AN: The latest chapter of Dreaming of Sunshine is out so I did my best to throw this together as soon as I could! This chapter has the big one that people have been waiting for. Now, I must confess that I haven't been feeling well lately, so I'm not sure if it turned out exactly as I intended. Hopefully it won't disappoint!

The sun went down and rose again the next day without incident, leaving me even more on edge than before. It was too much to hope for that Shikamaru would just let it go, and every minute without any word from him made me more concerned about what thoughts and plans might be going through his head. His natural brilliance aside, Shika was uncharacteristically irrational when it came to me. I couldn't predict him anymore, something that would have once shocked me. I suppose that went both ways now.

Sasuke left early to go out on patrol, and I saw him off first with lunch packed in a sealing scroll. I wouldn't be expected at ANBU headquarters for another hour yet, but I decided I might as well head out too. With plenty of time to spare I didn't bother putting on my uniform and mask. I kept to the busy streets, maintaining a leisurely pace for a ninja. I had just passed through the market when I felt an all too familiar chakra slinking towards me. I steeled myself. There was no running from this.

"Shikako."

I hid the way my throat constricted and heart clenched at the sound of my brother's voice. I decided to play it cool and keep it formal, reinforce that we were no longer part of the same clan. I definitely wasn't trying to be petty.

"Nara-sama." I turned and bowed politely.

Okay, so maybe that was a little petty.

Shikamaru flinched but quickly composed himself. There was cold anger on his face but I could see the hurt in his eyes.

"Why?" he demanded.

"Why what?" I shot back. "Why did I marry out of the clan? Why did I choose Sasuke? Why do I want to keep being a ninja? I do want to keep being a ninja, Shikamaru, and it's not up to you to tell me I can't."

"You are going to get yourself killed," Shikamaru said emphatically, with iron certainty in his voice. "Again. And next time I won't be there to bring you back. It'll be easy for you then, you're not the one who's going to have to live with—"

Alright, I'd heard this all before and wasn't about to give him a chance to get going again. That could only end with raised voices and regrets.

"It's not about you!" I interrupted. "I know you care, Shika, but you can care about someone without trying to control their life. Has it never occurred to you that I might want to protect you too? Did you not see how it destroyed me inside when you lost your arm? And yet I didn't try to make it about me, I didn't try to force you to quit!"

"No," Shikamaru agreed. "You just up and vanished like you always do. Like you did two nights ago. You threw away your name and our clan like it didn't even mean anything to you."

"Don't put that on me! I never wanted to get married. I would've been happy to die a Nara. I only did what I did because you didn't give me any other choice!"

"That's the problem. You've always been too happy to die."

"Don't twist my words!"

Shikamaru glared. "You had a choice. You could've gone to R&D. Instead you decided to throw yourself at the Uchiha like a common—"

He caught himself before he could finish that thought, but the unspoken word hung in the air between us. I felt my own anger building like pressure in a kettle, like there were drums in my ears. I willed myself to be calm. We were in a public place, in a village of ninja, and although neither of us were exactly yelling, it was safe to assume that everyone could hear. Already we were getting funny looks.

"Sasuke has nothing to do with this," I said tightly. "It's a marriage of convenience, and unlike someone I know he doesn't seem to think he owns me."

Shikamaru fixed me with a level stare. "He's hurt you before."

I reluctantly recalled the Forest of Death and the chat Shikamaru had had with Sasuke. Sasuke hadn't relaxed around him for years afterwards.

"That wasn't his fault!" I protested. "He didn't mean it. It was my choice to get in the way."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Shikamaru said incredulously. "And you wonder why I worry? You don't take care of yourself, Shikako! If I didn't try then no one would. Don't think that I'm about to allow Uchiha do as he pleases with my sister!"

"Allow?" I blinked. "Shikamaru, you don't get to decide for me anymore. I double checked the paperwork. It's done. There's nothing you can do."

Shikamaru went silent at that, but there was a set to his jaw and a glint in his eye that I didn't like, that practically screamed that he was thinking about further escalation. There were limited possibilities there and every one sent a chill down my spine.

I took a deep breath.

"Shikamaru, I love you, you're my brother, but if you hurt Sasuke in any way then so help me you will have one very motivated Uchiha out to avenge her husband."

My brother's expression darkened as he looked away.

"What could you do to me that's worse than what you've already done, Shikako?" he replied bitterly. "Tell me what's worse than watching you die in my arms with a sword through your chest."

Those words cut deeper than any insult he could have thrown. It was worse than hate; it was a love that had turned jagged and sharp and hurtful to the both of us. I couldn't think of anything to say to that, so like a coward I just turned and left with a body flicker.

AN: That's all folks! Next chapter, whenever Silver Queen so blesses us, will deal with some of the internal fallout in the Nara clan.