Disclaimer
Don't own anything. See chapter one for more info.

Note
Just for the record, I'll put up the exact ages for the characters so you guys can have a better mental portrait of them. I know it doesn't really follow the canon plot, since Gaara isn't Kazekage in this story... bear with me, this is why it's called fanfiction...
Gaara: 18
Kankuro: 20
Temari: 21
Kenoyo: 17

Chapter two: The Meeting

Kenoyo woke up with another terrible headache as the sun filtered itself through a small window to her right. Since the sun shone quite hard, the injured girl figured it must be close to noon. Had she really slept that long?

Sighing, she propped herself up on her elbows only to groan and to fall back on the bed as her heavy muscles punished her for moving so fast after so much suffering the day before. She brought a hand up to her face and touched her burning forehead, evaluating the damage she had done to herself. Beside a horrible fever, her muscles feeling like lead, and being incredibly thirsty, she had came out of the storm without a scratch.

Well physical scratch, to say the least. In fact, she had absolutely no intention to leave the safety of the house for a few days. Kenoyo felt worry enter her stomach at the mere thought of going back in the desert, but she'd make sure this time to bring more than one serving of water.

Just as her head was hitting the pillow, the door opened quietly and Temari poked her head through the small gap. A satisfied grin spread itself on her features as she slipped in the room, followed by the oldest Sabaku male.

"Good morning!" she said, going to sit on the edge of the bed as Kankuro followed, silent as a tomb. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Kenoyo smiled weakly, wondering where the third sibling of the family was as Gaara's name slipped through her mind again. It tug at her brain teasingly, as if a distant memory was taunting her, slipping out of her mind and just out of her grasp.

"I'm okay, though my whole body feels like it's been put under cement for a few weeks," Kenoyo admitted, leaning her head back to try to ease the pain.

Her statement didn't faze the other girl as she smirked and kept on talking, "Well take all the time you need, you're welcome here! In fact, I think we might all enjoy a new person—" she stopped, her voice faltering as a distant door slammed shut.

Kankuro's eyes snapped up and his face paled slightly as he uttered, "He's home…" Temari's gaze also went to the door.

An uneasy feeling slipped into Kenoyo's stomach as footsteps seemed to drag their way towards the room. The brother and sister were silent, their jovial morning expressions fading to slight concern even if they both tried to cover it up.

After a few seconds, a figure emerged in the room, and when Kenoyo locked eyes with the stranger, she blinked in surprise at the sight of Sabaku no Gaara. He was pretty much everything she had thought he wouldn't be. She had expected him to be more like his older siblings; tough and big like Kankuro, confident and proud like Temari. Instead, what her eyes met was this slightly thin, pale boy about her age with shocking ocean green eyes thickly outlined in black. His cold glare went straight to her and Kenoyo felt as if he was seeing her right down to her soul. She hated this feeling and her eyes turned away from his in an uncomfortable manner.

"Who is she?" were the first words he spoke.

His eyes were on Kankuro, but his older brother took a step back and stared at Temari. Since the older sister was looking around the room and was fingering the fan strapped to her back, Kenoyo picked up her courage and said, "My name is Kimura Kenoyo. I figure you are those two's youngest brother?"

Gaara only stared at her with mistrust gleaming in his eyes, not answering. Temari seemed to get back her senses as she stood up straighter and quickly introduced Gaara to her. So far, he didn't seem that mad. Maybe he wouldn't say anything about their guest. But the blonde girl was wrong.

"So she's just traveling? She isn't staying?" he inquired coldly, clearly not wanting her in his house.

Kankuro then jumped in as he noticed the two girls looking at each other uncomfortably. "Kenoyo's injured. She's going to stay with us for a while until she gets better. Don't worry, she won't bother you!" With those words, he shot a warning glare at Kenoyo and she gave a meek nod in response.

Silence followed that explanation and the two older siblings shifted their gazes around the room. Just to crack the awkward silence, the younger girl asked, "What about your parents? Shouldn't you ask them if I can stay?"

Then the silence became even worse as the Suna trio eyed each other, unsure of who would answer. Finally Kankuro spoke up and said simply, "They're both dead. Our mother died at Gaara's birth and our father also passed away a few years ago..."

Just as he mentioned it, a sadistic smile formed itself on Gaara's lips and a nasty glean lit up his eyes, making the guest's blood freeze in her veins. Something told her that Gaara either hated his father very badly or he was the one who had caused this "mysterious" death. A shiver racked her body, but thankfully no one noticed it.

Temari then jumped up and excused herself, claiming that she had to prepare lunch. Kankuro followed her out of the room, stuttering that he needed to make sure she wouldn't poison them all this time. The pair left the two younger people in the room together while chatting about what to make for lunch.

Kenoyo was now alone with Gaara. He didn't leave, he only stared at her almost curiously, unsure of what he should think about the girl lying down in front of him. Then he shook his head and took a few steps towards the bed, still staring right in her eyes.

Just to break the silence that pressured her mind into an urge to scream, Kenoyo suddenly stammered out, "I-I think I heard someone talk about you before! I come from the Leaf Village, so is it possible?" She winced slightly at her stupid comment and question, then sunk lower in her pillow as she wished to disappear.

But strangely, Gaara answered her. "If you come from there, then you probably have heard of me. You surely heard that I have a demon inside of me and that I am a raging evil being who thirsts for blood and wishes nothing more than to demolish the weak who stands in my path," he said in his deep voice, not faltering as those cruel words slipped from his lips. Another sly grin made its way to his mouth, a smile that didn't reach his heart.

The girl looked at him in slight awe before she realized that she really shouldn't be staring. She had known people with demons inside of them, but someone who actually admitted to thirst for blood? An uneasy feeling slipped in her stomach again, but she raised her head to look into Gaara's eyes, forcing herself so her fear wouldn't show. He wouldn't impress her.

Thankfully, Temari stepped through the door at that moment, bringing their host a quick lunch she had whipped up in minutes. She helped Kenoyo in a sitting position, then placed the tray on her legs and told her to put it on the floor when she'd be done, and she'd pick it up later.

When the blonde girl left, the raven haired one peeked back at where Gaara was, then blinked in surprise. He had vanished, she hadn't even heard him leave the room while Temari was there. Sighing, she quietly chewed on her food, listening as she heard Kankuro snapping from the kitchen that the food wasn't edible. She ate and drank for a few minutes, then set the tray down painfully before sinking back on the bed.

Kenoyo closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift, yet the first thought it stopped on was Gaara. As much as he seemed to desire everyone to fear him, there had been something else in his eyes when he had spoken of his demonic origins. She strained her brain forecefully, trying to get the clear picture of the boy she had just met to stick in her mind, but the image slipped away. Only his cold, cruel eyes stayed in focus. Then it dawned on her what had been hidden in his eyes. That feeling that everyone probably overlooked, or if they noticed it would shake their heads and laugh at themselves for even thinking of something of the sort. But that small detail hadn't escaped her sharp eye. What she had seen, tucked away behind the thick wall he plastered around himself, was the emotion that could eat up even the toughest person inside: Loneliness.

Just before she closed her eyes to sleep, she vowed silently,

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A/N: Here guys, second chapter is up! How in the world did I manage to get it written as quick as I did will stay a mystery to everyone including myself! Thanks to my four reviewers! I appreciate it very much. I made it slightly longer, about 500 words more, but I don't know if you guys consider it to be too short again. Well tell me in your reviews!

Take care!