Chapter 7: Kidnapped!

"Nicola, move. Now!" Naruto growls his order from the fox mussel of his, his crimson eyes never moving from the angelic figure which I can tell was male, who crouched in front of the glistening stream.

He adjusts his stance slightly, preparing to be attacked. I look down at his hands as pink water drips off his fingertips ever so slowly. I watch the way he stands motionless, ready to fight, but oddly enough, I feel his eyes on me.

The moonlight shifts to revile him and he steps back slightly so that he is half in shadow. I was finally able to get a proper look at the creature whom I had been teased about, and who our entire small village was looking for. His hair was as crimson as the blood he had spilt, but his eyes were not glowing yellow as I remember, but where now shimmering emerald orbs that looked at my face as if to imprint it into his mind. The moonlight made his pale skin nearly transparent and I couldn't help but think that my skin was a close, if not even match to that of his.

"Nicola," I hear Naruto call and looked down to see that he had come up beside me.

His golden fur brushed my fingers and I scratched behind his ear getting a small whine from the fox. Out of the corner of my eye I could still see the others poised and ready for something to kick off. Hinata watched her mate with worry at his closeness to the murderer.

"Something has changed." He stated and I looked down at him with a frown. He looked up, locked those crimson eyes that were supposed to be the same as mine on my face. "Something has changed about you."

"What are you on about raman guzzler?" I hear Sasuke's voice snarl from behind us.

"What I am saying duck but," he replies. How the two love to call each other names, I guess it's their way of showing each other that they care. "Is that Nicola seems to have found an interest in the... person over there and I feel as if we should keep him alive for the time being."

My jaw dropped. I stared at him wide eyed at his statement. My action was much the same as everyone else's in the clearing, even the killer's.

"That is impossible!" Arisu shouts. "There is no way our innocent little Nickling would take any interest what so ever in a killer! Right?" she finishes but I stay silent. "Right Nicola?" she repeats and I sigh, rubbing my temples.

"How about we all go somewhere else before Detective Hateke decided to have me in for questioning, again." I say and everyone seems to nod.

Naruto regions Hinata and the two couples walk off towards the woods. I start after them but stop and turn the see the guy in the same position as before.

"All means you as well you know." I say and I see his eyes widen.

He opens his mouth to speak, thinks better, and then closes it and just nods. We walk after them with him following me and myself keeping him in the corner of my eye in case he does a runner. We walk into a small clearing near the edge of the woods and see that everyone is back in human form, but are still as tense and poised for a fight as ever.

"Okay Naruto," I say turning to face him with my arms crossed. "Spill it. What is this all about?"

He looks at me for a moment, then to the guy behind me, then back to me. He pulls Hinata a little closer to him, his had wrapped round her waist, as in taking courage from her closeness. I guess whatever he is going to say, he is in for a shouting match no matter how he will put it.

"Well, seeing as we cannot have anyone else dying around here, how about we let you take charge of our little friend here." He says gesturing with his hand.

Everyone blinks.

"W-what?" Arisu stammers.

"Well, the only thing that all the boys had in common was Nicola, so she seems to be the motive for the killings. We all know she hasn't done anything though and now we know who the real killer is. So how about we let her keep an eye on him, so that he doesn't kill again? What do you think Nick?" he finishes, and then all eyes fix on me.

I blink. He wants me to babysit a killer? Well, not babysit, more like watch. I don't think you would be able to babysit a guy like him. I glance over at him, he has a confused expression on his face, and his brow furrowed and is looking at Naruto. I then look at Naruto who is looking at me with a grim expression.

"I don't think this is my call to make." I say finally after a pause for thought. "It's not fair to just decide thing about someone's life without consulting them first."

I glance back at the person I am supposed to stop from killing. I don't even know his name and yet I find myself outright defending him from my family, well, half of it anyway. He blinks at me, frowns, and then blinks again. Finally a small heart-stopping smile flickers to his lips for a second, but is gone the next. I could feel my heart skip a beat in that one second, then go on a running sprint all on its own. I turn to the others, embarrassed.

"You want to ask a killer what he thinks about being kidnapped and held prisoner by a little human girl?" Sasuke hisses in anger.

My mood sobers and I glare at my cousin, making the fact of my Uchiha blood evident. Itachi would be proud of me as Sasuke's eyes widen and he takes an abrupt step back. I step forward to match his pace. An Uchiha death glare is legendary for a reason after all.

"Yes, I want to know the opinion of my captive. Is there a problem with that Sasuke Uchiha?" I say with as much malaise as I can muster. He should know by now that I am not to call me 'a little human girl'; he is getting what is coming to him.

"No." He chokes out, regaining some composure and I nod, anger fading before turning back round to my would-be captive.

"So?" I ask him, "What do you think?"

"I think that the fox over there is correct in his analysis of me." He says in a velvety tone. "If you were to keep a watch over me, I think that I may be able to control myself a little more. So I agree to the kidnapping and imprisonment, but on certain terms."

Everyone seems shocked apart from Naruto who has his famous foxy grin plastered across his face. I look at this person, really look and see the determination in his eyes. He has already decided what he wants to do, and be damned whoever gets in his way from doing it.

"Great!" Naruto says stepping up next to me, with a worried Hinata following closely beside him. "So then, what are these conditions of yours?" he asks.

"First off, that the two of us are to live under the same roof, which will be a place of my own choosing." He says holding up one finger. Sasuke goes to shout but is silenced from a look that Naruto gives him. "Second, that I am to be enrolled into your school and into all of her classes so as to keep," he pauses. "To allow her to watch me closely. And finally, if there should be any reason I should wish to commit another murder, I will do so, but only if she permits it." He finishes and looks Naruto straight in the eye as he does so.

"It's a deal." Naruto says, smiling and gives me a small wink. "Well, I guess seeing as we are going to be spending a lot of time together, we should be properly introduced. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, Nicola's cousin." He says grinning.

"I'm Hinata Hyuga, nice to meet you." Hinata says in her quiet tone, half hiding behind Naruto as she introduces herself.

"Hey, my name's Arisu." Arisu says in a forced happy tone and fake smile.

"Sasuke Uchiha. Nicola's cousin from the other side from that fox." He says gesturing to Naruto. "OH and you so much as lay one finger on her and I will break every bone in your body." He finishes, giving a look that says he really means to carry out his threat and would be happy to do so.

"I'm Nicola. It's nice to meat you..." I say, drawing it out.

"Gaara." He finishes for me.

"Gaara, right. It's nice to meat you Gaara." I say smiling at him and he gives me a small one in return. I hear Sasuke hiss behind me.

I sigh at my cousin's obvious hatred of the situation. Although, now that I think about it, it could be fun to see him show himself up at school like this. I wonder just how far that Uchiha pride of his would let him go?

"Well then," I say, looking at the orange stained sky. "We should get out of here before the police arrive."

Everyone nods, agreeing with me and we walk out of the gate nearest to the clearing in silence and walk down the street towards our apartments. Once there we all stop in the corridor. No one want to be first to speak, but we all heard the deal and everyone knows that this will be the last time I come back to my apartment for a while now.

"How about I wait here with your family while you go get your things?" Gaara says and I turn to see him giving me a kind smile that makes my face heat up.

I nod and rush into my apartment and straight into the bathroom, turning the cold tap on and cooling my face with the water from it. I let out a loud sigh and look at myself in the mirror. I steal myself, and then reach for the wash bag I keep under the sink and fill it with what I need. Then I go into my bedroom and pack as many clothes as I can, uniform included, into the holiday bag I keep hidden under my bed. I also throw in my school bag, sketch book, school books and notes, my scrapbook and the photos I keep at the side of my bed.

The first is of my parents on their wedding day, just the two of them together smiling. The second is of Itachi holding me when I was little. The last is the one I like the most, it is all of us, me, Arisu, Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata all squashing into the photo while one of us held the camera that one day that we decided to go to the beach. I smile as I remember how cold the water was and how the sand would burn your feet if you didn't keep moving them.

I shake my head, clearing the memories, remembering that everyone is waiting out in the hall. I finished packing and come hurrying out of my apartment into the tense atmosphere of the corridor. Everyone is tense and Arisu has a firm grip on Sasuke's arm to stop both him, and her from attacking our poor captive. Hinata is still holding Naruto's arm while the raman fox stands slightly blocking the other couple's path. Gaara doesn't seem to nervous and just stands silently, an impassive look on his face.

"Sorry I took a while." I say and the ice melts a little.

"It's fine." Naruto says smiling at me then turns to Gaara. "So, where do you intend to make your cage at?"

"At an apartment, above a business owned by one of my dad's old friends." He says.

"So, scum like you have family then." Sasuke snarls.

"Yes, actually we do. And there is another two of my family out there if you really would like to know." He shoots back with a glare.

"Are they going to be angry that you don't show up?" Naruto asks a hint of worry in his voice.

"No. There is no danger to any of you, they know where I'm staying." He says.

"Will they show up?" I ask and he turns to me smiling.

"I hope not, but they will eventually." He says, it calms me, but only a little.

"Well, we should go then." I say.

He nods and I look round my family. Arisu and Hinata give me quick hugs before I go and I stand saying buy to Sasuke so that Gaara can make it to the stairs at the end of the hall. I wave as I walk to where he stands and then we walk down the stairs in silence. We walk out onto the street and down a multitude of roads that I find oddly familiar with the root of. Finally, we stop at the back doors of a building and my jaw drops.

"Your dad's old friend was Orochimaru!" I say, shocked as I stand at the door to my workplace.

"Yes, he is." He says as he walks in and I follow. "Also, it is a place you don't feel to threatened in right?" he asks with a small smirk on his face.

"Yeah, I guess." I mumble, blushing while trying to hide it by looking at my feet.

We walk through the corridor in silence which continues as we make out way up a flight of stairs at the end of it. I glance round at the rooms along the hallway at the top of the stairs in a curious manner. I've never been upstairs before and I feel the scent of my boss and his assistant waft up my nose. I turn to a door across from me and smile sweetly at it, knowing the two are in there sleeping soundly.

"This way." Gaara says quietly and I turn to see he has opened a door that reveals another set of stairs that lead up to the loft.

I nod and follow him as he climbs the stairs. The door shuts behind me sending us into pitch darkness. I place my hand on the wall next to me and slowly climb the stairs. Even with my senses I still can't see a thing without some sort of dim like so I'm walking blind. My hearing is useless as Gaara walks so silently I can't hear his footfalls as he climbs in the silence.

I pout to myself as I climb until I hear the sound of a key in a lock just in front of me that makes me stop. There is a click, then the door swings open, without the creepy creaking that some old doors make I'm happy to say. The dim light of the moon allows me to finally see where I am as I follow Gaara inside the moonlit room.

It is a large space with one large window opposite the door that has large, thick, black curtains that hang at either side of it. There is a door to my far left which I presume leads to a on sweet bathroom and further along the wall a large wardrobe stands against the wall, stopping just before it reaches the wall with the window. Opposite the bathroom door sits a large, king sized four poster bed. It looks Victorian in style and the wood that frames it and the black sheets upon it match the black fabric that dons the cover of the window seat. The bed even has dark, silk like curtains hanging from it, like those I've seen in the Mickey Mouse version of scrooge. All around, the room is beautiful.

I glance at Gaara to see him smirking at me and I shoot him a small glare. The door then shuts silently behind me as we stand in silence. He walks over to the window seat and sits down on it, still looking at me and pats next to him, a gesture for me to sit down. I clutch my bad strap tightly and walk round the bed to sit on the side nearest him, not obeying him, but not completely trying to ruffle his feathers.

He sighs to himself before chuckling at me. He obviously thinks that my little act is amusing. Really, who is supposed to be the hostage here! I'm starting to think that maybe I might have bitten off more than I can chew, no pun intended.

"Tell me, did you really think that you could keep me hostage?" he asks, a light, mocking tone to his voice.

"I didn't have that intention, you can do what you want, but only not kill anyone else." I snap back. "That's the only reason I'm here."

He chuckles again and stands. He is in front of me in a second and I bite my lip so I don't gasp in surprise. He leans down towards me so our faces are inches apart, his one hand on the bed beside my leg and the other on my face. I try to push the blush creeping up my neck down as I glare into his ocean green eyes.

"And how does that stop me. All I have to do is kill you." He says his hand on my cheek moving to rest on the side of my neck over my pulse. "Then everything would be as it was before and I could kill anyone I wanted to."

I force myself to remain still and try not to respond to his electric touch that is sending shivers through me and push down the velvety softness of his voice that drips with some emotion that I've never heard before.

"I don't think you would kill me." I say, looking him in the eye. "I have no doubt that you could, but you won't."

"Hum." He hums that reminds me a lot of how Sasuke sometimes purrs when he is teasing Arisu. "You may be right; I won't kill you but then again."

He says and suddenly my bag is on the floor and my back has sunk into the silken sheets of the bed. My hands are pinned at my sides with two larger hands lacing their fingers into mine. My legs pinned together by a pair of strong legs that straddle my waits. My eyes widen in shock as Gaara smirks down at me, his face so close I can taste his cool breath as he pins me down so quickly that I didn't even see him move.

"I could always just torture you into so much bliss that death would be a gracious mercy." He finishes with a dark chuckle.

I try to free my hands but I can't pull them away. I wriggle and strain against him as much as I can but he has me at his mercy. He's right, I'm not the one in control here, he is. I stop struggling and settle for just glaring up at him, a growl escaping my throat that brings another chuckle out of my captor and I feel the vibrations ripple through his chest that hovers just above mine.

"Now, now. None of that." He says, still smirking. "I don't plan to hurt you tonight." His eyes wonder from my own to my throat.

I see his eyes shimmer in the moonlight as they turn into a pair of golden orbs, the pupils slitting. His mouth parts slightly to revile a sharp set of canine teeth and I notice once more how breath taking the moon makes him look. It makes me wonder if the sun would shine on him so kindly.

Another chuckle comes from him as he bends his head so that his spiky, red locks hide his eyes. I frown at him for a second. Wasn't he just about to bite me? Why did he stop? And what is so damn funny?

"You really are a strong one." He says and I'm taken aback the sudden compliment. "To be able to render someone like me, someone who is trying to run from what they are, back into a mindless beast. Yes, indeed you are strong."

He rolls off me to sit on the bed beside me, releasing my from his grasp. I lie there in silence pondering his words, running them over in my mind. I sit up to see him looking out at the sun that has risen enough that the moon now floats in a sea of blue before finally disappearing behind the horizon.

"You should get ready for school. It starts in a few hours." He says, still looking down at his feet.

I pause of a moment and look over his hunched figure and decide it would be best if we both had a moment to ourselves. I nod my head although I'm not sure if he can see it and walk into the bathroom, taking my bag with me and locking the door behind me. I let out a sigh and let my bag drop to the floor, pressing my back into the oak door for a moment.

I quickly undress before stepping straight into the shower, turning the water on full blast and as hot as it will go. I feel my skin burn at first as the water pounds into my body, but it soon fades as the steam swirls up to cover the entire room. Another sigh escapes my before I scrub up, washing my hair and body before stepping out and getting ready for the day.

I dress in my uniform, brush my teeth and dry my hair before putting it up in its usual ponytail. I look at my reflection in the mirror and smile. I then look down at my hands on the sink and my smile fades. My wrists have turned purple from the struggling I did earlier and only now do I see how much trouble I'm going to be in when everyone sees this at school. I sigh for what seems like the hundredth time this morning.

I put my dirty clothes in a black bag and shove them into my large bag. I take out my school bag and sit on the floor of the bathroom sorting through my school bag. I giggle at myself as I picture how utterly stupid I must look sitting on the floor of the bathroom shifting through a large bag with books scattered all around me.

I take out any books that I won't need for today, then reach for the books I do need in my larger bag and place them into my school bag. I tidy up everything from the floor and put all my wash things away, then stand. I stand and turn to the door. I stare at it. I glance down at my watch to see I've managed to drag out getting ready to a shocking hour of my morning. Another sigh.

I glance up at the bathroom door and get ready mentally to see him again. Although, he might have slipped out when I was in the shower. That's wishful thinking on my part. I straighten my shoulders and reach for the door handle. I take it with my right hand while my left hand reaches for the lock just above it. I pause. I unlock the door and turn the handle, pushing the door open as I do so.

He isn't on the bed anymore, but leaning against the wall next to the door. Not blocking it, but he may as well have been. He is wearing the boy's uniform and has a rucksack for his own schoolbag. His eyes open as I walk out and meet with my own. The shadow of the drawn curtains means that I can't see the look on his face, but I'm certain he is smirking at me.

"Let's go eat then." He says, moving from the wall and opening the door.

I nod and walk over to him. A metre from him he descends down the stairs and I follow. The door closes behind me and I glance at it. It really is creepy how it always closes behind me like that. I turn back to the stairs and find that I reach the bottom of them quicker than I reached the top of them earlier.

Gaara opens the door and steps through into the hallway. I follow. The smell of toast and coffee hits me as I step through into the hall and my stomach rumbles loudly. A blush covers my face as it does and I here Gaara chuckle at me.

We then walk back down the stairs and along the corridor to a part of the shop I have never been before. We walk to a light room that the smell is coming from and Gaara casually steps inside. I pause at the door though and blink at the scene.

Kabuto in an apron. Not just that, a frilly pink apron! What the hell is the world coming to! He is at the toaster buttering some toast as another two slices burn. Orochimaru sits at the kitchen table nibbling on a piece of toast as he reads the morning newspaper. Gaara has taken a seat opposite him and is reading the same news article as Orochimaru is, only upside down. My boss and his assistant look up at me standing in the doorway.

"Good morning Nicola." Orochimaru says smirking at me with a knowing glint in his eye.

"Morning." Kabuto says nervously as he rams his apron into the nearest cupboard in embarrassment.

"Come on." Orochimaru says, gesturing to the seat next to him.

I quickly glance at Gaara, see he isn't looking at me and quietly take the seat next to my boss, and as far away from my hostage (or captor, I'm really not sure which after what has happened). Kabuto smiles kindly at me as he gives me two pieces of toast which I thank him for.

Orochimaru seems to get annoyed at the fact that Gaara is reading his newspaper and folds it up. He then throws it at the boy's head which is caught by a pale hand. Gaara thanks him and opens the paper, reading it while Orochimaru fumes silently.

Kabuto places some toast next to the newspaper for Gaara then sits down next to his boss with his own breakfast. Of toast again of course. Jesus, there is too much toast eaten in this place! I go back to my own burnt bread and eat it in silence. The other occupants at the table however do not wish to let this last.

"So Nicola, Gaara tells us that you will be staying with us for a while." Orochimaru says smirking at me.

I cough. "Looks like it." I mumble, taking another bite of my toast.

"So, which room do you want to stay in?" Kabuto says frowning.

"She is staying in Mr 'highschool murderer's' room." Orochimaru says chuckling.

"Oh no she isn't!" Kabuto says, standing up angrily. "She is not to sleep in the same room as him! What if he takes advantage of her?" he fumes.

I stay silent and finish my toast. With nothing else to do I simply look down at the table frowning. Would he do that? And what exactly does Kabuto mean by take advantage of me? Does he mean Gaara might bite me? Or does he mean that Gaara might...

"Like I would be that sick. I'm a killer, not a rapist." Gaara snarls back.

I guess Kabuto was referring to the later meaning. I glance up to see Gaara glaring at Kabuto with a disgusted look on his face. Not fazed, Kabuto glares right back at him and growls at the killer right in his face.

"Well, that isn't the only problem you bring into this house fang face." Kabuto growls.

"If she wishes to keep my little murder-spree under control she will stay in my room and like it." Gaara snaps back, throwing a quick smirk in my direction.

"Don't you threaten her! She can do whatever the hell she-" Kabuto rants but I place my hand on his and squeeze it to make him look down at me.

"It's fine Kabuto, really. I already said that I would so please don't fuss over me. You're not my mother you know." I say giving him a gentle smile.

A small blush covers his cheeks with a shocked expression on his face and he glances at Orochimaru who is chuckling. He then looks at Gaara, who is looking at me and blinking in a confused manner. Finally he sighs to himself and flops down in his seat, arms crossed across, a pout on his face with a loud huff.

"Well, now that all that is settled," Orochimaru says standing up and gathering the plates, "shouldn't you two be on your way to school?"

I blinked and glanced at the clock to see he was right. I stand, grabbing my bag and walk to the door. I wave at Kabuto, who is still sulking and say bye to Orochimaru then leave the kitchen and head for the back door I entered through earlier after Gaara bought me here. I reach for the handle of the door but a pale hand is already turning it.

He is so close. How does he move that fast? And I didn't even notice it! I feel an unwanted blush cover my cheeks and watch as the door swings open, but I make no move to step out through it. His arm stays in front of me and slowly pulls back. The hand then rests itself gently on my shoulder.

"We should go." His velvety voice whispers in my ear and I feel a shiver go down my spin.

"Y-yeah." I stutter and step through the doorway.

Why did he do that? Why would he get that close? He sounded like he was teasing me. That pisses me off! It isn't my fault! He just embarrasses me somehow! That pisses me off two that he can get a rise out of me so easily! Bastard! And how did I go from kidnapping him to the one being kidnapped in the first place?


Took me a while but it is finally up!

Hope you like it! =

Rate and review please! XD