Unlikely Source of Pain

Shikamaru was quiet as Neji tilted his head to get a look at Shikamaru's face, seeing him staring at nothing.

Release me, Child.

Why?

Just do so.

I don't understand.

Just do it. Keep resting.

Neji suddenly felt his lap become hot and he quickly looked down at Shikamaru.

Alecto?

Shikamaru sat up and Neji crossed his legs and straightened his back slightly against the wall. He felt his cheek become slightly hot at the reality the Shikamaru was cuddled up on his lap mere seconds earlier. Neji watched as Alecto tucked his left leg underneath him and observed his surroundings, his dark eyes finally landing on his face. He smiled lightly.

"Hello Boy," He said, his dark demonic voice sounding out-of-place in the quiet room.

"Hello Alecto," Neji returned, oddly relieved to see the familiar person.

"My Child had an 'episode' of sorts, didn't he?" Neji would've thought that Alecto didn't know anything about what happened between Shikamaru and Sakura if he didn't realize two things:

One: Alecto lived in Shikamaru's mind, so of course he would obviously know about it.

Two: The tone of Alecto's voice seemed…off.

"You know why Shikamaru thought Sakura was his mother." Neji said bluntly and Alecto brushed a chunk of hair away from his eyes, observing Neji carefully; a small smirk on his face.

"Very good, Boy. The pink-haired girl and the Child's mother both have green eyes. I am glad you were able to put those two things together."

"But why did he react like that? He's known Sakura for years and he's never reacted that way until today." Alecto's smirk grew slightly as he continued to observe Neji.

"The Child didn't have that realization on his own." Neji quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

"What does that mean?"

"I put that realization in his mind." Neji remained silent for a moment.

"So…you brought up Shikamaru's mother and made him see that Sakura has the same eye color as his mother? Why? How come Shikamaru didn't make that comparison earlier?" Alecto was quiet for a moment.

"Because I knew that he would react that way. I knew that having that realization would hurt him." He paused again. "He didn't make that comparison earlier because he didn't want to think about his mother in any way, so the Child ignored everything that would remind him of her. He eventually failed to make comparisons between his mother and anything that would remind him of her." Neji processed what he was being told, secretly blown away that Shikamaru can discipline his mind to the extent that he can't make comparisons between his mother and anything that would remind him of her anymore; however, he felt his temper flare instantly at Alecto's words, not understanding why Alecto would purposefully hurt the one person he is most protective of.

"But why would you do that to him?" Neji asked. Alecto sighed lightly and briefly looked out the window to his left, just above Neji's head.

"I understand that bringing up the physical comparison between his mother and the pink-haired girl would hurt him terribly, but—"

"Then why do it?" Neji snapped, letting his anger seep through his voice. Alecto was taken aback, but hid it carefully.

That's interesting. Seems like I was right about the Boy being in love with the Child. Good.

"Why did you bring make Shikamaru see the familiar eye color between his mother and Sakura if you knew it would hurt him?" Neji asked angrily, wanting an answer to his question immediately.

"I didn't bring it up just to hurt him."

"Then why?"

"Because his mother was one of the most significant people from the past. The Child refuses to look back into the past because of the pain it brings. However, he needs to look back in order to move on into the future." Neji looked down at Shikamaru's blanket.

He has a point…damn it.

"The Child must see what has happened to him in his life, like losing his mother to suicide, and look at his life the way it is at the current moment, and compare the two." Neji raised an eyebrow at him.

"Meaning?"

"He must see how far he has come in his life. The Child has acknowledged certain things, but he has not acknowledged of all them. He has spoken of certain things to you, but not all things. However, there is one thing that he has not done."

"What's that?"

"Process and let go."

Silence fell in the room as Neji looked back down at Shikamaru's blanket, fiddling with a loose thread. Alecto was right.

Shikamaru hasn't let go of a lot of the bitterness and un-forgiveness that he's kept to himself for many years. He hasn't let go of a single thing that has happened in his life.

"My Child," Alecto continued. "Needs to remember everything about his mother right now. He needs to see what he has done to himself in reaction to her death. He needs to acknowledge and remember what has happened to him in the past in order to accept it and move on into the future."

"You're helping him by making him feel the emotional pain that past experiences have brought." Neji said softly, understanding what Alecto was saying. Alecto nodded.

"Exactly, Boy. He needs to understand that he can't change what has happened by burying it and pretending it didn't happen. He is not acknowledging or even confronting what has happened in the past so therefore…he can't let it go and move past it. He can't make the pain stop if he denies the sources of that pain."

Neji leaned back on his hands, thinking. He knew that Alecto was right, but that didn't mean that he was okay with the fact that Shikamaru would be in pain. He didn't want Shikamaru to be in pain, but he knew that Shikamaru would have to be in order to get better.

"I am aware that you care deeply for him, Boy." Alecto said, bringing Neji out of his thoughts.

"What?" Neji asked, making Alecto smirk lightly.

"You care about my Child; it is quite obvious that you do. I do not want to see him hurting anymore than you do, but this must happen. My Child will not get better until he acknowledges and confronts past experiences." Neji directed his eyes thoughtfully to the locket hanging on the wall to his left.

"Acknowledges and confronts the past"…I wonder….

"Alecto," Neji started, sitting up straighter.

"Yes?"

"Do you know if Shikamaru's biological father is in this village?" Alecto raised an eyebrow at him, intrigued.

"I do not, Boy. Why ask such a question?" Neji hesitated.

"What about his stepfather?" Alecto's dark eyes darkened and narrowed dangerously. Neji waited for Alecto to speak first as he could practically feel Alecto's anger radiate off of him.

"Possibly. If he is still here, he will be in the rough part on the East side of the village." Neji felt his heart soar at this.

Shikamaru's stepfather could possibly still be in the village…same with his biological father. But if Shikamaru was born and raised in the village, then his biological father will most likely be around here somewhere. But…

Neji felt his soaring heart dive into the pit of his stomach:

He didn't know Shikamaru's stepfather's name and he had a feeling that Alecto isn't going to offer that piece of information without something in return.

"What…" Neji started, knowing that he was walking on extremely thin ice. "What is…his name?"

"Whose?"

"The stepfather's." Alecto's eyes narrowed even further and Neji felt his face and the front part of his body turn warm as Alecto's anger radiated even more off of him. Neji knew that it was risky to ask for the stepfather's name, but in order for his plan to work, he needed to know.

"Why?" Alecto hissed quietly, glaring at Neji.

"You said that Shikamaru needed to acknowledge and confront the past, right?" Neji asked, staring back at Alecto with determination. Alecto nodded.

"The stepfather is obviously a significant part of his past," Alecto said quietly, catching on to Neji's plan.

He said 'the.' He didn't give the stepfather more power. I like this Boy.

"Right, so when Shikamaru is more well, won't confronting his stepfather put a lot of things to rest?" Alecto leaned back on his left hand thoughtfully. "But he has said before that he would like to meet his biological father someday." Neji added, making Alecto quirk an eyebrow at him.

"Did he?" Neji nodded.

"And I'm sure there's a way on how I can find him." Alecto hesitated. Neji began to feel some of the heat ebb away as Alecto began to calm down slightly.

"And that is?"

"There is a room in the Hokage's Tower that contains documents about every single villager. Birth Certificates, Marriage Licenses, Death Certificates, and other things. If I can get into the room, I can find Shikamaru's biological father's location and take Shikamaru to him. I already know his name," He added, seeing Alecto about to speak.

"So once Shikamaru meets his biological father, maybe that will give him closure on certain things…like not having a real father around." Both of their eyes darkened at the simple fact that Shikamaru never had a real father in his life.

"Maybe once he's met his real father, then he'll be able to face the stepfather." Alecto looked thoughtfully at Neji, considering what he said. Neji knew that Alecto was considering his plan by the shrouded look in his eyes.

He's considering it…he doesn't want to put Shikamaru in any kind of danger, especially with Shikamaru's stepfather being involved.

"You will be with him?" Alecto asked sternly, staring unblinkingly at Neji, who nodded.

"Absolutely, I'm not letting him go anywhere by himself." Alecto smirked again at the protectiveness in Neji's tone of voice.

"Since I know that you will take care of him," Alecto said. "I will allow this. However," He paused. "If my Child gets hurt in anyway…I will hurt you." Neji nodded. "I know that emotional pain is unavoidable, especially since he is experiencing it now. But do not allow that man to lay a finger on him again." Neji knew 'that man' meant the stepfather.

"He has to get through me first and I like to think that I'm not easy to get passed."

"Good, keep him safe. That is all that I ask of you. You have proven that you will not leave and that you will take care of him, so I know that you will continue to do those things." Neji felt flattered by Alecto's words, not knowing that Alecto trusted him to that extent.

"But I have a question for you, Boy." Alecto asked, making Neji raise an eyebrow at him.

"Yes?"

"How will you get into this room that you speak of without indulging too many of my Child's secrets?" Neji smiled lightly.

"I have a way with words…and leverage."

NejiXShikamaru

Alright Gang,

As always, patience and reviews/PMs would be appreciated!

When-Rabbit-Howls