Contrived Flaws

Ch. 4: The Rabbit-Shaped Brownies

There was no doubt about it, Sasuke and Naruto had a curious relationship.

Naruto unabashedly viewed Sasuke as his brother and would do anything for him - including die - in a heartbeat. But, he was also his eternal rival, somewhat like Gai and Kakashi, and strived to outdo him on a daily basis.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was far less expressive. He, too, would do most anything for Naruto, but would never admit it. He was also easily egged into competition with the loudmouth ninja, but would vehemently protest any comments about being his rival. Anyone with eyes could see it, though.

What they both openly admitted, however, was the disdain they felt for one other, both claiming the other to be nearly insufferable. It seemed to be a case of protesting too much. There were even whispers floating around that the two were in a relationship.

But they were just that, rumors. In reality, Sasuke had it bad for a certain pink-haired medic. Unfortunately she had long since outgrown her crush on him, sometime back when he thought being an arrogant asshole was a good way to impress a girl. Nowadays, she preferred to comment on how handsome his older brother was. This, of course, irritated Sasuke to no end. And maybe Sakura enjoyed that, just a little bit. But who could blame her?

Still, the odd pair spent an inordinate amount of time together. The knuckleheaded ninja even managed to rope his dark haired friend into participating in some questionable activities. Most thought the youngest Uchiha far too intelligent to fall prey to Naruto's antics, far too brilliant to participate in his pranks. The truth of the matter, however, was that wherever there was a giggling Naruto, a smirking Sasuke usually wasn't too far behind.

Of course, Uchiha's are entirely too dignified to find such endeavors anything more than mildly amusing. Though Naruto had long since convinced himself that somewhere deep inside, the stoic Uchiha was downright guffawing.

Somewhere deep, deep inside.

In any case, despite their oxymoronic relationship, Naruto was usually the first person that Sasuke would seek out if a situation arose.

"Hey dobe," Sasuke flicked his teammate on the back of the head, "I need your help with something."

Naruto chuckled triumphantly, "You need my help?"

The Uchiha crossed his arms over his chest, "Are you going to help me or not, loser?"

"Fine, teme, what is it?"

"I need to break up my brother's engagement."

Naruto frowned, his forehead wrinkling with signs of confusion, "To Hinata-chan? Why?"

"Because, stupid, she doesn't want to marry him," Sasuke answered moodily.

"Tch, course she does," the kyuubi container said dismissively, "Why else would she marry him?"

The Uchiha resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "You're so naive. She's being forced."

"Nah, she would've said. I saw her yesterday."

Sasuke sighed heavily, "When have I lied to you?"

The blonde screwed his face up in concentration, the tip of his tongue peeking out between his lips, "Oh! What about th-"

"It was a rhetorical question, stupid."

Naruto sighed with exaggerated defeat, "Fine, teme, you know I'll help."

Sasuke looked decidedly victorious as he rubbed his gloved hands together, "Okay, here's the plan…"

Training with her team was the only escape Hinata had. It brought a comforting sense of normalcy with it that she desperately needed. A welcome escape from being primped and molded and lectured. Her teammates were surprisingly supportive and had more or less agreed to not bring up anything Uchiha related, which honestly, Hinata couldn't have been more relieved about.

Unfortunately, some things were simply inescapable.

Hinata and her teammates were relaxing after an intense workout, as they often did. Kiba laying on Akamaru, Shino propped against a tree with his knees pulled up to his chest, and Hinata sprawled across the half-dead grass. They were all silent, content to enjoy one another's company as their heart rates returned to normal and they felt the satisfying ache of training creep into their muscles. An air of contentment blanketed them; The Hyuuga heiress with her eyes closed, taking in the sweet scent of the moist earth mingled with exertion, Kiba absentmindedly running his fingers through his nin-dog's fur, and Shino twirling a twig between his fingers.

It was all incredibly peaceful and relaxing and Hinata couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness wash over her as she opened her eyes to watch the clouds march across the wintry skies.

"We have company," Shino declared in a monotone.

The heiress bolted upright and glanced around a few moments before she saw a certain Uchiha emerge into view. His shoulders were slumped in their usual manner as he strode toward them, his hands shoved deeply into his pockets.

Hinata got to her feet and was furiously dusting herself off as their visitor halted in front of her. "Hinata," he began, dropping the honorific as usual, "I was wondering if I could have a word with you... alone." He shot a pointed look at her teammates before returning his gaze to meet hers.

Shino and Kiba, having heard the entire story of Hinata's adventures with the Uchiha boys, were already up and at her sides. The Inuzuka boy took a step forward, Akamaru joining him, "If you wanna say something, just say it."

Sasuke remained unimpressed, "Down boy," he smirked.

Kiba growled and lunged forward, stopping only when he slammed into Shino's arm. He didn't look entirely pleased with not getting to attack the Uchiha, but he settled for staring him down as Akamaru growled quietly at his side. Shino adjusted his glasses, causing a flash of light to cross the lenses.

"Tch, fine," Sasuke pulled his hands out of his pockets to cross them over his chest, "I just came to apologize, Hinata, for my behavior the other day."

Hinata, who had yet to speak, did little to suppress her shock, "R-r-really?"

The Uchiha had the presence of mind to look slightly sheepish as he averted his gaze off to the left, "Yeah I… I guess I was just concerned that you would come between my brother and I."

The heiress' features softened as she glanced nervously at the ground, "O-oh, I u-understand."

"And besides, I can see that you'll be good for Itachi."

"Wh-what?"

Sasuke smiled softly, and Hinata couldn't help but think what a beautiful sight it was. If only the boy would smile like that more often. "Well, I know my brother, and I can tell… things."

Hinata was clearly hooked as she took a small step forward, "Like wh-what?"

The Uchiha let out a breathy scoff, "I can't tell everyone. My brother's feelings are not gossip for the entire village."

The Hyuuga girl glanced to each of her teammates in turn before speaking, "I think I-i'll be headed home now."

Kiba was quick to speak up, "Hinata I-."

"I'll be alright," she insisted with a bright smile.

"I'll walk you," Sasuke said in an oddly cheerful voice.

Hinata did well to contain herself until they were out of earshot of anyone, "Wh-what did y-you w-want to… t-to tell me?"

The Uchiha glanced around in a conspiratorial manner before throwing his arm around the Hyuuga girl's shoulders and drawing her closer to his side, "I think Itachi has… well, I think he might have some sort of feelings for you."

"F-for m-m-me? R-really?"

"Yeah, well, I mean he was going on about you to mother yesterday and then I heard him mumbling something about wanting you to call him 'Itachi-kun' in his sleep, and I don't know…" He paused to let his arm fall from her shoulders and shrug, "He's never been like this about anyone."

Hinata looked too astonished to speak as she walked along numbly in the direction of her house.

Sasuke decided to forge on, "Anyway, I wanted to make it up to you by helping you out with him."

The heiress, who was still attempting to overcome her surprise, looked slightly wary, "O-okay."

The Uchiha stopped walking and turned to face her, a serious look overcoming his features, "Itachi likes rabbit-shaped brownies."

A few beats passed as Hinata's brain processed the sentence, then double checked it for accuracy. It still wasn't convinced, "H-he likes wh-what?"

"Rabbit-shaped brownies," he answered, with the utmost conviction. "They're his favorite sweet. Mother used to make them for him when we were little."

"O-okay?" she was clearly still confused.

"You bake, right Hinata?"

"Well… y-yes."

"Great. You should bake my brother some brownies," he squeezed her shoulders into his with a single arm, "He'll love it. He should be training with his team all day at our private training grounds. I'll be sure and let the guard know you're coming."

"Oh-okay," Hinata answered weakly. She felt like she was in a whirlwind of confusion, too stunned to argue, or even form a proper response. Was he serious? About Itachi, about brownies, about anything?

Sasuke gave her a wave before they parted ways and he set out for his own house, leaving a very bewildered Hyuuga in his wake.

To say that Hinata was nervous would be the understatement of the century. She was downright terrified as she clutched the wrapped up brownies to her chest so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. She let out a shaky breath as she mentally chastised herself for being so anxious.

What was there to be nervous about? Sasuke said his brother had some kind of feelings for her and that he loved brownies, and she did go through the trouble of cutting them into rabbit shapes. Although she wasn't sure what kind of rabbits his mother used for hers, but Hinata had decided to go with gingerbread-man-type rabbits, with arms and legs and ears.

She just had to be strong and confident. She could do this!

No, it was ridiculous. She couldn't do it.

She mentally warred with herself as she stood at the gates of the Uchiha compound. What if Sasuke was lying? It certainly wouldn't be the first time, though he had seemed pretty sincere. The urge to wring her hands together was strong, unfortunately there was a package in her hands. She shifted back and forth on her feet as she tried to come to a decision.

She took a final determined breath and practically charged at the gate, lest she change her mind at the last minute. As promised, the guard was expecting her, and he kindly directed her toward the training area that Itachi was currently occupying.

As she approached the area, she noticed that it was littered with training dummies and targets, while the ground was more than a little torn up. Itachi and his team were standing some distance away, seemingly discussing something.

Silently hoping her voice wouldn't betray her, she spoke up, "Itachi-k-kun!"

The Uchiha heir, who had already noticed her presence some time ago, did not move from his position as he greeted her, "Hinata-sama."

She trudged on until she reached the group and nervously thrust her package at the Uchiha with a shaky smile, "F-for y-you, Itachi-kun."

There was a visible tightening of Itachi's jaw as he accepted the gift. "That's very kind of you, Hinata-sama."

"Aww, go on, open it Itachi!" one of his team members prodded. It was only then that Hinata seemed to notice the onlookers. She recognized one of his teammates, a certain lazy Nara boy who had already used the brief interruption to gaze up at the clouds. The other two she was not acquainted with.

"Yeah, Itachi-kun, open it," another chimed in.

Ever the Uchiha, Itachi looked unimpressed as he gingerly unwrapped the package to reveal a plate of chocolatey gooey bunnies. Upon catching sight of them, two of his teammates let out snickers, while the third was smart enough not to get involved.

Hinata gazed hopefully into his dark eyes as he tore them from the animal themed confections to look at her. "That's very kind of you," he repeated in a stilted tone that was in clear disagreement with the calm expression on his face.

"Y-you d-d-don't like th-them?" the heiress was instantly a very shocking shade of pink as she resisted the urge to bolt the scene. Not because she was horrified at his reaction, but because she had gone out on a limb, and all she had managed to do was embarrass herself… with her future husband. It didn't take a genius to see that he didn't like her offer.

Itachi tactfully ushered her away from his teammates as they conjectured about other shapes he liked his sweets in.

"I'm sorry Itachi-k-kun," she squeaked out, trying desperately not to dissolve into a puddle of tears.

"Please, Hinata-sama," he cleared his throat, "Call me Itachi-san."

She nodded meekly and stared down at the ground as she resisted the urge to press her fingertips together.

Itachi took a calming breath as he attempted to rein in his irritation. "I appreciate the gesture," he began, waiting on her to meet his gaze, "However, in the future, I would be grateful if you would not interrupt my training." His voice was quiet, but had a distinctly stern edge.

"O-oh, I'm s-sorry, Sasuke-kun s-said-"

"My brother put you up to this?" he questioned, hardly noticing that he cut her off.

She nodded as she watched the barest hint of a smirk spread across the elder Uchiha brother's face. It was then, that for the first time, Hinata took in the sight before her. Itachi's flushed skin was glistening with perspiration, but upon closer inspection had tiny particles of dirt stuck to it, indicating his intense training. His hair was tied back higher and tighter than usual, his headband barely containing the rogue bangs that were spilling over the top and sides. The Hyuuga girl couldn't help but notice he looked so much more… normal than usual. He had always seemed so untouchable, almost unreal. But seeing him there, mussed up and sweaty, he seemed like an honest to goodness human being.

His voice broke through her intense thoughts, "Will you do something for me, Hinata-sama?"

"S-sure," she replied, obviously quite puzzled as to what was going on.

Itachi nodded once before striding off towards the main house. He returned several minutes later with a piece of paper and a basket. He retrieved the brownies, and after wrapping them back up, he placed them in the basket, along with the paper. "My brother has fooled you," he stated bluntly, "However, with your assistance, we will give him his own gift." He carefully gauged her reaction before continuing, "All that is required of you is to deliver this to the hospital. Specifically to Haruno-san. Tell her that you could not locate Sasuke, and you would appreciate if she delivered this to him."

Hinata only managed a nod as she took the proffered basket and gripped it tightly.

With an unwavering gaze, Itachi continued, "I apologize for my brother's behavior. He is foolish and believes that as a married man I will no longer have the time for him. He is merely jealous, but mostly harmless."

The heiress laughed nervously, "Th-there's nothing t-to be jealous ab-about."

"Precisely."

Haruno Sakura was a nice girl, and very respectful, but if she was completely honest with herself, Ino had rubbed off on her quite a bit.

It was for this reason that she simply couldn't help herself, and she just had to know what the note in the basket said. And what was in the basket, for that matter.

She darted her eyes around with a mischievous grin on her face before plucking the paper from the basket and carefully unfolding it.

Little brother,

I know these are your favorite.

Enjoy,

'Tachi

Sakura snickered as she tossed the note aside in favor of the mysterious thing in the basket. In the few seconds it took her to unwrap it, her mind scanned through the many possibilities of what it could be.

None of them were even close to rabbit-shaped brownies.

"Oh my Kami! This is priceless!" she squealed before erupting into a fit of giggles.

Needless to say, Sasuke was not a happy camper when a tittering pink-haired medic interrupted his spar with Naruto.

"My, my Sasuke-kun, I didn't think you liked sweets," she taunted, waving the basket in front of him.

"I don't," he growled, "What's this?"

She shrugged with faux innocence, "I don't know, Hinata-chan said it was for you." She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet in an attempt to contain her excitement as she waited for him to take the gift.

He put on an exasperated look as he snatched the basket from her grip and plopped it unceremoniously on the ground. After retrieving and reading the note, he ripped it in half and let out an animalistic noise. He didn't need to open the package inside, he already knew what it was.

But Naruto didn't.

"Open it, open it!" he cried as he practically bounced around Sasuke in excitement. When the Uchiha boy didn't move fast enough for him, Naruto took it upon himself to open the package and reveal the rabbit-shaped brownies.

"They're from your brother," Sakura added unnecessarily, mostly for Naruto's benefit, "He said they were your favorite." She could no longer suppress her giggles and they came back in full force as Naruto proceeded to dance around singing, "Teme likes bunnies!"

Sasuke was not amused.

"I didn't know you called your brother ''Tachi,'" Sakura managed in-between her giggles, "That's so cute!"

The younger Uchiha ground his teeth together in frustration. Oh yes, he would definitely have his revenge.

"You and the girls are doing something with Hinata tonight, aren't you?" he inquired, changing the subject with ease.

The pink-haired girl recovered from her laughter and smoothed her hair down as she spoke, "Yeah, we're giving her a makeover and taking her out. She's kinda stressed about the wedding." Realization seemed to hit her all at once and she gasped, "Speaking of which, I'd better get going," she added before darting off.

"Hey, teme, can I have your brownies?" Naruto inquired. He had apparently gotten bored with his song already.

"Whatever, dobe, but it's time for your part of the plan. Remember what to do?"

The blonde nodded as he shoved two brownies in his mouth, "Imf fremefbmerf."

Hinata had protested quite a bit, but the girls were having none of it. She just wanted to hide out in her room and replay the scene between herself and Itachi over and over until it stopped seeming so utterly mortifying.

But Ino was very persuasive. And Sakura wasn't too bad either. Come to think of it, Tenten could be kind of pushy too.

How she came to have such aggressive friends she would never know, but they had assured her that a night out would make her feel better. Neji even agreed to cover for her should an issue arrive with her father. So how could she refuse? The answer was clear, she couldn't. But since when did she have control over anything anyway?

After Ino mercilessly dug through her closet, incidentally making a huge mess, she had declared that Hinata did not own a single piece of 'fun' clothing. Hinata wasn't sure what 'fun' clothing looked like, but if Ino was any indication it was very chilly to wear and left little to the imagination.

With a collective sigh they all left for Ino's place, heiress in tow.

Two hours, several changes of clothing, and lots of makeup later, they were ready for a night on the town. For all their hard work they were rewarded with a gorgeous, but exceptionally uncomfortable Hinata.

"Come on, Hina, you look sexy!" Ino persuaded, when the heiress refused to leave the apartment dressed that way. Ino had a thing for nicknames, Sakura was 'Sak,' Tenten was 'Ten,' and Hinata was 'Hina.'

Of course none of the nicknames Hinata was currently thinking of for the blonde-haired girl were very nice.

"Smokin'!" Sakura chimed as Tenten added nods and noises of approval.

Hinata pressed her fingertips together, "But what if my father finds out?"

"He won't," Sakura said confidently.

"What if Itachi-sama sees me?"

Tenten spoke up this time, "Then maybe he'll realize what a lucky bastard he is and stop being such an emotionless prick!"

Three pairs of eyes turned to her, "Having Neji issues?" Ino questioned.

The weapon's mistress huffed, "When am I not?"

The blonde and the pink haired girls laughed as they agreed that Neji was generally a stuck up ass, no offense to Hinata. Ino adding, of course, that he was completely gorgeous, and that made up for it.

The snowy-eyed heiress simply hoped they had forgotten about forcing her to wear hooker clothes on their outing. Seeing the distressed look on her friend's face, Ino sighed heavily and gave in. She rummaged around in her closet once more before producing a much more modest outfit, "But I promise, no one in the club is going to be looking at you wearing this."

Hinata all but shrieked at the mention of a club. "O-oh, I couldn't. I just want t-to have dinner or something, to take my mind off of everything."

"But this is your bachelorette party!" Ino argued, "You're supposed to go wild and have fun!"

It took a great deal of convincing, a great deal, but in the end, the girls were successful.

Ino finally conceded and they decided to do what Hinata wanted, as it was her night. They let her wear what she wanted to wear, and go where she wanted to go.

And that was how they ended up walking the streets of Konoha, arms linked in arms, tummies full and spirits high, giggling about a Lee-centered story that Tenten was telling.

"Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan!" Naruto wailed, running down the street toward them, "Hinata…chan?" The kyuubi container halted and cleared his throat, his cheeks turning a charming shade of pink as he caught sight of the heiress dressed in her cute lavender dress.

"N-n-n-naruto-kun," she stumbled over his name as she, too, took in the sight before her. The junchuuriki was evidently dressed up for something. He had a white dress shirt on that fit him quite tastefully, a few buttons undone at the top, paired with black dress pants and shoes. His blonde hair was messy from running, but looked as though it could've been styled that way.

He grinned at her, his blue eyes shining brightly, "Hinata-chan, you look different!"

Sakura slapped her blonde teammate in the head, "Pretty, baka, the word you're looking for is pretty."

As far as Hinata was concerned, he may as well have told her she was the most stunning thing he had ever lain eyes on. She was already a deep crimson color and she swayed slightly as she forced her brain to produce a reply, "Th-th-"

Naruto cut her off, "Hey, I wanted to talk to you."

The three other girls took that as their cue, "Don't break her," Ino commented as they motioned to a sweet shop down the street, indicating that's where they'd be.

Hinata was a little too stunned to realize she was going to be left alone with her crush, until it was too late.

"So, Hinata-chan, you look really nice. I mean," he rubbed the back of his neck, "pretty."

The heiress was certain that if he complimented her again, she was going to explode. Or faint.

"Anyway, I wanted to tell you that… that I… I really like you Hinata-chan." Well, he certainly got right to the point. The blonde paused and shuffled his feet in the dirt, "I've liked you for a while actually, I was just too nervous to say, I guess. I-"

Thud!

"Hinata-chan?" He glanced curiously down at the girl laying on the ground. "Aw man!"

Hinata slowly opened her eyes and blinked before bringing her hand to her head. It was throbbing painfully, making her wince. She shifted slightly, noting that she was still in her purple dress, before the memories came flooding back.

She had fainted.

She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes until she saw shapes dancing in the darkness. When she opened them and blinked, she realized she was not in her own room. But where was she? She looked around the room, taking in the spartan nature of it. There was a bed, which she was in, a moderately sized desk and lamp, some bookshelves stuffed to the max, and a lone picture hanging on the wall. It was of the Uchiha brothers.

It was then that she heard voices.

"That was very cruel, little brother," one voice said. The heiress could sense the irritation in his tone.

"Like I care," the other replied, with clear indifference.

"I will teach you that other's emotions are not for you to toy with."

His response was merely the slamming of a door, which made Hinata jump slightly.

She had barely recovered when the door to the room she was presently occupying opened slowly to reveal none other than Uchiha Itachi. "You are awake," he stated, reminding Hinata far too much of her father's penchant for stating the obvious.

He lingered by the door for a moment, looking as if he was attempting to collect himself. She could see, however, as he stepped forward into the light, that his features were stern, and his eyes were intense as they settled on her.

She shifted uncomfortably as she set up and began blurting out stuttered apologies. For what, she wasn't sure, but if his look was any indication, she had something to be sorry for.

"Quiet," the elder Uchiha brother demanded. She noticed the telltale tightening of his jaw again, indicating that he was irritated with something, or someone. She could only hope that it wasn't her.

"I am disappointed in you," he began, with an air of authority not unlike her father, "You are the heiress of one of the most powerful clans in the village and the future matriarch of another. You are to be wed in one of the most important days of not only your life, but the lives of all the present and future clan members in a mere day and a half. How could you behave so foolishly?" His tone was steady and almost quiet, but Uchiha's did need to raise their voices in order to get their point across. Their dark eyes and serious looks were frightening enough.

Indeed Hinata was quite disturbed, but she was also equally confused. What had she done again? She had fainted, yes. Was that considered foolish? And who was he to be admonishing her, anyhow? He wasn't her husband yet, and he certainly wasn't her father. He was merely an acquaintance that she had hardly even spoken to until a few days ago. Something rose from deep within her. Courage? Or perhaps it was imprudence. But it would not be tamed. She was fed up with being ordered around and scolded. She was on the receiving end of enough of that from her father.

"I'm sorry?" she said evenly, but her tone was not apologetic this time, nor was it shy. If anything, it was incredulous. "Who the hell do you think you are, Uchiha!" Mentally, she was stunned at hearing her own voice. It sounded so sure, and it spurred her confidence further. She flung the blanket aside, threw her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up in one swift motion as she spoke, "I appreciate your help, but I'm not going to sit here and listen to this."

Her authoritative air was sapped as she stood and swayed, the rush of blood to her head causing a momentary lack of sight and balance. She stumbled forward, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms.

In the short moment that her vision was still gone, and Itachi was holding on to her, it felt as though her senses were intensified.

She could hear her hammering pulse, as her circulation struggled to catch up to her posture. She was aware of Itachi's grip on her shoulders, strong but forgiving. She could smell his scent, faint but uniquely his. She could feel his breath tickling her cheek. It was merely an instant, but her brain registered every sound, smell, and sensation and filed it away.

Alarmed at the intensity of the moment, she blinked her vision back into place and pushed away from her rescuer with renewed vigor, "L-let me g-go!" She wriggled free of his grip but was disappointed to learn that her steady voice had vanished.

She huffed as she pulled her dress back into place and smoothed it down unnecessarily. Itachi merely stared at her curiously as she did so, but he did not say a word.

The consequences of her actions were hitting her with full force and she suddenly found herself unable to look up and meet her future husband's gaze. She felt justified in her anger, but perhaps she had overreacted.

How was it that no matter how she behaved Uchiha Itachi managed to make her feel like an idiotic young girl.

She continued to pick at her clothing as she grappled for her next action. "Where are m-my shoes?" she questioned quietly, breaking the long standing silence after her episode. She glanced up to find that the elder Uchiha brother was still staring at her with an unreadable expression.

After what felt like an eternity of standing there awkwardly in his room, Itachi spoke, "I feel it is my duty to inform you that my brother has played a prank on you and enlisted the help of one Uzumaki-san." His tone was professional, as if he was relaying a mission report.

Hinata was still reeling from the past few minutes but managed to process the information none the less, "N-naruto-kun… was lying?" The realization hit her full force a moment later causing her legs to wobble as she settled back onto the bed.

Itachi pressed on, ignoring her reaction, "Your father has already been informed of your whereabouts and has asked that I deliver you home, personally."

The snowy-eyed heiress felt her stomach turn inside out. She couldn't possibly decide what was worse, facing her father, or facing Naruto.

This chapter represents my lack of self control. I simply couldn't resist a little humor. At least, I hope that contained humor, that's what I was going for, heh. That and character development.

I guess I should mention, sorry for the wait. I was really second guessing myself with this chapter and I ultimately ended up rewriting the end, which I'm happier with now. I seriously hope I didn't ruin the dynamic for future chapters! Admittedly I was a little scared about posting this chapter. There are so many things I was trying to achieve without upsetting the plans that I have or contradicting what I've already written.

Spring break is next week so I should be able to get some writing done. It may or may not be for this fic though, depending on what my fingers want to do.

3 Thanks for all the favs and alerts and especially the reviews. Thanks for all the shy and quiet people who just read too! 3

...Next Chapter...

"The Wedding"