The characters in this story belong to their respective creators and rights
holders.
Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Sailor Moon is the creation
of Naoko
Takeuchi. All original content is the creation of Samuel Phoenix.
Recognition is given to
John Sanchez for a small kick of inspiration that helped produce this story,
and to
Harold Ancell who has been a near constant source of input, information, and
ideas.

Awkward Consequences
Chapter 8: The Unexpected
PsyckoSama (syp104@psu.edu)
http://www.fanfic.net/~psyckosama/

Ranma gulped, and wiped his sweaty palms against his pants as he
entered the lobby. Here he was, entering a love hotel with a girl he
had only really known for a day. Of course, they had already had sex,
they were planning to wed, and she was carrying his child. The shit had
hit the fan, and he really couldn't say that he minded.

He slowly gazed upon his mate. Her dark pink flush perfectly accented
her severe coloration, making her look beautifully exotic, like the
descriptions of Snow White in those western fairy tales.

It looked like she was nervous. Whatever she wanted to tell him was
really weighing her down. She was afraid of rejection, of being alone.
She was trembling with fear, and he didn't like it one bit.

The beautiful young woman flushed an even deeper crimson when she
realized that Ranma's concerned gaze was upon her. Hotaru looked down
demurely and spoke softly. "Ranma, we need a room."

While obvious, this served to clear Ranma's clouded mind. His focus
quickly shifted from his blushing betrothed, to the lobby of this
secluded hotel.

The pink wallpaper, plaster cherubs, and the large, slightly faded
print of Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" were obvious attempts to cover
the patently cheap interior.

Decoration aside, the room was spartan, just a counter, two doors, a
key-rack, and a bloated swine of a man on a swivel chair, who was
currently entertaining himself with a "Tentacle High School" manga.

Ranma slowly walked over to the desk. With a nervous lump in his throat
he said, "Excuse me."

The fat manager slowly lowered his manga, looking somewhat perturbed by
the interruption. In a dull and somewhat disinterested tone he asked,
"Which room?"

Ranma slowly looked down at the counter. Under the plastic surface were
pictures of each of the rooms. He had never expected this to be so
impersonal... like ordering take out, but he could understand the need
for privacy.

As Ranma looked over the selection, he gagged. The selection of rooms
was colorfully themed, and some of them were extreme. This included a
Las Vegas themed room, complete with a massive heart shaped bed, like
ones he had seen in the movies, as well as an S&M room, the look of
which reminded him of Kodachi.

Quickly deciding on something plain, Ranma spoke up. "Err... Number
Twelve?"

"Rest or Stay?" asked the bloated attendant.

Ranma blinked, not understanding what the he meant. "What?"

The manager shook his head, and continued. "Rest means two hours, stay
means overnight. Rest or Stay?"

Ranma blushed and said, "Rest."

The man behind the counter slowly stood up, his chair giving a pained
squeal as his massive bulk shifted. Retrieving the key, he turned back
to Ranma and stretched out his hand. "4,000 yen."

Ranma dug into his pocket. Shifting through his lucky blue "Wombat Fury
Z" wallet, he withdrew four 1,000 yen bills and gave them to the
attendant.

The man quickly snatched up the money, and handed Ranma the key.

"Where is our room?"

The fat man cracked a smile and pointed to the door opposite the
entrance. "Other side of that door. Call if you need anything."

The two youths quickly left the lobby. The main hallway was a dull
pink that matched their faces. They quickly rushed into their room.

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

As soon as she entered, Hotaru looked around the room. She had thought
4,000 yen was a low price, and now she saw why. While immaculately
clean, it showed years of heavy wear.

The wallpaper was yellowed with age and cigarette smoke, the stereo
mixing board mounted above the bed was in a state of disrepair, there
were cigarette burns in the carpeting, and the room had a musty smell
that she didn't even *want* to try and identify.

There was a loud click behind her as Ranma made sure the door was
closed and securely locked. Turning his attention to Hotaru, Ranma
said, "So, what did you want to show me?"

Hotaru slowly opened her mouth, but then remembered a old rumor she had
heard the girls at school talking about, a rumor about love hotel rooms
holding hidden surprises. While she knew that was probably nothing more
than paranoid foolishness, it was best to be sure.

She slowly checked every possible nook and cranny of the room for
recording devices.

Her hands were sweaty, her heart was pounding in her chest, her stomach
was churning, she was almost paralyzed with dread. What would he think
of her once he knew the full truth? He would reject her. Cast her and
their child away like yesterday's trash. No one in their right mind
would *ever* want anything to do with someone like her.

Suddenly, Ranma, looking over her shoulder, spoke in her ear. "What are
you looking for?"

With a shrill cry, Hotaru jumped away.

Taking a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm her nerves, she said,
"Ranma, I'm checking for bugs and cameras... I've heard rumors that
some of these places secretly record you."

Ranma nodded, and checked around the room for a moment. "Room's clean,"
he stated.

Hotaru blinked. He seemed very sure of that. "How... How do you know?"

Ranma leaned against the wall and made that cute little "I'm the best"
grin that just turned Hotaru to jelly. "It's easy... My pop showed me
lots of ways ta spot cameras and bugs and stuff..." he paused for a
moment and cocked his head toward Hotaru. "So, what do you wanna show
me?"

Hotaru felt her knees go weak. There was no way out now, no turning
back. There was only the horrible truth behind her existence. Would
Ranma reject her because she was nothing more than the Death Star in a
mini-skirt?

Hotaru's breath slowly began to elevate, and her eyes started to
moisten as she thought. What would she do if he rejected her? She would
be more alone than ever! All alone in the world, with an innocent child
who would pay for her mistake! What kind of mother could she be? She
was a weapon, Harbinger of the Apocalypse.

Hyperventilating, and crying with dread Hotaru's knees gave out,
sending her falling onto the bed. How could some one as special as
Ranma ever care for her? He said she wasn't a freak, but he didn't
know! She was one! She *was* a...

"Hotaru!"

Hotaru was wrenched out of her thoughts by Ranma's shout. Her head
shifted towards him. He was shaking her. She was so lost in her own
self-doubt that she didn't even realize it, but what truly caught her
attention were his eyes. His beautiful blue-gray eyes, filled with
affection and concern.

Hotaru quickly calmed down. She could get lost in those depths.

"Hotaru-chan, are you okay?"

Hotaru smiled, and pulled him down into a deep, passionate kiss. The
simple emotional bond and the desire that the kiss conveyed lifted her
spirits. She could tell him. She had the strength. She just prayed that
he would not reject the truth, reject her.

As Hotaru broke off the kiss, Ranma pulled away, his eyes full of
confusion. Hotaru could sympathize. To someone who did not know the
history behind it, her family would seem very strange, especially
Setsuna, then he had to deal with her breaking down in front of him,
and to cap it all off, she just pulled him into a kiss. She could see
why he would be confused.

Ranma lifted himself from his rather precarious position on the bed,
and held his arm out to Hotaru. Accepting his invitation, she grasped
his limb and he pulled her to her feet. "Hotaru, what was that about?"

Hotaru winced as she felt her resolve weaken once again. "I'm... I am
afraid Ranma. I'm afraid that you'll reject me once you know the
*truth*."

Ranma's face twisted into a slight scowl and he stepped away. "Do ya
really think that I'll do that? You really think that little of me?"
With a sigh, he turned away from her.

As Ranma slowly walked away from her, Hotaru knees once again went weak
and once again tears slowly began to build up in her eyes. He was
wrong. She didn't think so little about him. It's that the truth is
just so big. It was a monolithic factor that shadowed her, damned her,
in her past life, and would do so again.

When he was about three meters from her Ranma stopped and turned
around. Hotaru's heart lifted when she saw his scowl had been replaced
by the roguish smile that Hotaru had quickly learned to love. "Ya don't
gotta worry! I gave ya my word, Hotaru, and Saotome Ranma always keeps
his word, and I don't run away either! Hotaru, I ain't gonna leave ya
over some bit of weirdness... So, you gonna show me this or what?"

She smiled. Somehow, Ranma knew exactly how to cheer her up, even when
she was at her worst. She was still nervous, but no longer as afraid...
"I'll show you Ranma... I think you should sit down for this."

Ranma nodded, and the two slowly traded positions as she walked toward
the center of the room, while Ranma returned to the bed as he was told.

Hotaru took a deep breath and summoned her Henshin Rod. She had to do
this now while she had the strength.

Ranma blinked as the small object appeared in her hand. "Hey, you know
hidden weapons style?"

Hotaru rolled he eyes. "No..."

Ranma blinked. "Err, Okay..."

This is it, acceptance or rejection... salvation or damnation. Hotaru
raised her transformation pen to the heavens.

"Saturn Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Hotaru vanished in a rainbow of energy as she embraced the power of her
destiny. Ranma watched as the woman he knew, and was growing to love
quickly transformed into her alternate identity.

As the corona of mystical energy faded Sailor Saturn was revealed. This
was the moment when her fate would be decided. In a weak, unsure voice,
she said, "Ranma, I'm Sailor Saturn."

Slowly she opened her eyes and glanced at her love, trying to determine
his emotions. She did not see what she expected. He had a nosebleed.

Ranma chucked and scratched his head. With a big, silly grin on his
face, he said, "Hotaru-chan, do you know you're naked when you do
that?"

Hotaru gawked blankly at him, and slowly rubbed under her nose.

Getting the point, Ranma did as well. When he felt blood, he quickly
wiped it clear. "Sorry 'bout that Hotaru, it's just that that
transformation is just, well, kinda erotic, and that costume is so...
sexy."

Hotaru stood in place, utterly dumbfounded, blushing a brighter shade
of scarlet than most would think physically possible.

The two stood in place for a moment or two, then Ranma spoke up. "So...
yer a Magic Girl. No prob' there...."

Hotaru shook her head. She looked him in the eyes, her heart pounding
and her knees weak. "I... I'm not just a... I'm not just a Magic Girl."
Tears slowly began to build up in her eyes, and she began to tremble as
she continued, "Ran... Ranma, I'm the Magic Girl... who can destroy a
planet in a moment.... "

He blinked, "What?"

"I am a weapon, Ranma. I can destroy the world if I want to. That was
why Sailor Saturn was created, to be a kind of twisted Mutually Assured
Destruction tool. I can end all life on Earth."

Ranma stood in place, dumbfounded by this news. Hotaru slowly began to
lose her balance as fear began to swell in her heart. So this was it.
She just knew it.

A after a long moment, Ranma opened his mouth and said, "Whoa..."

With building tears in her eyes, Hotaru quietly whispered, "Ranma...
please don't leave me..."

Hotaru's words were so low that no normal person could hear them, but
Ranma's senses were far from normal. "Why would I do somethin' stupid
like that?"

Hotaru jumped back with shock. He had heard her! In barely a whisper,
she said, "Because I'm only a weapon..."

Ranma sighed, and shook his head. "No, yer not. You're not a weapon...
yer just Hotaru."

"But..."

Ranma did not allow Hotaru to continue her sentence. "No buts, even if
ya turn into... whatever ya turn into, you're still you. It doesn't
matter one bit."

"Sailor Saturn... That makes ya a Sailor Senshi, right?" asked Ranma.

"Yes."

"Okay," replied Ranma. He paused for a moment, obviously deep in
thought. With her knees threatening to give way, Hotaru slowly shifted
her weight to the haft of her Silence Glaive.

Ranma scowled and looked her in the eyes, "Hotaru...."

So this was it, her rejection. He was going to cast her away, to damn
her to a eternity of loneliness. She clamped her eyes closed and tensed
up, trying to prepare herself as best she could for the crippling
emotional blow.

Paying no visible heed to Hotaru's reaction, Ranma continued, "If we're
gonna get married, then you gotta find a way to transform that doesn't
give everybody a free peep show."

Hotaru almost fell over and the Glaive slipped from her hand,
soundlessly bisecting the bedside table. She gawked at her lover,
taking a moment to regain her focus and her footing. "Ranma?"

The pigtailed youth blinked, "Err... Yeah Hotaru-chan?"

"Don't you... have anything else to say?" He was going to reject her,
she knew it. He *had* to. No one in their right mind would want someone
as pitiful and as dangerous as her.

"Not really, 'cept that's a really badass pole arm ya got there."

Hotaru chuckled to herself in total disbelief. She had told him that
she was a Senshi. She had told him that she could end all life on
Earth. He was not casting her away? He was only complaining about her
momentary nudity during her transformation? This was the big reaction
that she had feared!? It couldn't be! There is just no way in hell that
someone could take... *this* so easily!

How the hell could he be so casual about it? It... it was as if he had
somehow been expecting it, or didn't even care! She could blow up the
god damn planet, how could he not care about that?! She swallowed the
lump in her throat and asked him. "Ranma, how can you be so relaxed
about this?"

The pigtailed youth sighed and looked down, his face showing clouded
with sadness. "Hotaru, nothin's ever been easy for me. No matter what I
do or how hard I try, something is always gonna blow up in my face or
turn out weird. Why would this be any different?"

Hotaru's shoulders slowly dropped, and tears began to well up in her
eyes. "So you knew I was a freak all along..."

Ranma's eyes narrowed and he grabbed her by the shoulders, giving her a
firm shake. "No Hotaru, it wasn't you, it was me!  If any one here is a
freak, it's me! I turn into a goddamn girl! That's a lot worse then a
magic girl transformation, and I don't care if ya can destroy a planet!
That's old news ta me!"

Hotaru blinked. Old News? Was he serious? "What the hell do you mean by
that?"

Ranma shrugged. "It's a long story... a very long story... Anyways, I
didn't think yer a freak, and I still don't," Ranma paused for a moment
and backed off. "I just thought there would be something about you that
was just wasn't normal, because I don't do normal. It's just not in my
karma. I was expecting something like this."

She giggled, and looked him in the eyes. "So what kind of strangeness
were you expecting?"

Ranma shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe a Magic Girl, relative of some
world class martial artist, alien from another planet, android
catgirl... sure the planet killer bit was unexpected, but something
like that."

Hotaru cocked her head at his last example. "Android catgirl?"

"I guess you've never met Nuku-chan?"

"Nuku-chan?"

Ranma shrugged it off. "Another long story... I'll tell ya later."

"So you aren't going to abandon me? You don't think I'm a freak?"

Ranma nodded, "I've been saying that all along."

Hotaru smiled brightly. She hadn't given him enough credit, had she?
The truth was slowly starting to dawn on her. Ranma would not reject
her, no matter how weird and freakish her powers might be. He was too
kind a person... and far more jaded to the strange and unusual than any
human being should ever be. He didn't care if she was a Magic Girl. He
didn't care if she could end the world. He only cared that she was
Hotaru.

Slowly, she laid her glaive against the wall, and stepped up to her
beloved. With a smile on her face, she wrapped her arms around him, and
laid her head on his chest. Ranma's strong arms quickly encircled her
as she began to weep tears of joy.

Without removing her head for his chest, she said, "Ranma?"

"Yeah?" he asked, as he took a whiff of her floral scented hair.

"I... I was so lonely," she replied.

Ranma squeezed her tighter and replied, "So was I."

Hotaru's smiled relaxed as she lost herself in Ranma's arms. With a
sigh of contentment, she whispered, "I love you."

The two stood in each others arms for what felt like an eternity,
enjoying the bond that was growing between them. Slowly, Hotaru moved
her head from his chest and looked Ranma in the eyes. With an impish
smile on her face, she said, "Make love to me."

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

Ranma smiled and stared at the love hotel's ceiling. Well, he was
right. She was more energetic in her Senshi form, MUCH more energetic.

He smiled as he gazed upon her sleeping form. He always thought falling
asleep after sex was the guy's job, not the girl's. Oh well, whatever.
She sure looked peaceful when she slept, like she didn't have a problem
in the world. He envied her right now.

I love you. She said, "I love you". Ranma wished he could say the same
to her, but he couldn't. He couldn't lie to her like that. He really
didn't know if he did. You can't honestly say that you love someone if
you don't really know what love is in the first place.

Love... he didn't really know what it was. He never had any definite
experience with it, at least in the romantic sense! He had thought that
he loved Akane, but now he was not sure. He knew he loved Ucchan, or at
least used to, but that was as a friend and sibling.

He could be in love with her, then again he might not be. He sure as
hell knew he liked her. She treated him with about ten thousand times
the respect that his 'fianc�es' ever did.

His fianc�es. He better stop thinking of them like that. He had a
fianc�e, and that was Hotaru. She was carrying his child and would soon
be his wife. They just had to make it official.

Then what? Then what would he do? He would still have to deal with the
other fia... girls. If the way the way they blew *last* wedding up in
his face was any indication of things to come, this would not easy.

Ranma pounded his fist onto the bed, with a hiss of, "Damn it, why does
this have to be so hard?"

The blow sent a powerful tremor through the mattress. Next to him
Hotaru stirred, awoken by the impact.

Slowly, she turned over, still wearing elements of her Senshi uniform.
She slowly opened her eyes, and smiled when she saw him next to her.
Through a suppressed yawn, she said, "Hi."

Ranma blushed. Man, Hotaru was cute when she smiled. He had always
thought Akane's smile was cute, but it didn't even hold a candle to
Hotaru's. She looked even cuter with that Senshi tiara on. It made her
look like some kind of princess.

Ranma smiled and slowly stretched out his hand, following the rim of
the tiara then caressing her cheek.

Hotaru smiled brightly and took Ranma's hand in her own, snuggling
against it with her cheek. "I love you, Ranma."

Ranma sighed, and looked away. He wanted to tell her, to comfort her,
but there was no way he would say unless he was sure. He liked her too
much.

"Ranma, what's wrong?" Hotaru's smile vanished, and she looked down.
"Is it something I did?"

"No." replied Ranma. "I can't tell ya I love ya, 'cause I don't know if
I do."

"What?" Hotaru clamped her eyes shut, and rolled over.

Ranma silently cursed himself and his big mouth. He really needed to
shut up. "Hotaru, I..."

"No!" cried Hotaru and she turned over. Ranma really felt bad. She was
crying again. "Why, Ranma, why did you lie to me! How could I believe
that a man like you could like a freak like me?"

Ranma sighed, he'd really screwed the pooch this time. "Hotaru, listen
ta me, and listen ta me good." Hotaru began to open her mouth, but was
shushed by Ranma. "I said that I don't know if I love ya, not that I
don't like ya. Yer really cute, really nice, and ya treated me better
then almost anyone I've ever met!"

Hotaru's tears slowly ebbed, and with a confused look on her face, she
asked, "How can you not know?"

"I think I love ya... I know I like ya a lot, but really ain't exactly
sure what love is," he replied.

"What?"

"It... it's a long story Hotaru, and I'll explain it all later." Ranma
sighed and continued, "I said I like ya... and I'm gonna prove it."

Hotaru blinked. "How are you going to do that?"

Ranma turned over the edge of the bed and started digging around in
their discarded clothing. When he found what he was looking for, he
slowly pulled himself back onto the bed.

"Ranma, what's this about?" inquired Hotaru.

Ranma gulped, and with nervous hands presented the ring box. As he
opened it, he asked, "Hotaru, will ya marry me?"

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

Hotaru gasped, was he actually asking her? She knew they had talked
about it, she had chosen the ring, his buying it had been an even
bigger step, but she could not believe. It felt more dream then
reality. "Is... is this for real?"

Ranma smiled. "Yeah, though this feels pretty surreal to me too. I
never thought I would ask a girl to marry me."

Hotaru blinked. "Why not?"

Ranma sighed. "I thought I would be told who I was going to marry. I
didn't exactly have much choice back there..."

"Not like you have much of a choice here..." added Hotaru quietly. Her
pregnancy had forced their hand. They really had no other acceptable
choice.

Ranma shook his head. "I don't mind. You're a nice girl, a lot nicer
and more normal then the kinda girl I thought I'd marry."

Hotaru blinked. She'd been called more things than she would ever care
to remember, but normal was never one of them.

"Hotaru, I... I'm no good with this mushy stuff, but I like ya a lot."
Ranma smiled, and continued, "I'm gonna ask you this again. Will ya
marry me?"

Hotaru smiled and nodded, "Yes, Ranma. I will be your wife."

Ranma gulped, and slowly removed the ring from its protective casing.
Taking her left hand into his, he slowly slipped the ring onto her
finger.

Hotaru gazed upon the ring and smiled. They were engaged! So much had
happened to her in the last few days. First, she found out that she was
going to become a mother, and now she was going to become a wife. She
silently swore to herself that her children would grow up with the
happiness that she and Ranma both didn't have.

Hotaru glanced up at the clock, and sighed. It was noon. Their two
hours was almost up. "Ranma, it's time to leave."

He blinked, looked at the clock, then cursed. "Shit! We got less than
five minutes!"

"Oh no... Great, just great. There isn't nearly enough time for both of
us to clean up. You don't know what happened last time I came home
after having sex." Hotaru cursed.

"What happened?" inquired Ranma

Hotaru's eyes narrowed. "Don't ask... I don't want to talk about it."

"You know we're just wasting time... anyways I think this place has a
western style shower."

"What does that matter?" demanded Hotaru.

Ranma gave Hotaru a predatory smiled. "I'm sure that it'll be big
enough for two, and I've heard about some 'creative' uses for showers
from the guys at school."

Hotaru looked Ranma in the eyes, and returned the smile, "I'll wash
your back..."

"Sure thing..."

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

Ranma laughed as he and Hotaru exited the room. It felt good to be with
someone he liked. He had never felt this way about Akane, he was sure
of that.

Ranma opened the door to the lobby and laid the keys onto the counter,
and he and Hotaru continued towards the door.

As they were about to exit the lobby, the attendant coughed to get
their attention. "You're late. You're going to have to pay overtime."

Ranma blinked, and looked at the room's wall clock. "Come on! It was
only five minutes!"

The man behind the counter shook his head. "Five minutes or fifty, your
late... that'll be 2,500 yen for the additional hour."

"Fine..." grumbled Ranma as he paid the man.

With a sigh, he turned to Hotaru. "So, we have another hour, what now.
You want to..."

"Ranma, I would like to, but I'm hungry, I want you to meet my best
friend, and..." Hotaru blushed bright red in embarrassment. She moved
up to Ranma, and continued in a low voice, "I'm starting get a little
sore... much more of... 'it' and I will have problems walking..."

Ranma blushed as red as he fianc�e, and nodded. "Ahh... err... Okay,
Hotaru! That... sounds like a plan!"

Ranma opened the door and the two continued back onto the street. "I
want you to meet my friends too... My mom would love to meet ya, and if
we can hunt down the baka, I wanna introduce you to my best bud Ryo--
oh, shit!" Ranma exclaimed as they turned the corner that led out of
the alley way.

Hotaru's blood froze in her veins, and a big blank smile made its way
to her face. "Hi... Haruka-papa!"



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