Waking up to her own bed was something she had been looking forward to for weeks. No more waking up to a white hospital room, or to the sound of her mom's loud living room TV.

Despite its messiness, Ino missed her room tremendously. It had all of her medical books from college, the souvenirs she collected when visiting different places with her friends, her outfits, and it was across his room.

After having dinner, they had resumed their makeout session until they both noticed that it was near midnight and he had to sleep. It was a Sunday night, after all. Before departing though, the awkward silence had longed for some time. Sharing a bed was something both of them wanted, but each understood that it was not the time yet.

Nonetheless, that didn't stop Ino from booking an appointment in order to acquire some birth control.

Looking around her room, Ino decided that today would be a cleaning day. The first thing she did was her large pile of laundry that had been sitting in her bedroom corner for over a month. As her clothes washed, she opened her closet and decided to reorganize the whole thing. While her mini skirts and shorts still fit her, her crop tops and off-the-shoulder blouses were pushed towards the back. Her thin-strapped dresses were also pushed towards that direction. As much as she loved her clothes, she knew that some of them would have to be worn after the multiple scars on her chest went away.

Taking her t-shirt off, Ino analyzed her scar. The scar, about three-inches wide, started near her sternum and finished a couple of inches above her belly button. While applying makeup could hide the majority of the scarring, she hated the idea of having to spend time each day on hiding something that was not her fault. In addition, the scar was even worse between her breasts. It was deeper, representing the exact spot where that man had shot her.

Lifting her finger, Ino lightly touched the area and groaned. The pain that had exploded throughout her body was something that would sometimes creep into her mind, and she hated it. Thinking about it made her feel helpless, considering that this man was able to seek her out in a park and attack her.

The sound of her phone ringing interrupted her thoughts. Picking it up, a small smile crept to her face as she saw her boyfriend's name on the screen.

"Don't make any plans for dinner tonight. We'll be going out."

"Oh, where are we going?" Ino texted back, curious to know what was on Gaara's mind.

"My dad's place. Temari is hosting dinner there. Kankuro and his girlfriend will be there."

Did that mean his father would be there too? And that things were going to be OK between him and Gaara? Even though he did not mention that his father would be there, she knew that there would be a high chance that he would. Especially considering since it was his house they were having dinner at. Would there be tension between them?

Most likely… Ino thought to herself. But that was something she wouldn't bring up to him.

"Sounds great! By when should I be ready?"

"No later than 6:15… Kankuro will pick us up at 6:30… It'll take about 40 minutes to get there."

"Cool! How's work going?"

"Boring. I wish I could leave right now."

"...And do what?"

"...Be with you…"

"Mhmm…. And be with me how?"

"...Is this a test?"

Ino laughed at his response before texting back. "Mmm…. Maybe…"

"...Am I passing?"

"You'll know tonight,"

"We'll be at my father's tonight…"

"I'm sure your old room is still there… with a bed…"

Biting her finger nervously, a wicked smirk coming across her face as she saw the three dots that let her know that he was typing something back. The three dots disappeared, but reappeared after a couple of seconds.

"Are you trying to seduce me while I'm at work?"

"...Is it working?"

"How about I give it to you tonight if you want it so badly."

Ino swore that her heart almost leaped out of her chest as she read his words repeatedly, feeling that sexual tingly sensation run through her body.

"Oh, then I better make sure to wear my lacy panties tonight.."

"Make sure they're red."

Their sensual text messaging went back and forth for some time until it was time for him to resume his work and her back to re-organizing her closet. After preparing and eating a quick lunch, she continued her chores before sitting down and rereading her medical books. If she continued to progress in the rate she was currently doing, she would be able to go back to work in approximately two months, right after Sakura's wedding. She had asked Dr. Tsunade to allow her back sooner, but the stern woman refused, telling her to instead take a vacation and enjoy life. The hospital would be right there once she was ready to come back.

The rest of the afternoon passed slowly, and once time reached five in the evening, Ino began to prepare for the night's dinner. She knew that Gaara would be home soon, and wanted to be prepared once he was. After her quick shower, she put on a simple spaghetti-strap light blue dress that reached just above her knees and covered her chest, thus showing no cleavage. While showing cleavage wasn't an issue for her, showing the scars was what she was afraid of. And luckily for her, she owned one outfit that made sure to conceal them.

"You look beautiful,"

"Gaara! You scared me. I didn't hear you coming in,"

A light smile ghosted his features. "I know you didn't… I wanted to see what you were up to,"

She rolled her eyes at him, "Creep… Anyway, are you going to get ready?"

"Yeah, I'll be done in twenty…" he said, turning around and heading towards the bathroom.

As he got ready, Ino decided to let her hair down. Thanks to its length, she could use the long strands to cover the areas in her arms where she had multiple IVs hooked up to her. Although those didn't leave much scarring, anyone with a good eye could see the minor blemishes left behind.

"Kankuro is downstairs," Gaara said, reappearing by her door. He wore a black long-sleeve button down shirt with jeans and black shoes.

"Yeah, just need to put my flats on,"

Gaara analyzed her movements as she grabbed a pair of matching blue flats and put them on. Although her movements had improved compared to a month ago, he still noticed the slight trembles at each movement she made. He knew that Ino didn't want him babying her over her recovery, she was very strong-minded and wanted to get through the healing on her own. Nonetheless, that didn't stop him from grabbing her hand once she was ready.

They exited the apartment hand in hand, Gaara watching her steps as they went down the stairs.

"Ino, it's nice to see you!"

A familiar voice caught their attention, and Ino smiled back at the receptionist sitting behind the desk of the leasing office.

"Hi Carol, nice to see you as well."

"How are you feeling? I heard what happened and I'm extremely sorry! Please let us know how we can accommodate you!"

Ino placed a strand of her hair behind her ear nervously while giving the woman a smile.

"I'm feeling OK… I'm getting there… Back to my normal self… and Gaara's been helping me a lot,"

The woman's smile widened, remembering how many months ago the two had signed a lease as roommates. But seeing as how the red-haired young man held the blonde beauty in a protective manner, she could see that they have become more than just that.

"Well, that is good to hear! I see you both look like you're about to head out, so let me not hold you both up. Oh, I just remembered! A package arrived for you some time ago… can't remember when but I would say over a month ago."

"Oh, do you remember who's it from?"

The woman shook her head. "Unfortunately, I don't. But it's in our office for when you're ready to pick it up."

Ino nodded, "Thanks. I'll get it when we return. Thanks, Carol."

The woman nodded as the couple exited the apartment building.

A honk came from a dark vehicle as Gaara led her to it. He opened the back door and helped her get inside.

"Blondie!" came Kankuro's loud voice, and Ino smiled at him.

"Hey there. Oh, is this...the girlfriend?" she teased, watching as the brunette sitting on the passenger side blushed.

"Ha ha ha, y-yes. My name's Yukata, it's nice to finally meet you, Ino."

"Likewise," Ino said as she shook the young woman's hand.

Gaara entered the vehicle and closed the door, placing his arm behind Ino's seat. Putting the vehicle to drive, Kankuro took a quick glance at his brother from the rearview mirror before taking a glance at Ino. She glanced at him as well and gave him a concerned look, and both knew what it was about.

It had been a long while since Gaara had seen his father, and they knew that there would be some tension.

The drive took an hour due to traffic. During the whole drive, Kankuro and Yukata teased each other back and forth before his free hand rested on her lap. From the back of the vehicle, Gaara and Ino sat quietly, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder.

Kankuro parked the vehicle in front of a red-bricked home. There was a smaller, white vehicle parked in front as well, and Ino quickly recognized it as Shikamaru's.

"We're here!" Kankuro announced, turning off the engine.

The four of them exited the vehicle and walked towards the house in a single file, Gaara being last. Kankuro knocked a couple of times, the door opening a few seconds later and a smiling Temari appearing.

"My brothers and their women are finally here!"

"And we're hungry!" Kankuro said as they all walked inside.

Ino felt her stomach growl as the smell of freshly-cooked food hit her nostrils. The home was spacious, and Ino's curious eyes quickly landed on a couple of photo frames hanging on the wall.

An older woman with brown hair appeared, wearing a black apron and a spatula in her hand.

"Yukata, Kankuro! Nice to see you two again!"

"Hey there, Sara," Kankuro said with a friendly smile.

The woman smiled before meeting Gaara's gaze on her. For a moment, her smile dropped before nervously coming back up. Rasa had warned her about his youngest son.

"H-Hi there…. I'm Sara! You-You must be Gaara!"

There was an awkward silence, and Ino glanced between the shy woman and Gaara.

"Hah, he sure is!" Ino said with a nervous giggle, and the woman turned her glance towards her.

"Ah, and you must be his girlfriend! Temari did tell me that Gaara was dating a pretty lady. And my, what a beautiful young woman you are! My name is Sara,"

"Nice to meet you, my name's Ino,"

"Hmmm… Ino… I feel like...I've seen that name somewhere… You wouldn't happen to be some actress? Or maybe a model?"

Ino blushed at the compliments. "Oh! Haha… Thank you! I'm actually a nurse…"

The woman's eyes suddenly widened as if she realized something. But before she could reply, Temari appeared.

"Dinner's ready!"

Sara walked towards the kitchen to help Temari bring the food out as Gaara, Ino, Kankuro, and Yukata walked towards the dining room. Upon entering the room, Ino's eyes landed on the two males currently sitting by the table: Shikamaru and an older man, the latter being Gaara's father.

"Ah, I'm glad you all made it," said the older man.

He placed a hand on Kankuro's shoulder before greeting Yukata. His eyes quickly landed on her and Gaara, and Ino gulped as she felt the awkwardness in the atmosphere grow thicker.

"Gaara," the man said, extending his arm out towards his youngest son, "Glad you decided to come,"

Gaara stared at the hand for a while before extending his own hand out and shaking it. Ino watched awkwardly as Gaara didn't say anything, her eyes traveling back to Rasa as the man looked at her.

"And you must be Ino,"

"Yup! It's nice to meet you, sir!" Ino said, noticing how the man's smile resembled that of Gaara's.

"It's great to meet the young lady who stole my son's heart. Come, have a seat. Food should be served very soon."

The four of them sat on the table across from Shikamaru, who was yawning and staring at his watch.

"Already tired?" Ino teased.

"Nah, I had a large cup of coffee before this. I'm just hungry. How are you feeling?"

She shrugged a shoulder, "I'm fine… Gaara's been helping me a lot,"

Shikamaru smiled as his eyes quickly glanced at the red-haired man currently talking to Kankuro. He remembered how over a month ago, he had been on the phone with her while she cried about the fact that Gaara and Fu were together. The fact that Gaara was Temari's brother was the sole reason why he had not punched the red-head that time for being oblivious. Nonetheless, he was happy seeing him and Ino together now. He remembered how Gaara had visited the hospital every single day while Ino had been in a coma.

Shikamaru's thoughts were interrupted as Temari and Sara came out with dinner. The older woman placed the large tray of lasagna and freshly-made bread sticks in the middle while Temari pulled out three bottles of wine.

"Here, I can help serve," Rasa said as he cut the large lasagne into perfect rectangles.

Ino watched with anticipation as the man placed a plate in front of her. She felt her stomach growl lowly as the smell was closer to her now. Swiftly, she grabbed a piece of the cheese and placed it in her mouth, savoring the garlic and Italian seasonings.

"Here's a garden salad as well," Sara said as she brought in a large glass bowl.

"Wow, all of this looks delicious," Ino whispered lowly before looking at Gaara, who still had a neutral look on his face. She noticed how he barely acknowledged Sara, and considering how things have been left off between him and his father, she didn't blame him for practically ignoring the woman.

Once the food and drinks were all brought out, Sara and Temari sat down.

"I would like to say something before we begin," Sara said nervously, her eyes meeting everyone's, "I just want to say thank you for taking time and coming here for dinner. It's great seeing all of you here and with your lovely partners. You all look beautiful and healthy, and I am glad to be sitting with you all here as a family."

Kankuro, Shikamaru, Rasa, and Yukata gave low claps as Sara smiled and thanked them all. Ino gave the woman a gentle smile before looking at Gaara, noticing how he leaned back on the chair with his eyes closed and arms crossed in front of his chest. Becoming worried about how he was feeling, she placed her hand on his thigh, grabbing his attention.

"Are you OK?" she whispered, and Gaara nodded slowly.

"Alright, time to dig in!" Kankuro yelled before looking at Yukata, "Let's see which one of us finishes first,"

"Oh, last one to finish has to pay for movies next time," the brunette said.

Ino watched as the two of them dug into their plates. Despite Yukata's thin physic, the girl was already half way done with her plate and beating Kankuro.

"Hope they don't get an upset stomach," Sara said, watching as the young couple rushed through their meals.

"It's fine, we have several bathrooms if that happens," Temari added, shaking her head as she watched her brother and his girlfriend almost finish their meals. She was happy that her brother finally found someone who ate just like him…

Sara laughed at her comment, "Well, that is good. It's great to see a young couple be compatible… It brings natural joy into the relationship. I wish the women I help at the shelter could have that. Unfortunately, they all come from abusive relationships, so they've never felt true love and compassion."

"You run a shelter for women?" Ino asked curiously, quickly thinking about the countless women who have come into the hospital with bruises. Bruises left by their male partners.

"My best friend owns the building, but I work there and help her. While it breaks my heart seeing countless women, especially ones with children, coming in every week, I still enjoy my job and enjoy helping them get through it,"

"...Mom would have benefited from that…"

All eyes turned to Gaara momentarily as an awkward silence ensued. Ino's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched him sip what looked like his second full glass of wine. It suddenly dawned to her that Gaara was drinking.

"Yes, she would have…" Rasa added in, and the environment turned more awkward as Ino and Shikamaru made eye contact, unsure what to do but eat silently.

Ino took a quick glance at Sara and noticed how the woman stared at her lap, her lips pressing tightly as if thinking of what to say. Even though she understood Gaara's issue and why he made the comment, she still felt bad for Sara.

"The shelter has recently expanded, and has started helping victims of gun violence… There are studies out there that over fifty percent of these victims suffer some sort of PTSD. Our gun laws are weak, and even nurses are being gunned down. I remember watching the news about that nurse who was shot during some event near a hospital, and then the shooter ended up killing himself. It's...crazy…"

The fork slipped out of her hand as Ino quickly remembered that day. Those who knew about it, which excluded Sara and Rasa, glanced at her silently, which made Ino feel more uncomfortable.

"Yes, I remember reading about it in the paper," Rasa added shortly after, "The man was on a hunt - he wanted to kill as many hospital staff members as possible. According to the police, he had a list of people he specifically wanted to target. I know the head doctor at the hospital was number one on his list."

Ino bit her bottom lip as she felt pressure on her chest. She wasn't sure why, but it was suddenly becoming hard to breath.

I need to get out of here…

"Um...s-sorry… wh-where's the restroom?" Ino wasn't sure why she had stuttered like that, but she knew that she had to remain as calm as possible.

"There's a door right behind you. Open it and down the hall, to your right, is the bathroom," Temari said, giving her a concerned look as Ino nodded and quickly exited the dining room.

Remember to breath…. Breath Ino… breath…

But she couldn't, and once she made a sharp right and closed the bathroom door behind her, warm tears began to roll down her face. Sitting on the floor, Ino clutched her chest while bringing her knees up to her face and sobbing. It had never occurred to her that her shooting made front headlines in the news, and now she was anxious and scared to read the news articles from the incident. Grabbing her phone, Ino sent a hasty text to Sakura.

"He had a list! Sakura, he had a LIST!"

Sakura's reply came back a couple of seconds later, and Ino read it through wet teary eyes, glad to know that Sakura knew who she was referring to.

"Yeah, he did. Police found it in his pocket."

"Tsunade was first on his list! But he didn't get to her… Was it because he saw me? Was I on the list? Who else was on that list?"

"Yeah, you were. So was Shizune… and me…"

Ino's eyes widened, her trembling hand pushing her bangs to the side. Sakura was on the list of people he wanted to kill? But why? She wasn't involved at all, and Ino suddenly felt sick at the thought of Sakura getting shot. Sakura, who is pregnant…

"Hey Ino, you OK in there?"

The blonde flitched on the floor, stumbling over her own dress as she tried to get up from the floor.

"I-I'm fine, Temari,"

Ino opened the door a couple of inches, meeting Temari's concerned face.

"You don't look fine. You practically ran out of there. Ino, I know that what Sara said triggered something… Her and dad don't know that you were that nurse who was shot…"

"I know," Ino said, "I know that… It's just that… I can't… I-I…S-Sorry"

Tears began to roll down again and Temari gave her a hug. "Hey, I know you've been through a lot. And it's OK if you felt uncomfortable. I should've stopped Sara and changed the conversation. Gaara's worried about you… He wanted to come here but we didn't want dad getting the wrong idea with both of you alone in a bathroom…"

Ino giggled while wiping her tears.

"Do you want me to save your food for later? If you don't feel well, you can eat it later…"

Ino nodded, "I would like that… Thanks Temari."

Her friend nodded before exiting. "It'll be in the fridge… Just have Gaara heat it up for you later and- oh, speaking of Gaara, here he comes!"

Ino nodded again, trying her best to wipe her tears away before Gaara could see them. But she knew that there was no point - he would see her red, puffy eyes and figure it out right away.

Temari said something to her brother and left, leaving the two of them alone in the small cramped bathroom.

Before Ino could say anything to him, his arms were around her in an instant.

"We can go home," he said, supporting the back of her head with his hand as she looked up at him.

"It'll look...weird…If we just leave"

"I don't care," he said, softly pressing his forehead against hers, "We can leave if you want… Or we can go upstairs if you need more time."

"What's upstairs?"

"My old room,"

She nodded while fixing her dress. He grabbed her hand and quietly led her out of the bathroom, using a separate door in order to go upstairs.

Memories flooded his mind as he remembered the times he and Kankuro would slide down the steps as children, and how his older brother broke his lip on the last step. He also remembered the slap his father gave his mother right in front of him on the same steps.

Reaching the second floor, Gaara opened the first door towards the right, taking in the room he grew up in. Everything was pretty much the same - a computer desk in one corner, a large closet in the other. A large dresser between two beds.

"You and Kankuro shared a room?" Ino asked as she stood in the middle of his old bedroom.

"Yeah," he replied, looking around as well.

"Which one's your bed?"

He pointed towards the left, and Ino sat on it, slightly bouncing on the mattress.

"Why don't you come sit next to me…"

Her words quickly reminded him of their texts from earlier today, and he quickly locked the door before walking over to her. Ino wasn't sure what would happen next, but part of her didn't care. After all, they were adults.

The bed wasn't large, considering it was made for one person, but that didn't stop them from attempting to lie down next to each other.

"I think I'm going to fall," Ino said with giggle, an idea coming to her mind. She would blame it on the wine later. "Why don't you….get on top of me?"

Gaara's thin eyebrows lifted before he accepted her offer, lying on top of her. Almost eagerly (a bit too eagerly, one might add), she pulled the skirt of her dress upward as she spread her legs wider, allowing him to settle comfortably between them. As he gently moved on top of her, his face settled on the crook of her neck, and Ino let out a small moan as he trailed kisses from her shoulders to the side of her face.

Their judgement and self control became cloudy as his lips met hers in a fiery kiss, causing her to wrap her nearly bare legs around his waist as her arms went around his neck. Despite being clothed, the slight movements he made on top of her had her hands wandering underneath his shirt, shaking as she felt his right hand grab her thigh before slowly making its way upward, touching the side of her panties. Ino's mind quickly went towards wanting to take his clothes off, and her hands followed command as they traveled down towards his jeans, her thin fingers undoing the front button before reaching towards the zipper.

"You mean this room? OK-WHOA!"

Ino screeched and covered her face with her hands as Gaara groaned against her shoulder.

"Kankuro, the room's taken!" Yukata added again, turning her back towards the room while trying to hide her giggle.

"What do you mean the room's taken? Who's in there?"

"Your brother…"

Kankuro stood by the door and groaned. "Seriously, Gaara? We wanted to be in here!"

"Learn how to knock next time," Gaara said with a low growl, quickly buttoning his pants as the blonde underneath him pulled down the skirt to her dress, thanking that at least it was Kankuro and Yukata and not Rasa…

"Learn to keep it in your pants during the next family gathering!"

Gaara rolled his eyes as he finally climbed off Ino, glaring at his older brother before shutting the door in his face. Turning around, he looked at the blonde beauty sitting on his old bed as she used her fingers to fix her hair. His gaze went to her lips again and he cursed Kankuro and his girlfriend for interrupting.

"I thought you had locked the door," Ino said, straightening the top of her dress.

"I did… but I forgot that the lock doesn't work…"

"W-Well… I guess we should go downstairs. I don't want your dad thinking that we're up here...trying to...you know...do stuff… underneath his own roof…"

Gaara sighed disappointedly before grabbing her hand. "You're right. Come on, let's go back downstairs."

Walking hand in hand, they exited the bedroom and navigated towards the living room, both of them passing by an old picture of a smiling Karura. Taking a quick glance at it, Gaara noticed the shiny ring on his mother's finger before looking at Ino's hand, mentally measuring the size of her ring finger.

Too soon…. He thought, but not without a slight smile, But one day for sure…

Author's note: First off, thank you all for leaving me kind reviews on the previous chapters! I love reading them! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! So Sara is Rasa's girlfriend, and Yukata is Kankuro's girlfriend. Yukata IS a character in the Naurto-verse.

Anyway, hope you all liked this chapter. please leave a review!

Thanks~