project's out the way -- rushed putting that note out, and forgot I had  
swiped a synops from MicroWord -_-;  Full story below, in straight notebook  
format (the fancy text version's on fanfiction.net).  Comments, money  gifts, etc, 
send to _raemowse@aol.com_ (mailto:raemowse@aol.com) 
 
For Better or For Worst-Case Scenario
Chapter 3: Sex Lies on  Videotape
 
Nabiki's Room, After School
 
"So, when are you bringing your stuff up here, Ranma?" Nabiki asked as she  
walked through her room door, tossing her satchel onto her bed.
 
"In a minute," the inquired replied, remaining at the doorway.  He  wore a 
pensive look.  "Say, Nabiki…"
 
"Yes?"  She looked at Ranma, smiling a little.
 
That smile still made Ranma feel nervous.  She had been doing so since  they 
talked on the way home.  What on earth could make her be so happy  about their 
colossal mistake of a wedding, particularly since she was just as  desperate 
to get out of it as he was not a few hours ago?
 
"What?  Is there something on my face?" she asked, the smile not  
disappearing.
 
He realized he must have been staring hard at her, and quickly shook his  
head.  "Um, nothing.  Nevermind.  I'll just be a minute."
 
"Wait a second."
 
"Hmm?"
 
She looked at him  for a long moment, then said, "Could you stay away  for an 
hour?"
 
Eyebrow cocked in question, he puzzled briefly over her request.  "Uh,  sure. 
 I'll just be in the dojo if you need me."
 
"Thanks."  Her smile widened.  The Saotome son took this as a  sign to leave.
 
Quickly.
 
"I'll talk to Kasumi about drawing up a bath for you while you're  
practicing."
 
He grunted and nodded as he was turning away, only half hearing her; his  
mind was busy making an escape route.  The door closed behind him, and  Nabiki's 
expression dropped into a flat scowl.
 
"Oh, we'll have a nice little talk… dear sister…"  Shaking her head,  she 
went to her closet.  "But first…" She reached up to the top shelf,  pulling down 
a large, rectangular black case with silvery clasps.  "I need  to relax…"  
Thumbs popped up each tab, and she carefully opened the  container.
 
Nabiki's Room, Twenty Minutes Later
 
The case was closed back again, and she hefted the object onto her  shoulder, 
pushing it back up and onto the top shelf.  Once she made sure it  was 
secured, she wiped her forehead, smiling more genuinely.  "Mmm… I feel  sooo much 
better…"
 
Her features fell into the scowl from earlier.  Now, to talk to my  "beloved" 
sister…  Nabiki quickly changed out of her school uniform, opting  for a pair 
of jeans and a white tee shirt.  Once dressed, she left her  room, fully 
intent on "thanking" Kasumi for everything she had done.
 
She hadn't managed three steps when a surprise crested the top of the  stairs.
 
"Akane."
 
The young Tendo, still wearing her school uniform, looked directly at her  
slightly older sister. "Yes?"
 
Kasumi can wait, Nabiki thought to herself, taking advantage of the  
anger-induced steely resolve in order to talk to her little sister.  "Come,  let's 
talk for a moment."
 
"O… kay."  Puzzled, Akane went to her room door, opening it.   "Come in.  I 
was going to change out of my uniform."
 
Maintaining a cool composure, Nabiki strolled in.  Akane pulled up the  rear, 
closing the door behind her, then started to go to her closet to choose  
something different to wear.
 
"Why exactly did you organize that little celebration this morning?" Nabiki  
asked, sitting down on her sister's bed.
 
Akane paused, holding a red skirt and yellow blouse in hand.  "I  already 
told you," she said, turning to look at her.  "Kasumi thought it  would help me 
get past you and… Ranma's wedding."  She bit her lip,  choosing to look away 
from the brunette.
 
"Mm hmm.  And when did she mention this idea?"
 
"Last night after dinner.  You were still in your room.  Dad  wasn't the most 
thrilled about you not being present, but he could understand,  what with 
everything hitting our family all at once."
 
Nabiki had to admit she was a little surprised.  Her father, even  slightly 
concerned about her well-being…  When was the last time that  happened?  
Usually, it's "Oh, don't worry about Nabiki," "She can take care  of herself," or 
"She'll manage."
 
Filing away that thought, she continued on.  "So, Kasumi had this idea  for 
how long?"
 
Akane didn't answer right away, choosing to take a couple of steps closer  to 
her own blood.  "Nabiki, what's this about?" she more asked than  demanded, 
peering closer to the other girl.
 
Nabiki, for her own good, pushed away from her sister, swinging her legs  
over the corner of her bed, and standing up.  She was facing the wall  opposite 
of Akane.  "Kasumi's been playing us like fools…" she said under  her breath.
 
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on whose point of view is taken,  
Akane missed the comment.  "What did you say?"
 
Glancing over her shoulder, Nabiki simply said, "Nothing important.   I'll 
leave you alone now."
 
Still puzzled, Akane only nodded.  "Okay…"
 
The older sister didn't hear it.  She walked out of the youngest  girl's room 
and straight to the staircase, anger flaring up within her  mind.
 
Kasumi is going to pay…
 
Downstairs, the Kitchen
 
Kasumi selected a few nicely sized potatoes and carrots, setting the group  
beside the radishes, onions, a stout head of cabbage and a fair cut of pot 
roast  beef on the kitchen counter.  Humming to herself, she moved over to the  
utensils, picking up the wooden cutting board, well marked from where countless  
blades bit into the surface, then a brown handled chef's knife which she sat  
atop the last-mentioned object, tip and blade pointing away from her body.   
She paused long enough to grab hold of two metal containers to place the food 
in  once it was prepared.
 
After washing the food off, she was about to begin the meticulous work,  when 
Nabiki, pushed open the kitchen shutters aside.  "Kasumi, let's talk  about a 
few things."
 
"Can it wait?  I was about to begin cooking dinner."  She grabbed  the 
cabbage and brought it over to the cutting board.
 
The middle daughter fumed.  She didn't even bother turning around to  face 
her!  "It's been waiting far too long.  We talk.   Now."
 
The older woman paused, knife poised over her would-be produce  victim.  Then 
slowly she set the cutting utensil down and looked as her  younger, married 
sister.  "Please hurry.  Dinner will be late."
 
Nabiki blurted out.  "I don't give a damn about dinner!  My life  is more 
important!"
 
Understanding dawned on Kasumi.  "Oh, that…"
 
"Yes, that!"
 
She shrugged apologetically.  "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I am not very  
experienced in those matters.  I do hear some things, though so-"
 
The married one grew even more irate.  "Don't you dare try to dodge  the 
issue.  You know exactly what you've done, you manipulative little-"  Hastily she 
bit off the rest of the sentence and took a step back, upon seeing  the look 
on her sister's face.
 
It was very flat and neutral.  Like stone.
 
A minute passed, silence running amok in the kitchen.
 
"Well?"
 
Nabiki's jaw worked up the nerve to reply.  "W-Well, what?"
 
"Do you wish to finish was you were going to say?"
 
A chill ripped down the married woman's spine.  "F, forget about  it.  It's 
not important, anyway."
 
"Oh?"
 
"Yeah.  Forget about it already."
 
"All right."  Kasumi's face grew more expressive.  "Oh, my!   Dinner will be 
late if I don't get started on it."  She turned her back on  her sister and 
began chopping into the innocent vegetable before her.
 
For a minute, the homemaker peeled off, rolled, and chopped up the cabbage  
leaves.  Nabiki remained rooted to where she stood, not speaking, not  moving.  
Anger still warred inside of her, but it was tempered with  restraint… not 
fear.  She went off the wrong end, and she was promptly  admonished for her 
outburst.  Perfectly natural to happen, so she was  restraining herself, that's 
all.
 
Kasumi did not just scare the hell out of her.
 
The above-mentioned wove her voice into the staccato sounds of slicing and  
dicing.  "If you're wondering about the bet, the twenty-five thousand yen  was 
not placed on a whim."
 
Nabiki jerked out of her introspection.  "What did you say?"
 
"Really, I put up fifty thousand yen on the outcome of the wedding."
 
The brunette frowned.  "But your winning bet was-"
 
"I know that.  I had two bets made.  One for, one against."
 
Nabiki cocked an eyebrow in mild surprise.  "Really?  There was  no mention 
of someone hedging their bets."
 
"That's because I had asked Akane to place the 'Against' bet."
 
The married woman gaped at her older sister's back.  "You did  what?!"
 
Kasumi pushed the cabbage strips into a bowl, and grabbed one carrot,  
chopping it into several orange coins.  "I wanted her to believe that this  was just 
another plot to torment her and Ranma, as you have done so in the  past.  I 
had intended for her to have hope."
 
She pushed off one neatly chopped veggie into an awaiting bowl, and went  for 
another.  "I had also hoped your bookies would have mentioned her  placing 
the bet to you before the wedding.  In fact, I made sure she would  let each one 
know that she was placing it."  A quick shift, and more  carrots filled the 
container their brethren occupied.  "I was hoping you  would have come to your 
senses by that."
 
Nabiki felt sickened.  "No one said anything about it."
 
"Regardless, the money would have been made back if you two did not get  
married.  However, now that you have--"
 
=Ka-TUNK=
 
Though the blade must have chopped through the potato's flesh hard enough  to 
leave a noticeable deep groove in the cutting board, the married sister still 
 staggered back as though the kitchen knife was jammed through her body.
 
Kasumi paused.  "Oh, my."  She turned to look at her  sister.  "Could we talk 
another time?  With you distracting me, I  forgot to peel the potatoes."
 
"…Sure, sis.  Take your time."
 
She smiled.  "Thank you."  Turning back around, she began peeling  the victim 
of its tough skin, humming to herself with every whittle.
 
Nabiki slid out of the kitchen, keeping the kitchen doors within her vision  
until she had to leave the living room.  Not because she was afraid of her  
sister, she would note to herself.  She was just looking to see if anyone  else 
was listening in.
 
Kasumi did not just scare the hell out of her, again.
 
Nabiki's room, Upstairs
 
Ranma was just setting up his bed mat in the corner of the room again when  
Nabiki walked into the room wearing a none-too-happy face.  Upon seeing him  
looking at her, the young woman closed the door behind her and sat down upon her 
 bed.  Then she fixed a strange look on him for a few moments, not saying  
anything in that time.
 
"W-what?"  Nabiki's gaze made the normally cocky martial artist feel  like he 
was a bug under a magnifying glass.
 
She didn't say anything for a few seconds longer before replying.   "Ranma, 
do you ever get the feeling you're being used?"
 
He looked at her as though she grew another head.  "'Being  used'?  Coming 
from you?  Is this a trick question?"
 
"I mean by anyone else?"
 
He blinked in confusion.  She should have reacted to that in some  way.  
Vicious, overly kind while plotting something nasty, played it off  only to trip 
you up later, something that would imply she was going to get him  back for 
something.  She sounded almost… accepting of the offhand  accusation.
 
That unnerved him for reason he could not explain at the moment.
 
"Nabiki, you feeling okay?"
 
She frowned slightly.  "Not really, but that's not important.   Tell me what 
about our wedding do you remember."
 
"Huh?  What's bringing this up now?"
 
"Just tell me.  Do you remember anything different, someone telling  you 
something, overheard a rumor, something, anything?"
 
Ranma sat down on his bed mat, fixing a stare on his "wife."  "No…  What's 
going on?"
 
The brunette pursed her lips.  She should tell him about the role her  
"beloved" sister played in their wedding.  However, it would most likely  amount to 
a waste of breath, considering his track record with women.  In  Kasumi's 
case, she could turn aside a hardened murderer with a smile and an  offering of a 
few snacks; it would take less than that to topple Ranma onto her  side.
 
How can an older sister be so sweet and devious at the same time?
 
"Nothing," she finally said, shaking her head in frustration.  "I was  just 
checking out a few inquiries from the wedding."
 
"Oh…"  He thought for a second.  "Wait a sec.  Do they got  anything to do 
with me?"
 
Predator instincts arose, sensing a prime opportunity to alleviate some of  
her confused, foul mood of the last few minutes, At Ranma's expense, of course; 
 after all they were now married, which granted her exclusive grounds to make 
him  miserable anyway.  Not missing a beat, she feigned a sigh.  "Oh  nothing…
 just something about cameras and seeing… if you have sex as a  girl."
 
His eyes flew wide open.  "W-W-W-W-What?!"
 
"Like I said, it's nothing."  She pointedly studied her nails.
 
"Like hell it is!"  He sprang to his feet.  "I heard about sickos  putting 
little cameras in people's houses, spying on them when they're taking  their 
clothes off!"  Quickly, he started looking around the room.
 
Nabiki stifled a peel of laughter.  Playing on Ranma's imagination was  one 
thing, but watching him wind himself up on factual, though irrelevant,  
information was something else entirely.   "What are you doing,  Ranma-baby?"
 
He lifted up a couple of items in his immediate vicinity.  "Looking  for 
those little black cameras.  Hiroshi says they're about the size of a  500 yen 
coin, but they can see everything!"
 
Nabiki struggled to keep from laughing, but was quickly failing.  She  knew 
he'd be a good source of comedy relief, but watching him take such a  
bald-faced lie so seriously!  It was priceless!
 
He glanced over to her, and started getting upset.  "Geez,  Nabiki!  This 
ain't no laughing matter!  I got enough problems now,  and people peeking in on 
me ain't going to help me at all!"  He lifted up  the picture frames on her 
desk.
 
The brunette fell out laughing hard.  "Oh my god you're a riot!"   She rolled 
back and forth on her bed, trying to catch her breath.  "I'm  about to piss 
myself!  I can't believe you're such an-"
 
Ranma suddenly appeared before, his expression pensive, and thrust one hand  
a few inches shy of her face.  It took a few seconds but, all traces of  
laughter became extinct.
 
She was breathless again, but for different reasons.  "Someone put a  camera 
in my room."
 
He nodded numbly.  "Found it behind one of those pictures on your  desk."
 
"Someone put a camera in my room."  She was rigid with dread.   The feeling 
of having one's private sanction violated without knowing stripped  away all 
confidence and goodwill.
 
"Yeah...  It was facing your bed."
 
"Someone…" The cold pit in her stomach suddenly flared into a blistering  
inferno.  Her hands clenched into tight fists, teeth gritting hard enough  to 
crush rock.  "Someone is going to die."
 
Living Room, thirty minutes later
"…Mm hmm.  That's the  range?  Hmm… That's more than helpful.  Why am I 
asking?  …oh,  just looking into expanding my network, that's all.  No, you 
haven't done  anything wrong… yet.  Thanks, Mugi-baby.  Bye-bye."
 
Nabiki hung up the handset and looked over the information she scribbled  
down on the pad by the phone.  "Okay, Mugen says this camera model has a  radius 
of up to eight hundred feet from the receiver."
 
Ranma made a face.  "Eight hundred feet?  That could be just  about anywhere 
around here!"
 
She looked in the direction of the kitchen.  "…No, I don't think  so.  
Chances are, it's a lot closer than that."
 
He looked at her sideways.  "What makes you say that?"
 
"Call it a hunch.  If it was me trying to get some private shots of  someone, 
I'm get as close as I could without attracting attention, so I could  make 
sure nothing went wrong."
 
Ranma mulled that over in his mind for a few moments.  "I guess that  makes 
sense.  You would know better."
 
She responded with a look, but he was busying thinking about something with  
his arms folded across his chest, eyes on the floor.  Quirking one corner  of 
her lips, she walked to the front door.
 
Was this yet another Kasumi plot to get and keep her and Ranma  married?  A 
few days ago, the very thought would have been hysterically  funny at best.  
Now, she wasn't so sure.  While she was pretty sure  Kasumi wouldn't know what 
to do with a lot of electronic devices if you fed her  the instructions, that 
didn't rule her out entirely; after all, it turns out she  knows people that 
work for the health department.  Who's to say she doesn't  know someone in 
security, or a mischievous uber-techno geek?
 
She grounded her teeth in anger.  Just who the hell is her older  sister to 
try and control her life, anyway?  If she hadn't stuck her nose  in where it 
didn't belong, the marriage would never have happened.  Akane  and Ranma would 
be at each other's throats and making up at the same time right  now, no thanks 
to Kasumi.
 
"Dammit…" Nabiki muttered under her breath, closing the door behind  her.
 
Ranma looked up to see her disappear through the front door.  A quick  study 
of her posture as she left spoke louder than the phrase she barely spoke,  but 
he got both messages clearly.
 
"Huh… she's really pissed… not that I can blame her…"
 
"Hm?  Is there something wrong, son?"
 
Startled, Ranma turned around to face the owner of the voice.  "Ah,  no, Mr. 
Tendo, just-"
 
"It's Father, my son.  We're related now, so don't be so  formal."
 
The younger man scratched his hear in apology.  "Um, yeah…  Father.  It's 
going to take some getting used to, still."
 
"And we'll be here to support you and my precious daughter."
 
He seemed on the verge of breaking into a flood of tears, so Ranma hastily  
changed the subject.  "Ah, you seen something strange before the  wedding?"
 
"Hm?  What do you mean?"
 
"Just… Just anything that didn't look right.  Someone where they  shouldn't be
… Anything."
 
Soun scratched his chin, looking directly at his son-in-law.  "Is  there 
something I should be aware of going on?"
 
"Nabiki was wondering about something.  I… I don't know what it was,  
though."  It was partially the truth.  While he knew the "why" she was  looking for 
something, he didn't know the "what."
 
"Hmm…  Now that you mention it, there was one spooky-looking young man  
looking for the restroom."
 
Ranma's ears perked up a little.  "A spooky-looking guy?"
 
Soun nodded.  "Yes, appeared as though he doesn't sleep at  night.  He seemed 
as though he would soil his clothes and my floors at any  moment, the way he 
was shaking, so I quickly gave him directions and he rushed  off."
 
"Oh?"  That sounded kinda  like Hikaru Gosunguki, Ranma thought  to himself.  
"Well, do you remember anything else about him?"
 
Soun snorted.  "Of course there was more.  When he left, he had  accidentally 
dropped a funny-looking doll on the floor.  It looked like he  was sewing a 
red shirt and black pants onto it.  Pins were sticking into  the doll, probably 
to keep the cloth secured."  Remembering that, Soun  shook his head.  "It's a 
shame… a high school student, and he's playing  with dolls…"
 
Ranma, on the other hand, looked as though he just saw a ghost walk behind  
his father-in-law and give the young martial artist the finger.  "No  way…"
 
"Pardon me, Son?"
 
"Gotta go find Nabiki, Mr. Tendo!  Thanks for your help!"
 
"It's-" The Saotome son was long gone out the door when Soun started to  
speak.  "Nevermind…" His brows knitted together, forming a frown on his  face..  
"I wonder what that was really about…"
 
Nabiki's Room
"Repeat that again."
 
Nabiki was on her knees lifting up her bed mattress again, her alert and  
keen eyes searching for anything vaguely resembling hidden spy equipment.   
Having been violated in such an alien way, she was bound to leave no stone  
unturned.  In her case, every article of clothing she owned was strewn  across the 
room, the dwarves pulled out and stacked in one corner.  All her  books were 
left open, cascading across her desktop in a chaotic literary  spread.  
 
"I said, I think it might have been Gosunguki," Ranma said as he reviewed  
the dresser drawers and the dresser itself.  "He always has a camera with  him 
taking pictures of Akane when he thinks no one's looking."  
 
"True, Ranma."  Nabiki dropped the mattress down, then sat on one  corner of 
the bed.  "Which is exactly why that doesn't make a lot of  sense.  If he were 
that gutsy, he would have put the cameras in Akane's  room, not mine."
 
Each drawer was carefully inserted back into the dresser.  "Maybe he  got the 
rooms confused?"
 
Nabiki gave him a look.  "He'd have to be blind to miss the nameplates  on 
the doors."
 
He sighed.  "Look, that's the best I can think of.  If it's not  him, then 
we're stuck with no one else."
 
"Oh, there's always someone else…" Nabiki muttered ruefully.
 
"What did you say?"
 
She bit her lip, forgetting that Ranma has much better sensory perception  
than the regular guy on the street.  "Nothing.  Let's just say it is  Hikaru 
Gosunkugi.  First off, why would a spineless wimp like him do it in  the first 
place?"
 
Ranma shrugged. "Mr. Tendo did say he looked pretty shaken.  Maybe  someone 
was putting him up to it?"
 
"Possible.  He and Kuno did work together to expose your greatest  weakness 
once."
 
He shuddered, remembering the trap door fall into a pit of stray cats and  
one large lion.  "Don't even remind me of that incident."
 
Nabiki ignored his obvious discomfort.  "So, let's say he is, indeed  working 
for someone else.  Who?"
 
"Well, who'd be interested in videotaping us?"  She quickly cut of her  
for-now husband before he could open his mouth.  "Not counting  'sickos.'"  After a 
moment, she added.  "Well, excluding the ones we  know, anyway."
 
"I dunno.  Who'd want to watch someone else have sex, anyway?"
 
She perked an eyebrow in wonder at that comment.  "Boy, you've been  living a 
sheltered life.  Anyway, back to the matter at hand."
 
"Hey! What kind of-"
 
"I can't see," she said, cutting Ranma off again.  "How Kuno would  benefit 
from seeing me and you have sex."
 
"Maybe he's trying to blackmail you or something."
 
Nabiki snorted derisively.  "Hardly.  He doesn't have the brain  capacity to 
make that subtle a plan."
 
Ranma, on the other hand was leery.  "Are you sure about that?"
 
She gripped her teeth a little, before making herself unclench her  jaw.  
"Absolutely.  Besides, I have more dirt on him.  He  wouldn't dare take the 
chance."
 
He would have said something else, but the hard look in her eyes warned him  
off from progressing any farther down that line.  "So, who else would put  him 
up to it?"
 
Nabiki threw herself bodily backwards onto the piles of clothing burying  her 
bed.  Arms spread wide, feet dangling off the side, she stared at the  
ceiling for a few moments.  "I have no idea.  Let's go ask him."
 
Gosunkugi's Room
The pale, frail-looking boy with dark circles under his  eyes was busy poring 
over a science-fiction magazine.  "Mmm… power suit…"  he said, slouching at 
his desk.  "When I get that, I'm sure Akane  would-"
 
The sharp knock on his room door interrupted his budding fantasy.   Sighing 
heavily, Gosunkugi plopped the magazine down on his desk, and pushed  himself 
out of his seat.  He ran his fingers through his rumpled,  disheveled dark 
hair, mumbling just loud enough to be heard.  "What is it,  mom?" he asked, 
opening his room door.
 
He almost had a heart attack upon lighting his eyes on Ranma and  Nabiki.  
The former looked annoyed, but the latter was smiling, and Nabiki  Tendo - 
correction, Saotome - wearing a smile was never a good thing.   Quickly, he tried 
to close the door shut; however, with Ranma's foot in the way,  he may as well 
been trying to move a mountain with his nose.
 
"Gos-baby, it's been so long since I've last seen you!  How are you  doing?"
 
In response, he fell over his own feet trying to get back away from the  door.
 
"So clumsy…" Nabiki remarked, walking into the room with Ranma bodily  
barricading the door.  "You really need to be more careful.  You could  accidentally 
break a leg… an arm… knock your teeth out…"
 
"Gyah!"  The room owner quickly scrambled to the window and leapt to  freedom…
 or he might have, had it not been securely locked.  Furiously, he  clawed at 
the latch, nervous, frightened fingers trying their best to pull it  free.
 
A hand fell upon his shoulder, and he ceased all action.  Gosunkugi  broke 
out into a cold sweat, his knees knocking together.  "I, I, I don't  know 
anything!  J-Just leave me alone!"
 
"I dunno, Nabiki.  Seems like he knows plenty," Ranma lazily commented  from 
his position.
 
She pursed her lips, as if in deep thought.  "About video  surveillance?  You 
may be onto something."
 
Gosunkugi's eyes widened more in horror.  "N-No!  Please!"
 
The young woman slowly turned the terror-stricken youth around to face his  
company.  "Gos-baby," she softly purred as she reached into her pocket,  
producing the mini-camera with a small flourish.  "What can you tell me  about this?"
 
Gosunkugi's mouth opened and closed rapidly, but no intelligent sound came  
forth.  His eyes were wild, searching for some way out.
 
Ranma sighed loudly.  "Forget this, Nabiki; let's just beat the hell  out of 
him till he starts talking"
 
The subject of the would-be vicious pummeling squeaked, with his legs  giving 
way.  Nabiki let him fall bonelessly to the floor, then watching him  squirm 
and wriggle about like a worm after a rainstorm.  "D-Don't hurt  me!  I just-"
 
"Just what, Gos-baby?"  She folded her arms under her breasts,  smirking at 
the back of his head.  "Just wanted to see what's life like  being a voyeur?"
 
To her and Ranma's surprise, the sickly boy seemed genuinely disgusted with  
the idea.  "We just wanted to know if you were just tricking everyone into  
thinking you two got married!"
 
The brunette woman lightly coughed into her hand, hiding away part of her  
expression; her "husband" looked away entirely, a dour look evident on his  
profile.  "How do you mean, Gos-baby?"
 
His eyes stared up to his handlers.  "The odds you set up on your  wedding… 
No one thought much about the ten-to-one bet on you two tying the knot,  but 
someone heard that someone had placed a large bet on that longshot, and  well, 
everyone got suspicious."
 
Kasumi… Nabiki scowled, thinking what her sister had done.  Upon  seeing 
Gosunkugi shirk away from her little by little, she forced herself to  calm down.  
"Okay, okay, so where does this camera come into play?"
 
"Um, well, I heard some talking about their suspicions, and…"  He  shrank in 
on himself, before continuing on.  "I…  Ivolunteeredtospyonyoutwoformoney!"
 
There was a long pause of silence after that verbal rush.  Nabiki  stared 
hard at the cowering informant, her eyes practically boring though his  very 
being.  Ranma, for his part, looked like a deer caught in  headlights.  Gosunkugi 
cringed, trying to make himself as small a target as  possible.
 
"You sold us out?" she began, each word carefully measured and  weighed.  Not 
waiting for a response, she continued.  "First off, how  much did you take in 
to do this?"
 
The martial artist almost fell over.  "What the hell does that  matter?  He 
was spying on us that night we-"  Abruptly, he shut his  mouth, blushing a 
furious shade of scarlet.
 
"A little over fifteen thousand!  They pooled their money together and  gave 
it to me for copies!"
 
Now it was Nabiki's turn to almost fall over.  "Copies?!  You  made copies?!  
How many?!"
 
Gosunkugi wailed.  "I didn't!  I swear!  I didn't even look  at the whole 
thing!  I couldn't bring myself to watch it beyond you two  kissing!  Honest!  
I'm telling the truth!"
 
"Who else saw it with you?"
 
"No one!  Mom doesn't let my friends stay here past eight on a school  night!"
 
"Where is the-"
 
A sudden knock on the room door stole everyone's attention.  "Hikaru  dear, 
is everything all right in there?"
 
"Yes, Mrs. Gosunkugi," Nabiki smoothly said.  "We're just practicing  our 
lines for the school play."
 

A trace of disbelief wafted through the door with her words.  "You're  in the 
school play, Hikaru dear?"
 
A sharp kick into Gosunkugi's backside shook him into compliance.   "Y-Yes, 
mom.  School play… rehearsing for play…"
 
"How wonderful, dear!  Don't let me interrupt your practice,  then."  And on 
that, she left from the door.
 
Ranma looked at the door, then at Nabiki, clearly in a state of  disbelief.  
"I can't believe you just-"  Then he paused for a second,  and restated 
himself.  "On second thought, I can believe you just lied like  that as if it's 
nothing."
 
She gave him a sly smile.  "Flattery will get you everywhere, except  one 
place."  Then she refocused her attention on novice voyeur.  "Time  is short.  
Make a list of everyone who paid for a copy of the video, then  give me both 
that info and the tape, as well as the money you accepted for  it."
 
"I… I can give you the list and money… but not the tape…"
 
Nabiki gave him a look of disbelief.  "Oh, I think you can.   Blackmail tends 
to only make my husband very prone to random acts of  violence."  She looked 
up to Ranma, who was mouthing "Husband?" with a  shocked expression adorning 
his features.  "Care to give our friend a  demonstration?"
 
"No!  I would if I could… but… i-it's… gone…"
 
Sighing, she made a dismissive motion with her hand.  "Ranma, find out  who 
Gos-baby sold the tape to, then kill him."
 
Ranma looked around the room as if there was another guy with whom he just  
happened to share the same name.
 
Gosunkugi was too busy quavering in fear to notice.  "I swear I didn't  sell 
anything!  It was sitting in my VCR last night, but when I woke up  this 
morning, it was just gone!  I don't know what happened to it!   I'm telling you 
guys the truth!  Please don't kill me!  Please  don't!  Please!!"  He started to 
sob, bowing his face to the floor as  though he was trying to become one with 
it.
 
The newlywed couple both had to turn their heads; Ranma felt embarrassed,  
while Nabiki was openly disgusted.  "Just go get the money, Gos-baby.   And 
everything that came with the micro camera.  Reception unit box,  cables, 
everything.  And you tell anyone who comes inquiring that a martial  artist - he wore 
a mask, so you don't know who he was, but he could fly and burn  stuff just by 
touching it - caught wind of what was going on and destroyed  everything."  
She turned her face back to Gosunkugi once again, who was  still bowed and 
weeping.  "We will burn one tape and…"  Nabiki bit her  lip slightly before 
continuing.  "And the largest yen note of the lot, just  so you'll have proof.  Most 
likely, they will not pursue the issue beyond  your word.  Under no 
circumstances are you to let them know that we  know.  Is that understood?"
 
"Y-Yes, Nabiki."
 
"Good.  Now go do it."
 
Goodbye, power suit… Gosunkugi thought glumly as he weakly got up and did  
newly wedded woman's bidding.
 
Forty minutes later, On the way to the Tendo Residence
Nabiki read and  re-read the list of names Gosunkugi supplied her with as she 
and Ranma made  their way home.  "Surprisingly short.  Only four names, and 
all of  them I recall having some difficulties with in the past."
 
Ranma cut his eyes to his right, looking at her flatly.  "Gee, you  sound 
disappointed that not enough people hate you.  Trying to reach some  sort of 
quota or something?"
 
A small retort rose up in her mouth, but she pushed it back from leaving  the 
tip of her tongue.  "No, I was more thinking about who Gos-baby didn't  put 
on the list."
 
That comment got a raised eyebrow from her companion.  "Think he was  still 
holding out, even after all the hell you put him through?"
 
"Considering I just forced myself to burn a five thousand yen note, I'd say  
yes."  She shook herself, dispelling the memory of such handsome currency  
being swallowed up by cold, orange flames.  "Did you notice how crisp and  new 
the bill was?"
 
"Uh, no… I don't normally go into seizures over losing that wasn't mine in  
the first place."
 
'Oh, trust me.  It felt so sharp and crisp, just like it came straight  off 
the printing press."
 
The only response Ranma had was to roll his eyes.  "Ever think you're  just a 
little obsessed with money?"
 
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
 
His face fell.  "What planet you from?"
 
Nabiki smirked.  "Haven't you ever heard how people get money and are  able 
to keep it?"
 
"Don't spend it?"
 
"Heh.  That's a minor thing, but the true secret to acquiring loads of  money 
is very simple."
 
"Is that so?"
 
"Yep.  So simple and easy, most would never get it in a million  years."
 
"And that's… what?"
 
The brunette stopped walking, darting her eyes to and fro exaggeratedly, as  
if to spy hidden interlopers spying on them.  Then she took his arm, cupped  
her hand and drew to Ranma's ear, whispering softly.  "Love money," she  said, 
drawing out each word.
 
He blinked as he found himself coloring a little and hastily pulled  away.  
"Oh, o-okay.  Whatever you say."
 
She shook her head, mildly amused with his reaction.  "That's the one  thing 
I really want."  Her voice grew softer, quieter.  "To not have  money become 
an issue."
 
He didn't know how to respond to that, so he opted to keep his mouth  closed.
 
Realizing where her thoughts were straying, she snapped out of her  
reflection and looked at Ranma.  "You didn't hear that last part."
 
"Hear what?"
 
"Exactly."  She looked up at the sky, noting the clouds swelling more  and 
more with gray.  "Come on, it's going to rain shortly."
 
He didn't question the strange behaviors the middle Tendo girl-turned-his  
wife had just displayed.  Plus the lack of concern for the whereabouts of  the 
missing tape disturbed him.  Either Nabiki was some kind of closet  
exhibitionist, or something else was on her mind that took precedence over  everything 
else.  He just quickened his pace, wanting to avoid changing  into a girl 
needlessly.
 
He'd ask her about the tape again once they were home.
 
Tendo Residence
I can't believe I started talking about that, Nabiki  thought to herself, as 
she kicked off her shoes at the landing and jammed her  feet into her house 
slippers.  And with Ranma, of all people!  She  glanced off to her side, noting 
that Ranma seemed inattentive for the moment,  taking time to pull of his 
footwear.   This whole marriage situation  has definitely screwed me up.  Just 
focus on the present; reliving the past  isn't going to make that tape show up.
 
Entering the den, she caught her father's eye, who was approaching  her.  
"Ah, good.  You're home, daughter."
 
"Yeah, just got in, Daddy.  Something's up?"
 
He produced from his gi top a small brown package.  Upon lighting her  eyes 
on it, she sucked in a breath through her teeth.  "This was left at  the door, 
addressed to you."
 
"Thank you, Daddy." She quickly took the package from his fingers and  headed 
upstairs.
 
He smiled bemusedly, watching her practically fly up the stairwell.   "Just 
like when she was little.  Some things will never change."  The  patriarch 
glanced over to see Ranma  approaching the steps as well.   "Ranma, my son."
 
The youth paused in mid stride, turning his head to meet Soun's eyes.   
"Yeah, Mr Tendo?"
 
"Father.  It's Father, now."
 
Ranma sighed.  "Yeah, still gonna take some getting used to."
 
The older man nodded.  "Remember what we talked about  yesterday."  For added 
effect, he flexed one arms, pumping his fist in  front of his chest.  
""Don't' let misfortune befall my daughter… or  else."
 
The pigtail youth swallowed nervously, his mind on recent events.   "N-No 
sweat, Mis-"  He bit off the word in mid-speech, then spoke the  corrected 
version.  "I mean, Father."
 
At that, Soun beamed.  Very good, my son."  The older man headed  back into 
the living room.
 
Scratching his head at the odd turn of events, Ranma headed upstairs and  
turned the corner, approaching Nabiki's room.  He knocked once.  "Can  I come in?"
 
"It's your room, too, now," he heard Nabiki say through the door, sounding  
tired and beaten.  Curious, he walked in.
 
His eyes lighted upon her still form laying haplessly across her bed face  
up, her eyes closed as though she just passed on from the world.  Beside  her, 
brown wrapping paper carelessly torn apart laid, playing host to a black  video 
cassette tape.  It had no labels or writings of any kind adorning the  
plastic case.
 
Before he could ask about the tape, Nabiki asked.  "Am I really that  
horrible a person, Ranma?"
 
"Huh?"
 
She rose up into a sitting position, and patted a place beside her  
languidly.  She had not once opened her eyes, though.  He obliged her,  seating himself.
 
"Be honest with me here, Ranma.  Am I really such a bitch that people  would 
go out their way to make me suffer for it?"
 
He tried searching her face, but her eyes still had not opened.   "Well, I 
don't hate you or nothing.  You just… piss me off a lot and  stuff."
 
"Did you really want to be married to me?"
 
He gave her a weird look.  "Nabiki, what the hell are you going on  about?"
 
"I'm being serious.  Had you once thought about being married to me  before?"
 
Still leery of the extreme change that overcame his newly-made wife, Ranma  
got up.  "Dunno.  I don't really think a lot about what tomorrow's got  in 
store for me.  I just face up to it like any other day and not worry  about what's 
going to happen."
 
Nabiki was dead silent for a few moments.  "Now, I'm more afraid to  look at 
the tape."
 
"Why's that?"
 
Her eyes opened finally, and the amount of worry they held nearly drowned  
him.  "Because I'm pretty sure our wedding night's on that tape right  here."
 
Downstairs, The Living Room
They had eaten in silence at the dinner  table, each one lost in their own 
thoughts.  After the meal, Akane had  approached her, asking if something was 
wrong, but Nabiki waved her concern off,  citing marital adjustments.  She and 
Ranma had adjourned to their room for  the night.  The light was turned out, 
but no one slept.
 
Neither one wanted anyone in the family to see their lewd, drunken sexual  
acts on film.  Since Nabiki had neither a TV nor a VCR (a problem Nabiki  would 
quickly seek to correct as soon as possible), they waited until everyone  had 
retired to their own rooms and were thought to be soundly asleep.  Then  they 
stole from their room and down to the living room.  By then, the clock  read 
half past twelve.
 
They had to act quickly, view the tape, and confirm their worst  fears.  
Nabiki turned on the TV set, turning down the volume to a bare  minimum to avoid 
waking up her father, while Ranma popped the tape into the  VCR.  Every tiny 
noise made in the silent room sounded like gun shots, and  time slowed to a 
crawl.
 
Everything set up, Ranma pressed Play, and they hugged closely to the  screen 
to view their intoxicated passion play out before them.
 
What they got was an image of a smiling Kodachi Kuno waving a plain black  
tape in front of the camera.
 
Once Nabiki and Ranma overcame the shock, the tape was rewound a bit, and  
then played, this time, the volume turned up a little bit to hear what she was  
saying.
 
"Oh, hello, Nabiki.  I assume you did get my little present I left for  you.  
I'm sorry terribly sorry, I could not deliver something more suitable  for 
your wedding; it seems I was given the wrong location after all.  But,  lo, I 
discover I did not miss out on the real event after all.  After  overhearing my 
charmingly thoughtful brother request that dreadful pale boy with  the dolls 
to verify  the authenticity of your martial bliss, I could not  help but to 
inquire in the matter myself.  And that, my dear sneaky Nabiki,  is where I 
somehow wound up with this piece of matrimonial fun.  It's quite  naughty, I must 
say.  Gives me cause to blush furiously even as I made  copies.  I bet you 
would like to relive those moments, ne?"
 
Kodachi blows a kiss at the camera as her image fades out.  Then a  sudden 
burst of Nabiki clutching onto Ranma, sloppily kissing him on the mouth  and 
dipping down along his throat.  The groom, for his part, was fondling  her 
still-concealed bosom, his fingers pulling at the satiny fabric of her  wedding 
gown, groping for a zipper, or something.  Her hand drew up,  grabbing his crotch 
with a greedy hand and stroking him through his pants.
 
The lustful image cuts out again, fading in a blushing Kodachi.
 
"Just positively scandalous, wouldn't you agree, Nabiki?  It would be  every 
naughty pervert's dream to see you in such smutty action, of that, I'm  
positive.  And I hear from my brother that there are many of those kinds of  people 
that go to your school.  I simply can't imagine the teachers or my  father 
taking well to catching this kind of material in their fine student's  hands.  
Why, I'm certain they would go so far as to dismiss the author of  the tape.
 
"Of course now, if you were to end up taking yourself out of this beautiful  
bondage of love to Ranma-sama, I highly doubt anyone would be interested in  
viewing such a dirty, naughty pastime.  What says you?"
 
The screen goes black for a few moments before turning a bright blue.   The 
newlywed couple remained put for many minutes, one finally draping an arm  
around the other.  The power is eventually cut to the TV set and the video  tape 
retrieved before the VCR meets the same fate as its brethren.  Then  the duo of 
Ranma and Nabiki plodded back to their room, the gravity of their  reality 
threatening to obliterate them.

TBC
 
Adrian Moten

"When officials pursue personal interest and  thus oppress the common people, 
this above all is the beginning of the end for a  nation."

-Yagyu Munenori, The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War  

Art:_  http://goldenarms.deviantart.com/_ (http://goldenarms.deviantart.com/) 


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