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

Special Thanks: goes out to DUH BOMB, Catastrophically-Me, Sachiko Heiwajima, Tamani, Danish78, Eurkin, pheecat, DivineGlory, Michiyo-chama3, Kibachow, SahelTheWaltzingDinosaur, Ze, and LaydiiV for all your reviews! Also thanks to everyone who's added this story to their favorites and follows lists!

Author's Note: ...And then there were three (chapters left). Still some exciting things to come, though! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

*~Chapter XLII~*

~Breather~

After several days, Neji was moved from the ICU to a regular hospital room, and insisted that he didn't need someone sitting with him 24/7. During that time Hinata helped Hanabi move back into the condo. The younger sister kept asking questions about New York, and the elder kept her sibling entertained by descriptions of shops, the lights of Broadway, and the amazing food at the restaurants she and Sasuke had visited, especially Gaara's.

Hinata marveled at how much happier her relationship with Hanabi was now. They'd managed to form a friendship, laughing and talking freely instead of tiptoeing around each other, afraid of offending or infuriating. It was fascinating watching her sister mature into a strong, confident woman who could speak what she really thought, instead of whatever funny thing popped into her mind to deflect others from her true thoughts.

They'd had a good influence on each other. Hinata felt extremely glad that, in the end, things had worked out the way they had. Hanabi would soon be leaving for college, and to have this time with her before she left would always be special to Hinata.

After they'd gotten Hanabi's things put away, the two women collapsed on the couch and smiled at each other, feeling tired but accomplished.

"So," Hanabi began casually, flipping a stray strand of hair off her cheek, "I noticed Sasuke hasn't been coming with you to the hospital as much. What's up?"

"He wanted to make some last-minute changes to his new book, then go over the whole thing one final time before it gets sent to his agent," Hinata replied. She tugged a pillow behind her side, snuggled up against it and propped her elbow on the armrest, then her cheek on her fist. "Now that Neji's off the critical list and well on his way to recovering, he said he needed to get that done. He's on a really tight schedule, since his next book is supposed to appear in stores in early December. Hopefully not many rewrites will need to be done, but then there're the galleys to go over."

Hanabi whistled. "Whoa, that's a tight crunch. I can't imagine working on such a schedule." Tilting her head, she eyed her sister and asked, with a somewhat wicked smile, "So, sis, did he tell you anything about it? Can you share any tidbits?"

"I actually read it." Hinata laughed at the shocked look on Hanabi's face, and the way her sister had to scramble to keep from dropping the open bottle of water she'd been holding. "It's actually very good. But I'm afraid you're going to have to wait until it releases to find out anything specific about it."

"Figures." Hanabi huffed and rolled her eyes, carefully setting her bottle on the side table before she made a mess. "My own and only sister has a huge in with a bestselling author, and she won't even share an itsy-bitsy spoiler. Shameful." She shook her head, but the teasing smile brightening her eyes lightened the impact of her words.

"Trust me, Hanabi. It's worth the wait." Hinata realized she was rubbing her thumb along the bottom of the band of her promise ring, and quickly stopped before Hanabi could notice. "What about Konohamaru? What's he up to today?"

"Packing for college, of course. I know I need to get started, but I'm too tired right now." She puffed out a breath of air and rolled her head to rest against the back of the couch. "He's going to ride his motorcycle out there, and I'm going to drive my car. So most of his stuff is actually going to wind up in my trunk, which isn't all that big. Is it okay if I leave some of my things here, at least for now? I'll probably pick up more when I come back for visits, but at least for now, I'm going to have to leave a lot of big things here." She bit her lower lip.

"Sure, no problem. I've got plenty of room." Hinata motioned around the room, once again amazed at how easily her and Hanabi's things had mingled without her even noticing.

"And if you find another roommate, just let me know and I'll pay for a storage building or something." Hanabi covered her yawn and shook her head. "Sheesh, sorry. Don't know why I'm so tired."

"You've been working hard today. I think we both have a right to yawn as loud and long as we want." Hinata sighed and picked at a loose thread on her gauchos. "Plus there's all the time you've spent spelling Tenten and me at the hospital."

Hanabi lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. "It's turned out to be kind of a good thing, in a way. I've never been quite as close to Neji - or Tenten - as you, but I think that's changed for the better after this last week or so." Hanabi stared down at the chipped black polish on her nails and sighed. "I'm just glad he's going to be okay."

"Me, too," Hinata agreed quietly. Neji had been the only male in their family who'd encouraged them. He'd helped them with their homework, and listened to their fears, though mostly hers. He possessed a very caring, nurturing heart, and it hadn't surprised either sister when he went into the medical profession. He made a very good doctor, both to help with physical ailments and emotional ones.

"I wonder if he'll want to go back to work in the emergency room." Hanabi stared up at the ceiling with an unfathomable expression on her face. "If it'd been me, I don't know if I'd be able to do it."

"It's not usually so dangerous," Hinata pointed out. "But I'm like you. I don't think I'd be able to go back to being an ER doctor if that had happened to me." If Neji didn't work there, she wondered if he'd switch to the pediatric ward. She knew her cousin had a soft spot for kids, and was always able to coax a smile out of them. He would be good working with children, she knew, especially since he'd considered it while getting his degree. But the ever-changing scenarios and demands of an ER job had lured him into pursuing one there.

"I'm going to miss you."

Hinata shook herself out of her thoughts at Hanabi's sudden quiet, vulnerable admission. Blinking back sudden tears, she whispered, "I'll miss you too, little sister." And she really would.

Sitting up straight suddenly, Hanabi pulled her legs up and turned on the couch so she was facing Hinata. "We'll keep in touch," she said firmly. "E-mails, texts, calls, Skyping - we'll do it all, as often as possible. Agreed, big sister?" She held out her hand, pinkie pointed up, a humorous glint in her eyes at the childish motion.

Feeling suddenly like a kid again - and rather enjoying it - Hinata mirrored her sister's position and then hooked her finger around Hanabi's before replying, "Agreed, little sister."

And, together, they chorused, "Pinkie promise!"

Sasuke sat staring at his computer screen, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu sweep over him. The blinking cursor sat next to the bold The End at the end of his newest book, and for a moment, he felt fear tighten his throat and knot his gut.

Jiraiya was in his office, sitting in front of his computer, waiting for this book. But Sasuke felt himself start to choke, unable to make himself open up an e-mail and send the file. I can't do this.

What if Jiraiya hated this one, too? Sasuke was out of time; he couldn't feasibly write another book in time for it to release in December. Besides, if this supernatural novel was rejected, he wasn't sure he'd be able to write something else. This was his only possible replacement for Checkmate, in which he could now see the flaws thanks to talking it over with Hinata.

But what if he viewed this newest novel with the same eyes he'd used originally for Checkmate? What if it was just as bad, and he just too blind to see it?

But Hinata liked it. Sasuke's eyes slid from his screen to the little velvet jewelry box sitting next to the keyboard. The red and white diamonds in the engagement ring sparkled and flared in the glow of the screen, waiting to grace the hand of the person for whom it had been purchased.

He would plan something romantic for her, give it to her then. For now, he kept the ring with him, remembering how she'd said yes.

Which made him remember the way she'd lit up when she talked about Sasuke's new book. She had complimented him on the complexity of the plot, how real the characters felt, and how everything had flowed together to create the perfect ending. She was, perhaps, his biggest critic - something he'd halfway resented, at first, but he could now appreciate. She was honest with him, as proven by her views on Checkmate. He could trust her.

He would trust her.

After creating a zip file of the book, Sasuke opened an e-mail, added the file, then hit send before he could change his mind. Then he reared back in his chair, closed his eyes, and waited.

It only took a couple of minutes before his phone buzzed. Lifting it to his ear even as he answered it, he said, "It's there?"

"It's here," Jiraiya confirmed. "I'm really excited to read it, you know."

Sasuke puffed out a laugh he didn't really mean. "Don't get your hopes up too high - remember what happened last time." He was putting a lot of effort into not getting his own hopes up, just in case everything came crashing down on him again.

"Don't be ridiculous, Sasuke. Everyone's allowed to write a dud. You just waited till later in your career to write yours. And look at it this way: it's now out of the way! You can just focus on writing your usual good quality stories now." The phone clicked as Jiraiya undoubtedly shifted position. Sasuke could picture the white-haired man sitting in his desk chair, his eyes glued to his screen as he said, "And now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go read your newest hit. I'll get back to you soon, yeah?"

"Before you go, I think you need to know I asked Hinata to marry me. And she said yes." Sasuke knew his agent needed to know first, just in case the press somehow got hold of the information and put it out there. He didn't know how Jiraiya would want to handle it, but however it went, he knew his agent would do the right thing.

Dead silence stretched across the line for a long minute before Jiraiya laughed, long and hard. "A wedding!" Several thumps, like drumbeats, pulsed across the line, and Sasuke realized Jiraiya was pounding on the top of his desk, like applause. "You didn't waste any time, did you, kid?"

"No." Sasuke looked at the ring again. "I've wasted a lot of time in my life, Jiraiya, but she's shown me I don't want to waste anymore."

"Good. Hinata's a wonderful woman, and I would have drawn and quartered you if you let her get away." Jiraiya hesitated. Sasuke could tell the other man was dying to get to the book, but not willing to get off the line before he fully addressed the current situation. "Are you wanting to address this publicly, or...?"

"You know I don't." Sasuke still didn't like to do anything publicly, but it was an unfortunate byproduct of his chosen profession. "But do you think we should, before the press accidentally gets hold of it and runs wild? Particularly since they already seem to think we eloped in New York, despite all denials to the contrary?"

"Hmm, that does rather complicate things, doesn't it?" Jiraiya sighed, sounding agitated. "Just keep a low profile for now. The number of calls begging me for a comment have dropped off a bit, so hopefully the media's moving on to greener topics, at least for now. A few sharks are probably still wandering around, so be careful. Just don't do anything to draw attention, and you'll be fine. How's Hinata's cousin?"

"He's been moved out of the ICU, and is still in quite a bit of pain, and will be for a while, but he's well on the way to making a full recovery." The look of joy on Hinata's face when Sasuke passed on the good news still lingered in his mind, even a week later, and he felt glad he'd been able to tell her.

"I'm really glad to hear that, for Hinata and her family's sake." Jiraiya cleared his throat. "As for the other, you know what you want best, kid. If you want to make this public soon, just let me know, and we'll figure something out. If you don't - well, you're pretty good at keeping the media at bay. I'm sure you'll do fine, no matter what."

Sasuke knew what Jiraiya was thinking, because the same idea had occurred to him not that long ago. He hadn't done it for a publicity stunt, but if news of his engagement came out not long before his new book was due to release, it would be a good way to draw attention to his material. But he didn't want Hinata to think he'd only proposed for that reason...

He must have said something aloud, because Jiraiya sighed. "You know she's not like that, Sasuke," the agent told him a bit sternly. "She knows you better than that. Every time you look at her, how you feel is painted on your face for any idiot to see. She knows you love her, and that's why you proposed. The media circus is always there, and she'll understand it's just something that happened, not something you planned deliberately."

Jiraiya was right, but Sasuke still felt uneasy. He loved Hinata far too much to risk losing her to the unavoidable hazards of his fame. "Yeah," he mumbled. "I'll let you go now, so you can read the book. Call me soon, okay?"

"Sure thing, kid. As soon as I finish it." The distant tone of Jiraiya's voice made it clear he was already reading, and it was proven when he didn't even say goodbye before hanging up.

Setting his phone aside, Sasuke picked up the ring box and spun his chair to face Ninja, lying on his bed in the corner. The big shepherd lifted his head, ears pricked, when his master faced him, and he stared at the box and tilted his head as if to ask, Is that for me?

"No, Ninja, this is not for you. It's for Hinata. Do you think she'll like it?" Sasuke tilted the box so the overhead lights flashed off the diamonds, sending sparks of light dancing across his vision.

Getting up off his bed, Ninja trotted over to sniff the ring. Then he sat down and thumped his tail, offering a doggie grin as his affirmative answer. Yep, she'll like it, boss, his expression seemed to say.

Sasuke lifted his free hand and scratched behind Ninja's ears. "Good boy," he sighed. "Now I just have to figure out the best time and way to give it to her. She knows it's coming, but I still want to make it special."

Ninja's tail thumped the floor some more, and he stared up at Sasuke attentively. The human knew the dog had no idea what he was saying, but the shepherd was smart, so who was to say he didn't at least get the gist of it? "I'm not a candlelight and roses kind of guy, Ninja. I don't know what to do." At least the hard part is over with. I've already proposed. Even though he hadn't really meant to at that particular moment...

He just wished he could have waited to make a planned proposal. It seemed like something Hinata would like. Maybe a fancy restaurant (with an owner Sasuke didn't know personally and wasn't related to, by marriage or otherwise), a bottle of wine, an intimate booth at the back of the dining room...

Hinata deserved the best, after all. But would she like such a public setting? She was a private person, too - not as much as he, since she didn't isolate herself the same way Sasuke had done. But giving her the ring would undoubtedly draw some attention, and Hinata would probably hate it.

So something private, then. Maybe dinner, at his house or hers. And maybe she'd like to have her family there, too...?

Sasuke frowned. That meant he'd have to wait until Neji got out of the hospital, and who knew how much longer that would take.

It's not like you're not already engaged, Sasuke told himself silently. He tilted the ring again, and the red diamonds gave off a crimson fire worthy of that on the Uchiha clan crest. You're just going to give her the ring. Make it all official. It doesn't need to be a big deal.

But it does need to be special, he argued with himself. Hinata deserves nothing less.

Shutting the lid on the ring box, Sasuke turned back to his computer, saved his work, shut it down, then put the thumb drive with his new book into the safe on the wall. After that he went upstairs to try to get some sleep, though he knew his rampant thoughts would keep him awake for a very, very long time.

And so they did.

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Ending Notes: I loved writing the scene with Hinata and Hanabi. One of the things I've enjoyed most about this story is growing their relationship from just distant sisters into friends, and letting them loosen up around each other. And poor Sasuke - don't overthink it! He's going to drive himself nuts if he's not careful (or I'll drive him nuts, whichever comes first, really). As the title suggests, this is a bit of a breather chapter before I get into the last couple of chapters, and of course the epilogue. Really looking forward to sharing those last few threads to tie up with all of you! An extra little mention: for all of my American readers, I hope you all have a fun and safe Independence Day (and for everyone, a fun and safe Saturday)! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to see you all again for next week's update!

Q & A: A common question I've seen asked and want to answer is why the press seem so interested in Sasuke, since he's not technically a celebrity. The answer is this: He's a fascinating person because of his tragic background (parents dying early in his life), and how he's come back from that to write so many successful books at such a relatively young age (his first book - a bestseller! - was published when he was still in his teens, and his popularity's only gone up from there). He's a hugely popular author - but not that many people know that much about him, which makes him so mysterious. Now that he's made a public appearance (and declared his love for someone on live TV), the press are doing what they do best - taking a hot subject and trying to milk as much coverage and, let's face it, money as they can get out of it. A lot of that attention has died down in this chapter, and I promise the press won't have too many more mentions for the rest of the story. Thank you all so much for the question, and I hope I explained my reasoning well!