Neither the story nor the characters belong to me.

Chapter Ten

TEMARI

"All soy for you, my dude," I said to Hoks, balancing him on my hip as we walked out of the pediatrician's office, Denki at my side. It had been a week since our courthouse wedding, and it felt like things were settling into a new, chaotic normal.

"So he'll stop puking?" Denki asked.

"That's the hope. His tummy isn't a fan of milk." I walked the boys to the car and got them all buckled in.

My mother called before I could pull out of the parking lot.

"Well, if it isn't Mrs. Nara!" She came through the speakers loud and clear as my phone connected to the car.

"Uzumaki, still, Mom," I assured her, just like I had when she'd blown a gasket after our wedding.

"Hmmm. When are you bringing your new husband over for dinner?"

I cringed. That was the last thing I wanted to do—haul Shika into a room with my mom so she could guilt him about what we'd done. It didn't matter that I'd told her it was for the boys, she'd still gotten all teary-eyed and called it our "first" wedding.

She didn't quite understand there wasn't going to be a second one.

"Maybe next week? Or the week after? Weekends are easier."

"How about brunch? I'll invite Naruto over too. We can chat wedding details, since I'm assuming you're going to have a church ceremony this summer, right? June might be too soon, but we could probably swing something for July."

My stomach sank and my hands tightened on the wheel as I turned onto Apple Blossom Avenue, heading out of Konoha Proper and up into the mountains. We'd gotten about six inches of snow yesterday, but the roads were already clear.

Colorado weather was weird like that.

"Mom, I thought we talked about this." I kept my voice even and firm, knowing she'd ride that runaway wedding-planning train all the way to the altar if I let her.

Was I lying to my mother? Yes.

Did I feel like absolute crap about it? Also yes.

But would she accidentally let it slip that we were faking this whole thing? Probably, and that wasn't a chance we could take.

"Yes, I know, you rushed it just so you could keep those beautiful boys safe, but we really need to start planning a celebration. You're my only daughter, Temari. And I still can't get over that you kept your relationship a secret this whole time!"

Guilt train arriving right on time, platform number seven.

"I know, it's just not the time." I glanced in the mirror to see Denki looking out the window.

"Well, let's talk at brunch about what the right time will be. I'm not going to have you living with Shika without having been properly married, young lady."

"We are properly married, and you didn't have a problem when I lived with Gemma for a few months."

She scoffed.

"I mean in a church, and you know it. And as for Gemma, I only didn't put up a fight about that one because I knew you'd discover what an ass he is."

"Mom! The boys can hear you!"

Denki laughed, and I almost asked Mom to say it again so I could hear the sweet sound from him.

"Well, darn. Sorry about that, boys. Grandma doesn't mean to swear, it just slipped out."

Grandma.

Oh shit. She was in deep.

"Besides, everyone knew you were just biding your time for Shika to come home. You know, why don't you come over for dinner tonight? I can throw a few things on."

"We would love to, but we're headed to the clubhouse for dinner with the crew."

I'd never been more thankful for an excuse in my life. One look at Shika and I together and Mom would know this was all a ruse. Then everyone would know.

"Oh, I used to love those. I'm so glad those boys are carrying on the tradition." I could almost hear the smile in her voice.

We passed Phoenix Point and turned onto the new road, taking us into what used to be the Parson land but was now property of Konoha, KLC, which Sasuke, Shika, and Naruto all managed.

Official hotshot territory, once they got certified.

"Me too. Everyone is getting into town, and it's almost unreal that it's happening."

We climbed higher, the evening sun hitting us in staccato bursts as we passed through the mature pine trees. This side of the mountain had survived the fire.

"It feels like the rebuild is complete. Like we're finally recovered."

"You could always start dating, you know. That might make me believe you."

The subject of her dating wasn't one I pushed, but one I brought up every few months just so she knew we were cool with it. Dad had been her everything, but she deserved happiness.

"Temari, once you love someone like that and lose them…there's just no point trying to date because no one lives up to that standard. Your dad set my bar so high that it wouldn't be fair to any man to try to reach it. Even if they were perfect, they wouldn't be…him."

"I know. I just want you to be happy." We approached the tall gate that led to the clubhouse, and it opened as we came closer.

"Then let me help you plan your wedding," she requested, her tone dripping sugar.

"Mom." I groaned.

"I always knew you two would eventually figure out why you were always at each other's throats. Everyone else knew years ago."

I pulled into the empty spot next to Shika's truck and rested my forehead on the steering wheel.

"That's not what happened."

"Then tell me all about it at brunch. I'll make reservations! Bye, love!"

She hung up, and I gave up on trying to get out of dinner. Shika and I were just going to have to suffer through it and let her down gently. There wouldn't be a big church wedding. No white dress. No bouquet. No happy bridesmaids or groomsmen in tuxes. No reception. No cake. Definitely no wedding night. Shika had made that embarrassingly clear, and he'd kept a chunk of distance between us ever since.

The phone rang again, and I hit the button on my steering wheel to answer it.

"Yep."

"So, were you thinking of coming inside, or were you in prime nap position?" Shika's deep, sandpaper-rough voice made me sigh yet again and lift my head.

He stood outside my window with one eyebrow raised. I rolled down the window, and he leaned down, his hands on the top of the doorframe.

"Sorry, I was dealing with my mother."

"Ah, how is Mrs. Uzumaki?" He smiled like we hadn't been in a silent stalemate for the last week. Which we had. Not that we weren't pleasant with each other, but there was a tense awkwardness that hadn't been there before.

Well, it had existed the summer after I'd kissed him the first time, but not since then. It was back in full force now.

"She's wondering why we haven't started plans to turn me into Mrs. Nara, and she'd like to discuss those plans at brunch."

"Did you tell her you're already Mrs. Nara?"

Not exactly.

"I told her we were already married, but she insists it's not good enough because we weren't married in a church, so while we may be legally married, she's pretty sure we're still living in sin. Just…you know…"

"Without the sin?" he supplied, the corners of his mouth lifting, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Yep, that." I sighed. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, I thought we'd start by you getting out of the car, and then heading into dinner so I can introduce you to the other crewmembers who have shown up this week." He reached for my door handle.

"You know what I mean."

He sighed and his jaw flexed.

"I guess we go to brunch, Temari. She's your mom. Of course she wants a big, fancy, white-dress wedding with all the trimmings for her only daughter. Did you think she wouldn't? I'm just surprised she supports you being married to me at all."

"What are you talking about? My mom thinks you're fantastic." I left out the whole biding my time comment.

"Yeah, well, she's always been blind to my flaws. Look, I'm not nervous, but if you are, just remind her that Natsu is getting certified to babysit so we won't be able to make it happen for a couple weeks. Not sure the boys would be down for sitting through a wedding planning session." He opened my door and walked around to the other side of the car, unbuckling Hoki from his rear-facing car seat. "Hey, Sir Pukes-A-Lot! I missed you all day! Well, maybe not the puke, but definitely that grin. Did you go around sharing that with Cherry today?"

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the smile. Just when I was certain I could guard myself against Shika, he said something like that, and I went spinning back into the torturous infatuation that had pretty much been my default state since childhood. He might be keeping his distance from me, but he was all-in for the boys.

Grabbing the huge vat of salad that occupied my passenger seat, I got out of the car while Shika helped Denki out.

"And how was your day?" Shika asked.

"My mom wasn't home" Denki answered with a little shrug "But Shizune got my blanket."

My heart crumpled all over again.

Shika's eyes shot up to mine and I mouthed, "Later."

He gave me a quick nod and looked back at Denki.

"I'm sorry, bud." Denki shrugged again.

Shika and I shared a wtf are we supposed to do look. We were both out of our depth here, which was why Denki was starting counseling next week.

"Well, you know, one of the new guys, McCoy, he has little boys about your age. How would you like to meet him?" Shika asked Denki.

"Yeah, that's good," he responded quietly, like he was on autopilot.

"Okay, then let's get you inside."

With the diaper bag on his shoulder, Hoki in one of his arms, and Denki's hand in the other, Shika led us into the clubhouse through its large glass front door. How domestic we were, Shika with the kids, me bringing in a dish for the potluck. Had this been how my mother saw her life? My father carefully holding us as we went to yet another party with our second family, the hotshot crew? But her life had been perfect up until the fire. Mine was currently a very large lie.

Warmth blasted us as we entered the clubhouse, and I couldn't help but glance around in awe, just like the first time I'd seen the compound. With high, vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of the building that showcased the valley, it felt like a modern piece of art. It was the perfect place for a fresh start, but with the picture of our dads on the wall, it also felt like coming home. We were miles away from the original clubhouse, but this one still had that same feeling of community and purpose, with more than a few upgrades.

Denki kicked off his snow boots and put them on the mat next to the door that already had a few small pairs.

"Oh, thank God you're here" Sakura said, skipping barefoot out of Sasuke's office. "There are so many people, and I'm having the damndest time remembering names. Wanna put that in the kitchen?"

"I've got these two, go ahead" Shika said, leading the boys toward the windows, where I saw two kids playing with tablets on the sectional couch.

Sakura took the salad from my hands and marched off toward the kitchen. I untied my snow boots and toed them off, then went after her. She slid the bowl onto the island with the rest of the food, then checked on something baking in the oven that smelled heavenly.

"Brownies?" I asked.

"Of course" she answered "Okay, so about half the crew is here, thank God, because I'm not sure I could remember everyone if they all showed up at once. The rest are due in next week, so maybe we could do flash cards or something?"

Of course, Sakura's solution was flash cards. Anything she could study, file away in her brain, and master quickly was right up her alley. She'd quit her job at the mayor's office to help manage the crew, so this was her baby too.

"Stop stressing out" I said, eyeing the huge spread that was lined up on the stainless-steel islands that ran the center of the kitchen. Lasagna, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, garlic bread, veggies, and at least two different casseroles took up only the first half. "We'll do it just the way I do with a new class every year. Get to know each family and their needs and strengths on an individual level."

She leaned against the counter, letting her shoulders drop.

"I feel like I've been managing this transition for so long, and some days it felt like it would never get here, but now it's time for it to happen. The houses are built, the legacies are coming home, or here. The new crewmembers are showing up." Her forehead crinkled. "I just want it all to go smoothly."

"Saku, you're doing great, and if something goes wrong, then it goes wrong. Not everything can be perfect or planned for, and that's okay. We've got new dynamics, rookies, and these guys to support while they get the crew up and running for certification. All we can do is care for the families just like our moms did." I shoulder bumped her. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"What if it's all for nothing?" she asked softly "What if everything comes together and we still can't make it happen?"

A knot formed in my belly. The guys would leave and seek out jobs at other crews.

"Then at least we'll know we gave it our all. Now, put away your color-coded to-do list and let's just enjoy our new family, shall we?"

"Who said anything about a new family?" Naruto asked, coming into the kitchen with a Team Phoenix shirt on. We weren't a crew yet, not until we were certified, so team it was.

"We're talking about the newbies" Sakura answered.

"I wasn't talking to you, jackass," I threw back.

"Tema, come on, are you still pissed?"

He tilted his head, which usually worked on the women he got into spats with, but I wasn't one of his girls, I was his freaking sister, and I didn't find him cute in the least.

"About what, Naruto? Maybe you showing up on my wedding night, questioning my sex life with my husband? Or you splitting his lip right after we said our vows? Not even giving us a chance to explain? Acting like I'm some kind of possession for you to bequeath to whom you see fit? Would you like me to continue?" I folded my arms across my chest.

He put his hands up and backed away slowly.

"Still pissed. Got it."

"And will be. For a really long time."

I stared him down so he knew I meant every word. Decking Shika had been bad enough, but showing up at our house like he could lay down the law had put me over the edge. And fine, maybe I blamed him for Shika putting up a solid wall of awkwardness between us.

"For how long?" he asked from the doorway.

"Really long!" I snapped.

"Got it." He nodded slowly, then turned and left.

"Questioning your sex life?" Sakura prompted, taking the brownies out of the oven and setting them on a trivet to cool.

"He said he was going to move in with us to make sure we weren't sleeping together. He brought a duffel bag, and no, I'm not kidding."

Sakura pulled two Cokes out of the fridge, and we popped the tops.

"So, you're really not going to take advantage of the fact that you're married to the guy you've been in love with since you a kid?" She lifted her dark brows at me.

"Shika drew a line. I told you he's never seen me that way. I'm just Naruto's little sister, and now I've got him knee-deep in this with the boys. He's stuck. I'm like a ten-billion-gallon vat of quicksand and I've got him trapped. Super sexy," I finished with a tone of heavy sarcasm.

"I've seen the way he looks at you." She cocked her head to the side. "Pretty sure the entire town has seen the way he looks at you."

"He doesn't look at me."

"Yeah, okay." She rolled her eyes "That's why it was so easy to convince two judges that you guys had already been engaged and were down for a ten-minute marriage ceremony." She gave me a thumbs-up.

"I'm serious. He doesn't. And maybe I fooled myself into thinking he did once or twice…okay, maybe more than once, but I'm telling you that he doesn't feel that way about me. He sees me as his best friend's little sister. And he promised he wouldn't sleep with anyone else while we're…doing this, but that's just because he would never hurt me—or piss off Naruto. I'm pretty sure I could walk around naked, and he'd just smile and offer me a robe in case I was cold."

She took my hand.

"Temari, he looks at you like you're the Christmas present he can't wait to open. All this hope, and longing, and curiosity mixed with anticipation and the knowledge that he can't unwrap you. I highly doubt he sees you as a sister, but your brother is his best friend. You're in a tough spot." She grimaced, wrinkling her nose.

"Living with Shika is a special kind of torture. Look but don't touch. Fantasize but don't act on it. Watch him snuggle that baby but remember you're not having his babies. This is all pretend." I eyed the brownies and debated shoving my face into the pan to inhale the chocolate. "The sexual frustration over here is at redline headed for complete meltdown, and that's assuming I don't give in and start walking around the house naked to test the robe theory."

"Temari, he's here" she reminded me, gently shaking my shoulders "He could have moved into Naruto's or gone back to California until May, but he chose to stay. With you. Just give it some time. There have been few things I've been certain about with that group of guys, but you and Shika? That was always an inevitability. Hell, you two just ended up married. Married, Temari!" She shook me again, grinning with excitement.

"So backward." I glanced at the rings on my left hand.

Chiyo told us to keep them, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I was handing them back.

"You say backward, I say fate" She shrugged. "Now, let's get you introduced. If we stay in here one more minute, I'm eating all of those brownies."

She grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the kitchen and into a newly gathered crowd. There were Kiba and Ino, who came in with trays of ribs Kiba claimed were the best south of Alaska. Neji followed, silent and observant as always, nodding his head as Ino's teenaged sister, Natsu, ceaselessly chatted at him.

In addition to Sasuke, Naruto, and Shika, there were the McCoys—Miles and his wife, Jessica, who had moved from Oregon and had the cutest twins, Noah and Gavin. Those two were currently running around with Denki, who was miraculously smiling.

Gaara Sabaku was home, mostly to keep his little sister, Karin, safe on the crew. She was barely out of high school, and he was pretty pissed about the council's sixty-percent decree, but he'd come. Konohamaru Chandler and TenTen Ama rounded out the last of the legacies who had already made it home. We were still missing Lee Rock and Kakashi Hatake, but they were due to arrive early next week.

None of the other new guys were married, just McCoy, which didn't surprise me. Most wives weren't keen on uprooting their families so their husbands could take up the mantle of a hotshot crew that had been wiped out in its entirety.

Call it superstition or common sense. Either way, I understood.

After making sure Jessica McCoy felt welcomed, I found myself at the window, looking out over the snow-covered mountains. The sun had set behind the peak, leaving that pale streak of blue against the black outline of the terrain.

Dad was buried just beyond that ridgeline with rest of his crew. Maybe this was what he would have wanted, to see Naruto take up his patch. Then again, maybe his opinion would have changed if he'd seen the fallout after the fire.

"You're Temari, right?" a deep voice asked, jolting me from my thoughts.

One of the new guys smiled down at me. He was a little shorter than Shika, but built. Raven-black hair and crystal-blue eyes made him almost too Disney prince, except that bump on his nose told a history of having been broken, and the scar on his chin gave him just enough of a flaw to make him human.

"I am," I answered, offering a smile in return. "You must be one of the new guys."

"I am," he repeated. "Chance Thornton, out of Arizona. I've read all about your father's crew, so this is pretty much a dream come true. I'm honored to have been selected for it."

"Chance, huh? Perfect firefighter name." I ignored the hero worship in his voice over my father. I'd heard it far too many times, especially in the years after, when the news crews came, the documentaries were made, and the books were written by people who had never even known our fathers.

"I guess I don't like to play it safe." He smiled, but his tone deepened as he winked.

I blinked. Oh shit. Was he…hitting on me?

"Apparently you like to have your ass kicked too" Shika said, coming up behind me. "Because that's what's going to happen if you use that line on my wife again."

My wife.

My heart jolted.

"Oh man. I'm sorry." Chance put up his hands and backed up a few steps quickly "I didn't know. Hell, I thought you were one of the single guys, Nara."

"Nope. Taken. By Temari." His voice dropped to a soft tone that felt all the more menacing for its softness.

"Got it. Sorry, Mrs. Nara. My bad." He gave me a wink and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"Seriously?" I asked Shika, taking Hoki off his hands.

Hoki snuggled down, resting his head on my shoulder.

"He's tuckered out," Shika said, running his hand over Hoki's baby-soft hair.

"Seems like it." I rubbed small circles on his tiny back "Did you need to scare the new guy so badly? It's not his fault he's not up to date on the current Konoha gossip."

"We're not gossip. We're married, and it's better he learn that today than piss me off later. Now, let's go, Mrs. Nara, it's time to eat with half of our new crew." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and led me to the table where everyone was sitting down to dinner.

It was the most he'd touched me since our wedding, and a tiny pinprick of guilt reared its head that I hadn't told him I'd kept my own name.

Then again, since he'd kept his heart, it only seemed fair I keep a portion of mine when he already owned the rest of it. The fact was, no matter how many times Shika made it clear he didn't want me in that way, I still loved him.

I had a feeling that fact would never change.