Ino had decided her baby better an angel when it comes out of her, for all the torture it was putting her through. She had to stay home from school that day since its little feet were just going at it. She couldn't go ten minutes without getting kicked, and not very gently either. There was just no end to it! Did it really hate her this much? She wondered if it would be born deaf because it seemed immune to her constant grunts and moans of pain. Her mother nearly stayed home with her because she was that worried. Shikamaru was too but there was no way in hell Ino would let him skip school. So she switched between sitting and laying on her sofa as some game show played on the television in front of her. At this point she had even tried bargaining with the unborn child.

"Alright if you stop kicking me, I will spoil you rotten when you come out." She begged. She was rewarded with another bombard of kicks. A frown now marred her usually perky face. Her fair complexion now looked almost sickly. Those dark circles had resurfaced as well. Their baby was really making her stretch the love she had for it.

"Ouch! Fine I'll sing you a lullaby or something, or I'll rub some lotion on my belly. Would you like that?" She continued in a light whisper. Ino figured a softer voice might make her pleas stand a better chance against the bastard baby. Two horse kicks stabbed her gut in response. Is that a yes or a no? Ino had no idea, maybe questioning their son wasn't the her brightest idea.

"You know if you keep acting up like this then I'll have to miss a lot of school and I need my education if you want a good future. It's a chain reaction." Ino explained with a deep sigh. Her baby didn't kick to that. If the pain in her stomach was more bearable then she might've laughed. Of course their child would be nice if it benefitted him.

Ino wondered what traits their child would inherit. Would he be determined like her, or lazy like Shikamaru? What if he got Shikamaru's smartass personality instead of her assertive and bubbly one. Would he be a genius or just smart. Ino figured both she and Shikamaru were kind to others so he would probably get that trait. The child in her dream seemed adorable enough. He had a little genius mind but loved sleeping like Shikamaru. He was sweet and loved giving and receiving affection like her. Sure he was quite attached to her, something dream Shikamaru didn't like. But she had no problem with that. She loved her cuddling. Especially when those large blue eyes of his peered up at her. Maybe his eyes will actually be brown and narrow like his father's, but that wouldn't stop her from showing him with hugs. He might inherit her blonde hair instead of the brown shade in the dream. Ino was absolutely sure no matter who their child looked more like, he would be one beautiful baby.

The smile that had formed on her face after thinking about their baby quickly faded when said baby gave her a rough kick. What was the matter with him?

"Okay can you please just settle down for me, your mommy, please." She pleaded once again. Her hand rubbed her belly in an effort to soothe him like rubbing a back would to her. By some magical force, at least that's what Ino thought, her baby let up his little attack.

She continued to trace patterns, her finger was dancing across her belly as invisible circles covered her baby bump. Being alone with her baby was oddly calming to her. She had tuned out the show on her television by that point. The pain had numbed her to the rest of the world. The living room was completely silent to her, not eerie or creepy like it usually was. It was almost therapeutic. Her baby was finally relaxing which made her even more tranquil. Small hums escaped her lips as she let her eyes shut. She felt her eyelashes brush against her cheek bones as she did so.

It was September so the weather was cooling and that meant she could get her cozy clothes out of her closet. Her sleep shorts and tank top were traded out for nightgowns and soft pajama sets. Her skin was covered in plush pink pajamas from her neck to her toes. Her mother thought the panda print on her pants was childish, but Ino couldn't bare to part with them. Even if they were a bit short on her. That was what her fuzzy socks were for, they were like a pillow for her feet. For the maximum amount of warmth Ino had burrowed herself deep under a patchwork blanket. Maybe she was overdoing it slightly but at least she was in comfy clothing as her baby decided to throw a little tantrum inside her.

Even her couch now seemed soft as a cloud. Normally she couldn't bear the lumpy cushions or the strange cat smell that never went away after she had brought a stray cat in when there was a downpour. Now she realized why her mother had screeched for to get it out of their house. The pillows weren't meant to be slept on, it was more for decoration apparently, but that didn't stop her from resting her head on them. When they were stacked they were a bit more comfortable to lay on.

Her eyelids felt like thirty pound weights were on them. The sensation of her eyelashes on her face had disappeared and a sense of tranquility washed over her. She hadn't gotten more than an hour or two of sleep the night prior, she would've glared at the baby if her eyes weren't so heavy. The scent of wet cat no longer wafted in her nose and her baby seemed to understand the idea of calmness. The lumps on the cushions seemed to smooth over and the rough pillows seemed to be made of feathers. The old couch that her mother contemplated getting rid of for years was now the most luxurious bed Ino had ever laid on.

When her eyes opened she wasn't on the couch in her living room. She wasn't in her living room at all, not any room she had recognized before. It was eerily familiar to the last dream when she woke up someplace new. Is this seriously happening again, I don't need another dream to tell me what to do. Maybe this is going to be a reoccurring thing.

No child calling for her was present like the last dream though. She had just woken up normally. When she turned to her side there was no one beside her. Shikamaru was beside me last time. What is this place anyway.

Just out of the corner of her eye she saw something twitch on the other side of bed. Blonde hair smacked her face when she whipped her hair abruptly to the side. There she saw little limbs sprawled out like a starfish connected to a slumbering face. She recognized it instantly as the boy from her other dream. His messy brown hair masked most of his features. By his side was a little stuffed pig toy that he might've been holding before he fell asleep. The little fire trucks on his pajamas moved up and down as his chest rose and fell evenly. He seemed to have the same size as before so maybe he was the same age.

So there you are little guy. Now where the hell is Shikamaru? She didn't have anytime to investigate because the little boy beside her was now beginning to stir. The neon green numbers on the clock still said it was well into the night so she couldn't imagine why such a sleep loving boy was starting to wake. Ino's whole body went still so she wouldn't disturb the young boy, he needed his sleep after all.

His small frame shifted onto one side now facing her. The little pig toy trapped under his belly. His petite hand was so close to Ino that she desperately wanted to reach out and hold it in hers. But that could wake him up. So she remained solid as a rock as she watched her child fidget in his sleep.

Without warning those electric blue eyes of his shot open and blinked twice at her. A large smile warmed up his whole face as he crept closer to her. His hands now clasped that small pig as he settled himself in her open arms.

"Good morning mama." He yawned. His eyes never left her face as he scanned it curiously. I swear this baby is so cute I could die.

"It's not morning yet kiddo." Ino corrected and smoothed the hair away from his eyes. What am I supposed to call him? Sweetie, Cutie, Baby? Shikamaru called him kiddo so maybe that works. His eyes departed her face and looked around the room and saw the dark shadows. He nodded to affirm he knew his mistake.

"You should be sleeping." She scolded with a small wag of her finger. A devilish grin exposed his tiny and slightly crooked teeth,as his eyes twinkled with mischief. It was like he enjoyed breaking the rules.

"But I'm waiting for daddy." He replied and let those blue orbs of his stare up at her. She couldn't scold him when he looked so innocently at her. Just to assure she wouldn't be able to reprimand him he snuggled deeper into her side. This kid is a mini evil genius. He must've gotten that from Shikamaru. Speaking of him, where is he?

"Where is daddy?" Ino questioned.

"I don't know. He is late a lot. That means I get to sleep by you until he puts me in my bed." The boy answered nonchalantly. It's like a routine to him isn't it? Something made Ino's stomach uncomfortable, like something was very wrong. His job probably makes him work late. Yeah that must be it.

Her eyes couldn't tear away from the neon numbers that nearly blinded her due to their contrast on the dark room. It was much too late for working unless he had some sort of night shift at a bar or something. But she knew he would never do that. He would despise it to no end.

"I see. Do you know what your daddy does for work?" She asked. Maybe I can get some information from this kid. This dream isn't making any sense. Well neither did the last one until the very end, but that means I'll be stuck here for awhile.

"He has a a lot of paper. It makes him...um, hey mama what word means mad?"

"Well there's a lot. Annoyed, irritated, angry, are any of those it?" She tried to answer. It was hard for a word as broad as mad. The boy shook his head and tendrils of brown hair fell onto his face. "I think like that word with the A." He replied. Ino could practically see the clockwork going on in his head as he thought of the correct word. It was something very Ino like to do. She was awful at remembering synonyms.

"Hm, well bugged, or grumpy-"

"That's it!" He cheered. So his job makes him grumpy, typical enough for him. He also said he had a lot of paper, like paperwork? That doesn't really narrow anything down.

"Do you know anything else? Ino continued to pester. She wanted to get out of this bizarre dream and back to the real issues at hand in reality. There were many to choose from, like the baby kicking or the air of mystery around her boyfriend. She always knew what he was thinking, she was the spontaneous one in their relationship. She could read him easier than a book, it took no effort at all. So what was the matter with him? It was like he had some sort of secret to keep from her. He always sounded cryptic when she questioned him on it and called her troublesome.

"Uh, he do not eat breakfast with us." He added after a long period of thinking. So his job starts early?

"Does not, not do not." She corrected his grammatical mistake automatically. All those years of English classes had worked after all. Under his breath she heard him mutter "does not" over and over. It made her lips curl in a smile. She remembered doing that whenever she needed to remember a word or phrase back when she was his age.

"Does he work a lot?"

"Yes." Well that doesn't sound like him.

"Do I work a lot?"

"Until five nanny says. Is that a lot?" So I think I have a normal job.

"Depends on the day. Do you think I work too much?"

"You do not work some days." He answered bluntly, like it was such a common question. Definitely a normal job, but I don't care about my job. I want to know Shikamaru's.

The sound of a door unlocking made Ino's spine chill and the boy scurry to the other side of the bed and return to his starfish position. His eyes shut immediately. Tentatively Ino sat up and stared at her closed bedroom door, she assumed it was a bedroom. Cold air hit her shoulders now that the blanket didn't provide her any warmth. Footsteps were coming closer, they were so soft Ino had to strain her ears to hear them. Her breathing was getting faster with each footstep. Is a killer coming for me. Am I going to die? Is this dream really going to end with me being killed?

She held in most of her scream so only a small squeak came out when slowly creaked open. She recognized the shadowy figure immediately and her heart rate instantly calmed. Yeah Shikamaru does seem more practical than a killer. She inwardly cursed at her dumb mind.

"Did I wake you?" His lazy drawl asked. His tone was more annoyed than concerned and was dripping with exasperation. He moved towards their son stealthily so he wouldn't wake him. His mouth twitched down, and Ino swore she saw a flicker of remorse in his eyes before they became closed off again. His arms were clad in a crisp white button down, his green tie was loose and hung limply around his neck. Brown dress shoes clad his feet and pressed black pants kept his legs from being bare. Small strands of brown hair were loose from his tight ponytail and they fell into his eyes when he bent down to scoop up the little boy. Their son was dwarfed in his arms.

"Oh, no I was already awake." She objected. She felt so nervous around him, like she had to choose each word with precise before thought. It seemed like she would only be a nuisance to him. His exterior was cold as stone and hadn't even glanced at her. Ino never found nervous around except for very few occasions. Most of which involved her pregnancy. Even so those were only butterflies in her stomach. The feeling in the pit of her stomach made her feel weak. It felt like mountains of guilt were sitting on her shoulders even though she hadn't done anything wrong. At least she thought she hadn't.

He gave a grunt of acknowledgement and whisked their child out of the room. It felt like hours before he returned empty handed. His feet took him to a dark corner of the room, so dark that it was like he vanished. What seemed like more hours pasted before he came back, now dressed in pajamas. It was when he laid beside her that he saw his face clearly. Bags are clearly under his eyes, stubble was forming on his chin, two deep wrinkles settled between his eyes by his nose, more faint lines settled on his forehead be under his eyes, his cheeks were ever so slightly sunken, but it was his eyes that made Ino cringe. They were always barely open and tired but that was multiplied by a thousand. He looked so beyond exhausted it was terrifying, she wanted him to just close those eyes and sleep for years if he had to. His eyes were so vacant that Ino couldn't read the emotion behind them. If there was any.

"Shikamaru..." She heard herself whisper. Her hand held his and he didn't hold hers back. It laid limp in her soft grasp and he turned his head up to look up at the ceiling. His hair was completely loose from his ponytail and hung to his shoulders.

"I'm tired Ino." He groaned and slipped his hand away. I can see that very clearly captain obvious. Why are you doing this to yourself? Before she had the chance to reach for him again he was turned on his side away from her. Her hand stayed in the vast empty space between them like a lost puppy.

"Why are you overworking yourself like this?" Ino asked to his back. She received no answer. "Shikamaru I asked you a question."

"You know how much I love you and our baby right?" He answered vaguely. He's said that before hasn't he? Like those exact words, crap what were we talking about back then?

"Yes I do but that doesn't answer my question." replied Ino. Seriously when did we have this conversation before?

"Actually it does."

"You don't have to work so much, I have a job too you know." She tried to assure.

"Yes I do. And yes your job is very nice. Makes good money too. But I'm not going to make you do all the work as far as finances go. I've got to be able to provide everything, everything you and our kid want. That's why I can't just have a humble job that makes a fair income. It can't be easy because easy jobs don't make money." He snapped back. His monotone wasn't present anymore, but some other tone had replaced it. It was frustrating that Ino couldn't think of the proper word for it.

His answer seems like the answer to another question, what the hell was it? I don't think we were fighting, or maybe we were. He's been acting so weird lately it's hard to tell when he said something so sappy. I mean he is so determined about school which is so strange. He never did tell me why.

Oh, now I get it. So that is what this whole dream is about. Man these weird family dreams are actually really good at giving advice and guidance. They're still creeping me out though.

Ino woke up to a lumpy couch after her baby decided he was done being a good boy. The aroma of her favorite candle that smelled like autumn almost cancelled out the cat odor. One pillow was on the floor and her neck would hurt like a bitch soon enough. Her eyes had to adjust to the dimmed lighting of her living room. Sunlight didn't shine through the windows anymore. Night had fallen over Konoha. According to the clock she had been asleep for six hours. When she reached to grab her phone off the table she saw her mother and Shikamaru had left some messages over that period of time.

Ino tried to sit up but her baby had other plans so she went back to a defeated laying position. Another blanket had been placed over her, one of those hand knit ones. Her mother told her it was her grandmother's favorite hobby.

"Hey mom are you there?" She called. She figured someone had to light the candle and hopefully they wouldn't leave it boring while she was fast asleep. Her mother was the best bet. Besides she didn't usually take the night shift at the flower shop either.

"No it's me." Shikamaru answered instead and entered the room. His school uniform was still on. It made Ino when he ever took it off. That thought got quickly pushed back by her dream. That uneasy feeling came over her again but she still managed a smile to brighten her face.

"How are you feeling?" He questioned. His tone was the polar opposite of his dream counterpart.

"Well the little monster gave me a hard time for awhile. But I'm not feeling too bad now." Ino replied. She took a moment to send a warning glare at the unborn child before looking back at him.

"You were totally out when I came here after school." He chuckled and smoothed away the bangs that had spread across her face.

"Who'd you get here? The door want unlocked was it!" Ino gasped. Was she in that much pain that she had forgotten to secure her house. What if someone had robbed it while she was in that cryptic dreamland.

"I went to the flowershop first and your mom gave me her key. She said she wanted to me to watch you because the night shift girl called in sick. My job was easy though, you know with you snoring away and all. I got all my homework done for today." He reassured after seeing her widened eyes. Although he wouldn't put it past her to leave herself completely vulnerable in an unlocked house. He blamed it on her clumsiness.

The last part made her nerves heighten, something was so wrong with what he was saying. It didn't even seem like him. Maybe that was what the dream was trying to tell her. Man she really could've used these dreams earlier in her pregnancy, it would have been so much easier.

"Hey Shikamaru there's something we need to talk about."