Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, and now this one, only one day later! :D

This one will answer what happened at the end of the last chapter, and after this everything moves forward again.

As always, reviews/comments serve to inspire 3

Gaara

I couldn't remember what exactly Temari said to me. I remember Shinki, then him running off, then... I couldn't remember. I took a deep breath and patted Kimi's back. She was making the cutest little sounds after I got her back from Temari. How long had I been out of it? How long before I had to face my wife?

I was sure Temari said something of a time frame but... I just could not remember what she said. Everything from the night was a blur to me. There was the clone of Naruto. Oh, but there was Naruto. I felt my heart twist in my chest. I had to see her. I couldn't see her. She needed to meet Kimi. My head felt so clear, yet I was still beyond confused. Confused about what to do, what to say. How could I fix what I had done?

I could almost feel the heat of the thing on my body. Had it given it's memories to it's creator? Probably, knowing Naruto. I gave a sigh and Kimi started to fuss as though to sense the change in my mood. I gave light bounce to my step then sat down on the chair behind my desk. I disliked the fact Naruto had seen such an episode from myself. Was it not bad enough she had witnessed me asleep, witnessed my weakness, my fine trigger anger. My stomach turned. How would she react if she was present for one of my panic attacks? So far I had managed to get away from her before they hit fully. I closed my eyes. It's bound to happen sooner or later. If we moved past this incident, past my stupidity. After everything Naruto put herself through, I couldn't just throw it away because I wasn't ready to let go of who she used to be.

If it's so hard for me to accept, I could only imagine how she felt about it. I just had to get past these annoying emotions. Around her, they were harder for me to control. She always brought on anxiety in various forms in me. Fear, nervousness, anticipation. Fear and worry were always the most prevalent when we were younger. Mainly because she was a nitwit. Always getting herself into situations which could easily get her killed, like the time she was nearly blown up by the alliance to save the woman who would become her wife.

I growled at the memory of her past life. I had to figure out a way to separate it and still feel I was with my Naruto. Mine. Somehow I managed to get her in my grasp. I would not let her go, no matter how angry she was with me. She was my wife now. I had the entirety of Suna to help me keep her here, whether she wanted to stay now or not.

Kimi fussed louder. I held her away from me just enough to look down at her so our eyes could meet. "Shh, it's alright little one." I cradled her in the sand and moved my hands to hers which she grasped onto with tiny little fingers. I felt my lips twitch upward. She wiggled and with a high pitched squeal she smiled at me. The familiar tingle in my stomach erupted. She had been doing this more lately. Her feet kicked out and the sweetest sounding giggle erupted from her. My breath caught in my throat. Did she just?

Without thought my fingers moved on their own and tickled her stomach and she erupted in the cutest little squeal followed by more giggles. Was the first time she laughed? Her first laugh...

My hands stilled. Naruto. How much had she grown since she was born? How much had she missed of her own daughter's development? "Want to meet your mother?" I tickled again and it caused another round of squeals. "A yes then?" More tickling, more squeals.

The sound of a clearing throat interrupted my moment with Kimi. I looked up and seen Baki standing at the door, frowning. "Must you insist on bringing the child here? Though, it is nice to see you smile for a change."

Smile? I brought my fingers to my lips and realized he was telling the truth. This child was going to ruin me. I tickled her again for revenge, which only served to keep the smile on my face. "Yes, she is mine." I looked back up to him and tilted my head. Why did everyone dislike me bringing her with me to my office? I was still getting my work done, no matter the amount of distractions I buried myself in. It was a benefit of not having the ability to sleep.

He crossed his arms. "You own your house, you don't bring that with you every time you come here."

I arched a brow at him. What an inadequate comparison. "I do not see your point, Baki. The house is not living nor does it require attention and feeding." I frowned. There wasn't a comparison with them.

Was there?

He sighed. "I don't know why I even try. Sometimes I just forget you are who you are, Lord Gaara."

I brought Kimi back to my chest and secured her. He was making no sense. "You forget who I am?" I felt the space between my brows tighten and I allowed my confusion to show.

"Listen just... Forget what I was saying. I am here for other reasons." He stepped fully into my office and closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath and came closer to the desk. A muscle in his jaw jumped and he looked off to the side.

I frowned. Whatever the news was, he was not wanting to give it. I glanced down at Kimi and brushed my fingers through her hair. "Just a second, this may be important." She made a noise and I moved her from me and into a small sand bassinet I made at the edge of my desk. In sight, but not on my person. I folded my hands on my desk and returned my attention to the man in front of me. I schooled my expression to its normal blank. When he did not proceed naturally I tilted my head at him. "Have you something to say, or are you going to waste my time?"

"You have been unreachable for a few days."

I narrowed my eyes. I was not about to tell him what I had been up to. Which, for this instance, was literally nothing at all beyond dealing with my own head. I took a breath. "Has something happened?" Kimi made a noise. I propped my arm up by the elbow and started a soft wave of my finger to rock the bassinet, which quieted her. I returned my attention to him, and noticed he was watching her as well. I cleared my throat.

His eyes widened and he returned his attention to me. "There has been a communication from Konoha."

I stilled at the news. I felt my stomach lurch. "Temari?" I had a feeling they would contact me soon.

He gave a small nod. "They are requesting her return, as soon as possible. There is a mission for her which they need her ability with wind."

I lowered my hand and leaned forward on the desk. "Is there information on this mission?"

He straightened and gave another small nod.

When he didn't continue I raised up from the desk, still leaning on it. "Then what is this information?"

He gave a quick look behind him at the door. Fear. Why? I clenched my jaw. What could be so terrible he didn't want to tell me. "Baki." I kept his voice low, I felt the rumble in my own throat as I spoke it.

He took a breath. "There may be a lead on the group who killed the Hokage."

I felt numb. A lead? Killed... The news of the event replayed in my mind. I swallowed, hard. "Why have I not been told sooner of this?"

"Lord Kankuro has intercepted all messages. It was not known if any had made it to you or not."

"They have not." I forced myself back into the chair. I moved my hands below the desk and clenched my fists. Don't react. Keep focused. You are the Kazekage, Gaara. This cannot be personal. I took a breath. Calm down. I returned my hands to the top of the desk and folded my hands together. "This could be part of the same group who attacked Suna. I would like you to send a message to the Hokage asking if they would like to have a team sent along with Temari for the mission. In the meantime I would like a list of the current ninja who are available."

He gave a small bow. "Yes Lord Gaara." He turned to take leave.

"Baki."

He paused and looked over his shoulder. "Yes?"

"Do you know the location they will be heading?"

He looked back towards the door then faced me. "I do not."

I sighed. "Very well. Include a request for the information."

"It may not do any good, Lord Gaara."

I remained silent, hoping they would still send it. "I know." He gave me another small bow and left the room without another word. I took a deep breath. A lead. Was it possible the attacks were carried out by the same opponent? Where had they come from and what was their objective?

Why Naruto? I frowned and returned my attention to my daughter. They almost took her from me. Took her mother from me. I felt sick. I could have lost them. I almost did. I pulled her back to me and held her in my arms. "It's time, isn't it?" I brushed my hand over her face, her arm. Precious. I needed to let go. I had to move forward.

What if they came back? What if they tried to kill Naruto again? I pulled her the rest of the way up and cradled her to my chest. "I won't let anything happen to you. I won't let anything happen to your mother." My vision blurred and I blinked away the tears. These people nearly took away the things which were most precious to me.

I couldn't wait to see what they were made of on the inside.

.*. .*. .*.

I stared at the blank page in front of me. It was the one I added into the binder I had created for my wife. The list of possibilities of anything concerning her. I let out a shaky breath. Since the run in with her clone a few days ago my mind hadn't slipped back into thinking of her as a man. Yes, it was going to be hard. Yes, I wasn't sure I was ready to let go of the constant Naruto had become as my friend and fellow leader. Yes, I wasn't sure I was fully ready to change the constant of Naruto into everyday life, as a partner. As a member of my family.

As the mother of my child, and possibly children. If it were possible for her to get pregnant again. If she ever let me near her after... This. Whatever this had been. I sighed and looked over to Kimi. Her bright eyes trained on me, following my every move. I tilted my head at her. "What do you think might happen tonight?" After I returned home from the office yesterday I asked Temari what time I was supposed to meet with my wife. She swore she never gave me a real time frame. I think she lied to me, but was not in the mood to smite her at the moment. I was never going to let on I had forgiven her for the name changing indiscretion as the shorter name had grown on me and seemed to suit Kimi just fine.

She didn't budge her gaze, her little legs moved and her hands opened and closed. She made a noise and I put my pen down.

"Are you ready? I think you will like her." More coos and noises. I took a deep breath. "We should prepare for this, don't you think, Kimi?" I moved my hand to her belly and tickled her, making the squealing laugh erupt from her. I felt a smile play at my lips, and I let it. This child, this beautiful, perfect child gave me something more to hold onto than anything which came before her. A thought occurred to me.

Deep breath. Naruto left her children behind for me, for this child. Pen went to paper here. Possibility: #1 - Naruto regrets the decision to keep the baby. I looked to Kimi and frowned. What if Naruto rejected her at some point? That... That wouldn't happen.

Could it? I bit at my bottom lip and started to write in the possibilities I could see happening as bullet points. They set beneath the first possibility which would be stemmed out from this as the actions which could be taken if this were the case. Everything from her sobbing over the child to never speaking to me or the child again while stuck in Suna for the rest of her life made the list. I didn't like this possibility, but it was there. It had to be written. Looking at Kimi, being with her even for the short amount of time I had with her, I couldn't imagine leaving her behind no matter my personal preference. Yet, Naruto had done just this with two such creatures of her own. I wasn't sure the action was intentional. I wasn't sure if she would be alright with it.

Her children were everything to her. Her children... I moved my book of possibilities out of the way to write a letter. The letter to Hinata was brief, but necessary. Uncomfortable. It would be a reminder for what was before if the woman accepted. I read over it, then satisfied the wording was properly readable I folded it, sealed it and wrote the destination with the name on it. Hinata. I preferred to avoid her, but this was for Naruto.

I was about to call in one of my assistants, but decided against it and placed it in the outgoing mail box on the corner of my desk. The request was necessary but not urgent. I had other things to do before trying to deal with what her reply might be. If she were to deny even this small request...

Naruto would never know. I had to fix what I had done. I had to figure out how to make her understand or at least make her accept my aversion to her. How was I going to pull this off? How could I spend time with her and not react, not touch, not kiss her? I brought my hand to my lips as the memory of our kiss passed through my mind and-

My stomach turned. The memory of her screams of pain, the tears, her laying dead on the bed after giving birth to Kimi rushed my mind. I closed my eyes. Maybe it would be easier than I thought.

Kimi started to cry and I rocked the sand I cradled her in. "Shh, it's alright little one. Your Mother wants to meet you and your Father is nervous. Forgive me?" I rested my head on my hand and worked at clearing my mind, ignoring the wave of butterflies the word father sent through my stomach. Three months later and the idea of having a child of my own still felt so strange. Beautiful. I found I was talking to her more and more. I brought her to my chest and held her in hopes of calming her. It was as though she could sense my moods. I would have to be more careful around her.

When she settled, I resumed creating my list. I poured through every possible situation, every reaction which might happen. I settled on the fact if I were present, there was a greater possibility she would have a worse reaction. I decided with this to stand back. Let Temari take her in, and wait until everything was calm and settled to go in. I swallowed down some errant acid which crept up into my throat. Yes. This was what needed to happen. Today.

Today my wife would meet our child, today I would end my aversion to her. Today the process of the engagement would ensue. Temari would be the attendant until she left to Konoha. I took a deep breath, wondering who the council would send to supervise our meetings. Where would I keep this person anyway? Two months of having a person I didn't know underfoot was not my favorite idea, but having her here was something which must be done. For the marriage. If Naruto didn't object after everything.

It was a possibility. I even had it written down as one.

.*. .*. .*.

I never before realized the wood to my door had a faint wood grain pattern still visible. I stood back from it. Very close. Not close enough. Too close. I warred with what I wanted to do. It had been nearly two minutes since Temari entered the room with my little Kimi. I wanted to go in. I didn't want to go in. I felt grateful she allowed me to recover before this event happened. I wished I had done this sooner, yet I still felt everything was too soon.

I wanted to be there for this.

I couldn't be there for this. How could I be? I was certain she was mad at me, for everything. How could I intrude on this moment? I couldn't. I shouldn't. She wouldn't be able to enjoy the moment she met our Kimi. There was a possibility she could. There was more of a possibility she wouldn't. I had my list of possibilities to prove it. I rarely had something happen which was not listed, and anything which went wrong always seemed to center around my wife. Unpredictable. It was one of the things which intrigued me about her so long ago.

Three minutes. How long should I stand out here? When was too soon? When was too long? I had no idea. What did her face look like when she first laid eyes on her, our Kimi? Did she smile? Was she disappointed? Did she regret her, me, us, everything? I hated the unknown. I wanted to know. I was missing this. Her. Them. I should go in.

What if I came in too soon? I growled at myself. I hated this. Tomorrow, I would have her watch the naming ceremony. It would be a good way to find out the name of our daughter, wouldn't it?

A small, soft cry coming from Kimi interrupted my thoughts. Was something wrong? My shoulders tensed. It was ok, the crying had to be because Naruto was new to her, though she was her mother. I took a deep breath. Let them meet. Wait until Kimi calmed, then go in. It would be for the best.

Kimi's cries got louder, more desperate. I felt my heart lurch and it took everything I had in me not to just go in and take her back. Mine. They were making my little one cry. I knew the thought was nonsensical, she was also Naruto's, but... I could feel the sand agitate, but it felt... Foreign, somehow. The feeling was an odd sensation but I pushed the feeling aside. Probably because I was so possessive of her. Worry. I couldn't help it.

Kimi made a noise I had never heard before, followed by a scream and a dull roar. I felt my blood run cold at the sound. Something was wrong.

"GAARA!" Temari, panicked almost inaudible above the rising sound of the roar within the room.

What was I doing just standing here? I raised my hand and I pushed open the doors, my heart in my throat. I froze for a second at what I saw before me. It... This... I pushed aside my shock at what was before me and raised my hands, fingers outstretched. There was sand flying through the air, whipping around Naruto and Temari in an aggressive yet untamed manner. There was so much of it, I could barely see their figures. I glued my eyes on the one slumped over on the bed. Naruto. I wasn't doing this. I pushed my chakra out to tame the sand flying through the room, but it pulled, harder than it should have. My heart leapt to my throat. I felt ill. The sand I felt earlier, it wasn't mine. I wasn't the one agitating it. Then who...

Kimi went into a full wail and I grabbed the sand to keep it from whipping around the room, pulling even harder at me at the rise in the cry from my little one. My heart raced. It couldn't be. I focused harder on stopping the sand from suffocating my sister and wife and it began to slow. I pushed harder. Come on. Bit by bit it slowed and I felt my arms shake with the effort to keep it still. I fought to catch my breath and assessed the situation. Naruto was clinging onto our daughter in an attempt to protect her from the sand, the backs of her hands raw from the onslaught. There was a blanket she was holding and under it a Kimi sized lump. I needed to get her to calm down. I swallowed.

I'm sorry, Naruto.

I rushed forward while I felt I had a handle on the sand, though I could feel it pull on my control. I moved aside the blanket and snatched Kimi from Naruto and held her to my chest. "Shh, everything is fine. Little one, I am here." Her cries tore at my heart. I made a mistake. I should have come. Please calm down.

I tried to ignore the open mouthed shock Naruto had on her face, the look of anger coming from my sister. My stomach twisted. Kimi. She started to calm, and the sand fell from the air as though nothing held it up. Acid rose up into my throat. In one terrible instant, she had made my worst fear come true. The ability to move sand without thought. She was going to take after me in more than just looks. I could feel my shoulders start to shake and I moved a chair next to the window. Monster. The word echoed in my mind, the word I heard ever since I was a child replaying over and over inside my head.

"Gaara?" Naruto.

I ignored her and sat down, looking out the window. My throat closed. What could I say?

"What the hell just happened?" Good question.

"Why did you just freak out about your own wife holding onto your child?" Temari leaned over me and Kimi.

I shifted my eyes to her, not caring if my emotion showed to her. The sand had come from Kimi. It wasn't my sand. I could feel myself tremble. Panic. I can't panic. Not here. Not holding Kimi. Not in front of Naruto. I wanted to tell her. I wanted to say something, anything to get her to understand the gravity of what had just happened. Nothing would come out of me. I looked back to Kimi, then out the window, unable to find my voice. Pointless. Would she be doomed to a life like mine? Killing without thought? Would Suna accept her so readily with this ability? Would their experience with me mute the hatred, the fear of it? My sand ability backed by the full force of Kurama's chakra? At least the demon was more tame after being with Naruto so long. I hoped he stayed that way. I shivered. Had Kurama been mine...

"Will somebody tell me what in the hell is going on?" Naruto's voice hitched. A mix of what could have been anger and confusion. I think. Maybe. I couldn't look at her. Not right now. How could I, when I just realized I had doomed her daughter to a life like mine?

I shivered at the thought of what I might have been capable of with Kurama instead of Shukaku. I wanted to give Naruto answers. I didn't have any I was willing to say. In fact, I wasn't sure I could say anything.

"Maybe it would be best if we try this again later?" Temari placed a hand on my shoulder and I pushed it off by removing the sand under it and moving it away.

It wasn't fair. I wanted this to be the moment. The moment I reconnected with my wife and asked for forgiveness for what I had done. The moment I could start sharing Kimi with her. It was not supposed to be this way. I had not prepared for this possibility. Nowhere on my lists was anything about Kimi freaking out and nearly smothering my sister and wife with sand. I took a deep breath and shook my head no. I wanted more time. I needed it. Even if I couldn't say anything. Even if I was afraid of what just happened. Even if I could barely look at my wife without feeling a wave of stomach turning guilt. Guilt over leaving her alone for nearly the entire past month since she woke up. Guilty over naming our daughter without her even though it still got messed up. Guilty I was witness to Kimi opening her eyes, her first giggles, the first... I stared out of the window I was sitting next to, looking over much of Suna. There were many windows in my room so I could see bits of all of Suna while I worked in this room. This one faced the direction of where I grew up. Where I demolished my childhood home. Where I had planned on building a permanent less steep home for my new family.

I couldn't, not now. Not with Kimi having the same ability as myself. I wouldn't do that to them. Not again. If she lost control, if she inherited my lust for death, if she... I swivelled away from the window and looked upward toward the spiral. Don't panic. Breathe. Everything would be fine. Everything...

This was all wrong.

This was everything I hoped she wouldn't have to endure. Why was this happening to her? First the demon, now this?

A hand on my shoulder. I moved it away from me without thinking, the sand trapping it without thought. I blinked and looked down. Temari was looking at me, her eyes wide, wet. Was she crying? I looked to Naruto, who looked... Completely confused. Of course she would be. "Go." I barely choked the word out. I wanted to be alone with her. I wanted-

"I can't." Her voice sounded tight.

I snapped my eyes back to Temari in silent question.

"I am the attendant until Chuyo comes when I leave, remember?"

I froze. The name sounded familiar. I tilted my head at her, glad for the distraction.

A brief look of panic crossed her face and then she cleared her throat. "The girl you hired?" Her voice pitched at the end, giving away she was no longer sure about what she was saying.

Girl I hired? I stared at her a moment. Was this the girl from the diner? When was she supposed to come again? I looked to Naruto, who was spouting random words of agitation. Something around the lines of 'can't you people tell me what's going on, Gaara what the hell, Can't you just pay attention to me' but I tuned her out. I still couldn't find my voice, and if I tried to pay attention to her, I likely would either destroy something, have a panic attack or run away.

"You did hire her, didn't you?" The voice was quiet, next to my ear in a whisper. I swatted it away with a small wisp of sand.

Answer her. I needed to respond before she annoyed me further. "Yes." One word. It was enough. Attendant then. At least it made it seem as though I had a reason to hire her. I rubbed a small circle on Kimi's back. Naruto's voice rose higher, though I did not comprehend the words. Maybe staying was a bad idea. My presence only seemed to make my wife more agitated. I would need to calm down. I would need to gather my thoughts. I would need to contact the council to inform them my monster was inherited by my daughter.

"Gaara?" My name. I do not know which one of the women in the room spoke it.

I stood up. I wanted to end this on a good note. I wanted to tell her I was sorry. I wanted to tell her I hadn't meant for this to pass on to our daughter. I wanted to tell her... "Would you like some ice cream?" I choked out the question without meaning to. At least it's something.

"What in the hell is it with you and ice cream?" Her face contorted. Then she sighed. I kept silent, watching her war with her emotions, which splayed one by one on her face. Soon enough, her arms went behind her head and she flopped down to the pillows behind her. "Fine, just bring me something good, will ya?"

I gave a quick nod and left the room. Temari followed behind me, shut the door behind her and grabbed my shoulder again. I stiffened and turned to her.

"Gaara, I..." She trailed off. Her brows were drawn up in the middle. Concern? Probably.

I turned from her, not ready to deal with this just yet. I didn't want to explain what happened, I couldn't explain what happened. I didn't want to think about it, I didn't want to deal with it, I didn't want to accept it. I took in a shallow breath. No. I wasn't going to deal with this. Not right now. I needed to focus on something else. I headed towards the stairs so I could use the phone.

"Wait, what are you going to do?"

I paused, looked over my shoulder and sighed. "I am going to order my wife some ice cream."

It was always better to think about ice cream.

.*. .*. .*.

I had delivered the ice cream to Naruto personally, though I did not stay long. I still couldn't bring myself to speak, to explain, to apologize. Simply by existing, by fathering our daughter, by being who I was I had doomed her without intention. Why? Why couldn't anything be simple, mundane, easy for me? Fate allowed me my wife, against all odds, but this? Was this the price I had to pay for having her? Was this my punishment for my own personal existence?

I sat downstairs in my makeshift office as Temari paced, lecturing about whatever it was she was saying. I couldn't remember leaving Naruto. When had I left? Had I spoken to her? Temari's voice was piercing, annoying and unnecessary. I didn't have time to deal with this. I had too many things on my mind. Finally, she stopped her rant and slumped into one of the chairs across from my desk. "You aren't even listening to me, so I don't even know why I am trying."

No. I am not listening. I took a breath. Get out. Leave me alone, there are things I need to think through. "It's not fair, Temari." My voice was tight. My words betrayed me. I didn't know what else to say. I couldn't say anything. There was nothing to say.

"Everything is going to be alright, ok?"

I raised my brows in disbelief. "Can you be certain?" When I received no response to my question I lowered Kimi from my chest, who at some point after her fit had fallen asleep. It had been hours now, but with the amount of energy it must have taken to move so much sand, I understood. I brushed her tiny soft cheek with my thumb. "How old was I when the sand started to do that?"

"You weren't." Her voice sounded dark.

I looked up to her and frowned. "I do not understand."

She took a deep breath. "Gaara, you never did anything like that."

My heart leapt up to my throat. "What do you mean? I still don't understand?" The sand was like a third arm to me, and extra set of legs. The sand was me, in a way.

"The sand only moved to protect you, you were covered in the stuff since you were a few hours old. That much is different."

I was younger when I started to move the sand then. Still, her words made no sense. If it moved for me, then how was it not the same? I felt the crease between my brows form and I worked at blanking my expression. I hated when I got confused, and with everything going on the fact I confused easily was getting harder to hide, especially to my family.

"You still don't get it." She leaned back. "When you were around three it would move to grab things you wanted, like it was an extra arm or something. This, with Kimi, it was complete chaos. It was just there, everywhere, in an instant. I don't even know where she got it at. It was why I thought it was you. Looking back at it, I should have known it was odd. Yours is always more orchestrated." She looked away from me, something akin of a shadow passing her features.

I swallowed as I tried to follow what she meant. "Mine didn't always obey me." I remembered back when I was a kid, accidentally breaking the people I wanted to play with.

"You're wrong."

I tilted my head. "How so?"

She sighed. "Well, this is a weird conversation. Why the heck not." She scooted the chair forward then leaned on my desk with her elbows. "Even when you were a kid, before Dad decided to make you go nuts on us, it only did what you wanted it to. Some of it might have been unintentional. Reach out your arm and instead of grabbing something with your hand it was your sand. You never understood the difference between the grip of your hand versus the sand." She reached out her hand and it touched the back of my hand.

Hot. Burning. My skin crawled from the touch and I pulled it back as though I were burned.

Her eyes widened. "Skin?"

"For Kimi." I created her bassinet and set her down to coat my hands with sand. The ghost of her touch was lingering on the back of my hand.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"I'm fine." I spat the words out, annoyed. Once the sand was in place I scratched at the back of my hand in an attempt to remove the ghost of sensation.

She shifted in her chair and looked at the door. Fear. Why was it always fear?

My stomach twisted. Maybe it was because I broke her not long ago. "Forgive me, Temari."

"Why? What for?" She looked confused at my statement.

"You fear me." I pointed at my arm to imply what I had done.

Her eyes widened. "I... Oh." She sighed. "Listen, I am fine. Your doc fixed me up." She held up her arm and smiled, flexing it. "She's good, you know."

I kept silent. I didn't want to discuss Kimiko. I didn't want to remember the fact she wouldn't always be my doctor, my family's. Change the subject. Don't think about what would be taken from me. "Do you think she will be stronger than me?" Another fear. The amount of energy it took to calm the sand in the room made me nervous.

This time, she was the one who was silent. There was no answer to the question. It's only a matter of time before we knew the extent of her power.

Which brought me to my other worry. "Do you think she will inherit other things from me?" I barely whispered the question. This was the question I feared most. I knew it would be hard for her to control as a child. Shinki had to focus in order to use his. Mine... Mine was just there. Always there. I could feel it around me. So would she.

"I don't think that sort of thing is inherited."

I met her eyes. She was stone faced, her lips thin. I took a deep breath. "I do not know how to protect her from this. I don't want her childhood like mine, Temari." I held Kimi up to my chin, close to me. I cradled her tiny head in my hand. "It isn't fair." I repeated my sentiment from earlier. It wasn't. Not even remotely. My eyes burned and I knew the sand around my eyes soaked up the tears.

"You will figure out a way, Gaara. As long as you don't do anything our Father did, she should fare a hell of a lot better. Besides, you have to remember she's also Naruto's, and if she has her resilience, she should be fine."

I stared at her a moment. I realized something, just in this moment. I stiffened. "Was Sakura ever alerted of Naruto's condition?"

"Why would it be important? I will be returning soon and I planned on telling her then."

I groaned. The letter. My stomach twisted. My other problem. Nobuo. "I wrote asking for her presence once she woke. For her, and another-" I bit my tongue. Secret. My biggest secret. Even the mark in the budget for his care was cryptic so as not to attract attention.

"Another what?"

I stared at her, carefully keeping my expression blank.

She groaned. "You're hiding something Gaara, I know you well enough. Personal or nation?"

I wasn't going to answer. I just looked away from her.

"Personal."

I slid my eyes back to her and narrowed them. Over the years she come to understand me to some extent and it annoyed me. Her ability to read me helped when I didn't feel like talking, though it gave me expectations of others sometimes which was unfair. My silent streaks may have been more often than not and it annoyed most of the people I worked with, I was sure. Though, they never have told me outright, so I could be wrong.

She held up her hands, fingers splayed. "Alright, alright. I won't pry." She stood up from the chair and started to pace, then slumped her shoulders. "So." She turned to me and crossed her arms. "I've got nothing. What should the next step be?"

I tilted my head. I wish she was more straightforward with her wording. "For?"

"Naruto."

I blinked, then held my baby out from me a little. "I have to get her used to her mother." It was a stupid, obvious statement.

Temari merely laughed.

I didn't see what was funny.