A/N-Thanks to Sakura li 19, Puppy444219, collie-wolf3 and Seyann for reviewing the last chapter...read and review!!!!

Disclamer-I don't own

Chapter 20

The fact that, for most of the night Sakura was completely unconscious was a blessing. It wasn't, exactly, a straight unconsciousness…more like a dream. There were scenes that she saw quite vividly. She was in a lifeboat, with her head resting on something soft. After coming to this realization she quickly faded again.

Whether it was a minute, 10…she didn't know but the next time she was roused it was by a snap-like a gunshot. Memories flew through her head of being shot and she shot open unseeing eyes and tried to get up, muttering "Sasuke…no…" Gentle hands pushed her back to the nest created for her.

As she drifted back towards darkness, she realized that she could hear music…it was the strains of 'Nearer my God to thee'. Forcing herself to stay awake with her eyes opened, she turned her head slowly towards the direction of the sound, and to say a little prayer for the band members. Then she no longer had the strength for anything.

The next thing that woke her was the wails of the some fifteen hundred people who were freezing to death in the water.

She wished that she had been able to remain unconscious for this. Her shoulder was throbbing…

She willed herself back to the darkness.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"-She should be waking up soon…. if she does, make sure she doesn't get distressed. I did what I could to remove the bullet, considering my limited means. I'll be back in a few hours."

The light was bright on Sakura's eyes, making her quail at the thought of opening them. A low murmur of voices could be heard around her. She picked out Ino's voice and, reflexively spoke. Her voice cracked. "I-Ino?"

"She's awake!!" she heard someone hiss. With the feeling as though 100-pound weights were attached to her eyelids, she pulled her eyes open. The overhead light momentarily blinded her but soon the silhouettes of Ino, Tenten and Hinata manifested themselves. "You…you guys made it!" she drew her eyebrows close together. "Where am I?" "The Cunard Carpathia. It's the rescue ship."

Sakura stared at the ceiling. "Makes sense. How long ago…" "Last night."

The pink haired girl took a deep breath. "How many…" even though she knew. "About 700 survived." Sakura let out a breath and closed her eyes. "And about 1500 died," she whispered to herself. "What about your husbands?" The exchanged glances.

"Shikamaru survived…" said Ino quietly. "S-s-s-so did Naruto…" The two of them exchanged a sad look and turned to Tenten. "Neji didn't survive did he?" whispered Sakura quietly. "No, he didn't," answered Tenten in a quiet voice. Her eyes were flat and her face was pale. "Oh Tenten I'm so sorry…"

"He would always tell me that the sea would eventually take his life. I never believed it but…I almost knew he wasn't going to make it off that ship. I just wish…" her voice dropped to a whisper. "I should've told him. I should've told him he was going to be a father…he died without knowing about it."

Sakura knew this wasn't true…she, herself had told Neji about the baby in a effort to get him off the ship, an effort that hadn't worked. Thinking that Tenten might take some comfort from her news, she took a sip of water and spoke up. "Tenten, he knew."

Tenten looked at the girl in the bed a confused light in her eyes. "What do you mean?" "I mean…just before this happened, I bumped into Neji. In…an effort to get him off the boat for you, I told him that you were pregnant."

A strange light came to Tenten's eyes. "Thank you Sakura. Thank you. He died knowing he had a child… that reassures me a lot."

Sakura sat up and leaned against a pillow. "Your welcome Tenten. Now, tell me…did Sasuke…make it?"

Ino shook her head. "I haven't seen him. I'm sorry Sakura."

Sakura's eyes opened wide and her breathing became slightly harsher than normal. "No…" she shook her head. "No…no, I came so far…I did so much…. and I couldn't save him??" She threw her covers off, completely disregarding what she had heard the doctor tell the women before. "I…can't believe it…NO!!!" She shot out of bed and ran out of the room, her arm in a sling.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The pink haired girl sped out of her infirmary room, completely ignorant of her surroundings. A man in a tattered White Star Line uniform from the night before stood outside the door-the girl blew past, not noticing him.

He paused in front of the door and leaned in to hear what the group was saying. "But she's not supposed to be out of bed…she's not even stopped bleeding…" said the girl with brown eyes.

"A-and plus what if she runs into someone else? That and N-naruto told me…"

The officer didn't wait around to hear the rest. His eyes narrowed and he went after the pink haired girl.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Tears dripped out of the corners of her eyes as she ran, forming a crystal trail glittering behind her. Her face was contorted with the pain in her shoulder, which compounded the pain she felt at losing her soul mate. Finally she made it back to the end of the boat. The pink haired girl collided with the railing and she leaned over the back of the ship, sobbing. "After all I did, it wasn't enough. Coming back in time 94 years. TAKING A FREAKING BULLET FOR YOU!!!! But no…it wasn't enough."

She slid to the ground slowly, kneeling on the wooden deck of the Carpathia, tears in her eyes. She could feel the cold through her thin nightgown.

"Fate…. Destiny…. if you knew that I wasn't going to succeed, why did you send me back here in the first place?"

Flashback

"Okay. Let's start with number one. If you, for whatever reason, fail to save him, then you will not be stuck in that time where you don't know anyone. We will bring you back and you will wake up tomorrow as if nothing has changed…except you will remember it all,"

End Flashback

In her mind, she remembered these words. But the panic and distraught feeling which had overtaken her body refused to allow her to remember these words.

"It's not fair…. why did you have to die?" she whispered.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

He stood behind her, watching her pink hair blow in the wind as she cried, clutching her stomach with her good arm.

Throughout the night, in the lifeboat, he had cradled her head in his hands and in his lap while she drifted in and out of consciousness.

He was so sure that he was going to lose her…

Until the Carpathia came along. Then, and only then had he felt some relief for this girl who had undoubtedly saved his life. For Uchiha Sasuke had spoken true to her.

Had he been forced to turn his gun on any single person, he would've taken his own life doubtlessly.

However. She had saved him when she had begged him to stay with her. How could he turn down that, when she had taken a bullet…. well, taken a bullet for him.

He stepped up behind her. "You're right. If, after you had done that I had died, then that wouldn't be fair."

He watched her freeze up. She was obviously shaking as she turned around and met his eyes. "Sasuke…. you survived." In that instant she rememberd Fate and Destiny;s words from that first day. We will bring you back…

"What are you doing out of bed Sakura? I thought that the doctor told you to stay in bed, annoying woman."

Sakura laughed and, tears in her eyes, leapt forward into his open arms.