The Secrets We Keep *COMPLETE* (Sasori x OC? / Itachi x OC?)

Do Us Part

 Itachi punches the wall before sitting at the table, running his hands through his hair. His eyes fall on the paper in front of him, willing the words to change but the bright red ink stays the same. Kisame enters the kitchen, pausing to glance at the large crack in the stone. The question dies on his lips as he notices the piece of paper. Maeme's face rested underneath the word "Wanted" and a reward covered the bottom. In bright red letters, the word "Claimed" stretched across the paper, confirming Maeme's fate.

"Is she-?"

Itachi nods curtly, unable to tear his eyes from her picture. He'd held her only three short weeks ago and now he'd never see her again. Rage washes over him and he gets to his feet and flips the table.

"Three weeks!" He shouts. "I had her in my arms and I let her leave!"

"You saw her? When?"

"Three weeks ago, when we left for the mission and I disappeared." Itachi explains, trying in vain to calm himself. "I saw her near the base and we ended up staying together at the inn just inside the village."

"Is that why you were covered in bruises and your shirt was gone when I found you again?" Kisame chuckles. "I just thought you got your ass kicked. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tore her shirt in half so she stole mine... I wanted so badly to bring her back her, to keep her safe with me. Pein would've killed her... It's his fault! He should've never driven her away with that stupid ultimatum. I'm going to kill him."

Kisame latches onto his partner as the raven haired man tries to leave.

"You can't kill him. It hurts, I know. We all miss her but she wanted freedom and she got it. She lived her life for herself like we wanted her to. She deserved that much and never would've gotten that if she stayed here. She would have been lost and miserable."

"But she'd still be alive!"

"Stop it!" Kisame snaps, forcing his partner to face him. "Look at me and tell me that you would've been happy watching Maeme act the way she did when Sasori died. Tell me that you would have wanted to see her wandering around with dark circles around her eyes as she cried or mumbled incoherent things. That you wanted her to wake up screaming and crying every time she closed her eyes."

Itachi sighs and pulls a bottle of sake from the counter before sitting back down.

"I couldn't do that to her. I hate that she left, I hate that I let her go, I hate that he made her go, but I will never forgive myself for this. If I'd known it would have been the last time, I never would have left her."

"She wouldn't want you to be miserable like this." Kisame tells him as he tries to take the empty bottle away from him.

Itachi numbly tosses it across the room, the glass shattering on impact. He ducks Kisame's arm and grabs two more, draining one almost instantly.

"I'm leaving." He mumbles, dropping the empty bottle and grabbing another one as he heads toward the entrance of the base.

Itachi finds himself in front of the door to room he'd shared with her at the inn a few hours later, his empty sake bottles forgotten in the forest. Despite his wavering vision, he manages to unlock the door and stumbles inside. The room had been cleaned since their departure, but her scent still lingered in the air. He could feel her presence as if she were in the room with him, hidden just out of sight. He sits on the edge of the bed, his vision replaced by scenes from the night they'd shared playing over and over again. The sound of her laughter fills the air, his name slipping off her tongue, every little noise she'd ever made, every word she'd ever said. A never-ending chorus of 'I love you Itachi' drowns everything else out. He slams his hands over his ears shouting for it to stop. Everything falls silent, leaving Itachi trembling, tears streaming down his face.

"Maeme..."

A/N: I would like to thank you all for following Maeme's journey. I'm sad to say that this is the end. <3- H