Well, I'm back. :)

So many people asked just WHY the Tendo's and Saotome's (excluding
Nodoka) were in New York City that I had to write this. :)  This
actually should have been Chapter 1, but oh well.

This is NOT part of the Olsen's fic with the similar name! :)  That
is A Different Viewpoint: American Vacation... this is just good ol'
plain-vanilla American Vacation. :)  See the difference?

Thanks go to my prereaders, Lolu Adeyanju, Nathan Baxter, B. Na, and
Jed Bidwell... without them I'd never have finished this thing.  And
thanks to the FFML members that have kept pestering me about it;
sorry to take so long!

Brian Payne
sofaspud@ior.com
brianp@nhspokane.com
Visit Sofaspud's Couch at:
http://www.ior.com/~sofaspud/

<insert neato-keen disclaimer text here>

-----------------------------------
American Vacation - Prologue
-----------------------------------

    Nabiki's hands trembled as she sat on her bed, looking at the 
plain white business envelope clutched in her fingers.  The only 
adornment was a small, unobtrusive logo above the return address.
A New York return address, she noted.  She turned her face to the 
ceiling and offered a silent prayer that the contents would be what
she hoped they were.
    Taking a few deep, calming breaths, she closed her eyes and 
turned the envelope over.  With her eyes still shut, she carefully
eased a fingernail under the flap and slowly ripped the seal.  A few
moments later, she'd eased the stiff, creamy paper out of it's prison
and unfolded it, letting the envelope drop and bounce off her lap to
land on the floor.
    She opened her eyes.



Dear Miss Tendo:

I am happy to inform you that your application for the Currier 
Foundation Business scholarship was granted.  We realize that you are
not yet ready to attend college, but when you are you will be one of
a very few individuals that will receive a full scholarship
to the college of your choice.  This is a top honor, and you should
be proud of your accomplishments.  We certainly are!

The scholarships will be awarded on the 20th of next month, at the 
Currier Foundation headquarters in New York City.  You and your 
family are all invited to attend.  You must make your own travel
and living arrangements, but expenses will be paid (voucher and 
instructions enclosed).  If for some reason you cannot attend the 
awards ceremony, please contact us immediately to make other 
arrangements.

You will find more information in the package that you should receive
along with this letter or soon after.  It lists recommended
hotels, travel agencies, dates and times of different events, 
recommended tourist spots, and so on.  If you have any questions,
please contact our Relations department at the enclosed address.

Scott W. Currier, the president of the Currier Foundation, will be 
conducting the awards ceremony.  He and I both look forward to 
congratulating you in person, Miss Tendo.


Sincerely,

Catherine M. Currier
Vice President - Currier Foundation



    The peace and quiet of the Tendo home was shattered by a feminine
scream of triumph.  Genma dove for the koi pond, figuring that 
somehow Nodoka had discovered him.  Soun leapt to his feet, 
scattering the go game all over the floor as he rushed for the
stairs--
    --only to collide with his middle daughter as she skipped down
them, three steps at a time.


    Out in the dojo, Akane - for the first time in years - missed
her strike and bruised her knuckles on the unbroken block as her 
concentration was shattered.
    <What in the world?> she thought, rubbing her knuckles as she 
made her way to the door.


    Several blocks away, Ranma looked up in surprise as the scream
drifted to him on the late afternoon air.  His body had already
tensed for action before he realized it was a happy sound.  A 
clanging noise at the mouth of the alley behind him made him jump 
again.  He turned.
    A large, furry, and almost insufferably cute cat was staring
at him from inside the mouth of a garbage can.  The lid to the can 
was still wobbling on the ground; apparently the cat had been as 
surprised by the scream as he was and had knocked the lid off.  Ranma
froze in terror.
    "Mrowr?" the cad mrowred, jumping down to the ground.  It began
to wash itself.
    "CAAAAAATTT!!!" Ranma screamed, fleeing the area in a panicked
dash.  The cat stared after him in surprise, one paw frozen in 
midair.
    "Mrow?"



    "What is the meaning of this, daughter?" Soun demanded, barely
retaining his balance as Nabiki danced around him.
    "Nothing!  Everything!  Both!    Hee hee hee!"  Nabiki pranced
out the door, barely touching the steps, and eyed the yard 
speculatively, a broad smile crossing her face.  A gleam entered
her eyes as she spotted the wet panda slogging out of the pond.
    <My little girl has lost her mind!> Soun thought, terrified.
Nabiki was now playfully tugging at the pandas fur, giggling 
uncontrollably all the while.  Genma-panda was manipulating
his sign like mad.
    <Ow.  Quit it.>
    Pull.
    <Ow!  Tendo, your daughter has gone insane!>
    Pull.
    <Ow!  Don't hurt me, I'm just a panda!>
    Pull.
    <Ow!  Help!  Madwoman!>
    Akane stood in the dojo doorway, bruised knuckles forgotten.
Her face registered total shock as she gazed at her older sister.
"Wha- what's going on here?"
    <Akane!  Help me!  Your sister is insane!  Ow!>
    Nabiki stopped tugging on the dripping panda and turned to her 
little sister.  "Nothing at all, Akane-chan.  Can't a girl have some
fun once in a while?"
    Behind her, Genma-panda whimpered in terror and frantically
backpedaled, scaling the wall and disappearing from sight.
    "I-I guess so, Nabiki.  What made you so happy all of the 
sudden?"
    The gleam in Nabiki's eyes became even more pronounced.
"Remember that scholarship I applied for?"



    Ranma cautiously peered around the corner.  No cat.  He breathed
a sigh of relief.  He didn't know where that furry little beast had
gone to, so he wasn't taking any chances on his way back home.  
Slowly, he walked to the gates to the Tendo home, and was about to 
open them when a scrabbling sound caught his attention.
    Oh, NO.
    Ranma slowly - ever so slowly - turned.
    "POP!  What're you doin', scaring me like that?  I thought you 
were a c-c-c-cat or sumpthin'!"
    <Watch out, boy!  Nabiki has gone mad!>  Genma-panda was waving
his sign frantically.  Ranma backed away, eyeing the spray of water
from the pandas soaked fur.
    "What're you talking about, pop?"
    <She's gone mad!  She assaulted me!>  Genma asserted.  He flipped
the sign: <I was barely able to escape with my life!>
    Ranma yawned.  "Yeah right, old man.  What'd you do to her, 
anyway?"
    Before Genma could answer, yet another feminine scream echoed
around the neighborhood.  "You WHAT?"
    Ranma ducked involuntarily; that was Akane's voice!  He turned,
ignoring Genma-pandas frantic gesticulations, and opened the gates.
His jaw dropped in shock.
    Nabiki stood stoically in front of the porch, smiling resignedly
at Akane, who was hugging her older sister with all her might and 
bouncing up and down in joy.  Behind them stood Soun, tears pouring
from his eyes and a wide smile on his lips.  Pride shone from his 
eyes as he gazed upon the girls.
    Genma poked his head around the door and spotted the festivities.
<Oh no!  It's spreading!  Quick, run away boy!>
    Ranma eyed the sign, glanced at the girls, then grabbed the sign
and bashed Genma over the head with it.  "Cut it out, old man.  
They're just happy about something."
    "zzz...." was the unconscious pandas response.
    "Stupid Pop," Ranma sighed.  He grabbed the furry beast by the 
scruff of the neck and proceeded to drag him towards the house.  As 
they approached Akane spotted him.
    "Ranma!" she cried, releasing her death-hold on her sister.
"Guess what?  Nabiki got the scholarship from that foundation
place!"
    Ranma paused and scratched his head.  Foundation place?
    "Ranma, don't tell me you've forgotten already.  Remember?
She told us about it that night I made dinner."
    <Well, THAT explains why I can't remember it,> thought Ranma,
for once being smart and keeping his mouth shut.  "I... uh..."
    Nabiki felt too good to let a fight spoil the day.  "Of course
you remember, Ranma.  It was the night Akane made _curry_.  
Remember?" she said.
    Ranma blushed.  "Well.... that is..."  <Akane can make decent
curry, I guess.  But why would that matter?  I mean - ooohh...
I got it!>
    Ranma straightened, half-closing his eyes and buffing his 
fingernails against his shirt.  "Of course I remember, Akane.  So she
got that cooking scholarship, huh?  Heh - you'd think that YOU could
have used that more than Nabiki."
    "Ranma, you jerk!"  Ranma opened his eyes fully just in time to 
spot Akane's fist arrowing straight for his face.  He barely had time
to squeak before the punch knocked him into the pond.
    Nabiki raised one hand to her face, trying to ignore the 
sputtering Ranma-chan and the steaming Akane throwing insults at each
other back and forth across the yard.  The panda was floating on his
back next to the redhead, still out like a light.
    So much for the peaceful day.



    Later that night, a tentative knock on her door roused Nabiki
from her perusal of travel agency recommendations.  Without looking
up, she responded.
    "Come in."
    The door opened, then closed.  Nabiki could feel a human 
presence, but whoever it was made no sound.  Sighing, she set down
the info packet and turned to the door.
    Ranma stood just inside the doorway, anxiety plainly written
across his face.  He seemed to be trying to say something, but wasn't
able to.  Finally, his shoulders slumped and he turned his face to 
the floor.
    Nabiki was puzzled.  "What is it, Ranma?"
    Ranma blushed and refused to look up.  "Immrlysry."
    Nabiki blinked.  "Why Ranma, I do believe that's the first time
you've apologized to me."
    "... yeah, well..." mumbled Ranma.
    Nabiki considered the boy in front of her.  He could be an idiot
at times - ok, most times - but Ranma was definetely handy to have
around, and you never knew when you'd need a martial artist...
    "Ranma, would you like to go with us?"
    Ranma blinked.  "Huh?"
    "Would you like to go with us?"
    "I- I guess so.  Where?"
    Nabiki glanced at the confused boy.  "You don't know about the 
trip?"
    "Um... No."
    "We're all going to New York City, for the awards ceremony
for my scholarship."  Even as she spoke, Nabiki realized that if she
took Ranma, she'd have to take Genma as well.  If she didn't, he'd
probably sell the dojo or something while they were gone.  "Your 
father can come too."
    "That'd be neat.  Thanks, Nabiki!"
    Nabiki had already turned back to her papers as Ranma sped out 
the door to break the news.  <Hopefully I won't need his help, but 
you never know with Americans.>



    "Hey, Pop, get your own peanuts!"
    "Sorry boy, but this is for your own good.  You know what 
everyone says about airline food."
    "Give those BACK!"



    //This is the captain speaking.  We may experience some 
turbulence in a moment here, so we are activating the seatbelts
light and requesting that all passengers return to their seats now.
Also, please make sure your drinks and snacks are secure.  The 
turbulence should pass in a few moments.//



    "I'm sorry ma'am, but we need to see a permit for that panda 
before we can let you enter the country.  And how did you get him on
the plane in the first place?"

--------------------------