Connected

The weather was unusually hot and humid. Neji was grateful there was air conditioning in his home. Neji stripped out of his Jounin vest and discarded his ninja tools. He pulled on a t-shirt and made his way to the kitchen. His throat was dry so he thought about tea with lemon then settled for a lemon soda. Popping the cap he sat on the couch and enjoyed his soda.

Although he was hungry and he noticed the leftovers in the refrigerator he was too tired to bother with heating up leftovers. Placing the half empty soda bottle on the coffee table he prepared his bed on the couch. He undressed down to his boxers he lay down on the couch and closed his eyes.

Seconds after he started to fall asleep TenTen's body wrapped around him. No matter where he fell asleep she would follow.

"Whatever I do your just going to keep crawling up next to me eh," he asked wrapping an arm around her.

"I'm not comfortable sleeping in this big house without you," she replied cuddling up to him.

"The plan is a disaster."

"Like I said before it's a catastrophe. Doomed from the start, I agree with you there."

"With you sabotaging it all the way."

"Do you give up yet?"

"Too tired," he yawned, "to even argue. So come on," he rolled her over the edge of the couch and pushed himself up.

"Hey I could have fallen on the ground," she complained.

They could stay on the couch but his boys would no doubt interrupt that.

He grabbed her hand and led her back to the bedroom. It was one thing to have her physically in this house but he yearned desperately for her to remember who she is. This was unbearable for him it almost felt like he was falling in love with someone else.

000

TenTen looked around the house wandering from room to room. It was nothing like the house they shared before she disappeared. She was told it was a larger house.

Neji watched as her face crinkled; he had to admit to himself the decorations were awful. TenTen couldn't remember much and knowing that this house had no ties to her earlier life did not help at all. She had to fix the tacky decor in a hurry if she was to live here.

That she thought they were tacky all of a sudden was a shift in her personality. He always thought she loved his collections. Maybe she was just trying to compromise all this time.

The twins were asleep in their bedroom. She had tried her hardest to recall her children. Not knowing even them made her feel like a terrible mother.

"We need to go shopping," she declared pushing her dark brown hair out of her face.

"I'm sorry about all your stuff," Neji called out relaxing on the sofa, "I tried to salvage some stuff but everything was pretty much destroyed."

"Sweet," she said brown eyes admiring all the space, "I'll just have to go shopping. A girl can only go so long living like this."

"Do you need anything?"

"No," she walked back to the sofa sitting beside him.

Neji was calm and hard to read sometimes. He never wasted energy getting overly excited about the small things.

"But how are we otherwise I mean I came here with you but what are we going to do if it takes weeks, months or at worst my memory never returns?"

"I'm not going to change overnight and do back flips but we are fine. To have you recalling the smallest things I am overjoyed and relieved. It's just taking time to sink in. There is nothing really that we can do."

"Oh."

"I was thinking maybe we should take a break."

"You're breaking up with me now, after all this?"

"No, no, no," he laughed, "Like a vacation break. Some place warm with beautiful beaches."

"Or maybe snowy mountains."

"Either one I guess," he shrugged and walked towards the kitchen pouring a glass of water for himself.

"A vacation huh," she said leaning against a wall flipping through a magazine.

"Maybe a week, a nice relaxing week," he replied adding, "So did you talk to Gai Sensei lately?"

She didn't remember them but he held out hope that spending time with them might jog her memory.

"We talked but I still have no memory. I understand our team hasn't been on too many missions lately."

They did not operate at his genius level but that didn't seem to matter to the friends who grew closer after their failures and trials.

He sat down on the couch finishing the water. She joined him picking up a different magazine from the end table.

"What about your team? Have you spoken to them?"

TenTen had an assigned group that she left once she found out she was pregnant. Neji knew that was a difficult subject to bring up. They hadn't planned parenthood quite yet but they were now. She was the one who carried their children so while he was nervous about their standing with the Hyuuga clan she was nervous about her kunoichi career.

"They don't fight each other as much as they used to. Moving higher up than you think may be in their futures."

"Did you just remember something about your teammates," excitement bounced over his features.

"I don't know it just came out. They don't fight each other…," she trailed off but nothing was clicking. Disappointment settled over her features and she leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

When will I remember, she thought to herself.

"I'm glad you have your hair down," he said running a hand through its length.

"I didn't cut it because of him," she turned and looked at him, "I had this argument with you before about it. I remember saying those words: 'I didn't cut it because of him.' Why are these trivial things coming to my mind? These are things that I don't care about."

Neji knew the story. Sakura and Ino got into a fight. The fight was over Sasuke. Turns out the Sasuke liked girls with long hair and Sakura grew out her hair again. TenTen somehow ended up dragged into the fight and Neji had jealousy issues.

In the end TenTen went home grabbed some scissors to cut off her hair and told him that she wasn't some lame little girl to be fought over. Seems he liked her hair and the argument died. The scissors did not make it anywhere near her hair. Unlike Sakura and Ino, TenTen made out with the guy she liked instead of arguing over a guy who did not care.

"You remember a stupid argument about your hair. Do you know what that means?"

"That I am incredibly lame at arguing I mean who cares why I cut my hair?"

"You say that but I don't believe it and besides they still fought over it."

"I guess I'm not like Sakura or Ino," TenTen shrugged.

"No," Neji agreed.

"We have to have this conversation," she looked at him, "because it has been a long time. So let me go back to my original question. Are we ok?"

"It was difficult when I came back to the house. After it was destroyed all that was left was rubble. The accident destoryed everything that was yours.

"Everyone walked around with this motto that it didn't matter that things would be rebuilt and the people were alright…but I didn't even have you to come back to. Sounds stupid considering that you could have been dead and I really wouldn't have you to come back to."

She had gotten to the core emotions he was feeling. He was opening up to her now. She held him as his whole body trembled with unshed tears.

He wasn't going to cry but she felt his frustration and hurt as they held one another. Just because he wouldn't shed tears didn't mean she wouldn't they were falling like a waterfall silent tears spilling down his back.

"Damn it I can't cry anymore," she said moving away from him wiping tears into her shirt sleeve.

"Sorry love. You're here holding me all that I prayed and cried about is right here. It is a step you haven't done so in so long."

"You cry. I don't buy it."

"TenTen you are the mother of my children. I suppose if I have a weakness in life it is family."

"Still can't see you crying."

"Maybe not tears…"

Before she sat with him on the patio she wouldn't wrap her arms around him. Since the accident when she lost her memories she wouldn't hold him and it hurt being away from her embrace.

She started to panic a little gazing at him. If she couldn't even hold him all this time and if she were that cold to him all this time what did it mean for their marriage. There were other women around him. He had plenty of opportunity to move on kids or no kids. Running from him is all she did what did that mean for their marriage.

"I guess I just want to know if there is anyone else. Before you say anything I want you to know that no one else has touched me, I kept my vows. That being said I know you're a guy so I won't blame you but at the same time…never mind.

"I don't want to know. If you are in love with another girl I don't want to stand in your way I will step aside I will move on. I can let you be happy. No wait, I can't move on I just don't want to know so lie to me if there is someone else out there."

He listened to the fears silently. He felt anger almost betrayal but not necessarily directed at her. Her words stung but he could also tell that she had some feeling attached to what she was saying. He could tell that there was some fear behind her words.

Could she be afraid to lose me if she can't even remember us?

"Are you done," he asked calmly.

"I just, forget the last part I want us to be honest with each other."

"Look at me," he said tilting her face towards him, "Something just happened now. Are you even aware that you are starting to remember? There is no one else, honestly. As sad as it is for my male ego to admit this the last time was that morning. Yes I thought about it honestly but only with you there was…is no one else."

He looked at her his eyes gazing at her with want. She knew she was attracted to him. She felt comfortable in his embrace. They were married and she did feel for him.

Moving closer to him she pressed her lips to his. She could feel his breath wash over her. His hands slipped around her waist pulling her close to him. His hungry lips searched hers, his tongue parting her lips to dance with hers. She enjoyed the kiss but pushed her head to rest on his shoulder-blade still holding him close. They stayed holding each other for a while.

"So when are we going on this vacation," she asked moving her head to gaze into his pale eyes.

"Two weeks," he gave her a puzzled look why were they still wasting time talking as if nothing happened between them just now, he wondered to himself how much longer until she returns fully to him. He enjoyed the kiss and embrace but he wanted so much more from her…so much more than the physical.