Disclaimer: Tenchi and the gang do not belong to me

Disclaimer: Tenchi and the gang do not belong to me. They belong to Hitoshi Okuda.

Chapter One

A gentle breeze from an open window stirred spiky cyan colored hair as golden feline eyes flitted from one picture to another. Smiling softly at each one, Ryoko Hakubi remembered how she would often watch Tenchi Masaki while in her astral form while he was a baby.

"Hey Ryoko, what are you looking at?" a voice asked from just over Ryoko's shoulder.

"Your baby pictures," Ryoko answered softly, not looking up.

"Why?" Tenchi sat down next to Ryoko and peered at the photo album.

"Just…because," Ryoko answered simply with a shrug.

Tenchi narrowed his eyes at Ryoko who looked over at him. Tenchi stared into her golden eyes but she quickly averted her gaze. Tenchi took the album away and set it aside.

"What was your most memorable childhood memory?" Ryoko asked looking up towards the ceiling.

"When you say childhood, how old are we talking about here?"

"Nine or younger."

"Well, it would have to be before my mother died. Dad, Mom, Grandpa and I, we all went to the mountains and went camping and that was where I first heard the story about the demon in the cave. Mom sang a song and I remember Grandpa dancing with her and me in his arms. I was about four, I think. That was probably the only time I can remember that he did something like that. Why this sudden interest in my childhood?"

"It's not just your childhood, Tenchi, I've been thinking about children a lot lately. Tenchi, do you remember when you asked me what I really wanted that would make me happy?"

"Well yeah, but that was for a Christmas present," Tenchi laughed.

"Yeah but what I told you wasn't what I really wanted."

"You didn't like the charm bracelet?" Tenchi asked a sudden feeling of hurt hit him at the thought that Ryoko didn't like his gift.

"Oh, Tenchi no, no I love the bracelet, but it's not what I've always dreamed of having," Ryoko placed a hand on Tenchi's.

"Then what? What is it that you really want?"

"I… well it's not something you can really buy…" Ryoko began.

"Then what?"

"A baby. My own baby. I've watched how Misaki interacts with Ayeka and Sasami and how they, especially Sasami, interact with her and I want that. I want a child of my own to look at me with that kind of unconditional love. I remember how my mother would look at me before Kagato took me and I remember how she would play with me as a baby and I want a baby to play that way with."

Tenchi just stared at Ryoko with an unreadable look upon his face. Ryoko finally gave a small laugh and looked away. "That's what you really want?"

"Yeah, I…I know it's not really something that I can be given easily but it's something that I've always wanted. And no, it's not one of those sudden things where a woman suddenly wants a baby for her own because she feels she will never have one due to her being too old or something like that. I have always wanted a baby ever since I saw you on your Grandmother's back outside the cave. I may even have wanted it before then but seeing you brought out the desire for a baby even more," Ryoko explained.

"Hey, I never said it was. I really believe you want a baby. And you know what, I think you would make a great mother, Ryoko," Tenchi smiled.

"Do you really think so, Tenchi?"

Tenchi nodded. He was surprised when Ryoko suddenly leaned forward and began to cry on his shoulder. Tenchi just sat there, holding Ryoko tightly as she cried. Tenchi began to think about what Ryoko had just told him. He knew his feelings for Ryoko were stronger than those he had for any of the girls, especially Ayeka. He didn't know exactly when his feelings for the Space Pirate had begun to grow from love as a friend to that of a lover but he knew that he loved Ryoko with all his heart. He just had to figure out how and when to tell everyone his decision.

"I'm sorry, Tenchi, your shirt is all soaked. You probably should change it," Ryoko sniffed as she raised her head and looked at the man she loved.

"Nah, if I do Ayeka might become suspicious as to the reason for the change. My shirt will dry quickly so it's no big deal. Are you going to be okay now?" Tenchi asked softly as he wiped Ryoko's tears away with his thumbs.

Ryoko nodded and gave a small smile. "Thank you for listening to me, Tenchi."

"Hey, no problem Ryoko."

Ryoko gave Tenchi a quick hug and stood up to put the photo albums away. However, she had so many in her arms that she lost her grip on them and they tumbled to the floor. With a curse she knelt down and began to pick them up being careful to put any loose pictures back in their proper place. Tenchi got up and hurried over to help her. Tenchi opened one of the albums and looked at some of the photos. He smiled when he came across one of him at about the age of three. He was dressed like a miniature version of his grandfather, who was standing next to him with one of his rare grins on his face. Ryoko looked over his shoulder at the photo.

"You were such a cute kid."

"Yeah, I guess that's just part of my charm. Cute baby, cute adult," Tenchi grinned as he looked over at the cyan haired beauty.

"Oh, kami-sama, you have become an egotistical monster! Our fawning over you has gone to your head now!" Ryoko laughed.

Tenchi just grinned and closed the album. Ryoko took it and put it back on the shelf. Straightening up, Ryoko looked up at Tenchi. She had been surprised when she had realized that Tenchi was now a head taller than her. She had been forced to acknowledge that her Tenchi was no longer that girl-shy scrawny boy that she had fallen in love with. He was now a tall, more muscular young man of 19 with a killer smile that had had girls of all ages grinning back. His face had lost all traces of baby fat, giving it a more angular look. He was looking more and more like his grandfather when he was Yosho. His body had developed more due to all the training with his grandfather and all the working out in the fields. He wasn't buff but he definitely was not a scrawny kid any more. Ryoko liked to watch the muscles strain in his back when he worked out in the fields with or without a shirt on. She loved the feel of his strong arms when he would on rare occasions actually hold her just as he had done a short while ago when she cried. Standing on tiptoes, Ryoko gave Tenchi a kiss on his cheek.

"Miss Ryoko, what do you think you are doing to Lord Tenchi!?" a high pitched, screeching voice demanded with uncontrolled anger.

"What does it look like, Princess? I was giving Tenchi a kiss, now if you will excuse me I have things to do." With that Ryoko turned and went upstairs.

"Ohhh, I can not stand that demon woman. Why do you let her stay Lord Tenchi? She doesn't help out around the house and with all of her drinking and swearing she is becoming a bad influence on Sasami!"

"Miss Ayeka, please. It was only a kiss on the cheek. I was only helping her with the photo albums, that's all." Tenchi didn't think Ayeka would take too kindly to hearing that he had let Ryoko cry on his shoulder while she told him that she wanted a baby. "Besides, Ryoko is here for the same reasons the rest of you are. She helps out in her own way, so please stop with the insults."

"Of course, Lord Tenchi, forgive me," Princess Ayeka said softly as she bowed.

Tenchi just rolled his eyes as he turned and went into the kitchen to see if Sasami needed any help with dinner.

Tenchi lay in bed that night thinking about Ryoko. He wanted so badly to tell her his feelings for her. However, it wasn't the right time to tell everyone his decision. Maybe he could tell Ryoko and get her to promise not to say anything until he was ready for everyone else to know. Sitting up, he put his feet on the floor and rested his elbows on his knees and his chin on his clasped hands. Yes, he had to tell her or maybe...he…could…show…her? A grin spread across his face as he thought about how he could express how much he loved Ryoko. It would also kill two birds with one stone.

Standing up he turned off his bedside lamp and slid open his door. Looking up and down the hall way he found the coast was clear. He tiptoed over to Ryoko's room and peeked inside. He smiled when he saw she was sleeping peacefully. Closing the door softly he tiptoed hurriedly back the other way down the hall to Ayeka and Sasami's room. They were both fast asleep and Tenchi was thankful that their room and Ryoko's room were on opposite ends of the hallway. Closing the door he returned to Ryoko's room and slipped silently inside.

Kami-sama she was so beautiful. The moonlight filtered in through her window and reflected off her face and cyan colored hair. Tenchi smiled and slowly sat down on the bed beside her. He grinned as he realized that their roles were reversed now. Instead of Ryoko doing the seducing, he was going to be doing it to her. Lightly brushing a strand of hair off of Ryoko's forehead, he leaned down and gently kissed her cheek. Oh gods, he couldn't stop there. He slipped into the bed next to her and leaned up on an elbow as he looked down at her. Leaning down slowly, he softly pressed his lips to hers. A few seconds later she unconsciously responded. Tenchi let his hand trail down her body and then back up. He began to slowly unbutton her pajama top as she moaned against his mouth. Tenchi smiled against her lips as he pushed the top aside and revealed two white globes that Tenchi felt he knew personally and yet was still surprised by the sight of their perfection. Tenchi covered one and gently massaged the breast while he began to trail kisses along Ryoko's jaw and down to the other breast.

Ryoko was brought out of her dreams by the hot moistness of Tenchi's tongue on her breast. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked down and was surprised to see Tenchi's dark head against her chest. The sensations coming from his tongue on her nipple were beginning to drive her wild.

"Tenchi, wha…what are you doing?" Ryoko moaned her back arching as she tried to grip his head.

"What does it look like I'm doing Ryoko, I'm pleasuring you," Tenchi grinned, raising his head to look at Ryoko.

"But why? This isn't like you Tenchi."

"Ryoko, what is the real me, hmm? We've all changed in the past two years. I'm just helping you out any way that I can, now do you want a baby or not?"

"Wha…what?" Ryoko sat up on her elbows and looked at Tenchi in confusion.

"Look, it's the middle of the night and I would rather do something else with our mouths other than talking. Now shut up and let me seduce you," Tenchi said and captured Ryoko's lips with his.

Ryoko moaned and fell back against the bed. It wasn't long before Tenchi had, impatiently, stripped them both of their night clothes. Tenchi rose above Ryoko as he kissed her deeply and slipped a knee between her legs. Tenchi looked down into Ryoko's eyes just as he slipped inside of her with one swift thrust. Ryoko suddenly gave a soft cry of pain and Tenchi froze.

"You…you are a virgin!?" he cried out softly.

"Yes," Ryoko answered just above a whisper. Her gaze shifted away, hurt visible in her eyes.

Tenchi suddenly clasped Ryoko tightly against him. "Oh kami-sama, she's a virgin!"

Ryoko looked back at Tenchi in surprise. What was he talking about? Was he glad or upset? His voice had revealed nothing in that department. However, Tenchi, at that moment, captured her lips in a searing kiss and began the age old rhythm of the rocking of the hips. Ryoko was caught up in the moment and soon they reached their peak and shattered at the same time. Tenchi captured Ryoko's cry of pleasure in his mouth as they slowly began to descend from their cloud nine. They slowly settled down and Ryoko welcomed sleep with open arms. Tenchi waited until he knew she was asleep before he whispered the three words that he knew Ryoko wanted to hear.

"I love you, my Ryoko."

A/N: Yes, I know both Tenchi and Ryoko are OOC. In a way that's kind of the point. They're supposed to be older, Tenchi is in college, and any true Tenchi fan will have seen the dreaded Tenchi in Tokyo and the third Tenchi movie and will know that he can be rather risque when he wants to be. So, I'd like to think they're both more mature, but I'm still always open for comments and suggestions. Just a reminder, this story is actually finished, but I can still edit if I think comments/suggestions are acceptable and, of course, I'll credit them to those who gave them. So, if you feel like it, stick around and keep an eye out for future updates, we're just getting started!

Celticreeder