Chapter Five
A/N: Well, here we go, another chapter, just for everyone who wanted to know what happened to Neji. Don't worry, I don't think I could ever kill him, but don't expect Best Served Cold to be without its twists and turns. On another note, why do parents always find it necessary to talk to little children in the third person? Just something to think about…
It seemed like her life was a series of highs and lows, both coming on the heels of each other. One of her more amusing days at work and a real connection with one of her students was followed immediately by discovering her husband's badly beaten body at her front door. She'd woken up Outarou and Haruka and then called her brother explaining what had happened. Kotetsu had made arrangements for him to be taken to the hospital, and that's where she was waiting right now.
He'd been taken in for surgery nearly two hours ago and the suspense was killing her inside. Outarou was sleeping with his head in Kotetsu's lap, and she was holding her wide-awake daughter in her arms. She'd begun to move restlessly in her arms, and TenTen could tell that the baby wanted to be put down. She stood up. "Kotetsu I'll be back."
He nodded and smiled when she gave the little boy's hair an affectionate tousle and walked away.
TenTen stopped at the front desk. "I'm sorry to ask this, but I've been waiting on my husband to get out of surgery and my daughter's getting restless…"
The tired woman cut her off. "Playroom's just down the hall."
TenTen walked slowly down the silent hall to the room at the very end. She pushed the door open and they were met with pitch blackness. She flicked on the light switch and her eyes were suddenly flooded with color. Nearly every type of toy imaginable was tucked away into some corner of this kid-proofed room. The walls and cupboards were padded to avoid injury.
Haruka seemed to see the toys lined off against the walls and began to squirm in her arms again.
"Okay." TenTen bent her knees and placed the baby on the floor. Haruka scooted off right away, her sights set on a red rubber ball. Her mother stayed in that position, watching as the tiny girl pushed the ball around the room.
Haruka was their hope. As far as they knew she wasn't possessed by the Phoenix, but she couldn't avoid the sneaking suspicion that there was something in her daughter other than the Hyuuga bloodline that made her different from other children. She was a happy baby though, always smiling and playing with anyone she saw.
It must've been nice to be a child, to always see the good in everyone, to see the best in every situation, to keep smiling even when their friends died all around them. She couldn't remember much of her childhood anymore. She knew in her heart that she had been happy with her parents and brother, but as far back as she could remember, she'd always wanted to be a great kunoichi and had devoted her life to that. Ever since she'd been entered in the Ninja Academy, her life was destined to be different from regular children.
TenTen was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Haruka had stopped playing with the toys. She just kept staring into the corner of the room, and finally snapped out of her reverie when she felt tiny hands on her ankle.
Haruka's big white eyes were boring holes into hers and TenTen was suddenly struck with the feeling that the baby could see straight through into her heart. That feeling was strengthened moments later when the little girl's infectious smile faded, replaced by a look of solemn sadness.
TenTen smiled softly and sat down, letting the girl crawl into her lap, the ball cradled in her hands. "Mommy's sorry for being sad, it's just…" She stroked the baby's short brown hair. "I'm worried about Daddy. I know you can't really understand me, but I don't know what I would do if something bad happened to him. The two of you are all I have."
Haruka lifted her hands, extending the ball towards her mother.
TenTen accepted the toy and embraced the girl. "I love you so much." She sniffed and found herself wiping away tears. "I don't know why I'm so worried. Daddy would never leave us, he loves us too much."
Someone knocked gently on the door. She turned to face the door and saw Kotetsu leaning against it, Outarou hanging onto his forearm sleepily. "Sis, the doctor wants to see you."
"Ah." TenTen stood and then bent over to scoop up her daughter, but her brother stopped her.
"I'll watch her and Outarou-kun. You just go and find out what he wants."
The woman nodded in gratitude and kissed her brother on his cheek. "Thanks a lot for everything. You've been a great help." She returned to where they were sitting in the lobby and the doctor who had disappeared into the surgical theater with her husband was standing there, clipboard in hand.
"Ahh…Mrs. Hyuuga. I have good news. Neji's condition has been stabilized and he's awake."
She managed quite easily to keep the excitement out of her voice. "Then I can go in and see him?"
"Of course, he's been asking to see you nonstop." He stepped in front of her. "If you'd just come this way." He led the woman down the winding hall until he stopped in front of Neji's room. From where they stood in front of the glass window, they could see that he was sitting up in the bed, massaging his forehead with his fingers.
Relief flooded her body just then. He was bandaged nearly from head to toe, but he was alright.
"Are you going to just stand there?" The doctor smiled knowingly at her. "He's waiting for you."
TenTen regained control of herself and pushed the door open. "Neji, I was so worried about you, especially after you fainted outside our door. I really thought that this time you would be gone for good."
He lifted his head and glanced at her, giving her a full view of his haunted white eyes.
"I told you I'd get rid of them for you."
"Neji, you didn't have to do that, especially if they did this to you. I don't ever want you to be hurt, even if you say it's to defend me."
He clenched his fist in the sheets. "Everyone else on my team…they killed them."
She climbed onto the bed behind him, wrapped her arms around her waist and leaned her head against his back. "I know it hurts…knowing that you can't protect everyone, but all that matters is that you're here and you're safe."
"It sucks…I'll always remember their faces and seeing their dead bodies, watching Senrou get his neck sliced. As a ninja I've seen worse things, but for some reason, watching the Shiratoris hurt more people that were important to me…the anger gave me more chakra, enough to call on the Phoenix's power again. This time…I made sure they were gone, but I paid the price." He unwrapped the bandage around his left hand and showed her the badly burned palm. "It won't heal on its own like it used to. The Phoenix…it really is gone."
"Neji…"
"I should be happy. The Phoenix is really gone, I'm back with my family and the Shiratori brothers are finally gone from our lives after five long years."
"I know."
"Then why do I feel like shit?"
She lifted a hand and started to stroke his hair. "It's because sometimes when we have to watch other people die we feel like we've cheated when we survive. But there's no reason to feel guilty. Your wife and your daughter love you, and we would've been lost without you."
Neji placed his hand on top of hers. "I didn't mean to worry you. I just had to do this. I wouldn't be able to face you if I didn't."
"Let's not talk about this anymore, okay? Let's put it behind us. I just want to take Haruka and Outarou and you and go home and sleep."
"Outarou?" Neji's voice took on a decidedly jealous tone. "Who's that?"
She smiled against his back. "He's one of my students Neji. You don't have anything to worry about. His father died and he needs someone to stay with, so I volunteered to keep him thinking you'd be gone a little longer."
"Why would you do that?"
"He's a sweet kid Neji, and he's lonely, just like you used to be. Just spend a little time with him and you'll grow to love him too."
Neji raised an eyebrow. "Too?"
She smiled sheepishly at him. "We'll talk about this later okay, right after you come home."
Against his will, he felt his lips curling up into a smile. "God I missed you."
"It's only been two days." She kissed his cheek. "But I missed you too."
The door swung open and Kotetsu entered, pushing a wheelchair. "You two lovebirds going to play kissey-face forever or are you going to go home and do it there?"
"Home already?"
"Turns out his wounds looked more savage than they actually were. Doc says he's cleared to go home as soon as he's ready."
'Neji…thank God you're okay.' She buried her face in his shoulder, wiping away her silent tears. 'Really…thank God.'