A/N: So was that last chapter totally predictable? Can you figure what's going to happen next? Be warned, things are going to get a tad graphic…maybe not in the way you're thinking. Ohisashiburi Desu-It's been a long time, Mou ii-that's enough!, Doushita no-what happened?, Nakahehairu-Enter, Iiya-no, anything else is a curse word or an insult.

Disclaimer: Did yal know Kishimoto-sensei and I were born in the same year?

Chapter 5

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Temari had been feeling unwell all day. She was having pains in her stomach and the old nausea of the first few months came back . "Shimatta," she grumbled thinking she'd lost bladder control. "Kashike-chan, can you bring me a towel, I had an accident."

When the brown haired jounin walked into the room she stared at Temari with excited eyes. "Temari-san, doushita no?"

"I peed." Temari shook her head in embarrassment. "If you hand me the towel I'll clean it up,"

"Iiya, Temari-san. Iiya, you didn't have an accident." She met the pregnant woman's eyes grinning from ear to ear. "Your water broke. Temari-san, you're going to have a baby!"

o-o-o

Shikamaru could hear the blood pounding in his ears as he turned a three day journey into two. He'd left directly after the wedding, pausing only to congratulate his friends, and tell his mother she had no reason the fear an invasion. He wasn't sure how he'd be received at the Kazekage's palace, but as he approached the gates to Sunagakure, he wondered if he'd even make it that far.

"Oi, Masato-san, " a dark haired guard called to his commrade. "Look who's here..." He paused bowing elaborately to Shikamaru. "Ohisashiburi Desu Nara-san. What brings you here this evening?"

"Filthy and smelling like sweat nonetheless," Masato sneered. "I hope you don't seriously think we're going to let you just waltz into our village like this."

His partner guffawed, "new rules you see Nara-san. To enter our village everyone must have had a shower within the last twenty-four hours."

"I think we can help you out with that," Masato offered.

As exhausted as he was, Shikamaru still had his wits about him. He crouched into position getting ready to perform Shadow Possession when he heard a strong female voice call out "Mou ii!"

The guards turned to face the speaker.

"Matsuri-san," they said bowing.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Shikamaru started to answer, not realizing she was talking to the guards.

"Gomen nasai, Matsuri-san," Masato replied. "We were stopping this ahou from entering the village."

Matsuri's eyes roamed over Shikamaru's still crouched form.

"I'll let the Kazekage know you were trying to protect his family," she said. "But I think Gaara-sama actually wants to see this…ahou. Follow me," she said to Shikamaru and walked away in the direction of the palace.

o-o-o

"Wait here, " Shikamaru was told as the kunoichi knocked on Gaara's door.

He heard the unmistakable voice of the Kazekage call, "nakahehairu," and Matsuri disappeared from sight.

Shikamaru leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. How many times had he stood in this hallway waiting for Temari to deliver a report, or listening to Kankurou get balled out for sabotaging bed sheets.? He probably knew this palace as well as any of them...or at least as well as Temari. He thought about just going straight to Temari's room, explaining the whole sad business to her and begging forgiveness when a piercing scream shattered the silence.

Shikamaru's eyes shot open and he felt the blood drain from his face.

"Temari," he whispered.

The large wooden door next to him flew open and the redhead tore off down the hallway not even sparing a glance Shikamaru's way.

"Gaara-sama!" The Shadow-Nin called racing after him. "Doushita no?"

Before Gaara had a chance to answer him, Shikamaru was knocked to the ground by Kankurou who was charging out of another room along the hallway.

Shaking his head , Kankurou leered at the Konoha chunnin.

"Interesting timing you've got there tree frog, what are you doing here? Where's wifey?" The Puppet-Nin looked from side to side. "Get sick of her already?"

Shikamaru rubbed his side where the force of Kankurou's body had knocked him into the wall.

"I'm not married," he grunted. "I'll explain everything later. Kankurou-san, what's wrong with Temari, why is she screaming?"

Kankurou looked at Shikamaru like he'd never seen him before. By rights he should be thrown out on his ear for leaving Temari the way he did. But yet here he was, and his timing couldn't be worse.

"It's nothing you should concern yourself with," he shrugged. "Why don't you go play with your buddies back in Konoha and leave my family alone?"

Temari screamed again and Shikamaru was overwhelmed with the desire to scream himself.

"Look," he pleaded. "Marrying Ino was my father's idea, neither one of us wanted it to happen, but we went along with it to honor our fathers."

"So you are married, then," Kankurou replied.

"No," Shikamaru shook his head. "Chouji came back, he married Ino. I'm not married to anyone."

Another gut-wrenching scream echoed down the hallway, and the two shinobi stared at each other.

"Onegai," Shikamaru whispered.

Kankurou sighed, "I guess you'd find out sooner or later. Go on baka, she's having your baby."

Shikamaru stared wide eyed not quite believing what he just heard.

"SHIIIIIIIKAAAAAAH!" Temari's voice cried.

"She's calling for you," Kankurou grinned waving his hand. "You should probably get in there."

As hard as Shikamaru ran, he didn't seem to get any closer to Temari's room. His feet felt like they were being sucked into the ground with every step. When he finally reached Temari's room, the Shadow-Nin swayed for a minute. The door was open and there was a flurry of activity surrounding Temari's bed.

"One-two-three, hee-hee-whooooo," Kashike encouraged a purple-faced Temari.

A doctor crouched at the foot of the bed said, "okay Temari-san, push."

Shikamaru recognized Temari's former sensei, Baki holding her hand and breathing along with Kashike as Temari cried out his name once more.

"Get in there," Kankurou shoved the Shadow-Nin through the door where he ended up next to Gaara who was quietly observing the scene.

The Kazekage's pale eyes flickered toward Shikamaru, a barely contained rage threatened to force it's way to the surface until Kankurou put a hand on his brother's shoulder. The Puppet-Nin whispered something that caused the redhead's expression to change at once. Beckoning for Shikamaru to follow him, the Kazekage tapped Baki on the shoulder, and explained that the Shadow-Nin would be taking over for the older man.

As Temari gripped Shikamaru's hand he winced. Temari wasn't so far gone that she didn't realize something was different, and her dark blue eyes turned to meet her ex-boyfriend's brown ones.

"Shikamaru?" She whispered as the pain of another contraction began building.

"I'm here Temari," he kissed the hand that held his like a vice. "I'm never leaving you again, I swear."

"One more push Temari-san," the doctor encouraged. "The baby's nearly out."

Temari's back curved into the final push as she bellowed "YAROU!"

A moment later the lusty cries of a newborn echoed around the room.

"It's a girl, Temari-san," the doctor announced happily.

Everyone in the room cheered and Shikamaru kissed Temari's sweaty forehead.

"She's beautiful," he said as the doctor wrapped the baby in a purple blanket and handed her to Temari. The new mother stroked the shock of black hair on her daughter's head.

"Mikka," she sighed.