CHAPTER ELEVEN

MEET THE 'FAMILY'

The group of twelve made their way back to the loft. Most of them were miserable save for a few. Kim was smiling and skipping. She had had a good day. A cute guy asked her out on a date, and before that her brother apologized to her. Hana would glare at anyone who tried to talk to her. She had been forced to listen to the old hag talking nonstop for hours. Nagato and Naruto were happily chatting, telling each other about how awesome their jobs were.

Itachi was being supported by Sasuke, who was scowling under the weight of his older brother, because he still could not walk straight. In the mind of the younger brother, he kept thinking dead weight, and did not know why he found it so funny. Konan looked severely traumatized. Hinata was walking calmly behind Naruto, happily listening to him talk with his cousin. Sakura was trying to talk to Sasuke, but he scowled at her every time she tried, so she stayed quiet for the entire trip back to the loft. Jade was congratulating Deidara for teaching his first class. He had done an amazing job, and had gotten ten people to sign up for his class. Kakashi was walking behind them all reading his favorite book. He needed something to get the image of the old woman dressed in the daring lingerie out of his mind.

When they arrived, they all paused. There, sitting in the living room area with Ren, were four people that all the ninja were unfamiliar with. Kim was only familiar with the man, having met him a few times. Jade was perfectly familiar with the group of four. They were Jade's father, Logan, and his new wife, Amber, and her eighteen year-old twins, Carter and Abigail.

"Dad! What are you doing here," Jade exclaimed in her best happy voice. She had no idea why he was visiting. He usually called to check up on her, but never visited. Not since he had moved to New York.

The two had never really gotten along. It had gotten even worse when Jade's mother had died three years ago. A few months after her funeral, Logan had started seeing Amber. A few months after that they were married, and it only served to make the already large rift between them even bigger. Logan had went up to Jade one day and told her about his plan to move to New York. Jade of course had refused to go, and asked Ren if he would become her legal guardian. Ren, always having considered Jade as a daughter, agreed which angered Logan to no end.

"What, a man can't come and visit his favorite daughter," Logan said, getting up to engulf Jade in a hug. Jade stiffed when he approached her. When he moved to lift his arms up to hug her she lifted a hand to keep him at a distance. Everyone in the room could feel the nervous energy.

"I'm surprised you still consider me your favorite, much less remember who I am," Jade said in a monotone. It was true. Ever since he had gotten married to that horrible woman he had been neglecting Jade in order to spend more time with Abigail and Carter. Logan narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Jade! That is no way to speak to your father," chided Amber. She always tried to act as if she were Jade's mother. Jade didn't know why, Amber mainly wanted Logan for his money, and she got it in the end. Logan was a super successful lawyer. There had yet to be a case he had lost.

"Stop! Just stop," Jade shouted in Amber's face. "You are not my mother. You never will be my mother." With that Jade walked out of the loft.

"I'll go talk to her," Kim said, getting ready to follow after her friend. Logan stopped her, and went in search of his daughter.

"OH YEAH," Naruto shouted, jumping up startling everyone. He had slightly eased the tension that was surrounding them with his cheeriness. "Ren, I got the games you wanted, 'ttebayo." He went over to hand Ren the bag of video games. Kim just gave her father a look.

Kim and the ninja all took seats around the living room.

Abigail was eyeing Deidara, which was making him shift uncomfortably in his seat. She had seen the way her step-sister seemed to be close to him. That made her want him for herself. Everything she wanted she got, even if she had to take it away from someone.

Jade had run out of the loft to the garage. She needed some air, and some time to think. Her father never came to visit. So why would he suddenly start? All the feelings she had tried to block out, came rushing back up to the surface. All the questions she never got to ask kept popping up. The ones that she never got an opportunity to ask him, mainly because Amber was too busy clinging to his arm like a money-sucking leech. Everything crowded her mind until she wanted to scream and pull her hair out, thrash around like a crazy person, or just hit something.

Her and her father had always been distant, even when her mother was still alive. Her mother was a topic she never really liked to discuss; not even with Kim, and she was her best friend. Their mothers were the only things that they never talked about with each other. Jade just assumed that Kim's mother had died, and that was why she was not around.

She never really understood what her mother saw in her father. Logan was calm and always so serious all the time. Her mother had a temper and was so loud. Her mother once told her that opposites attack, but she could not see it. Her father was always away on business or had to work late on a case and left them at home alone most of the time. The one major thing she inherited from her mother was her looks, and for that she was beyond thankful. If she had to see her father's every time she looked in the mirror... Why did she have to leave her?

Why did he have to come? Why did he have to bring them with him, the hazel eyed girl thought tiredly. Jade groaned in frustration, roughly wiping away the tears that managed to slip past her defenses.

"Jade," Logan called out, walking through the door. He had found her sitting on a bench. "What do you think you were doing back there? Are you trying to make us look bad in front of your friends?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jade replied in a dull tone, leaning back on her hands to look her father in the eyes.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

"Then answer me this. Why did you bring them with you? The first time you come to visit in years, years, and you bring them," she hissed.

"I brought them with me, because we're a family," he stated.

"No, we're not," Jade said firmly, her grip on the edge of the bench tightening. "They are not my family. She is not my mother, nor will she ever be. She's only your gold-digging whore." She was glaring now. Logan slapped her hard across the face leaving her cheek a stinging red. He was fuming.

"Tomorrow, you will be showing your brother and sister around town. You will take them to the mall, to the park, to see a movie. I don't care, but you will spend the week with them. Then we will all, your new friends included, go out to dinner on Saturday night. You will behave, and treat us with the utmost respect. Do I make myself clear," Logan questioned in a stern tone of voice. Jade just crossed her arms, and nodded her head.

Logan walked up the stairs. He called his wife and his children down. Then they walked to their car, and left. Jade stayed staring off in the direction that they left.

"Oh! I'm gonna need to get my nails fixed," she said with a laugh. She wanted to cry. She really did, but she wouldn't allow herself to. Not over him. Not anymore. She stood up straight, smoothed out her skirt, and walked back up to the loft. Coming to a stop in front of the door, she took a deep calming breath.

When she walked in, she had to hold back a laugh. Ren had pulled out his Wii, and he along with Naruto were attempting to teach the others how to play. It was a sight to see. Kim and Sakura were standing behind the couch facing the TV, and were commentating using the TV remotes as their microphones.

Kim turned around, and stretched out her hand wiggling her fingers out at the hazel eyed girl. Jade grabbed her best friend's hand, intertwining their fingers, Kim squeezed tight and she did the same. She would get through the week that was sure to be tough. She had Kim, who was like a sister to her. She had Ren, who she looked up to as a father figure. Now, she even had the ten ninja from a different dimension. They were her large and crazy as hell family. She would get through it all.

The next day, everyone took their lunch breaks at the same time. They were all sitting around a table in the food court, talking about the things that had happened at work. Abigail and Carter were there with them as well. They had been making Jade's life miserable. Abigail had been constantly interrupting her during her classes, and Carter kept on flirting with Sakura. Which was making Sasuke angry for some unknown reason though he did not show it.

"So why don't we go out on a date," Carter had asked Sakura, sending her a flirtatious smile. The pinkette had a look of utter disgust on her face. She would very much rather go on a date with Rock Lee, at least he wasn't a scumbag. Kim smacked her hand on the table, drawing all the attention to herself.

"She can't. She already has a boyfriend," Kim stated with a triumphant girn.

Sasuke choked on his drink. Naruto and Itachi both hit him hard on the back, making him cough up soda. They all turned to stare at Sakura.

"I do," Sakura asked confused. Since when did she have a boyfriend that she did not know about.

"Well... Not yet you don't, but you will soon," Kim said with a smile. "I completely forgot to tell you yesterday. I got asked out yesterday, and he has a brother. So... since he was supposed to spend Friday night with him, I told him I had a hot friend the same age. I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner."

"No, it's okay. But..." She trailed off. They were all waiting for what she had to say.

"Don't worry. He's really cute. Jake, my date, showed me a picture of him," Kim reassured with a smirk. "Oh, and his name is Alex." The girls all started asking questions. The guys just groaned.

Abigail didn't care that Kim got asked out. She never really liked her, or Jade in the first place. She most certainly didn't like any of Jade's friends. Although, she did take a liking to a certain blond artist. She had knew how he and her 'sister' seemed to spend a lot of time together, and thought why not mess with her favorite 'sister' and take something away from her. She always did love the chase.

Abigail and Carter couldn't wait for dinner on Saturday night. Logan had an announcement to make, and they couldn't wait to see Jade's reaction. That was going to be a night to remember.

When the lunch break hour was over they all returned back to their respective jobs. Carter and Abigail went with Jade and Deidara. Carter was making rude comments here and there, and Abigail was clinging onto Deidara's arm, much to his dismay and ultimate frustration.