The desert is full of contradictions. Some days the heat feels like it will seer the flesh from your skin, and some nights the cold nearly freezes the blood in your veins. The deserts lessons were harsh and punishing and you either learned or you died. Only those who lived in the desert learned to love the desert, for despite its' harshness the desert offered life. Pocketed throughout the great expanse of sandy waves were oasis' that flourished around the deserts sources of life giving water; blessing, large and small, that those of the desert never took for granted.
Sabaku no Gaara sat on the edge of the water hole of an oasis a few hours out of Sunagakure. His eyes studied his reflection in the moonlit pool. The stars winked about him. Thick dark circles rimmed his jade eyes, his face was still rounded with the last dregs of baby fat. His hair messy from his hands being dragged through it reflected the color of dried blood into the water. One finger traced the kanji 'ai' on his forehead. The kanji stood for many things. It was what he had always been denied, and it was a reminder that he would only love himself.
But his friend's voice plagued his mind and he wondered if he could some how learn to love more then just his self, if he could possibly find a way to live for more then the next victim to wet his sand with their life blood. He wanted a reason to exist, beyond a menace to the village of Suna. He wanted a reason to resist the blood thirst of the Shukaku demon inside him. He wanted to end his life of selfish bloodshed, to care for another being, but mostly, he wanted what he had always wanted, he wanted to mean something to someone. He wanted-
"What in the sands?"
Gaara twitched, startled as the silent desert night irrupted with the most horrendous sound he had ever head. The wailing sounded like something big, dieing or in more pain he truly wanted to think about. Whatever it was, he doubted it would last the night. It took half a second to pinpoint where it was coming from, beyond the desert berry bushes that grew along the waters bank.
Warily, Gaara stood. His reflection warped as a stray breeze rippled the water and brought with it a foul stench. The sound continued and, unable to continue his internal search for answers, Gaara turned to leave. The animal sounded like it would not last the night. But with only one step the wails trailed into whimpers.
Gaara hesitated and he wondered, what would Naruto do? With a sigh Gaara turned again and trudged towards the piteous whimpers. He pushed through the berry bushes and his foot squelched in the muddy water, but he saw nothing. His search led him farther back then he had originally thought. He stood, calf deep in the water, before arriving at the source of the noise.
He pushed aside thick reeds that grew on that side of the water pool. He yelped in surprise, tripped over his feet and landed with a heavy splash in the shallow water.
"Iie." He sputtered out water and whipped it from his face. "who would-"
He got to his knees, and reached out again towards the reeds. The wailing returned but then quickly dissipated in a watery gurgle.
"Aah!" Gaara cried snatching the soggy brown bundle from water and quickly stood and stumbled out clutching it to his chest.
A sputter, a cough, and the bundle he held began to wail. He closed his eyes hugging it to him and trying to deny that he had actually found what he held.
Then slowly he pulled back, held it out and pushed back the wet blanket.
Azure eyes peaked at him from beneath thick red hair. The wailing hushed as the two of them studied each other. He drew the baby closer, nestling it in the crook of an arm. Tentatively he pushed the hair from the baby's face. His fingers were sensitive to the soft texture of the baby's skin. A small hand reached out of the blanket and took hold of his finger and brought it to its small mouth. With a happy coo the baby's mouth closed over his fingers.
Gaara felt a warmth in the place he usually felt pain.
He marveled at the lightness of the being he held, and how tiny it was. Then he realized that the tiny bundle was shivering violently and its skin was much paler then it should be. He withdrew his finger and began a rapid retreat from the oasis.
But no sooner had he began to walk then the baby began to wail.
"Hush!" he demanded.
The baby jerked at the sound and it only increased in volume.
Involuntarily sand came flew from his gourd, "Hush or I'll kill you."
Gaara's sand wrapped around the baby. Instantly the baby quieted. Gaara smiled happily and continued on. He removed the san, but no sooner at the last grain fallen away but the baby began to whimper.
Surprised, Gaara wrapped her in sand once more
Silence. The baby's eyes drifted closed and she snuggled into his chest.
Gaara smiled again. In his arms was exactly what he had just asked for. Someone who he could care for, someone who needed him.
He increased his speed, he needed to warm the baby and probably feed it. And, he needed to show Tamari and Kankuro his baby.
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A/N: Gaara's got a baby :D. So this is somewhere after he returns from the chunin exams but before he becomes Kazekage? I don't know exactly how long it was before he became Kazekage. I dunno, this is an idea that's plagued me and I guess I'd like some feed back on whether I should take the idea and run with it? And…should the baby be a boy or girl?? Review!