine abruptly ceases operating and stops turning.

Tenten realized two things simultaneously.

1) In her distracted state of mind, she'd grabbed the wrong oil for Kakashi's car.

2) Her phone was almost dead.

She hadn't even opened the oil, so 1 was easily fixed. As for 2, luckily, when Kakashi had roped her into dropping Mei off at the airport, she'd taken a minute to retrieve her big bag from her car. She dug out her phone charger and was putting everything back in, when she realized she was missing something.

She looked over her desk.

Nothing.

She looked under her desk.

Nothing.

She looked around her desk.

Still nothing.

Perplexed, she checked the office again, and then went out to Kakashi's car, carefully looking inside.

Definitely nothing.

She muttered to herself.

"One? Only one? Are you kidding me?"

She closed the car door, jammed her hands on her hips and asked:

"Who only loses only one shoe?!"

"Cinderella for one. Or so I'm told."

"Okay, fair," she replied, crouching to look under the car, focused in her task. "but if I was hightailing it out of a castle, I'd lose the glass kicks, too."

"What about if you were running out of the ballroom of a hotel?"

"Why would anyone run out of…the…"

She sat back on her heels for a moment, blinking. Slowly she turned her head and caught sight of the expensive black leather shoes and the dark charcoal cuffs flecked with snow. She scanned up the long, lean lines of tailored trousers to the crisp white shirt and grey vest to the now-familiar lilac-pale eyes of the Beautiful Law Student.

And all she could manage to say was

"Oh."

That was until he dipped a hand into the small bag he was holding and produced her missing shoe.

Her eyes went wide.

"Where…where did you get that?" she asked.

"At your seat for the Gala, just under the table," he said calmly. "For what it's worth," he continued, holding up one impossibly high green satin heel, "I think these are a far better choice than the traditional glass or fur, although I am not certain they're that much more practical."

"Highly impractical," she found herself agreeing. "What are you doing here?"

He lifted slim eyebrows. "Other than returning your shoe?" he asked with a trace of amusement. "I came to apologize."

"Apologize?" Tenten's forehead crinkled as if she was having trouble translating the word.

"Yes. I owe you at least that much."

Tenten's heart contracted into lead. She gave a dry bark of laughter and stood, brushing herself off.

"You don't owe me anything," she tried to keep her tone light. "Not for last night or for anything else. Thanks for finding my shoe," she began to back her way toward the open hood of Kakashi's car. "You can just put it down over there," she nodded to a clean work area, "and we'll call it square."

Tenten turned back to her work, ignoring the strange gripping in her chest. She snatched up her clipboard, scanned her checklist, and tried to orient herself.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Neji watching her. After a moment or two he turned to gently place the lone shoe onto the nearby work-worn desk.

She reached in the engine and unscrewed the oil cap, putting it on her cart before cracking open the bottles of oil.

Neji circled behind her and stood to the side.

"Tenten."

His voice hung in the air between them.

She flicked her eyes up to him as she grabbed the first two quarts of oil.

"Yes."

"Will you do me the favor of just listening?" he asked evenly. "I shall take no more than five minutes, and you can continue to work."

Tenten's heart pounded in her chest as she drew in a long, deep breath.

"Alright, Neji," she exhaled. "I'll listen."

-Part Six: Audi alteram partem-
'hear the other side.' Refers to the idea that one cannot be fairly judged unless the cases for and against them have been heard.

Neji cleared his throat, and she turned her attention to pouring the oil in the funnel.

"I only recently learned about what happened ten years ago," He began. "It was the first I'd heard about what really happened to my father that night, or anything related to that incident," he hurried to assure her. "I do not know what he said to you, but he never mentioned your name to me. In fact," he paused and she half looked over her shoulder. "He never even mentioned if his rescuer was a boy or girl. Probably, he did that to let me assume it was a boy."

He thought that maybe she smiled at that, and it gave him a little more courage.

"Needless to say it gave me much to think about – first and foremost, why hadn't I ever heard anything about it, and what happened to the child that saved my father?"

He watched her carefully as she turned and reached for the third and fourth quarts. He waited until she resumed her work to pick up where he left off.

"I suspected that the person in question might be at the Gala. I knew they had been both a foster and an adoptee, and an inaugural member of the Youth programs. From there, it was easy to narrow it down to three possible suspects."

His eyes softened. "I eventually ruled out Lee and Naruto – the timing of when they entered the programs didn't match. That only left someone named 'Tiān.'"

She faltered slightly in her work, her back tightening even as she tried to remain aloof.

"I had no idea who Tiān was," he shrugged. "And more importantly, I stopped looking. You see," he took a hesitant step closer, "I had a new objective. Something far more important than looking for someone I may or may not find."

She half turned toward him, waiting.

"And…what was that?" she asked cautiously.

Neji gave an elegant shrug.

"To spend time with the person I'd wanted to talk to from the first time I saw her at the shops, the day before classes began."

She snapped her eyes up to his, lips parted in obvious disbelief.

"Me?" she breathed incredulously, turning to face him

"Yes," he said solemnly. "You, Tenten."

He could see he lingered just on the edge of her trust, and he searched for a way to reassure her.

"The first time I saw you, you were leaving the bookstore with Lee. I wondered what it would be like to spend time with someone who smiled and laughed so easily. I passed you several times on campus before you began studying on the fifth floor."

His eyes roved over her face and a gentle smile tugged at his lips.

"I'll tell you a secret," he lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I didn't know your name – or Lee's. Not until I overheard Lee say it at the gym. Until then, I always thought of you as 'The Girl Who Smiled.' Naturally, Lee was 'The Guy in Green,'" he added.

"Naturally," Tenten's smile was slow but genuine and it warmed his heart.

"And then there was last night," his eyes caught hers. "Getting to know you - spending time with you - was better than I could have ever imagined it to be," he admitted. "And I had always imagined it would be rather marvelous."

Her voice was soft. "You did, huh?"

"Frequently," he affirmed frankly. "I do not generally warm to people quickly, but I was certain that if there was an exception to that rule, it would be you."

Something playful flitted across her features. "Not one for talking to strangers?"

"No," he said with a flat finality that prompted a small, possibly understanding laugh from Tenten.

"And I'm certainly not one for dancing with them if I can help it," he proceeded, quickly pressing what he sensed to be an advantage. "I couldn't have possibly anticipated that you would be such a delightful partner. Granted, given your choice of footwear," he flicked a glance over to the satin shoe, "I was exceedingly grateful for your skill," (she laughed again), "but your intelligence, your kindness, your sense of humor…all of that made it more than I could've projected. Although, I confess," he took in her twin buns and work wear with appreciation. "While you looked stunning, that was less of a surprise. I already knew you were beautiful."

Tenten's expression hovered between skeptical and pleased, and embarrassed, and perhaps even tempted to believe him.

"As for your past with my father," he held her gaze, and could almost hear her defenses begin to brick up. "In my shock, I reacted poorly. Abominably, even. And for that I apologize. It was uncalled for."

"Not uncalled for," Tenten's smile was small and crooked. "Understandable, given the circumstances. My past is complicated to say the least. And all of that stuff with your dad-"

"Is in the past," he said firmly, placing both hands on her shoulders. He felt her jolt of surprise at his interruption, and the tensing of lean muscle under his palms. "And as grateful as I am – and I am grateful- I didn't come here because of your past, Tenten."

"The shoe, of course," she nodded. "And, don't worry about apologizing, it's not that big of a deal. It was just a misunderstanding, and-"

"That's not it either, Tenten," he interrupted gently. "Not entirely."

She scanned his face with those large, hazel-gray eyes of hers, taking his measure.

"Alright," her voice was low and wary. "Then why are you here, Neji?"

Despite having an impressive vocabulary and a gift for framing his thoughts, and despite having a very clear sense of what he wanted to say… he found that the words eluded him.

His eyes fixed on the smudge on her cheek, instantly reminding him of the time he thought she had been hurt. Reflexively, he traced a thumb over the mark.

Neji had long prided himself on being resourceful and for thinking on his feet. He was analytical to a fault, but was swift to adopt a course of action once he decided upon it.

When she neither flinched nor pulled away from his touch, he was encouraged.

When she leaned into his touch, he made a swift and final decision.

Trailing fingers gently down her jaw to tip up her chin
– and seeing no objection from the other party –
he kissed her.

Cautious.

Measured.

Considerate of her boundaries.

At least for the first five seconds.

Nothing in his analysis of the situation could have calculated how impossibly good and right her lips felt against his, or how electric her skin was under his fingertips.

He did not foresee them both overcoming their shy reticence with an alarming alacrity.

Yet his initial brush against her lips was quickly returned and deepened. His hands slid around her waist as her forearms glided around his neck and they pulled closer to one another.

Every rational thought abandoned him, and for the first time Neji was completely at peace with ceding control to the fates.

He didn't know how long it was before he rested his forehead against hers, heart pounding in his ears, breath uneven.

She cleared her throat. "You make a compelling argument, counsellor," he heard her smile. "However, I believe protocol allows for opposing counsel to make a rebuttal?"

"A rebuttal?" he asked, lifting his face to better see her.

"I believe that is what it is called," she gave a small shrug, "I'm not all the way through that chapter."

He arched an eyebrow at her, and she mirrored the expression. "You don't think you were the only one paying attention this semester, do you? I still don't know how anyone can enjoy reading about tort law," she gave a shudder.

"If you ever figure it out, let me know," he said dryly.

"I think I'll work on the rebuttal first," she grinned slyly, brushing her nose against his. "Far more interesting."

Any attempt he might have made to question or correct her logic was swallowed in her kiss.

He had to agree – the rebuttal was far more interesting.

Absently, he noted that he knew nothing of what this was or where it would go, but as her body sighed happily against his, he could only focus on his present victory.

He'd finally caught up to "The Girl Who Smiled."

It had taken a whole semester, and should have been impossible, but as she stole his breath and sent his pulse careening, he had but one conclusion to make.

It had been worth the wait.

And that is 'Force Majeure!' (except for the epilogue) I can't thank you enough for coming along on this journey. There will be a sequel 'The Mechanics of Law.' I so appreciate you sharing your feedback with me - thank you kindly for reading and reviewing, friends. It does great things for my little heart.