Mixing of Snow and Sand

Chapter 29: Osore Reveals

Gaara's POV

We hadn't gotten very far from the village before a hawk flew overhead. It landed on Kankuro's arm and he unwrapped the message it was carrying. It took him a minute to read it, but when he finished he looked stunned.

"What is it?" Temari asked.

"Mia, Kakashi is bringing her home. He was following her the whole time. Lady Tsunade didn't want us chasing after her, because she was worried that Kakashi wouldn't be able to bring her back if there was a fight."

"Then what do we do? Do we stay or...?" Temari muttered and looked at me.

"We'll stay in the area, if we hear nothing in a few days we'll head home."

~

Two days had passed and still there was no word from the Leaf Village about Mia's return. We were getting ready to pack up and leave when someone landed on the tree beside our tents.

"I thought I should pass the message on personally." I looked up to see Kakashi standing there. He had a smile on his face, which meant he had succeed in bringing her home.

"She's okay?" I asked.

"She's fine. I had to use my Sharingan to knock some sense into her, so she'll be out for a few days but she's safe and in the village. She understands now." Temari and Kankuro smiled brightly.

"What does she understand?" I asked confused as we packed up to follow him.

"She was alone for a good portion of her life, no one to understand what it was like to have the Osore. People feared her and she believed that her family feared her as well. She never felt like she had a home. Now she does." Was all he said before we followed him to the village, where he led us to the infirmary where she was unconscious. Okami sat up when he saw us walk in.

Temari, Kankuro, Gaara...were sorry... He whimpered. I walked over and pet his head.

"You were going to protect her, how could we be mad about that?"

"If it weren't for me being an idiot, he wouldn't have to apologize for the both of us." I heard Mia cough out. She opened her eyes slowly, but it looked like it took a lot of effort to do so.

Mia, you're okay! Okami jumped over to her side.

"Of course I'm okay. I'm surrounded by friends and family, that's the best thing for recovery." She smiled and for the first time in a long time it was her smile. The one I remembered from when we were kids. Whatever the Sharingan had shown her, gave her the light she was missing for so long. She looked at me and I could see the regret in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, I caused the three of you so much worry. I had always thought I let go of what happened in the past, but I guess the darkness in my heart wasn't completely gone. But it wasn't just darkness, it was the fear of it happening again. I thought that if I left I was protecting you all, but all I was doing was hurting you in the process. I was running away, because I didn't want to see it again." I could see the sadness written on her face as she remembered what had happened to her in the past.

"Its okay, Mia." Temari sat beside her. Okami moved onto the floor so Mia could have some space.

"It doesn't change the fact that I betrayed the kindness and trust you've shown me. I'm sorry for that." She looked away from us and I could see her eyes cloud over with more sorrow. I went to her other side, grabbing her hand. When she looked at me though, it was with the Osore. I felt myself getting thrown into darkness, but at the end of it there was the light of the setting sun. When I was engulfed in the sun, I could see Mia standing there with her mother. The two looked similar but so different at the same time. Mia had silver hair, after the seal had been altered with by Orochimaru her hair had permanently changed to silver like her father's. Her mother had sandy brown hair. Both had yellow eyes like the Third Kazekage, Mia's having the characteristics of a wolf with the Osore. This was young Mia though, it wasn't the Mia I knew now.

"Hey mom?" Her soft voice surprised me, she had always been so headstrong when we were kids and even now that this softer side of her I never knew.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"Did you know Gaara's mom?" I could see the tension in her mother's shoulders.

"Yes I did, we weren't close friends...but we were in the same classes at the academy. Why do you ask?" Mia didn't say anything for a long time, but she finally looked at her mother.

"What kind of person was she?"

"She was a caring woman, she loved her children with all her heart."

"But she never knew, Gaara..." Mia looked down. Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder.

"A mother doesn't have to know their child in order to love them. Gaara's mother loved him with all her heart, enough that she gave her life to give him life." My eyes went wide.

"Do you think...we could do something for him? So he wouldn't feel so alone?" Mia muttered as she looked out over the lake.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well...I know his birthday is coming up soon...could we maybe, throw him a party?" I heard her mother chuckle, but it sounded almost like music.

"I think that's a wonderful idea. Now let me ask you a question. Do you like Gaara?"

"He's an amazing person, he may not show it. But he really is someone special. I can feel it." Mia placed her hand over her heart. "Right here."

"You've always been special to me, Gaara." I heard her voice, but from behind me. She was standing there, the Mia I knew now. "I didn't know how special you would become, but I always knew you were a good person."  Her smile filled me with warmth.

"Mia, why are you showing me this?" I asked as the memory started to fade away.

"I figured you deserve to know the truth. I have always loved you and that will never change." The memory faded away and we were once again in the hospital. Temari and Kankuro looking at me confused.

"Are you alright, Gaara?" Kankuro asked.

"Yeah, I'm great." I smiled down at Mia as her eyes shut. I sat down beside her and stroked the hair out of her face.

"Did something happen?" Temari asked as she looked between us.

"Its hard to explain. But it's a good thing." I smiled.

I love you, Mia. Nothing could ever change that. You saw me when I had no one and now you've given me so much to live for.