Epilogue Part 1

The sky was an alarming shade of blue, but it usually was on days like this.

No matter how many times she tried to identify it, the radiant color always seemed to elude her. It wasn't azure or robin's egg or celestial blue, it wasn't even what the normal eye would consider "sky-blue," it was something else entirely.

Rin raised her hand above her head, blocking out the noon sun, which fell hot upon the village.

She smiled.

How she loved the desert at this time of day.

She breathed deep the scent of earth that was baking beneath the sun; exotic and spicy, filling her veins with its warmth.

There was a time where all she felt was cold; a chill that came from white walls and bare cots and stayed with her no matter how many blankets she stole or people she cuddled up with.

It was the kind of cold that dwelt within her heart and now, that cold was gone.

Rin's fingers trailed along the Ember Roses she'd grown especially for this day.

There were a few failed attempts, as she needed time to wrap her head around the concept of a flower needing such little water, but eventually she'd mastered it.

She approached the quiet yard and closed the gate behind her, stepping lightly as she passed, careful not to disturb anything.

Her trusty bag wasn't as heavy as when she first arrived, but it still hung over her shoulder in the same way, only this time it held two items instead of twenty: a children's story book and a piece of yellow cake.

"Hello, my friend." Rin said with a soft smile.

She brushed off the tombstone that read, "Haru" on it.

The flowers rested nicely on top, as she folded her legs to sit on the ground, not caring that her white dress would be stained red with the dirt beneath her.

"You have no idea how much I have to argue with the chefs to make yellow cake. It's like I'm asking them for mangos or pineapple or some other such nonsense. You'd think after five years of requesting it for this day, they'd already know."

Rin laughed at the memory of the cooks grousing this morning and set the piece of cake on top of the grave, resting the book on her lap.

She took a breath, making note of all the other graves, each carefully dressed and decorated by their families. It was a kindness to have Haru buried here, one she didn't know Gaara arranged until later in their marriage.

When their lives finally calmed, as rare of an instance as that was, he showed her what he'd done and the care he took. "He's your family. He deserved to be wherever you were."

Rin ran her finger over her wedding ring, that caught the sunlight with the movement. "Gaara would have come with me today, but he's busy preparing for tonight. There is a big celebration. Haru, I can't tell you how many boring meetings he must sit through! Thank Heaven I don't have to participate in them all, my share of them lately has been work enough."

She breathed in the hot wind, stretching out her legs and turning her face towards the sun. "It feels so good to be outside."

Her eyes drifted closed, listening to the sounds of the bustling village that seemed just beyond her reach. The vendors in the market where in the middle of their love song to their buyers, promising fresh produce, wears and trappings.

She knew it well enough to sing in harmony now.

Business had been good for the Sand, especially since they opened their trading with the Sound. Now, there were crops only found in their fertile soil and the amount of glee Rin felt the first time she bit into a fresh batch of strawberries from home, was divine.

She brought a few with her for the day, nestled safely in the palm of her hand; their juicy, sweet forms begging to be savored in the hot sun.

Though, most of her strawberries went to someone else lately.

"Mommy!"

Right on cue.

Rin bent forward as a little body flung herself on her shoulders, hugging her from behind. "Oh no! I've been attacked by a monkey! A wild monkey who craves strawberries!"

A giggle responded. "I'm not a monkey!"

"Oh? You were a monkey yesterday. What are you today, Misa?"

"I'm a tiger!" She exclaimed with a very convincing snarl.

Rin smiled, grabbing hold of her daughter's waist and flipping her down to rest on her lap. "So, I see. What a fierce little tiger you are. You will give Auntie Temari a run for her money."

"What are you doing out here? Everyone at home is looking for you."

Mother hugged daughter a little tighter and looked at the grave. "Just paying a visit to an old friend."

Misa looked at the name on the stone. "What does it say?"

"Sound it out."

"H..H…A."

"It's a little 'a', so it makes the 'ah' noise."

"Ha..r..r..U."

"Ooo."

"Haru!"

"Very good! Your reading is really coming along."

Misa smiled up at her mother, sharing the same wild hair, that tangled in the hot breeze. "Teacher Kaba says so too. She says that my reading is at the best of the class."

"And your math?"

"Oh, um… so who is your friend? Haru?"

"Nice distraction, little tiger." Rin laughed, pinching her cheek and looking back up at the gravestone. "Haru knew Mommy before she came to the Sand."

"When you lived in the Sound?"

"Mm hm. He was my best friend."

Misa's eyes trailed from the tombstone to her mother's kind face. "He was a boy?"

"Yes."

Her gaze narrowed. "Does Daddy know?"

Rin laughed out loud, ruffling up her hair. "Of course, he does! They got to meet right before he passed away."

"Were they friends?"

"I think they would've been wonderful friends."

"Why?"

"Well, they liked a lot of the same things." Rin said with a small smile. She held the book up. "I was just about to read him his favorite story. Would you like to hear it too?"

"Yes! But… um… do you think Mr. Haru would mind if I ate his cake?"

Rin laughed. "No, I don't believe he would."

~~~

She walked back to the estate, hand in hand with Misa chatting a mile a minute about her day.

Rin gave the appropriate, "oh?" and "then what happened?" whenever was necessary, but her mind was elsewhere.

Everyone would be arriving tonight. All the preparations were made and yet, why did she feel nervous?

It wasn't like these kinds of meetings were uncommon for her, in fact, she'd become quite skilled in greeting visitors to her home and maneuvering whatever obstacles came with that.

Could it be because this was the first time, since the Cleansing, that the meeting was on her behalf?

"Mommy? Mommy!" Misa beckoned, pulling on her hand.

"Hm?"

"Are you listening?"

Rin smiled at her. "Yes, sorry baby, Mommy has a lot on her mind for tonight."

"Do I get to wear my new dress?"

"Which one?" She laughed, knowing that Kankuro had gone overboard at her last birthday and showered his niece with not one or two, but twenty new dresses.

It seemed like he had unending enthusiasm and, as it seems, funds for his favorite niece.

"Misaaaaa!"

Speak of the adoring devil.

Suddenly her daughter was swooped out of her grasp and securely into the arms of her uncle, who threw her up in the air, releasing a stream of pleased giggles. "There's my girl!"

"Higher, Uncle, higher!" She squealed.

"No, no higher. That's quite high enough." A stern voice replied, as Temari arrived, right on his tail.

"AUNTIE!!" Misa screamed.

Rin gave an equally excited smile, reaching her arms out to embrace her sister-in-law. "When did you arrive? We weren't expecting you for a few more hours."

Temari returned the hug, though the concept was still foreign. She was just going to have to accept that her brother's wife was a hugger one of these days. "We made good time."

"I'll say. Let me look at you!" Rin exclaimed, turning Temari to the side, so she could see the swollen belly that was barely beginning to show. "Ah! I can see your progress! Shikamaru must be so proud. Where is he?"

"Phht lagging behind, as usual. I'm five months pregnant and I'm faster than he is. Ridiculous."

Misa squirmed out of her uncle's grasp and rushed over to her aunt, placing her small hands on her stomach. "That's my cousin in there, right?"

"That's right."

"Boy or a girl cousin?"

"By all the gods above and below, I hope it's a boy." The drawing voice of Temari's husband sounded with his approach. "I've got too many women ordering me around as is. I need some back up, big time."

"Welcome to the Sand, Shikamaru. We appreciate your presence at the event tonight." Rin smiled, resting her daughter on her hip.

"Sure, sure, it's a big deal, what you're doing here. The Leaf is happy to attend."

"We're expecting a few more guests from the Leaf, but you're the first to arrive. Please make yourself at home and rest up in the guest housing. Temari knows the way."

He nodded and slid an arm around his wife's waist, giving her a peck on the cheek, which sent a blush to her face. "Right. Come on, honey, let's get you rested up. You'll be crabby if you don't."

"I'm fine!"

"I know."

They walked off together, and Rin's eyes followed them, a happy feeling in her heart.

Their courtship was even shorter than hers, which surprised no one at their quick wedding. It seemed like the two warriors were cut from entirely different cloths and yet, they made one of the strongest unions between the Leaf and the Sand.

Neither wanted a big, over-the-top wedding, so it was a small affair, though that didn't stop Rin from decorating her sister's hair in all the dangling flowers she could find. Even if she didn't care about formality, Rin wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to fancy up the hardened woman.

Kankuro patted her shoulder. "You should be at the estate by now. We're going to begin in a few hours."

"You're right. Will your lady be joining us tonight?"

He put a hand on the back of his neck and smiled. "I certainly hope so. I have a question to ask her, after all."

Rin's eyes widened. "You are?! Is it finally time?!"

Misa looked between the two adults. "Time for what?"

Kankuro took her from Rin and swept her up on his back. "Time for you and your mother to get ready for the preparations. Let's go see what food we can sneak on the way in."

"Yeah!

He gave a meaningful look to Rin, who mimed zipping her mouth shut.

Ani had been more than patient with his dragging feet, though Rin knew her brother's hesitation came from shyness more than anything else. He was a remarkably timid creature when it came to the woman he loved, amazing as his reputation with ladies in the past proceeded him.

They climbed the steps of the estate, taking in the scents of the banquet and the bustling of people setting everything up.

It wasn't the largest event they held, but it was going to be full of important people who needed to be impressed.

Rin felt some of her past anxiety creeping into her stomach but breathed it away. She was Lady Kazekage and no one saw her fear. Not until she was in the safety of his arms, where her world made sense and the noise quieted to the peace of their love.

"We need to ensure the leaders of the Cloud and the Stone are on opposite ends of the hall. The last thing I want is a posturing match between the two. Oh, and please ensure the representatives from the Leaf are seated towards the front, a dear friend of mine is scheduled to arrive, and I'd like to speak with him as much as I can."

Gaara was busy directing, pointing here and there, that he didn't notice the approaching little girl, until she was at his leg. "Daddy!"

Rin opened her mouth to correct her daughter's interruption of his work, but Gaara gave a smile that melted her world. "Well, hello Princess."

Misa giggled, blush forming in her cheeks. "I get to wear my new dress tonight, Daddy. Will you dance with me in it?"

He knelt on one knee, crossing his hand over his chest. "I would consider it an honor."

His eyes trailed up to his wife and they warmed on her. "But the Queen gets first dance, you know?"

Rin laughed, approaching the two. "Oh, I think I can be persuaded to share. Besides, I'll probably be too nervous to dance."

Gaara rose, swooping Misa up on his shoulders and giving his wife a soft kiss. "There is nothing to be nervous about. You've worked years on this project. They won't be able to ignore your passion."

"Right."

He flicked his head to the side, signaling everyone to disperse and offered his hand to Rin. "Come on, let me escort my girls to their room."

"Are you sure you have time? It sounds like you have your hands full."

His thumb trailed along her fingers. "I'll always have time for you."

"And for me too, Daddy?" Misa asked from the top of his shoulders.

He laughed, looking up. "Yes, Princess. Daddy always has time for you and Mommy."

"Cause we're a family."

"That's right and who else is Daddy's family?"

Rin watched Misa as she extended her arms out wide. "The entire Sand village! One big family!"

"That's my girl." Gaara gave her leg a squeeze and walked them down the long hallway.

He left them at the door, Misa safely in her mother's arms and offered a bow. "I won't see you until you're ready to make your appearance at the ceremony, but I'll be at the top of the staircase."

"You won't let me trip?"

The cool eyes, both father and daughter shared, smiled at her. "Never."