A/N: Inspired by my favorite story, 'Legacy.' It's a sad one, be warned. Feedback is welcome.

THIRTEEN: Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

When their children were born, she had insisted upon taking an active role in their upbringing. She didn't want the girls to be raised like she was; with parents who only took a passing interest in her on social occasions. Her fondest memories and sense of love came from her caretakers and she wanted to provide that same caring to her own children.

So she asked the old maid, who had also raised Hiashi and Hizashi, to teach her how to change diapers, breastfeed (because she was particularly insistent upon that) and how to hold the baby properly. Most things, she would tell him later, came naturally to her and she thoroughly enjoyed discovering this quality within her.

It was not unusual for Hiashi to come home and find his wife with the other maids planning meals, dress and activities with a level of organization and cooperation that would put some on the council to shame. She would hold Hinata in her arms during these meetings and when she saw him, she would hand the baby over to him because; she had explained to him the first time she did this, their children should know him as their father and never have to question whether or not he loved them.

Her insistence on these ways would prove essential later when the illness took its firm hold.

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As was his way during those times, he would come home around mid-day with the purpose of checking in on her. He found her sitting out on the terrace overlooking the gardens. She was always cold and the sun felt good to her. A servant was holding little Hanabi up to her so that she may coo and talk softly to the baby. After a falling incident just moments after she carried the baby to bed, she was fearful of holding the children herself. As a dancer, it broke her heart to no longer be able to trust her body but the idea of putting the children at risk was unfathomable so this was her compromise.

She smiled at him as he approached and kissed their daughter good-bye before the servant took her away for her nap. "Right on time, my darling. I could set the clocks to your habits and they would be more accurate than most I am sure."

Hiashi smiled at her humor and sat beside her, mindful of her comfort. "How are you feeling?"

"The same, I suppose," and she looked away. She had dark circles under her eyes and she was rapidly losing weight. Her hair was falling out and she had made serious mention of cutting it.

Hiashi frowned. "Have you eaten today?"

She smiled weakly. "I'm happy to report that I have eaten three spoonfuls of breakfast this morning."

"The specialist will arrive tomorrow. We will ask him if there's anything we can do about the nausea."

"Yes, of course," she said noncommittally. It was the third specialist this month alone and they all said the same thing. "I saw Hinata today. She was crying again."

Hiashi sighed and looked away. "The training session was difficult."

"I imagine so."

They had an agreement. He would not question her management of the home just as she would not question his training techniques but it was hard for her to abide by that rule and he did not want to cause her undue stress, especially now.

"She is special, Hiashi."

"So you have said many of times."

She looked at him hard and even in her illness she still managed to flummox him. "Heed me on this one. She's different from the rest of us. She may require a different approach; a different perspective."

"I hear you," he said soothingly, not wanting to upset her but he was honestly at a lost at Hinata's lack of progress.

"Things are different now," she continued softly, "I thought that no matter how hard things got for her that I would be here to help her get through it."

"You will still be here," Hiashi said in a disbelieving voice.

She looked at him for a long moment with a sad look, bracing herself, "No, I won't, my darling."

Hiashi promptly got up and started pacing, not believing what he was hearing. "This isn't like you! You're just having a bad day. The doctor—"

"Will tell me the same thing the other doctors have told me," she finished firmly. "It is time that we stop deluding ourselves."

Hiashi was now facing the garden with his back to her, shaking his head, not wanting to hear what she alone was brave enough to say.

"I will not live to see our children grow up."

Hiashi would not relent. It was too painful to do so, "We should wait and see what the doctor says tomorrow."

"I wish to start making preparations," she continued as though he had said nothing. "I want to do something for the girls—"

"Don't talk this way," he almost pleaded, "you're going to get better. Let's just wai—"

"I CANNOT hold my daughter when YOU make her cry!" Her voice was tight and raw with frustration and impatience. "I want to do SOMETHING for her while I can and I need your help. I am dying, Hiashi! We BOTH need to face that!"

It hurt, it simply hurt. This was too soon after Hizashi and he was not strong enough to deal with this.

This would kill him.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed behind him. "I'm not being fair—"

He went to her and kneeled before her, comforting her because he realized that he had no choice but to be strong for her; he could no longer afford to be selfish. "Don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for," he said softly. He kissed her hands, her face, and her tears.

She smiled weakly at him and sighed in relief. "I love you," she said through her tears.

Hiashi nodded, cupping her thinning face in his hands, wiping away the tears gently with his thumbs. "We'll do whatever you want."

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That evening, a messenger was sent out to inform the doctor that the Main Family will no longer require his services.