Tenchi Muyo: Chances: A Second Chance at Friendship

'What?' She mentally was reeling, her bed wasn't stolen, it was moved… by him… and her!

"I was just going to tell you I'd be right back, Ryoko already has both of your beds setup. I'm glad you changed your mind." He blushed and hurriedly moved down the hall to the bathroom as she watched him go. Slowly one foot then the other moved her to the door and down to his room where she saw Ryoko in there. The pirate looked happy, a true smile was on her face. Not a menacing grin, but something seemed warm about it.

"Hi princess," the pirate called.

"Um, hi…"

"Gee nice to see you too, after this afternoon I thought this was the least I could do."

"This… was your idea?"

Ryoko's smile faded as she nodded her head. "I guess it hasn't been easy on you… with me staying with him every night." She looked at the princess, "But in here, I can actually sleep, no nightmares… I just couldn't stay away."

"You… tried…" Ayeka was at a complete loss, not only was it Ryoko's idea, but something seemed to be changing right in front of her.

Ryoko nodded at her, "Yea, I tried… but I couldn't stay away… We talk at night, before going to sleep."

"About?"

Ryoko snorted, "Aren't you the talkative one. But he's told me about some of his feelings and I've told him mine."

A little of her fury returned, "That's not fair!"

"Relax, anyway… He knows how I feel and I know how he feels." Ryoko grumbled something that Ayeka couldn't hear. "And he's told me that he won't choose between us."

"What! What do you mean?"

"He won't explain it anymore than that." Ryoko sat in mid air with her legs crossed. She was wearing what Ayeka was sure was a pair of his boxer shorts and a simple T-shirt. She was enraged and yet jealous of the relationship that seemed to be developing between them. "Before we moved your bed in here, he told me he want's the fighting to stop… I… I promised him I would try."

Now Ayeka was really surprised, if he won't choose between them and he wants the fighting to stop, then what could this mean? "I will try as well," she said quietly in a vain attempt to keep her warring emotions in check. Part of her wanted to still scream in outrage, while a part of her was really touched by this.

"I'm glad to hear it," she turned around to see him right behind her and she blushed. "I think I'm going to have to take my bed out of here though."

"Why's that?" Ryoko asked as Ayeka's voice still failed her.

He just chuckled, "Sasami doesn't want to sleep alone."

"Oh, I'll get her bed then, she can sleep beside me!" Ryoko said as she faded from view.

"Tenchi?"

"Yes Miss Ayeka?"

"Um, I… Thank you for letting me stay with you tonight." She didn't know what else to say she had wanted to stay with him that first night that Ryoko did. But she couldn't seem to bend her pride to allow her to as she called it, 'sink to Ryoko's level.' So, instead of asking him what she really wanted to, she surrounded her stubbornness with anger and she would get into more and more fights with Ryoko. She did notice though that the fights have not been up to their usual level, and she could only guess it was Ryoko who was holding back.

"It's not a problem," he said grinning and blushing faintly.

"Ok we're here!" Ryoko sang as she entered the room depositing Sasami's futon on the floor between hers and Ayeka's.

"We all get to sleep in one room now!" Sasami said a little too loudly for Ayeka, but she didn't correct her.

Instead, she agreed, "Yes, this should be interesting."

"Hay Ryoko, those looks like Tenchi's pants!" Sasami squealed. Both Ryoko and him blushed.

"Well, um they kind of are," he said nervously while scratching the back of his neck.

"WHAT?" Ayeka screeched.

"Well, you see… she didn't have any night clothes so…"

"So he let me… um borrow these…"

"But why haven't you given them back to him?" Sasami asked while smiling.

"Because they're too comfortable!" Ryoko spun around showing them off better. Tenchi only blushed that much redder as Ayeka fumed.

"Just wait until his dad finds out you got in his pants Ryoko!" Sasami giggled, while Ryoko blushed so red at what Sasami said she thought her face would discolor permanently.

"SASAMI!" Ayeka was mortified and Tenchi; despite himself, was blushing and starting to laugh.

It took him some time but he finally convinced Ayeka that he had not done anything with Ryoko, and even longer for them all to calm down. She was now laying in her futon, with Sasami and Ryo-Ohki sleeping beside her, and on the other side of Sasami was Ryoko. His words haunted her thoughts, preventing her from sleeping. Ryoko had told her that he would not choose between them, but after they had calmed down from laughing he said, "Don't worry, we haven't done anything like that," then he said something, and she couldn't be sure, but she swore he said yet. 'Why would he say yet, if he weren't planning on doing that at some time. And why would he say he won't choose it he is planning that?'

Nothing seemed to make sense to her; if Ryoko and he had become so close that she was wearing his clothes, especially those clothes, then why was she here? And why did he say before that he was glad she was staying with them? Nothing seemed right. She let out a sigh and only afterwards did she realize exactly how loud a sigh it was. Hearing a moan she looked over Sasami's sleeping form to see Ryoko. The pirate seemed to be asleep; she was lying on her side facing them both, with one arm tucked under a pillow.

But what seemed the strangest was that Ryoko was smiling, even in her sleep she seemed happy. It was possibly the fact that Ryoko was happy that confused her the most. For all the times, that Ryoko had tried to seduce him, and made passes at him it seemed that she somewhere, somehow had changed. It was Ryoko who had told her that he said he would not choose between them, and yet here she lay, happy just to be here. 'If he's not going to choose, then what am I still doing here? What am I doing in his room?'

"Ayeka." She froze as she heard his voice, "I can tell you're not asleep. You're sighing too much to be asleep." The princess just let out a groan of frustration. "Are you thirsty? Let's get a drink ok?"

She sat up and watched as he slipped out of his bed and she could not help but think what would it be like to be lying beside him. Pushing that thought away, she nodded at him as the light from the moon illuminate parts of the room. It seemed so peaceful, almost romantic, if it had not been for Ryoko, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki being there. The two stepped out, but not before he whispered something to Ryoko. For her part the pirate just smiled and hugged her pillow tighter.

Yet again Ayeka felt envy at that, but pushing it away she followed him to the kitchen. Tenchi wordlessly fixed them both a cup of tea, and she detected a hit of something else. It seemed to smell sweeter. "Here, it's mint tea," he said holding out a cup to her. After both took a couple of sips, he took a breath and started, "I can tell you're worried about my decision." Ayeka nearly spit out her tea as he said that. "I guess I'm right. Ryoko and I have talked about the decision and she's a good listener. You should talk to her sometime." The princess grumbled, but continued to listen. "I'm pretty sure she told you that I won't make a choice between you."

"Why?"

"Because I can't choose one and hurt the other like that."

"So, what will you do?"

"I have talked to her about it, and she was reluctant to at first, but I think the idea has grown on her. In fact she thought it would be best if we all stayed in one room to find out."

"Find out what?" Tenchi sat his cup down and looked at it a moment, she watched him and thoughts began to surface in her mind. First was that he's acting very different, and that he's been a lot more open about things. He also seemed to be more confident about some things, especially earlier. She could remember a time when a comment like that from Sasami would have caused Ryoko to cackle and try to seduce him and he should have gotten a bloody nose over it, but neither acted the way she thought that they should.

"You've already chosen?" Ayeka said quietly as things began to line up. No wonder he and Ryoko have been so close, and that would explain both of their changes… "But when? How? Didn't you say…"

"Yes, I said I wouldn't choose between you." He took another sip of his tea and looked at her calmly, though she thought it was much too calm for him.

"Then that means…" He nodded at her and she nearly fell over. Her legs gave out from under her but before she could fall, he had caught her. She was now leaning against him as he held her closely to make sure she did not get hurt.

"Lets get you back to bed. I'm sorry if I hurt you." He moved to take her upstairs when she stopped him.

"Does she know?"

"Yes, I told her before how I felt about her… and you, but I told her not to tell anyone. I was worried that you would think the wrong thing." He smiled gently at her as the world spun around her. The last thing she remembered that night was his telling her the most unbelievable thing, "I love her, but I love you too."

He just smiled at her limp form, "I guess she took it well?" Looking at the door, he saw Ryoko standing there, and she looked concerned.

"She took it better than I thought she would."

"Do you think she'll try to kill me later?"

Chuckling he placed a hand on Ryoko's cheek, "No, I don't think she will. But it will take her a little time to get used to it."

"Alright, but if she even shoots one bolt at me you're gonna get it!"

Smiling he handed Ayeka's limp form to Ryoko. "Don't worry, she won't hurt you… My Ryoko." Ryoko felt shivers go up her spine as he whispered that in her ear. It had been that phrase that had woke her up earlier and it had been that phrase that she loved to hear. "I am going to clean up down here, while you put her back to bed." He gave her a light kiss on the cheek as the pirate just nodded and gave him a kiss as well. It had been some time since their first kiss, and even though she had received several of them, she still treasured each and every one. Especially when he would kiss her first.

As the weeks went by, Nobuyuki and Mihoshi became each other's best friend. She even started to accompany him to his work at the architecture firm. Mainly to help where she could, and to make sure he didn't bother the girls there. He had asked her to help him curb the now learned habit of bothering the female members of the staff. And, since she was a police officer, even a galactic one, she readily accepted the favor asked of her. Within a week, Nobuyuki was back to the way he acted when he was around Achika. Nobuyuki also helped Mihoshi as he started to point out some of her habits that lead to some disastrous problem either at the house, or within Washu's lab. Within that same span of time, Mihoshi became much less accident-prone.

Washu had noticed not just the lessening of accidents in her lab, and in the house, but the realization that the two were becoming closer by the day. She smiled a quirky smile, as she now hatched a plan to make them even closer. She theorized, both were lonely, and that since their close friendship was born, they showed less negative behaviors, his hentainess, and her accidents, and became closer to each other. She then approached Tenchi who at first was skeptical of anything Washu was involved with. But after she explained to him what had happened between the two, he readily accepted. He even got the rest of the girls to help as well. He knew Ayeka, and Ryoko would simply because of their old rivalry for him. Sasami was Mihoshi's best friend, and she had also noticed the changes in both of them over the last few weeks, so she wanted to be involved with bringing them closer together.

So they all met right after lunch, which also happened to be during Mihoshi's midday nap, to plan out how to get the two closer together. Within an hour, the plan was agreed upon and Operation Miho-Nubi was officially off the ground and running!

As the conspirators watched anxiously the next evening, The two drove up in the Masaki family van. Both looked beat and the way they walked into the house showed it. "I see the house is still in one piece, so I assumed a good and peaceful day was had by all?" stated a relieved Nobuyuki.

"So... you two didn't fight?" asked Mihoshi through tired eyes. Ayeka and Ryoko were about to say something, but a raised hand of Tenchi put a stop to that. They simply looked at each other warily, and nodded silently. "Oh good, so the couch is still in one piece. I want to watch the Space police Policeman-a-thon tonight!" Mihoshi happily said as she was gaining back some of her joviality. Nobuyuki smirked at her reaction, then both headed to their rooms to get ready for the dinner everyone had smelled and had their mouths watered for.

As the two "targets" came down stairs, the plan started to take effect. First, all the seats were taken but two, that were next to each other. Normally Nobuyuki sat next to Katsuhito, but Washu took that seat in her adult form, which was unusual for her. Mihoshi customarily sat between Sasami and Washu, but Washu's seat was not vacant and so with no fanfare, they both sat next to each other.

As dinner progressed and Sasami's cooking skills were exalted again by all, Washu came up with a suggestion; "Why don't we all take a walk to settle this fabulous food down!" All at the table agreed. Since their friendship blossomed, Nobuyuki and Mihoshi had nightly took a walk together to Achika's grave, as part of an after dinner walk. But, today since the while family was going to walk together, they saw little chance for them to do that. But, as the family walked the paths and woods around the Masaki estate, they slowly separated, first was Katsuhito and Washu, then Sasami, and Ryo-Oki, finally Tenchi with Ryoko, and Ayeka in each arm headed for the cave, leaving Nobuyuki and Mihoshi to walk by themselves.

What they didn't know was tat all of them headed to the cave where a portal setup by Washu took them to an observation room with a video feed of Achika's grave. Washu told Katsuhito of the plan only an hour before dinner, so he was the most hesitant of all about pushing these two together. Which also meant that he wasn't to keen on spying on them at his own daughter's grave. But, he didn't stop it either. He was also curious about the pair, and wanted to see for himself if this friendship was true.

As they all watched, Nobuyuki, and Mihoshi sat down on their knees, and said a Shinto prayer to honor his now departed wife. Nobuyuki then started talking to the grave stone. "Well where to begin? Ah, yes dear did you know that Mihoshi here has an engineering degree from the Galactic Science Academy?" Mihoshi could only just blush!

The others sat there with opened mouths, shocked. 'Mihoshi... an engineer?' was all they thought about as Nobuyuki continued.

"She's been a great help in finalizing my plans, and since this is a 9-5 type of job, I asked my boss if we could employee Mihoshi as my assistant." He paused to look at her; she smiled her radiant smile to him. "I am going to ask Little Washu for help in providing the proper documentation, and If Mihoshi accepts, it means she'll be working with me and can still do her patrol work while here on earth. Now doesn't it sound great, dear?" Mihoshi then took his hand and squeezed, she shook her head yes!

'Mihoshi's… an Engineer?' was all Washu did as the others observed the now happy couple.

"Nubi, ... do you rally think Achika would approve us working together?" Asked a now hesitant Mihoshi.

"We have talked up here in front of her grave for three weeks now, I think if she had not accepted us being friends, she would have found a way to tell us." He said trying to comfort her.

"She does not object," came an ethereal voice from behind them.

"Who are..." he started as they turned to see the form of Tsunami, floating just a few inches off the ground in a translucent type form.

"TSSSunami?!?"

"Yes oh noble Nobuyuki," she replied.

"Oh goody, I get to see you as Sasami will be when she grows up. Gosh, you sure a pretty!" Mihoshi said like a schoolgirl meeting her idol.

"Well, thank you Mihoshi, I will convey your good feelings to Sasami." The girl in question was at that time sleeping in Washu's lab as the rest of the household stood still and observed the three conversing.

"So, if I may be so bold, why did you say she does not object?" Asked a now curious Nobuyuki.

"Well, as you know I am a goddess. So, I can contact people ...who have passed on ... in a limited way. Especially those from the Royal Family." It dawned on Nobuyuki, and Mihoshi that Achika was Katsuhito's daughter, therefore she was a Juraian Princess.

"So, she approves of us working together?" asked Mihoshi rather meekly.

"I can say she does, ... and what's more, she wants you two ...together."

"WHAT?!?" Nobuyuki, and Mihoshi, as well as in Washu's lab by the rest of the family.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked nervously.

"She knows you both, and she wants you two ... together in this life!" She said then disappeared from in front of them. Both looked stunned! They had heard it from Tsunami that Achika not only approved of their friendship... but also of going further than that!

Then both looked at each other ...in a new light. Nobuyuki and Mihoshi then took each other's hand and slowly they hugged each other. They had hugged before ...as friends, but now it was ... different. They felt the heat of each others body and moving their heads apart slightly, they looked at each other's eyes. Mihoshi then closed her eyes and snuggled into his arms, he simply smiled and kept her there. As both held on to each other both ran what was said to them by Tsunami over in their heads.

Did both want ... more than friendship? Did they care more of each other as friends, or ...what? They finally looked down into each other's eyes again, this time something different was felt by both. Then without further hesitation... they kissed! Not a butterfly kiss nor a passionate kiss, but a kiss filled with affection for each other and a twinkling of feeling both had at that moment in their hearts. Yes, it could be ...more! They kissed some more in the same caring way and when they parted, smiles were on their faced a yard wide! They also knew then that they wouldn't be the same again!

As they walked down the path towards their home, they saw through the glass patio doors everyone pile out of Washu's lab entrance. All seemed to have large sweat drops as they made their way inside. Nobuyuki, and Mihoshi then asked for quiet and they then said to the family; "Mihoshi and I have decided to ... date!" Nobuyuki said as all the family smiled in approving fashion. Mihoshi was red as a tomato as she stood by Nobuyuki holding his hand.

Katsuhito and Tenchi were both leery of him dating Mihoshi, but from what they had seen and heard, they really could not say anything against it. Ayeka and Ryoko seemed to have more than enough excitement for both men. For the two of them, this meant that they would not have to share Tenchi with Mihoshi, so they only had to worry about Washu. Ryoko still was not on the best of terms with her mother, but with Tenchi's help, things were getting better. However, she still refused to go into the lab without Tenchi there.

That night Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka talked again about their relationship. Ever since the night that he told Ayeka about his feelings, the three of them had decided to keep it a secret. For one, they believed that if everyone knew it then they might say something about them sleeping in the same room. For two, the girls had been wondering about Mihoshi. Since Tenchi had told them, he would not choose between them, they had been afraid that they would have to share him with Mihoshi. However since Mihoshi was now dating his father then they didn't have to worry about that anymore. All they had to worry about was Washu, and what were his feelings for her; however, with the display at the table and then later seeing Washu and Katsuhito going off together they didn't think they had to worry too much.

"Tenchi, can't we tell them yet?" Ryoko whined.

"I agree with Miss Ryoko…"

"That's Ryoko!"

"Very well, I agree with Ryoko," she said again while trying to maintain her composure. However lately she had been having a hard time doing that, especially at night. It felt so good to have him next to her, and it was especially nice when he kissed her that first time. Her cheeks reddened again just from the thought of it. It had been the very next night from when he had told her he loved her. Sasami and Ryo-Ohki had been downstairs still and as the three of them, Tenchi, Ryoko and herself, were getting ready for bed she saw him kiss Ryoko. It had caused her anger to surface for a moment before he turned and after telling her goodnight, he had kissed her as well. As soon as he had released her lips she had grabbed him and pressed her lips back against his for another kiss.

"Hay Ayeka!"

"Huh…" she looked around and realized that she had not been paying attention. Her cheeks got even redder as she looked at them.

"Thinking about that kiss again Princess?" Ryoko asked cattily.

"So what if I was…" She said embarrassed about being caught.

He just chuckled, "If I recall, a certain pirate could barely keep her feet on the ground the first time either."

It was Ryoko's turn to blush as Ayeka giggled. Tenchi just smiled at his loves. He was thoroughly surprised that Ayeka had accepted everything, 'but then again she did have two mothers so the idea of two wives is not that strange to her.'

"So, can we tell them yet?" Ryoko asked again.

"Yes, we will tell them, tomorrow after dinner, ok?" They both nodded and smiled at him. "I am worried about hurting Washu's feelings…"

"Yea but the way she left with your grandfather you may not have to worry about it," Ryoko winked at him and he shook his head.

"I know, I was surprised to see her in her adult form," he told them, "but I can't say I'm not surprised. The two of them have a lot in common." He sat on the futon and slipped his legs under the sheets. "But even if we are wrong about them, don't make fun of her, or anything ok?"

"Ok," Ryoko said and she phased out of her clothes and into a pair of his boxers and a T-shirt again.

"Really, do you have to wear his clothes?" Ayeka said with a grin as she sat down beside him.

"Well this will have to do until I can really get into his pants," she said with a wink and teleported to his side and kissed him passionately on the lips. Releasing his lips, he look dazed and both girls laughed at him. "And don't tell me princess that you haven't thought of that either."

"Why Miss Ryoko, I don't know what you're talking about," she said with a wink and then she too kissed him. After the second kiss, he fell back to the floor with his eyes glossed over. "I do have to admit that this is a lot more fun than I thought it would be."

Ryoko laughed and snuggled up close to him, "Just you wait until we can shed these clothes, it will get a lot more fun then."

"Um, R-R-… um, I- I well.."

"I think you broke him," Ayeka said as she snuggled up to his other side.

Both then gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then closing their eyes, they heard him sigh lightly. "I love you…." He told them both and giving them both a slight squeeze, he tried to go to sleep.