The sun shined through the rounded window of Tenchi Masaki's bedroom. It glared against his eyes which open after eight hours of rest. He reached up and wiped the crusties, yawning and stretching with his other arm at the same time. It was another day in the full Masaki household.

Tenchi walked toward the door and mumbled to himself, "One day I hope I just don't wake up..."

He cracked open the door and peered into the oddly quiet hallway. With very slow and quiet footsteps, Tenchi sliped across the hall and stumbles into the bathroom. Meanwhile, Ryoko watches him from behind the crack in the wall.

She spoke quietly to herself, "Nice butt, Tenchi. Love it. Man, I'm hungry."

Ryoko, using all of the power she had, punched a hole in the wall and startled the poor and tired Tenchi.

"Ryoko! What are you doing? Dad had to pay 50 yen to fix the last hole!" Tenchi yelled.

"Oh but Tenchi, I was in such a hurry to bid you a good morning, I just couldn't stand the pressure of waiting until you got out of the bathroom." She replied in a childish voice.

Tenchi just sighed and rose up from the toilet. He washed his hands and walked out the door. Ryoko was furious.

"ARRGGHH, TENCHI! I'll get you later today..." She said under a shy breath.

Tenchi walked down the long and endless hallway and went down the stairs, just passing Ayeka and Sasami's room on the way. He heard them snoring, Ayeka especially. Were he and Ryoko the only ones up in the Masaki household? Apparently not.

"CURSE THIS DAMN COMPUTER! WORK, YOU 10,000 YEAR OLD BASTARD"
yelled a muffled voice coming from inside the under-stair closet. Tenchi opened the door and walked in. Washu was sitting at her station, facing an antique monitor belonging to a computer older than Egypt.

"May I ask what you're doing Miss Washu?" asked Tenchi, so polite and suddle.

"Damn computers wasting my time---- Oh! Hello, um, Tenchi! Good morning..." she replied.

Tenchi laughed, "Well Miss Washu, I was wondering, since you, me, and Ryoko are the only ones up, I wanted to know if we could take a walk. It's a really nice day. What do you say, Washu?"

"Well," Washu looked down at the old computer and the mountain of cords on the floor, "Okay, I need some fresh air."

Tenchi and Washu walked out the front door together. They began walking around the lake, talking and viewing the lake.

"You know, Tenchi, I used to live in a place like this on Jurai. It was my own personal home for about 100 years. I loved it. I like living here with you guys because this whole planet reminds me of that one home." Washu said.

"Did you have a lab there?" asked Tenchi.

"No. I moved into that home because I wanted to get away from science. At that point in time, science and technology really scared me. You see, before I moved into that home I was a lab assistant for a man name Emuske. He used to conduct experiments on young women who volunteered at the Academy. He showed me how to destroy matter inside a female/Rs body.
Can you believe it? He wanted me to kill young Academy girls. So, I ran from him and hid in a small house with a lake and a shrine. I even changed my name. That is, of course, until I didn't want to be in hiding anymore. This whole land around here is exactly like that place, and that is why I chose to stay, besides the fact that I wanted to study you, my little guinea pig!"

Tenchi was silent for a moment. Then, he spoke. "Washu, to tell you the truth, you and Sasami are the only girls around here I actually can deal with. Ryoko is too destructive. Ayeka can get a little possessive sometimes, and when I'm around her I never feel like an individual. Mihoshi is very nice, but klutzy. Last week I had to replace three vases that she knocked over. Kiyone is ok, she's just older, and more mature. You and Sasami are peaceful, and really not that bad."

"Well Tenchi, I have to say that I can deal with you pretty well. But I basically control this household because everyone listens to me, Little----- I mean MISS Washu. I guess its my personality. Don't you love my personality, Tenchi? Don't you? I know you do"
Washu nudged Tenchi with her elbow.

Tenchi sighed and continued walking along with Washu toward the shrine steps. It was silent. The birds were chirping obsessively loud as they pranced up the steps. Finally, Washu spoke.

"Tenchi, who do you really love out of all of us?"

Tenchi was blank. Washu had really put him on the spot. His mind fell into a plate of confusion and discontent. How could she ask such a question?

"Miss Washu, I can't answer that!"

"Why not? We all know that there has to be someone you love out of us. You can't hide from it forever, Tenchi."

"How am I supposed to tell you who I love, Washu? Its not something you just go asking people. You have to understand that I love all of you girls. You're all very important to me."

"Okay. Now tell me who you really love, Tenchi."

Tenchi stared at Washu as if she murdered his grandfather. Washu had gone over the line, but she was right. He could only love one of the girls, but he would never tell Washu! Tenchi went into deep thought.

About five minutes later, Tenchi spoke, "Miss Washu, I love..."

"Yes?"

"I love..."

"Yes? C'mon Tenchi, spit it out. We know you have it in you." she winked at him.

"I love Ryoko! Yeah, I said it! I love Ryoko of all of you guys! She is the one I love! I can't wait to wake up sometimes just so I can see her face. Dreaming about her is wonderful, I even think about her when I'm eating. When I went to Tokyo, I pretended that Sakuya was Ryoko because I never wanted to leave Ryoko! I know that I'm in the pit now, Washu, but I've admitted it finally. You wanted it, so you got it."

It was quiet for a moment. Tenchi turned and headed home. Washu stared at him with a slight grin as she watched him mope home.