[Ranma][Fanfic][Lime] Childhood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 24: Man Gives Birth, Film at Eleven ======================================================================= Childhood of a Modern Dynasty Chapter 24: Man Gives Birth, Film at Eleven Ranma 1/2 characters/situations created and copyright by Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan/Kitty/Fuji/Viz - Used without permission Childhood of a Modern Dynasty series created, written, and copyright 1998-1999 by Jim Lazar An ongoing series set after the end of the Ranma 1/2 manga and anime. "Speech text in double quotes is spoken as Japanese." E-mail comments and/or criticisms to: jim [at] animeprime.com Make sure to check out my Modern Dynasty website for all released CMD stories, graphics files, and other information: http://www.animeprime/ff/md ======================================================================= >From the personal journal of James Davidson: October 12, 2057 The four of us walked--well, Sanma was being carried in Akane's arms--across the lawn towards the spot where Akane's house used to be. "You want to tell me what's going on?" "You'll see in a second." Akane smiled and stroked Sanma's back. Sanma let out a contented little squeal. Sigh. I looked at Hanaki, but she just gave me that 'wait and see' look of hers. As we walked, I asked about Sanma's cat 'blessing'. "He's gotten used to it. He even plays with the neighborhood cats sometimes." "So how long before he becomes a cat?" "It takes anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks for the transformation to stabilize from one blessed form before another form will activate with cold water," Akane explained. "What other ones are there?" "About a dozen... but they activate randomly... although he always starts as a man when he jumps in the Spring of Drowned Sanma and always ends as a woman." "So, he might not be a cat next?" "I hope so... I have cat in the pool this time." "You bet on it?" "Yes. It's a tradition that Nabiki started years ago. It's great fun." The pig's irritated snorts didn't seem to agree with Akane. I looked at Hanaki. "You in the pool?" She frowned. "No, I missed out on the first round. I thought he would be a snake first." I looked over at the pig in Akane's arms. "Snake?" The pig grunted. "That's got to be rough." "Yes... I can't stand snakes." Akane shuddered. "That's the one form I won't sleep with." I opened my mouth to speak, but Akane stopped me with an upraised palm. "Before you ask, I mean sleep in the same bed with him... not sex." I grinned. Sometimes it's weird how well we know each other. Or maybe we both have dirty little minds. "It's about time, Mom!!" Hearing the shout, I looked over and saw Yohachi standing on top of a large pile of wood. I also saw a small mob surrounding Akane's house. Since it had been less than a week since it was destroyed, I was amazed that the steel frame for the house was already in place and a steel roof had been laid. There were neatly stacked piles of wood located around the house as well. In addition to the framework, I could see scores of display panels, control panels, holo emitters, speakers in every nook and cranny--talk about surround sound--cable conduits, and some things that I had no idea what they did. False panels and other window dressing normally hid all of these things from view. I took a few moments to marvel at all the advanced technology that was inside the apparently old fashioned house. I knew that it had been there before the house's recent destruction, but seeing it all exposed made me realize how well they hid the technology. I imagined that the suite I shared with Hanaki hid similar technology. "I'm amazed at how fast they've rebuilt even the frame. Especially this high tech frame." Akane smiled lopsidedly. "We have had some practice rebuilding my house over the years, you know." I nodded my understanding. "So why are we here?" "It's a family tradition." "Huh?" Yohachi walked up to us and answered for his mother. "James, welcome to the 'rebuild the Matriarch's house' party!!" he announced with a grandiose gesture. I couldn't resist laughing. "An annual event, is it?" Yohachi laughed as well. "Not quite, but close." "I'm so glad my house being repeatedly destroyed is so funny to you kids," Akane said, frowning. "It's not, Mom." Yohachi wrapped his arms around his mother and gave her a kiss on her cheek. Akane still won't tell me if Yohachi is really her child like the birth certificates I've dug up say or if he's Ranko's child. Until I found out that Akane was pregnant in ninety-nine, I had assumed Yohachi was Ranko's child, since there is no record of Ranko giving birth back then. "Good, because I have fond memories of this house." Akane sighed and ran her hand over a piece of wood resting on a nearby pile. Although apparently made out of real wood, all of the pieces in the pile had a thick piece of metal affixed to the back. Probably armor plating. "Um, Mom? Here's the first piece." Yohachi handed a piece of wood to Akane. Akane carefully took the wood from him. "Thank you, dear." As she gently turned it over in her hands, I noticed that it didn't have the steel backing that the other pieces did. She almost looked afraid to breathe, lest the piece break. "Is there something special about that piece?" I asked since the piece didn't really look fragile. It was well weathered and had some marks on it, but otherwise looked sturdy. Akane nodded. "This is the only intact piece from the house my mother and father built when they first got married. Everything else has been replaced so many times, I don't even bother counting anymore. It's a miracle that this piece keeps surviving." I nodded my understanding. I guess the layout of the house was the same, but it never occurred to me that most of the material had been replaced over the many years of repeated rebuilding. Then a thought struck me. "Didn't you tell me that you redesigned the floor plan after the Buyierfei attack in ninety-nine?" Akane shook her head. "*I* didn't. At the time, I didn't say anything, but the new house didn't feel like home to me. So eventually I had it rebuilt like my mother originally wanted it. Rebuilt like my home." She rubbed the piece of wood again. "That's nice. I still hate that they built a high rise on the lot my parent's house used to stand on." Akane smiled devilishly. "Want me to have the high rise flattened and rebuild the house? I'm sure Sanma would love to blow it up." Nearby, Sanma squealed with excitement. From anyone else I'd assume that was a joke, but I knew Akane had the clout and money to do that. "That's okay, but thanks for the thought." "Oh, sure... you offer to build him a house and I have to live in the barracks!" Yohachi complained. "Barracks?" "Yeah, the East Building." "I've only been there once, but it was even more luxurious than the South Building I live in." Akane smiled and put a hand on Yohachi and my shoulders. "James, he's just making a joke. All my children are living comfortably." "Ha! The East Building doesn't even have a hot spring!!" "Spoiled brat." Yohachi smiled and gave his mother a peck on her cheek. Just then, a woman who was around Yohachi's age bounded over the roof and landed in front of us. "Frame's all set. You ready, Mom?" I studied the woman in front of me. I thought that I had seen her before, but I couldn't be sure. She didn't have the red streak that identified the Task Force members in her partially gray hair, but she obviously was a skilled martial artist to make that leap with such ease at her age. She was Akane's height and had the most gorgeous blue eyes I've ever seen. Well, except for Hanaki's. "Mom?" Akane seemed to consider if it was safe to reveal the woman's identity for a few seconds. I really hate her attempts to keep me from getting ahead of her stories. "I guess there's no harm in you knowing my daughter. James, this is Ayami." "Nice to meet you finally, Mr. Davidson." She bowed. I returned the bow. "Likewise. You can call me James." Hearing her name allowed me to fit her into my partially grown Tendo family tree. Although I only had some information, I knew the names of all of Akane's children. Well, unless she had more children than the records showed and hid them. Of course, with Akane anything can happen... and usually does. For instance, I didn't even know that she was pregnant in ninety-nine until just a few days ago. I spent hours trying to sort out the birth certificates after finding out about that pregnancy and still can't determine if Ranko or Akane gave birth to Yohachi. And of course, no one around here will tell me. "I'd be honored, James. Mom has told me a lot about you. She thinks very highly of you." Ayami idly flicked a long strand of hair that kept falling over her face. The rest of her hair was tied behind her in a neat bun held together by a fancy hair comb. I smiled and looked at Akane, who suddenly found something to keep her from meeting my gaze. "You'd never guess it by the way she mercilessly teases me." "Oh look, Yohachi, here's where I nailed this piece last time." She pointed at a small hole in the piece of wood she was holding. I smiled at Akane's embarrassment. I felt the same way about the old tyrant. I looked back at Ayami. "I'm amazed I've never met you before now." "I live in the European Compound with my husband." "Who's your hus..." Akane cleared her throat, suddenly not afraid to interrupt. "Tyrant." "This is a party to rebuild my house, not do research." "But what about our interview today?" Akane sighed. "Okay, if you insist, I'll tell you about the hell I went through getting Ranko through his pregnancy while I coped with the father of my baby running out on me." "Oh no, not that story!!" several of the assembled people called out in unison. I guess they had heard it before. "Oh, shush up, children," Akane scolded the people who had spoken. "You can all stand to hear it again." I grinned. "We can do it later, if you want." Akane shook her head. "Nope. After that outburst-" She scanned the crowd. "-they deserve to hear it again. But first..." She hefted the original piece of wood in her hands and approached the frame of her house. The crowd went silent as Akane walked up to the corner of her house that faced the koi pond. She carefully placed the piece of wood along the bottom of the frame and nodded in Sanma's direction. Sanma trotted up to her and lifted his snout to her. I noticed he had several nails in his mouth. Akane took the nails and placed one in each of wood's pre-existing holes. "Okay, who has my mallet?" My face fell at the unexpected question. Well, I guess it's for a good cause. The assembled crowd laughed. Various voiced called out. "Will an umbrella do?" "What did your husband do now?" "Don't bother, the house will just be destroyed again!" "Use your husband's head!" I looked around and realized that the mallet must be an old joke at these events. "Use your finger!" The crowd went silent except for a few mutters about my lame joke. I bowed my head in embarrassment. "Damn good idea, James!" Akane smiled and then in a series of rapid jabs, drove the nails in with her index finger. I was stunned that she could drive nails with her finger. Into a steel frame, no less. It looked like there were predrilled holes, but still... "Wow, and I only thought your head was hard." Ayami slapped me on my back. "Now THAT was a good joke, James!" *********************************************************************** July 19-August 15, 1999 - Nerima, Japan Nabiki burst into the room, saw the man she loved sitting up in the bed, and jumped into his arms. "Tomu!!" She gave him a long kiss. After the kiss ended, Nabiki pulled back and ran her hand lovingly through his hair. "Thank goodness you're alright." "Um... thank you." Nabiki smiled. "Err... just who are you, anyway?" Nabiki's face fell. "I'm Nabiki, silly." Tomu concentrated. "Hmmm... you're in one of my classes, aren't you?" Nabiki put her hand on Tomu's forehead. "Are you still suffering some effects of the possession?" "Possession? Look, Miss, I don't really know what you're talking about. I'm still trying to figure out how I got in this hospital and why almost the last three months are a complete blur to me." "Three months?" "Yes, the doctors say there's no physical signs of brain damage. I just can't remember anything after a horrible nightmare I had about some weird black creatures." "Nightmare?" "Yeah... either that or some anime show I saw. There were certainly enough tentacles for one." Tomu chuckled, trying to hide the confusion in his mind. Nabiki studied Tomu's face. Nabiki knees gave out and she dropped to the floor and started to sob gently. "Miss? Are you okay?" Tomu reached for her, but shouldn't move from the bed due to his injuries. "I'm... fine." Nabiki's quivering voice did not match her words. She remained on the floor and looked away from Tomu to hide the tears. "I'm... glad you're okay now, Tomu." "Thanks... Um, why did you kiss me?" Nabiki swallowed hard and said the first thing that came to her mind. "Um... well... I've sort of had a crush on you and when I heard you were sick I got so worried." Nabiki slapped herself mentally. "Oh... that's nice of you to be concerned." "Tomu?" "Yes?" "Would you like to go out with me when you get out of here?" Nabiki blurted the question out, hoping to be able to start over with him. "Um... I'm really sorry, but I'm engaged." Nabiki's heart skipped a beat. "Engaged?" "Yes, I'm sorry." He pointed to a picture of a young girl next to his bed. Nabiki swallowed hard, gritted her teeth, and stood up. Without looking at Tomu she said, "I'm sorry to have bothered you. Please be happy." "Err... sure. You too." Nabiki left the room without looking back at the very confused Tomu. As she walked, a young girl with flowers in her hands scurried towards the room she had just left. As the girl passed her, Nabiki unconsciously stuck her foot out. The girl tripped and went sprawling onto the floor with a loud thud. Nabiki flinched. She spun around and reached down to the girl. "I'm so sorry. Let me help you up." The girl took the offered hand and smiled. "No problem. It's my fault for being in such a hurry." As she rose to her feet, she just started rambling for no other reason than she was happy. This of course made Nabiki very angry. "My fiance just came out of his coma and I haven't seen him since his last break from college back in March and I live all the way down in Kitakushu and the train was so slow and I just miss him so much and... and... well, that's about it. Sorry again." Nabiki had to resist the urge to wipe the happy smile off the girl's face with her fist. "Oh... I'm... happy for you." Without waiting for a response, Nabiki walked stiffly down the hallway with tears pooling in her eyes. By the time she left the hospital, it had turned into a full out run. She left a trail of tears behind her. -C- -M- -D- Ranko sat next to Akane on the top of their temporary house. Her face was a mixture of concern and pain. "Why didn't you tell me?" Akane couldn't quite meet Ranko's gaze. "I... I thought Ranma should be the first to know. I never expected him to take this long to come back." She looked off into the distance. "Where is he?" "I guess I can understand that, but... it's been almost two months since you found out! You should have told me you were pregnant. I'm your husband after all." "I know... I'm sorry, but a part of me was worried how you'd react." Ranko frowned. "What?!" "I'm carrying another man's baby... I didn't know how you'd react to that." Ranko's mouth dropped open. "You... you... IDIOT!!" Akane recoiled from the angry shout. "I was, and am still, ready to share you with Sanma and Ranma in a marriage. Did you really think that I would care about that? I had always assumed that you would be carrying all the babies in this relationship until..." She patted her stomach to finish her statement. "I know, but..." "But nothing... I'm your husband. You should have told me as soon as you knew. Although Ranma may have planted the seed, we are the same person in our hearts. That child is as much mine as his. Sanma's too, for that matter." "But..." "That's what you said about mine, isn't it? Even if you're not the real father, you accepted that role. I'll do the same for your child. OUR child." Akane finally looked into Ranko's eyes. "We're a sorry lot, aren't we? Two pregnant fathers with idiots for mothers." Ranko smiled. "Yeah..." She leaned over and kissed Akane. "Please never hide anything from me again." "I won't. I'm actually surprised that you never noticed that I was gaining weight." Akane chuckled. Ranko flinched and looked away. "Err... actually I did, but I was afraid to mention it." Akane's jaw dropped. "I'm sorry again..." "Akane..." "Yes?" "We both sit the next fight out, okay?" Akane gasped. "Oh... you must hate me for insisting you protect your baby, while I..." Ranko put a finger over Akane's mouth. "I could never hate you." "I'm sorry about that... but I figured since you were further along it was more dangerous for you." "I know... let's just let the Amazon's do the fighting for now. No one would want to get them pregnant." "Didn't you say Kang was hitting on them?" Ranko laughed. "Yeah, but I think he has more sense than to get involved with any of those crazy warriors." -C- -M- -D- "I'm here to change your sheets." "Come in, Darling..." Kang cringed at the shrill voice and opened the door. As he went inside, he saw Kodachi on the bed wrapped in the sheets he was there to change. "What are you doing, you crazy bitch!" He glanced out the door to make sure no one had overheard him. He didn't need another reprimand on his employment record. "Just waiting for you to change the sheets, Darling." Kodachi gave him a come-hither look and pulled the sheet down enough to show that she was naked underneath it. Kang went running out of the room and down the hallway, screaming all the way. One of the nurses watched him go. "Oh my, one of the patients is running amuck!" She reached for the alarm button. An orderly stopped her. "No, that's Kang. He's an orderly." "Then why was..." The nurse trailed off when she realized what room he had run out of. "Oh... the Bent Rose." She used the term the staff used for Kodachi. Not to her face, of course. Well, not after what happened to the first nurse who had called her that within Kodachi's earshot. Inside her room, Kodachi sulked. "Oh, my darling... why do you fight your love for me?" -C- -M- -D- "So, do you want to know the sex of the baby?" Akane and Ranko glanced at each other and then gave the answer they arrived at after a long argument, which Akane won. "No." "No." "Yes!" "Pop! Get out of here!" Ranko grabbed a nearby flower vase and threw at Genma, who had poked his head into the exam room. She looked over to see the ultrasound monitor as the wet panda left the room. "Oops... it's a boy isn't it?" The obstetrician looked up from the sensor she was holding on top of Ranko's stomach. "Huh?" Ranko pointed at the monitor. "That's a penis, isn't it?" Akane and the obstetrician looked closely at the spot Ranko had pointed. The obstetrician smiled. "No, that's the umbilical cord." "Oh..." Akane chuckled. "Hopeful thinking, honey?" "No... I... just thought I saw it." "Well, maybe we'll end up with one of each." Akane patted her stomach. "Okay, Mrs. Tendo... your baby looks to be healthy and growing normally." The obstetrician removed the sensor, wiped off Ranko's stomach, and pulled her hospital gown down. "Of course... he's my son!" Ranko said, smiling as she slid off the bed. The obstetrician looked at Akane. "Okay... Mrs. Tendo, you're next." Akane noticed the hesitation in the obstetrician's voice when she called her name, but didn't say anything. She had gotten used to the odd stares and whispered comments about her and Ranko. "Alright." Akane slipped onto the bed and pulled her gown up. The obstetrician put some gel on Akane's stomach and then placed the sensor. She looked at the monitor and moved the sensor around trying to get a good look at the baby. "I assume you don't want to know this baby's sex either?" Akane and Ranko nodded their agreement. "Ah... there it is." Ranko looked at the monitor. "Where?" The obstetrician pointed. "There." "It's so tiny... Ha! My baby is bigger than yours!" Akane rolled her eyes. "You dolt, you're three months ahead of me." "Good point." Ranko looked at the monitor again and thought she saw another penis, but decided not to mention it again. She tilted her head. Akane noticed her husband's look. -C- -M- -D- "So what do you want?" Ranko asked suddenly as they walked home after their appointment. Two Amazons followed at a discrete distance. Akane and Ranko had gotten so used to the Amazons, they barely noticed their constant presence now. Until they attacked some innocent bystander that is, then they had to keep the Amazons from causing great bodily harm. Akane looked over at Ranko. "Huh?" "What sex do you want your baby to be?" "Haven't we discussed this all before?" "Yeah, but... not for your baby." Akane grinned at her husband. "As long as they are both healthy, I'll be happy." "Okay... but I'm hoping for at least one boy. Have to have someone to carry on the dojo after all." Akane raised her eyebrows. "What's wrong with a daughter carrying on the dojo?" "Nothin', but men are..." Ranko trailed off as he finally noticed the annoyed look Akane was giving her. "Err... I guess the sex of the babies doesn't really matter." "I'm glad you finally realize that. I realized it a long time ago." "Huh?" Akane smiled. "If I hadn't come to the conclusion that someone's outward sex didn't really matter, I'd have never married you." Ranko smiled awkwardly. "And leave me an unmarried mother?" Akane frowned. "Like I am..." "Huh, you're married, Akane. Remember all the cherry blossom petals and Amazon war cries?" "Yeah... but not to the father of my child." Akane looked off into the distance, as if wondering where Ranma was. Ranko wrapped her arms around Akane. "He'll be back... I know it. And until then, I'm here for you. Besides, I can probably understand what you're going through better than he can." Akane smiled. "Yes... I imagine you can." Ranko still saw that Akane was troubled. "Tell you what... tomorrow let's go to Tokyo Disneyland and forget all our troubles." "Why Disneyland?" "Someone sent me some discount tickets." "You are your father's son, aren't you?" "Hey! I'll have you know that my pop wouldn't have used discount tickets. He'd have climbed over the fence and snuck in for free." Akane giggled. "I can picture him doing that." "You don't have to... I have a photo from his honeymoon." Akane's jaw dropped. "He snuck your mom into Disneyland for their honeymoon?" Ranko nodded. "Yeah. Supposedly I was conceived on the Snow White ride." Akane stared blankly at Ranko for several moments before speaking. "Now I've got to go and see if that's possible." She winked. "Well, we're already pregnant, so we can only go through the motions." Ranko completely forgot that she wasn't equipped to do that anymore. One would think being pregnant would have made that clear to her, but apparently it hadn't. -C- -M- -D- "Here we are with Mickey." Akane pointed out the picture. "Oh, I like the hats," Nabiki wryly commented while looking at the two personalized Mickey Mouse ear hats Akane and Ranko were wearing in the picture. "Akane insisted!" Ranko blurted. "My, Ranko does look embarrassed, doesn't he?" Kasumi covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. "Those big heads freak me out, okay?" Ranko muttered. "I don't know why, but they do!" Nodoka glanced at Genma and then spoke. "Ranko, I'm afraid that when you were little, your father... accidentally left you with a circus family who performed in big heads." Ranko glared at her father. "How much did they pay you, old man?" "Would I do something like that?" Ranko pulled her fist back. "How much?!" "Two thousand yen, but I only took it to add it to your college fund." "And where is this college fund?" Genma looked away. "Well, I had some unexpected expenses..." Ranko's fist impacted Genma's cheek. "It was only for a few days... they needed a kid for their act," he explained quickly before Ranko could follow-up with another punch. "Stupid old man." Akane smiled and went on with the picture show. "And here we are in front of the Snow White ride." She glanced at Genma and Nodoka and winked. Nodoka blushed and glared at Genma, who was blissfully unaware of the argument he would be having with his wife later. -C- -M- -D- Nabiki sat on the bench and watched the ducks silently float by. After Mousse left her, she had often come to this park hoping that Mousse would show up. She had stopped coming after she started dating Tomu. Well, truth be told, she did come a couple times after that. This was the first time she had set eyes on the ducks in over three months, but she still remembered all of them. The little one with the chipped beak, 'Chip'. The big one that always picked on the little ducks, 'Kuno'. The female duck who was always hit on by all the male ducks, 'Akane'. The only duck she let get near her without making a fuss, 'Ranma'. The female duck that no male duck ever approached, 'Sad-chan'. Nabiki sighed at seeing Sad-chan. "Nabiki?" Nabiki started and looked at the source of the voice. Her jaw dropped when she saw who it was. "Mousse?" Mousse looked uncomfortable. "Um... sorry, but I just came to feed the old gang. If you'd like, I can leave you alone." Despite what he said, his eyes showed that he didn't want to leave. Nabiki answered him by jumping into his arms and giving him a deep kiss. Mousse seemed dazed after the kiss ended. "Then I can stay?" Nabiki didn't release her firm grip on Mousse. "Yes... yes... forever." Mousse didn't know how to respond. "But... you said you had chosen Tomu." Nabiki flinched. "I know... I'm sorry. He never loved me. He was..." Her eyes went wide and her voice trailed off. After several moments, she let go of Mousse and staggered back to the bench and sat down. Mousse knelt down in front of Nabiki. "Are you okay?" Nabiki didn't look up. "I can't believe myself. I'm... I'm doing exactly what I was mad at you for doing. Running back into the arms of a former lover when another jilted me. What kind of hypocrite am I?" "Tomu dumped you? I'm sorry." "He didn't exactly dump me... he never cared about me. The Buyierfei used him to attack the house. I was nothing more than... a pawn. He used me like I've used countless others for my own selfish gains. He used my love like..." Nabiki rambling speech was cut off when Mousse gave her a deep kiss. When the kiss ended Nabiki found herself speechless. "Don't worry, I still love you." Nabiki found her voice. "After the way I treated you? I don't deserve that love." "I deserved it." "No... your feelings were honest. I was a fool." "We're both fools." "Maybe..." Nabiki leaned over and gave Mousse a tender kiss. -C- -M- -D- "Okay, mothers get on the floor and fathers..." The young female instructor looked at Ranko and Akane. "Or the other partner kneel behind your wife." She scanned the other couples in the large, mat covered room. "You the mother this time?" Ranko asked. "Sure, but you're the mother next time," Akane replied, as she laid down in front of Ranko." "Err... Mrs. Tendo?" "Yes, Ms. Sawa?" both Akane and Ranko replied. "Um... actually, we need the one who is pregnant on the floor." Akane smiled. "Oh, that's okay, I'm pregnant too." Ms. Sawa blinked her eyes a few times. "Oooo... kay. Fathers... ummm... the non-preg... err... the partner in the back, your job is to comfort your partners and give them words of encouragement as they go through labor and birth. You must understand that she will be in intense pain and may say things she doesn't really mean." "Feh... a little pain will never bother me," Ranko commented. Ms. Sawa looked skeptically at Ranko. Akane nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm sure I can handle it if you can." She cleared her throat. "Okay, Ranko, what was the most painful thing you can remember?" Ranko's forehead scrunched up as she thought back. "Painful? Um... probably the first time I managed to create a Hiryu Shoten Ha vortex." Ms. Sawa didn't know what that meant, but before she could open her mouth to reply, Akane spoke. "Actually, what about that time you ate that extra-special curry I made?" Ranko nodded. "Yeah, that was pretty bad. Hey! Did you just insult your own cooking?" Akane smiled slightly. "Excuse me... but what I want you to do is remember that painful event, whatever it was, and then multiply by a hundred times. That will give you an idea what giving birth might be like." "I can handle it," Ranko declared smugly. Ms. Sawa sighed. "Okay, I guess it's time for the film." -C- -M- -D- Later, a scream emanated from the room. The scream was quickly followed by the doors being thrown open as Ranko rushed out of the room. She was sweating and breathing hard. She put her arm against the wall and tried to calm down. Akane came out and put her hand on Ranko's shoulder. "Are you okay?" "No! I can't do... do... that!" Ranko pointed back into the room. "There is no way that a baby can fit though that!" She pointed at her lap. Akane smiled. "Yeah... I was kind of freaked by that movie too. But women do it all the time." "I'm a man, dammit!!" Ranko's shout stopped several people walking down the hall in their tracks. Ranko glared at them. "What's the matter, you never seen a pregnant man before?!" The people made a hasty retreat. "I wasn't built to push one of those things out my thing." Akane smiled and wrapped her arms around Ranko. "I'll be okay. We'll get through this together. "That's easy for you to say... you've got those huge hips!" "Excuse... me?" Akane asked with a noticeable edge to her voice. The look she gave Ranko almost sent her into labor. "Err... I'm... err... I... I'm sorry." "That's better. Now, I'm not going to let my baby defeat me, are you?" Ranko recoiled in shock at the accusation. "Hey! Nothing defeats Ranko Tendo!" "Good, let's go back in then." Ranko frowned. "Do we have to?" -C- -M- -D- "That's all for today," Ms. Sawa said as she finished the class. Before Akane and Ranko could leave, she spoke to them. "Mrs. Tendo... both of you, can you stay for a bit?" After the other students left, Akane and Ranko stood in front of the instructor's desk. "Now, I'm a pretty open minded person and I don't mind you sharing the class to save money, but these lessons are most beneficial when the father learns how to comfort the mother during the birth. If you are short of money, I can work out a payment plan so you both can bring your husbands instead of pretending to be married." Akane and Ranko looked at each other and almost burst out laughing. Akane smiled. "That's nice of you, but we really are married. Not legally, of course, but we are man and wife." Ranko pointed at herself. "I'm the man." Ms. Sawa looked oddly at Ranko's pregnant belly. Ranko smirked at the young woman's reaction. "And Akane is the father of my child." "Okay, and I assume Ranko is the father of Akane's child?" "Nope, my brother is," Ranko explained. Ms. Sawa nodded her understanding, or at least what she thought she understood. "I hope you had another donor, Ranko?" "Well, I sorta became pregnant spontaneously." "Very well... I'll see you both next week." "If Ranma returns home, I'll bring him along next time," Akane mentioned. "After you marry him, of course," Ranko added some fuel to the fire. "Of course." After Akane and Ranko left, Ms. Sawa sat down at her desk and cradled her head in her hands. "And they seemed like nice normal lesbians when they started taking my class." She pulled a bottle of sake out of her desk and chugged it. She wiped her mouth off. "Come to think of it, those two big women who always wear armor to the classes are kind of strange too." -C- -M- -D- "That was cruel of us," Akane said as she walked home with Ranko. The two Amazon warriors trailed behind as usual. Ranko smiled. "Yeah, but fun. So what's for dinner?" "Extra-special curry." Ranko's face went blank. "Now that's cruel." Akane gave her husband, stand-in father of her child, and general all around idiot a deep kiss. -C- -M- -D- "No! Stay in bed!!" Kodachi sauntered over to Kang through a field of black paper roses scattered across the floor. Instead of her normal robe, she was wearing just a few of the black paper roses in a few strategic places. "But, Darling, don't you love me?" "No!" Kang tried the door again, but it was locked tight. He banged on the door, hoping to get the attention of one of the nurses or other orderlies. Kodachi frowned and held her hand over her heart. "How cruel. To spurn my genuine love so callously." "Look, you loony bitch, I've told you before: I don't date crazy chicks!" "I'm not crazy!!" "Try telling me that when they let you out of this padded cell." Kang banged on the door again. "Kang, has she got you naked yet?" a voice asked from outside. Kang recognized the voice. "NO! Come on, Kusa, open the damn door!" He looked back at Kodachi who was peeling off the paper roses while doing a seductive little dance. "Fast!" "Alright... alright..." Kusa used his keys to open the door. Kang started to leave, but then paused. He looked back at Kodachi. "I'm going to tell you this one more time... Leave me alone! I have no desire to date someone who is crazy!!" He stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Kodachi stared at the door for several minutes before jumping to the wrong conclusion. "He loves me, but wants me to get better before he can return my love!" She smiled and started to cackle. Outside Kang and Kusa were walking away when they heard the cackle. Kang swallowed loudly. "Kusa... you've got to change rounds with me!!" "No way, man, I had to spend a whole night locked in that room with the Bent Rose once. It wasn't pretty what I had to do to keep her away from me." Kusa shuddered at the memories. -C- -M- -D- A couple of weeks passed and the Tendos and Saotomes arrived in front of Mon Canard, which according to a sign on the door was closed that night for a private party. Soun was using two arm crutches to walk with while Ms. Hinako and Kasumi hovered nearby, concerned he was going to fall. Dr. Tofu was at Kasumi's side. "Did Nabiki say what this was about?" Soun asked. "Nope, just that she wanted to treat us to dinner at her restaurant," Nodoka explained as she opened to door to the restaurant and led them inside. Before entering, Akane glanced back and saw the squad of Amazons that had followed them spread out and surround the restaurant. She sighed in resignation. They all made their way inside and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Nabiki and Mousse necking in the middle of the dining room. The kiss broke up when the couple heard Soun start to bawl. Nabiki blushed and awkwardly looked at a clock. "Oh, you're early. Um... come in." Soun was crying and going on about losing another daughter. Ms. Hinako helped him to the large table that had been set up for them. Kasumi smiled sweetly at her sister. Akane grinned broadly. She had suspected Mousse and Nabiki would get back together after Nabiki told her about Tomu not remembering her. This proved it. "I take it this was what you wanted to tell us all tonight?" Nabiki had regained her composure. "Yes... sort of. We're taking it slowly, but we are dating again." Nodoka smiled at Nabiki. "That's very wise not to rush into anything." Nabiki frowned. "Like I did with Tomu?" Nodoka gave Nabiki a slight nod. "I realize that now. I was trying too hard to find a normal life after... But if my little sister can marry three idiots, I can handle a boyfriend who has a feather fetish." Everyone laughed, except for Mousse who frowned and muttered, "I wouldn't call it a fetish..." -C- -M- -D- After dinner, Akane and Kasumi helped Nabiki in the kitchen. "So you make all that food yourself?" Nabiki looked at Akane. "What do you think?" Akane smiled. "That you had your chef prepare it." Nabiki feigned being insulted. "Would I do that?" After a few seconds, she grinned broadly. "So have you and Mousse had sex yet, Nabiki?" Akane dropped the plate she was holding at the sudden and very direct question from Kasumi. Nabiki managed to remain calm. "I'll tell if you tell me how far you've gone with Dr. Tofu." Kasumi and Nabiki squared off. "Deal." Akane didn't know what to say, so she remained silent. Suddenly, Nabiki and Kasumi looked at Akane. "What? I don't think it's any secret that I've made love with all three Ranmas." Nabiki smirked and looked at Akane's belly. "Well, Ranma for sure." She winked. "Yup... but Sanma has this thing he does differently..." She looked ready to go into vivid details, before Nabiki stopped her. "Anyway... Kasumi?" Akane seemed a bit miffed that she couldn't tell her story. "Well, he's seen my breasts." Kasumi blushed. "That's all?" "Well... he gave me a good back rub once." "Just a back rub? Heck, I even let Kuno give me a back rub once... for a price." Kasumi blushed. "I wasn't exactly wearing a lot at the time." Nabiki smirked. "You really should get married, Kasumi." "Well, after I finish classes for this year, we probably will." Nabiki and Akane exchanged knowing smiles. When Kasumi and Dr. Tofu had first announced they were getting married, they indicated it would be after Kasumi graduated from medical school. But since then, Kasumi had kept mentioning earlier and earlier dates. "Well, Mousse and I are only kissing. We're going to take it slow after all we've been through." Nabiki thought back to the time she spent with Tomu. A small shudder ran up her body. Akane and Kasumi knew better than to ask about Tomu. "You just wanted to find out how far I've gotten with Tofu, didn't you?" "Pretty much." Nabiki smiled. *********************************************************************** >From the personal journal of James Davidson: October 12, 2057 "I guess Nabiki and Mousse were on their way to getting married by that point?" I asked as I held up another piece of wood for Akane to nail in. Unlike the first piece she nailed into place, this time Akane used a hammer instead of her finger to pound the nails in. "Yes, they still had a few hurdles to get over, but they took it slow and..." Akane was interrupted by a female voice. "So, you survived again, did you?" I looked over at the source of the interruption and saw Nabiki's daughter standing behind us. Akane sighed when she saw Nijiko. "Yes. Yes, I did." "Well, at least this time you didn't get anyone killed." Akane stood up and approached Nijiko. "No... not this time." Despite Akane being a couple of inches shorter than Nijiko, she seemed to tower above the younger woman due to the sheer intensity of the look that Akane gave Nabiki's daughter. Nijiko tried to counter, but wasn't quite able to overcome the power behind Akane's gaze. "Well, thank goodness for small miracles. How much longer can your luck hold out?" "It's not luck... you should know that." "No... it was always a choice to be made. One life for others. Many lives for yours." Akane almost seemed to age at hearing those words. "If I could, Nijiko, I'd trade my life for all of them... but it doesn't work that way. Your parents had a happy life and I've tried to make sure their children and grandchildren have as well." "Including Kamosu?" Akane flinched. "Yes. He chose to join the Task Force. I've always left it up to each person to decide... I never forced anyone to join." "How convenient for your conscience." Akane sighed heavily. "Nijiko, my conscience is my business. If you must know, not a day goes by that I don't recall their names and give them a silent thanks." "I'm sure that is very comforting for them." "No... it's comforting for me." Akane absently looked at her half-built house. "Look, Nijiko, this is an old argument and we're both too old to change our ways." "You're right... too bad your way gets people killed." Without warning, Akane slapped Nijiko. The slap was followed by complete silence as the work on the house came to a halt. "How dare you." Nijiko slowly turned her head back to Akane without even attempting to rub the red welt. She wouldn't give Akane the satisfaction. "That always was your way, wasn't it? Solve it with violence." "Would you rather I stop fighting the Buyierfei and let them overrun the world?" "No..." "Would you rather I sacrifice half the world's population to bring back your parents?" "No..." "Then what do you want, Nijiko?" "I want the killing to stop." "So do I." Akane dropped her head and repeated the phrase softly. "So do I." Without another word, Nijiko turned and walked away from Akane. To my astonishment, she approached a woodpile and picked up several pieces. She made her way to an unfinished part of the house and went to work. All around me, the rest of the work crew resumed their activities. Akane must have noticed my dumbfounded stare, because she tapped me on my shoulder. "What's the matter?" "It's just that I wouldn't expect Nijiko to be part of the repair crew." Akane sighed. "Nijiko and I don't see eye to eye on most things..." "I noticed." Akane smiled slightly. "But above all, she is family." As we went back to work and Akane continued her story I realized that there was much more to Nijiko than met the eye. Akane too, for that matter, but I figured that out a long time ago. *********************************************************************** September 2-October 3, 1999 - Nerima, Japan By September the repairs to the Tendo house were finished and the Tendo and Saotome families moved back in. After a trip to the market, Akane walked into her home. Or the house that stood when her home used to be. She looked around at the new walls and the new floor and the new ceiling. She sighed. She poked her head into her new room. It was extended out into the garden a couple extra meters. Of course, the garden was now a little bigger as well due to the road being unneeded. The low wall that still surrounded the Tendo house proper had been repaired, but built along the opposite side of the former street giving the Tendos a larger garden. Truth be told, Akane loved the larger garden, but something kept bugging her about the house. The room she shared with Ranko was now twice as large if you included the small nursery added on where the family room used to be. She clenched her fist tightly and tried not to let the thought of her two errant fiances get her down. She strolled past the kitchen, which was basically the same except for a larger pantry. The hallway jagged and then ran along the garden where the koi pond still sat. The family room now occupied the area where the side yard used to be. The side wall had been pushed back across the street like the one by the garden. Akane looked out beyond that wall and saw the larger fence forming the 'compound' that the Amazons had created. Since the old Fuyo house had been torn down, they now had a glorious view of the hills surrounding Nerima. Akane had been amazed the first time she saw the new view. She continued down the hall past her father's new room, which was only slightly bigger. She sighed. She had accepted her father marrying Ms. Hinako, but something about it still worried her. She mentally repeated the words that her therapist had suggested she use whenever she was troubled over the upcoming wedding. At the end of the hall she came to the one change in the new house that she didn't mind at all. The new bathroom. She entered the outer changing room and knocked on the door. She smiled when the response she hoped for was heard. She quickly peeled off her clothes and stepped into the inner bath. Fancy wouldn't be good enough to describe the new tub and the room surrounding it. In the new circular tub, which was twice the size of the old one, sat her cohort in pregnancy. "How's the new tub?" Ranko opened her eyes and smiled at Akane. "Fantastic. But I had to turn the heat down." Akane sat down on a stool and began washing up. "Why?" "Our obstetrician said it would be better to avoid extremely hot water for the rest of my pregnancy." Ranko casually fished out the thermometer hanging by a string in the water and checked it. "Just right." "Nothing wrong, I hope?" Akane finished washing and rinsed herself off. "Nope... just playing it safe." "You?" Akane sunk her naked body into the tub next to Ranko. The displaced water flowed over the edge of the tub and swirled down the drain. Ranko smiled and gave her wife a kiss. "Hey, you're the one who keeps saying everything I do, I'm doing for two." Akane smiled. "I know. I'm proud of you." "No biggie. I've grown... fond of the idea of having this child." Ranko stroked her stomach gently. "I've noticed. You've changed since we've married. Changed in a good way." "Huh?" "I can see my mother's face on yours when you talk about your child." Ranko looked confused. "I look like your mother?" "No... not at all. It's just the love for your child I see and that reminds me of my mother." Ranko slipped her arm around Akane and gave her a squeeze. "She'd be proud of the woman you've become. I couldn't have handled having this baby without you." "Me too. I just wish..." Ranko could tell by the look that crossed Akane's face what she was thinking about. "They'll be back soon. They are probably just waiting for my baby to be born. They know it's due in October, so don't worry." Akane gave her husband a reassuring smile. "I know... I know..." "And if they don't... as soon as my son is born, I'll go find the idiots." Akane smiled and countered Ranko's use of 'son' like she always did. "You think your job is done when your 'daughter' is born?" "No, but I'll be more mobile and able to bash some sense into them after he is born." "You know, if you keep insisting it'll be a boy, you might be in for a big let down." "We'll see... I can tell. It's going to be a boy! I know it!" Akane chuckled at her husband's stubbornness. -C- -M- -D- The fall colors had begun to appear on the trees in front of Furinkan High School. After school let out, Ranko waddled out of the front doors. "I am really getting sick of carrying this thing!" She was in the pose she had become very familiar with over the past few months, one hand on her sore back and one on her very large belly. "Tell me about it. And I've got four more months to go," Akane waddled beside Ranko. She wasn't as large as Ranko, but clearly pregnant. The few people who had recommended she go on a diet were not likely to make that mistake again after seeing the power behind a pregnant woman's fist. "Oh, if I could only go back to being only five months pregnant... you have no idea what it's like to carry this huge thing around." Akane chuckled. "I have a fairly good idea..." "Talk to me in three months and you'll see how much different it will be." Akane smiled. "Okay, you win... you're fatter than me." Ranko glowed in her victory. "Of course, Ranko Tendo always wins." She missed the implied insult completely. Two Amazon warriors followed at a discrete distance as Ranko and Akane walked by the canal holding hands. The warriors scanned the area, ready to kill anything that threatened their charges. As they walked, they discussed the upcoming wedding. "Well, hopefully they'll get a calmer wedding than all of mine." "Ah... who needs a boring wedding where no one breaks down a wall, blows something up, or people don't come back from the dead?" Akane giggled. "True. They were all very... eventful. I'm just looking forward to my next one being very calm and uneventful." "Most husbands would take that badly." "You are not like most husbands." Ranko smiled broadly. "You're ri..." She went silent suddenly and clutched her stomach. "What's wrong?" "Just a twinge." "A contraction? It's a bit early, but the doctor said they could start for you soon." Ranko shrugged and continued walking. "It's nothing." Suddenly she clutched her stomach again and dropped to her knees. She barely had the chance to get her arms out in front of her to keep her belly from impacting the ground with the sudden shift in weight. "Ranko!!" Akane reached for Ranko. The two Amazon warriors rushed over and took up defensive positions. "I'm... alright... I..." Ranko trailed off when she saw the blood on her hand. She looked down at her stomach and ran her hand across her stretch pants. When she pulled it back there was more blood on it. "I... I think you should call an ambulance." Ranko was barely able to pivot back and lean against a fence. "Fast." Akane spun around and screamed at the top of her lungs to anyone within earshot. "Someone call an ambulance... NOW!!" If the commanding tone of her shout didn't force people to obey, the angry red battle aura that formed around Akane did. It could also have been the armed Amazon warriors that ended up causing a dozen ambulances to arrive within minutes. -C- -M- -D- Despite wanting to pace and fret, Akane was held tightly between Nodoka and Kasumi. Even with the tight hold they had on her, she was still shaking. "No... no.... no..." She glanced at the closed hospital doors for the millionth time. Kasumi stroked her little sister's hair. "I'll be okay... Ranko is strong and healthy. There are any number of minor problems that can cause bleeding at this stage of pregnancy. Don't worry." Truth be told, Kasumi was as worried as the rest of them, but her medical knowledge was the best thing she could use to comfort Akane at that moment. "And the baby is almost full term, so it could survive outside of the womb if it had to." Nodoka took care of the emotional comforting. "Just hang in there, Akane. These things can happen. I'm sure everything will be alright." "I hope..." Akane went silent when she saw the doctor approach them. In a single movement, she broke free of Kasumi and Nodoka's hold and rushed to the doctor. "Doctor, is she okay... is the baby okay?" The doctor looked down at Akane. "Is the father here?" "I'm the father... tell me!" Akane snapped. "I see... Mrs. Tendo and the baby are fine for now. I've already explained this to your... wife. The placenta has partially detached from the wall of the uterus." "Oh my. A transverse separation or a linear separation?" Kasumi asked. The doctor looked appraisingly at Kasumi. "Transverse." Kasumi visibly relaxed. "The baby is fine and getting plenty of oxygen and blood flow." Akane visibly relaxed. "Apparently she took a blow to the stomach some time ago-" Akane nodded. "-and that caused a slight tear on the placenta that didn't show up until now. If she gets plenty of bed rest and takes it easy, she should be able to carry the baby to term." Akane exhaled in relief. "So she can go home?" "I want to keep her here for a couple days, but if there is no more bleeding or pain she can go home. She will have to remain in bed--a western style bed would be best--and take it easy until the baby is born. She was a little resistant to the idea, so I hope you and your family can keep her in bed and from doing anything strenuous." "Well, I finally managed to stop Ranko from doing back flips a few months ago, so I should be able to handle this as well." The doctor looked blankly at Akane for a few seconds. "Back flips at four or five months? Impossible." Challenged, Akane grinned and did a quick back flip. She landed perfectly on her feet and put her hands in the air. The doctor was amazed that any woman could pull off a perfect back flip at four months. After he managed to close his gaping mouth, he said, "Um... you probably shouldn't do that." -C- -M- -D- Akane rushed into the room as fast her pregnant body would let her. She wrapped her arms gently around Ranko and gave her a long kiss. "Thank goodness..." Ranko smiled weakly. "I'm sorry I worried you. I'll be fine as soon as I get out of this place." "You'll be fine as long as you stay in bed." "Awwwww... the doctor is just exaggerating." "No, he's not! You will stay in bed and take it easy." "But..." "But nothing..." The argument was interrupted by a quiet voice. "Mrs. Tendo?" Akane and Ranko both looked to see a young nurse walk in. "Here is a picture of your son from when the doctor checked you with the ultrasound." "Son?" Akane asked. "Yes, the penis is clearly visible." The nurse handed the picture to Ranko and pointed out the appendage. As Ranko stared at the picture, a grin formed on her face. "Alright!! It's a boy!! I knew it!" She started to rise from the bed. "Ranko! Don't you dare get up!!" Ranko froze and nodded. She sunk back down into the bed. "Sorry... I forgot." The grin reappeared on her face. "A son..." Akane sighed. "Well at least my baby will be a surprise." -C- -M- -D- A few days later, Ranko was carefully wheeled into her room on a wheelchair pushed by her father. "I don't need this thing!!" Soun hobbled in on the two arm crutches he used and huffed. "I thought the same thing, my lad. Just accept it and do your best to get better." Ranko looked awkwardly at her father-in-law and then at Akane, who had a very determined look on her face as she finished laying out the sheets. "Alright." Akane smiled and gestured towards the bed. "Mr. Saotome, if you would be so kind." Genma nodded and picked his pregnant son up and placed her gently on the bed. "Now, you're carrying my future GRANDSON, Ranko, so take it easy." Needless to say, both the future grandfather and mother were very excited about finding out the baby would be a boy. "Yeah, whatever, Pop." He looked around the room as sighed. "I guess I can manage a month of inactivity." -C- -M- -D- "No! Stay in bed." "But..." "Just let me give you a sponge bath." "That's not what I meant! I need to... you know..." "Oh." Akane blushed and reached for the bedpan. "No way am I using that thing!" Akane rolled her eyes. -C- -M- -D- "How's Ranko?" Kasumi asked as she walked into the family room. Akane looked up from the magazine she was reading. "Fine... a pain in the ass, but fine." "Oh, everything's normal then." Kasumi smiled sweetly and knelt down at the table. Akane smirked. "Yeah... quite frankly he's driving me crazy. How did you stand Dad when you were taking care of him?" "I kept remembering that I loved him." Akane let out a soft chuckle. "Yup, that's why I put up with the big idiot." -C- -M- -D- "Open it!" "Miss... please, this isn't a good idea." The young woman waved a bunch of papers in front of the old man. "I have all the proper paperwork... open the door!" The old man sighed in resignation. "Very well, Miss, but you may be condemning us all to a world worse than hell." He opened the door with a key and stood way back. The young woman smiled and opened the door. "Honey?" "Who dares disturb the great Blue Thunder of Pleasant Hill Hospital?" The young woman smiled broadly and raced inside. "Kuno darling!" She threw herself into the... straps of the straightjacketed Kuno. "How I've missed you." She started to undo the straps holding Kuno in the straightjacket. Kuno looked at the woman. "Who are you?" The young woman chuckled and playfully slapped Kuno on his chest. "I'm Mariko, silly. I've come to get you out of this hospital." Kuno didn't seem to react to the name, but his face lit up at the mention of getting out of the hospital. Or as he liked to refer to it, his temporary abode. "Ah, at last I shall emerge from my cocoon and bask in the glory of my admirers." "Of course, darling. But first we must get married." Mariko smiled slyly. "Married? Nay, for I am pledged to my twin pigtailed goddesses and Akane Tendo." "Sorry, they are already married." Mariko knew that technically Sanma was still available, but she wasn't about to tell Kuno that. "They are just abiding their time until I free myself of this place." "Ranko and Akane are pregnant." Kuno's face fell. "Preg-nant? What be that?" Mariko rolled her eyes. "With child..." No response from Kuno. "Going to have a baby..." Kuno frowned. "Knocked up..." Kuno's eyes grew wide. "What a foul creature is Ranma Saotome to do that not only to the pure and beautatious Akane Tendo, but to his own kin. How sickening." "Face it, Kuno, they are forever out of your reach. And unless you want to stay here, you have to marry your true love... ME!" She smiled sweetly and then held up the papers that would give Kuno his freedom. "Well?" Kuno frowned as his mind pondered his current situation. "Oh, a world without my dear pigtailed goddesses and Akane Tendo... it would not be worth living in. And I am held in such high esteem here." Just then two inmates walked by. "Looks like the Blue Turd is getting out." "At last. I am so sick of all the poetry and Shakespeare." "Yeah, if I wanted to hear that crap, I'd have stayed in my job as a cop in Nerima instead of committing myself to get away from the madness there." Kuno ignored the comments. "Oh, what a choice befalls me. To marry a woman I don't know-" Mariko huffed. "-or remain as a god here." Mariko began to tear the papers to illustrate that time was running out. "But wait! What light through yonder window shines? It is my dear Mariko, love of my life!" "Good boy... just remember that you have to marry me, or you're back here faster than I can call my daddy's lawyers." She finished undoing the straps and turned around and spoke to the old man. "We'll be going now. Where is that lunatic sister of his?" "Yes... I understand. Ms. Kuno is down in ward four." He gestured down the hall. Kuno stood up and struck a noble pose that was spoiled somewhat by the long sleeves of his straightjacket flapping at his sides. "Whether it be nobler of the mind or body, the Blue Thunder of Pleasant Hill Hospital is no more! Long live the Blue Thunder of... well... I'll have to think of something." Mariko smiled and gave Kuno a long kiss. "Try 'Mariko's Blue Thunder'." Kuno frowned. "Nay, that does not sound right." Mariko held up the papers and made to tear them. "Ah, yes, that is a noble title. Blue Thunder of Mariko!" -C- -M- -D- "Come along, Sister, we must depart this horrid place," Kuno said from the door to Kodachi's room. The room was free of the usual black paper roses that usually covered most of the surfaces. Instead, it was very neat and tidy. Kodachi was sitting very properly on the single steel chair. "Oh, dear brother, you should stay. You will never get better if you don't let them help you," Kodachi said softly. "What kind of fiendish drugs do thy quacks have my sister on?" "I do not know, Brother, but I feel really good now." Kodachi smiled pleasantly. "Would you care to sit so we can talk about father and our dearly departed mother?" "Lies!! She is not... dead! She... is but on a journey to the noble foreign lands to bring education to the savages!" Kuno stuttered as he made his declaration. "I feel so sad for you, Brother. Mother passed away and Father told us that in hopes that it would be more comforting." Kuno was shaking. "My sister is no more. Alas, my life is empty of love." He spun around and left Kodachi behind. "Come, my future wife." Walking away with Mariko, he had no idea how true his statement about his life would turn out to be. -C- -M- -D- A nurse and an orderly watched Kuno and Mariko depart. "So, what's up with the Bent Rose lately? She hasn't cackled in a couple of weeks." The nurse looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. "Well, the scuttlebutt is that she's finally taking her medication and talking to her doctor." "I wonder why?" -C- -M- -D- Inside her room, Kodachi smiled sweetly and finished constructing a pink paper rose. "Oh, my dar... dear Kang, I'll get better for you." She added the paper rose to the basket by her side. The roses inside the basket were an assortment of bright pastel colors. -C- -M- -D- "Why can't I wear my tux!!" Akane smiled at her husband. "One, you wouldn't fit in it. Two, you're a bridesmaid. Three..." "Alright... alright... Why do I have to be a bridesmaid, anyway?" Akane smiled. "Because you promised Ms. Hinako." "That was before I knew I had to wear a dress," Ranko said, running her hands down her long pink frilly dress. "You look fantastic for a woman who's nine months pregnant." "Well, at least I get to leave my prison for the wedding." Akane smiled. "As your warden, I'll ignore that." "It would be a lot easier if you weren't staying in the room with me, you know." Akane's jaw dropped. "What?" "You think it's easy having you so close without being able to make love to you?" Akane smirked. "I know... I miss it too. But we'll survive." She gave Ranko a long kiss and then finished getting ready for the wedding. -C- -M- -D- The music started. Soun stood in the front of the new dojo with the minister. He wasn't using his arm crutches, since he wanted to be able to stand by his own power for the ceremony. As long as he didn't need to go anywhere fast, he would be okay. Genma stood by his side, dressed in a similar Japanese tuxedo like the one that Soun wore. "You lucky dog you." "Thanks for being my best man, Saotome." "Anytime, Tendo." "I plan on this being my last one." "Of course..." Genma trailed off when he saw Akane appear at the doorway. Akane was dressed in a long flowing pink dress. She held a small bouquet of pink flowers as she walked slowly down the aisle. She smiled to some of her classmates that had been invited. -C- -M- -D- At the south gate to the compound, Daisuke and Hiroshi stood in their underwear. "Come on, we're going to miss the wedding!" Nipplering appraised the two boys. "I guess you're clean. You can enter." Daisuke and Hiroshi collected their clothes and scurried off towards the Tendo house, awkwardly pulling their clothes back on as they ran. "What's going on here anyway?" Daisuke asked as he pulled his shirt on. "Ranko says the Amazons are protecting them from demons." Daisuke chucked. "Yeah, right..." -C- -M- -D- Ranko started walking down the aisle after Nabiki had made her trip down the aisle. She looked very uncomfortable in the pink frilly dress, but tried to look happy for sake of the bride and groom. She hated how she looked in the mirror when she had put on the dress, since the red of her hair really clashed with the pink dress. And her huge belly didn't exactly make her thrilled with the final result either. "Damn, Ranko's gotten really fat!" Ranko flinched and looked at the back of the dojo and saw Daisuke and Hiroshi come in. "Shut up, you morons!" Akane smiled at the outburst. She watched Ranko finish her walk down the aisle. When Ranko took her place beside her, Akane leaned over and whispered to her. "Are you okay? You look a little flushed." "I'm fine.. just a little hot in this dress." Akane nodded and then gasped as she saw Ms. Hinako at the doors. Ms. Hinako was wearing a gorgeous, low cut, wedding dress. It was white with just a touch of pink lace trimming to match her bridesmaid's dresses. She was in her adult form, thanks to a specially made container to hold her fighting fish that was strapped to her leg using her garter belt. She strolled down the aisle, looking radiant and every bit the beautiful bride she was. Kasumi smiled and squeezed Dr. Tofu's hand and looked at him. He smiled back. Ms. Hinako reached the front of the dojo and smiled at Soun. She took his hand and then faced the minister. "We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony," the minister began his speech. Ranko fidgeted as the ceremony went on. She glanced around. Akane noticed her nervousness and leaned over and whispered. "Are you alright?" Ranko whispered back. "Yes... I just need to... you know." Akane looked at her husband blankly for several seconds. "You should have..." She went silent when the minister looked at her and cleared his throat. Akane smiled apologetically at him. "If anyone here knows of any reason why these two should not be married, let them now speak or forever hold their peace." After a slight pause, the minister continued. "Soun Tendo, do you..." A piercing scream rang out across the dojo. Various eyes searched the dojo to find the source of the attack. It was only after everyone realized none of the walls exploded that Akane felt a tug on her dress and turned around to see Ranko kneeling on the floor. "Ranko! Are you alright?" "No..." Kasumi and Dr. Tofu rushed to their side. "Ranko, what's wrong?" Dr. Tofu asked, feeling Ranko's forehead. "Shooting pains in my stomach for the last hour. And then... two sharp ones just now..." Ranko grimaced. "Make that three." Akane gasped. "Why didn't you tell me?" "I... didn't want... to interrupt... the wedding," Ranko said, haltingly. "Idiot." Kasumi knelt down in front of Ranko. "How far apart are the biggest pains?" "Five or ten minutes... No big deal, I can handle them." Kasumi looked at Nabiki. "Nabiki, could you call an ambulance?" Nabiki smiled knowingly. She pulled out her cell phone and started dialing. Ranko frowned. "Why? I'll be okay. Maybe I just need to sit down." Kasumi smiled sweetly. "You're probably in labor, Ranko." "Oh... maybe I need to lay down then..." -C- -M- -D- "Where is the ambulance?!" Akane said pacing back and forth in front of Ranko, who was lying on the floor with most of the wedding party hovering around her. "Relax, Akane, it's no big deal." "No big deal?! You're giving birth! Where is..." Akane ramblings were interrupted when Nodoka put a comforting hand on Akane's shoulder. "Calm down, Akane, there's still plenty of time." "But..." Nabiki interrupted Akane and made a suggestion. "Hey, as long as we're waiting... why don't we finish the wedding? Even with all the bulk-rate discounts I've arranged for, these things aren't cheap, you know." Akane looked at Nabiki in disbelief. "Nabiki, this is no time..." Ranko interrupted. "Great idea! It won't take long and I'd feel awful if Mr. Tendo and Ms. Hinako had to wait just because of me." Akane couldn't believe how casual her husband was being about this. The minister stood up from the chair he had been sitting on. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time I had to beat a baby." Several chuckles were heard. "But usually it's the bride who's pregnant." Akane looked at the back of the dojo and whispered to herself. "Where is that ambulance?" -C- -M- -D- "Do you, Soun Tendo, take this... woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, for richer, for poorer, in good health and bad, till death do you part?" The minister glanced at Ranko. Soun swallowed at the last part. "I do." "Grrrrrr...." The minister glanced at Ranko again and sped up. "Do you, Hinako Ninomiya, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, for richer, for poorer, in good health and bad, till death do you part?" Little Hinako pulled the sucker out of her mouth before answering. "I do." Daisuke leaned over to Hiroshi whispered a question. "Why is Ms. Hinako a child?" "She can't use her fighting fish for long before she starts acting childish and can't concentrate on what she's doing, so she had to revert to her child form." "Oh yeah... Hey, are we sure Ms. Hinako isn't really a kid pretending to be a grownup and that Mr. Tendo doesn't have a Lolita complex?" Hiroshi scratched his chin. "Hmmmm..." Soun and Hinako finished exchanging rings and looked back at the minister. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Soun Tendo." Cheers erupted from the crowd. Those cheers were drowned out by a loud piercing scream. Akane looked down. "Ranko?" "I'll... be... alright..." Ranko screamed again. "I will not be beaten by this..." "You may... draw some energy from your husband so he can kiss his bride." Little Hinako smiled and held out a five yen coin. She drained just a small amount of energy from Soun, but it was enough to fill out her wedding dress. The newlyweds leaned in and kissed. During the kiss, Ms. Hinako--make that Mrs. Hinako Tendo--returned the energy to Soun. Little Hinako jumped around after the kiss. "Yay!! I'm a married woman now!!" Nabiki grinned. "Now that is going to be an interesting honeymoon." -C- -M- -D- "Arrrrrgghhhhhh!!" "Push... push... push... relax!" the doctor instructed. Ranko breathed heavily and lay back into Akane's arms. "I will not be beaten by this..." Akane smiled at hearing the phrase Ranko had been using after almost every push or contraction. "You're doing great..." "Uh oh..." Akane snapped her head around. "WHAT!!" "I dropped a sponge." Akane glared at the doctor, who recoiled when he saw the angry aura surrounding Akane. "Be more careful!" Ranko could tell that Akane was on edge, unfortunately Ranko was in no condition to calm her wife down at that moment. "Arrrrggghhhhhh!!" "Push.... push... relax." "How much longer?" Ranko asked from between clenched teeth. "Hard to say until the baby's head appears... could be a few more pushes... could be more." Ranko looked over at Akane. "I'm never letting you touch me again... there is no way I'm going to have another baby after this!!" Akane's jaw dropped. "I didn't exactly get you pregnant, you know." Ranko smiled. "I know... I heard that on a TV show and wanted to use it." Akane chuckled, as Ranko hoped she would. "Idiot." As she leaned into kiss her husband, Ranko screamed. Not exactly the reaction Akane was expecting of course, but then Ranko was in her fifteenth hour of labor so Akane had grown used to the myriad of noises from her husband. "Push... push... push... relax." Akane wiped Ranko's forehead off. "I get the picture... I've been too tense." Ranko smiled. "Yowsa!" Ranko and Akane looked over to see Nabiki standing in the doorway with a video camera in her hand. "Nabiki?" "What are you doing?" Ranko asked, then clenched her teeth as another contraction ran though her body. "Are you kidding? A man giving birth? I'll make a fortune on this video. At the very least the Eleven O'clock News will want to pay me for it." Nabiki grinned broadly and panned the camera. "If the hospital had a better Internet connection, I'd have set up a live web feed." Ranko clenched her teeth. "How dare you! I thought you'd changed." Akane shook her head sadly. "Nabiki, I'm really not sure..." "Relax, I'm only kidding. I'm only doing this for you guys to watch when you're old and gray." Akane looked at Ranko. "What do you think?" "Arrrrghhhhhh!" Akane looked back at Nabiki. "Um... that might be a no." Ranko shook her head. "No... it's okay. Just keep the camera on my face and Akane... I really don't want to see what my nether regions look like at a time like this." "Deal, but it won't be as exciting." Nabiki framed the shot to include everything except the naughty bits. "Or sell as well." She got a nasty glare from Ranko and Akane for her joke. "You're doing great Mrs. Tendo. Give me a nice long push with your next contraction." "CALL... ME... MISTER!!" Ranko blurted, as she pushed hard. *********************************************************************** >From the personal journal of James Davidson: October 12, 2057 "CALL... ME... MISTER!!" Ranko blurted, as she pushed hard. I looked away from the holo-display that was showing the video that Nabiki had shot of Ranko giving birth. "Wow, having a visual record like this makes my job very easy." I positioned the next piece of wood so Hanaki could nail it into place. Akane smiled from the porch where she was taking a short rest from the work, mostly at the insistence of her family than really being tired. "Yes, it does come in handy." She glanced at the display and smiled at the image of her first husband giving birth to her first child. I thought back to the interrupted wedding she had described and then shown the video of. "Was it hard for you to see your father remarry?" Akane nodded. "Yes, but I accepted it. Can't keep living in the past... I've learned that the hard way." "So, about the birth..." My question was interrupted when a pig raced around the side of the partially rebuilt house being chased by little Daijiko. "Uncle Piggy!" Daijiko cried out and aimed her water pistol at the fleeing pig. Sanma dodged the water spray and then took cover behind a woodpile. Daijiko leapt over the woodpile and fired another stream of water at the fleeing pig. Sanma used his lifelong experience and easily avoided the water. Unfortunately, I didn't have such experience. As Sanma ran in front of me, I got a face full of water. Daijiko frowned and skidded to a halt in front of me. "Sorry, James..." I smiled and mussed up the little girl's hair. "That's okay, Daijiko. No harm done." Daijiko smiled broadly and set off in pursuit of her quarry once again. I looked over at Akane. "Why is Sanma avoiding the water? I'd have thought that he'd be eager to get out of his pig form." Akane smiled. "Well, there are a few forms that he hates worse than his pig form, so he's usually not in a rush to become one of them." "I see..." I glanced back at the chase just in time to see Daijiko corner Sanma against the house. Sanma dodged the stream of water Daijiko shot at him, but didn't see her pull out another water pistol and shoot a second stream of water in his direction. "Got him!!" little Daijiko shouted and jumped into the air in triumph. I smiled. "Dual water pistols... smart girl." Akane smiled proudly. "She's my great-granddaughter, after all." I looked back to Sanma and went numb when I saw what Sanma had transformed into. I looked back and fourth between Akane and... Akane. "What the..." Akane smiled. "Spring of Drowned Akane, of course," she commented as she leapt into her own arms and gave herself a long kiss. "Damn, you're gorgeous." Sanma laughed. "Only a cheap copy of the original." She winked seductively at Akane. I looked at the two Akanes in front of me. Only the fact that the Akane who had just appeared was naked allowed me to tell them apart. They were virtually identical, except Sanma's wrinkles were slightly different and didn't have as many scars on her body as Akane did. Yohachi walked up to the dual Akanes and tossed a robe at Sanma. "Get dressed, old man." Sanma grinned and slipped the robe on. "Don't like seeing your mother naked?" "No. Especially not when she's kissing herself." I chuckled. It definitely was an odd sight to see two identical people like that, especially being so... familiar with each other. "Well, is the house building party done for the day?" "Why?" "Well, I figured since Sanma was human again..." Akane shook her head. "You've got a dirty mind, James." "I'm sorry... I didn't mean..." my apology was interrupted when Ayami walked up beside me. "Don't worry, James, Mom will be screwing herself before the night is over." Ayami was holding little Daijiko in her arms. "Where did my daughter get such a mouth?" Ayami grinned lopsidedly at her mother. "I wonder." "Don't look at me... your father was worse than I ever was." Just then, a thought occurred to me. "Wait a second... Sanma, didn't you say that your multiple curses were caused by the packets of instant spring powders you had in your pocket at the time?" Sanma in Akane's body nodded. "Then why would there be a instant Spring of Drowned Akane package?" Akane, the real Akane, smiled and answered for her twin. "Apparently, there was a lot of demand for it so the Jusenkyo marketing people had a batch made up before the springs dried up for good." Sanma wrapped her arms around Akane. "Can you blame people for wanting to have my beautiful little wife here? I think even Ryoga bought a crate of it." Akane scowled. "He did not! Although, I have a bad feeling Kuno might have." She shuddered. "The thought of him..." She shuddered more. "Tell me about it. He didn't deserve that much pleasure." Sanma winked at herself. Daijiko looked up at Ayami, who was still holding the little girl. "Grandma, how long before I can change Uncle again?" Ayami smiled and brushed the hair out of Daijiko's eyes. "Not long, little one. Maybe he'll be a cat next time." Daijiko smiled. "I hope so. I love playing with Red-chan!" "So, you're Daijiko's grandmother?" Ayami nodded. Some more pieces of my Tendo family tree fell into place. I looked at Ayami and noticed some resemblance to the little rugrat. Of course, you could say the same thing about at least a quarter of the Compound's population. I looked over at Akane, who was holding hands with herself. "So, I guess you're out of the betting pool now, Akane?" Akane nodded her head. "Yup, but I'll live with it." Ayami smiled. "I'm still in." Yohachi huffed. "Sis, you have all the luck." "You're just saying that since I beat you in poker every time we play." "Yeah... mostly." Yohachi looked away and then pointed at the holo-display that was displaying the video of Ranko giving birth. "Look, it's almost THAT time." Akane smiled and called out to everyone who was working on the house. "Okay, kids, break time to see the end of the video!" There was some grumbling, but everyone dropped what they were doing. "Ouch! Watch where you drop things, idiot!" Everyone sat down in front of the holo-display or on the roof and watched the video they had probably seen many times before. It was my first time, so I paid particular attention to the details. Which, despite Nabiki's assurances to refrain from filming a certain body part, including close-ups of the birth canal. "Ick!!" *********************************************************************** October 3, 1999 - Nerima, Japan Ranko clenched her teeth and pushed. "I told you not to film that!" Nabiki grinned mischievously. "Sorry." "You think I want some strangers watching THAT?" "Oh, it'll only be family." "Well..." Ranko suddenly clenched her teeth as a pain worse that childbirth assailed her ears. "Ah... my pigtailed goddess! A shame that the offspring could not be mine, but a flower such as you can bear many more using my noble seed!!" "Arrrrgggghhhh!" Akane groaned at hearing the hated voice. She turned to see Kuno standing in the doorway with a dozen red roses. "Kuno!!" "I am free and have come to reclaim my loves!!" Kuno dashed forward to embrace Ranko and Akane. "I see the head!" Akane spun around and smashed Kuno's head with the side of her foot. "Jerk... how did you get out?!" "That's my question!" Nabiki snapped, but continued filming. She didn't expect an action flick, but was fast to adapt. "Tis not important, but now that I am here, I must date with thee!!" "We're already married and pregnant, fool! Not mention that Ranko is in the middle of giving birth, you moron!!" Akane followed her statement with a swift upper cut and then a jab to Kuno's stomach. The doctor seemed oblivious to everything except the area between Ranko's legs. "Give me another long push." The nurses were trying to keep things from interfering with his work, while keeping a wary eye on the intruder. "Call security!" "That..." Akane landed a high kick to Kuno's face that a woman who was six months pregnant shouldn't have been able to do. "Won't..." She landed a fist to Kuno's stomach. "Be..." She spun around and landed a kick to Kuno's back. Ranko saw Kuno flying towards her and thrust out her fist. Her punch sent Kuno sailing out the door. "Necessary!!" After punching Kuno, Ranko growled in pain. "Good... good... keep up the good work." -C- -M- -D- Kuno hit the opposite side of the hallway with a large thud. He fell backwards and onto his back. "They love me." He opened his eyes to see a very angry Mariko standing over him. "Oh, my dove of freedom!" "Save it." Mariko grabbed Kuno by his shirt and dragged him down the hospital hallway. "I'll have to keep you on a shorter leash." "Yes, dear." -C- -M- -D- The door was quickly closed and locked after Kuno was forcibly ejected. "Damn, this is going to be one great video." Akane smiled slightly at her sister. Forgetting about Kuno for the time being, she rushed back to Ranko's side. "How are you doing?" "Could be better... Arrrrrgggghhh!!" "Heads out... looking good..." Akane looked down at the baby. "Its... its..." "What does it look like?" Ranko asked. Akane thought for a few moments. "You remember that movie Ms. Sawa showed us?" Ranko nodded. "It looks even worse." "Arrrrghhhh!!" "Wowsa..." "I told you not to film that!" "Congratulations, Mrs. Tendo!" Tears came to Ranko's eyes. "I did it..." Akane hugged Ranko tightly. "Yes, you did... I'm so proud of you." "Bah... it was nothing." Akane rolled her eyes and gave Ranko a kiss. The kiss ended when one of the nurses carried a wrapped bundle over to them. "Here you go, Mrs. Tendo." Ranko had tears in her eyes as she took the bundle. "Oh my... he's so..." Akane touched the baby with trembling hands and finished Ranko's comment. "...precious." Ranko looked up at Akane. "He has your nose, I think." Akane raised an eyebrow. "I doubt that. And I'm pretty sure the red hair isn't from my side of the family either." She idly fingered the fine strands of red hair on the baby's head. The doctor finished washing his hands and walked over to the couple, who had pretty much forgotten about everyone else in the room. "Congratulations. She looks to be very strong and healthy." "Of course, he's my son!" Ranko proudly boasted, but then frowned when the doctor's words sunk in. "She?!" "It's a boy, isn't it? The last ultrasound..." Akane trailed off looking closely at the baby. The doctor shrugged. "Sometimes the ultrasounds can be deceiving." Ranko had quickly unwrapped the baby and was examining it closely. "Shoot," she muttered when she didn't see a penis. Akane smiled. "Don't worry, honey, she's still a beautiful baby. Just like her mother." "Thanks, Daddy." Ranko smiled and kissed her wife. -C- -M- -D- After Ranko had time to clean up and get some rest, Akane looked in on her. "Ranko?" "Come in." Ranko smiled broadly. Akane walked into the hospital room "How's mother and child?" Ranko sighed. "Its still a girl." Akane smiled and looked over at the baby in the nearby bassinet. "But a beautiful girl." Ranko nodded. "No argument here." Akane picked up the baby and then slid into bed with Ranko. "She's so precious. Have any ideas for names?" Ranko frowned. "Got lots of ideas for boys." Akane chuckled. "Let it go, Ranko." "Okay... okay..." Ranko looked at her daughter. Akane made a suggestion from the top of her list of girls. "How about Ayami?" Ranko considered the name. "It's nice, but..." She looked down at her daughter. "Precious..." "Yes... I know she is." "No... for a name. Daiji-na." Akane thought for a moment. "Dai-ji-na... It's a little awkward. How about just Daiji?" Ranko looked at the baby as she thought about the name. "How about Daijiko?" Akane eyes lit up. "What a great name. Daijiko it is." She smiled at her newly named daughter. A little while later after they had filled out some paperwork and spent some time alone with their newborn daughter, Akane and Ranko heard a knock on the door. Ranko looked over. "Come in." A mob flooded into the room. Mousse, Dr. Tofu, and the entire Saotome and Tendo families--those that were in Nerima at least--surrounded the new parents. "How is my granddaughter?" "It should have been a boy." "Oh, she's so adorable." "Gee, she looks a lot better without all the blood on her." "Yay!! Can I play with the baby?!" "Very beautiful child, Ranko." "How'd you get that out of such a small space? I'd love to add that technique to my other hidden weapon skills." "That's a fine baby you have there, my lad." "Thanks... I owe you all a lot for helping me through this," Ranko said, being unusually mushy. "That's what families are for, Ranko dear." Nodoka gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead. "Now let me see my granddaughter." She reached for the child. Akane handed the baby to her mother-in-law. "Don't forget to support her head." Nodoka smiled sweetly. "I know. I only dropped Ranma once." Ranko frowned and kept a closer eye on her new daughter. "Oh, that's nothing.. I dropped him dozens of times!" Genma started laughing. "Figures, Pop. Just don't think of dropping *MY* child or I'll drop kick you into orbit!" Nodoka smiled at the little baby. "She is so precious." Akane smiled. "That's what we think too." "We decided to call her Daijiko." Nodoka nodded. "What a wonderful name. Daijiko." Mousse pulled out a duck-shaped training potty with a pink ribbon tied around its neck and handed it to Ranko. "Here.. a little present for the baby." Akane smiled and took the training potty. "Thank you, Mousse." "No problem. Its nice to be able to put it to its intended use." Ranko frowned. "Huh?" "It's a training potty." Ranko's face fell. "All those times... you've been fighting with TRAINING POTTIES?" "Yes, what did you think they were?" Ranko looked away and muttered something incoherent about fine art and statues. Akane smiled and gave her embarrassed husband a kiss on her forehead. As everyone took turns looking at and holding the baby, Ranko coughed a few times. Akane looked at her husband. "Are you okay?" "Yeah... could I have some water?" Akane nodded and reached for the pitcher of water by the bedside. As she filled the glass the baby started to cry. "What's wrong?" In her sudden twist to look at the crying baby, she spilled the pitcher of water. The water splashed over the baby and several of the assembled onlookers. One of which turned into a duck and quacked angrily. Another became a big fat panda. Due to the sudden change in size--well it wasn't that much of a difference--the baby slipped through Genma's paws. The baby bounced off his stomach and headed towards the open window. "Daijiko!!" Ranko gasped and tried to get out of the bed to save her daughter. Dr. Tofu was the closest to the window, so he jumped and managed to grab the baby before it disappeared outside. He dropped to the floor, holding the baby gently in his outstretched hands. Nodoka rushed over and picked up the baby. "Oh my." Kasumi helped her fiance up. "Thank you, Tofu." "No problem." Nervous sweat dripped down Dr. Tofu's forehead. The panda help up a sign that read 'I'm sorry'. Akane breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head. "No, it was my fault." "That's okay, Akane, it was an accident." Ranko glared at her father. "But don't think you'll be babysitting my daughter anytime soon, furball." The baby started to cry in Nodoka's arms. "Oh dear, Daijiko is all wet." Ranko reached for the buzzer. "I'll call the nurse." "Don't bother." Nodoka placed the crying baby into the bassinet. "You'll have to learn to do this yourself, Ranko." She undid the little jumper the baby was in. "Yeah, yeah, I know." "Oh no..." "What?" Ranko craned her neck. "It's a boy." "What? Did they mix up babies?" Akane shook her head. "No... I doubt there is more than one red headed baby in the hospital." She looked at the baby and saw the little penis. "It's a boy alright... and it looks bigger... oh no." "What?" "Could someone bring me some hot water?" Ripples of confusion and then understanding ran trough the assembled people. "No..." Ranko gasped. Kasumi had rushed to the bathroom and returned with a steaming glass of water. "I hope this isn't too hot." Akane put her finger into it. "It'll do... I hope I'm wrong..." She poured a little water over the babies stomach. Before everyone's eyes the small penis on the baby vanished and the baby shrunk a bit in size. "It's... cursed," Akane gasped after several silent seconds. "No... not my baby... it's not fair." *********************************************************************** >From the personal journal of James Davidson: October 12, 2057 "Daiji was cur... blessed?" Akane nodded. "Yes... I was actually proud of Ranko for being more concerned over our child having to live with a curse than being excited that he got the son he wanted... at least half of the time." "So you ended up with both a boy and a girl in one convenient package?" "Yup, we were pretty upset at first. In time, we began to accept it and tried to raise her to be able to handle being both a boy and a girl. I'm not sure we were entirely successful." "I imagine that's why you went back to Daiji for a name after realizing she... he'd have to spend time as a boy as well?" Akane nodded. "Yup, we didn't want her to have any more problems than she had to, so we decided to use a name that could be male or female. And there was always the chance for a cure, so we wanted to make sure the name fit regardless of the sex." "Understandable. So Yohachi IS your real son and Daiji was Ranko's child." All the conflicting birth certificates for Ranko, Ranma, and Akane's children suddenly started to make sense to me. Well... some sense. "Maybe." "Akane..." "Fine, fine. Yes, I gave birth to Yohachi, but I've always thought of Daiji as my own daughter... except when she was a boy, of course." I looked up at Yohachi, who was helping lay the tiles on top of the steel roof. After the movie of the birth ended, everyone had gone back to work while Akane continued tell me her story. "Well, this does help fill in some gaps in my family tree." "I imagined it would." "Why isn't there a birth certificate for Daiji?" I knew about Daiji, but didn't have any idea when she was born or who her real parents were until now. There was a whole slew of rumors in the press about Daiji's parentage during the early years of the Task Force. Akane smiled. "That's a long story. There was one in ninety-nine listing Ranko as the mother, but we had to bury it years later." "Why?" "Let's just say that we had to hide who was listed as the father to avoid some legal problems and some backlash from some narrow-minded people who wouldn't like the kind of family I had assembled." "Who was listed as the father?" Akane grinned. "Me." I raised an eyebrow. "I always thought you were a tomboy." Akane chuckled. "Well, at the time it was great fun sneaking that one past the nurses when we filled out all the paperwork." "Yeah, I can see you enjoying pulling the wool over their eyes like that. I imagine the birth certificate listed Daiji as a girl?" "Yup. All the paperwork was done before we found out about her being cursed and we felt it better not to tell. We just went back and changed the name to Daiji after we found out about the curse. Ranko was all geared up to find a cure as soon as possible, but Daiji was healthy and beautiful. Or fit and handsome, depending on the temperature of the water. In the end, that was what was important." A thought suddenly occurred to me. "How did Daiji change forms in the womb from a boy to female?" Akane shrugged. "Our best guess is the amniotic fluid heated up during birth. Friction and all." "Sounds plausible." Akane laughed. "Occasionally even my life has rational explanations." "Honey, the bedroom's done," Sanma said from the house's porch. It was still strange to see two Akanes, but then I'm sure Akane must have felt odd having three Ranmas around. The sexy, low-cut robe that Sanma was wearing didn't exactly make me feel any more comfortable either. "I think that's all for today." Akane smiled at hearing my comment and nodded her agreement. [End - Chapter 24] Coming soon: Chapter 25: The Long, Hard Road to Love ======================================================================= The real author's (Jim Lazar) notes/ramblings: I'll leave it to your imaginations what happens that night with both Akanes. Even I'm not sick enough to write that scene. Well, maybe eventually... Well, that's the first birth of the second generation. I'll never be able to top that. Or... will I? I'd like to thank my pre-readers Jyh-I Lu, EBJ, David Johnston, Michael A. Chase, Jonathan Ng, and Thomas C. Kinnen for helping me find and fix problems with this story. FFML member Xstylus was also helpful in fine tuning this story. Thank you all. Of course in the end, any mistakes and botched characters are my fault. Revision 0.0 - Rough draft (August 12, 1999) Revision 0.3 - Pre-reader draft (October 3, 1999) Revision 0.4 - FFML draft (October 18, 1999) Revision 1.0 - Final version (November 9, 1999) Revision 1.1 - First RAAC posting (November 14, 1999)