Note: I'm tired and here is chapter twenty-two!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor do I own the Naruto story line.

Chapter Twenty-Two:

Falling Further, Faster and Faster

We had been traveling for several hours before we, Gaara and I, decided to make camp, which we rarely did.

He knew though, that unlike him, my body required and often demanded rest. He never became impatient with me or ever angry with the fact that I needed my rest, in fact he was the one who pushed me to sleep.

I had finished marking several trees, like I did every few miles to let Naruto know that we had passed this way, when Gaara exited the forest caring several dried branches in his arm. There was a strong gust that passed through the trees bring with it the smell of rain along with the scent of wet bark and leaves. I sent a worried look Gaara's way to see that he had dropped the soon to be useless branches and stated simply that he was going to find us some shelter.

Walking over to the branches he had found, I gathered them in my arms, knowing that if a storm was coming then we would need some form of heat. I glanced back at the way we had came with what I knew to be worried eyes, I wanted Naruto to find us soon so that I knew he was safe. But he wouldn't come until the night after the one that I'm telling you about now.

Thats when the down pour started.

The rain was cold and heavy against my skin as I ran through the woods trying my best to find a cave or Gaara or both but when I didn't find either I went back to where I had marked the trees to find someone I hadn't suspected to find.

He stood there in the middle of the marked trees, staring at the last one I had marked with my kunai.

I dropped the wet branches in my arms, as I said his name, "Sasuke."

He turned around his crimson eyes met my own emerald ones- he didn't even seem surprised to see me.

"Sakura," my name on his lips might have had sounded sweet to me at one point, but now it no longer did.

There was another person that my name on his lips was dissired even more than him saying it. There was another person that I wanted to be touched, to be caressed by other than my former teammate. There was another person that I wanted to embrace so tight that our heart beats became one instead of two. There was another person that I wanted, and that from the way he acted towards me, wanted me back in return.

"What are you doing here?" I mumbled as he walked toward me.

For every step he took forward I took one back until finally his body was pressing my body against a tree. I didn't like the way he was pressed against me, I didn't even like him being so close to me. I wanted Gaara to come back so badly that I was practically screaming his name in my mind. The down pour was so heavy that not only was my hair matted against my skin but so was his.

"I was," he said coldly as he leaned closer down to my face so that our noses were inches apart from each other, "Looking for Itachi I hadn't suspected you to be here, so where is Naruto?"

I looked out of the corner of my eye hoping to see Gaara, but it was no use he wasn't there.

"I can't hear you," he grabbed my throat and squeezed it some so that I couldn't breathe- I'll be honest with you I was scared.

I was scared that he would kill me, I was scared he would kill Gaara, I was scared that he would kill Naruto when he found him, but mostly I was scared because I knew from the look in his eyes that we were never going to bring him home.

He was a lost cause.

He released my throat and contuined on, "I heard that he father a child with that freak of a girl Hinata."

"Shes not a freak," I growled trying my best to sound frieghtening.

"Come on Sakura," he cooed, "Its just you and me right now theres no reason to be hostile."

I said nothing, my emotions swirling inside my mind.

"I also heard that a girl fitting your discribtion, a boy fitting Naruto's, and another boy fitting that sand villages monster-"

I cut him off, I didn't want him to call Gaara that word, "Hes not a monster!"

"Ah," he mumbled as he came very close to my face, "I see so its true about what I heard, you and that kid, Gaara right, did destroy that village further west, well theres some news. So tell me friend are you two an item?"

"An item?" I blinked trying to make some of the water drops that landed in my eye leave, "Why do you care?"

He moved away from me with a wicked grin, "I don't."

Just as he was about to say something a loud crackle of thunder exploded from the sky forcing both of us shield our ears, by the time I had open my eyes Sasuke had gone and no sooner had I glanced around had Gaara came out of the brush. He looked at me, seeing that I was shivering and wet he said, "I sensed some chakra that wasn't yours coming from here, are you okay?"

I smiled at him as I walk toward him, "Yeah I'm fine."

"What was the chakra?"

"It was nothing," he looked at me before nodding his head.

I knew he didn't believe me but it was worth a shot.

I don't know whether or not I should have told him the truth, but something inside me told me that if I were to tell him who it was realy he'd go after Sasuke and would most likely die considering that his sand had been turned to mud by the water and would need to dry out before he could use it again.

"I found us a cave," he stated plainly.

I nodded my head and followed him through the woods until we arrived at the entrance of a rather warm cave, when we entered it I noticed that the floor of the cave was covered in moss instead of stone. There was no need for a fire, the cave was naturally warm and wasn't at all leaky like most caves were. I placed my back pack against the wall of the cave while removing my shoes, shine guards, and head band from my body.

Gaara took off his goard placing it to the side, and removed his trench coat. He sat against the wall and closed his eyes as if he were alseep, but I knew he wasn't. He couldn't sleep it was against his demon's nature.

I walked over to where he was and sat down next to him and closed my own eyes.

"What?" he asked me.

"Nothing," I stated with a small smile.

I opened one eye to see that he was watching me.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he replied.

I giggled.

He smiled.

Then it happened.

He leaned over and kissed me full force on the lips.