Chapter 7: How to Heal

A/N: Hey guys thanks for the reviews okay. So much for the preliminaries and now off to the main event now here comes the next chappie of Desert Rose. Please R n R. Oh yeah, just a pop-up question, after reading this chappie could you guess who healed who? ; )

After the conversation with Kagura a lot of questions plagued their minds, they wanted so much to digest the information given by the leader because there were still unanswered questions and questions that would branch from a main question however their bodies were already demanding rest. Summoning her grandson who happened to be the leader of the five named Kouga, she ordered him to lead the pair into their room. So he did.

Much to Sakura's surprise, there was only one large room filled with about fifteen beds that was orderly placed so much like in the hospitals. So she pleasantly inquired if there were other rooms more private. "I'm sorry. We, Xenoliths are not accustomed to having guests this was the only room we could offer. This used to be a clinic but since most of us are as strong as oxen, we don't have further use of this room. The bathroom and shower are in the far right Dinner will be delivered in a few minutes so then I'll be leaving you now, good evening. "Wait…" she called for as they heard a resounding click of the lock.

"We'll just have to accept this for now since we have no other option left. Don't flatter yourself if you think I'm going to try anything stupid with you I'll stay here." Gaara said as he walked in the far end of the room towards the last bed in the right corner and rested. Okay, I'm too tired to have an argument so I'm letting it slip this time. "Fine then, but I'm taking a shower first." She took out her hygienic needs and went straight to the shower.

Leaving the comforts of the shower, Sakura checked on Gaara as she started to arrange her stuff it seems as though he was asleep. Well, actually she can't really tell since he was on the other side of the room and was seven beds away from her without using her eagle's eye (An ability developed by a ninja to see things further than the naked eye).

There was a knock on the door. Sakura being the closest to the door opened it and received their dinner for them. "Oi Gaara, dinner's here come and get your share." She called but no reply came. So now I'm your god-damned maid. If you're not going to get your share I'm going to eat it all up. She started to eat and finished it up pretty fast then staring at Gaara's dinner she thought. He must be hungry… but why is he not answering? Is he really asleep? So she got his share and started walking to Gaara's bed. He lay there like a child fast asleep. "Oi Gaara, dinner's here." She whispered as not to wake him up badly. Then she tried again and again raising her voice to a timber that would certainly wake him but he did not. Maybe I should just leave it here. He really looks tired. "Alright, for once I'm going to give up on you. I'll leave your dinner here in case you wake up." Talking to the sleeping figure in front of her, she felt incredibly stupid. As she babbled about dinner, she expected that he would wake up from her nagging but he did not move an inch. Sakura was magnetized by the serene expression on Gaara's face as he slept unconsciously she moved closer and closer until she felt Gaara's warm breath on her cheeks. She looked at him curiously. "You know, you're pretty handsome. It's such a shame you're such a stubborn asshole." She murmured as she brushed some short strand of his red hair from his forehead then she walked away.

As soon as he heard she was at a good distance from him, he can't help but smirk. Was it a smirk or a smile?

This night was different from the others before for Sakura had a different dream.

She saw ethereal beauty and heard enchanting melody in a mere maiden. In this dream, she was like an invisible entity that could hear but not speak. Left with little choice, Sakura followed the maiden into a dark chambers illuminated by a dim chandeliers. "Princess Reika, Ken said that he will be arriving a little late because of some urgent errands." The servant stated as he took her coat and guided her to her room.

Reika? Is this the person? No, it can't be. Why the hell am I here? Sakura wondered as she tailed the princess to her huge room.

Reika entered her room and sat in her front of her huge mirror. She started humming as she combed her hair. She seemed very happy. Oh, I get the picture. Reika is in love with this Ken guy.

Waiting for nearly five hours, the princess sat in a long dinner table alone. Feeling no touch of appetite, Reika walked towards the balcony of the castle. The moonlight made the dark sea sparkle and the shore reflected its rays as if it were real silver dust. The sound of the waves crashing through the jagged rocks below dominated the stiff silence. Then she leaned forward, Sakura did too as to see what she was trying to see. Reika saw it, a figure of a person he knew and loved. He was at the beach. Too excited, she rushed downstairs and to the beach to welcome her lover.

The clouds blocked the silver orb allowing a period of darkness to pass. Reika was running to the place where she saw his figure, Sakura followed soon after. Seeing his outline in the dark, she halted. His back was at her, the clouds now gave way for the moon. Then she saw it, a pair of hands were encircled his neck as he leaned forward to kiss another woman.

Too stunned to even speak, her world was shattered before her very eyes. Ken felt her presence and looked back and said "I'm sorry Reika." She did not allow him to continue any further she took a good look at her woman and then dashed towards the castle but Sakura remained at the beach staring at the woman who had stolen Ken away from Reika. Why does she look so familiar? Where have I seen her before? "Are you sure this is alright?" the woman asked. "Kagura, Kagura! So she's… Reika has to understand that I treat her only as a sister." Sakura's trail of thoughts was cut short somehow she felt a piece of Reika's rejection from loving the wrong person in the most perfect way possible.

Sakura left the two in the beach and ran after Reika who was now in her room crying her eyes out. The events that followed soon after was just as how Kagura told them. Sakura cannot take the carnage that she was seeing so she tried to look away but everywhere she looked there was blood. She tried to cover her ears from all the horrid screaming and pleads of the victims to spare their life but it had no effect. Feeling helpless, she did the last things she would ever thought of doing. She cried and asked for help from the last person in her mind. "Help me…Gaara." As tears welled up in her eyes and were drained by her pillow.

Gaara was on his way to the shower when he decided to take a look again at Sakura's sleeping face. Taking a sit at the stool near Sakura's sleeping form; he looked at her with growing interest. Then he started to become concerned, as he saw the expression of her face was different from before. And even more so when he saw that she was distressed. "Help me…Gaara," she uttered. There was no need for further invitations. He tried to wake her up but it had no effect so he took her shoulders and shook her roughly. That action worked well, as he saw that she was already fluttering her eyelids moistened by tears. He laid her back down and stared into her still closed but now opening eyes.

At first she saw blurry visions, after a while her sight cleared on the figure that hovered above her. It has black shirt, pale skin and… red hair. With that Sakura's eyes opened letting a few drops of tears flow, "Gaara." Still staring at her emerald green eyes, "You called so I am here." There was a strange force that pushed them to close the distance between them. Gaara's stare traveled down to her luscious lips while Sakura did the same. Time stood still as their eyelids slowly closed. There was a strange sensation in her stomach as her vision blurred. It intensified as she felt Gaara's lips brushed hers.

It ended all too soon. A knock on the door woke them up from their fantasies and let them jumped almost a meter away from each other. The door opened "Kagura wants to see you after you had your breakfast." The person announced as he was wondering why the only two occupants of the room were bright red. "Err, sorry for the disturbance. Here's your breakfast." As he laid down their trays in the nearest table and left, he was the one who broke the increasing silence. "Eat up, it looks like you're coming down with something." He shortly said as he stood and took their trays and laid hers near her table. Sakura was tongue-tied. For the very first time, she ran out of things to say. What just happened?

As they walked to Kagura's office which was at the other end of the village, the two were incredibly silent still thinking of the events moments ago. As they continued, two children were crying because of the wound in their knees, Sakura approached them "What's the matter, little guy?" as she sat down to look at their knees. The children were hesitant at first to speak but when they saw the gentle expression on Sakura's face they related "We were having a race but we both fell and had a boo-boo on the knees," as the teary toddler showed his knees. Without thinking, Sakura placed her hands over his knees and started to heal it. Okay, since when did I have my chakra back? "Whoah, sister you're really good!" the toddler amazed as he examined his now woundless knee. The little girl that was also wounded tugged Gaara's shirt to claim his attention. "Heal me too," she said as she was threatening to cry if he refused. Gaara can't answer the kid with his usual rude manner since he knows she would cry. Then he looked at Sakura for "back-up", Sakura smiled as he approached them. "I don't want her! I want you to heal me!" the girl demanded. "Alright, he will." Sakura said calmly. Gaara on the other hand looked bewildered by her answer. How in the world am I going to heal her? I don't even have my chakra back? And I don't know a thing about healing god damn it! Sakura placed her hand over Gaara's. Her palm resting on the back of his hand and their fingers intertwined. This action cause Gaara's thoughts to shut up temporarily and only focus on the feel of her soft warm skin on his. "Just let your chakra gently flow," she whispered. He did even though he knew nothing was going to happen since he didn't possess his chakra. Then he felt the familiar sensation, his chakra was back and was now gently coming out through his palms and were converted by Sakura. The wound closed up quickly. "That felt good," the girl said as she started to hop around them both. "My name's Mai." "And my name's Kira." The toddlers said as they hopped together around them. "Mai and Kira, my name's Sakura." "And you are?" the kids inquired. Too stunned by what happened, he didn't hear them. "Call him whatever you would like." Sakura teased. "Alright, we'll call him…Panda!" The energetic girl proclaimed.

"Bye, Sakura-neechan and Panda-niisan! Thank you!" the children said as they walked away. "Since when did you know that you had your chakra back?" Gaara questioned as Sakura was still waving goodbye to the pair. "I didn't, I realized that I still don't have my chakra when I was healing Kira." She said innocently. "You got back yours too am I right? If you didn't then who healed Mai?" she continued. "You did! I could never heal anyone!" he raised his voice. "I knew you felt it. Your chakra healed Mai I just combined my chakra with yours so it can heal." "Everyone can be a healer, even you." She smiled. Gaara was enchanted by her warm smile. It her smile and hers only that did this to him, he was feeling his blood was starting to rise to his face so he blurted out a question "Who's Panda anyway?" Oh yeah, a stupid escape question. For sure she wouldn't even notice. He regretted. "Silly, that's you." She giggled. I don't understand what happened or why I kissed him. But it's good that some things changed and some things didn't.

A/N: Alright guys, what do you think of this chappie. Well, I tried to make it longer but I still had doubts on whether I'll put them on separate chapters but the concept is still the same. I would really like to hear your opinions. Please R n R.