((Okay, I'm still scared... LadyAmazon's really scary! Read all about it!))

LadyAmazon:

DON'T THINK YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK GAARA! YOUR BUTT IS STILL MINE! WHAT KIND OF
A MAN ARE YOU?! I HOPE SOME OTHER GUY COMES ALONG TO HELP CHIKAGE AND SHOW YOU
WHAT A REAL AMN IS LIKE TO AN INNOCENT GIRL LIKE HER AND THAT YOU'RE A
LOVELESS LOSER!
Keep it going i mean it! cha!

((See what I mean?? As I was reading this, I was shaking and everything! But... LadyAmazon has given me an idea that hadn't even crossed my mind... THANK YOU FOR YOUR OUTBURST!!))

VampireGaaraCheesepuffs:

GAARA TIS AN EVIL MASTERMIND! (just the way we like him ne? ; P)
Lol, and sure I'll join the cause!
I already killed Diego .
VGC

((yay!! I got Boots a long time ago... but one of the evil raccoon mafia is mascarading as the monkey for now...))

Something Diabolical:

aww... so sad. you made a roller coaster story that travels to the pitt of
hell... where they visited barney and dora... O.o ... :grins evilly: :sings:i
hate you you hate me, lets get together and kill barney. with a butcher knife
and a shotgun, too. don't you know you hate me too?:end singing: happies!

((lmfao. New reviewer!! and yes... I'm a fan of trageties but I still need a healthy dose of smut. and that roller coaster shall get even more tipsy-turvy thanks to LadyAmazon!))

cherry1315:

i liked this chappie...i REALLY like your descriptions!! :D
(oh and for your lemon chapter: lol yea i started reading quizilla then my
friend told me about fanfiction. i was like OMG! YAY MORE STORIES!! '...more
lemons' smirks
your lemon was good, ya accomplished what ya wanted to happen in the story.

and hahaha thats what im like: "I can think perverted, speak perverted...
writing is more difficult for me, though.")
cant wait for the next chapter :D

((which is really weird. I can express myself better through written words but not when it comes to smex... I can be romantic and make my charas speak perverted... it's hard to make them go all the way. but I'm glad that you like my chapters and descriptions!))

Gaara-frenzy:

wow and i thought i was depressed. not that i'd ever show it but i seriously
thought i was the worst when it came to depressing stories. this seems lke a
hole that keeps getting deeper and harder to get out of. can't wait for the
next one XD

((yay! I'm not depressed most of the time. when I get sad, I write poetry and cry... but I get violent emotions when I don't rp for a long time. anyway, I'm happy to recieve the approval of a fellow tragety writer!))

NeferNeferi:

That was really mean of Gaara...but I guess it should have been expected what
with the way he'd been behaving. I just hope that somehow guilt builds up in
him and that he decides to ask for forgiveness someday. I wonder what will
Chikage plan to do now? And how will Gaara proceed? Please update soon!

((Yes... it was... but no... he won't ask for forgiveness... he's too proud for that. The most we can expect from him is an apology and him admitting that he was wrong. Sad thoughts, eh? Maybe I make him cry a bit when he's telling her...))

((Now, despite LadyAmazon's inspiration, I'm not sure if I can include it into this chapter... we'll see... let's begin!))

Chapter 24: Home Sweet Home

Chikage knew as soon as she entered her home that her parents were asleep. They never worried about her, for whatever reason. But closing the door, she headed towards Hito's room. He would be awake until the purple-eyed girl made herself known to him. As she walked slowly, she tried to come up with an excuse for her attire. He would also notice her clothes were different and ask several questions about why she wasn't wearing.

"Might as well get it over with..." she whispered as she dragged herself to her brother's room. The light was on and she found him pacing on his white carpet, looking like he'd lost his favorite comic book to the fire. "Brother... I'm home..."

Hito's head snapped towards her voice and within the moment of realization, he rushed into his sister's arms. "Chi! It's about time you got home! I've been worried sick about you, young lady, now you'd better tell me-- hey... what happened to your clothes?!" he shouted, suddenly noticing that Chikage's shirt was too big for her and her pants were just hanging on hips.

Shushing him, she replied, "I went to try to make up with Gaara-san. But it was raining and Temari-san let me borrow her clothes. Mine weren't dry yet and talking to Gaara-san didn't help. So I left as soon as the rain stopped."

Yes, she lied to her younger brother. But hey, he was too young to know what REALLY happened. To know that she had taken a shower there, let Gaara have his way with her then diss her, before getting clothes from the blond girl, and running out of there in order to salvage what was left of her dignity. She didn't want him to know what his sister had done... not when he looked up to her for a reason other than that she was taller than him.

Hito sighed. "So... he didn't tell you?" he asked with a soft sadness in his eyes.

She blushed and said, "No... he didn't..." At least that was the truth. He hadn't told her that he loved her.

"But I thought for SURE..."

"Hey, I'm the one who was rejected, remember? But it's too late to feel sorry for me... and I wouldn't want that anyway. Go to sleep, Squirt. I'll see you in the morning." Chikage tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead.

She was so much like a mother, Hito sometimes had to stop himself before he called her "Mom". "Will you wake up before Mother and make breakfast?"

Giving him a gentle knock on the head, she replied, "If I don't, we'll go out to eat. Even if we're late to school."

"Ow... okay. But that's a promise... and you're buying."

Chikage giggled. It was times like these where her brother seemed less protective and more like the child he was. She loved these times. "Deal. Now sleep... or no breakfast out if Mom's up first."

It seemed in a matter of seconds that Hito had shut off his bedside lamp and messed up the covers to get comfortable. "Goodnight, Chikage..." he said in a muffled voice thanks to the blankets.

"Night... I hope you have nightmares."

"And I hope the boogie man comes to take you away."

Chikage left after his reply. This was their way of expressing their affection for eachother. It beat "sweet dreams" any day and it was also a way of making fun of the kids who were scared of the boogie man... but nightmares were something totally different and both of them knew it. Nightmares were a way of expressing all kinds of fears... that or some sort of eating disorder that affected the brain. Food could do scary things to a person's mind.

She put on an over-sized T-shirt as a means of nightwear and settled down to bed. Everything between her legs hurt... burned. But that was nothing compared to the feelings of pain in her heart. No matter what... the only thing that would get rid of those pains were if Gaara were to finally tell her that he loved her... or if she found another that she could love almost as much as him... and he loved her back. That was for another day, hopefully in the near future... and hopefully, with Gaara.

((Okay, so my idea didn't get put into play yet... but next chapter, I promise you! Review this chapter for the next... kinda basic and I hate saying it but just in case I get even more new reviewers... this is just so they know. I trust you guys to give me reviews, good or bad))