Can't You see that I Love You?
"Ranma-kun..."
Immidiately, Ranma's nerves went ice-cold, "what?"
Nabiki sat across from him at the breakfast table, wearing a triumphant smirk on her face, "I understand you have a problem."
"We both do," Ranma almost snarled, while feeling a forboding danger looming over him.
"Yes, but one of ours won't exist after tonight," Nabiki replied, flippantly, before turning a cold, hard expression to Ranma, "Because you'll be gone by then."
"Like you could ever threaten me," Ranma replied with more confidence than he was feeling.
Nabiki shrugged, before turning to the kitchen, "Kasumi-chan, I'm heading out early, so don't worry about breakfast for me!" She stood up, and slung her schoolbag over her shoulder. Before heading to the front door, she turned back to Ranma with a single syllable meant only for his ears.
Ranma's iced-over and extremely brittle nerves almost shattered, as Nabiki headed out the door.
____________________
Kasumi nodded, though the person on the other end of the phone could not see it, "Yes, that is something to be concerned about. Yes, Nabiki has had a perfect attendence record... I'll let my father know. I agree, she's usually much more responsible than that... Thank you for telling us."
Kasumi hung up the phone, feeling a hollow rock pit form in her stomach. She already knew her father wouldn't do anything about it, and Nabiki's skipping school will eventually just be blown to the side, but that wasn't even her problem.
She had no idea where Nabiki had headed to, and coupled with her rather adimant announcement that they would be rid of Ranma...
Kasumi quickly gathered her things, and with a quick word to her father to let him know she was leaving, Kasumi quickly made off for Furinkan High.
____________________
Nabiki looked around the office with a smug expression, as she waited for its resident to return. The document she had found in Genma's training manual provided her with an all too brilliant opportunity that would, though not provide her with the full satisfaction she demanded, at least bring a great deal of problems for the Saotomes.
Nabiki sat up, and schooled her expression to one of concern, as she heard the door open behind her. "Good morning, Ms. Tendou. I was told you had something urgent to discuss with me?"
"It's very important. I had to skip school to tell you..."
____________________
Ranma and Akane stood, dumbfounded, as the young man with the tiger striped bandanna charged after Ranma in the wrong direction, vowing to ruin Ranma's happiness.
The pigtailed boy sighed to himself; now he had two people out to get him, and one of them he had no idea why.
"What's his problem?" Akane asked in a confused tone.
"I don't care. Let's just get home so I have one less headache to deal with," Ranma grumbled, before starting to the gate.
"RANMA!" The pigtailed boy looked up, and ahead, to find Kasumi rushing to him with an extremely worried expression on her face.
"Kasumi, is something wrong?" Akane asked, her voice showing a great deal more concern, suddenly.
"Nabiki, she didn't show up for school, and I don't know where she is!" Kasumi exclaimed, slightly out of breath. Ranma's face scrunched up; regardless of his feelings towards her, if she was in trouble...
"I'll go look for her," Ranma stated, "Take this home for me."
"Wha?" Akane involintarily took Ranma's school parcel, and gave an indignant shout that was too late. Kasumi had called out to him too, with the same results, but her cry was more for his welfare.
"Ranma! You don't understand!"
Akane managed to grow even more nervous at her sister's urgant call, "Kasumi, what's happened to Nabiki?"
Kasumi turned to Akane, "We need to stop Ranma!"
____________________
Nabiki headed home with a smile on her face. It hadn't taken her long at all to get things set up. Now, all she needed was.
"NABIKI!"
Well... think of the Devil...
"Something I can do for you, Saotome?" Nabiki drawled, as if unamused with him.
"Where the hell have you been? Kasumi's worried sick about you!"
"I was at a doctor's appointment," Nabiki replied, "Not that it's any of your business, and I'm surprised Kasumi had forgotten about it."
Ranma narrowed his eyes, "Whatever, let's get back, before she gets too upset."
"Wait a minute, Ranma," Nabiki objected, taking a step away from the pigtailed boy, "Why in the world would I go anywhere with you?"
"Look, I don't want to have anything to do with you, and if I had my way, I'd take Kasumi as far as I could from you..." Nabiki internally seethed at that, and wished she had come up with a punishment far worse than the one she had planned, "but right now, I just want Kasumi to know you're alright. So if you'll just head on home and tell her everything's okay, you can go about your business, alright?"
"I'm afraid I can't," Nabiki replied, "I still have a few errands to run before I can head back."
"Doesn't sound like you really care about your sister as much as you claim to," Ranma muttered under his breath, "Could you, at least, just call her?"
"Look," Nabiki exclaimed in mock-exasperation, "I'll call her when I get this done, and truth be told, I can finish this a lot quicker if I had some help."
"If that's the case, let's hurry up and do whatever it is you need to do," Ranma replied, tersely.
"I didn't ask for your assistance, Saotome," Nabiki retorted, "But, if you're all that concerned, then come on." Nabiki started to head back the way she came, motioning Ranma to follow her. For a fleeting moment, Ranma wondered why she was heading back in the other direction, before falling in step behind Nabiki.
The middle Tendou sister kept forward, so that Ranma could not see the sinister smile she knew she was wearing on her face. "What do you need to do that's so important, anyways?" Ranma enquired, breaking the two minute long silence between them. Nabiki noted where they were, and turned to look at Ranma with a guileless expression.
"Ranma, can you hold this for me?" Before Ranma could respond, he caught something round in his hand that was ringing with small bells inside it.
"Huh? What's this..." Ranma trailed off, when he noticed Nabiki was staring beyond him with a rather satisfied smirk. That feeling of forboding danger was back, as he turned around...
____________________
"Forget it, Kasumi, he could be anywhere!" Akane replied, slightly dejected.
"Akane, I have a terrible feeling that Nabiki's going to do something awful to Ranma." Kasumi continued to look towards the rooftops for any sign of her fiancee.
"Is that why you're worried?" Akane asked, looking at her eldest sister, "I think he can take care of himself."
Kasumi wanted to say more, but decided it would be a time wasting moot point. She knew Nabiki in a more... intimate manner than Akane, and what she was capable of when something stood in her way. Ranma was proving to be a large irritation to her, and Nabiki stated quite adimantly that she intended to be rid of him.
"Let's try looking for Nabiki, instead. More people around her know who she is, so she may be easier to find."
Akane nodded to her sister, seeing the wisdom in the plan, "Okay, but I still don't understand why you're so frantic about this."
"Akane, just... we need to find them before something happens, okay? You'll just have to trust me." With that, Kasumi started off down the street, leaving Akane behind.
"Okay, I trust you," Akane said, before heading down the other way, still as confused as before.
____________________
Nabiki dragged Ranma easily in the wheeled platform she had borrowed to carry the catatonic young man. The Tendou daughter had to admit, that went a lot easier than she thought it would; she had intended to have to knock him out during his blind panic, but the total surprise did just as well. Nabiki had to smile at prior events; Michiru was such a playful cat, particularly when it came to its favorite toy.
She knew it would take more than one cat to finish the task at hand, though. From what she was told by his father, Ranma had managed to overcome a good portion of his fear with a little help, so takes a good deal of work...
Nabiki pulled Ranma into the abandoned storage unit, filled with cats she paid some neighborhood kids to fill it with, managing to only allow a couple of cats to escape, before closing the door shut. She pulled out a cellphone, intending to complete the final part of her scheme. Nabiki Tendou was never afraid of a little work.
"Hello," Nabiki's voice sounded urgent, and not more than a little frightened
"Ranma-kun..."
Immidiately, Ranma's nerves went ice-cold, "what?"
Nabiki sat across from him at the breakfast table, wearing a triumphant smirk on her face, "I understand you have a problem."
"We both do," Ranma almost snarled, while feeling a forboding danger looming over him.
"Yes, but one of ours won't exist after tonight," Nabiki replied, flippantly, before turning a cold, hard expression to Ranma, "Because you'll be gone by then."
"Like you could ever threaten me," Ranma replied with more confidence than he was feeling.
Nabiki shrugged, before turning to the kitchen, "Kasumi-chan, I'm heading out early, so don't worry about breakfast for me!" She stood up, and slung her schoolbag over her shoulder. Before heading to the front door, she turned back to Ranma with a single syllable meant only for his ears.
Ranma's iced-over and extremely brittle nerves almost shattered, as Nabiki headed out the door.
____________________
Kasumi nodded, though the person on the other end of the phone could not see it, "Yes, that is something to be concerned about. Yes, Nabiki has had a perfect attendence record... I'll let my father know. I agree, she's usually much more responsible than that... Thank you for telling us."
Kasumi hung up the phone, feeling a hollow rock pit form in her stomach. She already knew her father wouldn't do anything about it, and Nabiki's skipping school will eventually just be blown to the side, but that wasn't even her problem.
She had no idea where Nabiki had headed to, and coupled with her rather adimant announcement that they would be rid of Ranma...
Kasumi quickly gathered her things, and with a quick word to her father to let him know she was leaving, Kasumi quickly made off for Furinkan High.
____________________
Nabiki looked around the office with a smug expression, as she waited for its resident to return. The document she had found in Genma's training manual provided her with an all too brilliant opportunity that would, though not provide her with the full satisfaction she demanded, at least bring a great deal of problems for the Saotomes.
Nabiki sat up, and schooled her expression to one of concern, as she heard the door open behind her. "Good morning, Ms. Tendou. I was told you had something urgent to discuss with me?"
"It's very important. I had to skip school to tell you..."
____________________
Ranma and Akane stood, dumbfounded, as the young man with the tiger striped bandanna charged after Ranma in the wrong direction, vowing to ruin Ranma's happiness.
The pigtailed boy sighed to himself; now he had two people out to get him, and one of them he had no idea why.
"What's his problem?" Akane asked in a confused tone.
"I don't care. Let's just get home so I have one less headache to deal with," Ranma grumbled, before starting to the gate.
"RANMA!" The pigtailed boy looked up, and ahead, to find Kasumi rushing to him with an extremely worried expression on her face.
"Kasumi, is something wrong?" Akane asked, her voice showing a great deal more concern, suddenly.
"Nabiki, she didn't show up for school, and I don't know where she is!" Kasumi exclaimed, slightly out of breath. Ranma's face scrunched up; regardless of his feelings towards her, if she was in trouble...
"I'll go look for her," Ranma stated, "Take this home for me."
"Wha?" Akane involintarily took Ranma's school parcel, and gave an indignant shout that was too late. Kasumi had called out to him too, with the same results, but her cry was more for his welfare.
"Ranma! You don't understand!"
Akane managed to grow even more nervous at her sister's urgant call, "Kasumi, what's happened to Nabiki?"
Kasumi turned to Akane, "We need to stop Ranma!"
____________________
Nabiki headed home with a smile on her face. It hadn't taken her long at all to get things set up. Now, all she needed was.
"NABIKI!"
Well... think of the Devil...
"Something I can do for you, Saotome?" Nabiki drawled, as if unamused with him.
"Where the hell have you been? Kasumi's worried sick about you!"
"I was at a doctor's appointment," Nabiki replied, "Not that it's any of your business, and I'm surprised Kasumi had forgotten about it."
Ranma narrowed his eyes, "Whatever, let's get back, before she gets too upset."
"Wait a minute, Ranma," Nabiki objected, taking a step away from the pigtailed boy, "Why in the world would I go anywhere with you?"
"Look, I don't want to have anything to do with you, and if I had my way, I'd take Kasumi as far as I could from you..." Nabiki internally seethed at that, and wished she had come up with a punishment far worse than the one she had planned, "but right now, I just want Kasumi to know you're alright. So if you'll just head on home and tell her everything's okay, you can go about your business, alright?"
"I'm afraid I can't," Nabiki replied, "I still have a few errands to run before I can head back."
"Doesn't sound like you really care about your sister as much as you claim to," Ranma muttered under his breath, "Could you, at least, just call her?"
"Look," Nabiki exclaimed in mock-exasperation, "I'll call her when I get this done, and truth be told, I can finish this a lot quicker if I had some help."
"If that's the case, let's hurry up and do whatever it is you need to do," Ranma replied, tersely.
"I didn't ask for your assistance, Saotome," Nabiki retorted, "But, if you're all that concerned, then come on." Nabiki started to head back the way she came, motioning Ranma to follow her. For a fleeting moment, Ranma wondered why she was heading back in the other direction, before falling in step behind Nabiki.
The middle Tendou sister kept forward, so that Ranma could not see the sinister smile she knew she was wearing on her face. "What do you need to do that's so important, anyways?" Ranma enquired, breaking the two minute long silence between them. Nabiki noted where they were, and turned to look at Ranma with a guileless expression.
"Ranma, can you hold this for me?" Before Ranma could respond, he caught something round in his hand that was ringing with small bells inside it.
"Huh? What's this..." Ranma trailed off, when he noticed Nabiki was staring beyond him with a rather satisfied smirk. That feeling of forboding danger was back, as he turned around...
____________________
"Forget it, Kasumi, he could be anywhere!" Akane replied, slightly dejected.
"Akane, I have a terrible feeling that Nabiki's going to do something awful to Ranma." Kasumi continued to look towards the rooftops for any sign of her fiancee.
"Is that why you're worried?" Akane asked, looking at her eldest sister, "I think he can take care of himself."
Kasumi wanted to say more, but decided it would be a time wasting moot point. She knew Nabiki in a more... intimate manner than Akane, and what she was capable of when something stood in her way. Ranma was proving to be a large irritation to her, and Nabiki stated quite adimantly that she intended to be rid of him.
"Let's try looking for Nabiki, instead. More people around her know who she is, so she may be easier to find."
Akane nodded to her sister, seeing the wisdom in the plan, "Okay, but I still don't understand why you're so frantic about this."
"Akane, just... we need to find them before something happens, okay? You'll just have to trust me." With that, Kasumi started off down the street, leaving Akane behind.
"Okay, I trust you," Akane said, before heading down the other way, still as confused as before.
____________________
Nabiki dragged Ranma easily in the wheeled platform she had borrowed to carry the catatonic young man. The Tendou daughter had to admit, that went a lot easier than she thought it would; she had intended to have to knock him out during his blind panic, but the total surprise did just as well. Nabiki had to smile at prior events; Michiru was such a playful cat, particularly when it came to its favorite toy.
She knew it would take more than one cat to finish the task at hand, though. From what she was told by his father, Ranma had managed to overcome a good portion of his fear with a little help, so takes a good deal of work...
Nabiki pulled Ranma into the abandoned storage unit, filled with cats she paid some neighborhood kids to fill it with, managing to only allow a couple of cats to escape, before closing the door shut. She pulled out a cellphone, intending to complete the final part of her scheme. Nabiki Tendou was never afraid of a little work.
"Hello," Nabiki's voice sounded urgent, and not more than a little frightened