~*~*~Black Ice~*~*~

Chapter 26

My body was too weak to fight back. Itachi forced my eyes open and shined a light on them.

"Dilated…" he muttered as he continued his examination. He pressed two fingers to my neck.

"Pulse is just above average."

Itachi sat me up and held a finger in front of my eyes.

"As far as I can see, it's mental only."

I didn't even have the energy to smile or frown at him.

Deidara held me still. "Do it, Itachi."

Itachi nodded and positioned his hands into a seal.

"Mongekyou!"

I found myself in a world of my dreams once more.

Itachi looked back to me and nodded encouragingly.

I let my consciousness fade away and slept as he roamed my memories.

When I wake up… I have the feeling something will be here…

…

Drew and I are walking through Konoha. His anime form smiles at me. We are talking about the crash.

"You know… when I saw that tree coming for us… I really thought we were dead. But to think we ended up here, of all places!"

I smile and laugh, "I know! It's so strange!"

His face grew dim. "Morgan… I thought I was alone. I thought since you'd hit the tree you were the dead one… and because you sacrificed yourself I was here… When I saw Hidori…"

That was all I heard. Sharp pain flashed through my head, and my heart pounded in my chest.

I snapped back from the dream and clung to whoever was closest… Itachi.

He nodded to me. "I understand now."

Deidara and the others all watched, waiting for Itachi's diagnosis.

"Morgan is scared to death at the very mentioning of Hidori. She believes, as we say, that she is Hidori and fears to lose herself and become her. She fights her own instincts in desperation to avoid that outcome," Itachi stated very simply.

That was a lot of words for the Uchiha.

I scowled. Enough of my energy had returned. "You…"

Everyone looked at me. I glared at Itachi. "You… used my memories of Drew to test that theory. Don't…"

I groaned. The chakra loss was causing me pain.

Itachi frowned. "The only memories I watched were those with Hidori in it. I assume Drew is that boy from the nightmare?"

I was too tired to put up a fight. "Yes."

Deidara looked confused. "Who's Drew?"

"Must be her boyfriend," Sasori whispered.

Deidara looked shocked. "Whaaaat?!"

I shook my head tiredly. "No… a close friend."

Tobi bounced up onto my bed and covered me in a hug. "Morgan is sad! Did Drew get hurt?"

I flinched but managed to give a half-smile. "No, but I got hurt."

I remembered that tree. Now, in this world, I could have dodged that. There, I was sure I'd be dead.

Drew… was he dead? Was he okay? Was he at his home now? Was he at school? In the hospital, maybe…

Hidan stood and thumped my shoulder. "Whatever. Past is past. Get a hold of yourself."

He left the room, Kakuzu following him out the door.

Zetsu walked out without a word.

Konan smiled at me before pulling Pein outside.

Tobi leaned back to sit beside me.

"Hidan has a good point, sister! You can just forget it now! We're here for you!"

I felt a smile appear on my face. "Right…"

I stood and bowed to Sasori, Deidara, Kisame, Itachi and Tobi.

"I am very sorry. I will train very hard and become strong enough to overcome this."

A proud grin crossed Deidara's face. Itachi smirked confidently and crossed his arms. Sasori nodded with a grin. Tobi laughed. Kisame leant against the wall and watched everyone with an amused gleam in his eyes.

I kept that scene in my mind when I fell asleep a bit later, my subconscious mercifully filled with peaceful dreams.