A.N.- Hello. Sorry I didn't post yesterday…an emergency came up and I couldn't….so here is the next chapter and if I can I will also put out 31 sometime today since that was which chapter should have come out today. I know it's a little late but please enjoy it none the less! Thanks.
FanggirlX

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine

To HalfBloodPhoenix- lol sorry. The cliffies shouldn't be too many more…for now. And hee hee yes you were, this chapter. She tells her in this chapter! (unorthodox way probably…but eh it still gets out) I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reviewing!

To BluePanda22311- lol she is a bit of a spazz. didn't think of that. Hee hee. But you are so right. Aw I'm so happy you thought that was cute! I thought it was too. I had him making the cutest face Gaara could make to me when he said it. Thank you! And yep. It has to be a sin but I am pretty sure because of his super smexiness he will be forgiven. Lol. I giggled when typing that last ending part. Just picturing Gaara rolling his eyes at her optimism…I dunno it just made me smile. Anyway thank you! And thanks for reviewing! I hope you like chapter 30!

To OoOlady heatherOoO- lol oh yes. Saiyomi is very dramatic. But in my mom experiences most tend to be at least a little bit. Hee hee. This chapter! I'm so excited! I hope you like how it goes! Lol I would too. I bet their faces would be priceless. The ones I pictured them having were anyway. Thank you for reviewing! Please enjoy!

Sakura sat beside Gaara gently holding his hand while she waited for her mother who was still out on the couch.

Naruto and Hinata were in the kitchen cleaning everything up.

Sakura shook her head, "Some dinner, sorry."

Gaara shook his head, "Its fine."

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thank you."

He nodded.

"Remind me when we leave there's something I want to talk to you about." she whispered to him.

"Sure."

It was another ten minutes of the two of them sitting silently enjoying the other's company before Saiyomi started to wake up.

Sakura stood and made her way over to her mother.

"Rise and shine sleepy head." she said teasing Saiyomi.

"I am so sorry I keep doing this today. Mercy, I haven't fainted like this since I was your age." Saiyomi muttered as she pressed her hand to her head, clearing away her headache easily with her jutsu.

Sakura smiled, "Its fine. You have had two big shocks I guess. Meeting my best friend and my boyfriend all in one day can be a lot for a mom to handle sometimes."

"Yes especially when that boyfriend is a mass murdering demon. Really Sakura what were you thinking getting involved with that? What if you change your mind and decide to see someone else?" Saiyomi shook her head, "He won't take being dumped well. Its best not get involved with someone like him."

Sakura clenched her fists tightly.

"First off, he's sitting in the room! Stop talking bad about him. Second I was thinking I love him! Because I do. And I don't think about dumping someone when I go into a relationship, I don't really plan on dumping him because I love him! I want to stay with him as long as he'll let me. And what's with the sudden change in attitude? You supported him with Hinata but not me? I trust him more than anyone and you should too."

Gaara gasped quietly behind her and she turned and smiled into his wide eyes.

"Its true." she said softly.

Gaara seemed to stare off into space as he brought a hand up to clutch his chest.

Sakura smiled at him again before turning back to her mother with blazing fury.

"And Gaara is a great person! He deserves to be loved just as much as anyone else!"

"Sure, I agree. But why you? Sakura I know you want to help the boy but he doesn't need it like this."

"I'm not trying to help him with this! And why not me? I love him! Isn't that good enough reason for it to be me?"

Saiyomi muttered, "I heard people talking today how a crazy girl had started dating that boy. That she had to be crazy to willingly put her life in the bloody hands of a mass murdering demon."

Gaara stared at Sakura's back as she defended him.

"He's not a mass murdering demon anymore!"

Saiyomi argue, "But he was! He can easily slip back into it again!"

"I know that!" Sakura shouted angrily as tears formed in her eyes.

Gaara felt a stab in him. She knew he could mess up at any moment…

She expected it just like everyone else.

After Sakura wiped her tears away she glared daggers at her mother. She loved this woman but she wouldn't let her words hurt Gaara. He'd been through enough!

"I know he could revert back! But I also know he won't! Gaara's stronger than that! He has had so many chances to go back and he hasn't! He is so strong now that if he did go back to killing mindlessly there would be no stopping him! The only thing keeping him from doing that is his sheer will! He has fought off that demon for so long just trying to be accepted! Well I accept him! I love him! Everything! I accept his faults, I love him for his faults! The way he can't show much emotion most would say is a fault!"

Sakura shook her head and Gaara watched her in disbelief as she screamed, "But I love him for it! He protects his heart! He protects his soul because so many have hurt it! He doesn't show emotion much but he does show it and the few things he shows are more precious than half of everything anyone else shows! I love him because his smiles are a rare treat and I have never heard him laugh but I have seen it in his eyes, and I have never heard him say he loves me! Not once! Because he can't. I still know he loves me! Its in his eyes too! And in his smile. And in his touch. And in his actions. And in his trust he has in me."

Saiyomi stared at her daughter.

"You say you love him now. But what happens the first time he does loose control. If even for a tiny while and he still manages to hurt you. Will your trust in him still be just as strong? Will your love for him still be as it is now?" Saiyomi asked quietly.

Sakura nodded, "I think so."

"But you don't know."

Sakura frowned.

Gaara couldn't take this. He had to leave. He didn't want to desert her but he couldn't bear to hear this. He stood and headed for the front door.

Sakura whirled around to face him, with her tear filled eyes, "Gaara?"

"Air." he mumbled as he went out to sit on the small porch.

Naruto who had been spying from the kitchen hurried after him.

"Hey." he said as he came and sat beside Gaara on the porch steps.

Gaara nodded acknowledgement.

"Don't fret it. Sakura, doesn't like to loose. And Saiyomi's just being a protective parent."

"But she speaks the truth."

"No way."

"I could hurt her. I could kill her." Gaara said softly. "One wrong word to Shukaku just once and she's his way of retaliation against me."

Naruto shook his head, "You can beat him."

"Not always. And one chance of hurting her…its too much. I won't do that to her."

"Oh, so you'd rather hurt her more by breaking her heart wide open? Right after she fixed it up just to give to you?" Naruto snapped.

"It wouldn't hurt worse."

"Well you tell me. Which hurt worse Gaara getting a tattoo engraved into your head or discovering that one of the men who wanted you dead was your uncle?"

Gaara glared at him.

"That's different."

Naruto shook his head, "But its not. She's in there right now fighting her mother for you. Her mother, Gaara. She's trusted you to be her boyfriend. Her love. If you give in every time it looks dangerous you'll hurt her more than Shukaku's claws ever could. She believes in you. So believe in your own stupid self and believe in her."

"People will mock her."

"And you think she'll let them get away with it?" Naruto asked with a grin, "Remember Gaara this is the girl who chases people down and punishes them. She'll beat a person just as quickly as she'll hug them. Trust me on that. I know first hand, buddy."

"You think I should stay with her?"

"Yes."

"Even if I could end up hurting her…or killing her."

"You won't."

"But I could."

"Yeah and you could also pick up that tree over there and snap it like a little twig. That doesn't mean you will."

Sand wrapped around the tree in discussion, ripped it from the ground, and split it down the middle. The broken tree fell to the ground in two pieces.

Naruto glared at him, "Fine, smart ass. Be that way. But just think about this. If the shoes were on the other feet. What would you want? What if Sakura was the one with Shukaku, and you loved her. You would still want her to stay with you because you love her. Her demon and the risks it brought wouldn't matter to you would they?"

Gaara didn't answer.

Naruto sighed, "They wouldn't. You know deep down it wouldn't matter."

The blond huffed and stood back up, starting back for the door when Gaara asked, "She really loves me doesn't she?"

Naruto chuckled, "Yeah, and I have to be honest man. As your friend I just have to say I don't see how or why. You're rude, silent, angry, emotionless, violent, clueless, arrogant, demanding, and bossy. You're a jerk, a smart ass, and an all around creepy mother fucker. So what she fell in love with or how…well its probably what I saw that let me make you my best friend."

Gaara clenching his fists asked through grit teeth, "And that is?"

"Underneath all that shit. You're a good guy who actually has a heart and feels pain just like everybody else in the world. You're just a guy looking to find answers and who he really is, just like everyone else. But unlike everyone else, you'll defend those important to you more than your own life. You are smart and can actually be kind if just given the chance. And because you haven't had the good things in life for the most of it you can appreciate them better now more than almost anybody."

Naruto shrugged, "That's doesn't sound like too bad of a guy. Does it?"

Gaara stood and walked to the door to stand in front of him.

"You will tell no one of this." he warned over his shoulder.

Naruto grinned, "Hey no sweat man. Besides, its not like anyone would believe me if I told them I sat out on a tiny porch and had a heart to heart with Sabaku no Gaara."

Gaara smirked and gave him a nod.

"Now lets go see how Sakura's holding up against her mom. From what I hear she's who Sakura got her crazy anger from."

He opened the door and they were instantly met with very loud very angry screaming.

"Why won't you just try to see how great he is!?" Sakura yelled.

"Because he's dangerous!"

"No he isn't!"

"He is! And dammit Sakura he could kill you! I just got you back not too long ago! I won't loose you again!"

"I wasn't dead."

"You were to me! I thought you were!"

Sakura sobbed, "But he won't hurt me! He'd kill himself before he hurt me I just know it!"

"He's a demon, baby, he can't always control it."

"What about Naruto?"

The blond looked to Gaara.

"Great she's pulling me into this." he teased hoping to make Gaara relax.

"He's different." Saiyomi answered.

"No he's not!"

"He is Sakura, trust me on this. He is just different, I know he won't hurt you!"

"How!? He has the fox! If Gaara's dangerous that makes Naruto dangerous too right!? Right!?"

"No!"

"How can you stand there and say one demon is dangerous but the other isn't?!"

"One's a killer!"

"NOT! ANY! MORE!" Sakura shouted.

"It doesn't matter!"

"It does! Dammit, mama, tell me what your real problem is!"

"That boy!"

"Gaara won't hurt me!"

"You don't know that!"

"Why?!"

"Because of that demon!"

"AAARRRGGGHH!! Then why is Naruto trust worthy? What makes him so damn special to you!? Huh? I love them both and accept them both! Why can't you!"

"Gaara is dangerous!"

"He is not!"

Naruto glanced at Gaara. "You think we should risk breaking them up?"

Gaara nodded slowly.

They started towards the living room where the ladies were arguing.

"You hardly know him Sakura!"

"I know him more than you!"

"I know his type!"

"I know him! He's not a type mother! He's a person!"

"He's a demon!"

"And so what? You wanna say I cant see him because of that!?"

"Yes!"

Gaara stopped breathing.

She…couldn't…be near him? But he…

"You really think that'll work!? You couldn't keep me from Gaara or Naruto!"

"I'm not trying to keep you from Naruto."

"Oh yeah that's right because his demon is an okay demon. Right?"

"No. That's not what I said. I said I know he wont hurt you."

"And I know Gaara won't just as much as I know Naruto won't!"

"They're different!"

"How?!"

"They just are!"

"No! Unacceptable! How are they different!? Please, mother, enlighten me!?"

Saiyomi clenched her fists as tears streamed down her face.

"I can't!"

"Because you have no reason!"

"I have a reason!"

Sakura threw her hands up in the air, "Then what is it!?"

Saiyomi shook her head. "No."

"You cant tell me because there's nothing to tell!"

"There is!" Saiyomi sobbed, "Sakura, there is!"

"Then tell me what it is! Why is Naruto safer and Gaara not? They're both demons! They're both ninja! They both have tempers! And both of them would never ever hurt me! Where's the big difference!?"

"I can't tell you, Sakura!"

"Why!"

"I just can't!"

"Then there isn't one!"

"Dammit, Sakura, he can't hurt you!"

"I know! Neither can Gaara!"

Saiyomi gasped horrified, "You're already his mate?"

Sakura blinked, "What? No. That's not what I said at all."

"But that's the only way you…oh."

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Mama, I'm going to tell you this once. So listen to me. If you can't tell me a valid reason as to why I shouldn't be with Gaara when we're in love I am walking out that door and as painful as it will be. I will never come back. Will never speak to you again. I can't have a mother who treats people like this based on their pasts and mistakes. Now you say you're doing this to protect me. To keep me safe so you don't loose me. But I love him and if you can't at least try to understand that then you're gong to loose me anyway."

Saiyomi sobbed harder.

Sakura waited and then with a sigh turned to leave.

"Sakura wait!"

"No."

"I have a reason I just can't tell you why their different! Just believe me! Please!"

"No, mom, sorry I can't."

Sakura started leaving again. She saw Naruto and Gaara in the doorway.

Poor Gaara. He didn't need this. Why couldn't he just be accepted?

"Fine!" Saiyomi screamed.

Sakura just shook her head.

"Naruto's different because-"

"Its too late now!" Sakura whirled around screaming.

"No! Naruto's won't hurt you because-"

"I said it is too late!"

"NO! He's different because-"

"Mother!"

"Because-"

"Mom!"

"He's your brother!!"

Sakura froze.

What did she say…?

This time it was Sakura's turn to faint. Naruto's too. They dropped simultaneously into Gaara's ready sand.