MAKE SURE YOU READ CHAPTER TEN! (I replaced the note with a chapter.)

Disclaimer: I only own my own characters. Everything else belongs to Kishimoto-San!

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Special thanks to: My readers and reviewers- I love you!

Drifting off in Thoughts of You

Chapter Eleven- Tears

Blood


Ai shot up in bed and looked around the room wildly.

'O-tou-San…'

She crawled out of bed quickly and ran out the door. Ai looked around. Dry blood stains remained on the floor, but the body was gone.

'O-tou-San…' Ai thought again, as she dropped to her knees.

"I couldn't-…I didn't….save him…"

Her small hands clenched into fists as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Nee-Chan…"

Ai looked up and turned around to see Natsumi looking at her blankly.

"Get out…"

Ai's brows furrowed as another tear rolled down her face.

"Imouto-Chan… What-…?"

"Just go! Get out…Now!"

"But- Imouto-Chan…" Ai said shakily as she stood up. Natsumi stepped forward angrily and pushed Ai towards the stairs.

"Go away! We don't want you here! We don't need you here!"

"Imou-!"

"Stop it! Just go!"

Natsumi pushed her again and Ai slipped, and fell down the stairs.

Ai sat up angrily, and stood up after a moment.

"Imouto-Chan!"

Natsumi walked down the stairs and glared at Ai. She brought her hand up and struck Ai across the face.

Water filled Ai's eyes again.

"Imouto…Chan…?"

"Just go…" Natsumi said quietly as she pushed Ai out the door. Natsumi slammed the door shut and locked it.

Ai turned her head away and walked away from the house slowly. She turned once and looked back, hoping that someone would open the door and welcome her back, but no one did. Tears ran down her face heavily as she ran away.

"Natsumi…?"

Natsumi turned to see her mother with red, puffy eyes staring at her. Natsumi's lips quivered. She ran and hugged her mother tightly. Tears began running down her face.

"I- If they find her here… T- They'll kill her t- too…."

Arisu began weeping quietly as they held onto each other.

Ai slammed the door to her room shut and dropped to her knees. She continued crying as she looked out the window.

"O-tou-San…Help me, O-tou-San…"

She wrapped her arms around herself tightly.

'No one… There's no one left... I'm… I'm all alone…'

"I'm… alone…" she said quietly. "All…alone…"

Ai stood up slowly, leaning against the wall. She walked out of the room and into the kitchen.

"Lunch… for Gaara-Kun…Then… Then I'm leaving…"

Ai prepared his lunch slowly and walked out the door when she finished.

Kenji smiled as Ai walked through the door.

"Ah- Why, Hello-!"

Ai walked past him slowly without even glancing at him. She stood in front of Gaara's office doors and inhaled, then exhaled deeply. She turned the doorknob and walked inside, closing the door behind her.

Kenji raised his eyebrow and shook his head.

"How strange…" he muttered.

Gaara sat at his desk and looked up at Ai. He stood up slowly and looked at her with concern. Ai put his lunch on his desk and turned around.

"Ai…"

"I'm… Sorry…"

Their meeting yesterday flooded Gaara's mind.

"I- I should go… um… B- Bye…Kazekage-Sama…"

Gaara's eyes flickered with a hint of confusion.

Ai bit her lip again and walked towards the door.

"Ai…"

Ai stopped walking and shut her eyes.

"Y- Yes, Kazekage-Sama…?"

A moment of silence passed. Ai opened to see Gaara standing in front of her with the doors closed behind him. She stepped back slightly and looked into his eyes. She held back another whimper and looked away from him. She shut her eyes again tightly.

Gaara touched her hand lightly. Ai flinched as her hand shot back. Gaara looked at her with curiosity and a hint of pain.

"I-…have to go…" Ai said quickly as she opened her eyes and looked at the doors behind him. Gaara touched her hand shakily. Ai stepped away from him and whimpered.

Ai turned back around and walked towards Gaara. She raised her hand to his cheek. Before she could touch him, a wall of sand separated them. Her hand flinched.

Gaara sat back with a small hint of fear on his face.

'All…alone…'

Ai whimpered and ran out the door. The sand fell onto his desk. Gaara's eyes widened slightly as he watched Ai run away.

"Ai-!"

But she was gone. Gaara slunk onto his chair.

'What's…wrong with me…?'

Ai sat down and hugged her knees.

'No one…will be able to find me now…'

She looked around, not quite familiar with her surroundings.

Hours passed by slowly. Ai rubbed her arms and stood up. The sky had darkened to a deep, dark shade of blue. She stood up shakily and walked around. No one was outside; all was silent except for the soft whispers of the breeze that swept past her. Her eyes ran over the sand on the ground as she looked for somewhere to sleep during the cold night.

'What am I going to do…?'

Ai…

Ai covered her ears immediately. She bit her bottom lip and held back tears.

'Stopthinking about him… He doesn't love-… He doesn't love me…'

Ai sat back down and closed her eyes as she leaned against a small shop.

Gaara sat with his head in his hands. Ai's voice whispered through his mind.

Gaara-Kun…?

Gaara raised his head slowly and looked around the room.

Gaara-Kun

Ai's blushing face entered his thoughts.

Ai touched him gently and blew softly into his ear.

Gaara-kun…

Gaara hands flinched. Somebody knocked on his office door. The doorknob turned and Temari walked in, looking concerned.

"Gaara, have you seen Ai?"

Gaara stood up.

"No-… Isn't she at home…?"

Temari shook her head.

"She hasn't been home for hours," she said, her concern growing.

Gaara walked past her and went out the door. Kenji grinned.

"Hello, Kazekage-Sam-," he was cut off as Temari ran after him.

Kenji scratched his head again.

"Well…. He seems very happy," he said sarcastically.

Ai looked around once again and wrapped her arms around herself. The night seemed to grow colder. Ai sneezed and sniffled as she stood up.

'Maybe I should just go back to Temari-Chan's house…'

Ai sighed and stepped forward.

'How do I get back to Temari-Chan's house from here…?' She looked around.

"I'm screwed…" she muttered as she sat back down and hugged her knees again.

Gaara and Temari stopped running as they noticed Ai sitting on the ground, hugging her knees.

"Ai?" Temari called out.

Ai turned her head and smiled meekly with red, puffy eyes. Her smile disappeared as she noticed Gaara.

"I… had to… um… pick up dinner- and I got lost…" she said as she stood up.

Temari raised her eyebrow.

"I…see…"

Gaara stood quietly, noticing that Ai was trying to avoid looking at him.

"Shall we go then?" Temari said, smiling. Ai nodded shakily and followed after Temari slowly. She glanced at Gaara's blank face for a moment before turning away. His hand brushed against hers as he took off towards his office. Ai stopped for a moment.

"Ai…?"

Ai smiled again and continued to follow Temari.

'Gaara-Kun…'

'I'm getting too old for this…' A man with blood red hair and electric blue eyes thought as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Come on, old man! We have to get home fast!" his son shouted happily. His blood red hair fell in front of his emerald green eyes. His father looked at him dumbly.

'What a strange child…'

"Why are you in such a rush, Kiyoshi?" The older man asked while rubbing his head. Kiyoshi looked back at his father and raised an eyebrow.

"That's a pretty dumb question," Kiyoshi replied, grinning.

His father nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so- but it doesn't hurt to know why…"

Kiyoshi smiled warmly as he looked at the path he stood on.

"Because…I get to see my Imouto-Chan again… And my Okaa-San…"

His father, Hiroshi, smiled as well as he put his arm around his son's shoulders.

"Well, then… What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Kiyoshi grinned and nodded as they walked forward.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Review please!

Kiyoshi- purity

Hiroshi- Generous