AN: I have not been a good author this week. I've just been super busy with work, and getting my daughter ready for school, and my choir is having a concert in a week and a half. It's just been a lot, and I haven't written much of anything. I'm only a third through chapter 10. Hopefully I can pick up the pace. Good news is the story is over halfway written. And the next 3 chapters are long and fun.

Chapter 6

Emika was thankful she had the forethought to pack her wool poncho for the walk back to Suna. It snowed the whole way back. The sand had been cold against their toes as they walked. Emika again had herself obscured for the most part with a hood and scarf. Kankuro was the only one to break the silence as they walked back through the windy snow. "Is there a reason for the hood and scarf?" he asked, eyeing Emika oddly.

"Mainly paparazzi," she answered boredly. "I don't want my Uncle tipped off to what we're doing until everything is filed away."

Gaara made a face, then asked, "What about the wedding photographer?"

"He won't leak anything," she stated. "He used to work for Ryuki's publicist. He knows to wait."

"It is surprising you were able to pull off a wedding of that caliber," Gaara commented, having had to help Temari plan hers, which had taken several months. "Especially since you and Ryuki were only engaged for five and a half weeks."

She tongued her cheek, then confessed, "The Rinne proposal was only for the papers. He and I agreed to marry back in August."

"August?" Gaara asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah," she murmured. "I came to Kin Village to see Tenshimi in the middle of August. Went to Suna for a day to see Rinri and Chie."

"And Hira?" Kankuro added.

She bristled at that, and asked, "What do you know of Hira?" She was surprised how even she sounded.

Gaara shrugged. "Not much. Just that he's their foster son. Figured given the timing he was an orphan of the war."

"We ran into them the other day and found out he'd just started school this year," Kankuro added. He pursed his lips curiously, then asked, "Did you know his parents?"

She chewed her cheek, staring at the horizon of rolling sand dunes, where Suna was just beyond waiting for them. She cleared her throat, then answered, "Uhm, not well. I met his mother at their wedding. She'd just had him a couple months before. She was a hot mess."

Gaara frowned, then asked, "How so?"

Emika shook her head, grumbling, "Oh you know. She got completely wasted at the reception. Tried to hook-up with one of the groomsmen. Just a general embarrassment for Chie and Rinri."

"What did Hira's father say?" Kankuro blurted. "I mean she just had their son, and she gets drunk at a wedding and tries to get with another guy."

"Uh, I don't think he was ever in the picture," she stated. "She wasn't married at the wedding." She cleared her throat awkwardly before adding, "I don't even think he knows."

Gaara frowned. "So, are Hira's parents alive?"

"Eh," she grumbled. "I don't know. Apparently after the World Tree pod thing …"

"Infinite Tsukuyomi," Gaara filled in.

"That," Emika sighed. "She gave Hira to Rinri so she could go find herself. She was Rinri's cousin or something, and I think she only told Rinri who the father was. So only Rinri knows, and if he's even alive. Maybe Chie does too, now."

Kankuro sneered. "She just gave him up?" he asked, letting his judgment ring out in his tone.

She struggled down the lump in her throat, which she cleared away with a cough. "Yeah," she said boredly. "Again, she was a hot mess."

"No kidding," Kankuro murmured. "Shame. He's a nice boy."

Emika couldn't help her smile. "He is." She sharply inhaled, then said, "What were we talking about again?"

"You and Ryuki getting engaged in August, not December," Gaara said, his gaze watching her closely, even though he couldn't see her face.

"Right," she murmured. "I came because Tenshimi was having a party. Went to Suna to see Chie and Rinri, and Hira. Also went to get a gift. Everyone was talking about you going off for your wedding."

"So, you were here the sixteenth," Gaara said. That was when he'd left for the marriage meeting. Any time after that weekend, the rumors would have been about him killing his fiance's lover in a jealous rage. Suddenly, he was nervous if she heard that rumor as well.

"Yeah, I guess," she said. "Anyway, I went back to Tenshimi's and the party was in full swing. I did some drinking, and I guess weddings were on my mind, because while Ryuki tried to help me sober up, I spilled everything about my fiances going missing, and everything about my Uncle's suspicious blocking my return to power. At one point, I thanked him for not taking advantage of my drunken state, which is when he told me he was into men, which he only told a few people before then. That night, we just stayed up talking until the sun rose, and at some point, I made a blithe joke about him marrying me. Then as we talked about it, it became a plan. He agreed to marry me for a short time, until we passed a law letting me hold Daimyo powers, and he could return to his tv show."

"And he was ok with it?" Kankuro asked.

"Changing the law was his idea," she stated. "And the annulment at the end." She cleared her throat as she recalled what had happened. "We had originally planned everything in secret. Tenshimi and her father helped. But we realized to get the marriage certificate, we had to do a DNA test with a public declaration, which meant our plan was going to get out. So, we agreed that would be the last thing. He wanted to finish up his show's season in case doing this meant drawing Ginmaru's attention. So as soon as he wrapped, we submitted the DNA test and petition for the certificate before we left for the Land of Mountains with his publicist, and planned a believable engagement. We were hoping Ginmaru saw that and didn't catch onto all the prior planning. Since it was Rinne, we didn't get the paperwork back for three weeks. Then we had to wait on my period. As soon as that happened, he sent the paperwork to Tenshimi and went home to get his parents." She pursed her lips as she finished, "The hitmen were waiting at his house."

Gaara watched her thoughtfully. "How did you know?"

"He called me," she answered. "I had gotten us burner phones when we were in the Land of Mountains, in case of emergency. He only had time to say, 'They're here. Go Plan B.' Which was you." She turned to look him in the eye, and he could see the sadness there. "Since we had scheduled for today, that meant I had to leave Futen immediately to talk to you."

"And your Uncle doesn't know where you are?" Gaara asked.

"No. I told them I was going on a cruise in the Coral Islands with Tenshimi. We got tickets and everything to sell it," she explained. She tilted her head as she added, "It was actually going to be our 'honeymoon.'" She used finger quotations for emphasis. "Got a two-bedroom suite."

They crested the final dune before reaching the Southern part of the clay basin, where Suna rose out of the ground like a massive lone desert butte on the horizon. It was just the Southern Wall, but at this angle, it didn't look as if there was a massive sinkhole in the mesa that Suna was built within that split the sandstone rock formation in half. If Emika looked carefully, she could see Chie and Rinri almost to the foot of the village wall. They had left several minutes earlier, claiming that they needed to pick up Hira from school before Chie could bring her bags to the penthouse.

As they paused at the top, Emika placed her hands on her hips and bent over, winded from the climb. "Heels were a bad idea," she muttered as she looked down the slipface of the dune. They'd climbed up on the southern dune horn on the windward slope side, and the way the dune was facing, they'd have to slide down the slipface on the northern horn, which was a lot easier to do in normal sandals rather than the wedge heeled boots she was wearing. She'd picked the boots because they were good for walking while also looking somewhat dressy. And walking to Kin Village was easier with the sharper incline and softer declines. But looking at the steep 500 to 600 foot drop was definitely worrying.

Kankuro smirked as he got in position to ski down as he said, "Well, go on, Gaara. Help your wife out."

Gaara blushed, glowering at his brother as Kankuro waggled his eyebrows at the newlyweds before skiing down with ease. There was a quiet moment between them. Some mule deer ate off of some shrubs and cacti at the bottom where a small pond had formed and not yet frozen over. As soon as the sand from their footsteps and from Kankuro's skiing went skittering down, catching the deer's attention, they skipped off. The snow had picked up, but not enough for it to stick. Just enough to make things particularly cold. Quietly, Gaara tightened his scarf, then offered his hand to her. She frowned at it, then said, "You don't need to carry me. I just need to," she paused as she looked down the slope with a gulp, "pluck up the courage."

"I was just going to float us down," Gaara stated. "It'll be easier if you're either holding me or kneeling."

She frowned, but grabbed his hand and pressed herself close to him. She tried to ignore the tingling she felt where her hand held his, or how his other hand made her shiver as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Suddenly the earth beneath them shook, and they popped off the dune, just hovering there. Her other hand grabbed his shoulder nervously, pressing her whole body into him, and her voice let out a scared, anxious squeal as she saw them floating above the ground on a hard sand cloud.

She felt Gaara's warm chuckle rumble through his chest as he said, "You're alright," as he felt her squeezing his arm and shoulder.

She calmed a little at his voice, and she squeaked back, "I know. I'm just a scaredy cat when it comes to heights. But it's still really …" she trailed off, looking for the word.

"Amazing?" Gaara supplemented mirthfully.

"I was going to say 'Useful,'" she corrected. "But, yeah. 'Amazing' works, too."

He pressed his lips in a line, hiding his small smile at his own little joke, even if she hadn't noticed it.

But she did see his expression, and frowned. "What?" she asked.

"It's nothing," he said.

"Tell me," she pushed.

He let out another small chuckle, then said, "Nothing. Just when you ran off with me six years ago, you said everything we came across was amazing."

"What?" she scoffed.

Gaara nodded. "When I carried you across the rooftops, 'That's amazing!' The dancer at the Obelisk, 'That's amazing!' I walked on the water of the springs, 'That's amazing!'" he said a little mockingly. She blushed shaking her head as he continued, "I used this sand cloud to keep up with the ninja warhorse you bought. 'That's amazing.' A tumbleweed rolled across our path. 'That's amazing.'"

"No," she laughed in disbelief again. "There's no way I was that bad."

"Oh yes," he chuckled. "Especially the tumbleweed moment. I was worried you'd taken something."

"Well, the tumbleweed moment was aesthetically pleasing," she pointed out as the cloud deposited them gently on the flat ground. "You know? You see it all the time in movies, but how often does it actually happen when you're on an adventure or mission?"

He looked up smiling as he answered, "All the time." They laughed together, and Gaara smiled so broadly he felt his cheeks hurt a little. She did too. Their eyes found each other as they smiled, and Emika felt her heart lift at seeing his smile. It was so familiar to her now. So bright and lovely. And his arms around her made her feel warm.

She cleared her throat, stepping away from him and muttering, "Well. I was really naïve then. And clearly sheltered," as she scratched her forehead. His expression softened as she gave a half-hearted shrug. "I must have been really annoying. I'm sorry."

"No," Gaara said quickly. She looked at him skeptically. He shook his head, grumbling, "I mean, yes, you were annoying at first. But it was one of the most memorable missions I've had in my career."

She scoffed quietly, "Because of the tent. And the glen."

"Because of everything," he corrected. He bit his lip as he stated, "It was different from any other mission I'd ever been on. It was honestly one of the most fun missions I'd been on." He gulped before he admitted, "Except for the end."

She wanted to say something. To absolve him. Over the years, she'd come to see what had happened in a different light. It had taken her a while to see that with it being a mission for him, her naivete put him in no win situation after no win situation until he broke her heart. He had warned her over and over, but she'd believed in her own world view so faithfully that nothing he said made her realize how her rebellion hurt everyone around her. But she couldn't absolve him. His actions had consequences too.

Kankuro came jogging up, and asked, "What's with all the smiles?"

Both Gaara's and Emika's expressions fell as Gaara said, "Nothing. Just old jokes."

Kankuro looked at them skeptically, but Emika grumbled, "We should get going before the snow freezes our toes off." She started marching off with the brothers falling in step with her.

Kankuro frowned at them, then muttered, "It's not that cold, though."

"It's snowing," Emika pointed out. "In the desert."

"It's January," Kankuro argued. "It happens occasionally. And it's not like it's sticking."

"She is right," Gaara stated. "Not all of us have learned to regulate our body temp with chakra." It was one of the earliest chakra tricks learned in school. Kankuro was usually so poor at it, so it was surprising to Gaara to hear his brother so blasé about the weather. He was almost always the first to complain about how cold it was.

They continued the rest of the way in mostly silence. Kankuro would occasionally mention something to Gaara, to which Gaara would either grunt negatively or affirmatively, replying with minute details about whatever. Emika didn't pay attention too much. It was mostly ninja business.

"About that cruise," Kankuro started as they walked up to the penthouse. "Is it one of those new party ships from the Land of Water. The big ones?"

"Yeah," Emika stated as they reached the door. "Ao Nami has a port that the Gold Shell Line ships out of. It's a maiden voyage of their current largest ship, The Gilded Pearl."

"Oh, they're supposed to be really nice," Kankuro said.

"They are," Emika stated as Gaara unlocked the door and let them in. "Tenshimi showed me the pictures of the suite she had booked for us, and it was gorgeous. It had a sitting area with a piano and a fireplace, dining area with complementary breakfasts, a deck with a bar and hot tub, and two bedrooms and bathrooms. That's not to mention the nightly shows and parties, and the pool."

"That sounds really nice," Kankuro murmured. He nudged his brother's shoulder and said, "You two should go."

"What?" Gaara asked.

"You've been working yourself to death recently," Kankuro reasoned. "And with all the drama around Temari's wedding last year, we missed our usual annual vacation. She's got tickets. So, you should go."

"He's got a point," Emika stated. "We were going to actually go on it. Tenshimi had booked a bunch of rooms for her and her ninja posse. We'd be back a day or so after the news of our wedding would drop."

Gaara frowned, then said, "I haven't taken the time off."

"So?" Kankuro scoffed. "I'll go tell the Council now you're taking some personal time. I can come up with a believable reason." He smiled, clearly with an ulterior motive as he said, "And of course as your bodyguard, I'll be going with you."

"Kankuro," Gaara admonished. "You can't just invite yourself—"

"No, it's fine," Emika stated. "He does have a point. It will sell to the public this is a real marriage if we go on a honeymoon. I'm sure Tenshimi can find him a room. Let me just give her a … call." She paused, pursing her lips as she said the last word. "You don't have phones."

"No. We've got a phone," Kankuro stated, guiding her to kitchen where a phone hung on a side wall.

She eyed Gaara carefully, then said, "You've gotten a phone."

"The phone companies fixed the security issues that were problematic last time," Gaara explained awkwardly. "It's not so much of a risk anymore."

She smiled softly to herself as she pulled the receiver off the hook and dialed. She waited a moment, then heard, "Central East Palace. Who is it and how may I direct your call?"

"Emika for Tenshimi," Emika answered.

"Hold please."

A moment later, Tenshimi picked up. "Hey Queenie! Aren't you supposed to be enjoying your wedding night?"

Emika licked her lips nervously, then said, "Hey. So, about the cruise. We've decided to come."

Tenshimi was quiet, then said, "Wait. You weren't coming?"

"Well, no—" Emika started.

"What the hell, Emika!? I busted my ass to help pull off this wedding, and you weren't even going to party with us?"

"I—"

"And what about your husband? Doesn't he want a honeymoon?"

"Well, we got engaged this morning. Honeymoon didn't really come up," Emika reasoned.

"We've been planning this cruise for months! I got you the nicest suite! With daily room service! And you were just going to, what? Stay cooped up in your husband's house while we celebrated pulling off this huge coup!? You're the reason we did all this!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't think us not coming was that big of an issue. Especially since it was mostly your friends. And with Ryuki –"

"Ryuki died trying to make sure this was pulled off. He's the other reason we're doing this. We're celebrating his sacrifice and his life. Did you even think of that!?" Tenshimi argued.

Emika frowned guiltily. "No. I guess I didn't think of that."

"He was looking forward to the cruise more than any of us," Tenshimi huffed. "We have to go. For him! And you weren't even going to show?"

"Look, we are. So, I was only calling to ask if you have room for Kankuro, since he's the Kazekage's bodyguard." She licked her lips as she listened to Tenshimi's answer.

"His brother?" She asked, as if thinking about it. "I mean, he could stay in my room," she finally offered.

Emika blanched. Her eyes met her husband and brother-in-law who looked at her expectantly. She turned, covering the receiver with one hand as she hissed, "He can't stay in your room!" She could see Kankuro's ears visibly perk up, earning an admonishing frown from Gaara.

"Relax. My suite is the only one with an available pull-out couch," Tenshimi explain.

"What about our suite?" Emika asked.

"I can't stay with a newlywed couple," Kankuro said.

"He can't stay with a newlywed couple," Tenshimi said simultaneously. "Look. It's my couch or nothing. All the other rooms are book. And I can't really call for another room. Maiden voyage. It's going to be full. Plus, we're all adults. And I have an extra ticket."

"Why do you have an extra ticket?" Emika found herself asking.

"Bought one for my ex when he was coming," Tenshimi stated. "Doesn't matter. I bought two tickets for my room, which only one is being used. He can use the other and sleep on my couch."

Emika sighed. She could feel the brothers watching her, and she finally huffed, "So, since it's the Maiden Voyage, rooms are booked, tickets are scarce." Kankuro pouted. Emika chewed the inside of her cheek before adding, "Tenishimi does have an extra ticket for her room, which has a pull-out couch."

"I'll take it," Kankuro said quickly, laughing as he added, "I am not picky."

Emika grumbled before saying into the phone, "He'll take it."

"Of course he will," Tenshimi stated. "So, we set sail at five tomorrow. My group's leaving in an hour. Are you going to make it?"

Emika sighed, then said, "We need to get on the next train for Ao Nami."

"Come on, Gaara," Kankuro said, pulling Gaara along. "We gotta' change and pack!" As they headed back, Kankuro pointed at his brother and added, "And pack suits for the parties."

Emika sighed. This was suddenly a lot for one day. In the span of twenty-four hours, she'd gone from engaged, to married, and now was about to go on a cruise with her new husband. If she thought about it, maybe they needed this. The calm before the storm. "We'll see you there," she said before hanging up.

She called the train station for train times, and tickets, and they were set paid and ready to leave in two hours. While the brothers packed, she checked out the penthouse she would be calling home for the next month or so, depending on how things played out. There were the occasional aloe plant or cacti, and several potted succulents. There was minimal décor as it came to comfort. No throw pillows or blankets. She paused as she saw a board in the kitchen that looked like one of those cliché "Live. Laugh. Love" boards, except it said, "Eat. Shit. Die."

She pursed her lips and realized she was moving into the epitome of an eclectic bachelor pad. She looked around, seeing odd artwork, that while it wasn't part of a set, it did seem to go together in the odd sense that it was what the average man was into. Beer and b-rate horror movies. As she walked further in, Kankuro walked out with his bag, seeing her looking at the artwork, and he said, "Don't think about changing the artwork or anything. According to the prenup, you're not staying here longer than a year."

She shook her head, and said, "Just admiring this version of 'Night of the Werecats.' This cover is a lot more visually pleasing than the one they used."

Kankuro looked at her surprised. "You've seen it?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered. "It's a cult classic."

Kankuro raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed. Then he pursed his lips, then said, "Well, it still stands. We don't want any throw pillows or whatnot cluttering up the space."

Gaara stepped out of his room with his bag, and said, "Kankuro. Stop." Kankuro rolled his eyes, ducking into a bathroom. Gaara pressed his lips in a line, then said, "I'm sorry he was being annoying."

"No, I understand," she said. "He sees me as an intruder on his space."

"That's –" Gaara grumbled, until the sound of the door opening grabbed their attention. Gaara frowned, and asked, "What time is it?"

"Ehm, four o'clock," she answered.

"That's the cook," he murmured, walking around her. "Excuse me." He paused, then asked, "Since, he's our family cook, I should probably tell him to add you to our meals. Are there any foods I should tell him to avoid?"

"Not particularly," she answered. "I eat most everything, except smelly cheeses or honey. Or candied nuts."

He smirked a little, and said, "Well, I'm not a fan of candied nuts either. So, they aren't on the menu." He cleared his throat, adding awkwardly, "I'll let the cook know."

Emika turned back, looking at the hallway. She saw a photo of Gaara with his siblings. He was in his robes, and looked much younger. If she had to guess, that was his inauguration day. Both of his siblings smiled happily at the camera while he looked distractedly off to the side. She wondered for a moment what he was looking at. What he was thinking in that moment that made his expression so distant. The next family photo looked fairly recent, with both brothers standing next to their sister on what looked to be her wedding day. Konoha style wedding if Emika wasn't mistaken. She was wearing a kimono, and her husband had on a formal yukata. Both Gaara and Kankuro wore dark suits similar to what they wore today. Both smiling happily for the camera. Gaara's smile was soft and warm.

It hit her this was Gaara's home. The last time she'd been in what she thought was his home turned out to be his uncle's, which she realized he'd been moving out of at the time.

Under the big family photos was a small side table where a picture of their mother sat prominent. Emika knew she had to be their mother because Temari looked so much like her. Around their mother's photos were baby photos of themselves. She focused on Gaara's, seeing his wide seafoam eyes surrounded by black markings. He had them then. Clearly, they waited until he was several months old for this photo, as he was sitting up, grabbing the nose of his teddy bear as he laughed. As babies went, he wasn't all that chunky. He was wearing a white onesie and only had one tooth.

As she looked at the photo, she felt a pain in her heart. "Dammit," she cursed, blinking back the tears threatening to spill.

It was that time, Gaara came walking back and saw her. "I see you found the family photos," he grumbled. She nodded, sniffling to prevent herself from crying. Gaara frowned, seeing the pain on her face, and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she said. "Just I feel bad about your sister – not being able to be here." It was reasonable. She shook her head, trying to organize her thoughts and feelings. She cleared her throat before she asked, "Where's your powder room?"

He directed her, and she left. As soon as she shut the door, she cried, covering her mouth to hide her sobs. Then she took a few deep breaths to calm down as she tried to ignore the part of her mind that said this whole thing was a bad idea. She looked herself in the mirror, and said, "You've got this. You're doing this for a reason. It's bigger than you. It's bigger than him. There's no going back now."

She washed her face, then reached for a towel, which sat in front of a wooden block that said, "Wash your hands, Heathen." She looked up and saw on the other side of the sink was another block that said, "Get naked! Just kidding. This is a half bath." Then she saw two frames on the wall. The first said, "Shit happens." And the second was a newspaper comic posing the question, "Who grabs the next toilet paper roll for the last man on earth?" while the man in question looked at the empty roll next to him with wide eyes.

She pressed her lips in a line. Part of her wanted to laugh, while the other part couldn't see Gaara having these things. Every turn in this place was a shock to her system. A sharp reminder she hadn't really known Sabaku no Gaara like she thought she had. She still believed in some ways she knew him better than he knew himself, but his home was firm evidence to the contrary. She stepped out as Gaara was inviting Chie in with her bags. She directed him to leave the paisley one out here, but the other two were to go back to wherever she was staying.

"We'll just put them in Temari's old room, for the time being. It's over here," Gaara offered, walking Chie back with the last two bags.

As Chie stepped out, Emika hugged him, and said, "Thank you, Chie. For everything."

He hugged her back, squeezing her shoulders as he said, "Good luck, Em." Then he left.

As soon as he was gone, before Gaara and Emika could exchange more than an awkward smile, Kankuro waltzed out of his room with his bags in hand, and said, "Alright. I'm ready to go!" He looked at Gaara and Emika expectantly and asked, "Who are we waiting on?"

Emika blinked at him, then grumbled, "The train." His expression fell until she added, "We should be leaving in the next twenty minutes, though."

"Alright," Gaara sighed, walking back for his bag. "We need to inform the Council—"

"Done," Kankuro stated. "I used a puppet. We're ready."

Gaara and Emika shared a look. Emika shrugged, then mumbled, "I guess we can go ahead and go."

Kankuro pumped his fist in the air and yelled, "Yeah! Cruise, baby!" before sauntering out of the Penthouse. Emika grabbed her paisley bag, and began walking out while Gaara locked up, and they were on their way.

The train ride had been fairly peaceful. Except the moment they had to switch trains in Futen. Emika was paranoid that she'd be seen, even though it was six thirty in the morning. So she wrapped herself up in a cloak and scarf to hide her face, which looked rather ridiculous as they got south of the Tropic of Cancer. Ao Nami was several hundred miles south by southwest of Suna, and the Coral Islands about a thousand miles further than that, nearing the Equator. Yet she remained wrapped the whole way, despite the rather balmy weather for the winter. While Suna had been freezing in the mid-thirties, it was always between seventy and eighty in Ao Nami.

Despite the warm weather, she didn't remove her hood or scarf until they reached the First-Class Gangway with just a few minutes to spare before boarding, greeting Tenshimi and her posse of predominantly attractive ex-ninja. Tenshimi didn't even notice their approach until Emika said, "We made it."

Tenshimi whirled around surprised, frowning at her shrouded visage, then smiled, "Well, hey, girly! What's with the getup?"

"The train stopped in Futen," Emika reasoned.

"Paranoid," Kankuro murmured.

Tenshimi frowned at him, then said, "No, that was probably wise. She'd be recognized easily. And we can't have anyone outside the group realizing you two are traveling together." Kankuro's brow furrowed and gestured to the cruise ship blankly, as if asking if the point was moot with them going on this honeymoon with at least 3,000 other people. Tenshimi rolled her eyes. "We'll be in international waters, and no one will have contact with the outside world until we return to Ao Nami. Which is when the photographer will have leaked the story, as planned. Now," she chirped, reaching into her purse. "You've got the Royale Suite," she said, pulling out a ticket pouch and handing it to Emika. "It's essentially its own apartment, and we'll be in the rest of the rooms down that hall past the elevators. There's a map marking its location in the packet."

"Thank you," Emika said.

"Don't mention it," Tenshimi said, then winked as she added, "Just name a baby after me." Both Gaara and Emika visibly blushed, and Tenshimi laughed. "I'm just kidding." She turned to Kankuro, pointing an accusatory finger and said sourly, "You. You're with me."

The ship horn sounded, and the gangway doors opened with crewmen stepping out to greet them. Tenshimi smiled, and said, "Here we go," before grabbing Kankuro by the wrist and dragging him to up the gangway to the doors.

Tenshimi produced her tickets for her and Kankuro, and the crewman said, "Room 8130. Deck 8, Port side. Here are your keys. Welcome aboard the Gilded Pearl."

Emika and Gaara were next as Tenshimi's posse chattered behind them excitedly, discussing the parties, with some excitement for the Casino Night before they reached the Coral Islands, and the Masquerade the night before their return. Emika handed the crewman their tickets, and he smiled, "The newlyweds in the Royale Suite." Both Gaara and Emika bristled that they knew, however, Tenshimi hadn't given their names, as Emika saw on the tickets. So, it was likely Tenshimi just got the tickets and mentioned the Royale Suite would be for honeymooners. "Wonderful," the crewman continued. "We're so glad you've chosen to honeymoon with The Gold Shell Line. You're in Room 8131, Deck 8, Port side. Here are your keys. And welcome aboard the Gilded Pearl. We hope you have a wonderful honeymoon."

They stepped on, following Tenshimi and Kankuro to the Elevators. When they reached the elevators, the posse took up both elevators. As the elevators took them up, Kankuro nudged Gaara with his elbow and said, "Cheer up, Bro. This is going to be fun."

Gaara only nodded mildly.

The elevators dinged as they arrived on Deck 8, and Tenshimi led the party down the Port side hallway all the way to the end. There were only 6 doors they passed, and the rest of the posse found their rooms all on the right side. As they reached the end of the hallway, Tenshimi pointed to the only door on the left, and said, "This is us. That is you." She pointed to the double doors another ten feet away as she unlocked her door and she and Kankuro disappeared inside.

Emika sighed as she unlocked the door and stepped in. Immediately, her eyes were drawn to the large bay windows which looked out over the small city of Ao Nami for now, but would be beautiful ocean views for the next two and a half days. Tenshimi was right. It was like a small luxury apartment. She chanced a look at Gaara, who was looking around with wonder. While such opulence was normal for Emika, she had a feeling this was new to Gaara. Not that he wasn't wealthy as far as ninjas went. He was from the Kazekage clan, which was the richest ninja family in the Land of Wind, but the Kazekage Penthouse was nothing compared to the Regional Daimyo's Palaces, not to mention the Futen Palace, which Emika grew up in. Sure, this suite wasn't as big as the penthouse, but it wasn't much smaller.

It was lit by stylish crystal chandeliers. The double doors led them past the entry closet into the sitting area with a large L shaped couch in what could either be classified as a sitting area or a conversation pit. It was dug down a little into the floor, with a large circular coffee table and marble fireplace under a big screen tv and towering bookcases on either side. In front of the sliding glass doors to the deck was a grand piano under another chandelier. On the deck, they could see a hot tub and outside dining area. On the far wall were two doors leading to two bedrooms. One clearly pushed out past the deck, and if Emika remembered from the pictures, it too had bay windows over the ocean. The other would have smaller port-side views and a Juliet-style balcony. To the right was an eight-seater dining room with a kitchenette and bar lining the walls, framing a large gold scallop shell on the wall, the cruise-line logo, against the wall painted a beautiful shade of blue.

On the dining table was an ice bucket with champagne and a platter of chocolate covered strawberries. They could hear the First-Class crewmen bustling around in the bedrooms, likely unpacking the bags they had to check when they entered the First-Class Gate. Finally, she removed the cloak and scarf

There was a knock on the door and they turned to see another crewman who looked incredibly polished. He bowed to both of them and introduced himself as the Hospitality Manager of Deck 8 First Class, and with the call button by the door, they could reach him at anytime for anything they needed. He then told them breakfast would be delivered and set up at 8:00 am every morning on the dining table. Then the three crewmen setting up their rooms left with the Hospitality Manager, leaving Gaara and Emika truly alone for the first time in six years.

Before either of them could think of something to say, the ship horn blew, announcing it was time to depart. The ship lurched and suddenly they were moving. Emika stepped onto the deck and watched as the city and coastline slowly began to shrink away. Gaara joined her, watching as the ship passed smaller boats in the harbor. Fishermen and tug boats making way for this majestically large ship. "This is beautiful," Emika breathed as she leaned over the deck wall. As the ship left the Ao Nami Harbor, it picked up speed, churning the water into large white waves behind them. Gaara could only grunt agreeably. It was beautiful.

Emika sighed, then poked Gaara, saying, "We need to get showered and ready for dinner. It's at six in the ballroom, and it's cocktail attire." As she turned to look at him, she noticed he looked a little distracted, and paler than usual. "Are you alright."

He suppressed something with a grunt, then grumbled, "Yes." Then taking a deep breath before he asked, "I'm sorry. Cocktail attire?"

"Yeah," Emika said, eyeing him worriedly. "About a step or two down from evening gowns and tuxes. For men, it's just a dinner jacket." When he still looked confused, she scoffed, "You're the last Kazekage's son. Didn't you go to any cotillions growing up."

"No," he grunted. He made an odd face before adding, "Temari and Kankuro did. But my father determined it wasn't a skill I needed to learn."

She frowned, realizing he'd been hidden away for much of his childhood. He'd told her as much during his election, but she hadn't really understood to what lengths he meant. "Well," she chirped, looping her arm with his as she smiled at him comfortingly, "I guess it's good you have me. Let's go see what you have that applies."

She guided him back to his room, opening his wardrobe and flicking through it. She frowned as she looked, muttering, "I should have come a day earlier and taken you shopping." Finally, she pulled out a linen, light blue dinner jacket and pressed khakis, laying them across the bed, then looked back through, muttering, "White button down," before finding it, and pulling it out. As she laid it down, she looked at him with a worried frown. He looked incredibly uncomfortable and pale. His eyes were clenched tight as if focusing on something. "Are you alright?" she asked more pointedly. "You look as if—"

"I just need to si-" he grumbled before cutting himself off, covering his mouth.

"Bathroom," she blurted, pointing to the door behind him as she rushed to usher him in. He promptly vomited in the sink, and she turned on the water to wash it away, rubbing his back soothingly. "Well, I don't think you're going to dinner," she joked as he groaned clutching the sink. "I didn't realize you'd get seasick."

"Don't really get on boats much," he said before grunting and promptly vomiting again. She continued to rub soothing circles around his shoulders and spine.

"Kind of amazing. I've never heard a man vomit so quietly," she joked. "Most sound like they're dying."

He let out a chuckle, as he spat, then groaned softly again, suppressing another bout. "Don't," he pleaded, and she knew he meant make him laugh.

She sighed before saying, "Well, do you need anything? I can get you a soda from the bar. Some medicine from the commissary?"

He groaned before vomiting again.

"Both, then. Just hold on one minute," she breathed. She walked out of the suite with purpose downstairs to the commissary, charging the medicine and drink to her room, before walking back. When she returned, he was now sitting on the tile floor, hugging the toilet. "Alright, here we go. I got you an antacid for the vomiting, and Dramamine for motion sickness, and a ginger ale and a Vitaelect to replenish vitamins and electrolytes. Take the medicine first, drink the ginger ale slowly first. And when you feel like you can hold it all down, drink the Vitaelect," she instructed, kneeling beside him.

He groaned before letting out a half hiccup, half burp.

She grimaced, rubbing his back again gingerly then said, "I've got to get ready. Will you be alright?"

He nodded, grimacing into the porcelain.

She sighed, getting up. "Alright. I'll check on you before I leave." He let out another groan as she left. She hurriedly got showered and changed into a violet dress with a sweetheart neckline, lace and sequin bodice, and a flowy satin skirt, and styled her hair in simple beach curls. She went back to Gaara's room, hearing silence for now. She looked in, seeing him with his shirt half unbuttoned, exposing his chest a bit as he rested his head against his hand. Next to him on the floor was the opened can of ginger ale. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

He shook his head. "It's coming in waves. It's stopped now, but I still feel very off," he admitted before taking another sip.

"Would you be able to hold down some chicken and crackers if I brought some back?" she asked.

He puffed his cheeks, exhaling through pressed lips, and answering, "Possibly."

"Alright," she said. "I'll bring you something back." As she straightened, she paused, then added, "You should probably sit out on the deck for a bit. Watching the horizon can help stabilize your stomach through motion sickness."

He let out a tired grumble, then muttered, "Thank you. I'll … try that."

Emika pursed her lips, looking him over carefully, then turned to leave. The rest of the party was already at dinner. She was running late as is.

That night was rough on Gaara, for obvious reasons. He settled his stomach enough to sit on the deck of his room. Surprisingly, her suggestion of watching the horizon helped a lot. Which also meant going back into his bedroom to sleep would bring on the motion sickness. Although, he felt his body was steadily getting its sea-legs. Bouts of nausea were slowly growing further and further apart.

Emika had brought him dinner as she'd promised, then left for bed. He realized watching the moon rise as he slowly ate his grilled chicken breast she'd brought back, his deck faced East. Meaning he'd have a good view of the sunrise if his body refused to cooperate enough to let him into his room to sleep. A little past midnight, he'd succumbed to the cold reality, and grabbed a blanket, pillow and an herbal tea from the kitchenette just outside his room, and curled up in his deck chair.

He tried to read a book he'd snagged from the bookshelf, however he quickly found any amount of motion sickness did not mix well with reading. So, he put it down, sipped on his tea, and allowed himself to finally think about what had been truly bothering him the past couple days.

Sex with Emika.

And not that he wanted to do it again, although that was somewhat a given since he was still in love with her. But rather how odd it had been. She hadn't even reacted. Almost like she didn't feel anything, or had pushed those feelings so far back in her mind that she couldn't feel them anymore. The thought had made his heart ache. Had he destroyed her so much? Or had something else happened that he didn't know of which destroyed her further?

In the moment, he'd been convinced the woman he loved was gone forever, until he held her on the sand cloud coming off the dune. He saw a glimpse of the old her, and his hope was restored.

She wasn't gone, but she was different. He didn't know this new version of her, and if he was going to pull this off, he needed to learn everything.

The sound of piano music greeted him, oddly lilting him awake, as it sounded like a haunting lullaby. He blinked, rubbing his eyes as he saw the sun had raised well into the sky. He remembered seeing the sun rising, and seeing the sky painted in hues of orange and pink, and the ocean water colored underneath it in similar hues. He hadn't even realized he'd drifted off after that. His neck was a little stiff, because while the deck loungers were relaxing, they weren't a replacement entirely for a bed.

He got up, realizing the medicine finally kicked in, and his nausea had abated. As he got changed, the smell of breakfast hit his nose, and he realized he was hungry, although he figured he should go light, given his previous evening. As he brushed his teeth, he heard a wrong note played on the piano and a woman curse, and a few off notes plunked out. He frowned because he'd been sure it was a recording. He heard her sigh, and the song started off again from the beginning.

He spat, then stepped out, seeing their breakfast had been set out on the dining room table right outside his bedroom door. There was fruit and a breakfast casserole, made with eggs, sausages, avocados, tomatoes, and peppers. There was also buttered toast and jam. He then saw her sitting at the grand piano in purple and black silk robe. Her ash blonde hair looked as if it was freshly brushed, reaching halfway down her back. And for a moment, he wanted to run his fingers through it. Just to feel her silky tresses through his fingertips. He decided to stick to the toast and fruit, and made himself another herbal tea.

As he poured his tea, she stopped playing and turned. "I'm sorry. They woke me up when they dropped off the food, and I wasn't ready to eat, so I decided to play the piano. Did I wake you?"

He smiled softly, and said, "You play well."

She blushed a little, muttering, "I ought to. I've been playing since I was seven."

"What was the song?" he asked as he finished fixing his tea. "It sounded familiar."

"Oh," she breathed, looking back at the keys for a second, then answered, "'My Yorona'. You know, the lullaby?" She shrugged as she added, "My mother used to sing it to me when I was little."

He frowned. He'd heard the Yorona story, a famous ghost story of the Land of Wind. One of those folk legends that parents would tell their kids to keep them in line. "Why would she sing you a song about a woman drowning her children?"

Emika raised her eyebrows at first, then laughed. "Not 'The Yorona'. My Yorona."

He frowned again. "Is there a difference?"

She rolled her eyes as she got up and scoffed, "You do know in the Wind's old language before the shinobi culture took over the world, the word 'Yorona' just meant 'weeping woman'." She went to pour herself some tea as she added, "The lullaby is a love song about a woman whose lover died for her."

He didn't actually know that. He knew a lot of the Wind's current traditions and legends were steeped in the ancient Wind culture, that now seemed mostly forgotten. The old language of the Wind hadn't been spoken in the past six hundred years, but still some things lingered. As she finished putting together her plate, there was a knock on the door. Emika answered it. It sounded like Tenshimi at the door, saying in a hushed voice, "It's on channel 8."

"Thanks," Emika said, then shut the door.

Gaara stood with his tea, watching her grab the remote for the tv, and turn it on. As she flicked through the channels, he finally asked, "What was that?"

She didn't answer as she got to channel 8, and Gaara read across the bottom of the screen exactly what Tenshimi had informed her about. Gaara's heart sank as he listened to the broadcast.

"The body was found early this morning by his family in his Tsumi Shi estate. Specifics have not been released on how he died yet or what led to it, except that the local authorities believe it was a suicide. Mr. Akarui was part of the leading ensemble cast in the show Moonlight Kunai, the hit ninja soap opera on WBS, which just wrapped filming its third season last month, which the second half is set to air in two weeks. On the show, he played the charismatic, yet brooding ninja, Ichiro Hagane, while also sometimes doubling as one of the shows main villains, Ichiro's identical twin brother, Jiro Hagane. Since being on the show, Ryuki has found some success on the silver screen, being cast in ten movies since the show's start. Although, his future in the film industry was uncertain due to his recent engagement to Princess Emika. We have not been able to get a statement yet from the royal family on this turn of events. Ryuki's family has asked for prayers and silence in the face of this tragedy."

"That is horrible. Midori, has the royal family really not offered a comment? This is the third fiancé the princess has lost."

"No. Apparently, according to the royal informer, the princess is traveling abroad with friends, and likely might not even be aware what has happened. They offered an official statement after her return, when the investigation is finalized."

As he listened, he realized he'd been holding out a small hope that what she'd told him wasn't true. That her third fiancé wasn't in fact dead, and she was wrong. That her fears about her uncle were unfounded. Gaara had started to think that her uncle wouldn't attempt to kill someone so publicly visible, like a tv star. Emika had told him that was why she'd asked Ryuki in the first place.

Gaara turned to Emika, seeing her deadened expression on the tv breaking a little as a tear fell down her face. He could see by her eyes that she'd also been holding out hope. Hope that she hadn't sent a man, her friend, to his death. It was a feeling he knew all too well as Kazekage. This confirmation that he was dead was proof she'd made the right call, asking Gaara to marry her.

He reached out, grabbing her hand. She looked at him sadly as he squeezed her hand in solidarity. "It wasn't your fault," he said. "He knew what he was agreeing to and made sure you could proceed without him."

He saw her lips tremble, and he wanted to hold her close. To kiss her until she forgot the pain. She sniffled, turning away from him. The silence lingered between them for a moment until she said, "Thank you."

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