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Chapter 7

Gaara didn't know why or quite simply how he got into this situation. Here he sat with a cup of hot tea inches from his lips, adjacent to the erratic bird tamer who had taken him. She smiled sweetly, pouring something clear into her mug before swirling the liquid around with a fresh piece of bone she grew from her pointer finger.

"You like green tea, right?" she asked, trying to start a conversation in order to break the silence surrounding them.

"Yes."

The red head lifted his cup to his mouth and drank slowly, not wanting to burn his tongue.

"Where has Thaddeus gone to now?" the bird tamer huffed, downing the steaming drink in one swallow. She puckered her lips and clicked her tongue strangely, eyes expanding with zeal before questioning Gaara when she caught him staring.

"Is there a problem, sweety?" Alice asked, batting her lashes with innocence, leaning back with her arms crossed to show she was listening.

"Did you put Saki in that drink?"

Alice snickered. "Maybe…" she took out the bottle that had been put in her coat and held it out to the shinobi. "Want to try it?"

Gaara declined, focusing on the floor. She worried him, in more ways than one. Alice shrugged and leaned her back against her chair, settling into the furniture before speaking once more.

"You want background information on me, I'm guessing." Gaara's head lifted in a swift motion of surprise. "How did you…"

"I was part of a clan, I believe." She dove in impatiently. "They were a senseless group, ended up destroying themselves war after war. The only good thing they left me I suppose was the Kekkei Genkai. Even that wasn't the most helpful when I struggled to grow up as a kid." Alice's eyes darkened slowly, smoldering with some kind of animalistic rage. "You see, people like me weren't easy to find anymore. Most got scared of what I could do… other's interpreted it as an opportunity.

"Those marks you saw on me, they made them. They delude themselves into thinking I could be whipped into submission; they wanted me as a weapon of war."

"What happened to them?" Gaara asked as Alice stopped to regain her composure.

"I killed them Gaara. Cut their throats and fled."

The cold, icy tone in her voice chilled the air… and somehow, somehow it made Gaara want to know more. He asked her to continue, and with a bemused snicker she went on.

"Ya know it's kind of funny. The reason I first started taming birds was out of the fear I couldn't even tamer the power inside of me. I wanted to lay low, make everyone think that my line of inheritance was dead. But I realized that I could hide who I was and at the same time use it, exploit it to my advantage. I injected my pets with my blood. I wasn't expecting much change… but man, was I wrong. These animals… they're almost as strong as me. Excess amounts of stamina, unbreakable limbs, razor edged feathers—my little guys are hardened to kill. And as a 14 year old little girl, living on the streets like a stray, advantage was everything." Her eyes drifted off, mouth curving into a sideways grin.

"I guess you could say I didn't live very lavishly, that is, until I met Thaddeus." Her expression changed as she spoke of him, teeth gleaming with joy. "He was basically out of his mind when I stumbled into him. Thaddie was working on one of his first puppets, trying to use this method of turning blood into chakra with the help of his little inventions. When I went after my little crow, I knew I smelt blood. They crazy asshole was splitting his palm open, dripping the red shit into his puppets wooden frame. We were in a ware house… and as soon as I saw him… something changed. We've been traveling together ever since."

"Wait," Gaara interrupted after she finished her sentence, baffled. "You two didn't even know each other's names and decided to work together like a family? You had no clue who Thaddeus was, what he could do."

The bird tamer giggled at Gaara, light returning to her once frosty eyes. She moved herself forward, leaning her elbow on the table to rest her head against her arm.

"Gaara, I'm guessing you have had some one at least take care of you in your life, right?"

He nodded; though still not sure what it had any relation to in their conversation.

"People like me and Thaddie never had that; all we knew was our own needs, wants, and desires that couldn't be fulfilled without help. We didn't have anyone to help, so we find an opportunity to connect with someone, you bet your ass we are going to take it. Even if a companionship wasn't exactly great, it was still better than being alone and desperate. After all, without a family, we aren't alive; we are just hollow shells, waiting to be filled."

Alice tipped her head back and poured some more Saki into her mouth, eyes dilating with intoxication.

"Do you understand now, my dear?"

'Yes," Gaara said in disbelief, even surprising himself with his answer. "I know exactly where you're coming from."

And with that, the sand shinobi stood, walking over to Alice and embracing her in a tight embrace.

"Thank you." He whispered softly.

They hugged in silence, for no words were even needed.

End of chapter.

Thanks again for the views! I'm sorry I haven't updating this story like I said I would, I've been quite busy with daily activities and my account on deviant art. If you want to check it out here's a link-

Its Hetalia based, for those who know the anime

Okay, with that I am done talking so Bye!

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