xocrisscrossxo- oh my goodness gracious its an update!

sasuke- we just all assumed you died

xocrisscrossxo- thanks for the support I have a life you know! Anyway sorry I have been on such a high hiatus but Im back and kicked some writers block! YAY! So expect updates! so kick back relax and enjoy! oh and I DONT OWN ANYTHING

Big Brothers Watching

A scream rang out in the night. "Noo!"

Sakura sweat drenched and panting tossed and turned in the tangled sheets.

"Sakura?! Sakura! I'm coming in!" Kakashi jiggled his land lord all access key to open the front door.
Kakashi burst through and ran towards the back room and proceeded to shake the young girl still screaming in terror.

"Sakura sweet heart open your eyes come on. Its ok, everything's fine. No one's going to hurt you. Come on Petal." Sakura jerked awake eyes still wide with fear, seeing the familiar face she relaxed until memories of the dream came back. Tears filled her eyes and she grabbed on to the older man, fists clenched around bunches of his shirt.

"Kashi…" she wept out; he could hear desperation and relief in her voice.
"Shh, shh it's alright Petal it's over. It's just a memory now." She sniffled
"But it'll come back. They always do. I'm tired Kashi. I'm so tired, I can't do this anymore. The lying, the acting, the fear…I'm so tired."

Kakashi looked down at the young girl in his arms sympathy and pity in his eyes. He loved the girl like his own sister seeing her like this, on the verge of breaking each time she had a nightmare, it killed him.
"Come on now Petal, don't say that. What would I do without you hmm?" He hugged the girl tightly.
"I'm going to go draw a bath and put on some water for tea. That will help won't it?" Sakura gave a hesitant nod and eased her grip on his shirt. Kakashi leaned over and turned on the light before getting up to leave.

He walked into the bathroom and drew the water to the temperature he knew she liked.
"Sakura! Waters ready come on love."
Sakura shuffled in, pajamas clinging to her sweaty body. She gave him a weak smile as he walked by to leave so she could have some privacy. As he closed the door behind him he hesitated in front of the room.

He heard the shuffles of her moving around the splash of her stepping into the tub than finally the sobs. Whole hearted sobs, the kind that racked the entire body and made anybody in hear shot twist with empathy, Kakashi sighed it was going to be a long night.

He walked into the kitchen and started the kettle for water. As he waited for it boil he pulled out his phone.

"Need to talk tomorrow. Bad one tonight. Don't know how much more she can take."
The phone made the satisfying ping of a sent text message just as Sakura came into the room.

Slightly damp hair hung around her face and new clean pajamas were on her body.
Kakashi pulled out a chair around the kitchen table she slid in and he pushed it in then went to pour the tea.

"Same dream?" He asked cautiously afraid she may start crying again.
"No…more vivid. More vivid then it has been in a while." Her voice was heavy but she wasn't tearing up.

Kakashi nodded and handed her the cup. She blew on the rim and took a sip; color appeared back in her cheeks that he didn't realize was missing.

"Any idea what may have triggered it?" Sakura hesitated and bowed her head in an effort not to cry.
'Shit' He quickly rushed over and put his arms around her.

"Shh, it's alright Petal. Don't cry, please don't cry." She sniffled pulling herself together.
"I think…I am going to take one of those pills Tsunade gave me and go to bed." She choked out. Kakashi nodded.

'It's been a while since she needed one of those. It must have been a really bad dream.'
"Kashi? I know it's childish but will you stay with me till I fall asleep?" Kakashi gave a tentative smile
"I'll stay as long as you need me." She gave a small smile and began heading back to the bedroom.

He put the cup in the wash and followed her back. She had already popped the pill and was crawling back under her mass of tangled sheets and blankets. Kakashi climbed on the bed with her lying on top of the blankets and began stroking her hair. His phone vibrated in his pocket, pulling it out he read

"Meet me tomorrow we'll talk then. Text if she gets worse." He sighed and slipped the phone back in place.

He looked down at the sleeping girl, she still looked worn out and a little on edge but more relaxed then she had been.
"Sasuk…e" she mumbled out. Kakashi gnashed his teeth together.

It was all that little bastards fault! If he had never got involved in Sakura's life none of this would have happened! She be happy, care free, she could have a life, a family even! But no that Uchiha fucked up her chances of completely normal life. It was all his fault.

Kakashi gave out another heavy sigh; it had been a long night.

"Look I know your protective and all but walking me to work is really unnecessary! I swear I'm fine!"
"And I told you! I am not going for you; I am going to see Itachi! He owes me money from our last poker game I'm just going to collect."

Sakura was back to her normal self the next morning, a little jumpy but all in all the pill did its job and Sakura was doing alright.

"I just don't see why you can't 'collect' at your next poker game." She huffed.
"Well the new Icha Icha Paradise is out before the next game and well…"
"Ugh fine fine! I get it you need money for your perv books! Got it!"

"I resent that! Icha Icha Paradise is wonderful, well written and fully developed literature!"
"Wuthering Heights, Hamlet, Oliver Twist, hell even Harry Potter are wonderful, well written and fully developed literature not that smut! Oh were here!"

They walked into the building without further argument.
"Well I'm going to grab some coffee from the break room before I get to work; you remember where Itachi's office is don't you?" Kakashi nodded and smiled.

"Great see you after work." She hesitated for second,
"Thanks Kashi, for last night I mean." Kakashi nodded
"I know, now get to work you lazy bum!" Sakura smiled and turned down the hall.

Kakashi walked towards his friend's office and gave a tentative knock.
"Enter!" A voice rang out.

Kakashi slide in and closed the door.
Itachi looked up "I figured you'd come in early with her. She in her office?" Itachi asked.

"Coffee first. You know she can't function without it." Itachi nodded.
"So how bad was it last night?" Kakashi groaned and held his head.

"Bad enough for her to wake me up and get me running to her floor. She didn't hear me pounding on the door, didn't hear me call her name, took me several tries of shaking her to wake her up. I'm telling you Itachi it's like all the progress she made is going back down the shitter, were back where we started." Itachi leaned back in his chair eyes closed, hands folded processing the information.

"It's Sasuke. It's all his fault." Kakashi spat venomously
"He comes back east and she gets worse again. He's got to be triggering back the nightmares. How could you bring him back anyway! She was getting better Itachi!"

Itachi's eyes snapped open

"And Sasuke was getting worse. Face it Kakashi they need each other. I hate it as much as you do but it's true!"
"She was getting better damn it! I won't see her go through this again!" Kakashi yelled shooting up from his chair!

"Was she?! Or was she getting better at acting? Better at faking a smile?"
"She was getting out there! Dating! A little more time and…"
"And what? How many of those dates were second dates? Kiba? Lee? Hell even Neji? Face it she wasn't getting better. Not really." Kakashi sighed once again and sat back down placing his head in his hands hiding his face.

"What do you want me to say Itachi? Let them make up, fall in love all over again, risk him hurting her or vice a versa, and put her life even Sasuke's life at risk? Your good Itachi, but he's good too. Really good. I won't jeopardize her like that. I won't, she's the closest thing I have had of a family in a long time. I won't…can't lose that." Itachi walked over and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"I want to see if maybe they could say what they want and that be that. Maybe even be friends…it could be what they need to move on. Because right now they are just stuck in this painful limbo." Kakashi picked his head up.

"So she's a experiment? Is that it?" He asked glaring daggers.
"Yes and no, what other option do we have? You know I'm right…I always am." Itachi replied smirking.

Kakashi let out a final sigh in defeat then nodded.
"Continue to keep tabs on her; I'll do the same with Sasuke. I'll let you know if there is any change. I have others watching him; they'll let me know if he plans on making any moves." Kakashi nodded and stood up both men looked weary.

"Well they sure don't give you instructions on this shit in the big brother manual eh Kakashi?" Kakashi chuckled
"Yea, you can say that again." They gave each other a hearty hand shake and a small smile.

Kakashi turned towards the door and reached for the nob but paused and turned around.
"By the way I need twenty five fifty…plus tax." Itachi gave a stern look

"For what may I ask?"
"I told Sakura I was meeting you today to collect money you owe me from the last poker game."
"What?! I cleaned you out in that match you cheat!" Kakashi gave cheesy grin.

"Yea but it'll look suspicious if I come back with nothing! Plus the new Icha Icha comes out in a few days and…"

Before he could finish Itachi shoved the money in his hand.
"You and your damn smut books!" Kakashi grinned
"Thanks Tachi!" and began walking out the door hearing mumbles of

"Damn Kakashi…I won that game… can't believe I put up with this bullshit" behind him.

Grinning and feeling quite proud of himself at the present moment Kakashi began walking to the elevator.

"Kakashi Hatake?" Kakashi turned hearing his name he saw the face of the young man he least wanted to see.
"It is you... you look the same." Sasuke stated dryly.

Kakashi tried to suppress the growing anger.
"You look older." He stated back coldly.
Sasuke's gaze hardene

d "What are you doing here?" Kakashi took a breath to calm himself.
"Business with your brother." He stated simply.

Sasuke 'hned' just as Sakura rounded the corner.

"I see you collected Kashi." She said smiling.
"Well I'll see you when I get home, feel like dinner at eight? Oh and I'll have that contract in a few seconds for you Mr. Uchiha I was just going to pick it up from the printer." Both men nodded in response and she left however the entire time she had been there Kakashi watched Sasuke.

He saw the way Sasuke watched her. The emotions he so desperately tried to hide. If anyone but Kakashi, and maybe Itachi, had seen they would have been fooled but Kakashi knew better. He saw the pain, the despair, anger, and the pinning that lied beneath his eyes.

Kakashi couldn't contain it any longer as soon as Sakura rounded the corner out of sight Kakashi slammed Sasuke into the wall.

"Listen and listen close." Kakashi whispered harshly.
"If she gets hurt, if anything happens to her it is YOUR fault. Do you understand? Your fault." Kakashi released the younger man's suit and walked towards the elevator leaving a stunned Sasuke behind.

'What the hell did that mean?" Sasuke asked himself watching Kakashi step into the elevator and disappear.

xocrisscrossxo- well hoped you all enjoyed! I hope I got the wheels in ur heads turning! Now this chapter and the next one are a little dull i know but dont worry things are going to be heating up! This and the next chapter are really just filler stuff/ background info!

Sasuke- So are you gonna ditch us again?

xocrisscrossxo- only if I get writers block! so yea have a great new year!