Mission Impossible: Housewife

By KawaiPanda

Chapter Twelve

A GaaIno Love Story

It was a long journey to the mansion, but every few feet, civilians stopped me to give me small trinkets and their children danced around me chittering with excitement. When the door finally shut behind me, I was left all alone in the Kazekage's mansion. My husbands mansion... it seemed so large and void of life. Temari was still in Konoha, and Kankuro was no where to be found. Shikamaru, Choji and Tenten as well as all of the other Konoha ninja were being debriefed. Well, Shikamaru didn't want to speak to me, and he and Choji were staying in a hotel until it was time for them to leave. Tenten was staying in the mansion but I didn't know when she would be on her way and Gaara... well, he had work to do. Hopefully I wouldn't be alone for too long.

I shivered slightly, rubbing my bare arms to warm them as I shuffled throughout the building. From the weeks that I had been gone, the warm feelings I had felt when here had dissipated. Right now, at this very moment, it didn't seem to be home.

There were many empty rooms, I knew from earlier explorations I had made. Rooms waiting to be filled. Filled with children. Mine and Gaara's... A vision of little ones chasing one another around the living room flashed in my mind, and a sad smile appeared on my face.

Maybe one day.

I sighed and forced myself to head down the hall. Down the one that led to his room. My room. Our room. These walls would one day be filled with pictures of our life. Of our family. They wouldn't be bare forever.

The door loomed before me, tall and intimidating. And I wondered... would our children be conceived in this room? Was I already carrying his child? I placed the palm of my hand against my abdomen and pushed the door open with the other.

I noticed immediately that all of my belongings I had left here before the wedding were placed throughout the room and I wondered who had done so. I had drawers in the dresser full of my clothing, and when I pulled open the closet door, a space had been cleared out for my things. All that was missing was my things from home. I sat on the bed, staring into the closet. At the space dedicated for me.

And then it hit me. This is real. I am now a married woman. Married to the Kazekage. Gaara. His wife. My breathing sped up, hitching dangerously. Shaking my head, I rummaged through the drawers and pulled out some clothing and made my way to the bathroom, discarding clothing as I did so. They were sticky.

I ignored it and ran the water. And when the water was deep enough, I sank into the heat, allowing it to warm me up. I didn't put up my hair. I just sat back, my back creaking out in goose bumps at the touch of cold ceramic against my skin.

Minutes passed, and I felt myself calming down. The heat seeped through my skin, warming me all the way to my bones. And I allowed myself to drift, listening to the sound of running water. Something in me urged to turn it off, but when I raised my hand to shut off the water, red water rolled down my arm and I slowly shut my weakening eyes.

XxXxXxXxX

"-going to be fine." I scrunched my eyes shut and turned my head from the bright light aimed at my face, my head lolling against my shoulder. Where was I?

"...Ugh..." My head was throbbing insitantly, but my lower abdomen even more so. Radiating pain informed me that I was alive, but was that a good thing? Instinct that had been inbedded into my very nature had me tense, and I tried to piece together where I was.

"Milady?" At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, I surged up with newfound strength, struggling to get away. Immediately hands were upon me, pushing me back down.

"Un...!"

"Milady, you-" A sudden wetness stained my inner thighs, and the pain worsened. "Hold her down!"

The tell tale prick of a needle breaking the skin of my arm made me scream with fright, and I strained to get away.

"Get him out of here!"

Then it was darkness again.

XxXxXxXxX

It was bright again, only this time the light wasn't aimed at my face. The headache was all but gone, but the throbbing pain lingered in my abdomen. My vision was blurred, and I slowly opened my eyes to take hold of my bearings. A red blur wasn't too far away, but the chakra signature was familiar.

"G-...Gaara?"

A swish of movement and he's right in my face, his shaking hand cupping my cheek.

"Ino."

"Wh... Where am I?" I blinked rapidly, forcing my vision to focus.

"You're in the hospital."

"The hospital?"

"Yes." He sighed heavily.

"What happened?" I moved to sit up, but his hand at my shoulder stilled me.

"What do you remember?"

"I... I was at home." I furled my brow. "There was running water... Was I attacked?"

"There were no signs of enemy nin." His eyes were dark, swirling with emotion. "As the medic's explained to me, you hemorrhaged. You've been here for a full day now, unconscious."

"D... Do they know why?"

"Yes. Internal scans show that there was a lot of damage done to you... from the journey and our... activities." I looked as uncomfortable as he must have been. After all, to have been told that because we had sex and travelled so heavily, I could have been seriously injured, would be traumatizing to any man. At least, I should think so. My face turned red and I looked at the wall opposite him.

He cleared his throat.

I had a sudden thought. After all, I had been naked... And now I wasn't. Turning back to my husband, I asked the question I had to know the answer to. "Who found me?"

"I did."

"Oh." I grasped his hand, feeling him stiffen at the contact but slowly relaxing in it.

For a while, we just sat there in a comfortable silence; Gaara in the seat next to the bed, and me turned to him. Our hands were still clutched together.

"Ah! I see you're awake Mrs. Sabaku," a man greeted as he walked into the room. His cool eyes regarded the two of us before nodding his aknowledgement to my husband. "Kazekage-sama."

Gaara pulled his hand from my grip and stood.

"Any news?" I asked him, my voice croaking a bit.

"Yes. From the tests we've done, it looks like you can go home in a couple of hours."

"Really?"

"Really. But it means you are confined to bed rest for the next couple of days." His tone took on a serious note. "And no vigorous activities. We don't want anything to rupture again." I blushed and Gaara cleared his throat, red staining his ears as he turned and looked out of the window. "A medic will be by momentarily to run a few more tests before you are free to leave."

"Thank you," Gaara replied quietly and the doctor nodded at him again as he left the room.

After a female medic did an internal scan of my stomach, and gave me a prescription for some medication I would have to take for the next week, Gaara took me home. Thankfully, he used his sand to teleport us into the mansion, otherwise we would have been stared at by ninja and civilians alike. I couldn't stand to see their looks of pity or whatever right now.

The sight of Tenten and Kankuro watching television greeted us upon our arrival, they both stood when Gaara coughed quietly, racing around the couch to assist us. Kankuro helped Gaara carry me into our room with Tenten trailing behind. All three helped me settle in and after I was placed gently on the bed, Gaara and Kankuro quickly made their excuses—Gaara left for the office, Kankuro hot on his tail.

"So..." Tenten sat on the edge of the bed, eyebrow lifted. "I take it you're going to need help with a change of clothing and a bath..."

"Just help me into the bathroom, I can do the rest myself." At least, I hope so.

"Are you sure? You nearly drowned last time," she teased as she headed into the bathroom and turned on the water. I quickly undressed and she averted her eyes as she came back into the room.

"Ha ha. Just help me up," I bit out. She slid her shoulder under my arm and helped me limp into the bathroom, assisting me with getting into the tub. When she was back in the bedroom, I turned off the water and started to bathe myself. With a quick scan, I learned that there was very little damage from my incident, but it was still there, and still painful. It would be a while before it completely healed, but hopefully the medication would take away any soreness. Turning my mind away from it, I began thinking of Tenten and Kankuro and how... close they seemed today on the couch.

"So... What's going on between you and my brother in law?" I asked, innocently.

She sputtered and called back, "Nothing. Why do you ask?"

"Mmmmhmmm." I scrubbed myself and my hair clean and slowly got to my feet, only I misjudged my strength and was tumbling back down when Tenten appeared and caught me. "Thanks Tennie."

"No prob, though I am wet now." She wrapped me in a towel and helped me into the room. Clothing was neatly folded on the bed, and my dirty ones long gone."While you're getting dry and dressed, I'm going to go make some lunch."

"Don't burn down the house," I called after her.

"Ha ha." With that the door clicked shut, and I began drying myself. When I was finally satisfied that I wasn't going to get any dryer, I wrapped my hair with the towel and pulled on my clothing. Not too much later, I was under the sheets and the smells of Tenten's cooking flitted into the room.

It smelled like home. Tears stung my eyes, and I had a sudden surge of homesickness.

Tenten found me, sobbing and said nothing. Rather, she placed the plate of food on the end table next to the bed and gathered me in her arms. I would probably kick myself for crying like a baby later, but at the moment it felt better to give into the emotion. I couldn't be strong all of the time. I'm still a woman dammit. After I calmed back down, she pulled away and patted my hand.

"Thank's Tennie." This girl, she was like a sister to me.

"It's no problem." We ate in comfortable silence when there was a knock at the front door. Tenten took her plate with her, and left the room to answer the door for me. I didn't have to wait long to find out who it was because there was a brief knock on the door and in walked Choji.