"Come on, pick up." I held the phone to my ear, desperately trying to make sure that no one was coming into my room any time soon. Knowing, that it would be any minute that Itachi would go looking for his phone.

I sat at the dinner table, bored out of my mind as we all ate in complete silence. I was feeling anxious, it's been almost two months since I left home and still no word from them.

I needed to hear how they were doing. I needed to hear how Taylor was doing. I needed to hear their voices.

Didn't they want to know how I was doing? I was surprised that Jordyn hadn't been calling me all hours of the day. Although my phone had been taken away from me, she or Tama would've tracked down the Uchiha Residence number. Tama was good at stuff like that. I also specifically asked Satoru to make sure that their calls came through to me, he wouldn't withdraw such precious information from me right?

Right?

I squirmed slightly in my wheelchair, still not sure of what to do, when Itachi suddenly stood up from his seat next to mine. He took out his ringing phone and left the room.

Phone. Itachi.

I wasn't sure if Itachi would directly disobey Fugaku and lend me his phone. Yes, he helped me out earlier this year with my attendance to Okaa-chan's funeral, but that was different. Itachi didn't know Jordyn or Tama, and as far as I knew, Fugaku told both Itachi and Sasuke that it was all Tama's fault for my injury.

It wasn't Tama's fault. It was Fugaku's.

For giving me his stubborn genes.

I waited until Itachi came back and sat down, smiling inwardly when he slipped it into the pocket next to me.

"Onii-sama, could you pass me the potatoes, please?" I asked softly, gesturing to the dish on the far side to Itachi's left.

He smiled gently as he turned to reach it.

As subtly as I could, I slipped my hand into his pocket and took out his phone.

"Here," Itachi set the dish in front of me.

I stuffed the phone underneath my thigh, turning it on silent as I went. Thank goodness for iPhones and their buttons.

"Arigatou, Onii-sama." I whispered as I reached for the spoon.

My lips tightened into a thin line, as I took in a deep breath. Counting on Itachi's sharp observational skills.

"Is something wrong, Imoutou-san?" Itachi did not disappoint.

"N-no, Onii-sama." I pretended to hold back a wince. "I'm fine."
"Is it your legs? Are they sore?" Itachi looked so worried that I actually felt a bit guilty.

"It's not my legs, Onii-sama." I gasped softly, "Don't worry about me."

"Is there something wrong?" Fugaku's deep velvet voice echoed down the table.

I shook my head. "Nothing's wrong, Otou-sama."
"She's in pain." Itachi stated simply. "But she won't tell me where,"

I ducked my head, as if ashamed. "I'm fine."

"Miwa Uchiha, what is wrong with you?" Fugaku asked, his voice full of annoyance rather than concern. "If it is indeed nothing, then don't disturb our dinner."

"It's nothing, Otou-sama! Honest!" That wasn't a lie.

"Hn, it'll be easier and quicker if you just tell us." Sasuke raised an eyebrow at me from across the table.

"Sasuke's right, Imoutou-san." Itachi chipped in. "Please tell us what's wrong."

"Miwa, what is wrong?"
"I'm on my period, okay?!" I finally blurted out, my cheeks flaming. "And I've got cramps, that's why it hurts!"

Dead silence.

"Well..." Fugaku cleared his throat, trying to remain emotionless but it was obvious that he was feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"I-I think I should go to my room," I squeaked out, ducking my head. My bangs covering my red face.

Red from trying not to bust out laughing.

"Very well, you are excused." Fugaku coughed, a light tinge of pink dusting his cheek.

"Let me help you," Itachi half-stood up.

"It's okay," I bit my lip, "I-I think it would be better for me to go by myself."

I wheeled myself out of the dining room, before letting a huge grin light up my face.

Oh, the advantages of being a girl.

"Pick up, pick up..." I mumbled, eyes closed, sitting on the window-seat of my room. "Come on..."

'Hello?'

"Mum!" Tears prickled behind my eyelids. "Mum, it's Miwa!"

'Alofa? Oh, Alofa, la'u pele!' I could hear the laugh in her relieved voice. 'Wait… Alofa, did you get permission to call us?'

This time, I could hear worry. "No, Mum. But what does it matter? I just wanted to hear you and Dad."

'Alofa, la'u pele. We want to hear you too, but you have to listen to Mr Uchiha.' Her voice became strained, full of hurt and sadness. 'He is your father, you have to obey him.'

"Even if that means being kept away from you?" The tears began to leak out as I shut my eyes tighter. "Mum, I miss you so much. I need you so much… Mum, please don't hang up… Please, don't go..."

'I have no right.' I felt her tears although I couldn't hear it. 'I'm sorry, la'u pele. I'm so sorry.'

"Mum, don't. Please, don't hang up."

'*Oute alofa ia te oe, la'u pele.'

"Mum!"

Rejected by my mother.

Now, I lost both blood-mother and heart-mother.

Now, out of all the times in my life.

Now, when I needed a mother more than ever before.

I lost both of them.

And I was sure as hell, Fugaku wouldn't even let me even contemplate the idea of letting me contact my heart-parents.

No, there was no chance at all.

I picked up the phone again, and dialled in Tama's phone number. And waited.

'Yo?'

"Tama?" I sniffled, "Tama, please don't leave me."

'Huh? Who's this? Miwa? Miwa, is that you?' Tama's voice was a comfort, but I don't know what I would do if he too, rejected me. 'Miwa, we've been trying to contact you for ages. Email, FaceBook, phone, heck! We even tried MySpace. We got the number to your place, but every time we'd ask for you, we'd get told that there's no one in existence by your name.'

"Publicly, no. There is no Miwa Uchiha in Japan." I lowered my voice, "But there is a Miwa Tamatoa here. That's for certain."

'Ahh… I must have been asking for the wrong person then,' Tama chuckled. 'So, Miwa Tamatoa. How have you been? Any progress with your problem?'

"I've got a lot of problems here, Tama." I giggled. "But if you're talking about my legs, then I've made some progress."

'That's great! In no time,you'll be- hey! Get the fuc- OI!'

"Tama?! Tama, what's wrong?" Was he being attacked? What was going on?

'Oi! As your Corps Leader, I order you to back the hell off!'

'Ooh, abusing your power? Real cool, Tama. Oh! I mean, Leader Malosi.'

"Is that Jordyn? Quick, Tama! Put her on the phone!" I grinned brightly, my friend, my Corps sister.

'Guy can't even have ten minutes with his little sister. Fine. Here!' Tama grumbled, before there was a scuffling noise and then silence.

"Jordyn?"

'Miwa! Miwa, how are you? What are you up to now? How many fingers am I holding up? Are you okay? Are you in hospital? Are you resting? Are they feeding you well? Are they being nice? Are they treating you well? Where are you now? What have you eaten? Is this even Miwa? What's my favourite anime? Why is it my favourite? Who is Taylor? How did we all meet? Miwa, is this you? Miwa! WHY AREN'T YOU ANSWERING ME?!'

"Good. Nothing. Can't see you. Yeah. No. No. Yes. Kind of. Yes. My room. Dinner. Yes. One Piece. Because, and I quote you, 'It's full of bad-asses and hot-asses'. She's our friend, your twin. At church, 'officially', but actually at the initiation stage. Yes. How can I when you won't even stop to breathe, Dipshit?" I shook my head, feeling an odd sense of deja vu, "You know, Taylor asked those exact same question the last time I was here?" I smiled sadly. "How is she? Is she… you know,"

'She's still sleeping, yeah.' Jordyn's voice was full of pain. 'I'd make some kind of joke, about her getting to sleep all the time or something, but you know me too well, aye?'

"Yes, yes I do." I blew at my bangs, "How have you been holding up? Are you good? Your family?"

'According to Uncle Bobby-boy, Tay got everything that she deserved." Jordyn laughed bitterly. "Of course! Serves us right for having a mother who shamed the entire fucking family! Not to mention, it's all our fault why our brother joined a "dangerous" gang. Guess the only thing they can actually blame on us, is that we wanted to get to know Leslie more. That we actually care about our brother so much, that we followed in his footsteps. It's all our fucking fault.'

"Jordyn..."

'I have to go now, sis. Corps business.' Jordyn sighed sadly. 'Do you want us to call from this number?'

"No, this is my brother's." I spoke slowly, trying to commit her voice to memory. "I'll call when I can sneak away a phone. Okay?"

'Okay, bye sis. Love you.'

"Love you too," And I meant it.

"You forgot that I could see you take Itachi's phone."

I didn't turn to him, didn't care.

"Hand it over."

I stretched out my hand, the iPhone, useless to me right now. Going over to the male's hand.

"Nice excuse, by the way."

"Aren't you going to say something else? Aren't you going to tell me that you're going straight to Fugaku and telling him that I lied?" I chuckled bitterly, as Sasuke turned to leave the room. "That I stole Onii-sama's phone? That I disobeyed him? Oh, I can just hear it now. How he's going to blame it all on my upbringing, that it's all Mum and Dad's-" I stopped myself there. "I guess, I shouldn't call them that anymore now, aye?"

I hugged my arms, rubbing my upper arms in a weak attempt to comfort myself. "I'm worthless now, to everyone…"

Without me noticing, Sasuke was by my side. Sitting next to me on the window-seat.

"Don't tell me that I'm not," I glanced at him through narrow eyes. "I don't need you to tell me any sort of lies. If I wasn't, then I wouldn't be locked up in here. I would actually exist. I wouldn't be hidden."

"I wasn't going to lie. You are worthless." Sasuke said bluntly.

I turned my head away, I would've ran if I could.

"You're worthless now," Sasuke continued. "But not for long. No one is worthless forever."

I bit my lip. "How do you know? I'm lame, I can't walk. I'm a stain, that's all I'll ever be..."

"You aren't." I felt his hand on my head. "In fact, you're just like Okaa-san."

*Oute alofa ia te oe, la'u pele - I love you, my dear.