A/N: I have edited all previous chapters to correct grammar, timing, and name issues. Thanks to Compucles for the notes on that. This chapter ends the first arc of Silver Linings Dojo. I have mapped out some twenty-five chapters, so if it seems to move slowly that's because it will not be a short work of fanfiction. Hopefully knowing the intended length will ease some tension concerning the need for resolution: the first arc is largely the opening act of this story. The beach was amazing, in case you were wondering where I've been the past three days; if only you all could have been with me (dramatic sigh).

To my reviewers, I give my love. I will endeavor to maintain grammar (I have enlisted an editor for future chapters when she is free enough to spare the time). Now, a sensitive subject: Ranma and Akane. I assure you that I love both characters with conviction, and both will be treated well. However, this is a psychological thriller (have you noticed?) and anything-goes (I'm on a roll here).

Please refer to the prologue for content rating information.

Disclaimer: The original work below is based on the characters and works of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media. I do not own the rights to any of this content, and am not benefiting financially from its publishing.

Silver Linings Dojo

by Kevin Mohaj

Chapter 4: A Normal Day in Nerima

In the heat of noon that Sunday, Kasumi was finishing lunch per her routine, but her thoughts were stretching thin. Tofu-sensei had called last night to talk about Ranma and Akane. After several minutes of stuttering and no fewer than three accidental disconnections the doctor explained that he wasn't certain how or when it occurred but that her name was listed as the primary guardian on Akane's and Ranma's medical files. He explained that Ranma was prescribed a sleep-aid, but that the doctor didn't want to rush into any form of medication before attempting therapy. That was about all Kasumi could glean from the atypical phone call, and decided not to push the doctor.

Kasumi watched as Nabiki came downstairs in her usual grumpy demeanor and took her place at the table with several official documents in a portfolio she was laying out on the table. Kasumi hummed to herself as she put Nabiki's lunch in front of her.

"Ono-sensei called last night about Akane and Ranma," Kasumi scanned Nabiki's face and wasn't surprised to see her classic self-satisfied smirk. Kasumi continued, "He said that their files indicate I am their authorized guardian… I wonder how that could have happened."

Kasumi frowned as Nabiki began to stir her tea with a lazy finger. Nabiki looked up with feigned innocence before replying, "Sounds like a mystery to me. Then again, I've never seen daddy or Uncle Saotome making any efforts to help Akane and Ranma." Nabiki sipped her tea, and when her gaze returned Kasumi was surprised to see anger in her eyes, "In fact, I can't help but feel that those two have made things much much worse for our little sister. Still sounds odd. I mean… Auntie Saotome would have had to agree to Ranma's transfer…"

Kasumi clucked her teeth in uncharacteristic annoyance, but kept silent. Nabiki had her own way of handling everything, and this was likely just her opening volley. Kasumi was torn between wanting to respect her father and Uncle Saotome, and acknowledging that Nabiki was likely correct. Kasumi wanted to believe that she could trust the two, but another part of her felt like Nabiki was making a fair point.

"All the same, I think it's time to invite Auntie and Uncle Saotome to dinner," Kasumi finished the statement as Ranma was walking downstairs rubbing sleep out of his eyes. Kasumi noticed that his eyes seemed less withdrawn, and handed him a cup of tea while finishing, "Don't you think so Ramna-kun? Did you get some sleep last night?"

Ranma shrugged before taking his seat. "I'd like to see Mom and Pops, and yeah I… erm… eventually got to sleep last night. Didn't think I'd sleep all day."

Kasumi put a plate in front of him and nodded at him, "You have to get your rest, Ranma-kun. Tofu explained that to you, ne?"

Ranma merely nodded and began to pick at his food as was his growing custom. Kasumi noticed that Nabiki was dividing her attention between her breakfast, her papers, and secretly looking over at Ranma. Her worried expression was not lost on Kasumi, but the eldest sister simply sat and began her own lunch. Tofu-sensei said it would take time for Ranma to learn to cope, but how much time can he possibly have? Kasumi knew that the peace and quiet of the last week couldn't continue forever.

After eating most of his meal, Ranma looked around like he was just waking up. His expression was concerned as he tried to ask in a neutral tone, "So… um… where is Akane?"

Kasumi smiled to herself before replying, "She said she was starting some special classes today, but that she wanted to surprise everybody. She should be back this afternoon."

Nabiki looked up and said in a teasing tone, "Missing your fiancée, Saotome?"

Ranma looked at her sharply and began to rant, "Me? Miss that un-cute violent chick?" before closing his mouth and simply shaking his head. He stood up and walked to the kitchen exit before calmly stating, "I'll be in the dojo; I don't want to be provoked today."

Kasumi and Nabiki shared a look of surprise and after a moment Nabiki whistled appreciatively. Startled, Kasumi looked at her to find that self-satisfied smirk on her face. She was provoking him, that's normal. This must be the first time he's realized it like this.

Kasumi studied Nabiki's smiling face for a moment before returning to the stove. It's going to be an interesting week.

~~~k~m~~~

Akane walked back towards the Tendo Dojo with a spring in her step. She was a little tired, but immensely pleased with her first day of classes. Akane wasn't sure if it was exactly what Ono-sensei expected her to do, but she definitely felt more alive today than she had in weeks. Akane also wasn't sure why she decided to keep it a secret; maybe it was the way Tofu-sensei stated that it should be something unique to her. Yeah, that or not wanting a rude baka to insult me over it.

She pushed the gate open and walked into the house, trading her shoes for slippers. She could hear Kasumi cleaning in the kitchen.

"Tadaima, onee-san!" Akane called while walking into the kitchen. Akane showered after class and had already changed into her casual clothes to keep her secret safe.

"Konnichiwa, Akane-chan," Kasumi replied smiling up at her. "Did your secret class go well?"

"Hai," Akane found herself blushing and fought to keep her tone even. "Class went very well, thanks for keeping my secret safe."

Kasumi smiled and winked at her, causing Akane's blush to deepen. Unable to bear the tension, Akane headed for the stairs when the phone suddenly rang. She heard her sister pick up the receiver.

"Moshi-moshi, Tendo Dojo… Yes, she is here… One moment," Kasumi looked up at her and said, "Akane, it's Sayuri calling for you."

Akane tensed for a moment before returning and taking the phone receiver. She fought her rising uneasiness and said, "Konnichiwa, Sayuri?"

"Akane! I'm glad I was able to reach you, your sister said you might be gone all afternoon." Sayuri sounded relieved for some reason.

"Oh, no, I'm back at home now. What's up?" Akane was thankful for her voice staying even.

"Yuka and I were planning a girl's night, but we wanted you with us! Can you come to her house?"

Akane smiled and replied, "Girl's night? That's… just what I need. I'll be over there soon."

After hanging up the phone, Akane's mind started racing. What if the other fiancee's were to show up? Could she defend Yuka and Sayuri? Maybe she should tell Ranma where she was going. Where did that thought even come from!? Akane shook her head and ran upstairs. Within minutes she had packed an overnight bag and donned a sporty sundress in a floral pattern. She wrote a note letting Kasumi know where she was and not to expect her for dinner before heading out the door.

~~~k~m~~~

Tendo Nabiki was quite pleased with herself which, if you knew herself like she knew herself, you would likely turn tail and flee. Changing Ranma and Akane's medical records was the icing on the cake of her ultimate goal.

Nabiki smiled over the dinner table towards Ranma. Akane was at a sleep-over with her friends meaning she is coming out of her shell. Nabiki calmly ate her noodles, hiding a smirk every time Ranma looked at the empty place setting next to him with a tiny frown on his face.

She glanced at Kasumi, who caught her eye and shook her head slightly. Nabiki held back a sigh; she knew that she couldn't keep Kasumi guessing for long, but this phase of the plan was essential. The pieces were in place, and she had to keep her hand off the board until the right time to make a move.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Nabiki and Kasumi cleaned after while Ranma went upstairs to his room saying he was exhausted. Well, I can't complain that he's sleeping now, but surely one visit with Tofu-sensei wouldn't fix that issue. Nabiki mentioned Ranma's sleeping to Kasumi.

"Well, Ranma had a lot to deal with after he returned. Maybe sleep has caught up to him. Nothing to worry yourself over," Kasumi responded while returning dishes to cabinets.

Nabiki held back another sigh. Kasumi knew something, and was telling her in a Kasumi-esque way to keep her nose out of it. Enough on my plate right now, maybe Tofu hit him with a sleep-shiatsu point. Nabiki giggled at the thought before returning to her room. She spent a few hours planning in her room.

Kasumi knew enough of the plan to not interfere at this stage. That was good. Ranma and Akane, of course, were oblivious. That was also good. Auntie Nodoka was the last and most satisfying success. If the plan worked, nobody would even notice her actions. After all, the best laid plans left no fingerprints.

Tendo Nabiki lay on her bed; a small part of her wondered why she was going through all this trouble in the first place. That was the Ice Queen inside her; always looking for her share. Well, after Akane was kidnapped it didn't take long for the Ice Queen to finally die.

Nabiki shuddered as she remembered the past few months. Kasumi looked lost and was crying half of each day away. Daddy became a useless wreck never leaving his room. After a few days Nabiki was crying herself to sleep. That's when the plan came into being.

The Ice Queen had grown weary. The Ice Queen had become tired: she wanted her little sister back. Nabiki promised Kami-sama and the Tendo ancestors that if she got her back Nabiki would change. Night after night the prayers and promises were made, and over the weeks of worry and toil the Ice Queen finally died. The plan was working perfectly.

At some point Nabiki drifted to sleep. It was all in motion, just a few more adjustments to make…

"AKANEE!" the scream shook Nabiki awake with a start. What the holy fuck? Her thoughts reeled with the rough awakening, but she registered that it was Ranma that screamed from up the hall. She wasn't even aware of what she was doing until her hand was on his door sliding it open. Ranma was thrashing around in his futon and shouting, but appeared to be asleep. Nabiki hesitated, but concern (ugh, still getting used to this feeling) caused her to walk in and try to wake Ranma up. She gently grabbed his shoulder and shook him slightly.

No response. She shrugged and began to violently shake Ranma. The pigtailed boy made no sign of coming to, but stopped shouting and thrashing. Good enough I suppose…

Nabiki turned to leave when she noticed a small bottle on the floor next to the futon. She grasped the bottle and read the cover with a frown. Oh dear… file that away for later. One problem at a time. She returned the bottle.

Nabiki sat at the edge of the bed and covered Ranma back up. No wonder he isn't waking up. She finished tucking him in and stood to leave when she heard his whisper from behind her:

"Must… Xian Pu, Kunos, …Pops."

Nabiki paused for a moment. Pops? What did the panda bear do this time? Nabiki thought to herself for a moment. Then she whispered into Ranma's ear, "Why Pops, Ranma?"

Ok, I know this is stupid, but it always works in the movies…

Amazingly, or as she thought on Ranma's gullible nature not so amazingly, Ranma started to respond in a sleepy whisper: "Pops… stole… water."

Nabiki froze for a moment. She remembered the barrel and her father's ill-conceived plot to blackmail Akane (if it wasn't so obvious to Nabiki that the two idiots loved each other by that point she would have put a stop to it), but she walked away to greet the guests before the chaos started. Nabiki heard the steel in her voice as she whispered back to Ranma. "I'm listening, Ranma… Go on."

Later, Nabiki returned to her room. She was very angry, and very awake. Smiling wickedly to herself, Nabiki wondered if her apartment at school next year was going to be big enough for a panda skin rug.

~~~k~m~~~

Akane reveled in the normalness of the late afternoon. Yuka and Sayuri wanted to go shopping and she found herself in the mall window shopping and chatting like a normal person. They were sitting at the food area having sundaes (Ranma-chan came to mind with whipped cream on her nose and Akane suppressed a giggle).

"You look fine, Akane. Why do you keep asking?" Sayuri's voice was not quite annoyed.

Akane started for a second, "Gomen… Just checking."

Akane tried to smile. They had been shopping for a few hours already and were having a wonderful time together, but she everybody seemed to be stealing glances her way. Akane forced herself to breath. I'm a martial artist. Why is this so hard to deal with! Akane had asked questions that were slowly building alarm in her comrades. To her horror Akane wasn't able to remember most of the things she had said.

That night at Yuka's the girls got in their pajamas and sat around her room idly flipping through manga and talking about movies. Akane let her guard down and felt relaxed for the first time in weeks. She told Yuka and Sayuri all about her "secret" classes; Yuka and Sayuri giggled over Hiroshi and Daisuke and Akane laughed.

"I'm glad you are feeling better Akane, you guys were acting really weird last week. I mean, you know… weird for you guys." Sayuri ventured while they were getting ready for bed.

"Were you angry at us? We didn't know what to think, but I'm glad you came tonight!" Yuka beamed at her.

Akane felt nervous again, but she steeled herself and said, "No, nothing like that! Before the wedding some terrible things happened to us…" Akane hesitated.

Yuka and Sayuri exchanged looks before coming around both sides of Akane and holding her hands. "Well, we all figured when you disappeared…" Yuka started.

"We know it must have been horrible; Nabiki wouldn't say a word about it and nobody knew what was happening. Then you guys got back and it was a rush." Sayuri smiled at Akane. "We were just glad you got home safe."

Akane smiled and put her arms around her friends. "Well, we may be a little worse for wear, but we are home and for now we are safe." The girls talked into the night before turning in, and Akane felt content.

~~~k~m~~~

Saotome Nodoka pulled the phone from the receiver, "Moshi moshi, Saotome residence," she politely said.

"Auntie? It's Kasumi, we were wondering if you and Uncle Saotome would like to come for a family dinner tomorrow evening?" Kasumi's bright voice brought a smile to Nodoka's face.

"Of course, Kasumi-chan! How wonderful. I know it took some time to repair all the damage, in fact, I'm amazed that things are back to normal."

Kasumi's voice seemed to falter, causing Nodoka to frown, "Things are never quite normal around here, Auntie. We look forward to seeing you both!"

Hanging up the phone, Nodoka returned to the living room and resumed reading a small black and red journal she favored this past week. A gift from Nabiki, a 'future' wedding gift she had said. A remarkably insightful little book, she read it cover to cover over the past few days. Nodoka looked over to her excuse for a husband and smiled, "Well, husband. It seems you are in luck as we have been invited to dinner at the Tendo's tomorrow. I do hope there are no more surprises I can expect? Anything worse than pits of cats?"

Genma visibly paled despite the severe bruising to his face and neck and shook his head quickly in fear. Nodoka stroked the family katana dearly. This would be the perfect opportunity to return Ranma's oath of honor intact, however, something about Genma's sweating made her wonder what else he might be hiding.

Nodoka made certain to pause when she was reading the little black book at certain intervals.

How else could she make certain her husband paid dearly for his 'training' methods?

A/N: Again, my editor will be working on future chapters. I will most likely realize I've made mistakes despite proofreading multiple times. Reviews always welcome!