Forcibly United

oOo

Rock's Little Sister

Chapter 2

oOo

Ryouga glanced between the girl pouting in Ranma's direction and his tang-clad partner. His head, he reflected, would not feel entirely right for days. While he was sure that it was preferable to falling in love with the pigtailed jerk for even an hour, he still was feeling quite irritated with his rival. He opened his mouth to give voice to that thought.

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

Ryouga paused. Odd, he could have sworn his voice sounded a lot more masculine. He blinked, realizing it had come from the little girl, who'd abandoned pouting in favor of an outright glare which Ranma was meeting with confusion. Greta, if he remembered correctly.

"What are you talking about?" Ranma demanded. "What've I done to deserve that kinda talk?"

"What, you want a list?" Ryouga muttered to himself, though not loud enough for either to hear him. He'd heard far too many variations on this particular argument, with a variety of participants, since he'd first found himself wearing one of the Bracers of Jian and he had no wish whatsoever to participate in yet another one. Instead, he flipped idly through an old newspaper.

"You broke Ryu's arm! Why would you do something like that?" The girl demanded, crossing her arms and attempting to look stern and severe. Her now-jet black hair, disheveled from the recent dye job, and her cheery sun dress greatly contradicted the concept. "How would you like it if I broke your arm, huh?"

"How would a weak little girl like you break my arm?" Ranma demanded, quirking an eyebrow.

Ryouga slapped a hand to his forehead. He wondered if it was possible for Ranma to grow up to the mental equivelant of fourteen, maybe fifteen years old. Ever.

"That's not the point! What you did was mean! Ryu didn't ever hurt anybody! You didn't need to break his arm!" The girl said angrily. The glower she directed Ranma's resembled anger like a newborn golden retriever puppy resembled a snarling Doberman... The idea was there, but the threat just was not.

"He was robbing us. Besides, he wanted to fight me! You saw! We were getting along just fine afterwards!" The blue-eyed teenager protested, shrugging.

"You're still an idiot," the girl informed him.

"Yeah, well you're a spaz. Why are you getting so worked up about things?" Ranma demanded.

"I'm not a spaz, you idiot!" Greta told him crossly.

"You sound like one to me," Ranma said smugly.

Ryouga got up, ignoring the discussion as it got more and more childish. He couldn't go far... only into the hallway, but at least by shutting the door to the lower cabin of the Black Lagoon he could listen to the dull throbbing of the engine as it powered towards Roanapur instead of the two inside.

"Ryouga, what's up?" Rock asked, emerging from the ship's tiny washroom, his hands finally rinsed clean of the awful dye he'd used to colour his adoptive sister's hair. Ryouga glared at the Japanese man.

"I already have to deal with one child all the damned time. I refuse to babysit two," Ryouga declared.

"What do you mean?" Rock asked lightly.

Ryouga just jerked his thumb towards the door in reply. Inside, two raised voices could be heard through the metal walls of the ship.

"Ranma does realize he's having an argument with a girl who's six years younger than he is, right?" Rock asked uncertainly.

"He's losing an argument with a girl who's six years younger," Ryouga sighed bitterly.

Rock glanced once more at the closed hatch, before simply shrugging and heading up the ladder. Without looking, Ryouga caught the can of beer Rock tossed from the level above.

"Thanks Rock," Ryouga said, cracking open the Heirekan.

oOo

Rock was now in a hell known only to a fraction of the male population.

In fact, despite the girlfriends he'd had in the past, what he was undergoing at the moment was an entirely new experience. For the first time in his life, he was shopping with a girl eager to replace her entire wardrobe.

Upon arriving in Roanapur, Rock and his recently adopted problem had both realized the same thing: The two sun dresses and the random t-shirts and shorts Greta wore simply wouldn't do for a permanent wardrobe. They needed to go shopping.

He hadn't counted on the complete transformation Greta had undergone beyond his vision.

Gretel, as he knew her, would have simply grabbed a few of the more elegant gothic dresses off the shelves, perhaps tried a couple on, and then they'd have both been out of the store. The entire experience would have taken twenty minutes or less of his time.

Not so with Greta, the girl masquerading as the innocent face of the merciless killer he'd met. She tried on dozens of shirts, dozens of skirts, and dozens of pants, all eyed critically and the majority of the initially chosen items culled because of a poor fit or a bad 'look'.

Two hours in, Rock was beginning to seriously contemplate the poor choice which had led to him not allowing Revy to put a bullet between his eyes at Cho's ramen stand. It was his own mistake, he knew. He couldn't have anticipated this torture.

As Greta twisted in yet another dress, put on display for Rock, the Japanese man prayed for something, anything, to come and break the monotony of his experience.

He was sorely annoyed with Fate when she saw fit to deliver Balalaika to the entrance of the store. Though the woman didn't initially take notice of Rock or his new charge, the Japanese man knew that the whole world was arrayed against him. It was only a matter of time before she did.

"Rock? Why would a man such as yourself be in a clothing boutique such as this?" It was no surprise when, not two minutes later, he heard the Russian teenager's voice. Though Balalaika's question feigned surprise and displayed only casual interest, he knew she was going to connect the dots sooner or later.

He'd hoped that maybe he'd have a whole day or so to deal with the consequences of his decision. Twenty four hours to set Greta up as his little sister in the minds of Roanapur's residents and deflecting Greta's true identity from Hotel Moscow's interest through the pursuasive effects of rumour.

Of course Fate would screw him like this. His luck only extended to making sure the women in his life didn't shoot him, or one another, in the face. He'd been a fool to expect his luck to go beyond that uneasy truce.

He could only watch in mute horror as Balalaika closed with the girl.

Despite the smile on the Russian's face as she talked with Rock's surrogate sister, he knew this was something which could only end poorly.

oOo

"So, you're Rock's little sister?" Balalaika asked. The girl nodded cheerfully, a broad grin on her face.

"Yeah. I've been looking for him for a loooong time!" The girl added, then pouted cutely. "Figures he'd be the one to find me, though. He's so reliable."

"I've noticed the same thing," the Russian teen admitted, earning a small smile from the girl.

"So who are you? How do you know my brother?" Greta asked, her eyes quickly travelling up and down Balalaika's figure.

"We've worked together in the past," the head of Hotel Moscow admitted. She paused, reaching out to take a white dress from she shelf. "This would go well with your dark hair, my dear."

"You're right!" The girl chirped. She eyed Balalaika critically. "So you know my brother pretty well, huh?"

"You could say that. Your brother is a rather complex man, you know. I don't think even the people he works with fully know him," the blond told the younger girl. She grabbed a blue dress for herself. While she liked red, she thought perhaps she could experiment a little. She added, at "He's very, very sharp."

"I see," the girl said. The tone of voice caused Balalaika to look the younger girl in the eye, causing Greta to grin impudently. "You like my brother, don't you."

"I don't think there's anyone in this city who doesn't like Rock. He's smart, kind, and he does try to solve his problems peacefully if he can. That sort of behavior is a novelty in Roanapur," Balalaika admitted.

"No, no... I mean you like my brother, don't you," the girl repeated.

Balalaika wasn't slow but nor was she a native English speaker, despite her proficiency. She was also in her mid-forties, a fact not reflected by her currently-teenaged body. It had been decades since she'd even given thought to the concept of a crush, let alone been told she herself had one.

"That's ridiculous," Balalaika scoffed, turning away from the girl.

"You're blushing!" The younger girl crowed, sing-song.

"Do you have any idea who you're teasing?" Balalaika demanded, turning to glower at the girl. She met the heated gaze with a broad smile.

"Yep. The girl who has a crush on my big brother. Speaking of which..." Greta's gaze moved past Balalaika to a spot directly to her left, and Balalaika turned to see the young Japanese man in question. He smiled politely, casting a fond look at the young girl teasing the Russian teen.

"Is everything alright, ladies?" Rock asked, reaching out to ruffle his little sister's hair. She immediately grabbed him in a hug. "What were you talking about?"

"Nothing much. I was just introducing myself to her," Balalaika informed her occasional comrade. He nodded, the glanced down as Greta started to speak.

"And talking about her crush on you, big brother," the young girl added. Her eyes were flashing in amusement at the glare Balalaika directed her way. "Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't supposed to tell! Rock, pretend you didn't hear, okay?"

"Balalaika..." Rock said softly, meeting the blushing Russian's face. She didn't like the little bastard, she was just embarrassed that it'd been said. This was a topic of discussion she wasn't interested in pursuing. "Look, I'm really rather flattered, but..."

Balalaika glanced at him in mute horror. Had she just been rejected? In a race she hadn't even been entered into, naturally, but... Wait. The corners of Rock's lips twitched, before a giggle escaped. Finally he started laughing, then glanced down at the girl latched onto his side like a barnacle.

"Look, it was funny, but what did I tell you after your fight with Ranma?" Rock askded, still chuckling.

"No teasing the gangsters," Greta recited, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sorry Balalaika, but she seems to have a bit of a prankster streak in her," Rock said. He shrugged, continuing, "I mean, it's pretty funny, right?"

That was it. She refused to be shown up by this little punk again. He'd been getting far too comfortable in her presence for her liking. It was time to teach him a very direct lesson.

"Who said it was funny?" Balalaika demanded, stepping forward and leaning in very close to the Japanese man. He flinched back a bit, causing the Russian teen to grin ferally. "Who said she hasn't revealed something I didn't plan to reveal sooner or later anyway?"

"Wha-" The rest of Rock's protest was cut off as the blond's hand snaked up, grabbed the back of his beck, and pulled him into a rough kiss. After a moment, she let the thoroughly dazed boy loose.

She'd be damned if she wasn't going to intimidate the boy one way or another. If violence wouldn't do it, she'd find something else that would. Given the way his eyes were roiling and the flabbergasted look on his face, she knew she'd succeeded.

She walked off, turning slightly to glance at the dark-haired girl at Rock's side.

"It was nice to meet you, Greta," she said, walking out and getting into the limo. Boris just returned her nod as she got in and began driving towards her home.

The only problem on her mind now was just where she'd seen the girl's face before.

oOo

Author's Notes:

Balalaika needs victories against Rock, too. She likes intimidating people. She can't intimidate Rock by violence. Ergo...

I don't think until now I've written a chapter which could be termed pure humour. This corrects that mistake, I think. I'm not saying that it didn't also advance certain aspects of the plot, but I'm happy that I was able to do so in a way that wasn't angsty. Screw angst, and the stick up it's bum!

Anyhoo, as has been pointed out, Ranma is acting kinda childish. The thing is, that's what he does. He's serious for Akane (occasionally), truly dangerous opponents, and his mom... and that's more or less it. He pretty much goes back to his childish behavior outside of those three things and even then he's not averse to indulging in it. He'll have to grow up sooner or later, I'm sure. *cough*hint*cough*

That aside... Sorry for the delay. It was Turkey Day in Canada, so this weekend was pretty much a write-off. Tonight and some of tomorrow as well... Arkham Asylum won't play itself, you know, and Lady Shinmegami is coming over to play with me. And watch Black Lagoon. And watch movies. And play Portal, perhaps. Speaking of which... Anyone who's sent me a PM, I will respond, but I've got twenty minutes at the time of posting 'til she gets here and have not cleaned my place or showered yet. Sorry.