Disclaimer: It's in all of the other chapters - look there.

Note to readers: Here is chapter ten - at long last.

Rating: M

Playing with Fire

Chapter Ten

The phrase "out of the frying pan and into the fire" has a meaning. I learned this the hard way. I went from an average nineteen year old teen, a teen who is raising her three younger siblings and running a job while taking online classes, to…well, whatever the hell this is. I never signed up to get ten more kids, an annoying cousin, and broke with a house that is more cluttered (which, thankfully, is nearly ready to house all the mentioned kids) than a museum in ruins and utter destruction. I had never asked to have to sit in my front room with Hidan, the silver-haired ass that – I'm more than certain of this now – is the spawn of the devil's father. So that, if one is religious, would make him Satan's brother. Just – Fucking – Fantastic.

And speaking of a silver-haired madman with the mouth to kill a monk: "You fucking money hoarder, give me my food!"

Why is it that, every morning, I have to be woken by him screaming and cussing at Kakuzu or Deidara? What happened to peace on earth?

It died and crawled away.

"Ni-Ni?" I turn my gaze to Alice and, when she sees she has my attention, asks, "What does motherfucker mean?"

Bright eyes blinking at me, I close my eyes with a groan. Thank Karma and all its siblings that I pulled her out of school.

"It's a term adults use and, tell me, where did you hear that from?"

"He-men said it." Okay, she just said Hidan's name wrong. One point for my sister.

"Alright, got it. Go tell your brothers not to say that word."

Alice looks a bit confused but does I bid. I can hear her in the background, telling my brothers the word and telling them that they're not allowed to say it. And that she isn't either.

"Hidan, get off of me!" that sounds like Kisame.

"Shut it, Gills!"

Thankfully no swear – "You damn bastard, you bit me!"

Okay, whatever I was about to say, I take it back. He swears…a lot. At least, only when he's really pissed off. Like now.

I stand, not caring that I'm only wearing a nightshirt and mini-shorts. I ease out of the kitchen, where I happened to be reading the newspaper and drinking a can of coke, to peer into the front room where Hidan, once again, is on the verge of strangling one of his fellow alien-ninja buddies.

"Hidan, cut it out or you get the corner." I settle my hand on my hip as he turns to glare at me.

Lavender eyes slowly turn to look at the 'corner' before turning to look at me. "Fuck you."

"I'd rather die." I remark as I pull of the ground. And he does the one thing I don't think I was expecting.

Elbows me in the breast.

I yelp, dropping him, and he runs away laughing like a madman. Pein, who I just noticed, is glaring at him and then his bulls-eye orbs turn on me.

"I give you permission to spank him."

Okay, when did I need 'permission' to do something from a kid that doesn't even reach my elbow? I am nineteen and he's what, seven?

But instead of doing as he suggests, I take the soap out of Ray's hand and cross over to Hidan. I grab his arm, stuff the soap in his mouth, and haul him into the corner. "I warned you, Hidan. You swear, you get the soap treatment."

"Itachi," I turn and the black-haired vampire looks up from the college work, "If he moves, call me."

He nods before going back to the work on the pages before him. I stand there a moment before shaking my head.

"Ni-Ni?" Dakota, blond and grinning, grabs my hand as he asks, "Can we all play outside today?"

"Put that on hold, kiddo. Help me find Reggie." He takes off, giggling as Alice joins in, and Ray looks over at me with a raised brow.

I walk right past him, back into the kitchen, and plop down in my seat. Not a second passes when a tri-colored cat hops into my lap and curls up against my stomach. I smile, gingerly petting the kitten who has taken a small liking to me.

The tri-colored Zetsu purrs as I run my hand down his back, the rear lifting when I reach his tail, and falling once more as I return to head. The process repeats, him purring and me petting. Deidara comes in even, setting in the chair next to me, and asks, "Nicky-san,"

I turn my gaze at him and I can see he looks a bit confused. "Yes, Deidara?"

"Your sister told me you're in school…" he pauses and continues after a moment, "But don't you also work and care for all of us?"

I figured this topic would come up. As I look down, thinking of how to answer, I can see Zetsu's yellow eyes blinking up at me and I also notice a few of the others are in the room now. Even my three siblings, along with my cousin, are in here.

"Our parents died when I was seventeen. I already had a job, you see. I was given permission to live on my own…" I run a hand through my bark-colored hair as I collect my thoughts.

"I was considered a diligent and a trouble child. My mom and dad didn't know what to do with me and when I suggested moving out, being on my own, it was the perfect solution. A week from my eighteenth birthday…" A shuddering intake of breath and, as I go to continue, it is Reggie who says, "It was the hospital that called. She got the news that her parents were in the hospital and her siblings were there as well. She rushed over. I was there already and it should have taken nearly an hour to get there. She made it in ten…"

Reggie meets my gaze as I say, "They were already dead. I told the police, and child services, that the only one to take care of my siblings would be me. I'd be eighteen soon, I said. I already have money. I can take our parent's house, get another job. In the end…it worked…"

I lean back, absentmindedly stroking the kitten on my lap. Alice had approached, resting her head on my leg, and says, "Ni-Ni is a good mama even if she's my sissy."

"Anyway, enough of sad stories, I need food." I pull Zetsu up onto my shoulder as I stand and he curls up in my hair.

The silence behind me tells nothing of their thoughts. I walk past Pein, young but wise, and I can feel him staring at my back as I pass. I open the fridge, thoughts taken over by the distant past, and pull out a tub of spaghetti.

"Nicky-san," I turn, half-surprised at the soft tone in Tobi's voice as he slips an arm around me and buries his face against my stomach, "Does it hurt?"

"No."

Families…are complicated things.

Well, who would have thought? Nicky seems to have skeletons in her cloest.

And I would like to thank ChibiKillerPanda for reveiwing. I am glad you like this - despite it being children/kittens Akatsuki. Thank you for the review - I shall suggest you read my other works. Only if you feel like it.

Thank you Jackal and Ryuu2 for always reading what I have wrote.

Thank you Tsuki Ai and anyone else I have missed.

Please Review.

CideanForever