Yay! I managed another chapter, and the second part of the encounter with Ukyo is almost edited and will be posted shortly. I am still panicking, attempting to hand my job over to thin air, and freaking out that I am about to start a new one, but at least I am happier now :D Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Ukyo stood in front of her restaurant's grill, prepping for opening in just a few short hours. She was absently cleaning the appliance, lost in a happy daydream, picturing herself married to Ranma and seeing them together, running their own restaurant in a prestigious part of Ginza, breathing a new life into the somewhat shunned okonomiyaki industry, mini-Ranma running around, helping his parents mix batter. The dream was only marred by the fact that Ranma had not spoken to her since the failed wedding several weeks prior.

Ukyo frowned. It was annoying, since Ranma-honey should have been ecstatic to NOT be getting married to Akane, especially as it was a case of blackmail. She understood that he was angry with her, since he had lost a chance of having the cure, that had been delivered, and understanding his frustration meant that she would accept responsibility and let him come back when he felt more comfortable in her presence. She had some inkling in the back of her mind that she may not have behaved well – but the fact that she knew the wedding to be a result of blackmail on Tendo Soun's part just reinforced her opinion in the righteousness of her actions.

As she continued preparing for the day, wiping down surfaces, the bell above her door chimed, signifying that she had a customer.

Ukyo turned around, surprised. She was sure that the door still displayed the 'Closed' sign, and turned around to ask the customer to leave.

Instead, her spatula dropped to the floor, the only sound in the shop.

"Father?"

The man who stood in her doorway was clearly her father, the man she had not seen in well over 6 years, the last time she had stopped by on the travels to track down Ranma. He looked much the same as he had in the past, with only his hair peppered grey, and a weariness around his shoulders. He nodded at her in greeting, something that he had not deigned to do last time.

"Son."

Ukyo flinched almost imperceptibly. It was disappointing to know that he father still insisted on referring to her as a male, but she pinned a smile to her face, determined suddenly to get on his good side.

"What are you doing here, Father? Is your new wife well?"

The man nodded, before sitting down on a stool. "Your new mother is well, child, although and she is pregnant. However, we are both getting on in years, so the doctors have told me to prepare for the worst, unfortunately. I may not have another chance, you see. We are getting on in years, and you are my only legacy at the moment. As for why I am here, am I not allowed to see my only child? Not a bad business by the way. Needs a bit more polish, and you could make a half decent restaurant of this place."

This time the flinch was more pronounced, for Ukyo had been proud of the investment into the little place. There were well over 40 seats, which were full most days, and she made a decent enough living that she could afford to have refurbished the place while the others were at Jusendo. It certainly was a far shout from the cart they used to own. It didn't help that her step-mother was so casually called her new one – as though Ukyo could ever love the woman the same way she had cared for her own parent so long ago.

"It serves me well father. But may I ask if there is a specific reason that you have come to visit me? I was sure you would be with your wife at this time that is so difficult for her."

Her father sighed. "I have had a request from a lawyer," he fumbled with a piece of paper that he had drawn out of his pocket, "an Idemo-san. He said that he represents a Tendo family, and asked I meet with him and you here today, at this time. I could hardly refuse after his hint at legal summons and the fact that he paid for a return ticket here. I even got to ride a bullet train."

Ukyo felt her blood pressure and anger spike and slammed her hand down onto the grill. "How dare she! To take away my Ranma-honey using the law is inexcusable!"

She saw her father blink in surprise, most likely at the name, before he opened his mouth, ready with a question.

At that moment, the door bell rung again.

Nabiki leading the procession into her restaurant did not surprise her – after all, her father words a minute ago meant that she had been expecting her. It would always be either herself or Kasumi, their father being too weak for this kind of move. And Kasumi coming was unlikely, as she probably would have had no need for lawyers. For a moment, Ukyo sent out a silent prayer that the eldest Tendo sister had never asked her to give up, since it appeared that no one except Genma could withstand a request from her.

The two men that she did not recognise were easy to interpret as well - they were most likely the lawyer and an assistant, and incited a glare and a low growl out of the chef.

The last person was a surprise. "Nodoka-san?" The surprise passed in under a second, however, as Ukyo's brain went to the only possible reason for it – Ranma's mother was there to placate Nabiki and insist that her son was to marry her, Ukyo, the cute fiancée, and get rid of Akane.

Ukyo's father stood up. "Which one of you is Idemo-san and Tendo-san?" He pointedly looked at the men, ignoring both Nabiki and Nodoka.

Nabiki grinned, stepping in front of the lawyers and directly into the elder Kuonji's line of sight. "I am Tendo Nabiki, and I have asked Idemo-san to arrange this meeting. May I introduce Saotome-san, and her lawyer Takawa-san?" She indicated all the people with her hands and smirked up at the man, waiting for his reaction.

The look of disgust was palatable on Kuonji-san's face. "You are women. What could you possibly have to talk to me about?"

Ukyo saw Nodoka's hand go to the hilt of the family sword, ready draw it and defend her honour. Thankfully, Nabiki was faster.

"Probably because Lady Saotome is the head of a very influential samurai family, and as such, is your superior. Considering how much your family has made out of honour, I suspect that you subscribe to Bushido, and will have to listen to anything presented by your senior. Baring that, there are legal matters to consider, so unless you want a lawsuit on your hands, you will listen to what we have to say." The voice was cold, and everyone else, except the lawyers, flinched. It was clear that Nabiki was scarier than any blade. She turned to Ukyo. "Since this is your restaurant, would you prefer us standing us we discuss it, or should we sit down?"

The chef was surprised – she had not expected for her opinion to be asked. Her father didn't, and the little show of respect make the girl a little less hostile. The pointed to a table, and Nabiki immediately moved to it, not waiting for the others to follow.

They all filed around a table that Ukyo had pointed out, her father at one end, Nodoka at the other. They glared at each other, before the man spoke. "So, what is this matter that you called me here for? Is it to declare a blood feud? Maybe to tell that as a simple tradesman, you will not honour any of your kinsman's promises?"

Surprised by the quick response that led in the right direction, Nodoka smiled. "Actually, it does concern families and their honour. Tell me Kuonji-san, do you remember a large man, a martial artist, that you had met a little more than a decade ago?" She waited for a nod. "It may surprise you to learn that that was my husband. He belongs to a smaller branch of my clan – we were married to bring the two sides of the family closer. However, due to my father's wishes, as well as those of the rest of the family, I am to become the head of the family, as I come from the more senior branch, and my husband has besmirched the good name of Saotome more times than one can count."

The woman sighed, and absently put her sword onto the table, Ukyo and her father instinctively flinching. "I have not seen my husband for many years, but recently I have been reunited with him and our child. I have come to understand that he has wronged you greatly in that one meeting, and stole your family yatai, while abandoning your only child by the side of the road for you to find days later. Am I correct?"

Kuonji-san nodded once again. "Lady Saotome, I am afraid that your husband has indeed behaved in such a way, unsuitable for a samurai. The only way to restore your family's honour is to have your son wed my daughter, or to allow my child to extract the revenge we both desire. Nothing less would satisfy the need for balance."

Nodoka pursued her lips in displeasure at the thought. "Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you whole heartedly. However, in this case, marriage is simply impossible. Honour dictates that he marries the daughter of another samurai. Before you object," she continued, ignoring the looks of indignation from both father and daughter, her hand up in the air, "they have been promised to each other since birth, so any claim she had supersedes yours. If my son does not marry a Tendo, he will be encouraged to commit seppuku. I realise that the government typically frowns on the practice – but the one way in which my husband succeeded was in instilling the need to take punishments. If the Tendo agreement was not fulfilled, Ranma would not marry your daughter, as his own honour will lead him to either commit the ritual suicide or be declared ronin. I am sure that you would not want your daughter to marry a man with no family." She ignored the agreeing nod from the father, or the gasp of horror from the daughter. "However, I recognise that this is a severe blow to your family's honour, no matter what occurs. As a result, I propose to settle this in the ways that are encouraged by the law of the land. The marriage would not be enforceable if the yatai had not been taken as collateral. As with any deal, if a debt cannot be fulfilled, the collateral must be returned. I am aware that my husband had sold the yatai, but the I have taken the liberty of having a financial assessment of the cart drawn up. It should put a decent value that I would be happy to cover within a month, provided you agree."

Tadawa-san reached into his briefcase and extracted a number of papers, which he passed over to the chefs. The two both leaned over the paperwork, eyes alert for any swindling – they were, after all, dealing with the Saotomes, and at least Ukyo knew that Nabiki was to never be trusted unless it came to her oldest sister.

Imagine their surprise when they found that the value was more than adequately represented. The cart's worth was clearly adjusted for what reasonable, consistent trade would have been like, and did not include any unreasonable deductions, mostly referencing upkeep. Impressively, the contribution of a known family name in the business was accounted for and deflation, so frequently included in the estimations of Japanese businesses, was excluded.

As a result, the final figure was at least double what Kuonji-san would have demanded for the cart, if not more. The papers also were notarised, and there was a provision that the value could be disputed provided sufficient evidence could be provided to increase the valuation of the yatai. Not that any such proof was possible – any court would probably rule to reduce the pay out, not increase it.

The two shocked faces looked back up at the women at the table and their lawyers. Two voices responded immediately.

"This seems reasonable. Shall we sign now?"

"Never!"

Ukyo immediately shrunk back from her father's glare that he threw at her following her outburst. "You, be quiet! You decided you wanted to marry him rather than kill him, and now, as your elder, I have decided that the honour is satisfied in this way. As soon as we can finish up here, you can pack up your shop and come back home. While the boy and his father may have questionable honour, this woman is a true samurai and is clearly beyond reproach. Your step-mother and I need you back home with us, so that you can marry someone in the business and continue the family line!"

Ukyo reeled back from her father's words, as though slapped.

"But, father, I love him."

The man shrugged. "Too bad. Now that you are released from your obligation, you can marry someone in the restaurant business and carry on our legacy. I ll even change you back to female on the family register. You have already proven that you are just here playing house, and have brought no value to our family. Marriage will prove to be beneficial for you, and will at least make sure you do SOMETHIHG of worth for us."

Nodoka seemed pleased with this outwardly, though the way the girl was treated with obvious contempt and like a possession made her take stock of the situation for a moment. Regardless, for the moment she pushed on."As I had hoped you would. Now, there are just a few other matters to settle before this can be done. Nabiki, if you will."

The girl grinned, a dangerous smile that promised the two chefs a world of pain. She had come to the same conclusion that Nodoka had a few seconds earlier, and for a moment pitied "I am sure you will be distressed to find out that your child has been the cause of some property damage. Saotome-san will pay the cost of the yatai, as well as the interest, to the sum that is stated on that document, regardless, but if you accept to reimburse us for the damages, you will not need to face us in court for a criminal matter."

Kuonji-san looked angrily at his child. "What has HE done."

Idemo-san passed him a number of papers. "As you see, Ukyo had destroyed the Saotome family home, along with two other girls, while aiming to steal what she believed to be a family piece of jewellery. A birthright if you will, similar to the client is willing to overlook the fact that this was a case of criminal trespass, if the costs of the rebuilding are offset. Before you ask, one of the girls has already accepted responsibility for this action, is repaying a third of the damage, and will be considered a witness against Ukyo here if she denies responsibility."

The young chef sat there, horror etched upon her face. For so long the madness of Nerima had made it seem like almost everything was allowed. And now she was paying for forgetting that the world outside existed, and that its laws, as well as the non-martial arts society were much harsher than the rules that they imposed amongst themselves. She flinched visibly as her father spun around and grabbed her painfully by the upper arm. The hold was difficult to break out of, and for a moment Ukyo was truly scared of her sire.

"What is this? Why should I be paying for this? Why should I be held accountable for something this useless brat has done?" His hold forced Ukyo to double over the table, her face smushed against the surface.

Nodoka sighed. "Clearly, you only belief that the honour issue refers to you, and while you would force my family to take responsibility for the actions of another member, you will happily ignore your own family's lack of honour. We will easily win this in court, because there were plenty of other civilians and samurai families that witnessed the devastation. For that matter, Idemo-san, could you show him the second invoice."

The lawyer passed the paper in question over. Ukyo shut her eyes and waited for what was coming.

A second later, she was on the floor, her face stinging from where her father had slapped her.

"Why did you destroy some family's dojo and home? Have you no shame, child?"

Ukyo forced her eyes open, and looked at her father. The man was shaking, his face bright red and inflating. He looked ready to strike her again, and only the presence of the lawyers was restraining him. The girl shook as she responded. "She, Akane, she is Ranma's other fiancée. She was competition, and I wanted to prevent he wedding."

The man exploded and Ukyo rolled away narrowly avoiding a kick aimed at her side. "Prevent the wedding? You caused so much damage that a protected, historical building is now in danger of demolition! You decided that because someone took away your inheritance, you could destroy theirs? What you have done could be considered as attempted murder! You put lives in danger, you damaged the home of three unrelated people! I AM ASHAMED TO CALL YOU MY CHILD!"

He slammed his fist down, his eyes glowing with the anger and hatred behind them.

For a moment, Ukyo wanted to argue that Ran-chan was hers, that Akane was using this situation as an excuse to gain the upper hand in the fiancée wars, but something stopped her. Didn't she always say that Ranma owed her because he stole their livelihood, and despised people who had no regard for other people's property? And hadn't she become just what she had always hated? In this situation, if she had hope that her claim would succeed, she would have had to play the honour game to the letter. Instead, in the eyes of the same honour she owed the Tendo family for destroying their inheritance, meaning that her life was forfeit to them AND Ranma, since she had tried to steal his inheritance and destroyed the home he was to have. It was no business, but the value could hardly be less or the connection less meaningful.

In the end, it all came down to honour.

And honour dictated that Ranma marry Akane or died, just as his mother had said. There was no longer a second route.

Forcing the issue would not be helpful, since her own arguments would be used against her, and she no longer hated Ranma enough to have him die because she wanted to have the Tendo engagement rejected.

She stood up and bowed to her father instead. "Father, I have brought shame upon the family. I will submit to your judgement in this instance."

The man huffed, but was somewhat mollified. "In this instance! You will, as long as you are my child. You will return home with me, help me run the business and assist your stepmother. There will be no nonsense of education, and you will marry as soon as I find a man for you to marry, which you will do without complaint. Hopefully he will be happy to assist us in repaying the debt." He turned to the women. "I apologise for my earlier behaviour. I accept that we owe you the sum that you have presented us with. May I simply enquire if you would be happy to spread the repayment out over some time period, rather than in one go?"

Both Nodoka and Nabiki bristled at the suggestion – after all, the man had originally instructed his daughter to kill both Ranma and his father on sight, rather than discuss the more civilised approach, but thought better of it. It was safe to say that this man saw which was the wind was blowing, and that being an opportunistic bastard just like Genma, he went for the approach that would cause him the least problems. Courts had a way of taking away one's livelihoods in these situation, and apparently selling one's daughter for profit was one such livelihood for this man. They both noticed the distress on Ukyo's face at the mention of a forced engagement to someone else. Even though Nabiki personally thought that it served the girl right for what she had tried to do to Ranma, she had to agree that this was a cruel father.

An idea began to form, that could make an ally of this girl. Out of all the fiancées, Ukyo was the most normal, at least as normal as one can be when your own father threw you outside to restore honour when you were six years old, while he stayed at home, filed an insurance claim, and got fat and rich on a restaurant he bought with the insurance money. The girl could possibly recover, and become an asset, if the hands were played right, and right now, keeping the girl from her parent was a priority.

"Actually, with Saotome-san's permission, I may have a suggestion."

Everyone turned to Nabiki.

"Tendo-san, I am all ears."

The middle daughter inclined her head. "I believe that when I discussed it with both the gentlemen here, it could be arranged that the repayments are not as large as you would expect. Would Kuonji and Saotome clans be willing to have one of their debts netted off against the other? It would mean that there would be fewer transactions to make, and the amount of debt for your family would be less. The repayment would be less and they would be less urgent, as a large portion of the debt would be considered settled. And as Ukyo has a restaurant here, she and I can come to an agreement as to how she uses the profits of her business to pay us. We could become partners, for instance, which would satisfy the honour of both the Tendo and the Kuonji family, and allow us to recover the debt quicker. Ukyo has built up a good reputation here, and selling the restaurant will not fetch the same money that she would be able to earn from it in the next six months. Once the remainder of the debt can be settled with the sale of the restaurant, she can close and move back to assist you. It would be quicker than if she were to build a reputation elsewhere, and cost you less in interest."

Ukyo's dad stared at her. For one moment, he almost wanted to ask what the woman, no GIRL, knew about running a business, but her very accurate assessment of easing the financial burden on his family made more sense than he wanted to admit. Eventually, he nodded. "I accept, if Saotome-san and you are happy with it. You are more than welcome to pursue a business partnership with Ukyo. I only insist that once the debt is settled, she returns home immediately, to accept her role as heir and to redeem the honour she lost in my eyes, and under no circumstances is she to be exploited or married off, without my permission, to settle the debt."

"That sounds reasonable."

The two lawyers opened up their briefcases, and set out preparing the necessary documents – which was to say pulling out the copies they predicted they would be needed, and set about explaining the conditions to everyone.

As they were finishing the explanation of the rights to the two women, Ukyo quietly asked her father, "Do you really expecting me to marry someone whom I have never met?"

Her father scoffed. "Of course, that is how it is done. Your mother and I married because we had an arranged marriage, and we did alright until her death. Love is overrated, you have to think of your family first." He ignored her and turned to the two women. "Now, where do I sign and would either of you ladies mind if the first repayment was in about three months?"

When he left without a backward glance some twenty minutes later, behind him, he left a dejected child, who's only happiness in that moment stemmed from the fact that for the first time in 10 years she was about to be recognised by her own gender and that she had not been forced to commit seppuku.

AN: Thanks to Kou Shun'u for such lovely words :). I am glad someone out there considers this to be quality work. Remind me to thank my annoyingly detailed dreams for this plot bunny hehe.

Nath08 - you will have to wait and see ;) I will say this now - they have way too many issues to deal with before they can consider a meaningful relationship, though I think seeing Akane die clearly made Ranma grow up a lot faster...

Richard Riley - nothing is what it seems. There will be an omake explaining this.

And to everyone who is disturbed by Ukyo's dad. The man is a monster, but is clearly a lot better at hiding it than Genma ever was. Still, Genma kept his son alive and with him, and even if he sees him as a meal ticket, he tries to take the bare minimum of care of him. Ukyo's dad, however, essentially sold her, and then abandoned her by the side of the road when he didn't care to go looking for revenge himself. Makes him a lot worse than all the people who show up to deal with the damage to their own honour, don't you think?

One thing - Ukyo is a survivor, and she will be acting a bit OOC - this is her brain trying to make the best of a bad situation, but I apologise in advance.