Authoress' Notes: Hello everyone! I'm back and sooo sorry for the immense wait! Its just school was weighing me down and, and.... forgive me? Cool. About my other stories- All I Have, No one seemed to like it, I dunno, maybe I'm losing it.... Pretty Baby, ok, thanx to all the reviewers but I don't think anyone REALLY liked it.... Of Lights and Stages, MAJOR WRITER'S BLOCK! I have been writing but I'm not sure bout it.... Recalling the Past, basically my best story, no complaints, except yea, I know I screwed the whole sun in the east/sun in the west thing. What can you expect? I don't pay attention to things people tell me.... So this is chapter 2 of Old Love and New Love. I'm sorry to say that this is a sort of sad chapter, but don't worry, love will prevail! I think....
Old Love and New Love
MysticalElfGoddess

Chapter 2: Harsh Words and Helping Hands
"Chibodee! Give that back!" Chibodee ran into his room carrying Shirley's old photo album and shut his door quickly. Shirley had enjoyed their past 2 months together, Chibodee had become increasingly overbearing to her. He took her things, teased her, and above all.... it really ticked her off how much more fond of him she had become.

She liked it when he snuck up on her in the kitchen, or woke her up with a kiss on her cheek, and even when he did take her things and made her chase him around the house. Though she would never admit it to him....

She leaned against his door and called to him again. "Chibodee.... please? I want that back!" His door suddenly opened, she almost fell in but he caught her, and dragged her inside.

"Chibodee! What's all this about? That's MY photo album! I swear if you don't give it back, I'll...." she used anger to hide her amusement. He clamped his mouth down on hers to keep her quiet. She closed her eyes and waited for the kiss to end. He lifted his lips from hers and said--

"Man Shirley! If you wanted me THAT bad, you shoulda told me! I mean walking right into my room, kissing me, what will your father think?" he said winking at her.

"Hey.... why you! But I.... you! I didn't, I mean.... my photo album! Give it back!" she stuttered and blushed deeply. He winked again and she turned around, not facing him.

"Don't be mad at me, Shirl, please?" he begged her. She feigned an indignant attitude, smiling because he couldn't see her "Hmph!"

"Shirley! Just tell me about some of the people in this book please? I don't know anything about your family!" She finally turned around and saw him staring at her with wide eyes. "Please?" he begged again.

She burst out laughing and grabbed the book from him and said "Ok fine! Though I don't know why." He sat down in his armchair and pulled her onto his lap. She opened the book and flipped to the first page, it was a huge family picture.

"Ok, here goes." She said with a sigh. Introducing Chibodee to her huge Italian family might take hours....

"There's my mom, Guliette {A/N: it's said Juliet. In Italian it is Guliette.}. That's my daddy next to her his name is Mario. That's my big sister, Lucia she was 12, and my little brother Anthony he was 2 here...." He stopped her suddenly and pointed to her 2-year-old brother.

"Wait, I thought you only had a sister, what about your brother?" Chibodee questioned and her eyes watered.

"He died about a month after this picture was taken, cancer...." She looked down at the picture and smiled softly.

"I'm sorry-" he began but she put her finger on his lips.

"Don't! He was very sick, he's happier now. Move on?" she asked him and he nodded.

"Ok. This is my uncle Jeremiah, my dad's only sibling, and he had no kids. My mom's side however, I have 12 cousins." Chibodee's eyes widened "Yeah I know!" She laughed quietly.

"This is my aunt Alisa, her 3 children- Marcus Jr., Carol, and Athena, and her husband Marcus. My aunt Thalia has 5 kids- Barbara, Liz, Jill, Nicholas, and Michelle."

"My uncle adopted 2 children- Carmen and Jude, but never got married. And my aunt Elle, her 2 kids Daniel and Debbie and her husband William who she's no longer with."

"My grandparents, on my dad's side Antoinette and Thomas. On my mom's side Josephine and Michael. That's it. It was my family reunion so that's why everyone was there."

"Hey I think you forgot someone." He said grinning to her.

"Who? I'm pretty sure I got everyone...." She said puzzled looking at the photo again.

"Well then, who's that?" he said pointing at a little girl with long red hair sitting in her father's lap. She blushed slightly.

"Um, that's me when I was 8-years-old." She looked closer, "You know, I was spoiled rotten by my father because well, I was the baby girl. I never even thanked him for everything." She sunk into thought.

"You should have another family reunion. You know, get the family together again. It might be fun. And I can come and meet everyone." Chibodee interrupted her thoughts and she looked at him while he blushed slightly. He took the book from her.

"What I mean is I've met all of my crew member's families but yours. I should get to know them." She smiled and rolled her eyes. Ruffling his hair with a free hand.

"Yeah right! That day was crazy, everyone running around, prying into each other's business.... You don't want to meet my family." She took the book and replaced it on her lap. They laughed together and flipped through the rest of the book.

***********************************1 hour later*****************************

"She almost killed me! I will never play with food coloring unless it's in food ever again!" She and Chibodee were laughing at a picture of her elegant older sister with blue hair.

"Well that's the whole book. Is that what you wanted?" she asked him as she closed the book. His face turned serious and she wondered why.

"I didn't see a picture of him anywhere in there" he asked her staring at her intently.

"Of, of.... who Chibodee?" Shirley asked averting her eyes to the floor. She knew damn well but didn't want to go through this with him again. 'Back off, back off.... ' She whined in her head.

"You know who, your ex...." He said as he gritted his teeth. She got off his lap and turned around glaring at him.

"Why the hell are you so interested in him?" She challenged him, her eyes boring into his. 'Fight fire with fire, Shirl....' she thought to herself.

"I just am, ok? What was so damn great about him?" Chibodee stood up facing her.

"Just drop it ok?" She raised her voice slightly, her temper flaring.

"No I will not drop it." He raised his voice to the level hers was at.

"Fine! I'll JUST GO!" She was yelling at him now and she wasn't backing down.

"DAMNIT SHIRLEY! THEN GET OUT! NOT THAT I WANTED YOU HERE TO BEGIN WITH!" He screamed back at her.

She gasped and withdrew lightly. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and she took another step backward. She swallowed and nodded her head.

"Shirley, I.... I didn't mean.... I don't want you to go. I-" She held up her hand and took another step back.

"No, I'm sure you meant it. You always say exactly what you mean, so I'll go." She took her book and headed for the door.

"Shirley...." he pleaded with her softly. She took her hand off the doorknob and turned around. His heart leapt "Shirley....?"

But it sank when he saw small rivers of tears on her cheeks.

"Bye...." she whispered and left the room.

'Damnit. Why the hell do I shoot my mouth off?' He thought as he sank onto his bed. 'I really do want her with me, how could I have said that? Now she's mad at me. But wait a minute! She doesn't have to be so, distant with me.' His eyes darkened. 'I'm falling for her and she's still hiding from me.' He relaxed. "I gotta think, where can I go?" He got up and called to whoever was listening "I'm going out for a drink! Be back later!"

When no one answered he simply left and slammed the door behind him.

*************************Shirley's Room******************************

She wanted to go back to him. Of course she did, who wouldn't? But her stubbornness, her pride, it wouldn't let her. She just couldn't, it was too much too fast. She cried silently into her pillow and was startled when she heard a car start.

She got up and ran to the window. Shirley watched as the car left the driveway. She dried her eyes and ran over to her videophone. She dialed a number, probably the only number she could call without a lot of explanation.

One ring.... two rings.... maybe she wasn't home? Three rings....

"Hello? Doctor Mikamura speaking." She heard Rain's voice. Shirley giggled at her office-like way of answering the phone.

"Hello Doctor Mikamura! It's Shirley! Whatsup?" She asked with a smile. The brunette grinned and her eyes lit up.

"Shirley! I haven't heard from you in ages! How's life?" She giggled

She rolled her eyes "Oh, please! I actually needed someone to talk to. Got some time?" Shirley asked anxiously

"Umm.... Domon won't be back for a while, so, sure! What's on your mind?"

Shirley bit her lip, "Well, for the past 2 months Chibodee and I...."

After a ½ an hour of talking, Shirley felt much better. Rain was an awesome listener and never interrupted her.

"Rain, you're the best. So what should I do?" Shirley asked her cautiously

"Well, seems like your Chibodee is a lot like my Domon-- stubborn, lots of pride-- but it sounds like he cares for you deeply. So, I think you should go after him. But go to sleep first, wait for the morning and then go for it." Rain told her with a wink.

Shirley thought for a minute, "Ok, that sounds good. I'll be able to do that, after sleeping that is." She looked at the clock, "Rain! It's 11:30 here! I gotta get some sleep if I'm going to win Chibodee back. And thank you so much Rain, you don't know how much this means to me...."

Rain waved her hand, "No prob! If it's for a fellow girlfriend-of-a- fighter, anytime, I'll talk to you later? Let me know how everything turns out!"

"Ok I will, and thanks again. Bye!" Shirley waved to Rain and they both hung up.

Shirley turned around and sighed, a grin set on her face. "I'll win you back tomorrow, Chibodee, that's for sure!" She got into bed and turned out her light.

*******************Meanwhile, back on Earth.... ********************

Rain hung up the phone and got out of her chair. She walked over to the window and watched the sun go down in shades of purple and pink. "I really hope you get him back Shirl...."

"You look more beautiful each time I see you, ya know?" She turned around to see Domon standing there.

"Domon!" she cried and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "I missed you."

He chuckled and hugged her back, "Rain, I was only gone for a couple hours."

"I know, but when you left, I came back from the hospital. We haven't seen each other for five hours, I still missed you." She answered sitting down on the couch and looking up at him with 'puppy-dog' eyes.

"You're too much." He said and sat next to her, slipping his shoes off and wrapping his arms around her.

She leaned against his chest and said "Domon, Dad called, he wants you to come home as soon as you can." He laughed and she asked "What? What's so funny?"

"Oh. Nothing Rain. It's just that you call him 'dad' already, it's sweet." Domon said and kissed the top of her head.

"Well...." she trailed off, trying not to think of her own father. He hugged her tighter and she sighed "Anyone else call?" he asked trying to change the subject.

"Oh yes! Shirley called about Chibodee," she said sitting up straight.

"Oh yea? How's life the 'America way?'" Domon asked smirking slightly at the thought of his very fierce rival.

"It was a girl problem...." Rain told him smiling at their conversation.

His eyes darkened slightly, "You didn't tell her, did you?" She shook her head and grinned at him.

"Good, I want it to be a secret from everyone until it's all worked out." He said and lifted her right hand up to his face, looking at the diamond ring fastened on her finger.

"Oh Domon, you're such a romantic." She sighed looking at him. He chuckled lightly, "I don't think so." She punched him affectionately and he kissed her softly.

*************Time changes are bitches.... ************* 10:00 P.M.***************

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said getting up. She nodded, "Bye Domon, I love you."

He turned before he walked out of her little apartment, "I love you too, Rain." He left.

Rain sighed, got up, and went to bed.

*****************************At Domon's house*************************************

"Hey Dad, I'm home. Any calls?" Domon walked into his father's house. He saw his father's face over the edge of the couch.

"Hey Domon, I'm glad. Yes Sai Sici called for you, he looked very anxious.... He asked for you to call him back when you got home. I'm going to bed" Dr. Kasshu answered him and got off the couch.

"Thanks, I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well." Domon said sitting near the videophone. The doctor wished him well and left.

Domon dialed the sight of the restoration of the Shao-Lin Temple. One of the monks that watched over Sai, Kei-un, answered the phone.

"Hello? Oh my soul leaps! If it isn't Mr. Domon Kasshu! How are you? How is Miss Rain? Can I help you?"

Domon's eyes got wider as he tried to remember what he called for. "Um, is Sai Sici there please? Everyone here is fine by the way...."

The monk smiled and nodded, turned around and- "SAI SICI TELEPHONE CALL!!!!" Domon winced as the monk screamed for the boy.

All of a sudden Sai appeared and looked at Domon, shoving the monk away. He was fidgeting something was aching him. "Hey Bro. I need to ask you something."

"Hi Sai Sici, whatsup?" Domon said trying to keep his eyes open.

"Well.... well, ya see.... I gotta.... There's a...." He stalled for a minute or two. "Come on Sai, tell me what's wrong." Domon said to him. Sai Sici nodded and took a deep breath,

"Ok so I called Cecil, right? And she's all 'Oh Sai, my brother's going away, and I'll be all alone.' And one minute I was staring at her, because she's so pretty and listening to her voice cause I missed her so much and the next minute I'm inviting her to stay over here at the China Colony! What am I supposed to do? I mean sure I miss her and everything, but I can't be around her without thinking of being WITH her and it's really confusing me and I can't stand it. So what should I do? Huh? What should I DO?" He stood there panting and looking at the Japanese fighter for an answer.

Domon stood dumbfounded 'So many words.... and in such a small breath!' He shook himself and cleared his throat.

"Look Sai Sici, what have I always told you?" He started.

"To face my fears and to attack the problem life puts right in front of my face?" he said slowly, starting to understand. "But my problem is a girl, one that I like a real whole lot...."

"Well there's your problem. It's was my problem before Rain and I were together. Now what's your solution?" Domon inquired

"My solution? I.... don't know. What is my solution Bro?" Sai said thoughtfully Domon shrugged, "I don't know either, remember it's the Chinese that make the Fortune Cookies! Gotta go Sai! Talk to you later." He smiled at Sai's angered expression, waved to him and hung up.

Domon yawned and went off to bed, 'Guess it's your problem now Sai Sici.' He grinned to himself and thought about his fellow shuffle members, his dad, and his Rain, before drifting off to sleep.

****************************China Colony ***************************

Sai Sici opened a Fortune Cookie. It read,

' Take some advice on love you may need it. '

Sai dropped his head in his hands and moaned softly.
Authoress' Note: Hey everyone again! Didya like this chapter? Huh? Didya, Didya? Ok, I know it was sad but I mean come one, romantic conflict baby! Makes the world go around! I hope you liked this chapter; I'm so sorry again for not updating and please review! ;-)

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V