Disclaimer: I does not own Tenchi. I wish I did. You have no idea how much.

In the days left before Halloween, nothing else really got to happen for Tenchi. He was a little disappointed, but it seemed every time he went to find Ryoko to "decorate" Ayeka insisted on coming along too. Or sometimes she would yawn and say she was tired but call Mihoshi or Sasami before Tenchi could scamper off. He knew Mihoshi and Sasami would be happy for him and Ryoko, however this was something he wanted to do privately.

A couple of days before Halloween his father had announced to the group that he planned to have a Halloween party. Some trick or treaters may come by but Yosho had volunteered to handle them. It's not like he would miss much of the party as it would go long after the kids had been by. Sasami and Ryo-ohki were going to go trick or treating on their own.

"Perfect!" Tenchi hissed as he though about that.

"What's perfect?" Ryoko spooked him as she poked him to ask. They had been in the kitchen together, and alone, and he hadn't even noticed. "Come on Tenchi, you were talking about me weren't you? Oooh!" She draped her arms around his neck. "Admit it."

"Er yes! I mean no! I mean in between! Ah, forget it!" He tried to pull away, embarrassed as hell. He had been thinking about asking her to dance at the party and then taking her out to tell her. But at the moment all he could think about was that he was blushing and her hug was ah...giving him urges he couldn't exactly satisfy in the kitchen. He took a breath before throwing her arms off and running up the stairs. "Igottalotofhomeworklater!"

Ryoko watched him with a sigh. "That's exactly what he said earlier." She usually shrugged that sort of stuff off, but all day he had been behaving oddly. Maybe he was mad? Or...maybe he found out about her wearing the underwear! That had to be it! Oh, but she was so careful. She even washed the boxers at a Laundromat in town to avoid being caught. She let her hands drag as she made her way to the couch and plopped down.

Washu came into the room moments later, her presence announced by a very loud screeching sneeze that made Ryoko jump to the rafters and peer down. Washu looked a little surprised for a moment, then she smiled up at Ryoko. "Hey kiddo, my side of the link has been telling me you are quite upset. Why don't you come inside the lab and talk to your mommy?"

Ryoko glared for a moment...she needed to calm down, as she could have sworn a moment ago Washu was a screeching cat of some kind, judging by that sneeze. But in the end she decided it really was rather pointless to fight. Maybe if she talked to Washu again it would help. "Fine."

Meanwhile. Tenchi had run into Ayeka on his way up the stairs. She was none to happy to see a blushing and obviously rather happy Tenchi coming from Ryoko, but she pretended she had no idea. "Happy to see me?"

"No! I mean er yes! I mean-"

She cut him off, obviously pissed by hi last answer. The princess had been very angry lately, as she knew Tenchi was slipping away from her, though she had no idea that he was completely gone from her grip. "Tenchi, I have had enough! What is going on with you and the monster woman!?"

Tenchi growled back before he could help it, and before he even spoke he took a couple of breaths to regain his composure. "Whatever do you mean by that Ayeka?"

She was on the verge of screaming at him. "You two! You get silly and awkward around her and you always have no reaction to me! You two, decorating together all the time! Are you defying your Jurain heritage?"

"I'm not defying my Jurain heritage! If you care so much about that why would you waste your time on me, when I so obviously do not want to become a prince!?" He countered, and it visibly shook her. He was sorry, but she was really starting to piss him off.

"You...you..." She knew he didn't want to be a prince, and had known for a long time, but it still bothered the hell out of her. "You would choose that loud creature over me? What does she have that I don't? Answer me Tenchi! Just what does a creature like her have?"

If he hadn't been such a calm and patient guy he might have raised his hand to strike her. But he thought better of it. The anger must have really shown though because Ayeka took a nervous step back. He hadn't told her he had chosen Ryoko, but clearly it needn't even be said. "You know why I chose her over YOU?" She had obviously at least needed the words as confirmation. She looked like she had in fact been struck. "Well I'll tell you why. She doesn't expect me to be a prince. She loves me regardless. You've had a life of cushions and luxuries she hasn't, and I can tell her love is real and not just some...obsession that will probably pass over once you win or lose me. She isn't a stuck up snob and she is always ready to fight and help me and even you!"

Ayeka let the tears fall, even though she was shaking and sobbing angrily she wasn't going to let it stop. She grabbed Tenchi by the arm to drag him back down the stairs. "I'll show you what makes that woman a devil, and maybe you'll think a little differently. I'll show you just what she does, how twisted her mind is!"

Washu nodded and drank some tea as Ryoko finished telling her of the problem she felt there was with Tenchi. She looked as though she might cry, but she managed to hold the tears back. "Does he hate me...mom?"

Her mom spit her tea out in laughter. She quickly caught the angered glance from Ryoko and wiped her mouth off on her sleeve. "Trust me Ryoko, I strongly doubt he hates you. Today he has been acting strange, I agree. But it could be in a good way. Have you not noticed all the times he has invited you to decorate?"

Ryoko thought about it indeed, and finished the thought. "And most of the times lately, he has only asked me while Ayeka invites herself or someone else along. Always just me. He wants to be alone...for something."

"Mmm hmm. And you notice he was flustered anytime he was alone with you today, and the Halloween party and dance is coming soon."

"...You think he's going to use that to tell me...something?"

"Trust your mom." Washu winked. "I think he'll be doing just that. I just wish it had been me."

"Oh...geez." Ryoko rolled her eyes, and scanned the lab. Her eyes rested on an empty video case on the shelf. It seemed out of place among the perfectly ordered and full videos. "Hey mom...what's with the empty case?"

"Huh?" Washu turned and looked, a look of doom soon taking over. "Oh no...the underwear video." She noted Ryoko's blank look and took a deep breath. Here she had been bonding and now she was about to ruin it. "We uh...have a tape of you wearing Tenchi's boxers..."

"What!?" Ryoko exploded, standing up so fast her chair fell over backwards and her face was right in Washu's. "You got it on tape? I won't ask how. Where is the damned tape!?"

"I don't know, I mean I haven't touched it. Ayeka came in earlier to visit which surprised me...oh no! Ayeka! She has been noticing Tenchi taking to you lately..." Ryoko was already out the door in panic.

"Ryoko wears your underwear!"

"Huh?"

Ayeka threw her hands up. She had the tape. It was even ready to go. She sat Tenchi down, turned on the television, and pressed the play button. Moments later a view of the living room came up almost from a dog's point of view. Then he saw the back of Ryoko. Tenchi almost had a nosebleed as he realized the camera was going under Ryoko's dress. And just as he was about to jump and hide, Ayeka grabbed onto his arm and pointed. "There!"

And on the screen was Ryoko's legs, and big boxers...his big boxers. Tenchi's jaw dropped. So that's where they had gone? It did seems a little odd to him, but then again he could be caught smelling Ryoko's robe if one woke up at the wrong hour. "That's what happened to them?"

Ayeka was stumped. He didn't seem mad. Just then Ryoko ran in, panting as she skidded to a halt some distance away. "No..."

It was then Ayeka felt really bad. Sure she wanted to embarrass Ryoko, but usually she made her mad...she couldn't really take the look of hurt Ryoko wore on her face, a look that really disturbed her. "Um..."

Tenchi turned as well. He would have smiled had the situation not been so odd. "Ryoko..."

"It's not what you think! No! I hate you Ayeka! Go dry up somewhere!" Ryoko backed up as Tenchi rose from the seat to confront her as it looked to her. She backed up even faster and eventually ran, forgetting for the moment her power to teleport. When she came to her senses, that's just what she did. Tenchi entered an empty kitchen. "Ryoko!"

Ahh, that was fun hee hee. Only one more chapter to go I think...or two...but definitely not much longer!