"Daddy where are we going?" little Akio asked, looking at his father curiously. The child had previously been watching his mother sleep while holding his cooing little sister when their dad walked in holding some papers and a pen.

Their doctor walked in after him, collecting the papers and checking them over.

"I wish you all the best moving forward Mr. Nara. I know it can't be easy to leave your wife here. But I assure you she will be in capable hands. We'll call immediately if her condition changes." She said, smiling softly at him.

Shika turned tired eyes onto his family. After a long talk with Anko last night, it was decided that he and the children would leave Tenten in Anko's hands. She would stay behind to watch her sister, and stand as proxy for any medical decisions that had to be made. The kids were still small, and there was no one else in the town that Shikamaru could count on to watch them. Instead of forcing them to stay here and suffer through the restless wait for their mother to wake, he had decided to take them home and leave them with his parents until they could get a firm grasp on what the next step should be. Once he had them settled in with their grandparents, he'd journey back and stay with his wife until she woke… if she woke.

It wasn't a thought he liked to entertain, but he had to be practical. Realistically speaking, there was a very high possibility that Tenten would not be waking up any time soon, if at all. Already they had been here for a week and she had not improved in the slightest. And yes, maybe he was being a little unreasonable, because given the extent of her injuries it would really be a miracle if she woke up at all let alone a mere week after surgery, but he missed his better half. This past week he had been a wreck, and the stress of the entire situation was getting harder and harder to deal with, especially since he had his young children to worry about as well. So instead of sitting around here uselessly, he would do the only thing he could, and that was get his children to his parents.

Nodding to the doctor as thanks for her good wishes, he turned to his son.

"We're going to go see grandma and grandpa Aki-chan." He said, taking his daughter into his arms. He shifted slightly, settling her against his chest with one hand and collecting their bags with his other hand.

"But what about mommy?" Akio asked, looking confusedly from his mother to father before finally settling his sad gaze on her beautiful face. "We can't leave mommy daddy."

"I know, but we're not leaving her. Daddy's going to come back for mommy. I just have to get you and Aka-chan out of here first."

"But she's just sleeping right? Can't we just wake her up and take her with us instead?"

Shikamaru sighed, oh how he wished it was that easy.

"Mommy's really tired Aki, we can't wake her. We have to wait until she wakes up by herself."

"B-But, daddy… I-I d-don't wanna leave my mommy" he said, barely able to keep the dams in place.

Shikamaru sighed softly, resting Ayaka back on the bed and placing the bags down. Why did his son, of all people, have to be so troublesome.

He knelt in front of the sniffling child. "Akio Nara look at me." Akio looked at him as best as he could while trying to rub the tears from his cheeks. "I know you love your mommy very much. And she loves you very much too. I understand that you're worried, I am too, but right now there's nothing we can do to help mommy except to leave her to get some rest, and to make sure you and Aka-chan get some rest too. You can't do that here, so I have to take you to grandma and grandpa. And as soon as you guys are settled in, daddy's going to come back for mommy. And once she's all better we'll all be together again. Daddy promises that no matter what, I'm going to try my best to get mommy back to us again, and when we get home we'll be a family again so will you come with me and start getting things ready for when mommy comes home?"

Akio nodded, still sniffling. "I promise daddy. You can count on me!" he said, smiling widely.

"That's my boy." He said, hugging Aki and kissing his forehead. He then straightened, collecting his bags and his daughter before turning back to the doctor, almost forgetting she was still standing in the room.

"Let me know the instant something happens." He said and she nodded at him.

"I will Mr. Nara, without hesitation. Take care of yourself and the children your wife is in good hands."

"Thank you." He said. He wanted to smile and reassure himself that everything was ok. But he couldn't, that was Tenten's job. She was the happy and optimistic one. She always looked at what the situation could be, instead of what it was. She was always happy, and that made him happy. Her smile was his favorite thing in the world… and now he didn't know if he would ever see it again. So no, everything was not ok, and he really wasn't sure if it ever would be again.

Deciding not to dwell on it, he walked over to Tenten, leaning over to kiss her forehead one last time before he left.

"I miss you so much babe. I wish I could hear your voice, see your eyes… I'm carrying Aki and Aka-chan to my parents. They shouldn't have to see you like this. I'm not blaming you though, I just want you to hurry and come back to us. We need you… I need you. Love you monkey…"

With that he pulled himself together and headed out, Akio following behind him.

He saw Anko sitting in the lobby. She seemed to have been waiting for them. She ran to him the instant he emerged.

"I know this is hard for you, but you're doing the right thing."

"I know. But I wish I didn't have to."

"Shh, I know." She reached up gently and hugged him and Ayaka, then kneeled to hug Akio. "I'll see you three soon, just leave Tenten to me for now, ok?"

They nodded at her, well Shikamaru and Akio, before turning and walking out of the waiting room.

Anko watched as they left, her heart heavy. She couldn't imagine what Shika was feeling, and she wouldn't wish to. She wouldn't wish that for anybody.

But no matter what, Shika left his precious person, his lover, his heart, his life, her sister in her care. Anko could not afford to let him down.

With that thought in mind she turned on her heels, heading in the direction of Tenten's room.

I love you little sister, he does too. You need to wake up, for all our sakes…