She didn't know how to act around them, and after much debate, decided she should just be herself. And that more than anything had the servants of Rose Brier confused. Half of the servants thought she was playing a joke, half thought she was loosing the rest of the bolts that held her mind together, but all agreed that she was up to no good.

 Rose Brier had always been a tense place to work, with Mrs. Saotome always flying into one tirade to the next. She had dispatched maids for the simplest offenses of having given her the wrong quantity of ingredients with her potion -- when it had been as minute as a pinch. That her roses wasn't watered enough, when they had gone through the trouble of *measuring* everything to the point of her orders, and then after berating them on that tell them it wasn't enough. She always found dust where there wasn't supposed to be, and that the food didn't taste like the way she wanted it to be.

 Ranma managed to track down the fired employee and rehire the offending servant, without Kodachi knowing. He usually succeeded, Kodachi wasn't usually at home and when she was she became drunk frequently.

 Most of the time, she acted as if she didn't care for Rose Brier except for her hideous bedroom, the black roses and the potions she had brewing in one of the rooms -- that they still had yet to find the mistress was good with hiding things she did not want to be seen.

 It was this unpredictability that kept the servants from pleasing their mistress.

 Now they were seeing a whole new side of her. She was completely different than the Mrs. Satome they were accustomed to. Most of all they wanted to see what Mr. Saotome would do, how he would react to her. It would be an interesting day.

                        ~~~

 Contemplating on whether to wake his daughter or not, he decided that a big home coming with her awake wasn't something he wanted her experiencing. Especially since Kodachi *might* still be home, she certainly showed no signs of leaving the last he saw her.

 He absently stroked her reddish hair and sighed, gathering the child into his arms as gently as possible. Homecoming was one of the events in his miserable life that he really didn't look forward to. There was simply nothing to come home to.

 There were no children, no loving wife... If it hadn't been for Hanae... frankly, he thought the child did more for him than he did for her.

 But still, he loved Rose Brier and the Dojo... once it had been named very differently... He had forced himself to forget that now, all that mattered was that he had his daughter with him. Rose Brier was the only home he could offer her -- he had to come back.

 His thoughts wandered to the problem that had drawn him away in the first place. For the past six months several of his suppliers had suffered losses, and although one thing did not really make all that difference, a lot of these occurrences were starting to cut into the profits.

 Shipments burned, trains were robbed, delayed and the such and warehouses destroyed. It was becoming obvious though that only the shipments that was needed for the Saotome's mills were. It was a disturbing conclusion and one he was forced to see to even after his initial skepticism.

 He had spent his two months hiring a new accountant, his last one had died with sickness, and went through with him systematically the damages and cursed at the losses. If this continued, he'd be forced to shut down one of the mills.

 Armed with enough proof to convince the biggest skeptic, Ranma went to his sister Nabiki for a long discussion about the problems.

 Standing beside her neat oak desk, which stood at the center of her room in her 3-story Providence brownstone, Nabiki first looked at the documents presented casually, though as she read through her eyebrows rose higher and higher.

 "Looks like sabotage." Nabiki answered, leafed through it and smiled, "And in a *very* ingenious way. Something like *I* would come up with, but with a large difference."

 "Oh?"

 "I won't get caught." Nabiki smiled, it was complicated and was a brilliant idea. Of course it wouldn't do to tell Ranma that now.

 "Obviously it's not those common thugs. Besides most of them have brains enough the size of a pea and wouldn't come up with a plan this -- intricate." Ranma agreed. "If it were, it would be much easier to end this. As it is -- well, we've got a long way to go."

 "Usually we start with who hates you -- or me -- enough to want to destroy us." Nabiki suggested "Half of this company is mine too you know, you just get the bigger half for being older, and a guy."

 "We've both made enemies..." Ranma said slowly.

 "Yes, I must agree, though mine cause less property damage than yours." Nabiki let out sardonically bringing a glass of wine to her lips.

 "Hey! You were the one who had this business man dragged half of America to here, because you *had* to announce to everyone present that you were better than he was then gave him public humiliation for proving a woman could beat him."

 "Something someone I know would have done if he were goaded, hmmm?" Nabiki frowned as she remembered the said businessman. "He cost me a whole building! But at least I don't bring super powered martial artists on the place."

 She placed her glass down and folded her hands in front of her leaning closer to her brother, "Cologne was one, an enraged Amazon with that fight of yours because you hadn't married the hair-care product that chased you half-way around the globe. Happosai is another -- he almost caused me my pregnancy!"

 "Hey -- Shampoo saved us money by making doors!" Ranma protested falling back to the banter that usually found its way when he was talking to Nabiki.

 "Oh yes! *DOORS*! How can we forget those?" Nabiki nodded slowly, "Be that as it may, a fired employee wouldn't go to all the trouble to do this to us. A competitor wouldn't go after all of our holdings. Why go after the carriage works if the target is the cotton industry? Those powered friends of yours wouldn't go on a systematic destruction -- they'd think it dishonorable."

 "Do you think Cologne would do it?" Ranma queried a moment of silence.

 Nabiki sighed, "I wouldn't know, Cologne is half way around the globe and she has not been hostile ever since you married Kodachi. She almost looked sympathetic."

 "It doesn't make any sense."

 "Ranma, Ranma, Ranma, when will you learn that nothing in this world makes sense?"

 "I've thought of hiring someone who'll look after this, but I wanted you to be in on this first. I mean it is your company too...even though your name's Johnsburry and everything."

 Nabiki sat back up straightly, "Why, do you want me to bring it up and change it to -- say -- Saotome - Johnsburry?"

 "Your idea. What I'm saying is, you might want to take it on...you know as a personal project" He was pleased to see Nabiki's predatory smile on her face, it meant she was interested.

 "Oh?" She settled her chin on her hands, "What makes you think I'll work on this project of yours Ranma?"

 "This project of mine is also a project of yours Nabiki. You are a Saotome."

 "I swear I was switched at birth." She drawled still giving him that predatory look.

 "And you'll want it for the rep Nabs. I mean a case you *couldn't* solve?"

 Nabiki stared at him for a moment. It was Ranma's turn to smile, he had hit a chord. "I take it back, you may be my brother. I'm still not entirely sure on that part."

 "Sure, sure. Still can't resist a challenge?"

 "It's what got that man a building." She muttered. "It's what gets you all those enemies..."

 "So you'll take it. Thanks."

 "I never said anything like that."

 Ranma frowned, but then he had another idea, a back-up plan...he had gotten permission to do this, and he probably couldn't convince Nabiki without the last deal, "You want incentive...how about if I...tell you about the little history of Hanae?"

 Nabiki frowned at that and looked at Ranma puzzled. No one had ever asked anything from him, and she was so interested in that child he had. "You have got a deal. Does the kid know that you're bargaining her story for this?"

 "I asked her first. She's just outside your office you know."

 Nabiki had a fine head for business, but Ranma as oldest son, was the one who began the whole thing. She had been his advisor and partner. She had gotten a collage degree craftily and aced in her class, with a good head for legal and investigative matters as well plus a large penchant for adventure -- having Ranma for a brother made that addictive.

 "I swear, one of these days I'm going to find out how you get away with this."

 "Really Nabiki, you should recognize your techniques by now." He shook his head at her. "Anyway, thanks. I do hope you find it soon."

 "You don't trust me?" Nabiki asked wide-eyed pointing to herself.

 "Let's just finish this quickly."

 He was brought back from the talk with Nabiki with Hanae's jerk and looked out the window, Rose Brier was coming into view now. Fleetingly, he wondered about Kodachi and her so-called-amnesia. He hoped she had given up on it and that she had gone away and back into her miserable life. If that was true then she wouldn't be home, but somehow though, he knew she would be. She always was where he didn't need her.

 It was good though, despite everything, to be home.

 As the carriage stopped he carried the still sleeping child out. Sasuke, who had accompanied Ranma, brought the luggage upstairs quickly...using the trees and windows as stairs towards the rooms.

 Ranma would have followed had he not heard a woman shouting, whatever it was, it made little sense, so he had not paid attention to the words but tried to follow the noise. "...is neck in neck with her opponent. It looks like Akane Hi--errrr Saotome is once again going to capture the gold. The crowd goes wild! Yaaaaaaaaay!"

 Akane, her hair in a ponytail, her face dripping in sweat stopped at the door when she realized she had an audience. She leaned against the door huffind and puffing, "Whew, I just won the gold medal in the hundred yard dash! Congratulate me?" She smiled but didn't wait for Ranma to snap out of his puzzlement, "Welcome home, Ranma."

 She squinted then brought her hand against her eyes, "Was that Sasuke entering the *window*?" She was surprised to see that leap and thought she had been seeing things, until she had noticed Ranma.

 As she turned to him, she noticed the little girl sleeping in his arms. She looked like an angel, Akane leaned closer, glad that Ranma didn't move away as she peered at her. "What's her name?"

 "Hanae." Ranma said simply. An introduction between and his wife was something he had always foreseen and known that it would not go well.

 "May I..." Akane started tentatively, she knew the child wasn't a baby, but she had missed her own so much. "May I carry her?"

 "You told me six years ago never to let you see her again." Ranma's eyes hardened. "I am merely obliging you your wishes."

 Akane looked stricken and backed up. For the first time, Ranma saw her face, and he couldn't believe it was her. He knew it had to be, but it couldn't be her. Standing before him was a beautiful slender woman with surprisingly bright eyes. She was completely different from the feverish woman he had left two months ago. It was the face he fell in love with, and the face he quickly grew to despise. "Kodachi?"

 "That's Akane remember?" She had regained her smile again and for some reason her heart was beating faster than it was supposed to after a four mile run and breaking driftwood. Seeing him apparently caught her off her guard. She also forgot that he was handsome.

 "Akane." He glared at her. "Why choose that name, Kodachi? You know very well Nabiki liked that name for her child."

 "I--I didn't know." And she didn't understand why it would make him so upset to take up the said name. "I could change it if you want."

 "Whatever you like." She looked different. Coincidentally enough it was what she picked up next for a topic.

 "I started running and practicing in the dojo. I also got some wood, breaking and stuff. I eat less of the food too."

 His eyes traveled down from her face to what she was wearing, he voiced it out loud, "What in the name of-- what are you wearing? My God Kodachi! I know you hit your head but I don't think even *you* think that appropriate.

 Akane paused and her eyes looked down on her shirt and shorts. "It's a running thing. You really don't expect me to run in my dress do you?" When she saw a yes being formed in his lips she interrupted, "Don't answer that. If you don't like what you see. Don't look. Don't be such a prude. Ugh. What a century!"

 Ranma stood there for a moment then followed her inside, "I'm calling for the doctor."

 "What? Why?" Akane asked whirling around to look at him, already ready to summon someone to bring the good doctor in. "I'm healthy. See? I have been for days!"

 "You're crazy." He said as he went up the stairs to deposit Hanae to her room. She guessed it was that room that was locked beside his. As she looked at his retreating back, she had a sinking feeling that her mission here was not going to end anytime soon.


                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's that, for those who missed the first few parts...I'm so lazy I don't have a web page :) So I'm relying on the FFML Mini Archive :) Of course I put up the links so you don't have to go to all the trouble of searching for them.

Prologue:
http://24.31.125.242/cgi-bin/RetrieveStory.exe?StoryID=145305

Chapter 1:
http://24.31.125.242/cgi-bin/RetrieveStory.exe?StoryID=145303

Chapter 2:
http://24.31.125.242/cgi-bin/RetrieveStory.exe?StoryID=147212

So that means thanks to all those very nice people who provide people as lazy as I am places to you know store the work :)
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com