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The FFML Refugee List

Hey all,

Wow, another chapter THIS YEAR...;P

I must be trippin'...I've even been workin' on #25...^_~

The characters are borrowed, the settings are not...They're
real...Kinda...Anyway, I'm just borrowing Ranma and the cast. I'll put'm
back when I'm done...promise...

C&C is always welcome
gargoyle@glasscity.net
gargoyle9@hotmail.com
or
gargoyle4@hotmail.com
Flames, as always, will be filed in the round folder...

Salud!

***

The All-Americans
By
Joshua Trujillo

Part 24 - The Next Big Thing

The man looked back at them. He didn't crack a smile, he didn't
introduce himself and Ryouga got the vague impression that he
was hostile. He still looked like a squished frog with those glasses
on, but Ryouga held his tongue. Akane's mother, Nodoka, got up
from her place across the frogman and smiled as she came to the
door. The sun shone into the entranceway behind he and Akane.
She would have closed the door behind them, but it had been open
and the rule was, 'If the door was open, leave it open.'

"Did you two have fun?" she asked quietly, "Akane, dear, its dawn
you know."

Akane blushed and looked down to the floor. She snuck a glance at
Ryouga and almost giggled as he too blushed at the floor.

"Sorry, mom," Akane replied not knowing what else to say, "We,
uh, kinda lost track of time..."

A year before, Akane and Nabiki had stayed out all night riding
around in Nabiki's new car. Literally, it had been dawn when they
got back and Akane could still hear Nodoka's ringing reply in her
ears. She expected as much this time, but in no way regretted her
decision. Akane closed her eyes and cringed. The punishment
never came. Instead, she felt Nodoka fold her arms around her in a
hug. It kinda felt like a hug you'd give someone you haven't seen in
a long time, but it certainly wasn't what she expected.

"Mom?" Akane whispered, "You okay?"

Nodoka broke the hug and nodded.

"I understand about staying out all night with a guy you really
like," she said, "I was that age once."

The frogman sitting at the table nodded slightly and cleared his
throat. Nodoka seemed to bristle at this, but said nothing. Nodoka
went back to the table and picked up a napkin from its place near
her coffee and returned to stand in front of Ryouga.

"And you, young man," Nodoka said sternly, "You should learn a
little better."

She took his chin gently in her hand and turned his head slightly to
the left. He rolled his eyes to look at Akane, who shrugged and
mouthed an apology. Nodoka licked the napkin and rubbed at
Ryouga's cheek, who just stood there wondering what the hell she
meant. Nodoka backed up and smiled.

"Much better," she said as she held up the napkin.

Akane looked at the napkin and blushed. Ryouga looked at the
napkin and almost fainted, and Nodoka couldn't contain a laugh
anymore.

"I told you not to wear such a dark shade of lipstick, Akane," she
laughed, "But I understand about that too."

She hugged Akane again and also gave Ryouga a hug.

"I guess you're about dead tired, huh?" she asked both of them.

Ryouga smiled and nodded. Akane turned and gave him a hug. She
felt a thrill in her heart and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as
he floated out. He stumbled slightly on the steps down and almost
fell on his face.

"Is he gonna be okay getting home?" Nodoka asked as she watched
with Akane.

"Yeah," Akane smiled, "He'll be fine. He just needs some sleep."

And then she realized what she said.

"You need some sleep too, I'll wager," Nodoka smiled, "Go on, get
some sleep. If you sleep until dinner, I'll call you when it's ready."

Akane blushed and nodded slowly as she walked to the stairs. She
wondered who the frogman was, but decided to let it go for the
while. She'd have enough time later. After sleep. She sighed out as
Nodoka went back to the table and began to climb the stairs to her
room.

***

Ranma went to a handstand on the rafter and held it. He had to
concentrate on the rhythm of the routine. Otherwise, he'd end up
on the floor and people were still asleep below him. Akane hadn't
come back last night, at least, not before he got home from
Shampoo's. That was around two or three in the morning. He'd
gone down to grab a little snack at about five after sleeping for a
couple hours. He couldn't sleep any more than that because of the
emotions and thoughts that ran rampant in his head. From the
betrayal of Nabiki to the making up with Shampoo and trying to
remember clues enough to figure out who the woman was...It was
driving him nuts.

He sighed and set himself down gently on the rafter. He couldn't
just get rid of Nabiki, she was his sister. Quite literally. Ranma had
gone to city hall and looked up the records of the adoption. Sure
enough, everything was signed, legal and binding. Nabiki, Akane
and Kasumi were Saotomes. They were his sisters. And besides,
she might be a bitch, but he still felt for her. He just wanted to be
friends. That, however, was probably out of the question. He didn't
know. It was apparent that she was the cause behind the whole
fiasco at the dance, which also meant that she was responsible for
his break-up with Shampoo and that hurt.

Ranma slipped off the rafter and landed lightly next to his bed. He
picked up the soft towel and wiped at his brow. He slung it around
his shoulders and headed for the bathroom, time to shower. He
opened his door and hopped down the flight of stairs to the second
floor and the bathroom. The door was closed. Akane? Maybe.

Ranma sat down to wait his turn and hadn't waited long when the
door opened. Nabiki smiled at him from underneath a large white
towel that turbaned her head.

"Have a good night's sleep, Ranma?" she asked.

"It was fair," he lied, "Too much on my mind to talk about it
though."

He pushed past her and closed the door behind him. The look on
her face just made him want to strangle her. It was bad enough that
he couldn't just smack the piss out of her, but he had to act like he
didn't know about the whole ordeal either. He sighed as he got
undressed. He sat down on the toilet and thought.

She seemed happy. That was good, wasn't it? She'd been talking to
whoever her accomplice was last night before he left for
Shampoo's. Therefore, whatever she was happy about had to
concern that. Perhaps he should put in a wiretap. It wouldn't be that
hard, though he'd have to get a good excuse for being out of
school-

But then, he had the best excuse in the world, didn't he? And he
could do it any time during those 'special' times, couldn't he?
Ranma kept himself from laughing as he flushed.

He checked himself in the mirror. Not bad for a guy who's been
through so much, really not bad at all. He smirked. Maybe after he
got rich, he could get some plastic surgery to remove the scars. Get
all the memories removed. He thought for a second as he turned on
the water in the shower. Would he want to get the scars removed?

He had had those scars for so many years...And they were a
memory of Colate. Ranma sighed as the water ran over him. It was
still very hot, which meant that Nabiki had most likely taken a cold
shower. Figured. Sure, she had passion when it suited her needs,
but she was an ice queen overall. It would take a special person
with more guts than brains to warm her up. And he'd probably
need a sizable bank account to boot.

Ranma washed himself. He rinsed, lathered and repeated and
turned off the water. Colate would be alive right now if it hadn't
been for Ranma. He stopped drying himself and looked at himself
in the mirror. Still in the tub, he could only see his own face, but
that was enough.

The scars would stay.

He put on his sweatpants and a t-shirt that he'd brought along. It
was still morning, as far as he knew. Perhaps some real breakfast
could be found downstairs. He'd have to get something solid
because the full moon was in a couple days and he had to get
things ready before then, which meant mucho running around
today. He opened the door and Akane jumped in the hallway at her
door.

"Oh...It's just you," she said as she opened the door.

"Who else would it be?" he asked annoyed, "And just where have
YOU been all night?"

Akane sighed and raised her eyebrow at him. He smirked.

"If it's any of your damned business, which it's not, Ryouga and I
were making out all night," she said a little loudly, "And YES
mom knows about it."

Now it was Ranma's turn to look surprised.

"How'd she take it?" he asked, honestly curious.

"She gave me and Ryouga a hug, told us she was this age once and
let me come on up to bed," Akane shrugged, "Ranma, I don't
understand it either, but maybe it's because of the man downstairs."

"Man?"

"Yeah...He was here when Ryouga and I showed up."

"Who is he?"

"I don't know," she said annoyed, "He didn't talk and mom looked
pissed about him being here."

"So she's up," he more said than asked, "Cool. I've got a lot of
running around today. Is your sweetie gonna be down for the day,
or can I borrow him for something?"

"He's gotta be as sleepy as I am, but you can try...Did you just call
him my 'sweetie'?"

Ranma smirked. Akane shook her head and began to walk into her
room.

"I'm okay with that," she said, "But he might not be, so cool it,
okay?"

"Yeah, I'll take it easy," he said, "So long as you're the ones that're
happy..."

Akane turned back to him and smiled warmly.

"Yeah...I think, for once, I am happy about this," she said,
"Thanks."

Ranma nodded and turned for the last flight down.

"Ranma?"

He turned back to her.

"I...I never got the chance to say this last night. It was so hectic
with Daisuke and everything..." she said, "Thank you. For saving
me. I almost did something really stupid and I know it. I'm
sorry...I'll try to be a better sister from now on..."

And she slowly closed the door. Ranma wondered what got into
her. Maybe she actually wasn't out to rip his haha's off. He didn't
know for sure, but things were looking up. Now, to find out who
this strange man was that had his mother all riled up.

***

"You've raised them questionably..."

Nodoka didn't look up from her tea. She shook her head and tried
to keep her face passive.

"You, Genma Saotome, are the absolute last person to tell someone
how to raise a child," she said quietly.

"How do you figure?" he asked, honestly confused, "Ranma came
out fine..."

"No thanks to your fathering, I'm sure."

"Hey mom, Akane says there's a guy here-" Ranma cut himself off.

He knew the head of the man sitting at his mother's kitchen table.
He'd seen the back of it for so many years. So many years of
coming in late from a practice, or performance, game, award
ceremony, or anything else...And he remembered the back of that
head. He studied it for years, trying to find some glimmer of
understanding. He watched it for some hope that, sometime, that
head would turn around and give him some clue. A smile, a nod,
some acknowledgement that what he did mattered.

Nothing.

Genma turned in his chair to face his son. Ranma couldn't see
much. A red haze beat against his eyes, blurring his vision. Ranma
hadn't felt this much anger since the last time he'd seen his father.
In a brief instant of lucidity, he wondered at the connection.
Ranma leapt forward and dragged Genma to his feet by the front of
his dirty shirt. Genma's eyes remained placid pools of putrid...Uh,
something or other. Ranma sighed stiffly. His father was still
nonplussed by being picked up this way. Ranma imagined that,
after he'd thrown Genma through the wall at the old house, Genma
simply woke up, brushed himself off and clicked on the Game
Show Channel.

The buzzing in Ranma's ears calmed and he could hear shouting. It
was his mother, wanting him to put Genma down. Ranma shook
his head and dropped Genma, who lay on the floor for a minute,
probably trying to decide if getting up was worth it.

"Ranma!" Nodoka breathed out loudly, "Please, control your
anger, dear...I know you want to rip him apart and to be honest, I'd
let you. But he came out here for a reason..."

Ranma moved to stand next to his mother, as much to protect her
as to give him a reason not to die.

"Get up," Ranma hissed at his father, "Get up and get yourself back
from the shithole you crawled out of."

"I may do that, boy," Genma said as he got up, "But I'm taking you
with me."

Ranma brought himself up short.

"What?" he asked.

"I am still your legal guardian, boy," he spat at Ranma, "Which
means I can take you back with me."

Ranma snorted in derision at Genma.

"You mean you can try, old man..."

"I'm not going to fight you, Ranma," he said, "And while your
mother isn't raising the children she adopted very well, you, at
least, seem healthy."

Nodoka put a hand on her son's shoulder. He looked at her and
calmed a little. She was just as angry as he, but she was able to
hold it better. Ranma felt a little ashamed at his own loss of
composure. He'd have to ask her how she kept so calm.

"I'll tell you this one time, Genma Saotome," Nodoka said quietly,
"Ranma isn't going anywhere. And old Judge Guide won't be able
to help you anymore."

Genma snorted and took off his glasses.

"Mom told me about Happosai and what happened back then,"
Ranma said, "She told me about how you sold out Soun and the
deal that she made with that old bastard Guide."

"Then you know only half the story, boy."

"Ask me if I care to know your half..."

Genma cleaned his glasses and put them back on. He sighed and
turned to the door.

"I'll leave for now," Genma said sullenly, "But I have to warn you
of something."

"What?" Ranma spat.

"HE is coming back..."

He? He who?

"Since when did you get religion, old man?" Ranma laughed.

Genma didn't answer as he went out to a beat up, old van that sat in
front of the house. It started up and turned slowly away from the
house. Ranma turned to his mother.

"He who?"

Nodoka hadn't taken her eyes from the van as it moved slowly
away.

"Happosai."

***

And that was the last they heard from Genma Saotome. For a
while, at least. Ranma sat in the sun on the bright November day
and licked at his ice cream cone. It wasn't like Genma to get up off
the couch for anything and his warning at the end seemed more
like a threat. Therefore, Ranma figured, it was probably Happosai's
work that brought Genma to his doorstep. That honked him off, but
Ranma let it go for the minute. The bag at Ranma's feet shifted
slightly, letting him know it was still there. These little insurance
policies would help Ranma keep Nabiki on a short leash.

People looked at him funny, sitting outside an ice cream shop,
eating a cone in forty-degree weather. Ranma didn't mind it. The
ice cream helped him think about the things he needed to think
about. To focus, as he'd been taught. On the mesa. All those years
ago. Ranma stopped eating for a second. It seemed like every time
he'd thought of his father, it made him think of what he lost on the
mesa. And in the village. Ranma sighed.

It was about time he confronted the source of all this misery.
Happosai. The little freak had been so instrumental in almost
everything in Ranma's life and Ranma was sick of it. There was a
singular problem though. Genma was right. Ranma didn't have all
the information and that'd be a problem in fighting Happosai.

Ranma finished his cone and collected his bag as he got up. The
day was cool, but very bright and full of promise. Ranma had gone
by Ryouga's place a little earlier and had been met at the door by
Kasumi and Ryouga's brother, Tofu. Ranma had to keep from
laughing his ass off as it was apparent that the Saotome-Tendo
ladies couldn't resist the Ono men...Kasumi had been worried, but
Ranma assuaged her fears. ALL her secrets, he could keep.

Ryouga had been just too tired, but wanted to help Ranma in his
quest. Ranma decided that he'd come back later that night. A few
phone calls and a stop to deliver some anonymous e-mail from the
library and Ranma was on his way. He looked up the street from
the ice cream shop and back down the other way. Not many people
out. That was good too. Not many people to relate his whereabouts
to the little troll. Ranma turned and began to walk back towards his
car when a chill ran through him.

"So, this is where you've been hiding yourself," a nasal voice said
from behind him, "Surprising from you, Saotome."

Ranma looked over his shoulder, toward the alley next to the ice
cream shop. A pair of glasses glittered in the dark and a small man
in an ill-fitting suit came into the light.

"Hikaru," Ranma said, "You slept in the alley, didn't you?"

"It shows?"

"It's the hair," Ranma said, "Do you have the stuff?"

The man nodded.

"Hikaru Gosunkugi," Ranma shook his head, "I don't even want to
know how you do it, but you're worth the money. Let's go."

Hikaru nodded again and followed Ranma back to his car.

"Can I ask a question?" Hikaru asked.

"Sure."

"Why did you want the old information and not the new stuff?"

As they came to Ranma's car, he stopped and thought for a second.
He unlocked the passenger door and walked to the driver's door
before answering.

"Something I got from an old history class," Ranma said, "Know
your enemy and you'll know yourself."

"Sun Tzu," Hikaru said as he got in the car, "Wrote a book on
war."

"Yeah, he did," Ranma replied, "And this will be war.
Unfortunately, it'll be a war on a number of fronts and if I don't
take care of a few things at the beginning, I'll be the one to get
buried."

Hikaru studied his long-time meal ticket. Ranma was never what
everyone thought he was. He was deep and complex and his mind
was always going a hundred miles an hour. Hikaru originally met
Ranma during a trip to the out of the way, dirt town that Ranma
lived in a few years before. Ranma got his respect shortly
thereafter. War, huh? If anyone could win a one-person war, it'd be
Ranma.

***

Nabiki fumed. Not only was her plan going awry, but she was sure
that Ranma was on to a part of it. He couldn't know the WHOLE
thing. She'd not told anyone the whole thing. And she hadn't
written it down either, which means that he couldn't have found it
when he searched the files on her computer the other day. In the
last week since the dance, he'd taken an extra day because of his...

His problem.

His FEMALE problem.

And suddenly, it became so clear. So incredibly clear how she
could do what she wanted to do to Ranma. So absolutely clear that
she burst out laughing.

"Miss Tendo-Saotome?" the teacher turned from her work at the
board, "Mind sharing?"

Nabiki blushed slightly and coughed, waving her hands and
returning to her notes. She turned the pages to some blank paper.
THIS she'd have to write down because, as intricate and subtle as
her mind was, this was the most subtle of all. She chortled slightly
as it came together on the page and ignored the looks of her
classmates. What did they know about strategy? Nothing. That's
why they weren't HER.

***

Ukyou looked at her notes. She then straightened in her chair and
looked over to Ranma, who was taking the next couple days off for
his 'problem', as he called it. Ukyou huffed. She didn't know what
the problem with being female was. But then, she'd never been
male, not matter how much she dressed like it. She couldn't know
the hardships of something like that, but Ranma took it like he took
and did everything else...In stride.

The bell rang and like a herd of Pavlov's critters, the part of the
student body, which included Ukyou, marched toward that pit of
indigestible protein called the cafeteria. Ukyou got her meal and
sat at the regular table. Ranma next to her, followed by Akane and
Ryouga. Something happened between those two and Ukyou
wanted to know what it was. Of course it was none of her business,
that's why she wanted to know. They seemed happier, for what
that's worth.

Shampoo on the other side of Ryouga, though not making any
moves on any male at the table. But she did seem to be friends
with Ranma again and that was good. Yuka and Hiroshi came next.
Yuka seemed okay, if a little distant, but poor Hiroshi looked like
someone dropped a bomb on his house. Daisuke was his only real
friend and Ukyou had heard that Hiroshi had spent every night of
the last week at the hospital, cheering his friend and working on
homework. Ukyou smiled. Daisuke really knew who his friends
were. And then there was Sayuri. And then there was what they
had done after the dance. And then there was just what the hell
Ukyou thought about it.

She'd liked it. And Sayuri had liked it when Ukyou returned the
favor. Since then, Sayuri hadn't hung on Ukyou. Glomped was the
way Ranma put it. It seemed like the cheerleader was just happy to
be around Ukyou and it really didn't necessitate physical contact.
Ukyou didn't know what she felt. She knew she liked what went on
between them, but how did that translate as far as emotions went?
Ukyou didn't know.

Today, for instance. They sat at the table and held hands for a bit.
Then Sayuri helped Ukyou with her homework for a bit,
sometimes Sayuri would rub Ukyou's shoulder, or run her fingers
across her back. Just...Well, Ukyou had no idea what it was just
like. She liked it, quite honestly. She found the quiet
companionship preferable to the glomping. Of course, Ranma had
been pretty quiet since the dance too. He'd told Ukyou that he'd
smoothed things over with Shampoo and that they were friends
now, though he did say something about the way she kicks. Ukyou
didn't know and left it be.

And then there was Nabiki. Queen of the ball. Yeah, Ukyou knew
it was her that set up Ranma and Shampoo. She could see it
coming a mile away, but what could she do? She couldn't be by
Ranma all night, not with the situation with Sayuri the way it was.
So she had to let it be. She'd told Ranma later. She didn't have any
evidence, but Ranma made it clear that he figured as much as well.
Ukyou wanted to beat the shit out of her, but that wouldn't be right,
especially since Nabiki couldn't defend herself. Ranma didn't seem
all that concerned. Ukyou didn't know and left that be as well.

"Oh," Ranma said quietly, "Akane, I'll be home from my monthly
excursion early on Saturday because I want to go see Daisuke."

"You sure you can do that?" Akane said, wide-eyed.

"Well," Ranma sighed and smiled, "I want to go by myself because
I wanna explain what happened and apologize."

"Ranma, honey," Shampoo said, "I should go too because it's
partially my fault..."

Ranma shook his head.

"Is he fully awake most of the time now, Hiroshi?"

Hiroshi nodded blankly and sighed once. Ranma swallowed and
shook his head.

"Well, since he is awake, there's someone I'm going to be taking
with me who might be able to help with bringing Daisuke's
assailant to justice..." Ranma blinked, "Sorry. That sounded
corny."

"I don't care if it's corny or not, Ranma!" Hiroshi shouted
suddenly, "You do whatever you need to if you can help! Please
find out who did this..."

"I will, Hiroshi," Ranma said, "I promise."

Hiroshi settled back into his funk and Yuka gave him a hug.

"Anyway, this guy doesn't like to be seen with people that know
him," Ranma continued, "I hate to say it, but he's pretty shady..."

"Is he the real slim?"

It was Nabiki standing behind Ranma.

"You're about the last person on Earth that I want to talk to right
now, Nabiki," Ranma growled.

"Aw, I'm hurt," she purred at him, "And here I was gonna offer
you my pudding."

Ranma shot up out of his chair and into Nabiki's face.

"What is it with you, huh?" he growled, "What the fuck do you
WANT from me?"

Nabiki cringed slightly at the physicalness of his approach, but
quickly replaced that mask.

"Ranma, I don't want a damn thing from you," she said in his face,
"Except, perhaps, a world of suffering for what you did to me."

"What I did-..."

He couldn't even finish, incredulous as it was.

"Ranma, it may surprise you to know that I have feelings," she
continued, "And you hurt me..."

Nabiki put her tray on a table nearby and took a couple deep
breaths, trying to calm herself. Ranma hated it when he made them
cry. Well, for the wrong reasons anyway. He softened and put a
hand on her shoulder. To which, she spun to face him and got in
his face again.

"But this time, you'll be the one to pay."

And Ranma never really did feel the knee as she brought it straight
up. He just remembered the lack of oxygen and the swelling,
which didn't go down until the change. Even then, it still hurt.

***

Joshua "Gargoyle" Trujillo
"Stone Cold Protector of the Righteous"
"Owner of The Anime Bar & Grille - Type without Pants!"

Come visit The Anime Bar & Grille!
Now with two locations!
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/1509
and
http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/museum/1275



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