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As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.
All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

Please Enjoy!
Coutuva.



Little Red - Part Four
----------------------------------------------------------------



	Ranma looked over at the now utterly overwhelmed Akane
and sighed, nodding to himself.  "I see you figured it out.  It
took a lot of crap, but we did it.  I've had her since she was
four years old," he explained, his voice utterly devoid of any
gloating tones or anger.  "After I left Nerima, I made her my
personal mission...  I didn't care when, I didn't care what it
took; I was going to get her back," he stated, still looking at
Akane.  He wasn't surprised to see tears forming in her huge
brown eyes.
	"God, Ranma...  I can't believe it...  You actually did
it..." she breathed, her face becoming an uncertain mix of
expressions.
	"Damned straight.  I told you back then, Akane...  She's
my daughter; there's no force strong enough to keep me away from
her.  I swore to you and everyone else that I'd find her and raise
her myself...  And that's exactly what I did," he responded, his
eyes flashing despite his calm tone.
	Akane's face went through a range of expressions, most
too quick for the eye to follow.  Her jaw worked as if trying to
form words, but it couldn't seem to decide which ones.  Finally,
she simply covered her face -- and wept.
	Ranma, having been expecting something like that, dug a
tissue pack out of his pocket and walked it over to her.  As he
knelt beside her, he could hear the regret and sadness in her
tears -- but he could also hear...   Something else.  Something
he was counting on.
	Placing the tissue pack in Akane's lap, he rose again,
gently patting her shoulder as she stepped past her, walking over
to check on the horses.  As he did, he heard Akane stop crying
and dab at her face, then clear her throat.
	"G-gomen, Ranma...  I...  Couldn't help it.  This...  This
has been torturing me for years.  I...  Still have nightmares
about it..." she sniffed, at which Ranma only smiled knowingly.
	"I'm not surprised...  I know how much it hurt me..." he
commiserated, walking back toward her.  "Especially since I wasn't
around to stop it," he added, a touch of darkness in his tone.
	Akane withered.  "Gomen...  I...  Was a wimp.  I couldn't
face you...  I just couldn't.  I knew it would make you angry...
But I was more scared of what would happen if I didn't do it.  So
when it all came up while you and your Dad were on that trip...  I
just went ahead," she confessed, painfully.
	Ranma huffed.  "Kinda figured.  But, what's done is done,
right?" he responded, stunning her again.
	"Nani...?" she gasped, gaping back at him incredulously.
"But...  I thought..." she attempted, but Ranma only shook his head.
	"I was...  For about the first five years.  If I'd have
seen you then..." he trailed off, a strange tone to his voice.
"But...  As I began to raise Red, I came to realize you'd actually
done me a favour.  For the first time in as long as I could
remember, I was *enjoying* my life.  I was happily married to an
amazing woman, had a wonderful, growing family, and was working at
something I loved...  In short, I had it all," he went on, a smile
returning to his face.
	Akane looked up at him in utter amazement, having already
figured she was street okonomiyaki at least three times over.  All
Ranma could do was laugh.  Finally, he walked up to her and
extended his hand.
	"Let's head back, Akane...  I just heard the kids come in,"
he smiled, lifting her to her feet.  Akane was still too
overwhelmed to do much more than nod and follow along.
	As they mounted up again, she finally managed to collect
enough of her marbles to speak, and asked the question that had
lodged itself in the back of her mind.
	"Ranma...  What was she like?" she asked, glancing over at
the silent stone once more.
	"You would probably have liked her..." he sighed, setting
his hat on.  "She was the warmest, most caring person I've ever
known.  As far as how she looked...  She was pretty, but not a
fashion model or anything.  Had cinnamon eyes that could melt steel,
and the softest skin...  Her manner reminded me a bit of Kasumi,
beause she could say more with a look than most people could in a
sentence," he recalled, his face softening wistfully.  "We met when
I was still working at the Dojo in town...  Before I started here.
Over time, she found out about my 'mission', and out of the
goodness of her heart, just decided to help me.  Truth is, without
her family's money and connections, I'd probably still be
fighting..." he went on, looking back at the stone.  "During the
endless bureaucratic crap we had to put up with, we fell in love,
and eventually married.  The very next day, she insisted that we
apply for the adoption as a family unit, and it helped.  We
finally got Atsuko.  The boys came along later.  Akiko-chan loved
them all, and raised them like they were her own, but she was
especially fond of Atsuko.  They kind of bonded from the start...
Hell, she even gave her the nickname "Little Red", since she was
the second redhead in the family," he noted, a fond smile parting
his face.
	Akane found herself smiling as well.  "She sounds
wonderful...  I wish I could have met her..." she remarked,
sighing.  "Even just to say thanks..." she thought to herself, her
heart twinging.
        "Let's go, Akane...  They could use a hand getting the
horses off-loaded," Ranma noted, looking back at the plot one more
time.  "Oyasumi, Akiko-chan..." he whispered emotionally, bringing
a tear to Akane's eyes.




	As they cleared the brush and approached the main yard,
Akane couldn't help but notice how Ranma brightened as he caught
sight of his family.  Just as she started to smile at the excited
glint in his eyes, a whoop went up from beside the large rig backed
up to the stables.
	Instantly, Ranma urged his horse into a gallop, racing
toward the figure now running toward him.  Akane had to hold her
horse back, but still smiled at the sight of Ranma making a flying
dismount to scoop up his daughter and spin her around.
	Their laughter could be heard echoing off of every structure
in the area.
	Eventually, Akane walked her horse up to the arena rail and
climbed off, tying the animal off with something that resembled a
slip knot.  She deliberately stayed away from the commotion of the
unloading, not only to stay out of the way, but to give herself a
chance to let everything that had happened soak in.
	Eventually, Ranma noticed her standing by the rail, and
started to walk toward her.  As he did, he gestured for Atsuko to
join him.  "Yo, Akane...  What are you doing over here...?" he
asked, striding up to her grinning.
	As soon as Atsuko caught sight of her face, she immediately
gasped.  "You...!  You're that Filmmaker!" she smiled, elbowing her
father.  "See, Dad...?  I told you she was a looker...!" she teased,
winking.
	Akane flushed.  Ranma shrugged.  Atsuko laughed.
	"So I'm a looker, ne?  What's this, Saotome...?  You using
your daughter to scope for babes?" Akane snarked back affectedly,
raising Atsuko's eyebrows and drawing a tired eyeroll from Ranma.
	"Uh...  Lemme guess...  You two already know each other,
don't you...?" she asked, eliciting grins from both of them.
	"Hai...  Very well.  We're old...  Friends...  That's why I
was so interested in your name, Atsuko-chan..." Akane explained,
trying to be casual as she looked the girl over with new eyes.
	"Okay...  Yamago on my face...  Here I was trying to get
him to handle the business with you personally, so he'd actually
meet someone..." the girl smirked, at which Ranma shrugged.
"Papa no Baka..." she groaned, at which Akane broke out laughing.
Ranma followed suit a second later.
	"Hey...  It wasn't that funny..." Atsuko blinked, regarding
them both like they were crazy.
	"It's a long story..." Ranma finally explained, between
laughs.
	"Must be..." she smirked, shaking her head.


      

	After the horses were all fed and watered and the tack
stored away, Akane stood beside a smiling Ranma as Atsuko drove the
rig to the shed.  "She drives trucks, too...?" she asked, more
impressed with the girl every minute.
	"Hai...  She's better than the guy we had hired for it, so
we let her do it now.  She can back an eight-stall down an alley if
she has to..." Ranma noted, proudly.
	"Masaka...  I wish I had people like that working for me..."
Akane commented, shaking her head.  "Well, speaking of that, I have
to get back to my room, Ranma...  All my stuff is there, including
my car..." she began, only to be cut off by Ranma's hand landing on
her shoulder.
	"Hai.  I'll get Red to drive you; I have some things to do
so we're ready for the morning crowd.  Uhm...  Why don't you just
get your stuff and come back?  You can leave from here in the
morning with a real breakfast under your belt.  Hiro is an expert
cook..." he suggested, smiling his famous smile.
	"Sure...  I'd actually like that," she smiled back,
genuinely pleased at the offer.  In fact, she considered it an
indication that certain things were finally behind them -- which
made her feel better than she had in years.
	"Great!  I'll set it up," Ranma smiled, apparently also
quite pleased.
	Ten minutes later, Akane and Atsuko were on their way back
to town, chatting idly about the film.  As the trip progressed,
Akane began to notice that Atsuko seemed preoccupied.  At first,
she wasn't sure if it was a real impression, or just her still
rather unsettled state making her suspicious, but as time went on,
her curiosity got the better of her.  "Is something bothering you,
Atsuko-chan?" she asked, carefully.
	"Hai.  I'd like to ask you something...  You said you're
an old friend of my Dad's, right?  Does that mean you're from
Nerima?" the girl responded, glancing over at her.
	"I am...  We grew up there..." Akane supplied, getting
the distinct impression she wasn't going to like where this was
going.
	Atsuko sighed.  "I see you're wearing my Dad's emergency
clothes...  And I noticed how familiar you are with him.  And I
noticed something else...  The way you were looking at me
tonight," she stated, sounding as if she was building a case.
Akane felt her stomach tighten.
	Atsuko glanced over at her once more -- and set herself.
"Please forgive me, but I have to ask you this; are you...
My mother?" she asked, amazingly calmly.
	Akane shuddered, then slowly deflated.  "How...  Did you
know?" she finally asked weakly, expecting a blast.
	"Akiko told me...  Just a few days before she passed away.
She wanted to be sure...  I would know my real mother someday,"
the girl replied, her voice tight.  "She always told me I was
adopted...  Just not like my brothers.  But Dad wouldn't tell me
the rest of the story.  Finally, she did...  And made me promise
never to tell him that I know," she added, sniffing.
	Akane, her own eyes stinging again, drew a long breath and
steeled herself.  "Akiko...  Was a very special woman.  I owe her
a lot...  And I wish with everything I am that I could have been
more like her," she stated, her head lowered and hands meshed in
her lap.  "In a weird sort of way...  I'm actually glad things
worked out the way they did.  She did a wonderful job with you...
And with Ranma.  I couldn't...  Have asked...  For more..." she
trailed off, breaking down in tears as years of regret and remorse
finally surged through her defenses.
	Atsuko immediately pulled the jeep off to the side of the
road, braking to a stop quickly.  As soon as the vehicle settled,
she reached over -- and hugged Akane as tightly as she could.
	"Okaasan...  I've been praying I'd finally meet you..."
she sniffed into Akane's ear, starting to cry herself.  The act
literally melted Akane's tortured, aching heart.
	"Atsuko-chan...  I've missed you so much..." she sobbed
back, shifting around to return the hug.  "No matter what...  I've
always loved you..." she added, her voice barely a ragged whisper.




	Ranma looked up from his Equestrian Monthly magazine, his
acute hearing detecting a familiar sound.  Beside him, Kin and
Hiro also looked up.
	"Sounds like Red..." Kin drawled, to a nod from the other
two.  A few moments later, Ranma smiled as Atsuko drove into the
yard.  Just as he went to rise from his deck chair, he smiled even
more broadly as Akane's car pulled in behind her.
	Walking across to the steps, he watched as the two women
got out of their vehicles and met each other -- then almost
face-faulted as they hugged happily.  His face stayed disjointed
as they held each other for a few more seconds, then separated
and walked toward him -- holding hands.
        It was a scene torn from his fondest dreams -- and he
immediately knew who was responsible for it.  "Arigato,
Akiko-chan..." he thought to himself, his chest tightening.  He
had wanted to gauge Akane's reaction before telling Atsuko, but
as usual, his wife had known better.
	By the time they reached him, he had managed to regain
his composure, and was smiling so wide his face hurt.  "So what
does this mean...?" he asked cagily, just in case.
	"It means I found my Birth Mother...!" Atsuko almost
squealed, hugging Akane again.  "And better yet, I actually like
her!" she added, teasingly.
	Akane could only smile ecstatically -- and nod
emphatically.
	Ranma couldn't believe his ears.  "At Last!!" he shouted,
immediately scooping both women up and hugging them to him,
laughing like a man possessed.  His plan had actually worked, and
better than he could have ever hoped.
	"Put us down, Dad!  You're going to break Mom in half!"
Atsuko laughed, thumping his shoulder weakly.
	Ranma stopped in mid-laugh, the word shooting through his
brain like a katana.  Instantly, he looked at Akane, whose face
was inches from his.  He had to look twice at what he saw, just
to make sure he was actually seeing it.
	She was looking over at Atsuko, her cheeks glowing, her
dark eyes misty -- and her face bearing a mixture of pride -- and
happiness.  "Mom..." she repeated softly to herself, a tear
rolling from her eye.
	"It fits...  Just like I always knew it would..." Ranma
commented, smiling gently as she turned to face him.  She looked
into his eyes for a long moment, then threw her arms around his
neck.
	"Ranma no Baka..." she sniffed, hugging him tightly.



====================================================================
END - Little Red                        A Ranma1/2 Fanfic By Coutuva


Comments Welcomed - Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com

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coutuva@vecdev.com, coutuva@hotmail.com, coutuva@geocities.com 

"No, we don't broadcast animation live any more... it
puts too much of a strain on the Artist's wrists."