Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And in the traditional way of giving thanks, I would like to thank the people who favorited my story and reviewed, so give it up for kouriel, Sin-Skyeon, Akatsuki-Lover007, Sasunarufan101, Tanglepelt, ammie-may, XxSwallowxX, AnimeMomo, Kurai Homura, Lily Elm, vampy-chan321, Narinu Narasu, Jay-Jay1997, AnimeLover5125, wolfy21196, Justice Reeps, Shuriken-chan, Ilovebleach102012, Jojororo, Yokai-no-Jasper-kun, and I'mAzombieRawr.

I am glad that you like my story and hope that you continue reading!

Also, if some of you could possibly check out my account and vote for your favorite character, I would appreciate it so that I can figure out which characters need more work. It would also be nice if you could tell me what it is that you like about a character, but don't force yourselves.

Also, funny story from this month. My English teacher said that she was going to show us all something that would "give [us] heart attacks."

Now, as a manga reader, I promptly hissed to my friends to run, because she had the Death Note!

I don't own the Akatsuki.

"Being an author is like being in charge of your own personal insane asylum,"

-Graycie Harmon

… … … … … … … … … … … …

In all of her years of living (even though it only amounted to seventeen), she had never thought that she would be sitting down to Thanksgiving Dinner with a group of killers.

They weren't eating yet, instead they were getting ready, though Cin was keeping a sharp eye on the ones with sharp knives.

She still trusted them, but after everything she had been through recently, she refused to let her guard down, even in her own kitchen.

Especially since Hidan was in there, and most specifically after the little incident when she walked into his room while he was busy sacrificing someone.

In fact, he wasn't even doing anything, so why was he in the kitchen at all?

"Hidan, go watch TV," she ordered, "You too, Kakuzu."

She glared at them until they packed up shop and went (not at all reluctantly) to turn on her wide-screen television set.

"How's the rolls going, Deidara?" she asked the artist who had stickiness all over his hands.

"How do you get this stuff off, un?"

"You should've rolled it in flour first, Deidara."

"What type, un?"

"What type?"

"Yeah, roses, lilacs, lilies, what, un?"

She smacked her forehead into the heel of her hand, "This flour," she handed the container to the blond, "It is not made of actual flowers, so don't ask questions and just roll the dough in it!"

Silence

"You really don't know how to behave in hostile situations, do you, un?" Deidara started laughing.

"What hostile situation?"

"Haven't you noticed, un?" he held up the knife he was using to cut the dough, "Everyone in here has a knife, except for you, un."

That made everyone start laughing while Cin blushed and protested, "You don't need a knife to make pretzel salad!"

"Are you being purposefully stupid?" Itachi asked from where he was sewing up the turkey.

She turned the full (and ineffective where the Uchiha was concerned) power of her cheerful and innocent smile on the weasel with a happy, "It's a gift!"

Which just sent everyone (except the ever-impassive Uchiha) into gut-busting laughter.

"Hey, Cin," Kisame called from where he was preparing the fudge pies for afterwards, "Didn't you make the pretzel salad yesterday."

"Shut up!" she called, "I like pretzel salad. Besides, I want to save some in case they come home after all."

Shoot, now she was sounding sad again.

"Cin, you're going about this all wrong!" Hidan called out, back in the kitchen.

Cin grabbed Deidara's knife, "I thought I banished you from the kitchen."

"Look, you keep being all weepy over your family not being here, when you really need to just let out a good curse and you'll feel all better!"

She looked at him skeptically, "I don't curse."

"Look, help me out here!" Hidan begged, "I'm dieing to curse, and the only way I can persuade the others to let me is to show them that me cursing is helping you!"

"Forget it." She turned her back on him, "Zetsu, please evacuate him from the kitchen."

"With pleasure."

Needless to say, Hidan went back on his own after all.

Cin sighed as she got back to pouring the strawberry jello in on top of the other two levels. Dealing with Hidan was almost as tiring as dealing with Tobi, but without the fun of the sweet and hyperactive member.

But she had to admit, she was tempted to take him up on his offer, if only to see if she could release some of the angst she felt at being abandoned.

Deidara tripped and nearly fell, making her smile. No, not abandoned.

Not with the Akatsuki there.

Not with her friends.