"Never Give A Short Red-Haired Scientist Too Much Free Time"

Disclaimer: The characters in this story are copywrite 
Pioneer/AIC

(note: this puts TMiL into the OAV series (yes, I know it's TV 
Series Based, but if TPTB can put Kiyone into MNE which was 
supposedly OAV-based, and have her living next door when 
Tenchi's father's house was moved (during OAV #2) to right next 
to his grandfather's shrine in the mountains...)

CHAPTER 1- REBIRTH

Washu examined the contents of her bio-generation chamber very 
carefully. "Okay," she decided. "Now, what form shall I give 
you? You're not not being brought back as you were. The last 
thing we need is you blowing the place up."

Ryo-ohki walked in, in her accustomed humanoid child form, 
miya'ing one of her little songs.

Washu watched her for a moment, then smiled, tapping a few of 
the buttons on panel of her device.

"There." She said. "Just right." She permitted herself a grin. 
"I'm such a genius!"

"Miya?" Ryo-ohki tilted her head quizically as the machine 
hissed open in a manner that would've had Steven Spielberg's SFX 
crew weeping with awe.

What stepped out of the device could roughly be described as a 
little boy.

He was the same height as Ryo-ohki when she was in her child 
form, and looked roughly the same age.

Washu smiled as she quickly bathed him, dried him off, and got 
him into some clothes.

Ryo-ohki jumped and skipped about the lab, excitedly. At last, 
she had a playmate. Sasami sometimes played with her, but most 
of the time, the little princess spent her time cooking and 
helping with the housework. Ryo-ohki tried to help, too. But she 
never seemed to stay out of trouble for very long.

After Washu finished drying and dressing the boy, Ryo-ohki tried 
to get him to play with her. But he was exhausted. He'd just be 
born after all, and he wasn't at his full strength yet.

Washu stroked one of his bat-like ears, gently, smiling as it 
twitched. "Shhh," she told Ryo-ohki. "He's sleeping." She looked 
down at the reborn Draalthi child who now lie upon her lap, 
sound asleep.


CHAPTER 2 - PLAY TIME


Ryo-ohki was in her humanoid child form, miya'ing an 
approximation of laughter as she watched a remarkably silly show 
with Mihoshi.

Mihoshi herself was giggling up a storm. She grabbed a handful 
of chips and gobbled them down, wiping the grease on a napkin.

Ryo-ohki herself had managed to obtain a stack of carrots...
...which has lasted her all of 15 seconds.

The door to Washu's lab openned and Washu backed out, leading 
the Draalthi child and holding both of his hands.

The boy seemed to be having as much trouble walking as Ryo-ohki 
had when she'd first gained her humanoid form. In his case, he 
knew how.He simply didn't have the strength.

"That's right." Washu told him. "You're doing fine. Good boy."

The small child beamed, proudly.

Washu was glad she'd decided not to let him have his old memory 
when she'd remade him. Had she done so, she'd be listening to 
him gripe about her treating him like a baby right now.

Ryo-ohki turned and saw them . "Miya!" She hopped down off the 
couch and went to join them.

The boy stumbled and fell as he tried to hide behind Washu. Then 
he started to cry.

"Oh my!" Mihoshi exclaimed. "That poor little creature!"

"It's okay." Washu soothed the child as she pulled a box of 
band-aids out of a subspace hole and placed one on a small cut 
the boy had got where his muzzle had hit the coffee table.

The boy looked, cross-eyed, at the band-aid, then held his arms 
out to Washu. "Mamma!" he pleaded.

It was all Washu could do not to cry as she hugged the child.

"Miya!"

"Yes, Ryo-ohki." Washu nodded. "You can play with him." She 
let go of the boy and pointed to Ryo-ohki. "That's your big 
sister." She told him. Okay, so they were different species, but 
she had created Ryo-ohki and she was responsible for this boy's 
being alive in his current form, so technically.

"He's so cute!" Mihoshi smiled. "What's his name?"

"Um..erm..." It suddenly dawned on Washu that she hadn't thought 
of one. "Gee, I don't know." She grinned guiltily, "any ideas?"

"Hmmm..." Mihoshi pondered. "Nope."

"Why am I not surprised." Washu sighed.

Sasami walked in. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Well," Mihoshi hedged, "we're trying to think of a name for 
this little fellow here." She nodded toward the small boy.

"Wow!" Sasami smiled. "I bet he and Ryo-ohki are going to be 
really good playmates."

Washu smiled. "I think you're right, Sasami. But we need to 
think of name for him. We can't just call him "hey you" all the 
time."

"What's the local language for 'Pain In The Ass'?" Ryoko asked 
as she walked in.

"Ryoko! Such language!" Washu scolded. "And in front of your 
little brother, too!"

"He's not my little brother!" Ryoko hollered.

The volume of Ryoko's shout set the Draalthi child off on 
another crying jag.

"Ryoko!" Mihoshi pointed out, nearly in tears herself from 
watching the child crying. "You've made him cry! That was mean 
of you!" And then she could hold it back no longer.

Sasami already had a kleenex ready. She held it out to Mihoshi, 
beaten by a split second by those proferred to the delicate 
detective by Washu and Ryoko.

Ryoko, who knew her mother would keep hounding her until she did 
so, apologized, begrudgingly, to the little boy.

The boy sniffled and wiped away his tears. He blinked up at 
Ryoko, who was smiling. Then, he hugged her.

Ryoko sighed. 'Oh well,' she told herself, 'it can't get any 
worse.'