Chapter 4

Losers

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Ranma slowly woke up, feeling her wife cuddle to her side, head resting on her right breast, hand placed on the left.

Ranma turned her head, seeing the red sailor fuku Nabiki had pulled out last night for their role playing.

Nabiki had been the youma seeking to drain Sailor Sol's energy.

Ranma sighed. She had damn near beat her too.

But no one defeated Ranma Saotome.

Wait, tonight makes six weeks!

Ranma felt fear try to send shivers down her spine.

She remembered the last time the six weeks had expired after the birth of Kimiko, which had ended with Ranma nearly passing out from dehydration. Now, it was six weeks since the birth of Ranma Jr., which meant Nabiki had used last night as a warm-up.

As the door opened, she turned her attention to the diminutive figure of her daughter coming in. "I take it you're hungry, little one?"

Kimiko nodded. "I tried waking up grandma, but she just keeps doing this." Kimiko proceeded to draw a fan from subspace, swing it around a bit, say "My son is so manly!", and hide it again.

Ranma sighed. "Okay. Let me get my bathing supplies, and I'll meet you in the furo. A quick bath and I'll make some food."

As their stomachs growled to signal their choices, Kimiko ran to get some fresh clothes for her bath, as Ranma tried to extract herself from Nabiki.

However, her wife seemed ill-prepared to give up her pillow and her new handhold: Ranma's left breast. "Biki-chan, I need to take a bath and feed our daughter. I'm quite sure our son is hungry as well."

"Don't wanna," she said, clearly sounding as if she was still half asleep.

Ranma just smiled. "If I don't do it, then you have to cook."

Biki snorted, before removing her death grip and sliding her head of Ranma's chest. "Fine, just remember tonight, you are coming to bed male and staying that way."

Sighing at the partial victory, Ranma bent down and kissed her wife. "I know. Just remember we aren't in our home."

"Right," Nabiki mumbled. "So no syrup in bed. Got it."

Shaking her head, Ranma fetched some clothes, a bath robe, and her cleaning supplies, leaving the room.

Nabiki slowly spread out in the bed, feeling the warmth her part-time wife had left behind. I'm so lucky to be with Ranma. She wiped a tear from her eyes, once again drifting in thoughts to how she had been before they had disappeared to Juuban. I just pray coming back wasn't wrong. I nearly lost him once; I don't want to lose him again.

Shampoo yawned as she prepared for the morning rush, her husband arranging the flowers on the tables.

Her thoughts drifted once more to the meeting of her new Airen.

She had been walking when the old pervert had run into her, knocking her aside and into the path of a kunochi. The kunochi then used her as a jumping post to try and catch the old pervert. She had felt betrayed for such disrespect and attacked, been defeated, and once again gave the wrong kiss: The Kiss of Death.

So now, she had been married for nearly five years to a sexually repressed individual whose gruesome step family had twisted into believing she was female.

Not that Shampoo minded that part. Thanks to her new Airen, she was one of the best kunochi of the Amazon, as well as much stronger than she had been when Saffron had brainwashed her.

Still, she couldn't help but miss Ranma, knowing how her rash actions had cost her chance with that Airen.

Sighing, she resumed preparing for the breakfast rush. Konatsu was finished by now, and helping her great grandmother in the kitchen.

"I hate it when he does that. I swear, I don't believe for an instant that him receiving the Curse of Drowned Girl was an accident one bit."

Biting her tongue, she forced a smile. At least she didn't have to deal with Mousse anymore since he had defeated Akari's sumo pig; Katsuhito.

"But he defeated Katsuhito. And my grandfather says that the man who does that is my beloved," pleaded Akari.

"Sorry," said Cologne. "But you have to defeat the Amazon to receive the Kiss of Marriage."

Mousse silently thanks whatever Kami was protecting him.

As such, he failed to miss the lithe form of Akari as she lifted her large sumo pig and brought him down on top of Mousse for a KO. "Does that count?"

"Welcome to the Amazons."

She found her smile coming easier. It wasn't everyday you say a small girl with no training lift up a large pig and use it to knock out an Amazon warrior, even a male one.

Suddenly, a feeling grew in her. Maybe, just maybe, her first Airen would return home. She would just need him to challenge Konatsu for her hand and win.

She could only hope that the Mercenary Girl had not sunk her claws too deeply into him.

Ranma finished preparing breakfast as Kimiko went about setting the table.

He had to smile at the changes in his life. Five years ago, he never would have considered doing what he was doing.

Now, he had his daughter setting the table while he cooked...in male form, no less.

"That's it; I'm getting your Father those pills. It's either that or we start moving on to the bottle."

Ranma cringed as he heard his wife speaking from the dining room where she was breast-feeding their son. She had made a similar suggestion during the time when Kimiko was still breast feeding, as the Saotome appetite appeared to have started early in them. "I'll pick up some formula when I go out shopping for lunch."

He knew his wife was smiling at that. Not that he doubted she would get those pills—he knew she could be a large pervert sometimes, and had no doubt she would enjoy watching him suffer that little embarrassing fate.

"I'm sorry, my husband can't teach today. He's in his girl form breast feeding our son."

Shivering, Ranma prepared to take the meal to the table, promising that he had best steer clear of upsetting Nabiki until Ranma Jr. was safely on bottles.

As he finished setting the food on the table, he found his blind spot attacked once again.

"WAH! IT WASN'T A DREAM, MY MANLY SON HAS RETURNED WITH GRANDBABIES! AND THEY'RE SOOOOOOOO CUTE!"

Well, at least I can breath this time.

Nabiki smiled as her husband was once again being hugged by his mother. Setting Ranma Jr. in his little seat, she dug into her meal. While not inhaling her food as her husband had done, she did find it more efficient to eat quickly.

Besides, in Nerima, you could be attacked before you even finished the meal. "Mother, where is Kasumi and Tofu? I thought they would still be here." She still wanted to talk to her sister about forgetting the key bit of information like Nodoka was still alive in their rare chats.

"Oh they left early for the clinic. They usually have most of their clientele stop by Sundays for a weekly checkup." Nodoka released her son, and began eating as well, smiling at how well her daughter-in-law could cook. "Nabiki, this food is wonderful!"

"I made it, Mom," said Ranma as he resumed eating as well.

"But shouldn't Nabiki cook?"

"I cook as well. It's just that Ranma wants me to relax this trip, so he took over cooking." She neglected to mention that she rarely cooked between school and family. Ranma had insisted he cook since her classes usually left her feeling drained.

Like she was going to stop him. His food was almost on par with Kasumi's.

Nodoka nodded, wondering why her son cooked, but put the thought out of her head. Such thoughts were how she used to think. Her definition of a "man among men" had cost her fifteen years with her child. If not for her reading more about ancient traditions—since she had based her concept for Ranma in the Edo period and not Post Meiji—she was finding herself glad that not only was her son being supportive of his wife, but doing his fair share and more of their chores. Yes, he is better than I could have ever truly hoped. "You've done a fine job, son. We'll have to work together on lunch."

Ranma smiled, feeling pride in his Mother's reaction. "I'd love to, Mom."

Nodoka smiled, turning back to her food, but instead pausing on her granddaughter. "Um...Kimiko, dear, where did you get those?"

The parents turned towards their child. In one hand was a victory fan.

The other held a mallet. "Don't know. I reached where you showed me where to find the fan, but this hammer always comes out."

Nabiki started laughing. "Yes, she is definitely a Tendo as well."

Ranma sighed, already imagining scenes where his daughter would start pounding him with that mallet.

"Daddy, I will date him if I want! PAPA-MAMA NO BAKA!"

"Daddy, I am on the phone!"

"Daddy, I AM IN THE BATH!"

"Daddy, I am marrying Kuno's son whether you like it or not!"

He shook his head, trying to banish that last thought. Please, whatever Kami owes me or favors me; don't let my daughter marry a Kuno!

"Anyone else coming home for lunch, Mom? I need to know how much to buy for."

Nodoka thought. "Well, I usually take something over for Kasumi and Tofu, since they're usually too busy on Sundays to cook for themselves at the clinic. And I think Akane and Ukyo should be here by then."

Ranma blinked as did Nabiki.

"And Ryoga hasn't been by for a few weeks, so he might be in today."

Ranma felt a tick beginning.

"Plus, Genma and Soun should be returning sometime today from their training journey. I believe they might actually try challenging me for the dojo again."

Now Nabiki developed a tick as well.

Kimiko was tempted to tell her parents that if they kept making that face, it might freeze that way.

"So I would say we need to make enough to feed twenty, since we will have a Saotome or two to feed."

Nabiki shook her head. Only her husband could end up dealing with two former fiancées, a bitter rival, and the possible return of the Fathers...on their damned vacation.

Mental note: make certain we don't go near the Nekohanten until tomorrow when things simmer down to a small nuclear meltdown.

Akane and Ukyo walked silently along the street, useless banter long tired and used.

The train ride to Kyoto...

The night in the hotel...

A trip so not to see the sadness in the eyes of one woman...

The trip back...

"So," Akane began, tired of the quiet, "how bad do you think she got this time?"

Ukyo stopped. It hurt her to see her adopted mother like that. It hurt her more because she knew she had played a part in it. "As bad as always." She looked towards a small child, holding her mother's hand as they walked by. "We never had that," she pointed to the child. "And we cost her that. Even I'm smart enough to know that sort of pain doesn't go away."

Akane sighed, resuming their walk. "And what can we do. They've been gone for five years. And with the Amazons still here, we can safely assume they haven't found Ranma or Nabiki."

Ukyo snorted. "Unless Ranma challenges Konatsu, they can't touch him." Ukyo sighed, glad at least one rival was gone. In truth, Nodoka had pretty much wrapped up Genma's mess. She was adopted, Soun no longer had a school to use as dowry for Akane, Shampoo was already married to Konatsu unless Ranma challenged, and Kodachi was currently chasing Prince Herb's retainers.

So, they could only wait, hope to be forgiven.

"I still hate it," said Akane. "I mean, you think they'd have called once."

"Why should they?" Ukyo asked, not having any emotion to her voice. While Akane still dwelled on this, Ukyo had long since cried out her tears on the subject, long since vented her anger. "We as much as chased them away with torches and pitchforks."

Akane wanted to argue back, but found that useless. She decided to move on. "Kasumi phoned me last night. She said Herb might ask Auntie out. He was interested."

Ukyo smiled. "Good, the woman needs some happy memories. And you've got to admit, the guy has really mellowed out since he first arrived here."

"True, but it still feels...weird."

Ukyo shook her head. "Face it; since Ryoga gave her the mushroom, she's barely older than we are. I say let her have a second chance at a happy relationship. Not like we're in position to give her advice."

A few months after Ranma and Nabiki had disappeared, Ryoga had returned from his latest world trip with magic mushrooms that could reduce your age. Upon their prodding, Nodoka ate one and lost close to fifteen years of age.

It had been meant to give the woman a prodding to try and find happiness.

It was wasted, as she still preferred to sit quietly and enjoy their company rather than find new companionship.

They knew she wasn't pining away for Genma. The fat panda had tried several times to sneak back into her good graces, coming away with a lot less hair and a few cuts.

No, Nodoka would never forgive or forget what he had done to her only child in the name of his own self-satisfaction.

Maybe it had been the guilt for allowing Genma to take Ranma in the first place, or maybe the guilt that she had even agreed to that worthless seppuku contract...

But Nodoka Saotome decided to live with her pain, holding onto it.

It was this act that hurt Ukyo and Akane the worst. The woman would not move on until her son forgave her.

And neither girl was sure if and when Ranma returned, if they could ever ask for such a thing themselves.

Fate, however, decided to play its part. As the two turned a corner, they came face to face with a pair of redheaded women.

One was Nodoka Saotome.

The other... "Ranma/Ranchan?"

Nabiki felt a chill run down her back, a chill she would have been happier without.

As Kimiko watched some cartoons and Ranma Jr. Played with some toys, she turned towards a window, feeling the chill coming from there. "So, it has begun." May this omen not end badly.