Ok, so the end of Ch 9 was very depressing, but I never intended for this story to have one of those perfectly happily ever after endings. However, I do love Gaara so I couldn't leave him with nothing, thus the Epilogue. In case anyone is interested, this entire story was inspired by the song 'Save Tonight' by Eagle Eye Cherry.

NOTE: I haven't actually gotten the Epilogue spelled-checked yet, so there will most likely be spelling errors 'cause my spelling gets proportionatly worse as the word gets longer. My computer only has WordPad which is a step up from Notepad and a large step down from Word, so I have to get to another computer that does have Word to do my spell checking. Once I do get it done I will update this.

Epilogue

Gaara sat, staring at his drink as he idly swirled it around in the glass. Across from him sat his brother Kankuro, whom had dragged Gaara here after work in an effort to get him out of the funk in was in. Kankuro shot his younger brother a worried look, was he ever gonna stop mooning over that girl? It had been well over a year since she had left and the Kazekage was showing no sign of moving on. With a sigh Kankuro delegated this little attempt at getting Gaara distracted a complete failure.

"Let's go home." He suggested to Gaara.

Gaara's head jerked up, as if he had forgotten his older brother was there.

"Sure." he said getting up, leaving his drink on the table and walking out.

Kankuro settled the tab and walked outside to where Gaara waited. They walked home in the gathering dusk without any conversation, each wrapped in thier own heads. Kankuro didn't know what to do anymore, his brother worried him. All he did was throw himself into work until he was too tired to think straight then went to sleep. His meals were what ever was put in front of him. Not even the birth of thier first nephew worked. Kankuro just wanted to grab his brother and shake him silly. He considered that option for a moment, it might not work on Gaara, but it would sure as hell make him feel better.

As they reached the house both the ninja's were put on alert at the sight of the front door slightly ajar. Who on earth would be stupid enough to break into the Kazekage's house? Kankuro went in first, quietly pushing the front door open. Following behind him Gaara pulled out a kunai. Kankuro slipped into the lounge room whilst Gaara headed for the kitchen. He had just entered and confirm with a sweeping glance that no one was there when he heard Kankuro call out.

"Gaara. You better come in here."

Quickly Gaara rushed out of the kitchen and into the lounge room. As he entered he saw Kankuro standing next to the coffee table and looking down in shock at what was resting on top of it.

It was a basket.

Slowly he approached it. When he was right next to it he looked down. In the basket, wrapped securely against the elements, was a sleeping baby. Gaara's whole body went ridgid as he took in the child's black hair that highlighted red in the light and light honey skin. He suddenly found it hard to breathe, his breath becoming light and shallow as he tried to gulp in enough oxygen. Kankuro plucked out the letter that was tucked into the side and opened it. Briefly he scanned the contents before handing it to Gaara. With shaking hands he took it. There was a date, some six months ago, and a few lines.

His name is Ryuu and that's his birthday

I'll love you both for the rest of my long life.

Gaara sunk slowly down to sit on the couch, his legs no longer able to support him. Kankuro sat down next to him and took the short letter from his nerveless fingers. Deliberatly and slowly he set the piece of paper on the table then rested his hands on his lap.

"Your a father." Kankuro said quietly to his brother.

The words struck Gaara almost like a physical blow. He was a father! A parent! This was his child! A small sound from the basket and a waving fist drew his attention sharply back to the basket. He leaned over to see a pair of bright blue eyes staring back at him. Both the fists waved in the air this time, freed from the blanket by his squirming. Gaara reached his hand in to touch the baby, not quite entirely convinced that he was there. Ryuu grabbed at his finger in a tight grasp and stuffed it into his mouth. Gaara's eyes widened as he gummed on his finger covering it in drool.

"He's very quiet."

Both Gaara and Kankuro went on the defensive at the sound of the strange voice, only to find themselves looking at someone familiar.

"Kuro?" Kankuro asked.

It was Kuro, but he looked different then they had ever seen him. He was in human form, but not completely. His feet ended in crows feet and he was covered head to ankle in blue-black feathers, only his face was visible. The brothers relaxed and Gaara actually perked up a bit.

"You bought him here, is..." he trailed off, not quite able to say her name.

Kuro shook his head, "No, she is in Konoha."

Gaara's heart plummeted. Kuro walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She couldn't," he said gently, "she had to leave you once and that tore her heart. If she had come back, she wouldn't have been able to leave a second time."

Gaara stared at the little child in the basket and asked him the question that had haunted most of his nights.

"Why did she have to leave in the first place?"

Kuro tilted his head as he scrutinised him, then leaned in close.

"Because if she had stayed she would have had to revoke being a healer, so that she could live out a normal human lifespan. Kohana would have to have severed her link with me. She couldn't do that to me."

With a slight frown he looked up at Kuro, "Why, what would have happened to you?" his tone was almost accusing.

Then Kuro whispered seven words that chilled Gaara to his very core.

"Where do you think Shukaku came from?"

Gaara closed his eyes as Kuro leaned back away from him and dropped his hand to his side. Opening his eyes Gaara sat back down on the couch and stuck his hand back in the basket to let Ryuu grab his finger again.

"Why bring him here then?" Gaara asked.

"Because your the only family he has left now."

He glanced sidewards up at Kuro, "I thought Kohana had her parents and siblings?"

Kuro gave a slight shrug, "She cut her ties to them when she was thirteen. Besides, as his father you get precedent over grandparents, aunts and uncles." Kuro gave a small smirk, "Unless, of course, you don't want him?"

"No!" Gaara said quickly, "I want him. I just... wondered."

Kuro broke out with a wider smile and let the baby grab one of his feathered fingers in his other fist, "Kohana knows that you will love him, and that through him you can keep a little piece of her."

"Thank you."

Kuro distangled his finger from the childs, straighted up and turned to leave.

"Wait." Gaara said.

Kuro turned, "I have to go now."

"Will we ever see you again?"

Slowly the crow demon shook his head, "Not you, your desedants maybe one day, but not you."

"Oh." Gaara paused for a moment. "Can... can you tell Kohana that..." he trailed off as the words lodged themselves in his throat.

Kuro nodded, "I'll tell her." Then he dissapeared in a swirl of blue-black chakra, leaving a small crow that quickly winged it's way out the open front door. Kankuro blew out his breath, this had turned into a very unexpected evening. Gently he poked his brother.

"Why don't you pick him up?"

Gaara looked startled for a moment, then gingerly he reached into the basket to pick up his child. As he cradled his son in his arms a smile broke out on his face. He was a daddy, he resolved then and there to make sure his son had all the love that he never had gotten as a child. Suddenly Kankuro pulled a face.

"Aw, the council's gonna want to test the paternity."

Gaara shrug, "Let them, it doesn't matter what they think." He then noticed something in the basket, picking it up he saw it was a photo. It was Kohana, lying on a picnic blanket asleep, her hair fanned out around her head and lying next to her was Ryuu, also asleep. Kankuro leaned over to have a look at the picture and smiled elbowing Gaara gently in the ribs.

"You lucky dog, to have a woman like that love you."

Gaara turned beet red and tucked the picture into his pocket. Yes, he thought as he looked at his son again, who was falling asleep in arms, very lucky, and very loved.

Well, that ends the story Desert Rose. Thanks for all those who read it and big thanks to all those who reviewed afterwards as they gave me the warm fuzzy feeling that made it worthwhile writing. I do actually read every review left by the readers of my stories, so until the next story.

Cheers ^.^

NOTES OF INTREST: 1. I named the kid Ryuu because it means dragon, so Subaku no Ryuu would translate roughly to Dragon of the Desert. I thought it was cool. 2. Kohana's last name roughly translates to Night and her first name is something like 'little flower' or 'flower child' so an artistic translation of her name could be 'Little Night Flower' or 'Night Flower Child'.