Yamato swallowed hard and removed his shoes. "I know you've been through a lot." He started. "I just want, no I need, to hold you. I need to know you're alive." He slowly climbed into the bed and positioned her against him being careful of the various cords and tubes connected to her. He breathed her in and held her as close as he dared hoping he wasn't hurting her. "I love you Ino and it's killing me to see you this way. I want so much to kill him but I know that will only lead to me going to jail and being further away from you. I'm just so sorry I couldn't protect you. All I wanted was you. I was so selfish pulling you from him but I was so happy with you even if it was stolen time. You make my heart skip a beat. You came in like a whirlwind and you changed everything in a good way. I'm so scared to lose you." He kissed her forehead. "Please come back to me. I know he told you he loved you but that's not true love. That's manipulation and I don't know how to show you my love is different but I will spend the rest of my life showing you if you just make it through this and wake up. Please." He pleaded. "Just stay." He knew his tears were landing on her and tried to stop but he couldn't. He kissed her lips this time and then pushed her hair back. He held her face in his free hand and placed his thumb on her pulse reassuring himself that she was, for the moment, alive. He placed his forehead against her hair and just held her. He was exhausted and started to doze off when he heard her moan. "Ino! Ino are you there? Wake up baby. Can you hear me?" He was afraid to hope. She moaned in pain again and he worried he was hurting her. Her eyes opened slowly and he hit the nurse call button.

"Yamato?" She croaked out. "I hurt."

"I know baby, I called the nurse and they're gonna give you something."

"What happened? Why am I here?" She was looking around.

Sakura burst through the door and rushed to Ino's side. She checked her vitals as she spoke. "Pig I swear, are you trying to give everyone a heart attack? I could strangle you!"

Ino asked again why she was there.

"You stupid, stupid girl" Sakura replied. "Shikamaru found you unresponsive at the cenotaph soaked to the bone and hypothermic. When we got you here we realized you overdosed on soldier pills and" Sakura choked up when she continued. "Your heart stopped Ino. You died on our table. Luckily you had me and Tsunade working on you and we brought you back. You've been unresponsive for a couple hours." Sakura was freely sobbing at this point. "We weren't sure you'd ever wake up you idiot! What were you thinking taking too many soldier pills?! You know the effects of that."

Ino realized she was naked stripped of her clothing and asked the question she dreaded. "You saw the bruises huh?"

"Yes...Ino...you could have told me. You know I would have helped. I love you, we all do. Losing you would have destroyed us. I'm gonna let the others know you're awake and get you something for the pain. If you don't want them knowing about you two, Yamato you better get out of the bed."

Yamato went to move and Ino grabbed his shirt. "Stay. Please. I don't want to fight my feelings for you anymore. While I was out I could hear you. I know you're feelings are true. You have always been different than him. Always. It's what made it so hard to leave each time. I love you too. I was so worried I was disappointing father by cheating on my husband but when my heart stopped I spoke with him. It was so nice to see him Yamato. I miss him so much. He told me what I needed to hear. He told me it'd be okay and that though people may disapprove at first it would eventually be old news. He told me he was proud of me and happy that I had finally found the love I deserved. He was just sad about the way it played out." As she finished speaking Shikamaru and Choji burst through the door almost pulling it off the hinges. They were quickly followed by the others.

"Ino!" They shouted. "Thank god you're alive!" Her team members rushed forward to hug her but Sakura stopped them.

"She's in pain, stop!" They froze, "I have to give her pain medication." She moved through the group and put the morphine into her IV. Ino relaxed immediately as her pain resided. Sakura checked her vitals again and then moved toward the back of the room to stand with Sasuke.

"Ino? Why is Yamato in your bed?" Choji was the first to address what everyone else was wondering.

"This is something I've struggled with and it may disappoint some of you but for the last couple of months we've been seeing each other. In that regard my husband was right, I was cheating on him, but I fell in love with Yamato. I've shut everyone out and I'm fixing that right now. My husband...drank. Heavily. He was rough with me a few times before this last incident and that's what really sent things over the edge." She pulled her bruised arms out from under the covers and heard gasps. "I know you all know about the overdose and it wasn't intentional. He used all our money and I was working as much as I could to make up for it. I also wasn't sleeping. We all have nightmares from our losses during the war and mine were keeping me awake. I haven't slept in weeks because every time I did I would have a nightmare. That's why I was taking soldier pills like I was. I was exhausted but I needed to go on. But I was so tired that one was no longer enough. The nights that I spent with Yamato were the only times I really slept in the past couple months. He keeps my nightmares away. It's how I knew I really did love him. I feel safe with him. So while I feel guilty about being unfaithful I also refuse to end things with Yamato." She smiled at Yamato when she finished the love for him showing in her eyes. She kissed him and he turned bright red from the attention.

"Ino we all love you. We just want to see you happy and if he makes you happy then we will back you in your decision no matter what. But let me say this, if you hurt her I won't be the only one to hurt you." Shikamaru was the one to speak.

Everyone agreed and Yamato swallowed hard before he spoke. "I don't plan on ever hurting her and I will never ever lay my hands on her. I can't promise I'll be the perfect husband but" he turned toward Ino, "if you'll have me, I'd like to try. And I know it's too soon right now to get married. You need time but I'm willing to wait for you."

"Yes. I'd like that." Ino said. "Now I love you all but I'd like to sleep more and I'd like Yamato to stay with me. So if you could clear out I promise I will be okay in a few days and we can celebrate then."

Everyone said they're goodbyes and cleared out.

Yamato wrapped his arms around her as she requested and held her close. She kissed him for a few moments before she started to drift off to sleep and he did as well.

A week later everyone met up for dinner at their favorite barbecue restaurant and she sat smiling next to Yamato. There had been a public trial and the word of her husband's abuse was brought out in the open. He was sentenced to jail and due to his crimes her marriage was ended immediately. A few people talked poorly about her and Yamato but her friends kept their promise supporting her. They had all got together and came up with the story to make it sound like he rescued her and spread that through the village and people were more accepting. Yamato eventually properly proposed and after a year they married. They both had never been happier. Yamato who had always thought he was sterile due to being worked on in Orochimaru's lab was ecstatic when Ino told him she was pregnant. She gave birth to a little girl who quickly became a daddy's girl and Yamato doted on both of them daily. Shikamaru and Choji ended up having children the same year and the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho was formed. Yamato kept to his promise and showed her every day just how much he loves her and she returned his love fully.