'What am I doing?' thought a very exhausted, sleep-deprived Sakura. She lay there staring off, contemplating what her life had become and what her future looked like. It used to be so clear, but now she couldn't even fathom how she was going to make it through the next day.

She turned her head to look over at Gaara, who had fallen asleep hours ago. It was so strange to her that he could sleep so peacefully after witnessing the excruciating pain his brother had just experienced, but also finding out that he was due to be a father. Of course, these weren't the only things Sakura found to be strange about him; on top of Naruto warning her to stay away, there were so many red flags about Gaara. If anybody had told her that not only would she feel sympathetic towards a man who threatened to stab her, but she'd be sharing a bed with him at the end of that same night, she would've been insulted. The person she was months ago would've run without looking back in that situation. That'd be any normal person's reaction. But she didn't run. Instead, she was so quick to follow him when he broke into her house asking for help.

What changed? Was it the pregnancy hormones? Was it the "savior complex" Sasuke always insisted she had? Was she just going crazy? Perhaps it was her newfound desire to do right by her unborn child. She wanted to give her child the chance to know their father, but a part of her was screaming that this was a horrible idea. This part of her was also telling her that she should leave, now, while everyone was asleep and nobody could convince her to stay.

But, she didn't.

Instead, she rolled over with her back turned to Gaara, closed her eyes, and tried to get some rest.

xxx

"Gaara!" Temari called from the other side of his bedroom door during the early morning hours. She knocked gently and when she received no reply, she strode on in. "Gaara, I know you like to sleep in, but I could really use your- …oh?" Her words were cut short by the sight before her eyes.

At some point during the night, Gaara and Sakura had unconsciously moved closer to each other. Still lying on top of the sheets, the intimacy of their position was completely exposed. Gaara lay on his back with an arm around Sakura, who was now facing him. She had one leg entwined with one of his, an arm over his waist that had made its way beneath his shirt, and her head rested on his shoulder.

"Gaara," Temari whispered. "Gaara, wake up."

Temari's quiet voice caused Sakura to shift slightly, but did not wake her. The sound of his sister's whispers and the feeling of Sakura's fingernails moving against the skin of his lower torso was enough to disrupt the redhead's peaceful slumber. He tried to stretch, but found himself bound by something - or rather, someone. His eyes fluttered open and he immediately identified the culprit. Sakura was pressed so closely against him that he could feel her breath lightly on his neck, long and tranquil.

"Gaara," his sister whispered again. He looked down at the end of the bed to see Temari standing there with her hands on her hips. "Get up."

After realizing the compromising position he was in, Gaara brought a finger to his lips, motioning for Temari to be silent. Slowly and carefully, he wiggled out of Sakura's grasp. She shifted again and muttered something, but remained asleep. He silently crept over to the closet to retrieve a pair of fresh clothes and then tiptoed out of the room. Temari followed him and closed the door behind her.

"Gaara," she said, whispering harshly this time. Gaara turned to look at his sister, confused by how angry she seemed.

"What," he mocked.

"Is that why you've been ghosting Matsuri?" she asked, pointing to the bedroom door. Gaara didn't respond to that. He threw the clean clothes over his shoulder and headed for the bathroom. Temari stomped after him and grabbed him by the shirt. "Don't walk away from me, answer the question."

He swatted her hand away. "No," he finally answered, "but what does it matter to you, any ways?"

"That girl is unhinged, Gaara," Temari said, referring to Matsuri, "if she were to somehow find out you had a different woman sleeping in your bed, who knows what kind of trouble she'd cause for all of us."

"She's all the way in Suna."

"That hasn't stopped her before."

"If she becomes a problem, I'll deal with it,"

"Why did Sakura have to sleep in your bed, anyway?"

"Would you rather she slept in yours?"

"Why couldn't she have slept on the couch," Temari scowled at her brother's sarcasm.

"Our brother just had his leg cut off by a violent gang that sees us as expendable," he said, "it's probably smarter for us to sleep in pairs. And besides… you're the one who asked her to stay." He did have a good point- and Temari hadn't left Kankuro's side the entire night for this very reason.

When she didn't have any retort, he rolled his eyes and started walking away again.

"Gaara," Temari called, more gently this time, "...is there something going on between you and that nurse girl?" Gaara refused to look over at her. "I don't really care. But if there is… you need to break things off with Matsuri. We don't need the extra trouble right now." Gaara turned the handle on the bathroom door, but paused when he heard Temari clear her throat. "And one more thing…" He side-eyed her. "...that baby. Is it yours?"

Once again ignoring her questions, Gaara entered the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Temari sighed and rubbed her forehead. He didn't have to answer her last question; his silence said it all. On top of that, she had completely forgotten about what she needed his help with in the first place.

xxx

The sun was beginning to set by the time Sakura left work. With a heavy fabric bag containing medical supplies that she nabbed from the hospital slung over her shoulder, she decided to take the long trek home on foot to retrieve some clean clothes and her vehicle. The previous night, she rode with Gaara to his house and left her car behind. By the time she arrived, it was dark. She set the bag down on the kitchen table and went to her bedroom. As she rummaged through her dresser and filled a suitcase, she sensed a presence standing in the threshold of the room. She quickly spun around.

"S…Sasuke?"

"Sakura," he said, monotonic.

Surprised, she stared at him with wide eyes. After a few seconds, her brow crinkled and she frowned.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, returning to stuffing the suitcase.

"I was hoping to talk to you," he said.

Sakura moved past him to retrieve her toothbrush from the bathroom. "You couldn't have called?"

"I think the matter requires a bit more formality than a phone call,"

She returned to the bedroom and added the toothbrush to the suitcase. She huffed as she tried to cram it shut. "Couldn't have least knocked?" she asked, "you don't live here anymore." She finally got the suitcase closed and zipped up.

"I'm sorry about that," he apologized, "I'm sorry…about a lot of things."

"Even for cheating on me with Karin?"

"I didn't cheat on you," he said, "and I'm not with Karin. I never was."

Sakura froze. '...What?' "You're lying," she said, "I saw you guys that night at the bar. You didn't look like a couple of friends on a night out."

Sasuke sighed, "Have I ever lied to you?"

No, he hadn't. If anything, he had always been so brutally honest to the point where Sakura learned not to ask any questions she didn't want the answer to. She grabbed the handle of the suitcase and tried to wheel it out of the room, but Sasuke blocked her way.

"Move," she ordered.

"You're pregnant,"

Of course- she had forgotten that Naruto opened his big mouth in front of him while they were on the phone.

"I know it isn't mine," he said.

"And why are you assuming that?"

"Because you would have told me."

He was correct, she would've told him immediately, no matter their relationship status. Her angry features softened for a moment, then quickly returned.

"So, if you already know that, why are you here?"

"Whose is it?"

Sakura's brows raised and her mouth hung open. The audacity had rendered her speechless.

"Sakura, I…" he stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder, "...I just want to help you."

"Help…?" she clenched her fists, "you just want to help me?"

"I'm trying to give you the opportunity to tell me yourself," he said.

"Fuck you," she said quietly, choking on a sob.

"Wha-"

Sakura slapped his hand away and pushed past him. She grabbed her car keys and the bag of medical supplies off the table.

"Fuck you, Sasuke," she said again, fuming. "You think you can just come into my house uninvited, apologize, and ask me about my personal life like you didn't opt out months ago?"

"Sakura, I-"

"Shove your 'sorrys' up your ass," she spat, "I don't want your help. Don't come here again."

Then, he said something that stopped her in her tracks: "I still love you."

Sakura stood there with her back still facing him; she couldn't allow herself to look back. As she closed her eyes, tears that had built up immediately following his words spilled down her face.

'Then why did you leave…'

"Lock the door on your way out," she said with a hitched breath. And with that, she slammed the door behind her.

xxx

Sakura sat outside the Sabaku house for about 15 minutes, desperately trying to compose herself. She had finally stopped hyperventilating and caught her breath. She had so many questions about the bizarre interaction. What just happened? He wasn't seeing Karin? What did he mean he just wanted to 'help' her? Why did it seem like he was trying to coax her into telling him who the baby's father was? Why did he care about that? Why, after she thought she was finally healing from the heartbreak, did the mere sight of his face send her spiraling? Most importantly, what the fuck?

Checking her appearance in the rearview mirror, she wiped her tears away and fixed her hair the best she could. When she felt she looked presentable enough, she took a deep breath and exited the car.

"Hello?" Temari's voice called from another room when she heard the front door open.

"It's me," Sakura called back. She removed her shoes at the door and met Temari in the kitchen. She was on her hands and knees, cleaning the blood that had been here since the day before. A red bucket of hot, soapy water and two different piles of wash clothes were at either side of her: one pile unused, the other soaked in blood.

"Oh, hey Sakura," she greeted her, "are you alright?"

Sakura rubbed her face and forced a smile. It was extremely obvious that she had been crying.

"Oh yeah," she faked a chuckle, "just… allergies. And a very long day." She set the bag of medical supplies down on the kitchen table. "How is Kankuro doing?"

"The best he can, I suppose," she said, "I changed his bandages earlier. There hasn't been any excessive bleeding and the would doesn't look infected or too irritated, but you might want to take a look. I'm sure you'll know better than me. He also hasn't had a fever at all. He was awake for most of the day and talking, but he's still in a lot of pain, so he hasn't said too much. Gaara stopped by about an hour ago and left that." Temari pointed to a tiny bottle of clear liquid on the other side of the table.

Sakura picked it up to examine it. Liquid morphine, from the Akatsuki, she presumed. "Have you guys given him any of this yet?"

"No, we were waiting for your instructions. Just let us know how much and when we need to give it to him, so he can still get it when you're not here."

"Not a problem," said Sakura, investigating the bottle. "Good thing you guys were able to get this. They're so strict about pain medication in hospitals, there's basically no way to get away with taking it. I was worried Kankuro might have to suffer through this for a while."

"Yeah…" Temari sighed, "it's quite expensive, though, so I hope it can last long enough."

"I'll help pay for it," said Sakura, "since I was unable to get my hands on some myself." Suddenly, a loud groan of discomfort came from Kankuro's room. "Sounds like he's up. I'll go take care of him. I got one of the doctors to write me a script for antibiotics just in case- and, I managed to sneak out some saline bags today, so that will help keep him hydrated." She dug around in the bag for a few medical supplies and went off to Kankuro's room.

After a short while, Sakura returned to the kitchen. She dumped out the bucket of water Temari was using and refreshed it, strapped on a pair of latex gloves, and met Temari on the floor to help her clean.

"The pain medication is making a huge difference," she said, "and everything looks… great, given the circumstances."

"Thank you for all your help," Temari said, "really, you've been a godsend."

Sakura gave her a smile and continued scrubbing the floor.

"So, um… where's Gaara now?" Sakura asked.

"He didn't say, but since he dropped that morphine off, I'm assuming he's out making money right now."

"Hm…" she hummed in response, "can I… ask you something about him?"

"Sure,"

"Has he always been…" Sakura trailed off, thinking of the correct word to use.

"A sociopath?" Temari answered for her in a sarcastic tone.

"Uh, no! No,"

"Unusual? A weirdo?"

"Well, I suppose 'unusual' is a good word…" Sakura said.

Temari tossed the now blood soaked wash cloth she was using into the pile with the rest. She sat back against one of the cupboards and took a deep breath in through her nose.

"Yes and no," she said. "He's a complicated person to describe. He's always been a little… distant, even when he was a kid. Like he'd rather observe the world around him instead of participate in it, if that makes sense. Once our dad died, it changed something in him. It changed all of us, of course, but for him, it was… it was just different. There are moments where I know he's my little brother, then sometimes, he's a complete stranger. I don't know, I just… worry about him sometimes."

"I see…" Sakura replied solemnly.

"He's never really had any friends or anyone besides Kankuro and I," Temari continued, "I think he prefers it that way. Which leads me to a question I have for you… how long have you two known each other?"

"Oh, um… not long. Nearly two months, maybe…"

"Really… that's it?" Temari asked, slightly suspicious.

"Y-yeah," Sakura hesitantly replied, "I mean, we don't know each other too well yet."

"Hmm," Temari narrowed her eyes, "it's just very out of character for him to bring someone he barely knows around. In fact, he's never done that. But the other day, he didn't even hesitate to bring you here to help Kankuro. You respected that taking him to the hospital wasn't an option and you didn't ask why… And, you know things about us that Gaara would never tell anybody… Especially not someone who he's only just met. So, if I may ask, how do you know these things?"

Sakura was visibly nervous. She didn't know if she should admit the truth and tell her that one of her close friends worked for the DEA, or if she should lie and say Gaara told her. But, it was clear that Temari knew her brother well enough- she'd surely pick up on that lie and already knew that couldn't be an option. She didn't know how Temari would react or what she was capable of yet, so telling the truth didn't seem like the best idea. Just as Sakura opened her mouth to speak, still not even sure of what she was going to say, Kankuro interrupted them from his bedroom.

"Heeey!" he shouted, "can one of you help me to the bathroom? I gotta pee!"

"I'll go help him," Sakura quickly offered and stood up. As she was walking away, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at Temari. "I know that I'm a stranger… but I'm happy to assist your family. And I promise, I will never speak about any of this."

Temari nodded. Sakura hoped that what she said would be enough to keep her from pursuing the truth, at least for tonight.

xxx

It was nearly midnight. Sakura was alone in Gaara's room, sitting up against the headboard of the bed, anxiously picking away at her fingernails. Her cheeks were red and raw from constantly wiping her tears away. Fresh ones continued to roll down, stinging the path that the others had taken.

I still love you.

She longed for a short-term solution to silence Sasuke's words. What she'd give to be able to drown them out with alcohol right now, but that wasn't an option. At the very least, she wished, for even a single minute, she could feel numb. Nothing.

The sound of the bedroom door clicking as it opened tore her from her pity party. She quickly wiped her tears away once more and sniffled. Though her presence in his bedroom was realized, Gaara didn't look her direction. He moved over to the closet with a large, black duffle bag over his shoulder and knelt down. Sakura could hear beeping from what she assumed was a safe.

Sakura watched him curiously as he unlocked the safe and began fumbling around with stuff inside of it, making room for the bag. Almost nonautonomously, she rose from the bed and approached him. Gaara shoved the duffle bag into the safe, closed it, and stood back up. He turned to look at her with an unreadable, pensive stare.

'Interesting…' she thought, just now noticing that her mind swiftly swapped its focus from Sasuke to the mysterious man before her. He watched her as she traced his facial features with her eyes, and she wondered if he knew that's what she was doing. 'Will my child look more like him, or me? Both of us?'

Her gaze settled upon his lips and she brought a hand to his chest, sliding her fingers over the fabric of his shirt. There was a strong silence between them as Sakura recalled the night they had met. She had tried to push it out of her mind from the moment it ended, but this time, she allowed the memory to cloud all of her other thoughts. Since discovering she was pregnant, she blamed all the alcohol she consumed that night for encouraging her to act precariously. But if the alcohol was truly at fault, why was she now recalling his touch so fondly? The way he looked at her that night- almost feral. It was intense, intoxicating- enough to make her forget about everything else. A grungy public restroom was not the most romantic place to hook up with somebody, but in that moment, Sakura felt as if the rest of the world paused so that she may enjoy herself. Her eyes rose to meet his, noting that his expression had grown more enticing.

She smiled lightly and tilted her head back. Gaara saw the invitation and didn't waste a moment to close the gap between them, pressing his lips to hers. She felt one of his hands on the small of her back and another making its way up to get tangled in her hair. He pulled her as close as she could possibly get and she threw her arms around his neck. After a few seconds, she broke the kiss to analyze his expression. Accompanied by flushed skin, there it was. That feral look in his eyes. Though not a single word had been exchanged, their eyes did all the speaking for them. Sakura leaned back into the kiss. Gaara gently pushed her, guiding her backwards toward the bed. When they reached it, he lifted her up and fell forward, lips still locked together in heated reciprocity.

Without love guiding these actions, there was a part of this that made her feel guilty, but she refused to stop it. Even if he was quickly becoming a vice for her, it seemed apparent that the feeling was mutual.

Meanwhile, outside the Sabaku home, a black SUV sat on the opposite side of the street with a perfect view into the window of Gaara's bedroom. Sasuke Uchiha swapped through the many photos of the two that he had just captured with his camera. He reached into his pocket for his cellphone and dialed Naruto's number.

"...Yeah…?" a tired voice said on the other end after a few rings. He had clearly been woken up by the call.

"It seems your hunch was correct," Sasuke said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto asked, groggy.

"I just spotted Sakura with our suspect," he explained, "like you suggested, there's definitely something going on between them."