Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2 or any other Anime or Manga titles...yet.
Ranma-Papa, Shampoo-Mama
Chapter Four
"Hello, Ritsu Mirakai's office, how can I help you?" Ritsu herself answered her phone, trying to sound cheerful. She'd been having a long, unsatisfying day as a Child Welfare caseworker, but she kept plugging away, knowing the value of her successes outweighed the failures. The temporary failures.
"Ritsu? It's Ono."
"Oh, is there a problem? I've still got half an hour more before quitting time."
"Not a problem. I've got the girl's name now, though, so if you'd like to check that out I could give it to you."
"Great. That'll give me the details, if she's been taken into state custody before or anything like that."
"Himeko Makashi."
"Got it." The social worker said, tapping the name into her keyboard. Her eyes widened when the screen filled with a large, full file with danger warnings. "Ono, do you have any of those 'special patients' of yours around?"
"Yes, several of them in fact."
"Good, keep them there." She had already set her printer, fortunately a high-speed model, to spitting out a copy of the report. "I'll give you details when I get there but do not let that girl out of your sight. Period."
"Why?"
"Her father is pure evil." She hung up and dialed her boss. He'd want her to take the police with her, but that might just draw Hiokai Makashi faster. This was one temporary failure that she wasn't going to allow to remain one, even if it killed her.
And from what the file said, it just might.
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Dr. Tofu blinked in shock as the sound of a phone slamming down cut off his questions. Shrugging, he walked back into the waiting room where Genma, Soun, Ranma, Cologne, Shampoo and Ryoga filled the couches. The Kitten turned girl, who Shampoo had named Shi, and Himeko both sat, in the floor, surrounded by the adults. Tofu's small office television had been brought out and put on the floor to presumably entertain the two children but Himeko was ignoring it in favor of sitting against Ranma-chan's legs.
Ranma, who had chosen not to change back and confuse the girl, looked up. "What did she say Doc?"
"We are not to let Himeko out of our sight. She sounded pretty upset but didn't go into detail. She also said I should keep you all around and not let Himeko out of our sight."
"Heck, Doc, none of us was planning to leave for a while anyway." Ranma assured him.
Tofu opened his mouth to ask how Shampoo was feeling when a knock came from the front door. "Who is it?" The doctor called out. He'd closed the clinic shortly before they had taken Himeko down to the bomb shelter, which was over two hours ago.
"It's me, Dr. Tofu. Akane. My sister sent some dinner for everyone!"
Tofu opened the door letting Akane in before closing it and locking it again. She was carrying two large, food filled baskets. "She said she didn't know how many were over here, so she packed for an army." Glancing at the crowd, she grinned. "Might not be enough, actually."
"Great!" Ranma chirped. "I'm starving!"
"Like that's any great surprise." Akane shook her head. "Where did you want me to put it?"
"If you can hold on a moment I'll set up a couple of folding tables." Tofu replied. "Soun, Ryoga, Genma, would you mind helping? You stay, Ranma, the Himeko's happier with you near her."
The four Male Men (As opposed to the one Female Man) left the room to get said tables, while Akane settled onto a couch next to Shampoo. The amazon girl had picked Shi up off the floor and set her in her lap. "I take it she's the former cat, while the one clutching Ranma is the Neko-ken girl?" The shorthaired girl said.
"Yes." Shampoo said, then got an impish look in her eyes. "Shampoo think Ranma get engaged again and no tell us."
Akane grinned. "Maybe he beat her in combat. That's fine glomping form she's got there, almost Amazon quality." Both girls giggled. The Fiancee brigade had settled down in the past couple of years, much like Ryoga and Ranma them selves.
"Hey, it ain't funny!" Ranma growled, causing the girls to laugh harder. Shi joined in with the laughing, not really understanding what was happening, but her slowly developing human mind thought it looked like fun.
Ryoga and the others quickly arrived with the card tables and soon everyone was eating a Kasumi made meal. Ryoga asked "So um...what are we going to do about these two?"
"Yeah. Shampoo isn't in trouble is she?" Ranma asked, ignoring Akane's glare. He felt slightly responsible since he helped Shampoo defy her grandmother.
"Officially, no. Amazon law says that animals cursed to be human by Jusenkyo are to be treated as human and there are no actually laws against intentionally cursing animals, outside of it being considered cruelty to animals. Shampoo's reasons definitely prove that is not the case." Cologne shot her great granddaughter a sharp glare. "But I my self am less then thrilled with her right now."
"An Himeko?" Shampoo asked, in an attempt to redirect attention.
Tofu spoke up. "My friend Ritsu Mirakai should be here shortly after work to help us figure that out." As if summoned, another knock shook the door. "Who is it?"
"It's Ritsu, let me in!" Came the reply through the thin door. The surprised doctor soon did as he was asked and offered her a seat. " That was fast. How..."
"My boss more then considers this a priority Ono. Himeko's father is not just abusive and known to us, but a wanted man!"
"Why?"
The social worker looked at the sad looking, and nervous little girl and wished she didn't have to tell them, but she couldn't sugar coat it. "The murder of his wife, and kidnapping of his daughter."
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Hiokai Makashi growled in frustration as he crawled up another tree. It didn't occur to him when he started hunting his daughter that she might use the tree limbs to travel, and not the ground. He Ki claws left visible marks on every limb she touched, but he found he had to keep climbing with the growth of spring filling out the trees. He was again wearing a gi, having recovered his pack from their camp site before setting out on the hunt.
This wasn't the first time he had to chase his daughter, the girl had run away a number of times before, but this is the first time she had traveled as fast of as far as now. Still he suspected he was getting near the end of the trail because the trees were showing more claw marks, suggesting she paused to rest.
Finally he came to the last tree, and found no signs of claws on the ground. "Could she have snapped out of it?" He wondered out loud, looking for some signs of where the girl went after the park tree. His random searching found a blue wallet, which he picked up and opened. It had only a couple of yen, which he pocketed, but it also had the owner's name and address. "Ranma Saotome. How nicely full circle."
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"He did WHAT?" Ranma exclaimed, holding the girl who had started crying at the woman's statement close.
"He killed his wife in the process of taking Himeko from her. The courts had given custody to Ms. Keiko Makashi when they divorced due to Hiokai's criminal record, mostly violent crimes."
"My god." Akane whispered. She had opened the file, and was staring at one of the pictures in shock. Her gasp had drawn attention and Cologne looked from the picture to Ranma. "Well that explains that."
"What?" When Ranma her self looked at the picture, her eyes widened in surprise. The picture could have been of her cursed form in just a few years. "Well damn!" Ranma took a closer look at Himeko, ignoring the injuries he had already documented and now looking at her face and hair. The dirty hair definitely had a red tint to it, while her eyes, a sapphire blue like her own, where in an elfin face. Ranma would think they were brother and sister if not for knowing better. "That's just spooky!"
"What do we do now, Ms. Mirakai?" Soun asked. Several of the people around the tables were shocked, and even impressed, with Soun's stance. He had quietly taken everything in, and was radiating a firm strength he wasn't known for. Only Cologne and Tofu could sense the barely bottled rage that hid just beneath the unusually calm surface. Soun Tendo, father of three daughters and who still loved his dead wife, was personally offended by the story he was hearing, and he was never known for controlling his emotions.
"Well, normally in these cases we either take her to a state home, find living family for her to stay with, or a foster home. Unfortunately she has no living family, and the last time she was put into state custody her 'father' broke in and severely injured several employees in the process of dragging her out.
"Please don't let him take me back..." The girl whimpered, her small arms wrapped around Ranma's. Shi, sensitive if not really understanding why the girl was upset reached over and hugged the girl, since that was what all the nice other cats did to her and made her feel better.
Ranma, even as uncomfortable as he was with showing affection, also gave the girl a squeeze. "Don't worry. That is so not happening."
"You are right, son. It's not." Genma spoke up for the first time. "We'll take her in. We moved back to the house, and have that spare bedroom after all. Might as well use it."
"Damn Pop. Ya surprise me sometimes!" Ranma said, almost respectfully. "But if you even think about training her..."
"Come on boy, I wasn't that bad."
"True, compared to this guy, you're father of the year." Ranma admitted. "But yeah, we can definitely keep this guy away from her."
"Besides, he doesn't even know she's here, right?"
AN: Okay, is he worse then Genma? I'm just curious.