Lost Innocence: Recovery

	Akari felt out of place as she woke up.  The most
obvious reason being that she was in the Tendo
guestroom.  She yawned and headed downstairs to the
furo.  This early in the morning the Tendo house was
almost completely silent.  There was only the sound of
someone in the kitchen getting breakfast ready.  She
looked briefly in that direction before entering the
furo and performing her morning toilet.

	After finishing she calmly walked to the kitchen to
see if Kasumi needed any help.  She was surprised to
find that it wasn't Kasumi in the kitchen.

	"Ranma?" she said in surprise.  The redhead, dressed
in a thick sweater, turned to face her and seemed a
little nervous.  "Where's Kasumi?"

	"Probably still asleep," she answered.  Ranma
hesitantly returned to cutting the vegetables in front
of her, but kept an eye on Akari as she did so.  Akari
shuffled awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable around
Ranma.  "I've been cookin' breakfast."

	"Oh," Akari said, surprised.  She watched Ranma for a
little bit longer.

	"Do you need anything?" Ranma asked finally.

	"No, no," Akari said.  "I was just surprised, that's
all."  A lot of things about Ranma surprised her
actually.  She had promised Kasumi not to talk to
Ranma about some of her opinions, but that didn't mean
she couldn't think about them.

	"I thought you usually sparred with your father in
the morning," Akari said.  Ranma's knife slipped and
she turned toward Akari with a stricken face.

	"Why don't you go wait for breakfast," Ranma
suggested quietly.  Akari was confused at the amount
of pain in that response.

	"Are you okay?" Akari asked approaching cautiously.

	"I'm fine," Ranma said tightly turning back to her
cooking.

	"I did not mean to upset you," Akari said.  "I know
you must be feeling very overwhelmed after..." The
knife came point down into the cutting board.

	"Just go an' let me finish, got it?" Ranma snapped
staring down at the counter, back to Akari.

	"Okay," Akari said hesitantly, watching Ranma closely
for a moment.  "If you need anything..." She let her
voice trail off as she left to check on Katsunishiki.

*********

	"Oh, Good morning, Akari," Kasumi said as she saw the
girl sitting outside next to her pig.

	"Good morning," Akari said, she glanced uncertainly
at the kitchen.  "Ranma is cooking, I believe she
should be finishing fairly soon."

	"Thank you," Kasumi said politely.  "Ranma usually
finishes about this time.  In the next few moments,
actually..." She looked back as Akane stepped out of
the hallway a moment later and offered both of them a
good morning, before going on to join Ranma in the
kitchen.  "Yes, we'll be having breakfast fairly soon.
 Would you like to come inside?"

	"Of course," Akari said, standing up.  She looked
around momentarily and then stepped up beside Kasumi. 
"Where is your father?  I would like to thank him for
the hospitality."  Kasumi's face tightened somewhat.

	"Father and the Saotome's are out of town for the
moment," Kasumi said.

	"Oh," Akari said, slightly curious as to why Kasumi
felt uncomfortable answering that.  She swept the
concern aside, however, as Akane started setting the
table for breakfast.  She looked around, noticing a
certain lack in the area.  "Where's Ryouga?"

	"Hmmm," Kasumi said.  "He's usually up by now."

	"He probably got lost again," Akane said as she
brought in some of the food.  Akari nodded at that,
finding it likely.

	"And Nabiki?" she asked.

	"I'll wake her up in a moment," Akane said.  "She's
not a morning person by nature."

	"I guess when she gets here, we'll be ready to eat
then," Ranma said.  Akari blinked and looked to the
redhead, surprised.  She hadn't noticed Ranma enter
the room, and she thought she had been paying
attention.

	"Is that everything then?" Akane asked.  

	Ranma nodded as she set down her load and then
permitted herself to be hugged warmly by Akane.  Akari
watched her first tense up and then relax more than
she had yet seen Ranma do.  Then Akane kissed the back
of Ranma's head and gently released the girl as she
headed for the stairs.

	Akari was somewhat confused as to how she should view
that small exchange, but Ranma's visibly brightened
face convinced her that it was a good thing in some
regard.  She looked from where Akane was leaving, back
to Ranma, but stopped as she caught sight of Kasumi's
watchful face.

	"How long are you going to be staying?" Kasumi asked
her.

	"Oh, I'll be going home today," Akari said. 
"Grandfather can't run the farm alone for very long
now, so I can't stay."

	"Yeah, well thanks for gettin' Ryouga here," Ranma
said

	"It is the least I can do," Akari said smiling
brightly.

	"Nabiki really 'preciated it," Ranma finished, not
noticing Akari's smile fade slightly.

*********

	"Breakfast is ready, Nabiki," Akane called through
the door, knocking lightly.  "I'll see you down there
I guess."  Nabiki stirred a little at the sound and
shifted, jarring her shoulder slightly and bringing a
small amount of pain that woke her up further.

	Then she froze, realizing that she was not alone in
the room.  That, in fact, she was currently sitting on
top of someone.  She drew in a sharp breath, fully
intending on crying out.

	"It's just me," a voice said quickly, almost
desperately.  The panic in the voice was enough to
cause her to hesitate and look to see who was with
her.

	"'Youga?" she said.  She stood up away from him
quickly, looking angry.  "What are...wait," she
sighed.  "Never mind, I remember."  She glanced at the
box of trophies and shivered a little.

	"Akane just said breakfast is ready," Ryouga said. 
Nabiki nodded.

	"Sounds good," Nabiki said.  She walked to the door
and paused to look at Ryouga.  "Are you coming, or do
you want to breakfast in Portugal or somewhere else?" 
She smirked lightly.

	"Huh?" Ryouga started then nodded, standing up. 
"Right, sorry."

	"And Ryouga," Nabiki said.

	"Yeah," Ryouga hesitated, nervous about what she was
going to say.

	"Thanks," she said hesitantly, then walked out the
door.  Ryouga blinked a moment in relief and surprise,
then followed her quickly, hoping not to lose sight of
her.

	The fact that Ryouga and Nabiki appeared at about the
same time was not lost to anyone.  Akari politely
voiced the thoughts of the table before anybody else
could.

	"Oh, Ryouga-kun," Akari said.  "I was just wondering
where you were."

	"Yes," Kasumi agreed.  "Where were you."

	"He was in my room," Nabiki said before Ryouga or
anyone else could say anything.  "I was...nervous, he
stayed to keep me company and fell asleep on the
floor, I guess."  She left out the fact that she had
fallen asleep on top of him.

	"Oh, that was nice of you, Ryouga-kun," Akari said.

	"I see," Kasumi said and then dropped the subject. 
"Do you have any plans for today?  I'm certain we
could all use a little relaxation."

	"I'm returning to my family's farm," Akari said.

	"Are you fine traveling on your own?" Akane asked. 
Akari blinked, somewhat surprised.

	"I have Katsunishiki to protect me," Akari affirmed,
glancing at Ryouga nonetheless.

	"We could walk you out there," Ranma suggested,
noticing the look and interpreting it as an unspoken
request for a guard.  She was correct, it just wasn't
quite the whole situation.  "It can't be that far out
there."

	"That's fine," Akari said quickly.

	"If yer certain," Ranma said.

	"I can take care of myself, Ranma-san," Akari said. 
Ranma shrugged and turned back to her food, ready to
drop it.  "Oh!  Not that you can't..." Ranma's
chopsticks snapped in her hands.  Nabiki froze and
stared at the girl.  "I mean..."

	"Akari," Kasumi said firmly but politely.  "I think
you should drop the subject."

	"But, I didn't mean to..." Akari started.

	"Just drop it," Akane said sharply.

	"I gotta get another pair of chopsticks," Ranma said,
standing up.  Turning to Akari he waved off her
further attempts at apology.  "I've put my foot in my
mouth enough times."  She glanced to Nabiki as she
said that.  "Need anything?"

	"No," Nabiki said coldly, glaring at Akari.  The farm
girl noticed and realized that she had made a second
mistake in forgetting about Nabiki in her haste to
apologize to Ranma for a mistake only she seemed to
notice.

	Nabiki may have understood just as well that no
insult was intended by the comment.  That still left
the fact that Akari had forgotten to consider her
presence.  That was an insult she was damn certain
that she'd get an apology for.

	"I apologize," she said, bowing her head sincerely. 
Nabiki nodded and returned to her own breakfast. 
Akari would have said something else, but was warned
off by a look from Kasumi.

	"Does anybody else have any plans today?" Kasumi
asked to change the subject.  She turned to Nabiki. 
"Nabiki?"

	"I've got some business to attend to," Nabiki said. 
After a short pause it was obvious she wasn't going to
say any more on the issue at least not at the moment. 
Ranma sat down next to Akane as Ryouga broke the
silence.

	"I'll help if I can," Ryouga said.  Nabiki smiled
fondly at the comment.

	"Thanks," she said.  "I'd like that."  Akari blinked
and slumped a little.

	"I'm gonna see if Kodachi wants to do anything,"
Ranma said, she looked to Akane.  It was something of
a surprise that Ranma was actually suggesting doing
something.  "She can't be feeling very good either."

	"Yeah sounds good," Akane said after a moment. 
"Ukyou too, I think she and Konatsu could use a
break."

	"She'd never be able to put Ucchan's down for two
days," Ranma said.  "But I guess we can ask."  Kasumi
smiled as the conversation slowly drifted away from
depressing subjects and moved towards more mundane
things.

*********

	"Can I speak to Detective Kanzo, please," Nabiki
asked politely of the desk sergeant.  Ryouga stood
behind her gingerly holding her box of trophies.

	"I'll see if he's in," the woman said with the sort
of put upon politeness men and women in her position
tended to adopt after a while.  Whatever comments she
had about the civilians treating her like a
receptionist were carefully and effectively killed and
buried before reaching her mouth.  "Please take a
seat."

	"Thank you," Nabiki said, backing off to sit down.

	"What did you want to bring the box for?" Ryouga
asked.  He had been somewhat surprised when they
stopped in front of the police station.  After
thinking about it for a moment, however, it made clear
sense.

	"It should be..." she paused and took a breath.  "I
want to get rid of it."

	"Oh, right," Ryouga said.  He might have seen the
same barrage of images that Nabiki had last night, but
he did see the effect the memories had on her as she
fiddled with the items in the box.

	"Keep it around much longer and you might go into
fits," Nabiki said, smirking.  Ryouga shuffled
nervously, but didn't say anything about it.  If
Nabiki wanted to say this was for his benefit, she was
welcome to, even if it was a rather thin story. 
Especially for her.

	"Tendo-san," Kanzo said cheerfully as he appeared. 
"This is a pleasant surprise."  Nabiki and Ryouga
stood up as he approached.

	"It's not really going to be pleasant," Nabiki said
slowly.

	"How so," Kanzo asked, turning serious.

"I need to talk about something that happened, to me,"
Nabiki explained.  "About a year ago.  If you read
about the school hearing yesterday..." She let the
sentence trail off, but the detective nodded solemnly.

	"Let's talk about this at my desk," he said.  She
nodded and turned back to Ryouga.

	"This is everything I guess," she said, before
turning to follow the policeman.  

Nabiki was surprised to feel a hesitant, but
comforting grip on her good shoulder and turned back
to see Ryouga looking like he might be about to get
burned.  Before he could pull his hand back, she had
reached up to take it in her own, and smiled.

	"Thanks," she said, and then followed Kanzo, leading
Ryouga along by the hand.

*********

	Ucchan's was uncharacteristically closed.  Which
wasn't entirely odd, considering Ukyou closed in the
mornings most of the time in order to attend school. 
But it was odd considering that there was no school to
attend at the moment.

	The potential customers weren't the only ones to be
confused by the oddity.

	Konatsu was concerned as he looked at Ukyou sitting
in one of the chairs and staring at the door.  He sat
down across from her and waited for her to say
something.

	"I'm having trouble sleeping," Ukyou said.  Konatsu
nodded, he knew that.

	"Is there anything I can do to help you, Ukyou-san?"
Konatsu asked.  Ukyou smirked and laughed once
morosely.

	"What did you have in mind, Konatsu?" she asked.  The
male kunoichi blushed brightly as he understood the
gist.

	"Just perhaps you would like some nice calming tea or
something like that?" he rambled, getting a decent
hold of his nerve again.

	"I've tried that Konatsu," she said, amusement
fading.  "And I don't want to try anything too
powerful.  I might get used to it, you know."  Konatsu
nodded in understanding.

	"So what is wrong, Ukyou-san?" he asked.

	"Mice," Ukyou said, holding up a small white mouse as
she spoke.  "Every time I try to go to sleep I hear
mice and I think of that...that...bastard.  And its
bad for business too."

	"Oh," Konatsu said.  They were quite for several more
seconds.  "I'll call the exterminator."

	"Konatsu," Ukyou said smiling slightly and looking
up.  "I'm a murderer aren't I?"  Konatsu blinked,
uncertain how to answer that.  On the one hand, she
was finally facing up to actions completely.  On the
other, he didn't want to hurt her if he didn't have
to.

	"You did what needed to be done," Konatsu said.  "By
the old code you were perfectly within your rights,
Ukyou-san.  An eye for an eye as the Westerners would
say.  And you did not kill Kuno.  You merely made it
very likely that he would die."

	"And Mousse?" Ukyou asked.  That was her first real
kill, she could almost have waved aside what she did
to Kuno if she hadn't seen what she had done to
Mousse.

	"He was going to do something terrible to
Nabiki-san," Konatsu said.  "He had already hurt her
badly.  You didn't have time to get any water.  He may
have heard you if you tried anyway.  Mousse WAS better
than you are Ukyou-san."

	"If you really don't think I'm murderer, Konatsu,"
she said, turning to look at him.  "Why did you stop
calling me 'Ukyou-sama'?"

	"I don't know, Ukyou-san," Konatsu said.  "But it is
not because I think you did anything evil or
dishonorable.  I think you're upset over things, and I
am worried about you.  I do not disapprove of you. 
Not really."

	"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Ukyou said
sourly.

	"Perhaps you should take the day off, Ukyou-san,"
Konatsu suggested.  "I'll call an exterminator and we
can close down for today."

	"Yeah," Ukyou said.  "I think I should."

	There was a rapping on the door.  Ukyou looked up to
see Ranma and Akane at the door, looking in.  She
stood up and put on a carefree face to walk over and
let them in.

	"We were going to ask if you two wanted to take a
break today?" Akane said.

	"Well, I have to stay to handle some business,"
Konatsu said.  "But Ukyou-san is free."  He smiled and
turned to give his employer an encouraging look.

*********

	Akari dropped down off the shoulder of Katsunishiki
and looked around at her farm.  She was home again. 
Alone, aside from the sumo pig.  She sighed and patted
her oversized pet.

	"Let's tell grandfather that we're home now," she
said, trying to sound cheerful.  Ryouga had barely
paid her any attention at all, but that had to be
because the situation was so fresh.  Certainly after a
little while he'd think of her, it wouldn't be too
long.

Akari sighed again and her shoulders slumped,
wondering if there was anything she could do that
wouldn't make her like one of Ranma's admirerers.

*********

	"In the local news today," the reporter was saying. 
"Furinkan High School will be re-starting classes
tomorrow with a new acting Principal.  The students
and many teachers walked out when accusations were
made that the former principal was using unsafe
administrative practices."

	"The man in question has been turned over to the
American authorities for crimes committed in that
country..."

	Dr. Tofu switched off the radio and wondered if
perhaps that this had something to do with Ranma's
situation.  There were no names, no specific
accusations made.  It was all very general.

Ranma's gynecologist had told him was that Ranma had
suffered a miscarriage.  That still left a lot of
questions unanswered.  A lot of questions that he
should speak to Ranma about.  It was too late right
now, he'd have to wait for tomorrow.  Or maybe later,
this was probably something he'd have to approach
delicately.

*********

	 �Do you think Isobe-sensei is going to have the test
today?� a girl asked as she walked through the halls.

	�The school�s been closed for more than a week,� her
companion said exasperatedly.  �Didn�t you study at
all?�

	�With everything else going on,� the first said.  �I
couldn�t concentrate on schoolwork.�  She sighed
expressively.

	�Yeah,� her friend said.  �You were so concerned you
hid in the theatre the whole time.�

	�Well, I don�t think he should give the test,� she
continued walking off.  �It�s the first day back after
all...�

	A pair of boys passed by going the other direction.

	�Damn, we�re going to get stomped this year,� one of
them was saying.

	�Hey, the girls� teams are still altogether,� his
friend said.

	�Right,� the first said.  �That�s just great, we�re
going to get a reputation for being a lot of wimps and
tomboys.  That�s just wonderful.�

	�There are more people on the baseball team than just
those guys you know,� his friend said.

	�It�s not just the baseball team,� the first said. 
�There�s the kendo team, and of course Ranma�s out,
except maybe the girl�s swim team.�

	�You don�t think she�s going out in a swimsuit, do
you?� his friend asked.

	�See!  Athletically, we�re screwed,� the boy sighed. 
Another group of students passed by them chattering as
well.

	"I don't want to know what this will mean for my
college applications," this new student was saying.

	"Why should it have anything to do with us?"

	"Do you think putting 'Furinkan' high on our
applications is going to get us in?  This school is an
embarrassment to the whole nation."

	"I think you're blowing everything out of proportion,
but what can you do about it anyway?"

	"I can transfer, that's what.  I can transfer to a
school that won't get me sentenced to community
college."

	The roving conversations turned mostly silent as
Ranma walked by with Akane.  The talk, that had been
roaming over many subjects while skirting over the
edges of actually talking about what happened, became
a string of looks.  

Some of the other students still seemed to doubt the
veracity of what they had heard, but others gave Ranma
some decidedly uncomfortable looks.  It was as if they
were seeing something that repulsed and horrified
them, and at the same time they couldn't take their
eyes away.

	She had gotten similar looks when people learned
about her curse, but this was different.  This was
much worse, much more pronounced.  At least that was
how it seemed to Ranma.

Maybe it wasn't so much different as it had been
before, but the looks had gone away a few days after
the curse was discovered.  People got used to her
being like that, and mostly accepted it.  This time,
the pitying, awkward looks weren't going away.

	"Is everybody ready to begin," the teacher asked as
the class collected.  "Nobody has any concerns they
wish to air?"  The teacher glanced around the room and
waited for an answer.  "Well then, you're all prepared
for today's class?  Saotome-san, Saotome RANMA,
perhaps you can tell us the answer to the first
question on the assignment?"

	Ranma grimaced as the attention was again focused on
her.  Their math teacher hadn't taken part in the
hearing on either side, but it wasn't as if he
appreciated the interruption in his schedule.  In her
own chair, Akane frowned and tapped her fingers.

	"It's 42," Ranma answered.  The teacher blinked and
checked his answers.

	"And how did you come to that answer?" the teacher
asked.  Ranma fidgeted in her seat for a moment.  The
teacher nodded and looked to Akane.  "Saotome Akane,
giving your spouse the answers does not..." He was
stopped when Ranma proceeded to explain the proper
process to get the answer.

	"That is correct, Saotome-san," the teacher sounded
perplexed.  "It seems you've finally decided to apply
that thing that sits between your ears for something
other than a spaceholder."  Kano-san had a tendency to
be harsh, and the left-handed compliment brought a
wince from Ranma.

	"It keeps me busy," Ranma muttered.  

Without the fights that used to follow her constantly
she'd had a lot more free time, even taking into
account her normal training regimen.  The cooking,
housework and her homework had helped fill in that
gaps.  Though with the fact that Ranma still fell
asleep in class, and tried to avoid attention, it was
probably not apparent.

	"Well, can anyone answer the next question?" the
teacher asked.  "Or is the jock the only one prepared
after nearly two weeks free time?"

*********

	"Oh, good morning...Chief."  Nabiki turned to one of
her associates and appraised Sawa's attitude.

	"Good morning," she answered back cautiously.  "Do
you need anything?"

	"Chief," the girl said hesitantly.  "They're talking
about you, Ranma, and those other girls."  Nabiki
sighed and shook her head.

	"I thought they would be," Nabiki said.  "Anything
specific?"

	"Most people are just brushing the subject," Sawa
said, not bothering to mentioni that she was doing
that as much as she could right now.  "Some of the
baseball team, though," Sawa said, sitting down next
to Nabiki.  "They're talking about how you and Ranma
have ruined the school."

	"They're five of them in specific, right?" Nabiki
asked.  Sawa blinked and then closed her mouth,
nodding.

	"There's something else, Chief," Sawa said.  Nabiki
narrowed her eyes and watched the girl sharply.

	"What is it?" she asked.

	"Some of the others," Sawa said nervously. 
"They're..." she was hesitant to finish the sentence.

	"Saying I'm a liability?" Nabiki asked.

	"All it would take is a show that you're still in
control," Sawa protested.  "We're worried about you."

	"You're worried about me," Nabiki corrected.  "Maybe
you all are, but at least one of you wants to take
control, right?"  Sawa was quiet on the matter.  "Who
is it?"

	"Harue," Sawa said.  "She's actually suggesting that
she fronts for you, but..."

	"For a hefty percentage," Nabiki said, nodding.  "I
don't know that she can handle it, but I don't care." 
She took a breath and shook her head.  "Don't tell
anybody, even the rest of us, that you talked to me
about this, okay?"

	"Got it chief," Sawa said, smiling.  "You got a
plan?"  Nabiki smiled back at Sawa.

	"Of course I do," Nabiki said.  "I'm going to
retire."

	"Are you certain, Chief?" Sawa asked, surprised.

	"I was planning to soon anyway," Nabiki said.  "I
won't be in high school much longer."

	"Oh, right," Sawa said.  "Any word from the colleges
yet?"

	"Some," Nabiki said, "I haven't decided on anything
yet."  The warning bell rang and Sawa looked up.

	"Oh, I have to be going," Sawa said.  "So should we
all meet in the normal place."

	"That'll do," Nabiki said.  Sawa nodded and walked
out of the classroom.  The other girl walked out of
Nabiki's classroom smiling and walked down the
hallway.  She met a friend in the hallway on the way
to class.

	"It worked," Sawa said cheerfully.  "This time
tomorrow, Harue, I'm going to have all of Nabiki's
juicy information and you'll all be calling me chief."

	"Are you sure?" her friend asked.  "This is Nabiki
we're talking about."

	"You're not still afraid of her," Sawa asked.  "Isn't
it obvious now that she isn't everything her
reputation makes her out to be?  What we need is
someone smart enough not to go on a date with the
wrong people."

	"Sawa!" Harue gasped.  "That's a horrible thing to
say."

	"Yeah, but it's true," Sawa shrugged.  "Really it's
for her own good, she can't do this anymore."

*********

	Nabiki's "staff" looked at the destroyed computer
disk in a mixture of surprise and shock.

	"Why did you do that?" Sawa demanded.

	"People pay me to keep their secrets," Nabiki said,
simply.  "Not to give them away because I'm not around
to get the money anymore.  If you learned anything
from me, you'll do fine."

	"But...you're not turning the operation over to me?"
Sawa whined.

	"I'm ending my reign," Nabiki said.  "You'll have to
start your own."  She shrugged and walked out of the
room.

	"Bu...bu...bu..." Sawa protested ineffectively.

*********

	"I hope it ain't going to be like that everyday,"
Ranma said.

	"The novelty will wear off soon," Nabiki said, a
little hopefully.

	"In any case, you'll be leaving at the end of the
year," Akane said to Nabiki.  "And going somewhere
that nobody knows you.  We only have a year after
that."  Nabiki nodded at that, but remained silent.

	"Something wrong?" Ranma asked, picking up on the
silence.

	"Hmmm, no," Nabiki said.  "I don't think so." ~When
did she get that observant?~

	"It's probably just the jerks at school," Akane said.
 "We're all tired from that."

	"Yeah, I gue..." Ranma paused and then pointed down
the street.  "Hey, the sign's out at the Doc's place."
 Akane and Nabiki glance over to the clinic to see
that it was indeed open again after the last few
months closed.

	"Dr. Tofu's back?" Akane said, surprised.

	"That's odd," Nabiki said.  "I don't think Dr. Tofu
is done with his sabbatical."  Ranma was about to
respond when he felt a null space approaching.  A
hidden aura, something that his training in the Umisen
rendered obsolete and easily detected.

	"Doc, please don't sneak up on us," Ranma said,
turning around.  "It's really a bad idea."  Akane and
Nabiki turned to see the doctor standing there with a
chagrined look on his face.

	"I wasn't really meaning to," Tofu said embarrassed. 
"I guess hiding my presence has become something of a
habit."  Ranma nodded, knowing the temptation to just
vanish at times.  Especially recently.  "You've
improved a great deal Ranma."

	"Thanks," Ranma said politely.  Dr. Tofu was looking
over Ranma and noting the over-large t-shirt, the
western slacks and the unbound hair.  Ranma took a
step closer to Akane and released a breath.  Tofu took
note of that.

	"When did you come back, Doctor?" Nabiki asked.

	"I had a short talk with a Dr. Inohara," Tofu said. 
The three teenagers paled slightly and then a feeling
of resignation passed through them.  "I need to talk
to you."

	"Did...she tell you everything?" Ranma asked.  He
should have guessed this was coming, Dr. Inohara had
said she was going to try and reach Tofu.

	"I really doubt that," Tofu said.  "Let's go inside
to discuss this."  Ranma nodded.

	"I guess I'm not done explaining this, am I," Ranma
said quietly.  "Better to get it over with."  Akane
gripped her shoulder encouragingly and kissed her
forehead.  Tofu also took note of that.

	"It'll be okay," Akane said as they walked into the
clinic with Ranma.

	"I suppose they'll see you later," Tofu said.

	"I'm staying Doctor," Nabiki said.  "I know more
about this than you do, and..." She looked around.  "I
said I'd go home with them."  She shrugged and walked
into the clinic ahead of the doctor.  It was an
interesting behavior for the girl, she seemed nervous
about something herself.

	The most telling change was Ranma, of course.  He
couldn't see auras like some psychics, not unless
somebody actually manifested an aura that is.  He
didn't have to, really, that arrogance and stubborn
attitude that had been Ranma's front had been
shattered.

	Ranma was unfocused compared to what she had been,
she was meek, and thankfully accepted public
affection.  The biggest change that Tofu could see was
in how Ranma dressed, how she moved, how she held
herself.  How she was a...girl.  Next to those
changes, Akane and Nabiki's attitudes could have been
a reaction to Ranma's.  He followed them inside
knowing that he had been right, something terrible had
happened.

	"What did Doc tell ya, Doc?" Ranma asked from her
seat, next to Akane.

	"The only thing I was told was that you had had a
miscarriage," Tofu answered.  "I wanted to talk to you
before I turn over your records to her."

	"Yeah," Ranma said.  "Thanks, Doc."  She sighed and
leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and
her face in her hands.  "She's gonna learn I'm a guy."
 Akane circled an arm around her shoulders and
comforted her.

	"You haven't told her about the curse," Tofu said, a
comment rather than a question.  He suspected as much.
 He glanced to Akane and noted the boy's uniform.  "I
hate to be blunt, Akane, but were you the father?"

	"How did you..." she stopped herself and then shook
her head, sighing in a mixture of sadness and relief. 
"No, I wasn't the father."

	"You're not cursed then?" Tofu asked.

	"That..." Akane hesitated.  "That happened later."

	"Then..."

	"I was raped," Ranma said quietly, her face still in
her hands.  She sat up and looked away after a short
glance at Dr. Tofu.

	"What?" Tofu asked, shocked.

"Shampoo drugged me and then Kuno..."  She sighed. 
Akane hugged her and Ranma leaned into the hug.

	"Do you need to get off the topic?" Dr. Tofu asked.

	"I had to say that to a bunch of strangers," Ranma
said, quietly.  "I can talk to you."

	"If that's what you want," Tofu said.  "Tell me
whatever you feel comfortable with.  If you ever want
to, we can stop this."  Ranma nodded and prepared
herself to talk about something of what had been
happening.

*********

	"Tadaima," Akane called out as they entered the dojo.

	"Okaeri nasai," Kasumi answered, peeking down into
the entrance way.  She would have immediately returned
to whatever task she was about if she hadn't noticed
the expressions on their faces.  "Oh my, was it that
bad today?"

	"Depends," Nabiki said.  "It was about what we
expected."

	"We just saw Dr. Tofu," Akane said.  Kasumi blinked
and turned to focus on Akane.

	"Oh, is he back in town?" Kasumi said hesitantly.

	"Yeah," Ranma said.  "He's gonna go with us to Doc
Inohara next time ta talk about my records.  Had ta
tell him about all that's happened."

	"Oh, that must have been difficult," Kasumi said.  "I
guess that's why you appear so tired.  How did Dr.
Tofu seem?"

	"He looked all right," Ranma said shrugging.  "Nice
as ever."

	"You can go see for yourself, Kasumi," Akane
suggested with a knowing smile.

	"But," Kasumi started.

	"Kasumi, there ain't much ta do right now," Ranma
said.  "You gotta have SOME free time with us all doin
stuff."

	"Where's Ryouga?" Nabiki asked.  Kasumi blinked and
glanced to her sister.

	"I haven't seen him for a little while," Kasumi said.
 "I suspect he's lost again."

	"I thought so," Nabiki said, sighing.  "So, what are
you still doing here?"  She smirked.  "Like Ranma
said, there's not much to do that we can't do."  She
looked at her broken shoulder.  "Or at least nothing
Akane and Ranma can't do."

	Kasumi hesitated a moment before nodding and
gracefully heading for the stairs.  She paused at the
feet and looked back.

	"Thank you all," she said, before heading upstairs.

*********

	Tofu tapped his pencil on the table and considered
the conversation with the three girls.  It seemed that
a lot had happened of which he was unaware, even while
he had been in town.  Nabiki's revelation had stung
him quite a bit.

	He couldn't understand how he had missed the signs
that something had happened to her.  Granted that
Nabiki was a master of self-control in most
circumstances, and she rarely had cause to seek his
services.  Still he considered it a failure to his
patient.

	"All that remains," Tofu said to himself.  "Is to
make sure they both have all the support they need." 
That didn't look to be a hard thing to accomplish.  It
sounded like both of them had a lot of friends
supporting them.

	"Hello?" a voice called from the front of his office.
 "Dr. Tofu, are you here?"  The doctor broke the
pencil in his hand as he recognized the voice.

	"Come on now, Tofu," he whispered.  "Control
yourself.  That's part of why you left."  He took a
deep breath and hesitantly stood up, taking the arms
of his chair with him.

	"Oh, hello," Kasumi said, as she entered the office
to find Dr. Tofu holding two splintered pieces of
wood.

	"Uhhh, Kasumi," he said laughing nervously.  "What
are you doing here?"  Kasumi fidgeted a little
nervously, comforted at least by the fact that the
doctor didn't seem quite as crazed as he used to be in
her presence.

	"Oh, Doctor!" she gasped, moving forward to hug him
tightly.  

Tofu dropped the removed chair arms in surprise, his
glasses started to fog up and the physical closeness
threatened to send him into orbit.  He was saved by
the sound of the nice, serene Tendo woman sobbing into
his shoulder.  This was something unexpected, and it
was something that would not do to treat lightly.

	"I've been trying to help them," she said through her
tears.  "I just can't handle it alone."

	"It's all right," he said.  "Everything's going to be
all right."

*********

	Ryouga sat on the hill and looked around.  There was
nothing but wilderness as far as he could see.  It was
hard to deny that he was lost now.  He had done it
before, but that was before, when his only concern was
revenge on Ranma.  Without such a distraction he was
finding it difficult to complain about somebody moving
the city and actually meaning it.

	"Nabiki's going to be upset with me," he sighed,
tapping his fingers against his cheek.

	"Who's Nabiki?" a voice asked behind him.  Ryouga
winced and turned around to see a woman in her early
forties dressed in khakis walk forward.

	"Mom?" Ryouga gasped.  "I thought you were running a
nature study in some national park somewhere."

	"Look around you Ryouga," the woman said with an
exasperated smirk. 

	"Oh, I guess I am a little off course," Ryouga said.

	"I'm glad I have job that puts me in the remotest
places in the world," his mother said.  "I'd never see
you or your father if I just stayed at home."

	"Yeah, I guess so," Ryouga said embarrassed as his
mother sat down next to him.

	"So where is this Nabiki you're worried about
upsetting," she asked.  "Last I heard it was Akari and
before that, Akane."

	"Akane married someone else," Ryouga said.

	"That Ranma boy you're constantly blaming for
everything?" she asked, Ryouga nodded.  "You don't
seem too upset about that for once."

	"They need each other," Ryouga said.

	"And Akari?" his mother asked.

	"I messed that up," Ryouga said.  "Nabiki thinks
she's still interested in me, and Akari's a nice
person..."

	"Ahhh, the kiss of death," his mother said.

	"What?" Ryouga asked, confused.  His mother
snickered.

	"You called her a 'nice person', Ryouga," his mother
said.  

	"Okay," Ryouga said, uncomprehending.

"Americans call that the 'kiss of death,'" she
explained.  "As in it kills a chance for a romantic
relationship.  Just like 'let's be friends.'  Man or
woman, you never want to hear those words."

	"Ohh," Ryouga said, finally getting it.  "I was
worried you had connections with the Chinese Amazons
or something."

	"Mmmm no, I don't think so," she said smirking,
before Ryouga could respond to that she went on.  "And
this Nabiki?"  Ryouga shrugged.

	"I've been helping her through some tough times,"
Ryouga said.  "Her and Ranma."  That surprised his
mother, and relieved her too.  It was about time that
her son stopped obsessing about that boy's "misdeeds."

	"Ah, I see," she said.  "And she needs your support?"

	"Nabiki doesn't usually need anybody's help," Ryouga
corrected.  "She can handle most things on her own."

	"So you're worried she'll have a problem that she
needs your help with then," his mother deducted. 
Ryouga quietly refused to answer.  "Well, I'm just
finishing here.  So perhaps I can take you where you
want to go.  Does she live in Nerima as well?"

	"Yep," Ryouga said.

	"Then you should be back to her side soon then," his
mother said.  "Now tell me about her."  Ryouga blushed
slightly and thought about how to describe Nabiki when
something else came to mind.

	"One thing first, Mom," Ryouga said.  "You remember
Aunt Chikako?"  His mother frowned and sat up straight
at the comment.

	"What brings up that subject?" she asked.

	"I've been talking to her daughter recently," Ryouga
said, missing the sudden change in behavior.  

	"Little Kodachi?" she asked.  Ryouga nodded.

"She's actually been around for the last year, but I
just barely found out she's the cousin I used to
know."

	"How is Dacchi these days?" she asked, calming down a
little.

	"Not good," Ryouga said quietly.  "I had to stop her
from killing herself a few weeks ago.  That's how I
found out."

	"You don't think her father had anything to do with
that, do you?" his mother asked darkly.

	"No, I don't think he did anything to her," Ryouga
said.

	"You never know with that one," his mother said. 
"Why are you bringing her up?"

	"She's looking for contact with our side of her
family," Ryouga said.  "She's all alone in that
house."

	"What about her brother?"

	"Kicked out of the clan, by her," Ryouga said.  "And
then he got killed."  He made it clear that Tatewaki's
death was not really a bad thing.

	"I think perhaps you need to tell me something of
what's been going on, Ryouga," she said firmly. 
Ryouga flinched as she recognized the voice.  He
hadn't even admitted the whole P-Chan fiasco to her
yet.  "What happened?"

	Ryouga fumbled around just what to say.  He couldn't
lie to his mother, but these weren't really his
secrets to tell.  He wasn't certain just how public
Ranma and Nabiki would want certain information to be.
 When they had told people, it wasn't exactly by
choice.

	~How would Nabiki handle this,~ he asked himself. 
Nabiki tended to avoid out and out lies herself.  She
just gave parts of the information and...Ryouga paused
for a moment.  ~That might work.~  

"Ku...Tatewaki...attacked...a friend of Kodachi's,"
Ryouga said.  "Kodachi...I've been told Kodachi
saved...her life, but she hasn't been the same since
then."

	"Attacked," his mother said gravely, a suspicious
look in her eyes.  Ryouga shuffled nervously and his
mother lifted a hand to stop him from attempt
explanations.  "I don't need any more details."

	She had known Tatewaki's father and what the man was
capable of.  She had a pretty good guess what the son
would be like without Chikako around to counter that
influence.

	"Yeah, well," Ryouga started.  "Turns out that
Kodachi weaseled herself into the position of head of
the clan, so she had him kicked out because of it.  He
got killed my some wild animal later."  His mother
shook her head sadly.

	"Probably went to his grave not thinking he did
anything wrong," she muttered under her breath.  "His
father has a lot to answer for."

	"Yeah, no kidding," Ryouga said.  "He's been shipped
out to America to face charges there, and Kodachi
seems to have plans for when he gets back. 
Officially, she's the only Kuno left now."

	"Poor girl," his mother said.  "Does she have anyone
to help her?"

	"She spends a lot of time with Ranma and Akane,"
Ryouga said.  "But it's mostly to help Ranma recover,
I think."  His mother frowned a moment as she made
several rapid connections from that statement based on
earlier things her son had said.  It was time for a
subject change.

	"I'll ask her about the rest," she said.  "Now, about
this Nabiki."  Her son fidgeted nervously again.

	"What kind of things interest her?" she asked.  "What
does she look like?  What's her family name? 
Something more than just 'Nabiki, she who can take
care of herself.'"

	"Well, she's Akane's sister," Ryouga started.  His
mother blinked at that, she wasn't entirely certain
that Ryouga had ever mentioned Akane having sisters.

	"What does she look like?" his mother pressed.

"She's a little shorter than me with brown hair,"
Ryouga started.  "And she sort of has this way of
looking at you that makes you think she knows
everything that you're thinking.  She doesn't lose her
temper often, but..."

	"She let's you know when she has," his mother
finished.  "Sounds good so far.  What kind of hobbies
does she have?"

"She sort of handles all the money concerns in the
family," Ryouga said.  That brought some concern to
his mother's face as she started imagining an older
girl, possibly even an adult woman.  "And she has
school, too.  The next class ahead of Akane.  With all
that I don't think she has much time for anything
else.  She likes ice cream and chocolate."

	"How old is she?" his mother asked politely.

	"Eighteen, I think," Ryouga said nervously.  "Uh, why
are you asking me all these questions about Nabiki,
Mom?"

	"A mother has to ask about her son's girlfriend," was
her cheerful answer.  "Especially when she doesn't see
him often."

	"We're not going out, Mom," Ryouga said nervously. 
"I just sort of give her help when she asks for it,
and...umm hang around with her a lot
and...errr...we're not dating."

	"If you say so, dear," his mother said smirking. "Now
tell me more about her."  Ryouga gave a frustrated
sigh.

*********

	Ranma sat uncomfortably in the waiting room next to
Akane-otoko and Dr. Tofu.  Dr. Inohara was a nice
person, but that really wasn't enough for her to
forget what went into the examinations.  She was
comforted slightly by the fact that there would be no
examination this time.  Then again, what she was here
for was probably going to be just as humiliating.

	"Saotome Ranma," the nurse called.  She smiled
comfortingly at the redhead.  "The doctor will see you
now."

	Ranma and Akane stood up and walked forward.  This
was becoming a familiar walk for Ranma now, though
Akane had usually stayed in the waiting room by the
doctor's request.  This time she'd be needed to
display the curse.

	"Dr. Tofu," Inohara said as they entered her office,
not, Ranma noticed thankfully, the examination room. 
"It is a pleasure to meet you face to face.  I still
don't understand why we needed to do this face to
face."  She didn't mention what she had already told
him, she would like to have spared Ranma further
trouble just to hand over some medical records.

	"Well," Tofu started.  "There are some things in
Ranma's records that would require some explanation."

	"You mentioned that before," Inohara nodded. 
"Perhaps now you can be more clear?"  Tofu looked to
Akane who nodded and took a small thermos out of his
pocket.

	"I need to show you something so you'll believe
this," Akane said.  Ranma remained quiet and appeared
embarrassed or even ashamed of what was about to
happen.  Akane poured the hot water over his head, and
shrank down into her female form.

	"What in the name of heaven?" Inohara gasped quietly.

	"It's a curse," Akane said.  "When I got splashed
with cold water I change into a boy."

	"And you wanted to show me this to," she stopped and
looked at Ranma.

	"There's this place called Jusenkyo," Ranma said
quietly, finally.  "With all these springs where
things drowned, an' if you fall in one you change inta
whatever drowned there.  I fell into spring of drowned
girl, and I've been stuck like this...since it
happened."

	"Oh dear," Inohara said, sitting down as she looked
at her patient.  It was heard to believe, but when she
looked at Akane it became hard to deny.  It certainly
explained a lot of Ranma's and Akane's respective
speech patterns.

	"Sorry, Doc," Ranma said.  "I guess I shoulda said
something."

	"I can understand the reasoning," Inohara said,
looking from Akane to Ranma.

	"Just a moment," Akane said, she took another small
thermos and poured the water over herself, changing
back into a guy for the moment.  "Is this better?"

	"I've had patients that prefer other women before,
Akane," the doctor said.  "This is just...something of
a surprise."

	"Sorry," Ranma said again, fidgeting nervously. 
Inohara looked at her as she accepted Ranma's records
from Dr. Tofu.

	"Don't apologize for things beyond your control,
Ranma," she said as she looked over the records,
perhaps to see something she understood better.  Of
course the first thing she found was Tofu's note on
the Jusenkyo curse, followed by notes on such things
as the strength-sapping moxibustion and cat's tongue.

	Sometime after Tofu's notes about Ranma's low
self-esteem and abrasive attitude, she found the notes
Tofu had taken after their conversation only a few
days before.

"Excuse me," she said.  "Dr. Tofu, may I speak to
Ranma and Akane alone please?"

"Certainly," he said, standing up.  "Call me if you
need anything."

	"Right, Doc," Ranma said, somewhat nervously as Dr.
Tofu left the room.

	"I noticed that this 'lock' on your curse will
supposedly by removed by having a child," Inohara
said, getting nods from Ranma and Akane.  "So I have
to ask, are you two trying to have another child?"

	"Yes," Akane answered cautiously.  Inohara looked at
her and then looked to Ranma.

	"Ranma?"

	"Yeah," Ranma said.  "We're trying for another kid." 
Inohara leaned back and looked thoughtfully between
Ranma and Akane.

	"This isn't really my field," she said.  "I'm not a
qualified psychiatrist, but I have some concerns I'd
like to air."

	"What are those?" Akane asked, cautiously.  He noted
the look the doctor was giving him.

	"This could be a question you don't want to answer,"
she said, looking back to Ranma.  The redhead nodded. 
Inohara took a breath and continued in a gentle voice.
 "Who initiates the sex usually?"

	"I do," Ranma said quietly.  Inohara seemed to be
relieved by that answer.  Akane felt somewhat insulted
as she realized what the doctor had been considering.

	"Are you handling it fine?" she asked.  Ranma nodded.

	"Well enough," she said.

	"Now," Akane added under her breath.

	"Excuse me?" the doctor turned to Akane.

	"Ranma starts it," Akane agreed.  "But..."

	"But, what?" the doctor asked.  "You're not
encouraging her into this are you?"

	"Akane doesn't ask me to do things I don't wanna do,"
Ranma said firmly and loudly.  "She don't ask me to do
things she even thinks I MIGHT not wanna do."

	"I am not insisting that she does THAT," Akane said,
a little angrily.

	"I didn't want to imply anything," Inohara said
quickly.  "But I have to cover all bases.  You said
there was a problem?"  She asked Akane.

	"He used to faint," Akane said reluctantly.

Ranma winced and Akane shivered as she remembered
seeing Ranma's eyes blink open and close, but not
seeing anything as she lay there, limp.  She continued
before Inohara could ask why she let it continue.  

"But I used to be worried that if I said no, that
she'd thought I was rejecting her, and...do something
rash."  She shrugged at the helplessness of her former
situation.

	"I'm a lot better now," Ranma said quietly.  "It's
actually kinda nice with Akane now, not as...scary any
more."

	"That isn't really my business," Inohara said,
feeling somewhat relieved none the less for having
asked.  "But I wanted to clear that subject.  Now
there is another matter.  This second attempt at a
child.  Is the cure your only reason to have a child?"

	Akane and Ranma fidgeted uncomfortably.

	"You have to think this through carefully," she said
emphatically.  "I understand the hurry, but there is
more than just the two of you involved in this."

	"There's the baby too, right?" Akane asked,
embarrassed, but still a little angry.

	"So you've thought about it then?" Inohara asked. 
Akane and Ranma nodded.

	"All the time," Ranma said shakily.

	"Having a child is major decision," she said.  "You
had no choice before.  But now, you have to consider
school and the cost.  If you look at it only as a way
to solve your problem, all it will do is give you more
problems.  You're only seventeen, this is something
big."  Ranma was nodding throughout.

	"We'll think of something," Akane said confidently. 
"And we have a lot of friends willing to help us."

	"How do you feel about this, Ranma?" the doctor
asked.

	Ranma remained quiet.  She didn't really know what to
say.  It would be difficult.  She didn't have a job,
and was unlikely to get one in the neighborhood.  She
could teach martial arts, assuming she found people
that would accept her as a sensai.

While she was pregnant any sort of sparring would be
out, but she didn't worry too much about losing her
edge.  For one thing she wanted the Art more than the
Martial now.  Besides, even a broken sword could cut. 
She was confident in her skills.

	It was her judgment that left Ranma worried.  That is
what had gotten her to every bad situation she could
remember.

	Was she trying to have a kid just to go back to being
a guy?  She was starting to have trouble remembering
what it was like.  She didn't know if the curse was
doing something, or if it was just so much time
dealing with things that should have been the province
of women only.  Maybe it was that she didn't really
trust Cologne, that this lock was probably permanent
and there was no way to get things back to the way
they were.

What she did remember was being pestered day in and
day out by the other boys at school about which of his
fiancees he'd slept with.  Either that or being
lectured by her father for some disappointing failure
to be manly or another.  And finally her father had
run when she had proven that whatever manliness she'd
had was just illusion.  She idly wondered why her
mother hadn't commanded her to commit seppuku already.

Then there was the fear.  Not just the fear of the act
involved, though that was very strong, but something
else again.  Every time she thought about having
another child, thoughts of rushing to the hospital
flashed through her mind.  Would she make another
mistake and find herself standing in the bathroom
before dawn, wondering why she had bothered to get out
of bed?

	Did she really think that she should have a child
now?

	"Yes," she said finally.  "I want a baby.  I'm just
afraid...that I'll mess up again."

	"Well," Inohara said after watching the play of
emotions on Ranma's face.  It really was easy to tell
what she was feeling.  "I'll have to help you make
sure you don't.  If that's your decision."

	"Yeah," Ranma said again, more firmly this time.  She
looked up and smiled.  "Thanks, Doc."

	"That's my job," she said, before glancing back at
the files.  "I've never encountered such...odd
situations before.  Beyond your...affliction...there
is 'chi channeling' situation.  According to Dr.
Tofu's notes here," she said, looking down at the
paper.  "The...'Shi Shi Hokodan' is inherently
unhealthy."

	"I ain't doin' it," Ranma insisted.  "Ever again."

	"Well that is not the only concern," she said,
standing up and moving to the door.  "I'd like to
discuss these to see what I should be watching for." 
She looked out of her office and called Dr. Tofu over.
As she was doing so, Akane leaned over to talk to
Ranma.

	"You've shown a depression aura without calling the
Shi Shi Hokodan, Ranma," Akane reminded her.  Ranma
glanced up and then down, staying silent.  "Maybe Dr.
Tofu knows a chi-technique to counter it."

	"Do you really think I should risk it," Ranma asked
quietly.  Akane would have answered but the doctors
returned at that point.

	"I think we should start with what we were already
talking about," Dr. Inohara said.

	"The Shi Shi Hokodan?" Ranma asked.  "It ain't a
problem."

	"The mere fact that you could summon it as easily as
Nabiki described says it is," Dr. Tofu corrected.  He
glanced at Akane and back to Ranma.  "And I think more
has happened related to that technique than I'm being
told."  Ranma and Akane both started shuffling
nervously.

	"I said I was feeling better," Ranma protested. 
"Ryouga gave it up."

	"Is he still as depressed as he used to be?" Tofu
asked.  Ranma shrugged.  "Even if he isn't he should
learn another chi technique."

	"Why?" Ranma asked.  "We'll just not do it."  Tofu
shook his head.

	"Chi techniques become like a reflex, they start to
manifest in your aura even if you're not deliberately
using them," Tofu said.  A look at Akane and Ranma's
faces confirmed this was the case already.  "You'll
use it again if get into enough stress, and you won't
even realize it until it's too late."  Ranma paled and
stared at Dr. Tofu wide-eyed as Akane tried to comfort
her, though he was just as worried.

	"S...so what can I do then?" Ranma asked in a small
voice.  "I can't do anything about it."

	"You can always do something," Dr. Inohara countered,
glancing toward Tofu for support.

	"I'd suggest channeling some other emotion," Dr. Tofu
said.

	"Doc," Ranma said softly.  "I can barely form a
sputter with the Mouko Takabisha."  Akane massaged her
shoulders.

	"It's okay Ranma," he said.  "You'll get it back
eventually."  Ranma sighed and looked to Akane
doubtfully.

	"I wasn't going to suggest the Mouko Takabisha
anyway," Tofu said.  "I was going to suggest trying to
channel an emotion like Love."  Ranma scoffed at that.

	"I've tried that, Doc," Ranma countered.  

	"You've channeled through that emotion already?" Dr.
Tofu was definitely surprised, though he could clearly
see Ranma nodding.

"Ya can't attack with an emotion that ain't hostile,"
Ranma said.  "It didn' work against Saffron anyway,
the chi never left me in tha fight, an I had ta use
the Soul of Ice techniques.  All that power an'
couldn't do nothing with it."

Akane blinked at this and thought about herself
floating away from her body and being called back by
Ranma's cry.

	"Do you really need a technique to attack with right
now?" Dr. Inohara asked.  Ranma opened her mouth to
answer and stopped, a thoughtful look on her face. 
Akane leaned over and whispered into Ranma's ear,
saying something that brought a surprised and shocked
look on her face.

	"Ya think I did that?" she asked, Akane shrugged.

	"Maybe," she said.

	"She's right, Ranma," Tofu said, mentally noting the
exchange.  "You need techniques for healing for now."

	"What you mean like shiatsu an' stuff?" Ranma asked.

	"There invaluable techniques in any case," Dr. Tofu
said.  "And it would seem to be therapeutic to learn
such at the moment."

	"This ain't gonna give me any troubles with being
pregnant," Ranma asked cautiously.  "Is it?"  Dr.
Inohara looked to Dr. Tofu for an answer.

	"No, it wouldn't," he promised.  "These techniques
and their effects are well documented.  And you won't
be using them on yourself, and I doubt you'd want to
be subjected to them from me."

	"Errr, how do ya plan to teach me then," Ranma asked,
still very relieved that she wouldn't have Tofu poking
her pressure points.  She probably would have said no
if it had come to that, even if it was Dr. Tofu doing
it.

	"We can probably find someone to volunteer so I can
show you the shiatsu," Dr. Tofu said.  "Or you can
watch me treat patients."  Ranma glanced at his other
doctor.

	"I'll look over everything beforehand to see if
anything would pose a problem," she promised.  She
thought the other doctor was probably right, learning
anything, especially how to heal, would probably be a
good aid in repairing Ranma's life.

	"There's one more 'technique' I would like ask you
about," Dr. Tofu said.  Dr. Inohara shivered a little
at the tone in his voice.  "Have you had any trouble
with the Neko-Ken recently?"  Ranma winced at the name
of the technique.  Akane frowned and looked nervous,
new fears of what effect this could have on that
dreaded state emerging at the doctor's question.

	"Ain't been that many c...c..c...cats around," Ranma
said.  "I haven't seen one."

	"Nobody much understands how it works," Dr. Tofu said
after a moment's thought.  "So I can't give you much
more advice than to watch out for it."  Ranma nodded
slowly.

	"I think that covers that for now," Dr. Inohara said,
trying to relax from the strain of having to deal with
a magically afflicted patient.  "I have some
literature for first time parents to give you, and the
name of a few books that you should find helpful..."

*********

	Ranma and Akane walked home, moving close together. 
Ranma appeared to be reading one of the brochures Dr.
Inohara had given her, but her eyes seemed a little
unfocused.  She glanced to Akane.

	"Ya really think I did that?" she asked.

	"I think so," Akane said.  "Yeah, you know on those
TV shows where the doctors bring back someone after
their heart stops?  Maybe that's what you did with
your yell.  In fact I know that's why I came back." 
He nodded confidently.

	"Man," Ranma said quietly.  "I didn't think I'd done
nothing.  Maybe...I guess the Doc has a point."  They
walked into the house and called out their welcome as
they saw Nabiki reading a letter in the hallway. 
There was a hesitant expression on her face as she
read the letter.

	"Something wrong?" Akane asked, frowning and
wondering if that wasn't another attempt to terrorize
Nabiki.

	"No, just from a college," she said, folding the
letter up and slipping it in her pocket.  "How'd the
doctor's visit go?"

	"Good," Ranma said, eyeing where Nabiki had slipped
the letter.  "She ain't gonna drop me cause of...you
know, the curse."

	~Unlike certain parental figures,~ Nabiki and Akane
were thinking to themselves.  Though it wasn't the
curse, per se, that had motivated Genma to abandon his
child.

	"That's good," Nabiki nodded.  "By the way, we�re
fending for ourselves for food tonight."

	"Oh yeah," Akane said.  "Dr. Tofu sort of told us he
had a date with Kasumi today."

	"He told you?" Nabiki asked.  "In intelligible
Japanese?"

	"He said he had a meeting ta go to," Ranma said. 
"Then his glasses started fogging up, he didn't go
berserk though."  Akane had cautiously pulled her wife
out of the way just to be on the safe side.

	"Ah," Nabiki said.  "So he is getting better."  Ranma
and Akane both nodded as they passed the stares and
could hear Kasumi shuffling around in her room just at
the top of the stairs.

	"I'll start on dinner then," Ranma said, turning
reluctantly away from Akane to head for the kitchen. 
There was no fear about leaving, not that Nabiki could
pinpoint anyway.  Ranma at this point simple preferred
to be with Akane it seemed.

	"Any word on the case?" Akane asked Nabiki as Ranma
left the room.  His elder sister shrugged and looked
nervous.

	"They think he might confess," Nabiki said.

	"So you might not have to testify then," Akane said. 
Nabiki nodded in a relieved way.

"And he might in turn spill the beans on the rest of
that group," she shivered.  It probably wouldn't be
long, a few short trials to excise this blot on
Japanese society.  They'd keep it quiet in the media
as much as possible, just like they'd done with the
trial, but it would get done.  "Are you trying to
shield Ranma from that?" 

	"I didn't really think about it," Akane said, looking
embarrassed.

	"You don't fight back in sparring do you," Nabiki
said frowning slightly.  Akane's embarrassment grew a
little.  "You can't and shouldn't protect Ranma from
everything."

	"I just don't want him to be afraid of me," Akane
said, softly glancing toward the kitchen to make sure
Ranma wasn't in the room.  "I probably hurt him as
badly as that father of his."

	"This isn't like you losing your temper," Nabiki
said.  "And you know what it feels like to be treated
like you need to be mollycoddled."  Akane nodded. 
"Ranma is a lot better than you, in a spar, you aren't
going seriously hurt her.  In a fight, it's only ever
been because she LET you."

	"I know that," Akane said.  "But I keep seeing her
cringe away from me.  All of that talk about boys and
I find that I'M the one becoming an abusive spouse. 
She trusts me now, completely trusts me."

	"And you apparently don't trust her to take care of
herself," Nabiki said.  Akane started to protest, but
Nabiki cut her off.  "You better do something to
change this attitude soon, Akane.  Today or tomorrow
I'd say to be safe.  Because the way you two or going,
I'd say Ranma will be pregnant again before long, and
then you won't have the chance for months."

	"I'll...try," Akane said.  She remembered Kasumi
giving somewhat the same advice.  Nabiki, however,
tended to lean more towards ultimatums than her other
sister did.

	"Good," she said, nodding.  Then a nervous look
flashed in her eyes for a moment.  "You haven't seen
Ryouga recently, have you?"

	"No, sorry," Akane said.  "Do you need to speak to
him about anything?"

	"I've got decisions to make," Nabiki said, hand going
to the pocket with the letter.

	"About college?" Akane asked, ignoring Nabiki's
surprised expression.  "And you want to talk to him
first?"

	"How did you - ?" Nabiki started before noticing
where she had her hands and grimacing.

	"What's the big deal, Nabiki," Akane asked.  "Anybody
even mentions college the last week and you get jumpy.
 I thought you just about had Tokyo University set."

	"So did I," Nabiki muttered, sitting down in the
living room.  She grimaced.  "I think I've acquired
some bad publicity.  The only Japanese school that's
accepted me is the community college, and I'm not
settling for that...if I have a choice anyway."

	"Wait a minute," Akane said sitting across from her. 
"The only Japanese college, you said.  You applied out
of the country?"

	"I've thought about it for a while now," Nabiki said.
 "But now it looks like I'm being forced that way." 
She dug the letter out of her pocket and handed it to
Akane.

	"Harvard?  Full scholarship?" she gasped.  Nabiki
looked around the room to see if anybody had heard
Akane.  "That's in the United States."

	"That's right," Nabiki said dryly.  "Now shout it
some more so the rest of the city can hear you."

	"Oh," Akane said, embarrassed.  She continued in a
much softer voice.  "Sorry, but I don't get it.  What
does this have to do with Ryouga?"  A sudden gleam
came into Akane's eyes.

	"Don't jump to any conclusions," Nabiki said.  "I
just...thought he may have been to the area before
and...could tell me a little about it."  Nabiki had
the good grace not to add to the lame excuse by
wincing.

	"Sure," Akane said, smirking at Nabiki's hostile
look.  "When do you need to answer by."

	"I have about a month," Nabiki said.  "And I have a
few other choices as well, but this seems to be the
best."

	"He should show up before then," Akane assured her. 
"So are you going to ship him freight with the other
pets?"  Nabiki gave her sister a glare as Ranma came
back from the kitchen with a towel.

	"Akane, shouldn't you be helping me?" Ranma asked. 
"I mean, you ain't going to get any better just eatin'
it you know?"  Nabiki silently thanked her
sister-in-law for the unwitting save as Akane accepted
the situation.

	"So, you'll be moving away?" Kasumi said, surprising
Nabiki.  She whirled around, her heart skipping a few
beats.  Even knowing that it was Kasumi's voice did
not significantly reduce the nervousness she felt at
that surprise.  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle
you."

	Nabiki could only stare for a few moments.  It had
been a while since she had seen her sister in anything
other than that house dress.  This evening gown that
had come out of nowhere made her seem almost like an
entirely new person.  The fact that she had styled her
hair to be a little more social didn't hurt either. 
That gown did seem familiar though.

	"I hope you don't mind me taking a few of my clothes
back from your closet," Kasumi said.  Nabiki almost
winced.  If her sisters kept retrieving borrowed
clothes she wouldn't have much left.  At least Akane
was unlikely to ask for her dresses back.

	"It looks nice on you, Kasumi," Nabiki said.  "Is Dr.
Tofu going to be sporting a straight jacket?"

	"Nabiki," Kasumi said exasperated.  "He seems to have
calmed down a great deal since he left.  Now, about
you moving..."

	"It's not definite yet," Nabiki said.  "I could
always go to community college."  

Kasumi gave her one of those, "are you sure that's
what you want" looks and crossed her arms.  Nabiki
didn't exactly know how Kasumi could achieve
motherliness in that gown, but she somehow pulled it
off wonderfully.

	"I suppose it depends on what you want," Kasumi said
finally.

	"I want to go to Tokyo," Nabiki said.  "But they
don't seem to want me."  She sounded irritated, and
was wondering just what reason they had to deny her.

*********

	Hibiki Hyunae stopped the cat outside the Kuno estate
and looked up at the gates with more than a hint of
distaste.  It had been years since her sister-in-law
had died and the Hibiki family had stopped being
welcome at the place.  Well, they had never really
been welcome per se.  They had just tended to
outnumber those Kunos that disapproved of them being
there, namely Kodachi's father.

	She shut the engine off and tapped the steering wheel
in thought, before turning to look at her son.

	"Do you think she'll be home at this time of day?"
she asked Ryouga.  

	He shrugged, somewhat nervous about this, and also
vaguely embarrassed.  There was just something wrong
with being driven around by his mother.  People might
get the idea he was incapable of getting anywhere on
his own.

	"Unless she's doing something with Ranma and Akane,"
he said.  "She should be home."  

His mother nodded and got out of the car, gesturing
for Ryouga to do the same.  Standing before the gates
she looked around for a buzzer, or a gate guard or
something.

	"Last time we visited, we just walked right in,"
Ryouga said.  

	"Really?" she asked, sounding rather doubtful.

"She doesn't have any live in staff," Ryouga said. 
"She hires out a maid service and stuff like that."

	"That doesn't mean...ahh, there it is," she brushed
at some vines on the gate and revealed an old
intercom.  "If it still works that is."

	"I didn't know that was there," Ryouga said.

	"Doesn't look like anybody has used it for a while,"
his mother said, pushing the button.  They waited a
minute for an answer.  "It's a big house, wait for it
a moment."  When there was still no answer she pushed
the button again.

	"Maybe it doesn't work," Ryouga suggested.

	"As old as it is," his mother said.  "Very, ah, wait
a minute...that's probably her."  

Ryouga looked past the gate and sure enough, Kodachi
was coming out of the estate and gliding purposefully
to the front gate.  She was dressed oddly, for
Kodachi, in dirty work clothes of some sort.  The dust
and dirt stains on her knees were very apparent.

	"How did you find that abominable device?" Kodachi
asked.  "I specifically planted those vines to..." She
stopped upon seeing Ryouga and his mother.

	"Excuse me, cousin," Kodachi said formally and
cautiously.  "But who is this?"

	"This is my mother," Ryouga said.  Kodachi blinked
and tensed up, looking over the woman cautiously. 
"Aunt Hyunae?"

	"That's right, Koda-chan," she answered.  "Ryouga
told me you were asking for family to come visit."

	"Yes..." Kodachi said hesitantly, trying to remember
what she could about Ryouga's mother.  "Things have
been somewhat...hectic of late."

	"Let's talk about that inside," Hyunae suggested. 
She glanced over Kodachi's clothes for a moment. 
"Perhaps I can help you in your garden while we talk."
 Kodachi nodded quietly, and then glared at the
buzzer, producing wire cutters and pliers.

	"After I arrange it so that I never hear 'Hawaii
Five-Oh' in this house ever again," she growled.  She
had been planning on leaving the buzzer intact until
she could find where the speakers were hidden, but
patience wears thin and plans change.

*********

	"Are you sure that you don't need anybody to go with
you?" Kasumi asked Nabiki as her sister checked over
her portfolio and her copy of her application for
admission to Tokyo University.

	"I can handle this one on my own," Nabiki said.  "And
I'd rather not have either of you connected too much
to me if this goes poorly."  She glanced to Akane and
Ranma with a forbidding expression.

	"What am I gonna do with college," Ranma asked.  "I
barely get by in school as it is."

	"I've seen your scores recently, Ranma," Nabiki said.
 "You might, just might have to re-take this year. 
Next year you'll be near the top of the class if you
keep it up."

	"At least let us go with down there," Akane
protested.

	"This is my problem," Nabiki said.  "I can handle it
on my own."  She knew she shouldn't have told them
about this problem.

	"Okay," Ranma said.  "We won't go with you to the
University."  Everybody looked in surprise at Ranma
for a moment as she turned to Akane.  "Don't they have
like some weird kinda theater downtown with a big
screen or sumthin?"

	"Oh, yeah," Akane said, catching on.  "The Imax, I
was kind of wondering about that place."  As Nabiki
narrowed her eyes, Kasumi finished the suggestion.

	"Perhaps you could head downtown with Nabiki," Kasumi
said.  "And then meet her after she's done with her
appointment you can have dinner or something."

	"I'm not getting out of this building alone," Nabiki
said dryly.  "Am I?"  The faces of her extended family
clearly said no.

*********

	Ranma and Akane watched Nabiki silently as they
entered back into the dojo.  She had refused to
comment on what had happened in her meeting other than
to say that there was apparently no way that Tokyo
University was going to let her attend classes there.

	"Tadaima," Nabiki called out, a definite note of
irritation in her voice.

	"Oyasumi nasai," Kasumi called out.  "Oh, we have
guests."  They wondered what she meant by that until
they came into the living room to see Kodachi, Ryouga
and some woman most of them couldn't recognize.

	"Ryouga," Nabiki said.  "You got back."

	"What are you guys doing here," Akane asked as Ranma
looked closer at the woman with them.  "And who's with
you?"

	"Err, Akane," Ryouga said nervously.  "This is..."

	"Hey," Ranma said, cautiously.  "Hibiki-san, what are
you doing here?"

	"Excuse me, do I..." she stopped for a moment. 
"Wait, is that you Ranma?"

	"Yeah," Ranma said nervously.  "Did Ryouga tell
you...what's been going on?"  Nabiki shuffled a little
nervously with a scowl on her face.

	"Only that you've been through some hard times," the
woman said.

	"Oh," Ranma said, relieved.  Ryouga was more
concerned with seeing Nabiki relax her temper.  "Ummm,
what brings you here?"

	"Kodachi's advertisement," she said, gesturing to the
girl.  "And then there was this girl that my son is
'not dating.'"  Nabiki sighed in frustration.

	"Ryouga," Nabiki grumbled.  "That rumor would die
quicker if you didn't encourage it."

	"Weren't you wanting to talk to Ryouga about your
college situation before any of us," Akane asked. 
Nabiki gave Akane a betrayed expression.

	"Uh, Akane, maybe it's time to get some training
done," Ranma said as she saw that Nabiki looked about
ready to explode.

	"Right, I'll be right there," Akane said.  "Pleased
to meet you Hibiki-san.  Ask Ryouga about Charlotte." 
The other martial artist winced as Akane turned to
follow her spouse.

	"I guess you must be pretty good at dodging by now,"
Nabiki sniped as Akane left the room.  Akane almost
turned around to give another comment.

	"Both of you need to behave," Kasumi interrupted. 
"We have guests."  She gestured to the three people
sitting there.  

Nabiki and Akane both had the grace to look
embarrassed before Akane left for the dojo and Nabiki
sat down across from Ryouga and his mother.

	"I apologize," Kasumi said.  "I suppose that comment
was Akane's attempt to cheer up the situation.  Today
has not been somewhat stressful."

	"Anything I can help with?" Kodachi asked.  "If it�s
a matter of money."

	"No," Nabiki said.  "Money isn't going to help here. 
Thanks anyway, Koda-chan."

	"Koda-chan?" Hyunae repeated, amused.

	"She does that to everyone," Ryouga said.  "Just
wait."

	"Oh, what does she call you?" his mother asked. 
Nabiki and Ryouga fidgeted uncomfortably.

	"I believe 'Back-up'," Kasumi said.  "Is the term she
uses most often."

*********

	"You're watching my hands and feet," Ranma said,
snapping a strike out.  Akane barely managed to put up
a block.  "You gotta watch my shoulders an' hips."

	She opted for the easiest escape and backed off from
Ranma.  Ranma's head started shaking as soon as she
took the first step.  By the second step, Ranma had
dropped low and swept Akane's feet out from under her.

	"Ya can't win by runnin' away," Ranma said, standing
over her.  "It's a last ditch effort, an' when you do
it you gotta do it right, or yer really screwed."  

	The expression on Ranma's face was a mix of fear,
pain and frustration.  Akane wasn't certain where the
fear came in, but it had something to do with her. 
She herself was more than a little afraid that it was
fear of her.  

	The pain was easy to place.  Ranma did not like
attacking Akane, for any reason.  Ranma was getting a
little more used to the idea that she wasn't going to
seriously hurt Akane, but she still didn't like to do
it.  In fact, Ranma still held off attacking her at
the beginning of each spar.

	The frustration was more confusing than the fear. 
She didn't really understand it at all.  She did know
that Ranma did not really enjoy training with Akane. 
At the moment Ranma was looking at it as something she
needed to do.  Akane wanted him to enjoy it, not get
more depressed.

	"Let's try another spar," Ranma said.  "Then we gotta
go over sidesteppin' again."

	"Right Ranma," Akane said as she stood up. ~What
could she be frustrated about?  I'm a lot better now
than I was a few weeks ago.  So she's teaching me a
lot...~ She hesitated a moment.

	"Akane, you're not ready," Ranma said as she
hesitated getting into position.  She relaxed her
guard after a moment.

	~She couldn't really be that upset I won't attack
her,~ Akane thought.

"Akane, if you want to stop this," Ranma said quietly,
staring down.  "I...I understand..."

	~I have to try this,~ Akane thought, getting into
stance.  "I'm ready, Ranma."  Ranma looked up at her
and sighed before returning to stance.

	"Okay," she said.  "Let's do this."  As usual, she
held back a few moments, watching Akane before she
attacked.

	~Come on, Akane,~ the dark-haired girl was thinking. 
~You used to do this all the time.~  Then Ranma was
zipping forward.  

Most people would have balked just at the speed and
suddenness of the charge, but Ranma had been training
with Akane for over a month now.  So she wasn't
surprised at all.  The fact that in a moment she would
be under a rain of blows too constant to do anything
at all encouraged her to instant action.

	~What the-?~ Ranma thought as she noticed how Akane
was moving.  Her eyes started to widen as she realized
something.  Then Akane's fist snapped into her face.

	Ranma, caught off balance for once, stumbled back to
the floor.  She blinked, wide-eyed and wondered at the
taste of blood in her mouth.  She glanced up as Akane
kneeled by her.

	"Oh, Ranma, I'm sorry," Akane said.  "Are you okay? 
They told me to-"

	"Akane," Ranma said quietly.

	"Ranma, I'm sorry," she repeated.  "I won't do it
again, okay?"  Akane was surprised as her spouse
smiled at her.

	"So you know what mistakes you made?" Ranma asked
calmly.

	"Umm, mistakes?" Akane said, surprised.

	"Look, Akane," Ranma said.  "As unprepared as I was,
I should still be lookin' at the back of my eyelids,
not just takin' that little tumble."

	"You're not upset at all?" Akane asked nervously. 
Ranma stopped smiling for a moment.

	"Pain's part of martial arts, Akane," Ranma said. 
"You have to always be ready.  I mean, look at this
just now.  You got a hit on me.  If I had pulled that
shit in a real fight, I'd be..." Ranma paused and
closed her eyes and continued quietly.  "I'd be outta
the fight, an' then anything could happen."

	"It's okay Ranma," Akane said, seeing Ranma's eyes
start to unfocus.  She reached an arm around her and
kissed the red head's forehead as was becoming her
custom.

	"I'm fine," Ranma said quietly, and then repeated it
more firmly.  "I'm fine, it's just a hole I gotta
fix."

	"It's a hole you only have against me," Akane said. 
Ranma shook her head.

	"If it's one place," Ranma said.  "It'll show up
somewhere else."

	"You're sure you're okay?" Akane asked again.

	"Yeah, I'm fine," Ranma reassured her, she looked
into Akane's face and smiled.  "Now let's try that
again."

	"I love you," Akane said, brushing Ranma's chin
lightly.

	"I love you, too," Ranma said, placing a light kiss
on Akane's lips.  Then she gave a quiet mischievous
smile.  "But you aren't gettin' outta this spar."

*********

	"Oh my," Kasumi said as Ranma and Akane walked back
into the room.  Well, Ranma walked, Akane, as usual
after training, was leaning on Ranma.  "What
happened?"

	"I got careless," Ranma said.  "An' Akane called me
on it."  

For once, they both seemed more relaxed after coming
back from the dojo as well.  Akane was wearing a
guilty, apologetic expression on her face that, oddly
enough, mirrored the one her spouse had worn when she
first truly spared Akane.  Kasumi and Nabiki gave her
approving looks upon hearing that she had actually
sparred against Ranma.

	"The bruise is already forming, Ranma," Kodachi
pointed out, fidgeting and uncertain how to look at
the situation.  She knew that Akane's continued
refusal to attack Ranma was beginning to wear the
red-head thin.  She also knew what Akane's temper was
like, and she wasn't certain if this wasn't a path
leading to trouble.

	"You should be more careful," Ryouga's mother said. 
"Or you could hurt each other."  

Hyunae frowned and thought about the situation.  They
were martial artists, and they seemed to have enjoyed
the spar for the most part.  She didn't know much
about Akane's history, having had her information
filtered through Ryouga while he was still obsessing
over her, nor was she a hundred percent certain what
the situation was.

	"That's why the training," Ranma said.  "So we don't
get hurt..."  A word was left unsaid as the redhead
helped Akane to the table.  Ranma sat next to Akane
rather than in her lap as had been usual, uncertain as
to how Ryouga's mother would take it.  Akane was only
somewhat confused for a moment before she figured it
out on her own.

	"Well," Kasumi said.  "I guess we should begin the
meal.  Itadakimas."

*********

 	Akane-kun looked down at Ranma.  The redhead and
snuggled up to him after their bedroom activities for
the night.  Now she was sleeping, and sleeping fairly
soundly.  The nightmares seemed to be fading off, and
apparently Ranma trusted her as much in male form as
in female form.  

He took a breath and carefully slipped out of the bed
to make a trip for the furu and some hot water.  Ranma
might have trusted him, but she still preferred Akane
to be a woman.  A preference Akane had absolutely no
problem with.  Akane usually tried to make this trip
quickly, Ranma's sleep was more prone to be uneasy
when she was alone, but at the moment she was a little
too sore from the sparring session.

	On thinking of that, Akane winced again.  Ranma was
developing an obvious black eye, and that fact
bothered him.  Ranma didn't seem to mind, she
definitely enjoyed that last spar a lot more than she
had been.  Then again, Ranma used to let Akane hit her
just whenever Akane felt like it.  Akane shivered,
perceiving the fine line he had to tread.

	~Never outside training and sparring,~ Akane
commanded herself.  ~Never even joke about it outside
of training.~  This wasn't about whether she thought
Ranma could handle him or not.  This was about Akane
becoming something Akane did not like.

	Akane returned herself to her normal body and limped
back to her and Ranma's room.  Maybe the extra
activity would cut down on how stiff she'd be
tomorrow, but she didn't think she'd be that lucky.

	"Don't..." Ranma was muttering as Akane came back
into the room.  "don' wanna go back..." Akane was
quickly back in the bed and holding Ranma.  "Not a
boy..."

	"Sssh," Akane whispered as she held the shaking
red-head, until Ranma calmed down.  "You're safe
here."  She didn't notice Kasumi closing the door
quietly from the hallway.

*********

	"What kind of man among men are you..." the figure
shouted as it tried to pull Ranma up from the ground. 
"Now you get back in there and train, boy!"

	"I don't wanna go back," Ranma shouted.

	"Who cares about want, boy?" the figure answered as
it pulled harder.  "They're waiting for you!"

	"I'm not a boy anymore!" Ranma protested, squinting
her eyes closed.  She was thinking of all those girls
and boys down in the pit, with their cat's eyes,
swishing tails, grasping hands, tongues and other
things.  She clung harder to the ground, shaking her
head.

	The pulling suddenly stopped and she felt instead a
soothing embrace, and heard Akane's voice.

	"Sssh," Akane said quietly.  "You're safe here."

	Ranma cautiously relaxed her grip, waiting for the
point in the dream where she was ripped out of Akane's
hands and thrown in the pit again.

	The throw never came, and Ranma remained in Akane's
arms until the dream faded to darkness.

*********

	"Ranma, Akane," Sayuri said approaching the couple's
lockers.  "I wish to apologiz...Ranma!  What happened
to you?"  Sayuri moved forward to look at the girl's
prominent black eye.  "Are you all right?"

	Ranma sighed, and frowned slightly as she collected
her books from her locker.  The people that would talk
to her had been doing that since she had come on
campus.  Treating her as if she was some fragile thing
that would come apart at any given moment.  Ranma had
to admit that a certain amount of that perception was
true, but when it came to physical injury, she was
still fine.

	"I'm fine," Ranma said, taking a step back.  People
crowding her was one of the things that she had never
liked and could no longer tolerate.  "I just got a
little careless in training, that's all."  

She knew better than to put Akane's name in the
situation at all.  For one thing, she could still
sense Akane's wincing whenever someone brought the
subject up.  For another, Ranma knew what the rumor
mill would do with the information that Akane had
given her that black eye.

	"You're okay then?" Sayuri asked, looking to Akane
for confirmation as Ranma nodded.  Akane scratched her
head nervously and shrugged.

	"She's says she's fine," Akane said.

	"I'm fine," Ranma said firmly, taking another step
away from Sayuri to Akane's side.  "Did you want
something?"

	"I just wanted to apologize," Sayuri said,
uncertainly.  "For how I acted before."

	"Yeah," Ranma said.  "That's okay, ya didn't know."

	"I saw you fall apart," Sayuri said.  "I should
have..."

	"I said it's okay," Ranma interrupted.

	"Maybe it's better if we talk about something else,"
Akane said, turning to see an angry looking Ukyou
coming their way.

	"Akane, can I speak to you a moment?" the chef said
grimly.  Sayuri swallowed nervously and backed away
from the scene as Ranma stepped in front of Akane
hands out.

	"It was a spar, Ukyou," Ranma protested quickly,
guessing what her friend was upset about.  "It was
just a spar.  I got careless, I got hit."

	"She DID hit you then," Ukyou snapped, glaring past
Ranma at Akane.  "I told you I'd be watching you,
Akane."

	"Ukyou, I..." Akane started and couldn't finish. 
Ukyou frowned and looked from Ranma, urging her to
back off, to the extremely guilty looking Akane.  She
gave Akane a quick once over and noted how stiffly the
other girl held herself.

	"Fine," Ukyou decided finally, and everybody breathed
a sigh of relief.  "But if I here you hit him even
once outside of training...I will make sure you feel
it.  I know your history, Akane."  She leveled a glare
at Akane and turned away from them.

	"Ukyou, come watch us, okay," Ranma said.  "You'll
see, there ain't nothing like that going on."  Ukyou
hesitated and thought for a moment.

	"Count on it, Sugar," Ukyou said, glaring at Akane
again.

	"She'll calm down, right?" Sayuri asked.

*********

	"So, Akane," the speaker was sitting to the
raven-haired girl's right.  "What were you doing when
you gave Ranma that eye?"  Akane glanced at the door. 
Ranma had left to go to the restroom, so at least she
wasn't there to hear it.

	"I was sparring," Akane said, she glanced toward
Ukyou nervously.  "Ranma left an opening I took it."

	"So what were you while you were 'sparring?'" the boy
asked.  "A man or a woman."

	"What are you talking about?" Akane asked, being
deliberately dense.

	"Come on Akane," the boy said.  "What other reason
would you have to get cursed to turn into a guy."

	"Listen you little toad," Akane said, standing up and
leaning over the boy.  "I was sparring.  I got a shot
in.  The reason I'm so sore today, is because Ranma
thought I wasn't putting enough power in my hits and
put me through the ropes to correct that.  What we do
and how we do it is none of your business!  And why
would you think a black eye would be part of that
anyway!?"

	Akane huffed and sat back down, then swallowed as she
noticed that all eyes were on her.  Ukyou was frowning
at her, though some of the inherent hostility was gone
now.

	~At least Ukyou doesn't look like she wants to kill
me now,~ Akane thought.  ~Maim maybe, but not kill.~

*********

	"Oh Ranma," a girl said as she entered the restroom. 
"Oh dear, I'd heard you were hit, but I didn't realize
it would be this bad."

	"This is nothing," Ranma said quietly, finishing
washing her hands.  "It'll be gone before I wake up
tomorrow."  It was already fading away actually.  She
watched the girl cautiously.

	"I thought Akane had more self-control," the girl
said 

She approached Ranma, regardless of the fact that
Ranma took a step back for each she took forward. 
Ranma stopped when she hit the wall, and the girl
moved forward to get a closer look.

	"What could you have possibly done that would deserve
this," the girl asked.  She started to reach out.

	"Don't touch me," Ranma said warningly, and then
slipped out from between the wall and the girl he was
talking to.  "I don't like to be crowded, okay?"

	"Oh, I'm sorry," the girl said, honestly apologetic. 
"Of course you don't, and you're such a tiny little
thing.  I didn't mean to scare you."  Ranma didn't
bother to refute the claim.  She didn't want to admit
it, but that had scared her.

	"And I was sparring with Akane," Ranma said.  "She
was holdin' back, okay?  I put her through more than
this little tap."

	"I'm very certain it was just an accident," the girl
said in a slow, patronizing manner.  Ranma narrowed
her eyes.

	"Akane hasn't even gotten mad at me for a while,"
Ranma said.  "She didn't hit me like you think."

	"Well," the girl said.  "Maybe once was an accident,
I guess.  But don't let yourself be a victim twice,
okay?"

	"I never let myself be a victim once!" Ranma shouted.
 "It's not something you let yourself become!"  She
emphasized the word "let" each time.  The red-head
glared at the girl and then left the room, trying to
keep the tears from escaping.

*********

	To varying degrees, the day continued like that. 
Akane receiving a mix of disapproval and curious
grilling, and Ranma tending to be patronized.  To make
matters worse, it was mostly people they didn't know
that felt like they could impose on the Saotome's
privacy.  

Not everybody was insulting, and only a few seemed to
be deliberately trying to push buttons.  Still it was
a very tiring day.

	"Sorry, Akane," Ranma said on the way home.  "I
didn't think there'd be much of a reaction."

	"It's not your fault," Akane said.  "It's all those
people digging around where they're not wanted."

	"It might be because I don't answer questions
anymore," Nabiki said, shrugging apologetically. 
"What about Ukyou?"

	"I think by the fifth jerk she'd stopped thinking I
was beating on Ranma," Akane said.  "But she was
rather intense there at first."

	"If Ukyou ever thought you were hurting me," Ranma
said sadly.  "You wouldn't have had a warning."  For
some reason that didn't make Akane feel better.

*********

	"Tendo dojo," Kasumi said into the phone after
picking it up.  "Oh, Auntie Saotome."  She glanced
around and turned back to the phone.

	"Ranma and Akane are in the dojo," Kasumi said. 
"Auntie, I need to talk to you before you speak to
Ranma.  There was a problem..."

*********

	"A problem?" Nodoka repeated.  She felt a sense of
dread as she listened to Kasumi on the other end.  "Oh
kami..."

	"What happened?" Soun asked from the side, Nodoka
covered the receiver and turned to Soun.

	"Ranma had to go to the hospital," she paused,
listening to Kasumi.  Nodoka gasped and covered her
mouth in shock, blood flowing away from her face. 
"Ranma...lost the baby?"

	Soun's face paled now as well.  He didn't know what
this meant for Ranma's curse, or any chance for future
children.

	"Is Ranma okay?" Nodoka asked shakily.

*********

	"She's as well as can be expected," Kasumi said. 
"Trying not to dwell on it."  The amount of grief in
Nodoka's voice eased some of Kasumi's misgivings about
Ranma's mother.

	"Auntie, that's another thing," Kasumi said.  "Ranma
isn't...male anymore...no...no...this isn't a matter
of Ranma's body."  She frowned as the phone was silent
for a moment.  "I think it was everything...but...I
would put a lot of the blame at your husband's feet."

	Kasumi waited for Nodoka to finish asking her
question before beginning.

	"I think," Kasumi started.  She looked around again. 
"Excuse me, I know that Genma's 'training' of your son
was clearly abusive.  Have you heard about the
Neko-Ken yet?"

*********

	"The Neko-Ken?" Nodoka asked, she saw Soun's
expression and braced herself to listen to what Kasumi
had to say.  As Kasumi described the Neko-Ken
training, Nodoka clutched tightly at her kimono, her
expression a mixture of murderous and dismayed.  "How
old was he when this happened?"

	"He was six," Soun said.  "We were told this story."

	"You knew about this!" Nodoka shouted at her
traveling companion.  "I can understand Kasumi not
doing anything, she's still just a girl!  But you!? 
You're an adult!"

*********

	"He's not the one that let her infant son sign a
seppuku pledge that he had no capability to
understand," Kasumi snapped into the phone, trying to
keep her voice down.

	Kasumi watched down the hallway for any sign of
someone coming down to listen to her end of the
conversation.  She blinked as she caught sight of
Nabiki sitting on the stairs and watching her.  Her
sister gave a signal to ignore her.

*********

	"I was young," Nodoka said.  "And I made a mistake. 
And I have been paying for it every day since." 
Nodoka straightened her back and firmed her mouth to
listen to more.  "Is that everything you have to tell
me?"

*********

	"You will not like this, Auntie," Kasumi warned. 
"But you have to understand the situation.  Genma
always referred to Ranma as 'boy'.  I have rarely
heard him use Ranma's name.  Any mistake Ranma makes
is a result of Ranma's incompetence.  Any success is
because of your husband's training.  He insults Ranma
constantly, any time Ranma does something Genma
doesn't approve of he accuses him of being weak, or a
girl, or both.  He steals Ranma's food, uses her as a
bargaining chip, and he used to wake her up by
throwing her out a window into the koi pond."

	Kasumi slumped against the wall, checking with Nabiki
who gave her an all-clear symbol.

	"I...I left it alone, Auntie," Kasumi said.  "I...was
afraid.  How do you handle something like that, and
Ranma didn't seem to be concerned about most of it.  I
decided...convinced myself, that it was legitimate
training, and some of it perhaps is.  And Auntie,
Ranma knows her father had a lot of...poor ideas, I
still don't think she would have reacted well to
trying to take her father away."

	Kasumi nodded.

	"Before, no matter what," Kasumi said.  "Genma always
pressured Ranma to get through his difficulties no
matter what.  This time...this time he ran away.  I
think Ranma sees that as proof she's a failure, and
with everything else...Auntie, she's lived through
much of what a woman can experience in the last three
months alone."

*********

	"I see," Nodoka said sadly.  "Has...Ranma told you
that...he doesn't wish to be a man any longer?"

*********

	"I've heard her talking in her sleep," Kasumi said.

*********

"You are not a psychiatrist, Kasumi," Nodoka said,
wiping her eyes.  "Your point is valid, but I will not
give up on my son yet."

*********

	"And if I'm correct, Auntie?" Kasumi asked sharply.

*********

	"Then my son is dead," Nodoka said softly.  "And I'll
endeavor to get to know my daughter.  I did not wait
ten years to see my...child's blood poured across the
floor.  Do you have any news for your father,
Kasumi-chan?  I think a need a moment to collect
myself."

*********

	"Nabiki is here, she can speak to Father," Kasumi
said, ignoring Nabiki's gesturing.  "I'll tell Akane
and Ranma that you are on the phone.  Hello, Father,
yes, here's Nabiki."  Kasumi carried the phone over to
Nabiki and handed her the receiver.

	"Thanks sis," Nabiki said dryly.  "Hello, Daddy, yes.
 Well, it's been...eventful."

	Kasumi sighed as she walked down the hallway towards
the dojo, she was surprised not to hear the sound of
Akane and Ranma sparring or running katas.  She
entered to see Ranma and Akane setting across from
each other, apparently meditating.

	Kasumi approached cautiously and gasped as she noted
a soft red aura around Ranma.  The two blinked at the
sound and looked up, Ranma smiled upon seeing Kasumi,
but the smile faded as he noticed the expression on
Kasumi's face.

	"Is something wrong, Kasumi?" Akane asked.

	"Ranma, what were you doing just now?" Kasumi asked. 
Ranma looked embarrassed and glanced up to the corner
of the room.  Akane gave Ranma a knowing smirk, to
which she shrugged in embarrassment.

	"Doc Tofu said I should learn to channel a different
emotion," Ranma said.  "So I don't use the Shi Shi
Hokodan by accident some time."

	"Oh," Kasumi said.  "I guess if Dr. Tofu suggested
it, that's not why I'm came though.  Auntie Saotome
and Father are on the phone."  Ranma and Akane perked
up at that, a nervous look in their eyes.

	"Did they find Pop?" Ranma asked.

	"No," Kasumi said.  "They did not.  But I believe
your mother wants to talk to you, and Father will
probably want to talk to you Akane."

*********

	"Daddy," Nabiki said in a cross tone of voice.  "The
cast comes off in a couple of days.  It'll be fine." 
Nabiki's head hung down in irritation.

*********

	"How did you break your collarbone," Soun asked
through his tears.  "Attacked?!!  Who dared attack my
babies."  Nodoka idly wondered what Soun's demon-head
technique accomplished through the phone.  Then it
deflated suddenly.

	"Oh, he's dead already," Soun said.

*********

	"Can we not talk about that any more?" Nabiki asked. 
"It's over, it's done with.  Daddy, I'll tell you
everything about it when you get home, okay?  You are
coming home now, right?"  Nabiki heard some chattering
and looked back to see Ranma and her sisters
approaching.

	"Akane and Ranma are coming to the phone," Nabiki
said.  "No, there hasn't been much in the way of good
news recently.  Are you sure?  Akane will have to give
her own bad news.  You promise you're not going to
overreact?  Now you promised Daddy.  Are you ready?"  

She didn't know why she was trying this, it hadn't
worked before.  

	"I'm having problems getting into Tokyo University. 
Daddy, you're overreacting.  I still have other
options," Nabiki waited for the question to be asked. 
"Harvard.  It's in the United States. 
Daddy...Daddy...It's a really good school...really
good.  I have a full scholarship there.  No I haven't
given up on Tokyo yet.  Ryouga's mother and this
police officer I know are going to help me."

	Nabiki grumbled a little and rolled her eyes.

	"I'm not dating Ryouga," Nabiki protested.  "I just
sort of do things with him.  And he helps me out when
I need it.  And...look, here's Akane..."  She handed
the phone to Akane.  "Have fun sis."

	"Great, he's already crying," Akane sighed as she
took the phone.

*********

	"Akane, please tell me that everything is okay with
you," Soun pleaded.  He stopped for a moment at
Akane's answer.  "What do you mean you can't do that."

	Nodoka watched as Soun burst out into a fresh spate
of tears.

	"Y...y...you're permanently cursed?" Soun gasped.

	"Soun," Nodoka said in a warning tone.  He looked
over and remembered that Nodoka was looking at the
possibility of a child that had completely and totally
changed mentally and physically.  Something a little
more severe than a basic Jusenkyo curse.

	"Is there any good news coming from home at all?"
Soun asked.

*********

	"Dr. Tofu is back in town," Akane said.  "And
Kasumi's been dating him.  I'd say that's good news." 
Kasumi flushed bright red.

	"Akane," Kasumi said quietly.

*********

	"Oooh, my baby girl is growing up and marrying a
doctor," Soun declared.

	"Soun," Nodoka said.  "Can you make an attempt not to
cry please.  Especially not for good news."

*********

	"Ranma's training me," Akane continued, ignoring
Kasumi's embarrassment.  "I'm getting a lot better. 
He makes me run katas, spars a lot, balance exercises.
 Normal stuff, just a lot of it.  No, he doesn't use
those methods at all."

	~What methods would those be,~ Ranma asked herself as
the conversation continued.  Ranma leaned in closer to
Akane, partially to hear what was being said on the
other line.

*********

	"Akane," Nodoka said, holding the phone and glaring
at the over-emotional Soun.  "Your father is a little
overwhelmed at the moment, can I speak to Ranma
please?"

*********

	"Oh, she's here," Akane said, she turned to look at
Ranma.  "Your mother wants to talk to you."	 Ranma
hesitantly took the phone as Akane held her.

	"Hello, Mom?" Ranma said shakily.

*********

	"Sssh," Nodoka said.  "Kasumi already told me, I just
want to know how you feel."  She listened to Ranma
talking on the other end.  Ranma sounded a lot better
than she had when Nodoka had left.  She still sounded
upset though.

	"I'm certain it wasn't your fault," Nodoka said.  "I
think I agree with Kasumi and Akane in this case.  It
happens to thousands of women every year, Ranma."

*********

	"We're trying again," Ranma said hesitantly, looking
up at Akane.  "Doc...Inohara, mom, not Tofu.  She's
my...gynecologist."  Ranma squinted her eyes closed.

*********

	Nodoka froze for a moment.

	"Go on, Ranma," Nodoka said finally.

*********

	"Yeah," Ranma said.  "Doc says I should be fine this
time, and Doc Tofu said he'd teach me some shiatsu to
make it easier.  I...want to try, but..." she glanced
up at Akane and around at her sisters.  "What do I
know about bein' a mother?  I can't even talk right."

*********

	"I'm sure you'll be a fine...parent," Nodoka said,
nearly choking.  "Just do your best, that's all you
can do.  And how is your relationship with Akane?"

*********

	"Akane's great," Ranma said.  "She's gettin' good at
the Art, an' she's helpin' me cook to.  Err...no mom,
she does okay in the kitchen.  I cook most of the
breakfasts an' Kasumi cooks most of the dinners, why? 
I...uh...wake up early a lot, an cookin' calms me
down, like katas.  An' this way I'm helpin' around the
house and not just layin' about like...Pop would. 
Have you heard anything 'bout him?"  

She sounded a little annoyed, but a little desperate
as well.  Kasumi sighed at the question, and Nabiki
shook her head.  Akane rubbed Ranma's shoulders
slightly, and the redhead looked up for a moment.

	"I don't know," Ranma said, shrugging.  "He's a jerk,
but I guess I miss him."  She frowned.  "How should I
know where he went to, he never told me where we were
goin' before, why should he now?"  Ranma took a deep
breath.  "Sorry mom, today was just irritating."

	Ranma fidgeted a little and glanced hesitantly around
at the other occupants of the room.

	"Some...people were asking me if I was okay to day,"
Ranma said.  "I got a little bruised in a spar with
Akane...it was a spar Mom, she found a hole in my
defense and pointed it out...that's what's supposed to
happen...you take Kendo doncha?"

"No that's not what was irritating," Ranma said. 
"These people, they talked like I was a kid...an' they
got close to me.  I don't think they knew what they
were doing."  She said that looking directly at Akane.
 "It just got me...upset, so I'm jumpy, okay?"

*********

	Nodoka frowned in thought as she continued talking to
Ranma.  Ranma wasn't using the feminine forms of
speech, but the topics of discussion and the emotions
backed up Kasumi's point.

	"You are teaching the Art now," Nodoka asked, hoping
to encourage some other line of discussion.  "Well,
there has to be a first student.  You mentioned that
the local doctor was going to be teaching you shiatsu,
but I don't see what...shiatsu is a martial art?  I'm
glad you're not letting yourself slip."

*********

	"The Art is what I'm good at, Mom," Ranma said.  "An'
I like it, I ain't gonna let myself slip.  I just got
more extra time 'cause I ain't fightin' all the time
anymore."  Ranma hesitated and looked at the clock for
a moment.  "Oh okay, yer comin' back?  How long? 
Okay, see you then I guess, you wanna talk to anybody
else?  Okay, bye."

	"Is that it?" Akane asked as Ranma hung up the phone.
 "Are they coming back?"

	"Yeah," Ranma said.  "They can't find Pop anywhere. 
He's being squirley as usual."  Ranma stayed quiet for
a moment before shrugging and shaking her head.  "Ah,
who needs 'im anyway."

	Ranma stepped away from Akane, still holding her
hand, and started back towards the dojo.  Nabiki shook
her head as they left the room and turned to Kasumi.

	"Sometimes Ranma confuses me," Nabiki said.  "How
could anyone miss such a pathetic waste of life?"

	"He's the only father Ranma's known," Kasumi said
simply.  

	"I understand that," Nabiki said.  "It's just
that...I guess I just don't understand."

"I am going to start dinner now," Kasumi said.  "It
should only be a short time before it is ready."

*********

	Ranma tapped her pencil on the desk in front of her,
thinking.  She was aware of the watchful looks that
Akane was directing her way, and turned momentarily to
give Akane a reassuring smile.  Then she turned back
to the paper in front of her.

	~Pop ain't comin' back,~ Ranma thought to herself. 
~So what?  I don't need 'im anyway.~  She jotted down
some notes as the teacher lectured, but she wasn't
entirely certain that the notes related to the lecture
at all.

	There were other things that needed to be taken care
of.  She couldn't control her father, but she could
control herself.  She hoped so anyway.  Ranma shook
her head and tried to concentrate on the teacher's
lecture.

	"Is something wrong here?" Ukyou asked after the
class ended and they were all waiting for the next
teacher to arrive.  She glanced at Akane cautiously.

	"Nah, I was just thinkin' that's all," Ranma said
quietly.

	"Thinking about what?" Ukyou asked.

	"Our parents are coming back in a couple of days,"
Akane said with mixed emotions.

	"Oh," Ukyou said, surprised.  "Did they find Genma?"
~And is there anything left of him?~  

	Ukyou was finding her decision not to fight any
longer strained lately.  She frowned at that thought. 
Konatsu and Kasumi were right, it seemed she was
starting to turn a little paranoid.

	"Nope," Ranma said, shaking her head.  "Pop ain't
comin' back."

	"Is that why you've been in a funk the last couple of
days?" Ukyou asked.  Ranma blinked and looked up to
see the same question on Akane's face.

	"I said it before," Ranma protested.  "What do I need
'im for?  He's a jerk, an' a moron."

	"Right," Ukyou said.  "And how's...training going?" 
Akane winced at that question.

	"It's going good," Ranma said.  "Right Akane?"

	"I'm improving tremendously," Akane said.  Ranma
nodded but didn't add anything to it.  "You still
haven't come by to watch."

	"You haven't seen me at least," Ukyou said.  She
realized that she was doing the same hostile thing
again, and sighed.  "Sorry, things have been confusing
for me recently."  Then the teacher walked in and they
had to return to their seats.  Akane glanced to Ranma,
who shrugged and shuffled in her seat.

*********

	"Okay, are we ready?" Akane asked, not really needing
the answer.  The red-head in front of her nodded as
she laid her hand over Akane's.

	They could feel it, coming and going.  Giving,
returning, growing as they embraced each other. 
Beyond Ranma's lingering hesitance and Akane's
tenderness and patience there was the tangible
sensation of a connection through which they exchanged
they're love and care for each other.

	"Slower, Akane," Ranma said, firmly, but gently
restraining Akane's hand so that it moved in a more
regular pattern.  "That's good," she said with a sigh
of relief.

	If they had wanted, either could have manifested
visible proof of their emotions through an aura. 
Neither did, it didn't seem necessary.  They didn't
need such proofs.

	"You're nervous about something," Akane said, as she
went with the correction Ranma's hold became a touch
again.

	Even the flow of chi that was exchanged was
superfluous to their realization.  Channeling their
chi under the sway of such emotions had definite
benefits for their health, easing small aches and
pains.  Revitalizing them.  But it wasn't necessary
either.

	"My appointment with Inohara is today," Ranma said. 
Akane nodded, she knew about that.  And she guessed
what was really bothering Ranma.

	"You'll be fine," Akane said, kissing the back of
Ranma's head.  Her hair was getting fairly long
recently, a wild red mane that caught the light like
fire.  

	They knew each other well.  They knew each other's
flaws and strengths, hopes and fears.  As Akane was
afraid that she'd hurt Ranma, even by accident.  They
knew when the other wished to talk about something,
and when they didn't.  As Ranma didn't want to talk
about her father.  They knew about these things, and
maybe they didn't always understand them, but they
accepted them.

	"Maybe we'll have some good news for Mom and
Tendo-san after today," Ranma suggested hopefully.

	There were times, like now, when they were close
together and moving almost in synch.  Times that they
could almost feel what the other was thinking.

	"You really want to go through with this don't you,"
Akane whispered.  "It isn't just a cure, you want to
have a baby."  She paused in her slicing and looked
down at her instructor and wife.

	"Yeah," Ranma said, flushing slightly.  "I said that
already."

	"I think I knew it already," Akane said in response. 
Ranma took a breath, considering the possibility that
this wouldn't remove the lock.

	"If..."

	"I love you," Akane whispered into her ear,
encircling her in a firm, gentle embrace.  "I'll
always love you."  Ranma smiled and crossed her arms
over Akane's.

	"Thank you, Akane," Ranma said, leaning back into
Akane and smiling warmly.

Notes: If you're wondering why I was sketchy about
what was going on with (in alphabetical order)
Kodachi, Konatsu/Ukyou, and Nabiki/Ryouga...its
because I already have in mind possible sequels
revolving around them (I already have a title for each
set of characters)...I don't know if I'll have time to
do it, but I'd like their story to be told in their
story and Akane/Ranma's to be told in their's...

Also, my goal in this story was to get Ranma and Akane
into a level of emotional stability, I feel I have
done that, and though there is a lot of story that I
could write, I have a feeling most of it is
predictable and at the point I am, I feel I'd have to
force the writing and that never comes out
well...there is a short epilogue that I will post
after this, I skip the entire second pregnancy, but
again...this story is about Ranma's recovery, not her
pregnancy...that might show up in the background of
the possible sequels (again, if I find time, I'm
starting a new, full-time, contract job in a foreign
country soon, time will be at a premium)...or someone
else can do a side-story if they want (I hope they
would pay the courtesy of showing me before they post
it though.)...anyway...otherwise...this fic is complete...

=====
"Caffeinated Kender?  What's that, a berserk spell?" - 
Tribble, Kender Warrior of the Celestial Kingdom
"God has to have a sense of humor, it's the only explanation for sex." - my father
"I have to write a how-to paper for class, so I'm writing a paper on how to be psuedo-evil." - my brother

http://members.aol.com/thrythlind/snake.html

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