Hello all you lovely people. I'm sooooo so sorry that this update is so very over due. I have been dealing with a lot lately and things aren't about to get any easier but I am going to continue this story for sure. Anyway if any of you lovely readers are wonder why I was being a bad authors and stopped writing for so long well two things happened. First found out I am preggers. Second I got bronchitis and I have just gotten over it but I am still pregnant so I'm having some bad days. Hope you bear with me I would really appreciate it.

Desert Stars

Chapter 9

As usual Hinata was the first one to awaken in the morning. I pushed back the screen that separated us and watched as she sat up and stretched her arms up over her head. It appeared she had rested well by the contented look on her face. I like to see her at ease. When I had completely merged with Shukaku there was no need for sleep, but Hinata begged me not to leave her alone in the night. She told me that my presence comforted her and that when she was alone she had nightmares about my father and Shukaku. I don't know why but I felt ashamed when she told me this; Shukaku just laughed and said she was a smart girl. Still I had to stop lying with her in the night. My mind would become restless and Shukaku grew more blood thirsty during the night. It was not a full week after the merge that I told Hinata I could no longer sleep with her. At first, I thought she took the news well. She did not argue or beg me to reconsider, but shortly after that I began to notice that she cried in her sleep almost every night. The crying stop after a year but I would still check on her during the night to make sure she was not crying in her sleep.

"Did you have a good dream last night?"

Hinata looked at me a bit confused before blushing a dark red. I waited for her to respond but she just sat there staring at me with a horrified look on her face. Normally such a look would bother me, but I knew Hinata to well. It was clearly something interesting. I smirked mischievously and asked again, "Did you have a good dream?"

"Uh… well I- I guess…. It was a good dream." Hinata touched her pointer fingers together in her nervous way.

"It was either a good dream or a bad dream, and anything else is a waste of a dream."

"O- Okay…. It w- was a good dr- dream b- but I- I really don't want to talk about it."

"So it was dirty then?"

"No!" Hinata's face grew even redder than it was before and she shook her head furiously. I was about to laugh when she stopped and looked at me with a troubled expression.

"A- actually…. I don't know. I- Is dreaming about…. k- kissing dirty?"

At a moment like this a good friend would say no, it's natural. After all, she is at that age where girls start acting weird. That's what Jiraiya told Naruto and me, and I did find it strange. Why would she ever want to kiss someone? I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea. It was the most alien idea to me. I must have spaced out because Hinata made a sound like a hiccup and a chirp. I looked up and noticed her eyes brimming with tears.

"Don't cry, it's not dirty, I just think it's weird that you are thinking about kissing. Why would you want to do such a thing?"

Hinata still too embarrassed to speak just sat on the opposite side of the room staring out the window. "Hinata do you think you love someone?" I asked bluntly. Her head snapped in my direction before the same rosy tint dusted over her face.

"I'll take that as a yes." I said it like it was nothing but on the inside I felt angry. Why would she do something as stupid as fall in love? People who fell in love got abused, cheated, and betrayed; just like my mother. I wouldn't let it happen to Hinata too.

"G- Gaara if I tell you w-who I... like, promise you won't tell?"

For now I would pretend to support Hinata but when I figured out who she was falling for I would do everything I could to make her see he was a no good lying monster.

"I- its Na- Naruto….He's the one I like."

X-X-X-X

Naruto. Naruto. Naruto!

Seriously Hinata you had to fall for an idiot like him! I wanted to scream those words at my dear friend so badly. During training, I just stood by Jiraya watching Hinata and Naruto practice chakra control. Hinata had practically mastered it, but Naruto was struggling… as usual. While I watched Hinata bashfully give Naruto pointers on how to use his chakra I realized this wasn't just out of the blue. She must have harbored these feelings for awhile. The way she interacted with him was so timid and uncertain. I'm really an idiot for not seeing it sooner. I gritted my teeth in frustration.

"What's bothering you, the fact that you don't understand your own feelings or that fact that she didn't choose you?"

I looked up to Master Jiraya and he just laughed.

"You've been scowling ever since this morning. Naruto isn't bright enough to notice but Hinata is and I know her she blaming herself for you foul temper right now." I spared a glance Hinata's way and caught her looking at me with apologetic eyes. I brushed it off and turned my attention back to my mentor.

"What did you mean when you said that?"

"I meant exactly what I said boy. You don't understand what you're feeling right now."

I scoffed and stormed off. I knew Jiraiya wouldn't try to stop me. He knew when to give me space. I went walking along shore of the village occasionally I spotted a stone and skipped it across the water.

I was so frustrated and sometimes I thought it was because Hinata was making a horrible mistake but then I thought Naruto is actually a kind person. He would take good care of Hinata but I wanted to be the one to take care of her; she was my friend.

"Friend eh?"

"Yes, Hinata is my friend. I should be the one to look after her."

"She doesn't want just a friend little kit. She's looking for a lover now."

"That's crazy she's just barely twelve years old. Kid's don't go looking for lovers."

"Whatever you say, but I bet she was dreaming about kissing that dirty fox. She probably spared you a lot of the details too."

"Shut up!" I scream aloud.

"Relax little kit. If you want her we shall have her. After all she is yours is she not?"

"That's right she is. She is my friend. Mine! I won't allow anyone else to have her!"

"That's right. We'll make her see."

I plopped down in the soggy sand of the beach and threw my head back laughing. It was decided between my father and me. I was going to be the kind of man Hinata want and make her see that I was more deserving of her love than Naruto. After all, she was mine, not his. I would never let anyone take my only friend away from me even if it meant I had to become her lover. I would make her stay if that's what it took.

X-X-X-X

Hinata's voice

After training I noticed that Gaara still had not returned. I was beginning to worry. Even though he had never told me, I knew Gaara had a dangerous bloodlust that needed to be feed. He tried to hide it from me, but I figured it out on my own. We were still six when it happened.

Six years ago

"Hinata….I can't sleep with you anymore. I can't explain it, but just please understand that I am doing this to protect you." I wanted to cry but I forced myself to stay calm. I was a Hyuuga after all. "I understand."

Gaara gave me a sad smiled before leaving me alone. I went to rest my head on my pillow and as soon as I was sure that Gaara had left the room I let my tears fall. I was scared and lonely. I became aware of how cold and empty the bed was without his presence. That night I wept bitterly until sleep found me.

I don't know how late into the night or early into the morning it was when I awoke drenched in sweat. I dreamt that Gaara's father found us and took Gaara away. I was trying to catch up to them to find Gaara. I wasn't sure how but I was determined to save him. I ran for what felt like mile and all the while I could hear Gaara screaming. He was pleading for death. I finally couldn't take it anymore when I heard a demon screeching and blood began to rain from the sky. I was on the verge of tears when I awoke with a fright. I looked around the room frantically searching for Gaara when I realized he wouldn't be beside me during the night anymore. I took a few deep breathes to calm my nerves when I heard a muted thump coming from Master Jaraiya's rooms. I shuffled out of bed and tip-toed across the hall. The door was just barely cracked open but it was plenty enough space for me to peek through.

Just as the room came into view I caught sight of Gaara cradled up on the floor. He looked as if he was in pain. I was about to run into the room but stopped in my tracks. Gaara made a sound that was something like a growl and a screech. Master Jiraiya rushed to the redhead's side and rubbed soothing circles on his back. "Shhh I know it hurts but you mustn't make so much noise. Now feed on this and you'll feel better."

Gaara greedily snatched what appeared to be a rabbit from the master's hands. It was still alive squirming about when Gaara sank his fangs into poor creature. I gasped and backed away from the sight. Gaara's teeth were so strange and deformed. I felt so much fear at that moment. Then realization hit me. Gaara was trying to protect me from his inner demon.

After that moment I never questioned anything Gaara did. I understood that what he did was to protect people from himself and if that meant I had to sleep alone then I would, but it didn't stop the sorrow I felt in the night when I felt the absence of my friend.

It was this memory that always made me worry whenever Gaara went missing. Sometimes I feared he would run away and never return. "Master Jaraiya, do you know where Gaara went?"

"Actually I have no idea. I thought he'd be back now. Mind going to look for him? It's time we all ate."

I nodded and ran off to search for my friend.

X-X-X-X

I was beginning to panic. I searched everywhere in town that I knew Gaara liked to hide which was practically every roof top and dark ally. I returned to the hotel to find that Naruto and Master had ordered take-out and were waiting for Gaara and I to return.

"I'm sorry; I can't seem to find him anywhere."

"Oh just let him hide then. C'mon Hinata eat before your food gets cold." I felt the heat rush from my heat to my toes as Naruto bid me to join them. I almost accepted the offer but the thought of Gaara out there alone made my fluttering heart sink. How terrible he must feel when he is all alone. I shook my head and gave Naruto an apologetic smile.

"I- I'm sorry but I can't relax until I find Gaara."

Master Jiraiya gave me a nod of consent and Naruto shrugged his shoulders but grinned at me all the same. "Well hurry up so you don't have to eat your dinner cold."

I gave a quick nod and ran as fast I could to continue my search for Gaara.

X-X-X-X

Gaara's voice

I was heading back to the hotel when I saw a man in the distance. Our eyes locked and I nearly fell over. The man seemed to recognize me just as I recognized him because before I had time to think the man began to advance towards me. Thinking quickly I rushed into a crowd of men returning home from a day of fishing out on the sea. I looked back in time to see that the man was still tailing me. The hotel was coming into view as I trudged the street in the midst of the crowd.

I was relieved thinking that I was finally in the clear when the throng of men passed the entrance of the hotel and I was able to slip through the door but just as quickly as I had enter had I been crashed into by an unsuspecting victim. I was perfectly unscathed because of Shukaku's sand but a panic did swell within. People were present in the lobby and they had seen what I could do. I looked down at the poor soul who was unfortunate enough to run into me; it was Hinata! Too shocked to react we just stared at each other until I heard the doors of the hotel swing open and the man who had been perusing me rushed in. Our eyes met once again before the man's gaze upon Hinata, two pairs of ghostly eyes mirroring each other.

Well there you go, chapter 9. I hope it was well worth the wait and if it wasn't I am beyond sorry.

Sometimes I get writers block so if any of you guys reading this story wanna throw me an thought or an idea I would gladly try to use it or incorporate it into my story. Of course I will give credit where credit is due. Also I would love some review but I read an authors note once and she said favorites say a lot more than reviews and she was right so all you guys who favorited my story thank you sooooo much. It really does say a lot.

As always you guys have been lovely and I love you- Goddess of the VioletMoon