"Sorry you got the asshole shadow clone."
Akuma was ready to help him up.

"I... can tell.." He continued to stare at the other side of the room. 'Hear that, you can stop. Let go, now! I'll let this play out.. but I'm not leaving it alone. I'll be waiting.'

"Hn.." He put a hand to his head, then looked at Akume. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for.."

"It's fine."
He helped Gaara to the chair.

He sat down in the chair, feeling a bit uncomfortable. One, from the fact that he was sitting in the Hokage's chair, which he found to be incredibly disrespectful on his behalf, two, because of Shukaku, and three, because of who had helped him to the chair. "Was that.. really necessary..?"

"What? Saving you from certain death?"
Akuma grinned.
"We'll have you back in your proper place soon enough."

"No, I meant about the clone.." He frowned. "Why are you doing this..?"

Love had left the house a bit early wanting to get a grasp o her new surroundings but when she passed the mansion, she sensed something. Her attention wasdrawn into it so she ipulsively went inside. Her eyes widened as she saw Gaara but even though he was in the pressence of another man, she couldn't hold back her burst of joy that made her squeal excitedly before throwing her arms around him and rocking him while yipping,

"Gaara kun-it is Gaara kun! You are here-you are here!!!"

Being a bit taller and physcially stronger, he was being lifted off the ground as she swung him around.

"Hn..!" He grunted, coughing up a bit of blood. "Love.. please.. I am here, yes.. but not very well.. may I assure you.. I will be fine.. just.. not so tight.. it's.. somewhat.. difficult.. to breath.."

Love loosened her hold and stared at him horrified.

"G-Gaara kun is hurt! Gaara kun-I-I-I should not have left!" she wiped his mouth with her wrist and looked down at his body searching for a wound. "I did bad-very bad.....Where are you hurt?" her voice trembled a bit quite ashamed at herself.

"Who the hell are you?"
Akuma crossed his arms.
"And about the clone, it was required to ensure you made it here."

"Right here.." Helifted his hands and held his chest, staring at her and bringing a small, but forced smile to his face. "In two different ways.. but I'm fine, it's not you're fault. Theres nothing anybody could have done.."

He looked at Akuma. "This is Love, she was a guard of mine.. the best, at that."

He looked back to Love, not exactly sure how to introduce Akuma.

"Not doing a very good job..."
Akuma grinned.
"Where was she when McFish was assaulting you?"

"She needed to get away from Suna." Gaara looked at Akuma again. "She has been residing here, so it was not her duty at that time and nor is it her fault."

"OK. I think you're fairly lucky that Kovu told me what was going on, or I might've not ben able to get you out."
Akuma pulled a chair from accross the room and placed it near Love.
"Please take a seat, ma'am."
He looked back at Gaara.
"Now...What to do with you? I'm not taking you back to Suna while Sharkface is there, and I'm certainly not taking you back to my 'friends'..."

"I suppose.." He looked back to Love again, staring at her. "Do what you will, I suppose.. it's not as if it changes the outcome.."