Author's Note: There is quite a bit of lime in this chapter, uh, pun intended. You have been warned. This might push the rating just a bit.
Chapter 58 Decisions
True to her word, Elder Cologne had indeed left the restaurant that she had gifted her great granddaughter with as a wedding present, and returned to the embassy to do battle with the dragon, or in this case, massive amount of paperwork that had accumulated during her sojourn. Herb found that he missed the conversations that he had held with her over the past two months, as her often insightful remarks had challenged many of his people's long-held beliefs, beliefs that he had already began to question based on his travels through China and then on into Japan while he had searched for the kettle. This, along with the easy partnership that he observed between Ranma and Akane, had firmed up his resolve to change his people to allow for more equality between the sexes.
This morning, a week after Lime had professed her love for him, found him troubled. And the reason he was troubled was working gracefully in the kitchen. Lime had not attempted any more physical overtures toward him, such as kisses, or even hugs, but it was painfully obvious that she was pursuing him aggressively. She dressed provocatively, leaving it very plain that she was all woman, and while she spoke to him respectfully enough, the word choices and inflections left no doubt that she was flirting with him, in an blatant attempt to erase whatever past mental image that he had of her. And it didn't help that his own body was betraying him. Even now, as he watched her bend over to get something out of one of the lower cabinets, the fabric of her short skirt grew taut against her pert bottom, causing the inevitable tightening in his trousers as all of the blood rushed from his brain to points below his belt.
"Shampoo, here's the pots we needed," Lime said as she dragged out several large metal pots and set then down on the floor next to her.
Shampoo flashed a quick smile and said, "Lime very good worker. Shampoo glad she decide to help out." She bent down to pick up one of the pots, her short skirt also drawing tightly against her body.
Herb frowned slightly as he realized that for whatever reason, he didn't have the same reaction to the attractive Amazon girl. 'Okay, admit it to yourself, Herb. You're attracted to her, aren't you?' the voice in his head taunted him. 'Fine, I can admit it. Lime makes a beautiful girl, there's no doubt about that,' he thought back, 'But, emotionally I can't get past the fact that I knew her for so long as a man.' A slight flush was upon his face as he watched the girl that was beginning to haunt his dreams.
"Master Herb," Mint called, trying to get his attention. He had watched the dynamic between his master and the woman that Lime had become with a great deal of concern.
Herb looked away from Lime and glanced over at Mint. "Yes, Mint, what is it?" he asked, brusquely.
"You were intending on going over to the Tendo's to meet Master Ranma and Mistress Akane," Mint reminded.
Herb glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was nearly ten, which was the time that he had arranged to meet with the pair so they could train some more. While they tried to hide their amusement at the situation that he was in, he also had sensed their sympathy. Angry at himself for his preoccupation, he still managed to smile his thanks at Mint as he stood up and walked quickly to the door.
Mint started to follow him, only to stop at a gesture. "Keep an eye on things here," Herb said quickly, "And if Shampoo or Lime ask for help."
"You don't have to tell me to do that, Master Herb. That's still my friend in there," Mint said softly. 'I wish I knew what the right thing was. I want Lime to be happy,' he thought, 'But, I can hear her cry herself to sleep at night.'
Herb merely nodded as he walked out the door.
Mousse leaned back against the wall of the store as he watched Nabiki browse through the lingerie. As most men do in that situation, he was never quite sure where to rest his eyes. Finally he sighed and said, "You know, this really wasn't the quality time I expected to spend with you today."
Nabiki made a face at him and said, "I'll make it up to you later."
"Speaking of that, when are you going to make an honest man of me and accept my proposal?" Mousse asked.
"An honest man? We haven't gone that far yet, Mousse," Nabiki replied, absently, as she checked the price tag. "This is pretty enough, but they are asking too many yen for it," she said with a sigh as she placed the bra back on the rack.
"True," Mousse muttered under his breath, "But not because we didn't want to go all the way."
"You knew I was planning on waiting til I was married," Nabiki said, her sharp ears hearing what Mousse had mumbled, "So if you can't control your urges."
"Ha, I'm the one who stopped last time," Mousse shot back, "And you know how I feel about you."
Nabiki's eyes softened and she replied, "I know, but I want to get through school first. After I leave Furinkan, then we'll talk, and I'll give you a different answer. I promise. But you know how important my having a career is to me, so some things will just have to wait." She looked at another bra, this one a black, lacy, and sheer number. She turned to her boyfriend and asked, "What do you think about this one? Can you see me in this?"
An image flashed across Mousse's brain, of Nabiki in that bra and matching panties, and nothing else. A small trickle of blood began to flow from his nose, as he reached up and pinched the nostril shut.
'I think this will do nicely,' Nabiki thought, 'and he still has a pulse.'
"You have a cruel streak, Nabiki Tendo," Mousse said.
His only answer was a giggle as she made her way to the register to make her purchase.
Ryoga woke up quickly as he heard his daughter whimpering in her bassinet. He got out of bed carefully, trying not to wake his wife so she could continue sleeping. In the week since they had brought Yuki home from the hospital, the new parents had quickly fallen into a routine where Ryoga took care of the midnight wakeup call. He padded quietly over to the bassinet, dressed only in a pair of boxers, and picked up his daughter. He checked her diaper, but to his relief, while she required a change, it was only because it was wet. He took her out of the bedroom and over to the changing table in the living room and placed Yuki on her back. He removed the damp diaper and with a now well practiced motion, cleaned her up and got her into a fresh diaper.
Yuki continued to fuss, though now he was beginning to recognize that this sound meant she was hungry. "Okay, Yuki, Daddy will feed you. I've got to warm up the bottle for you, though," Ryoga said softly. 'I'm glad we broke down and remodeled this apartment,' he thought as he walked over to the small kitchen that they had added during the nine long months of her pregnancy. Carefully cradling Yuki against his chest with one arm, he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of breast milk that Ukyo had pumped the day before. Then turning to the stove, he prepared to place the bottle in a water-filled saucepan. Unfortunately, Yuki jerked slightly in his arm, and he hit the handle of the pan and flipped it up enough to spray water all over him, triggering the change.
Yuki noticed that she was now resting against something that felt familiar, and she turned her head and began to suckle.
Ryoga looked down in shock at the unfamiliar sensation to see her daughter trying to feed. With a bit of a laugh, she said, softly, "Hey, Yuki, all that work isn't going to get you anything. These are just for show." She walked over to the sink with the saucepan and filled it up with water. Then she carried the pan, and her still attempting to nurse baby over to the stove. She turned the burner on, and placed the bottle into the water to heat it up. Now that the important things were taken care of, she tried to gently remove her nipple from her baby's mouth. "Come on, sweetheart, Daddy can't feed you," she crooned. A gentle laugh interrupted her efforts, so she looked up to see her wife standing there in the doorway.
"Interesting predicament you have there, sugar," Ukyo said.
"Help!" Ryoga pleaded.
"Oh, she'll stop in a second when she realizes that nothing's coming out," Ukyo said, as she walked over to her husband and hugged her around the waist.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Ryoga asked, "Sure you don't want to take over?" She gave her wife her best puppy dog eyes. Yuki was starting to look a little frustrated.
Ukyo smirked and replied, "Naw, you look like you're doing just fine." She pulled the bottle out of the water and squeezed a drop on her wrist. "This feels about right," she said, "Let's see if she likes this better." She reached over and gently popped Ryoga's nipple out of her baby's mouth, and then brought the bottle over to her. "Try this, sweetie," Ukyo said.
Yuki gratefully latched onto the bottle and began to suck.
"You want to tell me what happened?" Ukyo asked.
"I was putting the bottle into the saucepan, and hit the handle instead," Ryoga replied, a disgusted tone in her voice, "Knocked it up into the air, and of course the water landed on me."
"So that was the clatter I heard, the pan hitting the stove," Ukyo said.
"So that's what woke you up, sorry about that," Ryoga said as she took the bottle from Ukyo and held it for Yuki.
"That's okay, I wouldn't have missed this for anything," Ukyo said.
"Lime, we need to talk," Herb said softly as he stood up after finishing his meal, "When you are finished, come to my room."
"Yes, my lord," Lime said, meekly, the color leaving her face as she bit her lip.
Herb looked at her for a second, his face expressionless. Then he spun on his heel and headed up the stairs to his room. Sitting down in the comfortable chair that Lime had somehow wedged into the room, he sighed as he picked up the book he was reading and opened it at the bookmark he had left. He began to read, once again losing himself in the writing of the ancient Chinese author. Each time he picked up the "Art of War," he learned more and now that he was contrasting Sun Tzu with the writings of Machiavelli, he was struck by the synergy he found. A gentle cough interrupted his concentration as he looked up to see Lime standing uncertainly in the doorway.
"My lord," Lime said softly, "You wished to speak to me."
"Come in," Herb replied, with a heavy sigh.
Lime walked into the room reluctantly and knelt on the floor in front of him and bowed her head.
Herb reached out with one trembling hand and gently cupped her chin, raising her head so he could see her downcast eyes. Seeing the pain in her eyes, he almost wished he wasn't doing this. "Lime, I tried, I truly did," Herb said, only to be interrupted by a choked back sob. He watched her face crumple, as she began to weep.
"I understand, my lord," Lime said with a quiet dignity that almost broke his heart to see, "I knew it was too much to hope for when I confessed how I felt for you. But, I couldn't continue living a lie, it was tearing me up inside."
Herb sighed once more and said, "You were my closest confidante as I grew up, Lime." He frowned then and continued, "It's funny in a way. Elder Cologne was right. The woman you have become has all of the qualities that I need in a wife. Your strength, your personality, everything about you makes you a good match for me."
"I expect I hear a 'but' coming, though, my lord," Lime said with a bittersweet smile.
"But, I can't get past it, Lime. I tried, but I couldn't," Herb said sadly, "That's why we stayed here an extra couple of months. I felt like I owed my oldest friend the opportunity."
Lime reached up and caressed the hand holding her chin and then leaned into it. "I know, and I thank you for that. I also know that you are attracted by what you see, I can see it in the way you can't keep your eyes off of me when I walk by, but I think I always knew that you couldn't return what I feel for you," she said.
"We'll be heading home tomorrow," Herb said.
"Yes, I expected that you would. I won't be returning with you," Lime said, causing an odd pang in Herb's chest.
"That's probably for the best," Herb said softly.
Lime hesitated for a second, as she stood there in the darkened room, staring down at the sleeping form of the man that she loved. Then her features hardened as she drew back the covers to expose his boxer-clad body. She could tell that he wa having some sort of erotic dream based on the tented evidence in front of her and then she heard him moan her name. Dropping her robe, she climbed into his bed.
Herb slowly roused from this slumber, the vestiges of the dream where he and Lime were making love to realized that indeed that dream had somehow become a reality. In the dim light, he could see the sweat-drenched face of the woman he could not have, her breasts bouncing slightly with her exertion, as she moved up and down in abandon. A slight keening came from her lips and he realized that that was the odd noise that had awoken him. Finally, she shuddered once and that drove him over the edge as he joined her.
"Lime, why?" he gasped once he recovered. He attempted to free himself, but she refused to move, forcing him back down on the bed. "This doesn't change anything," he said, his voice husky with emotion.
Herb groaned as she squeezed. "Why not? Could a man do that to you?" Lime retorted, "I've seen the way you watch me. I could see the lust in your eyes when I walked by. I knew you wanted to touch these." She forced his hands up to cradle her breasts.
Herb closed his eyes as he gently rubbed his hands across her smooth flesh. "I can't, Lime. My heart wants to, but my head won't let me," he whispered, "And you know my father the king would never approve. He has that arranged marriage for me, the one that will solidify another alliance."
Lime's eyes filled with tears as she sank down against him in defeat. Finally, she whispered, "I know that my lord. If I had thought that crawling into your bed would make you change your mind about this, I would have done it sooner. The first time I saw you react to my body, I wanted to. But it was only lust I felt from you, and I wanted love."
"Then why?" Herb asked, "Why tonight did you change your mind?"
"After this afternoon you have to ask!" Lime exclaimed, "I knew then that my dreams were shattered. I had given you so much through the years, my heart, my counsel, my soul. Giving you my body was simple compared to that."
Herb winced as he saw the pain in her eyes, the pain that he was causing her and he sighed. He also felt his body betray him as it once again reacted to the presence of the pretty girl that was entwined with him. He saw her eyes widened as she felt him. "We didn't use any protection," he said hoarsely.
Lime looked away for a moment and then replied, "The Amazons have potions for all sorts of things, my lord. Before I came into your room tonight, I took the appropriate potion." She began to move against him, and once more he allowed himself to succumb.
Herb woke slowly, with an unaccustomed warmth next to him. He opened up his eyes to find that he was not alone in his bed. Lime was cuddled up next to him, and in fact, he was spooning her, with one hand gently cupping her breast. He sighed in resignation as he realized that the feel of her body against his had caused a truly spectacular response. He felt the change in her breathing that indicated that Lime was now awake and was fully aware of the situation.
Lime rolled over, a bitter smile on her face. "Shall I give you a going away present, my lord?" she asked, a note that he had never heard before in her voice.
"That's not necessary," Herb said, "I can certainly take a cold shower and take care of this."
"Oh, no my lord, I caused this, I should take care of it," Lime retorted, "Besides, what does it matter now?"
"But," Herb began, only to have Lime put her hand over his mouth.
"My lord, I'll likely never see you again, so just shut up and make love to me one last time," Lime said.
The moment Lime had dreaded had come. Mint and Herb were all packed and ready to leave for the train station to catch the train for the ride across the island to the port where they had arranged for transport. She knew that she was doing the right thing by staying in Nerima, especially after last night, but it was still painful to watch as Mint had brought the large backpack down the stairs into the main room of the restaurant.
With a heavy sigh, Lime walked over to Mint. "Take care of him for me," she said, trying to keep her composure, "Make sure he eats right, and gets plenty of rest. You know how he can get sometimes. Don't let him get too moody."
"Don't worry, Lime. I care for him almost as much as you do," Mint began, "Well, maybe not in the same way, I suppose. I'm gonna miss you, my friend."
"I'll miss you too, Mint. We've had a lot of good times together," Lime replied. She reached out and pulled him into a brief hug, and then kissed his cheek. She grinned and backed up. "Go ahead, pervert, I know you want to," she said with a smirk.
Mint reached out and touched her waist and said, "No, I've learned my lesson. You take care of yourself."
Lime walked over to Herb, and said, "I will miss you, my lord. I wish things had worked out differently, but that is not our destiny. You have a duty to our, no, to your people."
Herb sighed heavily and pulled her to him. "Lime, you have been a part of my life for so many years. I will miss my old companion. Please, for my sake, try to find someone to love. Someone who is worthy of you."
Lime reached up and brushed his lips with hers, and said, softly, "I did find someone. He's about to get on a train and leave me. I will always love you, my lord."
Herb groaned and said, "Please forgive me, Lime."
"There's nothing to forgive, now go, before I lose my composure and start crying," Lime said, "You take care of yourself. And make that girl happy. I have no regrets, so don't you dare have any."
Herb released her, and said, "If you ever need me."
"GO!" Lime exclaimed, pushing him away, "You'll miss your train."
"Master Herb, she's right," Mint said, as he rubbed his eyes. "Damn allergies," he said under his breath.
"Fare thee well, then," Herb said, as he nodded to Mint, "We'd better hurry." He turned and walked out of the restaurant.
Mint looked at Lime and said, "I'll try to keep in touch and let you know how things are going." Lime nodded and watched as Mint ran after his master.
Shampoo entered the dining room, and wrapped her arms around Lime. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I will be," Lime replied, as she touched her belly.
"You've chosen a hard road, my friend." Shampoo said, "Are you really sure about this?"
"I had to have something of him, I just hope," Lime said softly.
"We'll know for sure in two weeks," Shampoo said, "But the fertility potion you took is about ninety-five percent effective."
"Thanks, Shampoo, I couldn't have done this without you," Lime said softly.
Shampoo giggled and said, "What can I say, I'm just a romantic at heart. What will you do once he is born?"
"Teach my child the way of the Musk," Lime said, "And have you teach the way of the Amazon. That way, he or she will have the best of both of our peoples."
"I'll help as much as I can," Shampoo replied, "And so will all of my friends. But for now, my friend, you need to cry for what you have lost."
Lime turned in her arms, and buried her head on her shoulder. She shuddered as great, wracking sobs were torn from her, as she wailed. Shampoo gently rubbed her back, cooing in her ear, as she let the pain and anguish go from seeing the man she loved disappear from her life.
Taro leaned against the doorframe of their bedroom, watching his wife for a moment, a tender smile gracing his face. It had been a week since they had moved into the Nekohaten to keep Lime company, and it seemed that the Musk girl had come to terms with things. "Hey," he asked, "Do you have any plans for this afternoon?"
Shampoo looked at his reflection in the mirror in front of her and replied, "Not really. Just working in the restaurant and keeping an eye on Lime."
"Do you think you could sneak off for a couple of hours?" her husband asked.
"Yeah, I should be able to," Shampoo replied, a little reluctantly, "Mid afternoon is pretty slow, so Lime can take care of things. I'm a little hesitant about leaving her, though."
"I understand, but she seems to be doing okay," Taro said, "Why don't you ask her about it?"
"Okay, sure. She's seemed a bit happier the last day or so, so maybe she's over the worst of it," Shampoo said. Then she asked, "But what are we going to do?"
"I thought we'd go flying," Taro replied.
"Oooh! That sounds like fun," Shampoo squealed happily, "I like flying with you, it's so cool!"
"Okay, I'd better get to class, and you need to as well," Taro said, "I'll see you this afternoon, then."
"Not before you give me a goodbye kiss, you don't!" Shampoo retorted.
Taro chuckled and braced himself as his wife raced over and glomped him. She raised her face up and kissed him, her eyes dancing with glee.
"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself, Lime?" Shampoo asked her friend.
"Sure, it's not like it'll be real busy," the older girl replied, "And you've taught me how to cook everything that's on the menu, so that shouldn't be a problem. No, the two of you have a good time together. Between you going to school, and then working here once you get off, and his studies, the two of you only get to see each other at night." She grinned impishly for a moment, and added, "Though it sounds like you make the most of your time together." A brief shadow appeared in her eyes.
Shampoo sighed and said, "I wasn't asking if you could handle the restaurant. I know you can do that."
"I'll be fine, I promise. You can't really die from a broken heart," Lime said, softly, "It hurts still, I won't lie to you about it. But I'm getting better. No, you don't need to hover around me this afternoon. Besides, I'm alone while you're at school anyway."
Shampoo said, "Okay, you won't have to tell me again. When Taro gets in, tell him I'm upstairs changing." She walked up the stairs to her room, a pensive frown on her face as she wondered how Lime was really handling things. 'I'm glad I thought to have Kasumi stop by while we're out,' she thought. She took her school uniform off, and changed into something a bit more appropriate for flying, a pair of slacks and a blouse. After a moment of reflection, she added a medium weight sweater to her ensemble.
Taro entered the room, just as she finished changing. "All ready to go?" he asked.
"Pretty much, I've got a small knapsack for you to put your clothes in that I can hold onto, that is, if we land somewhere and you want to change back," Shampoo replied, tossing him the bag.
"Okay, meet me on the roof, and don't forget the halter," Taro said. He headed up the final flight of stairs that led up to the roof. He opened the door and stepped out onto the flat roof of the building. In the shelter of the roof access, he stripped off his clothing and placed it in the bag. Then he dumped the bucket of water that Shampoo had left for him over his head, triggering his change. He moved away from the door, and stretched his wings to get them loosened up.
The door to the little access building opened and Shampoo walked out, carrying a halter. She fastened it around her husband's shoulders and chest. Then she tied the knapsack to the halter, so that it dangled by his right foreleg.
Taro knelt down slightly, and Shampoo clambered onto his broad back. Then she grasped the leads attached the halter, clipping one of them to a small hoop in her belt. That way, if she accidentally slid off, she would still be attached to her husband. "Okay, I'm secure," she said.
Taro snorted in amusement, and sprang into the air, pumping his wings furiously to gain altitude. He headed southwest from Nerima, as if he had a particular destination in mind.
While Shampoo was enjoying soaring through the air, she wondered where he was going. Shortly, she began to see the ocean off in the distance, and then began to recognize a few of the landmarks. A big smile appeared on her face, as off in the distance she saw the dilapidated temple where she had first declared her love for him. 'Who knew that he was such a romantic at heart,' she thought to herself as suddenly he swooped down and landed next to the hot spring-fed pool near the temple.
Shampoo scrambled off, and quickly removed the harness and bag from her husband.
Taro snorted and then dove into the water, spraying it all around. Once he surfaced, transformed back into human form, he glanced around for his wife, only to see a flash of skin as she dove into the water, her clothing left behind. She swam up behind him and pressed her body against his back.
"So exactly what did you have in mind bringing me here?" she purred.
Lime looked up as the chime rang. An obviously pregnant woman waddled into the restaurant, and slowly sat down. "Can I help you, miss?" she asked.
"Oh my, I hope so. Where's Shampoo?" the young woman asked.
"She took the afternoon off to be with her husband," Lime asked, "So I'm running the place while she's gone."
"Oh dear. Well, I'll leave my message with you then. I wanted to ask her if she could help me with Daddy's wedding this weekend," the woman said.
"I'll certainly pass on the message, Miss," Lime said.
"Oh my, where on earth are my manners. My name is Kasumi Ono, daughter of Soun Tendo," Kasumi said gently.
"What did you want Shampoo to do?" Lime asked.
Kasumi smiled angelically, and replied, "I was hoping she could help prepare some of the food for the reception after the wedding. I'd do most of the work myself, but I'm finding out that I tire to quickly now."
"You look a little familiar, like I should know you," Lime said.
Kasumi replied, "You've met my sister Akane."
"That's it, that's who you remind me of," Lime said, "She was very kind to me, so if Shampoo can't help you, I will. I'm Lime."
"A pleasure to meet you, Lime," Kasumi said. She hesitated and asked, "How are you doing? They talked to me a little about you."
"It's been a little bit of a struggle to adjust," Lime admitted, "But I'm handling things reasonably well."
Kasumi frowned slightly and said, gently, "Lime, Shampoo has told me about your situation. If you need someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on, stop by my house. You aren't alone."
Lime stared at Kasumi, and saw the compassion in her eyes. "I'll probably take you up on that, Miss Kasumi."
"Any friend of Ranma and Akane is a friend of mine," Kasumi said, "It's the least I can do." She stood up gingerly, placing her hand across her belly. "It's been nice talking to you," she said, "By the way, please come to the reception. I'd like to talk to you some more." She waddled out of the restaurant.
Author's Notes: Thank you for all of the comments about this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged. Specific comments are below.
Celestial Lelila: Thanks for the wonderful review. I tend to agree with you about the pairing. I really can't see anyone else for Ranma but Akane and vice versa. As far as a comparison to Second Time, this one is a bit harder to write for some reason. Personally, I find that Second Time tends to write itself, while I have to work on this one a bit more.
CrowKenobi: Oh dear, I better fix that. Thanks for the catch.
Ss4-link: It's more like Lime is gender confused.
Howard Russell: Thanks. Hopefully I managed to get the chapters straightened out. As far as the gender thing goes, I hadn't ever seen that before either, so I thought I'd see where it went.
Wonderbee31: Yeah, while my wife never actually said those things, I could tell she was thinking some of them. Fourteen hours in the labor room with the first one, and then she ended up with a c-section anyway. I was surprised she let me touch her after that.
majinbuu7985: I'm very flattered. Thanks.
Silverline Scimitar: thanks. As to the pairings, more or less. Still need a wedding for Soun and Hinako. That should be next chapter.