Chapter 60 New Arrival
Soun opened the door to what had become his daughter's home and followed his new wife in. The two of them gratefully dropped their luggage to the floor, and slipped out of their shoes, placing them in the cubby that Kasumi had discretely placed in one corner of the entry hall.
"Do you think something is wrong," Hinako asked, anxiously, "since no one met us at the station? They did know when we were arriving, didn't they?"
"Nabiki made all of the arrangements, and she wouldn't forget a detail like that," Soun replied, "I'm sure something came up, is all. Let's just go find where everyone is." He called, "Hellooo, we're home!" He took Hinako by the hand and the two of them walked down the long hall and entered the family room. As they entered from that hallway, Ranma stepped into the room from the engawa, the long hall that ran around the outside of the house.
Ranma grinned at the two of them and said, in a low voice, "Keep your voices down, we just got them back to sleep." His grin grew sly and he added, "Grandfather."
Soun began to babble excitedly, but paying attention to Ranma's admonition, he kept it quiet, while happy tears began to make tracks down his cheek.
"When?" Hinako asked, her eyes bright with excitement.
"The day after your wedding, actually," Akane said as she stepped into the room from behind them. She smiled and said, "Welcome back, how was the trip?"
'The trip was fine," Hinako began.
"Just fine? Daddy, I'm disappointed in you!" Nabiki replied, dryly as she entered the room, bags evident under her eyes.
Hinako arched one eyebrow and putted, "Your father, my husband, has nothing to be ashamed of."
Nabiki merely chuckled at the sally and asked, "So how does it feel to be a grandmother, Hinako?"
"I'm excited," Hinako admitted. She grinned and said, "Of course, I didn't really expect to be one this young growing up, but now that it's happened, I'm ecstatic. So, how is every one? I'm just so happy for Kasumi and Tofu!"
"Kasumi is fine, though she still tires easily. It was a long delivery. Doc was pretty much out of it when she went into labor that evening. Even the pressure points didn't seem to snap him out of his daze, but he's over it now that the excitement is done," Ranma replied, seemingly amused by something.
"Poor Ranma had to stand in for him during the delivery," Nabiki said, smirking at her brother-in-law.
"Yeah, I still don't have feeling in that hand, and the claw marks are still fresh," Ranma said, half in jest, "Kasumi has one hell of a grip."
"I'm just glad we explained about your curse before you went in," Akane said, her eyes dancing, "They were able to handle it when you changed in mid-delivery. It's amazing how that water pitcher managed to get spilled on you. You really are a water magnet."
"Yeah, aren't I though? You know it's probably just as well that Doc was zoned out in the waiting room," Ranma added, "You know how he can be about her getting hurt. Can you imagine how he would have reacted to her being in pain for as long as she was?"
Soun simply nodded, finally speechless, though no one had really paid him much attention since he had mostly been saying gibberish.
"So where are they?" Hinako asked, "And when can we see the baby?"
Ranma rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and stammered, "Well, you see, we needed more space than we thought, so well,"
"What my husband, the brave martial artist, who's not afraid of anything, is trying to say, is that they are sleeping in your old room, Daddy. It is the biggest bedroom on this floor, and well, we didn't want Kasumi having to walk downstairs, at least any more than she has to," Akane interjected, throwing a scathing look at her husband.
"We moved your things to Kasumi's room," Nabiki said, yawning, "I'm going back to bed now that they're asleep. I'll talk to you guys later when I'm awake." She turned and disappeared back down the hall to the stairs.
"That's okay with you, isn't it, Daddy?" Akane asked anxiously.
"Of course it is. That actually should be your room, anyway, as owners of the house," Soun replied with a shrug.
"And we've actually planned on moving into my apartment," Hinako added, "At least until the lease is up. That way, everyone would have a little privacy."
"Whatever makes the two of you the happiest," Akane said.
"But you're welcome to stay here as long as you want," Ranma added, "I'd really not feel right about chasing you away from your home."
Soun chuckled, and said, "That means a great deal to me, son, but, we'd do better somewhere else for a while. This place has many good memories, but Hinako and I need to be by ourselves for a few months to help me chase away some of the bad ones."
Ranma smiled in understanding. "I was thinking we might clean out the downstairs guestroom, and Akane and I might move in there," he said casually.
"And when we get enough money, I thought we might add a bath upstairs, with a shower stall," Akane added, "The plumbing might be a bit interesting, but Nabiki says she knows someone who knows someone who can do it."
"You two have been busy," Soun said after a minute, "Why the sudden changes?"
"Not really sudden," Ranma said, rubbing his chin in thought, "More planning for the future. While it may technically be our house, neither of us want Kasumi or Nabiki to leave, not unless they want to, and so we were just thinking about what it would take when we start having children, eventually. And that just seemed like a good thing to add, one day."
"Why was Nabiki so tired? And come to think about it, it doesn't look like you two have gotten a lot of sleep, either," Hinako asked, changing the subject since her husband had a troubled look on his face.
"Like she said, she hasn't gotten a lot of sleep. All those midnight wake-up calls, and it takes Kasumi and Doc a while to get things quiet. Even if she puts earplugs in her ears, she still seems to be able to hear the crying," Ranma replied, "Akane's the same way. She can't sleep through it either, and that generally wakes me up."
"Where is my son-in-law, anyway? Is he in there asleep, too?" Soun asked.
Akane chuckled and replied, "No, he's at the clinic trying to catch up on things. He's spent a lot of time here; making sure everyone is fine, so some of his patients got rescheduled. It's been a lot of adjustments for everyone, but we're making do."
"It's been good practice for us also," Ranma said, as he embraced his wife, "Watching Kasumi and Tofu feeding, and changing diapers, and the like. Of course, it also told me that we made a good decision not to have kids until we're out of school."
"No kidding. Can you imagine how hard it would be?" Akane added fervently, "No, I want to have most of college taken care of first, and maybe even graduate. Then, we can start planning for a child or two."
"Just two?" Ranma teased, "I thought we were going for six or seven."
"After what I saw Kasumi go through, I don't think so," Akane retorted, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Small family, check," Ranma said, "Though Mom may be disappointed. I think she wanted plenty of grandchildren to spoil."
"She should have had more children of her own then," Akane bantered.
Soun and Hinako traded looks and the two of them smiled. "Enough, children," Soun said, his tone light, then he turned thoughtful. "Since most of Hinako's stuff is still at her apartment, I think maybe we'll go ahead and move in there tonight. I can throw a few things into a bag and come back later for more," he said, looking at his wife for her approval.
"You just want to avoid those wake-up calls," Akane said, "Shame on you."
"That's part of it, I admit," her father replied, "But it will make things easier on everyone."
"Do you need any help?" Ranma asked.
"No, not today," Soun said, "It's not like I need much. And we'll come back later today to see my grandchild."
An identical mischievous look appeared on the young couple's faces, and Ranma said, "We'll look forward to seeing you."
Soun and Hinako headed out of the family room, presumably to pack a few things.
"Why didn't you tell them?" Akane asked.
"Why didn't you?" Ranma asked back.
Lime finished reading the letter that Mint had sent her, leaving the pages stained with her tears. "Well, at least it could have been a heroic death," she said, as she set the letter down on the counter in the kitchen.
"What was that?" Shampoo asked, as she sliced the ginger root that she needed in one of her recipes.
"Oh, this letter I got from Mint. It seems that my lord came up with a story to explain my absence. Apparently I got hit by a lorry while chasing after a girl," Lime said, choking back a sob. She smiled sardonically, and added, "I guess telling them that I was chasing a man wouldn't have gone over too well."
"If you're dead, how did he send you a letter?" Shampoo asked.
Lime replied, "He sent it in an envelope addressed to Saotome. That's how he'll continue to let me know how things are."
Shampoo placed her paring knife on the counter and walked over and hugged Lime. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. This just brings it home to me that I burned some bridges. I can't go back now, so all I can do is make a life for myself somewhere else," Lime replied.
"How's Prince Herb?" Shampoo asked after a few moments.
Lime giggled, surprising Shampoo. "Mint wrote that the first council meeting after they got back was interesting. His father was trying to finalize the wedding arrangements with the bride's father. They were discussing the dowry, I think, and the conversation managed to get heated, especially when the Chancellor started putting his oar in. My lord was there, talking to his intended, getting to know her, since this was the first time he had actually met her. Something, apparently he had insisted on, by the way, since our custom normally is not to see the bride until the ceremony," Lime began.
"That sounds a bit barbaric," Shampoo interjected.
Lime stared at her in disbelief and muttered, "Kiss of Death, Kiss of Marriage, ring any bells, oh pot?"
Shampoo looked a bit sheepish and said, "I never said we were civilized."
Lime flashed a grin at her and said, "That's probably why we get along so well, Warrior Princess."
"No more watching Xena for you. Besides, they got everything mostly wrong anyway," Shampoo said, "Anyway, back to your letter."
"Oh, right. My lord got annoyed with all of the discussion, and so did the girl. He stood up abruptly and someone spilled some drinks on him. The girl's father just about went apoplexic when he saw my lord change gender, and was about to call off the wedding, when the bride spoke up. Something else that hadn't happened in generations. A woman speaking in the council chamber. I wish I'd been a fly on the wall listening to that. Anyway, she told her father to stop being an idiot. That the reasons for the marriage were too important to call off because of a minor issue with the groom's gender. Those were her words by the way."
"That's an interesting turn of phrase," Shampoo said, giggling uncontrollably, "Minor issue with his gender. I like that."
"Remind me to tell Ranma that, I think he'll get a big kick out of it too," Lime said, her lips twitching in amusement. She added, "The girl added that she was eager to have the wedding, and that she was looking forward to working with my lord. He then explained that it was a Jusenkyo curse, and that he was unaware of any cure for it. He went on to say that if anyone had an issue with him being female occasionally to meet him outside in the arena and he would convince them otherwise. That shut the council up, since they are aware of his prowess. He then brought the roof down by declaring that one of the traditions that he was planning on modifying was who his chief advisor was going to be, and then saying it was going to be his wife."
"That's almost like someone going to Amazon council and declaring her husband would sit on council with her," Shampoo said in awe.
"I'm so proud of him. He is overturning hundreds of years of tradition," Lime said, "And as much as I hate to admit it, the woman he is marrying is worthy of him. She was ready to stand by his side, something that I would not be able to do."
"Are you going to write back and tell him?" Shampoo asked.
Lime shook her head and said, "No, not yet at least."
"Why not?" Shampoo asked, surprise evident in her voice, "He is the father, he has the right to know."
"I can't be his wife, so I'm not going to destroy his chance with the clan chief's daughter. That clan has been restive under the King's rule and this wedding will bring them back into the fold. For the sake of the Musk Dynasty, my lord must marry her, and telling him about the child would hurt that chance. Perhaps, one day, after he has an heir, then maybe," Lime replied, fervently. She looked troubled for a moment, and leaned into Shampoo's hug, as her friend squeezed her tightly.
"I am proud to be your friend, Lime. You are being very brave giving up a chance at happiness because of the needs of your people," Shampoo said gently, "Amazons understand marrying for dynastic reasons oh too well. I was almost killed by a rival of my Great Grandmother because she didn't like Taro being my Airen."
Lime sighed heavily and said, "Thank you, Shampoo. That helps a little bit. Knowing someone else thinks I did the right thing. Anyway, it's done. I just need to get on with my life, which at the moment means we should be preparing for the noon rush."
Shampoo smiled at her resiliency and said, "Okay, then can you start cutting up the chicken. I need to finish the rest of the vegetables." The two girls turned to the counter and began working industriously.
Ranma looked up from the wok where he was busily stir-frying a mixture of broccoli, red bell pepper, carrots, and scallions, as someone entered the room. He turned briefly and saw Hinako putting on an apron. "Welcome back," Ranma said.
"Looks like you could use a hand. What can I do?" Hinako asked.
Ranma looked around the kitchen and said, "Actually, aside from dumping the chicken in here and cooking it, I'm nearly done. You might check on the soup, see if it needs anything. And I haven't had a chance to brew any tea. The kettle's got hot water in it, but that's as far as I got."
"Where's everyone else?" Hinako asked as she tasted the miso soup. "This is pretty good, but it needs something," she said, "What do you think?" handing him the spoon.
Ranma tasted the soup and said, "Maybe a little salt, it's just a touch bland. Not too much though, maybe a pinch."
"That's what I was thinking," Hinako said as she found the saltshaker and put a little in the soup and stirred it in.
Ranma transferred the vegetables to a bowl, temporarily, and dumped the already cut up chicken breast into the wok, and began to let it brown slightly in the heated oil. He turned the heat up slightly and continued stirring the meat, turning it several times to keep it cooking evenly. "Kasumi is still in the bedroom, probably nursing, I would guess, and Akane is keeping her company," he replied, answering her original question, "Doc was soaking in the furo, and Nabiki is probably in her room doing her accounting, though she said she'd be down in time to help set the table. Is Dad in the family room?"
"Yes, he stopped off there, something about catching up on his reading," Hinako replied.
"We kept all of his newspapers, and set them in a stack by his shogi board," Ranma said, "Mom and Genko called a little while ago to say they were on their way. She's bringing something for the meal, but I forgot to ask what it was." He checked the chicken, and it was basically done, so he turned the heat back down, and tossed the vegetable back in. "Would you bring that bowl over and pour it in? That's the teriyaki sauce I made up," he asked.
Hinako picked up the small mixing bowl and brought it over to the wok and poured the sauce in. Ranma quickly stirred everything together, making sure the sauce coated everything.
"It smells delicious," Hinako said, "You're a good cook."
Ranma blushed, and said, "Thanks, but Kasumi is better at it. I'm just happy to help her out some. She definitely has her hands full right now." He checked and said, "Looks like this is done." He poured everything into a large serving dish and placed it on a tray.
Hinako began ladling out the soup into the array of bowls that were waiting, also on a tray.
Nabiki rushed in, and said, "Sorry, that took longer than I expected. What can I do?"
"Um, chopsticks, spoons, and the tea," Ranma said after a moment, "And the pickled vegetables from the refrigerator. They should already be in a bowl, just take the plastic off."
In short order, everything was ready and the three of them carried the meal into the family room. "Dinner is ready," Ranma called.
Soun sat down in his accustomed place, with Hinako kneeling down next to him. After a few moments, Akane came walking in, carrying a small blanket wrapped bundle in her arms, cooing lightly.
"Is that my grandchild?" Soun asked, eagerly.
"Yes, this is your granddaughter, Kimiko," Akane said, tenderly, as she carefully knelt down next to her father, to show him the fuzzy-haired little girl, who's eyes were fixed on Akane.
"They named her after your mother," Soun said, his eyes tearing up.
Tofu escorted his wife in, who was also carrying a blanket-wrapped bundle. "And this is your granddaughter, Kin, we named them after our mothers in honor and memory of those who have joined our ancestors," he said, as Kasumi carefully knelt down showing an identical fuzzy-haired little girl.
"Twins!" Soun exclaimed. He started weeping.
"Daddy, don't startle them, please," Kasumi said, tiredly, "Or we'll never get them to bed."
Hinako pulled Soun to her and kissed him soundly on the lips, immediately drying Soun's tears. "You promised," she said, firmly.
Soun hung his head in shame and said, "Yes, I did."
"We're here," Nodoka called from the front door.
"Dinner's ready, and we're in the family room," Nabiki called back.
A blur entered the family room, and settled down next to Akane. "Hello, little one," Genko lisped, her eyes bright as she watched her new relative, who returned the favor, blowing bubbles. "She's funny looking," the little girl announced.
"That wasn't a very nice thing to say," Akane said softly.
"No, look at the bubbles she's making," Genko protested.
"Hush," Nodoka said as she walked in carrying a large container. "I picked up some sushi on my way here," she added as she set the box down next to the table.
"Nabiki, if you could serve the rice, we can get started," Ranma suggested, as he began to pass around the bowls of soup.
Nodoka opened up the box, and pulled out a plastic tray filled with several different selections of sushi.
"Daddy, if you'd like something other than the tea, there's the cabinet behind you," Akane said.
"Maybe a little to celebrate the changes in our family would not be amiss," Soun said as he stood up and opened the cabinet and pulled out a bottle, and several cups.
Ranma surprised Akane by accepting a cup. "I thought we might toast both the wedding and the babies," he said, so she held out her hand for a cup.
"That's an excellent suggestion," Kasumi said, "But, none for me, obviously." She looked at her two girls, peacefully sleeping identical bassinets that Tofu had brought into the family room.
After dinner was over, Hinako asked, "Akane, Ranma, could we go someplace where we can talk?"
Ranma replied, "I really need to do the dishes, first."
"Go ahead, son. Nabiki and I can take care of that," his mother interjected, sending a look at Nabiki that stilled any protest from that quarter.
"Sure little brother," Nabiki added, "I don't mind. I didn't help as much as I should have fixing dinner, anyway."
"Why don't we go outside and sit by the pond. We can watch the sunset while we talk," Akane suggested.
With that decided, the family broke up into separate groupings. Nodoka and Nabiki headed into the kitchen, laden with dishes, and dragging a weakly protesting Genko with them. Her protests came to an abrupt halt with the casual mention by Nabiki of chocolate ice cream. Hinako, Akane and Ranma went outside and perched on the large rocks surrounding the koi pond, leaving a tipsy Soun with his daughter, her husband, and his two new granddaughters. Soun reached for his cigarettes, only to stop at a slight frown from Kasumi. "Sorry, daddy, not with the girls in the room," she said, serenely.
Ranma, Akane and Hinako sat in silence for several minutes, idly watching the koi swim in the pond, the flash of a fin or tail occasionally breaking the surface of the water, and catching the last glint of sunlight, as the sun sank toward a reddened horizon.
Finally, Akane asked, "What did you want to talk to us about, Hinako?"
Hinako blushed and replied, "It's a little silly, and I'm a bit embarrassed to bring it up, I suppose. Our relationship has changed and, well, I wanted to make sure that we were okay with the changes."
"Hinako, you are our teacher and more importantly our friend, and nothing has changed that. Just because you married Daddy doesn't affect the way we feel. If anything, it just gives us the chance to get even closer," Akane replied.
"Unless, of course, you plan on turning into one of those evil step-mothers, that were in all of those fairy tales you made us read last year in English Literature," Ranma added, with a cheeky grin.
"Jerk," Akane said, as she swatted him on the arm.
"Ouch, my wife beats me," Ranma said, pretending to wince.
Akane groaned and said, "That stopped being funny months ago."
"Can we get back on topic, you two? You two are worse than I was before I got cured," Hinako groused.
"Sorry," Ranma said. He paused and said, in a serious tone, "Akane was right, though, I don't see anything changing about the way we interact."
"I'm just afraid that because I'm both your teacher and your step-mother, that someone might think I was going easy on the two of you," Hinako admitted.
"That could be a problem, I suppose, but speaking for myself, I'd rather you didn't go easy on us. We want to do well on our college entrance exams and that means we need to know the material," Akane said, "If you go easy on us that won't help."
"She's right. And I'd rather not have to add cram school on top of our senior year," Ranma added, "And I know I don't want to go to one after our senior year if I don't do well on the exams."
"Now that doesn't mean you have to be harder on us than all of the rest of the students," Akane said, with a smile to show that she was mostly kidding.
Hinako grinned at her and said, "I would never do that."
Ranma rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, with a frown, "Actually, now that I think about it, having you and Dad living in your apartment is a good idea. That way it will be harder for people to think that you are giving us special treatment outside of class."
"They'll probably still say that, but there's not much we can do about it," Hinako said with a shrug, "But, I've already talked to the principal, and he's fine with you staying in my homeroom."
"Now, on to happier subjects, how was your honeymoon?" Akane asked.
"Akane, I can't believe you asked that," Ranma said, "And I certainly don't intend to hear the answer. Too much information, if you want my opinion."
"That's okay, it's girl talk anyway, and you aren't the right gender," Akane smirked.
"You two can embarrass yourselves, just don't compare notes, that's all I ask," Ranma pleaded, as he jumped carefully off the rock he was on, "I want to talk to Kasumi and Doc about something anyway." He bent over and lightly kissed her cheek, and headed back into the house.
"So how was it?" Akane asked, eagerly.
"Well, the inn was very nice," Hinako said.
Ranma entered the family room and stopped dead in his tracks, his cheeks flaming. "I'm sorry, Kasumi," he babbled.
Kasumi looked up from where she was nursing Kin and asked, a puzzled expression on her face, "What are you sorry for?"
"Um, seeing something that I really shouldn't," Ranma replied as he turned his back.
"Little brother, there's nothing for you to see, at least nothing that you haven't seem hundreds of times before," Kasumi said, "And besides, this is perfectly natural."
"She's right, Ranma," Tofu said, as he walked over to his brother-in-law, "So she's showing you a bit of breast, big deal."
"I know, it's just, oh I don't know, it didn't seem proper, for some reason," Ranma said quietly.
"Ranma, you're the one person I know I can trust with her," Tofu said.
Ranma gave a lopsided grin and said, "That's probably because Akane would kill me if I did anything I wasn't supposed to."
Tofu chuckled dryly and said, "No, it's because you are an honorable man."
Ranma blushed and said, "Now that you've embarrassed me sufficiently, I have..." He stopped, glancing around the room and finally realized that it was just the three of them, and the two babies. "What happened to Soun?" he asked.
"Oh, Daddy overdid the celebration, I guess. Anyway he drank enough that he fell asleep. I had Tofu take him into your room and lay him out on the bed," Kasumi replied. She looked a little worried and asked, "That's okay with you, isn't it?"
Ranma shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Just so long as he doesn't sick up, I guess. It's just as well because I wanted to talk to you in private, anyway. There's something I need some help with."
"Sure, what do you need?" Kasumi said, as she placed Kin on her shoulder and burped her.
Tofu walked over and traded babies with her, taking Kin in his arms and handing her Kimiko.
"You remember Lime, that friend of Shampoo's?" Ranma asked.
"Of course, such a sweet girl. Very quiet, and great help at the reception. She pitched in and helped with the catering and everything. I like her," Kasumi replied, adjusting her blouse so Kimiko could nurse.
"That's the one," Ranma replied.
"What about her?" Kasumi asked, "She seems to be a nice girl."
"Um, that's the thing I wanted to talk to you about, what I need help with," Ranma said, "You see, well, she wasn't originally a she, at least not physically."
"Oh, a transgendered person," Tofu said, surprised, "I've read about that in some of my physiology and psychology texts, but I've never actually met one. And I think I've seen some papers in a couple of my journals."
"But, she looks like a girl," Kasumi said, half in protest, only to stop at the gentle smile on Ranma's face. "Oh, how silly of me, she has a Jusenkyo curse, doesn't she?" she asked.
"Yes, and she decided to stay locked in female form," Ranma replied, "That way she can't change back with hot water."
Tofu frowned thoughtfully and said, "That's certainly a less painful method than the surgeries and drug regimens that the other transgenders have done to rectify their condition."
"So what do you need from us?" Kasumi asked.
Ranma rubbed the back of his neck nervously and said, "Well, I thought she might need some one to talk to her about why she felt the way she did, and why she made the choices she did. I'm probably not saying this very well, but, I'm not that person. I mean, just because I can change into a girl, doesn't mean I am one. So I can't relate to her on that level."
"You think she needs a woman's touch, or something?" Kasumi asked.
"Not necessarily, just someone who can help her work through all of her emotions. This has got to be a trying time for her. After all, her entire world just changed over the last month or so," Ranma replied, "Akane and I are helping, just by accepting her for who she is, and so are Shampoo and Taro. But, I don't know if that's enough."
"Why don't you call and invite Shampoo over and suggest that she bring Lime, dear?" Kasumi said to her husband, "Shampoo hasn't had a chance to see the girls other than at the hospital."
"That's a good idea, get some social interaction. Maybe one of us can chat with her and let her know that she isn't the first person to feel that they were born the wrong gender, and that she isn't weird because of it," Tofu said, heading for the phone.
Suddenly, the sound of a herd of elephants came thundering down the hall from the kitchen. They looked up as Genko ran into the family room, and ran over and hugged her brother.
"Sticky hands! Sticky face!" Ranma exclaimed, as Nodoka came running in after her wayward daughter.
"Sorry, son, she got away from me," his mother said, as she grabbed Genko.
"Nooooo! I wanna stay with Ranma!" Genko said, loudly.
"Inside voice, little one," Ranma said, putting his finger over her mouth, "We don't want to upset the babies."
"They're boring!" Genko caroled, "They don't do anything."
Ranma chuckled and said, "That'll change soon enough. Right now, yeah, mostly the just eat, sleep, and make really smelly messes." He made a point of sniffing, and said, with a grin, "Like now, Kasumi."
"You can change Kin, I've got my hands full here," Kasumi pointed out.
Ranma said, "You've got to be kidding me! The advantage of being an uncle is never having to change diapers." He grinned at her and said, "Besides, I've never done it before."
"There's no time like the present to learn, son," Nodoka informed him, "I'll walk you through it."
"Traitor," Ranma said, with a smile, "Well, she's not getting changed by us talking about it." He walked over to Kin and picked her up, gingerly, and placed her against his shoulder. "Okay, toxic waste here, let's go get you changed." He followed his mother out of the family room, and down the engawa to the master bedroom.
Tofu walked in and said, "Shampoo and Lime are coming right over. Where's Ranma?"
"He drew the short straw," Kasumi said, giggling, "Kin needed a change."
"Good, he's taking my turn," Tofu said.
"Oh no you don't! The next one is yours," Kasumi objected. She looked down at the fuzzy head nestling up to her and said, "Looks like your done, little one." She gently pulled the baby away, and patted her back, being rewarded by a loud burp.
Several minutes later, Ranma came walking back into the room, his face slightly green, carrying Kin. His mother was right behind him, her eyes dancing with suppressed laughter. "Here, Tofu, I believe this belongs to you," he said quickly, handing the biological warfare factory to her father.
Akane was sitting next to Kasumi, idly chatting. She looked up and asked, "So how was changing your first diaper, Ranma?"
"We're adopting, after they're potty trained," Ranma answered, half serious, "I've seen some disgusting things, but that has got to be the worst."
Akane giggled, only to have Kasumi grin at her and say, "What are you laughing at? You can change Kimiko when she needs it next, and unless my nose is mistaken, it's time."
Akane blanched and looked pitifully at her sister, who gave her no mercy and her niece, at the same time.
Ranma grinned and said, "Have fun, and remember to hold your breath. And just be glad they're girls. At least they can't get you while the diaper is off."
"Come on dear, I showed Ranma, the least I can do is show you," Nodoka said.
"Thanks, Mom," Akane said, standing up very reluctantly. The two of them disappeared, Akane carefully carrying Kimiko.
"For such a sweet pair of babies, they certainly can be noxious," Hinako said.
Kasumi chuckled for a few moments and then asked, "Have you thought about children?"
Hinako went a bit misty-eyed and replied, "We haven't really talked about it. It's funny, I don't know why we haven't. I guess, maybe because I sort of all ready have a family, but yes, I think maybe I'd like to have a child of my own. I couldn't before, what with that curse and all, but now that it's gone, there's no reason why we shouldn't. He's not too old, or anything." She paused, and then asked, "Would it bother you?"
"No, why should it?" Kasumi asked.
Ranma looked at the two women and then interjected, "I think I can speak for all of us that so long as you and Soun are happy, we really don't have a problem with anything you two do." He paused for a moment, and then said, "Well, except for seeing you two be intimate on the dinner table." He studiously ignored Kasumi's blush, and Tofu's start of surprise.
Hinako giggled, and replied, "I'm pretty sure that won't happen. We'll make sure no one is here if we decide to do that."
"Entirely too much info, Hinako, and there still is a little girl here," Tofu reminded them.
Genko piped up, "I think you'd make a good mommy, Auntie. You're nice and you talk to me and play with me. And you're pretty too."
"Why thank you, Genko dear, but Auntie isn't quite, oh never mind," Hinako replied, "You can call me that." She grinned and said, "That's probably easier than explaining that I'm Ranma's stepmother-in-law, and I don't have a clue what that makes the two of us."
"Family," Ranma suggested, with a cheeky grin.
Hinako laughed gaily and said, "I like the sound of that, Ranma, I really do." She walked over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Hey, stop flirting with my husband," Akane teased, "If you want to kiss someone, go find yours. I think he's snoring still in our bedroom."
"Oh but they're more fun when they're awake and can kiss back," Hinako retorted.
Akane smirked and said, "And other things." She walked over and placed Kimiko in her bassinet. She turned to Ranma and said, "You're right. Definitely potty-trained, or we don't want them."
"Tadaima!" Shampoo called from the entry hall.
"We're in here!" Akane replied. She asked, "Where's Nabiki?"
"She said something about meeting Mousse. Some movie that he wanted to take her to, in downtown Tokyo proper," Nodoka replied, "It's some artsy thing, with subtitles."
Shampoo walked in, with Lime hiding behind her.
"Hi Shampoo, Lime, glad you guys could come by," Hinako said, "I really didn't get a chance to tell either of you how much I appreciated your help at the reception. We couldn't have pulled it off without your hard work."
"I was happy to help, Miss Ninomayi," Shampoo said, then blushed, "I mean, Mrs. Tendo."
"Hinako is fine outside of class, Shampoo," Hinako said, with a smile, "And don't worry, I still have trouble with my last name."
"I was happy as well, Mrs. Tendo," Lime said shyly.
"Well let's get this over with. Ladies, this is my daughter Kin, named after my mother," Tofu said, holding out the baby in his arms.
"And this one is Kimiko, named after our mother," Kasumi added, nodding at the baby peacefully napping on Akane's shoulder.
Lime and Shampoo spent several minutes oohing and aahing over the two little girls, and holding them in their arms. A wistful looked passed quickly across Shampoo's face, as she handed Kimiko back to Kasumi, with a deep, heartfelt sigh.
"What's the matter, Shampoo dear?" Kasumi asked.
"Oh, just that girls's my age in our village have babies. I was just wondering what it would be like, that's all. But, it's too soon for me to think about starting a family. Great-grandmother told me that I need to finish school first, and I have to agree with her," Shampoo replied, "Too much to do at café to do otherwise. I don't know how Ukyo is going to handle everything now that she has Yuki."
"We'll help her if she asks for it," Ranma said, with a shrug, "But she and Ryoga have a great deal of pride. And I think his mother was planning on working with them for at least a few months. Now that she doesn't get lost anymore, she'll be a great help."
Tofu walked over to Lime and said, "We didn't get properly introduced before, but I'm Tofu Ono."
"I know, Doctor Ono," Lime said, "Ranma told me."
"Nothing so formal, call me Tofu, or Doc," Tofu said, "Any friend of Shampoo is a friend of all of us here."
"He's right, Lime," Kasumi said, "You're one of us now."
Lime burst into tears and fled the room. Kasumi traded looks with Tofu and he rushed after the distraught girl, finding her struggling to put her shoes on by the front door.
"What brought that on?" Tofu asked, in a kindly voice.
"I don't know!" Lime wailed, sobbing.
Tofu pulled her to him in a light embrace and let her cry herself out on her shoulder. "Why don't we go find someplace to talk, and maybe we can figure out what's going on?" he suggested after the worst of the storm was over.
"I'm sorry," Lime blubbered, "I really don't know what's wrong with me." She smiled weakly and said, "I could use an older person to talk to, I suppose. Shampoo has been very nice but she's still only my age."
"Ranma has told me what little he knows about your life, and I might be able to give you some insight," Tofu said, leading her into the backyard, and onto the steps of the dojo. "We'll have a little privacy here," Tofu said, putting on his best bedside manner. He hesitated, looking for the right words, and then said, "As you know, I'm a doctor, mostly a specialist in moxibustion, but I do keep up with what happens in medicine. And Kasumi is planning a medical career, and has memorized most if not all of my books and journals. And while neither of us are experts on the subject, apparently you're what they call a transgendered person, someone who believes that they were born the wrong gender."
"You mean I'm not alone? I'm not the only person that's ever felt this way?" Lime asked, her eyes lighting up with interest.
"No, you're not. I don't remember what the books said about how common the condition is, but most people with this condition go through extensive counseling to help them adjust to what they are feeling, and some even go so far as to physically change to the right gender through the use of surgery and extensive hormone treatments," Tofu said, in an academic voice, that was surprisingly soothing to Lime's taut nerves.
"Tofu-san, you've already helped me more than you know by telling me that I'm not the only person who felt wrong in their body. I can't describe the relief I felt when I woke up like this, I felt, I don't know, whole, complete, like I was were I belonged," Lime said, almost giddy.
"Getting a girl curse certainly seems to be the best thing that could have happened to you," Tofu agreed, "But that doesn't mean everything will be rosy for you from now on."
"I know that, Tofu-san. I've already lost the man that I love to his sense of honor and duty. And if I'm honest with myself, the fact that he couldn't get past the fact that I was born a male," Lime said, "But, I've made my decision to live my life as best I can, and take what comes with equanimity."
"That's an excellent attitude to have, but it doesn't explain why you were so upset earlier," Tofu said, calmly.
Lime frowned slightly as if thinking back and replied, "It's just that my emotions are all over the place. When you and your wife were talking about me being one of you, so accepting of who I am, I just went all weepy. I don't know why."
"I think I do," Tofu said, "I'm pretty good at reading auras, that's one of the reasons I went into medicine in the first place. And what I believe I'm seeing tells me that you're pregnant. Am I right?"
Lime smiled happily and said, "I believe so. I wanted a reminder of my lord."
"I take it he doesn't know about this?" Tofu asked.
"No, and I don't plan on telling him, at least not for now. His duty to his people requires that he marry the woman his father has picked for him. I knew that he would have to wed for dynastic reasons, so I really couldn't ever have him. I should never have told him how I felt, but I couldn't stop myself," Lime said.
"This will be an interesting experience for all of us, but especially you," Tofu said, "And being a single mother is not an easy path to go down. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask any of us. Which reminds me, you need to see an obstetrician, so you can be checked out, and make sure everything is fine. If you'd like, I can set up an appointment with the one that Kasumi uses. She has a kind manner, a very gentle touch, at least according to Kasumi."
"That would be good," Lime said, "And a gentle touch sounds like it might be important."
"And maybe you should talk to a specialist about your condition," Tofu suggested.
Lime got a nervous look on her face and said, "I'd rather not, not a stranger. Could I talk to the two of you sometimes?"
Tofu frowned slightly and said, "I suppose we could, but neither of us are experts. But, if you'd rather be with someone you know, I meant what I said about asking for help."
Nodoka called from the kitchen door, "Is this a private party or can anyone join?"
"Please, Auntie Nodoka, come join us," Lime said, surprising the two adults with the honorific.
Nodoka walked gracefully over to the pair of them and sat down next to the young woman. "Shampoo tells me that you have decided to leave your people and stay here in Nerima, Lime," Nodoka said, "Is that true?"
"Well, yes, for several reasons. With my change in gender, I felt it best to start a new life, and at least here I know a few people, so it wouldn't be like I was all by myself," Lime replied.
"If you wouldn't mind keeping an old woman company," Nodoka began.
"Old woman, you're only a few years older than I am," Tofu said gallantly.
Nodoka preened slightly and said, "Don't let Kasumi hear you flirting with me, Tofu. Anyway, what I was going to suggest is that you come stay with us. Genko and I could use the company, and there's plenty of room. I would definitely like a bit more adult conversation. Genko is a dear, at least most of the time, but aside from her classes at school, and martial arts, she leaves a lot to be desired as a conversationalist."
"But Shampoo and Taro just moved into the café to keep me company," Lime said, half in protest.
"That's true, but I suspect that they won't mind. They're still basically newlyweds themselves, and wouldn't mind a little privacy, I expect," Nodoka said, "You don't have to make a decision immediately, think about it for a while."
"If it wouldn't be too much of a bother," Lime began.
Nodoka smiled and said, "Nonsense. Just think of me as a surrogate mother, and Genko as a baby sister. You'll fit right in."
"Then there's something else you need to know," Lime said slowly, "And I hope it doesn't change your mind. I think I'm pregnant, with Master Herb's child."
"Did he force you?" Nodoka asked, her eyes flashing dangerously.
Lime lowered her eyes to the ground and replied, "Oh no, it was much the other way around."
"Oh!" Nodoka exclaimed. She looked pensive for a moment and asked, "Does he know that you are pregnant?"
"No, when we made love, I lied to him about being protected. I can't tell him, not now at least. Master Herb went back to wed a rival clan-chief's daughter, a marriage that will bring peace to our, no his, people. Finding out that he has a child would make things difficult for him, and I won't do that to his people," Lime said, proudly.
Nodoka frowned imperceptibly, and "If you knew it would cause problems for him, then why did you try for a baby?"
"I wanted something of his," Lime said, "And I wanted him to be my first, and maybe only, lover."
"A piece of clothing would have been easier on all of us," Tofu said, "But I think we can understand why you did what you did."
Nodoka traded looks with Tofu and said, "Well, you being pregnant does change things a bit. Now I insist that you move in with me. There's no way I can sit back and let you live with those two during your pregnancy. My home is much more comfortable, and I can make sure you eat the right kinds of foods, and get plenty of rest."
"Well, I see I'm not needed any more," Tofu said with a grin, "I think you just got adopted, Lime. And knowing Nodoka the way I do, you'd better just agree. It's easier in the long run."
"Then I accept, Auntie," Lime said.
"Nonsense, none of that Auntie business. Call me Mom," Nodoka said, with a gentle smile.
Lime felt strangely warm, and embraced Nodoka. "I'll try," Lime said, "I never had a Mom before."
For some reason, that simple declaration brought tears to all three of their eyes.
Author's Notes: Once again, I thank my Gentle Readers for the patience they have for my long delays between updates on this story. Unfortunately, my muse is much more interested in Second Time Around, and the ideas seem to pour more easily for that story. As always, I enjoy and encourage comments and especially constructive criticism. The new review response system only allows replies to signed reviews, and I will endeavor to reply to those of you who do, particularly to those with a question. Until later, Gentle Readers.