I waited...12 days...for 2 reviews? -looks around, then shakes head slightly, putting a hand to said head- I can't believe this happened...I was truly forgotten by my reviewers...even the ones that have this story on alert!

Thank you Nhi and Kyoharu-chan. -bows-

P.S. Kyoharu - Does your name have anything to do with Kyo and Haru from Fruits Basket?

The Uchiha Clan Survivors

Chapter 18 - Jackets, Sparks, and Wings

The party had been kinda low down the rest of the day. Satsuki's laughing fit had everyone glancing at her every 5 minutes. She had long since stopped laughing but everyone thought she may start again any time. When it was over, Sasuke thanked everyone as they handed him gifts he didn't ask for and didn't want. They were all left unopened and then they all left. Satsuki looked outside.

"The sun's setting. The party went longer than I thought it would." she smiled a small smile. Sasuke glanced at her but then went back to packing the gifts into one big bag. "What's wrong brother?" Sasuke paused at the word 'brother' but then kept moving.

"Nothing." he said in a cold voice. Satsuki froze. He'd never been this cold towards her before except when they first met and he didn't know her yet. Satsuki stared at him as he walked towards the doors, bag over his shoulder.

'Sasuke...what'd I do?' she asked in her head. He paused when he realized she hadn't moved yet. He looked over his shoulder at her.

"What're you doing?" his voice was...slightly less cold. She took this as comfort somewhat. He probably didn't know he'd been so cold. She managed a small smile.

"N-nothing. Um...let's go." she grabbed the bag of gifts and ran out the doors.

They ran around the town instead of through it because...well...same reason they went around to get there. When Satsuki arrived at the house, she set down the bag and caught her breath. Sasuke showed up a minute later, he hadn't rushed.

"Let's get inside." he said plainly. He took the bag from Satsuki and went inside, closing the door behind him.

"Do you realize how cold you're being Sasuke?" she asked softly. "What'd I do that was so wrong?" she then opened the door to the house.

Satsuki walked in to see Sasuke walking down to the bathroom, most likely to take a shower. She looked around and saw the bag. Satsuki went over and took out Iruka's gift. She opened it to find a pack of ramen. The man probably didn't know what Sasuke liked and went with the only thing he could think of. Satsuki heard the shower come on and put the ramen in a cabinet and then went back to the bag.

She opened Kakashi's to find one of his perverted books. She flipped all the pages in 5 seconds and then bent the book like a boomerang and tossed it into the trash can. She noted to smash Kakashi into the bottom of the lake near the village as soon as she saw him tomorrow.

Naruto had given him...an I.O.U. paper...Poor boy couldn't even think of a gift...or maybe he couldn't afford it. Whatever, she taped it to the wall near Sasuke's bed and wrote 'Naruto's Gift' on it. Sakura had gotten him a necklace, gold with silver wings. Satsuki smiled at the symbol.

'Freedom' she thought, setting it carefully on Sasuke's bedside table.

Hokage had given Sasuke a note telling him not to forget the important things in life and to enjoy life as it came, like he did. He'd also given Sasuke a hat.

"A hat?" Satsuki put it on and it fell down over her eyes. "How big of a head does he think Sasuke has?" She asked, taking off the hat and hanging it on the wall.

She looked back around. All the gifts were opened and Sasuke probably didn't care for any of them. She'd make him wear the necklace at least once if it was the last thing she did. Satsuki realized that she hadn't given him anything really, but was fine with it. Cause in truth, she'd given a lot.

Satsuki had given Sasuke family companionship. She'd given back to him the ability to trust, the belief that life was worth living for more than just revenge, and she had worn the jacket he'd made for her. These were small and there was no real proof that she'd given them to him, but Sasuke and Satsuki knew it.

Sasuke had given Satsuki a lot too. He'd given her a reason to live, to come home. He'd made her happy by just living and had taught her to trust again, like she had for him. He had given her a jacket to symbolize her clan. Sasuke and Satsuki had cared about each other. Which to her, was the best gift ever.

She hung the jacket up and then changed her clothes. She was now wearing a dark blue, moderately long 'around-the-house' skirt and a no-sleeves 'around-the-house' shirt. She took out a book and began reading. It was a book called 'The Recent History of Hidden In The Leaf.'

A few minutes later, footsteps were heard and then Sasuke came into view. He was dripping, cloaked in a towel, and holding his headband in his right hand. Satsuki smiled up at him and closed the book. She nodded to him and then went to take a shower. She paused before entering the bathroom.

"I opened your gifts for you. Kakashi's is in the trash, Iruka's is in the cabinet, Naruto's is pinned to your bedroom wall, Sakura's is on your bedside table, and Hokage's is that big hat on the wall and a note I left on your pillow." she entered the bathroom and the shower started up.

"Uh..." he walked into his room, got dried off and changed, then saw the necklace, note, and I.O.U. "Thanks?"

He had to admit that the necklace was nice. He had a feeling that Satsuki was going to kill him if he didn't wear it so said boy put the necklace on, though it was hidden because of the shirts and jacket he always wore. Sasuke looked at the I.O.U. and decided he was never mentioning it unless Naruto brought it up. He was never wearing that hat and the note just reminded him of things he already knew and of things he'd heard before.

Sasuke checked the trash can even though he knew what Kakashi had most likely given him. He glared at the boomerang shaped book and closed the trash can. He wondered how Satsuki had turned it into a boomerang but then dropped it and went to make some dinner. He ended up just taking out the leftover food from the party and eating that.

The shower stopped and he turned as Satsuki came out. He paused. Her hair was kinda...long and silky looking when it was wet...Did his hair do that? He hoped not. She blinked and looked at him.

"What?" she asked. He spoke before his mind could catch up.

"You're pretty." he then nearly choked the foot he put in his mouth a second later, realizing what he'd just said.

Satsuki was blushing madly and turned away. Sasuke fell out of his chair while trying not to choke and landed on the floor with a 'thump.' Satsuki turned and ran over. (I have done this)

"Sasuke? Are you ok?" she asked, shaking the lifeless body. He suddenly lunged up and forward, taking in a deep breath of air as he finally swallowed his food. Satsuki was clutching the towel around her and cleared her throat.

Sasuke blinked and realized what had happened. Satsuki had been to his right. When he had sat up, he had caught Satsuki by the arm. When he lunged forward, he'd brought her with him. So now, he was sitting half bent over with Satsuki in his lap. Their faces were about 4 cm apart. He let out a small noise of surprise as he backed up, stood up, and hit the wall.

"That was...odd." she said with a slight smile as she stood up and 'dusted' herself off. "It was also kinda funny." she was blushing, but had disregarded that for the, she thought, hilarious moment.

"Um...s-sorry." he looked to the side and blushed a bit...a lot. He found himself staring almost directly at Satsuki's jacket. "Mom." he muttered almost in audible.

"What?" Satsuki asked. She blinked, looked down as she remembered she was still in her towel, and then rushed into the bedroom to change.

Sasuke walked over to the jacket and put his right hand wear a person's heart would be. He ran his hand over the Uchiha seal.

"Thanks for everything mom. Satsuki is...kinda like I remember you. But she's my age instead of years older." he smiled sadly. Satsuki peeked out of the room, now fully dressed, but her hair was still wet. "I'm sorry. For not protecting you. And for using your jacket at Satsuki's."

Satsuki nearly fell over, but regained herself. Her jacket had belonged to his mom?

"I don't think you're angry about that though. You were a wonderful person, and Satsuki is too. But I think she's prettier than you were at her age." he smirked, taking his hand off the jacket and turning around. He started when he saw Satsuki standing there. "S-satsuki...um...did you-?"

"Yep. Why didn't you tell me it was your mom's jacket. And why not just get me a new one?" she asked in a sweet voice she rarely used. It wasn't a 'give me' voice or a 'I know you did it and now I have blackmail' voice. It was just...sweet.

"Cause you wouldn't have taken it if you had known and because I...can't sew that good." he looked at the floor.

"You're a guy. Of course you can't sew well. But thanks anyway. You did a marvelous job fixing your mom's." she smiled. Sasuke shook his head.

"It was my mother's. Now it's yours." he pat her on the shoulder before going in for bed. "Night."

"Night." she waved as he went in the bedroom. "And no hard feelings about you being cold to me after the party either!" she called after him. He paused and turned around.

"I was what?" he asked.

"Nevermind." she shook her head, smiling. "Come on. We should get some sleep." she walked in past Sasuke and jumped onto her bed, landing with a small 'whup.' Sasuke climbed into his bed like he always did. Soon, they both fell asleep.

-

"Mommy...Mommy? Are you ok mom? Wake up please." a little boy pleaded.

He was in the middle of a land full of corpses. At the moment he was sitting next to a woman's body. She too was covered in blood, her own blood. Her jacket was ripped and her headband was broken. He was crying and wallowing in other peoples blood.

"Sasuke...my son..." his mother said softly, touching the young boy's cheek. He grasped her hand, still crying.

"Don't talk mom. I'll get a doctor...They might be coming already." he said frantically, looking around.

"No honey...I am going to die. I know it. I wonder if...Melissa...knows yet." she seemed to be talking to herself. "She always could tell when we were in trouble. I know why she left..." Sasuke's mom coughed up blood.

"Mommy!" Sasuke's crying became harder. His mom's hand fell from his face and she laid it on her other one, on her chest.

"Sasuke...You're not alone...you are never alone." she closed her eyes. "Take good care of yourself. Remember...if you see a golden light...you're connected...and I love y-" and she was gone.

"Mommy...Mommy! MOMMY!" Sasuke laid down over his mom and cried. "Mommy...Open your eyes...please..."

He laid there for awhile. Itachi had already come to him before he'd gone to his mom. Sasuke fell in and out of sleep. When he was fully awake, he sat up. His cheeks were tear stained, but that would disappear after awhile. Sasuke took off his mom's jacket to keep, to remember her by. He saw people coming. The villagers.

Now they would know what happened too.

-

Sasuke sat bolt upright in bed. He hated those memories.

'I wonder if Melissa knows yet.'

He blinked. Who was Melissa? He closed his eyes.

'If you see a golden light, you're connected.'

Sasuke remembered being 6 and seeing Satsuki. There had been a...golden light? He opened his eyes. Sasuke looked over at Satsuki. Golden light connects...had Melissa been her mom?

"Satsuki?" he asked softly. She didn't move. "Satsuki." he went over to her bed. "What was your mother's name?"

"Her name was...Melissa..." Satsuki said softly, and sadly. "Melissa the Flying Dove. The town we lived in was small. Everyone thought my mother was so beautiful, so brave. They called her the Flying Dove because she seemed to bring peace to the village."

Sasuke listened without talking. He knew she was awake, but just...felt like talking. So he wasn't going to interrupt.

"If she hadn't died...I would've stayed in that village, growing up as the Junior Dove...or something..." Sasuke thought the name was stupid.

"If the massacre hadn't happened, if mom hadn't died...I wouldn't be here in the first place." Sasuke nearly thanked the massacre, but caught himself. "I would never have known why I left home, what I truly was, who I was to other people."

Sasuke stared at his feet, which was easy seeing as he was sitting down.

"I know it's sad that my mother died...but she's helped me in many ways since she died." Satsuki said sadly. "You talk in your sleep." she turned over. "Mommy? You were reliving the massacre...weren't you?" Sasuke's head popped up. He nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to apologize for." he stood up and sat on his bed.

"Why'd you want to know my mom's name?" she asked.

"As my mom died...she mentioned a Melissa and golden lights. Said 'Melissa should know'...about the massacre." he laid on his back on his bed on top of his covers.

"Golden lights?" Satsuki remembered seeing Sasuke at 6 years old. A golden light flashed in her mind and she smiled. "So...My mom and your mom were connected?" she asked.

"I guess so." Sasuke shrugged. He heard Satsuki sit up.

"Just like...we're connected." she said happily. "The Avenger, who doesn't want to be the avenger, and the J-" Sasuke raised his hand.

"Junior Dove sounds wrong. It's for a little girl you left back at age 9. The so-named Avenger and the Spark of Life." he smirked.

"If my nick name changes, so does yours." she said jokingly. Sasuke blinked and sat up.

"What is it then Sparks?" he asked, smiling. Satsuki couldn't think of a name. The moonlight caught on something Sasuke was wearing. A necklace? She saw what it was and smiled. Satsuki got up and went over to him. She put her pointer finger on the necklace before he could move.

"The Wings of Freedom." she laughed. "You make everyone around you feel more free, but they don't know it for awhile. See, everyone seems to be trying to out match you in something. If they get good enough, they're free. Free to use it, right?" she smiled.

"And you have given everyone around me new reason to go on fighting." Sasuke said simply, closing his eyes. "Get back to sleep...wait, why were you awake anyway?" he asked. She shook her head as she went back to her bed.

"I was dreaming...of a golden eagle, the most majestic type of eagle if you ask me.." she explained. "It was engulfed in flames, like a mystical phoenix. Never dying, always reborn. Inspiring others, and learning to open up." she noticed something. "Hey, that's neat."

"What?"

"You, Wings of Freedom, the Eagle. Me, Spark of Life, the Flames. Our nicknames equal a phoenix!" she rolled over in her bed and closed her eyes. "Night, Wings." she laughed.

Sasuke made a noise. "Night, Sparks." he closed his eyes and they were both sent adrift in sleep with the image of a Golden Eagle, covered in flames. An everlasting Phoenix.

That's it. The end. I actually have an idea for another, bonus chapter. But you guys, the reviewers, will have to tell me what you want the pairing to be in the "UCS Bonus Chapter!" Also, one time thing, I will write ANY pairing the reviewers tell me to, if it was the highest vote.

Uh...lemme think...pairings...

Sasuke x Sakura

Sasuke x Satsuki

Sasuke x ...-shudder- Kakashi

Sasuke x ...Naruto

Sasuke x ...uh...anybody else you say?

Naruto x Sakura

Naruto x Satsuki

Naruto x ...this is so wrong...Kakashi

Naruto x anybody else you can think of and I know of...

Sakura x ...oh boy...Satsuki -wrong, so wrong-

Sakura x Kakashi -possibly more wrong than the last one-

Sakura x anybody else you say that I know...

Anybody else in my story besides Itachi x anybody else you say from Naruto besides Itachi...

Note : UCS stands for Uchiha Clan Survivors : End Note

Thanks to all of you guys for all of your help...and if you review again...please come back!