~Anna's POV~

After the exams, my days passed very quickly. Itachi and I spent Sundays together and any other time if we got the chance. Whenever his parents were at home, it would tug get difficult to arrange a time but that was ok. We were both busy people. His parents went back on a business trip from which they were not coming back anytime soon.

Timothy's got wedded to Stella and they were off to Germany where most of Stella's relatives lived. That happened quite suddenly but it was bound to happen sooner or later. Now the house was just occupied by me, Eric and Max. A bunch of minors. Eric was usually with Sasuke and their class. Max always insisted on sleepovers for days. And since I had nothing better to do, I would just roam the house until either going to Itachi or inviting him over.

" I can't believe its just the three of us now." I huffed as I sat in the middle of my brothers on the couch in the living room watching nothing in particular on a Sunday morning.

" Its less annoying this way." Max snorted.

" I'm sure we will all miss him." I muttered sighing.

" By the way, where's Itachi? I rarely see you alone on Sundays." Eric pointed.

" He had to go with Sasuke somewhere and didn't tell me. Said it was urgent."

" Oh."

" I'm gonna go to sleeeeeeeepp if this boredom keeps hanging on usssss!!!" I whined and just then my phone starting ringing and looking upon the caller I.D I didn't think twice about answering and pressed the button.

" Yo!!" Eric and Max were mouthing the words ' who is it?' " Its Itachi. Bye bros." I got off the couch and went into the kitchen.

" You sound bored."

" I am! Is your work finished?"

" Yeah. About that- can you come over?" He didn't sound much happy or relaxed.

" Sure. I will be there in a few seconds." I said.

" K. Bye." He hung up and I had that awkward feeling again about something being wrong but I suppressed it and slipped on my shoes.

" I'm going to Itachi's." I informed my brothers and went out the door.

~Itachi's POV~

How do I tell her? Will she be mad? Would she disagree? What would she say? What will I tell her?

Just in the midst of my thoughts, the bell rang and sure enough it was Anna. I hesitantly went to the door and opened it to receive a bear hug.

" C-can't-t bre-ea-the-"

" Whoops. Sorry. Just missed you." She laughed as she let me go.

" Come on." I led her to the living room and we both sat on the couch.

" Where's Sasuke?"

" That's the whole idea I wanted to talk about."

" I'm all ears."

" Well..... Where do I begin?" I asked hoping to get any points to start on. Anna looked at me confused.

" From the start I guess or just tell me what this is about. Your choice."

" You won't like it." She rolled her eyes.

" Is it a good news or a bad news?"

" Well, its a bad news."

" I've received worse. Go on."

" Its about our home."

" Mmhmm. I'm listening." Although she seemed like she didn't care about the news but her face betrayed her. I was quiet for a while then finally decided to speak.

" We......are.....shifting." Spilled.

" Wha-?" There was a look of pure shock and somewhat fear on her face. " NO WAY!!"

" I knew you wouldn't like the news."

" Sorry. Every bad news has a good aspect. I'm not judging. Where are you moving? You're not moving out of Konoha? Right?"

" No-"

" You're not moving very far that I can't meet you right?"

" Its actually a little far from here. A street before the hospital actually."

" But that's soooooooo far!!"

" It can't be helped."

" Why are you moving? I don't to be far from you." She pouted like a little child which caused a chuckle to escape.

" It was father's idea. His business trips are getting longer and longer. He said this time he has to go for about 10 months so he decided it would be best to shift so that Sasuke and I won't have to face any kinds of problems."

" So you went to view the place?"

" Yeah. Sasuke is still there."

" Oh. Well.....what can I say? I have no right to interfere with family matters." The sadness was evident in her eyes as she lowered her face with a sigh.

" I'm sure we can figure things out. We still need a few days before we completely move away from this place."

" But I won't get to see you everyday. It would be so bad!"

" Like I said before, I'm sure we will figure things out." She was quiet for a while so I assumed that she was sulking. I hugged her closed and played with some loose strands. I liked her hair long.

" There's something else you're not telling me." Anna said and thank goodness she couldn't see my face. It felt wrong keeping things from her but she needn't worry about that matter when it was being taken care of.

" No. I think I have told you everything."

" You haven't. I've been pondering over it for the past month. Now tell me." Anna pleaded as she broke away from the hug to look at me.

" Its nothing."

" I can tell when you're lying."

" Really-"

" Stop it. You know I know that you're hiding something." She said grimly. "Now tell me."

" No."

"Yes."

" Its nothing big." I admitted that there actually was something that I was keeping from her.

" Then why are you hiding it? If its nothing then tell me!"

" Please?"

" Why?"

" I don't think you can handle two bad news in one day."

" Fine. If you won't tell me, I will get Konan or Sasuke to tell me. They certainly know things about you I don't."

" Is that a threat?"

" Whatever it may seem."

" Please. Its really nothing big. Not for the present at least."

" You don't trust me?" There was rejection on her face. Uh oh. That was the last thing I wanted.

" Its not that-"

" Then why don't you tell me? I can help."

" That's the main reason. I don't want to involve you in this either. Sasuke and Konan have-"

" You tell them things. And you don't tell me. Fine. I get it. Its not your fault. I'm just......pushy. Well I don't care either. Hide things all you want from me but when I will find them out, consequences would be disastrous." She gave me 'the look'.

" I WILL tell you when I think you can handle the news." I told Anna calmly.

" Alright then. I will just have to find out before you tell me."

" Jeez. Why are you so stubborn?"

" For guys like you, girlfriends have to be stubborn." She closed her eyes and smiled a proud smile.

" However you are, I will always love you."

" And I will always be there to love you back." I smiled at her but felt guilty all the same.

~Anna's POV~

" Where does this one go?" I asked Itachi as I helped him pack stuff for their shifting.

Sasuke was off somewhere in the other corner of the house making sure everything was packed.

" What tag does it have?" Itachi asked from the kitchen while I stood in the living room.

" Yellow."

" In the right corner of the garage."

" K!" I yelled and picked another yellow tagged box and went to the garage. By this time, almost everything was packed into boxes. Half of the things had already been moved to the other location and have been unpacked. I sighed as I viewed the house.

I won't be able to see him everyday. And I would have to go to school without him every morning. That would be bad. He'd be alone too. What if he IS sick? What if he needed help? What if Sasuke wasn't around to help? What if-

" What are you thinking?" I cut my thoughts off and looked at Itachi who had sneaked up on me.

" Something."

" I can help."

" You didn't tell me your problem. I'm not telling you mine." I crossed my arms against my chest and looked away.

" Really? Are you really black mailing me?"

" If it works then ya."

" Its not working." He stated plainly and I slumped in defeat.

" I.. Nevermind." I said in a quiet voice and went back inside the house.

"Oi-"

" Are you gonna tell me?" But I stopped instantly. "Are you feeling ok?" I asked touching his forehead to check his temperature.

"Yes I think so, why?" I narrowed my eyes when he quickly stepped back to go out of reach of my outstretched hand.

"You don't look too good..." I trailed off in the end when my eyes went to his neck and collarbone. I pulled the collar back suddenly and glared at the Uchiha. "Rashes. Itachi, don't lie whatever you do." I warned, finally at the edge of my patience with him.

He took my wrist in his hand and sighed. I continued to look at him, waiting for an answer, any answer.

"Come on." He said and led me inside where we went to his room and he sat me down on the bed and placed some bottles full with white and red pills in my hands then sat beside me.

I turned the bottles and looked at the labels. Isoniazid and Rifampicin. I sighed and put them aside.

"Latent by the looks of it."

"I am surprised you know." I elbowed his ribs and he doubled over in pain.

"Latent fucking Tuberculosis and you felt no need to tell me?! How much of a darned idiot are you?! And I just chanced upon an article, that's how I know!" I was trying my best to keep my fists to myself.

"See this was why I didn't want to tell you." I glared and he fell silent.

"How long?"

"Just another month."

"I see."

Latent TB wasn't contagious or anything. It was just inactive bacteria that needed to be killed before or if they became active. The fact that Itachi was taking those two pills meant that his dosage was of four months and of course there were side effects. The flu-like symptoms and the rashes.

"This was another reason to relocate."

"Of course."

The closer to the hospital the better what with the appointments and all the therapy. Not to mention that if after the treatment, the disease persisted or somehow there were recurrences or relapses, it would be easier for both him and his doctor.

"I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner but it was really nothing to worry about."

I hit him on the head so hard that a bump starting forming on his head beneath all layers of hair.

"Sorry. Couldn't help myself from hitting you." I said faking innocence.

" I deserved that one."

"You deserve a lot of things that are coming for you now." I told Itachi, viciously which had him worried.

" I said I was sorry. Aren't you going to accept my apology?" He gave me a pleading look. But I was stubborn and it came handy today.

" No."

" Why?"

"I know for a fact that you were sick before too."

"That was treated."

"It came back. Why?"

"Its not active. Stop worrying." I stood up and scanned the room for places where his real prescriptions might be. It wasn't long before I found a file from the hospital and snatched it from the shelf quickly.

"Apparently, you weren't healthy enough." I concluded, reading from the file.

"Anna-" I put my foot on his stomach and pushed him back when he came to get the pages from my hand.

"Oh look, it says, 'must intake large portions of calories to balance the effects of the medicines'." I put the file back and sighed. "You certainly aren't eating enough."

"I am eating plenty." I raised an eyebrow and he looked away.

"Alright. I forgive you." I said after a while. "But, I have conditions." I told him smirking and he knew exactly what I meant.

" Then don't forgive me. I'm fine this way-"

" No you're not! Idiot! Just look at you!!"

" What at me?" He replied looking over him. I rolled my eyes.

" I can see you getting skinny!! If you let me take care of you until you get better, I will forgive you."

" I think I will pass."

" Its not a condition. I. Will. Look. After. You. Until. You. Get. Better. Whether you like it or not." I glared at him with the same intensity my voice had.

"O-ok."

" Yosh! Then you're forgiven!" I replied cheerily. He sweatdropped. "And don't keep anything from me ever again."

~

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