Title: The Spiral Project
Author: Matahari
Rating: T

Summary: Dr. Shi Tenten gets a job at Hyuuga Laboratories after receiving her Ph.D. in biophysics. Although not very socially experienced, she quickly gains a reputation in the organization as someone who can get things done and is selected to be in charge of the mysterious "Spiral Project". What she doesn't know is that this will involve getting close to a man who was even more secluded than she was and perhaps, love.

Author's Note: Dedicated to all of my patient readers. Thanks for hanging in there. I hope this offering of another chapter satisfies the Nejiten fanfic cravings. I know I have them at least! Anyone who tried the "sniff test" to get into the story last time gets a virtual hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows and whipped cream... mmm... I can almost taste it.

Upload Date: 9/24/07

Recap from Chapter 5

As his thoughts leaned toward her more attractive characteristics, Neji found his body unconsciously reacting in a way that made him curse his inability to maintain control. Finally, frustrated with himself, he took a long cold shower before going to sleep. But as he lay among the bed sheets, the faint fragrance of jasmine flowers and vanilla lingered on his pillows and he couldn't help but think about her as he stared up at the star-filled sky overhead.

Chapter 6: Cages We Make Ourselves

Still in the Past...

Everywhere Tenten turned she could only see consuming flames, burning wood, or endless darkness. It was the way her nightmares had always started, since the first time they had appeared to her as a child. Yet, the main attraction was yet to reveal itself as she struggled amongst the flames and coughed inhaling the soot and ash from the air. The heat increased becoming unbearable when finally, there was nothing.

Just blankness accompanied by the feeling of utter loneliness. However, she knew well that this was only the proverbial "calm before the storm". Then the voices began - low hisses, anger-laced insults, anguished cries, and desperate pleas. So strangled was the atmosphere that she could barely breathe.

And then strangely, for the first time it just stopped. It wasn't the nothingness that she had felt earlier, just a simple suspension of blame and grief. In fact, could swear that there was an almost comforting presence for once.

Neji walked alone in an area full of smoke. It was like a dream, but it felt like so much more. He couldn't see a thing, and there was a bitter chill although it seemed as if he were surrounded in flames. The fire instantly retreated and he noticed that the smoke was replaced by a tangible blackness. He heard sobs in the distance and moved through the expanse as if being surrounded by a thick black fog.

And then he saw her. Tenten. She was as beautiful as he remembered in her misery – her thick lashes glistening with tears that trailed down her pale cheeks, disappearing as they left her face. She halted suddenly, as if aware of his presence and the briefest amount of hope in her eyes was darkened by pain and doubt.

"What is he doing here? What happened to the voices?" she muttered to herself treating him like a figment of her imagination. She was lost in the unexpected silence.

Finally, Tenten turned herself to meet his face warily. "So, are you here to torture me too?"

He played with the answer to her question in his mind and considered the possibilities. To imagine her trapped as he was or even better in a cage fit for an animal. But as each scenario came to mind, it was quickly discarded. His happiness could not be achieved by ruining hers. She could never be Hiashi's replacement.

"No," he answered simply.

She seemed confused for a moment and then found herself searching his eyes before whispering to herself, "Then why am I dreaming about you?"

Neji's eyes flew open as the slightest bit of shock coursed through his veins at her question. Was he in her dream? He thought for some reason it had been his own. It had been so long. How had this happened? It should have been impossible…

When he was younger, he found himself able to change his dreams at will otherwise known as "lucid dreaming". But one day, when his father was on a trip and Neji was particularly worried, he had found himself in his father's dream. He discovered nothing exceptionally enlightening about the dream, except that his father had stared right at him before it had ended abruptly. The night Hizashi returned, he wished Neji goodnight before going to bed and then winking idly mentioned that he would like to remain undisturbed as he slept. Neji had gotten the hint and never found himself wandering in his dreams again… until now.

"I don't know," he whispered just as confused as she. The energy dampening system should have prevented this from ever happening. Maybe this was just a dream after all. Tenten tentatively brought the back of her hand to brush his cheek lingering for a few seconds before she quickly drew it away is if stung. Neji noticed a solitary tear wander down her face as she turned too slowly to hide.

"Why are you crying?"

"What concern is it of yours?"

Why did he want to know why she was crying? "I… I don't like it."

"I don't like to cry either," she answered him with a wan half-smile, her breath quivering slightly as she spoke. "But sometimes… it can't be helped. I suppose you don't cry often?"

"Not in the last thirteen years."

"Ah. That make sense. I guess I'm just not as strong as you are, Neji. I can't help but to feel. This is the place…" she gestured around her dream world, "where I am pleasantly reminded of my regrets."

The small amount of sarcasm in her last statement did not escape his notice. How long had she been plagued by the darkness and flame from earlier? In a moment of self-centeredness, he wondered what pains she could have possibly experienced compared to his own.

Her softly spoken words interrupted his thoughts. "You know, we're really very similar. I lost my parents too when I was younger, but I blamed myself– I still do – for their deaths."

Neji's eyes opened in shock at this statement, but he didn't say a word as she continued. "My parents were scientists. Late at night, one of the experiments went wrong. It could have been a bad chemical combination or a gas leak… the police never really found out. They were too tired to notice… and then there was a fire… and they… they died!"

Tenten cried out disparagingly, "I should have made them go to bed! I should have been there to save them! Or if I couldn't do that… At least, I should have been there with them!"

"You should have died with them?" Neji asked reproachfully.

"Yes." As the word left her mouth, she collapsed on the ground. "Yes, I should have."

"That's ridiculous."

An eyebrow rose slightly at the insult as she stayed in her crouching position. The desperate look in her eyes was replaced by the challenging glance she had given him earlier that day. "Can you honestly say you never wish to be dead?"

"There's a difference. I am nothing more than a caged bird. You are free."

"Cages are not only those made of reinforced steel and bullet-proof glass. Sometimes the cages we make ourselves are even more difficult to leave behind."

Tenten's reply made Neji pause in consideration. Meanwhile, he offered her his hand, which she accepted. When she lifted herself up, she found herself in his arms staring into his eyes.

After a few moments of silence, he gave his response. "In that case, perhaps the key to the lock is something worth escaping for."

"Perhaps."

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