Disclaimer: Same as before. Authors Note: this was originally the beginning for the next chapter of 'Assume what you will", but I promised to finish this story before diving into anything else. All the same Hope you enjoy. The beta for this chapter was Naash and again, I thank her. - Ela

XoXoXoX

He was her very definition. He was the answer to her every question. That was the way it was, for how long she couldn't quite recall. Her mind drifted back to the time her team was chosen and she was marked. Her mark was not like Nejis, it couldn't be seen only felt. And the pain it caused her was one he could have understood. She was marked as an average kunoichi, with average looks, a strange obsession with sharp objects, and nothing more. If there was such a thing as destiny or fate, that day was when her providence was decided.

She was told many times that her salvation would be him. The gifted genius from the Hyuuga clan; If she wanted to be worth something it would only be through his help. Silently she fought against that thought. She trained with him only to prove she was equally good, maybe not as good as a genius, but certainly better then any other kunoichi in her year. She refused to indulge in his ego the way the others girls did, by drooling over him. And she refused to hide behind her beauty and femininity that was taught through out her years at school. Instead, she fought as hard as every member of her team and earned their respect through her blades of steel.

She spent many nights crying for that girl. The girl she once was. That girl was gone; she lost herself long ago, when she began to find herself. She slowly came to believe she belonged at his side, in battle and in life. She came to trust him more then her own thoughts. Why? She didn't know and for a while she didn't care.

She was going to have a baby. It wasn't planned and it would be a great sacrifice. For one she'd have to give up being a shinobi, and with it her treasured arsenal, consisting of every blade imagined, but it would be worth it. This baby would be theirs. It would be apart of him she'd never have to share or question. It would be a reminder to her that they belonged together, not because of chance or luck, but because of choice and love. But there was no need for this keepsake of a child because evidently it wasn't true.

This was the sorrow she held inside and the agony locked in her every tear. This was pain that Neji was sure to understand if only she would let him. However she would never drag him into her despair, instead she'd pretend it didn't exist until it eventually subsided.

XoXoXoX

It took a great deal for Tenten to pull herself back together. When she finally did the world around her was pitch black, causing her to wonder if she had once again been knocked unconscious. After a few shakes of her head, she realized that it was merely nightfall. The sky was covered with clouds that smothered the moon and blocked out it's light. Her fist thought was to use this darkness to recompose herself, but the blood on her palms caused her to freeze briefly. She used the back of her hands to wipe away her tears the best she could, while trembling uncontrollably.

It was in that moment she realized she wasn't alone. Hesitantly she turned her head to the side, and the sight of him caused her to jump. She cursed herself not only for breaking down in his presence, but on not knowing he was there to begin with. Tenten thought he had left long ago but thinking back she could only remember silence. She realized he never actually opened the door, there for he never walked out. It was a stupid mistake to assume he had gone. It was one of many mistakes she had made involving him, but not one of much importance. If she was going to be lacerated it may as well be for something she had already brought up. Ignoring his concerned expression, she thought back to her last statement and carried off where she had last stopped.

As if nothing was wrong she stated, "If it was a boy… I was thinking we could've named him Hizashi". That statement was true, of course, but she was also hoping the mention of his fathers name would throw him off a bit.

He lifted an eyebrow, which she knew to be one of two things. It was either confusion or curiosity. His features changed and he gave her look that meant that she should clarify what she had just said, that particular expression was as close to confusion as he would ever allow himself to come. Even in the dark, she would recognize that look.

"I thought it would be a nice name," she said with a shrug but her real intentions were another secret she kept from him. When Neji let go of his resentment towards the main branch he opened up a little and finally allowed himself to be not just content but happy. Tenten was the only one who could see the gaping hole in his heart that his deceased father had left him. Till this day, she knew it was a wound that he was still nursing. That place could only be filled with the life of something or someone else. Like the life of a child she wasn't meant to give him.

Thank you for reading.