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Love Found?

By Verse12

Verse12@hotmail.com

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters nor do I claim too, this is a simple fan based homage. Their creators and the companies they work for and with own the characters and all that pertains to them. (I.E. Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, Shougakukan) This is just fans of the show expressing their love for it for fun, no profit is involved or expected thank you.

(Revised on Apr. 5, 2004. Updated the grammar and spelling, plus made some fixes on dialogue and text.)

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Chapter Two

Questions and Answers

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Coach Shun Mitaka had a bad day. First his date with the lovely widow and manager of Maison Ikkoku, Kyoko Otonashi ended much to soon because . . . well he didn't want to think about that, those bloody dogs were everywhere. Then that . . . animal had lugged at him when they had arrived back here, luckily he was still chained this time.

And now just when he was about to ask if her if he could come in for a cup of tea, this man just stood in the way and called Mrs Otonashi, U-Chan of all things, what in the world was going on?

That Question seemed to be on the minds of the residents of the Maison as well, Especially Godai. After a shocked moment of confusion the questions came from the surrounding listeners.

"U-chan, Ran-chan? What's is going on Ms Otonashi?" Asks Coach Mitaka.

"How do you know each other?"

"You kno dis hottie."

"This story promises to be quite interesting indeed." Many other questions and comments bombard the stunned duo. Though Mrs Otonashi and this man were evidently quite oblivious to what was going on around them as they just stood there. Even Akemi who started squawking loudly after she realized that she was soaking wet and stumbled upstairs didn't disturb them. (A .N. it was her glomping onto Ranma after he was out in the rain, she was just too drunk to realize it at first.)

When they finally did begin to speak to each other they seemed to have forgotten that they were not alone. The coach and the others trailed off in their questions as the manager and the new guy were evidently ignoring them. The assembled group just listened as the two begin to mutter to each other a confusing dialogue.

"What," she licked her lips, "What are you . . . doing here Ran-chan?" Kyoko asked.

"I . . . was looking for a room to rent . . . um and this place was, um you know," the man mumbled.

"Rooms two and three are still open," Kyoko, said still dazed.

"Oh that's good, I'll have to check those out, if that's okay with you, that is."

"Oh yes, that's fine with me it'll be nice too fill another room," Kyoko replied in a distant tone of voice. "I, um saw Ryoga about a year ago, you know."

"Oh really? I haven't seem him in while, he stopped . . . you know . . . coming by," Ranma trailed off into a mumble.

"Yes he told me Akari was expecting soon, the last time I saw him, I ended up helping him get home to her so he wouldn't miss the birth, boy was she glad." Kyoko commented with a bewildered smile,

"It was a nice to visit with them. She had the baby a few months ago, a little girl they named Ryeka . . . I got a nice card" she finished in a rush.

She paused for a moment before she continued, "He told me . . . he told me how you two had been having problems? You know no matter what I just wanted the best for you, right?"

"I know, and yes we were having a lot of problems the last time I saw Ryoga," Ranma said.

"Were?" Kyoko questioned.

"Yes, we were. We . . . we're divorced now, for about six months." Ranma said with a down cast face.

Kyoko suddenly lunged forward and embraced Ranma in a comforting hug as she exclaimed "Oh Ran-chan I'm so sorry."

Ranma smiled and patted her on the back, "it's okay U-chan, it happened months ago. I've had a chance to see things more clearly since then. It really helped me grown and change a lot since then." Then in a quieter voice he said "you know, looking back now I can see, that . . . you were right."

She looked up at Ranma with tears threatening in her eyes and said, "I'm sorry about that, I was hurt and upset. I shouldn't have said the things I did."

"No U-chan you were perfectly right to say what you did. In fact," Ranma began while he held her out by the shoulders. "I want to apologize for all the things I said and did to you back then, I shouldn't have taken advantage and used you like I did."

He sighed and asked, "Can you ever forgive me?"

Kyoko Smiled and gave him another big hug before she let him go and told him that she always regretted how things turned out between them so many years ago.

Ranma smiled at her and said, "Well I think we should just start over, as long as that's all right with you U-chan."

Kyoko smiled right back and responded, "That's fine with me Ran-chan, Friends?"

"Friends," he said "And as friends U-chan what's with the Kasumi wear anyway?"

Kyoko grimaced slightly and said, "Well after everything that happened back in high school, I just felt like a change would be better, you know?"

"Yeah I understand the need for change, that's one lesson I learned recently the hard way," Ranma replied.

"Speaking of changes," Ranma began still not noticing the various stunned expressions from the people that surround him about his obvious close relationship with the manager.

"I heard from some of Akane's friends that you got married?" Ranma said smiling good-naturedly. "How's that going for you and when can I meet him anyway? Huh?"

At this statement he noticed the tears form in Kyoko's eyes as she stepped back away from him. A slight gasp arose from the surrounding onlookers at this statement.

"What's wrong U-chan?" Ranma asked in confusion.

"Ranma . . . Souichiro, my husband he . . . he passed away almost two years ago." Kyoko said as she looked away "he," she began before she saw the surrounding onlookers and froze. She frowned and cut off Ranma's attempted apology by screaming, "DON'T ALL OF YOU HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO THAN EVESDROP ON PEOPLE."

Stammered apologies and smirking comments abounded from the gathered people but Kyoko cut them off with a yell of frustration. She turned to Ranma "lets go Ran-chan, and it's okay, you didn't know, don't worry about it okay?"

"Are . . . Are you sure U-chan?"

"Yes it's okay, now come on we've a lot to talk about." Kyoko said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him around the corner with barely a pause to pull off her shoes. She then drug him into her apartment and slammed the door in the faces of the others.

"Who was that?" asked the coach.

"That was trouble for you my good fellow," Yotsuya intoned.

"What do you mean," the coach and Godai asked?

"What he means," Mrs. Ichinose rumbled "is that, it's obvious that, that guy is real close to the manager, right? Well coach we all know that the kid here is no real competition right?"

"HEY," Godai yelled out.

"Right," the coach agreed with the older woman.

"Well, this guy is REAL close to the manager, and not only is he going to University he is a martial artist plus he's real good looking in that manly man kinda way. It looks like you finally have some real competition now."

"HEY," Godai yelled out.

"You're right," coach Mitaka murmured suddenly very concerned.

"Another thing I noticed," Mr. Yotsuya said, "Do you notice how he said that he 'took advantage' that he 'used her' and that he 'asked for forgiveness.' Given that the manager is such a trusting soul it's not too unlikely for her to have some cad take advantage of her, for him to use her and cast her aside once he was done and then for her too forgive him only to be again used by the unfeeling brute," Mr. Yotsuya said in mock horror.

As one the coach and Godai looked at each other and nodded "we have too take care of her, for her own good," Shun intoned seriously.

"Yes we have to put aside our fighting for the manager's sake," Godai said as he tried to look serious.

"Well now that we are all resolute in our endeavor to save the manager from some brute who would take advantage of her. We must engage in a minute amount of reconnaissance," he said as he leaned his head against the manager's door.

With a nod the others joined him, they had to find out more about this mysterious stranger.

To Be Continued.

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End Notes: I don't think I am happy with this chapter it just doesn't seem right, like I imagine it in my mind, you know? Originally I planned on making the chapters longer for this fic but I decided on keeping them shorter. Longer than love lost mind you but still shorter than what I planned originally. Next I will work on only human I want to at least get the Cell fight finished that should be another 3 chapters or so. This week I am on vacation so I hope to get some things posted, we'll see. Anyway I hope you all will review and let me know what you think of this chapter. And if you don't like something please tell me I may end up changing it. Provided I agree with you that is. A very good review on the first chapter of Sundered (shameless plug) led me to change a point that now in my planning for the later chapters has actually helped me enormously.

New End Notes: man a lot has happened since I wrote this. But I think it needed a little polishing, don't you? anyway let me know what you think, okay?

Signed: Verse 12