"…any idea how dangerous that is? What if you fry her brain, A!"
"Hey squirt time for a bath." She remarked to the little girl playing in the dirt. Smiling the girl ran into her open arms.
"It'll give you time to fix the wound, so hurry it up, I can only keep this up for so long before oxygen depravation sets in, Tsunade."
Blonde mixed with chocolate as her girl's small form rested against her, her hands making small waves in the water. Ino laughed as the lapping water tickled her sides.
"The wound isn't responding! There's something in there that's blocking our chakra!"
"Hey Momma, when I grow up, think I can marry Daddy too?" Her face, so small and innocent, those hazel eyes so full of life. Still young enough to splash in the furo but not so young anymore, she just was naturally little.
"She was stabbed by a wooden stake right? There are probably splinters interfering with the process. Tenzou!"
"I think you have a short, light bulb. Baby girls can't marry their daddy's." She chided softly, running her hands through her baby's hair.
"Right! Mokuton!"
"Why not, I love daddy THIS much!" She giggled as her little one's arms went almost behind her head.
"It's working! Suction! We'll restart her heart the moment we patch the cut."
"Aw I'm jealous! I don't think there's any more love for me!"
"Get ready, Temari can you begin pumping oxygen into her lungs, as pure as you can make it."
"nu uh! I love my mommy lots too! She likes the same things as me, loves me! She even gave me a special name!"
"Hai Hokage-sama!"
"You are our light bulb, love. You make your daddy so happy when he thinks about you that it just lights up his face."
"Send a jolt to restart it on my mark."
"Oh momma. you're about to go, I'll miss you." Ino hugged her closer, not wanting to loose that unconditional love that had filled her heart.
"Get ready! A, NOW!"
"I'll miss you too baby, so much."
A jolt hit her, her body suddenly ached with pain as if her heart was on fire.
"Sayonara Momma, don't be sad, I'm doing alright."
"I have a heartbeat!
"I love you light bulb."
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Chapter Fourteen: Sayonara
By
Hibiki
"Thought I was gonna make her take the big step huh? My silly cute readers, I would dare not do such a thing. Have patience and ye be rewarded." -Hibiki "And I think I just made the first ER: Konoha episode I think."
AN: The Title of the chapter has already been said. Now enjoy your fluff because we go back to romantic funny afterward. I have some things I wish to rant about and I hope it clears up a few things. I'm a little bit beyond annoyed at some of you.
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She awoke with a start, the smell of antiseptic and overly washed sheets filled her nostrils.
"Easy Ino, don't move around too much, the flesh around wound is still a little weak until the sutures are absorbed by you body." Tsunade. Ino's eyes opened to find the older woman sitting at her bedside, and despite her genjutsu, looked more aged than she had ever seen the woman before.
"What… what happened?" It had happened so suddenly
"The man you interrogated four days ago broke free when the mop up crew came to terminate him. He killed four of your co workers." Ino winced, both from pain her chest and the loss of the four jokesters that ran the termination squad. "He hid himself in the city and apparently came across you as he was making his escape. After he incapacitated you, Ami no Shirokusa appeared and saved you." Ami, thank you. Wait… how long had that man had her alone. Fear popped into her mind
"Was I? Did he?" She couldn't say it. She didn't even want to think it.
"No, thank god, Ami got to you almost right after you were stabbed, and once she killed him she held your wound closed with a thumb in your wound. A little much but I have a feeling had she not, I doubt you would be here now." Tsunade smiled gently. "As for how we know, it's SOP to check anyone who comes in like you did, just in case of rape, something you seem to have forgotten since you switched positions. So to answer you question, yes, you are still virginal." Relief filled her and she nearly collapsed into the bed. She was shaking how close she had been to lose… so very much. Tsunade's hand found hers, knowing what must have been running through her head. The two women held each other for a moment before Ino asked her next burning question.
"W-where is my Naruto?"
"He's right next to you." A masculine voice broke over her. Ino's eyes widened and she looked to find him staring at her with so many emotions and tears running through his eyes. "Oh god, Love… I was so scared." He wrapped her hand gently into his, shaking the whole while. "I thought I had lost you."
"I'm okay…" She stroked his hair as he held his hand against his lips and broke. Hours he must have sat there, and wept. "I'm okay." she kept repeating. Little else was said, or needed, as Naruto merely held her, thanking every deity in the universe, and making some up, that his beloved Ino was alive.
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The next day brought a slew of friends, family, and the occasional co worker to her room as she rested in the bed. Naruto remained by her side the whole time. There were moments when she realized just how close she had come to death, to being raped, that she couldn't help just breaking down. Yesterday he had wept, and she was strong, now it was her turn and her darling couldn't have been more perfect. When her father, the one man Naruto would normally back down to, started asking questions she just wasn't ready to face he came to her defense that had left her and her father stunned. She loved that he wouldn't let her out of his sight and it went a long way towards making her feel safe, and loved.
The only time he had left her side at all was to wrap, or try to, she giggled a little at the thought, Ami in a hug to thank the giantess for everything she had done to save his Hime. The others who had saved her life respectively got a teary eyed thank you and hugs from her man. Even the large stoic A, whose fast thinking had kept her here, had received a hug and thank you. Seeing a man who is normally rather composed freak out a little as another man just about squeezes the stuffing out of him made her laugh.
As the visiting hours wound down Tsunade did a few more checks before walking out, leaving the two of them alone for the first time since Ino had woken up. A question she had kept quiet about, something rather personal to the man who held her in his arms. (Tsunade was annoyed but the two refused anything but)
"Does anyone know if I was hallucinating when A did that to my mind to keep it going?"
"He said it was possible, but they…" He squeezed her close to him as he tried to calm. "Weren't certain how far g-gone you were."
"I… I'm not certain either. I mean I could hear everyone talking, but at the same time…' She wrapped her arms around his as they rocked gently, it wasn't something either of them wanted to talk about, but she needed to. She wanted to, for even if it was an hallucination it was real enough that she had to say it. "I was there… I got to meet your… our baby." His hands stiffened before they wrapped around her tighter. "I got to be her mommy if only for a few minutes. God she was beautiful."
"Y-yes she was." His warm tears brushed her cheek as he realized once again just how close he came to loosing her.
"I got to see our little light bulb and know she was doing alright, I'm a happy mommy."
"Huh? Light bulb?"
"Because she makes the man I love light up so much, our little girl." She was pulled into a kiss. "…Naruto."
"I love you too. With all my heart, Ino." It was the first time he had said it. She had known he did, but to hear him say it made her so happy. It didn't make what had happened any less traumatic, or worth it. It was something she would probably carry for the rest of her life, and would haunt her from time to time, but the words like his lips helped cover it away for a moment. The two 'parents' talked long into the night, of their daughter, of their life, of their love. And they healed one another, if only a little bit.
Because they were able to say goodbye to the last day, and all it's sorrow, and look forward for tomorrow and all the love they could share.
Because it was a new day, and because of their precious people, they had one.
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Whoa when I put both the title and that last really depressing part into the previous chapter what I thought it would push a few more responses than normal into the fic. Such a MASSIVE response I got, only I didn't think it was going to be all 'you are horrible, I can't believe you, I'll never read your stuff again, rape is evil.'
Removed gripe here. I had some rather nasty PMs that angered me into writing it. Needless to say I am rather embarrassed by how I acted, but rape IS a rather touchy subject for me. I know I implied it, but honestly it's how the story flowed.
Next Chapter: Pecking Order