Disclaimer: I don't own Gaara or any other characters… but one can dream T.T

A/N: Some of the words get mushed together when I do editing. o.O It's really annoying.

Chapter Five: Night

She sat at the table, across from a man. There was just one problem ...

The man had no face.

"Who are you?" Shai asked, voice calm and even.

"You know who I am."

Shai's brows knit together in attempt to remember what was so familiar about those clothes.. That sash... and the gourd that hung at his back before she shook her head.

"Yes you do." Gaara's features seemed to melt onto the face of the faceless man.

Shai jumped up and backed away from Gaara afore sand shot up and grabbed her to pull her within arms reach of Gaara.

"Why are you afraid? Why do you try to distance yourself from me? Why!" The sand that held her dissapated and was replaced by Gaara's hands. They shook her like a ragdoll and he demanded answers to his questions.

Shai sat up and almost hit her head on the bottom of her bed.She had somehow rolled underneath it during her nightmare.

"Wha--? Oh man, how did I get here?" Shai rolled over and began to crawl out from underneath her bed, but stopped when she saw a pair of feet standing at the door.

The feet didn't attempt tomove, butnor did Shai. She barely dared tobreath.

Gaara knelt down and looked at Shai, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

Shai blushed, crawling out from under her bed, as Gaarastraightened and crossed his arms.

Shai stood with her hands clasped modestly in front of her, seemingly studying the floorboards.

Gaara sighed and gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder, using his thumb as leverage to prod herchin so he could see her face.

"You were afraid, yet you stood up to me ... Why?" Gaara asked, his dark-ringed eyes narrowing expectantly at Shai.

Shaiaverted her gazeandshuffled away from Gaara, blushing the deepest scarlet.

"I ... Don't know ..."

Nodded and let his hand fall back to his side. He stared at her for another moment before turningand leaving Shai's bedroom.

Gaara entered his room and immediatly sat onthe bed. He put his head in his hands and massaged his temples.

'Why is everything going so wrong ...? I didn't mean to lose my temper at Temari today, and she had to witness that too ...'

He looked up when he heard footsteps from down the hall. Again he buried his head in his hands when he realized it was Shai. He cursed under his breath when he heard the footsteps slownear his room, and he remembered he hadn't closed his door. He swore silently inside his head again.

"G-Gaara-san?" Shai stood at his door way, half hidden behind the wall.

"What do you want." Gaara dropped his hands and glared at Shai.

Flinching, shewithdrew behind the wall. Taking a deep breath to calm herself again,she peeked back into Gaara's room.

"I… I'm sorry," Shai swallowed a large lump of fearin her throat.

"What for? It's all my fault, remember !" Gaara stood up andsauntered towards Shai, whowas nowtrembling like a leaf in the autumn breeze.

Shai froze up, unable to move away from or towards Gaara as he grabbed the front of her nightshirt and pulled her inside his room. Her hands instictively wrapped around Gaara's and her eyes welled up again.

"Answer me!" He pushed her roughly against the wall andGaara could feel the Tanuki laugh at him. He had forgotten about him.

Gaara let her go andgrabbed his head, takinga fewsteps away from Shai.

"What do you want!" hissed Gaara to the Tanuki.

"I want you to kill her!" Answered Gaara to himself in a low voice. It sounded almost ... Inhuman.

"No! Not her! Not Shai!" Gaara shouted to the room, dropping to his knees as he battled the Tanuki for consiousness.

Shaiwanted to crawlbackwards into the wall as shewatched Gaara shout to himself. She watched in fear and awe, not daring to move an inch.

"Just kill the bitch! Who cares about her!"

"I care! Just shut up and go away!" Gaara roared.


;Gaara walks into the room with a knife.;

"Sorry! Please don't kill me! AAAH!"

;Gaara runs at the author and stabs her repeatedly.;