The rain made the windshield almost opaque. It was nearing two in the morning and Temari was driving faster than she'd ever driven in her life, slipping all over the road, but nothing mattered. The silence in her vehicle was drowned by the thoughts rushing through her head. Almost an hour ago, while sitting in her downtown apartment, a phone call tore her brought her back to a life she had forced herself to forget.

(One hour earlier…)

"And while all of the children are learning the mathematical…"

Ring…Ring…

Temari grabbed the remote and turned off the television. "It's fucking midnight…" she groaned as she stood to go grab the phone. "If you wake up Shikamaru, he's going to kill you, Kanku-oh?" she looked at the caller id. It was an unknown number. Something told her there was something wrong. This call was going to be bad news. She had no idea it would be as bad as it was.

"Hello?" she put her hand on her hip and leaned against her kitchen counter.

"Good evening, is this Temari Nara?" the voice was male, he sounded a lot older.

Nodding as if he could see her, Temari responded with a yes.

"Mrs. Nara, I am Yokoto Saki of the Suna Police Department." Her heart stopped. It was Kankuro, he'd done something stupid, she knew it! But when did he go back to Suna? "Mrs. Nara, do you have a brother?"

She sighed, and shook her head, "Yes, what did he do now, officer?"

The officer cleared his throat and was silent. "Mrs. Nara, your brother Kankuro and I have spoken already and he warned me that you would react this way. So, I will answer my question for you. Your brother Gaara is in the hospital, Mrs. Nara."

Temari froze, it had been almost lifetimes since she'd heard that name. Her body collapsed onto the floor. "G-ggaara?" she choked. "W-wha-what happened?" she held her chest, her heart felt heavy.

"Mrs. Nara, I feel you should probably sit for what I am about to tell you." Temari laughed weakly.

"I am seated." She waited rigid with the phone to her ear as the man was silent, trying to find the words to say.

"Your brother has killed your father. There was a phone call made earlier this evening about what sounded like domestic violence, when we arrived your brother was found with a knife in his hand in severe shock." Temari was silent, her face was pale. The air felt thick and heavy, her body felt dead. "Mrs. Nara?"

"I can be there in one hour." She said, it was all she could say. Words felt like they didn't exist, or if they did, she didn't know what they meant. Her entire world came crashing down.

"Wait, Mrs. Nara, I would like to ask you a couple questions before I let you go, just to get my paperwork for tonight done." Temari didn't speak, just waited for the questions. The man sighed, "You know what, don't worry about it. I will let you get together and come down. I will meet you at the hospital tomorrow morning at 8 am. Good-bye, Mrs. Nara."

Temari hung up the phone, she felt like she was six again. Afraid, alone, but of what? He was gone, her reason was gone. The memories, they were raw in her mind. Like a bullet she shot up and grabbed her bag and keys, gripping her phone she dialed Kankuro's number.

"Temari, I'm driving. Are you on your way?" she immediately started crying at the sound of his voice.

"Kankuro, what the fuck…?" she stumbled to her car, eyes blurred from the tears.

"Temari, listen to me, just calm down… Jesus, I know that's hard to do, but you just worry about getting there safe, okay? I am going to be there in twenty minutes, I'll stop by the house and get his things and meet you at the hospital at around two thirty okay?" Temari nodded, giving a small whimper, "Just drive safely okay? I love you, Tem. I'll see you soon."

Temari started her car and started driving. It was as soon as she reached the Konoha perimeter that she had started flying down the road.

She saw the lights of Suna City and felt the overwhelming cloud over take her again. It had been ten years since she had been in Suna. When she had turned sixteen, she packed her things and took Kankuro to Konoha. With the money they had pooled together from their uncles will, they were able to afford to go to Konoha Private School. Their father, stayed in Suna, he never came for them, and seemed more than happy to have them gone when Tsunade called about their enrollment. After their first year, the following years were paid for by him as long as Tsunade swore to keep them there. They hadn't heard from him since. They knew Gaara was there, they knew the life that he would live, but there was no way to get him out. They couldn't do anything, they were just kids.

She felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she turned down the familiar streets, she was a few blocks from the main hospital. They should have done something, they should have gone back for him. After graduation, all memories of Suna were washed under the rug; forgotten. They acted as if it had never happened, sometimes they believed it.

"Good evening, how my I help you." Temari realized she was in the hospital and shook her head.

"I am Temari Nara, could you direct me to Gaara Sabaku's room. I am his sister." The woman nodded, "Down the hall, take a right. He is in room 304." Temari rushed towards the room, almost running.

She stopped only at the door, from the small window all that was visible was the tuft of red hair on the pillow. She opened the door quietly, and stepped forward. She didn't know why, but in her head she was expecting the small, ten year old she had left laying in his bed, thin and pale. Aside the pale and thin part, the person laying in the bed was anything but a child. Gaara had grown incredibly. He was tall, and his face was no longer the rounded sweet innocence that once cried for love, he was a man with no peace. Temari lifted a hand and placed it softly on his arm where a bandage was wrapped. His body stiffened a little bit and he began to wake up. Temari pushed his hair out of his eyes as they slowly started to open.

She forced a small smile, "Hello, Gaara… do you remember me?" she said softly. He looked at her with dead eyes. "It's me, Temari."

Temari waited, she didn't hear him speak, but his lips moved. "What was that?" she said brushing his hair again.

"You left me." His voice was deeper than she remembered, and more monotone. There was nothing in his voice, she felt hollow. Tears started to fall from her eyes as she nodded.

"I know…" she cried, "I know, I did, Gaara. I am a terrible person, and I am so sorry." She ran her fingers on his arm and held his hand. He rolled from his side onto his back.

"You are a terrible person, Temari." He shut his eyes again. She started to sob into his hand.

She felt awful, this was all her fault, he was right. She was a terrible human being, worse than their father, for leaving him behind. They were so young, and their dad hated Gaara, but kept him close. For a while, Temari rarely saw Gaara. He was locked away in their father's closet.

"Temari, is he okay?" she looked up at Kankuro who stood in the doorway. She started to cry harder, Kankuro came over and put his arm around her. "Shh, Temari calm down."

"I am a horrible person, this is all my fault…" she cried. "I should have called someone, I should have come back!" she cried.

Kankuro hushed her and kissed her forehead, "Come on, Tem. You can sleep, I'll take the first watch. You need the rest to calm down , this isn't good for you." he helped her up and brought her to another chair, "Sleep, okay?" she nodded.

She got comfortable, Kankuro watched her and quickly checked his phone. She noticed Gaara was watching, but as soon as she looked back, he shut his eyes and turned away.

"Good night, Gaara."

"Thank you for meeting with me, Mrs. Nara." Officer Saki sat across from Temari at the small table in the diner they'd gone to.

Temari nodded, "You had questions for me?" she stared into her coffee.

Mr. Saki pulled out his papers. "Yes, Mrs. Nara, how long have you been a Konoha citizen?"

"Technically ten years. A citizen on paper, eight years." She took a sip.

"When and why did you leave Suna?" he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Temari let out a deep sigh, "My father. He was abusive to us after my mother passed away. She died after Gaara's birth. My father was furious, and blamed Gaara. His anger was mostly directed at Gaara, but Kankuro and I had it pretty rough. Gaara never went to school, teachers started to question why we were covered in bruises. When I turned sixteen, I took mine and my brothers money from our uncles will and we left."

"And you left your youngest brother?"

Temari bit her lip trying not to cry, but nodded, "Gaara's room was my father's closet, we left at night. My father locks his room and the closet at night. There was nothing we could do… We were still kids… I didn't know what to do or who to tell. Kankuro and I… we just hoped someone would have noticed…" she took a heavy breath.

Officer Saki removed his glasses, "I understand your situation, Mrs. Nara. I am not pointing blame, I am just trying to understand what happened. I would like to think what happened was a self-defense. From the sounds of it from the neighbors, there was a lot more happening than just a murderous rampage. The kid had bruises and wounds all over his body, he was dirty and had the most terrified look on his face."

Temari looked up at him, "He what?"

"Had a terrified look on his face. Which leads me to my next point." He put his hands together and leaned forward. "Mrs. Nara, did you or your brother know that Gaara has Aspergers Syndrome?"

Temari's grip on her cup tightened as she squeezed her eyes shut to force the tears to stop. She nodded, "Yes…" she choked out.

Mr. Saki let out a low breath and took a drink from his coffee, "From what the doctor said last night, due to the trauma and his condition, Gaara may never be able to be socialized. It will be expensive and hard to find a school or home that will ta-"

"No." she shook her head, "No, no, no. Gaara will be coming home with me as soon as he is well enough." She looked up.

The officer nodded and wrote some things down, "Alright, well, your father's entire estate has been left to your brother Kankuro. I am sure you and your brother are alright to go to the estate and gather belongings on your own." He tipped his coffee mug to his mouth and finished it with a sigh. "I apologize for all of this, Mrs. Nara. You are all too young to have to deal with this situation alone."

Temari shook her head, "You are apologizing to the wrong person, Mr. Saki…" she stared at her mug, "I have never been alone, I have always had someone there. Be it my brother, my friends, or my husband." She looked up at him, "I am sorry he had to be there alone all these years. And I do not blame him at all for what he did."

Mr. Saki nodded before he took his leave.