Temari is pregnant!

Take care of Shikamaru (Part 1)

"Wowww, Temari your belly is so big!!!", Ino exclaimed as soon as she saw Temari. "How are you able to stand with this belly?".

"Well, I am 9 months pregnant, and a few days before my due date", Temari explained to Ino. "It is to be expected that my belly would be this big. You will be able to understand what I am saying when you get on your due date, in two months", she stared at the other girl with a serious look on her face. Ino was already 7 months pregnant, expecting her child with Sai.

"Oh, come on, I was just joking! There is no need to get offended! You know that I would never insult you", Ino replied while lightly shaking Temari's right hand. "Would you please forgive me?"

"Don't listen to her Temari, you look beautiful, and in a few days, you will give birth to your son, and the second oldest member in the new Ino-Shika-Cho formation" Choji commented as he was trying to lighten up the mood between the two girls.

The three of them were sitting on the same table that Temari announced her pregnancy to Shikamaru at their house. She was the one who called the other two at their place, as she wanted to ask them for a big favour. She didn't know how to bring that topic up, as she was not familiar talking about those matters with people outside from her family.

"I am going to forgive you", she answered to Ino, "if both of you promise me something".

"What is it?" the other female asked.

"..."

Temari was silent for a few moments as she was trying to gather her thoughts and find the right words to use. 

"..."

Instead of being straight forward, as usual, and going straight to the point; she decided to open her heart to both Ino and Choji, and tell them everything that worries her.

"You know, it's not easy for me to be this open with people, as I believe that I am able to overcome every obstacle that comes on my way. I believe in my power and my abilities", she suddenly paused. "However, there is something that truly scares me, and I am afraid that I could not win over it. That is why I need your help".

"Temari, is everything alright? We will do whatever we can to help you. You are one of us now, you are part of our family, and we would never let anything happen to you", Ino stated nervously. She knew how difficult for Temari is to share her thoughts with someone other than her brothers or her husband.

Choji, decided not to say anything; he just stared at Temari's teal eyes trying to understand what was really going on with her.

"I am going to share with you everything, but I want you to keep it a secret from Shikamaru", Temari resumed to her statement.

The other two people said nothing, but they nodded to what Temari said.

"Ugh... Okay. There are some days now, that I always see the same nightmare and I can not relax", she started sharing her problems. 

"As you know, my mother died after giving birth to Gaara, and while I was only 3 years old. When I learned about my pregnancy, I was afraid that the same thing would happen to me, I would die while giving birth and I would not be able to see my baby growing up with Shikamaru on my side",

" Nevertheless, that did not make me think twice, as I wanted to give Shikamaru what he wanted, a child, a continuation of us, of the Nara clan and of Konoha. I know that it is important for him, to have a little shadow of his and to pass down the knowledge that he got from Shikaku, his father. I knew that he would be happy, I know that he would love this child and he would be always there to protect it from everything bad",

" That is why, I was not scared to go through this pregnancy as I understood what Shikamaru needed. Even so, I am anxious on what is going to happen while I deliver", Temari stopped and looked at her hands that were on her belly.

Later, she turned towards the two people in front of her and she smiled at them.

"Come on Ino, don't be like that. There is a possibility that this might happen. Unfortunately, this is something that I have experienced it as a child; when you lose of one your parents, a void is created within you that you have no idea how to fill", Temari answered the unasked question by Ino. 

"My father was the worst father that any child could have, he was strict and unreasonable; thanks to him Gaara was a monster as a teenager and our family lost my mother. But one thing for sure, is that he never got over my mother's death. I found him regularly staring her photo and looking at it with sadness",

" That's why I need you. If I follow my mother's steps, I want you to promise me that you will always be beside Shikamaru and you would take care of him".

"What are you talking about, that's not going to happen", Ino interrupted her with wet eyes, "The doctors would be there for you and prevent anything like that to happen. Have faith in them".

"Huh", Temari snorted, "I knew that you would probably cry if I told you that, but I really need you to promise me that you would take care of Shikamaru".

"Yoshino would be here to take care of Shikadai, so I am not worried about him. I know that Yoshino would be an amazing replacement of me, she would look out for him and she would pass down the needed principles for him to be a respectful and responsible adult. She is Shikamaru's mother after all", she smiled while thinking how much her husband was scold by his mother when he was younger.

As her smile fainted from her lips, she continued "I am worried about Shikamaru, though. He will close to himself and he will most likely exhaust himself from overworking. I worry about his health. I don't want to think that I would be the reason behind his sadness. I would not be able to rest", she claimed while looking at Ino and Choji.

"That is why I need both of you. You three have a special bond. I don't think of you as his best friends, like I do with Naruto. I think of you as his siblings, that know how to take care of him when he is in a difficult situation. You motivate him. You spend time with him. You might just sit next to him and speak of nothing, but he is happy about those silent moments spent with you two. You understand him like I do", Temari mentioned.

"So, please take care of him, if something happens to me as I give birth", she concluded while bowing slightly to them.

"Temari what are you even talking about?", Shikamaru came in the room and everyone look at him surprised.

                                                                                END OF PART 1