This is the last thing for this story and it is officially over. I wish I could tell you that I am happy with the ending, but at least I am happy that most of you are happy:)

I have made the mistake of reading a lot of material on how to write stories. which in theory is helpful because you break down plotlines and get the mechanics of writing figured out.

HOWEVER now I can't seem to stop dissecting my own work and can't forget myself while in the process. :(

I'm hoping that will fade the longer I go without reading any more books on technique.

Much much love.

And yes, I am still working on Switch A Roo, Meet Cute and one day, hopefully very soon Paint With Words.

-Inky

Epilogue: 6 months later:

"Hina." Itachi's voice was sugar, honey and all things sweet and runny. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

Sasuke's shoulders stiffened beneath her palm and despite feeling like it was bad form to be so pleased she let herself grin. "Itachi-nii!"

The airport was a hubbub of noise and juxtaposing emotions. Sadness at farewells and joy at reunions buzzed around them. Joining in the positive grins Hinata hugged Itachi warmly, and then ducked as Sasuke threw him a look that attempted to decapitate him instead.

"Little brother."

"You get more irritating the longer I know you." Sasuke replied simply, extending a hand to take his bag. Smiling still Itachi handed it to him. "Your insecurities are showing, tuck those back in."

"I got you a coffee." Hinata interrupted, taking Sasuke's hand on his other side and offering the latte to Itachi who beamed at her.

"I fall more in love with her every time."

"There it is. That's what the growing annoyance is." Sasuke muttered thoughtfully while Hinata wrinkled her nose at him despite her blush. They looked like quite a trio, all of them dressed in rather fine attire. Hinata was in heels and a black dress that made every inch of her look like it was a piece of art, accenting and highlighting everything that deserved more attention. Around her neck hung a simple string of tiny white pearls, a thing she only ever wore on special occasions as they had been her mother's.

Marching out the door they were met by the car Itachi had already hired before arriving and sitting in the vehicle with the air conditioner blasting Itachi pulled out his laptop, pointing at Sasuke.

"So."

"So." Sasuke replied, less than enthused.

"What are the projections for this quarter."

"Abysmal."

"Sasuke." Itachi gave him a look. "I need the real numbers, if this can't be charted and graphed and taxed as part of Uchiha Corp-"

"I didn't want it as part of Uchiha Corp. I wanted it to be my own."

"You are part of Uchiha Corp." Itachi pointed out lightly. "Hinata, talk some sense into him."

"Well... I rather agree-" And Itachi gave Sasuke a look that was a little on the smug side, "-with Sasuke."

At this Itachi balked, snapping his dark eyes to her. "Come again?"

"It's money that was left to him by Mikoto...not your father-"

"That doesn't-"

"Don't interrupt her, Itachi." Sasuke cut in, soft and almost like he was hardly paying attention as he looked out the window.

Itachi choked on his words in that instant, blinking back and forth completely blind sided by the sudden closing of ranks. Still looking sweet as a bumble bee Hinata crossed her legs and offering a weak smile said, "The money Mikoto left for you and for Sasuke was not part of the Uchiha Corp. stock holdings. I figured, like Sasuke did that the using that to finance the art gallery would sever any connections to the company and allow for a lot more flexibility."

It took a few moments for Itachi to reply. He looked back and forth at the pair across from him, feeling a slow smile rise to his face even as he thought rapidly. It had been some time since the family had had the ability to argue without having to come to an impasse but since Hinata's addition it would appear that a last voice would be breaking off any stalemates.

And, despite any affection she obviously held for her new Nii-san, her loyalties were firmly and irrevocably on the younger Uchiha's side.

It was definitely high time for Itachi Uchiha to find himself a girlfriend. He wouldn't last long against two.

"By flexibility you mean complete disregard for business sense." He grinned and Hinata smiled back. "Art dealings are not always profitable within the first few years and to place the gallery in the same tightly regulated mandates of Uchiha Corp. off shoot projects would be very constricting and almost guarantee a failure."

Turning to Sasuke now Itachi tapped his chin with his pen. "We agreed that you would be doing this part time. This doesn't sound like a part time thing now."

"Oh, I will be doing it part time as well." Hinata cut in. Sasuke had not even bothered to look at his brother.

Itachi snapped his eyes back to the little Hyuuga and realized abruptly that she would likely not be a Hyuuga for much longer. Six months was long enough for rather everyone who knew them to see they were made of the same stuff, two shooting stars on a trajectory that was destined to crash.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The gallery is part gallery part publishing house." Hinata's grin only grew as his eyes widened. "I'm it's in-house editor and agent."

"Hence why it can't be part of Uchiha Corp. We also had to turn down any attempts at control from Hyuuga Enterprises." Sasuke drawled, sliding his fingers to twine with Hinata's.

Itachi sat back, dumb founded. "When did you two brats do this?"

"That might be the first negative thing I think he's ever said about you." Sasuke smirked, ignoring his brother and turning to Hinata smugly. Hinata's mouth was a round pink O of surprise. "I think so!"

"You tricked me into agreeing to this thing two months ago under the pretense-" Itachi began, trying and failing miserably to work up a little bit of indignation although in reality he was rather proud. Within the parameters of anything in the Uchiha Corp umbrella Sasuke would have been limited to a very short time frame to work up a profit. He had been worried enough to try to dissuade his brother several times.

Now with a Hyuuga with him at the helm and the money coming from a completely unrelated source...

"Do you think he'll get it over it?" Sasuke continued, again ignoring his brother as the car stopped at the curb and he opened the door to climb out.

Pausing before pulling herself from the vehicle Hinata gave Itachi a look that was entirely too close to a big eyed puppy stare. "I'm sure he will." and promptly kissed his cheek.

Flushing crimson the elder Uchiha dredged up a mild scowl from somewhere in his repository of expressions for emergency situations.

"You two." He grumbled, but there was no bite and as they stepped into the blistering August sun he winced.

Wordlessly Sasuke let them towards the storefront, letting his brother pause to look at the sign for a moment, gazing at the elegant curves of the writing, the sparse aesthetic intricate in the small metal work of the background.

"Frisson Gallery and Publishing." He muttered, eyeing the couple waiting patiently by the door. "Should I even ask why the name was picked? Will you tell me?"

Smiling Hinata shook her head and Itachi narrowed his eyes at her. "He's got you answering me because I won't argue with you, isn't he?"

"You always were a clever bastard." Sasuke smirked, and opening the glass door waved him inside with Hinata.

The gallery was a deep rectangle that veered at the back to the right in an L-shape. Black and white panels lined the walls, art work hung from the make shift maze of move-able dividers in pristine white or lavender and some hung from the exposed metal support beams of the ceiling.

It was almost too cool inside in comparison to the sweltering summer heat from the street and sighing with relief the pale elder Uchiha adjusted his suit jacket mildly. "At what time does the show get rolling?" He asked, glancing at his watch.

"Seven." Sasuke muttered, listening suddenly to the sounds of a voice he did not recognize coming from the offices at the back where he and Hinata worked on the publishing aspect of the business.

"I know the showing is not until seven." This voice was smooth, the elegance in the pronunciation and timbre undeniable even as it sharpened to cutting. "It's just my phone has died and I require you to please make a call to Miss Hyuuga to inform her that I am here early."

Standing at the weathered ebony desk was their secretary, wide eyed and clearly unsure of what to do with the girl who stood stubbornly before her.

The dark hair fell in a familiar way down her waist to her hips and despite the jeans she was in heels that rivaled Hinata's and a black blazer that somehow managed to put her in the same formal dress as them even though she wore jeans. Pulling a pair of elegant white sunglasses off her face the girl glanced back and then grinned. "Onee-chan!"

Hinata started, shocked, almost as much as Sasuke and Itachi were.

"Hanabi!"

In two seconds the girls were hugging and as Sasuke stared Itachi whispered. "They're related?"

It was undeniable that they were related, their hair, their gray eyes and their full mouths were the same. Even the shapes of their faces and the bones beneath had a familiar sort of grace that made Sasuke blink rapidly to clear his confusion.

And he was confused, because although they seemed incredibly similar everything Hanabi Hyuuga was giving off was exuberant raw confidence, straight to the point. Giving her sister a last kiss on the cheek she walked purposefully to the boys watching with wide black eyes.

"Sasuke, I'm assuming." She grinned, hand extended. Her firm shake was as startling as everything else about her and Sasuke nodded. "That's me. You must be the little sister."

"The better sister." Hanabi winked and Hinata stuck her tongue out.

"Whose this though?" Eyes turning curiously towards Itachi Sasuke blinked and stepped out of the way for her to shake his hand too. The surprise was not well hidden on Itachi's face. "I'm the better brother." He smiled, despite his momentary brain freeze.

Hanabi let out a chuckle. "Ah. You're Itachi then."

"Yes. That's quite a handshake."

Her smile took on a more steely vibe. "I like to let people know I'm really present."

"I am sure they wouldn't dream of forgetting."

Alarm was now flashing on Hinata's face like streetlights turning from yellow to red and Sasuke stepped up to his brother quickly. "Itachi, if you want to discuss numbers, now is the time before the caterers arrive."

"Right." Smooth, like he had not noticed Hinata's widening eyes or Hanabi's growing slyness Itachi nodded at the girls and turned to follow Sasuke past the now exhausted looking secretary busying herself with something at her desk.

"I'll just take Hanabi out for some lunch then." Hinata called, and Sasuke waved over his head in agreement. Making a quick exit the elder Hyuuga grabbed her purse and with more urgency than usual moved to get Hanabi out of the gallery, knowing all too well what those flashing gray eyes were saying.

Once outside on the street the girl let herself vent. "Wow."

"Shss." Hinata tried, walking rapidly down the sidewalk.

"Oh man. The genetics in that household."

"Hanabi."

"The babies you and that boy are going to have. I am going to have THE cutest nieces and nephews." She pressed her hands to her cheeks, eyes gleaming.

"Are you excited though? Are you nervous? You know, father was huffing and puffing about the publishing house for about a day and after Neji-nii talked to him I swear he couldn't stop bragging to anyone who would listen about how his eldest was starting her own business." She winked. "Did you get Neji to make that play? Seems awfully sly for you."

"I most certainly did not." Hinata gasped, and then more earnestly. "Was he really bragging? Really? The way the conversation went I thought he might disown me..."

"Pfft." Hanabi laughed and squeezing her sisters hand sighed deeply. "He's happy. I think he might buy a painting or two today." She grinned. "It helps a lot that Neji just informed him he plans on asking Tenten to marry him next summer. He's in a great mood. And looking for wedding gifts. Win, win."

Hinata's smile couldn't get much bigger.

"So he did it."

"Oh man, THEY'RE going to have the cutest babies too!" Hanabi took a deep breath and looked about ready to burst. "So many cute babies!"

If Hinata had known what was being discussed in the offices of Frisson Gallery and Publishing House maybe she wouldn't have chided Hanabi to pipe down about nieces and nephews so soon because sitting in the office with his hands in his pockets Sasuke was letting Itachi study a little velvet box with wide eyes that were maybe a little wet.

"Aw damn." He laughed, rubbing at the corner of his eyelid. "Here I said I wouldn't do this."

"It's so strange that you have international titles in tae known do." Sasuke muttered, amused despite himself. "Yet here you are, crying."

"I'm not crying, it's one tiny tear. And also, it's joy not pain- you heartless monster." Itachi laughed again and stood, grabbing his brother in a hug that he didn't ask permission to give.

"Congratulations you little bother."

"Well, she has to say yes first." Sasuke grunted, trying to breathe in the strangle hold.

"Pfft. It's a done deal. How's Naruto taking it?" Itachi pulled back and Sasuke made a face. "Ah... he's a little worried since he and Sakura have been together longer, ya know?"

Itachi shrugged and tried not to look too pompous. "Uchihas do have a way of showing other people up."

"I tried to explain that."

"Other's don't get it."

And then they laughed because what else was there to do.

"One more Uchiha." Itachi grinned, glancing at the box with the ring inside before snapping it closed and handing it over. "You'll both be done school, I guess? Next year this time?"

"No." Sasuke shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pocket with the ring his brother had handed back to him. "I think it'll be a winter wedding." And he shifted before shrugging a little shyly, something his older brother had not seen him do in some time.

"I think we'll probably serve hot sweetened wine."

Itachi seemed impressed. "You guys have been talking about what you'll serve already? I guess that yes isn't really far away then?"

"No, we haven't talked about it." Sasuke shook his head, pulling the box back out as though to remind himself he still had it, and that tonight at the gallery with all their friends and close family present he would ask the most terrifying question of his life. "I just know."