"S-Sakura… You're ruining the flowers, sweetheart."

Sakura came back from space and let go of the bouquet, letting them fall to the ground with a light thud. She didn't want to do this, did she? She couldn't get married to someone she thought she loved, could she?

"Sorry, Tsunade-sama… I just…" Sakura's heart pounded.

She was moments away from walking down the aisle to marry… Uchiha Sasuke. Three years ago, she would have had a heart attack and said yes until her voice box broke but…

Uchiha Sakura…

This is definitely not what she wants now. It's not like she really had a choice though. Sasuke came back, said 'Bare my children!' and she gave him a dumbfounded look he took as a 'Yes.'

"Sakura, are you alright? It's time to go." Tsunade reminded her.

Her sensei gave her an understanding smile. Sakura returned it with a weak but emotionless expression.

She met Kakashi at the bottom of the aisle and wrapped her arm around his. No emotion was given from her but she found most her friends in tears. Her bridesmaids gave off the same aura as she.

Ino was the maid of honor. She looked like she was going to kill Sasuke.

Tenten and Hinata were trying to hide their discomfort but still wore slight frowns.

Temari, however, was her best friend; but Sakura couldn't do that… Temari knew better than anyone else why she couldn't. It would be like betraying him… Sakura was already marrying someone else, she couldn't put his sister in the wedding too.

Before Sakura knew it, she was standing in front of Sasuke. He wore a triumphant smirk. She wanted to wipe it off his face with her fist.

The priest gave his speech. Sakura was too distracted, thinking about a certain redhead to listen until Sasuke said, "I do."

"And do you, Sakura…?" the priest asked turning to her.

Sakura's mouth was suddenly dry. He told her to say yes…

"I-" Oh, no… She's stuttering. Sakura gulps and gains some confidence. "I- I don't. I won't! I'm not marrying you Sasuke." In the adrenaline rush, she threw the bouquet of flowers on the floor.

"W-What did you just say?" Sasuke hissed.

"I said I'm not marrying you!" Sakura responded immediately. She was clenching and unclenching her fists to keep from killing him.

The attendants were silent. Most were in shock but some like the Konoha 12, Kakashi and Tsunade were cheering her on silently.

"Why not?" Sasuke sneered.

He grabbed Sakura's wrist before she could leave the altar.

"Because, Sasuke, I don't love you! I stopped loving you the day…" She hesitated, leading to a long pause.

"The day…?"

"The day I was sent to Suna to train other medic-nins!" Sakura confessed.

"Why that day?" Sasuke asked being caught off guard by the answer.

"Because that's the day Gaara saved me instead of leaving on a bench!" Sakura jerked her arm out of Sasuke's grasp.

Everyone's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Y- You love that monster?" Sasuke whispered in disgust.

Sakura turned red with fury and slapped him. "The only monster I know is you!" Sakura screamed.

While Sasuke was too surprised to stop her from leaving so she through off her high heels and ran for the exit.

~Flashback~

Sakura walked the streets of Suna in a huff. It was close to midnight and she had already announced her arrival to the Kazekage and was walking to the apartment she'd be staying in.

One thing that caught her off guard about the Kazekage was that he called her annoying. She lost it! She stormed out of his office and into the streets barely holding onto her sanity.

Annoying… That's what Sasuke called her too. That's what everyone called her. She was just a waste of space in the shinobi world.

"Fuck life…" Sakura whispered sharply to herself entering her apartment.

Without a second thought, she grabbed a kunai out of the pouch on her hip. She began to play with it, running her fingers against it. Should she do it? Tears spilled from her eyes as she stared at the kunai longingly.

"No one would care… I'm just annoying and weak!" Sakura spat at herself.

She pressed the tip on her arm, above the wrist.

"What do you think you're doing Sakura?" a voice growled from behind.

A sudden spur of sand threw the kunai and lodged it into the wall across the room and wrapped around Sakura protectively. The sand turned her to face an angry Gaara.

Sakura didn't reply. Tears just came down like waterfalls.

Gaara just stared at Sakura calculatingly. Eventually he let the sand pull her towards him. He hesitated when she was just centimeters away from him. Sakura was still crying… She was shaking… The emptiness in her eyes didn't belong there… He remembered Sakura's bright, sparkling emerald eyes and wanted to see those eyes again. Gaara let the sand let her go and expected her to run.

Instead, she crashed her body against his in a cold rack of sobs. They stood there for what felt like hours in silence; Sakura, sniffling into his chest and Gaara, contemplating on what to do.

When Gaara finally put a hand on her arm to try and comfort her she fell limp against him. She was asleep…?

Gaara scooped her up bridal style and took her to her room. He set her on her bed and moved to leave. He stood there for a while trying to convince himself to leave but… He couldn't.

Gaara sighed, sitting down on the floor beside her bed. He meditated until Sakura woke up a few hours later. It was far past midnight.

"G-Gaara?"

Gaara's eyes snapped open to look at her. He gave her a sharp, disapproving look.

"Don't do that again…"

"I-I'm sorry…" Sakura mumbled sitting up. She felt Gaara pull her down into him. She was literally curled up in his lap.

Gaara leaned down to see her and crashed his lips into hers. Sakura responded immediately. It brought that spark back into her eyes.

About six months later, Sakura came into the Kazekage's office, pissed as all get out.

Gaara glanced up at the pinkette from his paperwork, "Sakura, I wasn't expecting you."

Sakura frowned, "Sasuke's back."

"Hn, and?" The same cold exterior.

"He asked me to marry him." She added, hoping to get some hint of anger or jealousy.

Gaara's inner set itself on fire but he remained emotionless.

"Then marry him." He responded coldly.

Sakura froze. "Excuse me?"

"If he asked you to marry him, marry him." He grunted not even looking up at her.

"You want me to marry him?" Sakura couldn't believe it…

No! "A kunoichi must do whatever is best for her village." Gaara replied hiding his anger.

Sakura gasped and ran out. Her village didn't care whether she married Sasuke or not. The village elders were the ones who called for the Uchiha massacre in the first place! The village elders had made it known they intended on sending her to Suna to marry Gaara! But, when Sasuke came back to Konoha, no one was going to deny him. Gaara had to stop himself from going after her. That was the last time he saw Haruno Sakura.

~End Flashback~

Sakura gasped for air when she finally stopped running. Villagers were staring at her. The bride without a groom. The woman who left the S-Class missing-nin-gone-good for the unrequited love of a 'monster'… Worst of all, Sakura was pregnant and Gaara was the father.