Chapter 13
"KUNO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SISTER?!?!?!?!"
Akane tore around the corner in her gi. "KUNO YOU ASS! IF YOU'VE HARMED EVEN A HAIR ON HER HEAD, I WILL…"
Kasumi, poked her head out the front door, having been interrupted by Akane's screams while preparing dinner. "Akane, what's going on? Oh!" Her eye fell on Kuno, carrying an unconscious Nabiki. "Nabiki! Are you alright?" She came hurriedly down the steps and over to Kuno.
"Errr…" Kuno shrunk back a little. Why was Kasumi carrying a huge cleaver? "I… I… she passed out in a store… I couldn't just leave her there… umm…" He backed away hesitantly. That knife was moving too much for comfort.
Kasumi stepped closer. "Nabiki, can you hear me?"
"OF COURSE SHE CAN'T HEAR YOU, SHE'S OUT COLD!" Akane yelled furiously. "KUNO MUST HAVE KNOCKED HER OUT….. RAAAANNMMAAAAAA!!!!!"
The boy in question trotted out of the house. "What's up… oh jeez, Kuno, wha'd you do to her?"
"It appears that Kuno-san has knocked out my sister," answered Kasumi, pointing at him with the cleaver. "I'm sure it must have been an accident…"
"Accident my ass," fumed Akane. "Ranma, do something!"
"Why don't you do something yourself?"
"Because he's holding Nabiki! How am I supposed to kill him if he's HOLDING HER, HUH???" Akane glared at Kuno, who merely sighed.
"Saotome, if you insist on challenging me once again, at least find me a comfortable place to put Biki—I think that she had suffered some sort of shock…"
"Biki…?"
Ranma snorted. "Yeah, Kuno, since when have you and Nabiki been on nickname basis? Man, when Nabiki wakes up and hears you calling her that, she's gonna have a fit! I think you've been hit on the head too many times, right Akane? Akane?"
Akane appeared not to have heard. She merely stared at Kuno, her aura suddenly deflated, with a strange look in her eye.
Flustered by her behavior, Ranma decided to continue addressing Kuno. "You getting soft? Tired of chasing after me… ahem… the pig tailed girl… and 'Kane? Never thought Nabiki of all people would be falling for you. I thought she'd had better taste than that." He tucked his hands behind his head casually and rolled his eyes. "Next thing we know, she'll be calling you Tate or something…"
"Ranma, please be quiet." Kasumi looked at him, an unreadable expression on her face. Ranma suddenly noticed the cleaver she was holding, and shut up. She turned to look at Kuno, scrutinizing him swiftly. "I think that it would be best if we get Nabiki to bed." She met Kuno's eye, and, not turning her head, said, "Ranma, take Kuno to Nabiki's room. Akane and I will be along shortly."
"Uhh… sure…" replied an uneasy Ranma. His sixth sense told him that something was going on that he had no idea about. "C'mon Kuno."
As he led the way upstairs, he kept his ears trained downstairs, trying to eavesdrop on the sister's conversation. Bits of it trickled up:
"… you hear…?"
"…yes …"
"… why would… not make any sense… Biki…"
"…conversation… told you…"
"… oh! When… little… long time…"
"… said… Tate… must be something… feelings…"
"… don't know about… never forgave… maybe… Kasumi… why…"
"… said… store… passed out…"
"… do you think… togeth…"
"…shhh… should go upstairs…"
Ranma gritted his teeth as he opened Nabiki's door. Not much of a conversation there, and definitely not enough information to figure out anything. "Hurry up, slow poke, I don't got all day." Kuno entered the room and gently laid Nabiki on the bed. Ranma shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted his feet around, trying to appear unconcerned. "So… what's this all about? What's wrong with Nabiki?"
"Yeah, Kuno," interjected Akane. "Spill. What's going on here?" Her significant looks towards him hinted at a double meaning.
"I'm not entirely sure. We were downtown, in that store—Suntai Electronics, do you know it? We were looking around, and all of a sudden I heard Nabiki call for me, and when I turned, she was unconscious on the floor."
"Why was she unconscious?"
"Yeah, and why the heck was she in a store with you?"
"Ranma," interposed Kasumi. "You know that Kuno and Nabiki often have… business… dealings. Kuno often buys her things for her… assistance."
"Oh, right, duh."
Kuno winced slightly at this exchange, but Kasumi blithely went on. "Please answer Akane's question, Kuno-san."
"I… I do not know the reason for her unconsciousness."
"Sure," snorted Ranma. "Tell me another one."
"Shut up Ranma," Akane snapped. "It's not like you've ever had better reasons for the stuff you've done."
"Hey…!" Ranma exclaimed defensively. "Why are you alluva sudden so protective of Kuno? I thought you wanted me to beat him up for you!"
"Humph. Violence isn't always the answer," sniffed Akane. "Why do you always have to jump to conclusions, Ranma?"
"Uhh…"
Kuno looked at Kasumi. "How can we wake her up?
"Well…"
"What the hell is going on, and why the hell is everyone in my room?"
Nabiki sat up in bed, her arms crossed, and with an irritated expression on her rather pale face.
"And why is Kuno-baby sitting on my bed?"
Kuno got up immediately.
"Nabiki! Are you all right?"
"All right?" She lifted an eyebrow. "I passed out for half and hour and you ask me if I'm all right? Oh wait." She smacked her forehead. "I forgot—this is the house where people regularly get knocked out by tables and mallets and doors. My bad."
She sighed as the other people in her room continued to eye her skeptically and concernedly.
"I'm fine, really. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like some privacy."
Silence.
"Now."
"But…"
She reached under her bed and pulled out a notebook. "Ranma, you owe me seven thousand yen plus interest, plus four photo shoots—one for the annual calendar— and a date with an unspecified individual. Plus eight hours of manual labor. Plus replacements for the windows you broke last week. And you never did repair that porch screen properly. Akane, you owe me one thousand seven hundred yen plus interest, one exercise photo shoot, two new skirts, a jacket, eighteen bags of Pocky, and four unspecified favors (probably in the form of yen). Kuno-baby, you owe me three thousand twenty six yen plus interest, reimbursement for the special order summer special photos, thirteen lunches/dinners… oh wait… make that twelve…" She paused and scribbled something into the notebook. "Ok… a diamond necklace—remember, that was the one when you accidentally hit Kuziko Takida's precious kid with your bokken—I had a hell of a time keeping him off your back. Huh… and nine mangas from Dako Books… where are you all going?"
"Erm… heh heh…" Ranma, Akane, and Kuno all stopped in the doorway.
"Well, I just had to…"
"Go see how those cookies were doing…"
"I was in the middle of practice…"
"Just see what's on television…"
"Bye!"
They fled the room, leaving trails of dust in their hurry to get away from a short-tempered Nabiki.
Nabiki gave a devious smirk. "That was fun." She glanced at her older sister. "You're still here. Shall I read out your debts too?" She flipped the page.
Kasumi frowned slightly. "I wish you would tell me what happened."
"Let's see… you owe me…"
"I just want to know if everything is alright."
"Five hundred and ninety two yen… a private batch of cookies…"
"Passing out is a rather serious thing, sister dear, especially as it was you who passed out."
"Chocolate chip, mind you, eight passes to free me from shopping for groceries on Saturday morning…"
"And considering all that's been happening… and that today is mother's anniversary…"
"A belated birthday present…"
"Nabiki…"
"Three breakfast's in bed…"
"Nabiki, Tatewaki called you Biki just now."
She paused in her reading, and stared at the small, smug smile on her sister's lips. "What did you just say?"
"Tatewaki called you Biki. Would there be any reason for him doing that?"
"Eh…" Nabiki's eyes darted around, searching for an escape and finding none.
"Should I assume," said Kasumi, the smugness reaching her voice, "that you two have had a… little talk?"
"You could call it that," Nabiki muttered grudgingly.
"And…?" Kasumi cocked her head expectantly.
"And nothing," grumbled Nabiki. "I just apologized to him for being such a moron these past years."
"And…?"
"And we had lunch together."
"And…?"
God the girl was persistent! "And we both forgave each other."
"And…?"
"That's it."
"Reaaalllyyy."
"Really."
"Mm hmm, sure."
Nabiki glowered at her older sister. "What are you implying?"
Kasumi's smile widened. "And? Something must have happened between you two so that he's calling you Biki again!"
"Alright, alright!" Nabiki threw up her hands. "We kissed! That's it! Happy?"
By the enormous, satisfied smile on Kasumi's face, and the shine in her warm eyes, Nabiki presumed that Kasumi was very, very happy.
"I'm so happy for you, Nabiki!" she exclaimed finally, after several minutes of ecstatic silence.
Nabiki finally gave in, and giggled. "Me too. Kuno… Tate can really be a moron sometimes, but he's worth it. He's such a great kisser."
"Nabiki!"
"What?" She grinned. "He is."
"Is that all?"
"Nah, guess not. I don't know why, of all people, I'm with Kuno, but he really is a sweet guy. I guess… I care for him. I haven't told him that yet, of course, but don't worry, I will soon. I'm not gonna be stupid and let the whole thing drag out like Akane's doing." She sighed wistfully. "He's always been my best friend, 'Sumi. Even when we had mother's death between us. I was an ass to him, but he still stuck by me. He stuck with me even when everyone else kept their distance after I got a reputation for being an Ice Queen. And, I guess, I stuck by him when he got a rep for being a Supreme Idiot. Well, sure, our motives for being "close" were less than virtuous. (All those photos and yen exchanges over the years…) Heh, we deserve each other."
"Yes," Kasumi smiled. "You certainly do."
"He always cheers me up. And I always know how to handle him when he's out of control. It's so funny, in a way…" She paused. "Kasumi… y'know what it's like to be in love?"
"Oh… well…" Kasumi blushed. "I…"
"Heh, don't answer that," Nabiki interrupted cheerfully. "I won't make you spill your little secret about Doctor Tofu… Oops!" She covered her mouth in mock dismay. "Didn't mean to let that one out!" She grinned. "But anyway, I think… that… I could possibly… love… Tate…"
Kasumi beamed. "Oh, Mother would have been so pleased!"
"Excuse me?"
Kasumi watched as her younger sister turned ashen, and as her hands tightened on the infamous notebook.
"What was that about mom?"
"I… I meant that mother would be so happy to see that you had finally forgiven each other… that you are finally loving instead of hating," Kasumi replied, perplexed at her behavior.
The words were much too similar for comfort. A chill went down her spine. "Ka… Kas… Onee-chan, could you… leave the room now? I need some time to think."
"What's wrong, Nabiki? Did something happen? Is that why you passed out?"
"NO! No. Just… I need to be by myself, Kasumi. Please. Now."
Despite all the boldness and bluntness Nabiki was known for, she had never ordered Kasumi like that. It alarmed the older girl a little. "Alright, Biki. If you need anything, just call. I'll make sure that no one tries to bother you." She slipped out the door, cast one last worried glance over her shoulder, and shut the door.
*
Every single file cabinet drawer was opened. They had all been searched through. And Nabiki still did not have what she wanted. Well, she thought to herself ruefully, that's sorta because I don't know what I'm looking for anyways. A sense of déjà vu overwhelmed her—that's exactly what I was thinking before I found… the cd player, she thought anxiously.
So, the question is, what the hell happened in that store?
Ok, Biki, she thought. Let's just assume that I really did hear the voice, and that it was mom's voice. What was she trying to say? She recalled the echoing voice and the words it had murmured into her ears.
"We can't blame people for what fate has decided… we can take the sorrow and make it happiness… take the hate and turn it to love…"
After her conversation with Kasumi, it was so blatantly obvious what her mother had been trying to say. She had been giving her blessing, to Nabiki and Kuno, to Biki and Tate. She wasn't angry. She was giving her advice. Giving her love.
Nabiki had intended to examine other solutions, other answers, consult the GhostBusters, Cologne maybe. But this tentative, steadily emerging thought, hope, faith, outweighed the need to find another explanation. It worked for Nabiki. And that was all that mattered. She closed the file cabinet drawers, taking care to lock them. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she reopened one of the drawers.
Canadian Finances— '84.
She slipped the envelope out, and removed a photograph. She smiled slightly at it, then slipped it into a frame on her desk. Two faces beamed out at her, enveloping her in the same energy and joy that had been present the day the photo had been taken.
"… I love you…so much… but, then again, you knew that already, didn't you?"
She smiled for a moment, then left the room.
.The End.
Author's Notes:
Wow! It's done already! It's been a great ride, guys. Thank you all so much for your support and enthusiasm. I loved writing this, and I hope you enjoyed it too. You guys were so amazingly encouraging and helpful—thanks! I could have written more, I suppose, but I felt that the story was beginning to lose its momentum. The story, though I had originally meant it to be a romantic fling, turned out so much more deep and emotional than I had ever thought it would be. It wouldn't be the same story if I continued, but made it about the rest of their relationship. They've pretty much solved their problems, and are obviously going to get together.
I don't think that the ending was quite as good as I had wanted it to be, but, then again, for these two, it's not an ending is it? It's more the beginning. But for me, this is where I end— my job's over. I gave them a history, and future, and now it's all up to them.
RisingSun, over and out.