Disclaimer: pay attention to this, for I am not posting it to every chapter! Capishe? All Naruto affiliations and/or derivatives from either the Manga or Anime are sole property of Masashi Kishimoto. All I own are the following stories that I have written. He he. Myn3.

Full Summary: Something happens that can't be undone, no matter how much anyone wishes it. Sakura suffers in a beautiful depression as she tries to place the pieces back together in her shattered life. But why? It was an accident after all, right? The truth is in their eyes, and they all refuse to meet hers . . . (multiple pairings possible)

Chapter 1: Bad News

"Hello . . . Haruno-san?" he was familiar with her but felt bad for waking her up so late on such a cold night as this, carrying news such as his.

She seemed surprised to see him when she opened the door, and he almost wanted to smile at her pajamas. A long sleeve, silk shirt with matching pants, and cherries printed on the pants. She hadn't changed in all the years he had come to know her. Just as innocent at 20 as at 12.

"Ano, Neji-san? Hi, come in, come in! It's freezing outside!" her confusion at seeing him of all people at her door vanished and was replaced by the warmth offered in her beautiful smile, a smile that met her eyes and reflected all the comfort he would have loved to receive.

It was definitely inviting, and it pained him to think about what he was about to do to her. He resolutely refused, if only to strengthen his own resolve, he had a task, and he needed to say what he was there to say.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," she caught the sorrow that laced his voice along with the informality and nervously wrung her hands, "I've come to deliver a message for the 6th."

"What's wrong, Neji?" her face was stoic and he inwardly cursed himself as he watched her eyes glaze with anxiety, her voice a quiet plea.

"Your fiancé, Uchiha Sasuke, was killed in action while on an S-Class mission to retrieve the abducted Kazekage, and 6th Hokage from the missing-nin group known as Akatsuki. The mission was only successful because of his sacrifice, and the two villages involved will be forever indebted to him. His memorial service and burial will be held within three days," he hid in the formalities until he noticed she had stopped listening.

Tears streamed down her face from blank eyes that he was certain weren't seeing him anymore. She turned back into the previous warmth of the apartment and he noted that it seemed darker without her smile and cheer; it had vanished like the light in her eyes. He cautiously followed watching her every move, in case she decided to attack him or herself in this state he might have to stop her.

"Sakura-san?" he attempted to gauge a reaction and was rewarded with nothing, he knew she had gone into shock and needed to assess how severe, "His sacrifice, he did it for you, and everyone. His death was honorable, and everyone shares the burden."

"Don't tell me it was for me . . ." she whispered as she walked into the bathroom, being an experienced medic-nin she had already recognized the shock and knew what was coming. She could feel the bile in her throat rising.

He rushed behind her to hold her soft, pink hair out of her face as she leaned over the basin. With one strong hand placed firmly yet gently on her shoulder for support, it occurred to him how fragile she seemed and how odd it was to be her support. The thought was forgotten when she heaved and lost the contents of her stomach into the bowl. He felt as her body convulsed and fought to not look away.

3 times she vomited until nothing could have possibly been left in her stomach, and it was merely dry heaves that wracked her body. She shook so hard on the last that he thought she might collapse, so he moved the hand bracing her shoulder to her stomach to catch her should her legs give. Again he noticed how frail she seemed; the girl who apprenticed under the 5th, and yet she was so small. But he knew well how powerful she was.

She regained her balance by placing both hands on the edge of the basin. Then she reached for a tissue from the box on top of the tank and wiped away the residue from her mouth before standing straight, slipping out of his hold. She rinsed her mouth out with mouthwash in the sink and regained her composure. He noticed how she still shook violently and was very surprised that she hadn't collapsed yet. With glassy eyes, she turned to him and he knew she was still in shock. Her tears were still falling freely and unnoticed and her beautiful face was pale and pasty, like a doll or mask.

"I think I left the front door open . . ." she turned abruptly and he followed without question.

She walked out the front door, through the snow-covered yard and up to the front gate in only her nightclothes, her bare feet freezing on the icy ground. She opened the gate and turned to close it. When she turned to continue going to who knew where, she slipped on an ice patch and would have crumpled to the ground . . . if he hadn't have caught her when she stumbled.

Her hands fisted in his shirt as she succumbed to her grief and cried into his neck, as he carried her back inside. He stroked the back of her head and rubbed her back comforting her the best way he could as he felt her tears soak through his clothes to his skin.

He silently cursed everything, everything but her. He lied to her, hadn't told her what really happened on the mission, and gave a false testimony of Sasuke's death, to her, the one who the truth mattered the most to. But he swore he would have rather sold his soul so that the fragile Sakura blossom in his arms would not fall. He felt the bile rise in his own throat and vehemently pushed down the nausea. Nausea from the sickness of guilt that refused to pass.

She finally went limp in his arms and fell silent but he continued to hold her tight. Protecting her from the demons of the world and the ungodly truth he and everyone who played witness on the mission had sworn to shield her from. He whispered heartfelt apologies into her ears, heartfelt for the suffering girl, not the death that caused her to suffer. He carried her to her bedroom and laid down her unconscious form on the futon before sitting on the floor next to her. He ran his fingers through her hair and cupped her cheek before stooping down to lightly kiss her lips. He leaned back against the wall and kept silent vigil over her. He stayed with her the rest of the night.

notes from the Authoress: Yo! TLH here, this is my second story to post, and i can't believe i killed Sasuke! hopefully i will get more notice with this one than i did on the other one, 'When Time Stands Still.' anyways, there's more to this story than meets the eyes, and yes, Neji and Sakura have a past so don't shoot me if there's OOC here. Everything comes out in the end so you have to read, review, suggest me to others, because i won't update if no one likes my writing. SOOooo, in finale, i hope you like this story, and can convice me to update. Remember ppl, I . . . LOVE. . . REVIEWS! >o

also, if you don't mind, check out my other story, 'When Time Stands Still.' and yes, Sakura and Gaara have a past in that story too. i was just too lazy to write about it. anywayz. remember in the summary above, it says (multiple pairings possible). i mean that, and i want people to vote on pairings to i can think of a mess to involve the couples in, hehe, i am so evil.. ja ne.