Author's Note: As you can see this is the promised extended chapter. After writing so many short chapters, this one felt like a relief. Unfortunately, without realizing it, I immediately exceeded my word count and had to spend the next couple of days trimming it back. The other thing I would like to mention is that I will be using two different prompt communities on livejournal for this story. This particular prompt comes from 50 Scenes.

Chapter Summary: It had been years since her last visit. But Hinata was finally headed home.

Prompt: #12 Distance (50 Scenes)

Word Count: 1000

Chapter Five:
Finally Home

"Yeah, I know the place," the man said handing back the photograph.

"Can take me there?"

"Well I guess... but listen lady, nobody's lived there in years. The place is a bit of a wreck."

Hinata wilted slightly at the news. She hadn't even considered that possibility. But unfortunately, she had no place else to go. Her mother's house had always been her only option.

"I'll be fine," she insisted, "So please, can you take me there?"

She heard him sigh and tried her best to look hopeful and innocent. Her lavender eyes widened; her mouth drooped downward. It was a look that she used quite often on her cousin Neji in order to get her way. She wasn't sure it was having any effect on the man before her though.

"Fine," he said gruffly. "But I'm telling you that you ain't gonna like what you see when-"

The way his words cut off suddenly in acute embarrassment drew a smile to her lips. She struggled not to say anything to embarrass the poor man further but she couldn't resist a little teasing. "I doubt I'll see anything too terrible when we arrive," she replied airily.

He sighed again, perhaps at her twisted sense of humor. "Whatever you say lady."

After guiding her to his cab, he left to grab her luggage. Once everything was loaded, he pulled away from the train station, starting the three hour trip to Konoha. Hinata dozed on and off during the car ride. She had been too anxious to sleep on the train and her weariness had finally caught up with her.

It was early afternoon when they pulled into town. The driver awoke her with a small cough. She sat up quickly in the seat, embarrassed to be caught dozing. She felt her cheeks begin to burn. Hinata gently cleared her throat to dispel her awkwardness. "Have we arrived?"

"Nearly there. That house you showed me sits on the outskirts of town."

"I see," she murmured.

It was silent again. Hinata waited, hoping the man would continue with more information. When he didn't, a sense of trepidation crept over her. It would be difficult to navigate around a town she knew so little about. Her newfound sense of independence struggled against her need for information. But before she could form a question, the car began to slow to a stop.

"We're here," the driver said turning off the engine. She nodded and then paused. She wasn't sure which door was closer to the house.

"Um…"

"I'll get the door."

"Thank you," she replied meekly.

The door to her right soon opened. She slid over on the seat and reached her hand out. His hand grabbed hers and with a slight tug he pulled her out.

"Do you have a walking stick or something?"

Hinata nodded and gestured towards the trunk. "It will be in the largest bag with the ribbon on the strap."

She waited as he disappeared to rummage around in the trunk. When he rejoined her he pressed the folded stick into her hands. She quickly snapped it into place. It wasn't her beloved cane, but it would serve its purpose.

"Do you want me to walk you or..."

"No thank you," she said touched by the offer, "But if you could point me in the right direction?"

"Ahead twenty feet then right ten and up three steps on the left."

She was stunned by the precision of his directions. Few people outside of her family bothered with estimating distances for her. Most either dragged her along or let her stumble around assuming she could figure it out for herself. It was a rather nice gesture on his behalf. "Thank you," she said warmly.

He grunted and went to work unloading the trunk. Using her walking stick, she followed the driveway up eighteen steps. She turned to her right, cane swinging to the side to gauge the width of the sidewalk. Finding it, she began walking. It took nine steps to reach the front stoop. She tapped the step to test its material. The strong thwack made her smile. Cement. She did a cursory sweep to test whether it was fully intact. It was. That meant she had at least one less thing to worry about. The last thing she wanted was to worry about rotting wood giving way under her weight.

She rotated slightly to see how far the cabdriver, Shikamaru, was behind her. Slow footsteps dragged against the front lawn as he made his approach. She pulled the key from her pocket that took nearly a month to locate and retrieve from her mother's separate safety deposit box. With a sharp twist to the left, the door opened with a resounding groan.

She turned to verify the man was behind her. "Well," she asked, "do you want to give me a brief tour?"

"Troublesome," he muttered under his breath and to his surprise she laughed. "Fine," he grumbled stepping into the house behind her, "but I expect a big tip."

"But of course," she agreed magnanimously.

After the tour which reassured her that she wouldn't need to worry about falling through the floorboards or walking into kitchen when she needed to use the restroom, she pulled an envelope from her purse. She was counting out the bills when her stomach let out a rumble that seemed to echo across the empty room.

She heard him begin to laugh before covering it up with a cough. "Sorry," she said shrugging one shoulder in mild embarrassment, "it was a long trip."

Shikamaru didn't say anything for a moment before sighing yet again.

"Tell you what," he said in a voice she was beginning to suspect was actually feigned gruffness to hide a soft heart, "you put a dinner with that fantastic tip you owe me and I'll show you around town and to the town's diner."

Her head ducked down to try to hide her growing smile. "Sounds like a plan.