This chapter is longeeeer for you all, as are all the other chapters! I am also really quite busy with bloody school work so it might take a while to update again. Sorry!

Thank you to AAAAAALLLLL of my reviewers/ favouriters/ readers! You guys are the best!

I hope you like the chapter! :D

Chapter 36: I'm Home!

~One Month Later~

"Gaara? How long are we going to stay in Konoha for?" Kankuro asked. Gaara was gazing out the window. He seemed to do that a lot.

"We aren't leaving until Kagome returns." He said. Kankuro nodded and left the room.

Gaara sighed as he remembered the funeral.

~Flashback~

They were gathered in the graveyard in front of a closed Ebony casket.

Gaara looked around the people gathered and realised that these were all the people that Kagome's life had influenced in one way. Be it her kindness, friendship, temper or humour.

Tsunade stood next to the casket and everyone fell quiet.

"Today we are gathered here to mourn the death of a wonderful girl. Sabaku no Kagome presence blessed all of our lives in one way or another and she would be Missed Dearly.

"Kagome was a very cheerful kunoichi. She would always brighten a room when she smiled. And even though she is not here with us today, she is still here with us in our minds, memories and hearts."

Tsunade fell quiet. "I would like to invite Kazekage Gaara to stand up and have a word."

Gaara stood up and gazed at the crowd. Some were staring at him mourningly, others slightly scared.

"I personally don't believe that Kagome has left us yet. Some of you may say that it's just me saying that as her mate. But it is what I believe. I miss Kagome very much and I wish for her to come home to us. Be it now or never. I love Kagome and will never forget her. I will remember the first day I met her in the forest to the last day we had together. I am sure many others will do the same." Gaara looked up at the sky and his mouth twitched.

He walked back to where he was standing earlier. Ignoring the looks of shock he received from people. It was probably the most they heard him talk.

"I now invite Uzumaki Naruto to stand up." Tsunade said.

Naruto stood up, for once wearing something other than his orange jumpsuit. He was wearing black slacks and a black t-shirt. His hair was hanging free from his forehead protector.

"I remember when I first met Kagome; a young girl who suddenly arrived in Konoha looking for a place to live. No one knew where she came from, her objective for coming here or her past. But she managed to worm her way through everyone's heart. Kagome is like a sister to me and I love her. She was one of the only people who understood me. Kagome will forever be in my mind. Even when I'm lying in my deathbed." A tear streamed down Naruto's cheek as he walked back to the group, next to Sasuke who held Naruto's hand comfortingly.

Sasuke, Kakasha, Temari and Kankuro and Ashleigh all got up to say something about Kagome.

When the speeches were finished everyone watched the casket get placed into the ground and Gaara felt a lone tear stream down his cheek as he thought about his missing mate. Where are you Kagome? He sighed.

~End Flashback~ With Kankuro~

Kankuro strolled down the street, looking at the different stores. Looking ahead of his he saw Ashleigh.

"Hey! Ash!" he called out.

Ashleigh turned around and gave a small smile. "Oh, Hi Kankuro." She said.

Kankuro smiled. "How are you going?" he asked.

Ashleigh looked down. "Okay. It's a bit strange not having Kagome or Sakura at home. I really miss them." She said.

Kankuro nodded. Unsure of what to say.

"Do you... do you think Gaara is telling the truth when he says that Kagome isn't dead?" Ashleigh asked.

Kankuro shrugged. "I guess he would be. But it is hard to say if he is right or he is just saying it to please his demon."

Ashleigh nodded understandingly.

Kankuro gazed at the girl. "Ashleigh?"

"Hm?"

"Would you like to come out to lunch with me?" he asked.

Ashleigh blinked. "l-like a date?" she asked shocked. Her eyes wide.

"Well," Kankuro said, "If you want it to be..."

Ashleigh smiled and whispered. "I would like that."

Kankuro grinned widely. Ashleigh smiled in return.

~With Sakura~

"Sakura! Darling! Where are you, un?"

"In here, Mum!" Sakura called in reply. She was sitting in her room on the window sill.

Deidara walked into the room with a smile. "Leader-Sama has asked to see you, un." She said.

Sakura's eyes lit up but she bit her bottom lip. "... I don't know what to do! How am I supposed to act?" she asked.

Deidara grinned. "Just act like you normally do, un. That is all he wants."

Sakura nodded and Deidara lead her towards the double doors at the end of the hall. Sakura stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath.

"It'll be fine, un." Deidara said.

Sakura closed her eyes, took in another deep breath and knocked.

"Come in,"

She opened the door and stepped inside.

Sakura was immediately drawn to the dark brown wooden placed in the centre of the room, a man sitting behind it encased in the shadows.

"Sakura. It is a pleasure to finally meet you." He said, his voice deep and smooth like velvet. Immediately Sakura felt the tension leave her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you too, Leader-Sama." She said with a small smile.

The figure leaned forwards slightly and Sakura saw him smile. "Call me Pein." He said.

Sakura blinked shocked. No one has even been given the privilege of calling the Leader by his name. "Thank you," she said.

Pein beckoned her forwards with a pale hand. "Come," he said, "Sit down."

Sakura walked to the desk and sat down at the chair, curious about what Pein looked like.

"You are curious. What about?" he asked.

Sakura blinked. "Um..."

"Speak up. You won't be punished."

Sakura's hands twisted in her lap. "I am curious about what you look like." She said.

"Ah, yes." He said. Sakura watched the shadows and her eyes widened when Pein suddenly leaned forwards. Her eyes raked his pale face taking in the orange hair, blue eyes and multiple piercings.

... Holy Crap! He's hotter than Sesshomaru! She thought.

SO TRUE! Kura cried out in her head.

"Curiosity satisfied?" Pein asked.

Sakura nodded. Not game enough to open her mouth.

Pein's lip twitched and his eyes faded to grey and black ringed. "I too am curious." He said. "As you should know; our objective as the Akatsuki is to capture all of the Demon Vessels. Two of your friends are these Vessels. Who would you choose between; Your friends or the Akatsuki and thus your parents?"

Sakura blinked. Bugger.

"Um... It is hard to choose..." Sakura said. "I class Naruto and Kagome as my siblings. So you are in fact asking if I would choose between my siblings or my family. But I can't choose as they are family. So I would in fact try and stop you guys from getting the demons while still having my family whole. But we know that is probably impossible." She said.

Pein's grey eyes pierced her green ones. "Then you might be happy to know that our objective is no longer to collect demons." He said.

Sakura couldn't help but sigh in relief. She didn't have to choose!

"That's good." She said happily. A smile lighting up her face.

"Due to the change of plans, I have a mission for you. It involves the rest of the Akatsuki but you are the main person..."

Sakura's face turned serious. "What have you got for me?" she asked.

This was her first mission. And she was going to do whatever she could to make sure she succeeded.

~With Kagome~

"Can we set up camp yet?" Kagome asked. "I know we are nearly there. But I want to be well rested before we arrive." she explained.

Valdon nodded and they stopped at the closest clearing. Kagome help set up the camp. After feasting on some meat they hunted Kagome fell back and gazed at the sky.

"God, I am stuffed!" She sighed.

"Same." Hitomi sighed.

"Kagome… tell me about Gaara…" Hitomi asked. She had heard Kagome mention Gaara being her mate before, but she was hoping to find out more about him. She is jealous of Kagome having a mate but knew if she waited she would meet someone special.

"Gaara…"Kagome said slowly, the name rolling off of her tongue as she sighed longingly. "I don't know where to begin."

"When did you meet?" Hitomi asked.

"I met him when I was 7," Kagome explained. "He found me in the woods near his village. I had woken up naked with no memories except for my name. I stumbled around the forest and there he was, bright red messy hair, stunning green eyes, pale skin and the Kanji for love carved into his forhead. He was my savoir, my angel." Kagome smiled. "He took me to his family where his Dad adopted me and his siblings loved me like their own. It was perfect.

"When I was 10, I was walking home from school when I was attacked by a demon. I later woke up and found out I had a demon stored inside of me like Gaara. The same Gaara that I was starting to have feelings for. Gaara was shunned for having a demon stored inside of him and I knew that it caused lot of stress for the family… so instead of letting them deal with the fact that two of the family members were demon hosts… I ran away." Hitomi gasped. Kagome smiled.

"I ran away to Konoha where I met Naruto, another demon host, only this time an orphan and started training to be a ninja. I didn't see Gaara again until the Chuunin Exams when I was 13. Naruto and Konohomaru ran into my siblings Temari and Kankuro and Kankuro decided to pick a fight with them. I was standing behind Naruto and realised that they didn't remember me. The pain of leaving made them lock away every memory of me. Sasuke and Sakura arrived and the confrontation got worse. Suddenly Gaara arrived, telling Kankuro to shut up or he'll kill him. I was in shock I thought that Gaara must have forgotten about me too. I was wrong. He remember." Kagome sighed happily.

"We got together again and Kankuro and Temari soon remembered me… It was a teary reunion." Kagome laughed. "And a few weeks later, Gaara and I admitted our feelings and started dating. That is how we met."

Hitomi smiled sadly. "I wish I could have a story like that."

"I'm sure you will meet someone special soon, you too Natasha." Natasha gave Kagome a small smile and went back to reading her book.

"You really love him, don't you." Hitomi stated.

"He is my world." Kagome admitted.

"You guys should sleep." Valdon said. "It is a long hike tomorrow if you want to arrive at Konoha as soon as you can."

Kagome nodded and rolled closer to the fire. "Goodnight everyone," she said.

"Goodnight, Kagome," they replied.

~The Next Day~

They were close. The trees surrounding them were starting to look familiar to Kagome and she could feel the pulsing chakra coming from the village.

A smile gathered on her face as they walked closer and closer until finally the trees parted and in front of them were the giant gates of Konoha.

I'm Home…

~With Gaara~

Gaara could feel the pulse of a familiar demonic chakra. He immediately jumped out of the window, scaring his siblings and ran towards the gate. Behind him Temari and Kankuro were calling out his name, asking him what was wrong.

He slowed down as he got closer to the gate until he was walking. Just as he arrived, some figures stepped through the trees and Gaara heard the gasps from Temari and Kankuro as they recognised one of the figures.

Gaara walked forwards and his eyes connected with Kagome's.

A smile lit up her face. "Gaara!" she cried out and ran towards him. He walked towards her and pulled her in for a hug.

"I missed you so much." He whispered into her ear.

Tears streamed down Kagome's face and her arms wrapped around his neck. "I love you," she said.

"I love you too." Gaara replied. His hand reached up to cup her cheek as he pulled her in for a tender kiss.

When they separated, Kagome was pulled into a hug with Temari and Kankuro.

"We thought you were dead." They cried.

Kagome smiled. "It will take more than Naraku to take me down." She said, her voice breaking. She pulled Gaara into the group hug.

People started to make their way towards the gate wondering what the commotion was.

As people saw who was at the gate, they started whispering and talking in shock. "She's back! Kagome is back!"

Kagome noticed the people gathering around all smiling at her and welcoming her back.

She couldn't believe it, she was home. She turned around and flung herself into Gaara's arms, sobbing. She was home.

This was originally supposed to be longer, but anything I was going to add would have ruined it. So I will be adding it into a separate chapter.

Please review!