Hello Internet! Sorry for a long absence but I'm glad that I managed to get another chapter up for this story! Thanks to everyone who followed, favourited, and reviewed while I was gone. It means a lot to me!

I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does own the series.

Enjoy the chapter!

The unnatural movement of the small drawing turned smoother the longer Gaara's sketch wandered around the page. The motions were still stiff but were no longer as choppy as they once were when he first began his animation. I sat still in the hospital bed, staring at the paper in horror as she gripped on the sketchbook as if I had to make sure even that was real.

I even began considering the option of tearing the page out of my sketchbook, crumbling it all up and throwing it away in the medical waste bin and never see it again. Never see him again.

Unwittingly, my hand rose to the corner top left corner of the page, neatly trimmed nails tracing the tearing line as my other hand pressed against the opposite corner to keep it in place as I began to tear the page out by a centimeter. With my face still contorted into a petrified stare, I looked directly into Gaara's penciled teal eyes as he began to realise what I had in mind. The pout of a child was soon replaced by fear mimicking that of an infant afraid of the dark.

"Don't leave me!" The young boy's voice cracked tried to plead with me, raising his arms like he was defending himself. The majority of the sound from the scream he made was absorbed by the paper but was still clearly heard in the empty hospital room.

He lurched forward as his right arm wrapped around the teddy bear rather harshly as if its head was ready to pop off. Dull tears formed in his eyes which could've made anyone else pity him were he a regular child. But the bold markings around his eyes, his flaming hair, and his panicked and distraught expression made him look like an animal. A demon. Granted I was the one who drew this sketch, but nothing could've prepared me for how terrifying this animated drawing would be.

"Please…" Gaara spoke in a harsh whisper, possibly straining his voice from that one scream. "I…I don't want to be alone again." It almost went unnoticed but he shook slightly, accompanied by tiny muffled sobs. He threw his head back to let out a full wail as he almost choked on his tears. The cheeks that rose to his dark eyes shone with a bright fleshy pink as they were stained with tears. It was nothing of what I made him look like when I originally drew him. No, his temper tantrum mimicked that of a real child.

A real child.

Real.

RealRealRealRealRealReal-

"You're real." Although I processed it as fact, it came out breathy and unsure.

His head snapped back at me immediately, grow furrowed as he jutted out his lower lip. "That's what I said." He turned his frustration towards me, like he was expecting me to automatically understand what happened. He sniffled once before letting his arms drop to his side, still holding closely to his stuffed animal.

I allowed Gaara to glare at me for a few seconds before quickly shutting the notebooks that he wouldn't protest. A few muffled shouts were heard but I had no time to listen to them. I got up from the hospital bed before taking the gown off me and tossing it off to the side and locating my own clothes. I rushed to get dressed and gather my belongings so I could exit the room and never look back.

God I hate hospitals.

Weaving my way between patients and visitors, I reached the help desk where Mother and Father were chatting with the nurses about my release forms and medication. They waved for me to come by and sign out, knowing well for my dissent towards the circumstances and the facilities. I put a squiggle that barely resembled my name next to the x's and above the lines then turned to walk towards the elevators, leaving my parents to fill out the rest of the forms.

I'm a big girl and I could've done it myself but I needed to get out of there as soon as possible. And I had to bring this damn sketchbook with me.

"I'll be in the car." I called back to my parents, knowing that they didn't believe my lie since I had no idea where they parked, but they voiced no objection.

"Hey! Where are we going?!" Gaara cried out, sounding a bit hostile but more confused than anything.

After stepping inside the elevator, I pressed on the button to the main floor, hoping the doors would close before anyone else stepped in. My hand loosely gripped the railing as the elevator reached the ground level. As I started to put the notebook back into my bag, I finally answered Gaara.

"We have to go visit grandmother."

I stuffed the book inside the bag before slinging it over my shoulder while I made my way out of the parking lot. It would take a good fifteen minutes before actually getting home, but the quiet walk would do me good for once. After all, every teenager needs their exercise. Traffic wasn't bad today so there wasn't a big possibility of me getting hit and ending up in the hospital twice today, but it was loud enough to block out Gaara's protests of being left to himself.

Because I hurried to get home, I managed to get back before Mother and Father found me speed-walking home and receive a scolding. I cut through my lawn to get to the back entrance to my house, stopping at the locked door to look around for the house key. I trusted myself to know where it's hidden rather than remembering to bring it with me every time I leave the house. After scrambling around for the silver key inside under the not too small, freckled rock, I unlocked the door and put the key back in its place before stepping inside.

The house was encased in silence, only interrupted by the shuffling of my feet and bag. I took my bag off and opened it up to take out the sketchbook, flipping it to the page where Gaara continued his whining. I held it up against the wall, staring onto his teal eyes, giving him a look that would make sure he listened to every word that came from my mouth.

"Do you want me to trust you?" I held my voice low as to not strain it, but also to intimidate him so he wouldn't come up with a smart answer.

Gaara's head lifted up, his hateful eyes turning hopeful before nodding, not wanting to be nuisance anymore.

"Then you need to trust me." I gave him to time to agree with me.

I jerked my hand back, bringing his page along with me as I tore it out. Gaara yelled in surprise, staying away from the edges of the page while I dropped the sketchbook to the ground. I held him up with both hands, knowing well that after what I considered back at the hospital he would think I still had the same plan in mind.

"Trust me."

Sorry it was so short but I'm just trying to get the chapters out at this point. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate your support!

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