Moonlight Sonata

Road Home

Kakashi lamented telling Lee what he suspected.  She had an almost haunted look on her face as they finally stopped for the night and pitched a camp.  Yamato was taking the first watch that night and she was cooking over the fire they had built.  She was definitely shaken at the possibility that he had been murdered or that his death had been a means of protecting his family.  He had no doubt she was questioning her mother's death as well.

"Dinner's ready guys," she told them.  "Nothing fancy."

Yamato gave her a smile, "Looks better than what we usually eat on the road."

She gave a soft laugh before dishing herself out some of the food and sitting down on the ground.  She ate it slowly, her mind obviously far away.  Kakashi sat next to her and nudged her with his shoulder.

"Talk to me," he said quietly.

"Do you think... do you think they'll come after Phoenix?"

Kakashi was relieved to hear that was what she was thinking about.  He smiled, "It's unlikely.  They could not even locate you in your world and now that you're here, they will have no knowledge of where you both went."

Lee visibly relaxed, "Oh thank god..."

Kakashi tucked one of her longer strands of hair behind her ear, smiling at her.  "And even if they did... I'll protect you both."

Lee smiled at him, "I have no doubt that you would."  She looked at little troubled, "If Riley was murdered... or if he killed himself to protect us, why was he in our world?  Why would he have to do something like that?  And why would they want to kill us?  We had no knowledge of any of it."

Kakashi glanced to the fire, "That I can't answer.  I don't think they would be from this world either.  There is only one that I know of that can open portals that way and he has a very special eye that makes it possible.  No one else possesses that eye in this world.  If Phoenix was the one that opened the portal as she said and brought you here, then it is not from this eye either because the Rinnegan is rather noticeable."

Lee leaned towards him and rested her head on his shoulder.  "I don't know how to take all this, Kakashi.  My mind just doesn't want to wrap around it."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.  "It's all a rather moot point at this time.  You both are safe now and it is not likely we will ever have the answers to these questions."

Lee nodded and closed her eyes, suddenly very tired.  "I think I'm going to lay down."

Kakashi kissed the top of her head before releasing her.  He watched as she went to their tent before turning his attention to Yamato who had been silent during their conversation.  His friend gave him a look, one that conveyed a lot of unspoken words.  He could tell Yamato agreed with what he had already surmised, that he would have to be alert at all times because despite what he had told Lee, Phoenix could still be in danger.

Yamato moved closer to him, keeping his voice low.  "You shouldn't try to protect her like that.  It's her child."

"It isn't good for her to have stress right now," Kakashi responded softly.

"So you're going to wait until there is an incident?"  Yamato said in a disapproving voice.

"If there is an incident... She's pregnant, Yamato," he said softly.  "I don't want her worry to affect the baby and it not even be necessary worry."

Yamato's mouth dropped open, "Are you sure?"

"I have no doubt and don't say anything because she hasn't figure it out yet," Kakashi told him softly with a chuckle.  "I'm waiting to see how long it takes for her to figure it out."