Chapter 2

Helen turned and unlocked the door to the little apartment. As she closed the door back, she replaced the jenjutsu trap on it. Once that was done she turned and took a deep breath through her nose, about to tell Gaara to make himself at home, but a disturbingly familiar scent hit her nose and tears sprung to her eyes.

"not again." She whimpered in panic as she lept over the couch and across the room to the door that led to the bedroom with Gaara on her heels.

Helen kicked the door open and flew in a brown blur toward a person standing at the side of the bed, kunai in hand. She lunged, arms out, as the sharp blade came down. There was a slicing sound followed by a grunt as Helen collided with the figure. Gaara could hear sniffling and reached for the light switch near the doorway where he stood. The dim lighting gave him a sight that pulled his heart so tight he could barely breathe.

There, standing by the bed was Helen clutching at someone who had their back to her. The slumped head of said person was topped with messy blond spiky hair. One of the things that caught Gaara's attention was the sniffling sound from both people before him, next was the smell of blood that seemed to be coming from their direction. But what he heard, above all else, scared him to his core. It was faint but he knew heard it, the tall blond sure did.

"No Naruto, please."

Gaara felt his feet moving but his fear kept him from consciously doing it. He walked around the two and saw Helen's right hand laying on the blonds chest, her arm wrapping around under his. The shaggy bangs couldn't hide the face of all it's trademarks and Gaara's heart screamed out in pain as he took in those all too familiar whisker marks and half lidded eyes, those once beautiful bright blue eyes were now dulled almost to midnight in a veil of pain and sorrow.

As he looked at those eyes, they stared off to the side and became glossy as tears overflowed them. Gaara looked down and saw where Helen's other hand was and gasped. Her other arm was stretched to intertwine hers and Naruto's fingers while the back of her hand rested in his palm. Both of their hands were stained red and Gaara followed the ribbon-like trail to the source, a deep gash running diagonally across her small wrist. The teal eyed ninja could see the muscles that lay underneath and a streak of white which must have been bone.

The kunai that was ment for Naruto's own arm, she took and endured it only with only her slight sniffling as evidence of her pain.

"N-N-Naruto?" Gaara stuttered, his body once again moving without his mind as he gently took the weapon from the blonde's hand and caressing the tear streaked, whisker marked face of his lover with the other. Naruto lifted his head and eyes and looked right into the teal pools that he always got lost in.

"Gaara?" Naruto whispered, his hand mimicking Gaara's and caressed the red head's face while with his other hand, he tightened his fingers around Helen's smaller ones. "Helen?" at the sound of her name, her she tightened her grip of her fox's hand, causing more blood to flow and drip onto the floor. "I thought you left me too." Naruto said, his voice cracking as his fear bled through. "I thought you finally hated me just like other people." he closed his eyes as more tears flowed.

"never Naruto. I'd never leave or hate you, I lo…care about you far too much." was the wolf's muffled reply from his back.

Suddenly, Naruto wrapped his arms around Gaara's neck and turned to bring Helen to his chest and released her hand to wrap it around her waist. Even though his heart was aching now, he knew he would heal with his two most precious people with him. All three shed tears together as Gaara and Helen Comforted Naruto, he did the same for them and their frayed nerves. Helen held on tightly to Naruto's back and she snaked her arm around and encircled Gaara's as well.

The racoon didn't know what to do, in his maind he was confused at all the emotions in his precious ones' auras but he simply let himself be swept into them after the hug started. His heart took over and, with one arm wrapped around Naruto's neck and the other around Helen's shoulder's, he embraced them both as they were a part of him and as his tears fell, deep inside he was happy he could express himself with them, his most precious people.