Author's Notes: I am absolutely thrilled to be writing this story. I cannot wait for you to read everything that is playing through my head right now. That is, of course, assuming that you find this story interesting enough to see through to its conclusion. Without further ado, let the first full chapter begin! Constructive Criticism is always welcomed. Enjoy!
Chapter One:
Terror
He slowly approached his home, the dark wooden door lit by the flaming street lamps set into the street before the house, and along regular intervals. He stretched his senses further, and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Only his mother was home.
Keeping to the shadows as much as possible, he stole up the pathway and rested briefly on his porch, keeping a keen eye out for any nosy neighbors that might happen to look out their windows. Seeing him carry a half-dead looking, unconscious girl in the middle of the night home would cause more than a little unnecessary trouble.
Satisfied that he had made it back alone and unnoticed, he awkwardly shifted the girls' minimal weight and rapped on the door. He didn't want to risk dropping her or waking her by attempting to open the door himself.
A moment passed as he felt his mother's presence shift behind the door, alert for safety, then the door opened a crack and his mother's shadowed face looked at him questioningly.
"Sasuke? What on earth-?" Her voice caught at the sight of the girl in her son's arms. "Inside, quickly." Sasuke's mother stepped inside the door and held the door just wide enough to allow the two to pass in. Then she darted her eyes around the empty street before shutting the door with a solid click.
She followed her son's familiar presence down the hall and into their parlor. A single kerosene lantern lit the room, and she stared for a moment at the scene before her, taking it all in.
Her son was gazing down at their sofa, his midnight-blue hair slightly askew from running about around town, and his dark, dark eyes mirroring the confusion and loss she was sure echoed in her own. Her eyes shifted to the woman Sasuke had brought home.
It was a striking contrast.
The girl almost appeared to be drowning in her own clothes, that were so thin and ragged, Sasuke's mother was at a loss for how said girl had not come down with a sickness yet. The girl's hair was dirty and unwashed, a murky brown color, and her face, streaked with dirt and coal, was so pale and drawn she looked like she was in a state of living death. The girl seemed so out of place in the modest, but eloquent room of her house.
She knew there was a story here, but patiently awaited for her son to explain.
Sasuke, feeling his mother's stare, sighed quietly to himself and brought his face up to meet hers. Her own exquisite, long midnight hair and eyes were a beautiful distinction against her pale skin. He hesitated for a moment before stating quietly, "I found him."
Sasuke didn't miss his mother's tightening muscles in response, but she waited for him to continue.
"He was going after her," he indicated the girl next to him. "He was about to taste her, but I interrupted him. He fled, and she collapsed." A slight flush of embarrassment reached across his face. "I couldn't just leave her." His look was one of stubbornness and defiance.
Sasuke's mother watched him for another moment before relaxing a fraction. "Sasuke," she sighed. "I understand, but you can't bring home every person he goes after."
Sasuke scowled. "I've never brought anyone home before." His eyes darkened. "There's never been anyone left behind before."
His mother's eyes flashed crimson red for a moment before disappearing as if it had never been there. "I know," she answered, understanding more of his implications than he had actually spoken. She contemplated for a moment. "I suppose she knows of our existence then?"
Sasuke nodded.
She pursed her lips for a moment. "Then I suppose she may stay. Your father and brother would probably take the chance to speak to her, when they return before dawn." An almost ironic, forlorn smile spread across her lips. "They'll be…glad, I think, that they finally have a mortal witness."
Sasuke looked stricken for a moment, "Mother I-"
She held up a hand to stop him. "I'm fine Sasuke. Really, I am," she reassured her son, who looked back at her unsure.
"I almost have dinner ready. Come and get me when she awakens; we need to clean her up a bit before they get home." She said as she left the room in a blink of an eye.
Sasuke stared at the place where his mother had just stood, knowing she needed to have a moment to herself, but torn between wanting to comfort her and staying with the girl. He looked down at the girl and questioned why, exactly, he had taken her home. It wasn't like him to do something like that. She was just a strange, probably homeless girl, one of many throughout the dark alleyways of the city. But, her eyes, he remembered. For some reason, he couldn't get them out of his head.
At a loss for what to do with himself, Sasuke set his gaze about the room. There were several, comfy armchairs placed in a circle around the dark wooden table centered in the room, the sofa placed against the wall included in the circle. Across from the sofa was the fireplace, which had fallen to a dim glow, the hot orange-red embers glowing. On the mantle sat two unlit candles, placed at opposite ends, an ornate, antique golden clock keeping time between them.
Sasuke took a glance at the girl, and then walked over to the fire, stoking it and placing fresh wood inside the grate. She didn't look like she would survive catching a cold. The golden flames caught hold and slowly began to re-warm and light the room. The rich glow alighting the beautifully detailed painting set above the fireplace of Sasuke's family. Their faces gazing back out at the room unblinkingly, and resembling Sasuke and his mother so perfectly that it appeared to have been done last week.
This was what the girl first saw when she stirred from her restless dark abyss.
Her eyes opened blurrily and she felt warmth trying to seep through the layers of filth on her skin, something she hadn't felt in so long it was aching to remember. The red glow behind her eyelids, unveiled to reveal the painting of a family of four. She saw what appeared to be a mother, father, and their two sons. All of them looked identical in their dark looks, fair skin, and solemn expressions.
Her confusion of believing she was dreaming, gave way to a fresh wave of panic when she saw a dark shape move below the painting.
A man rose in front of the orange and red flames of the fireplace, and her heart hammered in her chest when the man turned to look at her. The tiniest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, as he watched her. "So you're awake," he stated in a tone that sent shivers down her spine. Flashbacks of hated memories obscuring his face. She tried to thrust them away, but her intuition wouldn't leave her alone, something wasn't right.
She vaguely recalled that his structure was identical to the one that had joined hers in that back alley with him. This person before her was the one who had made him leave. She should trust him, but she had been down that road before.
She blinked and he was in front of her in an instant, her heart stopped and then restarted in painful force. Adrenaline raced through her system, and her leg muscles tensed to run. Vampire! Her mind screamed at her, this was what her instincts had warned her about. Her eyes widened in panic, and her breathing became more erratic.
Sasuke stood in surprise at the girl gazing up at him in absolute terror. Before he could stop her, she bolted off the sofa and made a mad dash for the door, faster than any human he had ever seen before, especially one in her state.
He beat her to the open doorway before she had even made it halfway there, his speed normal to himself. The girl froze with such an absolute stillness that Sasuke was afraid she had been turned to stone for a moment. Then, ever so slowly, she backed away from him and into the furthest corner of the room, never taking her wide, captivating eyes from his form.
Her back hit the corner and her knees finally buckled underneath her, her body falling to the ground with a thump.
Alarmed, Sasuke was at her side in an instant, and then realized right away that that was a mistake.
She shrank as close to the wall as she could get, her heart pounding in her throat, her eyes as wide as they could possibly get and full of nothing but fright.
Sasuke scowled in irritation. He hadn't meant to scare her. He kicked at the ground in frustration and the girl flinched sharply. He scowled agitatedly, counting to ten in his head before getting his actions under control. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"
She only eyed him alarmed, never taking her gaze off of him for an instant.
Sasuke growled in the back of his throat, and threw himself on the abandoned couch, watching her in return. He knew his mother had heard the interaction and would come to investigate shortly.
The two stared at each other, the ticking of the clock the only noise filling the silence, next to the occasional crack and hiss of the fire.
Minutes passed, and the girls' eyes began to fall shut again, exhaustion sweeping over her from her short burst of energy that had used up her already depleted reserves. When she finally nodded off, the tension in her body relaxed slightly, and Sasuke felt himself relax in return. This surprised him, as he hadn't realized he had tensed to begin with.
As her features softened in sleep, Sasuke realized with a jolt that she appeared to be around his own age.
He felt the whispering presence of another fill the room, but he didn't move.
"How is she?" the gentle voice of his mother asked as she silently made her way about the room, lighting the rest of the kerosene lamps and candles, chasing away the shadows of the room.
"She trusts us even less now," he muttered darkly.
"What happened?"
"She discovered that we're similar to him in a certain way."
"I see," his mother's pitying dark eyes swept over the girl's crumbled form, huddled against the wall. "Poor girl, she went through quite an ordeal…has she said anything yet?"
Sasuke shook his head. "What are we going to do with her?" He asked after a moment.
The girl's eyes snapped open; startled that she had fallen asleep, and then terrified when her eyes swept over the room and discovered a new presence.
Sasuke's mother smiled gently at the girl. "Good evening, Miss," she began. "I'm Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke's mother," she indicated her son, still sitting on the sofa. "How are you feeling?"
The girl's eyes widened in fright and didn't answer, but to scrunch her body closer to the corner, tension as thick as coils of rope twisted in the air around her.
Then her stomach gave an audible growl, as a heavy blush and a look of despair raced across the girl's façade. It had the effect of cutting the tension like a hot knife through butter, and Mikoto smiled tenderly. "How about I find you something to eat?" She walked gracefully out the door, mindful of her speed so as not to further frighten their guest, her deep violet skirts brushing against the floor in a murmur.
Sasuke stood up to stretch, and the girl tensed again.
"I'm just going to help my mother," he answered her unspoken question. He eyed her wasted frame. "If you need anything, we'll be in the kitchen. It's down the hall, first door on the right," he informed her before exiting the room.
She followed his movements with her eyes, and he too slowed his walk to that of a human, shutting the door softly behind him.
Sasuke entered the kitchen to see his mother with her full sleeves pushed up slightly and out of the way, chopping up an apple with a little more force than was entirely necessary. A frown was etched onto her face.
"She's too thin," Mikoto said quietly, almost to herself. "She'll waste away to nothing if she doesn't eat something and soon."
"Where's Dad?"
"You're father and Itachi are still out, tracking him down." Her knife came down harder, cracking the plate with a fracture. "How could he do that?" She hissed. "She's barely alive as it is. Another week, maybe two, without food and she'll be dead." The crack deepened.
"He must have been desperate," Sasuke responded quietly. "The council has been keeping a close eye on him since…" He trailed off, glancing at her.
Mikoto's eyes flashed red for a brief second, and the plate broke neatly down the center. She stopped, closing her eyes against the memories.
"Did he touch her?" She asked her voice strangled.
Sasuke's eyes darkened. "I don't know. I didn't see anything when I arrived, but she won't let me close enough to check."
Mikoto frowned. "We may need to being Ms. Tsunade here to take a look," she muttered as she threw away the broken plate and checked the slices for stray shards. Satisfied, she calmly pulled out a new plate and arranged everything in a circle. "But let's make sure she survives long enough for that first."
Sasuke nodded and followed his mother back into the room.
The girl hadn't moved an inch, but eyed them warily as they entered in measured steps. Sasuke stood back as Mikoto approached the girl very slowly, the girl watching her every movement.
The girl tried to push herself even further into the corner, like a caged animal, her face going pale and her frame trembling.
"It's okay," Mikoto reassured the slight girl before her. "They're just apple slices. You need to eat, sweetie. You're unhealthily tiny."
The girl stared at Mikoto in utter fear, her heart pounding, and her breath coming in short little gasps.
"I'm not going to hurt you," she soothed as she kneeled down in front of the girl. "No one will hurt you or touch you here. I promise you that," she looked the strange girl straight in the eyes. "Do you understand?"
The girl just stared at her in alarm; Mikoto set the plate down on the wooden floor next to her. Sasuke marveled at his mother's patience.
"And so now, Miss, I'm asking your permission. May I take a cursory look at you?"
The girl flinched in terror.
Mikoto held up her hands in peace. "We need to know your exact condition so that we can help you."
The girl continued to stare in fear, uncertain, until her stomach growled again.
A tiny smile graced Mikoto's face as the girl blushed again. "How about this? You eat, and I'll look you over. Deal?"
The wary girl gave the faintest of nods, too hungry to really argue anymore.
"Good girl." Mikoto turned to her son. "Sasuke? Why don't you leave the room for a minute to give us some-" She stopped as she caught the look on his face.
Sasuke was looking over her shoulder, looking incredulous. Mikoto turned to see the girl shaking her head slightly, frightened, and looking slightly surprised herself. Mikoto smiled understandingly. "Would you like him to stay?"
The girl's faded eyes locked on hers.
"Okay," she agreed softly. "That's just fine, but, Sasuke?"
"Yes?" He asked, still unnerved at the ragged girl's reaction.
"Would you please avert your eyes for her own privacy?"
He nodded dumbly, turning on the couch to face the wall. Sasuke heard the quiet nibbling crunch of an apple being eaten, the rustle of clothing, the soothing voice of his mother's murmurings, and her soft "tsk"-ing.
"Alright," he heard his mother say. "You can look now Sasuke."
Mikoto's smile was gentler still; as she picked up the now empty plate and turned to leave the room, unshed tears swimming in her eyes.
Sasuke felt a pang in his chest, which was immediately hushed by the familiar presence of another entering the house.
"Your father's home, Itachi should be right behind him," she stated, her voice carefully composed.
Sasuke nodded and made to follow her out, but glanced back at the girl once more before leaving. She still sat curled into a ball, but now her expression was forlorn and lost, gazing at the wall next to her at something only she could see.
----------
"How is this girl?" Sasuke heard his father ask as he entered the kitchen at the same moment as his older brother, who had just come in from outside.
"We managed to get her to eat. She's to the point that she should only eat small portions right now. Her body can't handle too much food at one time," his mother answered in return.
Sasuke's father nodded, then his frown deepened as he watched her face with a critical eye. "What else?"
The tears slid down her face silently. "She's been bitten," she choked out in a disgusted and bitter voice.
A tense silence filled the room.
"How many times?" Itachi asked in a flat voice.
"Twice," Mikoto's tone was dead.
A dark look crossed her family's faces, crimson flashing across her husband's eyes. "She's safe now," he assured her, holding her close.
"We need Ms. Tsunade to confirm when and who," Itachi prompted.
Their father nodded. "Can you fetch her?"
Itachi nodded and was gone in the blink of an eye.
"Show me the girl," Sasuke's father instructed.
Together, Sasuke and Mikoto cautiously entered their family room.
The girl gave them a defeated look until she saw the figure of a new male stranger. Her fear returned in a flash.
"Sweetie, this is my husband, Fugaku Uchiha," Mikoto informed her. "He's in charge of finding the one who has done this to you."
The family looked at the girl, lost, when her eyes suddenly filled to the brim and she slowly shook her head from side-to-side, crying silently. The tears left muddy streaks down her face resembling the face paintings of a mime. As they searched for something to say, Itachi made a sudden appearance, a blonde woman with a gifted chest right behind him.
The girl's terror seeped out from her.
Mikoto introduced her other son, and then Tsunade to the still silent girl.
Tsunade approached the girl with a practiced gait, and reached out to the girl, assuring her that she was a doctor and trying to help her.
"First we should get her cleaned up," Tsunade instructed the family. "We'll never be able to distinguish the difference between a bruise and a dirt spot with the way she looks now. It'll probably warm her up too." Mikoto immediately rushed off to get the hot water running; almost immediately the sound of water could be heard hastening through the pipelines in the walls.
Tsunade tried to be gentle and patient as she tried to get the girl to stand up, but the girl weakly fought back, refusing to budge from her corner.
"Excuse me gentlemen," Tsunade said, her tone firm, as Mikoto walked back into the room. "But I am going to need you to step out of the room for a moment please." Itachi and Fugaku left at once, but Sasuke lingered. "You too Sasuke," she said when she noticed him still there.
The girl began to panic all the more, and Tsunade looked at the girl in amazement for a moment. "On second thought, maybe you should stay," she corrected herself. Then she turned to Mikoto who stood anxiously by the door, already dreading what was to come next. Tsunade pushed up the sleeves of her pale green dress and tied the white apron around her waist more firmly before looking at the girl full in the face. "I'm sorry," she apologized before scooping the girl up in one swoop.
The girl fought back after her initial shock, but gave up her futile attempts after a few moments and cried resignedly as Tsunade carried her up the stairs at the end of the hall, right behind Mikoto, Sasuke tagging along behind silently.
The three women entered the bathroom silently, shutting the door behind them with a firm click.
Sasuke sat outside the bathroom door, making himself comfortable against the wall as he waited.
