Sitting on an uncomfortable chair in a quiet, white waiting room, Karin stared blankly u at the ceiling. Beside her, Suigetsu was flipping through a magazine, pretending to be interested in the articles, tapping his foot in an impatient manner that only served to annoy his companion even more.

Someone had to call them soon. How long had they been waiting, anyway? Karin glanced at the clock and did some quick math – thirteen minutes. It felt like an hour.

"Remind me why" – a slap on the arm reminded Suigetsu to lower his voice – "why I had to come here?"

"Because choosing what to do with a baby is both parents' decision, not just the mom's."

"But you're the only one who's confused."

"Yeah, but we have to come to an agreement together."

Sighing, he slumped back in his chair. "Why do we bother making appointments for this stuff? It always takes forever anyway."

""It's only been fifteen minutes, and we'd never get in if they didn't know to expect us."

"Then why bother coming on time?"

"Because we don't know how late things will be."

Mumbling something about not paying for tardiness, Suigetsu sank lower into his chair and pouted. It was a laughable sight, but Karin bit her tongue – something about the place didn't seem to invite humour.

Another hour long minute passed before they were called in. The office they entered was a little less bland and depressing than the waiting room, with personal touches scattered throughout. The chairs their counsellor instructed them to sit on were more comfortable to sit on, too.

"What problems are you having, exactly," the man (Mr. Takahashi, according to Sakura) asked, folding his hands together on his desk.

"Uh, I don't know what to do with the baby. Isn't that kind of obvious?" Karin said, scrutinizing the man behind the desk, wondering if this was a farce.

"Perhaps I should've worded my question better," he apologized, friendly demeanour unwavering. "What are you confused about?"

"The fact that I don't want the baby and hate all the potential adopters."

"And you?" the doctor asked, turning his gaze to Suigetsu.

The accidental father shrugged. "The only problem I have is her not being able to decide."

Nodding, he turned his attention back to Karin. "Why don't you like the 'potential parents'?"

"I dunno... I just don't. They give me a bad feeling."

"And they touch her stomach too much," Suigetsu snickered, earning a swat on the arm.

"It's not uncommon for a woman to feel maternal toward her child during pregnancy," Mr. Takahashi said. "Most mothers wouldn't want to give their child away to strangers."

"So... I'm just being a paranoid mom?"

"Protective would be a better term, but yes. Now, why don't we discuss the reason you don't want to keep your child?"

"She thinks we're unfit parents," Suigetsu supplied.

Shooting him a glare, Karin snapped, "I can answer for myself!" To the doctor, she said, "Uh, yeah. He's right."

"And what exactly makes you unfit? Are you financially or physically or mentally unstable?"

"No to the first, not sure what you mean by the second or third."

"Do you have a mental or physical disability," he clarified. "Because, even if you do, plenty of parents-"

"No! We don't. We're healthy."

"So... What seems to be the issue?"

"I just..." she hesitated, trying to think of a proper way to explain it. "I don't think I'm cut out for parenting. I hate kids, I'm violent, and I have no patience. Plus, we share an apartment with a murderous psychopath."

Belatedly, she wondered if maybe certain issues should've been left unsaid.

But Mr. Takahashi only offered a small smile. "Many mothers feel that way – except maybe about the violent part. Don't worry; parenting is skill you gain through experience, as is patience and self control. As for the roommate... You should probably report them. Or move somewhere else."

"Nah, Juugo's cool," Suigetsu said, waving a hand dismissively. "She's over-exaggerating. Sorta."

"So, what do you think I should do?" Karin asked, thinking over his words. "Keep it?"

"I can't make that decision for you. I can only help you get to the root of your worries."

"Well, what was the point of coming here?" she growled, instantly annoyed. She had wasted twenty minutes and still had to figure everything out!

"You understand your problems better now, don't you?"

Karin huffed, already out of her chair and stalking toward the door, barking for Suigetsu to follow.

"Thanks for the advice," the Mist ninja said, lagging behind despite his companion's orders. "She'll learn to appreciate it... eventually. Maybe."

"I know her type," the doctor said, smiling. "You seem to handle her well, though. You two must have a lot of fun together."

"Fun, right," he snorted, heading for the door. "Guess I need to redefine that word."

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay and if this chapter is in anyway unrealistic or crappy. Writer's block struck with an ron fist. xP

But, I've gotten one of my other fics finished, and another close to being done, so soon I'll be able to give this my full attention and hopefully finish it up soon.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Naruto' or any of its characters.