Gah I love this story, I hope you guys like it just as much. I had originally wrote it as a one-shot but I liked the idea so much I decided to make it into a multi-chapter story. There's going to be a lot more where this came from, and things are going to get really crazy. Please enjoy, and leave reviews please, they make me feel better about myself .


Lay Me Down

chapter 7

Gaara stumbled into the apartment well after midnight. Neji had been waiting for him for hours, but he knew Gaara had a lot of problems. He was broken inside and it would take a long for him to feel any better.

"So how was your night?" Neji asked Gaara, who had sat down on the couch next to him. He reeked of alcohol and pot, but as he looked the redhead over he noticed bruises that weren't there this morning, and he had a split lip and a black eye. Gaara had gotten into a bar brawl or his name wasn't Neji Hyuga.

"It was interesting." Gaara said.

"Want to talk about it?" Neji asked. He made sure not to sound like he was pushing him to talk, but as if he was genuinely interested, and he was.

"I got a job offer, but the work wouldn't be exactly legal." Gaara said.

"Well, I am going to end up keeping criminals out of prison, so at least if you get caught you wouldn't have to look hard for a lawyer." Neji smirked. He knew Gaara wasn't joking, but if Gaara was going to do something stupid like this he had to let him make the decision on his own. If he pushed him not to do it he might as well just tell him flat-out he should go for it.

Neji didn't want to see Gaara hurt anymore, but he wasn't in control of that. All he knew was Gaara was in a really bad place, and he couldn't live without the red-head at this point. Neji was going to stick with him through it all.

Gaara was relieved when Neji cracked a joke about the situation. He still wasn't sure what he was going to, but it was nice to know that Neji would have his back.

"I need to quit drinking." Gaara said as he jumped off the couch and ran into the kitchen and got to the sink just in time before he threw up a days worth of liqur.

Neji stood up and walked over to Gaara and began rubbing his back as he heaved into the sink time after time. Neji was surprised he even made it home in one piece after drinking that much.

Gaara turned on the sink and washed out his mouth. He turned around to face Neji and wrapped his arms around him. He just wanted to stay like that forever. There was a knock on the door and neither of them wanted to get it, but it seemed whoever was there wasn't going away anytime soon. So Neji went to open the door.

"Naruto?" Neji asked. Gaara stumbled over to the door and saw Naruto there.

"I came to check on Gaara, I'm friends with a few people who work at the bar he goes to and they said he got into a pretty wicked fight." he said.

Gaara stumbled over to the door, his button up shirt open to reveal scars and bruises, most old but some new. He was still out of his mind drunk, but he could almost walk a straight line.

"Last time I saw you your boyfriend called me a faggot." Gaara slurred the words so badly Naruto could barely understand him.

"He didn't know it was you." Naruto exclaimed.

"But it doesn't bother you that he says that?" Neji asked, Gaara was too drunk to argue right now so Neji took over much to the red-heads appreciation.

"It's just a word." Naruto said.

"A word rooted in hate and discrimination." Neji retorted.

"I don't see a problem with it." Naruto shrugged. What had bothered him most about that night was when Gaara had said he'd killed people for less.

"In suna a guy called me a fag once." Gaara said, now somewhat clearer. "My whole team got together and kicked his ass. When I say we kicked his ass, I mean we beat him to within an inch of his life. I had to pull the other guys off of him so he wouldn't die." Gaara finished sitting down on the couch.

"I killed people just because the military told me to. If you don't think I wouldn't go through with doing something just because Sasuke used to be my friend a long time ago you better think again. There were three people there at the Airport when I got back Naruto, and you and Sasuke weren't one of them!" Gaara screamed. Naruto and Sasuke had been his best friends in high school, and they had all but forgotten about him. While he was protecting their freedoms in war they were getting drunk and having a great time.

"WE didn't know you were going to be back!" Naruto responded almost as loudly.

"I called Sasuke, Naruto." Neji added. "I told him when we were going to meet Gaara and at what Airport." he finished.

Naruto was dumbstruck. He had no idea that Sasuke intentionally chose not to see Gaara. He would have to have a talk with the man.

"I'm sorry." Naruto mumbled.

"Get the fuck out." Gaara said not even looking at him.

"Fine, I'll see you in class tomorrow." he said dejectedly looking at Neji. Who was also furious with him, he was just more civil about it then his red-headed boyfriend.

After Naruto left Gaaras cell phone started ringing, Iron Man by Black Sabbath was his ringtone. He looked at the cracked touch screen and answered it.

"Hello?" Gaara asked.

"I have some work for you to do tomorrow if your interested." a cold voice said on the other line. Gaara could immediately tell it was Itachi.

"I'm assuming you'll want to meet up before hand as to not discuss the simple business transaction over the phone." Gaara said.

"You pick up on things quite fast my new friend. Meet me at the bar you usually go to." Itachi said and he hung up the phone.

"Well looks like I have to go to work tomorrow." Gaara said leaning back in his chair. He was fine with illegal and questionably immoral. He had always lived his live in shades of grey. He wasn't sure how Neji would like dating a criminal, but that would be a conversation for another time.

The next day Gaara woke up fresh and ready for anything. Yes, he was one of those assholes that didn't suffer from hangovers. He did his morning workout, and he ate a few pieces of toast and put on some decent clothes. A black button up shirt and a pair of black slacks and black dress shoes. It didn't matter what Itachi had for him to do, he was ready for it, and he would do it to the best of his ability just as he did everything else.

He got to the bar and everyone was actually staring at him. He cleaned up nice and everyone could see. They were used to a redhead that drank until he puked and then drank some more. Dirty clothes and muddy shoes. This red-head was not the same one that was usually in here.

He found Itachi and took a seat across from him and the orange haired man next to him.

"Gaara this is Pein. He will be running an errand for me, the people he will be meeting with are questionable to say the least. I want you to go with him and make sure he comes back. I do not care how you make sure he gets back, but if one hair is missing without him saying its okay, both of us will be very dead, very quickly." Itachi said, stressing the "Both of us" part.

This was obviously important and Itachi wanted to put Gaara to the test. Gaara nodded, he would do whatever he needed to do to get the respect he felt he deserves.

"Do NOT open it until you get outside and into Peins car." Itachi ordered. That was something Gaara was used to, taking orders. He was a soldier through and through. Once again Gaara nodded and then Itachi stood up and with a nod to Pein and Gaara he left.

"So if you're going to be the one to protect me I think I want to know more about you." Pein said. Eying up Gaara.

"I served in SEAL team one for almost two years." Gaara started. "I've got more confirmed kills than any other soldier in the SEAL program. I've been shot, stabbed, tortured, and I killed my own father. I think that this job will be a walk in the park." Gaara said.

What took Pein by surprise was that the redheads voice held no confidence, it was as if he was stating cold hard facts. He realized he had never even met a SEAL team member.

"What was your rank in the military?" Pein asked.

"I was promoted to a Master Sergeant before I got shipped home. I was the leader of my SEAL team." Gaara said, once again in a cold hard voice. It made Pein shiver. He never felt fear like this before. He would rather piss off every Chechen he would ever meet then get on Gaaras bad side.

"Well, we should probably get going. These guys aren't going to wait around all day." Pein said, and the two got up and left.

Sitting in the passenger seat of Peins BMW Gaara opened the envelope to find his payment for this job, and a Colt .45. It was all black and it was heavy as a brick, but thats what you got when you had a .45 caliber. He put the gun back in the envelope.

"You aren't going to take a gun?" Pein asked. Gaara smirked at the older man.

"I never go anywhere without a gun." he said pulling his Glock 22 from behind his back. Standard issue for everyone in the Konoha military. He had killed four Suna soldiers before he had found it after he had been captured.

Another hour car ride and Gaara found himself at a run down apartment building in a really bad part of town. THis place made Kankuros look like a palace. Pein got out and pulled a briefcase out of the backseat. Gaara walked next to the much taller man. They got to the top of the stairs to find three men with fully automatic weapons. As soon as then got around the corner the weapons were trained on them. Gaara didn't do anything stupid, he could never draw down on three men with fully automatic rifles, it just wasn't going to work.

"No Guns." one of the men said with a thick Chechnyan accent.

"Well we aren't going to give you our weapons if you guys have weapons." Pein said.

That didn't go over well. The three men raised their weapons and Gaara reacted on pure instinct. Bullets ripped through the wall behind them, but not one hit. Gaara had grabbed Pein and the two were now flat on the ground. Gaara squeezed off three shots and each hit a Chechen in the dead center of their face.

"Holy shit." Pein said. "How did you know they were going to shoot?" He asked.

"Instinct. They were going to shoot at us no matter what. I could feel it." Gaara shrugged. He had been taught how to read people during his time in Suna. He had grilled a number of people for information. High profile targets that he was told to take alive.

Gaara grabbed one of the MP5Ks off a dead Chechnyan, and kicked in the door. They found four Chechens sitting at a poker table playing cards. It seemed they had no problems with what took place outside their door, but their mouths dropped at seeing the red-head.

"It seems we have some business to discuss gentlemen." Pein said sitting down at the table with the other men. Gaara stood behind him his hand on the trigger of the MP5K ready for anyone to do something stupid.

"You weren't supposed to be able to make it past the door!" one of the men shouted with a thick accent.

"Well you wouldn't have known about my friend Gaara here. Itachi Uchiha sent him with me as a personal favor. You know those Chechen criminals you had watching the door. How long do you think it took Gaara here to kill them?" Pein said. A wicked glint to his eyes. Gaara knew that look well, he had given it and received it many a time.

"What do you want?" one of the men asked.

"Well I wanted to have a meeting like civilized people. Not like monkeys from Suna. My apologies Gaara."

"None taken, I was born in Suna but this is my home." Gaara replied, his body still on alert for anything.

It was at that moment two men came out of the bathroom behind Gaara with weapons raised. In an instant their bodies were on the ground, Gaara had heard them and put three bullets in their heads each. He had been waiting for them to come out. He had heard them moving around for the last five minutes.

"Well it seems you though I may have made it past your guards out front." Pein said with a smile.

The men all let out sighs. They had such high hopes for the men Gaara had just put down like dogs. They were some of their best shots.

"Don't feel bad. I doubt anyone in the country is as good a shot as Gaara. He was a SEAL in the Konoha military. That's why he works for Itachi. He's the best at what he does." Pein said with his hand on the man to his left arm.

Pein immediately jumped to business.

"Well I am going to need to talk to Ned." Pein said. The four men immediately sat up. The one everyone else seemed to be looking at nodded and stood up and walked over to the phone.

"Ned, Pein is here, he wants to talk to you. In person." the man said in Chechnyan. He hung up the phone and walked back over to the table. "He will be here soon."

"Good." Pein said. That was in, Gaara took a seat in a corner of the room as to be able to have everything in his sights. 'God this is some crazy shit of my first day.' Gaara thought to himself, but as he thought more he realized he wasn't freaking out or anything, he was as calm as can be considering he just shot five men.

A tall, older, brownish/blonde haired man walked in and sat down at the head of the table. He had been in this game for a very long time. He had accumulated more respect then Itachi, but he had made his name in America.

"Eddard." Pein said.

Immediately the Chechens started shouting about this, that, and anything else. Ned, or Eddard as Pein called him, raised his hands to quiet the men. Gaara had no clue as to why he lead a group of Chechens, but he must have done something to earn their respect.

"I like your bodyguard." Eddard said. "He is quiet, and you can tell by looking at him that he is a strong man, he looks like he knows what he is doing." Eddard finished.

"Well I am paying Itachi very well for the use of him." Pein said.

"So he works for Itachi huh?" Eddard said.

"So about these properties that Hidan bought from you." Pein said.

"No no no." Eddard said. "I already told him, he needs to pay up by the end of the month. He made a deal Pein. He needs to learn to keep his word." Eddard concluded.

"That I am not debating, but you can not go after Hidan, he has left my protection." Pein said.

"So how is that bad, it will no longer effect you if I kill him." Eddard said.

"No, it will not effect me if you kill him, but it will affect Itachi. Hidan has joined up with Itachi, and you already know if Itachi calls for me, I come running. He runs a criminal conglomerate Eddard. I know you and your boys aren't from around here, but if you attack someone under his protection, its over for you." Pein said.

"I will think what you have said over my friend." Eddard replied.

"That is all I ask." Pein said standing up, and Gaara stood up and followed him out.

"Well that went better than expected." Pein said.

"I don't understand whats going on." Gaara said. "Itachi told me that if anything happened to you we would all die, but if that guy were to attack Itachi he wouldn't stand a chance."

"You misunderstood him. Itachi was making a joke. Stick with him long enough and you'll see what I mean, his voice rarely ever changes." Pein said.

"So you mean to tell me the ever stoic Itachi Uchiha was cracking a joke?" Gaara asked.

"That is exactly what I am saying. He was trying to say if anything happened to me while under his protection then my wife would find all of you and kill you." Pein said. "Well honestly I doubt she could kill you or Itachi, but she would make it very hard to do business." Pein finished.

'Well this has been one hell of a day.' Gaara thought to himself. 'I could get used to this'

He sat down in Peins car and pulled the money out of the envelope. He began counting it and Pein threw down five hundred-dollar bills.

"A hundred a head." he said. "That's Itachis usually price when a guy he sends me has to kill someone." he added.

He got payed 32,500 dollars for one day of work. He had never actually seen that much money before, he has seen his bank receipts but never actually all the money.

Pein dropped him off at the bar and drove off. Gaara walked in to find Itachi sitting in one corner, and Sasuke in Naruto siting in the other. The two young men looked at Gaara who was dressed very nicely for just coming to the bar, before their mouths hit the ground as he brushed them off and sat down across from Itachi.

"I saw my brother looking at you." Itachi said.

"No offense but fuck your brother." Gaara retorted.

"No offense taken. He's a hypocrite. He runs our families business which all but runs the country. Its corrupt to the core and they wonder why I do this kind of work. I'm honest about who I am I don't put on a suit and pretend as if I'm not robbing the common man of his money. I only rob other criminals. Sometimes people or shops come to my men to provide protection, but they pay us only a small fee, and I take no percentage of what that man makes." Itachi said.

Gaara had never heard Itachi talk so much in his life, but Gaara found he could agree with everything that he agreed with everything he had said.

"Look go buy yourself a suit, and meet me here tomorrow, Pein told me how the job went and I was very impressed. I think you could do great things for this organization Gaara," Itachi said. He stood up and shook the red-heads hand.

Gaara sat back down after Itachi left, only to have Naruto and Sasuke in his face, not five minutes after he left. Gaara waved over a waitress who carried a bottle of Jack Daniels.

"Thanks." Gaara said politely.

"Just let me know if there's anything I can do for you sweetheart." the woman replied.

"What the fuck was that all about?!" Naruto yelled. Not referring to the woman but the meeting with Itachi.

"I was sure Neji would have told you. His brother offered me a job the other day. I was inclined to accept and I find I actually have quite a lot in common with the man." Gaara said as he drank a glass of whiskey.

"Bullshit." Sasuke said. "You have nothing more in common with the man as he does me."

"That's where you're wrong again." Gaara replied. He took another swig of his whiskey. "I find you both to be very much alike, except he is more of a gentleman" Gaara said, he was quite happy to see how the younger Uchiha reacted. Gaara could see Sasuke had a few things he wanted to say to him.

"Fuck you. You have no idea what you're talking about. He's killed people." Sasuke yelled.

"So have I." Gaara said standing up. "I think you should go." he said. Naruto seemed to be the only one of the two with any sense and dragged Sasuke out of the bar.

Gaara sat down and drank another glass of whiskey before going home.

He got home and was quite proud of himself, he had only drank half of the bottle, he was barely even drunk when he walked in the door with the envelope.

"Whats that?" Neji asked.

"My paycheck." Gaara said with a smirk as he dumped the contents onto the kitchen table. Neji stared wide-eyed. He was quite impressed, there had to have been at least 30,000 dollars there.

"Im not even going to ask." Neji said.

"I think that would be best, but if you ever want to know, I'll tell you." Gaara said walking up to Neji and kissing him. Neji kissed back, he had missed Gaara, and he didn't even mind the whiskey on his breath.