CH-18

Week 27

Part 1

I smiled as Shikamaru clasped my hand more firmly. I sat on a medical examination bed as we waited for the arrival of Tsunade.

"I have another mission," Shikamaru started.

"Shikamaru ..." I groaned, he'd been gone for over two weeks and he just got back. "We talked about this!"

"This will be my last one, I guarantee it," he said.

"That's what you said about the last one! Shikamaru! You've hardly been here for the past three months! I need you around, now more than ever! You do realize I am due in less than two months, right?"

"Which is exactly why I need to get as many missions in as I can!" He argued.

"What good will you be to me if you work yourself half to death?"

"Temari ..."

"Don't 'Temari' me Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru glanced at me and I knew he was about to mutter troublesome. I raised an eyebrow as a response. He took a look at my facial expression and wisely decided not to say anything.

"Sorry! I am late," Tsunade said, bursting into the room. "Team just arrived in critical condition, but they are out if danger and Sakura had to practically beat me away with a stick, after all this is practically her hospital now anyways."

I glanced at Shikamaru saying that this conversation definitely wasn't over yet.

"So! Twenty-seven weeks now, eh? Almost out of the woods now aren't we? Within the next two months the pair of you will be parents. Isn't that a scary thought?" Tsunade said.

"Something like that," Shikamaru muttered.

"So Temari, have you thought about the birthing class I mentioned?"

"I have, but for some reason I still don't think it would suit me," I answered.

"It does help to prepare a mother for birth," Tsunade chided. "It would be good if you expanded your boundaries and went to the class."

"I'll think about it," I muttered quietly.

"And Shikamaru! I think you need to be heading to the Daddy's class here soon!"

I half-smiled at the thought of Shikamaru surrounded by a whole bunch of expecting fathers.

"It's not like he has any time for it," I said answering on behalf of my fiancé. "With all the missions you've been giving him lately.

"Oh I haven't been giving him any," said Tsunade casually, while looking at my charts. "He has been getting them directly from the council."

"But the ones from the council are ..."

I looked up at my fiancé. He wouldn't meet my eyes.

"ANBU, A or S-class," said Tsunade.

I glared at my fiancé fiercely.

"Is this true Shikamaru?"

He still didn't meet my eyes. Tsunade glanced up at the pair of us and I think she say that she just ignited a quarrel between us.

"Shikamaru?!" I exclaimed. He didn't look at me. "You promised! You promised you wouldn't take an ANBU mission! You said you would only take an A-Class mission if it was a team mission. But that can't be now can it? Choji has been here for the last month!"

"Shikamaru! Is it true?" I demanded.

He finally looked at me and said,

"Yes."

I ripped my hand out of his and walked right out of the examination room. He swore to me he wouldn't take those missions. I grew up with a single parent. I didn't want that for my child and I knew, oh I knew just how dangerous those missions were. I had been on several of them myself.

I marched out of the hospital in search of some place where I could sort through all of my feelings. I didn't really think of where I was going. I just followed my feet.

I was surprised when I arrived in front of the Konaha cemetery. It was not the place I expected. I took a deep breath and entered. I followed the smell of burning incense. It led me to the grave of Asuma Sarutobi. It registered in the back of my mind that this was Chiyo's father, Shikamaru's late sensei.

I just stared at the grave asking myself why I was here. I didn't know Asuma; all I knew of him was the passing remarks I picked up from Choji, Shikamaru and Kurenai and that he was also the namesake of my growing baby boy. From what I understood, he was a loyal man. He was loyal to his village, his friends, but most of all, his family.

I looked at his grave and on it lay a bouquet of delicate flowers which I could only assume we're from Ino. There was a large bento sitting there as well, untouched and uneaten, most likely Choji. Beside the bento, flowers, and incense stand was a pack of smokes. The top was open, showing that at least half of them were smoked. Shikamaru had smelled of smoke lately, I remembered. His mother lectured him about it.

I looked at the grave and read the dates. Yesterday had been the anniversary of Asuma's death. I hadn't known. Shikamaru didn't mention it, and neither had Kurenai. Why should they anyways? It would have only been tearing at old wounds.

My eyes began to water as I looked upon Asuma's grave. I felt guilty. I felt guilty because I was angry at Shikamaru, he had lied to me, but he was still here. I had Shikamaru whereas Kurenai did not have Asuma, and neither did Chiyo. I didn't have the right to be angry. The only thing I should be is grateful-grateful I have a fiancé and brothers and family that care about me.

"Auntie Temari?" I heard a small voice call.

I looked up and saw Chiyo standing there. She looked so innocent. She knew nothing of the guilt I felt. I couldn't help it. I crumpled and started to cry.

"Auntie Temari!" Chiyo exclaimed and ran over to me.

"Auntie Temari?! Are you hurt? Did a stranger hurt you? Where's uncle Shika? Why isn't he with you?"

I half-sobbed, half-laughed. Where was Uncle Shika? I thought offhandedly. I hugged the little girl with all my might.

"Auntie Temari?"

She was so worried. I felt bad for making Chiyo worry, but I couldn't stop myself from crying. Chiyo hugged me back and stopped asking questions, except one.

"Why are you at Daddies grave?"

I looked up at her. I didn't know why I was at her father's grave. All I knew was I somehow ended up here crying on the shoulder of a five year old.

"If Daddy was here, I sure he could give you a better hug than I could," said Chiyo. "But mommy says that he can't be here. But she says he is always in here," said Chiyo gesturing to her heart.

I smiled at that. I hugged Chiyo once more and then stood up. I wiped the tears off of my face and picked Chiyo up. She was still light and easy to carry.

"Speaking of your mom. Where is your mom missy? Did you run off again?"

"No, mama's working today. She brought me to daycare because Uncle Shika was busy today. But daycare is sooooo boring! All we do is colour and read stupid books about farm animals," she answered.

"Oh, so you ran off from daycare?"

Chiyo smiled sheepishly, "Well, I didn't run off. I was going to go back, eventually."

I raised my eyebrow.

"Well you can explain that to your mom when we get you back to daycare. I bet she is searching this entire city looking for you!"

"I don't think so. The lady that runs the daycare probably hasn't even noticed that I am gone. She isn't very observant."

I laughed and carried Chiyo toward her daycare. My breakdown was long forgotten as Chiyo began to tell me about her pictures that she had been drawing with cousin Sai. According to Sai, Chiyo had quite the talent for drawing, even if she did it in a million different colours of crayon. We were about a block from Chiyo's daycare when when Kurenai appeared in front of us.

"Chiyo!" she exclaimed. "What do you think you were doing running away from daycare like that?!"

"Temari! Thank-you so much for finding my daughter!" Kurenai said.

Kurenai took Chiyo from my arms and hugged her close to herself. I smiled as Chiyo told her mother,

"I'm sorry Mama."

I smiled and turned and walked away. I didn't know what to do now. I couldn't go back to the hospital, that ship had seemingly sailed. I couldn't go see Kurenai because she was probably going to give Chiyo a definite earful. I didn't want to go back to the Nara compound quite yet- I had been spending all my time there and hadn't been out very often. I couldn't go to the Huuyga compound to see Hinata because she has caught a cold and she doesn't want me to get sick as well. Tenten was "busy", and Sakura was probably occupied at the hospital.

I sighed and let myself wander through the streets of Konaha. I drifted in and out of the civilian districts. People bustled around me and before long I had been walking for a couple of hours. My feet began to get very sore. So sore in fact that I had to sit down on a bench just to rest my feet for a while.

I didn't really focus on where I was, but as I glanced across the street, before me stood the Yamanka Flower Shop.

I sighed. Ino was still angry at me for stealing her man and what not. Truthfully I was exhausted by it. She couldn't except that Shikamaru could no longer be her's. I didn't need to deal with her immature response to Shikamaru moving on with his life.

As if she was summoned by my thoughts, she appeared in the front window fixing a bouquet. She looked up and saw me and glared. She tossed away her apron and stormed across the street to rip a strip off me.

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked.

"I am resting my feet," I answered.

"Oh ya, carrying a bastard child must make your feet just ache," Ino shot back.

I sighed. I did not feel like arguing with her. It's not like she was going to listen to anything I had to say anyways. She was slightly unnerved by my silence.

"Where is your man-slave? Why isn't he carrying your royal-ness home?"

"How can you call Shikamaru that?" I asked. "He is one of your best friends."

"Bah, hardly he became nothing in my mind when he slept with you," said Ino.

I rolled my eyes, of course it was all my fault that her and Shikamaru's friendship was ruined. It had nothing to do with the fact she threw herself at him and got completely rejected. Of course.

"Just listen to me for one minute Ino," she was about to shoot a comment back but I cut her off. "It's not my fault that Shikamaru wasn't interested in you and not even the child in my belly's fault. He is too good of a friend to ever pursue you," I answered.

"Too good of a friend? How's is that? He abandoned everything we had for some random desert girl claiming to be knocked up by him!" Ino replied.

I glanced down at my round belly. Claiming to be knocked up? I was very pregnant. How is it that she could say that I was "claiming to be knocked up. I looked back up at the blonde.

"You had nothing, Ino!" I said raising my voice back at her. "You were his friend! That's it! and do you know why that is all you'd ever be?! You probably don't even know do you!" I shouted, getting very frustrated at the blonde.

"Do you?" I asked.

Ino didn't reply. It was nice for her to be the one that was silent for once.

"You are so dense. You are so concerned with vanity and appearances that I bet you haven't even took a second glance at him!"

I huffed and stood up beside her. I was done with this conversation. I turned to leave, but before going I said to the stupefied blonde,

"Choji deserves better than you."

Ino's eyes went wide at the mention of Choji. It was obvious to everyone except Ino that Choji had the hots for her. Choji was too sweet of a guy in my opinion to be stuck with a self-obsessed brat like her, but you can't fight the heart.

I once asked him why he didn't ever go after Ino. He smiled at me and just shook his head and said,

"She's out of my league and I don't want to ruin our friendship. After all we can't all be like you and Shikamaru."

I asked Shikamaru why he never went after Ino when they were younger, and of course he answered,

"Too troublesome. Choji has been in love with her for as long as I can remember and he is a very precious friend."

I smiled when he had told me that. Of course it was too much grief for him to do that. When we were on that topic I asked him why he never went after me when we were younger. He simply laughed and said,

"Way too troublesome."

I cuffed him across the head at that.

I shook my head at Ino and walked away. I kept walking down the street and took a right here and two lefts there. Before I knew it I stood in the Nara compound in front of Shikamaru's and mine nearly finished house. I had a key to it, so I let myself in.

The house for once was quiet. There were no workers working on every which things. I took a deep breath and walked up stairs. I needed to sit down, my feet were aching from the walking I had been doing today. As I was walking up the stairs, I saw the door to the nursery was open. Not overly so, but it was cracked open enough for someone to be in there. I froze, and walked as silently as I could up the rest of the stairs.

I quieted my breath and shot a glance through the open door. In the nursery rocking chair sat my fiancé. He was staring at the forest mural while flicking his lighter. He was obviously thinking about something deeply.

I gently pushed the door open and Shikamaru's eyes shot up to see who the intruder was.

"Temari ..." Shikamaru said quietly.

I didn't reply, but I did walk over to him and sit in his lap. I curled up against his chest wanting nothing more than to just be held by him. Shikamaru was shocked at my actions but nonetheless wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. He looked at my face and at my slightly swollen eyes and asked,

"Rough day?"

"Well it definitely wasn't an easy one."

I looked up at Shikamaru and at the same time we both said,

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" asked Shikamaru. "You have no reason to apologize Temari! I was the one who lied to you. I took the missions even though you asked me not to. "

"Yes I do," I said laughing. "I was mad at you. I was so upset with you that I didn't realize how far I was pushing you away when I have no reason to. I should be grateful! I still have you! Kurenai doesn't have Asuma and neither does Chiyo, but I still have you! I am sorry Shikamaru. I am so sorry."

Shikamaru froze at the mention of Kurenai and Chiyo. I curled myself further into his arms.

"Temari that is still no reason for apology. I made you angry, you had the right to be upset with me," Shikamaru answered. "I won't take the mission."

"If you want to take it Shikamaru, by all means you can, but just make sure you come back to me," I said gripping his shirt. "I was raised by a single parent. I don't think I can do it by myself Shikamaru. I can't be like Kurenai."

Shikamaru grabbed my hands and said back to me,

"Your not going to do this yourself Temari. I am right here, I am not going anywhere. We are going to raise our beautiful baby together."

I laughed, I smiled, I was so happy that I had Shikamaru.

"You didn't call him a girl," I said. "I think that's a first."

Shikamaru grinned, shook his head at me and kissed my forehead. We sat on the rocking chair together for a long time, just enjoying each others company. I was so glad he wasn't going to disappear on me again. I started the conversation again by saying,

"So I saw Ino today."

"Oh really, what did she have to say to you?" asked Shikamaru.

"Oh just the usual, how dare you steal Shikamaru away from me and whatever. I may have said some things that I shouldn't have back to her," I answered.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and asked,

"Such as?"

"I may have exposed Choji's feelings to her. She really is dense," I said. "I was frustrated and it just sort of came out. I hope I didn't ruin anything."

"You probably didn't," said Shikamaru. "She was bound to be told sooner or later anyways. I do have to agree that she was particularly blind when it came to Choji, but then again she always had selective vision."

I nodded to this; Ino only ever saw what she wanted. I stretched out and sighed. Then Shikamaru started,

"So I think we should go and see my father."

"Shikaku? Why?" I asked, confused.

"I think it's time that we finally get married."

AN:/ Oh Heyyyyy, I have another chapter for you! I wrote this when I was on vacation in the US because I was done laughing at the dynamics of Americans and how rude they were. Gosh I am such a Canadian. I was down in LA and they were having a "winter storm", I was in short shorts, I mean c'mon! The temperature didn't even drop below 10 degrees celsius!

But anyways, here is this chapter and I am half-way through the next one, but I am not sure when it will be done because I sadly have a ton of things coming up. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter

But Anyways,

Spaz Out