A/N: Yeah so, I bet everyone hates me for updating late. You know what? I've been busy as hell. For reals. Plus I really have no idea how to like write this chapter. I have really different scenarios for everything and I really don't know which ones to use. So hope your not disappointed!

Again Standard Disclaimer Applies: Anything familiar does not belong to me.

Caught Up In Between

Summary:AU Sasuke and Sakura were inseparable when they were kids. Then Sasuke left with high hopes of becoming famous, leaving little Sakura to fend from the bullies herself. When he comes to town for a visit, can they reconnect, or will Sasuke's dream of being famous keep them apart? Sasusaku.

C . h . a . p . t . e . r . 1 :-:The Return

-x-

"I miss you, I miss you so bad."-Avril Lavigne

10 Years Later

A beautiful young girl, with short pink hair stood on a hill over looking the city. It was around sunset, so the sky was lit with multiple shades of red, oranges, and pinks. Her dull emerald eyes shut as she let out a sigh. A gold locket glistened in the descending sunlight and she clutched the small locket as if her life depended on it.

Haruno Sakura had come up here to think. And some peace. Ever since she had become Naruto's roommate, there was never a moments peace.

Ever.

I mean, come on. Its Naruto! The last time Naruto was ever quite was that fateful day 10 years ago.

Flashback

She had just said good-bye to Sasuke. She slowly made her way home, when ambulance and cop cars rushed passed her. She didn't pay any mind to them. She was much lost in thought, reminiscing of the fun time with Sasuke.

She finally looked up and saw police cars in front of her house. A wave of panic rushed over her as she raced to her front door.

A policeman spotted her and bent down to her height. "Sakura-chan?" he asked her kindly.

The policeman looked like a nice guy so Sakura decided to trust him.

"Y-yes? Where's tou-san and kaa-san?" she asked the police officer.

The police officer threw her a sympathetic look. She feared what he had to say next.

"I'm terribly sorry Sakura-Chan, but your parents were killed in a car crash." he told her.

The words echoed in her head and she refused to believe it.

"No! They can't be dead! They just aren't!" she screamed. "I want my mommy and daddy!!!" she lashed out at the officers refusing to listen and she kept thrashing and crying and kicking and screaming.

The officers looked down at her with pity. Suddenly she stopped. She saw the pity in their eyes. She narrowed her own and stared everyone else's down.

'I know what they're thinking,' she thought, 'they're probably thinking "oh poor Sakura-Chan, her parents are DEAD. She has no one." Che.'

But underneath the hatred for the officers, she was empty. The three most important people in her life had just left her. She couldn't help the falling of tears just thinking about it.

She ran.

She didn't know where she was going, but just went wherever her feet took her.

When she came to a stop, she lifted herself and gasped.

The park.

Of course. This was the place where she had the most memories with her parents. They use to bring her every day with Sasuke-kun and her father would push both of them on the swings and they'd race on who could swing the highest. Sasuke would win. Then they would compete on who could jump off the swing the furthest.

They both had ignored the pleas from her mother to not do it, and the encouragement from her father, Sakura had full intentions of winning. She jumped off and won but paid the price of a broken wrist.

Sasuke had been with her through the whole thing. From the emergency room and getting her cast off, to the last day of wearing her cast and getting it off.

Her parents had babied her and she missed them terribly.

She slowly made her way to one of the swings and sat down. She was sobbing hard now. She had finally accepted the fact that her parents were dead.

A few days later…

She stood next to a (for once) solemn looking Naruto, who was holding her hand in support. She had shed her tears at the park so had no more tears to cry at the funeral. Her usual sparkling emerald eyes were now an empty and dull green. Her face showed no emotion.

Naruto was extremely sad for his friend. He too had lost his best friend. And he never had parents. But Sakura's parents treated him like one of their own. He always felt welcomed. So he knew partially what Sakura was feeling, but he was sure she felt worse.

Naruto, yes at the age of seven, lived in an apartment alone. He had invited Sakura to live with him and she had accepted with gratitude. The Uchiha's had also offered her a place to stay, but it wouldn't have been the same without Sasuke-kun. She still always had her own room at the mansion.

Sakura was lost in her own world. When the funeral had finished Naruto gave her hand a gentle tug.

"C'mon Saku-chan. Lets go home." Home. Something she thought she would never be able to have again.

Sakura was on automatic. She obediently followed Naruto as he took her home. They had moved all her stuff to his apartment two days ago.

Naruto tried to give her food to eat, but she pushed it away saying she wasn't hungry. Naruto looked at her sadly. He took her hand and led her to their bedroom. He tucked her in on her bed and whispered a soft, "Go to sleep Sakura-chan. You'll feel better."

She nodded her head and closed her eyes. When Naruto was sure she was asleep he quietly crept into the bed on the other side of the room and fell asleep.

Naruto awoke to the sound of sniffling. He looked over to the digital clock next to his bed.

It was two o'clock in the morning.

He looked to the bed across him and saw a slightly shaking Sakura, crying in her sleep. She was having a nightmare.

He walked over to her bed and climbed in next to her.

"Shh…Sakura-chan, you'll be ok. Everything's going to be alright." He whispered to her soothingly while he rubbed her back.

Sakura stopped crying. "Arigato…Sasuke-kun." She whispered in her sleep.

End flashback

Fuck. She really needed to stop thinking about that day. And Sasuke. She had seen him millions of times of TV. It had gotten to hurt so badly to the point when she just stopped watching TV in general. She saw him everywhere. She missed him terribly. She was depressed that he never called or sent a letter.

She always left a letter with a small cherry blossom petal attached in the corner on the doorstep of the Uchiha Mansion every month. She had lost contact with all of them since that fateful day at her parent's funeral.

She wasn't sure if Sasuke knew. If he did, wouldn't he…come back? Wouldn't he…be there for her?

She clutched her locket tighter and bowed her head.

'Why? Why, Sasuke-kun? Why weren't you here when I needed you most? It's been…ten years…and I still need you more than ever.' Sakura ended her thought with an intense pain in her heart.

Sakura knew the pain in her heart would continue until Sasuke was back at her side.

"Sakura-chan!" a loud, hyper voice called out.

"Hai, Naruto-kun?" She asked him softly.

He walked up to her and noticed her mouth had formed a frown.

"Thinking about the teme again?" he asked her.

"Naruto!" she said sharply, "Don't call him that. He was our best friend."

Naruto inwardly scoffed.

'A best friend doesn't make you suffer, Sakura-chan. You don't deserve him. Where was he when your parents died? How come that bastard never came back?' he thought to himself.

Sakura would kill him if he ever voiced any of this out.

"Let's just go home. We have school tomorrow." He told her gently.

"Hai. Sorry for snapping at you." She apologized.

"It's ok Sakura-chan." He replied.

They slowly walked together to their shared apartment, while Naruto blabbed and complained about how his stupid tutor took him out for ramen and made him pay.

Sakura laughed at his misfortune. Trust Naruto to cheer her up.

-x-

Sakura woke up to her evil alarm clock that morning who refused to shut up.

"Damn it Sakura-chan, turn that stupid thing off!" Naruto yelled from his bed.

Sakura groaned and put her pillow over her head.

She reached out with her arm and knocked it off her table. It stopped ringing.

"Thank Kami-sama." She heard Naruto mumble.

She got up groggily and pulled some clothes out of her and Naruto's closet and walked towards the bathroom.

"I call shower!" she yelled out.

"And Kami knows you need it Sakura-chan!" he yelled back.

"Why you!" a soap bar connected with his head.

"Itai!!" he rubbed the sore spot but grinned. It was so worth it.

After Sakura came out of the shower, Naruto went in and was out in ten minutes.

They were both dressed in the navy blue and white school uniform and walked out the door.

Sakura grabbed the keys, locked the door and they made their way downstairs, Sakura giving Naruto the silent treatment.

"Awww c'mon Saku-chan you know I didn't meaaaaannnnn iiitttttt." He gave her his best puppy dog face.

"Shit Naruto, I hate your face." She said as she forgave him.

"Aww you know you love it!" he countered arrogantly.

-x-

Sakura got in the drivers seat in the car and zoomed off to school. The two played extremely loud rap music with their windows down and made their way to the school student parking lot with huge grins on their faces.

They walked into the building ignoring the mean taunts and whispers of the students and went to their lockers.

Sakura had a black hoodie in her locker and threw it over her head. She plugged her headphones in and put up the hood to hide her pink hair.

They made their way to their homeroom with Kakashi-sensei who was also their History teacher.

They walked in and saw Kakashi sitting at his desk. Naruto stopped in his tracks and Sakura bumped into him.

"Oof. What the hell Naruto?" she asked rubbing her nose.

He lifted up his arm and pointed his finger at Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei. You're here!" He stated with wide eyes and disbelief.

"No Naruto…you just think I'm here." Replied Kakashi-sensei.

"But…but…but…you're on time!!" He said again.

"I'm aware Naruto." He sighed.

"But…why?" he asked incredulously.

"That's none of your concern, Naruto. Now go to your seat."

Sakura pushed him to get his feet moving. He snapped out of his shocked stated and grinned sheepishly back at Sakura.

She rolled her eyes and made her way to her desk in the far right corner of the back next to the window. Naruto had the seat in front of her. She put her head down and listened to her new Linkin Park Minutes to Midnight CD.

She didn't even notice the new guy with onyx-eyes and spiky black hair come into the room and introduce himself. She didn't notice the look Kakashi sent to Naruto saying 'wake-her-up-and-I-will-personally-hurt-you'. Kakashi didn't want Sakura to go through any emotional ordeal.

He wanted them to meet on there own terms.

"Alright Sasuke-san, please sit in the empty seat in the back." He told Sasuke.

Sasuke just nodded as the fangirls squealed. It was not everyday the hottest teen Japanese actor came to your school to study.

He sat in the seat in the back and ignored the flirtatious looks those girls were giving.

The girl on his left kept winking continuously at him.

"I beg pardon, is something the matter with your eye?" he tried his best not to crack up and look disgusted at the same time.

The girl blushed profusely and turned away. Sasuke silently thanked Kami.

Next he looked to his right and saw a girl (he knew it was a girl because he saw her skirt.) with her hood up and her head in her arms. He didn't want to disturb her. He looked to the person sitting in front of her.

Blond spiky hair. Bright cerulean blue eyes. Holy shit. It was his best friend Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "Long time no see teme."

"Hn." He replied. Ok so that wasn't exactly the greeting he was expecting. He was expecting more of a "Hey Sasuke! Long time no see, I missed you."

Something along those lines. Maybe even his infamous grin. Not a glare and getting called a bastard. Especially from Naruto.

He was looking for Sakura. He couldn't wait to get out of this class. He missed her so much. He never grew tired of thinking about her. He wanted to tell her sorry for her parents. He didn't even find out until three years ago. He felt terrible. He ended up locking himself in his trailer for a week. He couldn't come in contact with Sakura. He felt bad all those years for never contacting her. It was too painful for him. He still had all her letters she'd leave on their doorstep and had preserved all the cherry blossom petals that came attached.

He snapped out of his daydream and started paying attention in class. He had an image and reputation to uphold.

"Pssst…hey Naruto, shouldn't we wake her up?" he whispered up to the blonde.

"Nah, Kaka-sensei, always lets her sleep. She is in fact his best student." He whispered back loudly.

"Is there something you'd like to share Naruto?" Kakashi asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Nah, you go right on ahead and continue homeroom-ing sir. You're doing a great job by the way." Naruto answered while saluting.

"Detention Naruto!" He said.

"Whaaaaaa? Kaka-sensei that's unfair! What for?" he proclaimed.

"For being smart with me young man." Kakashi smirked.

Naruto dropped his head on his desk. Sakura was going to kill him.

The bell rang and everyone got up except Naruto, Sasuke and sleeping beauty.

"Well I'm going to go find my first class." Sasuke waved.

Naruto sighed in relief. He woke Sakura up and went to their first period.

-x-

Soon everyone's favorite time of the day rolled around. Lunch. Sasuke walked into the cafeteria and tried to find a place to sit. Fangirls were all over the place trying to get him to sit with them. You know what he did? He turned right around and took his lunch outside.

He was trying to find a calm place to eat, when he heard Naruto's loud voice across the yard.

"LET ME GO!" he yelled.

Sasuke ran over to see what was going on.

"DON'T HURT SAKURA! LET HER GO!!" he pleaded.

Sasuke ran faster than ever when he heard his best friends name. What were they doing to her?

-x-

Sakura had just come outside to eat her lunch in peace. Well not really, since there's never peace when Naruto's around, but you know what I mean. They ate under the beautiful cherry blossom tree that sat in the middle of their courtyard.

As she was quietly chatting with Naruto (who had told her about the detention) and eating her lunch, he faaaaaavvvvoooorrrriite (note the sarcasm) group of people decided to join her.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A monster and a big forehead?" sneered Wantanabe Ami. She was the leader of the group. Beautiful features with shiny straight black hair, beautiful brown eyes, she basically had the whole school in the palm of her hand. Not to mention the fact that she had a billionaire father.

Her whole posse had gathered around Sakura and Naruto making a group of ten.

"What do you want Ami?" Naruto said in a cold voice.

"Oh nothing, I just want to have a friendly chat with my dearest friend Sakura-chan." She said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"You got ten seconds before Naruto and I beat the hell out of all of you." Sakura spat out venomously.

"Na-uh, Sakura-chan," she snapped her fingers. Two large buffed football players came out from behind her and grabbed Naruto and held him.

He immediately started struggling.

"Let go of me! Let me go! Now!" he demanded. But unfortunately his demands fell to deaf ears. Everyone was too caught up in what would happen between Ami and Sakura.

"So you little whore. Ready for today's beating?" Ami taunted.

Sakura smirked. "Not if I beat you first." And with that trigger being said she launched a punch straight into Ami's face.

Before her hit could land, Sakura felt herself being held and thrown back into the tree.

'Ooww…ok wasn't expecting that…this bitch is getting smart.' She thought as she got up and brushed herself off.

Before Sakura could retaliate, she felt someone punch her in the gut. She dropped to her knees and heard Naruto's pleas to not touch her and before someone could land another hit someone blocked it.

"Hasn't your mother ever taught you it's rude to hit girls?" he asked.

One of the crew members scoffed. "She's not a girl." They replied bodly.

Sasuke's eyes flashed red. "Care to say that again?" he hissed violently.

"OMG isn't that UCHIHA SASUKE!?!" someone cried out.

"OMG! I love your movies and shows, you're a great actor!"

Soon everyone was trying to ask for his autograph and ask him out.

"BACK OFF!" he screamed menacingly.

He glared his famous icy cold death glare, and they ran away.

He turned around to the pink haired beauty who was still clutching her stomach in pain.

"Are you ok Saku-chan?" He asked her gently.

Sakura's head snapped up. No one had ever called her Saku-chan except Sasuke. She looked up and locked gazes with familiar onyx eyes that she hadn't seen in years.

"Sasu-chan!" she cried out reverting to her childhood nickname for him. She threw her arms around him and sobbed.

He gently massaged her back and whispered soothingly in her ears.

"Don't ever leave me again!" she sobbed out. "You left me and then my parents left me on the same day! You weren't there Sasu-chan, I cried and cried and I called out to you and you never came! Why would you do that to me?!" Her hands were gripped around Sasuke's shirt and she kept repeatedly punching him in the chest.

Sasuke felt a stab at his heart. He had never been so sorry in life. He let her vent out all the sadness and the sorrow and the anger she had built up inside.

Naruto just looked on from the side, his heart reaching out to her.

Sasuke, in his most confident voice, promised her: "I know Saku-chan, and I'm here now and I'm never going to leave your side ever again."

-x-

"It always rains the hardest, on the people who deserve the sun."

-x-

A/N: Sooooo, what do you think? Positive feedback would be nice. I love writing this story, but I just feel like it's extremely sucky. I just quickly glanced over it so sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes. I know this story is lame. I'm not good with detail or imagery or descriptive writing. I don't have a very large vocabulary. Lol. Too troublesome. Too lazy.

But yeah leave some reviews! I would love to hear from all of you!!

P.S Can anyone guess why I named this chapter The Return?