AN: I am sorry if many of you have found the last chapter a little offensive. I don't write the nicest things. Life isn't always clean, and no one is perfect. I'm really sorry if you dislike the story now. I'm not going to change it.

Anyway, for those who remember, I said I was going to put in the engagement ceremony, I'm sorry I lied. That will be this chapter. After a lot of different conversations and worries and such. I am going to explain better on what Hinata does for them, and the love that her heart holds. Her true love is Neji, but she loves all people. So, here you go.

By the way!! To those of you who told me I was wrong on my words. I am sorry, but I'm not going to fix it. I'm not Japanese, I'm Korean! Even if you took Japanese nine, please do not correct me. After all, I'm the writer, and I wrote it as I saw fit. If I didn't like it, I would have fixed it. I'm not trying to be mean to my beloved readers, but I am sick and tired of people trying to tell me I need to change it.

If You Love Me

Chapter 6: Then Walk with Me

Neji stared at her over and over, keeping down the dark voice that called out to push her beneath him. He had to keep still and watch her. Why was she pushing herself? His eyes widened for a moment, seeing scars down her back, down her side. Scars she had been hiding. What were they from? He resisted again, now a soft kind voice telling him to hold her. To hold her close and never let her go.

"You know, I can feel you," he looked as Hinata stared at him, her eyes slightly opened, and her face so sad. Neji just walked over, standing a few feet in front of her. "I can always feel you. No matter where you are, or were you try to hide…"

"I have never tried to hide myself from you." His voice was flat. How could she even think like that? He would have never hidden himself from her.

Hinata giggled, making Neji stare at her with his eyes so cold. "You hide sometimes. You try to hide when you're at the Kohnoha hotel, silly." Neji took a step back. She knew?! Hinata put the bucket into the water, and then splashed her body, making her shiver for a moment. "I know more about you Neji-san, than anyone in the village. After all, we are joined, right?" she asked.

Neji stared at her. His eyes closed, images flashed of him as a child with little Hinata, playing and chasing each other. A moment where they swore they would be bounded together forever and they tired little treads of red on each others wrists. How could she even remember that?

"Only you would forget something so important…" Hinata joked and splashed the water against her body again. "I still have the string, hidden away in a box of mine."

"Mine, it buried it with my father…" Neji said, now looking away. He should be the one purifying. He used those girls, and their bodies to put his pain into motions. His pain never healed, nor the haunting face of a tearful little Hinata, with eyes almost begging him to forgive her, though she did no wrong. Now, he had to tell her. "I'm sorry, for pushing you out."

She looked at him the bucket smacking the water, echoing as the two stared at each other. Her body shivered form the cold, but her eyes searched his. Was it all a lie?

No, it's the truth, his eyes answered hers.

Then don't look, as her lids closed and she turned away from him. "I'm not innocent exactly…"

Neji stepped closer. Her words were almost a whisper. Had his little cousin already…? He felt anger begin to build in his soul. Who would dare try and touch her?

His eyes began to narrow, waiting for the name of the dead man to rise from her lips.

"I…would do…favors…" her face reddened. "Not actually having sex…but…" she stopped, looking down, ready to plunge herself into the dark water and die. How could she even begin to tell him her secret?

"Hinata…why do you look so ashamed?" Neji tried to reach out to her, but she just made herself move farther away. She was ashamed, of herself, and being there, confessing her darkness to him. "Do you want to walk?"

"Please. Its getting kind of cold…" she grabbed her bucket and walked beside him back towards their home. Neji took off his shirt, and draped it over her shoulders. Hinata smiled sweetly and shyly gave him a glance. Neji was looking forward and Hinata ignored his bare chest. Neji took a different turn. Hinata stood for a moment, and then decided to follow him. Where ever he was headed, she wanted to be close to him. She had to be close to him. After a bit of a jog, Hinata found Neji standing right before a small inn near the gate. The one she always felt him hiding at. She blushed, not really wanting to be here. She watched Neji walk up some stairs and she knew, she had to follow him.

"Tomorrow is our engagement ceremony, Hinata." She nodded and whispered she knew. Maybe they were there to tell their secrets, and let it out in the room, that she hated being in. What was she to do? She needed him to know and, in truth, she needed to know why he hurt her. Why this pain was dull, and almost hateful when she looked at the bed. "I took them, in this bed," Neji's eyes were almost blank as he began to spin his tale. "Because, it made it, for one moment, that nothing was wrong.

"It wasn't wrong, that I hated you. It was okay, to be alive, it was okay, and that you and I were apart. Nothing hurt, for those hours; nothing seemed to be wrong, but that it wasn't you."

Hinata blushed a little. He wanted her? Hinata wasn't sure what to say. She just stared at him in confusion. "I used them and threw them away. I needed to release. It was better than running to you. I couldn't stand the thought of letting you see me weak."

"You aren't weak if you turn to someone for help!!" Hinata clasped her hand over her mouth. She shouldn't have outburst her thoughts onto him. Neji stared at her, and grinned.

"That's…why father adored you so much. You are honest, and caring, and loving. I know..I shouldn't hide what I feel…but when I'm around you, I want you to notice me, to smile at me. I want…" his hand reached out, stroking her wrist. "I want you to love and marry me, because you want to. Not because tradition tells us we have to."

"Neji-san...I…." she stared at him. "I can't say it…because you don't want me." She took in a sharp breath before she told him of how she would help her friends recover through sexual acts. Neji's face got angry and pissed. But as he listened, he slowly drew closer to her. His eyes turning sad and pity shown as Hinata told that she stopped doing these things when one of them tries to take her virginity. How she fought them off, and how she now turned down any one who asked for her help. Neji held her close as tear poured from her eyes and she clung to him.

After a while of crying, they began to head home. Neji held her hand, and Hinata smiled. She felt like a child, from when they were kind to each other, and they were honest. It had gone back to that. Not being afraid to be their selves together. AS they reached the door, Shino stood waiting for them. Hinata blushed, but held tight to Neji's hand. "Hello Shino-kun."

"Hinata-chan, I just wanted to say this. Aishiteru," he said softly and left, walking away from them. Though part of her heart contracted in pain, she knew he understood that, in a clan family, you must take what you can get. Hinata bowed her head and she felt tears grow. She looked away from Neji, but he already knew. He just held her hand tighter as they walked home.

"Sleep tight," Neji said as they stopped by the door to her room. Hinata nodded her head, thought she knew she wouldn't be sleeping. She was far too nervous to think to even think sleep would come.

"You too," she gave a soft smile and sent to her room. Neji nodded. He wasn't going to sleep either, but right now, he needed to get away from her and from all of this. He needed to step away from her right now. He needed to sit alone and think. Think about what he said to her, and what she said to him.

"I...like you…" he whispered as he shut his door and stared out his window. "I know at least…I like you. That way…we can work this out."

"Rise and shine!!!!!" Hinata closed her eyes tightly as her sister's loud cheery voice woke her from her zoned sleep. "Are you okay?"

"I didn't…really sleep….I just…zoned out…" Hinata rubbed her eyes softly before she finally got in a more aware area of her mind. She turned, seeing servant waiting for her. "Oh…right..." she said softly and got up. It was time to get ready for the engagement ceremony. Sliding out of her clothes, she let the servants put her in a soft, light white kimono so she could cleanse herself. She had to be up far before Neji did. She shook a little as she was placed in the hot bath tub. She soaked for a while, as they began to pour warm oil into her hair, and began to braid it and put it into a bun. Since her prongs were too short to be pulled back, they lay forward and Hinata stood and they began to scrub her body clean.

She felt the hot water forcing skin layers to be rubbed off. This way, she was completely clean when she told the world she would marry him. She stood still as slowly make-up was put on her. Her eyes had a soft smoky purple color, and her lips were a light pink. Now, she had to get a kimono on.

Neji woke up with a start as Hanabi bounded and jumped on his bed, waking him up. He stared at her before getting up, and getting washed. He didn't need help. He just washed quickly, and forced Hanabi out as he began to get dressed. He began to tie on his Hakama pants when a tap came to his door. Neji went over and opened the door, smiling as his mother stood there. He had her enter his room. "What can I do for you?"

"This is for you," She placed in his hands a white and dark blue ribbon. With a little pattern of black weaved through it. "It is the ribbon your father gave to me."

"You also had to go through the ceremony?"

"Every Hyuga has to. Yours and Hinata's, is a much bigger deal though." Neji listened to his mother. "Every Hyuga is prearranged by the elders and their family on who will marry who. I didn't want you to marry Hinata. I wanted it to be your choice, but your father, he wanted you to be able to be part of the head family, ad he wanted you, to always have the perfect girl beside you. He knew, long before anyone else, that you would love Hinata."

"I don't love her…not yet…" Neji blushed at his mother's words.

"Dear Neji, your father knows these things. Use this ribbon, alright?" she smiled and kissed his forehead and left him to think a little while.

"NEJI!!" Hanabi bounded into his room four minutes later. "Come on!! You still have to get your hair combed and you need to.." she said while he ran out of the room, with the ribbon in his hands. He stopped at the meeting room, where the elders were waiting for the young Hyuga.

"We are glad you made it, Neji. Now, if you will please sit, and let us have you sign these." Neji stared at the papers before his face. He didn't get time to read over them, though something had caught his eyes. He signed and he was told to go to the waiting room. Neji sighed, and began to look around. The courtyard had a large stage in it, and an alter. He walked over, seeing they had already chosen a ribbon. He placed the one in his hands on the pillow and took the one they had pick, and used it to tie his hair out of his face. He bowed to the alter and walked away, headed for the room where he was suppose to wait.

Drums began to roll, and kotas played sweet music, and people bowed as words were said that flew in and out of both Hinata and Neji's ears. They just stared at each other from the corner of their eyes. AS the priest brought the pillow to the center of them, they turned, facing each other. Neji took in a sharp breath. How beautiful Hinata looked, in the light blue kimono covered in white flowers. She was blushing, and she eyed him as well. Neji bent over, saying "With the ribbon I give you, I ask for your hand to be mine. I ask that you live as mine, and will always be mine."

"I accept your gift, and I pledge now and forever to belong to you," she said. He looked into her eyes, and gently his lips grazed over hers. "I accept you…" she whispered.

AN: Don't you feel the love? It's kind of sad, and very true, when you think of the words that they say. Marriage is about love, ownership and accepting the other whole heartily. At least that's what I think.