Hi there! Just thought a nice little story for the holidays would be good to start out with. This is a side story to another plotline I might write. Please enjoy~!

Disclaimer: Yea, I wish I owned Naruto... too bad I don't.

The first snow of winter drifted softly over the village of Suna. Gaara took in the smoky scent of burning wood as he stood at the window of his room. It never snowed in Suna. He had a lot of paperwork to do, but his assistant Hine had gone home early despite the strange weather. He didn't want to work on the reports alone and now found himself perplexed by the falling white specks outside. They were much more interesting than boring papers.

Being from the desert, Gaara had rarely seen snow. He watched as winter wrapped its cold arms around the buildings and covered it with a frosty blanket of ice. Gaara opened the glass doors and stepped out onto the balcony. His breath came out in a large cloud as he exhaled. He held up a hand to catch some of the falling flakes. He stared quietly as the snowflakes landed on his exposed skin and melted quickly. For the fleeting moments he saw them, Gaara could see that no snowflake was alike and that difference made him smile inside.

It was like the snowflakes were the many people in the world. Each was unique in their own way. Alone they were nothing but small ice crystals, but together they could gather and build something.

"Help!"

Gaara snapped out of his thoughts and was instantly at the railing looking down. A small child was tripping frantically through the empty streets. No one was around to hear his little pleas for help. The Kazekage instantly bolted inside for a coat. He was down the stairs and outside in minutes.

"Hey," he called gruffly catching up to the child.

The kid was trembling in the ankle deep snow without a coat. His eyes were filled with tears. "Please sir! You've got to help me!" he sobbed.

"It's all right," Gaara responded gently placing a hand on the boy's head, "What happened?"

"A l-lady!" he stammered between sobs, "She fell down and I c-couldn't move her!" Gaara's eyes widened slightly as the boy continued, "I c-covered her with my coat and ran to get help! No one was around!"

"What is your name?" Gaara questioned him. He never remembered seeing this young boy before. His dark hair was damp with melting snow and his eyes shone a stunning silver blue through his tears.

"H-Haniel," he sniffed.

Gaara nodded filing the name away for later consideration, "Lead me to this woman Haniel."

The young boy took his hand and they trudged through the snowdrifts engulfing the city. Gaara's mind raced as they near the edge of the village. It was reasonable that he had never met this child because he lived on the outskirts. Being Kazekage didn't help matters either, he was always busy. Today he had planned to escape his duties for a few hours because of the snow, but here he was now following a child to help someone.

They rounded a corner and the child pointed a tiny finger, "There!"

Half covered in the falling snow a prone figure laid. Gaara hurried over with the boy at his side. He knelt down and brushed snow off the woman's pale hair and froze. "No," he breathed. It was the one person he never wanted to see like this. Hine's angelic face was still as he looked down at her. His Hine that helped him in the office. His Hine that suffered from strange headaches and never complained. His Hine that smiled at him everyday and furtively loved. He pulled the woman into his arms. "Hine!" he practically cried out, "Hine can you hear me?!"

Her eyes fluttered momentarily but she didn't respond. Gaara dug under the snow and hooked an arm under her knees and lifted her up. Haniel watched as Gaara took off straight for the hospital.

"Please," Gaara begged to anyone who was listening, "Don't let her die."