A/N: Over 100 reviews! Thanks y'all! This is a first for me.

Disclaimer: Who needs to own Naruto? I have reviews instead!

Temari rested her elbows on the edge of the desk, leaning over the papers strewn on it, interrupting her brother's view of them so that she could be sure she had his undivided attention. "Did you interrogate him?"

"Did I interrogate whom?" Gaara enquired, trying to read the paper around his sister's head. This earned him a light smack on the head.

"You know who I'm talking about. Did you talk to Shikamaru?"

"Yes."

"And…?"

"And what?"

Smack. "And how did it go?"

"It went as expected."

"Does that mean you have reconsidered?"

Sighing, Gaara wrenched his focus away from the papers and turned his full attention on his sister. "Are you sure that this is what you really want?"

"Yes. I want to resume being the ambassador to Konoha. And if after my two year appointment I decide I've had enough, I'll come back. But if there's still work to be done and I want to stay, I will ask for a permanent appointment. Please, Gaara. Let me go."

"Are you sure about Shikamaru?"

"Yes." Temari locked gazes with her brother, trying to convey her sincerity. "You can't keep me here forever. I have to try being Temari, not just 'the Kazekage's sister.'"

"If you're sure …" Gaara sighed in defeat.

Temari threw her arms around her brother's neck. "Thanks, Gaara" she whispered in his ear.

Gaara drew back. "You will come visit." His sentence was an unwavering command.

"Of course I'll come visit. Being an ambassador means a fair amount of travel between the two countries. Don't worry, you don't get rid of me that easily."

"I had no intention to try and get rid of you."

"It was a joke."

"Oh."

"Don't turn into a socially awkward hermit while I'm gone."

"I will try not to, though I doubt Kankuro would let me."

"Good for him. Maybe if you keep trying to be social, you'll find someone that you like."

"There are several people that I like."

"I meant 'like' as in romantic attraction."

"Oh. I see. You mean you hope that I find someone that I like in the same way that you like Shikamaru."

"Exactly."

"Temari, if it doesn't work out with him, you always have a home here." And the unspoken promise was that Shikamaru would probably be seriously maimed, if not dead.

"Aww, thanks, Gaara." Temari hugged her overprotective little brother once more. "Well … I'd probably better head out. Shika's waiting for me, and I guess I need to start packing."

"Are you ready to go?" a lazy voice asked.

"I know, it's going to be so troublesome to help me move my stuff to Konoha, but aren't I worth it?"

Sigh. "Fishing for compliments doesn't suit you. Of course I think you're worth it. If I didn't, I would be somewhere else, probably taking a nap."

"Poor Shika. You've gotten a lot less naps, haven't you?"

"Yeah. I would have to fall for the one woman who is more troublesome than my mother, wouldn't I?"

"Yeah. And I would have to fall for Konoha's laziest ninja, wouldn't I?"

"Yep." They gathered up her belongings and stopped at the gate so that Temari could look back at the Village Hidden in Leaves. "So, did you say good-bye to your family?"

"Yeah. They weren't really happy about me going."

"That should have been expected. They're your brothers. Your overprotective brothers. I'd be surprised if there were no assurances that if I screwed up, they'd kill me."

"There were those, of course."

"I guess I'll have to make sure I don't screw up with you, then."

"You should do that. I wouldn't want to date a dead body."

"And I like being alive. But at least they let you go."

"I'm glad they did. But I'm going to miss them…" her voice trailed away.

Shikamaru put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Even if you're apart, they'll always be there for you. And I'll be here for you in Konoha."

"Always?"

"Always." Shikamaru promised, holding her close. "Always and forever."

Two years later, Temari's mission as ambassador to Konoha was renewed. Permanently. And while the couple was celebrating, Shikamaru reminded her. "I promised that I would be here for you, always and forever. Will you marry me, Temari?"

"Yes."

A/N: This is the end of the story. If you liked it, drop me a review to tell me what I did well. Constructive criticism is also appreciated. If there's something I can improve, please let me know.

Also, I will publish a one-shot tomorrow called Shadow Puppets that can be viewed as taking place after this story or a stand-alone.