Chapter 3 – A Hard Day at the Office
Akane didn't recognize the dream at first. It looked like a movie she had seen, the period American costumes, the old New England style home with the big garden and her sisters playing the main parts looked familiar, but it took a while before she remembered that the title was 'Little Women'.
Kasumi was playing Beth, Nabiki was Meg and it soon became apparent that Akane herself was Jo. Ranma made his entrance as the neighbor boy Laurie and he looked very dashing in his dark waistcoat, but Akane didn't like his short hair at all. When Amy finally made her entrance, Akane nearly laughed herself awake at the sight of Ranma's female half with two long curly red pigtails.
The dream played out the movie rather accurately and Akane was just beginning to hope it would end before Beth became ill, when all of a sudden it came to the part where Amy stole Jo's manuscript. Akane chased the redhead through the house, eventually cornering her in the living room. In front of the whole family Ranma taunted Akane with the pages, holding them out for her to take then bobbing and weaving out of the way just as she was about to grab it.
Akane was furious, the harder she tried to grab the papers the faster the little girl's evasions became. This seemed familiar, but it wasn't the way it happened in the movie. Akane couldn't stop herself from becoming enraged, so she gave up on the manuscript and slapped the little girl across the cheek.
For one second Ranma glared at Akane and then started to cry. All the sisters tried to console her, but she wouldn't stop crying. Akane apologized and begged her to stop but to no avail. Then the male Ranma knelt beside the weeping child and wrapped his strong arms around her.
"Why are you crying?" he whispered in her ear.
The little female Ranma looked directly at Akane and wailed, "I don't know!"
Akane awoke with a start. "What was that?" she thought. It wasn't really a nightmare, but she had a queasy sensation in the pit of her stomach nonetheless. She sat up and looked around the dark bedroom, half expecting to find her husband standing there. She suddenly missed him very much and reflexively turned to look at his side of the bed.
She gasped when she saw a body lying there and a head of black hair on the pillow. Carefully she pulled the blanket away to reveal a tiny pigtailed imp in bright blue pajamas.
Smiling in relief she whispered, "Don't scare me like that Hideto," she leaned over the little form and brushed the hair off his forehead, "are you all right?" The little figure rolled over to face her and she realized that it wasn't the younger twin after all, "Maseto? What's wrong sweetheart?"
"I had a bad dream," he said sleepily, "Daddy hit mommy and made her cry."
"Oh honey, your daddy would never hit me."
"No," said the little boy, looking like he was about to cry himself, "you hit mommy!"
Akane blinked. This was really starting to confuse the boys, "Maseto, I would never hit your father, especially when he's a girl. You know that, don't you?"
The little boy nodded, "That's why I was so scared."
"Well it was only a bad dream," Akane bent over and kissed him on the forehead, "do you want to sleep here tonight or do you want me to take you back to your room?"
"Here!" he said with a big smile.
"Okay, go back to sleep now." Akane tucked the blanket up around the little boy's shoulders and turned to look up at the air conditioning unit. Maybe she should turn it up if the boys (it was only a matter of time before the other one showed up) were going to sleep in here tonight? The display on the unit alternated between the temperature and the time, it was 23 degrees Celsius and 1:28 am.
She did the math in her head, "Thirteen hours ago, that makes it about lunchtime yesterday in New York." If she knew Ranma, right now she was stuffing her face and having a great old time. So, why was Akane still worried?
o o o
Russell Vogel watched his life as a martial artist flash before his eyes. He had discovered karate when he was in high school and it had changed his life. He advanced quickly, earning one belt after another. He continued to study martial arts when he went to college and eventually reached black belt. All of his instructors felt he was the most promising young martial artist to come along in years and Russell loved it.
Then one sunny Saturday three years ago his dojo went off to compete in the Eastern Ohio Regional Tournament. They were a heavy favorite to win and Russell himself expected to solidify his position as the top ranked amateur, but that day they faced a new dojo with the almost comical name of Anything Goes Martial Arts. They were made up of misfits and dropouts from other schools and they cleaned everyone's clock.
Even the novices used moves that Russell's instructors had never seen before. The officials were having trouble scoring the matches because the kids moved so fast their blows couldn't be seen. The seventeen year old that eliminated him that day spent more time in the air than on the mat. One by one, dojos fell before them and in the end they swept the tournament.
Like many others, Russell had gone to the new dojo the very next week to check them out and see just what they were teaching. It was like stepping into a bizarre world where quite literally Anything Goes. Before he left that day he had reluctantly hung up his black belt and signed up with the new school.
That had also been the first day he had seen her. As he walked onto the mats for the first time he was struck by the two huge posters at either end of the room. One was the image of a black haired Japanese man caught in the middle of a flying kick. The other was a petite Japanese girl with flaming red hair performing a somersault attack. Both were dressed in Chinese silks and looked about as frightening as a pair of figure skaters.
But these were the Saotome's, the brother and sister team that had brought the ancient Art to America, and as Russell was to learn they were two of the most feared fighters on the planet. Over the years he had seen video taped demonstrations of what they could do and it was truly awe inspiring.
Ranko Saotome in particular had caught his eye and he followed everything written about her in the martial arts magazines and on the Internet. His prized possession was a copy of Soldier of Fortune magazine with a five page spread on Ranko's rout of a group of armed terrorists in Malaysia a few years back.
She had been giving a demonstration to a group of elementary school kids when the heavily armed men stormed the building intending to take the children hostage. Ranko had single handedly subdued them without a single shot being fired or a child being harmed. The local photographer hired by the school that day had captured it all on film and sold it to the highest bidder.
Russell treasured one picture in particular, a close up of Ranko's face wearing a mixture of deadly intent and pure child-like glee. He had never seen an expression like that before in his life and he had never seen anything like it again until just ten seconds ago.
Saotome-sensei had been out to humiliate him from the start, he knew that, but she had done it so skillfully he had been helpless to curb his anger. It was like she knew instinctively what would piss him off and then led him kicking and screaming towards his own doom. When she used his own best moves to get behind him and tap him on the head like a little girl playing tag, he snapped.
He never thought he would actually land the punch and by the time he realized she was looking away it was too late to stop. Even so he had barely grazed her cheek and before he could say anything their eyes had met and he knew what those terrorists had known in the seconds before she attacked. Ranko Saotome was going to hurt him, hurt him badly, and she was going to enjoy every second of it.
Then, beyond all reason she had simply collapsed at his feet and started crying. He stared in disbelief at his hand, if he had hit her hard enough to hurt her it should be stinging like hell. He gazed down at the world famous martial artist, his idol for so many years, and his heart crumbled. Maybe he could apologize, beg her to forgive him, hug her reassuringly and wipe away her tears? He just wanted to make her stop crying, but as he began to drop to his knees Jeff Atkins' knee smashed into his ribcage and sent him flying across the room.
o o o
"Get away from her you jackass!" Jeff roared as he sent the young man sailing into the wall thirty feet away. "Al! Henry! Make sure he doesn't move!" Two of the more experienced franchise owners descended on the dazed man as Jeff turned towards Ranma. She had stopped crying, but that didn't last. As soon as she saw what Jeff had done to Russell she wailed even louder.
"God in heaven Ranma, what's wrong with you?" Jeff asked himself. Ranma had called him almost seven months ago to tell him that he would not be making appearances as himself for a while. He was very evasive about the whole thing and had only shown up as Ranko since then. About a month ago Jeff had gotten a call from her saying that she had some great news and she would tell him about it when they met in New York. He had been too busy dealing with arrangements for the conference to meet her last night and now this had happened.
Jeff assumed it had something to do with the curse. Up until a couple of years ago, Ranma had still been talking about finding a cure someday. Maybe this was all part of some elaborate process to get rid of it. Or maybe the plan had backfired and now Ranma was stuck this way, maybe forever. That would certainly make Jeff want to cry.
His cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket. That would be Ian, frantically calling from London. Jeff looked over to where his assistant Kelly was sitting in front of the bank of computers sending the feed over the Internet. She looked dazed and bewildered, but when he was finally able to get her attention he made a cutting motion across his throat and she switched off the transmission.
Jeff had to regain some level of control here. If this got any more out of hand, it might be impossible to explain away logically. There were five prospective new franchisers in the room and this couldn't look good to them. He knelt down and whispered, "Ranma? Hey, are you all right buddy?"
Ranma just ignore him as she continued to sob. Sensing that people were beginning to close in, Jeff switched genders, "Ranko? Just tell me what's wrong. Why are you crying?"
"I'm guessing you're not married, right Jeff?" the sound of Debra Suzuki's voice came from just over his shoulder.
"Uh…" he said looking up at her, "not for a couple of years."
"Then let a woman handle this, you get up and do some damage control," Debra smiled and gently tugged at Jeff's shirtsleeve. He got up and Debra knelt down beside Ranma. Switching to Japanese she said, "Ranko, it's Suzuki Debora. Would you like to go to the ladies room now?"
Ranma nodded so Debra draped her arm protectively over the redhead's shoulder and pulled her gently to her feet. As she walked past the amazed executive she said in a loud whisper, "I'd suggest you get rid of that," she nodded towards where Russell still lay sprawled out on the floor, "before we get back."
"Don't worry," Jeff replied, "he'll be on the next bus to Ohio."
"Just get him out of here… for his own safety."
Debra walked Ranma down the hall to the lady's room, once inside Ranma rushed for the nearest stall and threw up what little remained in her stomach. When she emerged again, looking a bit less pale, Debra was waiting with a wet towel.
"Feeling better?" she asked in Japanese.
"Much better, thank you Debora-san," Ranma said while wiping her face.
"It's just Debora when the gaijin aren't listening," the blonde American said with a smile, "So, how far along are you? About six weeks?"
Ranma stared at her in shock, "Eight weeks, how did you know?"
Debra chuckled, "I have two kids of my own. I've been there already. This is your first, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess I must seem pretty dumb."
"Not at all, mood swings hit everyone differently. I'm just surprised you didn't knock his block off first."
"I wanted to, but then I realized that I'd already humiliated him pretty badly. Besides, my dad used to throw late punches at me all the time. It's one of the Saotome family secret techniques." When Debra looked puzzled, Ranma smiled and added, "I'm just kidding."
"Hey, you're smiling again."
Ranma tossed the paper towel in the waste bin and looked at herself in the mirror, "How much longer are these things supposed to last?"
"Probably for another couple of weeks, but some women have them the whole time."
"Oh great, now I really have something to look forward to!" Ranma laughed, "Anyway, what I'm really feeling right now is hungry."
"I've seen you and your brother eat, you must be getting back to normal. Have you been craving anything in particular?"
"Do you think by some miracle they might have fried squid on the buffet?"
It was Debra's turn to laugh, "I can almost guarantee they don't, but if you're free tomorrow afternoon I know where we can find some. We might even turn up a takoyaki stand, if your cravings also lean towards fried octopus balls."
Ranma's eyes grew wide, "Really? You can find things like that here?"
Debra grinned and in English said, "This is Manhattan girlfriend. You can find anything here."
Ranma grinned as well and then tilted her head looking at the American, "I was going to ask you before. Your name, Suzuki, is very common in Japan, but you don't look even a little bit Japanese, why?"
"Oh, I'm married to a Japanese man. He's the one who introduced me to kempo. We run our franchise as a team, he does the training and I keep the books. I take it your husband is also in the martial arts?"
"Oh… well, about that…" Ranma blushed slightly and was at a loss for how best to answer that.
"Oh no!" Debra cried out, "I'm so sorry Ranko! I didn't mean to jump to conclusions."
"That's okay," Ranma said with a polite smile, "It's probably not what you're thinking, but I really don't want to discuss it."
"Of course not, It's really is none of my business anyway."
There was a knock at the door and Jeff's assistant Kelly stuck her head in, "Is it okay if Jeff comes in? I'll stand guard."
Debra looked at Ranma and she nodded, "Sure send him in."
Jeff edged his way through the door like he was sneaking into the girl's locker room at high school. He looked around and seeing only Ranma and Debra, he relaxed. "Ranko, are you all right?"
"I fine now Jeffu, not hurt."
"That's good to hear, you scared the living daylights out of me," Jeff relaxed and leaned against one of the stall doors, "What happened? Did Russell actually manage to hit you?"
"No, he touch me little bit. I over react and loose control."
"What's with that? I've never seen you breakdown that way. Is it because you're sick?"
Ranma looked embarrassed so Debra spoke up, "Ranko, you might as well tell him. He'll hear it from someone else soon anyway, I can't be the only one who's figured it out."
"What?" Jeff looked confused.
"I plan tell you dinner tonight," Ranma said in a soft voice. She wanted to tell Jeff everything, but she was afraid what his reaction might be in front of Debra, "I having baby."
Jeff stared at her as the information soaked in, then a broad smile spread across his face, "Oh wow! That's fantastic news! Akane must be on cloud nine, right?"
"No, Jeffu," Ranma said as she laid her hand over her abdomen, "I mother this time."
Jeff's mouth hung open as he stared at Ranma's belly, "Y-you're p-p-p…"
Ranma smiled and nodded, "Yes, eight weeks now."
"Excuse me," Debra asked with a confused look, "who's Akane?"
"Huh…" Jeff said as he turned numbly towards Debra, "she's Ranma's wife," then realizing what he had just said began to stutter, "uh… but… you see… Akane is…"
Ranma decided to jump in before Jeff spilled anymore of the beans. After telling his parents, Akane had cooked up a good cover story for situations like this, "I not carry own baby, Debora. Is Akane and Ranma's."
Jeff blinked in disbelief, "Akane and… Ranma's?"
"So you're their surrogate mother?" Debra asked with a growing sense of wonder.
Ranma nodded, "Yes, Akane not able have children after twins. So I have this one."
"How is that possible?" Jeff seemed to be in the middle of an overload.
"Really, Jeff," Debra said, "This is the twenty-first century. In-vitro fertilization, embryo implantation, it's done all the time."
"Jeffu, I explain at dinner tonight," Ranma said with some urgency as a loud growl erupted from her stomach, "but now can go buffet before all food gone?"
That broke the tense mood and Jeff said with a grin, "Well I guess we better do just that. I wouldn't want to stand between a pregnant woman and a table full of food. Especially not a pregnant Saotome!" he shook his head and laughed.
"Debora," Ranma said as they filed out of the restroom, "Thank you so much and I'd really like to take you up on lunch tomorrow."
"Sure thing Ranko. I'll be looking forward to it."
As they walked back into the conference room, all eyes followed the petite redhead as she crossed to the buffet. Ranma smiled and nodded reassuringly to everyone. After getting a good look around she whispered to Jeff, "Where is Ruseru-san?"
Jeff whispered back, "We had him removed. He'll be out of the hotel tonight and on his way back to Ohio. And good riddance, we don't need idiots like that in the organization."
"No Jeffu," Ranma said with a concerned look, "Ruseru make foolish mistake. Not make him leave, please. He not master of Art, but he still Champion. He have much to learn and you use him in meantime, right?"
Jeff looked a little unsure, he could barely hide his anger at the young man, but he nodded and said "Whatever you say boss."
Debra tapped Ranma on the shoulder and she turned to find her holding up a light brown crescent shaped object, "Guess what?" Debra said excitedly in Japanese, "They have shrimp tempura!"
o o o
Ranma waited for the elevator doors to open. It was still night time in Nerima so she couldn't call home and she couldn't concentrate enough to answer her e-mail, which she noted was four times the normal daily volume due no doubt to her performance this morning. It was too early to meet Jeff for dinner and she couldn't stay cooped up in her room any longer.
She also couldn't wait to explain to Jeff what was really going on, he was such a good friend that lying to him even a little bit had made her feel awful. She was certain he would have some great ideas on how best to spin the situation for the Americans. He should also be able to convince Ian Coleman, his counterpart at Indiscriminate Grappling Schools, to do something similar with the Europeans. The only good news all morning was that the South Americans hadn't been watching the fiasco.
The doors opened and she shivered at the blast of cold air from the lobby. Maybe a walk outside in the late afternoon heat would help to clear her head. As she crossed towards the revolving doors her battle senses suddenly flared up and Russell jumped out from behind a pillar right in front of her. He quickly bowed from the waist and in very bad Japanese cried out, "Go-man-oh-sigh sensei!"
"Ruseru-san!" Ranma was truly shocked to see him like this, "What you doing?"
"Please sensei, I only want to talk to you," something about the look in his eyes kept Ranma from just walking away, "Please give me a chance to apologize and explain."
Ranma reasoned that the guy couldn't possibly want a rematch right here in the hotel lobby, so she saw no harm in letting him get it off his chest, "Okay, explain."
"Um… could I buy you a drink?" Russell said pointing to the lounge next to the lobby.
Ranma looked at her watch. She still had plenty of time before she was supposed to meet with Jeff, but she wasn't supposed to drink alcohol, "I not drink."
"Then coffee, at least sit down with me, I don't really want to talk about this out here."
"Coffee is… also not okay," Ranma had been devastated when Akane first told her she couldn't have her morning cup of coffee anymore, "but will sit with you."
They went into the bar and with some exasperation Ranma let Russell hold the chair for her. He then went to the bar and returned with a beer and a glass of water for Ranma.
Russell sat down and took a quick swig of beer, "To begin with, you can't imagine how sorry I am for throwing that punch sensei," Ranma actually had a pretty good idea, but she didn't say so, "I have no excuse and I really can't blame you wanting to throw me out of the school."
"I not throw you out," Ranma said coolly, "I tell Jeffu not throw out good student for one foolish mistake," then she grinned, "but Jeffu very mad. He probably wait for tomorrow, then tell you."
"Really?" Russell said, "Do you mean that? Oh, thank you sensei!"
Ranma saw hope returning to the young man's eyes. She also noticed for the first time that his eyes were dark gray, just like Akane's.
"I'll never do anything like that again, I promise," Russell continued, "I don't know what came over me, sometimes I just get so angry…"
"That is problem, Ruseru-san. You let anger control you, should be other way around. Until you control anger you not control ki. That why punch not hit me, I sense ki and move." How many times had she given this same lecture to Akane? And once his wife had finally learned to control her anger, she had become a much better martial artist.
"I know," Russell said, staring into his beer, "I've always had a problem with that. I guess it comes from growing up with two older brothers. My dad died when I was really young, and my mom was too busy raising the three of us to teach me any different."
"How old are bothers?" Ranma asked, maybe this was the source of the young man's arrogance as well.
"My brother Kyle is two years older than me. We would have starved to death if it weren't for him. Mom was always working late, so Kyle learned to cook and also kept the house clean. Nothing ever seems to faze Kyle, his answer for all of life's problems is a fresh pot of coffee."
Ranma blinked, why did that sound familiar?
"My brother Eddie is just a year older than me. He was the troublemaker of the family. He always had some scheme for making money and he wasn't above selling out the rest of us to do it either. You know, one time I actually caught him selling half naked pictures of me to the girl's at school!"
This was definitely getting creepy, but Ranma couldn't keep herself from egging him on, "You have many girlfriends in school?"
"Not really," Russell said after taking another swig of beer, "I never really liked girls much, they were always so clingy. Do you know what that means?"
Ranma nodded, "Have good idea."
"That all changed when Aunt Gwen came to live with us. She wasn't really my aunt, just an old friend of my mother's. We were living in this big old farmhouse at the time. It didn't look like much on the outside and it only had one bathroom, but no matter how many people came to stay with us there always seemed to be more than enough bedrooms. Anyway, she moved in with her teenage daughter Lana when I was sixteen."
Ranma's mouth went dry and she quickly drained the glass of water, "Girl name was Rana?"
"Yeah, she was quite a tomboy. Half the people in town thought she was a boy, even I thought she was a boy the first time we met. That is until she forgot to lock the bathroom door." Russell blushed, took another swig and went on, "She's the one that got me interested in martial arts. That was all she ever talked about and she worked out every single day. It just irked me that a girl was better at something than I was… Oops, sorry sensei. No offense intended."
"Is okay," Ranma was definitely beginning to sweat, "This Rana, popular with boys?"
"Oh yeah, lots of boys wanted to date her. Even some of the girls that thought she was a boy wanted to date her. I remember there was even one boy who moved all the way from Canada just to try dating her. At one time I think Lana actually had three fiancés."
"Three?" Ranma looked longingly at her empty water class. She needed to swallow a lump the size of Hokkaido and was as dry as a desert.
Russell looked embarrassed when he said, "To tell the truth, I was one of them. I think I was in love with Lana from the beginning, but because we were always arguing with each other we never realized it."
"What happen, why not marry this girl?"
"Her father showed up out of nowhere one day and they moved to Nebraska. He was really upset that Lana wasn't more ladylike. He said Aunt Gwen had failed to raise their daughter properly. I never heard from them again and all I really have left from our relationship is martial arts."
Ranma suddenly realized that she wasn't just sweating she was hot all over. Flashes of heat raced through her body reaching all the way to her toes. Then the atmosphere in the room seemed to close in on her and in a panic she realized that another mood swing was starting.
"You know sensei," Russell said looking up at her with his watery dark gray eyes, "You've always reminded me a lot of Lana." He let his hand slide across the table towards hers and she jerked it into her lap. "I've always admired you Ranko, I know we got off to a really bad start, but I wish we could be friends…"
Ranma tried to resist the overwhelming sense of anxiety and get control of herself. She felt her battle aura rising in response to the hormonal surge and concentrated hard on suppressing it. So hard that she forgot to speak English, "Ruseru-san, you can't do this. I'm not who you think I am," she stood up unsteadily, "I'm… I'm a married man and… and… you're not my wife! You're not Akane!"
Ranma suddenly realized where she was, that she was standing in the middle of a crowded Manhattan bar shouting in Japanese. She composed herself as best she could and said in English this time, "Ruseru-san, thank you for apology and talk. I go now… have dinner with Jeffu… uh… Goodbye." Then she half walked, half ran towards the exit.
Russell stared after her with a shocked look on his face. Then he gazed down at the table and moaned, "Aw damn, I did it again!" He pounded his fists on the table and buried his face in his arms.
At the bar, Debra Suzuki watched the young man for a minute and then turned around. She swirled what little remained in the bottom of her cocktail glass and signaled the bartender.
"You want another one lady?"
"Actually I'd like you to send a beer to the man over at that table," she pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards Russell, "then I'll have a double."
o o o
An hour later, a much calmer Ranma was sitting in the hotel restaurant with Jeff. She was beginning her second appetizer and just finishing telling Jeff the whole story about the baby, "So, now I pregnant, throw up all time, cry eyes out for no reason and always want food fried. This not make you want visit Jusenkyo, Jeffu?"
"Are you kidding?" Jeff said while crunching on a piece of ice from his water glass, "It makes me want to petition the People's Republic to bulldoze the place and build a shoe factory over it. Just one question though, why are you doing all this?"
"For family… for Akane… for daughter…" Ranma placed her hand tenderly over her belly, "Akane once say I give life for family. That true. This only small fraction my life but exchange for daughter's whole lifetime. Is worth it, yes?"
Jeff looked at his friend and nodded, "Yeah that would be worth it. I've said it before, but Ranma Saotome you are one hell of a man. I can't even imagine what you are going through. What can I do to help?"
Ranma smiled at her friend, "Just remain good friend," then she rolled her eyes once and with a smirk added, "and get us out of mess I cause at conference!"
"Consider it done, by the time I've finished spinning this people will be thinking it was Russell that collapsed in a fit of tears." Jeff started laughing and leaned back in his chair, "You know he really is a promising martial artist and quite the feather in our caps when it comes to publicity."
"I agree," Ranma said between bites of fried calamari, "but he need training under real master. I have idea, but not possible until baby come. I decide before show tomorrow night."
"Okay, but if it involves beating him up I have first dibs."
Ranma looked up from her plate of squid with a puzzled look, "What mean 'dibs'?"
"It means," said Debra, as she walked up to their table, "that our illustrious President is nothing more than a class bully all grown up and dressed in a business suit."
"Aw Debra," Jeff said with a grin, "who ever said that I grew up? I'd invite you to join us, but Ranko and I were discussing some private matters. You understand, right?"
Debra looked from Jeff to Ranma and back again, "That's just it, I don't understand at all. What's really going on here?"
"What you mean?" Ranma said, now that the woman was standing by the table the smell of alcohol was noticeable. "We just have dinner."
"Don't be condescending," Debra dragged a chair from an empty table nearby and sat down with a plop, "After helping you today I think I deserve some answers."
Ranma looked at Jeff who just shrugged his shoulders, "What you want know Debora-san?"
"For one thing, if you're carrying Ranma Saotome's child, why is he off traipsing across Asia for no apparent reason? I've heard him talk about his boys and he doesn't strike me as the kind of man to take fatherhood so lightly."
"Is small world now Debra-san. With Internet Ranma never far and he will be there when child born. I not need him hang around and get in way, have Akane for that," Ranma smiled. If possible she would try and answer Debra's questions truthfully, if not too directly.
"Okay," Debra hadn't lost any steam, "then how come you don't seem to know the first thing about being pregnant? Even if it is your first, your mother should have told you what to expect. Hell, by the time I got to high school I had heard enough from my girl friends to at least know what a mood swing was."
Ranma bowed her head. She needed a moment to think about that one.
"Debra," Jeff interjected, "what's with the third degree? If Ranko…"
"You keep out of this Jeff! I asked Ranko, not you."
Jeff looked like he was about to say more, but Ranma held up her hand, "Is okay Jeffu, I answer," she turned to Debra with a somber look on her face, "I spend ten year on road with father and Ranma, mother stay home. Not see her again until I sixteen. Then she not talk to me, only talk to Ranma. I not learn this thing because learn Art instead. And not have girl friend until in high school."
Debra looked a little unsure of herself now, "Okay, I… I didn't know about that…" her voice trailed off as she tried to remember why she had been so anxious to get these answers. Then she remember the bar, "One last question then?"
Ranma smiled politely, "Yes? What else Debora-san?"
Debra straightened her shoulders, "In the bar just now, you said…" She glanced at Jeff who did not look very pleased. She swallowed hard and continued saying, "You said that you weren't who Russell thinks you are…" she looked into Ranma's cold eyes and began to sweat, "You said that Akane Saotome was your wife…" Debra wasn't very experienced in reading ki, but even she could feel the redhead's aura rising, "then… you said that you were… a man." She closed her eyes so that she wouldn't have to look at Ranko anymore, "If you're not Ranko Saotome and you're not a woman, then you can't really be pregnant. Just who the hell are you?"
Ranma sighed and slumped back in her chair. She looked imploringly at Jeff and they exchanged meaningful glances, "You trust this woman Jeffu?"
Jeff thought for a moment then nodded and leaned back in his chair, "You can tell her if you want. Your story isn't worth more than her job, so I doubt she'll run to the tabloids. Besides, she won't believe it. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seeing it myself and from what you were just telling me you can't show it to her now. Even if you could I wouldn't let you get near hot water in your condition. So go on," he said with a wide grin, "tell her who you really are."
Debra looked at Ranko who seemed to be deep in thought, as if she were trying to make a life or death decision. Then the little redhead pushed back her chair and got to her feet, she stepped up to Debra and bowed formally. Then in polite Japanese she said…
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Saotome Ranma. Sorry about this."
o o o
Akane fiddled with the earring, trying to find the elusive hole that she knew was somewhere in her earlobe. It had taken the combined forces of Nabiki, Kasumi, Ukyo and several of her high school friends to finally get her to pierce her ears before going to college and she still wasn't comfortable with them. Finally the post slipped through the tiny hole and out the back.
She straightened up and checked her appearance in the mirror. She patted the back of her short hair, it was getting a little long so maybe if she had time she might stop by the salon and get it cut. She never grew her hair out again after Ryouga accidentally cut it off that time. Ranma always said he liked it short, but that might just be his way of avoiding a confrontation. They had both learned how to avoid each other's buttons over the years.
She collected her purse from the bed and her shopping list and credit cards from the dresser. Stepping out into the hallway she checked the list quickly to see if there was anything else she needed to take, then headed downstairs to wait for her father to show up and baby sit the boys.
There was a surprise waiting for her in the living room, her father was already sitting cross-legged in front of the Shogi table with the twins on their knees opposite him leaning on table with their elbows, "Daddy? When did you get here?"
Soun looked up and smiled, "Just a few minutes ago."
"Where's Hinako?" she asked looking around for her stepmother.
"In the kitchen putting away the groceries," Soun said, "We brought stuff for lunch and a few other things we thought you might need."
"Daddy!" Akane said in exasperation, "We can afford to buy our own groceries." For some reason her father could not accept the fact that Ranma's business was now global and that they weren't depending solely on the income from the dojo out back. "I'll go give her a hand… um… is she…"
"An adult?" Soun finished her question, "Yes, at least until the boys get their hands on her." He winked at his grandson's and they both giggled.
Akane shook her head, if she ever found out who taught her then three-year-old boys the pressure points to turn her stepmother into a little girl she'd roast them alive. "Daddy, please don't teach the boys how to cheat. They don't even know the rules of the game yet."
"I never cheat Akane-chan, it's strategy."
"Right, well take the pieces you strategically have hidden in your gi and put them back on the board." The twins erupted into giggles as they descended on their grandfather looking for the missing pieces. Akane turned towards the kitchen, but before she got to the door the phone rang.
"Hello, Akane Saotome here… Ranma! Thank goodness you finally called, I've been worried sick about you all night … What? … Sure, but Daddy's here with the boys. Should I use the terminal upstairs? … Okay honey, hold on."
Trying not to look worried in front of her father, Akane put the phone on hold and hurried out of the room. Back in their bedroom she turned on the computer and opened the videoconference program. Within a few seconds Ranma's image appeared on the screen.
"Okay," she said in a worried tone, "we're alone. What's wrong Ranma?"
"Nothing…" said the despondent looking redhead from the other side of the planet, "I just really wanted to see your face. I miss you Akane. I wish I were home."
Akane smiled. She loved it when Ranma allowed herself to be emotional. "You look like you've had a hard day at the office, honey."
After the short delay for the signals to travel around the globe and back, she watched her husband's shoulders slump, "Yeah, I guess so…"
o o o
All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.
This work is copyright © 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.
Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma ½' are copyright © 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.
Author's Notes:
(1) takoyaki - fried dumpling made from octopus, batter and seasonings. It is usually sold by street vendors in Japan.
(2) kempo - general term for Japanese style martial arts.
(3) ki - meaning "life force" or "spiritual energy" this refers to the oriental concept that energy produced by the living body can be manipulated through training and discipline.
(4) Shogi - Japanese board game similar to chess, it is played on a 9 by 9 square board and each player has 20 pieces.