Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Author's Notes: Thank you all for the excellent reviews. Out of all my stories I'm guessing that this is my most popular. About Kat's eyes, I'll admit I thought the idea would be cool. Much like a wolf since sometimes they have two colored eyes. I also figured that in Nerima it wouldn't matter too much. I would like to apologize for not making things clearer in regards to her. Criticism helps keep my mind sharp so always remember that if you see something you don't quite agree with talk to me! This chapter will focus on what happened after the fight with Mousse. It will also be a bit lighter than previous chapters. Stay tuned and enjoy the show!

The New Girl on the Block

Chapter 9

Aftermaths

Sora awoke to a ceiling. Not a familiar one and definitely not the hospital one. The events of the night before had swept through her mind all night. Mousse's face when he stared right into the face of death. It was hard to believe that Ranma would be willing to go that far. She pulled the blanket around her form tighter with a small smile. He protected her even though they had just met. So many people would claim to be her friend but would never do something like that. She hardly entertained romantic notions. He was Kat's and that was fine by her. The Hibiki girl rolled over in time to catch the door opening. She sat up as Nodoka stuck her head in.

"How are you feeling?" the older woman asked of her son's new friend. She glided into the room with breakfast on a tray and set it across the girl's lap. Sora smelled the delectable smells and wanted to dig in, but there was a question to answer first.

"I'm feeling much better" Sora said just before her stomach rumbled, causing her to blush. "…and very hungry." She finished. Nodoka laughed softly before ruffling her soft hair. The Hibiki girl waited a few seconds before the woman urged her on. She didn't need to be told twice and ate with a speed that a Saotome would be hard pressed to match. The low ki was making her appetite voracious.

"Oh my…well if you would like more there is still some downstairs if you think you can make it." Nodoka said, marveling once more at the speed at which these children healed. What price did they have to pay for such incredible abilities. Sora, in a display of incredible strength and balance, grabbed the tray and stood up from a sitting position with just her legs. The girl smiled at the woman's dumbstruck reaction before walking with her downstairs.

"I think I can make it." She said impishly, sharing a laugh with the older woman as they went to get her some more breakfast. Nodoka really wanted to know where her son was. Perhaps she should check on Kat next? Satisfied with that idea she got Sora set up with seconds and headed back upstairs.

-Kat's Room-

She didn't want to wake up. It was sure to be a beautiful day but for some reason she felt warm and comfortable. The bed was so comfy and her pillow was so firm and…manly? That wasn't right. Kat was almost afraid to open her eyes for fear of what she saw. Two feelings were warring with her. Open her eyes and spoil the feeling of comfort or keep her eyes shut and pray it was not what she thought. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it was eating this Kat alive. Her eyes flew open to stare into the peaceful face of her fiancé. She checked what he was wearing and what she was wearing. Judging by the sensations she was getting the blanket was all they had on.

"Oh boy…" she whispered in stunned amazement. From what she knew of his life some of the fiancées wanted to get him into bed, but she wasn't in a hurry. Apparently even though she wasn't trying she had managed it. How had she managed that? She wasn't as gorgeous as his other fiancées. She was too tall and not developed enough on top. Then the curse gave her those eyes but he insisted they looked good. Nowhere had she seen anyone with eyes like hers and it made her feel like a freak. Ranma made her feel like a person and not an oddity. He genuinely cared and so did his mother. Then there was Sora who was such a study in contrasts. She moved like a woman, definitely, but she talked like a guy! Nerima seemed to be welcoming her more than anywhere else did.

"It doesn't matter I guess. You care about me. That's more than good enough. The rest is just icing on the cake…" she murmured as she once again laid her head down on his chest, his arm automatically slipping around her shoulders. Kat could have just lay there in bliss forever.

He didn't want to wake up. Last night had been pure hell to the pigtailed martial artist. He prayed that Mousse wasn't crippled. Sure the bastard deserved being beaten up but it was simply too cruel to do something like that. The courts would call it justified but there was nothing justified in taking away a person's legs. A gentle weight rested on his chest. His recollection of the night before was crystal clear, everything was remembered in stark detail to the point that in some places he wanted to vomit. The smells were too intense, the sights too intense, and the sounds echoed in his brain. Then another image came to mind that both soothed and troubled him. His eyes came open and he saw her laying there with a smile on her face.

"We really did it." He thought to himself. His eyes closed as he tried to bring himself to be upset with what happened and found he couldn't. She wouldn't be mad at him for it. At least he hoped she wouldn't be mad. If any of the other girls found out about this then he may as well make out his last will and be done with it. He could tell that she was awake as she shifted slightly. She either thought he was asleep or didn't realize she was talking out loud. When she got to the part about caring about her it hit him like a jolt. She wanted that. She wanted him to care about her. Not a problem for the pigtailed martial artist so he did the logical thing.

"I do care about you." He said in the quiet stillness. She stiffened up as he gave her shoulder a squeeze. Oh sure, he was calm on the outside but on the inside he was praying for one thing and that was for his mother to not find out. That should be pretty easy as long as he got dressed and went out the window.

"Ranma, we need to talk." Kat said to him. His eyes opened to find her face no more than an inch from his. After sharing a kiss, Ranma gave her one of trademark smirks but unlike normal times this one had some real humor in it.

"What's the problem?" the boy asked. The girl looked really nervous about something.

"Do you really care about me? I mean…we…y'know…" she was obviously having trouble saying whatever was on her mind but it really did not take a genius to see what it was. She was thinking about last night.

"It was an accident." He told her, thinking it would soothe her but it did the exact opposite. Her eyes almost seemed to glow.

"An accident…?" she asked in a deadly serious tone. Ranma knew he said something wrong. Actually wrong seemed to be a little too kind. This was the kind of mistake the boy liked to avoid but once again he put both feet in his mouth at once. Perhaps that was the true specialty of the Saotome School given how often he does it.

"Not an accident…no of course not! I meant that uh…it just sort of happened…Wait, isn't that an accident?" his sudden fit of fear gave way to confusion. Kat laughed at the look on his face before kissing his nose. She slid out of bed and went over to the drawers in the room to get her clothes. It took Ranma a few seconds to realize she was playing with him. He went to look over at her and stared. Okay, he could be completely honest with himself that she was not in the body class of Shampoo but she had something the Amazon didn't. Him. He really didn't care about the same kind of crap that Hiroshi and Daisuke did then again even they thought she was better.

"Are you going to get dressed dear? I think I hear your mother." Kat said over her shoulder as she slipped into her clothes. Ranma heard what she said and was dressed so quickly that he was done before his fiancée. The girl blinked in surprise as he took a running jump out the window and splashed down outside. So her fiancée would be at breakfast, oh well. Someone knocked at the door. Nodoka peeked her head in at Kat's invitation.

"Ah you're awake dear. Have you seen my son? I can't seem to find him anywhere." The Saotome matriarch asked. Kat finished pulling on her t-shirt and seemed to think about it.

"I saw him last night." She shrugged. Technically it wasn't a lie just that she didn't mention she had seen him this morning too. How would that look if she knew? They'd probably be at the altar in a snap.

"Well breakfast is ready dear. Also you should go to school today." Nodoka said as she left the room. Kat groaned when she realized that they would have a day's worth of work to make up. She finished getting ready, checking her stitches and had to smile. They were fully healed much like she expected so she would stop by Doctor Tofu's to get them removed after school. The girl made sure she had everything before bolting out of the room through the door. The window was for people whose curses left them human.

"I think it's going to be a good day." She thought with a bright smile as the smell of breakfast beckoned her.

-Saotome Home: Downstairs-

Sora smiled at the wet redhead sitting beside her. Ranma had come barreling down from above and landed in the ornamental pond in Aunty Nodoka's backyard which is why he was a she right now. The Chinese silk shirt she was wearing left little doubt that she was a woman. The look on her face was one of long suffering.

"Where were you this morning? Aunty was looking for you and had said she tried your room first." Sora said to the suddenly apprehensive girl. She resisted the urge to laugh, barely, at the look of panic that flashed across her face.

"W-what do you mean? I-I was on the roof." It would have been a good excuse if she wasn't blushing and stammering. Really, what was it with her thinking that she wouldn't know what was going on? She shook her head in mock regret.

"I'm not blind. You're a terrible liar you know that? I hope you at least used protection." She commented as she took a sip of her tea. The redhead dropped the cup she was holding with a dull clink since it landed in her, now his, lap. Sora wanted to laugh but the panic-stricken look on her friend's face shut her up.

"P-protection? What do ya mean by that?" he asked in a choked voice. She wasn't quite sure if they had done what she thought but by his reactions it was clear something happened. Her blush was almost as intense as his as she contemplated how to explain this.

"You know like contraceptives?" at his blank look she huffed "Do I need to spell it out? Condoms, birth control pills, a diaphragm? You know, contraceptives!" the last was said with a slight growl. The Hibiki temper was obviously in her but she wasn't ready to hit him, yet. Ranma had gone very quiet as he remembered what condoms did at least before his blush turned to a pale white. His reaction clinched it.

"Oh shit…" he stared at his clasped hands with a look of intense depression. This was hardly normal for a young man who just got laid. Sora was hardly a prude and was fairly worldly. Then she got a look at why he had said that. Nodoka was standing in the doorway with a shell shocked look on her face and was barely holding up the breakfast dishes. The girl quickly helped her get the things to the table just as Kat skidded into home plate beside Ranma, sliding into position on her knees. She looked happy and cheerful until she saw the looks on the faces of everyone around her.

"What's up?" she asked. No one seemed inclined to answer her. Nodoka looked a little stunned as she looked between Ranma and Kat with a dazed expression. It was sort of unnerving and why was her fiancé picking at his food? Sora looked like she had bit into a lemon. Then she began noticing that everyone was looking at her. She checked to make sure her clothes looked alright and that she didn't have a stain on her shirt.

"Wah! Grandbabies!" Nodoka cried out happily as she pulled the startled girl into her arms and hugged her tight. Kat had a trapped expression on her face as she sought out Ranma. The older woman was so happy that she didn't even think of the impropriety of it all. Sora had expected many reactions but this was not on the list. She looked to Ranma is utter confusion all the while he stared at his hands. He was afraid of what his mom would do next. Eventually the excited woman let go of her future daughter-in-law; much to the young woman's relief.

"Ugh…w-what was that about?" she asked in confusion after Nodoka released her. Kat had thought that every rib was going to be crushed! Their friend Sora was staring at the ceiling as if she didn't understand the question. Ranma unconsciously took her hand drawing her eyes to him. Mother Saotome saw this and decided that this would be the best time to say it.

"When should we plan for the wedding?" she asked cheerfully. There was the sound of two bodies hitting the floor and one person trying very hard not to laugh.

-Nekohanten-

Cologne stared at Mousse. The blind boy was wrapped in bandages practically up to his neck. He was lucky that his jaw wasn't broken. The boy hadn't wanted to stay in the hospital even with Cologne insisting so she brought him home. He was out of danger as long as he didn't do anything strenuous and with the pressure points she hit he wouldn't be moving without the wheelchair. The old woman knew he was lucky. By all rights his legs should have been removed but he still retained use of them. Now she had to deal with his disobedience and for once she thought that he had been punished far worse than she could have done.

"Mousse, you disobeyed a direct order from your Matriarch. What say you to this?" she asked him. The boy had yet to look at her. He had been unusually quiet and reticent since the hospital when he objected strenuously to being there.

"I have no excuse. I violated your orders without a good reason." He said. His voice was low and his mouth hurt him, but he would answer. The look in Saotome's eyes when he found Mousse trying to kill Sora was frightening. Did Saffron see those terrible eyes before he died? If it had been him, Mousse would not have wanted to be reborn.

"I didn't ask if you had a good reason. Surely you have one for what you did. Was it only because she hurt Shampoo or because of pride?" Cologne had to know what would make him pull a suicidal stunt like this. She caught Shampoo out of the corner of her eye going about the normal pre-opening motions. It was as if her heir didn't even care about what had happened. The old woman knew they both treated Mousse terribly but she liked to think that they could act like one tribe when it was needed.

"It was revenge for Shampoo, yes. I went to the hospital after she released me and gave me my weapons back." Mousse said to the suddenly paralyzed Matriarch. She hadn't told her granddaughter to give the fool back his weapons. They were to be kept hidden. He was very particular about what he used and how it was stored. It was this obsession that she hoped would keep him away from Sora. Shampoo was standing behind Mousse with a glass of water.

"Mousse you stupid duck. You shut up now." She said in her haughty manner. The water which was once an inconvenience for the boy could very well kill him. Cologne's eyes narrowed at the smile on Shampoo's face.

"You pour that water and every injury on his body will be duplicated on yours. I said to keep cold water away from him. I will also punish for "accidents". Do we understand each other?" the old woman was not in the mood. Shampoo blinked in surprise at her grandmother's threat. As she tried to puzzle out what her game was she found herself doused with the cold water and tossed into Mousse's old cage. She meowed for all she was worth and yowled of course, but she wasn't going anywhere.

"Shampoo…?" Mousse asked in shock. She was going to duck him with this many injuries? He thought she loved him. The blow was too hard for him to take. Cologne took his hand in a strangely sympathetic gesture. She smiled a bit to reassure him even if the smile was ghastly.

"I would punish you but I find you are not completely at fault. Besides, the injuries you sustained are punishment enough. We will be going back to China after your injuries heal. Shampoo is going back immediately since I find I can't trust her like I should." Her gaze went to the caged cat. Her eyes were hooded and dangerous. The cat stopped her mewling and hunched in fear. This was not supposed to happen. She was a warrior of the Amazon tribe and had no business being placed behind a male in importance.

"When is she going back?" Mousse asked. Shampoo's heart leapt into her throat. Would the blind, love-sick fool actually come through when she needed him? "Because I can't think of any time that would be too soon." She slumped down again. Rats.

Shampoo watched as her grandmother made sure the open sign was in the window as she went about her work. Mousse was eating some ramen off in the corner with his only good arm. She was sitting here with a can of cat food, the generic stuff, and generally trying to figure out what the hell was going on. She was the one who won the annual tournament. She was the one wronged by the redheaded one and forced to leave the tribe to hunt her down. Didn't she come back to China with news of a husband and get a curse because she failed on the Kiss of Death?

Then to discover all the challenges she had to face just to keep her position. Even going so far as to think about co-wives. Not seriously of course but it was the noble thing to do. Everything was working out pretty well but then along came that damn blonde girl with the freaky eyes. She came in out of nowhere and stole her airen away from her. It would have been moderately acceptable if she had lost to someone already in the game since the beginning but this person came in out of nowhere!

"Kat Marx, because of you I've seen Hell!" she cried out in Ryoga fashion, but it only came out as a series of yowls, meows, and hisses. A hefty whack from Cologne's staff silenced her vocal tirade. Shampoo muttered peevishly but did not dare to make another loud sound. The fact that her grandmother had picked up a very sharp knife might have something to do with it.

-Tendo Home-

Akane was feeling domestic today. This would normally be cause for calling out the HazMat team but like the day that started this whole mess she paid attention to the recipe. It was the day that Ukyou was supposed to come back and she figured that some fresh baked cookies would help soothe her. Especially after she told her what was going on. The okonomiyaki chef would certainly be unhappy to find out that she lost. The youngest Tendo didn't like that she had lost either.

"Where is my Ranchan?" Ukyou's voice came from the engawa just seconds before the chef herself arrived. Akane sighed. The cookies wouldn't be ready for another ten minutes or so. She looked over at Ukyou as the girl was processing the sight before her. Akane in an apron equals destroyed digestive tracts and stomach pumps. Before she could think of running, the girl grabbed her by the arm and sat her down.

"You may want to sit down Ukyou. This is not going to be easy to say." The solemn tone that Akane was using could only mean one thing. Her very posture was one of depressed acceptance. This was not what the chef wanted as she abruptly burst into tears. The girl blinked, this was not how it was supposed to go. The crying was supposed to start after she mentioned Ranma's new fiancée.

"H-how did it happen A-Akane…?" Ukyou asked through her tears. When she looked up she noticed the girl was pulling two trays of cookies from the oven and miracle of miracles, they smelled good. However the chef did not think this was the time to be perfecting her cooking or was this how Ranma died? Her cooking was so terrible it killed him and she was trying to get better so as not to kill again? The girl looked back to Ukyou who had grown disturbingly silent even if she was still crying slightly.

"How did it happen? That's why I was coming to see you actually. He got a new fiancée." She said. Ukyou froze in shock. Another fiancée? There was now more competition? This was looking bad. She must be something else to get Ranma to leave here! Akane was speaking again as she brought over a plate of cookies and some glasses of milk. They were of different shapes like stars and such. Apparently she mastered the cookie cutter while she was mastering cooking.

"Her name is Katrina Marx but she prefers Kat. She went to Jusenkyo as she followed Ranma and Mr. Saotome where she fell in the Spring of the Drowned Wolf. When she arrived here it was in wolf form and Ranma left her to me to show her how to use a furo. She's an American by the way. Well we didn't exactly get off to a good start." She itched the smaller bandage that she was wearing under her shirt. Ukyou noticed the motion and wondered if Kat did that.

"So she's another one after our man, big deal right? We can run her off…" Ukyou trailed off as Akane shook her head sadly. "I'm not going to like this am I?" she asked and once again Akane shook her head sadly.

"At dinner I challenged her for Ranma. She said that if she won he was free to choose who he was engaged to. I got so caught up that I took the terms." The girl gulped at the suddenly intense stare she got from the chef.

"You lost didn't you?" she practically growled. It hadn't occurred to Akane until this morning that such a deal was a bad thing to accept. Essentially it could neutralize all the engagements made to Ranma if someone chose to take it that way. She had left Ukyou in a poorly defensible position without a leg to stand on. The girl nodded meekly. The chef grunted and tossed a cookie into her mouth. She remembered at the last second who made the cookies but the sugar cookie practically melted in her mouth. It was delicious! When the hell did she become a good cook? Ukyou drank some of the milk as she popped another cookie causing Akane to look a little happier.

"I-I'll confess I didn't take the fight seriously. She wasn't even trying to fight back hard so I pressed the attack. It didn't work out like I thought it would." She scratched at the arm again and Ukyou realized what she suffered for that fight. The chef was still made but she was much more sympathetic. She patted Akane on the shoulder. The good cookies settling pleasantly in her stomach unlike the only time she had accidentally tried her cooking. That thing was a vicious son of a bitch that stayed with her for a week of abdominal cramps much like PMS only on steroids.

"Judging by how you're taking it they like each other, huh?" it was a bitter pill to swallow but the chef had to know the extent of the damage. Her news wasn't any better really.

"Like each other? The two of them are closer in only a few days time then we were in two years. She says all the right things and does all the right things. I'd say she's too good to be true but she's not. Kat's got faults like everybody else but hers don't result in her instantly hitting someone else for her imperfections." Akane slumped dejectedly. Ukyou held something out to her.

"Cookie?" the girl offered which the youngest Tendo accepted with a smile. As Ukyou looked at it, things could be worse. Then the two girls looked at one another in stunned horror. In all the drama they forgot something important.

"School!" the cried out simultaneously and bolted for the door, but not before Akane bagged her cookies.

-Marx Dojo-

Ryoga was flowing through one of the beginner katas of the school. He was in line with children much younger than himself but it didn't bother him. If he had to start out at the bottom he would do so but according to Marx-sensei he would be ready to advance soon. The Hibiki boy was of course a natural with the martial arts and apparently a prodigy in a discipline so different from his own. This style emphasized purity of movement and a smooth flow of motion. It was flowing water opposed to his family's style of crushing earth. He finished off smoothly before going back to a ready position.

"That's enough for today. You all did very well today, class dismissed. Ryoga, may I speak with you a moment?" Marx-sensei asked. His daughter Alex was doing Tai-Chi exercises. She favored a softer style than her family's school but that was okay according to Alexander the Great. It just meant she was an individual and he was proud of her. The Lost Boy stopped focusing on other things as he reached his teacher.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Ryoga asked him. The man smiled at him and set a hand on his shoulder. He was a powerful martial artist who could probably take him with one arm behind his back. It was nice to see a master who didn't abuse his power like Happosai.

"I'm closing the dojo for a week. We'll be heading up into the mountains to train. Would you be able to show me any techniques you know outside of your family style? I need to know where you stand and how much I will have to teach you." The man said as he walked back into the house with Ryoga. The Lost Boy was thoughtful as he weighed the request. It wasn't unreasonable and it wasn't like anyone had sworn him to secrecy on this stuff. At his teacher's look he nodded. Alexander smiled and shooed him off to get washed up. Alex had come in and immediately began setting up for dinner.

Making dinner in this house was different then in most places he had been. Here it was a family affair with everyone contributing something. Extra food never went to waste since it would usually end up as lunches for the next day or something. Ryoga discovered that he had a real knack for cooking. He was used to campfire cooking but this was different. It was more fun with a bunch of people around. The camaraderie and the family closeness made the boy feel welcome.

"When was the last time you got lost Ryoga?" Alex asked him. He stared at her for a moment trying to figure out what she meant. The Lost Boy then blinked in astonishment. He had gone to the bathroom by himself and had come back by himself with only an accidental turn into Kat's old room. That wasn't considered lost in his book.

"I-I dunno…it hasn't happened in awhile. Since I got here actually." He mused thoughtfully as he made sure the hamburger was browning properly. They were eating Mexican tonight and he was making tacos. He caught his sensei's eye and noticed the man give him a wink. Something about that wink had him thinking. Why was he suddenly not lost anymore? Hopefully it would make more sense tomorrow. The first day of their training trip.

End Chapter

Author's Notes: A lot has happened in this chapter. The next couple chapters will be following different people before I tie it all in again. Hopefully you will all come back for more. Thanks a lot for reading and ja ne!