((Okay, this is the longest chapter by far so read and review! Seriously, I'm not joking. I need more input and people to tell me how seriously messed up I am.

Well, all this time, I've been dishin' crap to poor Gaara-chan. But I figured it was time to sling some Youko's way. So I decided to make Gaara a hero in this chapter. And let me tell you, he wore the tights well. So without further ado, here's chapter 8. I only own Youko))

Chapter 8: Come Find Me

Youko wandered the streets of Suna aimlessly. Gaara had vanished during their fraternizing. Disappeared in a whirlwind of sand. But before he left her, she'd caught a glimpse of his face. Flushed cheeks, mouth agape as he tried to catch his breath, glazed eyes. But in those lust-encased orbs, a flash of uncertainty sparked. And while she was sure that it wasn't her person he was unsure about, her eyes saw that spark blaze into an explosion of confusion and shame that probably triggered that dramatic escape.

'But why would he feel that way? Virgin or not, all guys are ready for the ultimate intimacy. I'm the one who should be second-guessing this... he felt so large in his pants that he'll probably split my poor untouched body in half!' she wondered, feeling the angry ache in her loins that only came from unfulfilled passions. She ignored the swell of her bra-clad breasts as she kept looking for the redhead.

As she rounded yet another corner, a plank of wood slammed against the top of her head. Now she had two areas on her body that hurt like a bitch. And one of them made her black out and crumple to the ground.

"And you're sure that that will work?" Gaara asked, trying to understand everything that Kankuro had just unleashed.

The puppeteer sighed. "Yes! For the tenth time, yes! Why do you doubt my genius so much?" The look he got made him continue. "Anyway, I've read enough magazines to know what I'm talking about."

Gaara scratched his head, still uncertain. But Kankuro was the one "educated" in these situations. Perhaps he should go against his better judgment and just take the advice. So as he exited the room, he muttered, "When I become Kazekage, I might make you one of my advisors."

Kankuro watched his brother's departure with wide-eyed surprise. That was almost... nice of him if you didn't take into consideration the scowl that just HAD to have been plastered onto the youth's face and the slightly ungrateful tone of his voice.

Youko awoke to severe pain in the back of her head. Tears stung at her eyes as she tried to get a lock on exactly where she was. The walls were dark and glittered in the light of the small fire so it was a simple guess that she was currently underground. There was no windows and only one door for an entrance... or an escape. Too bad her wrists and ankles were bound and she was laying on the cold, slightly muddy floor. Looking for any sign of human existence, she discovered no one. The room was bare, the poor girl might as well have been the only piece of furniture.

"Hello?" she called out. The room could have some sort of jutsu over it to soundproof it but she didn't care. "Hey! Whoever bashed me over the head better let me out! Then I'll only take off ONE of their limbs!" Boy, empty threats sure made her feel better.

A man's face slowly faded into view. A crazed happy look saturated his face and he began to laugh. "Nope... not gonna let ya out lookin' like that. Deal's done. Gotta tame ya before he comes..."

"Before who comes? Tame? What's going on, you crazy old bat?!" Youko asked him.

But he simply giggled, replying, "Too flashy, so showy. Been paid good money for the cocky vixen. Pray that ya haven't been cock-happy, little slut. He won't be pleased if ya gave yer only gift to some street hustler willin' to feed ya... time to tame, time ta make ya the perfect mistress, perfect wife!"

Youko closed her eyes as the man... as her body's father leapt at her to begin his "training". 'DAMNIT!!' she screamed in her mind.

But nothing came. After a few moments, her emerald eyes opened to find sand. Lots of sand. And the insane old man was knocked out against the wall-- the sand had made him crash against the cold stone borders of the room.

Looking up from the fallen man, there stood Gaara. His seafoam eyes glared at her from the darkness that the fire didn't reach. She didn't know how he got in there without using the door, nor did she care.

'You came to help me?" That was the biggest mystery. The sand demon said that he wanted to kill her. Since he couldn't do it himself, this would have been the absolute best way to kill her without killing her. After all, a hell-on-earth is the best way to kill someone who isn't scared of death.

Gaara had no trouble finding Youko. It was kind of like he had a sudden lock on her. Anywhere in the village, he knew exactly where she was. So when he noticed that she'd gone to some place she'd never been, he wanted to see what was going on.

He snuck into the house as easy as taking lives. The entire place reeked of blood and really got the adrenaline running. However, he exercised control and passed the room that seemed to be soaked in a woman's blood. He focused on Youko's life signal, noting that she had gone into the basement... with a guy.

That angered the Shukaku vessel. How dare she shack up with some creep after what had conspired between them! Was she that hot that she had to shack up with any guy on the street?! He followed in anger, determined to get some sort of answer from her. By ANY means necessary. He was outside the door when he heard voices. One was his Youko.

Gaara shook his head of that thought. Youko wasn't HIS, she was HERS alone. No one owned her. That spitfire wouldn't let any man possess her.

The other voice was that of an old man. And immediately, he knew that she'd been kidnapped or taken hostage. Something stupid like that. The sand demon wasn't exactly "Suna's most wanted" but he was better than some geezer. There was no way she'd cheat on him with a walking corpse. He bit his cheek hard. He HAD to stop thinking that way.

At a shout from the old man, Gaara made his move. Using a jutsu, he turned his body into sand and leaked into the room through the cracks of the door. The kidnapper was tossed into the wall, it was so solid that no sound could be heard besides two low thuds. He'd hit his head against the wall so he wasn't getting up any time soon.

Then the redhead looked at the girl. Her wrists and ankles were tied. Another bra replaced the silver he'd sliced off earlier. The hard nubs poked through the black material proudly. Her skin, her pale skin, was covered in dirt like she'd been dragged through the filthiest alleys.

Youko's bright green orbs were closed as if expecting something to lash out at her. And Gaara, call him crazy, was sure that there were tears in the corners. When whatever she expected to happen didn't, the girl opened them and first, her eyes locked on the sand and the man. Second, they traveled up his own body. But it wasn't normal, she wasn't checking him out. Third, her emerald caught his seafoam and clung to them almost desperately.

"You came to help me?" Her voice was that of disbelief. Of surprise. Of... happiness?

He crossed his arms. Maybe he was but Kankuro DID advise him to take advantage of certain situations so he opened the negotiations. "Depends on what you'll give me."

"What do you want?" Youko asked.

Gaara knew what he wanted but he didn't want to go too high in the bargaining. "What do you have?"

An almost sultry look flashed in her eyes but it soon vanished. It almost became despair. Like she was extremely sad or thought something was hopeless. "I only have me, Gaara... but I won't turn myself into anyone's slave."

He noted that she didn't call him "Gaara-love". So he went for it. "One date."

When Youko's eyes looked at him in confusion, Gaara sighed. "I'll get you out of here for the price of one date."

Then he looked away. "Better give me your answer before that old geezer wakes up. I won't knock him out twice." So what if he'd make the man pass out as many times as it took? She didn't need to know that.

He started blushing as soon as she started giggling. What the Hell was she laughing about? Was it really such a strange demand?

Youko couldn't help it. He could have asked for anything in the world. Except for her being his slave. And all he wanted was a single date? If he didn't run from the desert then they probably would have had sex... but all he wanted was a DATE?! It was just too funny!

But the girl calmed down as soon as possible. After all, she did have to answer him. "How about two dates?" she bargained.

He looked at her with such wide innocent eyes. Youko wanted to kiss him again. And the light blush was a good touch. So she explained, "Well, the first date is always the most awkward. You wouldn't have any fun until the second. And I'll even throw in good-night kisses. In the end, she was teasing... sort of.

But Gaara took the bait.

The sand weilder nodded in agreement. It was more than he'd started with. Which meant one of two things. She was either a horrible negotiator or it was what they both wanted. But so long as he got the better end of the stick, what was he contemplating for? It wasn't like he was complaining.

"Fine." The deal was made and, with a sand kunai, he cut off the rope that bound her wrists. But just as he was getting to her ankles, a low groan brought both of their attentions to Youko's "father". He was beginning to stir.

Gaara wasn't expecting it. It was a total surprise and just about knocked him on his ass. The girl wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. Before his senses returned to him, he placed his hands on her thin waist and used his sand to take them away from the awakening man and the dungeon he'd locked his daughter in.