After wondering for hours, I decided to take refuge under a large tree. It was peaceful, not a lot of people around it, and I had the feeling that I had been there before.

With further inspection, I found a heart on the base of the trunk with my name in it- Yashamaru, my uncle, had taken me here once, when I was young and ignorant. I remember it now as I stand where he kneeled.

The memories flooded back to me vividly.

"Yashamaru, wait up!"

Yashamaru chuckles at me, but keeps walking. "Gaara, you have to hurry. Your father wants you home soon."

I frown. "I don't care what he wants- he's always so mean to me!" Yashamaru holds his hand out for me when I get close. "Anyway, he told me that he's having company and I have to stick with you until they leave," I smile at my uncle.

"That's true, but still, it wouldn't be right for a little kid to be out past dark. And, since I'm here, I have to be responsible for you, Gaara."

"I can be responsible too, Yashamaru."

He smiles at me. "Then hurry up," he says- I laugh because I know he's only joking.

When we're to where Yashamaru wanted to go, I look ahead. There's only a tree and a really big field. "I don't get it, Yashamaru. Why'd you want to show me this?"

"Because, it's very important- to me and your mother."

I look at him, then back to the field. "…to you and Mommy…?" I didn't get a chance to meet Mommy since she died soon after I was born, but Yashamaru always tells me about her- she sounds really nice.

"Yes."

"Why?"

He smiles and looks like his mind is far away. "We used to play here when we were kids. Actually, I think we found this place when we were about your age."

"Wow. Really? This place must be pretty old," I say, imagining Yashamaru and my mom my size and running around, playing tag like I see other kids doing.

Yashamaru laughs. "Gaara, I'm not that old." He ruffles my hair- it's something he does when he's happy.

I laugh too and we walk towards the tree.

I'm surprised that it looks super big and I feel like I shrunk, but I look at Yashamaru and note that he hasn't changed, so I must be fine.

"Hey, look over here, Gaara," he says and points over to a side of the tree. I look where he's pointing and see toe hearts on the side.

"Are they hearts?" I ask anyway.

He nods and walks to it, me tagging along behind. "Your mother and I put them there so that everyone would know we loved each other and would be best friends no matter what."

"Oh," I whisper. I feel sad, sort of empty. I know that no one would want to let anyone know they loved me- I don't have friends and Kankuro and Temari don't even talk to me.

I lean against his leg and hold onto his pants. My hands hold them tight and I feel like I'm about to cry. Yashamaru just looks at me for a while. We both stand there.

Then, he starts to walk to the tree then kneels. I follow after him.

He picks up some rocks then keeps one after checking the others out. He starts spelling out something, but I can't really read too well yet, so I have to wait until he tells me what it says.

But when he was almost done, I saw that it was my name.

Yashamaru draws a heart around it. "This way," he tells me, "everyone will know that I love you."

I punch the tree with all my might, feeling pain shoot up my arm.

"Dammit," I say in a rough voice. Warm tears are running down my face, not from the pain but from the memory, from the words my siblings told me and the ones I said back, from what Naruto told me.

I feel the urge to claw at my chest- how am I suppose to love something like this? How could anyone love something like me?

My hand goes over my heart as my body gives and I sink to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. I wrap my arms around myself protectively. I don't know what else to do- I can't stop my tears enough to get up and leave this place and the memories are brining to many others with it. I just want to curl up and die, but that would be too easy. I want some place to go, some place safe. I just want to go back to the days when I was ignorant, when I actually thought I had someone to turn to.

I wanted someone to help me up. To get me up and tell me it'll be okay and that I was having a bad dream my whole life. Then, I'll be able to be happy some where- I'll be accepted and loved like everyone else.

But… I am excepted, I think.

Am I? I ask myself.

Yes.

Then…who?

You know who.

A deep blue fills my vision. I do know who.

"Gaara!"

I look up and see Naruto running towards me.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I sit up and look at him, tears still streaming down.

"Gaara, what happened to you?" He kneeled by my side, moving my hair from my face. His blue eyes look into mine. "Gaara? Gaara? Answer me, man!"

But I couldn't- I was too caught up in my sobs.

He wraps his arms around me and I start crying even harder into his shirt.

"Oh my god, Gaara- you're coming back with me." Naruto lifts me up, taking my bags too. He lets me cling to him as my feet drag on the ground.

The blonde didn't let me go, even when we arrived at his home. He insisted on staying with me as I cried, saying it was better than being alone. I tried to push him away at first, but I hadn't slept in so long and my body was gradually slowing down.

I wound up falling asleep on him after crying for God knows how long off and on. I couldn't remember how, exactly, or why I let the boy coax me into laying on his lap, but when I awoke, eyes puffy and dry, I heard his soft snoring above me and saw his left resting on my torso, the other holding a box of tissues.

His legs were stretched out under me, a pillow supporting my head on his thighs.

Gently, I pushed off him and sat up, rubbing the crust from my eyes. I had a terrible head ache.

I looked to his clock. It was almost three A.M. and I hadn't had anything to eat in such a long time my stomach throbbed. I tried to get out of the bed with minimal disturbance to Naruto- he only groaned and rolled over.

With further inspection of his room, I was that my bags were emptied, my things in his closet and my money on his dresser.

I guess that solves one problem, I think weakly.

UGGGHHHHHH! I feel terrible! But before I go, I just want to say that I am also working on about five other stories currently aside form this one (all of which I will out up here, in case anyone wants to check them out) and a new semester is starting and Im stressed, so i may or may not be updating in the next few weeks...

*sigh* I really hope this chapter isn't crap- please review and tell me what you think...