Finally Coming Home
By Douglas Helm

The dim sunlight that could peek in through the window only
managed to make the very oppressive atmosphere in the one room
apartment even more so.  Except for a tiny separate room for a
toilet there was no other space.  The kitchen was separated by a
blanket that provided one of the very few source of color for
they apartment.

The only real place to sit except for the floor were two small
futon's pressed together.  A semi-neat of clean clothing sat in,
or rather was pushed into the corner.  In the opposite corner sat
a bag for the dirty laundry.

The young girl was young, far younger then one would expect to be
living on her own. She gently smoothed the hair back from her
child's face. Almost a year, she'd been gone nearly two; a single
sigh rushed toward her lips but halted. She had no one to blame
but herself for where she was living.

Certainly not her first choice but it had been HER choice.  She
had slipped away, ashamed and afraid. The loneliness at first had
been hard, then Sayoko had come. The loneliness was still there
but not as strong, what had replaced it was an ache; she wanted
the best she could give her child and her stubbornness not to go
to her family for help would only condemn Sayoko to a life of
poverty and constant fear of being discovered...

A knock startled her out of her thoughts, who could it be? No one
she knew would know she was here. Slowly she got up and walked
across to the door, placing her ear against the door she called
out in a small voice she listened.  Peeking out through the peep
hole she could just make out a mass of black hair, the head was
turned away from her.

"Who is it?" She called, she tried to put some authority into her
voice but it only came out raspy.

"Ranma." Came the reply. 

She blinked while mouthing the name, who had he found her?
"Please just go away... I don't want to talk to you."

"Damn it! Talk to me please!" The painful tone in his voice made
some of her fear melt away a little bit.

She carefully reached up and undid the chain before opening the
door.  Opening it enough she motioned him in before shutting the
door again.  Turning she saw him openly dismayed at the state of
the room.

"What have you come Ranma and how did you find me?" She said
while walking over and picking up her child protectively, it was
the only security she had now, especially with Ranma here, those
memories he raised were starting to haunt her.

"I actually used my brains... I figured a mother would need a
doctor, you're the type of person that would probably only go to
Tofu-sensie... He's likely the only doctor you could afford. I
don't even know how you afford this, er... place."

Damn! She'd been to secure in her thinking that Dr. Tofu wouldn't
let her where about's be known or she'd be spotted. Glaring at
Ranma she said, "You waited around to see if I turned up at
Tofu's?  You probably missed a lot of school..."

A smile flitted across Ranma's face, "No I figured you'd also not
want to be seen by any of us so you'd go at night. I've spent the
last six months sleeping on top of Tofu's clinic... When you came
there a couple of weeks ago I followed you home."

A deep frown creased her forehead and she shifted Sayoko so she
could see the stranger. "Why Ranma? Why come after me... I
thought you'd be happy to see me gone after what I've done to
you."

"Because," Ranma said almost defensively, "Your breaking the
hearts of your family and friends by being away. Don't you think
we want to help?"  There was now answer except for Sayoko
burbling slightly at Ranma, "Are you scared of me?"

She jerked at the question, that's when she noticed she'd nearly
back herself up into a corner, "Ranma please... Just go, I don't
want to go home... I would not be welcome there."

"It's as much your fault as it is mine!" Ranma declared in
frustration, why was she being so stubborn about this? Trying to
get his annoyance under control he took several deep breathes
before saying, "Do me a favour, talk to some one... Talk to
anyone just don't go on like this."

She first thought was to reject it, simply comply until he was
out the door but she actually did care about him, that thought
actually surprised her.  Slowly she nodded before saying,
"Alright Ranma I will, but you have to promise me not to tell
anyone where I am. I don't know why you didn't tell the others
two weeks ago but I'm thankful for that."

Ranma didn't look happy about that but he could see that she'd
only go into hiding again. It had taken a long time to find her
and he wasn't about to let that go to waste. "Alright,
goodbye..."

"Goodbye Ranma."

Giving one more glance around her home Ranma slipped out the door
then she bolted it behind her, then the memories came and she
cried as the pain overwhelmed her.

                                  ******


"Ms. Tendo can you tell me why your here in your own words?"

She was keeping her promise to Ranma she was talking to someone;
it had been difficult to work up the nerve to even make they
appointment, she had to fight the instinct to flee all the way to
the meeting. Now that she was here the feeling of being trapped
started to gnaw at her.

Fighting it down she said, "I'm keeping a promise. A friend who
was worried asked me to talk to someone about what had happened."

"We'll go at your own pace. You can tell as little or as much as
you like. This isn't guaranteed to cure everything but it will
help, I would like to remind you though Ms. Tendo that there is
no such thing as a quick fix."

She nodded before starting haltingly, "I-I... about two years ago
I had decided to go down toward the docks, I'm not really sure
what possed me to do that. I was irritated at the world I guess,
furious with my family and Ranma in particular."

"Why were you furious with Ranma in particular?"

She flushed before saying, "Well he wouldn't do something I
wanted him to so... anyway my family seemed to be on his side so
I left and stormed down towards the docks."

"Why the docks? Had you ever been down there before?"

"No... maybe it was something, I chance to see something that was
stable." She noted that the woman didn't question her on that
point so she continued, "It was becoming late... it had been
foolish of me to wander down there especially at that late hour.
Not having money for any transportation I started walking towards
home. That's when... that's when..."

Her voice deserted her, the fear and pain of that night came race
back toward her.  She hadn't even been aware of the men that were
approaching her until it was to late.  What the shocking part was
that she, a Martial Artist's daughter, was unable to do anything.
She froze and in those precious seconds that slipped away she was
grabbed by the group and dragged off into the darkness.

"No..." she screamed again as those night memories dragged her
back into the past.

                                  ******

Ranma was the first person to see her.  Nearly four months since
the visit to her apartment and now she was coming home.  Her
child was resting comfortably in her arms dressed in probably the
best and plainest dress that Ranma had ever seen.


He heard a gasp from the door way and turned to see Akane
standing there hand covering her mouth, to sets of tears
streaking down her face.  She gave a horse cry and ran towards
her sister.  The cry brought the others out, Soun who had nearly
became simply bones at his daughters disappearance seemed to
falter slightly for a moment before catching his balance.  He
seemed on the verge of tears but the only thing that he could do
was open and close his mouth with nothing coming out.

Then Kasumi bolted out of the kitchen nearly nocking her father
over in her haste to see Nabiki... Ranma smiled internally, he
could relax a little now, he'd brought her home. That was the
first step.  He'd be here for the rest as well.

The end
Doug
Rakura Sakuya's Accountant
http://log.on.ca/users/helm/anime/index.htm
http://log.on.ca/users/helm/sako/sakohome.htm

Sailor Bean : "For puttin' me in this RIDICULOUS SAILOR SUIT
	      - ya sick little monkey - I *WILL* PUNISH YOU!"