Author notes:
	I'm back on the list now.  Here's my first official offering.
	The first ANK can be found at http://www.imua.com/mousse/work/
	This is not to be confused with the prologue, it's twice as long
but starts the same.  For those who read the teaser, skip the first two
sections.
	Comments, corrections, etc, my mailbox is open for business.  BTW,
I still don't have a spell checker.  Ideas and/or reviews are also welcome.
	I'm baaaaaaack...


Ai No Kodomo 2: The Summer of Love


Chapter 1 - Seeing Green

[...]

	Mousse flicked the envelope off into the distance.  Its flight path
curved up, displaying its flat side.  A fiercely thrown blade nailed the
letter to the wall.  He closed his eyes and sat back in his chair, a sigh
escaping his lips.

	The Nekohanten was silent, its lights dim.  Ukyou entered the
dining area quietly and walked up to Mousse brooding at a table.  He
softened at her touch and turned to gaze into her gentle features.

	"I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep."

	"Looking forward to your trip?"

	Mousse shuddered.  "That's one way of putting it."

	"Don't worry, I managed my place for years."

	"I know, I know.  It's not the restaurant I'm worried about."

	Ukyou rubbed his shoulders gently.  "What is it then?"

	Mousse took a deep breath before answering.  "It's the old hag.
This trip is her chance to put the pressure on me.  Even if she didn't plan
it, I know she'll use the oppertunity."

	"Not the heir thing again?"

	He nodded with a sigh.  "I don't want anything to do with it.
Spice hasn't shown any interest in marriage and Xian hasn't shown interest
in anything.  I mean if just one of them was dating, that would be enough
to keep her off my back."

	"What can she do to you?"

	"Alot.  I can already tell.  She's going to want me to send one of
them back in the village engaged as soon as possible.  I probably won't
even have a say in it.  If things back home are bad enough, I might have to
send one of the kids back with or without an engagement."

	Ukyou gave him a little hug and took his hand.  "Well don't worry
about it yet, I'm sure things will work out for the best.  Come back to
bed.  You can worry some more in the morning."

	Mousse managed a slight smile and followed Ukyou from the dining
area.  Spice waited for them to leave before moving from her hiding place
behind the counter.  She had been trapped while sneaking back in from a
late night prowl.

	Her blank expression turned to a mischievious grin as she headed
back to her room for the night.  She wouldn't get much sleep, there was too
much planning to do.

	The dinning room was silent once again.  Xian took note of that
from the kitchen doorway as he resumed his assault on a leftover chicken
wing.

[...]

	*chittt* *chittt*

	Kune could hear the music coming from Yoshiki's headset.  It was
some sort of rock song he couldn't make out.  Kune shook his head and
turned to his friend Toshi.  "So where do you guys want to eat?"

	Toshi shrugged.  "How about the Nekohanten?"

	Kune shook his head violently.  "I'm not falling for that one again."

	"Hey man, just because you can't look at that Spice girl doesn't
mean me and Yosh have to be left out in the cold."

	"No way, Megumi would never go for it."

	"Oh alright, how about pizza then?"

	Kune considered it for a moment and started nodding his head.
"Pizza sounds pretty good now that you mention it.  Any ideas where?"

	"How about Mama Mishima's Pizzaria?"

	Kune sighed in relief.  "Finally, a plan.  Now we just have to wait
for Megumi."

	Yoshiki pulled his earphones down around his neck and added his
piece.  "Plus I hear the delivery girl is pretty cute.  Right Tosh?"

	*chittt* *chittt*

	Kune gave Toshi a quick jab to the shoulder and pointed his finger
at him accusingly.  "That's the kind of thing I was talking about.  I get
into more trouble around you two.  I used to think it was bad luck or
something."

	"Hey, just because your single life is over doesn't mean it's over
for me and Yosh.  Man, you're so paranoid Kunchan.  You think Megumi's
around every corner or something..."

	"Did I hear my name?"  Megumi broke in with a pleasant tone.

	Toshi gagged audibly.  Yoshiki put his headphones back on and
started whistling.  Kune smiled broadly and moved in to bail his friend
out.  "We were just wondering if you wanted to join us for pizza, dear."

	*chittt* *chittt*

	Megumi smiled and took Kune's hand.  "Sounds good to me."

	Toshi let out a relieved sigh and followed along with Yoshiki in
tow.  The foursome got about a block before Yoshiki elbowed Toshi and
gestured to the rapidly approaching figure.

	It was a girl.  An attractive girl.  An attractive girl on
rollerblades.  She looked to be about their age, light brown hair and fair
skin.  Besides the rollerblades she wore black athletic shorts and green
tank top that clung to her slim athletic figure.  As they approached, Toshi
could have sworn he saw a wicked smile form on her perfect lips.  "Oh my."

	*chittt* *chittt*

	She made no move to avoid them.  Instead she began to pick up speed
and aimed herself right down the middle.  Yoshiki continued his whistling
but took one step to the side.  Megumi and Kune were too busy talking to
each other to notice until she was almost on top of them.

	Like a whirlwind she split the couple down the middle and sent
Toshi flying.  The stranger deftly grabbed Kune on her pass through.  She
held him in her arms as they spun out together, making Kune extremely light
headed.

	Kune was suddenly very much aware of the femanine body pressed up
against him.  For the first time, she spoke.  Her voice was almost hypnotic
in a sensual sort of way.  "My name is Midori, Sanzennin Midori.  Look me
up sometime."

	Before he could mount a protest she kissed him full on the lips and
Kune experienced a sensation not unlike melting.  He'd been kissed before,
but this felt different.  It felt like something that might need further
investigation.

	Megumi stood in a state of shock as she watched her fiance in this
strange girl's embrace.  Just a few seconds prior he had been holding her
hand and looking deeply into her eyes.  She looked down to her hand and
noticed for the first time a small ball with a lighted string attached.  It
grew shorter and shorter until it disappeared completely.

	Midori stopped her spin and shot a quick glance back to Megumi with
Kune still in her arms.  "Oh, I almost forgot.  Happodaikarin dearie."

	*BOOM*

[...]

	"Did you just hear something?"

	Spice shot Seki an annoyed look.  It was their lunch break and the
two of them were spending it out front of the restaurant on makeshift
chairs.  "What?  Nevermind that, important plan stuff now."

	Seki shrugged.  "Okay, so let me get this straight.  You need *my*
help to find *your* brother a girlfriend?  You realize of course that *I*
don't even have a girlfriend yet?"

	Spice rolled her eyes and ran it past him again.  "You know more
girls than me, and you not want girlfriend anyway."

	"Well actually there is this one girl I've been wanting to ask out."

	"Nevermind that now.  Find one girl at a time, need to get Xian
dating before daddy gets back from China."

	Seki turned his attention to the clouds floating overhead.  "If I
help you get Xian a date will you help me afterwards?"

	Spice sat up straight and nodded once.  "If you get Xian date, I
get you date with other girl.  Even if she not agree I make her agree."

	Seki smiled a bit and nodded his consent.  "Okay, well hopefully
it'll be easier than that.  As for Xian, I can think of two possibilities.
The problem is that they're friends so it's one or the other."

	Spice went back to her normal sitting position.  "Who are they?
Can they fight?"

	"You know those two girls that used to come in every week?  The
ones that always ordered gyoza?"

	"Oh, yes.  I saw them around school before, I can take them.  Who
are they?"

	Seki bit his lower lip and started rubbing his chin.  "The one with
short hair is Sakura, I met her after science class once...  She was
waiting for her mother."

	Spice took a sharp breath.  "You mean?"

	"Yeah, it caught me offguard too.  It's not something she
advertises and actually she doesn't know many people anyway.  Everything
considering, I think she turned out pretty well."

	Spice considered for a moment, she wasn't sure she wanted her
brother married that badly.  "How about the other one?"

	Seki flinched.  "Her name is Noriko.  Tendo Noriko..."

	"No!  Absolutely not!  He's still my brother."

	Seki kicked the dust around and stood up.  "Well that's the best I
can do.  Think about it for a bit, and really.. they're both nice girls."

	"Grrrrr."

[...]

	"I'll kill her!"  Ranma watched his eldest daughter storm past him,
her face and clothes covered in black ash.  She was still smoking slightly
which only added to the effect.  "Right after I kill him!"

	Kune dashed in a few seconds behind and stopped to catch his
breath.  Ranma swallowed back his laughter.  "Any words from the condemned?"

	He took a deep breath.  "I swear it wasn't my fault Mr. Saotome,
I've never met that girl before in my life."

	"It happens."  Ranma sighed wistfully.  "I'd let her cool down a
bit though."

	Kune sighed.  "I guess you're right, but could you tell her I
stopped by when she does?  I'm going to try and get home before dinner."

	"No problem."  Ranma placed a hand on Kune's shoulder as he turned
to leave.  "By the way, why did my daughter look like Akane's breakfast?"

	Kune shrugged.  "I think she called it a happodaikarin or
something.  I dunno, some sort of explosive."

	Ranma stiffened slightly.  "That can't be right."

	"Huh?"

	"You know something Kune, why don't you stay for dinner."  Ranma
steered Kune back into the house.  "I'll have a talk with Megumi and we can
order out tonight.  We're having people over anyway."

[...]

	Akane took a second to straighten her hair before answering the
door.  "Ukyou, come in come in."

	Ukyou kicked her shoes off and gave Akane a quick hug.  "Akane!  So
how's married life treating you?"

	Akane shrugged good naturedly.  "Well if you're still interested in
him I can make you a really good deal."

	"Ooo tempting, but I already have Mousse."

	"Where is Mousse anyway?"

	Ukyou placed a hand to her forehead and sighed dramaticly.  "He's
left me to watch over the kids and the restaurant while he's in China for
the summer."

	"Speaking of which, where's Seki."

	"He's getting some food from the restaurant.  What's a little power
if I can't abuse it once and awhile?"

	Akane scowled.  "We already have pizza on the way.  You didn't have
to."

	"Hey, I wanted to make sure I actually got some food this time."

[...]

	Seki walked down the well lit streets of Nerima on his way to the
Saotome's, a delivery box in each arm.  There was a strange sound that gwas
gradually getting louder and louder.  He stopped to look around but the
streets were empty.

	The sky was getting darker, it looked like it could rain soon.
Seki looked to the sky and wondered idly if he would make it in time.  A
surprised yelp brought his attention back to earth.  He had just rounded a
corner and into the path of a rollerblader holding a long, flat delivery
box.

	Seki threw his arms up but lost his grip on the boxes.  Midori
threw her box up with a flick of her wrist right before colliding with
Seki.  They both tried turning to the side but it was too late.  Midori
grabbed ahold of Seki and tried to spin her way around him but they spun
together.

	Instinctively she let go of Seki and grabbed his two delivery boxes
seconds before they hit the ground, one on each side of him.  He could see
her box falling back to earth and reached out a hand to catch it.

	It was a tribute to his martial arts takeout training that he was
able to do it one handed, although the effort pressed him firmly into
Midori who was still holding a delivery box in each hand.

	He nearly dropped it as realization dawned on him but Midori, who
was also trained in martial arts takeout, caught it on one of her
rollerblades behind her back.

	Seki turned red and tried to back up with little success.  She had
him trapped with his own delivery boxes.  "Not so fast hot stuff.  I
haven't thanked you yet for saving my pizza."

	"Uh, no problem.. I mean, you caught my boxes.. so I figure we're
um.. even."  Seki began to stammer as she drew closer.

	Midori, slightly out of breath, grinned seductively at him.  "Oh, I
insist."

	With that she wrapped her lips around his and gave him the first
kiss of his seventeen years.  His eyes widened and began to water, and he
nearly fainted when she slipped him her tongue.  A few seconds seemed like
an eternity, until abruptly she broke the kiss and rolled back a couple
feet, but not before giving Seki a playful lick on the nose.

	"Oh well, I have a pizza to deliver."  She batted her eyelashes at
the catatonic Seki and hung his boxes on outstretched arms.  With one deft
motion she brought the pizza through her legs and kicked it up to her hand.
"Stop by the pizzaria some time, we can do lunch."

	Seki stood motionless as she rolled away, he felt the first drops
of rain as she dissapeared around a corner.  He blinked and touched his
lips, bringing a box to his chest.  "Wow."

[...]