She was violated and torn; beaten and abused; brutalized and left for dead. He found her and saved her.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I don't know why I got the idea for this or why the first part only mentions their names once, but I think it's a pretty story. It only took a half an hour to write and it's very short, but I think the message is meaningful.

Rape is a hard subject to talk about. I spend a lot of time fighting for women's rights. When I wrote this, I didn't know just how prevalent rape was, but now I can quote the statistics like my social security number and they're incredibly high, much too high for a country that is supposedly so great.

I do not describe the actual rape in detail. I didn't have the heart too.

My song inspiration for this was "Cut Up Angels"by The Used. I know the song is supposed to be about a murder/suicide, but the line at the beginning of the fanfiction always makes me think of rape. Though I have never been raped personally, a few people very close to me were violated in this most base of ways and I cannot stand to know they were betrayed by those they loved and trusted.

Rape is just not cool.

There is a reason I am choosing to be a psychologist, this is due to my uncanny ability to feel other's pain. I am a VERY empathetic person. This is why I try so hard to help others deal with their trauma through my writing. I have spent many nights plagued by night terrors of gang-rape and was once told by a psychologist that they believed I was raped in a "past life" and this is why I can related to it so well. Perhaps this is true, but I know for a fact in this life, I am lucky enough to have never been sullied by my loved ones.

Rapists are sick people. They do not see sex as a beautiful expression of love, but as a way to dominate and degrade another person. I do not mean to sound like a public service announcement, but if you know someone who has been violated like this, PLEASE help them. For the love of God, don't let them go through that kind of pain alone.

This story is important to me for another reason: my father. The man who takes care of me is not my biological parent. My mother was married to a man for eight years and he left her when she was six months pregnant with me for the wife of another man. His best friend's wife, actually! He is currently married to her. They have two kids. I have never met my biological father. The man that raised me for the last eighteen years is my mom's live-in boyfriend. I call him "Dad" because I have known no other father. I want you all to know that blood and marriage papers do not make family and while Naruto and Sakura get married, it's not required for a happy family. The only thing that makes a happy family is love and a home. Not the amount of people in the family, their races, genders, or marital status. Just love. If I teach you anything, let it be that.

OH! The names are not actually from the "Icha Icha" series, I simply made them up at my own convenience for an alternate future I was working on. There are only two couples mentioned in this story, so as a reader you can decide all the other couples for yourself. Fantasize as you please, shippers! Though, my "Next Generation" universe that included Naruto and Sakura's six children with Sasuka as the oldest had Kiba/Hinata, Shikamaru/Ino, Kakashi/Iruka, and Neji/Temari. Lol.

ALSO: Naruto and Sakura are eighteen in this story. I wrote this long before the chapters detailing Itachi's death and the circumstances surrounding it, so he was still perceived as a villain at this point. I went back and re-wrote a couple pieces, adding characters from later on in Shippuden (Karin), but I chose to keep him as the canon-rapist. There are a lot of liberties taken and I ask forgiveness for that. I can't make it exactly like the comic! This is fiction!

WARNINGS: This story contains rape and a woman's choice to keep the child. This is NOT a referendum on abortion or keeping children of rape. I am pro-choice. So, no one should feel the need to get political. THANKS.

PAIRINGS: Naruto/Sakura

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto
"Cut Up Angels" © The Used

I had thought of rose petals most perfectly pure
Then I thought of your petals, and the abuse they've been through…

- The Used

"Petals"

She was violated and torn, beaten and abused, brutalized and left for dead.

He found her alone in the rain, clothes in tatters. Her face was wet from the weather, but he knew that she had been crying. He felt his stomach drop to his feet when he saw her eyes, dull and lifeless. He feared that she may be dead. He bent down, taking her hand in his, checking for a pulse. She was alive.

That night, he carried her four miles to his home.

He tottered up the stairs and laid the pink-haired beauty on his bed. She slept there until the morning, her dreams tortured and fevered. He refused to sleep. Instead, he stayed by her side all night, clutching her hand, willing her to drift into a peaceful sleep.

The next day, she awoke to find him waiting patiently for her to rise. He had been with her the entire night, praying for her safety. His blonde hair was disheveled, bags underneath his sapphire eyes, red with tears he had cried for her.

It was in that moment she realized that she loved him.

In all the years they had been together on the same team, she never realized how much she cared until this very moment. The tragedies they had endured together held relevance in her maturity. Her childhood ignorance had caused her to shun the one closest to her for what only amounted to a pubescent crush. He had always been there for her no matter what, weathering every hardship. He put his life on the line for her.

She regretted taking him for granted, and in that moment she promised herself that she would do whatever it took to make up for that mistake even if it took the rest of her life. It was a special moment when she realized that she wanted to spend eternity with the man at her side. She wanted to love him.

She leaned forward, placing her lips over his. He kissed back, his tears mingling with hers. He embraced her, pulling her forward and she returned the aggression by wrapping her arms around his neck. Their first kiss was long and lingering, fueled by the pent-up passion of the last seven years. They did not part for several minutes, trying to get as close to one another as possible. With their embrace, they wished to say everything lost over the years with action that words could never express. The kiss was warm and soft, it tasted of sugar and salt. It felt right.

When they broke the kiss, he whispered. "Please tell me what happened last night."

She was quiet for a moment, looking down at the sheets coiled in her hands. She gripped the bedclothes so tightly that her knuckles began to turn white, tears forming in the corners of her emerald eyes. Suddenly, she began to cry; tears pouring down her face, streaking it in various shades of red. As calm as he could, he leaned over her and placed a quick kiss on her forehead. She shook beneath his lips.

Trembling as memories of the previous night began filling her head, baulking and clenching her hand to her mouth as if she was going to be sick. The blonde boy didn't press. Instead, he took her hand in his and squeezed it firmly. She turned to look at him and seeing the love reflected in his eyes, she felt more secure. She bravely swallowed her fear and told her tale.

She weaved a story of lies and betrayal. She told him how she was approached by members of the Akatsuki and in a desperate attempt to contact Sasuke, she allowed herself to be led into the forests surrounding Konohagakure alone. She hoped that he would be able to lead her to her former teammate and she would unburden Naruto of the promise he had made to her about finding him. She had hoped to prove her independence and prowess as a Kunoichi by going alone and was subsequently cornered by the superior shinobi.

Uchiha Itachi led her through the woods outside the village, weaving lies about Sasuke and his whereabouts. Abruptly, he forced her to the ground. Her voice caught in her throat and she fell into silence. The blonde quietly kissed her cheek again and she took a deep, shuddering breath before continuing. She described in horrific detail the hell that Uchiha Itachi had put her through, his violation of her most sacred place. He had trapped her in a jutsu using his horrible eyes, making what were only moments of unspeakable pain feel like years of torture. She called herself dirty and condemned herself for her stupidity.

"H—How could I let this happen?" she sobbed, sniffling loudly.

He placed a finger on her lips and gazed into her eyes with such affection and sincerity that she stopped speaking. When he opened his mouth, his voice was low but authoritative. "You're not dirty." he consoled her, brushing the tears from beneath her eyes with the tips of his calloused fingers. "Sometimes," he whispered, "beautiful cherry blossom trees wilt in the winter, but do you know what happens when spring comes around again?" he asked her, running his hand down her cheek.

She shook her head. He grinned at her, cupping her chin in his hand and pushing his forehead against hers so that their noses were touching. She blushed furiously, pursing her lips and pouting.

"They bloom."

That night was the start of something beautiful as Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto began their relationship. Naruto had finally reached heaven, finding acceptance and love in the heart of another person and Sakura was grounded by him, no longer chasing impossible goals. She discovered that a true dream could be achieved with the help of the people you least expected.

- 0 -

Three weeks later, Sakura made a terrible discovery.

There was a massive crash in the bathroom. Naruto rushed from the kitchen to find the contents of the medicine cabinet strewn about the floor and Sakura sobbing on the toilet. "What's wrong?" he asked her desperately, stepping over the debris and gripping her tiny shoulders. She pushed him off and tore from the bathroom, but he caught her and forced her to look at him. Sakura met his gaze for only a moment before tearing it away, ashamed.

Naruto begged her for an explanation, but her answer was garbled by tears. After a few, emotional minutes he was able to get her to calm down enough to give him a proper explanation as to why she had destroyed the house in a fit of despair.

"Naruto-Kun," Sakura shook as she spoke, struggling over her confession. "I'm p—pr—pregnant!" she allowed her sobs to come forth once again unbidden, refusing to meet his eyes. Naruto stood bewildered for a few moments, before taking her into his strong arms and holding her tightly as the waves of sobs wracked her body.

"Shh," he soothed, running his fingers gently through her rose-colored locks and pulling her into him. He could feel the rapidity of her heartbeat against his chest and he attempted to reassure her, "It will be fine." he whispered.

"N—no it W—WON'T!" she wailed, pounding his chest weakly in her desperation. She was far too upset to beat him into submission the way she usually did, filled with a crippling sadness she could barely control. "You're going to leave now! Who wants a d—disgusting girl and her RAPE BABY!" Sakura moaned. She tried to push him away, but he held fast.

"I do."

She bawled louder, screaming at him. "Don't lie to me Naruto! I know you want to be Hokage! You can't have someone like me as your partner!" she bemoaned, trying to pull away from him. She needed desperately to run, to escape, to get as far away as possible and forget she had ever met Uzumaki Naruto.

He refused to let her go.

"Sakura-Chan, please stop crying." Naruto beseeched her. He continued to attempt to hold her to him, even as she frenziedly tried to shove him away. Distraught from the pain her own soul, the roseate shinobi collapsed in his arms. The blonde carried her into the bedroom and laid her down gently. He positioned himself next to her and pulled her back into his. She continued to weep harshly, quivering.

"Naruto p—please don't leave me!" she begged. "I'm so sorry! So sorry." her apologizes faded into snivels as he placed kisses on her forehead and cheeks, nuzzling her with his nose.

"Hush, I am not going to leave you. Not ever." he said firmly, pulling her closer into the prevailing warmth of his body. Over the years, Naruto had matured into a fine man. He was tall and strong. His body was chiseled but not too buff, with a wiry frame. It was his his manner that had changed the most over time. While he was still the same boisterous, perverted bumpkin he always was, there was a hardness to him, a maturity that managed to exhibit itself at the most perfect times.

This was one of those times.

"Don't be sorry." Naruto advised her, smiling into her hair. "You're smart and beautiful, and you're stronger than anyone I know. The way you're staying so put together through this whole situation in public proves it. I'm the only one who sees you like this." he sounded almost proud of that fact, that he got to see her most vulnerable of moments. She couldn't help but smile a little. He squeezed her. "What happened to you was a tragedy, but you can't let it rule you. It's not a sign of weakness to be afraid. We are all afraid sometimes. I was scared when I lost Jiraiya." his voice hitched and she turned to comfort him, but he stopped her. "Look, I know it's scary because we're only eighteen and we're going to be parents, but we'll make it through this." he assured her. Sakura's eyes widened and she wriggled free from his grasp, sitting up and turning to face him.

"B—but Naruto-Kun, this baby isn't yours. Won't it be… tainted?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

"No!" he shouted, sitting up so quickly it startled her. "This baby will be born into a loving home! Who cares how you got pregnant? You're important to me and so is that child! I'm its father." Naruto stated with such confidence, Sakura was taken aback. She found herself blushing.

Sakura paused for a moment and locked eyes with him, "Why? Why would you do this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. He smiled.

"I'm not going to let that child be lonely like I was. This baby deserves a loving home, regardless of who impregnated you!" he confided, his strong voice faltering slightly as the memories of his childhood filled his head. She was quiet as well while they contemplated his life in silence. Naruto squeezed his hand. "Sakura-Chan, I love you. I want to be the one you can depend on. I want to be your baby's father."

Her tears of sorrow were replaced with those of joy.

"D—do you mean it, Naruto?" she questioned, smiling through watery eyes. He nodded and she threw her arms around him, pulling him down onto her chest in a powerful hug. He twisted out of her grasp and pushed her nightgown up, pressing his lips on her stomach. He could swear he felt the warmth of new life.

He smiled into the flesh and placed his chin on her pelvis, looking up at her through shaggy bangs. She looked down at him, inquiringly. "Haruno Sakura, will you marry me?"

"YES!"

- 0 -

Nine months later on the twenty-fifth of March, the world was blessed with the birth of a beautiful baby girl. She had hair the color of the night-sky and eyes greener than a forest. Her parents named her Uzumaki Sasuke, after someone very close to both of them. She was greeted by a man who could be considered the most enthusiastic and doting father in the history of Konohagakure.

It was funny, the Uchiha Clan was no longer dead, but there was not a single Uchiha around to see its revival.

Eventually, Sasuka became the eldest of six children and the first daughter of the Eighth Hokage, though she remained the only one of her siblings with dark-hair and the Uchiha bloodline limit, the sharingan. Her siblings all sported hair in varying shades of pink and blonde.

Sakura and Naruto's children were named Taeru, Sakai, Misao, Hitori, Kachi, and of course, Sasuka. With the exception of their first child, Naruto insisted that each of his children be named for one of the characters in a certain series of dirty novels. He persisted that anyone named after a character from the great shinobi's books was bound to great things, citing himself as proof.

The Uzumaki clan thrived in the next forty-seven years of Naruto's reign as Hokage.

Naruto and Sakura's family became the most rambunctious clan to ever rule Konohagakure. Soon, word of their prodigy child, a clever albeit rambunctious girl sporting the sharingan spread world-wide. Many people said that she was exactly like her father, the Eighth Hokage.

It was Sasuka's popularity that drew the one of the most important people in both her parents' lives back to the village.

Uchiha Sasuke arrived at the gates of Konohagakure at the age of twenty-eight with his new wife Uzumaki Karin, in tow. He apologized for the trouble he put them through, blaming it on a stint of Male-PMS. The raven-haired man was foreign and welcomed back into the village with open arms. He and his wife had three children. They became joint leaders of the ANBU Black Ops. He had managed not only to revive his clan, but clear their name. The Uchiha Clan finally settled its differences with Senju when Uchiha Sasuke was named the godfather of the Hokage's third child. Uchiha Madara was nowhere to be found.

In the end, I guess one can say they all lived happily ever after. Though, the road there wasn't always smooth. There were many arguments, dating, grounding, parties, screaming, nights on the couch, and lots and lots of love, but they made it. The love and support shared between the family pushed them forward and help them achieve the goals they aimed for.

Family does not always have to mean the conventional mother and father, having their children within the "sanctity" of marriage. Sometimes, life hands us circumstances that are a bit different but whatever we create can be beautiful.

No matter if "family" consists of one parent or two, if they are separated or together, if they are of different races, the same gender or opposite, or if a parent does not share blood with his children, it is still beautiful. All that is important is love. It love ties the members together, their family will hold.

Sometimes, something hideous and upsetting can spawn something beautiful.

END