Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi, Viz and Kitty own Ranma.

Rating: Pg-13

A/N: Well, this came to me the other day and I had to write it down. It's a Ryoga/Ukyo fic so if you don't like that kinda fic sorry! Thanks to all the people who review me and my stories! Please, no flames. If you want to email me you can at tiney_panda@hotmail.com Thanks for reading!

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While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us. -- Ben Franklin

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Prologue:

Ryoga looked at Ukyo and blinked slowly waiting for something to happen, for him to wake up. He didn't. He swirled the small amount of liquid left in the glass in his hand, "So, what do you think they're doing now?" He didn't want to ask but he had to say something. Ukyo looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Ryoga honey, its Ranma and Akane's honeymoon, what do you think they're doing?" Ryoga looked down.

"Everything." As Ryoga muttered this Ukyo bit her lip. Oddly enough that didn't seem as bad as she thought it would be.

"So . . . what do you wanna do?" Ukyo sat closer to Ryoga and they faced each other. He took her hand and with a sad look of despair whispered.

"Everything."

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Six and a Half Years Later:



"MOMMY! You PROMISED! You promised me you wouldn't work today! I wanna hear my story!" The young girl yelled at her also young mother as she tugged on her coat and swiftly took the mother's car keys. Her mom didn't flinch the slightest bit so Bikkuri knew her mom didn't notice.

The mother sighed. This was going to be one long day! She looked down at the six year old and smiled. The girl was wearing a pink skirt with a blue and green shirt. She was also wearing bright yellow socks. She had decided to dress herself again. The mother sighed again. Her curly dark brown hair was in its usual place, pigtails on either side of her head. They had been that way since her father had left after she was born. She wondered why.

The mother turned away from Bikkuri's hand. She had that bracelet on that her father had given her. It was pure gold with Bikkuri inscribed on the inside. Her father had given that to her and the mother hated being reminded of him and of the one night that changed her whole life. It was a stupid idea and they were both doing fine without each other. She never loved him and he was too busy loving other girls than to love her. She didn't mind him although sometimes at night she would be afraid Bikkuri would turn out like him. He was . . . interesting. Of course, everyone in Nermia was 'interesting' in his or her own way.



She had to remember that he did pay child support and for that she would always be grateful. Of course, just giving Bikkuri money wasn't fatherly. She really wanted Bikkuri to have a father but she knew he'd never swing for moving back. She didn't blame him. Too many memories. She'd dreamed of moving away but there was only one teeny tiny little thing in the way, money. Well in this case lack of said money. But one day . . .

"Mommy! Quit stalling! Don't try to make up some story about the restaurant direly needing you! I'm not five anymore! Besides, I already called in sick for you."

The older woman chuckled at the small girl and her matter-of-fact tone.

'My daughter,' The woman thought, 'the greatest con artist in the world! Many a time she had caught Bikkuri calling people pretending to be her. The people hadn't noticed at all. Even when the little girl was younger she would steal cookies and things like that after bedtime and would coolly explain the significance of them and that no bed-time would get in the way of her health! She decided it was all the encyclopedias the little girl read. She didn't know any other six year old who had had consecutive crushes on Robert Frost, Shakespeare and numerous others.

"Okay! Okay! I'll stay, you win." The mother let her daughter take her heavy coat to their door couch. A 'door couch' is a large, overstuffed couch next to their door. It was a very good waiting seat and it held things pretty good. They had named it Harold. Nobody complained.

"Yay! Tell me my story! Please tell me how when I was born, I nev-" The little girl had been picked up and brought to the next room. The TV. was on and she stopped talking to go turn it off. Her mother sighed again. She went to get a glass of water and when she came back her daughter had brought out a video.

"I thought you wanted me to tell you you're story?" The little girl shook her head as her mom snidely remarked this and put the video in the VCR.

"I did, before I saw this video. Why didn't you tell me we had it?" The little girl folded her arms and waited for her mother's response. Put on the spot by her own daughter.

"I wanted it to be a surprise!" Her daughter accepted this weak answer because her video had already started to sing. The real reason was that it was an impulse buy and she had forgotten the last time she had gotten a children's movie Bikkuri had stayed up the whole night singing to the lyrics of the increasingly annoying songs. It wasn't fair that for profit they would put parents through so much. She decided that Nabiki must be in charge of this. She was the only one evil enough to invent these. She had to phone her later and then pass the phone to Bikkuri so that Nabiki would get to hear the beautiful singing too!

"I'll go get popcorn!"

The high-pitched ding-dong of the doorbell broke the mother's train of thought. She had been thinking about the future again. The restaurant was doing pretty well off. Especially after Shampoo had left town with her tail between her legs. She shouldn't feel any better, she didn't win either but it was fun making light of the situation. She was in the kitchen waiting for the microwave to finish making her homemade popcorn. Okay, so she didn't make it herself. She made tons of food during the week so why cook now? Bikkuri ran to the door. And pulled it open after unlatching their three deadbolt locks.

"Hello sir, this is the Kuonji residence. My mother cannot come to the door right now. Can I take a message?" Bikkuri loved talking to anyone so she usually scared away all the salesmen at the door, which was probably the mumbling mass facing Bikkuri right now.

"S . . . s . . . sorry little girl! Heh . . . heh. I must have the wrong address. But you did say Kuonji right? Would you happen to know a girl named Ukyo Kuonji?" A familiar voice caught Ukyo's attention. But how did he know she was living here?

"Wow flowers! Are they for me? Can I have 'em? Have you got chocolate?" Her daughter let the stranger in and looked through his pockets, as he stood frozen in place. He didn't realize what was going on because he was staring at the person who had just stepped into the room. She looked nothing like the Ukyo he remembered. Maybe it wasn't Ukyo at all. This lady had dark brown hair a little over her shoulder that was curled. Ukyo's hair hadn't been curled. This lady was wearing a red shirt that seemed too tight to be worn by Ukyo and a faded jean skirt. She had bare feet and painted red toes. The nail polish on her toes was also all around them. The little girl had definantly done that.

"Ryoga?" Her voice went hoarse as she blurted it out. She hadn't seen him in six years. She ran over to him and hugged him. She didn't know why but she had to. She missed him for some reason and now that he was here it felt a bit better. Ukyo didn't know why she felt relived but she did. For some odd reason. She noticed that she was still hugging him and let go. She stepped back and looked down. She felt her cheeks burning and imagined how red her face was. He half grinned and looked from her to Bikkuri and then back to her. What? Could he not know she had a daughter? She decided it would be smart to fill him in.

"Ukyo? You . . . look great. Really!" He smiled goofily at Ukyo. She was astounded that he was being this nervous around her. He hadn't changed that much except for his broad arms and matured face. They laughed nervously and Bikkuri decided to jump in.

"Do you know my dad?" She walked up to Ryoga and looked him up and down.

"Uh . . . no. Sorry!" Ryoga tried to smile but was interested in who her father was. How old was she?

"I'm six," Bikkuri stated as if reading his mind, "my father's dead. Well, deadbeat, whatever that means."

Ukyo ran to her and covered her mouth. "Why don't you go to sleep Bikkuri." Ukyo pushed the young girl towards the stairs and smiled fakely to Ryoga. Bikkuri shook her head vigorously and put a look of absolute confusion on her face.

"Mommy, it's ten-thirty in the morning." Bikurri said coolly. She folded her arms, rolled her eyes and waited for a response.

"Then go back to sleep." Ukyo said sweetly.

"'Nite." Bikkuri said caving in and walking up the stairs then stopped. She looked at Ryoga and then to her mother. She smiled and walked the rest of the way to her room in silence.

"Cute kid! Who's her dad?" Ryoga looked to Ukyo as she started to sit down.

"I really can't say." She ushered him towards the other couch and he sat down still smiling politely.

"Can't . . . say?" Ryoga had just figured out that he shouldn't have asked. Oh well, it was too late now!

"No. It's more along the lines of I really wont say." Ukyo grinned.

"So, do I know this guy?" Ryoga wanted to stop himself from asking that but he just couldn't. Something was telling him that there was something wrong here and that it was his fault.

"You know him . . . real well." Ukyo got up slowly and walked over to her fridge. She pulled open the door and after a few minutes strained her neck to look back at Ryoga while still in the fridge.

"You want something?" Ryoga shook his head and Ukyo shrugged and went back into the fridge.

"So, how are Ranma and A-a-Akane doing?" Ryoga looked up hope fully and something inside Ukyo shattered. She didn't mind Ryoga asking but there was something about it. She couldn't be jealous could she? That was crazy! He was totally in love with Akane and besides, she hadn't seen him for six years. She probably just felt tired. Still, she did have a feeling of regret in her stomach.

What could she regret? Not ordering pizza? Not getting a dog? Not being with Ryoga? She stopped herself at the last point. That was stupid. They had spent one night together and he hadn't even been there the next day. She could feel her cheek blushing as she walked to another cabinet and took out two tall glasses.

She took one of the glasses and put it back in the cupboard. She should ask him to leave. If he left then maybe this feeling would go away. Besides, who knows what they might get themselves into if he stayed. He'd probably get lost too so that he wouldn't see her again for months, maybe years! He was definantly not good. She also had a daughter who was upstairs right now probably driving herself crazy wondering who this strange man was. Yep, he definantly had to go! Now or never.

"Hey Ryoga?"

"Yes?" Ryoga asked as Ukyo brought something out of the fridge.

"Want some wine?"



A/N: I think I'm gonna make this a chapter series but I don't know. Should I? I think I did a bad job on this chapter and I'll probably revise it but that's okay! Review or I might forget to right the next chapter! Next chapter hopefully up soon!