This is a fanfic I co-wrote with my friend Quetta Vaire a LONG time ago. She wrote most of it, but I'll probably add to it later. I hope you like it!

We don't own anything that's copyrighted, and any infringement is totally unintentional.

Gaara sat on the ground. He was lonely, but he was always lonely. He heard kids playing and looked up to see a ball bounce onto the roof of a nearby house. The kids were in despair over the loss of their ball. They fell silent over the sight of sand scooping the ball and setting it down.

"H...here you go..." Gaara said hopefully. The kids were frozen in shock, then some run as others back away slowly. "Oh." Gaara said and looked at the ground. He turned around and trudged back to sit down again. He looked over his shoulder at the ball and tears welled up in his eyes.

"WHY DO THEY ALL HATE ME?!?" He cried. Sand covered the ball and a muffled explosion sounded from the inside. The sand melted away to reveal the popped ball. Gaara heard footsteps and turned around just in time to see a small girl about his age with brown pigtails run into him.

"Oh!" Gaara exclaimed as he fell to the ground. He blinked in surprise.

The girl jumped upright and backed away a bit.

"Sorry," she quickly apologized. "Are you okay?"

"It okay." The sand melted away from him and he explained. "The sand protected me, it always does."

"oh." said the girl. "you're lucky."

"Not really." sighed Gaara, looking down.

The girl looked down at her skinned elbow and knees. "You are lucky."

Gaara looked up to see her blood and said quickly. "Oh! I'm sorry." His lip quivered and the girl said

"Don't cry! I'm fine. Really, I am."

"Does it hurt?" Asked Gaara, looking at the girls eyes.

"Well, umm, yeah." The girl laughed. "I can't help it. I'm a klutz."

"everyone says I'm lucky. I'm not. I don't even know what it feels like." He paused. "When they even talk to me." He added quietly.

"My names Kayli, What's yours?"

"what?" started Gaara. "Oh, I'm Gaara." He felt himself thinking 'wow, she's talking to me!'

"It's nice to meet you." said Kayli. "you want to be friends?

Gaara stared in astonishment, not sure if he had heard her right. "F...Friends?"

"I'm not sure if I'll be a good one, I've not really been a friend to anyone before." Said Kayli. "No one seems to like me much."

"Oh." said Gaara. "That's too bad.

"Will you be?" asked Kayli. "you don't have to be." she added quickly.

"I've never had anyone like me at all before. Gaara said.

"well of course not, we're different. Well, everyone's different, but you know what i mean. But I like you. I think all the really fun people are the ones that no one likes."

"really?" asked Gaara in disbelief. "I like you too.

"I don't know why, maybe they know that we are different and we can be better than they are so they're jealous."

"yeah," Grinned Gaara.

"come on." Said Kayli. "I'm going to be late for dinner. You can walk with me if you want. that is what friends do, isn't it?"

"I...I guess so." said Gaara, smiling.

"Ok," said Kayli taking Gaara's hand in hers. "Come on."

Gaara looked down at their hands then up at her. "o...okay." he said and they walked off into the sunset.

Kayli held Gaara's hand as she skipped down the road. She let go once to swing around a pole then took his hand again.

Mostly she talked and laughed as Gaara listened to someone speaking to him without fear or hate.

She led him through the village to the slummy end of town. She stopped in front of a run down building with a sign above that said:

ORPHANAGE

ALL DONATIONS ACCEPTED

"Is this where you live?" asked Gaara.

"Yeah." said Kayli softly. "I do. Oh!" she added as she remembered something. "Now you'll have to walk home all by yourself! I'm sorry, I didn't even think of that." she looked as thought she might cry.

"It's okay." said Gaara quickly. "Can I come see you tomorrow?"

"No." said Kayli, "I have to work tomorrow, but the day after I'll meet you in the morning in the same spot I met you if that's okay."

"Yeah." said Gaara. "I'll be there."

Suddenly a huge woman appeared in the doorway.

"So. you've finally decided to come home." she snarled at Kayli. "Don't expect any dinner, go straight to bed!" The woman pointed inside and Kayli started to walk in.

SMACK-the woman slapped Kayli across the face. "ungrateful wretch, not even an apology!"

"I'm sorry." said Kayli in a clear steady voice, but Gaara saw a tear spill down her cheek.

"Bye." whispered Kayli to her friend and he whispered it back as she disappeared with the woman holding a fistful of her hair.

The next day would have been miserable for Kayli if she had not known she go the next day off.

Kayli was rented out every other day to clean. she only made it through the horribly long abusive work day because the next day was a free day. She only made it through the free day that was full of being bullied and verbal abuse because she knew the next day was a work day.

Even though she always tried to look on the bright side, now she had something to actually look forward to.

All through that work day the yelling didn't seem as harsh nor the beating hurt as badly because she was focused on her new friend- Gaara.

The morning she had promised to meet Gaara she woke up early and hurried to help get breakfast ready. the food was ready when all the others woke up and came down. Kayli ate and was done first, but several of the bigger kids followed her out the door. Once out of sight of the orphanage the big children pushed her into walls and tripped her, all the while calling her things she didn't fully understand yet.

Kayli didn't fight back, she'd learned it was useless to fight so many when you were so small. they picked her up and they all worked together to put her on top of a building and take away all of her escape options. Kayli watched them laughing as they walked off. She looked desperately on every side for some way down, but there was none. She sat down and took a few deep breaths to clear her head and gather her thoughts.

"If only I were like Gaara," thought Kayli, "I could do anything and not be hurt." Finally, she jumped. she landed and rolled a bit. When she sat up one of her knees was pretty scraped up and she had a scrape up one of her arms. Before she could gather the fact that she was alive, one of the bullies came around the corner.

"Hey!" he yelled. "She's getting away!"

Kayli got up and ran. She ran and ran, through alleys and up side streets until she lost them. Still she kept running. she stopped only when she reached the spot she first met Gaara.

He was there, the sun behind him, haloing his red hair.

Kayli gasped for air, hand on knees.

"You're bleeding." Gaara said, worriedly.

"I know." panted Kayli.

"does it hurt?" he asked her.

"Yes," she shrugged, standing straight. "It looks worse than it is though, I think. I haven't gotten a chance to clean it out yet."

"Can I help?" asked Gaara.

"I'm not sure what you can do." sighed Kayli. "I was just going to wash it off in the fountain."

"can I come?"
"Of course." Laughed Kayli. "Let's go." she skipped off and Gaara trotted to keep up.

As she washed the blood off in the fountain Gaara asked her what it felt like.

"well," she said thoughtfully. "Have you ever wanted something really badly, and thought you were going to get it, only to have it snatched away?"

Gaara nodded solemnly.

"Now imagine that feeling, only in your skin." Kayli sighed. "It's really hard to describe it."

"everyone says that." says Gaara, "But everyone knows exactly how pain feels-except me."

Kayli watched Gaara's face, his eyes were full of sorrow as he gazed at his reflection in the water.

"I'm sorry." said Kayli.

"It's not your fault." shrugged Gaara.

"I know," said Kayli. "But I feel bad having something you want and cant have."

"It's alright." said Gaara. There was silence as they both sat there on the edge of the fountain.

"I thought you weren't going to show up." Gaara finally said.

"Why not?" asked Kayli, "I said I would."

"But the lady hit you because you were with me." He said.

"No," said Kayli. "She usually does when she's had a long day. It's her way of dealing with stress. The twins were both sick so she was really tired when I got back. She doesn't really hate me...I don't think."

"Anyway," sighed Kayli. "I'm used to it and she can't keep me from seeing my friend." The small brown haired girl smiled at Gaara and he felt himself smile back.

"The only thing you can't feel is pain, right gaara?" She asked suddenly.

"Yes..." He said quietly.

"Oh good!" exclaimed Kayli. "I was afraid you might not be able to feel happiness. That would be horrible, and then I would feel even worse knowing I had two things you could never have."

"Really?" he asked.

"Well, yes." she said. "Do you want to go to the market?"

"Why?" asked Gaara.

"just to look." laughed Kayli. "I can't buy anything of course, but I can see and smell and pretend I'm looking to buy something like the rich ladies. will you come?"

"yes," said Gaara, he stood up and Kayli took his hand again as they walked. Up ahead Kayli saw her tormentors playing catch. She stopped but it was too late. They came running up and surrounded her and Gaara.

"Look at you." spat one of them. "You're so stupid and low the only friend you can find is a demon, How pathetic."

"Poor Kayli, will your children be part demon too?" laughed one of them.

"You leave Gaara out of this!" shouted Kayli, she held even tighter to Gaara's hand.

"Fine." said one of them. "but don't come to us if the demon boy kills you." They all ran off, tossing the ball back and forth.

Kayli took a deep breath and when she loosened her grip on Gaara's hand he could feel her trembling.

"They make me so angry." she said, glaring after them.

"Are you really a demon?" she asked. When she looked over at him he had tears in his eyes. He nodded, then hung his head. Kayli studied him in silence then let go of his hand. Gaara tried not to cry, but a tear ran down his cheek and fell to the ground.

Kayli pulled her hand out of her pocket.

"Here." she said, holding out a piece of candy. "The last lady I cleaned for had a bowl out for people to take a piece from and I wasn't sure if you had ever tried candy, so I brought you a piece."

Gaara looked up.

"You…You don't hate me?" he stammered.

"why would I?" she asked. "you're the nicest person I've ever met."

Gaara wiped his eyes and took the candy from her.

"Thank you." he said and placed it in his pocket.

"You are very welcome." said Kayli laughing as she curtsied, "now come on." she grabbed his hand again and off they went.

For a few weeks, both experienced the happiest times in their young lives.

Then one day Kayli left him a message in their meeting place that said she would meet him at the fountain at night.

Gaara was at the fountain as soon as the sun started to disappear behind the horizon. He sat in the dark and waited for her. Finally he heard her light footsteps come pattering up the street, he stood up.

"Oh Gaara!" she breathed, "You'll never guess what happened today! It's very good and sad too. Let's sit down." They sat side by side on the ground, leaning against the fountain. Gaara studied her face, it was lit up with excitement and her eyes sparkled with the reflections of the starts in the heavens.

"Gaara." whispered Kayli. "I'm going to be adopted." Gaara was stunned, but Kayli didn't notice the shock on his face. She continued. "They came by today, and they talked ever so long with the lady of the orphanage. then they talked to me and quizzed me. I didn't know a lot of the answers, but I guess that was okay, because they want me anyways. Gaara, you'll never guess what the woman who's to be my mother did before they left. She hugged me! And the man ruffled my hair. I think they might come to love me Gaara!" She sighed happily. Gaara blinked back tears.

"You'll be leaving." he whispered.

"Oh Gaara!" cried Kayli. "Please don't cry. I know that's the sad part, but don't cry yet. when I leave you can cry, but I'm not gone yet." Gaara looked up and saw that her eyes were full of tears also.

"I tried to get them to adopt you too. Honest I did, but they said they only want one child to start with." Said Kayli.

"They didn't want me because of the demon." said Gaara bitterly.

"I didn't tell them about that." said Kayli. "They just truly didn't want more than one child. I'm really sorry Gaara." she slipped her hand in his.

"I really am. I asked if we could come visit, but apparently they live really far away in a really big house with a real garden and he was only here on business. I will hardly be able to come back at all." A tear fell down Kayli's cheek.

"Oh Gaara." she cried, finally breaking down and sobbing. "You're the only friend I've ever had and now I have to leave you!" She flung her arms about his neck and he sat there in shock as she cried out her sorrow upon his shoulder. Then he wrapped his arms around her and they both cried. Finally, Kayli cried herself to sleep. Gaara held her as she slumbered and covered her with sand to protect her from the cold wind that cam up in the night.

Just before dawn, Kayli woke up. She sat up and yawned. The sand blanket seemingly disappeared.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep." said Kayli. "Did you sleep?"

"no." said Gaara.

"Do you ever?" asked Kayli.

"No." said Gaara again.

"Why?" yawned Kayli standing up and rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"I just don't." He said and stood up.

"I should probably go back now." sighed Kayli.

Gaara nodded. Kayli held out her hand and he took it. She held his hand more tightly than usual as they walked back. She also didn't chatter and laugh all the way back as she usually did. there was no sign of tears on her cheeks, but her eyes lacked their usual sparkle.

"Kayli," said Gaara. "Don't be sad because of me. You need to be happy so the people will love you."

"Alright Gaara," sighed Kayli. "I'll try, but don't worry, I won't forget you." She smiled at him and he tried to smile back.

When they reached the door Kayli went up the step to inside and turned around.

"I'll miss you," she said to Gaara.

"I miss you already." he said. Kayli smile and leaned forward to kiss the character on his forehead.

"don't forget me." she whispered.

"I won't." promised Gaara.

Then she snuck back inside and crawled into bed for another hours sleep.

Gaara hid himself and watched. When midmorning cam, Kayli's Parents-to-be came to pick her up.

They must have brought an outfit with them for her, because her ragged too short dress was no where in sight. She left wearing a pure white dress with white ribbons tied to her pig tails fluttering behind her.

Gaara watched her holding a hand of each of her parents. She was smiling and laughing as she disappeared around a corner.

Gaara curled up and cried.