*giggles* It's only chapter two and our main character is already neck deep in trouble… Just imagine what I'm going to do to her throughout the course of the story… XD

A big thank you to my first rate by Mika and Sukira!!! Thank you two!!

Crossworlds ~ Two ~ Tacos and Ice Cream

Shit. Shit. Shit. Oh shit I am so dead!! I was in full blown panic down as five pairs of suspicious eyes glared angrily at me. What the hell had I been thinking!?

"How do you know about us?" Kakuzu asked in a soft voice that I knew was dangerous.

I gulped, "You don't know where you are right? That's because you're in another world and here your world is a… manga. I happen to read it so I know about you."

"What is a manga?" Kakuzu asked as his eyes narrowed and the threads tightened almost painfully.

"C-comic book" I breathed out, "A s-st-story" They didn't look convinced so I plowed on ahead, "I can sh-show you…"

Kakuzu looked at the others, probably for confirmation. I didn't hear them say anything, but Kakuzu's threads released me. I stumbled slightly before steadying myself, I then turned and wordlessly marched out the door and around the back of the Wreck and climbed up.

Snagging my backpack I pulled it to me and fumbled around inside for the two manga. Swallowing I pulled out volumes twenty six and twenty seven then held them out. Itachi took the one with Sasuke on the cover while Kisame took the one with Naruto on it.

The both flipped through with Hidan, Kakuzu, and Zetsu looking over their shoulders. I waited silently until they seemed to be almost done, "Those two are where the Akatsuki make their first appearance besides when Itachi and Kisame make their appearance in Konoha. The next issues take place after a three year time skip when Deidara and Sasori go to Suna to get Shukaku."

They turned to look at me again and I offered a shrug with a sheepish smile, "I don't have those, I borrowed them from friends."

That was only a half truth, I read most everything online but I couldn't let them know that. Hell, I don't think they even had internet in their world. I knew they had computers from what I'd seen in Orochimaru's lab, but more I didn't know.

"So how did we fucking end up here?" Hidan demanded. I sighed and shrugged.

"That I don't know" I answered, "What were you doing in your world last?"

They looked at each other, obviously decided what not to say. That suddenly irritated me and I actually growled at them and rolled my eyes, "Come on. I can't help if I don't know what was happening on your end of things or even if I can help."

Kisame actually laughed at my tone and offered a toothy grin, "You got guts kid. Itachi and I were on our way to retrieve the three tailed beast."

I nodded and looked at Kakuzu and Hidan and raised one eyebrow. Kakuzu's eyes narrowed a moment before he answered, "We were in the Fire Country after killing Asuma Sarutobi."

I tapped my chin thoughtfully and offered a small smile, "That means the time skip has already taken place and Sasori has already been killed which means Deidara's partner is now Tobi…"

I had to force myself not to look at Itachi. I knew who Tobi was under his mask and I knew Itachi knew too but I wasn't about to let the others know about that. I was fairly sure Zetsu knew too.

"So you know what point we were in our world. How the hell does that help us now?" Zetsu asked.

"I don't know" I answered frankly as I dropped back to the ground from the roof of the Wreck, "Luckily my parents are out of time so I have the house to myself so you guys can sleep there rather than out here. Come on."

I turned and motioned from them to fallow me as I began walking back towards my house. I turned back when I realized they weren't fallowing me. I frowned and planted a fist on my hip with one eyebrow raised, "What is it now?"

"How do we know we can trust you?" Itachi asked with slightly narrowed Sharingan red eyes. I sighed and closed my eyes as I tried to think of a reply and settled on a line from a book I'd read.

"You don't" I felt them stiffen, "But how do I know I can trust you?" I countered, I opened my eyes and glared at them, "I'm taking a group of S-Class criminals who happen to kill people for a living to my house. I think I'm doing a lot of the trusting here. It would be nice if you returned the favor."

I got an all out laugh from Hidan, "Not bad for a little girl! Damn girl, you -"

"Ali," I stressed, he looked blank, "My name is Ali. Not 'girl.' 'Kay?"

"Ali-san" Kisame said, I looked at him and nodded, he offered a wiry smile and rubbed the back of his head, "We don't need to introduce ourselves do we?"

I giggled and shook my head, "Not unless you want to. I know enough about you from reading that you that you don't have to be so formal."

Kisame looked startled for a moment before shrugging. I began walking up the path towards home humming softly under my breath as they fallowed. As we rounded the barn and came into the yard I felt them pause to look over my house.

I padded barefooted up the back steps and held the door open for them. They paused to remove their shoes before entering. I chuckled softly under my breath and fallowed. They looked around my house with interest as I shut the door.

"Is this normal?" Kakuzu asked, waving a hand to indicate my house.

"Mmm," I answered as I thought about it before shrugging, "Mostly. Both of my parents were raised nearby so they wanted to live out here though they work in town. They're both away on business trips at the moment."

"So you're alone?" Itachi asked.

"Yeah, most of the time" I shrugged and leaned on the wall with my arms crossed, "We aren't close, haven't been since I was probably eight. My Gran and I were until she passed away two years ago…"

I looked away then. Granma's death still hurt, she had been killed in a car accident when she was struck by a drunk driver who had also been killed.

"How long until your parents get back?" Kakuzu asked. I frowned and tilted my head slightly as I thought then shrugged.

"Don't know. They're gone enough I mostly fend for myself" I replied as I glanced up at the clock.

Five-thirty…

"You guys hungry?" I asked, changing the subject as I began going over possible ideas on what I could fix them for supper. After fending for myself for so long and having Grandma teaching me before hand I had become a pretty good cook.

They looked startled by the change, even Itachi blinked. Kisame grinned at me though, "What's on the menu?"

I tapped my chin thoughtfully as I shifted my weight to one foot, "I'm thinking… Tacos."

"What the hell are tacos?" Hidan asked. I blinked giving him a WTF look.

"You've never had tacos?" I asked while rubbing a scar on the inside of my left arm as I often did whenever I was thinking.

All five shook their heads. I sighed, "Tacos it is then," I hesitated and looked at Zetsu, "Um. I don't know if tacos are… On your diet…"

Zetsu blinked then surprisingly, smiled offering a low chuckle, "Thank you for your concern. We will try your tacos at least."

I grinned at him and sauntered into the kitchen. I got the usual pots and pans for tacos out then walked back out. Snagging the remote off the couch I tossed it to Itachi who caught it one handed and gestured to the T.V., "Make yourselves at home and no fighting over the remote."

They blinked at me as I made my way to the basement and selected a package of deer meat from the freezer for taco meat. I heard the T.V. come on as I climbed the stairs and saw them watching NCIS on USA.

I stifled a laugh at Hidan and Kisame's obvious appreciation of the gory details of some poor navy officer's death. I leaned on the back of the couch to watch a moment before sighing and continued on to the kitchen with a frown of disappointment.

"What's wrong?" Zetsu asked as I entered the kitchen. I jumped then shook myself and jerked a thumb over my shoulder at the T.V., "Re-run."

Zetsu looked blank so I clarified, "That episode has been on before and I've seen it so I call it a rerun. It ends okay at least."

I put the meat on and began adding the usual seasonings. I cut up lettuce, tomatoes, graded some cheese and put them on the table with salad dressing and hot sauce. I stirred the meat, it was almost done. Zetsu had watched me the whole time so I glanced up at him and hesitated a moment before speaking, "Would you go ask the others what they would like to drink?"

Zetsu blinked at me before walking out of the kitchen. I heard him voice said question and their voices answering as I set six glasses on the counter and put ice in them. I stirred the meat again and deciding that it was done grabbed a hot pad and set it on that on the table.

Another trip and I had plates and soft and hard taco shells as Zetsu came back, "We will have sake. Strongest stuff you got."

"Uh…" I rubbed the side of my neck, "No sake. Would water work?"

Zetsu sighed and nodded disappointedly. I giggled and began pouring water in the glasses, "Besides, I'm not old enough to drink. You wouldn't want to start corrupting me or anything now would ya?"

Silence met my words and I glance over my shoulder to find the five of them regarding me stonily. I groaned and rubbed my forehead, "That was a joke… Yeash… I'd hate to think what's going to happen when I say something serious…"

"Heh…" Kisame answered, "I would have guessed you were around twenty-five… Uh… How old are you Ali-chan?"

"Pft. Don't you know better than to ask a woman her age?" I demanded as Kisame blushed a dark purple. I pouted at him a moment before grinning, "I'll be eighteen in a month for your information."

I winked then and picked up two glasses and held them out to Kisame and Itachi. They took them, I gave Hidan and Zetsu theirs next fallowed by Kakuzu before grabbing my own and heading for the dinner table. My parents had bought one of those massive tables that seats almost a dozen people for family gatherings so space wasn't a problem.

I felt them watch me as I fixed my taco and copying me as I finished. I had a love of spicy food so when they grabbed for their water glasses I had to work to keep food from flying out my nose as I laughed.

"Fucking hell woman! This stuff is hot!!!" Hidan swore at me as I got my laughter under control. I sucked in a deep breath and found the rest of my dinner guests regarding me with irritated expressions.

"Sorry" I gave another snort of laughter, "I have a love of spicy foods. That stuff in the red jar is hot sauce after all."

There were growls around the table. I giggled again and went for the water pitcher to give refills. The rest of the meal was finished after more refills and some swearing on Hidan's part.

"Alright, to make up for the hot sauce I have…" I paused for dramatic effect, "Ice cream." And held up a gallon of vanilla to prove my point. Kisame and Hidan actually cheered.

I handed out bowls and spoons before dishing out the ice cream. The Akatsuki dug into their ice cream with appreciation. I giggled into my ice cream as I watched my dinner guests thoughtfully. As if they felt me watching them they all five paused to look at me.

I blushed and explained, "I'm eating ice cream with five ninjas as an apology for feeding them hot sauce. Ninja who happen to be S-Ranked criminals from a comic book that I will never look at the same way again. It's a bit ironic to me…"

They laughed at my assessment. By then we had all but cleaned out the ice cream so I loaded up the dish washer and started it up. I found them watching T.V. in the living room again, CSI this time, and smiled.

They're so much more mellow than they appear in the manga. They're also pretty calm for a bunch of guys who just found out that they're in another world… Why I wonder... Eh. They'll tell me eventually… I decided and yawned.

"I have school tomorrow. There are blankets and pillows in the closet at the end of the hall upstairs. I'm taking a shower and going to bed. I recommend sleeping in the spare bedroom in case someone happens to come in the house unexpectedly…" I yawned again, "Goodnight. Have fun talking about me and whatever plan you come up with to go home…"

I raised a hand in a wave as I sauntered up the stairs towards the bathroom oblivious to the shocked silence Id left behind me.

They traded shocked looks now that I was out of earshot.

"Is she fucking psychic?" Hidan asked in a low voice.

"I think she was trying to be funny again" Kisame answered with a toothy grin.

"We should take her advice and get some sleep. Yeah 'cause sadly we don't know how we got here" Zetsu declared as he shifted position in the large overstuffed lazy-boy in the corner.

"Or how to get back to our world" Kakuzu added on sourly, "Which makes coming up with a plan pointless. Back to the girl though, what's to stop her from running off and telling her whole damn world about us?"

Silence met Kakuzu's words as they all glanced at the ceiling where they could hear water running. Itachi spoke up, "She said we were comic book characters. Who would believe her?"

"Good point" Kisame nodded as he stood up and yawned, "Meeting adjourned?"

The rest of the Akatsuki present stood up and filed up the stairs. Finding the mentioned pillows and blankets they set up camp in the bedroom at the end of the hall that turned out was right across from my own room.

Perhaps not as overly exciting as some people would like, but it's still a work in progress.