'Older'

Nabiki sipped on her complimentary cup of green tea, as she waited in the modernesque teashop. She remembered the first time she had been in there; she was always more partial to coffeeshops, but the person who had brought her here originally was the traditional type. Over the years, and the changes of management, it had lost it's own asthetic charm of tradition, and redesigned for the present era's teens, young salarymen, and office women. Nabiki Tendou was none of the three, yet found the change more appealing to her.

The woman who would be meeting her, on the other hand, was neither of the three, and may find distaste to atmosphere. Nabiki couldn't say, as she hadn't seen Nodoka in years. If she recalled, Nodoka was once much the prim and traditional woman that you'd rarely see even twenty years ago, much less in that time, as many wives had began taking the more westernized image of the desireable woman, particularly after the War of the Pacific. It was much a comforting sight as it was a discomfort, parodoxically reminding Nabiki of her roots, while reminding her of her age.

Perhaps, as if trying to off-set that, she preferred the role of the modernized business woman of youthful attitude; it's worked well for her so far.

Nabiki's musings were stopped short, as the charms above the main entrance. She had sat reletively close to the door, since she wasn't quite sure what to expect, and Nodoka may have changed from the woman she had last seen almost a decade and a half ago. Much to her chagrin and amusement, her concerns were much unfounded.

The woman in the dark pink kimono looked hesitatingly around the room, as if not positive what she was looking for. Understanding her predicerment, Nabiki spoke up, "Mrs. Saotome, I see you haven't changed a bit!"

At the call of her name, Nodoka homed in on the source with her eyes, and produced a smile, "Ms. Tendou, it has been far too long!"

Nabiki motioned Nodoka to sit at the other end of the round table, before pouring the woman a cup of the cooled tea, "It certainly has I see time has been great for you."

Nodoka blushedslightly, "Thank you, as the same could be said for you..."

Nabiki shrugged off the compliment, before leaning back in her seat, "But some of us have to work at it."

Nodoka nodded, and then noticed there were only two seats, the ones she and Nabiki were occupying, at the table, "My son...?"

"At school, I would hope," Nabiki answered with a smirk, acting as if she didn't notice the other woman's thinly-veiled entheusiasm. "I'm guessing you're pretty eager to meet him again."

Nodoka allowed her reserved act to falter, and replaced it with a crestfallen expression, "Yes, I was dearly hoping I could see him as soon as possible."

"Understandable," Nabiki replied, putting down the cup of tea she had just sipped from, "What has it been, ten years?"

Nodoka nodded, as she picked up her tea, hoping it would steady her antsy nerves, "That much time has passed."

Nabiki's own expression became one of condolence, "I'm sorry to hear that."

The matronly woman across from her took a sip of her tea, and waved it off, "Hmm, it's a bit weak. Tell me, how is it my son came to your presence?"

"I'm engaged to him," Nabiki said with a wry humor.

Nabiki expected a pause, and the woman to suddenly realize her humor.

Nodoka froze, as she went to take another sip of her tea. Her stillness was held for several very long moments, causing Nabiki to shift uncomfortably; perhaps Nodoka didn't find the situation as amusing as it sounded to her?

"I... see..." Nodoka finally said, after almost a minute of silence. She slowly set her tea down on the table, as she looked Nabiki directly in the eye with an emotionalless expression. At that point, Nabiki felt she had to say something quick.

"Really, I was joking!"

Well, that's what would have been said, but Nodoka's sudden motion stopped her breath short. Nabiki may be well trained in martial arts, but the woman's speed was uncanny.

"Really?" Nodoka asked, with bright, hopeful eyes.

"Ah..." Nabiki managed to stammer, before she quickly tried to get her facilities back under control "It was your husband's idea?"

"Oh!" Nodoka swooned, almost taking Nabiki with her, as she still had the Tendou woman's hand clasped in both of her own, "My son is so manly!"

Nabiki blinked, before giving Nodoka a hooded gaze, "Pardon?"

Nodoka leaned back, presented a piece of paper from nowhere, and began to shred it, "I guess this contract is no longer necessary."

"Contract?" Nabiki parroted, shifting her head down to look at the pieces of paper that floated to the top of the table.

Satisfied with the destroyed contract, and in her son's ability to attract women of all ages, Nodoka leaned back forward earnestly, "Tell me, is my son's performance to you liking? He is a martial artist, you know? He must have lots of stamina!"

"EXCUSE ME?" Nabiki chocked out with an incredulous stare.

Nodoka beemed, "Yes! He must be the paragon of virility, much like his father!"

"Now hold on a sec, Mrs. Saotome..."

"Hmm, it does concern me if a woman of your age would be capable of keeping my son satiated..."

Nabiki's incredulous expression turned flat, "'My age'?"

Nodoka snapped her fingers, "Of course! That would also provide a problem with providing children! I mean, you must be well past the ability."

"I'm *not* that old, Mrs. Saotome," Nabiki replied, sharply and a bit frostily. She was beginning to figure exactly which side of the family Ranma got his tact from. "I-"

"I know!" the other woman chirped, "My son will just have to have several mistresses! Oh! The grandchildren he'll provide!"

"Do you even realize what you're saying, Mrs. Saotome?"

"Of course, a successful and very mature woman such as yourself would greatly benefit my son as his bride! I would hesitate for him to pause in his martial arts studies for such mundane activities as work."

Nabiki just stared at Nodoka, as she continued, while her mind worked around wether if 'mature' was meant as a double-endenture to a fetish.

"I cannot say how fantastic of news this is!" Along Nodoka's on-track mind, super-deformed Nabikis and Ranmas around the age of six marched through.

Nabiki could see the little dream-toddlers passing through Nodoka's mind, as she looked above the other woman's head. "I thought you didn't have faith in my child bearing capabilities..."

Nodoka snapped out of her fantasy, and refocused on Nabiki, "Oh! I'm sorry. So when is it I can see my son..." with a sly wink, she added, "You're fiance?"

"I'm surprised your taking this information so well," Nabiki commended in a dry manner, with her arms folded under her chest. She stiffened, as she suddenly found Nodoka on the other side of the table with her, embracing her in a great hug.

"Welcome to the family, Daughter-in-law!"

Nabiki let out a strangled cry, as she looked around for help. Her eyes found a waitress that had approached her table.

"Would you like some more tea?"

___________________________

Ranma sat right before the large, widescreen TV with a fustrated frown on his face, and a playstation two controller in his hand. Almost instantly, that fustrated frown became one of a great deal of disbelief and anger, "'MISSED'?!? HE WAS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!!!"

The front door opened, just as Ranma's hand with the controller cocked back, causing him to realize what he was about to do; regardless of fact that he couldn't see what anyone liked in 'RPGs', he was pretty sure Nabiki would be a bit upset to find a game controller imbedded in her apparently expensive TV.

"Hey, Ranma," Nabiki called out in tone lacking any entheusiasm. She walked into the living room, finding Ranma on her game system, "Final Fantasy X, good game." Before Ranma could finish grumbling something barely unintelligable, Nabiki continued, heading to the kitchen for an asprin... or bottle full, "Someone's here to see you?"

"Huh? For me?"

Just as the words left Ranma's mouth, Ranma found himself in a rather tight, breath restricting embrace. "MY CHILD!!!"

Nabiki walked back in with a glass of water and the whole bottle of asprin, just in time to see Ranma panic and strangled gasps. Spying his hostess over the shoulder of the woman hugging him, Ranma pointed down to her and mouthed sarcastically, "Another Fiancee?"

Nabiki shook her head, setting the glass on the in table and spoke out loud, "Your mother." She rubbed her right temple gently with her free right hand, before using it to open the bottle of medication.

M-Mom?" Ranma whispered, causing the woman to relenguish him, and look him in the eyes.

"Oh! My darling son!"

Ranma's mouth hung agape with awe, before he finally found his voice to respond, "I... I almost forgot I had a mother..."

Nodoka's eyebrow twitched, and while her back was still turned to Nabiki, the stiffness she suddenly exibited more than made Nabiki's day; payback for the backhanded 'elderly' remarks Ranma's mother made about her.

Withholding the chuckle that threatened to erupt from her, Nabiki picked up her glass of water, and headed to her room, "I'll let you two get to know each other better..." Truth be told, she just wanted an escape; she had more than enough of the decidedly batty woman at the tea cafe, the car trip, and the walk to her front door.

Nodoka quickly recovered, whirling on Nabiki, and motioning her to stay, "Nonsense! I want to get to know both my son *and* his bride! Now sit, sit, there's just so much to talk about!"

Ranma turned to glare at Nabiki, "You told her?"

Nabiki winced, popping a couple more asprin, anticipating the duration of her headache.

___________________________

Nabiki made her way onto the couch with a casual stride, while Ranma pulled himself away from his illicit mother, and sat down at the same couch, but with as much distance between him and Nabiki.

As happy an occasion this was, Ranma found it slightly difficult to swallow that this woman before him was his mother. The abrupt way she was introduced to him didn't lead him to any trust of the lady, but he was more than willing to hear her out. Plus, he was more than interested in finding out how someone like his Pop could have landed such a babe of a woman...

Ranma flinched, realizing that he found another older woman attractive, then flinched again when he realized he also well considered Nabiki attractive; sure they looked nice, but they were both old enough to be his mother. Then again, one of them was even claiming to be his mother, which made him feel extremely ackward, and flinch again. Of course, she hasn't proven that she was his mother yet, so it was alright, right? But then again...

Both Nodoka and Nabiki blinked, and turned to find Ranma's own handprint across his cheek from where he had slapped himself. "Ranma, are you okay?" Nabiki asked, tentatively.

Ranma gave her a strained smile, "Y-yeah, just a fly... or something..."

Nodoka was the first to shake it off as irrelevant. She scooted back, pouted slightly, and then moved back towards the pair on the couch. She forced them closer together, before she quickly moved away from them. "Oh! Just look at you two! The perfect couple!"

Nabiki and Ranma exchanged hooded glances.

"Uh,... Mrs. Saotome," Nabiki began, hoping to finally be able to talk some sense into the other woman, "I think there's been a mistake here..."

"Nonsense!" Nodoka admonished, "My husband knew perfectly well what he was doing, setting the two of you together!"

"Who's your husband?" Ranma enquired, somewhat tersely.

"Ranma!" Nabiki barked, herself, rather appauled by the tone he had taken with the other woman.

Nodoka merely blinked, "He's your father, Ranma."

"I meant what's his name?" Ranma interrogated, not amused with the answer.

Nabiki felt the urge to smack Ranma for his attitude; even if he didn't believe who she was, he didn't need to be such a jerk about it.

Nodoka stared at Ranma in disbelief, "You mean... you..."

With a resigned sigh, Nabiki interjected for an apology, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Saotome. Ranma-"

"...don't even know your father's name?"

Nabiki fell off the couch, while Nodoka rushed towards her son, and pulled him into a tender hug, "My darling child! How could you have lived so long without your father? With nothing but the driving urge to perfect the art, believing yourself to be a ronin all this time..." She looked towards the heavens with watery eyes, "My son is truly a man among men, to strive to and struggle in honor of his father, upholding the pledge you both made!"

"What pledge?" Both Nabiki and Ranma enquired, though Nabiki's tone was laden with the pain of her face meeting the floor, while Ranma's was muffled by his mother's bosom.

"Why, your pledge that you would return a man among men, and if failing, would commit ritual suicide in order to erase the dishonor." Nodoka said in a factual tone, before blinking, looking down, and pulling herself away from Ranma, "I'm sorry, dear, I'm just a bit excited to be united with you again."

"Wait, wait a minute," Nabiki interrupted the moment, while rubbing her forehead, "You mean to tell me, that you made a pledge with Genma that Ranma would come back some manly he-man, or kill himself for not doing so?"

"That's about the size of it, yes," Nodoka responded, as if the conversation was about weather.

"Yeah, I can believe she married Pops, alright," Ranma mumbled under his breath. He decided he was much happier not knowing who his mother was, now.

Nodoka's eyes brightened at her son's acknowledgement, unsettling Ranma and causing him to scoot in the most convenient direction to subtly put some distance between him and his mother. It availed him not, as she once again latched onto him like a woman who had been reunited with her long-departed child. "I didn't think you would believe who I was so soon! It's the bond, yes, the bond a mother shares with her child! This is the power of motherly love!"

"Gppt offa me!" Ranma screached in a loud muffle, stifled by he pliable chest bound in wraps and a kimono that was currently against his face. With some effort, he pulled away, jarring something behind him.

Nabiki mind cycled through what she had just been told. It was now obvious the woman was clearly insane, poor dear must have been driven mad being separated from her family for so long. Of course, she must have been well on her way before Genma left with Ranma to make such an asinine pledge for Ranma's life. It was then another thing hit her, just as she turned to see the intable jarred by Ranma's retreat.

Selflessly, she dove towards Ranma, throwing herself on top of him, just as the glass of water fully tipped over. The contents were thrown forward, splashing the table, and thankfully, Nabiki's shoulder and back.

Nodoka was now crying freely, as she clasped her hands together, blissfuly, "Even your fiancee was so moved by your motions! Indeed I have a son that any woman would be proud to call son or husband!"

Nabiki was lifting off of Ranma, internally sighing from the save. She had looked down to make sure Ranma's condition was still male, and found his incredulous stare alternating between him and her. She then looked between them, realizing how incriminating the scene was. "No! You have the wrong idea! I... GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY BREASTS!!!"

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" Ranma shouted back, trying to buy leverage to push Nabiki off of him, "YOU JUMPED ME!"

"I DIDN'T JUMP YOU!!!"

"Don't mind me," Nodoka stated with a knowing smile, as she stood up, and made her way to the door, "I'll take a train home. I'll be back when you two have settled yourselves."

"Wait, Mrs. Saotome, I mean we're-"

"Geez your heavy!"

"I'M NOT HEAVY!"

"Oh, my son is so manly," Nodoka sighed, as she slipped on her sandles, and made her way out the door.

At the sound of the front door closing, Nabiki slumped in defeat, "Wonderful, just wonderful."

"You gonna get off of me? I know old women go through like some kind of sex drive renewal, but you're older than my mother!"

Nabiki turned her glare down towards the pigtailed boy under her, but then relented, and rolled off of him. "No offense, Ranma, but your mother's a bit off her rocker."

"What's the big idea bringing her here, anyways? And why did you dive on me like that?" Ranma demanded, sitting up, feeling a bit unsettled.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Nabiki replied, dejectedly, "And it wouldn't have looked good for a 'Man among Men' to change into a girl right before his mother's eyes."

"What are you talking about?"

"That pledge you and your father supposadly made," Nabiki reminded him, "The one about you having to kill yourself if you weren't all the man she wanted. In case you have forgotten..." Nabiki pointed to the overturned glass on the intable, and the wet streak along the tabletop and onto the armrest, "You have a certain affliction to cold water?"

"What makes you think that crazy lady's my mom, anyways?"

Nabiki rubbed the bridge of her nose with both of her index fingers, "She's your mother, I checked, Ranma. I can guarentee it, unfortunately."

"She..." Ranma turned to look towards the door, suddenly feeling dejected, and finding a certain pang of longing.

"Yeah," Nabiki got up, and walked to the kitchen, "I think we both can use a drink to calm down."

"Ain't I underage or something?"

Nabiki looked over her shoulder at Ranma, "It's not like this is going to be a habit, Ranma."

"Whatever," Ranma looked at the TV, contemplating his first meeting in what would be ten years with his mother. It wasn't the most granduer of moments, but the more he thought about it, the more he yearned to reinact it, to do everything right, to not be so suspicious.

His internal reverie was interrupted by a small glass set in front of him on the table. Nabiki sat on the couch next to him, and slowly sipped from wineglass. She didn't turn to Ranma, or even much acknowledged him after giving him his wine. She just stared forward, idly sipping a miniscule amount of the fermented nectar in close intervals.

"Thanks."

Nabiki paused with the glass to her mouth, and turned to Ranma, "For?"

"Finding my mom for me," Ranma replied, before taking a deep breath, and reaching for his glass. "I know you meant well, at least."

After pausing to consider for a moment, she turned away to stare forward again, "You're welcome. Sorry it wasn't everything it should have been."

Ranma took a slight sip, and pursed his lips at the taste, "What's this? Doesn't taste like rice wine..."

"It's Italian," Nabiki responded, "Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Reserva. Year 1998."

"Um, okay..." Ranma replied, not understanding a word she had just said.

Nabiki smirked, and took another sip, "One of my favorites, tastes almost like a good cherry cordial." Nabiki stood up, and started for her room, "I'm going to go read for a while, lock up if you go outside to practice."

Ranma nodded, and took a bolder sip from his shotglass.

___________________________

Ranma stood outside of the gates of his school, hesitant to go back to Nabiki's home. He wasn't sure what to expect, particularly after last night. Even if she didn't say much, he could feel the tension radiating from her after with his mother visiting. She was agitated in a way he wasn't sure how to deal with, and could easily see that if the wrong words were said, it could get pretty nasty. Fortunately, he said something safe that managed to cut some of the edge off of the mood, but he felt that something had to be said for the effort Nabiki had given for him.

Ranma knew Nabiki didn't blame him, though. It was more of her losing control of a situation than anything. That was something he could sense from her; she may not overtly be dominating or insisting on her way, but the more he thought about it, she was rather subtle in her manipulations, which were only enhanced by her natural people skills. She was a person used to getting what she wanted, or not dealing with it at all if she could avoid it. Ranma's mother had been reintroduced into their lives, and from the rather... out there mentality of his mother, she wasn't going to be easy to avoid, or control, if at all.

Not for the first time since he had been introduced to his Jusenkyo curse, Ranma groaned, and wondered what else could go wrong with his life...

"RANMA, PREPARE TO DIE!!!"

___________________________

Nabiki had remained tense the whole day since the previous night, not even her favorite wine could do much to relax her. It was a great fortune that she didn't have any clients for the day, because she wasn't sure if she could handle them with her current state of mind. Paperwork didn't ask annoying questions, and she could deal or ignore it as she chose.

She would have felt much better if she were able to vent her fustration the previous night. Unfortunately, that may not have been a good thing with a male, teenage, houseguest currently residing in her home. She had decided to spend the night with a good book, but the whole ordeal with Nodoka left her unable to even keep her mind on the words of one of her favorite authors.

"Honestly," Nabiki thought to herself with a chagrinned smile, as she turned off the alarm to her house, and unlocked the door, "What in the deities' name am I going to do with that woman?"

"Oooh! You're still glowing!"

"ACK!!!!" Nabiki screamed, just as she closed the door, and whirled around to press her back against it. In the front area stood Nodoka, waiting to greet Nabiki on her return from work, "WHAT HE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!?"

Nodoka tilted her head with a slightly dissappointed frown, "Aren't you glad to see your future mother-in-law again?"

With an audible groan, Nabiki kicked her shoes off, and headed towards the kitchen; the cheap wine would do for the time being, "Nodoka, I believe I'm older than you, don't you think it would be ackward for me to call you that? And what are you doing here, and how did you get into my house, anyways? The alarm was even still on!"

"Well..." Nodoka fretted with her obi, "I asked around, and your neighbor Ms. Kurisawa let me in. She said she had house-sit while you were on an extended vacation a while back. She was so kind and helpful!"

Nabiki stopped at the entrance to the kitchen, still facing away from her uninvited guest, so Nodoka couldn't see her eye twitch. She had changed the code on her alarm system *and* changed the locks on her house because of... incidents with her former house-sitter. Ms. Kurisawa meant well, but she had a bad habit of entering unnanounced. Finally gathering her quickly fraying temper, Nabiki continued into the room, "Not that I don't... appreciate... this visit... may I ask what I owe the honor of your visit to?"

"I just wanted to check up on you and my son. I was a bit concerned that someone of your age wouldn't be able to keep up with his youthful exuberance!" Nodoka gushed in pride at her Son's suspected virility, while she followed Nabiki into the kitchen.

The Tendou woman turned towards Nodoka, pouring herself some ricewine, and gave the copper-haired woman a flat stare, "You know I'm only two years older than you, don't you, 'mother-in-law'?"

Nodoka gave a small frown, "Now, there's no reason to start throwing ages at people..." Nodoka's frown deepened into a concerned one, "I don't look that old, do I?" She immidiately looked for a reflective surface to check for wrinkles.

Nabiki closed her eyes, and silently counted to herself, before speaking, "You know? You have about as much tact as your sixteen year old son."

"Oh my! I was concerned about Ranma's manners," Nodoka mused, before shrugging it off with a satisfied grin, "I guess I should have had more faith in Genma's ability to raise our son!"

"You know?" Nabiki started in her best conversational tone, "I don't think I've heard you ask anything about the whereabouts of your husband. Are you even curious to if he's okay?"

Nodoka blinked, "He's still alive?" Nodoka waived off any oncoming reply, not that Nabiki could give one in her incredulous state, "Anyways, to have such a fine young man with such great manners must be more than you had ever hoped for in your... fourty... fourty-five years?" Apparently, Nodoka didn't put much faith in Nabiki's claim of age.

::CRINKLE!!::

"DAMN IT! OW!!" Nabiki shook her bleeding hand, cut open by the wineglass that she had accidentally crushed in her hand, and becoming irritated by the burning alcohol that had been in it.

"Oh, be careful, dear!" Nodoka admonished, grabbing some paper towels from the dispensor, and quickly rushing over to the older woman, "I heard it's difficult to deal with wounds when you're older."

"Is there somewhere you would like me to drop you off?" Nabiki asked in an overly-sweet tone. "Like a drainage canal?" she then added silently to herself.

"Actually," Nodoka started in a somewhat subdued tone, "I was hoping to spend some time with you... if that wasn't too much to ask."

Nabiki's growing ire was momentarily curtailed, as she noticed the other woman's composure shift, "Um, any particular reason? Ranma won't be home I would suspect for another couple of hours."

Nodoka turned away, seeming to inspect the kitchen, anywhere but where Nabiki was, "I'm disheartened to admit it, but I... I don't get the opportunity to socialize much..."

"I couldn't possibly see *why*," Nabiki managed well to keep herself from saying that out loud.

"...and... well," Nodoka turned back to Nabiki with a hopeful, pleading expression, "I do enjoy your company. Even if you weren't my son's fiancee, and a... tad... bit older than me, I appreciate your presence."

Nabiki's mouth and eye twitched, and twitched again, before she used her uninjured hand to rube the bridge of her nose. It was rather obvious that the woman didn't get much in the way of social interaction, and coupled with her more than somewhat oblivious outlook of things, she probably didn't have many friends of her own to converse with. With a sigh of resignation, Nabiki spoke, "Come sit down, Nodoka, I'll get us both something to drink."

Nodoka immidiately brightened, "Splended! You are most certainly the type of woman any mother would be proud to call 'daughter-in-law'!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever, Nodoka..." Nabiki replied, uncommitadely.

"Please, if it's too much to ask, call me 'Mother'," Mrs. Saotome requested.

"Yes, that *would* be too much to ask," Nabiki said under her breath, as she was walking back to the cabinet she kept her alcohol in, the phone rang, "Give me a second to answer this." The Tendou woman continued to cradle her hand with the wad of paper towels, and then balled her injured hand around them to continue stifling the bleeding, "Hello, Nabiki Tendou speaking..."

Nodoka came into the hall, finding Nabiki's expression darkening, before she closed her eyes in irritation. "I see, I'll be there in a little bit." Nabiki hung up the phone, almost slamming it into the cradle.

"What's wrong?" Nodoka enquired a bit hesitatingly.

"Your son's been in a fight at school," Nabiki quipped, heading back to the kitchen to gather her keys.

"Oh my, that's certainly manly of him..."

Nabiki stopped, and looked at the other woman, "You don't encourage this behavior, do you?"

"I guess it isn't proper, is it?" Nodoka enquired, somewhat unsure.

Nabiki only shook her head, "Come on."

"Would you like me to drive? You had been drinking, after all."

"I didn't drink all that much," Nabiki said as she walked to the door.

"But I've been told that older women have greater difficulty with alcohol," Nodoka replied with concern.

"Nodoka..."

The woman called tilted her head innocently, while staring at the back of Nabiki's, "yes, dear?"

Nabiki decided to open the door, and walk out, instead of giving into her dark, suddenly overbearing urges. "Hmm, poor dear must be going senile, to forget what she was going to say like that..."

___________________________

"But it wasn't my fault!" Ranma proclaimed adimantly, as he looked between the vice principle, his mother, and Nabiki. Nabiki and the vice principle wore disapproving looks, while his mother had one of confusion.

The boy sitting next to Ranma scoffed, and leaned deeper into his seat, earning Nabiki's sideways glance. "Can either of you explain why you two were duking it out on school grounds in the first place?" Nabiki asked in a tone that brooked no more than the answer she wanted.

"The two of you managed some substantial property damage in your little debaucle," the principle added.

"Hey! HE attacked me!" Ranma pointed over to Ryoga, causing the fanged boy to growl in response.

"Shut up, Ranma! If you hadn't run out on our fight in the first place, none of this would have happened!"

"Oh dear, running out on a fight isn't very manly," Nodoka interjected, fidgeting with her hands.

Ranma baulked at the comment, just as Nabiki did, and quickly defended himself, "But I waited THREE DAYS for this jerk to show up!"

"And on the FOURTH DAY, you ran away!" Ryoga argued, heatedly.

"I.. I don't know..." Nodoka hemmed and hawed, before turning to Nabiki for help.

"IT WAS POP'S FAULT! HE MADE ME LEAVE!"

The older woman shook her head, "Forget it... Ryoga was it? You forfeitted the fight when you didn't show up the first day."

"B-But..."

"I don't want to hear it," Nabiki cut him off with a sharp glare that made the fanged boy shirk back, "The both of you, however, will be punished for this. Your principle can come up with whatever means for this."

"I... but..."

"What did I just say?" Nabiki asked Ranma in a low voice. Realizing it was futile, Ranma nodded, and slumped into his seat. At the dejected sight, Nabiki felt a slight pang for Ranma, but quickly stomped it down.

"Well, for the time being, Ranma is suspended from school for a few days," the vice principle responded, before looking at Ranma's records, "Nabiki, as his current listed guardian, I trust you'll ensure he returns Thurday of next week? We should have some... extracirricular assignments prepared for him then."

"I will," Nabiki replied, sighing.

"Well, we still have yet to contact this young man's parents, so you may take your leave. Ms. Tendou, Ms... um..."

Nodoka stood up, and bowed, "Oh, Mrs. Saotome, Ranma's mother..."

The principle bowed, somewhat embarrassed not getting their names recalled the first time, before something clicked, "Um. Mrs. Saotome? But... if Nabiki's Ranma's guardian..." He then looked between Nodoka and Nabiki, who stared back at him obliviously, and unaware of their proximity to each other when they came to standing.

The vice principle blushed, and sat back down, "Um, of course. I-I'm sorry this lesben-pleasantne-unpleasantness came about."

Nabiki gave him a light smile of apology, "As are we, good evening Mr. Godai." With a sharp glare, she turned to the pigtailed boy, "Come, Ranma."

With the gait of a condemned man Ranma complied. Nabiki lead Ranma out the room, with Nodoka bringing up the rear. Once he was sure they were gone, the principle mumbled to himself about how liberal this day and age was, before turning to address the other boy that had been amidst the fight. From the dazed expression and bloody nose Ryoga wore, he presumed the boy had come to the same conclusion of the relationship between Ranma's mother and Guardian that he had.

___________________________

The car trip had been mercifully quiet for Ranma, who didn't expect the peace to last for long, once they arrived at Nabiki's home. once they did arrive, Ranma was marched straight into the living room, and gestured to sit on the couch. Nodoka sat on the seat next to him, as Nabiki paced before them.

Nabiki internally groaned at the situation, here she was diciplining some other woman's son; she was supposed to be Ranma's fiancee, not his mother!

Both Ranma and Nodoka looked at Nabiki in concern, when she stopped suddenly with an incredulous look on her face. "Is something wrong, daughter?" Nodoka asked, breaking Nabiki from her shock.

The Tendou woman was shocked at the thought, but quickly shook it off when Nodoka addressed her. She nodded to the red-headed woman, and turned to Ranma, "Explain yourself."

"I was just minding my own business, and that jerk jumped out at me, shouting for me to die! Before I know it, we're trying to beat the crap outta each other... well, he's trying, I'm succeeding," Ranma amended with a smirk.

"Spare us your arrogance, and just keep going," Nabiki replied in an unamused tone.

Ranma frowned, but did as he was told, "Well, I was trying to end the fight peacefully, but then he had to go an insult me by call'n me a girl, and I couldn't let it end there! So I..."

"So you perpetuated the fight because he insulted you," Nabiki interjected, giving Ranma a sideways glare.

"Hey! I... well..." Ranma suddenly quelled, "I... guess..."

"I don't see the problem in that," Nodoka added her own two cents, "Ranma merely defended his manliness."

"You're not helping, Nodoka," Nabiki countered, before turning away, "Ranma, what was this fight all about, anyways? Do you even know?"

"Not really," Ranma answered, thinking about it, "It could be about that whole bread fued thing back in junior high, but i woulda thought he forgot about that by now..."

"Bread fued?" Nabiki questionsed, "If you tell me this was all over bread, there's gonna be hell to pay..."

Ranma clamped up tight, deciding not to tell Nabiki the story.

Nabiki didn't like what the silence was suggesting, "oh deities, it was over bread, wasn't it?"

"Ah..."

"fighting over bread isn't very manly." Nodoka interjected.

This time, Nabiki didn't baulk with Ranma, "No, it isn't. Until you can return to school... your grounded, Ranma." Nabiki had to think of how to properly punish Ranma, "No games or TV until then."

"Fine."

Nabiki paused, not liking the rather cavalier way he responded. Of course, he didn't really care to play videogames or watch TV, did he? "Alright then... um... no practicing the art!"

That gave Ranma pause. Fortunately for him, his mother interjected, "i'm afraid that my son cannot be derilect in his responsibilities as a martial artist. He must practice."

Nabiki growled in fustration, and ignored the smug expression on Ranma's face, "Fine! Go to your room until I can think of something!"

Ranma shrugged in indifference, but did as he was told. Once Ranma's door was closed, Nabiki slumped into the seat where Ranma had been sitting, drained. She didn't turn to look at Nodoka for several long moments, and still hadn't when she finally addressed her, "Why aren't you taking Ranma back home with you?"

"Well, I don't think it would be wise not to separate the two of you," Nodoka replied, folding her hands across her lap.

"You're still not on this engagement nonsense, are you?"

Nodoka gave Nabiki a knowing smile, "The two of you have much to work out, yes, but it shall work out in the end, I can see it."

"Heh," Nabiki said, leaning deeper into the plush cushioning, "You sound like my older sister used to."

"My condolences," Nodoka replied, "She must have lived a good, long life."

"No," Nabiki corrected, "I mean when she was a teen, she used to say things like that. She's not dead..." Nabiki paused, and then gave Nodoka a sideways glance, once she had finally caught the back-handed jab about age again. "Nodoka, it's not going to work out between me and Ranma, no matter how much you or your husband seemed disallusioned about it."

"Are you that jaded about love, Nabiki-chan?"

Nabiki blinked at the familiar term, "Huh?"

Nodoka sighed, and stood, "If my husband arranged it, it is a matter most likely of honor between two families. Even if you two fail to appreciate what you were given, you are still obligated to one another."

"Nodoka, as you seem so fond of putting it, I'm too old to probably be marrying your son... I'm probably too old to be marrying at all."

"Nonsense," Nodoka admonished, "Even if you are old, you are never too old to love another. You don't seem as if you have many men in your life, why not give Ranma a chance?"

"I have plenty of men in my life..." three of them; my father, my brother in law, and Tofu. "And I'm not as old as you keep thinking I am."

"Then I was mistaken, forgive me." Ranma's mother bowed in apology, before continuing, "But, I can guarentee that none of them are as loving, as charismatic, or such an overall catch as my son." Nodoka laid a hand on Nabiki's shoulder, "If you were to throw this chance away, you may end up alone for the remainder of your life. You are a charming woman that understand propriety in life. It would be a shame if you had nothing of a legacy to leave behind."

"Maybe," Nabiki stated, sighing, "Would you like me to take you home?"

Nodoka smiled, and removed her hand from Nabiki, "I thank you for the offer, but I have several errands I will need to run before returning directly home. You I suspect have a great deal to consider for the evening."

Nabiki nodded, "Thanks, then. I can't say I honestly wanted to go back out again, I'm feeling kind of drained."

"Understandable, the way you had handled your fiance was quite admirable."

Nabiki allowed her fustration to show at the comment, "Whatever."

Nodoka gave Nabiki one last sly smile, before heading to the door, "Good evening, daughter-in-law. I hope you consider deeply what I have said."

"I will," Nabiki replied quietly. She continued to stare at the powered off TV, well after the front door had closed, "What do you know?" Nabiki chuckled, before switching the TV on with the remote, "The dingy little bat is capable of saying something thought invoking after all..."