A/N: Hehe, I said I'd post it 3 weeks ago, I think... And guess what! This time I actually thought I did. But a review on chapter 7 reminded me I only thought about doing it, never actually did it. So sorry, my bad, lol. Anyway, this is by far the worst chapter of this whole story. Lame ending, lame death, lame everything. Which reminds me, there's a character death in here. I would suggest you don't even read it, like I haven't so you don't have to bear my stupidity, lol. :) It isn't edited/revised or anything, okay? I wrote this a LONG, long time ago (long being a measurement of years), so don't kill me if it's not great. I hardly even remember what happens in it, except that someone dies. Thank you for reviews, and enjoy if you can.

"Can't you see that you're smothering me?
Holding too tightly,
Afraid to loose control.
'Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you.
Every step that I take is another mistake to you,
And every second I waste is more than I can take.
I've become so numb,
I can't feel you there."
—Lincoln Park

Lost Control
By SpacePirateGirl

Chapter 8

The mob that had gathered was thick and dense. I knew from the moment I had seen it that I wouldn't be able to get through, but I needed to. Every ounce of strength within me had to be gathered. I needed to get through that crowd if it was the last thing I did! It was amazing, how time had changed things.

Only two months ago, I was a virgin. I was a victim of being bullied. Uchiha Sasuke was my worst enemy. Now, I was in the early stages of pregnancy for a baby girl, I watched as others got bullied, I wanted to help Uchiha Sasuke in any way I could.

I was not the only one who had changed.

Sasuke used to bully, but now that was different—right at this very instant. Sasuke had quit smoking, only to start again now. Things were different.

I was no longer a victim, but a spectator. Sasuke was no longer the bully.

And so I was running. With every step I took, the crowd seemed to grow farther away. My mind couldn't process any distance I was overcoming, and I almost lost heart. But, no, I couldn't. My crush on Sasuke had never really disappeared, and I knew it then. I still loved him, and I would always love him, even if he was a sick bastard who played on my fears. Because sometimes, he could be happy. When someone cared, he would become happy.

I cared.

And I had found my reason to kiss him.

Tenten lay away from the crowd, discarded, like a broken toy. She had been knocked unconscious, and she was bleeding. It was what happened when you gave a typical bad boy a knife. And yet, the crowd gathered still cheered. They were afraid. A thousand people, weaponless, could never confront a single man with a knife—or so they thought.

Pushing and shoving, I finally reached the crowd. The first line was easy. But once I got in, I couldn't move. The crowd was jam-packed. I tripped over someone's foot, and stood up quickly to avoid being trampled.

Why had Uchiha Sasuke done this? Why!

Tenten had been his only friend, his only closest friend. She had betrayed him. Why had he still felt an urge to protect her? He had had me . . . What had changed? What had I done wrong?

I burst through the unbreakable crowd—somehow—and then fell to my knees at the sight.

I was too late.

Blood, red, crimson. Everywhere. Bloody stains on the blacktop, bloody stains on his shirt. Bloody stains on his face.

Crimson.

I crawled over to him and sobbed. "Sasuke," I breathed on his shoulder. Was he breathing? Was he dead? I couldn't feel a heartbeat. But then again, what did I know? Nothing. Nothing!

My eyes whipped around to the culprit. Kiba. Standing behind him were none other than Neji, Ino, and Sai. Ino's eyes were shut tight, and she leaned heavily on Sai for support. He didn't seem to know how to handle a weeping girl. Neji and Kiba were shocked. I could see it in their eyes. So I held out a hand. "The knife," I whispered darkly.

Kiba handed it to me without a second's hesitation. The realization that he might have killed had stunned him completely frozen to where he obeyed even my commands.

I tightened my hold on the weapon, hardly caring that my hand began to bleed. Then I rested my head on Sasuke. Naruto and Hinata, I knew, were watching me, for Naruto suddenly demanded, "Why are you crying, Sakura-chan? He got what he deserved.

Anger boiled under my skin, and I glared sharply at him. "Go fucking get a teacher," I ordered.

He and Hinata left immediately.

Right when I had gotten a chance to prove that Sasuke was never alone, I had been too late. If he died, then I would never be able to kiss him. I feared that the most. But maybe . . . I could do it right now.

I stared at his face for a long time. Rain poured down on us suddenly, and thunder crackled in the sky. More bright flashes of lightning blinded me, but nevertheless, I knelt down and pressed my lips against Sasuke's. At first, I was gentle. I didn't know if he was trying to breathe. But then I felt him return the kiss, and I pushed down harder. The loudest boom of thunder filled the silence.

Emotions zipped threw me as fast as the lightning in the storm. Happiness. Longing. Desperation. Hope.

Love.

His eyes opened, and I gradually lifted my lips from his. "Sasuke!" I cried out and hugged him. "You're awake! Does it hurt? Do you feel cold, tired—"

"You're . . . hurting me . . . Get . . . off . . ." he managed to say.

Laughing, I jumped away.

He sat up and groaned. I had seen him protect Tenten from all the way across the field. I had been too stunned to move for a moment until I realized he had been in trouble. So I had made my way over here as fast as I could.

He was okay. He had protected Tenten! He was a good person!

Wait . . . Tenten.

Sasuke seemed to have thought along the exact same lines, for he jumped up and ran over to her, through the crowd of people. Kiba and Neji were gone, probably to help Naruto and Hinata get a teacher. Ino was behind me, along with Sai—both of them were very concerned over the situation.

Once I reached Tenten and sat down beside her, she opened her eyes. Sasuke was the first person she gazed at, and she reached out a hand. He took it in his grasp. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I said a lot of things I didn't mean." She coughed.

"You shouldn't talk," I whispered. "You're probably internally bleeding, and it's best to just stay still and quiet—"

"Shut up," Sasuke warned me, tears welling up in his eyes.

I had never seen Uchiha Sasuke cry.

Tenten took in a ragged breath before laughing. "I never did make . . . the basketball team," she wheezed, still speaking to Sasuke. "You promised you would make sure I did someday."

"I know, I know." He squeezed her hand. "I still promise. You'll make it next year."

She shook her head at him. "There won't be a next year for me."

Sasuke choked out a sob.

"I never meant my threats about Itachi, flirting with him, telling the whole school I was your girlfriend, and stuff. I was just being silly."

He nodded and breathed heavily. "It's okay, I know. Don't worry about things like that."

Tenten's chocolate brown eyes turned to face me. "I never . . . liked you, Sakura . . ." She coughed before she could finish her sentence. "You hogged Sasuke. I got jealous. But now . . . I just want to say I'm sorry. Take care of Sasuke for me."

"No," I cried. "No, you're going to be okay. Just breathe. Stay awake!"

She closed her eyes but not before crystal tears leaked through her eyelashes. "I always wanted a first kiss. It was my dream. I'll never get one now."

Bending over, Sasuke pressed his lips onto Tenten's, who smiled in return. Her eyes were closed, her smile was strong. I couldn't even tell that she had stopped breathing halfway through the kiss. Sasuke backed away, and I heard him almost sobbing uncontrollably. That was when I realized.

Bad things happened to good people.

Tenten . . .

A teacher was running over, and I knew he was professionally a doctor. Naruto and Hinata were right behind him. The teacher knelt down and listened for a heartbeat. "Heart attack. Everybody stand back."

I grabbed Sasuke around the shoulders and pulled him away. He resisted the whole time, but he was too confused to really put up a challenge. I hugged him tightly, crying silent tears of my own.

An ambulance arrived shortly and took Tenten away, but everyone knew she was already dead or dying. The doctor who had arrived said she had about a twenty-five percent chance at survival, but . . . Sasuke and I knew there really was no chance.

We skipped class—Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, and I—to go to the waiting room. Sasuke had a few stitches, but soon he joined us and sat down in the chair next to me. Tenten would be in surgery, and we would wait to know whether it had succeeded. The awkward silence filled with Sasuke's choking sobs was soon too much for me to bear.

"Hey, Naruto, Hinata?" I asked nervously.

Naruto answered with a glare. "Yeah?" Hinata asked kindly, though the hint of anger in her voice betrayed her.

"Did you guys ever do drugs or alcohol?" I asked curiously. That question had been bugging me forever. I couldn't really trust what Sasuke had said about them being addicts, so I needed to ask them in person. Besides, I really wanted to know—to clear up my embarrassment for drinking that one night, long ago at a party.

Hinata shrugged. "O-once or twice. Not really though."

I smiled at her. Exactly the answer I expected.

His expression finally compassionate, the anger finally gone from his face, Naruto decided to answer. "I used to a lot at my old school. The one Neji used to go to. I was his friend." He sighed and shook his head. "I made a lot of mistakes."

"Everyone makes mistakes," I countered, sensing that he was upset about his errors. "We all just have to grow from them."

"Right."

"Are we still good?" I asked them.

Hinata and Naruto nodded. "Of course," the Hyuga said.

I turned back to Sasuke and rubbed him on the back. His head was in his hands, and although he had stopped sobbing hysterically, I knew he was still crying. He seemed appreciative of the comfort I was giving him because he leaned over closer to me. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder. "It's okay, it's okay," I whispered repeatedly.

A doctor opened the doors, glanced around the room, and approached. His expression was dark and grim. He told us to follow him.

Naruto and Hinata joined hands and walked toward the doctor. I made Sasuke stand up, and we all went into an adjacent medical room. The doctor told us to sit, so Naruto had Hinata take a seat while I allowed Sasuke the other chair. He didn't seem in the right condition to be standing.

"She was still alive when we brought her here," said the doctor. "We had a chance to save her, but . . ."

"But what?" Sasuke demanded in a weak whisper.

"I'm afraid the damage was too deep. She had been internally bleeding, and though we did get her heart to start several times, there was just not enough blood to keep her systems going. I'm deeply sorry for your loss."

Hinata began to sob, and Naruto tried to comfort her. Sasuke was just as upset, though he was trying desperately to hide it. I felt tears spring to my eyes also as the doctor led us out of the room. My tears never fell. I needed to be strong for my friends. "It's okay, guys. We did our best."

Naruto sank his teeth into his lip. "No, we didn't. We just let them . . . We were spectators," he complained, referring to how he and Hinata hadn't ran off to get a teacher sooner.

"We all make mistakes," Sasuke whispered, using my words from before.

Faces in the waiting room turned to us as we left, and it felt awkward to know that they understood how we had lost someone important.

It was awful.

But just as Naruto had said that fateful day when Tenten had refused to be helped—it was the truth.

We had to live through it.

Her legal guardians had come to the funeral. I had the direct impression that they didn't care. They stared as the coffin was buried as if it was some relative's friend or something. Kiba had also arrived, and he seemed the most sincerest out of everyone, besides Sasuke.

When the grave was finished, I stepped forward to lay my rose on it. Sasuke laid his own on her grave, and we both backed way while holding hands. He wasn't crying. He seemed peaceful, as if he was saying goodbye. I closed my eyes to say my own goodbye.

Somebody tapped me on the shoulder, and I opened my eyes to see Kiba. "Yes?" I demanded sharply. He was lucky to have survived the quick trial. Fortunately his parents were wealthy enough to afford a good lawyer. He and Neji had simply been fined after spending a few nights in prison. I resented them for that.

"What do I say to her?" he asked. "She was my step-sister . . . I never meant to . . ."

"You never meant to kill her?" I finished. My voice was cold.

"Forget it," Kiba said and began to walk away.

I bit my lip. "Wait."

He stopped.

"Just tell her you love her."

He knelt down beside her grave and closed his eyes.

On the car ride home, Sasuke's mother Mikoto drove. She and Fugaku had been released from the hospital a week ago, and I was glad to see them alive and healthy. Mikoto was very kind and polite. She was fun to talk to when Sasuke would allow me time.

But this time, the car trip was in silence.

We all mourned the loss of our magnet, the girl who would never be shunned, never be cast away. She had always shown up when we least wanted her, and she had always disappeared when we wanted her the most. Repelling and attracting. She was our magnet.

She was our friend.

And she was gone.

Suddenly Sasuke's hand squeezed mine, and I glanced at him. "What's wrong?"

He frowned at the car floor. "You're free, the deal's off. My mom's driving you home."

It was a whole new experience to be free. I had never felt so unprotected, so exposed. It felt as though I were naked in a crowd of people. Sasuke had controlled every aspect of my life for months, and I didn't understand what to do with all the extra time I had gained.

Freedom.

Though it was nice and beautiful, I was afraid of it. All this time, I had thought I had been the one protecting Sasuke, but actually it had been the other way around. He had been protecting me from choices, and that had felt safe. I wanted him back.

"Did you get an abortion?" Naruto asked me at lunch one day.

I shook my head. I had already decided the day of Tenten's funeral. Taking a life was just wrong. Since then, another month had flown, and I still had not told anyone about my decision that was too late to change now. It was time though, and I would tell them. "I'm going to ask Sasuke if he'll still be my boyfriend today."

"What? Why?" Naruto demanded.

An upset expression formed on Hinata's face again.

"He's different now," I promised. "I love him."

"L-last time, we could hardly ever talk to you . . ." Hinata whispered.

I shrugged. "It won't be the same. Last time, he was forcing me. This time, I want to be his girlfriend. I promise, I'll still talk to you guys a lot. In fact, we could go on double dates too since you guys are together. We could all just . . . hang out."

The idea seemed crazy. Hinata and Naruto hated Sasuke with a passion. We all had until I had changed. But to my huge surprise, Hinata smiled, and Naruto grinned. "Okay!" he exclaimed. "Sounds fun!"

"Cool." I flipped my gaze over to see Sasuke standing at the entrance to the cafeteria, and beckoned him to come over. He was so much better now. Although Tenten's death had hit him the hardest of all, he knew she would not want him to waste time thinking about it. And so he was back to his normal self. His happy self. It was as if Tenten would always stand by his side now.

Sasuke sat down next to me, and I introduced everyone, even though they already knew each other.

Naruto stared at me expectantly after the pleasantries had passed. "Well? What about your baby?"

Surprised, Sasuke glanced at me. "You're pregnant?"

I sighed. "Yeah, duh. You'd think it'd be obvious when you didn't wear condoms, and I'm starting to get fat."

Hinata laughed at the two of us, and Sasuke stared at her blankly.

"Anyway, I went to a doctor. He said it was a girl, and I decided on a—"

Naruto jumped up and said. "Oh! Oh! We gotta plan a baby shower! Come on, Hinata, let's go start inviting everybody!" He dragged her off before I had a chance to finish my statement.

"A name," I finished as if the interruption had never happened.

Sasuke chuckled, and it didn't sound forced at all. "So why didn't you getting an abortion? Don't you hate to think that you have a part of me inside your body?"

I shook my head. "Of course not. I love the thought of having something special that's yours and mine. I don't know what I'll do about high school though."

"My parents will help. We'll be okay financially, and they'll watch over our child during school, too."

Nodding gratefully, I did a double-take to scrutinize his face. "We?" Had I heard him correctly? About to ask him if he would still be my boyfriend, he cut me off.

"Yes, we." He reached into his pocket and held out a jewelry box. "Not exactly the most romantic type of setting, but . . . "Sakura, will you marry me?"

Hell, what was going on? Was I dreaming? Sasuke had bought a ring over the last month, and now was going as far as to propose to me? Even after everything that he had done to me? Out of the blue, too! Completely out of the blue! Shouldn't our relationship evolve into actually boyfriend and girlfriend first?

It was a little soon to think of marriage.

He saw the look on my face. "Well, it doesn't have to be for a couple of years, I was just curious—"

I laughed at him slightly and pressed a finger to his lips. "Of course, I'll marry you. Someday." With my other hand I took the jewelry box from his hand and opened it. An emerald ring. It was beautiful. I placed it on my finger.

The bell rang, and Sasuke and I began to walk together to class. I felt perfectly content. It was wonderful to know I could have him as a husband someday. And I knew I would be safe.

Ino appeared in the hallways as she walked up to me, a grin on her face. "Hello, Sakura, Sasuke," she greeted with a model's politeness.

"Hey."

Sasuke nodded at her.

"So, can I borrow Sakura for a second?" she asked, amused.

I laughed and followed Ino down the hall for a moment. "Something wrong?"

"Nah, I was just wondering if . . ."

"If what?"

"You're pregnant."

"Oh." I had completely forgotten about her obsession over Sasuke, and now that she knew I was pregnant.

Ino sighed deeply and stared at me. "If you hadn't wanted to keep it, then you would have got an abortion. Does this mean . . . I have no chance with Sasuke now?"

"I'm sorry, Ino." To love your best friend's crush was unforgivable, but I couldn't give up Sasuke now either. He needed me. "I just . . ."

"It's okay, just wondering. He never liked me anyway. Besides . . ."

"Yeah?"

"I've got a new crush anyway." She was already beginning to walk away.

"Who?" I shouted after her. I was so curious, I wanted to know.

"Not telling!"

But then I watched as she rushed over to Neji and began talking tremendously. I didn't have to ask who her new crush was anymore. They made a good couple anyway—I could tell from the way Neji was responding to her insistent babbles. I shook my head and laughed before returning to Sasuke.

When we both reached our math class, Sasuke stopped and put a hand on my shoulder. Then he started playing with my pink hair, which—just for him—I had allowed to grow down to my mid-back.

"So what are you gonna call her?" he said, staring at the ever-growing bulge in my stomach.

I smiled at him, and he seemed to know before I answered. "Tenten. Uchiha Tenten."

~Fin.