Well, here it is! Chapter 24 :) Enjoy!

Chapter 24, Plans.

I took a deep breath, bringing Gaara's sent deep into my lungs, and slowly loosened my grip, pulling away from him. I looked up to meet his eyes. "One of us had better go talk to Kankuro. He is probably flipping a lid right now."

Gaara smirked, leaning down to kiss me once more. And I let him. I even kissed him back.

What am I doing?

"I will deal with my brother," he said.

I nodded and pulled out of his tight grip, putting him at a arms distance. Now, time to test his patients. "Gaara, you probably do not want to hear this at all..." I waited until he lifted his brow, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. Just like he used to when he was curious about what I was going to say. "But you need to do something about Ryuu... He is your son."

And that was that.

Gaara became guarded and took a step back, his eyes not meeting mine. "I will deal with Kankuro." And he was gone in a swirl of sand.

I rolled my eyes and looked around. I am in his office. Alone. With his desk free for spying. I hummed a little as I sat behind his desk, glancing out the window to make sure no one was peeking in at me. I probably shouldn't be doing this, but I can't help it. I need to know if he has some sort of lover right now. I opened the left top drawer and shuffled through its contents. Boring Kazekage stuff. I moved to the one below it but it was full of the same old boring Kage stuff. I checked the right side only to be even more disappointed. But when I tried to open the one middle drawer I found it to be locked.

Now why would Gaara, of all people, have a locked drawer? Never knew him to be the secretive type.

I made a small key out of the dirt on the floor and unlocked it, slowly pulling it open. My eyes met the same boring desk stuff. I sighed. There must be some reason for Gaara to keep this one locked. I shuffled through the top papers. Nothing. I sighed and was about to close it when something caught my eye. The corner of a picture. I pushed the papers over it off and stared at it. Tears came to my eyes. I remember this picture.

It was back before I left Suna, before everything started happening. When everything was good and we used to hang out all of the time. When we were falling in love. Temari had taken the picture. I was helping Gaara out in his office that day, helping him get done his paper work so he could train with me. But that particular moment I had wanted to distract him. I was standing behind his chair, holding my hand up behind his head giving him the bunny ears when she took the picture. I was smiling like an idiot and he looked grumpy as hell with his chin on his fist as he glared at the camera. It was back when everything was good and happy.

I quickly covered the picture back up and shut the drawer, making sure to lock it back up. I quickly got out of his chair and practically ran from his office.

Why does he still have that picture?

Of all things to save from Suna's destruction, why that picture?

– –

That night I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep no matter how hard I tried.

I finally got up and went out to the living room, staring at the balcony door. Gaara and I used to sit on the roof every morning to watch the sun rise back in Suna. I went out onto the balcony and jumped up onto the roof. It's empty. Did I expect him to be sitting there waiting for me like he used to? This isn't his house. It is my apartment. Why would he be on my roof?

I picked a spot that faced where the sun would rise and laid back on the cool roofing. Maybe this is exactly what I need to fall asleep. A nice cool breeze on my cheeks and a nice cool place to lay down. The heat is killing me. I laughed at that. Suna would be much hotter during the day. Though, the night would be two times colder than here. I sighed and closed my eyes, loving the feel of the breeze on my face.

The taps of two feet landing on the roof had me opening my eyes back up and looking to the right. And sure enough, there stood my red headed wanna-be knight. I smiled at him and looked back up at the stars. "May I join you?" He asked softly. I shrugged. Gaara sat down next to me and leaned back on his hands, just like he used to do.

And we sat in silence, just like old times.

I must have dozed off at some point because when I opened my eyes back up the sky was starting to turn that brilliant pink and orange color. I smiled and sat up, ready to see the sun. Gaara shifted next to me, also sitting up. Did he get some sleep? I doubt it. From the looks of the rings under his eyes he hasn't slept for awhile. I yawned and stretched my arms out. Ryuu will be up soon. He always gets up once the sun rises. Does he watch it from his window?

Soon the sun appeared, casting its warmth over my face. I hugged my jacket closer and smiled. Wait. Jacket? I don't remember putting on a jacket. I looked down to see Gaara's jacket wrapped around me. I looked over at him. He must be cold only wearing that vest of his. Gaara must have seen me staring at him, because he looked over at me. Before I talked myself out of it I scooted closer to him and grabbed his face, pulling his lips to mine. It is going to be so much harder to let him go now. Gaara's arm went around my back and pulled me even closer.

But I had to pull away. I have Ryuu to think about. "The children should be waking up soon," I whispered. "They will need their Daddy home."

Gaara's mouth opened slightly, and his expression showed he was debating with himself about saying something. His eyes lifted to mine and his mouth closed. I lifted my brow and tilted my head to the side, imitating Gaara's curious face. "They need their Mommy home, too." He said hesitantly.

Well, that's that.

I stood and handed him his jacket back, trying to choke back the tears before they spilled. When he didn't take it I dropped it on the roof and jumped down to my balcony, but I only made it that far before his arms wrapped around me. "Kira, wait."

The wind whipped around me as I jabbed my elbow into his stomach. I spun on him, grabbing the front of his vest in my fist and giving him a small jerk. "Don't call me that," I hissed at him. I let go of his vest, once again jerking him. Then I walked inside, closing and locking the balcony door. I also pulled the curtains tight so he couldn't see into my apartment.

"Doe-sensei?"

I gasped and spun around, staring at Ryuu with big eyes. "R-Ryuu?"

His head was tilted to the side. He has never looked so much like his mother before. "Who is Kira?"

I tried my hardest to smile and wave it off as nothing. "Just an old friend of his."

Ryuu's frown grew. "Then why did Kazekage-sama call you Kira?"

I bit the inside of my cheek. Damn Gaara. Damn him to hell. "Because he got me confused with her. We were just talking about her, that's all." I quickly tried to change the topic. "What do you want to eat? You need to hurry and get ready or you will be late for school."

Ryuu dropped it for now, but I could tell he would be bringing it up again at some point.

I just hope it isn't in front of anyone else.

– –

"Doe! Doe! Hey, Doe!"

I glanced away from the sparing boys to see Ino running over. She stopped a few feet away, wiping the sweat from her forehead. The boys came to a stop when they were dropped to the ground, Jessica's concentration slipped when Ino arrived. She smiled her apologies to them. "What is it, Ino?"

Her attention snapped back to me. "Tsunade-sama and Kazekage-sama want you in their office immediately. They told me to watch over those three's training until you could come back. Something about battle plans. Sakura and Naruto are on their way to the office right now as well."

I nodded. "Boys, keep at it. Jess, I want you to try your hardest not to let anything bother you. You did good until Ino got close. Keep at it." All three nodded and they were back to what they had been doing. "Ino, try distracting Jessica every once in awhile. She needs to learn how to concentrate with distractions." Ino nodded and I was off.

I was the last one to arrive. They had already started. I walked over to the table they were all standing around, and tried to catch up on what I missed my listening to what Naruto was saying.

"They have moved this far since we returned from the mission." His finger traced a line on the map. "We were able to keep them from infiltrating up to here. But we cannot keep them back for long without reinforcements."

Sakura pointed to a spot on the map. "This is where that waterfall is. If we can break down the bridge here we can keep them from crossing the river for some time. They will need to build a new bridge to cross it. The current is to strong to cross without a bridge being built."

I frowned. That wont work. "Sakura, that wont work." Everyone looked to me, waiting for me to explain myself. It was then that I realized they had all agreed with her. I swallowed hard and cleared my throat. Talk about being in the spot light! "If we destroy that bridge we will be cutting off ourselves from Hoshi. They are one of our biggest suppliers, right? Without them we wouldn't have enough weapons for our army. No, we cannot destroy that bridge. Not yet, anyway."

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her face, hard. "Then what do you suggest we do? We have nothing else. That is the only thing we can do to keep them back."

I shook my head, there has to be something! I stared hard at the map, trying to remember everything about the land in the different nations. I haven't been to all of them, so it is hard for me to figure out. I pointed to one spot. "Is there something here that may help us?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, there is only plains there. And if we burn the grass it will only make it that much easier for them to get through. At least the tall grass slows them down."

Tall grass? I licked my lips. "Are there any marshes around that area?"

Naruto frowned. "No, that is one of the drier places. Why?"

Okay, this just may work. I smirked to myself. Wouldn't that be a surprise! "I think I have something." Tsunade rose her brow, seeing the glint in my eye. "Wouldn't it be a shock to prepare for a journey across a few plains when instead you are met by a couple big marshes?" I laughed to myself. "It would be a bitch, if you think about it."

Naruto smirked. "Will you be able to handle it?"

I thought about it. It would definitely take some time for me to collect enough water to be able to turn it into a marsh. Especially if it is one of the driest area's. But, hey! If they could make Suna's desert, the driest place on this planet, into a field, then I can make one big marsh out of those plains. I looked Naruto hard in the eye. "Yes, I can do it. With the right people there I could have it done in a couple weeks."

Gaara ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up in places. "A couple weeks? That long?"

I frowned at him. Well, more like glared. "I'm sorry I'm not a miracle worker. I can get the job done, I just need time. And protection. Preferably people who know who I am so are not surprised by my powers." I glanced to Tsunade. "I also request that Jessica be allowed to come with me."

"No!" Gaara growled.

I glared at him. "If you are so worried about time, Kazekage-sama, then you will allow her to come. Not only will it be very good for her training, but it will also be good for the people. The marshes will be created faster if she is there to help. Face it, the more Jessica can learn now, the better off everyone will be."

Gaara glared at me hard, his hands gripping the table to the point where I could see a crack forming. "How so?" He growled.

I leaned forward. "Because she is like her mother. And everyone knows her mother was very powerful. Powerful enough to get to you. The quicker she learns, the more powerful she gets, are steps closer to winning this. Face it, Gaara, Jessica will be an important factor to this war!"

A cracking sound came from the table. "I will not allow you to use my daughter," he hissed at me.

If he hadn't had such a tight grip on the table I would have thrown it across the room. As it is I swiped the maps and papers to the floor. "Dammit, Gaara! She is my daughter, too!" I screamed at him. I stood there breathing hard as I glared at him. He just glared back. "Fuck you, asshole. Fuck you for thinking I would ever harm my daughter. I'm not you. I don't use people for my benefit." I closed my eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm down. "Tsunade-sama, I need a week to prepare. I would like to know who is on my team as soon as possible."

"I will make your team by tomorrow evening," she said softly.

I nodded and left the office. There is no point in me staying. Plus, my babies are waiting for me to return.

Going back and forth between never wanting to let him go and wanting to kill him is starting to give me whiplash. I can't stand to be around him more than half of the time. But those times when he kisses me, when he holds me, or even when he just sits next to me on the roof, I want nothing more than to tell him to never leave me. The picture of the two of us in his locked drawer flashed through my head.

Why does he have that photo?

I sat down next to Jessica and crossed my arms over my chest, glaring out at the tree's behind the boys. I chewed on my lip, deep in thought. Of all pictures to keep locked up, why that one? Does he not want the twins to find it? Have they never seen a picture of me? Now that I think back on it, that is probably the only picture of me at all. I don't remember anyone taking any other photographs of me. And I only did that one to annoy Gaara. I remember the day perfectly. I had been annoying him because I wanted him to be done with his work so he could go train with me.

The taste of blood filled my mouth. Great. I bit my lip too hard. I sighed slightly and sucked on it, running my tongue over it. Why does he have to be such a jerk to me in front of others? I've noticed it is normally only in front of people who know who I am. Why is that? Maybe he wants them to believe he is completely over me. Like I am trying to show that I am completely over him. Which is so not true.

"Doe-sensei!" Jessica yelled.

I was able to fall flat on my back just as a rock came flying at my face. I sat back up and stared at Ryuu with wide eyes. He was staring at me with wide eyes. He quickly pointed to Yukio to deflect the anger he knew was coming.

Yukio stared at him with disbelief. "As if! I didn't throw it, I swear, Doe-sensei!"

I looked back and forth between the two of them without moving my head. My shock is gone. Replaced with an energetic anger. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "You two are going to get it." And with that I pounced on them, grabbing both of them at the same time. Thankfully they were close together.

The three of us wrestled, good fighting. Not to hurt. Just as I pinned one of them down the other got free and attacked. After awhile of this I realized the three of us were flouting, and I gave a small gust of wind, not one Jessica would question, and pushed myself towards the two of them, grabbing hold of both of their heads under my arms.

"Gotcha!" I laughed. Ryuu and Yukio struggled to get out of my grip, but there is no way they will win. I laughed hard and let go, brushing off their angered attacks. "Alright boys, you've had your fun. Let's calm down now." Jessica lowered us to the ground and set us down carefully. "Good job, Jess." I smiled at her. "All three of you come here." Ino came over, too, and sat in our small circle.

We all did a little deep breathing to calm our heart rates and relax our muscles. When I opened my eyes I saw the two boys, sitting on either side of their sister, smiling at each other. I am glad Ryuu has made friends with his siblings.

"Alright, tell me what you learned." Yukio was the first to raise his hand. "Okay, what did you learn today, Yukio?"

He smirked. "I learned never to mess with you, Doe-sensei!" We all laughed at that.

Jessica hesitantly raised her hand. I nodded for her to go on. "I learned how to push the concentration to the back of my mind and how to watch the surroundings as well as keep them in the air."

Pride filled my chest. "Good!" I looked at Ryuu for him to go next.

"I learned how to use Yukio's love for his family against him." Ryuu must have seen the look that crossed my face because his eyes widened and he quickly tried to backtrack. "Wait! That's not what I meant, Doe-sensei! I was just trying to follow Kazekage-sama's advise. Please don't be mad, Doe-sensei!"

I stood up and stared down at him. "I don't care if the Kazekage told you to or not. You never do that to someone. Do all of you understand me?" All three nodded. "I don't want to ever hear of you doing it again. Ever." I took a deep breath to calm myself. Damn Gaara. "You are dismissed."

I sent Ryuu home to fold his laundry and decided to take a walk around the city. It wasn't long before Sakura caught up to me, pulling me towards her and Kakashi's apartment. Once inside she pulled me into the kitchen and poured the both of us tall glasses of lemon aid. I sipped at mine, not looking at her as she put away the pitcher and sat down next to me.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly.

I nodded.

"Are you sure? You really didn't seem it when you left the office." Sakura reached over and placed her hand on top of mine. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

I looked down at my lemon aid. How dare he think I would ever use my daughter like that. We would be in no immediate threat while creating the marshes, plus I could protect her if anything did happen. And it isn't like we would be alone. We would have protection. And the people who know who I am are nothing but the strongest. How dare he. I gritted my teeth together, hating the feeling, but loving how much it calm me down.

Sakura rubbed my hand. "You know, I was thinking about maybe having a baby." My eyes snapped up to her face. "I see Naruto and Hinata with their children and I get this feeling in my chest. I just have to convince Kakashi he is ready to be a Daddy now." She laughed at that.

I tried to picture Sakura and Hinata's child in my minds eye. But there is no way I could. That child will be one special child. Strong, smart, and powerful. I smiled at her. "I'm sure it wont take him long to figure it out. He has always been good with kids."

She laughed hard. "Not with Aiko, that little yellow devil! She loves Kakashi, but he can't stand her. He says she is to much like Naruto." We both laughed.

It was then that Kakashi walked through the door, kissing Sakura on the top of the head before he went to the sink to get a glass of water. "What are you ladies up to?" He asked. He kept his back to us as he pulled down his mask to drink the water.

"Oh you know, the usual." Sakura smiled.

I squinted at Kakashi. "You know, Kakashi, I have never seen your face." I quickly glanced over at Sakura. "Is he hiding something? Is he really ugly underneath the mask? Does he have some big wart or something?" Kakashi spit the water all over the window above the sink, choking on the rest of it.

Sakura laughed hard, holding her stomach.

Neither answered my question.

Hope you liked it!