Firstly, I'd like to apologise for my long absence. I know I've been lazy and basically letting you guys down. I still feel strongly about this story but I can't really put some of my ideas into words. I promise to make more of an effort. I will finish this story!

Thank you for the AMAZING reviews.

Chapter 2: Hush, Hush, Hush, Hush.

The police station was cold. Stark white walls were covered in anti-drug and neighbourhood watch posters. I pulled the jacket I'd been given tighter around me. It was huge on me and I hoped it would swallow me up so no one would ever see me again. Phones rang shrilly in the background and officers ran backwards and forwards; their boots squeaking on the tacky brown floor.

I curled up in my chair, pressing myself against the cold plastic. The hard, rough surface was abrasive on the bare skin of my cheek but I didn't care. Maybe it would grate my skin away, grate my face away so no one could look at me again. Hot tears spilt from my eyes; angrily I rubbed them away with a balled fist until my eyes were sore and red.

I heard footsteps approaching me and I tried to make myself smaller. I hoped the approaching person wouldn't notice me and walk straight past. I attempted to calm my ragged breathing; the loud choking sound would alert them to my presence. I had to be invisible; I had to be nothing.I was nothing. To my relief my respiration rate dropped and quietened.

My shoulders tensed as the footsteps got louder. I began to shake, I couldn't stop, I couldn't look up.

In my mind's eye I could see him stumbling towards me in a drunken stupor. His eyes would be dark with rage but clouded by alcohol. I could almost smell him, a stench of sweat and stale cigarettes. In a moment he'd reach out to hit me – oh god I hoped he'd hit me – I couldn't bare it if he touched me again. Bile burnt the back of my throat and I gripped my chair until my fingers ached with pain.

"Miss Haruno?" I choked on a sob as I realised the voice didn't belong to my father. "Miss Haruno? Are you feeling ill?"

Fresh tears rolled down my face – I felt so light. My chest wasn't constricted any more… I guess I felt relief.

"Miss Haruno, please, we need to speak with you."

"Go away." I rasped, it hurt to speak, my throat was raw.

"I'm truly sorry; but we really must speak to you. Would you feel more comfortable speaking to one of our female officers?"

Oh god, I couldn't let anyone see me. I couldn't let people see how disgusting I was. They'd only have to look at me to see I was tainted.

I looked at him. He looked at me. It was the officer from earlier, the one who'd found me. He reached out to touch me. I shrunk back into my chair. I was so frightened and I was trapped, I couldn't escape.

"I'm sorry." He apologised.

I said nothing, only stared with terrified eyes.

"Do you want a female officer?" He repeated.

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. I couldn't stand anyone but him. He had already seen what had happened. No one else could know.

"Alright," he paused, lowering his voice to a murmur "That man, is he your father?"

'Is he?' I thought 'Fathers are meant to love you, to protect you – not hurt you'.

"That man is not my father." I said firmly, my voice held more strength than I thought I possessed. The grey haired officer sighed and touched his forehead for a moment.

"Alright Miss Haruno, is he your biological father?"

I nodded mutely.

"Where is your mother?"

My mother? I wasn't allowed to talk about Mum. I wasn't allowed to tell people what had happened. I couldn't tell them, I just couldn't. He'd kill me! He'd kill them! I couldn't – I couldn't!

My poor mother, I wish she'd died when he pushed her. I'd been so sure she was dead when her head hit the floor with that sickening crack – when all that blood poured from her head, matting her beautiful pale hair, staining it rusty red. I'd cried out for her and he'd struck me too, sending me flying across the landing. I'd hit the wall and landed in a small heap, too frightened to move an inch. She tried to turn her face to me then, to mouth it was alright. But I knew it wasn't; I'd seen the raw untamed fear in her eyes.

I could still hear her sobs in my mind, as he descended the stairs clumsily, alcohol and uncontrollable rage slowing his steps until they were measured and deliberate. I was frozen to the spot, paralysed by my own pitiful fear. When he reached her I'd tried to stand, to scream, to do anything but my limbs were as heavy as lead; my tongue lolled uselessly in my mouth.

A tiny muffled squeak escaped her lips when his hands gently closed over neck choking her of air. I watched as he squeezed the life out of my mother, I saw how her eyes rolled towards me – wild with panic; pleading for me to do something, anything – before rolling helplessly backwards into her skull. Her face was blocked from view as he bent over her and kissed her forehead tenderly, blood staining his mouth like grotesque makeup.

"Mother!" I finally shrieked.

He dropped her limp body and turned towards me, broad shoulders heaving. His contorted face crumpled and he began to cry. Tears rolled down his cheeks, mixing with the blood, congealing on his stubble.

"Sakura, my baby." He'd called to me softly, almost cooing "Come here baby, mummy's had an accident, come here."

I sat paralysed, unable to believe my ears – only able to hear her sobs in my mind, replaying and replaying like a broken record.

"Come here!" He screamed, losing patience.

I scrabbled to my feet and staggered towards him, my legs threatening to collapse beneath me. He caught me as I tripped and held me in his arms. They were as strong as vices and held me tightly, I scarcely dared to breath.

"Oh baby, she fell. She fell. You saw mummy fall didn't you? She fell."

I nodded mutely, frightened to the core.

"Good girl."

He kissed my temple, his lips were sticky with blood. Gently he touched my chin and gazed at me proudly, I felt sick. He left then. Walked out of the house as if it were any other normal day. My knees buckled beneath me as sobs wracked my body. Slowly I crawled towards my mother, afraid that she'd be still, that her body would be cooling as the warmth of life left her.

I remember the relief when I saw her eyelids flutter like trapped butterflies. With a strength I didn't know I had I pulled myself up and reached for the phone, dialling nine, nine, nine. I waited.

"Hello what service do you require?"

"Help me! My mother is hurt!" I whispered desperately, unable to raise my voice any louder.

"Where are you miss? What happened?"

I touched the blood on my forehead, it was thick and crusting at the edges – my fingers came away scarlet. I stared at my hands and only saw his, I stared at my mother and could only see his shadow standing over her.

"She fell. Please help."

Shaking my head to escape the memories, I scrabbled backwards across the chairs, kicking a few over as my legs desperately thrashed to get away from the officer who threatened my security.

"Miss Haruno! It's okay! Please calm down!" The officer said, trying to placate me as I tried to escape from him "Miss Haruno, we know what happened, this is protocol. Please, don't be scared."

"Don't!"

He backed off to the other side of the office, hands held up in surrender. I pressed myself against the wall, my heart hammered against my ribs like a frightened rabbit's.

"Miss Haruno, please look at me. I promise; no one will ever hurt you again. No one will hurt you or your mother."

Did he know about mother, did he know she was hurt? I looked at him then, taking in his young face framed by prematurely grey hair. One of his eyes was covered by a black eye-patch. A notched scar ran vertically from his brow to his cheek, I supposed it ran straight through the covered eye. The other dark eye regarded me with unnerving melancholy. I wondered what kind of life this man had lived and why he looked at me as if he understood me. Curiosity burned away the fear in my mind, maybe he knew what had happened already, maybe he could help my mother.

"Please Miss Haruno, I want to help." Mollified by the honesty in his voice and that strange sadness in his eye, I nodded.

"Alright."

"Do you know where your mother is?"

"At the Uchiha's."

He scribbled down the name on a lined notepad and looked up at me, his eye crinkled as he smiled gently.

"And does your mother have a phone we can contact her on?"

My heart dropped and a lump formed in my throat. He didn't know. He couldn't protect her. Tears burnt my eyes and I defiantly rubbed them away with the back of my hand.

"No. She's in a coma."

Ok I know that an absolutely diabolically bad chapter but I needed to get it out. Thank you all so much for your reviews you've all inspired me to keep going and I'm so sorry this is below quality. Thank you very much to AbreakIntheClouds who's review actually woke me up and made me write some more.

You are all wonderful.

And I have actually started chapter 3 so you won't have to wait too long I hope.