Carmen awoke; battered and sore. Her dress was torn, her feet were bare - her hair was surely a rat's nest, though she could not see it - and something that felt quite like blood tickled her temple. It dripped down, slipping across her face like a little waterfall; moving to a slow, sweet rhythm up until the very moment it reached her jaw, at which point, it would come crashing down to the floor. No sound was made, as it connected with said ground, but she knew that that was where it ended up. As she shifted, she could feel the wet liquid, still slightly warm, underneath her feet; almost taunting her.

Carmen wasn't sure how much blood she had lost, at this point, for she could have been asleep for days for all she knew, but, there was one thing that reigned clear.

She had seen better days.

Carmen couldn't even remember when she had fallen asleep, much less, recall ever living prior to this moment. Yes, she knew her name, and no, she wasn't suffering from amnesia or anything, but there was a sort of...blockage, in her brain, where these memories should have been. She could bring forth nothing from her usually dependable mind, and even now, as her range of vision widened, and she found herself in the dungeons, she could think of no explanation.

Who was she, really? And why was she here?

Carmen knew nothing of her past, and it led her to wonder if she was in fact a criminal. Perhaps it made sense, considering what was surely her own blood seeping down across her face. This had to mean that she had acted out, and got a beating, right?

After all, she could not remember anything other than the stone walls she now faced. They seemed like home to her, as sick as a home in prison was, and it brought her a sense of comfort. There was a faint aroma of something in here, something that calmed her; something strangely masculine, and unique. It almost smelled like a man she felt she once knew, but again, she could not recall anything about it.

Perhaps she was in deeper trouble than she had first thought.

Carmen sat, waiting and thinking, for many minutes - perhaps hours - in that concrete cell. She wanted to know who she was, and even realizing that took what felt like forever.

No, she soon realized. She wasn't some wanted criminal. She was a princess, and she lived in Suna, and she was about to get married, and that man, who she had thought of, was Gaara.

...And…

Gaara.

His name brought a sigh to her lips, despite all she could still not remember. For some reason, even just the thought of him, no presence required, brought a calm to rest over her mind. Everything was going to be alright. He was here, in this castle, and he would come get her out. He would save her. There was nothing to worry about.

For a few more moments, Carmen struggled to completely convince herself of this fact which was sure to be true. Gaara was coming. She believed that; she knew that. And Carmen even deluded herself so far, that she began to think that her life was perfect, because she had him around. There was no more need to worry, no more cause for panic over this stupid marriage deal. She had a husband now, and her wedding was to take place in what was only a day or so. Everything was perfect. Everything was-

So, so not perfect.

With a terrifying start, she remembered what had happened. She remembered that man, that horrible man, and with him, the memories came flooding back.

Her father, in a damaged state, in chains; Gaara, nowhere to be found; the scared expressions of the servants, some of which who were collapsed on the floor; and most of all, the unforgettable presence of that man; the one who had done all of this.

How had she forgotten in the first place?

Perhaps it was that very fact, that he was terrifying, and that he had disrupted her sense of balance, that had thrown her mind off. Perhaps it was her own body, trying to dispel any remembrance of him, so as to control the feelings that were overflowing, and overpowering her entire system. And perhaps, it was the fear of him, the raw fear of everything he stood for, even though she knew not of any of it, that drove her mind to act this way. He had her chained, and he was surely laughing, now that the terror had been renewed. This was his doing. It was some...some foreign technique.

Maybe the man was a ninja. Carmen had heard about them - ninjas - but she had never actually met one, whilst she was constantly being sheltered in the castle. It wasn't like they were scarce in Suna or anything. More, that she had just been in the wrong places at the wrong times. And now, her lack of knowledge might just be her undoing, despite how wrong that felt.

She was supposed to know everything; supposed to have her brain as her greatest weapon. But that...that just wasn't happening. She knew nothing of this strange force, and she could hardly think of a plan, even a defensive one, in her state.

Her entire being was in tatters, and that man, nameless to her as he was, was the cause.

Carmen stood, rising up from the floor with some difficulty, and found there was a slight hitch in her step as she attempted to walk. It hurt to even stand, physically and mentally, but she decided to suffer through it as she hobbled over to the bars of the cell; the only exit.

Unfortunately for her, she couldn't exactly break steel bars with her bare hands.

She needed help. And she didn't know where to find it.

"Gaara?" she called out helplessly, hoping that he would be looking for her.

"G-Gaara?" this time, her voice was slightly quieter, as realized what she was doing was foolish. He wouldn't come for her. He had probably taken this chance, with all the confusion, to sneak out of the castle. He was probably halfway across Suna by now, fleeing, and laughing at the girl he knew to be surely dead by now.

After all, who was to say what he would do? Truly, Carmen knew nothing about him. He could have even called these men over, for all she was aware of. He could have instigated this attack on the castle, and now, she would never actually know the truth, as she'd be dead long before she got the chance to find it.

This, was her fate now. A prison cell.

She had saved Gaara from one, and the balance had been disrupted. So, to compensate, the universe had stuck her in here. It made sense, when she really thought about it. She had changed something that wasn't meant to be changed. He had been ordered to do his time for the crimes he had committed, and Carmen had thrown all of that away. She hadn't cared. And now, she was paying for it.

One last time, she cried out, "Gaara!" deluding herself with one last streak of hope that he would come back for her. That he would realize how much they needed each other, or rather, how much she needed him, and they would reunite.

But even she knew that was foolish. He had no reason to return, now that he was free. He didn't care about her. He never had. It was just her own mind, rocketing off into space, thinking that they had something they didn't. He didn't care. He was just like everyone else in her life.

Her head fell into her hands.

He didn't...

"Carmen!"

A voice, frantic, and higher than it usually was, broke into her thoughts. Immediately, her head snapped up, grasping desperately to the last hold she still had on that one hope, and she craned her neck to see through the bars.

That couldn't possibly be Gaara, right? It was just her imagination again-

"Thank God!" he murmured, clutching at her hands, which she had outstretched from within the gaps in the bars. His hand felt cold, but so, so real in hers, that it almost sprung tears into her eyes. Almost.

"I thought I had lost you."

There was such conviction, such sadness in his words, that Carmen almost had to reaffirm that he was actually there yet again. After all, this couldn't possibly be happening. There was no way anyone cared about her enough to speak like that, least of all Gaara, who she had dragged into her life against her will.

Yet, here he was, grasping her hand so tightly he might break it, as if afraid that if he let go, there would be no saving her. It felt nice, amazing, actually, but now wasn't the time for that.

"Gaara," she whispered. "Can you get me out of here?"

He looked down at her, and for the first time in what felt like ages, their eyes met. Still, his were wild and wide from this close, but now, there was also a strange tenderness to them that hadn't been there before. It confused her, no doubt, but Carmen found that it sent a sense of protection and happiness to combat all of her fears. And that, was something she needed right now.

"Of course," he answered, reluctant to let go of her hand. "Stand back a little."

She did as she was told, somewhat afraid of what he might do. He wasn't a barbarian, as she could now see, but something told her to still be ready for the chance that he might open up the cell and kill her. She deserved it, of course, but it didn't make it any less terrifying.

Then, all of a sudden, Carmen noticed something creeping up the side of the bars, up to where the hinges were. She almost screamed, as she wasn't a fan of bugs, but something stopped her. Those weren't bugs. That was...sand?

A pillar of white grains, looking just like the infamous sand of the Suna deserts, inched its way up the cell wall, scaring her, as well as intriguing her. She had heard that Gaara had been able to do this briefly from the Warden, but never had she imagined he could actually…

Was this...ninjutsu? Was Gaara a ninja?

There were so many questions she longed to ask, but once more, she realized now wasn't the time, as the door of bars made a creaking sound. Bolts, which had previously been completely secure, fell from the openings in the concrete, resulting in an eventual collapse of the entire door.

Honestly, it left Carmen speechless. This was amazing. This power; the ability to control sand. If she had something like that, she wouldn't have to worry about anything. She could just throw some sand into that man's awful eyes, stab him with a poisoned knife, and the rest would be history! This was perfect!

"Gaara," she began; excited. "You have to teach me how to-"

Her words were again cut off as a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her. Gaara? she wondered silently. But in truth, she knew it was him. She had learned over these past few days, or however long she had known him, that he was a fan of hugs; of contact. He wasn't used to it, no doubt, but he enjoyed it. He was like a little puppy, longing for a friend. And now that he had found one, Carmen was pretty sure he didn't plan on letting it - her - go.

"Gaara?" she whispered, this time out loud. "Gaara, it's okay, I'm right here, but we have to g-Eep!" She squeaked as he only squeezed her tighter. "Gaara, you're hurting me," she told him; wiggling in the process.

He seemed to be busy. Nuzzling his face into her neck, anyway.

"You're alive," he said suddenly; painfully; overjoyed. So many emotions were in those two words, and with them, Carmen decided to let him enjoy this moment, even for only just a bit longer. She would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying it as well, but it also wasn't a lie that they had more important places to be.

Okay, just 30 more seconds…

"I don't know what I would have done if you would have…" he trailed off, hugging her closer. "No one has ever showed me the kind of kindness you have given me. I didn't realize how much I truly needed you until you were gone, and for that I apologize, but...Carmen…"

He said her name like it was a sweet drug, and honestly, Carmen wasn't sure if she had ever been more content; more...happy. This was the kind of contact she was missing in her life. This was what she had wanted all this time.

"Carmen?"

"Mhmm?" she was sure 30 seconds had gone by already, but still, she was lost in this moment.

"Say my name."

Confused, she spoke, "Gaara."

He shivered. "Again?"

"Gaara."

"One more time?"

"Gaara."

Carmen wasn't sure if she had ever heard him sigh before, but at that moment, he surely did. He was happier than she had ever seen him, and for that, she was grateful. She had thought he would never come, but this was more than she had ever hoped for.

This feeling of security was bliss.

And even though the man who still to this moment horrified her, was still somewhere in the castle, she felt as if she was ready to meet him.

Because now, she had Gaara by her side.