Children: Chapter 5

The sudden sisterly outing confused Ranma. This was apparent in the way Ranma kept asking Akama questions, the same questions, at that. Other than the questions, similar thoughts ran through Ranma's mind. Why, all of the sudden was her normally less-than-girlie sister displaying an urge to do a 'sisterly' thing, especially something so stereotypically feminine as shopping?

"Well," Ranma said, "Did you need anything in particular, Sis?"

"No, not really... Don't have that much money either, so I probably won't buy anything. You don't mind just looking around with me, do you Sis?" Akama replied.

"Of course not... This... Just isn't like you. You're sure it's not anything I've said, right? I know we talk to each other...." Ranma said, trailing off.

"No, come on, I already told you, It's just... I wanted to do something unlike me. Maybe you'll believe me this time, huh? I've only told you three times, maybe you could use another few." Akama smiled a bit, the corners of her mouth tugging up teasingly.

"Hey, these earrings don't make me deaf, just cute." Ranma said, giggling and putting her arm around her sister's shoulder. "I guess, well, you caught me off-guard. I knew you were good at doing that to mom and dad, just not me."

"Well, now you know. Your sister is none other than Akama Saotome, master of surprise." Akama laughed just faintly enough for it to be heard, as she wrapped her arm back around Ranma's shoulder. "If you're this confused, I wonder what's going on at home..." Akama said.

"Are you ok, Dear?" Ranma Sr. said, sitting beside his wife on the couch.

"So... What you're saying is... Akama and Ranma went out shopping. Akama AND Ranma? You mean that Akama put on nice clothes, and asked Ranma to go shopping with her? Why'd you drag me off like that then? I wish I could have seen my daughter in a dress for once..." Akane was blinking rapidly, having perhaps a worse time with her confusion than Ranma had.

Ranma Sr. chuckled nervously. "Akane... You can be a little overbearing." Ranma Sr. said.

'I'll show him overbearing...' Akane thought, pictures of huge mallets chasing her husband down the street flashing in her vision. She spoke up, after smiling a bit too enthusiastically. "Ranma, Dear, I am *not* overbearing. I'm just confused. Did you say something to her to make her do this?" A slightly irritated glare shot its way over.

Ranma Sr. chuckled again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... Akama *did* tell me a few things... She had a strange dream last night, it seems. I think she's feeling like she's not as feminine as she'd like. I think maybe my idiot father has been running off at the mouth again, too. This is a hard age, Akane, I think that our daughter is just growing up, and trying to figure herself out."

"I remember when I was that age..." A low grumbling noise could be heard in Akane's direction. "I never did want to be like those girls who spent more time on their hair than they did studying. I wish Akama had come to me... What am I doing wrong, Ranma?" Akane said.

Moving quickly, Ranma Sr. pulled his wife into his lap. "Oh, Akane... You're not doing anything wrong. She didn't exactly come to me either; I just noticed that she seemed a bit upset this morning. I asked her, and she told me. I'm sure if you'd seen her first, she would have been talking to you. I'm sure."

"Are you *really* sure, Ranma? I get the feeling that our children feel more comfortable around you." Akane said.

"I am positive, Akane. Just... When Akama comes home, Tell her that she looks nice." Ranma Sr. said, Akane cutting him off.

"Of course I'm going to tell her she looks nice, Dear, I have been a mother for quite a while now. Maybe I could even get her to go back out shopping with *me* this time. I think I'll ask her if she wants to talk, too." Akane said.

Ranma spoke back up, chuckling once more. "Akane, Dear... Perhaps you should just try to get her to talk later tonight. I bet she'll be more ready if she has a little time to rest after she gets home. Sometime after dinner might be better for you to talk with her. I don't think it'll go well if you jump on her right when she walks in."

"Ranma, I know you mean well..." Akane said. "But you're dangerously close to getting a mallet to the head." Akane smiled mischievously, and kissed her husband on the cheek.

"I like the kiss a lot more than the mallet, Akane..." A similar smile crossed Ranma Sr.'s face, as he turned Akane around in his lap. Once he had, he leaned in close and placed a delicate kiss upon Akane's lips.

A bright red flush swept over Akane's face, and she said, "Alright, no mallet... You *are* a good kisser." Ranma Sr. grinned, and swept Akane into his arms, carrying her off to the bedroom.

"They're probably fighting." Ranma said, answering her sister's wondering. "Did you see how Dad got in Mom's way? She *hates* that. I just hope Mom uses the small mallet this time, Dad makes *me* repair the holes in the wall."

"You're right... Wow, looks like we're here already." Akama said. They had hardly noticed the distances slip away from them, talking and laughing as they were.

"Wow's right, Sis... Guess you're just good to travel with, huh? Not like that friend of Dad's. His name was Ryouga, right? He showed up two weeks late that one time. Him and Dad were supposed to have some big match, remember?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah, I remember." Akama said. "Remember when he got lost going' from the kitchen to the living room?"

"Yeah... Still don't know how he pulled that off, though." Ranma said. The two girls laughed a bit, as they walked into the rather spacious shopping mall."We're going to have a great time, Sis, you just wait..." Suddenly, Ranma got quiet, her face went red, and she tried to hide behind her sister.

"What're you doing, Ranma?" Akama said, only to be met with urgings to be quiet, and a slim finger pointed toward a crowd of girls, one in particular. Akama looked over, and standing in a group of girls she recognized from school, was Taiiku. "Oh, give me a break, She's already seen you like this, Ranma." Akama said.

"Yeah... But... Um... I sort of... well... Don't let her see me, maybe we can go to a different store than them." Ranma said, still hiding. Unfortunately, Taiiku spotted Akama standing by the doors, and she excused herself from the group of girls she was talking to, walking over to Akama instead.

"Hey... Akama right?" Taiiku said. Akama nodded her head and smiled, as Taiiku started talking again. "Wow... you look really nice. New dress?" She said.

"Yeah, something like that. Thanks, You look.. uh.. cute yourself." Akama said.

A flash of red hair could be seen then behind Akama, and Taiiku grinned. Ranma was so adorable, being shy like this and hiding from her. "Well, I guess I'll just go catch up with my friends now..." She said, and then took a few steps in place, making clicking noises on the ground with her shoes. Ranma peeked out, and her face exploded in red.

"Hey! That's not funny!" Ranma squealed. Taiiku was giggling very cutely, and Akama seemed to be enjoying it, by the small smile creeping on her face.

"I thought it was very funny, Ranma." Taiiku said. Her cute green eyes were sparkling; her curled-into-a-smile lips were frosted over with a pink gloss.

"She did get you, Sis. It was pretty funny." Akama said.

"Oh, thanks a lot for the support, Sis." Ranma said, stepping out from her hiding spot the rest of the way. Ranma's eyes settled into a gaze with Taiiku's, and the two girls blushed, both turning away shyly. Akama snickered a bit to herself, but she didn't let it show.

"Well... You two want to come to that new store they just opened, with me?" Taiiku said, trying to hide the receding blush on her face by digging for something in her purse.

Ranma nodded, and looked over to Akama, "You want to, Sis? I heard it's supposed to have some really cute clothes. They just finished building it a few weeks ago, and it opened last week."

Akama pondered over this for a while, but eventually she cracked a smile that could have almost been taken as feminine, and nodded. "Sure. Why not, huh?" She said. The next few hours found themselves filled with a flurry of reluctant cosmetic-counter makeovers, dressing room discussions, and several exclamations of 'Oh, you *have* to get this.' Akama actually rather enjoyed herself, not only did she get to spend time with her sister; she also made a new friend in Taiiku. One of the many times that Ranma saw a dress that she just couldn't resist trying on, Akama and Taiiku had a small conversation.

"Hey, Akama... I've seen you around at school sometimes, I guess... Well, you seem lonely. Sorry I haven't said something before... I mean, after I met Ranma, I saw he was nothing like all the girls said he was, so I started thinking about what they said about other people. You really seem like a great girl, so I was wondering if maybe you wanted to be friends, or something." Taiiku said.

Akama blinked, and looked down, burying her hands in the folds of her dress. She felt very uncomfortable, not only with the cosmetic counter lady's makeup adorning her face, or the wispy dress that folded around her legs as she sat, but with the realization that she *was* lonely. If other people could tell so easily, how could she have missed it? Looking up again, Akama noticed a look on Taiiku's face that Akama knew was a signal that an answer was expected. Slowly, she spoke up. "Don't know why you'd want to be friends with someone like me... I'm not really anything like those other girls I saw you with. I'm having' fun and all, but I still can't wait to get home and wash this stuff off my face, and get into some nice pants and a T-shirt. I'm only out here shopping because my dad suggested I do something with Ranma today. I just don't see what we got in common, Taiiku."

"Hey..." Taiiku said, putting a hand on Akama's shoulder gently, "You don't have to be like anyone else for me to think you're a nice person, Akama. Those other girls might do more of the same stuff I do, you're... well, you're really more fun to hang out with. Those other girls can be so snotty sometimes; I really don't like it when they start picking on other girls at school. It's just so pointless. They don't know what nice people they're missing out on knowing. So what if we don't have a lot in common."

"I...I'm not... too good with people. I don't know what to say... I'd really like it if we were friends, Taiiku." Akama said, adding, "Hey... we do have *one* thing in common, though, if you think about it."

"What's that?" Taiiku asked.

"Really want to know?" Akama said, grinning widely.

"Yeah, tell me, I'm curious." Taiiku said.

Akama nudged Taiiku with her elbow, and pointed to the feminine figure exiting the dressing room. "Well, we both seem to be pretty fond of the same guy." Akama said. Taiiku's face flushed bright red, and she buried her face in her purse again, searching for some invisible object. Akama laughed lightly, as Ranma walked over to join them.

"What's so funny, Sis?" Ranma said.

"Oh, nothing, just talking..." Akama smiled happily. "Hey, that looks really nice on you, Sis."

"Well, what do you think, Taiiku?" Ranma said. The dress she was currently wearing was certainly not the most expensive or fancy of the ones she'd tried on. It was a very simple pink dress with a skirt that flowed gently down to near Ranma's ankles, gathering in small folds at the bottom. Ranma's small white shoes barely peeked out from beneath the soft material, and her blue eyes were similarly peeking from behind curly red bangs.

Taiiku looked up from her purse, and smiled. "Hey, that's cute." She said. 'Ranma... I hope you see that I don't mind your curse.' Taiiku thought.

"You two... Thanks, both of you. I don't know though... It's a little tight around my chest, and do you really like this color?" Ranma said.

Akama laughed, and spoke up. "Better the pink dress be on you, Sis. If you don't like it though, don't get it."

"She's right, you know, if you don't like it..." Taiiku said.

"Hmm. I think I'll just put it back. I spend enough money as it is." Ranma said. She walked back into the dressing room, and began to change clothes. Taiiku and Akama sat back down and started talking again.

"Your brother really seems to have a positive outlook on things. It has to be hard not even knowing something so small like if you're a guy or a girl. I think he's great, he's so cute, and sweet. I know he's smart; he's one of the best students in the school. I notice how he acts around me, but it could just be that he just wants another girl to be friends with." Taiiku said.

"Oh brother, you're pretty attracted to him, huh?" Akama asked.

"Oh, really, you think so?" Taiiku said, giggling. "I don't know if he even feels anything like that for me though..."

Akama sighed a little, and then she put her hand on Taiiku's shoulder. "I may not know a lot about stuff like this, relationships and talking to guys and all that... I know my brother though. He thinks you're a nice, sweet girl, and a friend. More than that, you'll have to ask him."

Ranma came back out of the dressing room, wearing the outfit she came to the store in. Once she got back to where the two girls were sitting, she spoke up. "I don't know about the two of you... I could really go for something to eat. You two ready to go yet?" Ranma said.

"Sure." Taiiku said, standing and smiling.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Akama said. "Getting something to eat sounds good. You'll come with us, right, Taiiku?"

"Of course I will. I haven't spent all day shopping with you to skip out on a snack." Taiiku said, smiling.

'Maybe I can talk with her when we get something to eat...' Ranma thought.

'Maybe I can talk with him when we get something to eat...' Taiiku thought.

The three girls walked casually out of the store, and proceeded to the food court. Ranma, predictably, found herself drawn to the dessert-oriented shops, out of all the others. Akama followed Ranma, and Taiiku followed the two of them. Ranma remembered the times her father had told her about the times he put on a 'cute girl' act for food vendors, but Ranma wasn't nearly as showy or flirting as her father had been in his younger years. The three girls all eventually ordered, and sat down at a nearby table to enjoy their ice cream cones. Whether they were aware of it or not, Ranma and Taiiku were flirting with each other the entire time. Ranma's ice cream would dribble onto her cheek, and Taiiku would quickly lean over the table to wipe it off, then Ranma would blush and look down, then Taiiku would, and finally they'd both look up and giggle. With this process repeating several times, it became overwhelmingly sweet for Akama's tastes.

"Hey, you two." Akama interrupted, as Ranma was taking the last bite of her cone, "I'm going to... Go use the restroom. Be back in a little, ok?"

"Ok!" Taiiku and Ranma said, at the exact same time, before giggling again at this little speech coincidence.

"Oh, brother..." Akama said, walking off to find the restroom.

'Well, it's just us now. Should I say something to her about how I feel? Would she get angry at me for saying something while I'm a girl?' Ranma thought.

'Is he going to say something while his sister is gone? He looks like he's really thinking hard... Now he's blushing! Maybe he's embarrassed that he's a girl right now. Oh, Ranma...' Taiiku thought.

The two sat there silently for quite a while, both put their hands on the table, folded. Slowly, very slowly, Ranma unfolded her hands and brushed them against Taiiku's. A small spark of static jumped between them at the touch, and both girls looked up suddenly. Despite the obvious nervousness, and her almost crushing hesitant shyness, Ranma spoke up. "Taiiku... um... I want to tell you something..."

"Go on, Ranma." Taiiku said, smiling brightly. She took the shy red-haired girl's hand into her own, slowly.

"Well, um..." Ranma stumbled a bit, hesitating again. 'Just go on and say it. Look at her; she's holding your hand like that, and her eyes are sparkling. She's got to at least like you a little. What's the worst that could happen, you find out you have a really great friend?' Ranma thought.

"Just take your time... Ranma. I...I'm not in any hurry." Taiiku said.

"Ok... Here goes. Taiiku, I think that you're... I really like... I mean..." Shakily, Ranma said what she'd been preparing all day. Anyone around could sense the shyness of the redheaded girl, and not only because she was stuttering, or that she had cheeks the color of cotton candy. "I really think you're pretty, and sweet, and your hands are so soft, and you look so great in that outfit... You're a great swimmer, and a good friend. I wanted to see how you felt about me."

A similarly colored tint started to creep into Taiiku's cheeks, as she responded. "Well, Ranma... I think you're a really sweet person. I know you're smart too. I think it's a shame that so many people pick on you just because of some silly curse. You're still you either way. And you're a pretty good friend. I'm really glad we met each other." Taiiku added to her speech, in her thoughts, what she was too shy to say out loud. 'I hope you don't want to *just* be friends...'

Ranma smiled a bit, encouraged by what Taiiku had said. "I'm glad we met each other too. I was sort of thinking today... I had a lot of fun shopping with you. It was nice."

"Yeah... It was really fun." Taiiku said.

"Would you want to go to a movie or something with me tomorrow?" Ranma asked, lowering her head slightly.

'Is he asking me out?' Taiiku thought, lowering her head as well. "Ranma, Are you asking me on a date?" Taiiku asked.

"I'm sure trying to." Ranma answered, laughing nervously. "Taiiku, would you go out on a date with me tomorrow?"

"I'd... love to, Ranma." Taiiku smiled, squeezing Ranma's hand lightly.

"Really? That's... great!" Ranma happily exclaimed. 'See, it went better than you thought, Ranma. Trust yourself.' She thought.

Taiiku grinned lightly, and poked Ranma's side, after separating their hands. "This is a date, right? You're asking me out on an *actual* date? Not going to both be wearing dresses, are we?"

"Yeah, um... I meant a real date... Of course we won't be both wearing dresses." Ranma said, winking before adding, "I don't know what *you're* going to wear."

"Oh, Ranma..." Taiiku said, giggling.

Ranma smiled across the table at her, brightly.

Akama smiled as well, from a table a few feet away. She had actually gone to the bathroom, but she got back in the middle of her sister's little conversation, so Akama had sat down quietly, a few tables away. She didn't mean to be spying, really, she was just concerned about her sister. 'Maybe a bit of Aunt Nabiki's rubbing off on me.' Akama thought, 'Wonder how her surveillance business is going now?' Akama shook her head and got up, walking over to where her sister was sitting. "Ready to go home, Ranma?" Akama said.

"Sure, Sis." Ranma answered, smiling once more to Taiiku. At the tail end of their conversation, Ranma had gotten Taiiku's address. "See you tomorrow, Taiiku." Ranma said.

"Alright, see you tomorrow." Taiiku said.

The two girls walked out of the mall, and started on their way home. Once they were safely away from Taiiku, Akama spoke up. "So what was that about?" She asked, pretending not to know that the two had most likely just told each other about their feelings.

"Oh, We're going to go to a movie tomorrow, nothing big." Ranma said.

"You're *going* to a movie, or you're *taking her* to a movie?" Akama asked.

"The..." Ranma coughed, "Second one." She said.

"Really... So you finally asked her out. Good thing she said yes, that would have been embarrassing." Akama said.

"Yeah, it would have been." Ranma said, sighing.

"You might want to talk to Dad about something nice to wear, Ranma. You want to look your best, right?" Akama said.

"Yeah, of course." Ranma said. She then looked over to her sister and asked, "So, did you have a good time, Sis?"

Akama nodded, and smiled faintly. "It wasn't all that bad., I guess. I did have fun hanging out with you, Sis. You and Taiiku trying on all those outfits was a little much though, next time we do something... It has to be a little less girlie, alright? "

"It's a deal, Sis... Especially if things go good with Taiiku, I'll be spending more time as a guy." Ranma said.

"Yeah, I'd imagine so, huh? Especially if things start going really good, huh?" Akama said, elbowing her sister lightly in the side.

Ranma blushed a deep red, and stayed silent as they continued their walk home. Back at home, Akane was in the kitchen preparing some food with Kasumi.

"I was surprised that you called, Akane." Kasumi said. "It was so sudden... What got into you, hmm?"

"Oh, nothing... Just felt like having my sister around. I couldn't resist a chance to see your new arrival either." Akane said.

"He really is a blessing." Kasumi said, giggling a bit. Her stomach was still fairly swollen, as she hadn't lost but a small bit of the baby weight in the three weeks since the birth. "Father is absolutely in love with him. Tofu is as well." Kasumi added.

"Good thing, considering he's your husband." Akane said, grinning.

"Yes, that it is." Kasumi said, giggling in her sweet, innocent way.

"What's been going on with Nabiki, have you heard?" Akane asked, "Last time I spoke with her, that boyfriend of hers wasn't particularly happy with her, or so she told me."

"Oh, my, You've been busy, haven't you? Nabiki dumped him the week after my son was born. She came by, and I asked her how she'd been doing. She told me that he'd hit her, so she'd sent him to the hospital with three jaw fractures. It was pretty much over after that." Kasumi said.

"Oh, my..." Akane commented.

About that time, two cheerful voices could be heard in the front hallway. Akama and Ranma had made it home finally, and they were busily talking about Ranma's date, although it seemed more like a teasing session at times.

"Be sure you don't run into any fountains, or sudden rainstorms, or that lady who always seems to be dumping water out her window when you're going by. You know, I think she's the daughter of the lady who used to do that to Dad..." Akama said.

"Ok, I think I got it. Avoid cold water. I sure wish you would have told me this earlier, Sis, I could have saved myself the trouble of this whole 'turning into a girl' thing. If only I'd known to *avoid* cold water." Ranma said, smirking.

Two heads peeked out of the kitchen, Kasumi's first, followed by Akane's. Kasumi soon spoke up, happy to see her niece and nephew, who was her niece at the moment. "Akama, Ranma! How are you?" Kasumi asked, smiling bright as ever.

"Aunt Kasumi!" Akama exclaimed. "I didn't know you were coming over today..." A faint pinkish tint crept its way into Akama's cheeks, as the material of the dress she was wearing made itself known against her skin with a gentle flutter.

"Oh, Hi, Aunt Kasumi, Nice to see you here." Ranma said.

"You both look very pretty." Kasumi said.

"Thanks... Aunt Kasumi." Akama said, feeling very uncomfortable. "I'm going to go change now, though." Akama finished, walking off to her room.

Ranma moved into the kitchen and stood next to her aunt and mother for a second, before embracing each of them in a warm hug. "So, what brought you over, Aunt Kasumi?" Ranma asked.

"Your mother called, something about wanting to see her sister. It was very sudden, actually." Kasumi answered.

"You... came with your son, right, Aunt Kasumi?" Ranma asked.

"Yes, but I'm sorry, Ranma, he's sleeping." Kasumi said, smiling to help ease the frown forming on her niece's face. "We won't leave until after he wakes up, alright? I know you two have been getting to know each other." She finished.

"Thanks, Aunt Kasumi!" Ranma squealed, hugging the taller woman in the feminine flowered apron.

"Ranma, dear..." Akane said, wiping her hands off on her own apron. "Did you have a nice time with your sister this afternoon?"

"Yeah, Mom, actually I did. We ran into... um... A girl I know from school, so the three of us went around the mall together. I tried on some really cute things, if you wanted to take me back up there and buy me some things, you could. I mean, if you really wanted to." Ranma said, smiling hopefully.

"I'll try to control the overwhelming urge, Ranma." Akane said, winking. "Didn't you *just* get new clothes?" She asked.

"Well, yeah... But those were new pants and shirts, I'm asking about new dresses." Ranma answered. She figured now was a good time to employ the Saotome Cursed Male Final Attack. 'Cute Overload.' Ranma's face slowly took on an expression that consisted of a crying puppy's eyes, and a pouting set of lips that could have melted the resolve of any person, man or woman. Ranma's red bangs seemed to flutter down to shade those puppy-dog eyes perfectly. Ranma *did* have the only teacher in this particular facet of the art, her father, so the move was being executed flawlessly. Ranma watched with hidden joy as little cracks appeared in Akane's resolve, before she finally gave in.

"Oh, alright, but just this once, ok? And only because you've been doing so well in school lately, don't think that pathetic face you just gave me had anything to do with it." Akane said.

"Why in the world would I think that, Mom?" Ranma asked, innocently, as her face shifted back to normal.

"Oh, no reason." Akane said, laughing before continuing, "You definitely have your father in you, Ranma."

"I know." Ranma said, with a grin. She wrapped her arms around her mother, and hugged tightly. "Thanks, Mom."