WARNINGS: ANGST, MORE PROMISCUOUS!GAARA, USE OF AN OC, MENTIONS OF ABORTION.

AN: I realise that I've made Neji's stomach bigger than it should be at this stage of the pregnancy, but that was deliberate. All will be explained in a few chapters' time.

Chapter 4:

Neji was looking forward to his appointment for the abortion with mingled anticipation and dread. Sure, he couldn't wait to get rid of it so that he could continue with his life, but at the same time there was the niggling doubt at the back of his mind that he was making the wrong decision. He wouldn't let that stop him, though. His conversation with Gaara had left him feeling bereft of emotion, yet sad at the same time, and he was determined to get this thing aborted, if only to spite the red head. Or course, Hinata had tried to convince him to keep it, but it had the same effect that it would have had if she had pleaded with him to keep the chicken pox. Finally, the combination of highly strung hormones and staying up all night eating chocolate to help improve his mood (it didn't help, and he felt sick by the time he fell asleep at 3am), he snapped. He had apologized for all the insensitive things he'd shouted, and she had forgiven him. She had left him alone after she timidly informed him of his responsibilities in a last ditch attempt to get him to "see reason".

He pushed back a stray lock of dark hair, glad that he hadn't developed greasy hair as one of the symptoms of his pregnancy. The clock on the wall said that it was ten past three, so he had twenty minutes to wait until he would be allowed to go inside and get it removed. Tsunade-sama had been shocked when he had come up to her office to speak to her in private about arranging an appointment and had predictably tried to pry, but nothing she had said had persuaded him to divulge the secret of whom had fathered this baby. He had been able to tell that she hadn't wanted him to take this option, but she hadn't been able to get him to "consider his decision more carefully", much to her chagrin. Finally, she had reluctantly penciled him in for half past three on Thursday, hoping against hope that he would change his mind by then. Shizune had seemed disappointed when he had walked in ten minutes ago to sign himself in, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to care. She wasn't from an elite clan, so she didn't know anything about what was acceptable and what was not and had never been in such a position before in her life. Who was she to judge him?

This surge of indignation strengthened his resolve to not allow Tsunade-sama to dissuade him. There was too much at stake for him to be having second thoughts. He clasped his hands in front of him, his eyes darting towards the clock a lot more than was necessary. Only two minutes had passed. Heaving a sigh, he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, feeling a headache coming on.

The sound of crying reached his ears. Instantly, he sat up, looking around for the source of the noise. A young mother hardly older than he was had entered the waiting area with small bundle of blankets cradled in her arms. Neji blinked and looked away.

Surprisingly, the woman sat down next to him, making shushing noises at the baby. Neji watched, fascinated in spite of himself, as the tiny child wrapped a chubby pink hand around its mother's finger, a small mouth opening to reveal toothless gums as it yawned. It was so little and delicate looking, its eyes squinting a little as it turned its bright blue gaze towards him. The baby stared for a moment before its other hand rose out of the blankets in a tiny fist.

"She likes your eyes," The young woman smiled, causing Neji to jump, startled. He had forgotten that she was there.

"How can you tell?" He asked, his gaze once again focused on the child in its mother's arms.

"I can't. It's just an educated guess, really. You're eyes are very...striking. You're from the Hyuuga Clan, right?" The mother answered. Neji nodded.

"But you're eyes are different even within the Hyuuga Clan. I was on the same team as a Hyuuga when I became a Genin, and I met many Hyuugas because of that. But your's are a little more lilac than everyone else's," She smiled again, "I like it. It's a nice colour,"

"Thanks," Neji said, struggling not to flush at the compliment.

"So, are you waiting for your girlfriend to come out of there?" The mother continued, brushing her baby's hair softly with her hand. Evidently, she was the chatty type. Neji shook his head.

"Then why are you waiting in the pregnancy section of the waiting room?" She asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. Composing his face so that he didn't have a deer in the head lights expression plastered across it, Neji shrugged, slouching in his chair. There was a pregnant pause where she fussed with the blankets wrapping the infant before leaning towards him. He had thought that she was going to try to kiss him at first, but then she bypassed his lips and went to his ear.

"You're a Gravispeius, aren't you?" She whispered.

Swallowing audibly, Neji looked around the room to see who was listening in.

"Shhh," He hissed back, afraid that she would spread it around. He could always bribe her to keep her mouth shut if push came to shove, "How did you know?"

"I said that I was on the same team as a Hyuuga, didn't I?" She said. Neji nodded, "Well, one day during training when I was about fifteen, I got to talking with him about how men get the easy deal in life, not having to put up with periods and pregnancies and so forth. And he told me that, actually, there are rare cases within his clan in which men are born with both of those things," She grinned, "It was just a guess, really. All the clues pointed that way. I mean, why else would a man be sitting in the maternal area of the waiting room? And Tsunade-sama only deals with pregnancies under special circumstances,"

"Special circumstances? Then why are you here?" He didn't sound rude. Just curious.

The young woman smiled fondly at her child, gently pulling her baby's thumb out if its mouth. The little girl let out a gurgle of protest, a frown creasing its pink forehead until its eyes found Neji again. Her large innocent eyes became wide and her mouth spread into what was unmistakably a gummy smile. The brunet found himself enraptured with the small baby. It was so beautiful in a way, radiating innocence and delicateness, the smell of talcum powder wafting of her.

"Aiko was conceived through rape," The mother said softly, the adoring gaze focused on her daughter contradicting the tone of this announcement. Neji gaped in shock for a moment the spluttered out a reply.

"Then why did you keep her?"

The young woman stared at him for a moment as though she hadn't heard correctly.

"Well why wouldn't I?" She asked, laughing slightly.

"Because you didn't ask to have that child? Because her father never wanted you?" Neji said, feeling a hint of bitterness entering his voice as he listed the reasons that he himself was here.

A wry smile curved her lips as she took the infants tiny hand in hers. Aiko's entire fist wrapped around just one of her mother's fingers as she happily sucked away at her thumb. It was so hard to think about such a miniscule innocent baby being the product of such a tainted act.

"Which are both things that are beyond Aiko's control," The mother stated. She sent him a hard yet sympathetic look.

"And both of those things are beyond the control of your baby as well," She said, placing her hand on his knee, "Maybe you only think you don't want him or her because this baby is the byproduct of unrequited love, when subconsciously you want to keep it. Think about it. If you were in a relationship with this person you're mooning over, would you still want to kill this child, or would you want to keep it and try to work through this obstacle?"

Neji opened his mouth to retort, and his eyes widened as he realized that there was no point. She was right. He instantly felt like the lowest form of human life. He had tried to justify this to himself because he had wanted to spite Gaara by antagonizing him, but also because he didn't want to give birth to this baby and have to see Gaara's hair or eyes whenever he saw it. His motives behind this decision had been purely selfish. Never once did he think about the baby when he decided what was best. He had thought about his pain and his fear, not stopping to consider this little person who was growing inside him at this moment, as alive as he was. It would be murder to kill it. He knew that now.

"Hyuuga, I'll see you now," He heard Tsunade call. He could hear the tinge of sadness in her voice and grasped that she had been trying to convince him to do what was best rather than attempting to make him keep it so that she could brag about delivering the baby of a Gravispeius or something else equally as self centred. He felt shame at his actions and knew that it would be best to follow her advice before he hurt this child anymore with his pigheadedness.

The young woman nodded approvingly, as though she knew what he was thinking and was happy that he had finally come to his senses. After a split second's hesitation, Neji held his hand out, feeling a kind of kinship with the mother. She took it with a secretive smile which he returned.

"Hyuuga Neji. I'm pleased to meet you," He said.

"Yurushimasu Chikara. Likewise," Was the response.

Neji's hand slid out of hers and he walked towards the door leading to Tsunade's personal operating and consultation room. Here was where the Slug Sannin performed the medical miracles which made her famous. Taking a deep breath outside, his hand wrapped around the handle but not actually making any moves to open it, he steeled his nerves for the life altering decision he was making, and then pushed inwards.

The Godaime Hokage already had the required raw herbs essential for performing an abortion. They were laid out on a surgical steel tray next to a pedestal and mortar, the latter already containing some crushed plants. She herself had a scroll in her hand and, to the untrained eye, she would appear to be reading. Neji knew better, however. Her eyes were stationary, her brow furrowed in worry. She obviously didn't like having to do this and wished that she could refuse.

"Hokage-sama," Neji greeted her. She motioned to a chair by a bedside, which he took.

"Now, is there anything I can say that will make you change your mind?" She asked, her eyes almost pleading.

"No, Hokage-sama," He replied. She sighed in defeat and moved towards the table containing the herbs, but stopped short at his next words.

"Somebody else has already convinced me. Though I wouldn't mind a check up while I'm here. It would save me the trouble of coming back,"

Whirling around, she regarded the Jounin's handsome face, finding no trace of a lie or joke in his expression. There was slight fear and uncertainty, but that was to be expected. Falling pregnant at his age was scary enough for a girl. She couldn't imagine what it must feel like for a boy. However, there was also a hint of serenity in his gaze, as though he was at peace with this complication in his life and had finally come to accept that killing this child would not make him feel any better about himself.

She sighed and grabbed another chair, dragging it next to the brunet's. Relief surged through every pore of her body as she gracefully sat down, a bottle of sake procured from her private stash already half way to her lips. She took a gulp and exhaled loudly, feeling the stress leave her frame. It had been a very tiring day.

"I should hit you for that, Hyuuga," She said, leaning back in the chair, "And I would have if I hadn't been worried about the baby,"

Neji's expression remained flat; he was very familiar with the Godaime's temper and, as such, didn't feel any alarm at this vaguely offensive pronouncement.

"Well, get over here, then. Take your shirt off," Tsunade-sama continued, standing in front of the bed, "I'll do your check up and then I'll tell you the dos and don'ts. Alright?"

Neji didn't see any problem with that, so he nodded and sat on the bed, taking his baggy sweatshirt off as he faced the Sannin. She immediately went to work; green charka flaring around her hands as she swiftly inspected his body with the practiced ease of somebody who was born to do this. She was a genius. Plain and simple. Neji recognized the look in her eyes as the same look he had of his own when he saw his reflection in a river or pond during training. She knew what she was doing, and he felt relieved that she was going to be there to help should any complications arise during the course of his pregnancy.

"You're fit and healthy," She said briskly, making her way over to a cupboard and beginning to rummage through it, "You'll need some medication to help with your iron levels, though. They're low, probably because you're now providing for two,"

He nodded and took the medication she handed him with a thank you, pulling his hooded sweater over his head, glad for the cover. He was showing ever so slightly already, he knew. He had gained around a centimeter around the middle, and, while he knew nobody else would notice, he still felt obscenely huge.

"Let's make this quick, shall we?" Tsunade-sama said, "I suppose you already know that you shouldn't do drugs or alcohol or any strenuous activities,"

"Yes," Neji confirmed, inclining his head.

"Well, don't eat nuts, either. Or anything containing listeria such as soft cheeses (brie, camembert, ricotta) unless they're cooked. The same goes for cold takeaway chicken or chicken in sushi, cold meats including ham and salami, pate, pre-prepared salads such as coleslaw, and raw and smoked sea foods. If these foods are cooked, then it's fine, but not if they're cold,"

"Is there anything I can eat?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow. Tsunade smirked.

"That's what I asked when I learned about medical ninjutsu at the hospital," She said, "Anymore questions?"

"Yes. When will the morning sickness start?" Neji asked. This was the part he was least looking forward to.

"It can happen at any time after conception with Gravispeius, though it's safe to say that it will probably be during the first trimester," She said, "Unfortunately, you will have to return for a blood test before I give you any medication to help with this because I need to get the dosage just right for an O blood type, which can be very temperamental and time consuming,"

The brunette nodded and sighed, resigning himself to at least a couple of days of waking up and straight away dashing to the toilet. The only thing he hated more about this pregnancy than the actual birth (because he knew that it hurt like a bitch) was the puking. He couldn't stand being sick. It left a horrible taste in his mouth and gave him a sore stomach and a pounding headache. He supposed that it was just one of the many perks (note the sarcasm).

"Well, that's all," Tsunade said, clapping her hands to illustrate her point, "Your next appointment should be in about a month. Though I'll send Sakura around every now and again to monitor your progress. Its standard procedure for rape victims and the like, but your case is just as special because of your gender. Now, is there anything else?"

"Yes," Neji said, "Is it possible for you to give me an approximate due date?"

Tsunade nodded.

"I could do another diagnostic, but it'd be quicker if you knew the conception date," She said, "Of course, not many do. So...,"

"2nd September," Neji muttered, flushing a little in spite of himself. Luckily, Tsunade didn't comment on this.

"Are you certain?" She inquired, "Because it might have been during some other time-"

"No, I was a virgin, so I'm pretty sure that it was that time," He cut across her, sending her a strained sort of smile. She raised her eyebrows at this.

"Damn, you got the short straw, didn't you?" she snorted, "Pregnant on the first time? No wonder you freaked."

Shrugging helplessly, he folded his arms and leaned against the door, trying not to appear awkward as she calculated the date that his baby may be born.

"It should be born around...3rd of June next year," Tsunade said, pulling her glasses off and placing them on the bedside table next to her before sitting on top of it as she cleared her throat.

"Now, are you perfectly certain that you can't tell me who you were with to get you in this condition?" she asked, watching him intently, "In case he has passed on some disease to this child?"

Or me, he thought, slightly panicked. But he shook his head anyway. He wouldn't tell unless it was absolutely necessary.

"No," He said, "But would it be possible to check for STIs while I'm here?" The Sannin stared at him with something close to shock on her face.

"What kind of a sleaze ball have you been sleeping with?" She asked. Instantly, Neji's expression turned thunderous, though he had no idea why she should be upset about what people thought of Gaara. He should have been glad that somebody else was taking his views on the red head, even if they didn't know it, but instead the only thing he could feel was rage that somebody could call Gaara such an insulting name.

"Don't call him that!" He growled; his eyes narrowed into slits of anger-darkened mercury.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him as he sent her a look which said quite clearly that he regretted is actions.

"Alright, sorry. Don't get your panties in a bunch, I don't mean to insult your...," She winced, "One time partner?"

Neji waved his hand dismissively to show that he wasn't offended or anything and closed his eyes, massaging his temples with his fingertips. He couldn't fathom the reasons behind his righteous indignation on Gaara's behalf, and it irked him somewhat. Before Gaara, he had been so practical and in control at all times, focusing on what had to be done and not letting anything get in the way. But that was the thing. It was before Gaara, before the pregnancy.

Before he fell for the red head; knowing that his feelings would never be returned.

As she took a few blood samples and performed some complicated medical procedures, the atmosphere was very tense. Finally, she pronounced him in good health, scribbling some notes onto her clipboard.

"Is that all?" He sighed, heaving himself out of his chair. She nodded, watching him with pitying eyes as though she knew what he was concealing. He had to look away. He couldn't stand the thought of being pitied.

"Hey, Hyuuga," He heard her call, and turned back to her with his hand poised over the door handle.

"If he doesn't come crawling back to you, he's an idiot. And I mean that," She smiled at him briefly, then gave him an impish grin,"Treasure that comment for the rest of your days, because you'll never get another one like it,"

And, despite his bleak mood, he cracked a smile for the first time in weeks.

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Feel free to hate my guts XD I'm sorry, but I had to end it there. I don't like leaving too much time between chapters, and I don't like making them too long either. I hope you've enjoyed this. I've got big things planned for this fic. Don't think that everything's going to be perfect now because things are going to get worse before they get better.

Once again thanks to Passion's Lure. I couldn't have done this without her.

Ja ne, all!

TenshiXXX

Edit: Thankfully, there was very little that I had to change with this chapter.