A/N: Hi guys! Oh my god, after last chapter, I felt so rusty when it came to writing you have no idea. Having no internet at home has gotten me so unproductive it's ridiculous! So today I opened up my email and it was littered with stuff for 'Misplaced Fire'! Thank you to TheHemomancer and LexiChibi for the review, story favorite/follow, and adding me to your favorite author/follow list. Thank you to Masterdragon1, Delta501, Guest101, for their reviews! Thank you to mkfreak123 for the story favorite/follow too! It really means a lot for me and boosts my enthusiasm for completing this story! Oh! Super HUGE thanks to EDENIAN-PRINCESS for following me! It's super appreciated! Also, thank you to guest reader Skull for the reviews and constructive criticism! cx

So, anyways, here's chapter 14! :)

(hi there c:)

"Zuzu, which one do I get?" I looked to my right and saw Lou speaking to Shizu over the phone. We were at the grocery store down the street getting ingredients for a special dinner. I stuck my hands deep into my hoodie pockets and sighed, "Which can of cranberry sauce do we get? I don't want to be here anymore, Lou." The white tiled floor and screeching intercom started to give me a headache. He had hung up the phone and reached for a can off of the shelf. The basket became heavier with the added weight while Lou motioned for me to follow him. The aisles were long and thin with high shelves stacked with various items. There an occasional shopper in every other aisle, picking out cans and boxes of their interest. Lou paid no mind to them at all, and walked straight to the aisle with plastic bags filled with sweets. He headed straight for the colorful bags of sour candy.

"Hey, Lou, we should get back home. Shizu is waiting for us so she can get started with dinner." My shoulders shrugged forward slightly as I looked down at my sneakers. His hand hovered over a bag of sour worms and retracted back to his side, "I know. I just thought I might pick get a little extra for her. Trolli sour worms are her favorite." I nodded and picked up the bag of candy, "Then we'll get them for her." A hand clapped my shoulder as Lou directed me towards the checkout lanes. We hadn't picked up many things, so the process was quick and we were out of the store in no time.

It was already six o'clock, but the sky had already started to get dark. Unfortunately, it was raining and only made the grocery trip all the more unbearable. We quickly dodged others walking up and down the sidewalk and up the steps to the dojo. It was closed on Monday and the front door had been closed. It was raining so hard we couldn't run all the way to the back entrance. I held onto the plastic bags and waited for Lou to open the dojo. When the doors parted, I could smell the cooking waft through the hallways and greet us. Stepping through the threshold, I thought of the last moments I had spent with Kana and Jubei. This time, there's no one here to hurt this family.

"Lou! Scorpion! Get in here already!" The light from Shizu's studio reached towards our quick footsteps. Lou jogged past me and headed straight for the opened entry. He waited for me to pass when he closed the door. The dining table was set for three people, and littered with shiny dishes and bowls of food I'd never seen before. I turned to see Shizu sifting through the plastic bags I set down on the counter top. She pulled out the can of cranberry sauce and began preparing it for us to use. Lou jogged towards the door and yelled over his shoulder, "Hey, I'm going to get ready for dinner really quickly. See you guys in a second!"

"Alright," Shizu called, "just make sure you're dressed nicely, Lou!" A light chuckle came from Lou as he exited the room, "Yeah, yeah, I know!" The room was quiet except for the small clangs and rustles that came from Shizu while she continued cooking. I stood next to her and reached into my pocket to pull out the bag of candy we got for her. She was busy stirring gravy when I stopped her hand from turning. I laid the gift next to the bowl and headed for the bathroom; I needed to get ready too.

The clock that hung next to my cabinet read seven o' clock, and I was nearly finished getting dressed. Shizu had picked an outfit for me and set them out on a chair. The clothing in this universe was more than annoying. There were so many buttons keeping you from exposing yourself, and a zipper in place of draw string. I nearly tore up the dress shirt Shizu had given me to wear tonight. But it made her smile when she finally saw me in something other than my usual sweat pants and t-shirts. I smirked and fastened the final button on my dark red dress shirt; more red for the little scorpion.

A gentle knock came from the platform pillar, and the curtain that covered my dressing area parted slightly. Shizu's headed popped through the gap and searched for me. When she saw me dressed and in front of the mirror, she walked up to me and handed me a long piece of gold cloth. I held it in my hand and looked at her, "What is this?" Her tongue clicked gently as she began to wrap the sash around my neck, "It's a tie. Men wear it to special occasions and formal events." Her fingers pulled the tie closer to my throat as her sentence finished. Shizu's wrist flicked twice against my shoulders, and fingered a belt loop on my hip when she was satisfied with how I looked.

Shizu's hair was in a bun a top her head with her bangs in her face. A gentle smile laced her lips and a gold ribbon wrapped around her neck gracefully. Her red dress matched my dress shirt, while her black heels pushed her height past my shoulder to my lips. Her eyes were gentle and happy when she whispered into the quiet atmosphere, "Do you know why tonight is special?" I shook my head and waited for her answer. She sighed and leaned against my cabinet, "It's an early Thanksgiving for me, Lou, and you too. The three of us wont be together in two weeks to do this. You're coming with me to visit my family soon, and Lou will visit his."

"Why celebrate one day to be thankful for everything, when you can spend every day being thankful for what you have." I looked at my feet and crossed my arms. I didn't understand why this holiday was so important. Sometimes, we forget to be thankful and lose what we should always appreciate. Small arms wrapped around my neck, pulling my body forward against Shizu's tiny frame. The contact was brief, but I felt relieved. Her smile was small just like her voice, "Come on, the food will get cold." If you ever hug me again and let go, I thought, everything else might as well be as cold as the food.

A/N: HI EVERYONE! :D I had a hard time writing this, I don't know why. All this filler stuff is really hard to write. I really need inspiration you guys! I don't know what I'm doing right now. Sorry for the long wait for a crappy chapter! Dx Anyways, review and tell me how I'm doing!