A\N: Hey everyone hope you enjoyed the last chapter, this one's a little shorter than the first one, but with any luck you'll still enjoy it.

; )

Ch. 2: The Aftermath

"Are you alright? What the heck was that?!"

Ino knew it wasn't Sai's fault, (maybe) but she still had to work to keep anger out of her voice. She was facing him now, but he hadn't looked her in the eye.

"I-I-I don't-" He raised his left hand to the same side of his face, groaned, and inhaled sharply.

Seeing the confusion on his face and hearing how soft and broken his voice sounded, all of Ino's potential anger melted away.

"What are you- I- We?"

She put her left hand on the right side of his face, and gave him the softest, most gentle smile she could muster.

"It's okay, I'm here now. Just... take it one word at a time."

He looked into her eyes and took a breath, she struggled not to cry.

"Why... are we... sitting on... the floor?"

He spoke slowly and cautiously, as if the words were foreign to him.

"That's what I wanted to ask you. You were down here making all these paintings, why?" she spoke very gently, something Sai suddenly took offense to.

"You don't have to treat me like a baby, you know." Sai retorted.

Ino felt like he had slapped her in the face.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

He felt ashamed of himself.

"Water under the bridge." Ino assured him that it was alright.

She would have time to hold that over his head later, right now she needed answers.

"So the pictures?"

He looked around for the first time and noticed the pictures. Suddenly he was overwhelmed with an unusual feeling of panic. His mind was racing, right alongside his heart. He felt Ino put both of her hands on his face.

He closed his eyes and breathed, breathed her in. He breathed the fact that she was real and there in. He sighed, and began.

"I'm not sure about the pictures. I don't remember getting out of bed, much less making them. All I know is that I went to bed as usual and then woke up here, with you."

He sounded really convincing, but Ino's family was known for being masters of the mind. She knew that there was something missing from Sai's story.

"What was it like?"

Sai looked at her confused.

"While you were blacked out.

Was there a voice or an image?"

Sai should've known better, he was caught.

"It was like a dreamless sleep, but there was a voice. It didn't sound human or like it was speaking any language I know, but I could understand it. I don't remember what it was saying anymore though."

Ino was still really suspicious, but on top of being confused now he sounded, scared? It was unusual for him and he his it well, but she was his wife, she knew him too well for that. She decided not to press him anymore, she didn't want his condition to worsen.

Sai saw the worry on Ino's face and wondered if he had told her too much.

"I'm sure there's a good explanation. They range anywhere from stress to strong desire to paint, right?"

Ino couldn't tell who he was trying convince, but either way, it wasn't working.

"Look Sai, you can be honest with me. Whatever's going on we can take care of it together."

If she was trying to make him feel guilty, she was going about it the right way.

"I'm feeling a little... restless. I'm gonna go for a walk, clear my head."
He stood up slowly, so he didn't fall.

"Sai, please don't go."

He could feel his heart being crushed by every word she spoke, but he still walked to the door. He turned around and looked at Ino.

"Everything's gonna be alright."

She felt a tear slip down her cheek.

"I'll be back soon, I promise."

He gave her one of his signature Sai smiles and left the room.

That's when she knew something was really wrong. She just stared at the door, wondering when he would walk through it again.