Where the heart is

by kurisutaina1022

GaaraXHinata. Pure fluff! If you do not like fluff don't read. Sometimes life throws us changes..... Rated for one or two bad words....really bad at summaries

2. Chapter 2

-1Authors Note/ Disclaimer: Here is part 2 or a sequel if you will for those that asked. Warning - this is fluffy stuff- if you do not like fluff please do not read. Also some ooc parts. I am sensitive- be kind. Now for the standard disclaimer: I do not own Naruto- If I did I would be raking in the money instead of slaving away for it. Review please- thanks for reading.

The stacks of papers loomed ominously over the black haired young woman's head, towering and threatening to fall over at any moment. Hinata sighed wearily, examining one of her hands closely- the joints swelling and fingers cramping painfully. At this moment, she wasn't sure if this was part of the pregnancy symptoms or cause of all the writing she had done in the last four hours. Being Pregnant was not for the weak, swollen feet, swollen hands and queasy stomach- at times the medic Nin had been sure that she had never felt so sick in her life. Although Hinata never complained and definitely never displayed that she felt ill, but she now understood how truly fortunate she had been to hide her pregnancy in the first couple of months with so little of symptoms- she was definitely not that lucky now. The white eyed woman stood up and carefully lifted the stack of papers off the desk and sat them in the orderly row along the wall of the office that she had been working on for a few days now, but she could not help but be overwhelmed by the flurry of paperwork that came into the Kazekages office everyday. Hinata sat back down in the desk chair , crossing her arms on the desk and lying her aching head on them-her eyes hurt from the strain of reading so many requests and now she realized why Gaara despised paperwork. Closing her eyes, Hinata started thinking about the last month and what a whirlwind it had been.

Hinata had not realized that things would move so fast once she told Gaara about the baby, but here it was a month later and she was a married woman. Hinata was mildly shocked when Gaara had taken time off to escort her back to Konoha to handle some of her personal affairs. Tsunade had not been surprised when Hinata had come to turn in her resignation, In fact it seemed she had been expecting it, but after a bit of arm twisting from her former sensei- Hinata had been convinced to be placed on a "inactive" duty list for a very long time. Hinata had the impression that this did not please Gaara, but he understood that she was loyal to Konoha and would return to protect it if the event came up that she was needed- he was the same with Suna. Tsunade had been happy for the two, offering to marry them while they were visiting- Which Gaara had been the first to agree to it. He told Hinata that he wanted her friends and family to be there for the ceremony and if it was held in Suna, some of them may not be available due to other obligations. So that is what happened- they had a simple ceremony in the Hokage's office, officiated by Tsunade and attended by the rest of the "rookie nine", Neji, TenTen ,of course their former instructors and some other ANBU comrades . The "reception" had been when the group of attendees went to the sushi restaurant for lunch, Much to Naruto's dismay, Sushi being a favorite of the newlyweds. Hinata and Gaara had been really surprised that everyone accepted their relationship and news of their child with open arms. After Lunch had concluded, Gaara excused himself to discuss some business matters with Tsunade- thus giving Hinata a few hours to kill on her own. The White eyed woman studied the Familiar form of her brother like figure and his significant other holding hands outside the park. Hinata had smiled and asked the two if they would care to take a walk with her, she was glad when the Hyuuga prodigy and the weapons master decided to come along with her. The sun was shining from behind the clouds and the birds in the park, there was a comfortable silence between the three- Hinata could not notice but how happy the other couple looked. She wondered if people thought the same when they looked at her and Gaara- it was an strange feeling to walk with him in public, people did a double take when they would notice Gaara of the Desert openly showing any form of affection, no matter how small of display it was. Finally Neji broke the silence, speaking to his younger cousin in a worried voice. "Hinata, Are you happy? Are you going to be ok in Suna?" Like eyes met, "Hai, Neji-Nissan, I am. As long as I am with Gaara, I will be fine." She smiled peacefully, looking at the couple. "I wanted you guys to take my apartment- it's paid for and I am not going to be needing it anymore. You two have been taking care of things here for me so long, I couldn't see anyone else in it. I am glad that you two are together- take care of him, Ten Ten" Ten Ten's eyes glazed over with emotion, the taller girl reached out to hug the smaller Hyuuga, " Hinata, you will come back for the wedding, won't you?" Ten Ten whispered softly. Hinata pulled out of her embrace and looked at her, wiping a lone tear out of her eye, "Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world." Surprisingly, Hinata found herself being embraced by Neji, shocked for a moment- Neji was not prone to such displays of affection, " I will miss you." Neji said quietly. "Thanks for always being there for me, I wouldn't be here without you." She whispered where just Neji could hear it, She pulled away, surprised by so much emotion by her usually unreadable cousin and looked at the people she considered her closest relatives, " It's not like we will never see each other again, I'll be back and if you ever get a chance between missions-come see me." TenTen gave her friend a smirk, "so does this mean you are giving up being a ninja?" Hinata looked pensive for a moment, then replied "I don't know- We haven't really discussed it yet. As much as I like being a Ninja- being a parent is more important." The three suddenly looked up, feeling a familiar unwanted presence approach- behind them stood, Hiashi Hyuuga. The unwanted guest's voice filled the air, "May I have a moment with my Daughter?" Hinata's eyes turned cold, Neji looked at his cousin with a look that said 'do you want me to stay?', Hinata gave him a small smile "I'll catch up with you two later." Neji nodded , Ten Ten grabbed his hand - they strolled away slowly, still worried for Hinata's safety.

Alone with her father, Hinata walked beside him, unsure of what to say to him. He spoke first " I have heard you have married the Kazekage." Hinata pondered who would have told him, after all she only got married a few hours before. "Hyuuga eyes are everywhere." Her father reminded her. "It's true, I did marry Gaara of the Desert just today. Is there a point to this Father? I am no longer a concern of the Hyuuga council - I have not been for a long time." She searched her fathers blank face, her tone annoyed. Hiashi Hyuuga's face surprised at his daughters demeanor, " I know I have not been a good father to you, Hinata. You may not be a concern of the council, but I still have the right to be concerned for you as your parent. " Anger rose in Hinata, a deep, repressed anger that demanded release- Hinata stepped back and looked her father in the eyes. " What a understatement. You cast me aside when my mother died to let others raise me because you classify Kindness as a weakness. What right do you have to be concerned for me now? Because you heard I got married? I have no time for this nonsense- what did you really want?" Hiashi looked down, avoiding his daughters face, guilt written clearly on his face " You have grown strong daughter, we were wrong about you being weak- you have proven your strength. We would like it if you would reconsider your decision of denouncing the position of heir . I also know you are with child- your child could take that role later if you wish." So that is what they want, Hinata thought, A strong heir with a bloodline limit. She grew quiet, she looked at her father and spoke with steely quality in her voice, "So is that it, you want my child to be heir? Listen well, Father." Venom laced through her voice as she continued, " No. There are so many strong members in the clan to choose from already. I have my own family now and I will not allow the Hyuuga council to ruin my baby's childhood the way they did mine." Hinata turned and walked away- leaving her stunned Father behind.

The rest of the visit had been short because Gaara had to get back to his post. It was a interesting experience for the two to hang out with their friends like normal adults without being worried about missions or political responsibilities. The sight of Naruto and Gaara laughing over a cup of Sake was a sight for the young woman who rarely used to see her now husband with people at all. She was pleasantly surprised that he was quite the conversationalist when in the right company. The next day the newlyweds were leaving-Hinata had brought a few outfits and a few small, personal mementos from her apartment- but had left most of everything to Neji and Ten Ten. Hinata really didn't have too many personal items in her apartment since she had rarely stayed there but between missions- most of the items in the apartment was the normal useful household things she figured the two could use anyway. Tsunade had been adamant on giving her a medical exam before she left to go back to Suna, since the Village Hidden in the Sand had few really skilled medics- The Hokage insisted that she would send Sakura every few months to give her a check up and to assist with the birth. Gaara had agreed with Tsunade, even though Hinata had insisted it was not necessary- not wanting to be a trouble to anyone. Tsunade had reminded Hinata that she still had that strange heart murmur that she developed from the incident at the chuunin exams, In which Hinata reminded her sensei that she had been a ANBU for four years and it had never effected her- But Gaara was still concerned by this exchange. She never mentioned a heart issue- or really any illnesses for that matter, but she was always one to worry about others before herself. The trip back to Suna had been uneventful, she had been glad he went with her- it was wonderful just to be alone with him with no distractions from the office. Gaara was a vastly different person when not so stressed by his position with no Kazekages council to interrupt him, he was still pretty quiet but so was she, they were a couple that really didn't need many words to communicate. In just the presence of each other, the formalities and coldness of the world seemed to melt away, they could openly show the affection that they hid from the rest of the world. Hinata, while not the stuttering, blushing girl she used to be, was still painfully shy around everyone except for a select few- opened up to her new husband- even though they had been together for years, it was nice to take the time to talk about their pasts, and their hopes for their child. The two took full advantage of their trip home- taking their time to enjoy their "desert honeymoon." But reality set in when they returned- the Kazekage's Council demanded that they have a wedding ceremony in Suna as well, more as a formality. The wedding ceremony was just that- very formal and beautiful- a one drastically different than the relaxed, casual one in Konoha with their friends, However the wedding ceremony seemed to really work in Gaara's favor, the villagers opinion of him changed drastically for the Better- seeing that he had someone special made him seem more human. Unfortunately for Hinata and Gaara, they had seen very little of each other since the ceremony- the "aftermath" of their excursion to Konoha had been the masses of paperwork that now was stacked neatly around the floor of his office. Hinata felt that since she was one of the causes for that "business" trip- it was her responsibility to help him dig out of his paperwork hell. In addition to Organizing his office, reading, summarizing and categorizing mission requests, filing and keeping records of who he assigned to what mission-She had also been helping out at the Village hospital for a little while. She tried really hard to keep herself busy due to the fact that the Kazekage council kept Gaara in Meetings well into the night often and she hated being alone. Also being idle really was not her way- even in Konoha she was always busy with one thing or another- always on a mission or if she didn't have a mission, which was a rarity in itself, she was making rounds at the hospital or training with one of her former teammates.

Not knowing anyone but Temari and Kankuro, Assisting in the Hospital helped Hinata make friends quickly. With such a sweet nature and Irresistible smile, the other medics there began to wonder how their stoic leader had found himself such a jewel. She had just been trying to assist the others for a while- but The medics, amazed at the young white eyed woman's skills, found themselves asking Hinata to teach them a bit more. So the job went from assisting to teaching the other medics new skills after it was discovered that the young medic had been a student of the Fifth Hokage. It was even nice to do rounds again, until Hinata discovered that the baby took a bit more of her chakra than she originally thought, and the smells of the Chemicals in hospital started to nauseate her to the point of being really troublesome. At that time, Gaara asked her to give up working in the hospital for the time being, while the hospital staff was sad to lose their "assistant/ sensei" but thought better than anger their Kazekage, so they made her promise to come back after the baby was born . Hinata now just worked as Gaara's assistant, not that she minded-after all when Sakura and She were Tsunade's apprentices they were assigned much of the same duties and this way her chances of actually seeing her husband improved.

Today, However, Hinata was feeling more than just a little tired, her head and eyes ached from reading, and the remaining rays of the four o clock sun peeked in from the open window- warming her body as they danced over her , the gentle breeze lulled the tired woman into a calming, dreamless sleep. Gaara watched his sleeping bride from the shadows in the doorway- not used to seeing her being still, he gave a rare smile. Her long black hair was pulled in a loose braid behind her - swaying slightly in the breeze, her head lying on her crossed arms, face relaxed , eyes closed and pale pink lips curved into a slight smile- to him she was beautiful, with a almost childlike innocence. He walked over to the chair, picking up the still body, she didn't stir- she must be really tired, he frowned. He laid her sleeping form on the futon across from the desk and covered her body with a light blanket that had been lying on the futon. Sitting beside her sleeping body, Gaara lightly caressed her face, tracing her cheekbone lightly with his thumb. He was not happy about how Hinata wore herself out, he realized that the pregnancy had not been easy on her, and for someone who was usually always active it was really slowing her down. He was surprised on how easily she accepted his order for her not to train and not be allowed even small missions, he had fully anticipated a argument from her- but he never got it to his relief- she kept her promise not to put herself in danger. For the moment, his wife seemed to have just accepted the duties of running his office- which had made things run smoother than ever. She had been a real asset to the hospital too. Gaara was glad she had agreed to stay with him- they fit well, she understood he had responsibilities and tried to help where she could, she did not ask much from him- but he wouldn't mind it if she did. He placed his hand gently on the bump barley showing from her tummy- five months till their little one is set to arrive, and he was nervous, though he hated to admit it. During her last check up, Sakura had been concerned that Hinata had not been gaining enough weight, Hina had explained that with the horrible nausea she had been having that it was hard to keep anything down. Gaara still worried, If something were to happen to her- he would be alone again, that was something he never wanted to be again- Alone. A yawn came from the bundle on the futon as she sat up slowly. Hinata was surprised to see her husband sitting there next to her, she gently wrapped her arms around his well toned chest and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Hi" He spoke to her softly. A small smile came to her lips as she kissed his cheek gently , " Are you real or a figment of my Imagination? I thought you were going to be in meetings all day." Gaara laughed lightly, returning his wife's affections- closing his eyes and lightly touching noses with her, " It's five already- the day is over. Are you alright?" He lowered his lips to hers, giving her a sweet chaste kiss. Hinata blushed madly and rested her head on his chest and his arms encircled her still small waist. " Gomen Gaara, I can't seem to stay focused today. Other than that- I am fine." His hands massaged the aching muscles in her back, she sat there on his lap enjoying his affections. His warm breath caressed her ear as she heard him softly speak, " You can tell me when you are not well, Love. It's to be expected in your condition." Hinata let out a soft sigh, " I know, but you have enough to worry about without me adding to your worries. I take up too much of your time as it is." Gaara pulled back and looked Hinata in the eyes- his voice now serious, " Do not assume that, My life has always been complicated- you add a welcome distraction. You are my wife and therefore mine to be concerned for- I would worry for you no matter the circumstances." She blushed at his words, " I love you , I just don't want to be in your way." Gaara lightly touched his forehead to hers, closing his eyes, his voice like silk " Your never in my way, don't assume that you are." The two shared a slow, gentle kiss for a moment before returning to reality. "Are you hungry?" He asked his wife, still studying her small form as she slowly stood up and stretched, popping noises coming from her stiff muscles as they became active once again. She nodded, speaking confidently " I think I am for once. Maybe Squirt will agree with me for once." He looked at her with a odd look as he stood up next to her, "Squirt?" Hinata smirked, " well it sounds weird to keep calling it "the baby" and we don't know what "it" is so Squirt seemed appropriate." He took his wife's hand as they walked out of the Office.

Two months had passed since the Kazekage had taken a wife, as Gaara had mused one night as they lay in bed one night- things had grown comfortable. Life between him and Hinata had settled down into a relaxed routine, she still helped with the paperwork at the office in the mornings- but now at five months pregnant- she found herself tiring more easily than before, so he often found her napping when he returned home in the afternoons- but She never had neglected to leave dinner warming in the oven for him. She always was thoughtful like that- either it was washing his clothes with the laundry soap he liked or knowing just what he wanted for dinner, the little things most people take for granted - she remembered, He was starting to feel a little spoiled. The Kazekages council had even calmed down a bit- this decreasing his workload quite a bit, Hinata was pleased that she now got to see her husband more. One evening Gaara was reading a book aloud while Hinata slept head lying on his lap, he noticed the quiver of movement from the still woman's stomach- he stopped reading while noticing the movement, when he did the movement of the child became more violent, " oh ok, I get it, I'll keep reading." he spoke to the child within his wife's small stomach in his silk like voice- the child calmed again. Gaara couldn't help but want to protect Hinata, he would never be as cruel as his father had been - sealing a demon inside a innocent unborn child. They had both had rough childhoods and were committed to being the best parents they could be to their baby, or "Squirt" as they affectionately called it. They agreed to give the child a proper name when they found out the sex of the child. Gaara, for once in his life, did not feel passed over or alone- He was not aware of Hinata had seen in him, but whatever it was- he was glad of it. Hinata had never held his bloody past against him- Everyone has to change, she said even though she had witnessed some of that violence that stained him. She had been so patient with him over the years- she never pressed or pushed him for anything, she had her own missions to complete and he had his- the two rarely crossed unless they wanted to. Hinata had really taken him by surprise- She had trained hard from the girl who fought bravely against her own blood and lost, to the accomplished Ninja she was now. And he knew that even though she did not like confrontations, she did like training and hated being forced to inactivity, so she spent her time handling paperwork and domestic duties he never dreamed of worrying over. Temari had called it "nesting", he hadn't really noticed little changes in their apartment before, but now little pieces of furniture seemed to move themselves all over. Her way of keeping busy he supposed. Life had became routine for the Sand Kazekage and he liked it- now every evening he read to Squirt, Hinata had been pleased with her husband's effort to appease Squirt- it seemed that Gaara's voice had been the one thing to calm the hyperactive child. Another month past, And a invitation had arrived from Konoha to The Sand Kage and his wife for them to attend the wedding of Neji and TenTen. The wedding was to take place within the month, Gaara felt some apprehension in going such a distance with Hinata so far along, But his wife reminded him that she was six months pregnant not nine and it would be ok. For her it was a matter of a promise she made to TenTen to come back for the wedding and one she intended to keep- she also figured she could save Sakura the trip of coming to visit her for this month. Hesitantly Gaara agreed to let her go on the trip, but not without some sort of protection- so the Academy offered two of the sand's top rookie genin. Hearing who her "guards" would be, Hinata had muttered "great, now I baby sit too." very quietly under her breath, no one caught it except Gaara who had been standing close to his wife, he had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. His reserved wife never usually said such things, he could not help but think that it was funny how that condition could make even the nicest woman change. Plans made and it was agreed that Hinata and her 'entourage', consisting of what Kakashi would definitely call "Brats" in her opinion-would leave for Konoha in two days. The next day flew- Hinata packed a backpack as light as she could take and still walk at a decent pace, another complaint she now found herself ailing from- aching back. That night as she sat with Gaara wrapped in his arms, listening to his soft, silky masculine voice read to Squirt, with her eyes closed, she realize just how much she felt this was home.

For a long time Konoha seemed like it would be the only home she would ever know , but her fate had taken her to many countries while in the service of the ANBU, and for this she was glad. When Gaara had come into her life, it was a complete surprise- after that night she saved his life she had expected them to be polite to each other in passing whenever and if she ever saw him again. She thought she was hallucinating the day he showed up at random at the hospital to invite her to lunch, he took her to eat Sushi as "repayment" for the night she saved him as promised. From that day on, she really liked Sushi- and oddly so did he. After that , every time he visited Konoha they had a standing dinner date, and these visits became more often to her relief- sure he was a quiet, unreadable and often unpredictable person, but there was a unmistakable attraction there. Weird, it was supposed to be opposites attract- not the other way around. About six months into their "friendship" things became more serious one night, Gaara walked her back to her apartment after a moonlight "picnic" after her late rounds at the hospital - he didn't mind, being the insomniac he was, but she was tired out. The academy kids always enjoyed sparring day- often times too much, causing much more work for Konoha's poor medics. On the way home, Hinata stumbled, where she was caught by the two strong arms of Sabaku no Gaara. Pulling her into his arms gently , he crushed her into his chest as if she was a favorite teddy bear being held on to by a scared child. She looked into his eyes, they were so innocent and lost. Eyes that held so much pain, she swore she would give anything to take that pain away , just to give him a moment of peace. Her arms embraced him back as if compelled by a unseen force, hand gently touching his face, tracing his lips with her hand. He lowered his lips to hers slowly, inexperienced, as if tasting her- she returned his kiss with as much trepidation as he displayed. Neither one of the two had experienced much of a measure of physical affection and it was a new sensation for either of them. Gaara's hand ran through her silken black tresses as her hands held on to the muscled flesh of his back . Pulling back from each other for air, they mutually understood - they needed each other- everything both had longed for - acceptance, forgiveness, warmth, understanding and love- was staring at them when they stared into each others eyes. He did not believe she was weak and She did not think he was a monster- they fit. Letting go of each other and resumed their walk, stopping at her apartment complex. He looked at Hinata as she walked toward the building, she stopped and turned around to look back at the Sand Nin, "Gaara, come in? It's late- stay here, rest for a while- Suna will be there tomorrow….." She spoke softly, nerves standing on end, For once Gaara, smiled and walked into the darkness with her. From that day on- they held a special part of each others hearts.

"Hinata?" She was pulled out of her thoughts by a gentle shake on the shoulder. She blushed, embarrassed he caught her zoning out, " Yes love?" she replied, opening her opal colored eyes. "Are you feeling well? I have been calling your name for the last five minutes." Hinata sat up and turned to face him, " Sorry love, I was just lost in my thoughts. I thought you were talking to Squirt anyway." Gaara brushed one of her long black strands of hair out of her eyes, and moved over to give her a kiss. Their lips met half way, the kiss first gentle - then turned passionate, soon both found themselves gasping for air. Gaara cupped her cheek in his hand, tipping her face up to look into his jade colored eyes, "Be careful, I will miss you " his spoke softly- she smiled sweetly in return, " I'll miss you too, sure you can't go with me? Everyone will be so disappointed ." Gaara's face went blank, regretting his responsibilities for the millionth instance " Not this time, The Council had some important meetings that I have to attend." Hinata gave him a light hug, " I understand- you have your duties. I'll will not be gone that long- I do not think Squirt will allow that." Gaara touched her slightly rounded tummy to be rewarded with a surprisingly strong kick, a soft grunt of pain came from the mother to be, "Ah- taijutsu master already. Lee would be proud." she chuckled softly . Hinata suddenly found herself compelled to play with Gaara's dark red hair, running her hands though it, admiring how soft and silky it was, " I hope Squirt has your hair, it's so beautiful" The quiet man sitting there with his eyes closed grunted in reply. After a few more moments of silence, Hinata realized from the slow rise and fall of his chest, Gaara was asleep. She smiled, looking at her handsome husband thinking how things change in odd ways. Hinata loved the way Gaara looked in his sleep, he seemed so innocent when he slept. Sighing and looking out the window at the bright moon in the black night sky, She realized that they had not spent a night away from each other since the wedding, sure some nights he had crawled into bed a little later than she because of meetings, but they had not really been away from each other for any length of time- she had came accustomed to his arms holding her at night. She loved the feel of his arms, he made her feel so safe and wanted. The next couple of weeks would be hard on the both of them, but Hinata had his foreboding feeling that something was about to go very wrong and No doubt even though he was trying not to show it, Gaara felt it too.

Early the next morning, Gaara walked his wife to the gates where she met her two genin "guards". A boy, about the age 13 named Naru and a girl about the age of 12 named Maya- oddly these two were cousins and from the looks the two shot each other- rivals as well. Hinata had been trying to shake off the feeling of doom that been haunting her since the night before, Gaara looked at her as they were leaving, with a unreadable emotion in his eyes- trying to desperately control the urge to ask her not to go. The three waved a goodbye as they left the gate - Gaara's heart sank as he walked back to his office, the uneasy feeling about the whole trip refusing to dissipate. A while went by, Hinata was enjoying learning about her two "guards", listening to how the cousins were ninjas because they were forced to become that by their families. She now felt bad about referring to them as "Brats" now since she learned that she rather enjoyed their company. Maya was a short, lean, muscular girl with long brown hair and light caramel colored eyes- she spoke with a soft sweet voice and she expressed a interest in learning to be a medic, when they were discussing what Hinata did- earning her a disgusted look from her older cousin. Maya reminded Hinata a lot of herself at that age, quiet, a bit unconfident, and definitely under the thumb of her family. Naru on the other hand, reminded her a lot of Neji in a lot of ways- Long brown hair, Caramel eyes, and a cocky attitude-a prodigy in his family in skill and smarts, but also under the control of a family he despised. Naru Seemed like he was under such pressure to prove himself- much like her older cousin was at that age. Hinata found herself smiling at the two often- they were so much like her and Neji as children. The day quickly turned into night- the trio of travelers decided to rest at a Oasis by a lake that they had stumbled onto as the sun was setting. Sitting by a small fire they had made, Hinata gave the kids some rice balls she brought along , after dinner she told the kids to take a small nap. The two had protested, but Hinata had insisted, seeing the look a weariness on the youngsters faces, assuring them that even though she was pregnant -she was still a ninja and not tired for the moment. The two Guards found themselves under a tree taking a nap by the fire, Hinata sat a few feet a way by the lakeside bathing in the moonlight. Pulling her jacket tightly around her body to keep off the desert chill, She wished Gaara was there. Squirt kicked inside Hinata's stomach , She brought her hand to her rounded tummy to comfort the child "Miss him already? I do too, wee one." . The kicking quieted for a moment. Hinata carefully calculated that they are about a 4 hours walk to Konoha- the three had made impressive time today even with a 6 month pregnant woman. Hinata figured that when Maya and Naru had rested that they would head out and be in Konoha by the early morning hours. She felt the sooner they got there the better as the feeling of doom still held to her. Deciding to meditate a bit, Hinata closed her eyes and sharpened her ears to the world around her. Gaara had taught her a technique of meditating that he used when he still had the demon inside that one could regain their energy and chakra without sleeping. She often had used this skill often when she worked long shifts on the field and had found it to be useful for a while- until one could get some real sleep. A hour or two later, The three were traveling again. After a while, Hinata got the idea that they were being followed. Activating her Byukagen quietly, she scanned the trees- seeing four people following them in the trees. "We're being followed." She whispered to the two genins, they instantly stiffened up with fear. Groaning inwardly, Hinata thought, Great they a freezing in fear already and I am not as fast as I used to be. Stealthy, Hinata reached down into her kunai pouch- grabbing a stack of shurinkens. Just as she did that, the enemy decided to expose themselves, surrounding the three travelers. Maya and Naru stepped in front of Hinata to protect her , "stand back" she told them, seeing the fear and excitement that was written across their faces. The two did what they were told as Hinata looked at the leader of the group in front of her- a shiny forehead protector on the arm of the tall, masked man said it all-the sound village symbol with a line through it - a missing sound nin. This did not look good, The man spoke, a deep voice with a rasp to it, "Well, well- what do we have here?" Hinata looked into the man's cold gray eyes, steel in her calm voice- "We mean you no harm, we are simple travelers. Please allow us to pass." looking for a peaceful and less violent way out of the confrontation. Another one of the missing nins by Naru gave a evil laugh, " I am afraid we cannot do that. You are traveling to Konoha from the looks of the headband on your neck and we can't have you telling anyone about us." Naru shook in his spot, Hinata could hear the sound of the Kunai shaking in his hand. " Well then, Let's play." Hinata responded, voice cold as she threw the shurinkens- catching the two Missing nins by Naru and Maya in the throats. The two hit Nins crumpled into the ground- choking to death slowly on their own blood. Maya's eyes wide at their "client's" moves. The leader of the missing nins looked at Hinata with a surprised amusement, " Simple traveler? Not with those moves- Your actions just scream ANBU." She smirked, " so you've noticed." The leader smirked behind the mask as he pulled out a sword from his back, "well then your mine." Hinata nodded, The man then spoke again " Goya, kill the kids." He commanded the one comrade he had left, the other missing nin cackled evilly as he poofed and reappeared behind Maya. Hinata sighed with relief as she saw Maya take the defensive position and ready herself, as Hinata pulled out a Kunai and blocked a blow from the sword. It seemed as if the sound nin and Hinata were pretty much evenly matched- for every swipe made toward the other- it was blocked. Both had various injuries from punctures and gashes from the intense fight. Hinata realized this missing nin was rather good and it was not going to be a fight that was going to be able to be won with weapons. She was going to have to do this hand to hand combat style. She threw her Kunai at the Other nin that was fighting Naru and Maya , catching him in the forehead just in time, as he was about to stab Naru in the back as he was trying to throw Maya out of harms way. But looking away for the split second cost Hinata , seeing the exposed opening in her defense- the lead missing Nin stabbed her in the chest. Quickly turning back to her Prey, Hinata hit the nin on the head with the Hyuuga style- the sound nin fell to the ground unceremoniously, blood leaking from his nose and ears . Feeling her Chakra Blocked and her breath in short supply with the chest wound, Hinata herself fell on to the soft ground. Maya and Naru quickly surrounded her panicking, their first real mission and they were going to lose their charge- this would be a disgrace especially after she defended them. Hinata wearily looked at the two genins, "Hold on to me" she whispered, the kids tightly grabbed her arms- unsure of what she was about to do, and with her last bit of chakra she could summon she made a few one handed seals.

With a Poof! The trio appeared in front of Konoha's main Gate. "Hey! Down here- we need help!" Maya screamed to the guard at the top of the gate. One of the ANBU that had been guard duty appeared on the ground beside them, and next to the unconscious Pregnant woman on the ground "Oh crap, It's Hyuuga." The voice from the mask sounded shocked, he looked up and yelled for his teammates " Come on- we gotta get these three to the hospital!" Naru and Maya looked at Hinata, whom was fighting for each breath. Hinata closed her eyes, the sensation of falling into darkness overtook her.

Beep……Beep……..Beep………….Beep…..

A familiar sound filled the stiff girl's ears, the feeling of consciousness seemed to be playing with her. The sound was not a comfort, Hinata had never felt quite comfortable with heart monitors especially after her first chuunin exam. Wanting to speak, but the desert in her mouth prevented it. The desire to open her eyes was great, but the things she referred to as eyelids seemed to be filled with heavy lead. Becoming more aware of her surroundings, without opening her eyes- she could almost bet she was in the hospital, probably had an IV and from the sound of continuous flow of air running up her noise and the weight of the mask on her face - on oxygen. Her body felt like it was made of wood , too heavy to move easily. From the sound of the light snores in the room, she figured she was not alone, the smell of flowers and antiseptic filled the air. She concentrated on moving her body- a appendage at time, but she would do it. Focusing on the toes, after a minute they wiggled, then on to the legs, and so forth. An intensely painful and time consuming process. About an hour later and with lots of effort, Hinata sat up slowly with a tired but great feeling of victory, the crowning achievement was opening her eyes. She surveyed her area- bright white lights overhead, the forest of flowers, miscellaneous gifts stacked on tables, a sand gourd propped up against the wall and the form of the 5th Hokage half sleeping in a chair. Looking at herself, Hinata was mildly amazed she was alive, cuts and scrapes covered her body- large bandages covered a good part of her upper body. Tsunade hearing her former students soft hisses of pain, looked up quickly and relief washed over the Hokage's young looking features. Tsunade stood up, rushing over the girls bedside " Don't rush it." she warned Hinata, pulling down her oxygen mask and pushing a straw to the Hinata lips. Hinata drank thirstily, feeling the desert in her mouth disappear. "Thank you, Sensei." Hinata whispered finding her voice. Tsunade replaced the glass on the table beside her and began checking her vitals, " You really gave us a scare there. Wasn't sure you'd pull through this time, but your little one thought otherwise. The baby's Chakra kept you alive until we could stabilize you." Hinata's eyes suddenly went wide, "Squirt! Is the baby ok?" Her voice trembled in fear, as there was a movement in her stomach, tears ran down her face in relief. Giving the young woman a injection into her IV, " This will help for the pain." she said, Tsunade laid her hand on the pregnant young woman's tummy, " I guess there is your answer, She is a good girl- protecting others already, just like her mother. You'll be fine in a couple of days- but you'll still have to take it easy for a while." the Hokage's tone was a motherly one as she began walking to the door, Hinata looked up as her Sensei was leaving, "Tsunade-sama, Is Gaara here? Where is the two kids that were with me?" Tsunade chuckled, " Well you've been out for four days, the students you brought were treated and are visiting the academy for a while. Gaara arrived here shortly after you collapsed at the gates- after hearing reports of the trouble those missing Nins have caused He came here to make sure you were safe. Weird sixth sense that boy has about you, Naruto finally drug him out to get something to eat just a while ago. He has pretty much camped out here the whole time you have been here, we offered him a bed but he refused" Hinata stared down at her cut up hands, relieved that Naru and Maya were not hurt. Tsunade moved to leave, " Hinata, thanks for taking care of those Nins, They have been a real pain, Killed two of our strongest ANBU just last week." Hinata looked up and gave a weary smile, "It was self defense really." Tsunade nodded and walked out, closing the door and leaving the young woman to her thoughts. Squirt saved her, Hinata laid her hand on her stomach to be rewarded with a small kick. A strong fighting spirit already, Hinata couldn't be more proud or thankful. She stared out the window to see it was indeed a sunny day in Konoha. The pain now lessening, Hinata watched some children play in the yard next to the hospital as she played a game with Squirt- Hinata tapped her stomach gently with her finger and Squirt kicked at her intrusion. " Well wee one, I owe you my thanks. In appreciation I promise to never push you to be anything you do not want to be. Agreed?" She whispered to the Child in her stomach, who gave a light kick in agreement. Feeling tired again, the tired mom to be closed her eyes as she listened to the children's laughter outside the window.

Gaara returned from the Ramen shop with Naruto, to see his wife sitting up against the headboard, peacefully sleeping. Her skin had lost some of its deathly white pallor, her breathing came easier, her once blue lips now a pale pinkish color - Gaara was glad, feeling some of the tension in his muscles relax. He stared out the window- the sun was setting on the village of Konoha, the squeals of children playing outside pierced the air. A small hiss of pain came from the form on the bed, he watched her silently as she struggled to sit up straighter. Hinata's white eyes blinked as she saw him standing before her. She gave him a tired smile as he sat beside her on the bed. Wordlessly Hinata slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, her face resting on his chest feeling the slowing of his breathing as he was calming some. Wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly- his actions spoke volumes, he had been frightened for her. Her heart ached at the pain and worry she must have caused him, Gaara's embrace told her more than he ever expressed in words. " I am sorry Gaara, trouble seemed to find me this time." she whispered, closing her white eyes, afraid he would be angry- instead the answer came in the form of a hand snaking into her hair, gently playing with the long obsidian locks. Their breaths both came easier, holding each other- they felt whole again. After a long silence Gaara spoke, his voice even and calm in her ears " You are never leaving me again." Snuggling closer into his arms as they tightened around her waist, she replied to him in a soft steady voice " I can agree with that." He pulled away from her and looked over her, mentally checking for previously unseen injuries.

Gaara Placed a hand on her tummy, warranting a flutter of movement from Squirt, he put his ear on her tummy to listen to the child's heartbeat- trying to be sure that Squirt was alive and well. A rare grin came over the red haired mans face as he listened to the steady sounds of the baby's heartbeat- relief that the wee one had survived apparent. Hinata touched his soft red hair, curling it around her fingers and gently letting it go, " Our little Squirt is a girl, she saved my life.." Gaara sat up, pulling his wife in his arms again, kissing her forehead. " That is what Tsunade said. Unnaturally large Chakra for a infant too." the calm voice mused for a moment, letting on to his concern. " Now we know where all my energy has been going, I am sure that it is not anything to be worried over. Squirt is strong like her father." Hinata said, looking up into his jade eyes with a weary smile. "Hn," was all the response he offered, not convinced. Yawning, Hinata closed her eyes as she pulled herself away from her husband and laid down on the bed. With pleading eyes, she looked at him- patting the place beside her on the bed. Taking the hint, he took off his shoes and laid down facing her, " Where is Naru and Maya? Were they hurt badly?" A cold look briefly crossed his eyes, " Those two genins are getting some more training while we are here. I shall deal with their punishment when we return to Suna." His voice was cold, anger at her " Guards" obvious. Hinata sighed and took Gaara's hand in hers, " Gaara, Please reconsider that. Those two fought hard- we were out numbered and out ranked. I did what I could- I am not as able as I used to be speed wise. " remembering all the time when she was a genin and Kurenai had to step in to save her team when they made a mistake or froze in the face of danger. The pleading look Hinata gave the Kazekage must have worked, Gaara sighed " Alright, but they definitely require more training." She responded by snuggling her body to his, his arms wrapped themselves around her growing tummy. The two quiet lovers watched the darkening night sky through the window, listening to each others steady breaths and enjoying the warmth of the others body. Darkness filled the room and Moonlight played with the shadows in the corners of the room, her white pupils shined in the pale light. Her soft voice broke the peaceful silence, " I missed you", she closed her eyes as she felt his hands were caressing her sore back muscles- seeming to touch just the right spots. " And I missed you as well, Koi." his voice quiet and silky, his warm breath tickled her ear "Don't scare me like this again, I need you" The words were not a request, but a pleading almost. White eyes opened in shock, she had never heard this tone in his voice before- such fear she must have caused him. She turned to face him, her long hair splayed around her head like a halo, she wrapped her arms around his well toned chest, moving her face closer to his as he moved his face closer to hers- their lips met in a passionate kiss. All the emotions from the week that he could not display to the world, the fear, the anger, the worry, the love, he showed her in their kiss. They both moaned and pulled away for air, staring at into each others faces for a long time. Hinata squeezed his hands comfortingly, " I'm not going anywhere- I promised you to death do us part and I do not take back my words." He smiled, squeezing her hand back " I will hold you to that promise." He touched her tummy gently, looking into her eyes " Both of you are Important to me- I will protect you always." She nodded, understanding that he was just trying to explain his fears- she knew all of what he was trying to form into words, but thought he felt better to get it out. Feeling the lead fill her eyelids again, she closed her eyes as he pulled her closer- her head cradled between his shoulder and chest. Before she fell into the comforting darkness of sleep she whispered, " I love you..Gaara."

Three days later, the young parents to be sat in the Gardens of the Hyuuga compound, surrounded by members of the Hyuuga clan- which made both of them quite uneasy. Although the time from which Hinata had been separated from her relatives- she was greeted warmly by everyone, no one forgot the one who was the catalyst for all the changes in such a traditional clan. Hinata, whom was still recovering from her injuries, had now displayed a fake smile and hid behind her eyes- becoming as unreadable as her relatives, although no one but her dear husband could tell- though it was apparent when her hand clung to his hand so tightly. Hinata and Gaara sat in the very back row of seats on the grooms side, Her white eyes took in her surroundings- the Garden was as beautiful as she left it when she tended it years ago. Roses of all colors, Orchids, Tigerlillies, and Iris's grew all around as the pinkish white blossoms from the cherry trees fell from the air like a flowery rain. Hiashi and Hanabi sat beside the quiet couple, Hinata gave her father a small but honest smile. Their relationship had taken a turn for the better when he visited her in the hospital a few days before. Tsunade had mentioned that when the ANBU brought Hinata in that she had lost a lot of blood, she needed a transfusion to survive and the Hyuuga's had a rare blood type unfortunately. Hiashi Hyuuga was the first to offer to donate blood to save his daughter, the medics knew that Hinata would probably not approve being on the terms that she was with her family but there was no other choice since Neji was away on a mission at the time. While she was unconscious, The Hyuuga elder came by the hospital every day to visit his daughter, although under the watchful eye of his new son in law. During one of those visits, Hiashi decided to speak to the Sand Nin instead of just passing him by silently. He found that all the initial impressions he had of Gaara of the Desert was incorrect, instead of a cold and murderous monster- he found a quiet, polite and intelligent man. Gaara had thanked him for helping save Hinata. The two had spoken for quite a while, both staring at the deathly pale woman lying in the hospital bed- silently willing her to wake up. The Elder Hyuuga eyed the machines that kept his oldest child breathing. The usually quiet Kazekage finally broke the silence again, almost reading the older mans thoughts, " You know, She doesn't hate you. Someone once told me that wounds to the heart are the hardest to heal and can only be healed by love." With that Gaara was gone, only traces of sand left in the spot where he had sat a moment before.

Hinata grimaced a bit as "Squirt" kicked her in a bruised rib, a soft hiss of pain escaped her lips alerting the three that sat beside her who looked at her with concern for her on their faces. She waved them off with a smile, as the music signaling the ceremony was beginning filled the air. Everyone watched with admiration as Tenten and Neji preformed the traditional tea ceremony. The love between the two could be clearly felt by the audience- Hinata watched though amazed eyes that things could change so much. The Hyuuga clan had changed too- not so much a clan- now a family. Oddly the Council did agree to let Neji be the next Head of the family and the houses merged into one. Neji, the once caged bird that thought ones fate was set in stone was now controlling his own fate. 'this would be one of those life is wonderful moments if I didn't hurt this much' Hinata thought sourly as her body ached from her many injuries. Gaara watched Hinata though the ceremony, seeing the flinches of pain she tried to hide. He knew she should still be in bed recovering but she had promised to come to this wedding and she would not be dissuaded . She had been fortunate to survive, a punctured lung, broken rib, various cuts and bruises- if not for Tsunade, Squirt's chakra and Hiashi's blood, she would not have. The Ceremony went quickly and soon Gaara and Hinata found themselves in the Hyuuga Main hall. Neji and Ten Ten came to stand with them. Hinata gave the newly weds a sincere smile and both of them a hug, " Neji-niisan, Congratulations. Tenten-chan, You look beautiful." Neji nodded, " I am sorry about the attack, I was on a mission at the time. From the reports, you have mastered Hyuuga style well." Hinata blushed, " I wouldn't necessarily say that- just call it self defense." Tenten cleared her throat, " We are glad you are here and your safe, you too Gaara-san." Gaara nodded in acknowledgement, not quite knowing what to say. Neji and Tenten chatted with them a few minutes before they went on to mingle with more guests, when they left Hinata turned to Gaara- whispering in his ear " I am tired. You look uncomfortable, let's go." He nodded, relieved to be away from the crowd, putting his arm around her waist they walked into the sunset.

The Red numbers on the digital clock blinked 5:01 am. Hinata lounged in the chair by the bed, staring out the guestroom window into the darkness of the early morning. She groaned inwardly, she would have rather been sleeping the nice warm bed next to her husband, but her child believed that it was playtime. And she was quickly learning when Squirt did not sleep, neither did she. Glancing at the bed- Gaara was peacefully sleeping under a mountain of covers, he had been so worried since she was attacked about her health that he had not been sleeping much at all. It was a relief to see him sleep so soundly. Hinata got up and walked into the hallway, noticing the changes in her old apartment. The walls were now nice pastel colors- light shades of blue and lilac, the furniture was the same- just rearranged, the apartment now had the appearance of being lived in, not just the temporary place to rest that she had used it for. The newlyweds had insisted that Hinata and Gaara stay here after she was released from the hospital since they were going away for their honeymoon anyway. Hinata made her way to the kitchen and retrieved herself a glass of orange juice, putting on a pot of coffee for Gaara since she was sure he would be up eventually- probably sooner than later as he was not usually a late sleeper. She wandered in to the living room, spying the tv from the corner of her eye- contemplating watching tv for a moment, then she saw the piano in the corner of the room. Sitting at the Piano bench, Hinata ran her fingers down the keys. Deciding to try to remember those many piano lessons she has as a child, her hands danced expertly over the keys as if she was a concert pianist. The sounds of 'Moonlight Sonata' softly filled the air, the song she practiced so much as a child that she knew the keys by heart. A kick rocked the poor pregnant woman's stomach- signaling that Squirt was not happy with her mom's choice of pastime, Hinata put her hands on her tummy to try to calm the child. A quiet voice came from the shadow of the doorway, " why did you stop?" A beary eyed, Shirtless Gaara wandered to the bench and sat beside her. Looking at him innocently, " Did I wake you? I am sorry." He gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead, " No. I was enjoying it. I wasn't aware that you played Piano." Hinata smiled, " I am glad you enjoyed it, but your daughter disagrees." Gaara rubbed his wife's belly " A little young for the rebellious phase." he laughed. Gaara went to the kitchen to get himself some coffee, appreciative that Hinata remembers his addiction to the stuff. Hinata leaned against the counter across from him, drinking her orange juice slowly as she stared at the sun rising outside the kitchen window. The golden glow of the early morning sun bathed the young woman in it's rays, her long black hair hung over her small frame, dressed in tan khaki's and a plain white shirt-she always did appreciate simplicity even in the way she dressed, she was still small even at six months pregnant- the only sign was the growing bump in her middle. The long dark hair was complimented by her porcelain white skin and pale pink lips, but her white colored eyes are what held the most intrigue- To anyone else she could hide behind them like a shield, never showing what emotion lie behind them- only to him, was she an open book. Gaara broke the comfortable silence, "Hinata, We'll be leaving today. Are you feeling well enough to travel?" His voice invaded her thoughts, she nodded. Hinata, though she loved seeing her friends and family, had been ready to run for home since she met the Missing sound Nins on the road to Konoha. Fighting and waking up in the hospital was not her idea of a relaxing vacation. Hinata gave Gaara a small smile, " Hai, Tsunade-sama said that I would be fine." He nodded, "I have some business with the hokage to finish and then I will be ready. Those two genins will be meeting me at her office shortly." Hinata finished her juice, " While you do that, I have someone I have to go see." her voice quiet, eyes unreadable once again. He knew who she was going to see without her having to say it.

A quick clean up of the apartment, Hinata had left the apartment key, and thank you note on the table- with this done, the Kazekage and his wife found themselves walking in two different directions down the street. Gaara had been uneasy about letting Hinata go by herself, the attack had frightened him and he had wanted to keep her close to protect her, but he realized that she was on her home turf and she had allies here to back her up if she needed it, but even with that he still worried. Hinata walked down the street alone, she was really surprised that she was allowed to go alone, Gaara had stuck to her like glue since she had woke up in the hospital. She frowned as she reached the Cemetery gates, it had been a long time since she had been here- guilt struck her- hopefully her mother did not believe she had forgotten her. The Silence through the cemetery was deafening, the huge black iron gates creaked in the gentle breeze and the clouds darkened overhead. A shiver of cold ran through the white eyed womans body as she made her way to a grave that faced a beautiful pond. Kneeling down, she ran her fingers lightly over the name engraved in the grey, cold granite marker ' Hyuuga Mitsume' . "Mother" the soft whisper came from the usually quiet girl, she stood up and found her a place to sit on a bench near the head stone. The clouds overhead darkened and white eyes stared out across the pond, focusing on the graceful white swans that floated on the water without a care. A memory out of the blue came to mind…..

A 5 year old Hinata walked between her parents, holding one hand of each parent as she jumped between steps and her parents held her in the air with a "whee". Hinata was on top of the world, her mother promised to take her on a picnic today- father even promised to come play with her too. The trio stopped in front of a small lake where her mother, 0bviously very much with child by the large bump in her middle, laid a blanket on the grass for the three to have their picnic. The woman's shoulder length black hair and ice blue eyes was offset by her porcelain white skin. The tired mom to be sat on the blanket idly watching her oldest daughter and husband play in the grass, the two seemed so happy. Hiashi was so proud of Hinata, she was not where Neji was at this age, but she tried hard and Mitsume was sure she was would be a excellent ninja one day. For once Mitsume wished the Hyuuga council could let her daughter grow up as a normal child instead of being groomed to be heir from birth, even at age 5, some of the elders already deemed Hinata as weak. Smiling as her husband and daughter tired from their playing, sat down on the blanket. Mitsume handed her Husband and daughter some rice balls and wished for a moment she could preserve this moment forever. After lunch, Mitsume and Hiashi sat close by each other - talking softly about their dreams and their wishes for their children while Hinata was taking a nap on the corner of the blanket. Hinata smiled in her sleep, her mother ran her fingers though her daughters inky blue black hair gently. Hinata felt loved and wanted, even if the rest of her family was mean she would always have her mother…….

The young woman's thoughts were broken when she heard the sounds of steps coming from behind her, Hinata closed her eyes, remembering when she once had been happy in her family. Shortly after that picnic- Mitsume had passed away in child birth. Hanabi, her little sister was never fortunate enough to know their mom's love and Hinata felt guilty for it. A familiar voice interrupted the silence, " May I sit with you a while?" Hinata nodded as Hyuuga Hiashi sat beside her. "Father." She softly acknowledged his presence.

" You are a lot like your mother, same kind spirit. You remind me a lot of her," His words were quiet, thoughtful as the white eyed man searched his daughter's face. She looked at her father with the same eyes, "I miss her. I wonder if things would be different if she were here." Her voice betraying the emotions she was desperately trying to hide. Hiashi hooked away , focusing on the grave stone in front of them " things were not supposed to turn out like this, though I am proud of you. I just hope you can forgive me for the past." Hinata touched her fathers hand softly, " Water under the bridge. I would not change my life- I chose my fate and I am happy with my decisions. Leaving the clan was the best thing I ever did for myself- it was the only way I could learn to be strong. I have had the opportunity to do the things I would not have been allowed to if I was the clan heir- I learned people can respect who I am for my own abilities, not my position in the family. I learned to live a life of no regrets." The elder Hyuuga was silent as he stared at his deceased spouses grave, carefully taking in his daughters words. Hinata watched the water in the pond ripple in the wind, "Father, I am leaving to return home today." Hyuuga Hiashi looked at this serene older daughter, " I see. You consider Suna home now?" She nodded, rubbing her pregnant belly gingerly as she smiled " I do- everyone there has been so wonderful and welcoming. I have been to so many places over the years- I am glad to have a home with someone special there." Hiashi looked at his daughter and ruffled her hair with a smile, " Well then, I hope you will send word when the little one arrives and Keep in touch, we do miss you Hinata." She smiled and gave her surprised Father a reassuring embrace, speaking softly " Of course Father." Noticing a familiar presence behind them- Hinata noticed that Gaara stood not too far away- leaning on a tree trunk With his eyes closed. Hinata stood up and walked towards Gaara as her father walked with her. The Men looked at each other and Nodded, Hiashi spoke to Gaara with a respectful tone, " Kazekage-sama, Please take care of my daughter." Gaara nodded silently in acknowledgement as he took Hinata's hand in his. Hinata smiled as they turned away, " Goodbye Father." And with that - the two were gone.. Leaving a stunned Hyuuga clansman behind. He never expected to be on good terms with his oldest child again or that mending their past would have been that easy- guess what the Kazekage said was true, "Love was the only medicine for wounds to the heart."

The trip back to Suna was as it should have been on the way to Konoha- calm, peaceful and quick. Things could have went a little faster if they had not stopped for a break every three or four hours but no one argued with the Kazekage- especially one worried about his wife and unborn child. Tsunade warned him that they needed to rest frequently with Hinata's still healing wounds, and with the pain still lingering a bit- Hinata did not argue. Gaara walked ahead with Naru, while Hinata and Maya walked at a slower pace behind, discussing the life of a medical Nin and the exams that one had to go through to become a medic. Maya seemed genuinely interested in the medical field and asked Hinata would she teach her how to be a medic nin. The older Ninja smiled at the younger girl and said " We'll see." Hinata watched how Gaara interacted with Naru, surprised at how he treated the Genin kindly, even showing the boy some way to improve his techniques. Naru, of course, was reasonably terrified of the Kazekage- but was quickly warming up to the leader as the two conversed. Upon Arrival in Suna, Temari was all too happy to hand her brother back his post and catch up with the recent news in Konoha with her sister in-law. Gaara on the other hand found himself busier than before, the Council constantly summoning him for meetings and the paperwork building up faster than both Temari and Hinata could keep up with filing it. Hinata kept herself as busy as her body would allow her to be- with the baby growing her small frame was burdened by the stress, So when Maya came to Hinata and asked to be her assistant in exchange for medic lessons, Hinata was happy to oblige. This arrangement was working well for all parties involved, Hinata still had her office duties in the morning and she spent the afternoons with Maya, teaching her as they did all the household cooking and cleaning. Life settled back into a calm routine for everyone once more.

One of the greatest things about living in the desert was the joys of watching the beautiful desert sunset, and from the roof top of the Kazekage's tower there was no better view. A eight months pregnant woman with the luminescent white eyes shining in the orange glow of the setting sun and the long black hair blowing around her face as she sat unmoving in a lounge chair- watching the sun disappear behind the sand dunes. The desert wind had a slight chill in it as the breeze blew across her body, unconsciously she pulled her old worn white parka a little tighter around her growing abdomen. The soothing sounds of violin, guitar and piano harmonized in her mind through the headphones over her ears, keeping the chill of the desert air at bay. Exhaustion had been plaguing her recently and this moment was no exception, closing her eyes, Hinata took a deep breath. Worries of the days ahead bounced around in her head, her health had not been the best lately- she lacked energy to do much at all lately, along with the sudden dizzy spells, nausea, random contractions and headaches concerned her that Squirt was going to arrive soon- a bit too soon. As a medic herself she recognized the signs of preterm labor, and she hoped that the current hospital staff in Suna could handle it, Sakura was not supposed to arrive for a couple more weeks. Of course, Hinata did not let any of the following concerns show- she did her best not to worry anyone else, especially not Gaara- he had enough on his mind. Due to his hard work Suna's economy had flourished , becoming a tourist hot spot known for it's great collection of artists and brave shinobi- but along with the great success comes more work. Suddenly feeling another chakra signature behind her, she smiled to herself and turned down the music. Without opening her eyes she greeted her visitor, "Ohayo Temari-Chan. How was your mission?" as she listened to her sister in law sit in the chair beside her. Feeling the last bit of sun light fading, she opened her pearlescent eyes and glanced over at her sister in law. The Princess of the Sand just smirked, and looked down as the lights in the Village of Suna came on one by one. "It went well- quieter than your last trip there I should say. Here's a letter for you." Temari handed her a letter, turning it over - looking at the neat script, Hinata deducted that it must be from TenTen. "Arigato. How was Shikamaru?" The white eyed girl teased her sister in law, watching the Sand nin blush. " He was well. He is one of the Council leaders in Konoha now." Hinata nodded in approval, " It's about time. He is a smart one- he is one great strategist." Temari smirked as she stood up to leave, looking down at the mom to be whom was clutching her arms together, even with the parka, to beat the chill "Hinata, come in. It's getting cold." Hinata nodded , slowly standing up as she did , all strengh from her knees suddenly faded away and she fell straight on her knees- a warm sensation rippled over her stomach as she felt the pain run through her body. Temari appeared by her side, helping the younger woman up. Through gritted teeth Hinata spoke with measured control in her voice as not to show the true amount of pain she was feeling, "Temari, do you think that you might walk me to the hospital? I think your niece wants out." Temari's face paled, " shouldn't we get Gaara? I mean.. He would want to know right away." Hinata grimaced as another sharp pain stabbed through her, feeling her heart speed up, " sure." she whispered as she fell to the ground unconscious. Temari picked up Hinata in her arms and jumped from roof top to roof top till she reached the hospital.

Regaining consciousness was always painful, the smells always seem stronger ,sounds louder, and the pain was always worse. Reality now seeped into Hinata's world once again- The sounds of the medics bustling around her, the hushed familiar voices, the stabbing pains that gripped her abdomen in waves, the beeping of a familiar hated heart machine, too many signs pointed to where she currently was. She opened her eyes to find a familiar pink haired medic looking her in the eyes. "Sakura, Your early." Hinata whispered weakly through her pain. Sakura smiled as she drew some medication into a syringe, "Tsunade had a feeling something would happen a bit early. You have perfect timing, We had just arrived at the gates when Temari brought you in here." Hinata gave her friend a weak smile, as she surveyed her environment- she was in the maternity ward of the hospital. Another contraction hit as the sound of the door opened and shut quickly, a familiar presence became obvious, Gaara. Hinata focused on the new comer to room and held her hand out to him, obligingly he came over and gently took her hand. Concern apparent on his face-feeling his discomfort , she squeezed his hand - giving him a soft look. "Gaara, you don't have to stay if this bothers you- it's ok to wait in the waiting room." Gaara shook his head, "I'll stay." was all he said, but his hand gripped hers a bit tighter. Sakura had been taking in the exchange between the two, cleared her throat gently to get everyone's attention "Ok, everyone out but the parents to be. We are about to have a baby here. Hinata, this might sting." Hinata nodded and felt a needle pick on her thigh as Sakura gave her some pain medication. The medics in the room piled out leaving Sakura and the parents to be, Sakura looked at Hinata " Well at least the passing out part helped you miss most of labor- a couple of pushes and you can meet your daughter- Are you ready?" Hinata gave a small smile and looked at Gaara-squeezing his hand, he gave a gentle squeeze back. Sakura smiled at the two as she took her position to catch the baby, " Ok Push." Hinata did as she was told, the pain running through her body. "Good. Again." The command came again- suddenly a soft hysterical cry filled the air. Sakura sighed a breath of relief as she cleaned the baby and wrapped the baby in a blanket. The pink haired medic handed the small baby to her father, who leaned down close to Hinata, showing her the child. The baby girl looked around at her parents with her jade green eyes and tufts of jet black hair, Gaara placed the child in Hinata's arms and whispered into his wife's ear, "She's beautiful, like her mother." Hinata blushed, running her fingertip gently over the child's rounded cheek. Sakura smiled, taking in the scene between the new parents, her work being done and feeling this was a private moment-she spoke, " Well, I'll come check on you guys in a little while- I'll go tell everyone the good news. Neji and Hanabi came with me so they'll probably be visiting as well- just let us know when your ready for visitors." The new parents both nodded, Hinata smiled and spoke in a soft voice to her friend, "Thank you so much for Everything Sakura, I am glad you are here." Sakura chuckled lightly, " Your welcome. I couldn't let you have all the fun without me." She walked out of the room, shutting the door softly behind her. Feeling Gaara sit down on the bed beside her , Hinata leaned against his chest feeling his arms wrap around her and the baby. His tension fading, the couple relaxed again- enjoying the moment that they have waited for so long. Hinata looked at Gaara with a tired smile, " what shall we name her? We never got around to that." she spoke softly. Gaara touched the baby's face softly, " Saana" the child's eyes focused on her father and she gave a small giggle while reaching for his finger. "I think she likes it," Hinata whispered as her eye lids became very heavy and she relaxed into the comfort of her husbands warm embrace. Closing her eyes, the tired new mom fell asleep. Gaara noticed that his exhausted wife had fallen into a peaceful rest - he gently picked up his daughter carefully out of her mothers arms and holding her so carefully in his own. The infant stared at her father with similar eyes, then closing them as she fell asleep in the warmth of the blanket. The new father was overcome by everything- Life had been better for him in the last few years- where once he felt as if he had no one that loved him, Here he sat holding his first child as his wife slept. He often wondered how all of this came about, but in the end he was happy he was no longer alone. Glancing down lovingly a the sleeping Hinata, he decided she needed her rest and took Saana to meet the rest of her family.

Two weeks had passed since Saana had made her way into the world, the visitors from Konoha had been staying and helping out with the new addition to the family as well as assisting where they could in the Village. Gaara and Hinata had really appreciated the help- even with a new baby at home the duties of being the Kazekage never ceased. Thus forcing Gaara back to his office leaving Hinata to care for "San" as they called her. Sakura had taken the time she was in Suna to show the Medics at the hospital some new and more effective healing techniques while Neji had decided to help train with some of the Suna academy's students- one of those being Naru, who was honored to be training with a close relative of their beloved Hinata-sama. Hanabi and Hinata enjoyed the bonding time with each other while caring for the newborn San who other than the black hair, reflected little of the Hyuuga clans features, for that Hinata was glad. Remembering all the kidnapping attempts she had to live through because the draw of the byukagen was too tempting for some clans, she was thankful that her child had not inherited the tell-tell white eyes- being the child of the Kazekage would be enough to deal with. Not to say that San had not inherited the famous Hyuuga bloodline, but only time would tell if she did. The visitors from the Leaf decided it was time to return to their own village- taking pictures of the new child to the friends and family far away and with promises to visit again soon- the three trekked off into the desert.

Hinata and Saana returned to the apartment from sending their visitors off at the gates, closing the door and retiring to a near by plushy chair. Saana looked up teary eyed at her mother and gave a small cry to signal that she was hungry, complying to her daughters wishes, she placed the baby at her breast discretely. Hinata watched her daughter as she began to fall asleep midway through her meal, marveling at how easily the little girl fell asleep - feeling slightly sorry for herself that the child would probably be up late into the night due to her afternoon nap. Hearing the door open and close behind her, she turned her head to see her red headed husband wearily walk into the house. Smiling, "Hi" she whispered as he gave her a kiss on the cheek and rested in the chair across from her, sinking into the chair and closing his eyes. "Hard day?" she asked him softly, repositioning the sleeping child on her shoulder and rubbing the baby's back gently in circles to get the child to burp. "Hnn" was his response to her question. San burped and relaxed her body on Hinata's shoulder - falling into a peaceful sleep again, the young mother smiled at her husband who was closely studying the interaction between the mother and child. "Gaara, do you want to hold her ? I can go make us dinner while you have her- she seems to wake up anytime she is not being held." Hinata whispered , Gaara nodded taking Saana in his arms gently cradling her against his shoulder. Hinata walked into the kitchen and began making dinner- occasionally spying into the living room to see how her child and husband were. Her heart melted to see the small infant and her father napping together in a reclining chair- both seemed to be happy. Chuckling to herself, 'Like father like daughter" she thought as she went on making dinner.

After dinner, Saana woke up ready to play with big green eyes shining in delight at her father, who took the child in his arms and read aloud to her. Hinata enjoyed catching up on her long abandoned medical journals and scrolls, figuring she would need the information sooner than later- best not let her skills get rusty. Eventually San demanded her dinner, bringing the child back to her mother, Gaara watched his wife nurse the hungry baby, wondering if his mother ever took as good of care of him. Hinata watched her husband stare off into space and wondered what he was thinking about, " Care to share what's bothering you?" she asked her soft voice breaking the silence in the room. Staring out the window his voice broke the silence, " Does everyone has the instincts to be a parent or is it a matter of choice?" The young mother looked at her child , then thoughtfully replied, " I don't really know- to be honest I think it would take a mean person to be cruel to their own child. Gaara, what's really on your mind?" Gaara's eyes met Hinata's, she reached for this hand and gave it a squeeze, "You're a good father. San loves you already and your amazing with her. You should have no worries about having no parental instincts." He sighed , her words lifted a heavy weight from his shoulders. Taking back her hand- she repositioned San to her shoulder , the little girl yawned and blinked her green eyes staring at her father. "I think she wants you," Hinata whispered as she placed the little girl in his arms, whispering in his ear " We aren't like our parents, our children will not have such a difficult childhood." San stretched her small hands around one of Gaara's fingers and giggled, the sand kage smiled as he held the infant close. Lying back on the couch and closing her eyes herself, the young mother delighted in hearing her husband sing their daughter a lullaby. Gaara shook his head in amusement as he laid his sleeping daughter in her crib and picked up his sleeping wife off the couch thinking, 'Like mother like daughter.' as he carried her to bed.

The dark haired little girl with the jade green eyes sat at the edge of the sandbox amazing the other children by making a miniature whirlwind of sand sweep up the little dolls that were in the sandbox- the children called this game "tornado". The squeals of laughter from the children was music to the Kazekages ears while he sat at the desk trying to make sense of the usual mess on his desk while the his white eyed assistant watched from the window as their 4 year old daughter played with the other children. Saana had become a popular playmate to the council members children and often played in the courtyard next to the Kazekages tower while her parents worked under the watchful eye of Maya , who had asked to be assigned as San's bodyguard. Maya had fallen in love with caring for San while she was under the tutelage of Hinata, so it seemed that Maya was a natural choice of Caretaker for the child when her parents were not available. Mostly Hinata cared for San, but whenever she was helping in the Kazekages office Maya took San to keep her from being bored. Maya had grown into a beautiful young woman whose Medical skills now reached the skill of Hinata herself, Maya spent most of her time that was not occupied by her young charge, at the hospital assisting in the children's ward. Saana was discovered to be a gifted child, at age of 2 she had both the ability to control sand and the Byukagen. Hinata and Gaara were torn between being terrified and proud of this discovery, so they did the best they figured they could do - they trained her to use the abilities. The three found that they enjoyed the training time as a family and San excelled in her abilities much to the pride of her parents. A sigh coming from the figure at desk broke the silence, Hinata glanced at her husband who was watching the child play happily with the sand. Gaara smiled as he watched his daughter's "tornado" sweep up the dollies that laid in sandbox and swirled them in circles much to her friends laughter. Hinata laughed and shook her head, " A tornado in the desert- I knew I was letting her watch too much Discovery Channel." Feeling his hand take hers, she smiled, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. The Little girl noticed her parents watching her and waved at them before going back to playing with her friends. "She is truly a gift. Thank you." Gaara said looking at his wife, pulling her down on his lap. Hinata gave him a small smile, relaxing into his arms. " I love you " He spoke softly in her ear. " I love you too." She replied, giving him a gentle kiss. Sighing wistfully, Hinata's eyes went back to the little girl in the sandbox, " She is growing up so fast, I can hardly keep up sometimes. At times I miss the little baby that would wait for me every night to tuck her in" Gaara replied to his wife. "Your silly, love, she waits for you to do that even now. I have something to tell you," She chuckled, her soft breath warming his ear. "Hnmm" the closed eyed man replied. " I'm Pregnant." …… THUMP…….

The Kazekage of the sand lay passed out on the floor in shock. Behind him stand his wife and his sister whom came to see what the commotion is about. Giggling to Temari, Hinata smiled "See Temari I told you that is what would happen."

And they lived happily every after. ….

Fin.