Chapter two:

She never came back

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Five years had gone by since Sakura became an Uchiha. In the course of those five years she had become pregnant three times. Also, in the course of those five years she had come to our old apartment more times than I could count, sobbing and telling me that she had made a horrible mistake and that she wished she could take it all back. The next day, if we went out somewhere she would be smiling and in a good mood but we both knew it was forced.

I didn't know what was going on nor did I try to find out. I didn't want to find out because I was afraid that I'd find out more than I wanted to. All that I knew was that Sakura was unhappy and she didn't want to stay with the man she had been head over heels for two years earlier. According to Sakura, he didn't care.

But she had three gorgeous kids just like I had interpreted. She didn't want to give up on them, she told me. She was their example and if she wasn't strong then neither would they be. She loved them more than life itself. She would do anything for them, absolutely anything.

If I were their mother I would do anything for them to. Her first had been a boy. He resembled Sasuke so much it was like Sakura had no part in anything but he held Sakura's smile and ability to make someone smile. She told me Sasuke wasn't satisfied. A strong, clear-headed, boy was what Sasuke wanted. She got pregnant again but this time it was a girl. There was nothing strong about her. She was as sweet as sugar and as clear-headed as you could get. She was clever like Sakura. Not good enough, Sasuke had told Sakura. Once again she got pregnant and finally, finally he got what he wanted. One problem though, Sakura wasn't satisfied.

"A baby making machine is all he sees me for now." Sakura had told me bitterly one cold and grey afternoon. "He doesn't like me like he used to…if he ever did." How do you respond to something like that? What was I supposed to say to the woman not in love anymore?

"He'd rather kill me than get a divorce." She didn't sound like she was kidding and I set the plate I was washing down. Drying my hands, I took a seat by Sakura on the couch and let her head lie down on my shoulder. Minutes later I could feel her tears leaking onto my shirt.

"Sakura, the kids are upstairs…" I warned her but didn't stop her.

"Oh Hinata, I've been such a fool these last five years!" Sakura sobbed into my shoulder. "And I actually thought that he loved me….what a fool I've been." She started to cry harder. I hoped the kids were too engrossed into cartoons to notice the noise downstairs.

"But Sakura you have kids…doesn't that mean anything?" I tried.

In the mist of her sobbing Sakura let out a loud scoff. "That means nothing, Hinata. Yes, I love my kids…so much you wouldn't understand but they were all planned…they were all expected. Wouldn't you agree that your first baby should be a surprise?"

Sakura didn't let me answer. "Don't make the same mistakes I've made, Hinata. It would kill me if you did." I didn't answer and Sakura seemed fine with that. Her tears had dried up momentarily and she left her head on my shoulder.

"Thank you, Hinata. You've been so helpful with the kids…and my outbursts. I love you enough to call you sister. And that's just what I'll do." Sakura paused for a second and looked up at me, her green eyes misty.

"If anything ever happens to me you tell Sasuke I want you to have the kids. I don't think Sasuke could take care of them like I'd want them to be. They'd be better off with you…way much better." Sakura laid her head back down on my shoulder and I nodded.

"Are you sure Sasuke would allow it?"

She didn't have an answer for me that time and I didn't expect her to. It was a very difficult question to answer.

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I expected her to come right back. She told me in her own words that she would come back. "I'm going home to tell Sasuke that the kids and I will stay over here until Monday, I'll be right back." That's what she said; her exact words but she didn't come back. She didn't come back.

An hour and a half passed, the kids were getting restless and wondering were Mommy was, and I was honestly scared…to death. Where was Sakura and why didn't she come back? She never went back on her word…so why didn't she come back? Did Sasuke keep her at the house for some reason? No, she would have called.

Suddenly the phone rang and I jumped. Relief immediately washed over my senses as I rushed over to the phone hoping I was to hear Sakura's voice. I answered but I didn't hear her voice instead I heard the voice of her kids father.

"Hinata, this is Sasuke. I need you to bring my children over to the house right away." His voice was distant and husky. My fingers shook as I held the phone. My lips tried to find the right words to say and when I found them I said in a squeaky voice.

"S-sure…of course"

There was a pause. It seemed like he was thinking of a way to hold me over but not give everything away. "I'll explain when you bring the children." With that he hung up. I let the phone drop to the floor as I thought of the worse that could happen.

A cold and dark feeling had washed over me. Why hadn't Sasuke told me what was going on? Was it really that…bad that he couldn't even speak it over the phone? And why was it that he, instead of Sakura?

"Ms. Hinata…are you alright?" I felt a small hand point on my back. When I turned around I tried to hide my fear from the young and bright boy. Daisuke was his name and he reminded me of what I needed to do: take them to their home.

His younger sister and Sakura's second child came right up behind him. She was holding Sakura's last child's hand. Anemone and Kisuke was their names and they reminded me of what I needed to do. Bring them home to their parents.

Anemone smiled and pulled Kisuke closer. He stared blankly in front of him. "Ms. Hinata, Kisuke has to potty."

Daisuke turned to both of them. "I'm s'posed to take him, Anemone, not you!"

Anemone nodded. "Okay." She let go of Kisuke and let Daisuke take his hand.

"We'll be right back, Ms. Hinata." Daisuke called to me as he and Kisuke walked up the stairs. When they disappeared from our sight, Anemone turned to me: her shoulder-length black hair swishing as she turned her head. I already knew she would be like Sakura.

"Where's mommy, Ms. Hinata? She's been gone a long time and I want to go home to daddy." She was so sweet and innocent…and naïve. If only I could give her the answer. Give her the answer that I wanted to give her. "You're mommy is home and safe. We'll be going there right after Daisuke and Kisuke are finished." That's what I wanted to say but I didn't…couldn't because than I might just be lying to be lying to her.

"We'll be going to your house soon…just wait for Daisuke and Kisuke." I told her as I tried to hide my anxiety.

"Alright," She nodded and we both stood at the stairs, waiting for both of the boys.

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It had been raining and I hadn't noticed. So hard that I had to pull the car up to the apartment entrance so the kids didn't have to walk in the rain and I only had one umbrella. As the kids got in and I turned the warm air up I noticed the empty car space where Sakura's car should have been. It raining that hard and yet I could distinguish her car space.

That cold and dark feeling had never left my body and it worsened to the point of queasiness. I swallowed the lump in my throat and drove on. I drove slowly with caution. I knew Sasuke would have my head if anything happened to his kids. He was very protective of his kids, Sakura had told me. If anything happened to them whoever was with them would be held accountable and that didn't exclude her. If he was very protective than why had she told me they were better off with me? Perhaps he was too protective?

That was indeed the last time I had spoken to Sakura.

Gripping the steering wheel, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the three Uchiha's'. "We're almost there guys."

Daisuke nodded. "I wish we could've stayed longer at your house Ms. Hinata."

This surprised me. "I thought you wanted to go home, Daisuke."

He looked sideways and quirked his lips. "I do…but it's more fun at your house…because we get to watch television." He grinned. "Dad doesn't really let us do that."

I nodded and tried to smile. "Your dad is strict? Well my dad was like that to. So I guess that means we kind of have the same dads'." I averted my attention back at the road. There was some truth to my statement. My dad was strict and to him tyranny was like second nature. He liked being in charge and apparently so did Sasuke.

"Sometimes I think he likes Kisuke better then he likes me." Daisuke said after a moment. I could sense traces of jealously in his voice. "But Uncle Itachi does stuff with me so I guess it's not that bad. He's really cool…Uncle Itachi…do you know him, Ms. Hinata?"

I kept my attention on the blurry road in front of me but I still answered him. "No, I haven't talked with him but I've seen him a few times." At first I didn't even know Sasuke had a brother. He was considerably older then Sasuke so that explained why. Also, I found out about two years ago that Sasuke's parents had been killed in an accident when he was ten. He had lived with his brother ever since. Sasuke had never really spoke about Itachi when he was with other people. Sakura told me that she had met Itachi plenty of times and that he was like a second Sasuke only better. She had laughed when she told me that and told me never to tell Sasuke she said that.

"Uncle Naruto is fun too, Daisuke!" Anemone spoke up. "He lets us have ice cream!"

Daisuke almost seemed to scoff. "We're not s'posed to talk about him remember? Dad said not to."

Anemone folded her small arms and held firm. "He's nice. Uncle Naruto is nice."

While they talked I drove on and finally I came upon the large gate the opened up to the Uchiha household. I pulled out the slot card that Sakura had given me. If you didn't have one of those cards you would have no way of getting on the other side of the gate.

Scanning the card, I showed my face to the camera. The gate opened slowly after that. Both large doors creaked when they opened. Sakura had told me that Sasuke had meant to get that fixed. As I drove in my anxiety boiled over. I would finally get a turn to know what was going on.

I got a big surprise when I pulled up the where the cars were parked. Sakura's car wasn't there. My hands start to shake. That means she never came home…which meant she had never gone to see Sasuke.

"Where's mommy's car?" I heard Anemone ask. I heard her but I didn't answer her. I was afraid I'd say something that would frighten her and I definitely didn't want the kids to worry. What if she side-tracked? What if she had lost her way in the sheets of rain and had accidentally taken the wrong turn?

"She probably parked it in the garage since it's raining." Daisuke sometimes sounded older then he was. What he said made sense and that made me feel better if only by the slightest measure. I should stop jumping to conclusions.

"No." For the first time in a while I heard Kisuke speak. I turned around and looked at him. He resembled Sasuke as well.

"What do you mean, Kisuke?" I asked.

He didn't reply to me.

It was right at that moment did I hear tapping on my window. Unsure of whom it was, I slowly turned around in my seat and squinted. Just barely I could make out Sasuke's face features. Why would he come out to us instead of it being the other way around? Had he been waiting and become impatient.

Pressing the button that rolled the window down I looked up at him. "You didn't have to come out in the rain…I—"

He cut me off. "Get in the passengers seat."

I frowned but did as I was told. Sakura had told me it was better to follow what he said rather than questioning it. He won't have much to say and you won't get yourself humiliated, Sakura told me. He has a reason for everything too, she had added and than sighed like she always did.

He moved a couple steps back so I could get out of the car. As fast as I could I walked over to the passenger's door. Pulling it open I stepped inside. Sasuke had already gotten into driver's position. I was certain now. Sakura hadn't come home.

That cold and dark feeling suddenly came back again to me. Where was Sasuke taking us and why hadn't he said anything about Sakura yet? He told me he'd explain once we got to the house…so why hadn't he said anything.

Don't question him, he always has a reason. I wanted to push Sakura's warning out of my head and ask him questions…perhaps even demand them. But he honestly intimidated me. I had noticed throughout his and Sakura's marriage that Sakura was constantly warning me about what to do and what not to do in front of him. He's like a ticking bomb, Sakura said, the moment he goes off everything will become consumed in chaos and eventually someone will become hurt. It's hell. Is what she said.

When she told me that I couldn't help but remember what Naruto had told me five years before. I remembered how I didn't listen…what a fool I was…just like Sakura. He told me Sakura didn't know what Sasuke was like and I had brushed him off and told him he was wrong. Naruto had been right all along and I was too imprudent to listen and take into consideration of what he was saying.

"I don't think, after you observe this, you will need my explanation as to why I wanted you to bring the children home." He told me. He didn't look at me nor did he acknowledge the children. His gaze was glued to the road in front of him. He seemed to be in deep thought.

I said nothing and the only thing I could hear after that was the windshield wipers. Sitting back in my seat, I felt dumbfounded. I tried not to think of the worse that could happen. He needn't mention Sakura now. It became rather obvious by now that something was wrong.

The rain had softened now to a drizzle. How unpredictable the rain is…

It was right at that moment did I see it. The flashing of lights, the ambulance, the silhouette of a long pole, and the remnants of a car…it was sealed off by the authorities. We stopped abruptly. Anemone's curiosity had overcome her and she asked softly.

"Why are we here?"

Sasuke didn't answer and I knew I was her second pick. I couldn't answer her because I had frozen. So many emotions and questions had been flying around in my head until that moment; they all cracked and gave in. And like a waterfall they fell off the edge.

I stared blankly ahead. I now understood why Sakura had never called, why I didn't see her car at her own home, and why she never came back. She had never gotten the chance to speak with Sasuke…because she hadn't even made it home.

"Why?"

I hadn't noticed that Sasuke had gotten out of the car and had opened my door. I didn't turn to him or question him when he pulled me out of the car. I didn't say anything to him when he softly whispered into my ear so his kids wouldn't hear.

"I'd rather you tell the children what's going on. I'll explain things better to them later."

I was in my own world and the blank look never left me. I nodded so he'd let me get back in the car. As if I was some kind of pet of his he said, "Good," He closed the door for me and as soon as he walked up to the policemen waiting for him, Anemone started asking questions.

"Why are we here and why isn't mommy with us?"

Why did he, of all people, ask me to tell his own kids? Why did he horde all of the painful responsibility on me, a very emotional person? These were new thoughts and I knew I would never get the answer because I would never ask.

"Stop asking questions, Anemone! You know Dad doesn't like that." Daisuke said firmly. "Wait, patiently." Though he was trying to act like the responsible and in-charge big brother I could tell he was wanted to ask the same exact questions.

Anemone, understanding her big brother, sighed and slouched in her seat. Warily she mumbled an apology. Kisuke, as reserved as always, had comforted himself by laying his head on the door. He was more like Sasuke if anything. I could see Sasuke favoring him more the Daisuke. Daisuke was more of a Mommy's boy while Kisuke was a Daddy's boy. You could plainly see though that Daisuke wanted his Dad's attention.

I tried it. I tried saying what any close friend would tell her best friend's kids. "Your Mom is in a better place right now…so be happy for her." I knew that because of the authorities, the ambulance, the silhouette of the long pole, and the crushed and smashed remnants of a car. I wanted to cry.

Anemone's eyes-widened. "You...you mean she's in…Heaven?" For a moment I thought she would burst into tears but she didn't. She looked up at me and her eyes saddened but she didn't cry a single tear.

"That's where angels' are? Mommy told me about that place…she said that all good people go there when they die…and that nothing bad ever happens there…and that you can never leave but nobody wants to leave. Everybody has to die, she said."

They came slowly. "Mom said not to be sad…she said that I should be happy because if I was happy then she would be happy." Tears leaked from Anemone's face as she spoke. She understood, even for a person of her youth, what was going on.

"So she's dead." Daisuke said quietly. He had been listening and put his head down. "So this is her car accident." His dark locks shadowed his face and it almost seemed as if he were angry. Daisuke said nothing though. He had become quiet.

In the midst of Anemone silently crying, Daisuke's dark quietness, and Kisuke's wanted obliviousness, salty tears started to fall from my eyes. I couldn't hold them in…I couldn't stop them. They had threatened me and I gave in.

They fell silently and dripped onto my jeans. I closed my eyes and let them fall. Sakura didn't deserve this kind of ending and neither did her kids. Yes, she had made a mistake and had fallen prisoner of Sasuke Uchiha but anyone would have right? I would have broken a long time ago…but she had endured everything until the last lick (not tongue related).

Naruto was right, as said before. He had tried to tell me what would happen but I didn't listen. Why didn't I listen? The tears fell harder. Why…Why!? This wasn't how things were supposed to go! Sakura was supposed to live happily ever after…that's what her past indicated!

Why did she have to marry him? Why did she have to fall in love? She had been so happy dating Sasuke Uchiha…and even happier when she had first married him. Why did things have to turn out this way? She was supposed to have been happy…

Instead she got herself killed.

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