A/N: Second to last chapter! I do apologize for the shortness and such, but I couldn't think of anything else to place in this chapter without it being all weird… BUT, it is also punishment for not giving me my seven reviews! And thanks to those who did review, you guys rock!

Chapter XXXIV

Sasuke watched, calmer than the last time, as the curtain to the only window in the room fluttered. Two feet began walking hesitantly out of the shadows, moving as a part of the shadows themselves, soundless.

The newcomer took the seat to the left side of the boy, mere feet from window incase of any unexpected visitors to the room. He looked up, face hidden by a large hood and slowly pulled it off, revealing his face and staring into the boy's swirling eyes. Just under the surface of those eyes, under the hurt and sadness, under newfound happiness, was hope.

He knew his own eyes must have held more emotion than he would have normally cared for, but he had no façade to keep up here. He didn't have to be cold and unfeeling, didn't have to lock away every emotion.

The two Uchiha stared at each other, waiting for the other to talk, react, or something. Then finally, after a particularly long silence, Sasuke spoke up.

"You're alive."

Two words, carrying as much power as a speech, as much emotion as possible, as much hope as possible. Itachi knew if he made the wrong move now, he'd break the boy, shattered beyond fixing. So he'd have to take things very slowly.

"Yes, Sasuke, I am." Itachi took in a deep breath, preparing himself. He held up a patient hand when Sasuke opened his mouth. "Please. Let me explain."

Itachi fell silent, pondering on what he should say. On the one hand he could tell his brother the whole truth, in which Sasuke may end up hating him. On the other hand… And so he settled for a partial truth.

"Yes, I survived the accident at the hotel. But it was no accident. The Uchiha's have a few powerful… enemies. I was only just able to get out before the entire place went up in flames. I guessed one of the transmitters was faulty, or something, because whatever kind of bomb they used, the one by the back door went off a few seconds late. I was already outside, taking a breather, when they went off, so I was only barely able to get away."

At this he paused, feeling immensely guilty about such a lie to Sasuke, who was sure to believe him no matter what. But he couldn't risk telling Sasuke the truth, for fear the boy would completely hate him. He could never live with himself if that happened.

He cleared his throat and continued, acutely aware of the piercing gaze of his brother, soaking in all the new information. "Anyway, that was why I've had to stay hidden for the past few months. Both for my own safety and yours."

"Mine?" Sasuke asked, confused, but starting to grasp what was being said and needed confirmation.

"Yes, yours. See, if my enemies thought I was alive, they would try to get to me through you. So in order for me to keep you safe after that, I couldn't have any contact with you. But then somebody had the brilliant idea of getting me out of hiding by coming after you."

Itachi barely swallowed before he continued. This was information he had just recently found out and what annoyed him the most. "I haven't been able to come up with a name, but I do know who hit you. Apparently it was a Premed major from the local university who works for a man who really doesn't like me. So they had this man predict the perfect scenario, one which would keep you alive, but only just. Just to find out if I was alive." Itachi tried not to give too much away, as this was very confidential information.

"But… why couldn't you tell the police?" Sasuke asked, not suspicious but curious.

Itachi had –somehow- forgotten that his brother had the curiosity of a cat, and would end up asking too many questions. He just had to watch and make sure his lies didn't come back to bite him in the ass.

"I wanted to… but I was afraid. Afraid for my own skin. If those people who set the bombs in the hotel realized I was alive, they would keep coming after me. And how could I convince the police? Since I ran away so quickly after it happened, surely they'd suspect that I did it? I mean, my relationship with our parents wasn't secret, and there was only a twenty-three percent chance that they'd actually believe me." 'Not to mention I actually did do it…'

"Okay…" Sasuke said, visibly mulling over all the newly gained information. "So a couple of weeks ago, when I thought I saw you, wasn't a hallucination?"

Itachi's eyebrows raised, "No! Of course no-!"

Itachi was cut off by Sasuke making frantic shushing noises. The boy pointed to the door and whispered, "I have a guard." The boy was clearly unhappy with that, but continued anyway, "Apparently the lead investigator had a similar idea, and connected what happened at the hotel and what happened Saturday night. He was concerned that whoever did it would try to 'come back to finish the job.'"

Itachi almost rose his eyebrows in surprise, but caught himself just in time. Perfect! He couldn't believe his luck; a cop, the lead cop, was corroborating his story, making it all the more believable.

"I see." Itachi shuffled his fingers in his lap before stilling them and looking back to his brother. "So you understand the importance of keeping this all secret?" At Sasuke's small look of confusion, Itachi elaborated. "Me being alive, my story, everything. You can't tell anyone, not even the cop on this case, alright?" After seeing Sasuke pause, clearly unclear on why he had too, Itachi felt he had to push him a little to get him to agree. "My life hangs in the balance, Sasuke. Please don't mention it to anybody."

The last statement made Sasuke readily agree; if his brother was to die again, he wasn't sure how he'd handle it, if he even could. "I promise I won't tell anyone, not even Neji or Tenten. But…" the younger trailed off, suddenly uncertain.

"But…?" The other prompted, genuinely interested.

Sasuke gathered his wits and blurted out what was troubling him. "But will I see you again? I don't want to loose you again, I can't. You're my only family left."

Itachi nodded, finally dawning on the problem at hand. "Of course. But I'll have to be very careful. That and it can only be at night and when nobody is over."

Sasuke turned his overbright eyes, looking straight into the elder's soul, before his face broke into a true, happy smile; all sadness banished momentarily from his eyes.

"So what did the doctors say? No lasting damage, right?" Itachi asked anxiously.

"Right. They say I'll have to stay here for another week or so, and hopefully I'll be back in school within a month. Though I won't be totally mobile until the casts on my led come off, and that'll take about six weeks, depending on my recovery rate. And it'll be another few weeks before I can go running again."

Itachi nodded, and noted the beginnings of Sasuke's eyes glazing over. He put a hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled down at him. "Get some sleep. I know how much you find sleep useless, but your body is exhausted from trying to heal itself. So sleep. I'll stay by your side until morning, or a nurse comes to check on you." Itachi's small smile widened when Sasuke almost immediately shut his eyes, an almost silent "thank you" escaping from his lips before he entered DreamLand.

Itachi pulled out his laptop, a small smile playing on his lips as he reluctantly began working. Couldn't have him slacking off, could he?

At various points around the city, the youngest Uchiha was on the minds of many.

Inside the Hyuga estate, Neji, Tenten and Hinata were having a terribly morbid discussion of how they'd feel if Sasuke were to have died. But they quickly realized now bad it was to be thinking of the death of their friend. They soon parted ways and went into separate bedrooms, each left to their own thoughts.

Sakura was sitting up, head out the window, and staring at the inky night sky with preoccupied eyes. Her mind was worrying over the boy she barely knew but intrigued her. Her first day crush was long past and she only pursued Sasuke on the basis of friendship and a better understanding, nothing more. But despite the reluctant friendship, she felt the urge to get to know the boy who obviously didn't want to get known. She sighed and moseyed over to her bed, settling in for some much-needed sleep.

Ino sashayed around her room, gathering supplies for her "get well soon" card. Since she was the most artistic when it came to that sort of thing, everyone in their group decided for her to do it. She paused, remembering the extent of injury she and the others were told about, and shuddered. She didn't know him as well as Hinata, or even Sakura, but he was still being incorporated into their group, so she cared for his well being. Plus, she found him smokin' hot!

Naruto was conversing with Iruka about recovery rates, and asked hesitantly if the injured boy would really be okay.

Shikamaru was about to go to sleep when Rock Lee, of all people, called him, hysteric, and in need of Shikamaru's calm reason. He was upset about Sasuke and his condition, so Shikamaru surprisingly ended up comforting the dramatic boy for a long while.

All this worry, all this hype, for a boy who would only call them stupid for caring so much about a boy who could care less if people actually cared for him.

A/N: Okay, I know that some facts in this chapter don't add up to what we know so far, and what was said earlier in the chapter, but Itachi is kinda pulling this all out of his ass at the moment, and forgets what he's already said. Just thought I'd clear that up.

Sad sadness, only one chapter to go!! And before I update that one (I won't have it done until Saturday, at least) I want ten reviews, or I WON'T update it. I think it's only fair, since this story in on 34 alerts and 22 faves.