Hinata had just set a steaming cup of ginger tea in front of Beki when they heard the knock.

Hinata opened the door and stood aside for Neji to enter. His face was twisted in a complex mixture of emotions: guilt, worry, and frustration. The moment he laid eyes on Beki, however, his entire body relaxed and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Hey," Beki groaned as she sipped the vibrant yellow liquid. "How did it go?"

Neji walked over and kissed her temple. "About as well as I expected it to. I have no doubt her parents will probably be here tomorrow morning to start hell with Hiashi." Subconsciously, Neji began to knead Beki's shoulders. She leaned into his hands, letting out tiny grunts of relief. As he massaged her, Neji noticed the tightness in her muscles. No matter how much he worked, the stiffness never abated. Her shoulders wouldn't roll and there was no movement in the area around it. It was strange, feeling the physical constraints of Beki's injury. He made a mental note to thoroughly examine the damage with his Byakugan later when they were alone.

"Would you like some tea, Neji?" Hinata raised the kettle.

He nodded. "Yes, please."

"So how did Miyu take it?" Beki asked.

"Worse than I expected," Neji sighed. "I didn't realize she had grown rather fond of me. We were never physically affectionate beyond occasional hand holding. In my mind, I just considered us friends by force. Miyu apparently took the engagement to heart." He paused, weighing whether it was better to be completely transparent with his future wife or to preserve what little of Miyu's dignity remained. After a slight pause, he made his decision: "She may have confessed to me during the break up."

"Poor kid," Beki said and immediately stopped herself. Technically, Miyu was older than Beki. This was another one of those strange adjustments she was going to have to get used to. She chuckled and shook her head, thinking of the frustration her mother must have felt dealing with people a decade younger than her that looked old enough to be her parent. "I can't blame her for falling for you. I certainly did."

"Took you long enough," Hinata mumbled as she set Neji's cup down before him.

"What was that?" Beki asked sharply.

"Nothing," Hinata shrugged. She sat down across from the pair and basked in the warmth of their love. Things were finally as they should be. Her beloved cousin had regained his sanity and seemed genuinely happy again. Her best friend, assumed lost forever, was returned to them with only minor damage. They were both in Hinata's house and within her safety net. Although the hot cup in her hand and the soothing scent of chamomile reassured Hinata this was reality, part of her wouldn't have been surprised if she woke up from this wonderful dream. That would be tragic but it wouldn't be the first time. More than once since her death, Hinata had dreamed Beki had walked through the front door with a smile on her face. She woke up from those dreams crying. Naruto would roll over and hold her tight, rubbing her back and kissing her until she calmed down and drifted off again. Naruto never asked why. He knew; he had been there. For a time, Naruto had blamed himself in part for Beki's death. Naruto would never admit it but Hinata could see it in his eyes.

Whenever the couple bumped into Kakashi, he told them to take care of each other. Naruto kept up a good face but Hinata felt him wince. The most obvious show of his internalized guilt was the way he interacted with Neji. Naruto had gone out of his way to try to be there for his friend by asking him how he was doing or offering to go out and have some guy time. Neji would always decline and Naruto would fall quiet for a while. If Hinata asked about it, Naruto would just shrug and say he would think of something to help Neji out of his funk. That's what friends were for.

The years had gone by and Kakashi stopped making comments. Hinata's nightmares became less and less frequent, and Neji withdrew from everyone, taking the pressure of his depression away with him.

"Mom is going to want to spearhead all of the wedding planning," Beki folded her arms on the table. "If you have any requests, say your piece now."

Hinata sat quietly, demurely sipping her tea. Any moment now, Beki would smile and offer her the position of matron of honor. She was her best friend afterall; practically a sister. The two of them had gone through so much together it only made sense. Besides, regardless of what Yuki took over, Hinata was likely to be Beki's preferred emotional support provider. Hinata had just gotten married a few years before. There was lots of helpful advice and encouragement she could give Beki. It would be so much fun, going with her to dress fittings and cake tastings. As Hinata fantasized, she realized that the seconds had stretched to minutes and Beki hadn't said anything. Was she not going to ask? Hinata began to fidget under the table nervously.

Beki scratched her chin. "I remember Tenten mentioned something a long time ago about wanting to be a bridesmaid...I'll have to think about dresses, too."

"I WANT TO BE MATRON OF HONOR!" Hinata slammed her hand down on the table and Beki and Neji jumped. Hinata flushed and retreated into her hair. "Sorry. It's just...I never thought I would get to see this wedding. I'm beyond excited about it and you didn't ask..."

Beki gave a soft laugh and shook her head. "Calm down there, tiger. You get the position by default. Who else would I give it to?"

Hinata smiled happily. "I'm glad you feel that way."

"When would we have the wedding?" Neji leaned on an elbow and glanced at his fiancé, his calm expression betraying none of his surprise from Hinata's earlier outburst. "Tenten's expecting."

"Oh shoot, you're right," Beki wrinkled her nose. "Lee was saying something about that. I doubt she'll want to waddle up the aisle." She rubbed her own stomach self-consciously. "Now that I think about it, that means we're going to have to do this soon. I don't want to waddle down the aisle."

"You won't hear any complaints from me," Neji laced his fingers through Beki's and gave the back of her hand a kiss. "The sooner we're married, the happier I'll be."

Hinata's thoughts wandered as the pair shared a few whispered words of affection. "Who would be your best man, Neji?"

"My first answer would be Lee," Neji scratched his chin. A bit of dark stubble was coming in, giving him a slightly rugged appearance. "All the responsibilities of helping out with a wedding, though...I'm afraid he would over do it."

"Oh, you mean you aren't interested in a 50-mile survival training in the wilderness for your bachelor party?" Beki laughed.

Neji shook his head. "We would only be allowed a knife and a canteen and he would force us to wear tuxedo printed tights."

"And fight a bear to prove that you would be a good husband or something," Beki laughed.

Hinata shuddered. "That's...that's exactly what he would do."

"We'll just relegate him to a regular groomsman." Beki nodded. "Then who's your best man going to be?"

"Do you think Naruto would agree to it?" Neji glanced at Hinata.

"I would assume so," Hinata swirled the liquid in her cup. "We're getting a little ahead of ourselves here. Naruto doesn't even know Beki is alive again. It's so funny how quickly we fall back into old habits, isn't it? You were dead to us only a few days ago and here we are, acting like no time has passed at all."

"Once I was over the initial shock of it, I was more than happy to accept that it was real," Neji gave a bitter laugh. "I mean, who wouldn't be? That's the only thing going through your mind when you've lost someone. 'If only I could have them back…'."

"You make it sound like you had a list or something," Beki ran her fingers through the looser hair at her crown.

"I did," Neji's voice softened. "It was almost like bargaining for me. I remember just sitting there and praying about it. If you came back, I would never let you get hurt again, that sort of thing. Then it just kept building from there, like a subconscious effort to sweeten the deal and tempt the fates enough to return you. I would cook for you, rub your feet, draw your baths, spoil you with treats and surprise date nights constantly. I eventually ran out of promises to add. I gave up on you coming back. I...I was ashamed of how silly I had been. In the end I only added to my torture, picturing all those happy scenes of us together-"

Beki furrowed her brow and gave him a suspicious look. "Does that mean all that is off the table now, or can I cash in on some of that? Because having baths drawn for me and foot rubs on demand is the kind of thing I want to get in writing."

"No prenups, Beki," Neji chuckled. "Just my word as a man of honor that you will be the best kept wife on the planet."

Beki smiled. "I can live with that."

…

A few hours later, Hinata was in the midst of cooking dinner when a key turned in the lock. Beki and Neji were knee deep in wedding plans, partially developed guest lists and other assorted ideas scribbled over post its and a notebook Hinata had dug up in the office. All heads turned towards the door as it opened and the man of the house stepped inside.

"Phew," Naruto trudged through the door and kicked off his shoes. "Hinata, I tell you what, it is good to be home-"

Having sensed bodies at the table, Naruto's eyes had traveled there expecting to see his pretty wife leaping out of her seat to hug him. Instead, he saw Neji and a dead person. Before he could open his mouth, Hinata had barreled towards him from the kitchen and nearly took him out at the knees with her greeting hug.

"Hi honey," Naruto mumbled automatically as he kept his gaze on the more pressing issue before him.

"Hey, welcome home," Beki grinned, knowing full well what he was thinking. "I'm back from the dead, by the way."

"I see that," Naruto was holding Hinata in his arms and gently rocking her side to side as he surveyed the pair at the table. "Neji...you cut your hair."

Instinctively, Neji reached back behind him to adjust locks that were no longer there. A self-conscious smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Yes. I did."

"And you just smiled," Naruto stared at Beki intently. This was impossible. Beki had died four years ago in the war. Was this an enemy shinobi, or worse yet a white Zetsu that had somehow slipped away? He poured over Beki's aura, examining her chakra for any sign of malintent. It was pure and bright. Naruto didn't even see a glimmer of wickedness in her. "I guess… I guess this is for real then, huh?"

Hinata nodded in his arms. "It's really her! And she's going to live with us again."

Naruto's jaw dropped in surprise. "She is?!"

"I've been considered KIA for years," Beki used her hand to rotate her chin sideways and pop her neck. "If I went home now I would either be treated like a ronin or taken on tour like a freak show."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "And she can't travel anymore because of her injuries from the war."

"What does that have to do with her living with us again?" Naruto asked. "And does Neji's fiancé know that his dead ex is back? Does the Hokage know she's here?!" Naruto's confused face had started out as furrowed brows and was now contorting his entire expression. His lips curled down in a frown and his nose wrinkled as the story developed.

"Miyu knows," Neji shuffled uncomfortably. "Why do you think my hair got cut?"

"Because it was obnoxiously long and you were probably tripping over it all the time, and I don't know, it's really hot outside?" Naruto shook his head. "Was that a trick question?"

"I dishonored the family by breaking up with Miyu," Neji explained. "Beki and I are resuming our original engagement."

"Father agreed it would be appropriate for her to live with you and I until the wedding," Hinata hugged Naruto's arm as she spoke. "How long were you guys thinking?"

"I think I have about four weeks before I absolutely look like a cow," Beki rubbed her belly. "If we could throw everything together in two, I would be happy."

"Is that enough time," Neji gave Beki a concerned look. "I'll do whatever you would like but please don't sell yourself short. We're only going to get married once."

Beki shook her head. "I think it should be plenty of time. If you and I can sit down and get most of the preliminary stuff done and leave the rest to mom, I think it'll turn out nice-"

"Hold on," Naruto gave a frustrated sigh. "When I left a week ago, Beki was dead, Neji was sad and marrying Miyu. I'm back and now Beki is living in our house and marrying Neji, who sacrificed the family's honor but has completely one-eightied and is himself again?"

"I've never felt better," Neji smirked and squeezed Beki's hand.

"I…" Naruto gently disentangled himself from Hinata. "I gotta sit down, baby. This is too much."

"Good timing." Hinata kissed his temple. "I was just finishing up dinner."

Naruto took up his place at the head of the table and began to look over Beki and Neji's notes. Beki slid the seating chart over to him. "Everything look okay so far?"

Naruto nodded with an exasperated sigh.

"Oh, I was wondering," Beki rested her chin on her elbow. "Did your friend ever come back? That Sasuki kid or whoever?"

"Briefly," Neji snorted.

"Hey!" Naruto pouted. "Sasuke didn't come home 'briefly'. He totally came home. He's just a busy guy and has...Uchiha stuff to do. He's completely back on the Konoha team, though."

"Speaking of which, while Hinata was taking me around town I didn't see Sakura anywhere. Where is she?" Beki asked.

Neji gave her a smirk. "She left with Sasuke."

Beki laughed. "So now you're down two friends, Naruto!"

Naruto grumbled about how everything was a matter of perspective when Hinata brought over steaming plates of curry.

"Yes!" Beki rubbed her hands together and dug in. After a few moments, she had completely obliterated her portion of katsu. Neji slid his plate over to hers and gave her some of his. Beki beamed. "You're the best, Neji."

Naruto glanced up from his food, the gears visibly turning in his head. "Wait...earlier you said you would look like a cow in a couple of weeks."

"Oh, yeah," Beki ate a piece of chicken. "I'm pregnant."

Naruto put down his chopsticks and buried his face in his hands. "If you've only been here three days how are you that far along!?"

"It's from before the war, Naruto," Hinata pat his leg. "She was in her mother's ice and they thawed her out. I know it's confusing. It's a lot of information at once but it'll all level out."

"You people are acting like this is normal!" Naruto sighed and resumed eating. "As long as everybody's happy, I guess it's all okay."

"So that means you'll be my best man?" Neji asked without skipping a beat.

Naruto gave him a look that could bore through steel plates. "I would love to, Neji. Absolutely love to."

…

Yuki was out stretching her legs when a familiar voice called her name. She perked up and turned around with a wide grin splitting her face. "Tits!"

Miki's expression instantly dropped into annoyance. "I have a name, you know."

"Tits-and-ass-for-days, yeah, I know," Yuki's wicked smile stretched to catlike proportions. "What can I do for you?"

MIki rolled her eyes and tossed a bottle at Yuki. "These are prenatals we specially formulated for Beki. Make sure she takes them every day."

"Where's my present?" Yuki cocked her head. "You pay so much attention to Beki it'll make me jealous."

"She's my friend," Miki folded her arms. "You're just her creepy mom."

"Sooo does that mean you won't let me cop a feel?" Yuki reached out to grab a handful of Miki's breasts but Miki slapped her hands away.

"Hey! I'm spoken for."

Yuki shrugged. "I'm a girl. That totally doesn't count."

"It totally does! It counts for double! If I cheat on with a girl, that's two lies in one!" Miki groaned in frustration and turned away. "I'm out."

"How can you have a body like that and be such a prude?!" Yuki called after her. It really wasn't fair. If Yuki had a body like that, she would be damn sure to share it. It'd be like having the world's best chocolate chip cookie recipe and keeping them all for yourself. As Yuki imagined what she would look like with Miki's proportions on her own taller frame, she heard a small cough behind her. She turned to see the Hokage in full raiment with an annoyed look in his eyes.

"This doesn't look like the bathroom, Yuki."

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Can you blame me? You take the dogs on more walks than me."

Kakashi jerked his thumb towards the office. "Walk, woman."

"Alright, alright, I'm going," Yuki sighed. No one was any fun.

...

"Should we throw a bachelorette party?" Beki was laying the length of the couch with her feet up on Neji's lap. He was massaging them diligently, paying special mind to how swollen they were getting.

Hinata shook her head as she set a cup of tea beside Beki. "I don't think you have to. Just about every girl you would want to invite is pregnant out to here." She gestured with her hand almost a foot away from her belly. "We could still do a traditional bridal shower with a good punch and healthy treats."

Beki glanced at her fiancé. "What are you going to do, Neji?"

Neji shrugged. "It's Naruto's problem."

"Don't you sound all riled up," Beki laughed. "You can't even feign interest for your friend's sake?"

Neji shrugged. "I'm sure they're going to come up with some lame strip club idea or something."

Beki reached over and cupped his face in her hand. "At least they won't mistake you for a stripper now."

Neji narrowed his eyes and pretended to bite at her fingers. "Just because your pregnant doesn't mean you can take pot shots."

"I'm a bitter cripple now, sweetie," Beki settled into her cushion. "You can still run if you want. Otherwise, you're stuck with me forever."

Neji stopped rubbing her feet and folded his arms. "I think all the attention you've been getting has been making you a spoiled ungrateful brat."

"No, please, don't stop," Beki tugged on his arm. "I'm sorry."

Neji sighed in frustration and resumed by massaging her calves. Hinata furrowed her brows and took a sip of her tea. "Playful bickering or actual dispute?"

"Playful bickering," Neji answered. "It is getting to her head, though. Beki knows after getting her back from the dead she could outright stab me in the thigh and I would instantly forgive her."

"I could," Beki cocked her head. "But I don't plan on it. He can't carry me if he's injured."

"You see?!" Neji gestured at Beki. "This is what I'm dealing with!"

Hinata shrugged. "It's not that bad."

Neji wagged a finger at Hinata. "You're just as bad as me! You're so happy to have her back you're spoiling her like a child, too!"

Hinata sipped her tea. "And?"

Beki swatted Neji's arm with an evil grin. "She's my favorite Hyuga."

...

A week later, Neji stood outside perhaps the seediest building he had seen in his life. Under no circumstances would any self-respecting gentleman be seen anywhere near the premises, yet here he was, surrounded by his "friends". Naruto, Lee, Kiba, Shino, Sai, and Chouji (Shikamaru was suspiciously absent) were all boisterously propelling Neji down the street.

"Naruto," Neji leaned his direction as they stood outside the battered black doors. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah," Naruto grinned. "Kakashi sensei said this is the place they used to take their friends to for their bachelor parties."

"It looks filthy," Neji wrinkled his nose.

"You can't be that way, Neji!" Lee punched the air. "You must embrace this last shred of the freedom of your youth!" His eyes sparkled, a single tear falling dramatically from his lashes. "Do it for Gai sensei!"

"He could have come along," Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

Kiba shook his head. "They didn't have a wheelchair ramp."

"Crippled men have dicks, too," Sai shrugged. "They're losing out on paying customers."

Naruto stepped forward and opened the door. Loud music washed over them, pounding like a racing heart. It instantly set Neji's teeth on edge but tonight wasn't about him. It was about his friends doing the best they could to make sure he had no regrets as he walked down the aisle. One thing they could be sure of was that he had never been in a place like this, so one way or another, he walked out wiser for their efforts. The group walked inside and Neji prepared himself to ignore the filth of glitter and human secretions on the floor beneath them. Once they were in the building, however, he was surprised that it was clean. The entry room was dark, lit mostly by lights running along the floor and the occasional set of soft colored lights. The girl at the desk looked strangely familiar. Her appearance completely conflicted with Neji's preconceived "den of sin" aesthetic he had assumed these places had. The woman was pretty and fully clad in a gold dress and heels. The only concession to the venue was the deep dip of her neckline, exposing some impressive cleavage. She exchanged some mumbled words with Naruto. The girl gave a quick nod and motioned for the party to follow her through the curtains.

Naruto blinked in surprise. "We got the whole place?"

"We're under new management," The girl brushed some of her dark wine-colored hair behind her ear. "Your party was the first to book us since we reopened. We wanted to say thank you by giving you the run of the place. All we ask is that you spread the word about what a good time you had."

It was obviously a strip club but upscale. The white tiles had flecks of glitter in them that reflected the sparse lighting. Velvety black curtains lined the walls along with a long black stage that ended with a single pole and the room smelled faintly of an enticing exotic perfume.

"We also understand this is a bachelor party," The girl motioned with her hand and two strippers in sparkling, skimpy gold costumes rolled out the biggest cake Neji had ever seen.

"No." He said under his breath.

"Yes!" The rest of the guys yelled as they punched the air.

The redhead who helped roll out the cake held out a cake knife to him and Neji sighed, stepping forward amidst the encouraging cries of his friends. Just as he was about to plunge the knife into the cake, it exploded.

Neji was splattered with cake as a form emerged from it's depths. In the dim light, all Neji could see was the vague form of a woman and her large breasts, her pearl covered bra inches from his face.

"Fancy meeting you here, son," The low familiar tones of the woman's voice cut through the men like a garrote. All eyes snapped to Neji as he leered up at the woman half submerged in cake.

"Does Kakashi know you're here?" Neji stared Yuki down without flinching.

Yuki shrugged and smiled mischievously. "Well, I did tell him I was going to crash your bachelor party. I doubt this is what he had in mind."

Naruto pointed at her accusingly. "What are you doing here, Yuki?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Yuki threw up her hands. "Making sure you guys have a good time! I used to work here. I called in all the dancers I knew. We'll have so much fun together!"

"She's totally taken over the bachelor party," Kiba scoffed. "This is where Beki gets her habit for ruining group events."

Shino shrugged. "We're all trained as spies. We can't really be surprised that the girls sent in one of their own."

"But his mother in law," Sai chuckled. "That's cold."

"So is like, Neji not going to be able to get a lap dance now that you're here?" Naruto screwed up his face in confusion. "Is that not okay?"

Yuki shook her head. "No, its completely alright. Expected, in fact. I'll just be there to supervise to make sure that the dancers do a good job."

Kiba buried his face in his hands. "This is the worst party ever."

Neji folded his arms. "Why don't you do the lap dances then, Yuki. If you're so experienced."

A small flash went through Yuki's eyes. "Is that a challenge?"

"I'm calling your bluff," Neji stared her down.

Yuki rested her chin on her hand. "When did you grow a backbone?" Her smile twisted into a cruel, predator's sneer. "Sure. I'd love to."

"Whoa whoa whoa," Naruto threw himself between them. "I don't know what kind of power play is going on here, but both of you- don't be stupid. Neji, this is your boss's girlfriend. Yuki, this is your daughter's fiancé. Nobody wins here."

Lee's eyes sparkled as he watched the exchange. "There's so much passion here! Bachelor parties are the best!"

"It's the Fourth Shinobi World War again," Kiba scoffed. "Here's Naruto, using talk-no-jutsu to resolve all conflicts before they get interesting."

"You think we're going to eat that cake?" Chouji asked. "It looks like white cake. I think it's buttercream frosting."

"That's disgusting," Shino gave him a grossed out look. "A woman has literally been sitting in there!"

Chouji shrugged. "The outside parts didn't touch her, right? And she looks pretty clean."

Sai had quietly stepped back and taken out a pen and some paper and was sketching the scene.

"Dude, what are you doing," Kiba leaned over to see what Sai was sketching.

Sai shrugged. "Blackmail."

"But you're drawing it," Shino scoffed. "Who's going to believe drawn evidence."

Sai gestured to the group. "We have the Hokage's girlfriend in a strip club facing off against his student and her daughter's fiancé. I couldn't make this up if I wanted to."

Kiba shrugged. "He's got a point. And he's a bad liar."

Sai gave a dismissive wave. "Why would I lie when this is the truth?"

...

Hi everyone. It seems like we're coming to the end of an era here. I've mapped out the last of my content and I'm pretty sure next chapter will be the end of ToTM. It's been difficult for me to decide when and how to finish off the story. Writing Tale of the Three Maidens has almost become part of my lifestyle. A good portion of my free time was spent either writing or discussing new plot points or editing chapters. You all have done such a wonderful job supporting me through my growth process. I have really appreciated all the encouragement and feedback you have sent my way.

I don't think this is the end for my characters, though. I know some people have expressed interest in a sort of Gaiden to ToTM focusing on Yuki and Kakashi in the years between Naruto Shippuden and Boruto. I have some ideas for that but I don't think it will end up being quite as encompassing as ToTM has been. That being said, I'm also in the very early stages of developing a sequel to ToTM during the Boruto timeline. I'm waiting for that series to develop a little more (if ever, at this point ) before I start writing and publishing that.

As a thank you to those of you who have invested so much time in me and my husband, Tallman and I have started up a discord where you can come and chat with us. Messages can be left and responded to at later times but we will check back frequently. I have a lot of artwork that I've developed slowly that I'm excited to finally be able to share without having to direct you guys to other sites. Together we have built such an interesting and supportive community we would be sad to let it go to waste. If you're interested in joining us, here's the invite:

discord. gg/ DTYfNqH (take out the spaces)

If you do join us on there, or if you are just interested in either YukixKakashi Gaiden/sequel, let me know either through review, PM, or the discord. I look forward to hearing from you guys soon!