[FFML] [Fanfic][R1/2] Family Secrets - Chapter 3

[Ignacio Moreno]

After a lil more of six months here is the third chapter. I hope that you
like it.


Disclaimers:

- Ranma belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

- This story is made for fun and is meant for the enjoyment of the fans.

- I have to thank JadeDragonHawk & Ranma-sama for revised this chapter.
Thank you very much.

- Please R&R.

- If anybody wants to be a pre reader and help me you only have to e-mail
me. I would be happy to accept. Thanks.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 03: Secrets Inside of Secrets.

There were a few hours left to dawn when Nodoka woke up. Half asleep, she
opened her eyes and looked around the room. This was in semi-darkness, and
the only thing that could be seen by the little light that came through the
curtains was the dark silhouette of the furniture.

After realizing that it was still night-time, Nodoka cuddled up to her
husband's soft fur and closed her eyes. While trying to get back to sleep,
she noticed a detail that her sleepy mind had overlooked. Quickly she opened
her eyes again and, after a moment to get used to the darkness, realized
that Ranma's futon was empty.

The surprise woke her completely.

Without wasting a second, she got up quietly trying not to wake her husband,
threw on the kimono that she had worn the previous day and left the room,
shutting the door behind her.

The corridor was only dimly lit by the light coming in from the street. In
spite of this, Nodoka had little trouble negotiating the gloom right to its
very end. Once there, she caught a glimpse of the small bathroom situated
next to the stairs; which, in the early hours of the morning, was just a
dark empty hole.

Fearing that Ranma could have run away, his mother stumbled down the stairs
while anxiety gnawed at her heart. No sooner had she reached the ground
floor than a light from the kitchen caught her attention. She headed there
with renewed hope, only to find silence. The light came from the small
window in the door on the other side of the room. With her heart pounding in
her chest, Nodoka opened the door and went out into the garden.

The Dojo with all its lights on lay in front of her. Through the closed
door, she could see a figure's shadow moving smoothly inside. The woman laid
her right hand on her chest and with great relief, let out her anxiety with
a sigh. Without further ado, she made her way to the Dojo, opened its doors
and entered. Just as she had supposed, Ranma was right in its centre
performing a complex series of katas. The sweat, which drenched his hair and
clothes, showed that he had been doing this for a long time. Although she
might have gone back to her futon with the tranquillity of knowing where her
son was, Nodoka stood beside the door. Ranma, for his part, didn't seem to
have noticed her arrival and continued his practice without stopping. After
a few minutes and without any sign to indicate that he would finish soon,
his mother decided to interrupt him.

"Ranma, what are you doing?"

"Training." the boy replied, without even losing a beat at the question's
suddenness.

"At this hour?" his mother asked, surprised.

"I couldn't sleep."

This answer wasn't a relief, since Ranma didn't usually have any trouble
sleeping, quite the opposite in fact.

Nodoka hadn't any doubt that yesterday's events were the reason for her
son's insomnia, but she felt lost whenever she attempted to get him to open
his heart and tell her his problems.

"How long have you been here?" she asked in an attempt to continue the
conversation.

"Since you fell asleep."

"Have you been here all night?"

"Yes."

Having overcome the initial shock, Nodoka's tone changed to one of a mother
worried about her offspring. "Ranma, you can't do this to yourself. You have
to rest!"

"It's my body! And I know it better than anyone!"

"True," she admitted reluctantly. "But sometimes I think you force yourself
too much."

The words came out without thinking and it expressed a fear that Nodoka
rarely allowed herself to enunciate with words. As a mother and wife of
martial artists, she knew that a continuous effort was needed to remain at
the highest level, but the fear of the consequences of such effort was also
there.

The young man's reaction to the innocent comment was immediate. He stopped
in the middle of a kata, and turned to look at his mother.

"What do you care what I do!?" was his angry question.

"Of course I care about it! I'm your mother and..."

"Bullshit!" the young man cut her short with a scream. "You're not my
mother!"

Nodoka stepped back, as if the exclamation had hit her physically. For a
moment she didn't answer, but when she did, her voice was a strange mixture
of anger and grief.

"It's true that I'm not your biological mother, only your adoptive mother,"
she said, emphasizing both adjectives. "But, even so, I am still your mother
and I love you."

"Bullshit!" he screamed again. "No one can love me!"

If it hadn't been for the mistaken perception of manhood that Genma had
taught to Ranma, he would have already burst into tears. At that moment, all
that contained his tears was the false belief that men don't cry.

"How could you say those things, Ranma?" Nodoka asked with genuine
incredulity. "Of course there are people who love you! Me for example, the
Tendos, your friends... Even Genma loves you in his own way."

Ranma looked at his mother and asked pathetically:

"How could anyone love me, if I was abandoned by my own mother?"

Ranma's words were a revelation to Nodoka. His attitude and behaviour were
crystal clear.

Once Ranma had come to terms with his adoption, it was only logical that he
would wonder about the reasons behind it. Since the bond between a mother
and a son is one of the strongest in the world, what could be his mother's
reasons for abandoning him? The simplest answer was that she didn't love
him, and, if his mother hadn't loved him, how could he love himself? How
could anyone love him?

Nodoka did not respond, just walked over to her son and, before he could
react and move away, hugged him against her body. Ranma took a moment of
indecision to put his muscular arms around his mother's body and, already
sheltered in her embrace, start to cry.

His mother watched the confused teen in silence, while his tears moistened
her kimono uncomfortably. Feeling the need to say something, she started
speaking with a slow and soft voice; barely more than a whisper.

"Don't think that your mother abandoned you when she left you to my care. I
know that she did it only with the best in mind for you and your future."

"That is only a supposition," Ranma reproached her between sobs. "You
couldn't know it for sure."

Despite the situation, Nodoka couldn't help a malicious grin crossing her
face.

"I know, because she told me so."

This response cut short Ranma's cries, and he raised his head to watch her
mother with tearful eyes.

"How?" was all that he managed to articulate.

"Do you think that when she brought you, I just said: "OK, leave him
there?"" she replied wryly.

Her child's face was enough to confirm that her words weren't far from the
scene that he had imagined.

"No, course not!" she was forced to confirm. "At first I refused and I
reproached her for wanting to abandon you..." Nodoka stopped.

The expression on Ranma's face, eager for information, was painfully intense
but understandable. He had the right to know what had happened that night,
and a short summary would not be enough to dispel his confusion and doubts.
His interlocutor not only recognized this right of the adolescent, but knew
that the only one who could satisfy it was herself. With that in mind, she
went on talking.

"I think I'd be better off telling you everything from the beginning."

Ranma nodded vehemently.

"I'll tell you what we are going to do. Go take a bath and change your
clothes, while I make a cup of tea. When you finish, come here and I will
tell you everything while we drink a relaxing cup of tea."

"Here?"

Nodoka looked around before answering. "Yeah, why not? Bearing in mind how
late it is this is the best place to not disturb anyone."

Ranma nodded and ran out of the Dojo. His desire to know what had happened
were so great that, despite his fatigue, he would have climbed Mount Fuji if
anybody had assured him that the answers lay in the crater.

Once alone, Nodoka dried a tear with the back of her hand.

She had not realized it until now, when she listened to her own words. If
her sister had entrusted her with Ranma's care, then Nodoka had failed both
of them completely.

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

The tea was ready when Ranma came back to the Dojo.

Nodoka stopped removing the liquid for a moment to ask him to sit. Ranma
obeyed without a comment, while his mother served the tea in two cups and
passed one to him.

Finished with the preparations, Nodoka kept quiet while she rescued the
memories of that day from the depths of her mind and ordered them
consistently.

It was just a few seconds, but to Ranma it seemed like an eternity.

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

Bored, Nodoka was watching the television, when a yawn surprised her.
Deciding it was a good time to go to bed; she got up slowly and turned off
the TV. After a quick glance into the room to check that everything was more
or less in order, she wrapped herself in her kimono and set about turning
off the lights.

Then a knock sounded at the house's main door.

She turned to the door surprised, since she hadn't been expecting anyone. It
was too late for any of her friends to come to visit and more than a month
remained until Genma returned from his training trip.

How long had he been gone? She didn't know for sure but it seemed like an
eternity, and she was looking forward to the day of his return.

She understood that the trips were necessary to meet new teachers and learn
new techniques, but she couldn't get used to the loneliness. Moreover she
didn't like his new teacher. Genma appeared to have high hopes for him but,
despite not knowing him, Nodoka felt he was changing Genma.

New stronger knocks shook her back to reality. She advanced cautiously
towards the door and, once there, asked with a trembling voice:

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Emu," a voice said quietly. "Open the door, please."

Although Nodoka hadn't heard it in years, she immediately recognized the
voice and the name of her older sister.

With her heart pounding in the chest and a sweaty hand, she opened the door.

At the other side, silhouetted against the lights of the street, there was
an attractive young woman with long black hair, dressed in an elegant
Western-style suit. Her resemblance to Nodoka was so obvious that wearing
glasses or stylistic choices couldn't hide it.

She acknowledged the presence of the house's lady with a smile.

"Emu! Long time no see!"

Nodoka's greeting caused her visitor to turn her head quickly to check if
there was anybody on the street; as if she was afraid that someone would
hear it, but the hostess didn't notice such a strange reaction. She was
caught up in the excitement of seeing her sister again.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Emu asked politely, but with a hint of haste.

"Absolutely not." And moving a little away, she added: "Please, come in."

"Sorry for my intrusion."

Emu entered to the hall and took off her shoes, while her sister locked the
front door. Once ready, Nodoka guided her to the lounge, where she was
invited to sit.

"Do you want a drink? I can prepare a pot of tea, if you want."

"No, thanks."

"Ok."

After playing the role of a good hostess, Nodoka sat across the table in
front of her sister.

"To be honest, I didn't expect that, after so many years, you'd knock on my
door."

"What's strange about my visiting my sister?"

"Nothing, just that I didn't expect you after all these years."

"Part of the blame is yours," Emu reproached her gently. "It wouldn't have
been so hard to find you, if you hadn't changed your surname."

"What else could I do?" Nodoka replied irritated. "Don't you remember that
Dad expelled me from the family, because I wanted marry Genma?"

"Sorry," her sister said ruefully. "It wasn't my intention..."

Nodoka cut off her apology with a hand gesture.

"Let bygones be bygones. And since you mentioned him, tell me: How is Dad?"

Emu hesitated before answering.

Of all the questions that Nodoka could ask, Emu feared this one the most.
But her sister had the right to know the truth.

"He died just two months after you left."

The answer came as a surprise to Nodoka, who always had assumed that the
stubborn old man would bury all of them.

Despite all the years passed, she could still remember his face contorted
with anger, when she told him that she wanted to marry Genma and during the
subsequent discussion. That was the last time she had talked to him. That
night she ran away from home and eloped with her boyfriend away from the
parental impositions. Now, his death had carried away any possibility of
reconciliation... Whom was she trying to fool? It was impossible that they
would have been able to reconcile in life! Both were too stubborn to let
their arm be twisted. Nodoka was honest enough with herself to admit that,
probably, she wouldn't have gone to the funeral even if she had been
notified. Two months had not been enough to cool down her resentment enough
to take advantage of the last opportunity to see him. But she needed to know
the reason that she hadn't been told at that time.

She stared at her older sister and asked.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't!" her sister said defensively. "Dad made me promise that I
wouldn't say anything. Since both of you argued and... You eloped from home;
he kept repeating that he had only one daughter. I'm sorry Nodoka."

But her sister was no longer listening.

She hadn't cared that her father had thrown her out of the house and
disinherited her, but to know that he no longer considered her as a daughter
had hurt more than she would have thought possible.

Trying to hide her pain, she took refuge in sarcasm.

"How lucky for you! This way you don't have to divide the inheritance with
anyone!"

Perhaps because she knew her sister well, perhaps because she understood her
mood, Emu didn't get angry by Nodoka's words.

"Do you think I prefer the money to my own sister?" was her calm and
measured response.

Realizing what she had said, Nodoka tried to apologize while a blush
coloured her features in shame.

"Sorry. When I heard that Dad... Excuse me; I didn't think what I was
saying."

Nodding, her older sister accepted the apology.

"There isn't really so much left after paying for the funeral and
everything, only the house and a pension. But if you want, I have no problem
sharing it with you."

"There's no need," Nodoka said. "You can have everything as he wanted.
Compared to the mansion, this isn't a big deal," her hand made a wide arc
indicating the humble home, "but it's enough for Genma and me. I don't need
anything more, especially now that we have been reunited."

At these words, Emu looked down ashamed.

"Is something wrong?" Nodoka asked noticing her sister's strange behaviour.

She, unable to bear Nodoka's gaze, kept her eyes fixed on the table between
them.

"I am glad to see you too, but the real reason of my visit is more selfish.
I need to ask you a favour."

Emu hesitated a moment before continuing. She feared that Nodoka would be
offended at learning the real reason of her visit. However, the latter was
only thinking of how she could repair the insult she had inflicted on her
sister.

"If I can, I'll do it. That's what sisters are for!"

Her words drew a small smile from Emu, which faded quickly.

"You must know that I had a child less than a week ..."

"Congratulations!" Nodoka cut her off with great joy. "Why didn't you tell
me before?"

Her happiness, though genuine, was not enough to clear the cloud of concern
that covered her sister.

"Thanks," she said without much emotion before continuing. "The truth is
that some...problems have cropped up, and I need to ask you to take care of
him."

Nodoka, who wanted a child of her own, responded without hesitation.

"You don't have to ask. Of course I will do it! I have no problem in taking
care of him any time."

"I don't think I explained myself very well. What I am asking is for you to
be his mother."

Her sister looked at her blankly.

"I know that we're a lot alike. But, don't you think that he'll notice it?"
Nodoka quipped.

Didn't she understand it or didn't she want to? Doubt assaulted Emu who,
nevertheless, had to admit that she hadn't explained herself clearly. But
how could she put it bluntly, when it hurt so much just thinking the words?
What she was going to do was something that no mother should allow, but she
had to do it for the sake of her child. It was the right thing to do; but it
didn't make it easier!

She had taken the decision after learning she was pregnant and for nine
months she had prepared herself for this.

It had been for nothing.

The grief she felt was too strong to mitigate.

Emu took a deep breath.

She had to focus. This wasn't the time for doubt. It was time to gather all
the willpower she had been amassing, and say the right words, despite the
pain that gripped her heart. In a show of force, Emu raised her head and
looked at her sister with eyes that seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"What I am asking is that you adopt and take care of him."

"That I adopt him? Your son?" Nodoka said unable to hide her surprise.

Emu nodded.

For a moment her sister was speechless as her mind refused to believe what
her ears were telling her. When she finally surrendered to the evidence, her
answer was instantaneous.

"No! If you didn't want him, you should have taken precautions or had an
abortion. And I was supposed to be the irresponsible sister!"

The suddenness of her reply wasn't typical of Nodoka, but she was too angry
to worry about being polite.

How dared her sister even suggest such a thing? How could she be so selfish?
For her who wanted, but couldn't have, children, the lack of concern with
which her sister wanted to abandon hers was hurtful. And she didn't even
have the decency to be embarrassed for suggesting it!

Nodoka's refusal and reproach didn't seem to affect her sister, who remained
silent until Nodoka calmed down enough to listen again.

When Emu spoke, her voice was slightly irritated.

"And why do you suppose that I wouldn't want him?"

"Then why are you going to abandon him?" Nodoka asked incredulously, her
voice slightly higher than necessary.

"Do you think that I want do it? Having him is the best thing that's ever
happened to me, and I would love to watch him grow up, but that would be
selfish of me. The best thing for him is to live with a normal family."

"What you are saying doesn't make any sense! How can it be selfish to take
care of your own child?"

"It is, if you know that he will be in danger while both of you are
together!"

Emu stopped abruptly, afraid she had said too much.

Her last words aroused her sister's imagination, and the scene that her mind
showed wasn't pleasant.

"Oh my God! " she said visibly upset. "Have you had any problems with the
father of your son? Did he threaten you?"

"No," Emu responded with genuine surprise.

"Did he hit you?"

"No!" said her sister, shaking her head. "It has nothing to do with what
you're thinking."

Nodoka was getting tired of playing a guessing game. "If it is not what I'm
thinking, then tell me what it is!" she demanded strongly. "What problems do
you have to think that your child would be better off with me than with his
birth mother?"

Emu had hoped that it wouldn't necessary to give too many explanations, but
she was realistic enough to know that no one would take care of a child just
like that. And now, faced with a direct question, there was no possibility
of postponing the answers any longer. She sighed with resignation.

However...

"Sorry, but I can't tell you," she said softly but firmly.

"You can't or you won't?"

"I can't!"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"That's a lie!" Nodoka exploded. "It's a lie that you can't tell me! Say
that you don't want to!"

"You don't understand!"

"Well, explain it!"

The cry was followed by silence. Both sisters, realizing that their
conversation had degenerated into a shouting match, remained staring each
other wordlessly.

Of the two, Nodoka was the one that looked calmer. With a straight face,
eyes fixed on her sister, tried to find a way to convince Emu to abandon her
idea. She, in turn, seemed indecisive and hesitant. She lifted her head to
look at Nodoka, only to turn it away a moment later. She opened her mouth to
say something but closed it again without pronouncing a word. Sometimes, the
onset of a sound escaped from her lips, before the struggle that was going
on in her mind cut it.

But no fight lasts forever.

After a few agonizing minutes, she managed to exclaim in a pleading voice:

"Please Nodoka! Don't make it harder than it already is!"

Nodoka, deep in thought, didn't answer.

Interpreting her silence as a denial of her request, Emu began to stand up
and leave the table.

"I see you've already made your decision. Sorry to bother you."

She had barely stood up, when her sister reacted and raised her arm.

"Wait!"

Nodoka looked up and their eyes met again.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. I really don't know."

"Are you going to send him to an orphanage?"

The silence was more eloquent than any reply.

Nodoka sighed with resignation.

"All right! I'll take care of your baby."

"Thanks." Emu said simply.

Her voice showed no joy, because, despite gaining her sister's acceptance,
she really had no reason to rejoice. All she wanted was to end this once and
for all, and let time ease the pain of her heart.

There was only one last detail.

"Do you mind if I bring him here now?"

The suggestion caught Nodoka by surprise.

"Now? You mean right now?"

"Yes."

"Oh, uh, well, I guess."

"Thanks!" Emu said, while showed her appreciation with a slight nod.

Nodoka watched silently at her sister leaving the room. Moments later she
heard the front door opening and then closing again.

If at that moment someone had asked Nodoka about her strange change of mind,
she would have denied it. She kept thinking that what her sister was doing
was wrong, but she had decided to accept for two reasons.

Firstly, it was preferable that she adopt her sister's son rather than have
Emu send him to an orphanage. At least this way, the boy would grow up in a
family.

Secondly, if Emu had said that she had problems, then it must be true since
she had never lied to Nodoka. Oh, of course she had told fibs when they were
younger! But she had never lied about really important things.

And while both reasons were true, a third was the one which, subconsciously,
tipped the balance.

Nodoka, like many women unable to have children, wanted a chance to be a
mother. An opportunity to raise, educate and watch a child grow whom she
could call son. And that was exactly what her sister's request meant.

A decision based on one's own selfish desires might be the wrong one. But,
who could blame someone who follows the desires internalized by her heart?

A new knock on the door marked the beginning of a quarter of an hour of
frantic activity. Nodoka barely had time to think where to put what her
sister was bringing, before she came with more.

Baby clothes, diaper bags, a baby-bottle, a bag with everything that could
be needed for his hygiene...

Although Emu couldn't have known Nodoka's answer to her request, it was
clear that she had prepared herself thoroughly so her child would have
everything he needed if Nodoka agreed.

The only thing missing, Nodoka noticed, was the baby.

She was going to ask her sister about that point, who was approaching with a
briefcase, when the doorbell rang again.

"Who could be now?" Nodoka asked puzzled while walked to the door.

In their rush to open, she didn't see the change that occurred in the
expression of her sister, where her surprise gave way to irritation.

Nodoka opened the door to find a stranger with a bundle in his arms.

Though taller than the average man, he was clearly Japanese. His hair, dark
brown, was slightly long but well groomed. He wore a dark suit similar to
the one worn by Nodoka's sister. But what most impressed her were his
features. Despite the shadows of the night, she could say without any doubt
that the stranger was one of the most handsome men that she had ever seen.
If there was anything that surprised her, it wasn't that her sister had
fallen in love with this man, but that he had fallen in love with Emu.
However the sculptor, who had produced a face so beautiful, hadn't put a lot
of effort into his expression, which had been frozen in polite seriousness.

When he spoke his voice was deep and polite but firm.

"Excuse me, are you Nodoka Saotome?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Thank you for your understanding."

And with those words, he handed her what proved to be a baby a few days old,
wrapped in blankets against the cold night.

Nodoka took the baby instinctively, without knowing what to say. Everything
had happened at an unreal speed, and only then, with the baby in her arms,
the reality seemed to crystallize around her.

The voice of her sister sharply pulled her out of her reverie.

"Excuse me. Would you mind taking Ranma to the living room?"

One look was enough.

With the knowledge that only is acquired from growing up together, Nodoka
felt her sister's anger, and despite being in her own house, she obeyed.

Nodoka carried Ranma to the living room, closing the door behind her, and
sat beside the table to cradle the baby.

"Ranma. So that's your name?" she asked the sleepy baby, while watching his
angel's face.

In the silence of the room, the new mother couldn't help but hear the voices
that came from the hall.

"I told you to wait in the car!" she heard her sister.

The clarity with which it reached her was a sure sign of the high tone with
which it must have been produced.

"... Haven't time ..." her companion's voice replied more calmly.

"... Could recognize you ..."

"... Worry ..."

The rest of the conversation was an unintelligible murmur, but Nodoka didn't
care.

The conversation, held between her sister and the man who had delivered the
baby, wasn't her concern and trying to listen would have been a serious
breach of good manners. Therefore, she didn't pay attention to it, and tried
to forget the pieces she heard.

Finally she heard the front door close and, a moment later, Emu came in with
a briefcase. While she sat next to Nodoka, she asked:

"Is that man Ranma's father?"

"Yes," replied her sister distractedly, while placed the briefcase on the
table.

Confirmed in her suspicions, Nodoka marvelled at the man's control not to
show his feelings in such a sensitive time like this. He really must be a
man of great manners and composure. Let's hope Genma learns to behave with
at least half the decorum of Emu's husband! But outside of the martial arts,
his interest in such things was zero.

Turning her attention to the present, Nodoka found that her sister had
placed the briefcase in front of her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"They're the documents for the adoption process and a small help for Ranma's
living expenses."

Intrigued, Nodoka cradled the baby in her right arm and opened the briefcase
with the left one.

The interior was taken up by a thick folder full of sheets, bundles of used
banknotes and, above all, a business card.

Unable to feel more surprised than she already was, the younger sister took
the business card and read it aloud.

"Saromi, Takumi. Attorney."

"It's an acquaintance of mine who can help with any problems that you could
have with the adoption process or the money."

Her sister's words caused Nodoka to look up from the card and look at her
surprised. Emu hadn't any difficulty in guessing the meaning of that look.

"No, it isn't black money," she added with a smile. "It's just a little
money that I had saved, but the tax office can be very nosy with windfall
gains and he can help you."

Nodoka accepted her sister's word, left the card in its place and closed the
briefcase.

"Anything else?" she asked.

"No, that's all." After a brief pause Emu added: "I think it's time to go."

"You know that you can come back anytime you want."

"Yes, I know. Thank you."

However Emu didn't move, but sat there watching as her sister cradled the
baby.

"Do you mind if I say goodbye to my son?" she finally asked.

"Not at all."

Nodoka passed the baby to her sister with great care, who took him in her
arms, hugging him as if she wanted to etch the warmth of his body into her
mind.

"I hope you will be happy," she wished. "And that you might forgive your
father and me."

At last, she kissed his forehead and gave him back to Nodoka. With a demure
gesture, she wiped a rebellious tear that had managed to escape her iron
self-control, and stood up.

"When will we see you again?" her sister asked.

"I don't know."

"You know that this is your home."

"Thank you. Sorry to bother you."

Emu left the room and the last thing Nodoka heard of her sister was the
sound of the door being closed.

-------

At the end of the story, the tears flowed freely down Ranma´s cheeks.
Although this time, sadness wasn't the reason.

The young man looked at his adoptive mother and, with great effort, managed
to articulate:

"My mother loved me! She really loved and cared for me!"

Nodoka's smile was the final confirmation, while a silent 'I told you so'
was suspended in the air.

As the joy of being loved diminished, the curiosity to know what danger had
forced his mother to abandon him began to grow in the young's mind.

"What could worry my mother so much, to leave me in your care?"

"I don't know," Nodoka admitted, trying not to think about the way that
Ranma had referred to her sister. "That was the last time I saw her."

The young man nodded to himself and, bowing his head, spent several minutes
deep in thought.

Understanding her adopted son's need to out sort his feelings, Nodoka kept
quiet while she finished her cold cup of tea.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" whispered the crestfallen youth.

Certainly. Why not?

Since she had been reunited with her son, there hadn't been a day where
Nodoka didn't wonder whether or not she should tell him the truth. She had
tried to reason her decision, but, as often happens when feelings are at
stake, this had not served at all. Whom was she kidding? Letting time pass
without making a decision was a decision in itself.

"I didn't think it was necessary."

"You didn't think it was necessary?" her adopted son asked, half surprised,
half angry.

"That's one reason," she acknowledged. "But I was afraid that you would
reject me, if you knew the truth. I know that I haven't been a good mother.
I abandoned you for many years and..." Her voice was cut off by emotion and
she could only add: "I hope you can forgive me."

The young man remained silent.

He didn't like seeing people sad, and even less if it was his fault.
However, too many things had happened in the last day and he hadn't enough
strength to forgive her. Maybe tomorrow after he had rested, but not today.

Once the inner turmoil that had been keeping him awake subsided, a sense of
fatigue began to overwhelm him.

He put his cup down and stood up, but before he could make his way towards
the exit, the woman who had tried to be his mother spoke again.

"Please, don't tell any of this to your father."

The young man didn't even ask the reason for such a request; he simply tried
to nod when a yawn interrupted him. Viewing the fatigue reflected in every
one of Ranma's gestures, Nodoka stood up and supported him.

"Come on, I'll help you to bed."

Leaning on each other, they left the Dojo quietly and headed toward the
house.

-------

The only colors present in the perfect blue sky were the dawn's hazy dyes
that colored the vicinity of a lazy sun.

All promised a perfect day, but for Akane, who was heading to school like
any other day, it couldn't have been a greater contrast to her mood. A
stormy cloudy sky would have been more in keeping with her turbulent humor.

The hopes for the night were unfounded. Rest hadn't brought any solution,
and awakening had only worsened her mood. Fortunately Ranma wasn't with her,
otherwise his nonsense would have been very likely to set off the young
girl's volatile mood.

She walked lost in thought, shipwrecked in a sea of uncertainty and with a
little more than a tenuous grip on her emotions when she collided with
reality.

Without even looking at the person she had bumped into, she bowed to
apologize.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's my fault for going so fast," said a familiar voice.

When Akane stood up, she met Dr. Tofu's smiling face.

"Doctor!" Akane exclaimed pleasantly surprised. "Long time no see!"

"Certainly. But, from what I've heard, not because you have ceased to get
into trouble."

The doctor's cutting remark made Akane blush.

"Doctor!" she said slightly angry.

"It was just a joke," he said with a smile. "And Ranma? Don't you go to the
school together any more?"

"Apparently he wasn't feeling well and is staying in bed, or so his mother
told me."

"Nothing serious, I hope."

"Surely not!"

"Good. The truth is that, seeing you alone, I feared that the recent events
would have affected your relationship."

The doctor's innocent words, coupled with the stress accumulated during the
past few weeks, caused an unexpected response in the young woman; who
discovered in alarm that her eyes were filling with tears and her hands
beginning to shake.

Why was this happening to her? She didn't want to cry! She shouldn't cry!
Not right now in front of the doctor! That alone would worry him, and he
would start asking questions that she didn't want to answer. She should pull
herself together, calm down...

But her body didn't obey.

Akane's fears became reality with Tofu's next words.

"Did I say something I shouldn't? Sorry, if I said something that upset
you."

The concern expressed by the doctor broke the last barriers of the young
woman, allowing the tears to flow freely.

Unable to control her emotions, Akane threw herself into the only trusty
support and, embraced by the doctor, let them run unchecked.

After the initial surprise, Tofu tried to comfort the girl in his arms,
while gently guiding her so she could unburden herself in the privacy of his
office.

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

Minutes later, Akane came out from the bathroom refreshed and with the
cheeks clean. Before her, the doctor was waiting with a cup of steaming
liquid.

"Take this," he said offering the cup. "It's a valerian tea. It will help
you to relax."

Lost in thought, Akane took the cup mechanically, and without even waiting
for it to cool, drank it completely. Once empty, she returned it to the
doctor.

"Feeling better?" he said, as he took the cup. "You know that if you have
any problems, you can count on me."

The doctor's words caused Akane to react and, following a sudden impulse,
put into words the question that tormented her.

"Doctor, please tell me: How can anybody know if two people are siblings?"

Tofu, struck by the strangeness of the question, said the first thing that
crossed his mind.

"Eh, well ... Because they have the same parents?"

Overcoming the urge to strangle the good doctor, Akane realized that an
explanation would be needed, if she wanted to get a useful answer. She would
rather not have to tell anyone, but she needed solid evidence to convince
Nodoka and, perhaps, he could obtain it.

She rested her gaze on the ground and, reluctantly, began unfolding the
events that had happened since the failed marriage: The conversation with
Ukyo, the confrontation with Nodoka, the story that she had told...

After the story, the doctor reacted swiftly.

"Ranma... And you ... Siblings!?" was all that Tofu managed to pronounce in
astonishment.

"Stupid, huh?"

"Well, I can understand why Nodoka did what she did. She couldn't allow your
wedding, when she wasn't sure that the two of you aren't siblings. Although
..."

"Exactly!" Akane cut off. "That's why I... We need proof to convince her."

Turning around towards the doctor, she looked him in the eyes and asked:

"Tell me! Is there a way, any way, to confirm that we aren't siblings?"

Unable to withstand the intensity of her gaze, the doctor left the cup on a
table and started pacing up and down the room.

"Well," he said after thinking for a while. "In the last few years, DNA
tests have been used to resolve doubtful paternity cases. It also might
serve to distinguish the relation between siblings, but I would need to
confirm it."

"And how reliable are these tests?" Akane asked, with a glimmer of hope
present in her voice.

"If I remember correctly, they have a reliability close to one hundred
percent."

"That's just what I need, a medical test impossible to disprove," the girl
said, grinning from ear to ear.

The doctor was glad to help the girl but, fearing that the results wouldn't
match her expectations, he tried to temper her mood.

"Akane, I have yet to confirm that the test is possible," the doctor said.
"Note that it is not my field at all, and I only know the little that I've
read in the medical magazines."

"Of course! And do you know if there is a place where they could make the
test here, in Japan?"

The doctor sighed resignedly.

It was useless to try to make her see that it was only a possibility. It was
clear that, although the young woman could hear, she wasn't listening. He
had opened the door to hope, and she had wrenched it off its hinges.

"I don´t know," he replied. "Like I said, this is completely outside my
field."

"But you could find out, right?" the girl said.

"Yes, I think so."

"Thank you, doctor."

Then the clock struck nine o'clock.

Akane turned to look at it and, when she saw what time it was, she swore.

She should have been in school half an hour ago, but had lost track of time
talking with the doctor.

Tofu, who understood immediately the reason for the girl's sudden change of
mood, asked:

"Will you get into trouble for being late?"

"Are you joking? Our director is so paranoid with punctuality, that he won't
let me in, and if he does, I will be holding buckets the rest of the day."

"If you want, I could write you an absence note." Tofu offered in a
tentative tone.

"If you don't mind..."

"Absolutely not."

A few seconds were enough for the doctor to write a note, which blamed the
young woman's delay on a slight indisposition. He signed it and gave it to
her, before he went with her to the exit. Once outside, Akane politely said
goodbye to the doctor, and walked quickly towards the institute.

Tofu watched the teenager while she walked down the street, until she
disappeared from his sight. Then he came back to the practice, closed the
door and switched the sign to closed. Once sure that no one was going to
interrupt him, he went to his office.

There, he drew the curtains before taking down a picture of the human body
from the wall and with a steady hand, entered the combination to the safe
hidden behind. It opened with a soft metallic sound. The doctor took a
cardboard box from inside, placed it on the table and sat down. He took a
satellite phone from the case, identical to the ones used in the U.S. Army,
along with its charger. After connecting both of them, he left the phone on
the table, plugged the charger into the outlet and waited.

After endless minutes, the phone had enough charge to make calls. Tofu
disconnected the charger, took the phone and dialled by heart a number that
wasn't on any phonebook. The ring sounded repeatedly before a voice on the
other side of the line, answered in Cantonese.

"Hello?"

The language difference wasn't a problem for Tofu, who responded with a
perfect accent.

"Good morning, Mr. Chen. How are you?"

"Doctor?" the voice asked in surprise. "I haven't heard from you for a long
time."

"Yes, I know. I've been so busy lately that I forgot to call you."

"Lots of work?"

"Too much! Fortunately I have all the weekend to rest."

"We all need to rest, but I can´t imagine you lying at home doing nothing."

"The truth is that I'm thinking about visiting the zoo. I have heard that
the tigress' cubs have already begun to walk."

"Sounds interesting, but you know how I feel about having animals in cages."

"Yeah, well. By the way, before I forget. I called to ask if you had thought
about getting a medical exam."

There was a short silence at the other end of the line before Mr. Chen´s
voice could be heard again.

"I've talked about it with my partner, and we believe that it would be a
good idea."

"I'm glad to hear it. I'll call you when I know the date and time."

"Thank you doctor."

"You're welcome. Give my regards to your partner."

"I'll be sure to tell her you said hello. See you doctor."

"Bye."

Dr. Tofu turned off the phone and left it on the table. Then he leaned back
in his chair, which gave way slightly, closed his eyes and massaged the
bridge of his nose.

Well, it was done. As expected, they hadn't put up any resistance to having
the tests done, although they didn't have any other options either. Not
allowing them to dispel their doubts would have been cruel.