So, for some time now I have been re-writing some of my fanfics and I thought why not do it for some of my older fanfics? I saw that many were confused by the original ending so I've decided to not only change the ending but expand the story as well. (As you could already see with yesterday's "prologue")

So here it is!

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime or the characters. I do however own Lynn, Ryu, and Takuya.

Thankless

After suffering from a traumatic experience, Karin finds that even everyday activities can be a difficult challenge for her. Though all those challenges become even more difficult when her past comes back to haunt her.

Karin, Miyon, Lynn- 22 years old

Himeka, Jin- 23 years old

Kazune, Yuuki, Ryu- 24 years old

Micchi, Takuya- 25 years old

Kazune was sitting on the couch in his apartment with Karin. He had his arm around her as she snuggled close to him. They were watching a movie- well, Karin was watching the movie. Kazune was too lost in thought to pay attention.

He thought back to a phone call he had with Himeka last week. She had called to see if he was coming to their Thanksgiving dinner this year. Micchi and Himeka always hosted a nice Thanksgiving dinner every year. Kazune had always been up to it until he met and started dating Karin. Himeka was always confused as to why he stopped going to their Thanksgiving dinner 2 years ago but didn't ask having a feeling it had something to do with Karin. Though she did ask once if it was that Karin didn't want to meet them.

Kazune felt bad not being able to tell her the reason why he couldn't go with Karin as it was not his place to tell. Though that didn't stop her from calling Kazune a bunch of times those two past Novembers asking if he were sure he didn't want to come with Karin. He wouldn't even tell Karin that his cousin was calling to invite them to that dinner. Though this year felt different. Karin seemed more at ease, more at peace. Himeka asked if he would be attending this year and asked him to bring Karin along. He hesitated to give her a straight answer, but told her he'd ask Karin this time and would get back to her.

Thanksgiving was tomorrow and he still hadn't asked her. Every time he was about to, uncertainty stopped him then he would go on to change the subject.

It wasn't that he didn't want Karin to meet his family or anything. He loved Karin more than anything and would be ecstatic if she got to meet Himeka and Micchi. They've been together for 2 years already so it was a no brainer for him. He just wasn't sure if it was something she would want. Karin hasn't celebrated Thanksgiving since she was in high school.

"Kazune?" Karin repeated. "Hm?" He hadn't noticed she had been talking to him. "Did you hear me?" She asked. Kazune grinned sheepishly and shook his head. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I must have spaced out." 'I'm seriously over thinking this...' He thought.

With a small pout she playfully rolled her eyes at him. "I asked you if you wanted something to drink." Karin stood up and stretched a bit. They had been sitting on the couch for a while so she felt a little stiff. She put the movie on pause. They were already halfway through it. 'Was I spaced out that long?'Kazune wondered as he stared at the screen. He turned his focus back to Karin. "Sure. Juice would be nice, thank you."

Karin nodded and went to the kitchen. Kazune followed her soon after. He sat down at the counter, putting his elbows on it and resting his chin on the back of his hands. He just stared at Karin. 'It's now or never...'He thought.

"Sooo... There are two things I've been meaning to ask you for some time now." Kazune said as he stood up. Karin gave him a weird look. He seemed nervous and already she didn't like where this was going. "Okay." She said slowly as she took out 2 glasses from the cabinet. She went to the fridge to take out the juice.

"You know about my cousin, Himeka and her husband, Micchi. They throw a Thanksgiving dinner every year and they've been dying to meet you. I was hoping if you would join me this year. Is that something you might want to do? If not, I understand." Kazune said.

Karin poured the juice in the glasses then put the container back in the fridge. Kazune couldn't read her facial expression. She didn't say anything at first. She simply handed him the glass of juice which he placed down, too nervous to drink as he waited for her answer.

'Say something Karin! The love of your life wants you to meet his family! Get over your issues and say yes! It's all in the past now, you're safe.'

After taking a sip of her drink she tried her best to smile. "Sure." Her answer must have been convincing enough since Kazune returned the smile and went up to her to give her a big hug.

She hugged him back but frowned a little as she did. The thought of celebrating Thanksgiving after all these years was so foreign to her.

"I gotta admit, I'm pretty relieved and surprised you said yes. Thought you were gonna say no. I've wanted to bring you over for quite some time, just didn't know how to ask. Himeka asked me about this a week ago"

Karin shook her head. "I'm glad you did. I want to do this too." Realization dawned on her soon after. "Oh my gosh... Thanksgiving is tomorrow... You waited all this time to ask me! What am I supposed to wear!? Are they even gonna like me!?" She started freaking out.

Kazune chuckled. This is why he loved her as weird as it may seem. "Of course they will. In fact, they're not even going to like you, they're going to love you." He planted a soft kiss on her lips. Karin wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her by the waist and gladly returned the kiss.

"What was the other thing you wanted to ask me?" Karin asked. She had remembered hearing Kazune tell her there were two things he wanted to ask her.

"Oh, that's right. I was hoping if you would... If you would move in with me?" Kazune cautiously asked.

That caught Karin off guard. "What? Move in with you?" Kazune nodded. "Yeah, you practically live here already since you spend more time at my place than you do at your own, so why not make it official?"

She scoffed. "I do not! That is so not true." Kazune folded his arms and grinned. "Oh really? My bathroom has more of your things than it does of mine these days." He said referring to the makeup, hair products, girly body wash and lotions and tampons she now kept at his place. She pouted knowing he was right.'I hate it when he's right. Always rubs it in.'

Karin gave him a kiss before grabbing her purse near the counter and jacket in the closet. "Where ya going?" Kazune asked as Karin made her way to the door. "I'm gonna go out and get an outfit for tomorrow. I want to look good for when I meet your family." She said.

Kazune looked at his watch. "It's about to be 6 though, isn't it a little late?"

She placed her hand on her hip after putting her jacket on. Karin gave him a 'really now?' look. "Gee, I wonder whose fault that is. Probably a certain someone who waited until the very last minute to inform me that he was going to take me to meet his family tomorrow." Kazune scrunched his nose a little. "I wonder what idiot did that." He said with a guilty smile.

Karin chuckled. "My idiot. I'll see you in a bit. Oh, and I'll be needing your opinion on it when I come back." She opened the door.

"Wow, can't wait!" Kazune said with sarcasm. "Hey, it's either you give me your opinion when I get back, ooor I drag you to different stores, try on a gazillion outfits and ask for your opinion on each one. Take your pick mister." Karin flashed him a devious smile. Kazune shivered a little. "Okay okay. I'll give you a detailed and highly informative opinion when you get back. Would you like it written, verbal, or emailed... ?"

Karin rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her. She walked to the shopping district which wasn't far from Kazune's apartment. Karin looked around a few stores though she wasn't sure what to look for. She wasn't sure if she should go in the formal route with a nice dress. 'If I do get a dress... What if it's too formal? They'll probably think I'm trying too hard!'Karin backed away from the dress aisle and went to the pants aisle and started looking around. 'But if I go in jeans and I'm too casual they'll think I don't care! Maybe dress pants? But then I would have to find a nice top to go with it. What kind of top would I go with? Ugh!'

While Karin was having a heated mental debate on what to wear, Kazune was on the phone with Himeka at his apartment.

"So what's your answer?" Himeka asked. She was hoping it would be a yes this year. She was already hopeful since he didn't say no the last time they spoke. "Mhm. She's out looking for something to wear for tomorrow as we speak." Kazune answered. Himeka squealed with delight. "Oh I'm so happy! I can't wait to finally meet Karin. You two have been together over two years and we've never even met her."

Kazune thought about all the times he's wanted to invite her over to the family mansion. He never wanted to push her to do it though. Kazune knew taking big steps was a bit of a hurdle for her after all she's been through. Though that was just one of the reasons.

"Well, no offense but after last time I'm very reluctant to bring a girl to meet you." Kazune said. Himeka sighed. "Look, I'm sorry we scared off your last girlfriend. But it just proves she wasn't the one. She couldn't even handle our brand of crazy and random. I have a good feeling about Karin though."

Kazune could practically feel Himeka grinning through the phone. He laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised considering she's just as random and crazy."

Himeka giggled. "I love her already!"

"You'll love her even more when you meet her. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" The nervousness Kazune had felt before was slowly fading and being replaced with feelings of excitement and anxiosness.

"Quick question before you hang up, is she allergic to anything or a vegetarian?" Himeka asked.

"No and no." Kazune answered. Himeka was always the mother hen in the family. Even when they were younger. "Alrighty, see you tomorrow!" Himeka said before hanging up.

Karin was still at the store trying to decide what to go with. Her mental debate was now giving her a headache. "Ugh, I can't do this!" She shouted. Shoppers around her gave her a strange look. Some even putting the items they were looking at back in it's place and slowly backing away. Feeling embarrassed, Karin grabbed a random blouse and went to a changing room, locking herself in.

She tossed the bloused on top of the chair that was in the changing room and dug around in her purse looking for her phone. Once she located it in her mess of a purse she dialed Kazune's cell immediately.

Kazune was watching the news when his cell went off. He picked it up when he saw it was Karin. "Hey. Did you find something?"

"No! I don't know what to go with... Dress or pants. What do you think I should wear? I want to go formal but not too formal or too casual either. i don't know what to do." She whined in a hushed tone.

"Oh, okay. Just take a deep breath and relax. If you want my opinion, I say you can never go wrong with a nice dress. Doesn't have to be formal, sweetie. Something nice and simple is perfect enough."

Karin felt more relaxed after taking that deep breath and letting it out. She smiled. "Thank you. You always know how to make me feel better."

"That's my job hon.' So since you're now feeling better, may I ask why you are whispering?" Kazune asked. Karin chuckled. "I locked myself in a changing room. I may have had a little outburst a few minutes ago and... Ya know what, that's not important. I'll see you when I get home, love you!" Karin hung up before he could say anything.

Kazune looked at his phone with a raised eyebrow. He shook it off not really wanting to know whatever it was that Karin had done in the store. Her usual shenanigans he figured.

After quietly making her way out of the changing room and store, Karin walked further along the shopping district till she saw a dress on a window display that caught her attention. It was a short off white dress with thick lace straps and low cut on the back. The straps even had a little silver sparkle to them. Karin loved it the moment she saw it. She walked in excitedly hoping to find that dress.

After she found it in her size she was about to go to the register and buy it until she ran into her friend, Lynn.

Lynn had been checking out a necklace until she too saw Karin.

Karin smiled and waved. They both walked up to each other and shared a hug. "Doing some shopping?" Lynn asked when she saw the dress in Karin's hand. "Ooh, nice and sexy. Gonna give Kazune a nice little show I see." Lynn teased. Karin blushed. "N-no! I'm getting the dress for tomorrow. He's taking me to meet his family."

Lynn's smirk wavered. "T- tomorrow? Really? Wow." Ryu, Lynn's boyfriend had walked up to them, snaking his arms around his lady. "Karin, what a surprise running into you here." He smiled. Karin chuckled as they greeted each other.

"Karin, she's buying a dress. For tomorrow." Lynn informed her boyfriend. He was surprised too. "R-really? You do know what day it is tomorrow right?" Ryu asked. Lynn elbowed him slightly. She gave him the 'don't go there' look. Ryu frowned. It almost escaped him that the 26th of November was something they weren't supposed to discuss.

Karin stared awkwardly at the floor with a slight smile. "It's fine. You guys don't have to beat around the bush or anything. I know what day it is tomorrow and I'm okay with it, really. I have to move on at some point and I think 7 years is enough." She looked back up at the couple.

Both Lynn and Ryu gave Karin a hug. "I'm so proud of you." Lynn said. Karin grinned. "Yeah yeah, you saps." She shoved them off and the three of them laughed. "Sooo on a different note, guess who asked me to move in with them less than an hour ago?"

"Kazune asked you to move in with him? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Lynn jumped up and down with excitement. "Please tell me you said yes."

Karin shrugged. "I didn't say anything. I wanted to think about it for a bit." Her answer earned her a punch to the arm. "Ouch!" Karin rubbed her right arm where Lynn had hit her. "What was that for!?"

"Whattaya mean what was that for? That decision should be a no brainer! You two have been together for over 2 years. You two are perfect together. You do love him right?" Lynn asked.

"More than anything." Karin answered with a dreamy smile.

Lynn shrugged with a smile. "Then what are you waiting for?"

Karin nodded. "Alright then. I will let you know when I give him my answer. I have to get going soon and prepare a dish for tomorrow. I'll talk to you guys later." The three of them said their goodbyes. After Karin got the dress she went to the supermarket before they closed and got the ingredients to make a potato salad. She called Kazune to make sure making the potato salad would be fine for tomorrow.

"Hey you. You almost done?" Kazune asked.

"Yep. I found a dress and now I'm at the supermarket. I wanted to make a potato salad to bring tomorrow, do you think that would be alright?"

Kazune chuckled. "Can't wait to see you in it, and yeah that should be fine although Himeka loves to make all of the food. I'm sure she won't mind though since it's you. So tell me about the dre-" Before Kazune could finish his sentence he saw something on the news that immediately caught his attention.

The female reporter was talking about the escape of a prisoner. The picture on the screen as she spoke about it made Kazune drop the phone.

Karin looked at her phone. "Hello? Kazune?" There was only silence. "Call must have dropped..." She said to herself as she stared at her phone.

Kazune had his eyes glued on the tv now. That mugshot... It couldn't be. "It was just yesterday that the murderer, Takuya Hitsugaya escaped from prison. He killed an officer at an unknown time yesterday and stripped him of his uniform, put it on and escaped. Here is the footage of him walking out of the prison." The tv was now showing that blurry footage. It showed Takuya dressed as a cop and walking out with ease.

"The police are on a massive hunt for him. If you see him call 911 immediately. Do not, I repeat, do notapproach him. He is considered very dangerous. He was arrested 7 years ago tomorrow when he viciously killed the family of one of his high school classmates."

The room started feeling like it was spinning. Kazune felt he had to sit down. He knew all about Takuya. When he had met Karin her freshman year in college it had been 3 years after the incident. It took him a year to get her to date him and he found out why through Lynn and Ryu. He had gone to all of the therapy sessions with her after they started dating and was always a phone call away to cradle her at night when she couldn't sleep because of that monster. Kazune clenched his fists tight.

A knock on the door snapped him out of it though. He opened it to find a detective and a female cop standing there.

"You must be Kazune Kujyou, Karin Hanazono's boyfriend right? I'm Detective Darren Wilden and this is Officer Olivia Benson. We're here because-"

Kazune nodded. "I know. I just saw it on the news, Karin- Oh my god, Karin!" Kazune forgot that he had dropped his phone. He got it from the ground and quickly dialed Karin's number.

"Don't tell her about Takuya yet. We don't want to alarm her. Where is she?" Officer Benson asked.

"When I spoke to her she said she was in the supermarket." Kazune answered. "Come on, come on pick up..." He sighed with relief when she did a second later. "Hey, I'm all finished with my shopping and I'm about to enter the building now. I'll see you in a bit. I have something to tell you." Karin hung up.

"She's coming up in a few." Kazune informed the detective and the cop. "Officer Benson will be on this floor monitoring things and I'll be outside keeping a look out in case he finds her." Detective Wilden said.

Karin had arrived right there. The door was still open and she walked in to see Kazune with a detective and a cop. She smiled nervously. "Wh-what's going on?" Kazune wasn't sure what to say so Olivia stepped in. "Hello, I'm Officer Benson and this is my partner Darren Wilden. We had received a call about a gas leak within the building though it seems to just have been a false alarm. We're going floor by floor and apartment just to make sure though." She said.

"Oh my. I hope everything is alright." Karin said with worry as she placed her bags down.

Darren nodded. "Yes, everything does seem to be fine. Here's my card in case anything else comes up." He handed a card to both Karin and Kazune. "Have a safe night you two." The detective and the officer left.

"Good thing there's no actual gas leak. Are you okay?" Karin asked Kazune. He nodded. "Yeah." He turned off the tv in case the report about Takuya came back up. Karin went to the kitchen with the groceries to get started on that potato salad. "I wanted to try on the dress for you right now but I think I'll leave it as a surprise tomorrow."

"Okay, I'm going to go call Himeka. Let me know if you need any help." Kazune said before going to his room. He called Himeka right away. Luckily she picked up. Kazune thought he was going to have some trouble reaching her since this was around the time she starts going hard on the cooking for tomorrow.

"Hey Kazune. I'm making the turkey right now." She said excitedly. "Karin is going to love it."

"We won't be able to go tomorrow." He blurted out.

Himeka stopped what she was doing. "What? Why? Kazune Kujyou you are not doing this again this year. You two arecoming tomorrow and I won't hear anymore of it." She commanded.

Kazune grabbed at his hair with his free hand out of frustration. "No, you don't understand. I have to keep her safe."

"What are you talking about? Kazune, what's going on?" She could hear the worry in his voice very clearly.

Kazune took in a deep breath. He knew Karin would get mad if he told his cousin her darkest secret but he felt like he had no choice right now. "...7 years ago on Thanksgiving when Karin was 15 years old an obsessed classmate of hers broke into her home a bit after she came back from a friend's house. The sick bastard had already killed her father and her younger brother. Karin went upstairs and found her mom. She forced Karin to hide under the bed but I guess Takuya had heard something and went up to the room. He killed her mother and Karin saw the whole thing.

He was arrested a few hours later but she's been traumatized ever since." Kazune said.

Himeka couldn't believe it. "Takuya as in the prisoner that escaped earlier today?" Kazune sighed. "Yeah." After giving it some thought, "I don't like this. I don't want you two to be alone. You are coming tomorrow where I can see that nothing is going to happen to you guys. You will even stay the night or stay however long until this creep gets caught. Micchi has plenty of cop friends who owe him favors and they can guard the house and you will not decline do you understand me?" Himeka said in her rare serious tone.

"I can't place you guys under that kind of danger." Kazune said. "For God's sake Himeka you're 8 months pregnant."

Himeka banged her hand on the kitchen counter. "Dammit Kazune you are my only family I'm not going to lose you or Karin. You two are coming over where i can make sure with my own eyes that you two are safe and that is final." She hung up.

Kazune shook his head. He knew changing Himeka's mind about something was near to impossible.

Thanksgiving Day...

Kazune and Karin were in the kitchen making breakfast that morning. Kazune almost let the toast burn since he was too busy looking at the calendar.

November 26, 2015...

Karin got the toast before it could burn any further. "And you say I'm reckless in the kitchen. Kazune?" She noticed he wasn't paying attention. She poked his arm which snapped him out of it. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah of course. Sorry, just thinking about tonight. Are you sure you're up for this?" Karin nodded. "One hundred percent. I know it'll be alright. There's nothing to worry about... Right?" Kazune mustered up a smile. "Of course not." Karin smiled out of slight relief and gave him a hug. Kazune hugged her back hoping they were right.

End of Part. 1

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!