Author's Note: Second chapter of A New Beginning! Wow, I never thought I would actually do it. I'm committed to something! Yes!
I do not own the Sand Siblings or any of the Naruto characters. (If I did, that would be so awesome but, oh well.)
12:08 AM
A huge crash awoke Temari and Kankuro from their slumber. They both ran down the hallway with their kunai in hand. They both swooshed down the stairs silently with ninja skill. Temari was the first one who ran into the kitchen to see Gaara with a broom sweeping up glass and cookies. Kankuro came in.
"Gaara?" asked Temari.
Why did you ask? "Uh… Sorry, I was getting the cookies and my sand didn't catch the falling jar" Gaara said.
Kankuro yawned loudly. "Well, if that was all then I'm going back to bed. Nighty Night." Kankuro left back upstairs.
Lazy butt… Thought Gaara as he kept sweeping.
"Are you ok Gaara?" Temari asked.
No, can't you tell? I'm tired as hell and I didn't get my friggin cookies! "Yeah, I'm good…" Gaara said.
Temari sighed. "Gaara, I know that you really don't sleep much at all but, do you think you could try for at least an hour?"
Is she out of her mind? "No" Stated Gaara simply.
"No one can live without sleep. Not even you. I know it's hard for you to sleep but, you haven't slept for almost 3 weeks! That can't be good." Temari said.
"I'm not going to sleep and that's that!" Gaara raised his voice slightly.
"I'm concerned about you. Please, let me help!" Temari pleaded.
When have you ever been concerned? "You can't help me" Gaara said.
"Please!"
"No"
"Please, Gaara!"
"No"
"Come on!"
"No!"
"Why?" Asked Temari.
Shut up already! "Because, you don't know anything about how I sleep and what happens!" Gaara yelled.
"Then tell me," Temari said calmly.
"Maybe" Was all Gaara could say back. He didn't want to argue with her. She had this look that almost scared him.
"Thank you," Temari looks at the clock on the wall in the shape of cat. "Happy Birthday, Gaara" She said with a smile.
Shock was in Gaara's eyes. He turned to the clock and saw it was after twelve. It was officially January 19th, his birthday.
"This is the first time anyone has said that to me." Gaara said.
"You are welcome!" Temari said and left to go back to bed. As she walked up the stairs she said "It's a start."
Gaara smiled and finished sweeping. After he was finished he went to the couch and turned on the television to SpongeBob. "Thank you, Temari." He said to himself.
8:50 AM
Gaara sighs. Temari was usually up by now. Wow, I'm actually worrying about what my family is up to… Thought Gaara. I wonder if it's a good thing… With a couple more thoughts, Gaara could hear rustling upstairs. Soon after that, Temari came down the stairs and got some coffee.
Temari sat down next to Gaara on the couch and handed him a present rapped in colorful paper.
Shock was in Gaara's eyes once again. "For me?"
"Yes silly! It's your birthday, and this is my present to you!" She said happily. "Now open it!"
Gaara smiled softly and took the paper off the gift. To his surprise, it was a bag of Snicker doodle cookie mix.
"So… Do you like it?" Asked Temari.
"Yes!" Gaara almost shouted. He was happy, but not just happy, overjoyed! "Thank you!"
Temari smiled. Man, I haven't seen him this happy since he killed that old drunk dude who was getting on his nerves since the day he was born! Thought Temari. The next thing Temari knew she could smell cookies being baked. She predicted Kankuro would be down any minute from the smell. She was right; he came running downstairs pulling his shirt over his head.
"Kankuro!" Temari said in an annoyed tone. "Where is your present for Gaara?"
"Oh! Right!" With that he ran back upstairs to get his gift.
"Kankuro is really self-centered" She said to Gaara.
Fat and lazy too… "I guess so," said Gaara.
Kankuro came running downstairs with his gift. "Here you go, Gaara!" He handed Gaara the gift.
"Thanks" Gaara began to open it to see his old teddy bear. But, it had been fixed up a bit from all the rips and tares he had made in it out of anger. A new thing had been added on its tummy too. I heart cookies… Gaara read. He smiled at that. "This is great Kankuro, thank you"
"Awe, it was nothing. Temari came up the idea." He said back.
"Both of you thank you. This is the best birthday I have ever had," Gaara smiled.
3:15 PM
Gaara sat on the ground watching Temari train against his sand clone he had made. Temari was soaked in sweat from trying to take down the clone. Every move she conflicted upon it, the clone would block easily.
"Come on Temari, I made the clone at your level of taijutsu." Gaara said as he poked at the ground bored.
"It… Is… Not… At… My… Level!" She said between pants. She swung another hit at the clone but, it just blocked it. Seeing an open spot she punched at its rib cage but, of course it blocked the attack. "I GIVE UP!" Screamed Temari and collapsed on the ground. The sand clone disintegrated into thin air.
"Should I make it easier next time?" asked Gaara innocently.
"Shut up!" Temari said getting her breath back.
Don't make me sand coffin you… "Okay, okay, I'm sorry" Gaara said.
Temari came up to sit next to Gaara. She was still breathing heavy from her exercise.
"You made it that hard on purpose, huh?" suspiciously asked Temari.
"It was for your own good." Gaara said.
"How?" asked Temari.
"Well, a little challenge never hurt anyone. You will get much better this way. At least once you actually learn where the openings are." Gaara half smiled.
Temari only frowned. "You know, sometimes you're such an ass!" Temari said.
You're asking for it… Gaara thought.
8:50 PM
Gaara sat on the roof of the house looking up at the sun that had begun to set. Watching the sun set was one of Gaara's favorite things to do. Seeing the sky turn from blue to various colors of pink, orange, and red was one of the few things he had learned to enjoy. He heard footsteps behind him knowing that it was Temari. What is with her, caring about me all so suddenly? Thought Gaara a little annoyed. Temari came and sat by Gaara.
"It's beautiful, huh?" Temari said while looking up at the sky.
"Yes, everyday it sets differently," Gaara said. Temari was slightly shocked that Gaara was feeling something for nature.
"Do you do this every day, watch the sun set?" Temari asked.
"Yes," Gaara was slightly shy to admit it.
"So…" Temari had that face of wanting something.
Gaara just sighed, "What do you want?"
"Well…" Temari hesitated.
This can't be good… Gaara thought angrily.
"Will you sleep tonight?" Temari blurted out fast.
"Not this again!" Gaara madly said.
"Well, you said maybe so I thought-"Temari was cut off.
"I said maybe! That doesn't mean anything!" The sun was almost completely set.
"You are being so stubborn! Why don't you trust me?" Temari asked.
"You don't understand me Temari! I'm being stubborn because I hate sleeping! Can't you see that?" Gaara half screamed.
"Yes, I can see that! But, if you don't sleep you will get very sick and die!" Temari yelled.
"You don't think I know that? I have gotten really sick before and all I have to do is drink a red bull!" Gaara yelled back.
"That's unhealthy!" Temari screamed.
"Shut the hell up before I lose control!" Gaara screamed at the top of his lungs.
Temari wasn't surprised; she knew she was pushing it. "Could you please explain what happens when you sleep?"
"It's Shukaku, okay?" Gaara had calmed down a little bit. "It gives me the worst nightmares. I can feel when fire is engulfing me. I can feel the water in my lungs when it drowns me. I can feel the wounds when a thousand kunai are cutting me. I can feel…" Gaara trailed off.
Temari was shocked. She didn't know that the nightmares were really that bad. "I'm sorry… I didn't know."
There was silence as the sun set all the way and the starry night sky lit up.
"If you want me to sleep that bad I will…" Gaara said slowly.
"I don't want to force you." Temari said ashamed.
"The truth is… I'm scared." Gaara said. "I'm so afraid of the Shukaku, the sand demon inside of me."
"Gaara?" Temari asked.
"What?"
"If you are willing to sleep I will be right by your side the whole night. I promise." What Temari said was somewhat comforting to Gaara. He would have someone there to keep him safe. To make sure he was okay when he woke up. The not in his throat from his mission the other day started to come back.
"Thank you…" choked out Gaara.
"You're welcome." Temari said.
11:00 PM
"Well, I'm off to bed!" Kankuro yawned sleepily and went upstairs.
"I think I will go to bed too…" Gaara said.
"Really, Gaara?" asked Temari.
"Yes, I'm ready," Gaara said and stood up from the couch.
"You get pajamas on; I will be up there in a second." Temari said.
"Okay…" Gaara said uncomfortable and went upstairs to get ready to sleep. What am I doing? He screamed at himself in his head.
Temari went into the kitchen and got a cup out of the cabinet. She poured milk into the cup and put in into the microwave heating it up. Then, Temari couldn't believe what she was doing; she took out two sleeping pills and smashed then up into powder. She then took the milk out of the microwave and poured the powder in. These sleeping pills will even make Shukaku sleep… Temari thought. She was really hoping that they would work.
She then went upstairs to Gaara's room. He was sitting on the bed and looked up from the floor. She handed Gaara the cup of milk. "Warm milk always makes me drowsy so this will hopefully help sooth you." She smiled.
"Thanks," Gaara said and took a sip of the milk. "Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" Gaara asked as he took more sips of the milk.
"I can see you are trying to not listen to Shukaku. I can see you trying to be a better person." Temari answered.
Gaara nodded as his eyes began to get heavy. "You're a good sister…" He said.
Temari took the cup from Gaara. "Thank you." she said.
Gaara lay down and pulled the sheets up to his neck. Wow, I didn't know warm milk made you this tired… He thought.
"I'm going to be here all night." Temari said.
Gaara only nodded. He was unable to keep his eyes open any longer. His body relaxed and he fell asleep.
"Gaara, I really hope those sleeping pills will work." Temari said out loud. She then lay down on the floor and closed her eyes. I hope I don't have any nightmares… She thought as she fell asleep too.
I am thinking about where I should go with this story. I have 2 ideas right now.
1) Shukaku convinces Gaara that Temari is getting close to him just to kill him because of who he is so Gaara goes on some kind of a rampage.
2) Shukaku gets pissed that Gaara is sleeping now without nightmares so he makes Gaara see things making Gaara extremely paranoid making him have a break down and have criminal behavior again.
I hope the grammar is good (it's a pet peeve of mine) and I really hope you guys like the story! Read and Review!
Thanks for reading!