Hey, So this is a rewrite of Dreams vs. Reality because I just couldn't get the story to go where I wanted it to. The first six chapters of this fic will be relatively the same with more detail but after that the story changes. Hope you guys like it!

Sasuke wanted to scream, his mouth was open both in preparation to do so and horror at the scene before him but for some reason the sound was lodge in his throat. His eyes roved his parent's room, the eggplant walls splattered with red, the once comforting smell of jasmine and honey overpowered by the sharp metallic stench of blood. He wanted to run as fast as he could from the house but he was held in place by the look on their faces, their cold dead eyes still able to glare at him in hatred and accusation. He could feel their disappointment and rage, even in death his fathers disappointment cut him like a knife.

Unable to stand it anymore he turned and ran down the hall to his brother's room. His panicked mind reverting back to when he was younger and would always rely on his brother to make whatever problem or pain he had to go away. Itachi will make it better a line that he remembered thinking over and over again as a child became his mantra now. His old hero worship resurfacing and assuring him that there was some way his genius older brother could fix this. He pushed open the door but his brother was nowhere to be found. His laptop was open but in sleep mode, coffee still on his desk with books scattered around it with pencils and highlighter lying haphazardly on top of them. It looked like he had just stepped away to the bathroom, like he'd come back and study at any moment, as if their parents weren't laying dead in their own blood only three steps up the hall.

'Aniki' he called voice breaking but was greeted only by silence, where would he be? Their parents had been attacked! Where would he have gon- He turned slowly to look at his own door, still shut as he had left it. The scene normal which made it feel even more out of place. Slowly he walked toward it, a part of him screaming in his head to turn back, that he didn't want to see what was behind that door. But he kept going as if in a trance, his fingers gripping the door knob of their own accord and twisting. The door swung open and almost instantly he fell to his knees and stated gagging. Blood was everywhere, splattered across his blue walls, soaked into his comforter turning the dark sheets even darker. The absence of an actual body present not taking away from the feel of death in the room. But the worse part was the trail leading out the window. The window that he had left opened. That must have been… No. Once again he was screaming but this time he couldn't shut it off. No he couldn't have been responsible… Was he responsible?! His hands came up to press against his skull his eyes wide breathing ragged the crushing weight of his guilt and rage pouring down on him making it harder and harder to breath.

No. No they couldn't have gotten Itachi too, not Itachi. He pushed from the floor and opened the window wider before jumping out, ignoring the disgusting feeling of blood on his hands and soaking into his pants as he pushed through. Hitting the ground at a dead run he took off, following the visible blood trail into the woods behind their house while trying to shut off the voice in his brain telling him that no one could survive losing so much. He was gasping for air and running so fast the passing branches tore at his clothes and skin but he no longer cared, he didn't even feel their stings. The pain was nothing in comparison to all the other emotions coursing through his body. He didn't know how long he ran following the trail until he could barely make it out in the dark. The dark stain of blood had becoming only drops here and there. Squinted in the dark for any sign of his brother he didn't notice the root sticking up from the ground until it was too late. his foot caught and he fell to the ground rolling and slamming his back into a tree so hard his body bent around it. The force of impact knocking the air from his lungs so all he could do was lie there in the dirt wheezing. Groaning he curled forward into a ball trying to stretch his abused spinal muscles which twitched in pain. Determined to find his brother no matter what he ignored it as he pushed to his hands and knees, he was just about to get to his feet when he saw something in the corner of his eye. Freezing in place he turned his head slowly his eyes fixing on the shiny object that captured his attention. Everything froze before once again his lungs completely emptied themselves of air, only to be followed by his stomach releasing everything he had eaten that day hell maybe that week on the grass before him. There in the dirt was Itachi's watch, the watch that had been his fathers and his fathers before that, the watch that Itachi had never taken of his wrist. The wrist that it was still attached to, complete with the hand and part of the arm. Both of which were no longer connected to a body. He felt strangely numb, his ears ringing and the edges of his vision started to haze, but he felt disconnected from it all. He was aware of his arms giving out from underneath him, aware that he was currently lying in a pool of his own vomit, aware that his heart felt like it was about to break out of his chest, but he couldn't bring himself to care. As the world darkened around him he couldn't help but wish that he would wake up and this would only be a dream. He smiled to himself, yea this is only a nightmare, all I have to do is wake up.

He shot up gasping for air, pulling at the wires he felt taped to his nose and wincing when he felt a sharp tug on his arm. What the hell? He glanced around wild eyed at the white walls with plastic folded chairs lined up neatly against them an annoying beeping sound ringing in his ears. The noise was almost drowned out by the escalation of his breathing leaving him in loud jerky gasps, he wasn't stupid he knew he was in a hospital the question was why? What the hell had happened? Where was his family?

Flashes of angry accusing eyes, open windows, detached limbs and blood stained walls played in rapid secession through his mind. No. It was all a dream! A nightmare! Screaming and grabbing his head he folded in on himself. Or at least he tried the tubing was restraining him, feeling claustrophobic he tore the tubes from his nose and went to work on his IV his fingernails leaving bloody trails on his forearm caused by his frantic clawing and pulling. The doors bust open and he looked up gaze clashing with a pair of honey colored eyes.

"Mr. Uchiha stop what you're doing this insistent" She barked her tone commanding and in any other circumstance he would of obeyed but panic was clouding his judgment, reducing him down to the basic flight or fight response and all he wanted to do was run back home hide in his covers and pretend none of this had ever happened. An image of what his covers had looked like the last time he had seen them appeared in his head increasing his panic. He continued to pull ignoring the pain it caused, almost relishing in it, dismissing the nurse from his mind. He felt cold hands grasping his arm and pulling it away from body pining it to the sheets before repeating the same action with the other. He dimly heard her calling for assistance her yells almost drowned out by his own cries for his family but it was like his head was under water everything was muffled and far away. He thrashed against her hold using all of his considerable thirteen year old strength to break free. Before long there were more hands which only increased his struggle, then there was a sharp prick in his arm followed by a burning sensation, he felt his muscle go lax against his will but the panic was still there in his mind, his heart racing. As his vision faded he looked up into the honey colored eyes that were filled with sadness

I'm so sorry kid. A hand on his forehead softly pushing back his hair and then nothing.

~0.0.0~

It was much harder to open his eyes this time. It felt like they had been weighed down with lead. It took an embarrassing long time but he eventually got them open hoping against hope that he would see his posters and bed sheets but a quick glance around only showed white walls and he had to push down the sobs he felt in his throat. Staring at the ceiling with blurry eyes he tried with all his might not to wish his mother was here to fuss over him, his father sternly lecturing the staff about their techniques and intimidating them with his glare, Itachi flicking him on his forehead

Foolish little brother.

Fuck it was useless, the tears were down his face and soaking into the mattress before he even realized he was crying.

"Sasuke, It's alright to cry" He gasped his head snapping to the side. Kakashi was there, his hands absent of their usual porn novel showing more than any facial expression how much the situation had effected him. Next to him leaning against the wall was Shisui, arms crossed watching him with a weird guarded expression. They all silently stared at each other, Sasukes face still wet with his tears, Kakashis hard and hidden behind his mask, Shisui eyes red rimmed. The room hung in silence for a moment longer before his cousin broke it "I'm so sorry. Something like this it… there's no getting over it" Sasuke was silent, if he opened his mouth he wasn't sure what would come out. With a sigh he continued "I want you to know that, I'm here for you. If you need anything at all… we'll get through this somehow" His voice broke at the end and he glanced down at the floor. Sasuke watched as he tried to blink his tears away, he and Itachi had been close, they were best friends finishing each other's sentences communicating without words. Sasuke supposed it was almost like he lost a brother as well.

"Where will I go?" His voice was raspy and broken. Not a hint of emotion or inflection in it. Kakashi and Shisui exchanged a quick glance

"You'll be staying with me, I was named your guardian" Kakashi watched him closely Sasuke knew he was looking for a reaction but he wouldn't find it. Sasuke merely nodded looking up toward the ceiling again. He heard them shuffle awkwardly

"Visiting hours are almost over, they want to keep you over night for observation. They're worried about possible…trauma. I'll be back first thing in the morning" Kakashi stood slowly dusting off his pants and going to the door, he paused "I'm here for you. You're not alone." With that he was gone. Shisui stayed a little longer, Sasuke could feel his eyes trained on him before he pushed away from the wall. He approached the bed slowly, like he was approaching a wild animal. A spike of irritation ran through him

"If you have something you want to say then just say it" Again his voice was flat, giving away none of the pain he felt.

"I just… I don't know what to do here. I never thought… I don't know how to help, there is no way to make this better. But I swear to you that I will catch the sons of bitches that did this. If it's the last thing I do" He felt a hand on his shoulder squeezing slightly before he turned to leave.

"Shisui" His cousin paused by the foot of his bed, one arm propped up and gripping the door frame his body still angled toward Sasuke.

"Yes"

"I need to know something"

"Yes" Sasuke paused wondering if there was any way he could get by with not knowing. But he knew that he had to know, it would drive him crazy if he didn't

"That arm… was it Itachi's? Was he really…" Silence greeted his question, Shisui turned fully around his eyes wide and ran a hand through his hair. One of his tells when he was uncomfortable.

"Sasuke… how do you know about that?"

"I saw it" He was confused, didn't they find him out in the woods next to- his stomach rolled at the image and he quickly thought about something else.

"You… how? You... you were on your front porch unconscious. How could you have…?" Shisui was giving him a strange look, one Sasuke couldn't identify. Hell he was confused himself, last thing he remembered he had passed out on the forest floor

"Doesn't matter. Was Itachi…. Was it his?" He couldn't get the words out but judging by the look on his cousins face he didn't have too. "Please. I need to know" Shisui sighed his fingers tightening around the door frame. It was cruel what he was about to do, it went against his better judgment considering how unstable Sasuke seemed at the moment, but it had to be done. Considering how high profile this case was he knew he would found out the details eventually, maybe it was better that it came from him.

"I'm sorry Sasuke… yes it was Itachi. One of the pieces we were able to find" The last part was whispered but it felt loud in the silent room. Sasuke chest convulsed, his eyes squeezing shut. "I'm so sorry" he whispered the door closing softly behind him. Hot tears once again tracked down his face and he briefly wondered how he had enough water to cry this much. God he wished they were here, all of them. If he kept his eyes closed he could almost pretend they were, that this was all a dream.

But it only made the pain worse every time he remembered that it wasn't.

Resolute he opened them, blankly staring at the ceiling above him as he pushed all thoughts of his family away.

This was his new reality. He might as well get used to it.

~`0.0.0~