Heh heh… hey there everyone! I promised an update but I got sidetracked with the holidays and whatnot! I hope everyone had a great New Year and Holiday season though!

Thanks so much for all the kind reviews! To clear up any confusion with the beginning of this chapter, Naruto is dreaming/reliving a memory (your choice)

Please Read and Review!

I do not own Naruto!

It was so dark. So utterly and hopelessly dark I couldn't even find the will to move. My body was rebelling, screaming in negation as I searched for something, anything to eat.

"Mama?" I called out in the silence. No one answered and I tried again.

"Papa?" I called louder. I heard clicking then. The room was cold enough that I could see my breath but I knew that the clicking was not my teeth chattering together.

A scared whine left my throat as the clicking got louder, closer. One tail wrapped around the top of my head, covering my eyes and trying to warm me at the same time. The clicking stopped almost as quickly as it had started, but soon a groan cut through the silence and a beam of light pierced through the dark room.

A wail of pure terror passed my lips as the light finally showed what was in the room. I scrambled as fast as my legs could take me but it was getting closer anyways. Whatever it was was crawling closer, dragging the lower portion of its body behind it. Its jaw was hanging low, its ears were torn and its eyes were dull red. It shouldn't have been moving.

But it was.

I clutched my tails protectively in front of me, body trembling fiercely until I felt a puff of breath on the side of my neck. I cringed away from it, whimpers of fear and anxiety passing my mouth each second. "..not hurt." A voice groaned out, sounding hoarse from disuse. I flinched back from it again feeling my hackles rise as a frigid gust of air rippled down my neck.

"Papa!" I yelled, the heels of my hands pressing against my eyes so hard that little white spots danced on my eyelids. "I'm scared." I sobbed, unable to stop myself from crying anymore.

"..n't cry, little fox." The voice said again and, although it was rough, it was soothing. I sniffed and chanced a glance up. It was reaching forward with one clawed and, mangled hand, unsure of how to proceed. I hesitated before uncurling one tail and brushing it against the outstretched hand.

At first, it didn't move but, with no small amount of hesitation, it stroked the appendage with a care no one had treated me to since I had arrived in this retched place. "W-who are you?" I wobbled out.

"I'll be your new Papa." The voice said strongly this time, its mangled form shifting with the crack of bones as it got close enough to put its hand on my forehead. I saw a flash of orange before my body slumped against the wall and my consciousness faded.

If I had stayed awake I would've seen black lips pull over sharp, white teeth in what was supposed to be a tender smile before red eyes darted to the steel door that held food that I so desperately wanted.

zzz

My eyes opened slowly, catching the blurred form of someone as he started to get up only to immediately sit back down. My eyes flew wide open in panic as I realized I had no idea where I was while my body jolted upright, almost tumbling off of the man I was sitting on if it hadn't been for his strong grip. The scents that raided my nose were both familiar and not as I tried to gain my wits as quickly as possible. The world spun dizzily as I caught flashes of black, red, and yellow.

I groaned, hands pressing firmly against my eyes as I tried to shake off my dream. My body was still shaking from the memory of the cold but it was quickly fading with the warm body behind me. The chest rumbled against my back and the familiar vibration made me realize who it was.

"S'uke…" I slurred, unable to make his name come out right for some reason and cocking my head to the side in confusion because of it. "…feelsh funniee." I tried again gesturing to my mouth as I intentionally ignored everyone else in the room, not ready to deal with the shit storm I could tell was brewing.

"I know, Naru-chan." Sasuke said, his dark eyes flashing with humor before turning a smirk to our silent audience and then back to me.

"Wads rung wifit?" I stated, furrowing my brow before trying again slowly. "Wh-ad's wron-g wiff it?"

He chuckled, a hand running up my arm in comfort. "It's just the rest of the relaxant from me. You're okay. It'll go away in a bit."

I cocked my head to the other side. Relaxant? And then a thought hit me. I gestured to my neck where he had bitten me before I had passed out. He nodded sharply, eyes still darting over my shoulder to the rest of the room behind me. "I don like id." I said, giving him a stern look that told him not to do it again. "Makes me shleepy." I finished with a yawn before shaking my head again to clear it. I wasn't tired but my body was reacting as if it was.

His chest rumbled comfortingly and then menacingly at something over my shoulder. My muscles tensed as I slowly turned around, coming face to face with my papa.

His blue eyes were glittering slightly, one hand clawing at the couch while the other held on tightly to my mama. "Na-na-" he began, his eyes beseeching.

"Don call me dat." I said in a low, hurt tone, not wanting to meet his gaze anymore but unable to look away. "Ad leasht nod right now." I added after a moment. Sasuke's hands rubbed circles on my waist, his chin resting lightly on my shoulder as I leaned back into his embrace.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly, hands clenching tighter around the upholstery. "Naruto, I-I don't know what to say about what happened but-but I can't say anything anyways. We don't want to cause you anymore pain." He let go of the couch reaching for the hand that lay limp in my lap but pulled away sharply when Sasuke snapped his teeth at him.

"Filthy mutt." Another voice sneered. My eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. That voice…it sounded like…no…it couldn't be!

"Gaa-chan!" I shouted eyes wide as I took in his form. "Whad are you-? You too?" I finished quietly, staring at the pointed ears and tail lashing about in anger and irritation.

His hard teal eyes softened momentarily before turning steely as Sasuke growled out a warning. "I've always been this way, just as you've been that way too. You just didn't know." He walked forward, ignoring the snarls that were shaking the body behind me. "You know that we were meant to be together right? We were supposed to be mated when you turned 21." He said softly.

"What?" I said just as quietly, all forms of slurring gone and then I felt the stirrings of betrayal. "You knew about this?" I pulled on one of my tails, ignoring everything else he had said, before hitching a thumb at my…parents. "You knew and you didn't tell me?" He was silent, and dare I say, his mouth dropped open in a move that was in no way Sabaku no Gaara. I glanced behind him and felt my heart tighten even more. "Temari? Kankuro?" Hurt laced my voice. It seemed like everyone who had been close to me was keeping secrets from me.

The rest of what he said caught up with me and I couldn't stop the sob of horror and humiliation that broke free. "You were only nice to me because you wanted me to mate with you."

Gaara's teal eyes widened with shock. "Oh, gods. Naruto! It wasn't like that!" his voice was rising, bordering on hysterical. "Naruto please, look at me babe. You know I love you!" He stepped forward, within touching distance which seemed to piss Sasuke off as much as the words did.

"Back off, Panda. You've upset my mate and are sincerely pissing me off." Sasuke growled, shifting his arms up protectively and flashing his canines. "You have no right to him now. He's been claimed."

"My scent was all over him!" Gaara raged, hands flying up in uncharacteristic displays of emotion. "You didn't even think twice about it! Dammit I knew I should've marked him sooner!"

Before Sasuke could bite out anything else I spoke up. "Gaara," I could feel my hands trembling and laced them tightly together. "You broke up with me. I don't understand why your upset now." My voice was course with emotion and I turned away, burying my head in Sasuke's strong shoulder.

"Naru-, babe, please listen." Gaara stated, his expression filled with pain. "I had to-, because we couldn't-, I just-"

"I want to be alone." I whispered.

Okaaaay so I know that it's been a while but I wanted to get another chapter in. As a sort of apology I may start another Naruto fanfic….yes? no? I hoping to be updating more often seeing as the terms have switched and I won't have as much homework…hopefully…

*gasp* what's this?! Gaara and Naruto were together?! Ohhh Sasuke's got his tail in knots now.

Anyways! Please Review! I love the feedback!

Until Next Time!