Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warning, pairings, etc.

Special Thanks: goes out to NeverTake, Guest, and sailorangelmoon1 for your reviews! Also a big shout-out to those who have added this story to their favorite and alert lists. You're all much appreciated!

Author's Note: Finally, Gaara makes his first appearance! I've been so excited about this chapter, and I'm really happy to be able to share it with you. Some other interesting things happen in this chapter, too... Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

*~Chapter III~*

~Meetings~

Hinata's next breath stalled in her chest. She felt her eyes widen, her lips part, and her blood at the same time boil and freeze in her veins.

Even though no introductions had been made, Hinata knew the man standing in the doorway across the room was her fiancé. His bloodred hair swung over his forehead with spiky bangs, though the tattoo the same color as his hair - the kanji for love - remained uncovered. His pale skin looked even more dramatic against the vivid shade of his hair and the rusty red of his tunic, which was just tight enough to hint at the strength of the muscles in his chest and arms which the fabric otherwise veiled. His posture radiated unforgiving strength and leonine grace, making him seem poised to burst into an attack at any moment.

The most striking thing about him, though, were his eyes. Rimmed with unnatural black rings, their icy green depths stared unblinkingly at her, reflecting no emotion, betraying none of his thoughts.

He was like a statue. A very handsome, very dangerous statue.

Belatedly, Hinata realized everyone else in the room had lowered themselves into deep bows. Feeling her cheeks flush deep red, she quickly followed suit, uselessly hoping no one had noticed her blunder. She had just barely come to the man's attention, and already she had faltered. What would he think of her?

Soft rustling around her alerted her everyone else was straightening. This time she was ready and was able to stand straight in tandem with the others. Her graceful movement, meant to help her blend in with everyone else, was immediately ruined, however, when she realized Gaara had somehow crossed the room to stand directly in front of her while she'd been bowing. His sudden proximity caused her to jump. The barely-concealed squeak which left her lips made her want to melt into the floor and die. Not necessarily in that order.

"Lady Hinata." His voice, deep and gravelly, rasped against her ears as those unnatural eyes pierced her with a look which missed nothing. For a moment Gaara didn't continue, seeming like he was expecting her to do or say something in return. When she didn't, too shocked and disconcerted to do so, he tilted his head and prompted awkwardly, "I hope your quarters are agreeable?"

Hinata swallowed (or was it more like gulped?) dryly, clenching her hands around fistfuls of the delicate lavender fabric of her kimono. "Yes, thank you, Lord Gaara?" She couldn't help but end the sentence on a questioning note. Wouldn't it be something else if she went through all this and found out this man was, on some remote chance, not her fiancé?

Though his expression didn't change, Hinata sensed a slight relaxing of Gaara's posture at her reply. She wondered why he'd been so hesitant to introduce himself - and why no one else had done so. And, for that matter, was she so easy to pick out of a crowd, or had he seen her arrival, despite his sister's words?

Gaara shifted slightly so he was facing more of the room, including Neji and Tenten behind Hinata. "My sister informed me earlier you have not had much time to see much of Suna or meet many of her people. Please allow me to introduce you to those with whom we shall share our meal." He introduced four people in quick succession, indicating each with a subtle slant of his red head and a few terse words. "My elder brother, Kankuro. The head of Suna's war council, Baki. My elder sister, Temari. And, lastly, her husband, Uchiha Itachi."

And here was yet another surprise for Hinata. She had thought Itachi had come with Temari merely to be a tangible connection to Konoha in Suna for her. Apparently he had been there to offer support and backup for his wife, instead.

Had Itachi's choosing Suna to call home after he left Konoha not been convenience or coincidence, as had been generally thought at home? Might he have stayed in Konoha, after all, had it not been for Temari? She wondered if she'd ever have a chance to find out; then immediately felt guilty for being nosy about things which did not concern her.

Gaara's eyes slid to Hinata's companions questioningly, and she obligingly jerked herself out of her thoughts to do some introductions of her own. "This is my c-cousin, Neji, and his wife, Tenten. They have c-come to b-bear witness to and attend me for the - our wedding." She bit her tongue, cursing her stutter and slip of the tongue. Though she had resigned herself to the fact the wedding was going to happen, had to happen, it still seemed terribly surreal to her. As if it were happening to someone else, a her of a different reality, perhaps. A part of her, yes, but another person all the same.

Just get through this meal, Hinata told herself as her family and her fiancé exchanged polite but tense greetings. And then through the night, and then through the wedding... One step at a time, Hinata. Just take this one step at a time, and you'll be fine. Oh, if only she could believe it...

The mostly-silent group moved to take their seats at the table. Once everyone settled in, silent servants moved in quickly to remove the lids off the delectable dishes placed in front of each person. Delicious smells drifted to her nose, and Hinata realized she hadn't eaten a substantial meal since they'd broken up camp early that morning to finish the last leg of the journey to Suna.

Gaara, seated at the head of the table on her right, watched her out of the corner of his eye as everyone picked up their chopsticks and began to eat. Hinata, fighting back the impulse to fidgit in her seat, swallowed the bite she'd just taken and offered him a hesitant smile. His expression didn't change, but his gaze finally shifted to his brother, who sat on Hinata's other side.

She let out her breath on a soft sigh, covered by the tea cup she lifted to her lips. Every time Gaara looked at her, she felt like he was seeing so deeply inside her he could easily uncover every dark secret she'd ever attempted to hide. She was used to hiding things from her father, but Hiashi's piercing look seemed superficial compared to Gaara's. She sensed nothing hostile in his gaze, just curiosity and puzzlement.

Well, it's better than the emotionless emptiness there earlier. Hinata scooped up a bite of rice, then put it back down without eating it. Oh, Father, why are you moving things along so quickly? And why has Gaara agreed? He doesn't know me any more than I know him. Why are we rushing into marriage, when we might not be suited for each other? Is the village that much more important to you than me? Unfortunately, she knew the answer to the question, she just didn't have the heart to think it. But still! In less than a week she'd found out she was an engaged woman, had moved away from the home she'd known all her life, and was to be married on the morrow. What in the world could have possessed her father to make him implement such a plan, and not tell her about it until the last possible moment?

And, the thing which nagged her the most, why hadn't he bothered to come along with her, if for no other reason than to make sure everything was done to his satisfaction? Even if she felt she couldn't refuse to marry Gaara, he was a very powerful man very much in position to refuse to marry her if he decided she wasn't suitable, or just plain didn't like her.

"What's Konoha like?"

The question from her left made Hinata jump slightly. She turned quickly to face Kankuro, who sat with his chopsticks dangling loosely from his hand as he studied her with a rakish half-grin which made her feel slightly uncomfortable. He didn't seem to share the same awkward lack of emotion from which his brother suffered.

"Um," Hinata stammered, quite intelligently.

Kankuro's grin widened slightly. "What's your home village like? I've never been out of Suna, so I can't imagine anything different than sand and dryness everywhere."

She wondered if this was her future brother-in-law's way of trying to break the ice. Since he was the only halfway friendly sibling she'd chanced to meet, she decided to do her part to help things along. "It's just about as opposite of Suna as you c-can get, I suppose. I haven't seen much of your village yet, b-but I know what you mean about the sand and d-dryness. Konoha is full of c-color, with trees and flowers everywhere. The humidity is very high most of the year, with only a short b-break from November through February. Our houses are very open and airy, with many d-doors which open to the outside. It's very b-beautiful." She sighed, able to picture everything she described very clearly. If she closed her eyes, she could even picture herself still at home, standing in the doorway of her rooms overlooking the expansive garden at the back of the Hyuuga estate. She could almost smell the flowers: the heavy scent of honeysuckle entwining with the lighter scents of lavender and roses...

"Sounds nice."

Reluctantly, she blinked her eyes open at Kankuro's response to her descriptions. "It is, very n-nice." Another sip of tea soothed the dryness at the back of her throat, which had been ever-present since they'd reached the outskirts of the desert almost a day and a half ago. Though evening had brought a certain coolness to the inside of the house, the air was still so dry Hinata felt like her skin was going to crack open like the floor of the desert outside the village walls. How did the people of Suna stand to live like this, every hour of every day of every year?

"You'll get used to it," Kankuro said, leaning a little closer. "The dryness, I mean. You especially have to be careful now, though, since you're new here. Hydration is important to keep you healthy." He motioned for a servant, who silently poured her more tea and then melted back into the shadows along the wall.

This time Hinata's bite of rice made it from the bowl to her lips. While she chewed, she glanced around, surprised to realize she and Kankuro were the only two really socializing. Neji and Tenten had their heads tilted together, conversing in low tones. Itachi and Temari were deeply involved in some sort of spirited debate with Baki. Gaara remained completely silent, his eyes drifting from person to person before finally meeting her gaze.

Feeling yet another blush heat her cheeks, Hinata looked away quickly. She was afraid of what Gaara might see if he looked too closely at her, too deeply into her eyes. Considering she wasn't sure how she felt about him yet - didn't, in fact, know him well enough to form an opinion of him one way or another - she wasn't sure she wanted him knowing any subconscious feelings of hers before she could discover them herself.

However... Hinata peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, relieved when she found him paying close attention to what his sister was saying. Had he already formed an opinion of her? And, if so, was it good or bad? She was trying not to let her nearly crippling shyness and natural reserve get the better of her, but she was pretty sure she wasn't succeeding.

"You know," Kankuro said conversationally, yanking her attention away from Gaara, "if you don't want to marry my brother, I'd be more than happy to fill in for him."

And she'd just managed to get over her earlier blush. This time her cheeks turned so brightly red she wondered if their flaming light was visible all the way back in Konoha. "Thank you, b-but I really d-d-don't think that will b-be n-necessary," she stuttered, avoiding his intent, amused gaze.

Presumably upon hearing her somewhat panicked response, Gaara's gaze snapped back to her and his brother. He narrowed his eyes at Kankuro, who smiled innocently, then turned to Hinata. "I hope your journey to Suna was pleasant?" It was obvious he was making a great effort to converse with her, but the awkwardness in his eyes and the hesitant note in his voice made her think he was unused to speaking of anything except business.

But still, she appreciated his effort greatly. "We ran into n-neither rain n-nor sandstorms, so the weather was very n-nice," she replied. "And, as far as I know, we ran into n-no trouble, either." Highwaymen had been known to patrol the roads between Konoha and Suna, but no one had tried to waylay them. It had been a major relief for the entire party when they reached the entrance to Suna without being accosted.

Tension Hinata hadn't noticed before eased out of Gaara's expression, and his lips briefly twitched in what might have been the beginnings of a smile. "I wanted to send some of my guards out to escort you from Suna's border onward, but I did not want to draw attention to your party. And I did not want to do anything you might have found threatening." His eyes slid away from her then, hazing over with some thought or memory she wished she could understand.

As his attention once more drifted away from her, Hinata pondered his words. She sensed there was more to what he was saying than was obviously apparent, but she wasn't sure how to prompt him into voicing such thoughts. She also sensed he was the type of person who didn't like to be pressured or forced, so she wisely decided to keep her mouth shut. Granted, she knew little about him now and was being forced to feel him out bit by bit, but there would certainly be plenty of time to get to know more about him after they were married.

Her lips curled down slightly at the thought. This time tomorrow I will be a married woman. I am not ready for this, but I must make myself get ready. I don't know what Father was thinking to arrange this match between us, but I am going to find all the good in it I possibly can. For my entire life, I've wanted to do something good and useful for my family and my village. This is my chance. I cannot blow it.

The rest of the meal passed with relative ease, though there was little intermingling conversation between those from Suna and those from Konoha. Hinata found the tense atmosphere unsettling, but ultimately decided she would rather things remain quiet rather than risk a fight breaking out over dinner. It would definitely not bode well for the upcoming alliance, not to mention the fact her cousin and his wife might be kicked out of the village before they had a chance to attend her wedding.

As soon as the last of the plates had been carried away, Gaara rose and offered a slight bow to those still seated. "If you'll excuse me," he said in his raspy voice. Without another word, he threw a quick glance at her and then strode from the room, vanishing out the same door through which he'd entered only an hour beforehand.

Kankuro excused himself not long afterwards, saying something about puppets. Hinata shook her head, sure she'd not heard the man correctly, but he was gone before she could ask him to repeat.

Temari sighed, then rose herself. "I suppose it falls to me to make sure you all get back to your rooms," she said. Leaning over, she whispered something to her husband, who nodded, rose, kissed the side of her head, then excused himself and left through the same door as Gaara. "All right. Follow me."

Hinata followed the blonde silently, Neji and Tenten directly behind her. This time as they traversed the halls, she tried to pay more attention so she could find her own way from her room to the dining hall, at least, even if the rest of her new home was still a mystery.

At the brisk pace Temari set, it didn't take them long at all to reach Neji and Tenten's rooms. With a soft smile, Tenten leaned forward and hugged Hinata. "Good night," she said. In a lower tone, she said, "If you need anything in the night, don't hesitate to come get me and Neji. Can you find your way from your rooms to here?"

She nodded. "I b-believe so. It's only one floor up and a few halls over. I d-don't anticipate any p-problems, though." She forced herself to sound more confident than she felt.

Neji playfully ruffled her hair, as he used to when they were younger, and bestowed one of his rare smiles upon her. "I'm glad you can be so confident," he said. "Good night, little sister."

"Good night, b-big b-brother." Once the door to Neji and Tenten's suite closed, Hinata turned to follow Temari onwards to her own.

Temari didn't speak until they were halfway up the stairs. "I thought he was your cousin," she said, a question in her tone.

"He is," Hinata confirmed. "B-But we were so c-close growing up, I c-can't help b-but think of him as my b-brother instead of my c-cousin."

For the first time, Temari's expression softened slightly. "Do you have any other siblings?"

Hinata felt suspicious of the other woman's sudden curiosity, then immediately scolded herself. Perhaps she was finally making an attempt to be friendly and learn more about the woman who was soon to be her sister. "I have one younger sister, Hanabi," she said. Once more, her thoughts wistfully strayed to Konoha, and she wished again Hanabi could have come with Neji and Tenten to be at the wedding. "And you?"

"Gaara and Kankuro are the only relatives I have left in the world," Temari said. "Though Itachi does tell me I have a brother-in-law still in Konoha. But I don't think it's likely we'll be meeting each other any time soon." Tension and some other, darker, emotion briefly flickered over her face, but it was gone before Hinata could analyze it.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Hinata said softly as they paused in front of the door of her suite. "I have seen him a f-few times, though we are n-not well-acquainted." The rather sullen raven-haired man had come with Naruto a few times when the hyperactive blond had dropped by the Hyuuga estate to pick her up so they could "hang out" with their mutual friends, but he had not seemed inclined to be friendly. He had a reputation throughout the village for being a loner, just on the fringe of being a "bad boy," as Sakura had said with a dreamy look. She'd been chasing the younger Uchiha for years, but it seemed likely to Hinata that nothing would ever come of it, at least on Sasuke's part. She couldn't help but wish her pink-haired friend all the best, though.

Temari hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How did he seem, those few times you saw him?" It seemed difficult for her to ask the question, but Hinata understood why she was asking.

"He is in g-good health," Hinata replied quietly. "I met him through a mutual acquaintance, b-but he has the reputation of b-being a loner. He is very sullen and quiet, though he was always polite to me when we c-conversed."

The blonde nodded, obviously filing the information away for later. "Itachi will be happy to hear it," she said softly. "Thank you." Then, abruptly, her head lifted slightly and she whirled around on her heel to head back down the hall. "Good night, Hinata. Sleep well." And then she was gone around the corner.

Hinata blinked, shocked at the other woman's sudden transformation back into the brusque, remote hostess she'd been before. Apparently her gentler moods were rare and short-lived, but at least they existed.

Ino was waiting when Hinata entered the suite. Standing from where she was curled up on a cushion in the corner, reading, she smiled and moved to follow her mistress into the bedroom. "Was the meal pleasant, milady?"

Sitting before her dressing table, Hinata pulled pins out of her hair helter-skelter until Ino gently pushed her hands aside and took over. "I suppose. There wan't much c-conversation b-between those of us f-from Konoha and those f-from Suna, b-but it's to b-be expected."

"Tensions being what they are between villages and all that," Ino agreed. "Hopefully that means things can only improve from here." Her deft, pale hands quickly brushed out, then braided Hinata's hair. "And your fiancé, milady? Did you have a chance to meet him?"

Even though Ino was done with her hair, Hinata remained seated, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She wondered what Gaara had seen when he looked at her: a pale, painfully shy wisp of a girl afraid of what her future held; or a determained young woman intent on making the best of the situation into which she'd been thrust? She hoped it was the latter. "Yes," she replied distractedly. "I d-did."

Silence reigned for a few long moments, then Ino's natural curiosity got the better of her. "And what was he like, Lady Hinata?"

Dangerous. Handsome. Remote. Mysterious. The adjectives flew through her mind, one after another, but she didn't want to voice any of them. "He is an obvious leader," she settled on at length.

Ino wrinkled her nose. "That's it?" She sounded disappointed.

Exhaustion suddenly settled over Hinata like a blanket. The last four days had been very long and tiring, and tomorrow would be no better. Standing, she went behind the elaborate screen in the corner to change. "I just met him," she said by way of explanation. "I c-cannot read him any b-better at p-present."

"The door between rooms is still locked, milady," Ino said as she carefully put Hinata's kimono away. "I checked it to make sure just before you came in. Do you require anything else before I retire?"

Hinata climbed into bed and closed her eyes, wishing for nothing more than the blessed oblivion sleep promised her. "N-No thank you, Ino. Sleep well."

She was able to stay awake just long enough for her maid's, "You too, milady," and the click of the closing door to register before she surrendered to her long-awaited sleep.

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Ending Notes: I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you all enjoyed it - especially Gaara's appearance! A few hints were dropped in this chapter about things to come as well, things I'm also really excited about. In the meanwhile, though, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading, and see you next week!