Typed this whole chapter in one day. The blood of a procrastinator runs in my veins.

Chapter II:

Hangman Can't Tie a Noose

"He packed his whole room didn't he? That Kankuro…"

"I wonder where he went."

"Probably somewhere far away, any place but here will do."

"He'll come back though, because if he doesn't we can both go out and kill him ourselves!"

"I can't, I'll be dead by then."

Temari slapped him.

"Don't talk that way Gaara. Don't you fucking do that ever."

Gaara recovered slightly and rubbed his stinging cheek. "You heartless bitch! You can't just hit a dying person!" he cried.

"You may be dying, but on top of that, you're being a crybaby. Just get over yourself and recover for hell's sake!" replied Temari.

And she was right too. Gaara had to admit he'd done little more than bitch and moan ever since he woke up to find Kankuro had disappeared. The confusion and abandonment he felt eventually subsided but now he wanted die and not-die at the same time, which was equally confusing.

It was ironic, really. All his life he wanted to know that someone out there truly needed him, but once this fact had been confirmed, he no longer had the capabilities to be there for them. He was much better off when he hid his illness from the public; so valiant, so independent, so cool. Then he lost his peace and resolve once he and everyone else wanted him to live. Realizing truth and love could have been the worst thing to happen to him (well, it came second to dying (you know, that first time (which was not that long ago before now (which totally sucked since his life-line said he'd live to be ninety)))).

But staying in bed all day had its perks. People would often come over to visit, bringing him soup or presents to cheer him up, a situation that would have seemed too bizarre less than a year ago. Gaara was pleased each time his granny from next door brought him her chunky chicken soup, but he was equally disappointed whenever Temari came upstairs with her own pulpy porridge.

Baki visited him as well, but for different reasons entirely. He liked to stand by his former student's bedside and belittle the poor lad for selfishly giving into his poor health like a woman before labor. This often made the energy return to Gaara's now frail body, enough so he could at least toss a cup at him and then Temari would follow up with a mean right hook in the defense of women against that crappy analogy.

"It's only a matter of time if we keep him here any longer," Baki announced one day suddenly.

How refreshing, grumbled Gaara internally while staring up at the ceiling, appearing to be in a daze.

"What do you mean?" asked Temari, returning with Gaara's pills.

"I mean that there may still be a chance for him to recover," said Baki.

"WHAT!" Temari shrieked, and in her surprise, she managed spill water over her equally stunned little brother.

"He won't agree to it, though," said Baki seriously.

"Wait, 'he won't agree?' What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"I mean as the Kazekage, Gaara will never agree," he said catching the boy's eye before letting out a long sigh. "But as a member of this family he must."

"Why?" Gaara spoke for the first time.

Baki dropped the bomb: "Because you're going to have to abdicate and leave Suna."

The room became very quiet. Temari was staring wide-eyed at Baki while Baki continued staring at the frail young man lying in bed.

When Gaara finally spoke his voice was steady.

"Give up? After only four years of service? I think I'd rather die with my legacy intact here than run away and be remembered as the Kazekage who may have died twice."

Baki disregarded him and continued. "The Konoha representative who contracted the virus is apparently well enough to be back on duty as of last week. A few of our infected scouts were removed from the village and transferred to the border for recovery. It seems that the virus is taking advantage of this environment."

"How long does he have to be away?" asked Temari. "How long until he can come back?"

"Don't you see? He can't come back. I don't think he can even stay in this country. The virus is active as long as he remains in the desert. The human body can't fight this kind of virus under this harsh weather."

"So either way, I'm dead to this village," whispered Gaara.

"Not necessarily. Once we find a cure, everyone can hopefully still return to Suna. It's just a matter of how long it takes. I think that's what Kankuro figured when he left to find out who planted the virus," said Baki, distantly.

"And Kankuro thinks he can find the cure? Why didn't he tell me anything?"

"There you go again. Moaning like a child."

"Well excuse me for being terminally ill."

"Shut up!" shouted Temari. "Kankuro's gone off and done something stupid. The most he'll do is get himself killed."

"We can't afford to send teams out and search for him. We're too short on man-power as it is," said Baki.

"Hey, I'm in charge here and I say we send teams out and search," said Gaara, tired of his opinion being ignored. He was the Kazekage for hell's sake!

"Impossible. We need all the help we can get here to recover," dismissed Baki, who was entirely too used to bossing the boy around. "Meanwhile all surviving victims fit to travel will be relocated from the village."

"Gaara can't travel! He's too weak! You can't just send a dying man across the desert, it's murder!" Temari protested.

"Well, does he sound like he's dying to you?"

"I'm not going anywhere," said Gaara, folding his arms and glaring.

"The only place you'll be going is the funeral home if you remain here and be an idiot," said Baki mirroring his expression, though not quite as intimidating.

"I refuse."

"Gaara, you're leaving tonight," Temari said resolutely.

Why that – traitor! "What? Are you trying to drive me out, too?"

"Are you stupid? It's because I don't want you to die!"

…

"Well I don't want to die either!"

"That wasn't even a proper come-back!"

"I don't care!"

"Waaaaaaaaaahhh!" And then they hugged each other and cried.

Baki looked suitably embarrassed.

"Pack whatever you can bring," he said picking up and handing Gaara a picture frame from the bedside table. Gaara received it and stared at the picture ruefully. It was a photograph of him, fourteen years old on his inauguration day with Temari and Kankuro to his right and left.

When he looked up, Baki was smiling sadly above him. Gaara let the picture fall on his lap and addressed the councilman quietly like he would in his robes and in his office.

"Baki, inform the elders I'll meet them shortly."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama," bowed Baki before he swept out of the room.

They waited for his footsteps to disappear down the stairs, then Temari stood and opened Gaara's closet.

"I'll pack for you. Just tell me what you want to bring and I'll have the rest sent over wherever you want to go," she said pulling out and folding three sets of clothes.

"Okay," he said.

"And I'll be your escort there no matter what."

"Okay."

She took the picture frame and put it on the top of the pile. "So where is it you plan to go?"

Gaara considered.

"...Konoha."

A/N: Ah, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Gaara doesn't normally think with that many brackets and parentheses, I just thought it would be funny. On a side note, I hate it when people add in "Italics equals thoughts, Bold equals bullshit, and "..." equals yammering at the beginning of every chapter.