Subject: [FFML] [REFUGE] [R1/2][Dark][Lemon]Lost Innocence: Revealed by Thryth
From: "David A. Tatum" <desaix@sysnet.net>
Date: 7/23/2001, 2:23 PM
To: "FFML" <ffml@anifics.com>

To reply, post publically or e-mail the author at <thrythlind@yahoo.com>
Enjoy!

The FFML Refugee List

Akane worriedly brushed at Ranma's face as the sound
of the ambulance was heard outside.  Ranma was having
troubles keeping awake now, but whether that was blood
loss or just normal for Ranma, she didn't know for
sure.  Akane was distracted when she was showered with
cold water.  He looked up in surprise to see Kasumi
holding a glass.

"Kasumi?" Akane sputtered, confused.  "What was that
for?"

"The same reason I insisted you be male for Ranma's
doctor's appointment," Kasumi said as she headed for
the door.  Akane would have responded, but then she
was gone.  "She's in here."

A pair of men in paramedic uniforms came into the
hallway with a stretcher.  Akane and Ranma both
tensed, the redhead waking up a little as they
appeared.  As they moved to pick up Ranma and put her
on the stretcher, she sat up.

"Don't touch me," Ranma said wearily.

"If you think you can move," one of the paramedics
said, glad that she felt like moving.  Ranma shifted
herself over to the stretcher and lay back down.  "Are
you her boy..."

"We're married," Akane said hastily.

"Okay, can you come with us?" the paramedic asked as
they picked up the stretcher.  The looks they received
said that in no uncertain terms that he was coming.

"Yes," Akane answered verbally.

"If it is possible, I shall come as well" Kasumi
added.  "Perhaps I could ride up front?"

"Can't take time to argue with them," the second man
said.  The first nodded resignedly and turned back to
Akane as they moved out to the ambulance.

"Okay, we're going to ask you some questions," the
paramedic continued, walking towards the front door
with Akane following.

"What's happening to me?" Ranma demanded.  They
carried him into the ambulance with Akane alongside.

"How many weeks are you?" The paramedic chose to
ignore Ranma's question.  Ranma's confused look wasn't
giving him much information.

"She's nine weeks pregnant," Akane said, suddenly
aware of what was happening, and surprised he hadn't
considered it earlier.  Ranma nodded and frowned at
the answer.

"How long have you been bleeding?" the paramedic
asked.  He wrapped Ranma's arm in a blood pressure
monitor.  The reading was low, but not dangerously
low.

"I don't know," Ranma answered irritably, making an
obvious attempt to stay awake.

"At least fifteen minutes," Akane said worriedly,
gripping Ranma's hand to comfort her.  "Probably
longer."

"Are you feeling fatigued?" came the next question.

"What is happening to me?" Ranma demanded again.
Before the paramedic could repeat the question Ranma
continued.  "I've been tired a lot recently.  What's
happening?"  The man nodded and continued his
procedures.

"It's a miscarriage, Ranma," Akane said, softly.
"You're losing the baby."  He added the next quietly.
"If it's bad enough, you won't be able to have any
more kids."

Akane wasn't really certain of that, but he'd heard it
somewhere, and it would provoke the appropriate fear
in Ranma.  He winced at Ranma's suddenly terrified
face.  No child would mean she'd be a girl forever.

"Is that true?" Ranma asked desperately.

"Modern advances have made that unlikely, mis-,
ma'am, but we need you to answer these questions to
properly help you."  The man gave Akane a thankful
look before he continued.  "Is there any pain or
cramping?"  Ranma nodded.  "For how long?"

"Hour...hour and half," Ranma said shakily, gripping
Akane's hand.  The paramedic looked at her in
surprise, but Akane merely groaned.

"Ranma," Akane whispered.  "When something hurts,
tell people."  Ranma smiled with a little
embarrassment.  The paramedic decided not to comment
on how he expected the woman to be complaining quicker
and the guy to insist on toughing it out.

"When did it start?" the paramedic asked.  Ranma
glanced nervously at Akane.

"When I used the Shi Shi Hokodan," Ranma said
quietly.  Akane gasped and paled.

"What's that?" the paramedic asked.  "A drug of some
sort?"  Ranma snorted.

"It's a martial art technique," Akane explained
irritably, sitting at Ranma's head.  He leaned forward
and kissed Ranma's forehead.  "Ranma."  The redhead
gave a sort of embarrassed shrug and yawned.

"Did you have an accident in performing it or
something?" the paramedic asked, confused.  Ranma
shook her head.

"It's...a suicide maneuver," Akane said, not actually
aware of how accurate that description was.  The
paramedic nodded.

"Is there anything unusual about the pregnancy?" the
man asked.  Ranma's only answer was a quiet, bitter
laugh.

"No," Akane answered.  ~Not the way you mean.~

*********

Kanzo watched as the coroner's wagon pulled away.
Then he turned to the still somewhat dazed Ukyou and
sat down across from her.

"You saved at the very least two lives today," he
said.

"Yeah," Ukyou said.  "That wasn't what I thought it
would be."

"Killing?" Kanzo asked.  Ukyou nodded after a
hesitation.  "Kuonji-san, I need to take a statement."

"I thought so," Ukyou said.  She glanced back down
the counter to Konatsu.  The ninja gave her a hard
look, but nodded.  Kanzo glanced back at the ninja as
well.  "Might as well get it over with, then."

"Where did you come from?" he asked.  Ukyou turned
around and pointed to the storeroom.

"There's a window I can get inside quietly enough,"
Ukyou said.

"Do you usually come in through the window?" Kanzo
asked.  Ukyou shook her head at the sarcasm.

"I saw Mousse through the door," Ukyou pointed out
the front.  "He's been tearing up the place recently.
Spreading rumors, trashing homes, tossing about
curses."

"What made you think of curses?" Kanzo asked.  "He
didn't mention it."  Ukyou shrugged.

"He apparently tried it before with Ranma and Akane,"
Ukyou said.  "And what with Shampoo being trapped as a
cat."  She smirked, narrowing her eyes.  "Sounds like
what he'd do."

"So he's tried this before," Kanzo repeated.  Ukyou
nodded.

"I think so, yeah," Ukyou said.  "Sounds like a good
way to get rid of a body, too."  Kanzo gave her a
look, and Ukyou wondered if she'd gone a step too far.

"Why do you think he tore apart the Kuno estate?"
Kanzo asked.

"To get back at the Kunos for Shampoo I guess," Ukyou
said.  "Couldn't do anything to the actual bastard, so
tear apart the house."  Ukyou shrugged.

"So you knew that Tatewaki was dead," Kanzo
commented.

"Yeah, Nabiki told me yesterday," Ukyou said.  "Eaten
by something, right?"

"Detective," a crime site officer called out.  "This
fell out of his robes.  Is it what you were looking
for?"  The man handed him a box in a sealed plastic
container.  Kanzo accepted the baggy and looked over
the box.

"Assorted curses," Kanzo said and returned the box
with a shiver.  "It's been opened.  Okay, check it for
fingerprints."  He checked Ukyou's reaction as he said
that.  She seemed to glance over his shoulder.  That
could have been just to look at the box, but her
waitress was also standing in that direction.

"One-shot curses?" Ukyou said, surprised.  "Guess the
Amazons wouldn't let him get anything else."

"You know what those are?" Kanzo asked.

"Yeah," Ukyou winced a little.  "Ranma and Akane were
using them to get married...and stuff."

"Ah, I see," Kanzo said, he closed his notebook and
stood up.  "Well, we'll be calling if we need anything
else."

"No problem, detective," Ukyou said, tired.  She
glanced at the blood pool and turned pale.  "Say, I
can clean that up now.  Right?"

"All the evidence taken?" Kanzo asked.  The
technician nodded as he began to pack up his
equipment.  "Go ahead."  He watched her for a moment.

"Something wrong, detective?" Ukyou asked.

"Nothing I can prove," he said.  Ukyou felt like
answering the challenge almost, but instead gave him a
confused look.  All those years of acting like
something she wasn't were paying off.  "I hope we
don't have to meet again, Kuonji-san."

"Same here," Ukyou said.

*********

Nabiki calmed down as the police officer took her
statement down.  It gave her a task to focus on,
something to distract her from what could have
happened.  She flexed her hand and grimaced a little
at the numb feeling that the local anesthetic had
filled her arm and shoulder with.

"If we need anything else," the officer said, "we'll
call you."

"Can you tell me what might happen to Ukyou?" Nabiki
asked.

"Sounds like a justifiable slaying to me," the man
said.  "She probably won't have much of a problem."
Nabiki nodded.

Three, no, four, four Neriman martial artists and a
cop.  All that and she had still almost been...in
someone's power.  Again.

Granted it was another Neriman martial artist and he
had surprised them, but it did not make her feel any
better.  Nabiki turned to look for Ryouga, and noticed
the officer who had been talking to him was writing
some notes and getting ready to leave.

"Excuse me, do you know where..." Nabiki started.

"Your boyfriend."  Nabiki twitched.  "Went to call
your family."

"He's not my..." Nabiki stopped.  "He did what?  Did
you see which way he went?"

"No, sorry."  The officer shrugged and flipped her
notebook closed.  Nabiki clenched the fist of her good
hand and scrunched her eyes closed.

"Baka," Nabiki growled.

*********

"Hey, Nami, wasn't that Ranma they just wheeled
past?" the speaker was a high-school-aged girl with a
volunteer button.  Her friend, another volunteer,
quickly looked to the retreating gurney and nodded.

"Yeah it was," she said.  "I wonder what happened?"

"Akane hasn't hit him or anything for a while," the
first girl said.  "Maybe she finally blew up."

"I don't know, Hideyo," Nami said.  "I think they're
really past that."  Hideyo seemed to think about it a
moment.

"If you don't tell anyone," she whispered.  "I can
get us into the property room when they put his stuff
there."

"We could lose our jobs," Nami protested.

"We don't get paid anyway," Hideyo noted.

*********

"Where are they all?" Ryouga asked, confused and
irritated.  "Come on! Answer already!"

"Ryouga-kun?" he heard Kasumi's voice say.  The phone
on the other end of the line rang again.

"Kasumi?" Ryouga said, staring at the receiver.  "How
are you talking to me while the phone's still
ringing?"

"I'm right behind you, Ryouga-kun," Kasumi said,
sounding tired.  Ryouga blinked and turned around to
see Kasumi standing there.

"Kasumi?" Ryouga blinked.  "How'd you know we were
here?"  Kasumi sighed and sat down, shaking her head.

"I didn't," Kasumi said.  "I came with Ranma and
Akane."

"Oh no!  Did Mousse attack them first?" Ryouga
demanded.

"What?" Kasumi asked.  "What are you talking about?"

"Mousse attacked us at Ucchan's," Ryouga explained
hastily.  "Kodachi and Nabiki are in the emergency
room."

"Oh my," Kasumi gasped, voice cracking.  "H...how bad
is it?"

"Nabiki's collarbone was broken," Ryouga said.  "And
Kodachi was electrocuted, the paramedics said she
should be fine.  Nabiki just needs to wear a sling for
a few months.  Ukyou killed Mousse."

"And where were you!" Kasumi demanded angrily,
surprising Ryouga by grabbing the front of his tunic
and shaking him.  "You seem perfectly healthy!!"

"I...I...I..." Ryouga swallowed.  "I was a pig,
Mousse...s...splashed me right off."

"A pig?" Kasumi repeated.  "Splashed?  You are...!"
Kasumi slapped him, and then again.  She was about to
a third time but Ryouga caught her hand.

"I'm sorry!! Okay?!" Ryouga snapped desperately.
"I'm going to tell Akane...just Nabiki told me not to
yet..."

"Nabiki, told you not to tell," Kasumi repeated.  She
thought about it.   "I...I suppose there is something
to say about dealing with problems one at a time."
Kasumi relaxed, and Ryouga hesitantly released her
hand.  The older Tendo-sister slumped forward, leaning
her face into her hands.  "One crisis at a time.  At
this point I would accept two or even three at a time
as a relief."

"Kasumi," Ryouga said hesitantly.  "Are you okay?"
It was a stupid question.  If Kasumi were okay she
wouldn't be angry.

"I will be fine," Kasumi said, collecting herself.
"I merely need some rest.  Life has been...wearing me
thin of late.  Tell me, how is it that Ranma has never
told anyone about your curse?"  Ryouga sighed.

"He..." Ryouga started, "promised on his honor not to
tell..."

"Before or after you became Akane's pet," Kasumi
asked tightly.  Ryouga swallowed.

"Before," Ryouga admitted.  Kasumi gave him a clear
look of disapproval.  "He tried to tell anyway that
first day, but nobody believed him."  Kasumi was still
glaring at him, or as close to it as she got.  "I'm a
coward...okay...no one had been nice to me in a long
time."  Kasumi shook her head, but nodded in
understanding.

"We shall have to deal with this soon, Hibiki-san"
Kasumi said, emphasizing the more formal name.  "And
your intentions toward my other sister?"

"Nabiki scares the hell out of me, actually," Ryouga
said honestly.  Kasumi smiled weakly.

"I seem to remember another girl," Kasumi said, humor
fading again.  "Someone named Akari?"  Ryouga
grimaced.

"She doesn't want to see me again," Ryouga said.  "I
told her about P-Chan and the Koi Fishing Rod, a
couple of other things..."  Ryouga's voice trailed
off.  "She didn't like being a substitute
for...ummm...Akane."

"I see," Kasumi said, and Ryouga was uncomfortably
reminded of Nabiki.  "And Kodachi?"

"I found her trying to kill herself in the ruins of
her family shrine," Ryouga said.  "Mousse wrecked her
home, killed her alligator..." He shrugged.

"Oh my, the poor girl," Kasumi said.

"She's apparently my cousin," he grimaced as he said
it.  "Don't know what to think of that, but if it
keeps her from plunging a blade in her stomach..." He
shrugged again.  "Besides, she's one of us.  And I
just...Kuno, Shampoo, Mousse.  Ranma is cracking,
Kodachi too...Enough of us are gone as it is..." He
thought back to the early part of the conversation.

"I suppose I understand," Kasumi said.  "Do not
expect a warm welcome from me for some time, but I
will give you the benefit of the doubt that you did
not intend offense."

"Ummm...thanks, I think," Ryouga said hesitantly.
"What happened to Ranma and Akane?"  Kasumi sighed.

"Ranma had a miscarriage," Kasumi said.

"He...lost the baby?" Ryouga said.  Kasumi nodded.

"They're keeping her...him overnight to make sure he
is all right."

"Does that mean he's a girl forever now?" Ryouga
asked.

"No," Kasumi said.  "The doctors say he...she in this
case, is still able to bear children.  There are even
indicators that she might be more fertile than
average."

"So he has to get pregnant again now?" Ryouga asked.
"Who's going to be the father?"  He thought back to
the conflict at the Nekohanten and Nabiki walking home
with a box of instant nannichuan packets.  "Akane?"
Kasumi nodded.

"She's already been using the packets for some time
now," Kasumi said.  "A week or so ago the curse became
permanent."

"Akane's c...cu...cursed?!" Ryouga gasped.  Lovely,
cute, kind, gentle Akane, Ryouga reminded himself that
thinking like that was what had mostly set Akari off,
had willingly become male.  Ryouga wished he hadn't
freaked out for the last bit of the conflict at the
Nekohanten.  "If Ranma was already pregnant, why were
they using the packets?!"

"I do not know," Kasumi said tightly.  Though she
suspected it had to do with the pamphlets on family
planning she had found.  "That is Ranma and Akane's
business."

"Okay, okay," Ryouga said quickly.  "Now I know
you're related to Nabiki and Akane."  Kasumi briefly
produced a strained version of one of her normal
smiles.  Then she sighed and leaned forward again.

"You would not know how to find where Nabiki is,"
Kasumi asked.  "Or Kodachi.  Would you?"  Ryouga
started to think about it, but Kasumi stopped him.
"No, I do not suppose you would."

*********

"Ranma," Akane sighed, gripping the redhead's hand.
"The Shi Shi Hokodan?"  She shook her head, depressed
herself.  You keep getting worse."

The redhead shifted in her sleep curling up and
clutching tightly at Akane's hand.  He brushed at
Ranma's bangs and kissed her forehead.  As he sat back
up he saw Ranma's eyes open and staring at him.

"Why do you keep me?" Ranma asked quietly.  Akane
could see the rest of the question in Ranma's eyes.
Why did he "keep" an honorless, ruined, vagabond slut?

"Keep you?" Akane repeated, wincing at the word
choice.  Ranma nodded.  "I don't keep you.  I stay
with you."

"There's a difference?" Ranma asked in confusion.

"You talk like I own you or something," Akane said.
~Kuno shattered him, but how much of this is his
father?  Or me?~  "Do you want to stay?"  Akane asked
nervously.

"...Yes," Ranma said quietly. "Why do you want me to
stay?"

"I've told you," Akane said patiently.  "I love you."
 Ranma looked thankful and relieved, but still
somewhat unconvinced.  Akane continued, somewhat
exasperated.  "You're brave, talented,
beau...attractive, you've saved my life several times,
and you are one of the most caring and forgiving
people I've ever met."  He sighed.

"And I love your smile," Akane added with his own
smile, and brushing at Ranma's hair.  Ranma smiled
back hesitantly and frowned again.  "What's wrong?"
Ranma shrugged.

"I'm just tired," she said wearily, already falling
asleep.  Akane shivered, dispelling the chill in his
spine.  Akane brushed at her hair again, and kissed
her forehead.

*********

Ukyou rubbed her eyes and looked to the ninja staring
at her.  She sighed in frustration before returning to
scrubbing at the floor.

"What's your problem?" Ukyou asked.  Konatsu didn't
say anything, Ukyou rolled her eyes.  "Permission to
speak freely."  She said sarcastically.

"What?" Konatsu asked.

"Something I got from a movie," Ukyou said.  "Spit it
out."  Konatsu still hesitated.

"I didn't know you were going to kill him," Konatsu
said.  Ukyou shivered, but Konatsu wasn't sure if she
was just acting again or not.

"I wasn't planning on it," Ukyou said.  "But, he just
went far overboard what I was expecting."  Konatsu
nodded cautiously.

"That is true," Konatsu admitted, he turned to look
back at Ukyou.  "And if you had it to do over again?"

"I wouldn't have let him in the Ucchan's," Ukyou
asserted.  "Forget planting that stuff on him.  Oh
kami, I thought Kodachi was dead."

"And the ronin?" Konatsu asked hopefully.  Ukyou
glanced at him and thought about it.

"He hurt Ranma," Ukyou said simply, cooly.  "If he
had done that to me, would you have done differently?"

"I guess not, Ukyou-san," Konatsu said.  Ukyou noted
the change of address, but didn't push the issue.
Konatsu released a breath and changed the subject,
slightly.  "Mousse picked the packets right up as soon
as he noticed them, I didn't even have to slip them
in.  The only fingerprints on it should be his."

"Thanks, Konatsu," Ukyou said.  "I promise you we
won't have to do this again.  My spatula is going up
on the wall.  Only cooking from here on out."

"Are you certain that's wise?" Konatsu asked, now
worried for his employer for a whole other reason.

"I'll defend myself, or someone else, Konatsu," she
insisted.  "That's all."

"As you wish, Ukyou-san," Konatsu said.  Ukyou
glanced at him and resumed scrubbing.

"This isn't ever coming out," Ukyou growled.

*********

"Ewwww," Nami pushed aside a pair of pants, along
with some shorts, boxers and finally panties.  All of
them were stained with blood, and she wondered why
Ranma would wear so many layers of clothes.

"What did Akane do?" Hideyo asked, wrinkling her
nose.  "Check the pockets."

"Do you do this often?" Nami asked, nervously.  She
reached into a pocket and found some change and a
simple card.  She pulled it out and stared at it.

"Not really," Hideyo said.  "Every once in awhile.  I
don't take anything."

"Oh kami," Nami gasped.  "I think I know what's wrong
with him.  Let's get out of here."

"Huh, what did you find?" Hideyo asked as they
quietly left the property room.  Nami handed her the
card, and she blanched.  "Oh my."

"It makes sense," Nami said.  "The change of clothes,
how odd she's been acting.  How protective people are
of her."

"So what are we going to do about it?" Hideyo asked.

"We need to make some calls," Nami said.

*********

"Tendo Nabiki, call for you at the administration
desk," the call rang out.  Nabiki looked up in
surprise and walked to the desk.  "Tendo-san?" The
nurse asked pleasantly.

"Yes," Nabiki said.  She took the offered phone and
held it to her ear.  "Hello?  Kasumi?  Where are you,
they couldn't get you at...You found Ryouga.  How fast
can you get here?"  She glanced around to see if
anybody were listening and then spoke quietly into the
phone.  "I'm...I just need some company, and Kodachi's
still unconscious."

*********

Kasumi considered what Nabiki had just said.  She
glanced at Ryouga for a moment.  Nabiki was asking for
company, she must have been very scared.

"Should I bring Ryouga?" Kasumi asked.

*********

"Yes!" Nabiki said.  "I...I want to be able to keep
an eye on him.  Thanks, Kasumi."  She handed the phone
back to the nurse after Kasumi had hung up.  Kasumi
had been holding something back, but she could ask her
about it when she got there.  Already Nabiki felt
somewhat better.

She didn't have to wait long, Kasumi and Ryouga
arrived only a few minutes later.  Nabiki felt a lot
of the tension fade away and waved at their approach.
Kasumi looked even more out of sorts than she had
been, and that concerned her.

"How'd you get here so fast?" Nabiki asked as they
approached.

"We..." Ryouga didn't get to finish telling her that
they were only a floor or two away.

"That doesn't matter," Kasumi said.  "We'll talk
about that and other things later."  She hugged
Nabiki, cautious not to squeeze her shoulder.  "How
are you feeling?"

"Better now," Nabiki said quietly, she glanced at
Ryouga and something of her normal demeanor returned.
"Don't go wandering off again."

"Okay," Ryouga said.

*********

Ranma snapped awake, sweating and out of breath.
Daylight filtered in through the window, telling Ranma
that she had slept pretty much straight through.  That
was almost unheard of recently.

She hugged her knees and glanced at Akane asleep in
the chair next to the bed.  He looked terrible,
probably had stayed awake as long as possible to watch
over her.  Akane, Kasumi and Nabiki.  All of them were
driving themselves ragged for her sake.

Then there was Ukyou.

Ranma couldn't seem to do anything but cause pain to
those she loved.  Or those she was supposed to
protect.  She slid a hand to her stomach and sobbed
once.  She hadn't been ready to lose the baby.  She
wasn't certain if she ever would have been.

Ranma glanced at Akane again, tempted to wake him up.
She wanted him to hold her, rock her, and tell her
that everything would be okay.  Ranma shook her head
and turned away from Akane, letting him sleep.  She
looked towards the television and froze.

A large plastic balloon admonishing her to "get well"
was tied to a chair.

"Nani?" Ranma asked quietly, feeling very vulnerable
now in her hospital slip.

She glanced around the room to find any more surprises
and then slipped off the hospital bed.  She felt a
slight chill upon realizing that someone had been in
the room without her knowing it.

Ranma examined the balloon cautiously, half-expecting
it to explode in her face.  She quashed that thought,
she didn't even want to think about what must have
happened when she was unconscious last night.  Someone
had to have cleaned the bleeding and undressed her,
and it probably wasn't Akane.

She glanced at the table and saw a pair of envelopes,
and then glanced about to find anybody watching.  She
was about to grab one of the envelopes and hesitated,
poking it first.  Nothing happened, so she gingerly
picked the envelope up and cautiously opened it.

Ranma pulled out a colorful card marked with an
upbeat, hopeful message and silly looking characters.
Ranma held the card, staring at it for several seconds
before she actually started to read it, eyes tearing
up.

*********

Akane woke to the sound of crying and instantly
snapped to alert.  Turning to the bed and finding it
empty, he almost panicked.  Akane quickly found Ranma
across the room and sitting at the small table,
underneath a get well balloon.

"Ranma, are you okay?" Akane asked, standing up and
walking towards the redhead.  He kneeled down in front
of Ranma and noticed that she was reading a card.
Ranma nodded and looked up to meet Akane's eyes.  A
small smile graced Ranma's face even as it was marred
by tear tracks.  "What is that?"

"They were here when I woke up," Ranma said shakily.
She handed the card to Akane and moved to pick up
another one.  Akane read through the card, silently
amazed.

"Where did these come from?" Akane asked.  Ranma
brushed a long strand of hair behind her ear and
looked at Akane curiously.

"They were just here," Ranma said.  "Wasn't it Nabiki
or Kasumi?"

"I guess it could be," Akane said.  "I haven't seen
them."  Ranma's smile faded as she glanced back down
at the get well card in her hand, thinking of its
origin.

"Nobody even knows I'm in the hospital right?" Ranma
asked, uncertainly.

"Itai!" a voice cried out beyond the room.  "I can't
see where I'm going."

"Shh," another voice added.  "They might be still
asleep." The blood drained from Ranma's face as she
realized that the get-well cards were real.  Ranma and
Akane turned toward the entrance as two girls in
Furinkan uniforms walked into the room cautiously.
One of them was carrying a thick arrangement of
flowers that obscured her face.  The other was held a
box of chocolates.

"What are you doing?" Akane asked.  The two girls
froze and stared at the table and its occupants.

"We're bringing another batch of cards and things,"
one of them said hesitantly.  Ranma bit her lip
nervously and looked down at the ground, paling at the
word "batch."

"Who told you?" Ranma asked quietly.  Akane heard her
starting to sob and shifted her position to hug her
comfortingly.  A little maneuvering and Akane was
sitting in the chair and holding Ranma in her lap.
The two girls shuffled uncomfortably at the sight,
unsure about Ranma being intimate with an apparent
guy.

"We saw you come in last night," one girl mentioned,
cautiously moving to set down the flowers she was
carrying.  Ranma looked up with narrowed eyes.

"Did you hear why?" Ranma asked.  One of the girls
hesitantly set down the flowers and dug into her
pocket.

"You...uh...dropped this."  She hesitantly reached
into a pocket and drew out the support group card and
handed it over.  Ranma looked over the card and
frowned, breaking into full crying.

"Did you tell anybody?" Akane asked angrily as Ranma
buried herself in Akane's shoulder.  One of the girls
nodded reluctantly.  Akane sighed and held Ranma as
the redhead tried to calm down.

"We thought," one of them started, "that it would
make her feel better."  Ranma sobbed again, but
managed to briefly get a hold of herself.

"Thank you," she said, sobbing.  "I...thank you."
Ranma broke into crying again and buried her face back
in the crook of Akane's neck.

"You're welcome," the girl with the chocolates said
nervously, setting down her load.

"Could you please go now?" Akane asked, pleading.
The girls nodded and slipped out of the hospital room
quietly.

"We're going to be late for class," they said before
vanishing.  Akane turned his attention back down to
Ranma.

"Are you okay?" he asked.  Ranma nodded, still
sobbing.

"They don't hate me," Ranma wept. "I killed my baby
and they still don't hate me."

"Sshhhh," Akane whispered, rocking the redhead.
"Nobody hates you."

"Oh my, what is all this?" Kasumi asked as she came
in the room.  Akane looked toward her and saw Nabiki
enter behind her.  The site of a sling holding his
sister's arm certainly surprised him.  Ranma tried to
get a shaky hold of herself to turn and look at the
door.

"Nabiki?" she gasped, visibly trying not to cry.
"Wh...what happened?"  Nabiki grimaced.

"Talk about it later," she said, turning a slightly
reproachful look towards Kasumi.  "Kasumi just told me
what happened.  Are you okay?"

"I..." Ranma caught her breath and then shook her
head, turning back to Akane.  Kasumi had walked over
to the table and was looking over the cards and
flowers.

"Are these all from your classmates?" Kasumi asked.
Akane snorted and nodded.  Nabiki frowned upon hearing
that.

"Somebody saw us come in last night," Akane said,
rubbing Ranma's back.

"Can we just go home?" Ranma asked.

"Certainly," Kasumi said with a tired smile.  She
didn't look like she had gotten much sleep.  "We
should just collect Kodachi before heading out."

"Kodachi?" Akane repeated.  "What happened to you
guys?"

"Mousse," Nabiki said simply.  Ranma whirled around
to stare at her.

"Gomen, I...should have," Ranma stopped short of
saying she should have been there to protect them.
She looked down at the floor, clutching at Akane's
arms.

"Don't worry about Mousse right now," Akane
whispered, trying to decide if the sudden listlessness
was a bad sign.

"Mousse is not a problem for anybody," Nabiki added.
Ranma looked at her again and sniffed.

"Ukyou?" she asked quietly.  Nabiki and Kasumi looked
at her openly surprised, and the redhead nodded,
looking down.  "I want to go home."

"All right," Kasumi said.  "Let us get you checked
out.  Do you want us to bring these flowers and
cards?"  She asked the last as Ranma and Akane were
standing up.

"Hai," Ranma nodded quietly.  "You can have the
chocolates though."  Kasumi nodded and smiled slightly
as she collected the cards and flowers.

"I suppose it is time you got dressed," Kasumi added.
 "I brought you both a change of clothes.  While you
take care of that, Nabiki and I will see about getting
you discharged."  Kasumi hugged the small redhead and
then started walking out the door.

"Not the reaction you were expecting," Nabiki said
pointing at the cards that Kasumi was carrying.  Ranma
smiled slightly.  "Me either.  See you in a little
bit, Ranma."  She waved at them and followed Kasumi.

Ranma slumped as the two elder Tendos left.  Akane
hugged her and kissed the redhead's forehead.

"Are you okay?" Akane asked.  Ranma looked up at her.

"Gomen nasai," Ranma said, about to break down again.
 "I should never have eaten that ramen."

"Please stop that," Akane said.  "None of this is
your fault."  Ranma sighed and nodded, reluctantly.
"Let's get dressed."

*********

Kodachi winced as she bent her bandaged arm to try
and eat her food.  She had been lucky to get off with
second-degree burns.  The chain could have grounded
out the charge enough to be much more serious.

"Do you need help?" Ryouga asked.  Kodachi glared at
him.

"I am not going to be spoon-fed like some child,"
Kodachi insisted.  She winced again as she returned to
the task at hand.

"Are you sure?" Ryouga said.  Kodachi glared at him
and spitefully ate a spoonful of pudding.

"Did Kasumi-san ever explain why Ranma and Akane did
not come with her?" Kodachi asked, continuing the
painful process of eating.

"Ummm..." Ryouga scratched the back of his head.
"I'm not sure I should say."  Kodachi looked at him
curiously and was about to ask a further question when
Kasumi entered the room.

"Kodachi, Ryouga," Kasumi said, fatigue still
obvious.  "We are ready to leave.  You are certain you
wish to be discharged, Kodachi?"

"Yes," Kodachi insisted.  "Did something happen to
Ranma or Akane?"  Kasumi glanced between her and
Ryouga and then nodded.

"Yes," she admitted.  "Ranma...had a miscarriage."
Kodachi stared for a brief moment.

"Ranma was pregnant?" she said, disbelieving.

"Yes," Kasumi said.  "But s...he seems to be taking
this quite hard, so please do not mention it."

"Hai, Kasumi-san," Kodachi said, she paused to take
another bite, wincing again.

"Do you need help?" Kasumi asked politely.  Kodachi
gave a resigned sigh and glared at Ryouga who had had
the temerity to smirk briefly.

*********

Ranma lay back in the hot water and sighed.  She was
tired.  It was the only word for it.  Tired, soul deep
exhaustion, and sleep brought no rest, only terrors.
She briefly wished for everything to just be over.
Every time she thought it couldn't get any worse,
something happened.  She rubbed her stomach and stared
at the far end of the tub.

Ranma glanced up at the balloon she had taken from her
hospital room with a mixture of fear and relief.  More
cards had come in since they had gotten home that
morning.  Her secret was public now, no matter what
she did.

"Everybody knows about me now," Ranma said.  There
was a knock on the door and Ranma glanced in that
direction cautiously.  "Hai?"

"It's me, do you mind if I join you?" Akane said.
Ranma relaxed back into the tub.  "Ranma?"

"Come in," she answered.  After a moment Akane-kun
walked into the bathroom, watching Ranma carefully.

"How are you doing?" Akane asked.  Ranma looked down
and frowned, partially to avoid seeing Akane disrobe.

"This time it is my fault," Ranma said.  "I killed
the kid."

Akane sighed in frustration as he slipped into the
warm water, and changed back with a sigh of relief.
That was the longest she had yet spent as a guy.
Ranma looked back at her as she moved to sit next to
the redhead in the water.

"Maybe this is for the best," Akane suggested.  "We
were planning on it anyway."  Ranma shuffled
uncomfortably for a moment.

"I don't know what I would have done," she said
quietly.

"Did you...did you want to have that baby?" Akane
asked.

"Doesn't matter," Ranma said.  "I already
killed...it.  I didn't even know what kind of kid it
would be."

"It was an accident, Ranma," Akane said.  "You didn't
know that would happen."

"What if it happens again?" Ranma asked desperately.
Akane hugged her.

"You'll make sure it won't," Akane assured her, she
kissed Ranma on the forehead.  "Everything gets better
from here, Ranma."

"Are you sure?" Ranma asked, thinking of Ryouga's
curse.  She wanted to tell Akane right then, get it
over with.  Swing the knife now, cut the anchor loose,
let it sink.

"You have to believe that," Akane said, hugging
Ranma.  "If you don't believe it can get better, it
won't."  Ranma looked at the balloon again.

"Those girls told people what happened to me," Ranma
said, quietly.  "And they sent...get well cards?"
Akane shuffled uncomfortably, not mentioning the two
obscene cards they had weeded out of the mostly
well-wishing ones.

"I guess more people like you than you thought,"
Akane said hopefully.

"Yeah," Ranma agreed, quietly.  She looked up into
Akane's face and hesitantly kissed her.  "I love you."
 Akane blushed before leaning down to kiss Ranma back,
the redhead was a lot more affectionate when Akane was
female herself.

"I love you too," she whispered.  "Don't forget
that."

"I don't," Ranma said.  "I just don't understand it."

*********

"Nabiki, what are you doing in the kitchen?" Kasumi
asked nervously.

"Relax, I'm not going to try to cook," Nabiki said.
"I'm not Akane.  Besides, it would be a little
difficult right now anyway."  She indicated her arm
with a smirk.

"Oh." Kasumi gave a sigh of relief.  "Then what do
you want?"

"We need to alter the division of labor a little,"
Nabiki said.

"Pardon?"  Kasumi asked.

"I do the budget, you do the housework, Dad fronts."
Nabiki shrugged.  Kasumi noted Nabiki's fa�ade was
firmly in place.  "That's what we've been doing.  But
it's not working right now.  You need some rest."

"Well, what do you suggest?" Kasumi asked.

"Let Ranma cook some nights," Nabiki said.  "And we
can all help with the housework a little more.  We
won't be as good at it as you, but it will give you a
chance to sleep."  Kasumi thought about it a moment.

"It would probably be a good idea for Ranma as well,"
Kasumi agreed.  "All she does is train, go to school
and...well, nothing."

"Yeah, that too," Nabiki admitted.  "And Kasumi,
let's order out tonight.  All of us need a break."

"Do we have the money for that?" Kasumi asked.

"Actually, yes," Nabiki said.

"I suppose that is all right then," Kasumi agreed
reluctantly.  Nabiki nodded and started to leave.  "We
shall have to talk to Akane about Ryouga, soon."
Nabiki winced.

"Yeah, we will," Nabiki said after a moment.  "We're
just prolonging Ranma's mistake otherwise."

"Do you trust him?" Kasumi asked.

"He tried to fight Mousse even after being changed to
a pig," Nabiki said, she paused.  "I trust him."
Kasumi remembered her intercom conversation with
Nabiki the night before, and how visibly Nabiki had
relaxed when she had arrived with Ryouga.

"I see," Kasumi said.

*********

"I thought you were going to stay with Ukyou," Ryouga
said.

"I had considered it," Kodachi admitted, still
maintaining her dignity.  "But there is no love lost
between us two, it would not be a good situation."
She didn't mention the fact that someone had just been
killed there.

Looking around at the austere, in her experience,
surroundings she didn't know how to feel.  Everything
was alien to her.  The Tendo dojo had no traps, it was
small, in places it needed repair.  Upon first glance
it was most definitely inferior to her own home.  Then
again it had something that was missing in her own
home.

Life.  The dojo was alive with sounds.  What to the
long time residents sounded quiet and melancholy was
bustling with sounds to her.  It seemed that
everywhere there were footsteps or the breath of some
other person.  Activity just seemed to flow around
her, but she was not really a part of it.

There were undertones that flitted just out of her
reach, things which only the residents really
understood fully.  She sighed wistfully.

"Something wrong?" Ryouga asked.

"What would your family..." Kodachi's question was
cut off by a knock on the door.

"Dinner is on its way," Nabiki said looking in.  "You
two all settled?  Sorry, can't provide much of what
you're used to Koda-chan, but the cleaning crew said
they should finish your house fairly soon.  Day or two
at most."

"Even so, I hope you do not plan for me to share a
room with this lout," Kodachi said, returning to her
normal behavior.  Nabiki shook her head.

"Ryouga is sleeping in the dojo," Nabiki insisted.
"Didn't he tell you?"

"Isn't that where I am?" Ryouga asked.  Kodachi and
Nabiki stared at him.

"Of course," Kodachi said.  "I had not considered
that."

"What?" Ryouga asked.

"I'm going to have to get the leash again," Nabiki
muttered.  Kodachi's eyes widened as she looked
between the two.  Nabiki flushed slightly.  "Not what
you're thinking Koda-chan."

"What?" Ryouga asked again.

"Nothing," Nabiki insisted.  "Come on, Hibiki, lets
get you to where you're supposed to be."

"Umm, okay," Ryouga said nervously, standing up to
follow her.  After they left, Kodachi glanced about
the empty room listening to the muffled sounds of the
house.  She smiled.

*********

"Thank you for your help, Ukyou," Kasumi said as she
opened the door.

"Hey, whatever I can do," Ukyou said, smiling.

"I'm sorry to call you so soon after yesterday,"
Kasumi repeated.

"Don't worry about it," Ukyou said.  "I needed an
excuse to come see how you guys were doing anyway."
Kasumi blinked as Ukyou smirked at her, apparently
having guessed the real reason behind her call.

"It is good to get out of the restaurant as well,"
Konatsu said quietly from behind Ukyou.  Ukyou sobered
briefly and nodded.

"Are you okay, Ukyou?" Kasumi asked.  "It must have
been horrible to have to do that."

"It's the last time," Ukyou said firmly, looking to
Konatsu.  Something about the statement bothered
Kasumi, but she couldn't pin it down.  "I'm not
fighting unless I have to any longer."

"Gomen nasai," Kasumi said quietly.  "I should not
have mentioned it."

"Don't worry about it," Ukyou waved off the apology.
"Let's just get on with dinner.  And you let me and
'Natsu-chan take care of everything, Sugar.  You look
dead on your feet."

"I did not sleep much last night," Kasumi admitted.
"Again, thank you."

"Hey, hey," Ukyou said.  "I said anything I could do
for you guys.  Now sit down and watch TV or something
and let me get to work okay?"

"As you wish," Kasumi said, shrugging.  She let Ukyou
past her through to the dining room and sat down,
where she could watch Ukyou attend to her customary
domain.  She noted with some amount satisfaction that
Ukyou did not take over her kitchen and had brought
her food with her.

"We talk to her tomorrow then?" Ryouga's voice
carried up from the hallway.

Kasumi turned to look in that direction, but didn't
hear Nabiki's response, though it was obvious that she
was irritated that he had said that so loudly.  Kasumi
agreed with her.  Ukyou looked up from her and
Konatsu's preparations and sort of glared.

"Hey, Mr. P," Ukyou said coldly.  Virtually everybody
looked at her cautiously.

"Ukyou-san." Konatsu almost whispered.  Ukyou glanced
at him and smiled reassuringly.

"It's being handled," Nabiki assured Ukyou.

"Gotcha, Sugar," Ukyou said.  "Just wanted to make
sure he knew I didn't like it."  Ryouga grimaced and
scratched the back of his head.

"I think he is pretty sure that nobody approved,"
Kasumi said.

"Ukyou-san," Konatsu cleared his throat and gestured
to the boxes of food.

"Right.  Now back to work," Ukyou said.  "Do you guys
know what happened to Kodachi?  I offered to let her
stay at my place."

"I am right here, Kuonji-san," Kodachi said, coming
in behind Ryouga and Nabiki.  "I suppose that I should
apologize."  Ukyou grimaced, and started placing the
food boxes out of the way.

"No problem," Ukyou said.  "We probably wouldn't get
along anyway."  Her back was turned as everybody sat
down and Ranma and Akane came in.

"Ukyou?" Ranma asked, surprised as she saw the chef
in the dining room.  "What are you doing here?"

"Kasumi called and asked if I could bring some food
over," Ukyou explained.

"So you're all here then?" Ranma said quietly.  "All
the survivors of Nerima."

"We're all here," Akane insisted instantly, as she
and Ranma sat down.  "We're all here."  Ranma sighed
and nodded.

"Survivors of Nerima."  Ukyou shook her head.
"Sounds like a support group."  There was a brief
laugh and silence reigned as people turned to look at
Ranma and the already vanishing smile.

"We're all here," Ranma agreed, albeit reluctantly.

*********

"Akane?" Ranma asked nervously.  The tone of voice
sent both a thrill and a chill through Akane.

A thrill because they hadn't done anything beyond
making out since the day before Ranma had broken down
at school.  The chill came because Ranma's tone of
voice was asking Akane to take her.  To own her so no
one else could.  That tone of voice hadn't popped up
since a little after the duel.  Now it was back.

"Ranma..." Akane started, sitting up.  Ranma leaned
up and cut her off with a kiss.

As Ranma leaned against Akane and pulled herself up
onto the larger girl's lap, Akane was reminded of
several things.  Ranma's soft skin, the silky red hair
down between her legs, the taste of her lips and
things more private.

Akane hadn't expected to be so easily aroused by
Ranma's female form.  She guessed that memories of
this woman in her arms were stronger than her
imaginings of the man she used to be.

"Ranma, you're supposed to be taking it easy," Akane
said, hesitantly pulling away.  Ranma slumped and
leaned her head against Akane's shoulder.   Ranma
shifted so that their breasts pressed against each
other, separated by the folds of their pajamas.  Akane
felt heat rising in her cheeks.

"Okay," Ranma said resignedly.  Akane hugged her
tightly and bent down to kiss her.  Ranma responded
eagerly, until Akane pulled away again, and Ranma
looked at her, confused.

"It's not that I don't want to," Akane said.

"So why not?" Ranma asked.  Akane rubbed her back and
lay back down in bed, guiding Ranma down with her.

"I don't want to hurt you," Akane said.

"I heal fast," Ranma said quietly.  Akane brushed at
her hair and released her breath.  Briefly she closed
her eyes and imagined Ranma passed out then opened
them again.

"Ranma..." Akane started, then paused.  She looked at
Ranma for a couple of seconds, biting her lip.  "We'll
compromise, okay?  If you want, you can ha..." she
closed her eyes and edited out the possessive "...make
love to me."  Ranma sat up and looked down at Akane,
surprised.

"Huh?" Ranma blinked before continuing hesitantly.
"Wh...what do you mean?"  Akane leaned up and kissed
Ranma again.  After a few moments Akane turned up her
chin, exposing her neck, like Ranma usually did.
Ranma pulled back, startled.

Akane sighed dropped her head before looking back up
at Ranma.  She unbuttoned her pajama tunic and let it
slip off her shoulders.  Ranma paled, finally
understanding.

"You want me to do that," she asked.  "To you?"

"You let me do it to you all the time," Akane said
quietly.

"But that's different," Ranma protested.  "I'm
already..." Akane leaned forward and brushed at
Ranma's hair.  Ranma flinched back, noticing
uncomfortably as Akane's tunic fell completely away.

"I want to be with you," Akane whispered, emphasizing
the word "with."  "Not with anyone else."  She moved
cautiously forward.  "You don't have to if you don't
want to, we can just go to sleep."

"Why do you want me to?" Ranma asked, confused.
"It's...it's..."  Akane placed a finger on Ranma's
lips.

"It's not supposed to be like that," Akane said,
shaking her head.  Akane moved closer to Ranma, gently
took her hand and kissed the palm.  Akane guided
Ranma's hand to her breast, watching the redhead's
face the whole time.  "Do you want to be with me?"
She emphasized the "with" again.

Ranma looked where Akane was holding her hand, she
could pull it away any time she wanted, but she hadn't
yet.  Her face was pale, and she was biting her lip.
Akane sighed and released Ranma's hand.

"Gomen nasai, Ranma," Akane said.  "I guess you're
not ready for..." Akane looked down noticing that
Ranma still hadn't taken her hand away.

"Do you really want to?" Ranma asked.  Akane smiled
and cautiously closed the space between them.  She
reached back to undo Ranma's pigtail and kissed the
redhead gently.

"Yes, Ranma," Akane said.  "I do."  She turned up her
chin, exposing her neck, again.  This time Ranma
hesitantly kissed the soft flesh.  Akane felt Ranma
cautiously massaging her breast as well, and sighed
pleasantly, lying back.

Ranma's other hand reached underneath Akane to rub
her back.  Akane let Ranma proceed at her own pace,
holding herself in check for fear of startling Ranma.
She waited, letting show how she was enjoying Ranma's
tentative ministrations, until Ranma seemed to be
engrossed in the act.

Ranma felt a hand slip into her pajamas and over her
breast.  She looked up from Akane's chest to glance at
her in surprise.  The hand on her breast, Akane's, she
assured herself, tensed slightly.

"Do you want to take over?" Ranma asked quietly.  She
had expected Akane to just lie back and let her do
what she wanted.  The boys' talk made it sound like
that's what the woman did.  It was what she always did
with Akane.

"No," Akane whispered.  "Ranma, please don't stop."
Ranma nodded, looking confused.  She lowered herself
back down, kissing at Akane's breast.  She gasped and
paused briefly as Akane's hand smoothly moved to her
back and snapped her bra loose.

Looking up to Akane's face Ranma saw the dark haired
girl giving her an encouraging look.  She blinked and
lowered herself again, acclimating herself to the feel
of Akane's hand on her back.

Eventually one of Ranma's hands found its way in
between Akane's legs.  Akane again had to insure Ranma
that she wanted this.

In the midst of the distraction offered by attending
to Akane, Ranma found it much easier to hold down the
memories aroused by what the other woman's hands were
doing to her.  There was even a little present
pleasure streaking through the remembered fear.

Ranma found a part of her wishing that Akane would
move from her chest and back, down lower.  It was a
small, very small, part of her, but it was growing
more vocal.

Akane was finding it more difficult to hold herself
in check.  Ranma was hesitant, but she didn't really
have anything to measure it against.  It was
completely different from when she was a man with
Ranma.  The sensations were more than she expected,
and she had to bite down several cries for fear of
scaring Ranma.  Mostly she was ecstatic that Ranma was
actually doing something beyond initiating sex.

Ranma shifted up Akane's body and kissed her,
crushing their breasts against each other.  Ranma
gasped as Akane's leg came up between hers.  She
paused to try and send away the memories invoked by
the feeling of Akane's thigh rubbing her womanhood
through a layer of silk and another of thick cotton.

"Please," Akane gasped, her voice helping cut through
the fear threatening to swallow Ranma again.  "We're
almost there."

"Hai," Ranma said tightly.  She returned to kissing
Akane concentrating on what she was doing, and letting
the present mercifully obscure the memories.  It
wasn't a thick shield, but it was a shield
nonetheless.

Ranma and Akane were kissing, legs intertwined and
hands wandering when they finally climaxed.  Their
backs arched and each bit down a cry before they
slumped against each other, catching their breath,
Akane's arms wrapped around a shivering Ranma.

"Is that the way it's supposed to be?" Ranma finally
asked, her voice tiny.  Akane saw her shivering slowly
coming to an end, but there was no sign of that awful
faint that had characterized the aftermath of sex in
the first two months of their marriage.

"Yes," Akane whispered in answer, kissing Ranma's
forehead.

The redhead tried, for a moment, to imagine what it
would have been like without the memory of her...rape.
 She could think the word now.  She couldn't weed out
the memories, though.  Ranma broke into quiet,
exhausted sobs, face buried in Akane's shoulder.  It
was several minutes before Ranma shakily spoke again.

"You broke the buttons on my pajamas," Ranma
whispered, with a shy smile.  Akane laughed briefly
and kissed her on the forehead again as they both
drifted to sleep.

*********

Ranma woke up and quietly got out of bed.  She
glanced at Akane, still sleeping, still not entirely
certain over how she should take last night.  She
considered that as she walked to her and Akane's
dresser.  She drew out a large T-shirt, printed with
Lina Inverse's eternally cheerful visage, along with a
pair of panties and some sweatpants.

Ranma padded quietly out into the still dark hallway.
 Her eyes were cast towards the floor as she slipped
down the stairs and to the furo.  She was standing in
front of the toilet before she realized she didn't
need to be there.

*********

Kasumi woke up and gathered the things for her
morning toilet.  She thought that Nabiki would be a
little upset with her for waking up early as usual.
After all, she was supposed to be taking things a
little easier.  She couldn't really help it though,
she always woke up at this time.

Kasumi heard the crying as she came in front of the
furo and hesitated briefly before walking into the
changing room, and then the furo.  Ranma was curled
around the slowly deflating get-well balloon and
sobbing.

"Ranma," Kasumi said quietly, the redhead looked up
at her.  Then she sighed and looked back down.

"I woke up...a...a...and came down here," Ranma said.
 "B...but I didn't..." she broke at crying again.  "My
baby...I killed my baby..."  Kasumi sat down next to
the redhead and hugged her briefly.

"It was not your fault, Ranma," Kasumi said.  "No one
told you that would happen."

"Akane said that," Ranma said, letting the balloon
drift across the floor away from her.  "I should have
known better."

"How would you have known, Ranma," Kasumi asked.
"How much do you know about pregnancy?"  Ranma sobbed
quietly.  "How many women in the world can channel
chi?"

"I don't know." Ranma shrugged.  "Maybe a thousand."

"The only one we know with much experience is
Cologne," Kasumi noted.  "And she is thankfully out of
reach.  Who could have warned you?"

"It's my fault," Ranma sighed, rubbing her abdomen.

"There's always something you could have done
differently," Kasumi sighed, then hesitantly
continued.  "Have you told Akane that you didn't want
to end the pregnancy?"  Ranma's face whirled to look
at her.

"But I..." Ranma sighed giving up the denial.  "It
doesn't matter any more."

"You should not keep secrets from your spouse,"
Kasumi told her.  "It hurts you both."  Ranma looked
at her cautiously for a moment.

"You know about Ryouga?" Ranma asked nervously.
Kasumi nodded reluctantly.  "Are we finally going to
tell her?"

"Yes," Kasumi said after a moment.  Ranma hugged her
knees to her chest and sighed.

"Thank the heavens," Ranma whispered.  She stared at
the get well balloon wearily blowing across the floor.
 "She's going to hate me."

"She'll be angry," Kasumi admitted.  "But I don't
think she'll hate you.  Do you want to be absent when
we have Ryouga tell her?"  Ranma shook her head.

"No," Ranma said.  "I'll be there."  She watched the
balloon.  "I don't have any secrets any more."  Kasumi
looked at the person in front of her.  She was still
Ranma, but the loud, boisterous pigtailed boy had
become this quiet, fragile, young woman.  Even the
pigtail was gone, Ranma's red hair was falling wildly
around her shoulders.

"Ranma, do you want to help me with breakfast?"
Kasumi asked.

"Sure, I guess," Ranma sighed.  She blushed and
looked down.  "But I need to finish changin'."

"Oh, certainly, Ranma," Kasumi said, standing up.
"Please inform me when you are finished.  I need to
freshen up myself."

"Hai," Ranma nodded.  "I won't take long."

*********

Akane woke slowly at first and then snapped awake
upon finding Ranma out of the bed.  She sat up and
looked around, noting the discarded pajama tunic.
Akane knew Ranma sometimes woke up really early, but
she was usually back in bed before Akane ever noticed.

Akane quickly got out of bed, pausing only to grab a
t-shirt to cover herself.  She would have put on her
own tunic, but buttoning it would have taken too long.
 She stepped out into the hallway and glanced back and
forth.

The dojo was where Ryouga was.  Ranma had said she
would be safe with Ryouga, but she was still very
hostile to him recently.  More hostile if less violent
than she had been before.  Akane had been wondering if
it was just because Ryouga was male, or if whatever it
was they were always fighting about had gotten worse
somehow.  At any rate, Ranma would not have gone to
the dojo with Ryouga there.

Akane nearly ran down the stairs and to the furo.
Ranma's pajamas were in the hamper, but there was yet
no sign of the redhead.  She heard Kasumi preparing
breakfast and hurriedly headed for her elder sister.
She stopped and froze, breathing a sigh of relief, as
someone walked out of the kitchen with some dishes.

Ranma set down the pile of plates and brushed back
her free hair away from her face.  She looked up saw
Akane, and tensed.  Ranma's hand was frozen in the act
of pushing her hair back and rested on the back of her
neck.

"Akane?" Ranma asked hesitantly.  "Is something
wrong?"

"No," Akane said quickly.  "No, everything's fine.  I
was just...a little worried is all."  Ranma sighed and
looked down.

"Oh," Ranma said wearily, starting to put out the
plates for breakfast.  Akane walked up the table and
started helping.

"Are you really okay with last night?" Akane
whispered, glancing over her shoulder for Kasumi.
Ranma stopped again and then looked at Akane with a
shaky smile.

"Yeah," she said, then the smile faded again.

"You didn't put your hair back in a pigtail," Akane
noted curiously.  Ranma's hand went back to her hair.

"I didn't really think I had time," Ranma explained.
"I can go fix it right now."  She started for the
stairway, but stopped when Akane wrapped her arms
around the smaller girl.  She tensed again and looked
up and back to see Akane's face before relaxing.

"Do you want to?" Akane asked.  "Because I..." she
blushed and bit her lip.  "You look...cute."  Akane
could hardly believe she was saying that.  That she
was encouraging Ranma to be more feminine.

"You want me to keep it loose?" Ranma asked.  ~No
more pigtailed girl.~  Ranma thought with a mixture of
grief and relief.  Another step away from that day.
Another step away from who she used to be.

"Only if you want to," Akane said.  Ranma reached up
to twirl her hair around her finger, she nodded
quietly.  She turned around in Akane's arms and leaned
into Akane wearily.  "You need to sleep more."

"I'm getting enough," Ranma whispered, eyes closed,
and hugging Akane in return.  Not just clutching at
Akane desperately, but actually hugging her.  Akane
smiled in relief, kissing Ranma, as usual, in the
center of the forehead.

"Ranma have you finished setting the t...Oh!" Kasumi
smiled at the touching sight.  There was a subtle
difference in the embrace that took Kasumi a few
moments to pin down.  When she did, she smiled
further.  Hopefully whatever had changed would help
with the quickly approaching revelation.  "Good
morning, Akane.  Am I interrupting anything?"

"I'm almost finished," Ranma said quietly, hesitantly
pulling away from Akane to finish setting the table.

"Do you need any help in the kitchen?" Akane asked.
Ranma and Kasumi froze.

"Actually," Kasumi said.  "Could you see about waking
everybody else up?  Kodachi might need help getting to
her feet from the floor, and there are things we need
to discuss after breakfast for which the rest of us
must be present."  Akane could almost feel Ranma
shrivel, and that made her nervous.

"Okay," Akane said.  She paused to kiss Ranma on the
cheek, hoping to reassure her, and then left back to
the rooms.

"Everything will be all right, Ranma," Kasumi assured
her.  Ranma looked after Akane wistfully.

"I hope so," she said and returned to setting the
table.

*********

Nabiki blinked awake, and had to sit up to look at
the door without rocking on her injured shoulder.
Somebody was knocking on her door and asking her to
wake up.  It sounded like Akane, that relaxed Nabiki.
She stood up and shuffled to the door, opening it and
glancing wearily out at Akane, her hair a mess.

"tss Sunday," Nabiki drawled.  "Arm hurts.  Lemee go
sleep."

"Sorry Nabiki," Akane said apologetically.  "Kasumi
asked me to wake everyone up.  She said we all needed
to talk about something."  Nabiki stared at her
blankly for a full minute.  "Do you know what she's
talking about?"

Akane actually felt hopeful of getting something.
Nabiki was a formidable keeper of secrets usually.
Nabiki first thing in the morning, however, was
running on fumes.

"'bout 'yoga?" Nabiki asked.

"What about Ryouga?" Akane asked.  Nabiki grimaced as
she realized her mistake.

"Don worry, 'kane," Nabiki paused to yawn.  "I'll
wake him."

"Is it about why Ryouga and Ranma used to fight all
the time?" Akane asked, she received a reassuring wave
as Nabiki headed for the dojo.

"Later."  Nabiki yawned.  Akane sighed and went to
wake up Kodachi.  Nabiki was alerted now, Akane
wouldn't get anything else out of her.

*********

"He better be here," Nabiki muttered as she walked
out to the dojo.  "If he got lost already.  I hope he
doesn't expect me to explain it for him..."

She hesitated at the dojo hearing the sounds of
someone moving quickly over the wooden floor and
relaxed again.  He was there.  Nabiki slid the door
and grimaced at the sight of Ryouga wide-awake and
running katas.  Another morning person.  Nabiki was
virtually plagued with morning people.

"Get ready, Hibiki," Nabiki said.  She smirked at the
startled look he gave her.  Ryouga knew about her, she
had told him in blunt language, yet she could still
make him nervous.

"Are we going to talk to her now?" Ryouga asked,
fidgeting.  Nabiki shook her head.

"After breakfast."  She yawned.

"Nabiki, did you get enough sleep last night?" Ryouga
asked as he hesitantly walked towards her.  Nabiki
glanced at him curiously.

"Why are you asking that?" she asked quietly, mind
awake even her body was protesting it.

"Because you didn't sleep at all while we were in
Kodachi's room," Ryouga pointed out cautiously.

"I was a little wound up, that's all," Nabiki said.
Ryouga was about to point out that she still hadn't
answered the question when another voice intruded into
the hall way.

"I can walk, Akane," Kodachi noted.  "It is my arms
that were burnt, not my legs."  There was a
hesitation.  "But, my thanks regardless."  Nabiki and
Ryouga stopped, also hearing Akane stop on the steps,
as Kodachi continued on down.

"Uh, you're welcome," Akane said, as surprised at the
hesitant gratitude as anybody else.

"Hurry up, Ryouga," Nabiki said, walking along as she
recovered from the surprise.  "Or you'll get lost on
the way to the table."  Ryouga hurried to catch up.

*********

Kodachi felt the undercurrents of the breakfast
keenly.  Something was about to happen, and she wasn't
sure if she should be present when it did.  It seemed
to be a private matter, except that it involved one
who was at least technically related to her.

She wasn't overly surprised to see Ranma barely
picking at her food.  Occasionally the redhead would
touch her stomach or glance at Akane nervously when
she thought Akane wasn't watching her.  The guilt was
written plainly on her face.  Every time Akane touched
her it flared briefly, but brightly.  Still Ranma
seemed resigned to some coming punishment.

Her cousin, on the other hand, was a surprise.  The
death meal aura hanging about Ranma was over him as
well.  He was sweating, and looked ready to bolt.  He
was avoiding looking at Akane, though occasionally he
would glance at Kodachi or Nabiki.  His concern was
somewhat endearing, and a touch amusing to Kodachi.

Akane seemed scared as well.  She was trying to
visibly comfort the depressed Ranma, and was obviously
confused by the reaction her touch had on Ranma right
now.  She was watching everybody pretty much the same
as Kodachi.

Nabiki herself paid close attention to her meal and
seemed to get flustered every time she noticed Ryouga
looking at her.  Granted that was just conjecture for
Kodachi.  Still she thought she caught Nabiki
fidgeting once.

Kasumi was mostly the normal charming hostess she
expected.  Though her politeness and manners were
frayed around the edges.  She also seemed to be
behaving rather coolly toward Ryouga.  That alone made
Kodachi curious as to what her cousin had done.

She suddenly remembered how that vile gaijin had
removed Ryouga from the battle early on.  A spray of
water and Ryouga had become a small black pig.  Her
eyes widened, and she turned to face Ryouga, shocked.
He had been masquerading as a pet, and they were
planning on telling Akane.

Kodachi angrily took another bite from her plate,
finishing the meal.  She then fought down the desire
to denounce Ryouga immediately.  She had seen enough
to know that he was too shy and na�ve to be a real
pervert.  She would wait for the explanation to come.

"Well, I suppose this finishes breakfast," Kasumi
said finally.  Akane looked down at her plate and
thought about protesting that she was still hungry.
She wasn't certain she wanted to know what was coming.

"Ranma can you help me gather the dishes?"

The redhead looked up in surprise, and blinked.
"Sure."

"Leave the water glasses," Kasumi said pointedly.
Ranma nodded.

Ranma gracefully stood up and moved to help Kasumi,
they had the table cleared around two minutes.  Ranma
moved to go sit next to Akane, but Kasumi gently
stopped her and sat down between them.  Ranma guiltily
looked to Akane and then down at her lap.

Whatever it was, they expected Akane to be angry about
it, and Kasumi was protecting Ranma just in case.
Akane would have been angry at that alone if it
weren't for the memory of seeing Ranma cringe when she
yelled.  If it weren't for the fact that it was her
blow that had put him in the pool in time to meet
Tatewaki.  Akane had been cruelly shown what an enemy
blind rage could be.

"Kodachi," Kasumi started.  "We are about to discuss
family business."

"I know what is coming Kasumi-san," Kodachi said
sharply.  She glanced at Ryouga.  "And he is my
cousin."  She said the last a little guiltily, Ryouga
winced at the tone.  "And I would hear an explanation
before I judge matters."  Kasumi considered that.

"I suppose that would be fine then," Kasumi said, out
of reasons to stall herself.  She turned to a
pale-faced Akane.  "Akane, Ranma and Ryouga have been
keeping a secret from you for quite some time."

Akane paled further, Ranma and Ryouga had been
sharing a secret.  What could they possibly know that
would make her angry if it were told to her.

"A secret?" Akane repeated.  Ranma nodded
shamefacedly, not looking up from the ground.  What
could she have done that she would be so ashamed of?

"Ranma was honor-bound not to say anything," Kasumi
explained further.  "And Ryouga," she glanced at
Ryouga disapprovingly.  "Ryouga was too afraid to say
anything apparently.  And recently Nabiki."  Here
Nabiki winced at Kasumi's tone.  "Wanted them both to
keep quiet until things had calmed down some, but that
does not appear to be happening."

"What is it?" Akane asked.  She had a series of
disturbing images flashing through her mind.  In
general each was worse than the one before.  Akane
always did have a good imagination.

"Ryouga," Kasumi said politely, if coldly.  There was
no hint of a request in the word.

"I'm...uh," Ryouga dithered briefly.  Akane saw Ranma
tensing up.

"You're what?" Akane asked.

"Say it, Lost boy," Nabiki almost whispered.  "Get it
over with."  Ryouga sighed and looked down at his lap.
 He grabbed his glass of water.

"Akane," Ryouga started again.  "I'm P-Chan."  Akane
stared at him blankly as he poured his water out over
him.  Her eyes popped wide, and she blinked several
times as she started to compare this with the various
scenarios she had imagined.

"Akane?" Ranma said quietly.  "I..." Then Akane burst
out laughing to the surprise of everyone at the table.

"Huh?" Nabiki asked intelligently.  Everybody else
just stared.

"Akane, are you okay?" Ranma asked nervously.  Akane
nodded and caught her laughing under control releasing
a long relieved breath.

"I thought," Akane said breathlessly.  "I thought..."
She shook her head and broke into laughter again.
"You don't want to know what I thought."

"You're not mad?" Ranma asked cautiously.

"There was more build up to that than when you told
me about...you know." Akane glanced nervously at Ranma
and was relieved to notice that Ranma hadn't noticed
the reference.

"After all that," Nabiki said.  "You're relieved that
he's been sleeping in your bed and peeping at you all
this time?"  Ryouga winced at Nabiki's tone.

"If you could see some of the things I was thinking."
Akane shivered.  "I mean, I've never even changed in
front of P-Ch...Ryouga."  Granted, if they had just
told her out of the blue with no preparation, or even
with this preparation, before Ranma's rape, then she
would have been enraged.  Not now though, she could
think of worse things.

"You don't mind that we kept this secret so long?"
Ranma asked cautiously.

"Yes," Akane snapped.  "I mind!  It's just not as bad
news as I thought it would be.  You were my pet?!
That is so pathetic!"  Ryouga, still a pig, winced.
"And Ranma calling you P-Chan all the time, it should
have been so obvious!"  Nabiki winced.  Akane glanced
at Ranma but held off on any comments about her honor.


Kasumi noted this with a smile as she stood up to get
prepare some hot water.  Akane had apparently found a
revenge that didn't involve a mallet.

"How many times did P-chan show up dragging along
expensive souvenirs from far off places?" Akane asked.
 "And the bandanna!"  Nabiki winced twice, getting the
picture strongly.  Ranma seemed to be calming down
somewhat as Akane continued.  "Oh and Azusa!"  Akane
laughed loudly at the decidedly embarrassed pig.

"Oh dear," Kodachi said suddenly.  "I just remembered
my match against you, Ranma.  Was he that pig I
handcuffed to you?"

"Yeah," Ranma said cautiously, looking between
everybody.  "I had ta use him as a weapon."  Ryouga
flinched.

"What a priceless joke," Kodachi said.  "It is
unfortunate that I did not know the extent of the
situation."  Akane and Kodachi were both laughing now,
Kodachi's laugh sort of eliciting a wince on its own.

"You know, they probably both took more pains hiding
it," Akane said.  "Than they would have got for
revealing it."  Ryouga and Ranma both flinched.  Akane
paused laughing and watched Ranma, biting her lip as
the redhead's shoulders remained hunched.

Kasumi came back with a kettle of hot water, with an
amused smile, and picked up Ryouga.  Akane watched the
severely embarrassed pig be taken away along with his
clothes and laughed again.  She cautiously moved to
sit next to Ranma and sat down next to the bewildered
girl.

"It's good to know I rank higher on your priorities
than your honor," Akane whispered, leaning in close.

Ranma turned to look at her and it seemed vaguely like
a weight slipped off her shoulders.  Akane wrapped an
arm around her.

"You should have told me directly when I never caught
on," Akane added reproachfully.  Ranma slumped a
little and nodded.

"Gomen nasai," Ranma said quietly.  Akane hugged her
tightly and kissed the girl to reassure her before
getting back to the business of needling people.

"Even Azusa figured it out.  Eh, Charlotte?" Akane
smirked as Ryouga was led back to take his punishment
like a man.  He looked bright red.  Nabiki's eyebrow
started to twitch.

"Why do you refer to him as Charlotte?" Kodachi
asked.  "What is the story behind that?"  The sound of
a quiet, crystal laughter drew eyes toward Ranma,
smiling shakily.

"Azusa collects cute things and renames them," Ranma
said, quietly shifting to sit on Akane's lap.  She
gripped the other girl's hand, their fingers
interlocking.  "She collected Ryouga."

"Oh dear." Kodachi imagined this.  "That must have
been embarrassing."

"She still chases me, damn it," Ryouga muttered.
Then he smirked.  "But then again, she really decked
Sanzenin."  Ranma's smile vanished at being reminded
of her first kiss, then flickered back in the face of
the warming conversation.

"She can't be all bad," Ranma agreed.  "Just stupid.
Though that hits all of us."  Everybody glanced at her
cautiously.  She smiled shyly and laughed once.

Akane's needling shifted quickly into a general
reminiscing, and for a brief time the tension faded.
Thoughts and feats of the outside world could be
shoved in the background for a brief time.

Ranma looked around at the people talking around her,
occasionally clarifying a comment or adding another
quiet laugh, though she rarely provided more than a
shy smile.

Ranma glanced at her fingers intertwined with Akane's.
 For the moment she was just one of them, sharing old
memories.  For the moment she wasn't poor little
Ranma, she was just Ranma.

*********

"That was...unexpected," Nabiki said dryly after the
discussion had ended.

"Yeah," Ryouga agreed, still red from embarrassment.
It seemed as if he had done something stupid in every
adventure.  If it weren't for the fact that he had
expected to be hammered into the ground, he'd have
been very depressed.  "Is that it then?"

"Akane seems satisfied.  You're free to go," Nabiki
said after a moment.  "Whenever you like."

"I should probably stay," Ryouga answered, he
scratched the back of his head.

"Why?" Nabiki asked warily.  Ryouga laughed nervously
and scratched the back of his head.

"I believe he is taking our blood tie a little
seriously," Kodachi put in looking up from the table
for a moment and smirking at the two.

"Yeah," Ryouga said quickly agreeing.  "Have to keep
an eye on her."

"Really?" Nabiki asked doubtfully.  Then she sighed
and shook her head amusedly.  "How are your arms?"
Kodachi lifted them and did a little to bend them,
wincing at the stretching of blistered flesh
underneath the bandages.

"They shall heal," Kodachi said.  "How is your
shoulder?"

"Irritating," Nabiki said, grimacing.  The pain was
starting to become noticeable in her demeanor, but it
was not yet unbearable enough to cause her to actually
take another pain pill.  She had had no nightmares
last night, but how easily she went out with the pill
scared her a little more.

"What is there to do now?"

"I hadn't thought of anything past telling Akane
about P-Chan," Nabiki admitted.  "I usually just hang
around on Sundays, what about you?"  Kodachi looked at
them briefly, no longer amused, and then back down at
the table.

"I had my garden and Midorigame," Kodachi said
quietly.  Nabiki flushed a little at forgetting that,
perhaps that one pill wasn't completely out of her
system.  She couldn't think of any other distraction.

"Well, maybe there's a movie playing or something,"
Nabiki said.

"Go to a movie?" Kodachi repeated surprised.  "Like a
com...hmmm...I suppose that would be acceptable."

"Do you want to come, Ryouga?" Nabiki asked.  After a
moment's pause she addded:  "To make sure Kodachi is
fine?"

"Uhh...sure," Ryouga said.  Kodachi did not bother to
complain about the babysitting.

"Good," Nabiki said, looking down at her pajamas.  "I
just need to change."

*********

Ranma ran through the kata smoothly, making no sound
more noticeable than a slight flutter in the air.  Or
maybe a soft pad on the floor as she connected
briefly.

It had been good to talk about happier times, about
her past victories.  It had been even better to tell
Akane about Ryouga's curse, to finally cut the anchor
free.  And learn she wasn't it.

She felt...

She felt not so tired.

Ranma hit the end of the kata and stepped back to
watch her afterimage for the few seconds it would
remain.  Looking at the trick of light and speed, she
paled slightly.  Ranma reached out a hand to touch the
image as it completely vanished.

"Is something wrong?" Akane asked, hugging her
comfortingly.

"It just made me wonder..." Ranma shrugged and shook
her head in disgust.  She crossed her arms over her
stomach and watched the place where the specter had
been following her every step.

"What is it Ranma?" Akane asked, turning around in
front the redhead and catching her eyes.  Ranma
flashed a look back to the ground.

"I..." Ranma continued quietly.  "Didn't want an
abortion."

~Don't argue,~ Akane told herself.  ~It's a moot
point.~  She sighed and hugged Ranma as the other girl
broke into soft sobbing.  "It wasn't your..."

"I didn't need it." Ranma interrupted, sobbing.  "I
was just showin' off...The Mouko Takabisha...sparked
out, but I...it showed...I didn't need to...I didn't
need to..."

"Shhh," Akane whispered, rocking Ranma gently.  "It
was an accident."

"Yeah, I couldnna known," Ranma agreed still sobbing.
 "But whatta 'bout next time?"

"You won't let it happen again," Akane said.

"Showin' off like a damn student," Ranma muttered,
still crying.

"Ranma," Akane said firmly, and the redhead looked up
to her.  "You'll be a wonderful parent."

"You think so?" Ranma asked.  There was a knock on
the dojo door before it slid open to reveal Nabiki.

"Do you need me to go?" Nabiki asked.

"No," Ranma said shaking her head and wiping at her
eyes.  She turned around in Akane's arms to face
Nabiki.  "We're fine."  Akane gave her sister a brief
reproachful look, nodded agreement.

"We're thinking of going to a movie," Nabiki said.
"Are you two interested in coming, or would you prefer
to lay low for today?"  Ranma and Akane glanced at
each other.

"Do you want to go?" Akane asked Ranma.

"Everybody's going?" Ranma asked, hesitantly.

"I haven't asked Kasumi yet," Nabiki said.  "But
mostly, yeah.  Kodachi, Ryouga and I."

"I guess so..." Ranma said quietly.

"Great," Nabiki said smiling.  Then looked irritated.
 "Akane, can you help me get changed?"  She indicated
the sling on her arm.

*********

"Have you heard the ridiculous things they're saying
at school, Otsu?" a girl asked as they walked along
the sidewalk.  She was dressed in a sort of uniform,
obviously on her way to or from work.

"You mean about Ranma?" the other girl said.  "Isn't
it terrible?"

"Terrible?" the other girl snorted.  "You mean you
actually believe she was raped?"

"Doesn't it explain everything, Jin," the first girl
asked.  "She's been so jumpy recently."

"Oh please," Jin said.  "No one could rape Ranma.
She already has another boyfriend, everybody knows it
wasn't Akane at the hospital with her, it was some
guy.  I'll bet she let that Chinese girl have her too.
 And Ukyou, of course.  I am not afraid of her, she'd
never do anything, all that threatening is just
bluster."

"The only person I've seen her with is Akane," Otsu
protested.

"Always knew she was one of them," Jin muttered.
Otsu stepped away from the other girl, there was a
nasty expression on her face.  Like a dog that had
once tried to bite her.  "And Ranma's just spreading
her legs for everyone, a walking piece of fluff."

"I got to go, Jin," Otsu said hesitantly.

"That's fine, I'm almost to work already," Jin said,
pointing at the theater ahead.  "You said something
about a party in a couple of weeks?"

"No, I don't think so," Otsu said before hurrying
away from her friend.

"What's wrong with her?" Jin asked before continuing
to work.

*********

"What exactly is this film about?" Kodachi asked as
they waited in line to buy refreshments.  Most
everybody else looked at her in blank surprise.
Kasumi had decided to stay home, promising to at least
get some sleep while they were out.

"You are Japanese," Nabiki said.  "Aren't you?"

"I appear to be, yes," Kodachi responded dryly.  "But
I fail to see what that has to do with this American
movie."

"You've never seen a Gojira movie?" Akane asked.

"No, I cannot say that I have," Kodachi answered.

"I've only ever seen one," Ranma admitted weakly.

"Only one?" Ryouga repeated, he had seen quite a few
before starting on his quest to find Ranma.  Mostly by
accident, but he had seen them.  Ranma shrugged.

"Never had much money or use for movies on the road,"
Ranma said.

"No one has answered my question," Kodachi noted as
they reached the counter.

The discussion didn't get any further.  Ranma saw it
coming.  The girl behind the counter looked at them,
sneered and lifted the large drink she was pouring.
Ranma closed her eyes and shifted in front of Akane so
that the soda washed all over her.

"Hey," the man next to them shouted.  "That's my
drink!"  Ranma opened her eyes in time for the girl to
spit in her face.

"Slut," she snapped angrily, eliciting a wince from
Ranma.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Akane
roared moving around Ranma to grab the girl's collar.
Kodachi was standing there fuming and clenching her
fists, obviously wanting to do something.  Ryouga
stood between her and the scene, frowning grimly
himself.

"Jin, what's gotten into you?" another of the staff
asked.

"Let go of me or I'm going to call the manager," Jin
snapped.  It was easy to see that she was scared
despite her demeanor.

"Please do," Nabiki said, she turned to Ranma after
shooting her own glare at the counter girl.  "Are you
okay, Ranma?"

"Yeah, it's just soda," she said, shaking a little
and looking down.

"It was my soda," the other customer reminded
everybody.  Ranma felt her hair being matted to her
head and glanced at the soda all over her jacket.  Did
it matter to him that his soda had been poured all
over her?

"Iwata-san!" Jin called out, the angry edge of her
voice obviously shaky now.

"You..." Akane growled.  She pushed the girl away
from disgustedly.  "You're not worth it."

"All this time sharing a locker room with
rug-munching pervert." Jin sneered, courage somewhat
restored.  "Did you get an eyeful of me, Akane?"
Akane almost went over the counter at the girl, but
was stopped when Ranma put herself between Akane and
the girl.

"Akane, don't," Ranma insisted, gripping Akane's
arms.

"Iwata-san!" Jin shouted, obviously terrified now.

Akane stopped and looked down.  Immediately Ranma let
go of Akane, seeming embarrassed.

"Gomen.  I...I...just don't want to see you get in
trouble over me," Ranma said quietly.  She looked down
at the ground so she wouldn't have to see the looks
she was getting from the crowd.

"Ranma," Akane sighed, and hugged the girl
comfortingly, ignoring the already sticky feeling of
soda drying on her clothes and skin.  Ranma hugged her
back, not wanting to turn around.  If she had to look
at the hateful face again, she was afraid that she
might lash out.

"Why don't you and Ranma go into the restroom to get
cleaned up," Nabiki suggested, glancing at the
approaching manager.  "We'll take care of things
here."  Jin noticed the approaching manager as well
and took confidence in that.

"Some man among men," she said, laughing.  "Ask your
little piece of fluff about the other people she
spreads her legs for, Akane."  Ranma winced again and
Akane could feel Ranma clenching her fists behind her
back.

"Bitch," Akane said simply, spitting back at the girl
and escorting Ranma away.

"What is going on here," the manager asked as Akane
and Ranma left.

"That freak attacked me!" Jin snapped pointing at the
departing Akane.  "Everybody saw."  She looked around
for support, almost everybody was passing by with no
more than a glance at the situation.  Nobody wanted to
be associated with the situation on either side.

"She just attacked you out of the blue?" the manager
repeated, he watched Akane slip into the restroom with
Ranma, obviously comforting the other girl.  He
couldn't tell for she, but he thought that the redhead
looked like she was wet.  He turned back to the other
three.  "What happened."

"Your serving girl tossed a drink in our friend's
face and called her a slut," Kodachi growled.  Ryouga
was still between her and the scene, wondering if it
would be possible to restrain Kodachi without hurting
her should she decide to attack at this point.

"And there were some other comments," Nabiki said
bitterly.

"That didn't happen," Jin insisted.  "Who saw that?"
The manager, Nabiki and Jin all looked around.  The
attendant right next to Jin shook his head.

"I don't know what got into her, sir," she said.
"She just tossed a drink at that girl and then went
off on a tirade."

"That's what happened," the complaining man
confirmed.

"You're taking their side?!" Jin said in disbelief.
"They're a bunch of freaks."

"You going to take care of this...Iwata-san?" Nabiki
was not asking.

"Akada-san," the manager said coolly.  "Please leave
the premises, you're fired."

"Fine!" Jin snapped.  She glanced at Kodachi and
sneered.  "I'll bet she let you eat her out along with
your brother, didn't she."  Kodachi looked about ready
to finally leap and then there was a ringing sound as
someone slapped the girl.

"That's plenty," Ryouga said, looking at his hand
embarrassed.  The girl touched her cheek in semi-shock
and started away from the group, recovering quickly
and putting her nose in the air.

"Thank you," Nabiki said coolly, glaring after the
girl.

"What about my soda," the other customer demanded.
"I'm going to miss my movie."  The other counter
attendant quickly filled up a drink, one size larger
than it had been, and handed it to the man.  "About
time."  The man walked off without so much as a glance
at the other three.

"He's going to throw us out," Ryouga whispered to
Nabiki as the manager started to turn around.  Nabiki
glanced at him curiously, but didn't have time to say
anything before she had to cut off the manager.

"I'm sorry, Iwata-san," Nabiki said.  "I'm afraid we
cannot stay here, as soon as our friends are through
in your restroom, we're leaving."

"If that's what you want to do," the manager said
after a moment's stunned silence.  There was a
relieved note to his voice.

"There are other theaters," Nabiki said.  "With less
bigoted staff.  I wonder how people ever choose to
come here.  Such behavior in the staff would not
generate much business."  The manager winced at the
threatening tone.

"I insist we make up for Akada-san's faux-pas," the
manager said suddenly.

"A faux-pas is using chopsticks to eat gourmet
European cuisine," Kodachi snapped.  "This was an out
and out insult."

"We shall apologize then, by putting your tickets and
drinks on the house," the manager said quickly.  "Is
that fair?"

"I shall have to check with Ranma," Nabiki said.
"But it should suffice."

"Very good," the manager bowed.  "I'll see about
collecting your refunds."

"How'd you know?" Nabiki asked Ryouga as the manager
left.

"You wander around enough," Ryouga said, shrugging.
"You know when someone's going to toss you from a
place."

"Fortunate for him that you convinced him otherwise,"
Kodachi said tightly.  "I doubt it would prove much
trouble to purchase this enterprise."

*********

Akane worriedly helped Ranma clean out most of the
soda from her hair, using hot water.  Akane was
thankful that they were the only ones in restroom.  It
was quite one thing for Ranma to tell herself that
everybody was going blame and hate her.  It was quite
another for someone to actually do it.

The redhead was shaking visibly and she could hear
Ranma crying under the flow of the water.  She was
worried that Ranma was going to break down again.  If
that girl, Akane vaguely remembered her from her PE
class, had the girl commented on the miscarriage she
felt sure Ranma would have done just that.

"Don't let someone like that get to you, Ranma,"
Akane whispered, rubbing Ranma's back, and kissing the
back of her neck.

"She called me a piece of fluff," Ranma spoke
tearfully into the sink, still trying to wash the last
vestiges of soda out of her hair.

"It doesn't matter what she thinks," Akane whispered.

"Damnit," Ranma snapped.

Ranma's hand formed a fist and slammed the counter of
the sink.  It was a light tap for Ranma, the counter
didn't crumble, but a small spider web of cracks
radiated out through the marble.  Akane stepped back
in surprise and Ranma pulled her head out from the
sink and turned to face Akane.  She was still crying,
but there was a glimmer in her eyes Akane was glad to
see, even if it made her nervous.

"Does she actually think I would let that bastard..."
Ranma hesitated and looked away for a moment,
clenching her eyes closed.  She turned back to Akane
and continued quietly.  "Let him...rape...me.  That I
would enjoy being...raped!?"  She winced as she said
the word.

Ranma closed her eyes tightly and angrily gripped the
edges of the counter.  Her shoulders shook as she
broke into full weeping.  Akane hugged her tightly,
kissing her forehead and comforting her.  The
dark-haired girl felt some guilty relief as Ranma
clutched at her and sobbed.

Ranma was embarrassed.  She was scared of what people
might think.  She was hurting very badly.  But Ranma
was angry.

~Finally,~ Akane thought, kissing Ranma's forehead
again.

*********

"Let's go before the movie gets started," Ranma said
shakily, drying her eyes.  She glanced at her soda
stained sweater jacket and shivered.  "I guess I have
to take this off, it's gonna get icky."

"Are you sure, Ranma?"  Akane asked.  Ranma nodded
and slowly slipped the drenched and sticky jacket off
to reveal the Lina Inverse T-shirt again.  Ranma
looked shyly up at Akane as she balled the jacket up
and then gripped her arms and rubbed them as if cold.

"I ain't gonna let that girl drive me off," Ranma
said, a determined light coming into her eyes, though
she was still shivering.

"The Americans probably really messed it up you
know," Akane said as they walked out of the restroom,
still hugging.  Ranma shrugged as they walked out to
meet the other three.

"Do you want to go home?" Nabiki asked as they walked
up.  Her eyes glanced at the balled up jacket under
Ranma's arm and arched an eyebrow.

"I'm gonna stay," Ranma said after glancing at Akane.
 "Are we too late for the movie?"

"No, we're still early," Nabiki assured her.

"What happened out here?" Akane asked, scanning the
lobby for any sign of the girl.

"The manager of this establishment had the good grace
to fire her," Kodachi said.  Akane nodded
satisfactorily.

"Good," she said.

*********

The seats had armrests that folded up in a way that
allowed Ranma to lean back against Akane while a giant
iguana half-destroyed New York.  She paid as much
attention as she could to the movie, but she was
thinking about other things.

When she went to school again, which would there more
of.  Get well cards, or sodas and spit in the face?
Who else would call her a slut?  She thought of her
empty womb.  Or a murderer?  And she still wondered if
they were right.

Ranma gripped Akane's hand tight and was comforted by
the feeling of Akane kissing the back of her head.


=====
"Caffeinated Kender?  What's that, a berserk spell?" -
Tribble, Kender Warrior of the Celestial Kingdom
"God has to have a sense of humor, it's the only explanation for sex." - my
father
"I have to write a how-to paper for class, so I'm writing a paper on how to
be psuedo-evil." - my brother

http://members.aol.com/thrythlind/snake.html
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