Here's another new one.  I needed a break from A Change of Scene!
June


It's All in the Genes

A Ranma 1/2 fanfic by June "KaraOhki" Geraci
karaohki@snet.net
June 22, 1999

Ranma 1/2 was created by Rumiko Takahashi, and its characters have
been borrowed by me for this story, which was written for
entertainment purposes only.

IT'S ALL IN THE GENES

She's got my hair and eyes, and her mother's smile, and she changed my
life the moment she was born.  Marriage hadn't succeeded in doing
that--I was still the same guy who never planned ahead, who opened his
big mouth and hurt his wife's feelings, and who didn't worry about
whether or not next month's bills would be paid.

Then I was holding this tiny little person, weighing just over six
pounds, and I realized that I was responsible for her.  It was scary,
but I never back down from a challenge, and this was a big one.  I had
to stop acting like a kid, and grow up.  Looking behind was not an
option.

At first, my wife thought I had lost my mind.  Not that she didn't
like the changes in me--she did--but they took her by surprise.  I saw
changes in her, too--the softness that was always there became more
pronounced, as she no longer felt the need to hide it.  We never did
learn to stop teasing each other, but that's part of who we are.  We
just don't do it as often as we used to.

As our daughter grew, I could see both of us in her.  She was
absolutely fearless, and started to imitate us before she could walk.
By the time she started school, her reputation had preceded her, and
none of the little boys even tried to tease her.  She became the
defender of the girls in her preschool class.  Seeing her wipe up the
floor with the little boys in her class reminded me of the fights her
mother used to have with the boys in her school when I first met her.

It's hard to believe that she's sixteen, past the skinned knees and
the "I hate boys" stage.  She's grown up into a wonderful girl, and
her mother and I are very proud of her.  Tonight is her first date,
and her mother is upstairs, helping her get ready.  I'm downstairs,
trying to get used to the idea of my little girl growing up.  I wonder
what's taking them so long . . .

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

She looked at herself in the full-length mirror, smiled, and twirled
around.  The soft folds of her dress flared out with the movement, and
then settled down again, flowing past her knees.

"I love this dress, Mom!  It's perfect--thank you!"

Akane smiled.

"I wore that dress the first time I danced with your father."

Akane got a dreamy look in her eyes for a moment, and then she forced
herself back to the present.

"Let me help you with your makeup."

They were just finishing the final touches when there was a knock on
the bedroom door.

"Mind if I come in?"

"Of course not, Daddy!"

It was evident that Ranma was impressed with his daughter's
appearance.  His face lit up, and he pulled her to her feet so that he
could take a better look.

"You look fantastic.  You're going to knock him out, you know."

Then he did a double take.

"Akane, that looks just like the dress you wore to our senior party."

"It IS that dress."

"I didn't know you still had it."

Akane smiled.

"I had it stored in the attic.  I'm glad we're the same size."

"Well she IS your daughter.  You can tell by her size and her temper."

"Daddy!"

"Ranma!"

Ranma's hands automatically came up into a defensive position, and he
taunted his wife.

"You've got a problem with your size, shorty?"

Their daughter leaped in between them.

"No!  You two are NOT going to wreck my room again!"

She had the satisfaction of seeing both of her parents look very
embarrassed, and then her father's face grew serious again.

"Akane, mind giving me a few minutes with my daughter?"

Akane nodded, and went downstairs.

Ranma sat on the chair, his daughter sat on the bed, and he held both
of her hands.  After a minute of silence, she looked at him curiously.

"Did you want to tell me something, Daddy?"

"Your mother said she had a talk with you about boys?"

"A long, long time ago, Daddy.  Why?  You've known Hideo since he was
born.  You're friends with his father.  Don't you trust him?"

Ranma thought back to the way Ryoga had been at his son's age.

"That's why I worry, sweetheart, because he is his father's son."

"Well don't worry.  There's nothing romantic at all between us.  He's
just my friend."

"Yeah."

Ranma let go of his daughter's hands, and opened the bedroom door.  He
reached outside for something he'd left leaning against the wall in
the hallway.

"This belongs to your mother.  She hasn't used it in years--it took me
forever to find it."

"What's it for, Daddy?"

"Let's just call it a unique form of birth control."

Kae looked at her father as if he had gone insane, and showed him her
purse, which was about the size of a pocket handkerchief.

"It won't fit in here.  You don't want me to carry that thing around
with me, do you?"

"You won't need to.  Just take it."

They were halfway down the stairs when Kae gasped.

"Where did it go?  I was holding it just a second ago."

"It will come back if you want it to."

Hideo's mother had just dropped him off, and he was waiting for them
at the bottom of the steps.  He looked at the girl coming down,
overwhelmed.

"Wow, you look great!  I mean, you look pretty.  I mean. . .um. . ."

He finally gave up, took her hand, and headed for the door.

"Don't keep her out too late, now."

"Yes sir."

As Hideo was opening the door, he unintentionally brushed against
Kae's breast.  Her smile changed to a look of rage, and seconds later
Hideo was flat on the floor, twitching.

"Pervert!  Watch where you put your hands!"

Kae's expression changed to amazement as she gazed at the mallet,
which appeared to have come from nowhere.

"Where did this thing come from?"

Ranma laughed at her.

"I told you it would come back if you wanted it to."

He helped Hideo off the floor.

"Don't you think you overreacted a little?"

Kae blushed.

"I'm sorry, Hideo.  Let's go."

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

Akane couldn't help laughing as she watched her daughter leave with
her date.  Kae looked happy and excited, while Hideo looked dazed.  It
was hard to determine whether he was dazed because of the blow to his
head, or his nearness to Kae.

"I just hope they find the school before the dance is over."

"Kae will lead the way.  Hideo is as hopeless as his father."

He paused, and gave his wife an evil grin.

"And our daughter is as violent as her mother."

Akane began to stutter.

"I didn't teach her. . .I have no idea why. . .I mean. . ."

Ranma just laughed.

"Don't worry about it, honey.  It's all in the genes."



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