Hinata stood just in front of the trigger to the bell to signaling her arrival home contemplating whether or not she really wanted to go straight home. She didn't want to be fussed over, she didn't want to face Sasori, she didn't want to see the disappointment or hurt. She could go forever without seeing him look down on her, but she deserved it.

She stepped on the trigger and finished the walk thru the cavern, as she saw the end of the tunnel she also saw a shadow coming at her at an alarming speed she fell instinctively into defense mode, but then saw blue.

"K-K-Kisame-san?" She lower her stance in confusion as Kisame approached her and scooped her up into a crushing hug. She would have returned it if she could move her arms.

When he set her down he didn't give her much chance to talk as he processed to rush her out of the tunnel and toward her porch. Itachi, Deidara, and … Sasori stood on her porch waiting.

Deidara was the next to launch a hug attack along with rushed questions about her well being. Itachi patted her head and listen to her clumsy answers to Deidara's rambling board.

She final reached Sasori and they stared at each other in silence, Kisame gave a heavy warning nudge to Deidara to shut up. She felt her eyes well up with tears and she bowed as low as she could.

"I-I'm so sorry, Sasori-san! I t-take full responsibility for the failure of our mission and nearly getting up c-captured or killed." She didn't raise her head. She let the tears drip from her closed eyes and hit to the wood of the porch. "Th-thank you for saving me."

He paused a great while before stepping forward lifting his hand to rest on her head, she sobbed harder. He was forgiving her and she didn't deserve it. She had been the one who thought they should go in, she had been the one who hadn't told him to turn back when she felt something was wrong, she had almost got them blown up, she had almost got them captured, and it was her fault he had to hand her over to Suna jeopardizing himself. She didn't deserve forgiveness. She didn't want to look up, but she lifted her body to look at the clay face. He gave her a passive look like it had been nothing, how could be so calm.

"Do you realize how many times that brat has nearly blown me up." He started jabbing a thumb in Deidara's direction. That wasn't a fair comparison she told herself, she didn't deserve his kindness.

"Hey, uh! You nearly poisoned me with you tail, yeah!" Deidara was audibly smacked in the back warning him to again shut the hell up, she didn't know which of her two silent protectors gave the blow.

"You should report you health status to Leader-sama, he was concerned he would lose his best researcher." Sasori turned and walked inside the door. Hinata was left blubbering, she sank to her knees, broken. She had failed so miserably, she could have gotten all three of them killed or captured, it was entirely her fault she couldn't let go of it.

Kisame brought his hands under her ribs and picked her up onto her feet lead her to a seat in her kitchen while Itachi made tea. "It's okay kid, it was a small mistake."

"I-I could have got him killed." She whimpered.

"That will happen, we have all nearly caught a team member with an attack. You simply didn't notice a trap." Itachi filled.

"B-But I knew something was wrong, i-it didn't seem right." She wanted to be miserable why wouldn't they let her.

"That is being a missing-nin, everything is suspicious. Sometimes your instincts are wrong." Itachi offered.

Hinata still wasn't convinced, she spent the rest of her day in different area's of the house curled up, she sent her message to leader-sama with her claim of full blame, but her house guests forbade her from going into her office to work. Deidara tried to cheer her up but was pulled away by Kisame before long. Sasori didn't come out of the boarding room and Itachi (to Deidara dismay) made their meals.

When they all wished her a good night she was about to have just one more cup of tea alone when the boarding room opened back up revealing red.

Sasori took his spot at the counter and waited. Was he really going to fall back into the same routine, she stared for far too long at him and he raised an eyebrow. She scrambled to get him his tea.

"How was your reunion." He asked calmly taking the cup she offered. She stared blankly for a moment then look down into her cup, maybe if she didn't look at him it would be easier.

"H-He never wants to see me again." She answered in almost a whisper. Her heart was raw and grating against sandpaper.

"That's a lie, he doesn't want to see you as one of us again." He filled in blandly, his eye narrowed at her.

"H-He wasn't happy that you were the one who'd-delivered me." It wasn't an admittance, but it sounded like one.

"He knew." She nodded. "I don't really see how he wouldn't have, the brat idea to take off your robe and me hand delivering you would make it less obvious, idiot." He mumbled. She looked up at him, he was staring off out the dark window. "How did your recovery go."

"I-I woke up delusional and with most of my nervous system down. I-I couldn't see straight. I-I panicked and ran out of the hospital looking for y-you. I-I knocked out to nurses, jumped down nearly two flights of stairs, and eventually br-broke a window to get to Gaara who I thought was you."

"You went looking more me and miss de Gaara for me?"

"Y-you were the first thing I thought about, s-since I couldn't make out much but colors I went looking for r-red, b-be it hair or clouds." She motioned to him. "S-Suna having very mellow colors, Gaara's and your hair stands out." She fiddled with her cup recalling the delusions and pain.

"It's usually the other way around." He said cooly setting down his cup and walking back to the boarding room.

Hinata blinked into the realization of what he meant.

***TheUnstableLiz***

I appreciate CONSTRUCTIVE comments and reviews.

I can not answer questions of guests. I don't want this section a mile long and bloating the word count too much.

If you have a question please log in and PM me. I will answer any and all questions!

I will point out I am not sure of and will not be following the timeline of the show anything that seems out of place is a result of that.

I will also point out that anyone who is out of character by a lot is the fault of me not knowing the character well enough and I apologize for that.

I apologize for spelling and grammar, I am a computer scientist, not a writer.