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Disclaimer: I own nothing. This is not new info. You all know this.
TenTen stirred her coffee with a lilt of bitterness in her expression.
The station had received not one, but two notices of bomb threats that morning, and overall, the outlook for the day seemed abysmal.
Not to mention, TenTen was obsessively preoccupied with a certain pregnant prisoner in the holding cells. She had considered more than once in the space of the morning to go and visit with the stranger, but only the possible reprimand of her partner and boss stopped her.
Surreptitiously, TenTen snuck a glance at Neji. He was sitting at his desk, head bowed, dutifully doing his portion of paperwork. TenTen felt sour. She never did her paperwork.
A few moments later, TenTen made up her mind.
She pushed her chair out from her desk, and started for the station doors.
"Where do you think you're going?" came Neji's flat voice.
TenTen glanced at him, slightly annoyed and gestured to her coffee cup.
"Am I not allowed a refill?" she inquired freshly.
Neji was still doing his paperwork. TenTen was almost positive he was rolling his eyes at her lame excuse.
There was a sigh in his voice as Neji replied, "There's nothing you can do for her."
TenTen flushed, but decided to continue to play dumb.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just going to get more coffee," she reiterated, walking away before Neji reminded her that her intended visitation was probably a bad idea.
TenTen abandoned her cup at the station's front counter, taking the sharp right that led to the holding cells downstairs.
Years ago, Shikaku had petitioned the government to enlarge their cells for more capacity, but it had been soundly declined, which meant the station had to let most criminals walk, no matter the severity of the crime.
The only ones kept in the cells now were transgressors of the most notorious laws. The government had made it entirely clear that the Intimacy Law trumped even cold-blooded murder now.
The pregnant girl was being held with twelve others. She sat in a corner close to the door, her blonde hair dirtied. TenTen absentmindedly wondered when she'd had a bath last.
TenTen smartly rapped the cell's wall with her cudgel—a warning to any prisoner who might try something.
She opened the door and pointed out the blonde, gesturing for her to stand.
The girl had tear tracks on her smudged face, her blue eyes downcast. She stood slowly, as if she measured every movement, and joined TenTen.
TenTen slid the door back with a slam and clutched the girl's shoulder, leading her to one of the few rooms set aside for interrogation.
TenTen closed the door for privacy, and led the girl to a chair, where she sat down heavily.
TenTen dragged a chair to sit across from her.
TenTen noted that she was pale, and she half-wondered if she could get the girl some more appropriate meals.
"I just have a few questions," TenTen began, her curiosity taking over.
She bit her lip, grateful that Neji wasn't there to judge her.
The girl stared back at her blankly, seemingly wondering what TenTen would want with her.
TenTen crossed her arms against her chest tightly and asked, "What's your name?"
The girl's eyebrows furrowed at this question, as if TenTen had just asked if she could do a headstand.
"Yamanaka Ino," the blonde replied roughly.
TenTen mulled this over, cataloguing it in her memory to search for state records later.
She continued, gesturing to the girl, "What brought you to this point?"
Ino flinched, her expression pointed.
"You mean pregnant?" she retorted sharply.
TenTen gave no inclination, just waited.
Yamanaka Ino seemed to swell for a moment as she took a large breath. When she released it, she deflated like a balloon. Her eyes seemed more sunken in than before.
She analyzed TenTen for a second.
"The Intimacy Law might have made sense a few years ago when the world was going to shit, but we're past the crisis now. I know you're just some government dog. They don't tell their pawns anything, do you realize that? They use you for force and that's it. Your life is nothing to them.
"My father and mother were slaughtered by you people," she said with disgust. "They didn't deserve to die. I had nowhere else to go, so I went looking for people who felt the same way I did—hate for the people who killed my parents for no reason. I had a new family take me in and they educated me about the truth. About how the crisis ended years ago, and the government is only keeping the Intimacy Law in place for their own selfish ambitions."
TenTen realized she was leaning forward in interest. She slowly sat back.
"So, you're saying you got pregnant on purpose? To prove a point?" TenTen questioned.
The girl scoffed.
"Of course not. Who would want to bring a child into a world like this?" she murmured back sadly. "It was an accident. And I'm sure you're aware that they don't produce contraception anymore."
TenTen blinked, rolling a sour query around her mouth.
She didn't have to ask—Ino read her face like a book.
"You're wondering why I didn't abort it?"
TenTen felt her face flush.
Ino's blue eyes grew distant, and she rubbed her stomach absently.
"I love this baby. Whatever happens, I love it, and I don't regret it."
Disquieted, TenTen led Ino back to her cell and walked upstairs, not even bothering to grab her coffee cup to convince Neji.
"Did you get the answers you wanted?" Neji asked as she walked to her desk.
TenTen ignored him and sat down, thinking hard.
TenTen could feel Neji's eyes on her, and wondered if he was more curious than concerned.
She broke her focus for a moment to glance at him. He was watching her, obviously trying to decipher her expression.
TenTen turned away before he could note the sadness in her eyes.
-xxx-
Yamanaka Ino had no records on file other than her birth certificate and a few insurance cards. Nothing to help TenTen figure out where she had come from. And TenTen knew better than to ask the girl directly; she knew she wouldn't get an answer.
It wasn't until Neji sidled up to her desk that it was time to go. The day was over.
"Come on. I'll walk you home," Neji offered.
TenTen grimaced. His generosity was code for interrogation.
But TenTen kept her mouth shut and gathered her things. There would be no arguing with him.
Neji waited until they were down the block from the station before he started his questioning.
"What happened today? You've been unnervingly quiet all day."
TenTen speculated if this was a compliment or not.
"I talked to the girl," TenTen released a few moments later.
Neji raised a dark eyebrow.
"And?"
TenTen glanced at Neji.
"Her pregnancy was an accident. She said she couldn't do anything to stop it, because of the contraceptive ban."
"She could have aborted it. That's what most people do," Neji said factually.
TenTen stopped in her tracks and stared at him.
"What?" he responded, impatient.
TenTen shook her head, feeling dirty.
"She said she loved her baby and that's why she wouldn't abort it, no matter what happened," divulged TenTen slowly.
Neji studied her for a few seconds.
It was wintry and the wind cut through the thinness of TenTen's jacket. She shivered.
"Come on," Neji encouraged.
TenTen strode alongside him again, her arms crossed.
"Do you ever wonder why the government hasn't lifted the ban and the law?" TenTen inquired softly.
Neji was silent for a long time.
"TenTen, I'm sure the government knows what they're doing. Besides, do you really think it would be wise to bring children into this kind of environment?"
TenTen shrugged, noncommittal.
"I don't know," she replied. "It just seems like too much. To kill her. She's an innocent. All she did was make a mistake."
"TenTen."
TenTen looked up to see Neji staring at her with incredulity.
His look snapped her back into herself.
She fixed him with a concentrated glare.
"Forget I said anything."
She walked past him; her building was in sight.
"Hold on," Neji said.
TenTen paused on the steps of her building, staring down at him.
"Why did you say what you did to me the other day?"
TenTen knew what he was talking about, but she didn't feel like sharing today.
"Don't worry about it, Neji."
Neji wasn't having it.
He walked up the stairs, his white eyes clear as he stared her down.
TenTen sighed and considered him.
"Do you ever feel like we chose the wrong profession?" she asked tiredly.
Neji raised his eyebrows.
"What else is there?" he retorted.
TenTen nodded curtly and entered her building. She knew what he said was right.
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