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—
Gaara returned home to Asherah, keeping the bell Elocin had given him in the pocket of his robes, putting it out of his mind.
His wife was one of the strongest women he had ever known, and Gaara knew some pretty strong women.
He was certain the bell would not be needed.
As he cuddled close to Asherah, he breathed in the scent of her hair and laid a hand over her flat belly, his face peaceful and relaxed as he drifted off to sleep.
As long as he and Asherah were together, there was nothing they couldn't overcome.
—-
Asherah understood that most couples waited to announce their pregnancy but Gaara happily broadcasted it to anyone and anywhere he could.
Suna rejoiced for their beloved Kazekage and almost daily, Gaara and Asherah received gifts from the people.
Naruto called to congratulate the couple as soon as he heard, offering his friend some advice and telling him to call if he needed anything.
Skorgan was happy to hear the news as well, although Talgryn just shrugged and a worried look crossed Odessa's face as she heard the information.
"Be safe, my daughter….." The Siren of the Black Sea said to herself as the messenger left.
"What?" Talgryn asked from his chair across the room while he worked on some papers.
"I am afraid for our child, Talgryn. It was difficult for me when she was born. What if she has the same trouble?" Odessa asked, her dark eyes moving to her lover.
"Then that boy of hers will have to be a man and do what is needed. Just like I did." Talgryn snorted.
Odessa shot him such an ominous glare, the mighty king blinked and gave his love a tense smile.
"Maybe not exactly as I did, but, he'll have to find a way." Talgryn quickly said, forgetting it had not been long ago that Odessa had finally forgiven his brutal sins of the past, watching her finger the scar across her abdomen he had given her.
"Gaara of Suna loves our child, mind, body, and soul. I am sure that is enough." Odessa said, more to herself since Talgryn turned back to his work with a grunt.
She hoped her words were true.
—-
Days turned to weeks and Asherah's pregnancy began to progress.
Gaara had educated himself as much as he could and he felt like he was prepared for anything.
If Asherah was sick, Gaara knew the nausea remedies.
If Asherah was moody, Gaara knew he needed to give her space.
If Asherah was aching, Gaara knew the appropriate massage techniques to use.
But, to Gaara's slight disappointment, Asherah showed no symptoms.
Not that he wanted his wife to be uncomfortable, but he felt like them working through the pregnancy as a team would make the baby seem more real.
There were some days everything was so normal, it seemed Asherah almost forgot about the baby.
That was another thing.
It almost irritated Gaara that his wife never mentioned the baby unless he brought it up.
Then, if he did, she would try to stop talking about it as quickly as possible.
All of the other women in Suna and in Gaara's life had chattered on about their pregnancies and their babies almost constantly.
Even when they made love, if Gaara even touched her still flat abdomen, he found that his wife promptly pushed his hand away.
What was wrong with Asherah?
Gaara was overjoyed and ready to be a father, but he was worried about the mother of his child.
—
Once Asherah hit her fourth month, almost overnight, her belly began to round ever so slightly.
That morning, when Asherah sat up the curve was more pronounced and the Kazekage's eyes lit up.
He knelt in front of his wife and cradled her small bump like it was made of glass.
"You're starting to show." Gaara rasped, a small, proud smile on his face.
"Not if you don't really look." Asherah replied, casting her eyes down and covering her abdomen with the sheet.
Gaara snapped the sheet off and cupped her tummy, looking into her eyes. "Why are you ashamed of our baby?" He asked, softly but intent.
"I'm not ashamed of our baby, I'm just, I'm…...just….." Asherah said slowly as tears welled in her eyes, turning her head away from Gaara as she put a hand to her face.
Gaara frowned.
He hated to see Asherah weep.
"Asherah of Skorgan." Gaara said as he slowly crawled onto the bed and gathered his sobbing wife into his arms, kissing her shoulders gently. "I'm you husband. There's nothing you can't tell me, can't share with me. All I want to do is support you, especially now. You two are my world." Gaara purred in her ear, one hand still on her belly.
Asherah's sobs eased but she stayed silent, turning to cuddle into Gaara.
Gaara kissed his wife's head as he thought…
Maybe Asherah was falling into a depression, Gaara had read that could happen after the baby came but also before.
As Asherah sighed and melted into him, he used his free hand to stroke her hair.
He had noticed that Asherah's long hair never grew, but, as he paid it extra attention now, it seemed quite longer and thicker than it normally was, stronger.
Gaara smiled.
He supposed his wife was finally starting to show in more ways than just her belly.
—-
As Asherah hit the midway mark in her second trimester, Gaara was nearly at his wit's end.
Her belly grew every day but she became more and more withdrawn.
She was not her usual cheery, good-natured, humorous self.
She did not want to interact with anyone, barely wanting to speak.
Her hair had continued to grow, now nearly reaching her feet.
Gaara felt as though he was always fighting to see her.
Her swims in the ocean had greatly increased.
When they were together, she was usually irritated, as if his talking to her was an annoyance.
Physically, she was fine and everything was healthy.
No sickness, no aches, no pains.
Gaara saw to all of her diet, giving each meal the utmost thought and although she was acting the way she was, he was loving and kind with his wife.
She would often break down into miserable sobs and apologize to Gaara, telling him that she couldn't control herself.
Gaara was always stoic but comforting, holding her and whispering to her.
—
One night though, it came to a head.
They were in the room with Asherah's pool and an argument started.
A silly argument.
Asherah was irritable, Gaara was calm, the next he knew, she just started screaming.
Horrible, awful, gut-wrenching screams.
Not screams of pain but anguish.
Screams of pure madness.
He did not see his wife anymore, the spark in her sapphire eyes was gone.
The Kazekage tried various approaches but nothing worked.
He thought his wife's throat would surely rip and bleed the way she cried, hands fisted in her hair, tears pouring from her eyes.
Gaara knew nothing else to do.
He rang Elocin's bell.
It seemed it was only a moment before a sickly sweet voice came from behind him. "Oh, dear."
He turned and saw his cousin-in-law regarding his screaming wife, looking her over.
Elocin sucked in a breath and began to hum loudly, a soothing, relaxing melody.
Asherah's screams died to whimpers that died to silence and the dark one stretched out her hand, a ribbon of water flowing from the pool to lift Asherah up and over, placing her in the sea.
Asherah seemed to fall asleep the instant Elocin stopped humming, as if anesthesia were just administered, her body floating vertically so the top of her head was over the water.
Elocin turned to Gaara in the silence and smiled. "I told you would need me sooner than you thought."
"What's wrong with her?" Gaara demanded.
"I am afraid it is not the body I was referring to, but the mind. It is the mind of the siren not suited for this." Elocin explained, grinning sinisterly as she pulled a long, sharp, ancient knife from her skirt pocket. "The babe causes the hair to grow from the head and madness to grow in the brain, if it is unchecked."
The knife was made of pure silver and inlaid with pearls and rubies along the handle.
Gaara's eyes widened. "W-what are you going to do?! What are you doing? I will not let you harm her or my child!" He said, his sand starting to twirl at his feet dangerously.
"I am doing what needs to be done, Lord Gaara! That is what you called me for, that is why I have come! Stand back! You may not have the heart I prefer to consume, but I do enjoy snacks!" Elocin said, holding the knife towards Gaara with narrowed white eyes.
Gaara was not threatened.
He felt confident he could handle her, but if he lost Asherah, his life would be empty.
Was this creature, this woman, going to help his wife or hurt her?
What option did he have but to see?
Clearly, all he could do for her was not working.
Elocin grinned in a disturbing way, her mouth unnaturally wide and stepped up to the pool, gathering and lifting Asherah's long, wet hair out of the water.
"My Queen, we heard an awful commotion, is everything al….?" Arda asked as her and Ossa stepped into the pool room.
Both siren's mouths dropped and eyes went wide as Elocin raised Asherah's long hair and took the knife, cutting the new growth and several inches above its original length in one smooth swing.
Ossa gasped as if Elocin had just cut off the queen's head.
Arda vomited in disgust.
It was a terrible thing for a siren to lose hair, any hair, especially in such a violent way.
Gaara's eyes were still narrowed, ready to attack, but he blinked as Elocin pocketed the knife and walked away, letting Asherah rest in the pool.
That was it?
"It is done, Lord Gaara." Elocin grinned wickedly, pleased with the displeasure she caused the two in the background.
"What do you mean, it is done?" Gaara asked incredulously.
"There is a connection between a siren and every part of our body. If the mind cannot function, the hair must be cut. There are not many who understand it, but true sirens like myself know it well." Elocin said proudly.
"When she wakes, she will be her normal self. Her body is doing well, see to it that continues." The dark one warned Gaara, before she disappeared into the night.
Ossa cleaned up Arda's mess and the two quickly retired, leaving Gaara with his wife once he assured them there was nothing they could do.
In the morning, Gaara woke to a lovely sound.
It was Asherah singing.
Her beautiful voice flowed up from the pool and into their room.
Gaara sat up in bed, smiling.
He hadn't heard her sing in months and he had missed her song so much.
He peered in the room with the saltwater pool after he dressed for the day and a grin lit up his face.
Yes, what Elocin had done must have worked.
His wife's mind was repaired, her heart repositioned.
Asherah sat in the pool, cradling her belly as she looked down at it lovingly.
Her song was about Gaara and she was singing it to their baby.
Gaara couldn't wait to talk to her about the nursery later in the afternoon.
He was looking forward to enjoying the rest of her pregnancy together, as a family.