Chapter 3



"You're just full of suprises, huh, Ranma?" Akane said, as she paid witness to the almost humorous sight of Ranma painting her nails. "I leave you alone for a few hours and you go all girly on me." Akane set down the lunch she had planned to surprise the woman she loved with, and giggled at how her planned suprise had somehow been caught and turned right back around on her. "I was going to suprise you with lunch, hon. If your nails are dry yet, that is." Akane giggled a little more, then she moved to hug Ranma, and place a kiss on her lips that bordered on passionate. Akane's eyes wandered down to the colored nails of her love's hands and feet, and a small smile crossed Akane's face. "You've done this before, haven't you... they look great, Ranma." Akane said.

Ranma, bottle still in hand, didn't quite know how to react to this sudden intrusion when she believed herself to be all alone. Several moments passed before Ranma spoke up, her first words of what was to be an explanation. "I'm a housewife... You're off in the world, and i'm stuck at home... I'm a housewife." Ranma sat down the bottle, and pulled Akane closer. Ranma rested her arms, while holding Akane in them, just at the point where the back met the waist.

"You're..." Akane giggled, "Not a housewife, Ranma. Trust me, you're not." A smallish pause came before Akane continued, "Do you want to stay home with our child, Ranma? Would you *want* to be a mother who stays home?"

After these questions, it took Ranma a few moments to recover. "Well, Akane, I think i'm gonna have to for a while, atleast..." Ranma sighed, rather loudly, as she rested her head vulnerably on Akane's shoulder. "I don't want our child to go through not having a mother, Akane, and since circumstances are such that you're not... actually the one who'd be able to feed our child, or the one he or she would recognize as mom... I think i might have to stay home. You know how hard it is for me to say that?"


"Yeah. Yeah I do, Ranma." Akane replied, moving her fingers through silken smooth strands of shiny strawberry hair. "We've never exactly been a traditional couple before, though, why should this be any different, huh?" A little smile shot across Ranma's face, and she relaxed more, under the gentle pressure of those loving fingers stroking through her hair. "Ranma, hon... Besides lunch, i did have some other things to tell you, it wasn't just food that brought me back here in the middle of the day. Dr. Tofu called. Your next appointment has to be moved up to today in a few hours. It was supposed to be tomorrow, but he said he had a few people reschedule, so he could fit you in today. It's nothing big, really, just a routine check to see how everything's going. Then, after i got done talking to the doctor, your mom called... Apparently she got a baby shower together for you. Ukyou... is going to be there, besides my sisters. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a suprise party, but you can act suprised, can't you?"

Ranma nodded, and looked up, scanning across Akane's face. All that Ranma kept seeing was love, and this brought such pleasure to Ranma, that one would have thought her a newlywed. Ranma responded to Akane's schedule with a comment completely unrelated to anything they'd been talking about. "Akane... I... I love you more than anything, you know that, right?" Nervously, Ranma pulled an arm free, and scratched behind her neck. "I was just lookin' at ya... and i couldn't help but notice how pretty, and... well, more than pretty, downright beautiful, and..." Yup, it seemed Ranma was having just a tad bit of a problem expressing this particular emotion, in her current state, but finally, she managed to get it out. "Gentle... sweet... I liked it a lot when you were goin' through my hair. Do all girls feel like this when someone they love does that?"

"Pretty much, Ranma." Akane said, blushing a deep red from the statements just made. "You'd be hard pressed to find a girl... a person for that matter, who doesn't enjoy having someone to love, and be loved by. I'm just glad we finally got past the part where i'd have to hit you for saying something like that." A light smirk creased Akane's face, before she continued, walking off to the bedroom. "Now, come on, we'll get you ready for your appointment, ok? What do you want to wear, hon?"

Upon hearing those words, the next suprise of the day would rear it's head. "You got any nice... Skirts, hon?" See, the thing with Ranma was, if something was worth doing, it was worth doing all the way. Case in point being the martial arts training. You might ask why this had never happened before, but that could be simply answered by the fact that Ranma had never felt being a girl to be worth doing, before now. Ranma got up, and wandered back to the bedroom. "And a cute shirt too, i have to be presentable."

"You sure some aliens didnt come and abduct my Ranma and replace her with some girl who thought sensibly?" Akane said, that hint of sarcasm everpresent in her voice. "You mean to tell me that Ranma Saotome wants to actually look like a woman?"

"Yup, that's what i mean to tell you, silly." Ranma said. As if the day's concerns weren't quite enough, already, Ranma had found herself feeling much more romantic lately, what with the outburst of admiration for Akane he'd replied to a schedule with. Thus began the first mood swing. "Me, Your wife, the woman you love, wants to look the part. And i want you right there next to me the whole time. Starts with picking out a cute outfit though." She remarked.

Akane smiled some, still not quite grasping that this would be the entrance to a wonderful period of insanely delicate feelings, subject to change without notice or explanation. "What're ya asking me for then? You have a much better fashion sense than i do, anyways. Why don't you just pick out a nice dress? What's all this messing around with skirts and stuff, huh?"

"It's just a doctor's appointment, Akane, I'm not going to a formal ball or something." Ranma said, giggling. "I just want to look nice, not too much though. You know, Akane, I think I look good in blue... What do you think?"

Akane, slightly dazed still, from these events, pulled a nice, midlength blue skirt, and a powder blue blouse, from the closet. "This look good, Ranma? It's mine, but we are close to the same size when you're a girl." Akane said, looking to Ranma's stomach. "Not for too long though, huh, girlie?"

"What, you're saying i'm fat?" Ranma said, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice.

"N-no! I'm not saying you're fat, but... you are pregnant, Ranma, dear. You'll have to get a bit bigger before it's all over with." Akane answered, noticing how touchy Ranma seemed.

Ranma's cheery voice broke in again, "Oh, just give me the clothes, silly... I have to get ready." With that, Ranma took some essential undergarments, plus the clothes Akane had picked out, into the bathroom. "I'll only be a second, huh? Get me some shoes too please, Akane, hon." Without allowing her Akane any time to answer, Ranma continued, "Thanks, hon, you're so sweet!"

'Oh, brother...' Akane thought, 'I know that women's emotions normally kinda go crazy during pregnancy, but Ranma isn't... well, a woman for one, or normal for the other.' Sighing, Akane dug through the closet, pulling out some light brown casual shoes, and a pair of socks, similar in shade to the blue of the blouse.

Ranma came out of the bathroom, a few minutes later, dressed neatly in the skirt and blouse, her hair brushed out nicely, with a hint of makeup dusting her cheeks, lips, and eyes. Seeing Akane with an utterly shocked look on her face, Ranma spoke up. "What? Do you think, in all those years of being a girl, that i *never* dressed up like this? Sure, i put on a good act that i completely despised acting like a girl, and there were a few times i dressed up for a reason, like messing with Ryouga, but with all the rest that was going on in my life, sometimes I..." Ranma blushed rather uncomfortably before continuing, "It was always a fight, and it still is, every time I think about it, but more often than not, that little girl part of me would sound just a little bit better, especially when all the other stuff in my life got too crazy."

Akane, despite this explanation, was still utterly shocked. "S-So.. You've done this before? You never had any women's clothes though, Ranma. H-How?" She sputtered.

"You said it yourself... Akane... We're close to the same size when we're both girls..." Ranma said, looking down, blushing even deeper red.

"What!" Akane exclaimed, "You wore my clothes, Ranma? How dare you come in my room and take my clothes! Don't tell me you... you.. I can't even think what *else* of my clothes you took!"

"A-Akane, it's not like that... I just... I mean... When you got new clothes, i'd get the clothes that didn't quite fit on you." Ranma said, starting to tear up.

"Ranma Saotome, how could you have invaded my private, personal posessions?" Akane spit out, sighing deeply afterwards, seeing Ranma start to cry. "Oh, Ranma, come on, don't cry... It was a long time ago... and, well, you did have more problems in the span of a week than most people have in a lifetime. I'm still annoyed with you, but i guess it's understandable with what your curse must have done to you." Akane took the nearly sobbing form of her husband, into her arms, and held her, speaking gently. "Don't start that or Dr. Tofu's gonna notice. We'll talk more about this when we get back, ok?"

Ranma nodded slowly, sitting on the edge of the bed, putting on the cute socks, and the nice looking brown shoes. "Akane, i'm sorry, I just didn't know what else to do. It's not like i didn't try shopping. With my luck, though, i went just on the day that you, Ukyou, Shampoo, my mom, and Ryouga decided to." Giggling, Ranma added, "Although, with Ryouga, it would have been more an accident, than a decision."

Akane laughed a little, along with her husband, "And you managed to get out of there without anyone noticing?"

"I don't think i'd be here now if that wasn't the case, Akane. I did get a... little shopping done. I managed to get the first thing on my mental list... the most embarassing thing... um... underclothes." Ranma sputtered.

Akane's eyes shot wide, and her mouth fell open in a gasp, before she broke into absolute histerical laughter. "Y-You mean to tell me that..." She paused, to regain her composure. "You went to a department store, to the women's section, and bought lingerie without anyone even recognizing you? What was that bad luck of yours doing that day, huh?"

"Come on, Akane, really..." Ranma said, blushing in a shade of red previously unknown to the world, as she looked down at her skirt, and a little further, shoes. "You don't know how it was every day to see... yourself in a different body than you were born with. I figure the clothes were the least odd thing in my life. Did noone even notice how much I exaggerated everything that even had the slightest to do with masculinity?" Ranma waited for the answer, but none came, so she continued. "I had to, if you're wondering why. I had to do both, or i would have gone nuts. There was a part of me telling me i was a girl, with obvious proof. I didn't want to listen to it, so i put even more emphasis on that other part that said i was still 'Ranma Saotome, the world's greatest martial artist'. Noone ever knew i did it, except those few times with Ryouga. I had to... give in to my girl half eventually. At night when everyone was sleeping, and usually when the old man was drunk... I'd take some clothes and go to the bathroom, then i'd put them on and just look at myself. I was just a normal girl with a normal life. No four fiancee's, noone trying to challenge me, I was just a girl."

Akane, by this point, was on the virge of tears. "I... I had no idea... Ranma." Akane looked down also, though more from shame at her actions, than embarassment. "I bet I just made it worse with all my teasing."

"It was different with you, Akane." Ranma said, looking up, still red-faced. "I love you." Ranma turned away, looking at a light blue jacket hanging in the open closet. "Would you get that jacket for me, hon, we have to get going."

Akane got the jacket from the closet, like Ranma had asked, and put it on her. Then the two left the house, and started for Dr. Tofu's. The weather outside was somewhat windy, so the wife and temporary pregnant husband cuddled closely as they walked. The small stares were hardly noticed by the ones the stares were directed at, and they continued on their way, until they reached the doctor's office. Walking in, Akane greeted the receptionist warmly, "Hi, We're here for Ranma's appointment, should we just take a seat?"

The receptionist just smiled an insincerely sweet, medical worker smile, and said, "You can go on back, He's waiting."

Ranma and Akane walked back into the exam room, holding hands. Once back there, Ranma sat herself up on the table, looking over to Dr. Tofu. "Hey, Doc." Ranma said, "So this is just a routine exam?"

"Nothing is ever routine with you, Ranma." Tofu said, pulling out the tools he'd need to perform the exam. "You're not uncomfortable with me doing this, are you? I don't think I ever asked. We have other doctors, if you can believe it."

Ranma shook her head slowly, and spoke up, "Why would I be uncomfortable, huh?"

Tofu laughed nervously, and responded, "Well, Ranma, i'll have to get you to put your legs up and... Examine you."

Ranma blushed, yet again, as Akane stifled a giggle. "Oh... Well... I think i'll still be ok, Doc."

An embarassing hour later, as Tofu left the room, Ranma got down off the table, and sat back by Akane. She commented, "Wow. That was..."

Akane interrupted, saying, "Weird for a guy to do?"

Ranma nodded, and folded her hands in her lap, waiting for Dr. Tofu to come back in from whatever it was that he was doing. "Yeah... I'll ask for a woman doctor, next time."

After a few more minutes wait, Dr. Tofu came back in with a small sheet of paper in one hand and the usual doctorish charts in the other. The doctor sat down on his stool, and said, "This prescription ought to take care of that morning nausea you've been having, Ranma. Other than that, everything looks great, just come back in a month or so, and we'll check it out again."

Ranma spoke up shyly, avoiding eye contact with the doctor, for the most part. "Doc... I think... I want to have a female doctor next time. It was... Really uncomfortable for me, more than i thought it would be."

Doctor Tofu nodded, seemingly knowing what Ranma was going to say before he said it. "Ranma, that's perfectly fine. I'll be happy to get someone else to take care of you." Tofu said, handing Ranma the prescription. "Just get that filled, ok?"

Akane smiled and nodded, taking Ranma's hand as they both stood. Ranma smiled as well, and smoothed out her skirt like she'd seen women do before. "Oh, very proper, Ranma." Akane said, giggling.

"Oh, be quiet, Akane." Ranma said, as they walked out back onto the street. "So I suppose we go to my mom's now for the baby shower?"

Akane nodded again, leading Ranma down the street. "Remember," she said, "Act suprised. And deal with all the girly gifts, you'll actually need most of them."

Ranma kissed Akane on the cheek, and smiled brightly. "Sure, Akane, I can act suprised. You just have to act like a husband." Ranma laughed a bit, as she said this last part, wrapping her arm around Akane's waist. "Man, my arms sure don't go around as far as they used to." Ranma said.

"Well, Dear, you are a small little girly." Akane said, grinning mischeviously.

"Well, *Dear*" Ranma said, "This small little girly is your husband, and you're stuck with me."

The two laughed lightly to each other, as they continued on the walk to Ranma's mom's house. Along the way, Ranma noticed an older mother playing with her child in a small park. Ranma smiled brightly, and clung tighter to Akane. "Akane..." Ranma said, "That's gonna be me. I just realized that."

Akane looked over at what Ranma was talking about, before responding. "Yeah. I suppose so. You're gonna make a great mom, Ranma."

Ranma blushed lightly, again, leaning her head against Akane's shoulder as they walked the last little distance to Nodoka's place. As asked, Ranma acted very suprised when she got there. "Oh, wow, guys, thanks so much!" Ranma exclaimed, which made the entire room of women's faces light up.

Nodoka smiled brightly, walking over and taking off Ranma's jacket for her. "Everything is ok, right, Ranma? I mean, everything went pretty normal at your appointment, right?" Nodoka said, acting almost too motherly, perhaps to make up for missed time before.

"Ranma Saotome, You absolute, total girl." Ukyou said, laughing, coming out from the kitchen. She was dressed rather cute and feminine, being as it'd been some years since she'd reconsidered the whole 'acting like a guy' thing.

"Well, you did it first, Ukyou." Ranma responded, walking forward and hugging her friend tightly. "How are you, anyways?"

Ukyou hugged Ranma back, just as tight, before responding. "I'm good, really, Ranma. Buisness has been great, and..." Ukyou 'accidentally' showed off the sizeable diamond sitting on a ring on her finger.

"You... You're getting married, Ukyou?" Ranma asked, rather shocked.

"What, you thought you were the only guy I was ever interested in?" Ukyou replied, grinning. "Don't worry, you don't know him. He's a man I met... Late at the restaraunt. He's really great, Ranma, you should meet him sometime."

Ranma smiled, hugging Ukyou again. "That's great, i'm really happy for you. But I heard there were gifts for me." A smirk crept across Ranma's face as she finished her greetings, than sat down on a couch, opening the presents to reveal several cute baby outfits from Kasumi, Little rattles with money symbols across them from Nabiki, More clothes from her mother, outfits for the baby along with some looser fitting clothes for when Ranma started to outproportion her current attire. Finally, there was one box left, obviously from Ukyou.

"Go ahead, open it." Ukyou said, smirking from ear to ear, waiting for the inevitable shock, embarassment, and eventual humor, of Ranma opening a box containing lacy undergarments, and skimpy sleepwear.

Ranma pulled the box over, and grabbed the card, opening and reading it out loud. "To Ranma. Hope you always have an exciting life, From Ukyou." Ranma laughed some, looking at Ukyou. "Hey, thanks, Ukyou, but with me, excitement doesn't seem to ever be lacking." Ranma pulled the top off the box, and peeled back the seemingly endless sheets of thin tissue paper. Ranma's eyes went wide when she saw the contents of the box, and her face flushed bright red.

"What's wrong, Ranma?" Kasumi asked, innocently.

"Oh, Nothing, N-Nothing, Kasumi." Ranma said, holding up the very lacy, very pink, very un-ranma garments.

"Oh my." Kasumi commented, a blush coming over her face as well.

Ukyou was grinning, Akane was flat out laughing, Kasumi was utterly embarassed along with Ranma, and Nodoka was just sort of chuckling to herself. "Thanks, Ukyou. Really." Ranma said, grinning along with her friend, the blush lessening some. "These are gonna look so great on me. I was wanting to get some nice pajamas." Ranma then turned to Akane, waiting for her to stop laughing before asking, "You think these will look nice on me, right hon?"

"S-Sure, they'll look adorable, Ranma." Akane said, struggling to keep her composure. "You'll be... Very sexy, dear." As soon as Ranma turned away, Akane lost it again, in another fit of laughter.

Ranma got up, and walked over to Ukyou, chuckling some. "You think you're pretty funny, don't you?" Ranma said, with a teasing tone.

"Nope." Ukyou replied. "Akane does, see? She can hardly sit up straight." A smirk crossed Ukyou's face, and she opened her mouth again. "Don't forget that those were a joke, Ranma. It's about too much to take, if i think about *you* wearing those."

Ranma turned away, smirking as well, "But I am gonna wear them. Not for too long though, i'll be getting big in a hurry, in a few months." She said, "Especially that little nightgown."

Ukyou just laughed, and tapped Ranma's shoulder, nervously asking, "You are just joking, right?"

Ranma turned around, and gave a sly little wink, giggling. "Sure."

Akane spoke up playfully, having recovered from her little giggle fit. "Sit down, Ranma, stop teasing..."

Ranma sighed overdramatically, and sat down next to Akane again. "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but i'm pretty hungry. Anyone want to go out to dinner with me and Akane?"

All of them, save Nodoka, nodded. Ranma and Akane got up and put their jackets on, before Nodoka spoke up, starting to pick things up, "Ranma, dear, leave me a key, and i'll take all of this stuff over to your house, Ok?"

Ranma took her house key out of her jacket's pocket, and handed it to Nodoka, "Thanks, mom. I really appreciate you doing this for me." Ranma said, hugging her mom tightly. "Love ya, mom."

The five girls then left, and Nodoka smiled to herself.