INVASION Volume 2, Part 4: Desire.
DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyou! is copyright AIC/Pioneer, LDC. I do not own or claim any rights to the series or characters. However, this story is entirely a product of my imagination. So, please do not change it! Other than that, feel free to distribute as widely as desired.
FOREWORD: In Japan, they drive on the left side of the street. Therefore, if you were to cross the street, the traffic will come from the right first, then the left.
Certain persons have been letting me know in no uncertain terms that Ryoko and Zak should not be getting together. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Just remember, this is Tenchi Muyo! It just wouldn't be the same if I wrote something that far from what we all know and love. Suffice to say, all will turn out right in the end.
I included the days of the week to help with continuity. Originally, Ryoko's stay at Zak's was to last for two weeks. But, I realized that left so much free time for Ryoko to get into trouble that it just didn't seem likely. So, I trimmed it down.
AUTHOR: Dreamr
EMAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmail.com
LAST REVISION: 25 July 2002
BEGIN CHAPTER 4.
SUNDAY.
Like a certain scientist residing at the foot of the Masaki Shrine, Zak set down his soldering iron and laughed with glee.
"Ya, ha ha ha! I am a genius! I love it when repairs go like this! Now comes the fun part. Hey, Ryoko!" Zak addressed her across the apartment. "Do you know how to play a guitar?"
"Yeah, why?" She answered from her place, stretched out on the couch.
"Really? Cool. I just fixed this guy's amplifier and I need to hook it up and see if it works. I don't have to actually play it to see if it works, but, it would be nice if I got to listen to something other than random twangs and noise."
Ryoko got up and stuck her head in the back room to see what Zak was working on.
"Looks like something Washu would work on."
"Very true. But, she would probably try to improve it to the point where it would break every window within ten kilometers. I just fix them."
Ryoko snickered at Zak's good-natured jab.
"Wanna try it out for me?" He offered.
"You got a guitar?"
"The owner was kind enough to let me borrow one. It's right over there in that case." He pointed to the far corner as he uncoiled the power cable.
Ryoko went to the case and opened it, revealing an electric guitar and its accessories. She took the guitar, the signal cable, and the pick, to the amplifier and plugged the cable into the appropriate jacks. Zak briefly examined the settings before turning the amp on. There was a slight thump as the capacitors within began to charge. He sat down right in front of the large speaker.
"What should I play?" Ryoko asked.
"Anything."
"Hmm..."
Then, Zak saw something he had not seen much of in the last couple days. Ryoko began to smile. She peacefully strummed the pick across the strings once to familiarize herself with the instrument before beginning the song she had thought of. At first, Zak thought it was a classical Spanish piece. But, remembering that Ryoko was not from this planet, he discarded the idea. As Ryoko finished the first song, she began another, skillfully mixing the first with the second.
"Ryoko, where did you learn to play like that?"
"Someplace very far away."
"You're really good."
"I had a good teacher."
"Hmm. He must have been a very patient teacher."
Ryoko's smile grew as she relived one of her few good memories from long ago.
"Very."
"I think I'm jealous."
"Don't be."
"Why?"
Ryoko's smile disappeared, and she stopped playing.
"Because he's dead." She told him, setting the guitar on the floor.
Without further comment, Ryoko went back into the other room and flopped down on the couch. Zak watched her go, curious as to what had happened back then. But, from her attitude regarding the past, he had a strong feeling she would not be willing to talk about it. For the time being, he let it go.
Later that night, Zak awoke when he heard the amp come on. He opened his eyes and saw Ryoko's form illuminated by a small orange energy ball she held in one hand. She adjusted the controls for a moment, then let the light go out. There was a little bit of noise as she sat on top of the amplifier cabinet with the energized instrument. Then, he heard her start to play at a very low volume. At first, he heard a few sniffles. Gradually they ceased as she continued to play. Zak tried to stay awake for the performance. But, eventually, he was lulled to sleep by the sweet melodies.
MONDAY.
"Finally." Aeka congratulated herself on finishing her chores early. Now, she had only one small activity left to do. She had run out of a certain color thread for her embroidery work yesterday and needed to refill. Normally, she could have called Tenchi's father and asked him to purchase some on his way home. Or, as a secondary measure, she could ask Washu to make some for her. However, she had intentionally not asked either of them for this small favor.
Today was Tenchi's first day of final exams. He had let on that his schedule would be irregular for the next week. Today was one of those days. His first exam would take all morning, but there was nothing scheduled for this afternoon.
Aeka looked at the hallway clock and gasped at the time.
"Almost noon!" She had only five minutes to make it to the bus stop or she would miss the bus into town. She was taking a big chance on trying to meet Tenchi before he got on the very same bus she would be disembarking in front of his school. Since he had the afternoon off, and she needed to go in to town on an errand, it made sense to her that they should meet.
Since Tenchi had finally asked her out, she felt it was now acceptable for her to make herself available to him. Although it was pushing the bounds of propriety, it was not like she was throwing herself at him. She would simply inform Lord Tenchi as to her reason for going into town and wait to see if he asked to accompany her. Knowing Tenchi, he would.
"God damn, piece-of-crap, ancient-ass, tape decks." Zak complained as he headed to the kitchen for a well-deserved break. He had been working on one piece of equipment for most of the day with little success and was starting to get stressed over it. When he opened the refrigerator door, he found almost nothing but empty space.
"Pick the one on the right!"
Zak looked into the living room to see Ryoko verbally encouraging a game show contestant to pick the door on the right. When the contestant choose otherwise, she fell to insults.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" (Can't you just hear Ai Orikasa saying 'Baka, baka, baka!' D.)
"You know what I was thinking?" Zak called across the room.
Ignoring his question, Ryoko broke out into a fit of laughter.
"Ha ha ha! Told you so!"
Apparently, the contestant chose wrong.
"Ryoko!"
"What?" She called back, annoyed at the interruption.
"We're out of food."
"So buy more."
"How about if we go out for lunch?"
Ryoko gave him her patented "You must be crazy" look.
"Look. We're out of food, it's lunch time, and I'm out of ideas. Besides, I need to buy something for dinner." Zak considered eating establishments for a moment. "Ah! I know a place you'd like. It's a Mongolian Grill."
Ryoko's look grew suspicious.
"Are you asking me for a date?"
"No." Zak was quick to answer. "But, since that's where I'm going for lunch today, I thought I might mention it to you so you can decide if you want to eat."
He watched Ryoko for evidence of a change of heart. Seeing little difference, he added in another piece of bait.
"It's all you can eat."
That got her attention.
"All you can eat, huh?"
"Yup. That's lunch. So if you want to eat, you're gonna have to go there."
Ryoko considered Zak's proposal for a long time. She was about to decline, when her stomach growled it's opinion.
"Can I take that as a yes?" Zak asked, grinning.
"All right, I'll go." She reluctantly agreed.
"Cool. Although, you are going to have to put on some regular clothes."
Ryoko looked down at herself. She still wore the sweatshirt Zak had given her to wear. She had not bathed in two and a half days and her hair was fairly badly tangled. She sighed.
"Where's the bath?"
"What? Do you think I'm rich or something?"
"No bath?" She skeptically asked.
"Just a shower."
"Some apartment."
"Hey, it's better than what some people can afford."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Aeka fairly leapt out of the bus door. However, a wall of high-school students, all eager to board and be away from their exhaustive tests, stood in her way.
"Excuse me." She tried to make her way through the wall, but they rudely blocked her in their attempt to board. She found herself being swept along with them.
"Please, let me through!"
Suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the throng of young men and women.
"Let go of me this - oh!"
It was Tenchi.
"Aeka, what are you doing here?" He suspiciously asked her, releasing her wrist.
"Well, I, uh... need some thread, and you're here, I mean... it's here, in town I mean, and, um... I thought... I would come into town and get it."
"Be still my beating heart!" Aeka demanded of herself.
"Uh-huh. And how did you end up at my school?"
"I, um... don't really know my way around. So..."
"You didn't think this through until you got on the bus, did you?"
Aeka shook her head, blushing with embarrassment.
"Well..." Tenchi began, "I suppose I could show you where the sewing store is."
"Thank you, very much."
"I'll bet you haven't had lunch yet, either."
"No. I barely made the bus as it was."
"Then, we might as well get something to eat on the way."
"That would be fine." Aeka agreed with a smile.
The bus began to pull past them. Several young men stuck their heads out the windows and yelled at Tenchi.
"Woo-hoo! Way to go, Tenchi! Do behave! Nice legs!"
One guy put his mouth on the window and blew outwards, making a grotesque face on the window. A large teardrop rolled down the side of Tenchi's face.
Aeka looked down and realized she had not changed back into her traditional Jurai robes. She was still dressed in earth-style work clothes. For working around the house in the summer, a sleeveless shirt and shorts were much more practical. Hence, the comment "Nice legs!". She immediately bowed and apologized for embarrassing Tenchi.
"I apologize, Lord Tenchi, for my state of undress! In my hurry to leave I... forgot to change."
"Ah, jeez, Aeka!" Tenchi told her, cringing. "You don't have to do that! People will think I'm important or something!"
Aeka straightened.
"But you are a prince of the Jurai Royal Family. Of course you are a very important person."
"Aah! Don't say that out here! Someone's gonna think we're weird!"
Tenchi quickly took Aeka's hand and led her away from the school. Several students were watching them. Some had snickers on their faces. Others looked at them like they were crazy.
Zak babbled incessantly as he led Ryoko around town. He pointed this and that out to her, oblivious to her lack of enthusiasm. For her part, Ryoko mostly ignored him. She was used to Mihoshi babbling at home and had properly developed the skill of Selective Hearing. That is to say, she was completely ignoring him.
"How much farther is it?" She asked, growing annoyed with Zak's constant talking.
"Just a couple blocks. We're almost there."
They walked in blessed silence for a few moments, before something else caught Zak's eye.
"Wow! Take a look at this! This is..."
Selective Hearing kicked in as Zak turned to the large display window. Ryoko looked around hoping to find something more interesting than whatever it was that Zak was trying to show her. Ryoko's eyes bugged out when she saw Tenchi and Aeka holding hands across the street. She watched as they talked, apparently enjoying the nice afternoon weather. Then, she noticed Aeka's outfit.
"A little risqué for the First Princess."
Jealousy started pumping through her veins. But, more than that, she felt a deep need to be by Tenchi's side. She wanted to feel him and touch him. She took a step into the street.
SCREEEEEEEEEEECH!
Tenchi looked into the street when he heard the sound of screeching tires. He saw Ryoko standing in the middle of the street with a passenger car bearing down on her.
CRUNCH!
His heart leapt into his throat and he felt nauseous as he watched the car's fender wrap around her legs.
Ryoko looked down and saw a meter of aluminum sheet metal wrapped around her right leg. Then she looked up into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. A heavy set man opened his window and began yelling at her.
"Dumb broad! What the Hell are you doing, jumping out in the street like that?"
Ryoko growled at him.
"Who are you calling a 'dumb broad', you fat bastard?"
The guy opened his door and got out to confront her.
"Look! I don't care if you're a super-model! Look at this damage! You're gonna have to pay for this!"
"You call that damage?" She snarled. "I'll show you damage!"
Tenchi watched the exchange from the sidelines. His first instinct had been to run into the street and help Ryoko. But when he saw that she was uninjured, he hesitated.
Ryoko put her fist through the vehicle's hood. Pulling back, she wrenched the metal from its hinges. Spinning around, she launched the hood into the sky like a Frisbee. It quickly disappeared from sight.
"Now that's damage!"
The driver gawked at her. The rubber-neckers gawked at her. Zak ran up and immediately took her side.
"Cut it out, asshole! She just had a near-death experience!" He turned to Ryoko. "Are you all right?" He asked, inspecting her for injuries.
On the far side of the street, Tenchi sighed. Once more, Zak seemed to know exactly what to do.
"Lord Tenchi?" Aeka prompted him. "Shouldn't we see if Miss Ryoko requires assistance?"
"She's fine." He told her. "Zak's there. So, she doesn't need my help."
"Lord Tenchi..." Aeka could see that Tenchi was upset by the incident. He did not look angry. However, he had a very unusual look on his face. It was one she would never expect to see on his face. Tenchi looked like he wanted to cry.
"Let's go." Tenchi took Aeka's hand again, and began quickly walking away, pulling her along behind him.
Ryoko looked at Zak and saw genuine concern in his eyes. He looked really worried. It was an expression very similar to the one Tenchi sometimes wore when he was concerned for her. Tenchi! She looked for Tenchi on the other side of the street. But, both he and Aeka were gone.
"I missed him." She whispered.
"Ryoko?" Zak inquired.
She whirled around and growled at the overweight driver.
"You made me miss Tenchi!"
Both he and Zak took a step back.
"Uh-oh."
Ryoko raised her balled fists into the air.
"RAAAAAHHHHHH!" She slammed her fists against the car's engine block. It snapped from it's mounts and drive shaft and smashed through the street below, leaving a gaping hole in the blacktop. A moment later there was a splash as the engine hit the sewer waters below. Billowing clouds of steam englobed the area as the severed radiator hoses spewed their contents. Using the steam clouds for cover, Zak grabbed Ryoko about the waist before she could do any more damage.
"We're outta here."
He teleported away with Ryoko in his arms.
Later that day, Zak's phone rang, as it was often want to do. As was normal, Zak answered it.
"Zak's. How can I help?"
"Hi, Zak!" A young girl's voice issued from the earpiece.
"Hello, Sasami. What's up?" He jovially greeted the young lady.
"I just wanted to talk to Ryoko. Is she there?"
"Sure. Hold on." Turning to Ryoko as she sat on the couch, he wiggled the phone in his hand. "Hey, cutie. It's Sasami."
Reluctantly, Ryoko got to her feet and answered the call, choosing to ignore the "cutie" comment.
"Yo." She answered, putting the receiver to her head.
"Hi. Um, how are you?" Sasami tentatively asked.
"Lousy. Why?"
Sasami's reply showed considerably less cheer than before.
"Well, um... I was kind of wondering... when you were coming back?" She did not let Ryoko answer before launching into an explanation of the reasons behind her question.
"Aeka's been nagging about all the food that's going to waste without you here to eat it, so I thought I would ask. That way we, um... won't... waste so much."
"Hell, I don't know. Never?"
"Don't say that!" Sasami suddenly yelled at her. "We all really miss you! Especially Tenchi! He hardly comes out of his room anymore except to eat or go to school! You have to come home!"
Anger began bubbling to the top of Ryoko's boiling cauldron of emotions.
"Why the Hell should I? What do I care about Tenchi? He doesn't want me there! He doesn't even like me! If you don't believe me, go ask your stupid sister! He probably told her all about it while they were on their date today!"
"That's not true." Sasami unconvincingly tried to reassure Ryoko.
"Are you calling me a liar?"
"No...sniffle"
"Well. There's not much point in going back, then, is there?"
"Why are you being so mean to Tenchi?" Sasami asked.
"I'm being...?!" Sasami's statement only served to remind Ryoko of what had happened to push her away from Tenchi. Her temper quickly began to get the better of her common-sense.
"He was mean to me first! I'm sick of being treated like shit!"
Ryoko could hear Sasami beginning to cry over the phone. The girl's tears reminded Ryoko of how tired she was of crying.
"Stop crying, dammit!"
WHAM! She slammed the phone back on it's wall-mounted cradle, sending a large crack streaking up the wall next to the mount. Grumbling to herself, Ryoko went back into the front room. Zak stared at her in surprise.
"What are you looking at?" She hissed and spat at him.
Just then, the upstairs neighbor, a salary-man who worked nights, began pounding on the floor.
"Keep it down! I'm trying to sleep!"
Ryoko's eyes blazed and she balled her fists.
"You want sleep?" She screamed at him, "I'll give you sleep! Permanently!"
Her chest heaved, her teeth ground together, and veins bulged from her forehead. Energy arced around her hands, making Zak think she really meant to kill his neighbor.
"Ryoko, relax! He didn't do anything wrong."
The energy arcs slowly ceased, and Ryoko's blazing eyes returned to normal. She took a deep, shuddering breath.
"I... wasn't really gonna kill him. I... just... wish it would stop." She hung her head as the tears began to flow again. "Make it stop."
Zak moved close to her. He put his arms around her shoulders and he held her in his warm embrace.
"Only time can do that." He softly whispered in her ear.
"Then go tell Washu to make time go faster. I'm sick of feeling this way."
Zak softly chuckled.
"I'll mention it to her."
Ryoko lay awake in bed when she heard Zak emerge from his bedroom. Her back was to the door, so she lay still while he went into the kitchenette. When she heard the water running in the sink, she realized he was just getting a glass of water.
Sleep had been difficult for Ryoko tonight. She had tossed and turned, trying to banish the memories of another heart-rending day, with little success. She felt restless and in need of some cheering-up. Silently phasing up through the single sheet that covered her, Ryoko righted herself in mid-air. Wearing only the sweatshirt Zak had given her to cover herself, she floated into the kitchenette, coming to a stop just behind Zak.
He stuck a large glass under the running faucet, filling it to the top. As Zak raised the glass up to take a drink, Ryoko reached forward and slapped the bottom, intending to splash him with the contents. To her surprise, he leaned to the side just in time to let most of the water fly past his head and into her face, instead of his. It ran down her front, soaking the chest of her sweatshirt. She sputtered and rubbed her eyes while Zak laughed at her.
"Ha-ha-ha! Gotcha!"
"Bastard!" She cursed him for foiling her plan. "You're gonna pay for that!"
The water was still running in the sink and Ryoko could see the spray handle sitting innocently in it's holder. She reached for it.
"No, you don't!" Zak blocked her with his body. He set his glass in the sink as Ryoko tried pushing past him. His block was unsuccessful and Ryoko was able to grasp the handle. She immediately sprayed him with cold water.
"Ahrg!"
Zak stuck his hand out, trying to take the sprayer from her. She stretched her arm out as far as she could and continued to hold the trigger down, spraying water everywhere.
"How's it feel, huh?"
Ryoko directed the spray of water at Zak's face. He closed his eyes, and buried his face against his shoulder to block the streams of water as he continued to try for the sprayer. He could not see with his eyes closed, so he used his hand to find where it was by following Ryoko's arm. He put his hand on her forearm and quickly moved down to her hand.
"Hey! Quit feeling me up!" She objected with a growl.
"You ain't felt nothin', yet!"
Zak's hand closed on the sprayer, sending water shooting in all directions. They struggled over the make-shift weapon for a moment until Zak finally got a good hold of Ryoko's hand and wrist. His other arm slipped around her waist to hold her still.
"Now, I've got you!"
He twisted the sprayer back in Ryoko's direction. The cold shower of water hit her on the side of the head. What water that did not soak her hair, ran down and soaked her sweatshirt until it could hold no more. The remainder ran down her body. She held her left hand up between her face and the spray, keeping most of the water from getting in her eyes. When Zak saw that Ryoko was blocking her face, he redirected the spray lower, towards her chest. She twisted and squirmed, trying to free herself of the annoying trickles that ran down her body.
"Cut it --" she was interrupted by a drop of water that ran down her nose and lips. "Dammit. Stop --"
Zak sprayed Ryoko's face again when she lowered her hand a little. The water formed a rivulet that ran down her chest and stomach, then between her legs. Most of it continued down the inside of her legs to the floor. But some of it ran along the more sensitive areas of her anatomy. The sudden erotic feeling, and the excitement that it caused her, made her unintentionally clench her hand around the sprayer. The cheap plastic collapsed easily in her hand, sending the water pouring into the sink instead of down her front.
"Now that's cheating." Zak complained about her tactics.
"Use the faucet." Ryoko's intense gaze narrowed as she managed a quick recovery. "And get you hand off my ass."
"My hand's not on your ass."
"Close enough." She growled again.
Reluctantly, Zak removed his arm from around Ryoko's waist. With the hand that had previously held the now broken sprayer, he pushed down on the water faucet arm, shutting off the flow of water.
"I thought you were having fun."
One of Ryoko's eyebrows shot up in recognition. Zak's statement sounded awfully familiar, but she could not place it in her memory. Thinking about it took too much effort.
"I'm going to bed." Ryoko told Zak, excusing herself from his presence. As she headed back to her resting place on the fold-out bed, Zak spoke to her again.
"I'm sorry if I made you mad."
Ryoko's stress flowed away with Zak's apology, as she arrived at her bedside. she pulled the wet sweatshirt over her head, then used the dry area in the back to wipe herself down.
Zak took two steps out of the kitchenette before stopping dead in his tracks at the sight that greeted him. Ryoko's body was backlit by the city lights streaming in through the window. Her silhouette revealed every aspect of her well-proportioned body. He stared at her for several seconds before speaking.
"Why do you... tease me like that?"
Ryoko looked over her shoulder. She had not realized Zak was looking at her. One way to get him over it would be to smack him upside the head. But, if she went around slugging every guy that ever tossed a second look in her direction, she would never have any time to herself. Usually she tolerated, and sometimes even enjoyed, the way men looked at her. Anyway, Zak was a special case. He was the only one besides Tenchi that ever made her feel desirable. She did not want to punish him just for making her feel good. She had few enough friends as it was. Having finished drying herself, Ryoko tossed the wet garment at Zak. He caught it and held it against his chest.
"Go to bed." She instructed him as she slid between the bed sheets.
Zak hesitated a moment before answering.
"All right." He dropped the shirt on the floor.
Ryoko got a good shock when Zak tried to get in bed next to her. She leapt from the mattress, frustrated with his constant passes at her.
"Will you cut it out?!" She yelled across the bed. "Who said you could sleep in my bed?!"
"You did." He answered, settling in with his back to her. "Just now you said 'Go to bed'."
Ryoko's cheeks puffed out as her frustration grew.
"This is MY bed and you can't sleep here!"
Zak sighed.
"No, Ryoko. This is my bed. I let you use it because I don't want you to have to sleep on the floor like I've been doing for the past three days." Zak's voice rose as he continued to inform Ryoko about the truth of things. "I haven't gotten a decent night's sleep since then and my back is killing me. So, if you want to sleep on the floor, be my guest, but I'm not moving."
Ryoko was surprised at how much Zak's words stung. She had not known her presence here was a hardship for him. It meant a lot to her that he was letting her stay. Other than Tenchi, no one else had ever shown her so much kindness. A lump of guilt began rolling around in her chest.
"Sorry." She meekly apologized.
All was silent while Zak considered her apology.
"Apology accepted. Now go to bed."
Ryoko's lips twisted into a wry grin. Zak had used the same phrase she had. She could see that he was on the far side of the bed, leaving plenty of room for her. Her reluctance was not due to her being shy. But if she were to sleep in the same bed as Zak, there would have to be some conditions.
"All right. But let's get something straight. You stay on that side and I stay over here. If you try anything, I'll rip your balls off and stuff 'em up your nose. Get it?"
"Yes, Ryoko. I got everything straight."
Something in Zak's statement seemed odd to Ryoko. But she could not figure out what it was. Putting the odd feeling aside, she climbed back into bed. Just before falling asleep, she figured out what it was.
"Hey. What did you mean by 'I got everything straight'?"
Zak chuckled quietly.
"I understand completely."
"Uh-huh. That's what I thought."
TUESDAY.
Once again, it was the cursed doorbell that ushered in the appearance of a visitor. Ryoko had tacitly agreed to answer the door while Zak worked. At least it gave her an occasional distraction. Her distraction turned into a surprise when she found Aeka standing outside the door with Ryo-o-ki.
"Mi-ya!"
"What are you doing here?" Ryoko asked of Aeka as Ryo-o-ki wrapped her short arms around her leg.
"I would speak with you concerning current events." Aeka answered.
One eyebrow went up.
"What the Hell does that mean?"
Aeka sighed in exasperation.
"I want to talk to you about your behavior."
"Oh. Why didn't you just say so?"
"I did. You simply did not understand what I was saying."
"Well, if you spoke like a normal person, instead of a snooty palace girl, it would be easier to understand what you're saying, wouldn't it?"
"Rrr!" Aeka swallowed her pride so she could have the discussion she was after, rather than another argument. "May I enter, or not?"
"Yeah, sure. Shut the door behind ya." Ryoko told Aeka as she tried to make her way back into the front room. The large weight on her leg kept her from moving very far.
"Come on, Ryo-o-ki. Let go."
"Mya." Ryo-o-ki refused to release her hold on Ryoko's leg.
"She wants you to come home." Aeka pointed out.
"Yeah, well, this doesn't help."
"Come, Ryo-o-ki. Why don't we sit on the couch with Ryoko?"
"Mya." Ryo-o-ki shook her head.
Zak finally made an appearance as he rounded the corner from the other room. He took one look at Ryo-o-ki and smiled.
"Hey, Ryo-o-ki! Come here and give me a hug!"
The little bundle of energy released her hold on Ryoko and ran to give him the embrace he asked for. Zak swept her up in his arms and spun her around with a jolly laugh.
"Guess what I've got in the 'fridge?"
"Mya?"
"Let's go look." Zak said as he carried Ryo-o-ki away on his arm. As he passed the girls, he tossed them a wink.
Aeka remarked on his attitude.
"He is so flirtatious."
"Something like that." Ryoko vaguely answered as she made her way across the room. Aeka followed to the front room and sat a modest distance away from her on the couch.
"So, tell me. Why are you still here?"
"What's it to you?"
"Very little. However, Lord Tenchi has been beside himself with worry. He's become rather unsociable since you left. My sister, as well. She was so upset after speaking with you last night, that she refused to make dinner. We all had to eat instant noodles."
"The horror!" Ryoko mocked her. "Instant noodles! Oh, the humanity!" She let her head fall back on the back of the couch. "Come on, Aeka. It couldn't have been that bad."
"Regardless, you owe Sasami an apology for yelling at her."
"Bah." Ryoko turned her head away so she would not have to see Aeka. "She'll get over it."
"That is a very callous and selfish attitude to take. You should at least let Lord Tenchi know if you plan on returning. He's very concerned."
"Oh, puh-lease. He's happy I'm gone."
"How would you know? You haven't been home since last week."
"Doesn't really matter anyway." Ryoko lamented her pitiful failure. "I'll bet you're thrilled I'm gone. You finally have Tenchi to yourself. I saw the two of you out, yesterday. You looked like you were having fun."
"That is irrelevant."
"Oh, puh-lease. Tenchi wouldn't go out with me if I got down on my knees and begged! All you have to do is ask, and poof!" Ryoko lowered her voice to imitate Tenchi's. "'Okay, Aeka. I'll go on a date with you.' Must be frickin' nice."
As Aeka expected, despite Ryoko's injured feelings, she was still jealous of the progress she was making with Tenchi.
"Is that why you came here? Because you think Tenchi doesn't like you?"
Ryoko turned onto her stomach.
"You just can't stand the thought of someone caring about me, can you? I have to be miserable for you to be happy. Well, congratulations, Princess. I'm miserable. You must be thrilled."
"This is absurd! I am NOT trying to make you miserable! You do that well enough on your own."
"Gee, thanks."
"Well, look at you! You sit around all day feeling sorry for yourself! Do something!"
"Like what?" Ryoko spat the words out.
"How should I know? Think of something. One thing I do know is that if you sit around all day doing nothing, then nothing is exactly what will happen. If you want things to change, then you must do something about it."
"What do you think I've been doing? It doesn't work! He won't even look at me, now!"
"That's ridiculous. He looks at you all the time, just the same as he looks at me, or anyone else."
"That's the problem! He won't look at me the way I want him to! Every time I try something to get him interested, he runs away, or..." she cast an angry glance in Aeka's direction. "...you get in the way."
"Don't try to tell me you've given up." Aeka admonished, ignoring the implications of what Ryoko had just said.
Ryoko buried her face in her arms.
"I'm not the one who gave up. Tenchi is."
"Rubbish. Lord Tenchi would never give up on any of us."
"Well, he gave up on me. He told he doesn't like me and that he doesn't want to see me anymore."
"This is totally ludicrous! You're just making that up."
Ryoko lifted her head a bit so she could see Aeka's face.
"You don't believe me either. Hmph. Sasami's gonna make a great princess, someday, with such a glowing example to follow."
Aeka found that she could no longer carry on a rational conversation. The very idea that Tenchi would give up on Ryoko was preposterous. It was completely unbelievable to her. He had always been one of her staunchest supporters. For him to have done what she claimed, he would have broken his word to never forsake any one of them. Aeka got to her feet.
"I have to go."
"Yeah, you wouldn't want to pollute yourself with my presence."
"Ryo-o-ki! We're leaving." Aeka called to her travel partner.
"Myan?" Her high-pitched voice echoed from the kitchenette.
"You may return later if you wish, but I would like to return home."
"Mya."
Zak carefully set Ryo-o-ki down on the ground, so she would not drop her carrot. As Aeka approached the door, she spoke quietly to Zak.
"Zakaraia, may I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"How do you feel for Miss Ryoko?"
Surprised, he stared at Aeka for a moment before answering.
"I'm worried about her."
Aeka carefully evaluated his manner and spoken answer. It would prove important to know what was right for the current state of affairs, or any changes that may occur in the near future. No matter how much she had tried to convince herself over the last couple of days, she could not justify trying to gain Tenchi's favor if he and Ryoko were still interested in each other. However, even the First Princess had limits to her patience.
"I see. Thank you for your honesty."
Aeka opened the door and let herself out.
"Please, have a pleasant day."
As Zak closed the door, he waved goodbye to the pair of girls. Once they were out of sight, he went to check on Ryoko. She was still slumped over the back of the couch. He joined her there and, gently placing his hand on the side of her face, he made eye contact with her. She was the first to speak.
"You didn't really mean what you said about being worried about me, did you?"
"Yes, I did."
He looked into her eyes for a moment more before placing a kiss on her left cheek. Ryoko felt a sudden surge of longing for that kind of affection, and a need for security that only physical contact could provide. Zak moved away, then turned and went back into the kitchenette. He soon returned with two cold cans of beer.
"I think you need a beer." He told her holding one can out to her.
Ryoko took the offered can. Popping the top, she quickly drained the beverage. She turned over and stared at the blank TV screen for a minute before letting loose with a titanic, soul-rattling, belch.
"Very nice." Zak complimented as he say down close to her.
"At least there's something I can do right." She joked.
THURSDAY.
Ryoko was hauling a huge bag of potato chips out of the kitchen when the phone rang. She was right there next to it. She had heard Zak answer it a million times. She knew the greeting by heart. She was feeling better.
"Well, what the Hell." She picked up the phone.
"Zak's. How can I help?"
Answering the phone properly gave her a warm fuzzy feeling.
"Ryoko?" Tenchi's voice asked from the other end.
Ryoko's heart skipped a beat.
"Hey." She nervously answered.
"Um, how's it going?"
"Okay."
Zak stuck his head out of his work area to see what was going on.
"Everything's okay, then?" Tenchi asked.
"Mmm, I guess so."
"I, ah... I was wondering. When are you coming back?"
Ryoko closed her eyes.
"Oh, please. Not now. It's too soon."
"How should I know?" She answered.
"Please, come home."
Ryoko held her breath at Tenchi's invitation. She really did want to see him again. However, there was still pain in her heart. As long as she felt that pain, she would not feel comfortable around Tenchi.
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Why should I go back if you don't even like me, anymore?"
"I never said I didn't like you."
"Yes, you did!" She insisted, perhaps a little more forcefully than was required. Despite Ryoko's excitement, Tenchi remained calm. He knew getting into an argument with her would not solve anything.
"I said I didn't like what you were doing."
"Same thing." She said, pouting.
"I disagree. But, I'm not going to argue about that. I called for a different reason."
"What reason?"
"I'm sorry for hurting you."
Ryoko leaned her shoulder against the wall as Tenchi's kind words began to sink in.
"I... didn't mean it." She revealed. "About hating you."
"I know you didn't. It's my fault for upsetting you."
Finally, Ryoko began to feel hope, again. Hope that maybe, just maybe, Tenchi really did like her. Even the closest family members occasionally fought. Maybe she had just over-reacted.
"Please, come home." Tenchi asked again.
Ryoko thought hard about going back. But every time she thought about being back in that house, she felt pain thumping at her chest. She still was not ready to face everyone.
"I can't."
"Ryoko..."
"No. I... mean it." She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she forced the words out.
"Why won't you come back? I don't understand."
Glumly, Ryoko wiped the tear away.
"That's why." Ryoko could tell this conversation had already stretched past the point of no return. She decided to put an end to it before anything else bad happened.
"Look, Zak does his business on this phone, so I have to hang up, or he'll start missing calls."
"All right." Tenchi calmly answered her. "I guess I'll talk to you later, then."
"Okay. Um..."
"'Bye." Tenchi hung up without waiting for her goodbye.
Ryoko stared at the phone in shock. Tenchi had hung up on her, sort of. She stuck the receiver back where it belonged. For a while, she stood still as she tried to decide what had actually happened just now. Tenchi had apologized, and she had declined his invitation to return. So, naturally, he might be feeling a little angry with her.
"Okay, relax. He's just a little pissed, that's all."
"Hey." Zak greeted her.
"AAAHH!" Ryoko's arm swung around to defend herself from the unexpected presence. A two pound bag of potato chips caught Zak in the side of the head, sending him, and the chips, flying across the room. Ryoko stared at the blown out bag with a tear in her eye.
"My chips..."
FRIDAY EVENING.
Tenchi climbed to the roof using the ladder he had installed on his balcony. He had taken the pains to make it more permanent because he seemed to climb up here to retrieve Ryoko frequently enough to warrant it. As he cleared the edge of the roof, he saw no one. There was only a lonesome, brick chimney outlined against the faint glow of distant city lights on the cloud obscured horizon.
"Wait a minute. When did we get a fireplace?" Grinning, he crept quietly towards the chimney. He peeked over the top, expecting to see cyan blue hair sticking up. There was nothing. Tenchi's grin disappeared. Unsure of what to do next, he sat down next to the chimney. He was surprised at how odd it felt not finding Ryoko sitting here.
With little interest, Tenchi examined the red bricks. He noticed something scratched against the surface. Only Ryoko would deface a fake chimney. Looking closer in the darkness, he could just make out that it was a heart. Within, it read "Ryoko loves Tenchi forever". A lump began forming in Tenchi's throat. From the other side of the chimney, Washu's voice spoke to him.
"Bet you wish she was here."
Surprised, Tenchi scrambled to his feet.
"Washu! I was, um, I mean, I just, er..." Unable to come up with a neutral answer, Tenchi sighed in resignation. "Yeah."
"Maybe she still would be if you hadn't broken her heart."
"I didn't mean to hurt her. She's just... so frustrating."
"That doesn't mean you give up!" Washu glared at him crossly. "I thought you were better than that."
Tenchi hung his head.
"You... expect too much from me. I'm no prince, or savior. I'm not a samurai or a white knight. I'm just a teenager."
Washu put her hands on her hips.
"If that's what you think, then that's all you'll ever be. Tenchi, you have great potential. You can be anything or do anything if you only try!"
"I just want to be a normal person."
"Then that's all you'll ever be; normal. Just like everybody else. Nothing special, nothing important, nothing different. Tsk. Do you think a girl would ever be interested in someone like that?"
"Sure. There's lots of girls that want a nice, normal guy."
"Well, MY girl isn't and neither is Aeka! So if you want either of them, you'd better get off your ass and do something about it! Girls don't wait forever. And as long as we're talking about girls... On my daughter's behalf, I'll tell you something. While Aeka might like living quietly in the country, my girl is restless! She needs an outlet. She teases you because she wants to get out and experience life!" Washu grinned slyly. "That includes sex."
Washu's last comment lit a fire under Tenchi. He had just said he was a teenager, and teenagers wanted to get out, as well. But he always felt like his responsibilities were keeping him tied down at home.
"I understand that, Washu. But I can't be everywhere! I'd like to have a girlfriend. That's normal! But if I start seeing one of them, the others will get jealous and make trouble! And it wouldn't be right to be seeing them all at the same time. That would be just as bad, if not worse!"
Washu stared daggers at Tenchi.
"Well, it seems you have one less girl to worry about now. If you're not careful, you'll have two less pretty soon."
"That's not fair, Washu! Don't my feelings count, too?"
Washu looked at Tenchi in surprise. She mentally readjusted her respect level for Tenchi back up a notch.
"Oh, so you do have feelings? How come you never show them?"
"I..." Tenchi hesitated. "I don't know."
"Bull. Just like anyone else, you're afraid, Tenchi. You're afraid to get hurt." Washu examined him for a moment. "Ryoko has never been afraid of anything. She has never had any reason to be. She's never been hurt before. At least, not until a week ago."
A breeze caught Washu in the face. Her long red hair waved back and forth as she closed her eyes, feeling the wind in her face. She spoke again, opening her green eyes.
"Ryoko needs to be free, not cooped up, out of sight and out of mind. She loves you, so she's tolerated this guilded cage you've locked her into." Washu gestured at the house below their feet. "Now that being in this house brings her pain, she may not want to live here."
"What should I do?" Tenchi asked of Washu.
"That's for you to decide, Tenchi. But, I'll tell you something. I'm pretty sure Zak's in love with her. He knows how to treat a lady, and I doubt Ryoko would have gone to his place if she didn't like him."
"I know." Tenchi did not like the idea that Ryoko had feelings for someone else. "I know."
Washu started slowly making her way to the ladder at the roof's edge.
"Maybe you should apologize." She suggested.
"I tried that." Tenchi told her. "I called her and apologized. I practically begged her to come back! It didn't work."
"A phone call?" Washu looked at Tenchi with disdain. "Try harder."
As she started down the ladder, her voice echoed off the wall of the house.
"Flowers never hurt." Washu tried to remember the last time she had received flowers. "Girls like flowers."
Tenchi thought about Washu's suggestion.
"Flowers, huh?"
FRIDAY NIGHT.
Ryoko suddenly lurched upright from the bed, sweating bullets and breathing like a racehorse after the Kentucky Derby. She was very glad she had decided to shed the sweatshirt before sleeping, tonight.
"Damn it!" She complained, trying to calm herself in the aftermath of her nightmare, as she clutched the sheets to her chest.
"Bad dreams?" Zak asked from his side of the bed.
Ryoko did not bother to answer. She just threw herself back down, making the rickety foldout bed moan and creak.
"Shit! I'm so sick of it!" She complained, propping a forearm over her eyes. "It's always the same stuff: death and destruction for as long as I can remember. I wish it would all go away."
"Is that why you tried so hard with Tenchi? Are you so desperate to have a normal life without your past?"
"Is that it?" She thought. "Is that why I've been holding on so tight?"
Despite her moment of self-reflection, there were no answers tonight, only empty images and emptier hearts.
"I don't know. I just don't know anymore."
Zak rolled over so he could see the person he was talking to.
"You can have what you want. You just have to work for it."
"Tsk. 'Fraid I'm not very good at holding a job."
"Heh. I didn't mean that kind of work. What I meant was you get out of life what you put into it."
"Then I might as well kiss my ass goodbye, huh?"
"Come on, Ryoko. Don't you have a dream?"
"Yeah. Tons of 'em. They all suck."
"Oh, bullcrap." He said, sitting up on an elbow. "Even you have to have a dream. Isn't there something that makes you smile just thinking about it?"
For a long time, Ryoko lay, silently living with her pain. Once, she would have answered without hesitation. Now, she was reluctant to even speak. Thinking about her nearly broken hope and cracked dreams nearly brought her to tears. She took a long and deep breath to stabilize herself. Then she tried to say the word. But it would not come out. She turned away from Zak, avoiding his question, rather than trying to force an answer from herself that would not come. This time, it was Zak's turn to remain silent for a long time.
"You can still find love."
In response, Ryoko quoted an old enemy.
"Who could ever love a monster like me?"
SMACK!
Zak slapped Ryoko on the rear. She flipped over, onto her knees, ready for a fight. The sheets fell to the mattress, revealing her naked body to Zak.
"What the Hell was that for?!"
"Don't ever call yourself a name like that!"
"Why not? I was created in a lab by a mad scientist! Shit! I don't even know which one! I was just a thing to them! A tool for someone's sick pleasure! I killed and burned and... and... all sorts of things! I..." Ryoko hung her head in shame. "I... don't deserve love."
"Yes, you do. Everybody deserves love, especially someone who's never known that feeling." Zak reached out and took Ryoko's hand. She looked at the fingers clasped around her hand. Slowly, her fingers curled around his. She risked a quick glance up and saw Zak's hopeful smile.
"You're so beautiful, Ryoko. I can't believe you don't have guys breaking down the door just for a chance to look at you."
Ryoko kept completely silent. The walls she kept between herself and Zak were beginning to crumble. His words were sweet and his tone soothing. She wanted nothing more than to give herself to the moment and quit the fight that raged quietly within. But that would never happen. Though he could hold her and ease her anger, though he could coo to her and make her smile, though he could stare at her and make her feel desirable, he could never ease the guilt she felt for everything she had done in her life. Only Tenchi could do that.
"About your dream..." Zak began. "I'll make you a deal. Go out with me tomorrow night. If, after that, you're still not interested, I promise I won't try anymore."
Ryoko, smirked, not at all convinced.
"Not that it'll ever happen, but, what if I do get interested?"
"Then you have to give me a fair chance. But, if not, you probably shouldn't stay too much longer."
"Put out or get out, is that it?" Ryoko snorted.
"No, it's not. I just... like you too much not to try."
Ryoko found she wanted to succumb to his charm. His words of support always made her feel better. Zak's next comment lightened the atmosphere a little.
"Besides, I wouldn't want Tenchi to get jealous."
Ryoko turned her face away to hide the smile that suddenly broke free.
"Yeah, right. Like that'll ever happen."
Zak returned her good-natured humor.
"Either way, I want you to have some fun, okay?"
Ryoko heaved a huge sigh.
"All right. I'll... go out with you."
Zak squeezed her hand.
"You'd better take me someplace exciting or I'll be pissed." She warned.
"I know the perfect place. You won't regret it."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll believe it when I see it." Ryoko released Zak's hand before she laid down, facing away from him. To his surprise, the young lady laid down with her back against his chest. She then pulled the sheets up to her armpits.
"You're sober, right?" She asked.
"Yeah..."
"And you remember what'll happen if you try anything like last time?"
"Damn right I remember."
"Good."
As Ryoko cuddled back against him, Zak found the temerity to put his arm around her waist.
"Is this all right?"
"Is what all right?"
"Never mind."
SATURDAY MORNING.
Late the next morning, it was Zak's doorbell that was the "Gong of Doom". When he opened the door, he found Tenchi, with a very serious and sincere expression on his face, bearing a bouquet of flowers.
"Tenchi." He stated, rather surprised that Tenchi would actually show up like this.
"Is Ryoko here?" Tenchi asked.
Ryoko emerged from the kitchenette with a sandwich on a small plate. She wordlessly handed the meal to Zak, while keeping her gaze on the flowers Tenchi had brought with him.
"Thanks." Zak said as he accepted the sandwich. "I guess you two probably want to talk. Um, I'll go work on something in the other room."
Tenchi's hopes began to sink when he saw Ryoko and Zak acting so casual with each other. The way she presented Zak with his sandwich reminded Tenchi of a wife feeding her husband. When he noticed Ryoko eyeing the flowers, he remembered he was intending to present them to her.
"Here." Tenchi held them out to her. "I, um... I... brought these for you.
Much to his relief, Ryoko smiled and accepted his offering.
"What's the occasion?"
"Uh..." Tenchi suddenly remembered his manners. He took a deep breath, then fell to his hands and knees, begging her forgiveness.
"I'm really, really, really, sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me."
Ryoko gazed at Tenchi prostrating himself before her and immediately forgave him for every trespass he had ever committed. Her impassive expression softened as she gently inhaled the soft fragrance of Tenchi's gift.
"My Tenchi brought me flowers." Ryoko began to smile again.
"Sasami's right. You are silly. You comin' in, or what?"
"Not until I've been forgiven." Tenchi insisted from his place, face-down on the floor, outside the front door.
This time, when she smiled, Ryoko felt more like her old self. Tenchi had a tendency to get a little dense when it came to women. So, she decided on a more direct way to demonstrate her acceptance of his apology. Kneeling down in front of him, she placed her fingertips under his chin and pulled his face up until it was level with hers. Their eyes met for a moment. Then, she kissed him on the end of the nose. Without waiting to see his reaction, Ryoko stood and went looking through the cupboards for something to put her flowers in.
"How about this? Twice in one month. I must be getting popular."
WHAM!
Tenchi hit the floor with his face.
"That isn't funny, Ryoko!"
"Then do something about it." She told him as she located a plastic bucket beneath the sink.
Tenchi's response would have been very effective if he had chosen to voice it. But, wary of over committing, he kept it to himself.
"I'm trying."
Flowers followed water into a yellow plastic bucket. The bucket stayed on the countertop.
"So." Ryoko asked, turning back to Tenchi. "Did you want to talk about something?"
Tenchi finally managed to make his way inside. He addressed the question as he removed his shoes.
"Uh, yeah. I guess there is. Um..."
"Let's talk outside." Ryoko suddenly suggested.
"Huh?"
She took Tenchi's hand in hers. The room flashed by and Tenchi found himself outside on the fire escape.
"I wish you'd warn me before you do that."
It was the ten millionth time he had mentioned this to Ryoko. She ignored his comment, concentrating instead on the feel of the late Spring breeze rustling her hair. Tenchi rarely allowed himself to take a long look at any of the girls. But despite himself, he found he was looking anyway. Ryoko reached up and brushed her hair back, revealing her long ears. She felt some of her old cockiness returning when she looked over and saw Tenchi staring at her.
"I thought you didn't like looking at me."
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?"
"I only wanted some privacy."
There was not much Ryoko could say to that.
"I wanted you to see my new outfit."
"I saw it, all right."
"Did you like it?"
"I've never seen anything like that before. I didn't know what to think."
"So, what do you think now?"
"It was... very revealing."
Ryoko gazed intently at Tenchi, as if trying to discern something that resisted discovery.
"Too revealing?"
"Yes." Tenchi confirmed.
"Is that what you thought when you found your dad's porno mags?"
Tenchi turned bright red.
"How... did..."
Ryoko giggled again.
"You brought them to my cave, remember?"
Tenchi nodded with embarrassment. Ryoko continued the trip down memory lane.
"Do you remember what you did while you were looking at those pictures?"
"Aw, come on! I was a curious teenager!"
Ryoko moved closer to him.
"From what I remember, you were more than just curious."
"Ryoko, what does this have to do with anything?"
"I know you like looking at naked women. So how come you won't look at me when I'm naked?"
"Because, you'll want me to do more than just look."
"That's the whole point! I want you to do more!"
"But, I'm not ready for that!"
"You liked those girls in the magazines enough! Why don't you want to do that with me?"
"Ryoko, those were just pictures. You are a real person. If we get that close, and later, I find someone else, it'll hurt a lot more than those things I said."
In an act of incredible bravery, Tenchi took hold of both of Ryoko's hands.
"Ryoko, listen. You're plenty enough attractive for me."
Ryoko's head came back up, a hopeful expression on her face.
"But, I can't afford to make a mistake about this. It's just as important to me as it is to you."
"It's been two years." Ryoko pointed out.
"I know. I'm sorry I've been keeping everyone waiting for so long. Things have been so crazy. I've hardly had a moment to stop and think about these things. But, I do know that I've missed you this past week. We've all missed you and we want you to come home."
"Tenchi..."
After a few moments of silent contemplation, Ryoko slumped against Tenchi's chest. She thought about going back for a long time while leaning against him. Though her heart still ached over what he had said to her a week ago, she still loved him more than anything. The pain within her heart had significantly lessened over the days spent away from Tenchi. She could actually think rationally about what had happened between them.
Then there was Zak. She had promised to go out with him, tonight. She had no idea what he was planning for tonight. But if she knew him, it would be big. She was actually looking forward to it. If she went home now, it would mean breaking their date.
Ryoko fought within herself for several minutes without resolving the conflict. Eventually, she was able to reach a conclusion by shutting off her internal dialogue and going on nothing but her feelings.
"I'll think about it."
"What?"
Ryoko pulled away to see what damage she had unwillingly wrought. Tenchi looked crushed, but she stood firm. Now, she was the one who needed time to consider her feelings.
"Don't look so sad, my Tenchi. You'll make do with a stuck-up princess for a while."
As she stood in front of Tenchi, Ryoko noticed something different about him.
"By the way, who said you could get taller than me?"
Tenchi did not answer. He just let his head rest back against the side of the building as he looked over Ryoko's head at the cloud filled sky.
"Tenchi?"
Still he did not respond.
"Cut it out, Tenchi. You're freaking me out."
Tenchi finally heaved a huge sigh.
"I understand." He said, looking at her once again. "But, I'd like to ask you something."
"Okay..."
"Are you happy here, with Zak?"
Ryoko's eyes went wide with surprise. A moment later, she grew a face-splitting smile. Laughter issued forth from her throat as he arms snaked around Tenchi's neck.
"If my Tenchi gets anymore jealous, he'll turn green."
"I am not jealous." Tenchi insisted as Ryoko pressed her body against his.
"Are you sure?" Ryoko asked, only a centimeter from his face. She inhaled, getting a snootful of Tenchi's scent. His pheromones quickly intoxicated her mind. Unable to contain herself, she began nuzzling his neck.
"Tenchi..."
Tenchi's arms went around the trim girl's waist, embracing her tightly.
"I'm sorry, Ryoko. I really am."
When Ryoko felt Tenchi suddenly put his arms around her, a surge of passion rushed through her body. She nearly gave in to the sudden urge. But, recognizing that Tenchi would not be very understanding if she were to suddenly rip his clothes off, she broke away. Tenchi was a little surprised when Ryoko suddenly pulled away. He watched as she took a step back. Ryoko stared back at him, desire practically dripping from her features.
"You... are lucky." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself. "If you don't go home now, I don't think you'll get there."
Tenchi's eyes went wide.
"Ah, okay..."
Ryoko reached out and placed her fingertips on Tenchi's chest. There was a moment of disorientation, then they were at Tenchi's home. He always felt weird when Ryoko teleported him somewhere. This time he felt weird because Ryoko was undressing him with her eyes. Her hand began to entangle in his shirt. Tenchi quickly reached up and disentangled her hand from his chest area.
"Um, okay. I'm going in, now." He announced.
"You do that." She advised him.
"I'll see you later?" He asked, holding her hand.
Ryoko finally looked away, feeling guilty that she could not yet grant his request.
"Tell Sasami I said 'Hi'." She offered instead, withdrawing her hand.
"Please stay."
Ryoko shook her head, though she did crack a bit of a grin.
"Thanks for the flowers." She said as she took flight. "'Bye."
Tenchi watched as Ryoko flew off back towards town. For a while he just stared at the pale sky. Finally, resigning himself to the fact the Ryoko really was not coming home for the time being, he went inside. Immediately upon entering, he was assaulted with questions about the temperamental space-pirate.
"How'd it go?"
"Where's Ryoko?"
"Is she coming home?"
"Did she like the flowers?
"What happened to your shoes?"
Aeka was silent.
Tenchi swept his gaze across the room.
"Well, she did like the flowers."
Aeka chose this moment to speak.
"She's not returning, is she?"
"She said... she'd think about it."
There were a couple sounds of sympathetic disappointment.
"I, um.. I'm... kind of tired, so I think I'll go get some rest. I... have to practice with Grandpa before dinner."
The girls watched as Tenchi went up to his room. As soon as he was out of sight, Washu hit Aeka on the head with a rubber mallet.
"Ow!" Aeka complained, rubbing the egg on top of her head.
"That was low, Aeka."
"Really, Aeka! That was pretty mean." Mihoshi agreed.
"Well, excuse me! It's not my fault Ryoko is so selfish!"
SMACK!
"OW! Will you stop that?"
"I'll stop when you stop."
"It's the truth!"
POW!
"But Mommy, I don't want to go to school today!"
SLAM!
END CHAPTER 4.
AFTERWORD: I know this seems kind of like a rehash of the old "Ryoko's in heat" story, again. But I always felt taking it to that extreme was a going a little too far. This seems a bit more within the realm of probability. Think of it this way. Why would Washu create a being which could not control it's sexual impulses? There is a logical explanation. Read the next chapter to find out.