"Guess who doesn't have to put up with me anymore?" Sakura sang.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "I get to go home today? Really?"

There was a laugh. "I still can't get over just how quickly you heal. There's heavy scarring— but that's to be expected. Everything else checks out okay."

By "quickly," Sakura had meant "three weeks." Was that even normal?

"You still need to take it easy for a while," the medic said. I figured I shouldn't argue with that, as much as I wanted to.

"I'll make sure she does," Neji said quietly. I fumbled for his hand, wringing it before Sakura kicked him out of the room and helped me out of bed.

I was extremely grateful my normal clothing seemed to cover everything— showing off these battle scars wasn't something I was fond of having to do. When Neji was let back inside, he instantly made his way over to me, caressing my face in his hands and planting a small kiss on my mouth. There was so much emotion in that tiny action, practically screaming, "I missed you."

I gave the bdm bdm bdm bdm a quick hug. "Thank you for everything, Sakura."

Her arms returned the tender hold. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

I couldn't help but giggle. "Or a patient," I murmured, elated beyond belief that I was finally getting out of here.

"I guess I never thought to mention this before, but. . . congratulations." Something in her tone let me know she'd said this to Neji.

"Thank you," my husband replied.

Getting the hang of walking again took no time at all, and as soon as the two of us stepped out of the hospital, a joyous fro-lum approached us.

I was immediately gathered into a bear hug, my feet leaving the ground. "I'll never be able to thank you enough," Kakashi whispered into my ear.

Understanding just how much the Copy-ninja would beat himself up over this, I blurted, "Call me 'Sister.'"

Fro-lum-um. "W-what?"

"You're like a brother to me, Kakashi," I explained, hoping this would be good enough— I didn't want him spending the rest of his life trying to make amends. Besides, I'd always thought of Kakashi as the big brother I'd never had. "Please acknowledge me as your sister. That's how you can thank me."

The air was suddenly very warm around me— was Kakashi really beaming that hard? "You've got it. . . Sis." There was a clapping sound and a sincere "Congratulations," and Kakashi was gone again.

Neji's fingers stroked my wrist, but he didn't say anything.

The journey home— home. . . a grand word— was lovely. Everybody from Gai-sensei to Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru visited us, cheering and laughing and bidding us congratulations. These well wishes made the walk very slow, but I didn't mind in the slightest; hearing my friends' heartbeats again was absolutely glorious.

It must have gotten dark, because by the time Neji and I finally made it to the route leading to the Hyuga Compound, the air was much, much colder.

Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub. . .

"Keiden." Hiashi grasped my hands. "It is so good to have you back."

"It's good to be back, my lord," I replied. And I'd meant it.

He chuckled. "There's no need for such formality anymore. You may call me 'Uncle.'"

I felt my eyes widen. "Uncle. . ." The word tasted funny, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

"I'll let the two of you rest," he said, his tone taking on a note that I could only identify as wisdom. Before I could react, the lub-dub disappeared.

"Your room," I whispered, reading Neji's mind with ease.

"Wait— I want to do this right." He swept me off my feet.

Delighted, I laughed. "It's not the threshold of a new house. I've been in your room before."

"Hn. . ." His lips brushed the skin at my jaw. "Humor me."

I bounced lightly in his arms as he navigated his way to his room, and the moment he set me back on my feet, I made my way to his bed, curling up on top of the blankets that smelled like him.

The buh-dummm settled next to me, and his fingers were at my face, tracing my features as if they'd never felt them before. In turn, I reached for him, trying to memorize every curve, every corner, of his own face. He pressed his lips to my throat, sucking gently on the delicate skin there. Heart fluttering eagerly, I grasped his shoulders, searching for the buttons of his shirt as he played with my waistband. Closer, Neji. . . closer. . . He kissed me full on the mouth, his hot tongue trailing my bottom lip.

"Neji. . ." His hands were on my stomach, and I helped him remove my turtleneck. "Neji. . ." His hair was so soft—

My thigh was suddenly around his hip— no. . . was it his? Kabuto's? What was going on? A flash of pain burst through my memories, and Kabuto's coarse hands were all over me.

"No," I whimpered, my body becoming a plank. "No. . . please, stop!"

He let go. "Keiden? What is it? What's wrong?"

I snagged the blanket I'd felt earlier and quickly twisted it around myself before scooting away from him. "I'm sorry. . . I'm so sorry. . ."

Why, why were there two heartbeats on the bed with me? This isn't making any sense. . . I thought he was dead— why isn't he dead?

I tried focusing on the pulse that didn't cause me to shiver. It was. . . defiant, as if telling me it would never hurt me.

Why not just give in? I won't hurt you. . .

"No. . . Neji. . ." I turned myself into a frightened ball. "It's not you. . ." Get out of my head, Kabuto!

"Keiden." A hand was on my back. . . and Kabuto dug his fingernails into the raw skin at my shoulder blades— I recoiled from the touch. "Please. . . tell me what's wrong."

"I-I can't do it," I admitted. "I can't. . . I can't give you—" My body convulsed in fear.

Without a word, the buh-dummm put its arms around me.

I had to get a handle on my whirring thoughts— and I needed to tell Neji the truth. My head fell into my hands.

"He. . . h-he. . ." I gulped. Tell him! "He raped me."

I was crying, finally giving in to the pain I'd locked up inside of me. As much as I hated sharing this with my husband, I knew I had to explain. He deserved that.

"The n-night he poisoned my back, I couldn't m-move. . . it h-hurt so much. . ." My voice hitched in places, making it hard to ask for forgiveness, to let him know that I would have stopped Kabuto if I could have. All I could manage was, "I'm so s-sorry. . ."

I felt exposed— pathetic. Coming clean about this ordeal made me want to slit my own throat. Now Neji would see me in my true form: I was nothing but a weakling.

"Shh. . . shh. . ." To my immense shock, he lifted me into his lap, rubbing my bare shoulders. "It's not your fault. . . please, don't blame yourself. . ."

The fact that he was comforting me only made me cry even harder.