Nabiki New Horizons

by Digital Dragon Productions

Nabiki knew it was no secret that she was a 'Material Girl' whose relationships were as deep as her date's wallets. What dark shadowy past of her parents have to do with this American transfer student and why does this he make her heart do flip-flops? She's just going out with him to wring him dry, just like the others. Nothing more. Right?

1. A Match Made On Wall Street

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Communications. Author: G.L. Sandborn

---

A handsome young man stood in the open classroom doorway at Furinkan Senior High School and stared wistfully at his would-be love. Despite the early, pre-class hour, she looked cool and collected, someone totally in control of her environment. Seated at her desk and leaning on her elbows, her fists supporting her chin, she listened with a smile as a fellow student shared a bit of gossip.

After all, she'd often said how gossip was information and information was as good as money in the bank.
She was interrupted only by her assistants coming and going, delivering tiny slips of paper and occasionally money.
Her pleasant expression dissolved when one of them bent over to whisper in her ear. The startling transformation from a beautiful, smiling classmate to the scowling, dangerous predator he knew her to be, caused him to shudder.

"Tell him that if he doesn't pay up by Friday...," she growled at her associate before recovering her composure. "Well,he knows the consequences."
The young man swallowed hard. He knew she was capable of all sorts of dire consequences when crossed. That thought alone gave him pause to reconsider his mission. Perhaps what he wanted to tell her could be delivered in a note or relayed through an intermediary. That would certainly satisfy his honor and spare him the anticipated reaction. She was not one to be trifled with.

Resolved to leave well enough alone and employ the safer method of a note, he turned to leave. Giving in to the urge to look at her one more time, he glanced over his shoulder and saw once again the pleasant classmate he loved so much. The cute way she smiled lit up the room and caused his heart to ache. She was everything he ever dreamed of in a girl; beautiful, intelligent,and self-assured. Many a restless night he dreamed of their dates, heard her gentle voice and relived the soft touch of her hand. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't he just tell her the bad news and be done with it?

With the interruption behind her, she resumed being the enticing heart-breaker he'd fallen in love with so many weeks ago. Amused by her conversation, her light laughter filled the room, reaching out to caress his heart like a siren song. Maybe she'll take the news okay. Maybe he shouldn't worry so much. After all, the last time they were out together, she actually said she liked him. She even held his hand in public. That should count for something. With a hard swallow and a nervous smile, he stepped into the room.

"Toshi," she exclaimed with a broad welcoming smile. "It's so good of you to visit me in my humble classroom."
The young man cleared his throat and nodded.

"Thank you. Uh, if this isn't a good time, I can come back."

"Nonsense. I always have time for you, Toshi-chan," she said in a soft voice. The fact she added a term of endearment to his name gave him confidence he didn't have moments before.
Still, she was who she was and should not be underestimated. With a pained smile and another hard swallow, he bowed slightly.

"I... I just felt that honor demanded this be delivered in person," he said, tugging at the high collar of his school uniform jacket. It felt like a noose around his neck. The room began to feel warm. As if sensing danger, students nearby suddenly stopped talking.

"Oh?" the girl said while idly flattening out a piece of paper money with her fingers. No one could take a crinkled mess of yen and make it look almost new the way she could. If there was any suspicion in her about this visit, she hid it well. Neither her voice nor her manner suggested she suspected anything was amiss.

"Yes, well... I..." He felt faint, his pulse raced, and his fingers went numb. "I... won't be able to take you out this weekend," he finally stammered in one gigantic gasp.
There was no reaction from the girl other than she abruptly stopped smoothing the paper money. People in the room slowly began to back away. "I, uh,..." He paused and tugged at his collar again, noting his growing isolation. "I don't have enough money to go -" His voice choked into silence when the girl's head slowly rose to regard him, her eyes tiny slits and her jaw set.

"You mean to tell me my entire weekend will be ruined because you don't have enough money to fulfill your obligation?" Her voice sounded like the deep growl of an awakening tiger. "I bought a new outfit for this weekend. What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Honestly, Nabiki, I don't have any more money. I tried but my parents insist they give me enough of an allowance. The money I saved is all gone. I have nothing." He backed towards the door, his eyes never leaving Nabiki's angry face. The very air seemed to crackle with growing energy. Only now did he fully comprehend his mistake. He should have done this by note or messenger. For her part, Nabiki said nothing more. She just continued to glare at the young man as he abandoned his slow retreat and replaced it with a hasty scramble for freedom. He'd committed the most unpardonable sin known to the students at Furinkan and knew well the penalty for disappointing Nabiki Tendo. As the young man's frantic footsteps echoed down the hallway, Nabiki pulled out her ledger book and opened it to a particular page.

"Hmmmm, yes," she said under her breath. Turning to one of her assistants, she smiled in a manner guaranteed to make one shudder in fear. "Tell our recently departed friend that as to his account, he still owes me 50,000 yen. I've carried his loan on my books for six months and have been more than fair in allowing him to date me in exchange for not charging interest." Her eyes shifted to the now empty doorway as her voice became vindictive. "But I never said I wouldn't collect the balance. Tell Toshi-san that he has until Friday to come up with the entire amount... or else."

"But, Nabiki, if he doesn't have enough money to take you out this weekend, how is he going to come up with enough money to repay you?" her long-haired assistant asked, sweeping her generous locks from in front of her face with a graceful wave of her hand.

"That's his problem," Nabiki said with growing serenity, now that she'd vented her anger. "Surely he has things he can sell." She went back to looking through her ledger book. Numbers seemed to comfort her. "Besides, he wasn't all that great a date companion anyway. No imagination and nothing but hands when we were alone." She fluffed her hair. "No great loss."
Her assistants exchanged looks. They'd seen this particular act before. In fact, Nabiki Tendo had made a career of attracting the unwary, the desperate, and the just plain foolish with loans and gambling odds. Once in her web, she allowed them to date her and buy her expensive gifts, spending every last yen of their money on her before she moved on to repeat with another guy. There was never any love involved, just a short-term business proposition guaranteed to meet her immediate needs. The smarter guys knew better than to get emotionally involved. It was the dumb ones that ran for their lives.

---

The first day at a new school is always stressful; even more so if that school is in a foreign country. After spending his entire academic life attending embassy schools, Jeffrey Lawrence faced the daunting task of integrating himself into the Japanese education system. An American, born in London to a political attache of the American Ambassador, Jeff moved to Japan at age 12 when his father was transferred. His embassy school education was his mother's idea.

There was no doubt about the educational benefits of her decision. Small class-sizes and constant personal attention allowed him to excel far beyond his recognized grade level. His entire high school senior year had been devoted to successfully completing college-level courses. Still, as the school year drew to a close, Jeff felt something was missing. He was 17 years old living in a foreign country but attending a one-room school with other American students and taught by American teachers. He felt locked away from the Japanese his own age, unable to experience what was so special about them.

He never really made much of a connection with his American roots. After all, he only visited his homeland a few times, spoke with a light English accent and used too many British and Japanese slang words to be easily understood by the average American. His only contact with his countrymen, outside embassy personnel, was when he volunteered to help at the local Japan-America Society Tourist Aid Station in Tokyo. Contacts there were limited to elderly tourists who only wanted to talk about their war experiences or complain about Japan's lack of affordable Western lodging and food.

His Japanese was, understandably, quite good; the embassy staff saw to that. He knew he would probably never master Kanji (few outsiders ever do), but he read well enough to comprehend an average textbook. His grasp of the spoken language was quite admirable. He fully understood all the nuances and formalities the language demanded and spoke like a native. Certain he had sufficient background for such a venture, he longed to spend a year among kids his own age before departing for college.

A year at a local high school would be perfect, he thought. All he had to do was convince his parents. Of course, there was more than an academic reason for wanting this. Like most young men his age, his thoughts turned increasingly towards girls. His problem was that in a legation community, there was always a lack of girls his age. The few he did encounter were not the kind he wanted to share time with; some were even the stuff of nightmares. There was one 16-year old in particular from the Russian embassy who was so aggressive she scared the hell out of him. The only American near his age was a rather well-stuffed 13-year old who acted much younger. Naturally, when he brought up the subject, his parents were most reluctant. He knew it wouldn't be an easy negotiation but was unprepared for their adamant resistance. For some reason, they acted like they needed to protect him from the real world.

The debate lasted far into the evening, the impasse broken only by his unassailable argument that it would be like being a foreign exchange student while getting to come home every evening. Somewhere around midnight, his parents finally relented and reluctantly agreed to allow him to attend a local high school and repeat his senior year - for the cultural experience only. After the meeting, he overheard them talking in the kitchen, trying to convince themselves that he would be able to handle this new challenge. While they acknowledged his ability to cope academically, they feared that socially he was in for a rude awakening. Because the Japanese school year runs from April to March, it took several days to find a school that would accept a Western student in mid-term.

Only Furinkan Senior High School in Nerima appeared willing. It wasn't the city's newest or even the most prestigious high school, but its location in a quiet suburb of Tokyo with easy access to the subway system made it a reasonable choice. Where the other schools were highly reluctant, Furinkan's principal sounded oddly excited at the prospect of an American attending his school, although he expressed some disappointment that the student wasn't from Hawaii. Jeff's parents couldn't imagine why that was so important to the man but chalked it up to a normal Japanese obsession with the American island state.

His first day began on a warm June morning, sunny and dry. The type of morning that could make even a reluctant student glad to be walking to school. The fresh early-summer air was filled with a promise of new adventure. With a satisfied sigh, Jeff Lawrence exited Nerima's subway station and trudged alone down the street past the wide concrete drainage canal that ran through the center of town. Occasionally, small groups of students passed him, glancing his way only out of curiosity. None ever initiated a greeting, although they returned his, formally and without much conviction. It was like they couldn't understand why he was there. Walking alone, he experienced the ultimate paradox; isolation in a country of 125 million people. He wasn't just a 'nail sticking up' but a whole box of nails rattling its way down the street, attracting attention in a way only a Westerner could.

Smiling through all this was difficult. Despite his certainty that this was the right thing to do, he just couldn't shake the feeling he was going somewhere he didn't belong. The reactions of his soon-to-be classmates seemed to confirm that view. With increasing unease, he tried to figure out why the passing students gave him such a feeling. He had always heard that Japanese students were warmly curious about Westerners in their school. These Furinkan students reacted to him like he was an undercover cop or something.
It couldn't have been because of his attire; he was wearing the correct school uniform. His mother had seen to that.

At barely six feet, he wasn't especially tall or large by Western standards. He wasn't even oddly colored. His dark hair and deep tan made him visually similar - from a distance, at least. Perhaps it was his joining the school at mid-term. He knew how the Japanese disliked things that disrupted their carefully crafted sense of order and a foreign student in their class would most certainly be a disruption, no matter how hard he tried to fit in. In any case, this wasn't starting out the way he envisioned. As he continued to walk, the imposing facade of Furinkan Senior High School emerged from behind the many trees on the school grounds. Built in the late 50's, it represented the best of Japanese bureaucratic architecture; imposing, functional, and looking totally out of place next to all the neighborhood wood and stucco structures. The main tower held a large clock that read: 8:15. Plenty of time.

"Looks okay for a public school," he mused softly, stepping through the school's main gate and glancing around. "At least it's not run-down like some American inner-city school."
Approaching the front doors, he noticed a large number of male students dressed in all manner of sporting gear gathered in small groups off to the side. He figured it must be some kind of sports day activity promoting their specific club and reminded himself he needed to sign up for something. Maybe if he was part of a school club or team, he could gain a degree of acceptance. For the most part, the rest of the crowd only eyed him in silence. Occasionally, however, a person would mutter: "gaijin".

Jeff tried not to show he heard but it was difficult having the most hated title in Japan applied to him. Used originally to describe any outsider, it had come to mean any undesirable non-Japanese person. His mouth felt dry and he instinctively swallowed, trying not to show any reaction. This was what his father warned him about and what his mother feared. This was what he mentally prepared the last week for. Whatever happened, he told himself, he would endure what was necessary in the hopes he could eventually overcome the stigma. Nothing would provoke him into becoming an "ugly American" in this school, he vowed. That, however, didn't last long.

Allowing his young hormones a loose rein at the sight of attractive high school females leaning on the sills of the upper floor windows, Jeff made his first, and almost fatal, mistake. He collided with an imposing male student dressed in a Japanese sword-man's traditional gear complete with super-loose trousers and a deadly looking wooden bokkan.

"Clumsy whelp!" the swordsman shouted as he spun around to face Jeff. "By the grace of heaven. A filthy gaijin and dressed in one of our school uniforms. Oh, what evil we must have committed for the gods laugh at us with such an offering." Jeff held his tongue but watched carefully the way this fellow waved his wooden samurai sword as he spoke. It looked dangerous.

"What are you dressed for, you ugly monkey? Halloween is months away," Jeff muttered in English before catching himself and glancing around, hoping no one understood the language well enough to translate his insult. Figuring now was not the best time to start trouble, he tried a simple apology in Japanese. Bowing respectfully, he issued his regrets at the incident - making sure he assumed all blame for being so clumsy. With a second bow, he courteously asked where the main office was located. All he got for his trouble was a round of laughter from the assembled males. Still bent over, Jeff scowled at the ground and pursed his lips. This public school stuff was tougher than he thought.

"He knows our customs and speaks our language. I, Upperclassman Tatewaki Kuno, think we should humor the gaijin as a reward." Kuno raised his bokkan and was immediately answered by a strange crash of thunder and bolt of lightning that ominously crossed the sky overhead. Jeff raised one eyebrow and scanned the skies discreetly. How on earth did he do that? There's not a cloud in the sky.

"She's coming!" came a shout from near the gate. Suddenly he was no longer the center of attention.

"The destination you seek is inside these doors and to your right. Now begone, I have other matters to attend to." With that Jeff felt sufficiently dismissed to start for the door. Kuno's wooden sword flat across his chest indicated otherwise. "But mark this well, gaijin. The vengeance of heaven is slow. Were it not for my preoccupation with a matter of great importance on this spring morn, I would provide you with an education unlike any other in the manners and respect due an upperclassman. Tatewaki Kuno will remember you."

"Really? I am sooooo lucky," Jeff responded sarcastically in English while reminding himself to shut up and get moving. No sense in pressing his luck. But he was never one to take an insult lying down. Opening the massive school front door, he looked back over his shoulder and added in Japanese: "By the way, nice pants. There's a girl over at the French Embassy with a pair just like them." With that, he slipped inside glancing back in time to catch Kuno's glare through the glass.

The rest of his morning went smoothly. Except for a disturbance out front of the school which drew a sizable crowd, everything seemed normal. He didn't get a good look at what caused the commotion but saw enough of the aftermath to conclude it must have been a dandy rumble between rival gangs. He filed away for future reference a warning to be careful of high school gangs. After all, this WAS a public school. As luck would have it, he found himself in the same class as his earlier nemesis, Tatewaki Kuno, who seemed determined to spend the entire day glaring at him. He once tried a friendly smile but got only a disgusted look in return.

Glancing around the room, he caught the curious stares of his classmates and tried returning each with a smile and friendly nod. It didn't seem to have an effect on the guys but the girls quickly turned away and giggled among themselves. With a sigh, he shook his head and squirmed for a more comfortable position in a school desk not meant for Westerners or anyone else his size. During one of his visual forays around the room, his eyes caught on a small group of girls up front; the most interesting among them, a bored looking young lady with shorter brown hair who seemed to be the center of activity.

Like a queen bee, she sat waiting as her little worker bees buzzed about, disappearing from the room and returning to her desk with what looked like money and small slips of paper. With an amused chuckle, he fought the urge to ask someone if she was the local bookie or loan shark. What an absurd notion, he thought. There are no high school bookies. Not even in public high schools. In any case, the shorter girl with the long hair was kind of cute and she always smiled at him when she passed. He found that encouraging. At least, until the young lady with the shorter brown hair said something to her and glared his way. Obviously, he was disrupting something important.

"Is that the new student?" Sayuri whispered to her two compatriots. They all eyed the new boy as he sat at one of the desks, looking around their classroom.

"Hmmm. Not bad for a gaijin," Yuka remarked as she swept her long hair clear of one ear.

"Are you kidding? He's not bad for a guy of any kind," Sayuri added catching the gaijin's look and returning a shy giggle.

"Think he's rich?"

"Aren't all Americans?" Sayuri stifled a giggle of her own. Nabiki Tendo, seated at her desk, her chin supported on her fist, eyed the stranger critically through half open eyes. She had been watching him ever since he walked onto the school grounds. Until now, she'd reserved her thoughts. In a soft voice that sounded lethal, she said,

"In any case, I think he deserves a thorough checking." Eyeing him again, she muttered to herself: "Whoever you are, Mister Gaijin, your money is mine."

At lunch, Jeff quickly discovered just how much of an outsider he was. Despite the traditional Japanese reputation for being good hosts, mealtime at Furinkan proved to be an exception. No one openly welcomed him to join them, not even the girls -especially, the girls. They would look at him with blank expressions when he approached, then break into giggly conversation. Obviously, at his expense. They didn't refuse him a place to sit, just made it clear he was intruding. Naturally, he decided not to force himself on them.

Since it was a nice day and there seemed to be lots of activities going on outside, he gathered his Western-style sack lunch and wandered outside to eat. Nobody said anything when he did, so he figured it must be okay. With all the benches occupied, he decided to sit under a shady tree nearby as he ate. From such a vantage point he was able to catch some of the school gossip by eavesdropping on the various conversations that drifted his way from girls occupying the benches. The most common theme was about how Upperclassman Kuno jumped out a third floor window yesterday chasing some character that got too close to his girl. Swallowing a bite of his sandwich, Jeff made another mental note to find out who this chick was and avoid her like the plague. The last thing he needed was a stick-wielding wacko chasing him around because he said 'hi' to the wrong girl.

The rest of the day went quietly, or at least sufferably. It was all so much different than he imagined. He had made no friends or even acquaintances. The teachers were cold and remote - certainly nothing like the embassy teachers he was used to. Worst of all, not a single female indicated even the slightest interest in him. All things considered, this was *not* how Jeff envisioned public high school - Japanese or otherwise. He was beginning to have second thoughts about this whole Japanese public school thing when he made a major breakthrough.

Another student, judging by his attire an equal 'outsider', actually said 'hi' to him. What's more, they even enjoyed a short conversation. True, it was mostly about that 'baka' Kuno, but under the circumstances, any conversation was worth it's weight in gold. Unfortunately, it was equally true that the other student acted as if he wished to remain remote and detached from the gaijin he was talking to. Still, they *were* talking. That was something. Much to Jeff's dismay, just after the two went their separate ways, he discovered that he forgot to find out just who it was he had been talking to. All he could remember was the kid wore his hair in a pig tail and had on some strange Chinese-style red and black outfit.

For the rest of the day, Jeff chastised himself over his error. Combined with his earlier mistake, it made for a very unhappy afternoon. Almost getting wacked by the local stick-wielding head case was bad enough, but failing to get the name of the only person willing to talk to him was far worse. Proper protocol demanded he remember names. Wouldn't look good the next time they met. On the other hand, at least he didn't run into Kuno a second time. One encounter with Mr. Blue Thunder was enough for the first day. Arriving home Jeff dropped his book bag on the hall chair and slipped into the kitchen to see what was available. Like any normal teenager, he was always hungry.

"How was school, dear?" his mother asked while reviewing the guest list for an upcoming embassy function.

"Well... I didn't get killed, I understood most of what was said, and I failed to meet any of the girls in my class. All things considered, it was okay." Jeff snuck a few cookies from the cookie jar to go with his glass of juice.

"That's nice dear," his mom droned. She was so out of it when it came to his activities. Not that she was a bad mother or anything. Constantly being asked to assume more and more of the day-to-day operations of the embassy kept her running almost as hard as his father.

"Where's Dad?" Jeff asked, certain he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Down in Kure, dear. Something to do with a cultural exchange. He'll be back by Friday." Great, Jeff thought. Just when he want to talk to the old man, he skips town. Typical.
Jeff never really got along with his father. Not that they fought or anything. They just rarely had anything to say to each other. Which worked out okay for both. That is, until Jeff started noticing girls. Then, he had more questions than he could handle. And he couldn't talk to his mother about such things. There was no way she would understand.
That left just his dad. As neither was a master of father-son communications, such personal talks usually led to conversational dead ends. This often left Jeff more frustrated than before and having to rely on his only other source for information on girls; members of the Marine Guard Detachment or certain trusted members of the Japanese staff.

"I'm goin to practice now, Mom. I'll be back by 10," he called from the front hall. He needed time to figure out who would give him the best answers while remaining discreet.

"Have fun, dear," his mother's voice carried from the kitchen. Jeff wondered just how much she actually heard. With an audible sigh, he grabbed his workout bag and opened the front door. He didn't want to be late. His instructor would be particularly hard on him if he was late. Not that he ever let Jeff coast through practice anyway. For five years in England, he found himself in the care of an old Shinobi master: Massake Sato. The Shinobi people spawned the legendary shadow warriors - ninjas in the West. Jeff never knew exactly how he came to Master Sato's care, he always assumed it was something his parents wanted for him. As a child, he rarely rebelled against the decisions of his parents. Over time, it became his desire as well.

Master Sato's training method was unusual. Unlike other martial arts instructors, he refused to use training weapons and pads, opting instead for the real things. He insisted that warrior training that does not face actual danger is not true warrior training at all, but merely a desire to play at being bold. Jeff had the scars to prove it. Early in his training back In England, Jeff faced things that would have horrified his parents. He hung over the edge of sheer cliffs supported only by ropes he himself tied. He stood for long periods of time in freezing pools pummeled by ice cold waterfalls in order to teach him how to focus. He learned his limits and his abilities. By the time he left England, there was little he could face that would frighten him beyond action.

In spite of all this, his training was incomplete. Conquering his fear was only the first goal of ninjutsu training. Guile and deception was the second. Fighting would come later.
Once in Japan, he received a strange message from Master Sato. The venerable master was not going to teach him the ways of the shadow warrior until he learned some basic fighting skills. He was directed to someone fully trusted in the Shinobi community, Soun Tendo. Jeff assumed the embassy security office had approved of Soun Tendo. They were usually careful to check out anyone who had regular dealings with members of the embassy staff and their dependents. Tendo-sensei must have passed their background checks. In the legation community, kids' hobbies were encouraged to give them a sense of continuity, making their inevitable relocation easier.

To the folks at the American Embassy, Jeff Lawrence was simply another dependent with a hobby. No one seemed concerned that only ten years before, the Tendo School was shut down. He had been meeting with Tendo-sensei a couple of times a week for almost 5 years. Much of the training was little more than standard kempo. Hardly the stuff of ninja legends. He never asked and Soun never offered anything about the Tendo family. Jeff knew the man was a widower but little else. That all changed when they moved their training to the family's little dojo.

One evening, they were joined by another student, a little dark haired stick of dynamite called Akane. She moved with such grace and power, effortlessly gliding from one kata to another, that Jeff found himself unable to concentrate. Once, when he was so distracted by her, Tendo-sensei drove home the need for concentration by a sharp 'wack' to his head. Only her uncharacteristic grin while continuing her kata confirmed she saw what happened. Jeff rubbed the spot on his chest when he remembered how, after his session was over, he dared to approach her and ask if she wanted to go out for a soda or something. Her reaction was totally unexpected. She kicked him across the room. He never saw her again. Much to his relief.

---

Nabiki called her usual sources of information and was most disappointed in the results.

"What do you mean, you can't find anything on him?" Nabiki shouted incredulously into the phone. "That's impossible! Everyone has a financial trail."

"My feet are not big!" came Akane's voice from her room down the hall.

"Well, they're big for a girl." The sound of Ranma and Akane arguing usually had little effect on Nabiki any more. But for some reason the background sounds of a growing fight in Akane's room was an irritant this evening. The voice at the other end of the line confirmed they were unable to find anything on Jeffrey Lawrence. His father, yes, but nothing on Jeff himself. And there were no other living relatives on his branch of his family tree. In short, there was Jeff, a low-paid government employee father, and a void thereafter. The voice went on to ask if she wanted them to check for dead relatives.

"Are you nuts!" Nabiki growled at the suggestion. "What kind of ghoul do you take me for? If he had gotten any money from dead relatives it would be obvious in his own record. Honestly, I sometimes wonder just how you people stay in business." Nabiki hung up the phone totally confused. "Impossible!"
she repeated to herself several times. "Why would there be no record of Jeff Lawrence? EVERYONE has a record."

"Nabiki-chan, if you're done with the phone, could I borrow it for a moment?" Akane asked as she stepped out of her room.

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead."

"Thanks." Akane took the phone from her sister and disappeared back into her room. He could be ultra rich, Nabiki thought a thin smile. The idea gave her a warm, satisfied feeling. Above all else, she wanted to be rich. Sure, she valued a guy's looks and personality too, but his net worth or potential worth was clearly the deciding factor. She had contacts in all the financial institutions in Japan that could dig out a boy's status in a matter of minutes or project his potential earnings in a few more. This was the first time she failed on all counts.

Nabiki paused at the top of the stairs. A loud argument could be heard coming from Akane's room. From the sounds of things, Ranma was trying to back-track on his observations about the size of Akane's feet. Akane, however, was in little mood for such discussions.

"Baka!" Nabiki chided herself with a shake of her head. "If he were THAT wealthy, what would he be doing at my dump of a school? Sheesh, girl have you totally lost your mind?" She carefully ran through her sources again and found no obvious gaps. This mystery was going to take more work. She didn't like mysteries and this 'Jeffrey Lawrence' person was a big one.

As usual, Sensei Tendo worked Jeff to the breaking point. What was quite out of the ordinary was how Jeff showed just enough ineptness to frustrate his sensei. Still, it was uncanny how the guy knew how far he could push a student before letting up. This evening there was another man in the dojo. He appeared to be the same age as Sensei Tendo and spent all evening long sitting on his heels in the corner of the room watching Jeff's every move. Jeff didn't especially like being watched, it made him nervous and this guy made him exceptionally nervous. He had the air of a master of the arts and looked the part too. Big and burly, with little wire rimmed glassed secured to his face with, what looked like, rubber bands.

For three hours, he remained motionless as Jeff went through drill after drill. Not even the sound of someone being thrown out of a second floor window at the residence had the slightest affect on him. In frustration, Tendo-sensei halted a drill. With his back to the stranger, he formed a Shinobi sign of questioning. Jeff shifted his eyes quickly to the stranger then back to his sensei. Soun Tendo immediately understood and class resumed.

[Stranger present. Conceal, deceive, evade.]

At the end of the evening, Jeff made sure to acknowledge the other man's presence by bowing politely before leaving. To his relief, the man responded.
"A moment, Jeff-san," Tendo-sensei said looking at the other man. "I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine, Genma Saotome."

Jeff bowed respectfully and added: "The honor is mine, sensei."

For the first time the stranger spoke: "How do you know I am a teacher of martial arts?" Jeff smiled slightly. Personal observation had long been a strong suit of his. Often he could pick out the most important person at an embassy affair or meeting by simply watching them. His father said it was valuable gift that would serve him will in the diplomatic corps (not that he ever really wanted anything to do with the diplomatic corps). He could also detect weaknesses in opponents whether on the athletic field or in a poker game and often used it to his advantage. He couldn't explain how he did it. But then, many of the things Jeff acquired from Master Sato were beyond explanation.

"Your ki, sensei," Jeff lied quietly. [Reveal nothing, observe everything.] "You have an aura of complete control of your environment. Ichi masu, the first law, ne?" Jeff instinctively quoted something he had learned from old Master Sato in England. He almost regretted having said it when Saotome and Tendo exchanged odd looks.

"You quote a venerable book, young one," Mr. Saotome said with a hard look.
here was an awkward pause. Jeff had just committed one of the most unpardonable sins of Shinobi life; he had inadvertently revealed his knowledge of their ways to an outsider. Such was often the start of a clan's betrayal. Soun Tendo, sensing Jeffrey's predicament, rescued him with a little diversion of his own. He chuckled lightly causing Mr. Saotome to shoot him a questioning look.

"Perhaps I should explain. Lawrence-san reads too much. He came to me with his head filled with stories of ninjas and samurai. He has yet to learn the path of a true martial artist. As a favor to an old friend, I have been teaching him traditional kempo so he could find the path to our pure art."

"I see," Mr. Saotome's voice rumbled ominously - like a large volcano before it explodes. "You move well for a Westerner... too well. I wonder if you have ever been tested. Perhaps you need a more challenging workout, boy." For some reason, Soun Tendo slowly stepped aside. Out of the corner of his eye, Jeff could see the look of curious detachment on his sensei's face. Something was going to happen. Part of Jeff's ability to detect emotions allowed him to sense danger and his mind was positively screaming warnings now.

As Mr. Saotome's eyes once again fixed on the young American, Jeff got the uncomfortable feeling that he was about to be tested in a most unpleasant manner.
Like a cat, Mr. Saotome sprang at the young student, a sharp cry announcing the fingers of his right hand aimed for Jeff's throat. Without thinking, Jeff dropped, shifted his weight, and using his opponent's momentum against him, whipped the older man across the room as easily as if he were a rag doll; a fairly basic move any first year student could easily accomplish.

Mr. Saotome rolled upon landing and immediately launched a flying kick at Jeff's head. Jeff, assuming a typical ninjutsu fighting pose, had expected such a follow up but not this fast. It had been long time since he'd been in a real fight. So long that he had forgotten just how fast things can happen. This time, he waited too long. The first blow caused him to see stars. The second sent him spinning across the dojo, ending flat on his back. Well, THAT was stupid, he thought while trying to clear his vision. Not only had he forgotten how fast things could happen in a fight but he also forgot how much it hurt getting hit. If he was hoping Mr. Saotome was through for the evening, the sight of a bare foot heading for his face convinced him otherwise.

"Whoa, Jesus!" Jeff muttered as he rolled out of the way. This was going worse than usual. As fights go, he was clearly on the defensive and running for his life. Stunned by how fast the big man could move, Jeff's mind rapidly slipped towards disorganized panic. It was then he remembered more of Mr. Sato's words: [Fear and panic are a shadow warrior's greatest allies and his worst enemies. Embrace them as your allies and your power will be magnified.]
It wasn't easy, considering the big man's relentless attacks, but he eventually calmed himself and moved to minimize Mr. Saotome's obvious advantage in speed and aggressiveness. Focusing solely on identifying and countering his opponent's attacks, he was just able to deflect them while constantly moving, avoiding the man's relentless assaults. Eventually, he escaped to in front of the open panels leading outside. For the moment, he had established his ability to fight Genma Saotome to a standstill - partially.
[When victory is without reward, stalemate is acceptable.]

As the defeat of Mr. Saotome would accomplish nothing positive, he switched to Plan B; getting Sensei Tendo involved.
[Allies come in many forms. All should be used.]

Sliding back towards the door slightly and closer to Soun Tendo, he positioned himself. This would take precise timing to make it look right. It also depended on Tendo-sensei being quick enough. Assuming an almost laughably inept looking pose, he calmly awaited Genma Saotome's next attack. When it came, his preparation had the desired effect.

To anyone watching, he looked like an easy kill. Soun Tendo must have agreed. As Genma's jump kick attack fully developed, Soun reached out faster than the eye could follow, grabbed Jeff by the collar, and yanked him out of the way. Landing in a heap on the floor, Jeff had just enough time to catch what happened next. Mr Saotome, startled by the sudden displacement of his opponent, missed badly. Now out of control, his momentum aided in no small part by Soun Tendo's swift kick, Genma passed through the open panel, over the balcony and, with wildly waving arms, landed with a tremendous splash in a tub of rainwater.

"I always wanted to do that," Mr. Tendo mumbled before turning to Jeff. "I believe that is enough for tonight, young warrior. You did... an acceptable job." He was obviously looking for something positive to say, especially about the last action. He must have been convinced that Jeff was caught cold turkey and would have been spattered all over his dojo had he not pulled the young man out of harm's way.

In truth, all went according to Jeff's plan. He knew Sensei Tendo wouldn't allow anything to happen to him. He also knew defeating Genma Saotome would be pointless and possibly dangerous. His solution was to simply allow himself to be yanked out of the fight by his sensei. The part about the tub was a bonus.
However, to Soun Tendo, there remained one last question to be answered. "A trained martial artist would never have allowed himself to be so exposed as your last position. I am curious. Why?"

"It seemed like the right thing to do at the time?" Jeff was being evasive but reasonably honest. He was just referring to his plan instead of the last fighting stance. Mr. Tendo just sighed and placed a hand over his face, probably to cover his frustrated embarrassment, then excused himself to see to Mr. Saotome.
Jeff bowed deeply to his sensei. Then, like all Shinobi warriors, he turned to the dojo's tiny shrine and gave a silent prayer of thanks for coming away with his life.

As Jeff packed his things, he thought back to old Master Sato in England. He remembered how the man could simply 'appear', as if out of nowhere. Maybe he really was a master of the ancient arts. Maybe he was telling the truth about the ancient Shinobi clans. Maybe there was something to all the ninja talk. He fondly recalled his sessions with Master Sato. Never knowing exactly why he was being taught by such a strange little old man, he nevertheless embraced the opportunity.

The training itself was strange, in a Western sense. Quickly, and sometimes brutally, his childhood was stripped from him. In five years he was subjected to rigorous spiritual training sessions with Master Sato, usually followed by long tales from ancient Japan. Most were interesting, some were boring, but all related a great deed performed by an ancient Shinobi master and contained some pearl of wisdom or reason for a technique. While he never proved to be a superior student in the other parts of his Shinobi training, he did excel at throwing things; shuriken, caltrops, even the tanto. Being somewhat of a loner, he had lots of time to practice. That practice led to some of his best times in England.

Despite his young age, he developed a bad habit of haunting the family pubs and winning small amounts of cash from strangers by playing darts. He was good at it. Good enough that people started to bet on his matches. In time, the stakes grew. Sometimes, the gambling would exceed a weeks salary of the average bettor. Even under such pressure, he continued to win, improving with each match. It was good fun, until word got out and his opponents dried up. Unfortunately, Master Sato found out and quickly put a stop to it. Jeff was being trained as a Shinobi. Not as an entertainer. He would have to demonstrate better control if he wished to continue. Typically, Jeff complied.

His thoughts shifted to the last night in England when, in an emotional and deeply moving ceremony, Master Sato made him a member of his Shinobi clan. He wasn't a shadow warrior (he was clearly not ready for that), but a member of the old man's noble family. It was like being adopted. Jeff still wore the small clan symbol on a chain around his neck, an honor he never sought nor felt qualified to hold. Nevertheless, it was something he was determined never to disgrace.
In spite of all this, there were still parts of this arrangement that left him uneasy. He knew of all the Western stories about ninjas, how they were night stalkers and assassins. Hollywood never treated the Shinobi warriors with much respect, but then they never seemed to treat anyone with much respect.

"Not me," he repeated out loud to the empty dojo. "I may be a lot of things, but an assassin is not one of them." Pulling from his bag a 6 inch long shuriken shaped like a common pencil, he twirled it with his finger tips as he looked around the dojo. He especially liked the shuriken. He used to practice for hours throwing from different positions, inventing little games to amuse himself, until his aim was deadly. His eye caught on a white paper fan mounted on one of the dojo's vertical beams about 20 feet away. In the middle of the fan was a red rising sun the size of a quarter. Jeff smiled and turned away from the fan. With practiced skill, he quickly spun around, dropped to one knee and flung his projectile at the target. Silently, his deadly metal weapon flew straight and true, imbedding itself in the exact center of the red dot. "Still got it," he said to himself with a satisfied grin. He wondered if there were any pubs around. He could stand to make a few yen.

Jeff's evening did not go unobserved. Outside, peeking through a back window, was a very interested bystander. Nabiki Tendo had taken an interest in this strange gaijin with an indecipherable past. She was especially curious how this gaijin was tied to her father. Of course, there were other reasons for her interest. When she was getting started in the snooping and spying business, she checked into her mother's background. What she found almost made her give up snooping forever. Her mother had come to live with her relatives when very young; this much they all knew.

It was where she came from that was most startling. Her mother was born to an ancient mountain family well known for their shadow warrior connections. In Japan, Shinobi shadow warriors, or Ninjas, were no invention of overactive imaginations. They were legendary in their skills at fighting, deception, and guile. Like moss on a rock, myths grew around the truth about the shadow warriors until their perceived powers far exceeded their real ones. Of course, the Shinobi were content to let the myths grow, it only increased their power and prestige. If her mother was really part of a Shinobi clan, it would explain a lot.

It would explain why her father, who had given up teaching upon the death of his wife, would return to the dojo with a new student. Only one thing could compel him to do so; a Shinobi clan obligation. That would also explain a lot about Jeff Lawrence. Somehow, he was mixed up in this Shinobi clan business. How, she didn't know but was determined to find out. Normally avoiding the dojo, as she had no interest in martial arts, Jeff's presence drew her to her concealed position to get a better look at this fellow who had no financial trail and who just happened to be trained by her father. She didn't believe in coincidences. There had to be a reason. She watched him practice but was unimpressed. Even Akane could move better than that.
She saw the fight and correctly rated it as: Pathetic. She hoped he would avoid trouble at all costs. Otherwise, someone might just plant him before she could dig up all his dirt.

Finally, she saw his little act with the shuriken. WHOA! Maybe he's better than he lets on. Perhaps, this gaijin is more than he appears. Maybe, he really is, somehow, mixed up with one of the clans. He could be taking the lessons from Daddy, practicing on his own, and still appear to be only average in the dojo to cover his real abilities. Nabiki knew of the Shinobi skill at deception. They were masters at concealing their true identities. If this Jeffrey person was part of a Shinobi clan, his presence must mean something important. She wondered if her father knew what. She was about to leave her concealed location when Jeff pulled off his gi jacket. This could get interesting, she thought, taking a quick visual tour of his muscular body.

Financial whiz or not, she was 17 and appreciated a good male form as well as anyone. Her usual sardonic smile grew into a wistful grin as she memorized every exposed inch of his body - making certain to fill in the other parts with her vivid imagination. He was much better than those scrawny specimens at school, she mused, watching his muscles flex while he toweled off. If he takes the pants came off, she was staying for sure. However, to her disappointment, he only donned a scarlet, light weight t-shirt that read: 'USMC - When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Killed Overnight', packed his bag and started to leave. Darn!

With a satisfied grunt, Jeff slung his bag over a shoulder and sauntered towards the main gate. He knew he was being watched and followed. He also knew, that whoever it was, presented no danger to him at all. A small smile creased his face as made his way to the gate. His eyes remained forward but his trained senses probed cautiously. It was a she, he was convinced of that much, and not a trained stalker. Probably just one of the children that live at the Tendos, he figured. Kids are always curious about Westerners. He wasn't far from the gate when a movement near the side of the Tendo residence caught his eye. It was dark and there were many shadows, but he could have sworn he saw a large black and white animal crawl over the engawa and into the house. "Man, these people have some weird pets," he said to himself while exiting the main gate.

When Jeff got home, he found his mother waiting up for him along with a man Jeff recognized as an embassy legal counsel. Dropping his bag on a hall chair, he walked warily into the living room.

"Jeff, dear," his mother said quietly. "This is Mr. Wollenberg from the embassy." She indicated the distinguished looking man standing next to her.

"Something wrong?" Jeff asked trying to appear calm and unconcerned.

"Nothing's wrong, young man," the lawyer replied. "In fact, you might be pleased with my visit. Why don't we sit down?" The lawyer moved to occupy a large chair across from the sofa where Jeff and his mother nervously sat, waiting. He dug through his brief case for a few moments before producing a large file of papers, many with official looking seals. Adjusting his glasses he looked at the Lawrences and smiled. Jeff never liked it when a lawyer smiled. This one made him more nervous than Mr. Saotome. "I have here the final will and testament of Ronald and Ruth Phillips," he said looking through the pages for something.

"Phillips?" Jeff looked to his mother to fill in the gaps.

"Your grandparents, dear." She gently placed a hand on his arm. "They died ten years ago when you were very little."

"Oh yeah, Dad's parents, right?" he asked. He didn't really remember much about them other than they were nice to him when they visited and always brought presents. Mrs. Lawrence nodded and smiled.

"As you probably know, your father was the product of a previous marriage. By the time his mother remarried, he was in college and didn't want to change his name. Hence, our different family names."

"I won't bore you with all the legal mumbo-jumbo," the lawyer began. "In accordance with the provisions of the will, Mr. Jeffrey Lawrence will assume control of all the assets, investments, and holdings of the estate of Ronald and Ruth Phillips on his 18th birthday - some 8 months hence." Jeff sat stunned, frantically searching for a reason why *he* would receive such a windfall, not his father.

"Why me?"

"I can answer that." His mother shifted nervously on the sofa. "Your father's step-father never understood your father's refusal to follow his path in the business world." She paused with a soft sigh. "As an only child, they hoped he would take an interest in his step-father's profession but he instead chose to follow his late father's academic calling and became a professor." She hesitated again, like she was looking for the right words. "Your father felt that it was... wrong for one person to have all that money and financial power."

"He thought making money was wrong?" Jeff looked at the lawyer who just shrugged his shoulders. "What a bizarre concept."

"Anyway, your grandparents were very disappointed." She paused again with a sad smile. "When you were born, they naturally took steps to assure you would be the one to carry on. I guess they saw it as an obligation." Her eyes glistened as a particularly moving memory revealed itself. "With your father gone so much of the time, I made the decision on my own to let the training begin. Everything you have been through since you were 5 years old has been at their direction - and my approval. The schooling you received, the trips you took,-"

"Even Master Sato?"

"Especially Master Sato. You were the repayment of a very great debt Mr. Sato's family owed your grandfather." Jeff stopped his mother right there. Casting a quick glance at the lawyer, he asked if he could be excused for a few moments. Mrs. Lawrence, catching her son's meaning, asked Mr. Wollenberg if he would care for some good English tea. The lawyer looked up from his papers like he wasn't aware they were leaving and nodded. Jeff led the way into their kitchen. He wasn't all that certain he really wanted to know the whole story. He already had enough problems with school and all. Adding money to that mix would only make things harder on him. Closing the door, Jeff asked:

"Now, what's all this about Master Sato?" Jeff's mother lightly settled into one of the kitchen chairs and began her story.

"Your grandfather was an Army Intelligence officer during the war. At war's end, he was tasked to find a certain Japanese Army officer and bring him in for questioning. During his search, he stumbled upon a crumbling village deep in the mountains of Japan. At first, he was tempted to simply bypass it. After all, he didn't think it wasn't the place he was looking for. In fact, it wasn't even on the map. There was so much suffering and need in Japan at that time. What was one more village, more or less, to a conquering army?

But this village turned out to be exactly the place your grandfather was seeking. This village had provided an unusually large number of Intelligence Officers for the Japanese Army. Mr Sato was the officer your grandfather was sent to find. The war crimes tribunal in Tokyo were determined to punish all those who had plotted against the allies and Intelligence Officers were at the forefront of those they wanted.

A sudden storm cut off the village for a few days and your grandfather was forced to take shelter in Mr Sato's home. Nobody knows for sure what happened but by the time the road was reopened, your grandfather was no longer interested in war crimes tribunals. Using his contacts, he obtained food, medicine, and just about everything else the village needed to rebuild. He remained there for two months. When he finally returned to Tokyo, he was a different man. Claiming he couldn't find Mr Sato, he quickly submitted his resignation and returned to America.

It was not long afterwards that he went into the investment business with money that couldn't be traced. There were rumors, of course, about where it came from. Some suggested he'd found Japanese government gold somewhere in the mountains and converted it to his own use. But that proved to be false when all the Japanese gold was accounted for later. It also couldn't explain how everything he invested in returned fabulous profits. In ten years, he'd become one of the wealthiest men in America and quietly held controlling interest in many highly profitable companies all over the world." Jeff considered his mother's story. He'd never heard this before.

"So, Grandpa was helped by Master Sato's people?" he asked.

"In many ways, they helped each other," she replied. "It is said that much of the money he made went back to Mr Sato's people. Soon, they were all so wealthy they no longer needed to live in seclusion. Mr Sato and your grandfather became good friends. I believe that is why he made you a member of his clan."

"You know about that?" Jeff gasped, his hand instinctively going to the small medallion he wore around his neck. His mother blushed and she looked away. "I know many things about you - probably more things than a mother should. You are special, not just because you're my son but because of what Master Sato gave you."

"But mother, I never finished the training."

"I know, dear," she said quietly. "That was your father's doing, I'm afraid. He didn't hold with all this 'Shinobi' business. That's why we transferred." She paused, a genuinely sad look came over her face. "It was the first serious fight we ever had." Jeff, naturally, was uncomfortable with the thought of his parents fighting over anything. Their fighting over him was especially unsettling.

"Ironic, isn't it," he observed after a long silence. "We left England to get away from Master Sato, and the State Department sends us to Japan." Jeff's mom looked at him for a long time. He got the feeling she wanted to tell him something very important but couldn't. He knew better than to press the issue.

"Your father really does love you, Jeff. It just doesn't always show." Jeff had never been particularly close to his father. He now knew why. They were about as different as any son could be from his father. They rarely talked and only recently had Jeff indicated any desire to ask his father anything. His mother, on the other hand, was always available, always there for him, always understanding of his troubles, hopes, and fears - even when it appeared she was preoccupied.
For a few minutes, only the ticking of a wall clock broke the silence. Never were two people so close together in the same room but so far away at the same time. Jeff suddenly had a strong desire to talk with his venerable master once again. "We better get back," his mother suggested as she stood up to leave.

"Mom," Jeff said, stopping in the doorway. "The tea." With an embarrassed smile, she quickly prepared the lawyer's tea and the two returned to the living room.

"I guess we're talking about some serious money here. Just how much is all this worth?" Jeff asked as they settled back on the sofa. Mr. Wollenberg flipped through a few other pages before answering.

"Oh... It's hard to say exactly. I would guess around a billion or more. It's really hard to put an exact figure on it because so much is tied up in the net worth of so many companies. I can try to get a more precise accounting for you if you wish?" Billion or more? Jeff only knew financial figures in the low hundreds - about the size of his savings account. Astronomical sums such as those called for in the will were unimaginable.

"Mom, this could all become... difficult for me. If word of this were to get out..." He paused searching for the right words. His mother gently rested a hand on his and smiled sadly.

"I know, honey. We tried to talk you out of this Japanese high school thing of yours. We know you only wanted a regular high school experience with regular kids... and to meet girls your own age." Jeff blushed at the floor. It was true, of course, but embarrassing when stated out loud - especially by his mother.
Mrs. Lawrence sensed her son's embarrassment and offered an alternative. "I guess public schools do serve a purpose, of sorts. Perhaps, its not too late to enroll in a nice international high school. At least there you'll meet nice young girls who aren't so Japanese in their values."

"I hate to quit just yet," Jeff said still looking at the floor. "I mean, today I actually made a friend... well, I think so anyway." His mother seemed to caress him with her eyes - the way only a mother could.

"Well, we'll let it go until the end of the term. If things are still difficult for you then, we'll transfer you to St. Mary's or American International or something."

"As for word of all this getting out," the Mr. Wollenberg said with a wave of his hand. "Not to worry, young man. Everything is currently listed by proxy; sort of a blind trust. Until you turn 18, the only way anyone could find out that you are the eventual beneficiary would be to see the will itself." He smiled. "And I have ways of preventing that." Jeff frowned at the lawyer.

"Why would you do that for me?" Mr Wallenberg chuckled. "Your late grandfather and I were good friends. We went through a lot together. He was always there for me when I needed him, so you could say this is my way of repaying his kindness." He sighed and smiled self-consciously. "Young man, I don't really expect you to understand this but even lawyers have a sense of loyalty - especially to someone like Ron. If you're half the man he was, you'll be a worthy custodian of his legacy."

"A billion or more is quite a legacy. It'll take some work," Jeff noted.

"I've been watching you since you came to Japan. You have so many of your grandfather's traits. I'm confident you'll make him proud." Jeff didn't remember much of the rest of the meeting. He was lost in his own thoughts. What if he *should* meet a girl? What if she finds out about his inheritance? He wouldn't want to marry anyone under those conditions. How would he know if she was marrying him for love or just trying to get hold of the money? He considered giving up the idea of meeting Miss Right for now and wait until after college but that only brought him back to the original dilemma. Once the inheritance kicked in, there would be no way of keeping it quiet. Every girl he came in contact with would be suspect. This wasn't good - not good at all.

Jeff had trouble falling asleep that night, his mind was working overtime. He had confidence Mr. Wollenberg would do his job and the inheritance would be safely shielded from prying eyes. For his own part, he'd have to extra careful. One slip and the word would get out. He had to continue looking like a poor son of a embassy staff member. Otherwise, he could kiss goodbye any chance of finding a girl who loved him for himself. Not that he had anyone in mind. Heck, he didn't even have any prospects. On that depressing thought, he drifted off to sleep.

Nabiki was working late on the family books. She had taken her bath and was dressed in her pajamas. She always worked numbers better in her pajamas.
At least they were in the black this month, she thought while writing down the final balance. Thank goodness for those mystery deposits or they'd be in real trouble. She looked again at the pair of strange deposit slips she was holding. They were the same deposits the bank had reported every month for the last two years. One was drawn on a large Tokyo bank, without notation as to what investment account it was for.

When she asked her father, he just said it was the monthly stipend from his late wife's inheritance. That's what it certainly looked like; money from an account with her mother's name on it. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't disprove her father's claim. Reluctantly, she accepted the deposits without comment.
The other set of deposits began arriving about the same time this Jeff fellow started working out with her father. These were from a different bank in Tokyo. Again, there was no notation as to where they were from or why. When asked, her father just laughed and noted that they were a repayment of an old debt the person couldn't pay for a long time.

Now that he was wealthy, he could afford repayment. Their anonymous nature was because he wished to remain just so; nameless. Again, they appeared to be exactly what her father said they were, legitimate repayments of a debt. Still, she didn't trust people - even her father. It was odd that no one at the bank could (or would) provide her with a name to go with the account. All they would tell her was the account's number, something anyone could have gotten simply by looking at the deposit slip. Together they appeared to make up a sizeable chunk of the family's living expenses.

"Just so long as the books balance," she said to herself while stretching. The family was in the black and the bank agreed. For now, that was all that mattered.

The next day at school, Jeff missed the commotion out front again. He was quietly reading at his desk, twirling a pencil in his fingers. One minute surrounded by dozens of milling students and the next he was totally alone as everyone had gathered at the windows to watch the front lawn activities. By the time Jeff worked his way through the crowd at a window, all he saw were a bunch of beat up students in various athletic garb being assisted by their fellow students. This was becoming really weird. Every morning, the same thing happened. One minute, everything was quiet and orderly. The next, students rushed to the windows like a school of fish. In moments, the whole thing was over with no indication from anyone just what had taken place. He listened to the conversations afterwards but couldn't make heads or tails of them.

"They were just mowed down," one girl said.

"You'd think they'd have learned by now," another replied.

"Those guys are going about this the wrong way," offered one fellow.

"More coordination, that's the ticket," his companion answered. None of this made any sense to Jeff and he was left further in the dark than before. Who was beating up all those athletes and disappearing before he could get a good look? More importantly, why? Jeff was still pondering the unusual early morning disturbance when a shadow fell over his desk. Looking up, he was surprised to see the strange girl with the short brown hair.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier," she said, "I'm Nabiki Tendo."

"Pleased to meet you, Tendo-san," he replied with as respectable a bow as his cramped desk would allow.

"Call me Nabiki."

"I'm Jeffrey Lawrence."
Nabiki smiled. "Yes, I know." He figured he shouldn't have been surprised at that. After all, the teacher introduced him to the class when he first arrived.

"Tendo?" Jeff asked with raised eyebrows. "Are you related in any way to Soun Tendo, the martial arts instructor?"

"He's my father."

Jeff just nodded knowingly. Eyeing her, he tried to match the feelings he had the night before when he was being watched in the dojo. Yes, Nabiki could easily have been the person who was spying on him as he changed into his street clothes. He wondered why. Surely, she had no knowledge of his Shinobi background. Perhaps she recognized him from class and was just curious about his presence at the dojo. Nabiki leaned on his desk, her uniform skirt rising sufficiently to expose her beautiful legs. He caught her smile when she noticed him eyeing them.

"You're an American, right?"

"My father works at the embassy."

"How long have you been in Japan?"

"Five years. I was born in London."

"Oh, how exciting. I've always wanted to go to England, "Nabiki said with a sweetness that almost convinced Jeff she was sincere. "It sounds like such an exciting place."

"If you say so."

"I'll bet you got to meet a lot of famous and influential people there," she said, her head tilted slightly.

"Not really. Although I once got to meet the British Prime Minister. I shook her hand." Jeff wondered why Nabiki was asking about the people he'd met in England. Or was England even important in this discussion? She was obviously looking for something. He had to buy time until he figured out what.

"But your father is an influential member of the embassy staff," she pressed before he could think of some other topic of conversation. Jeff tried to hide his reaction to such probing.

"I suppose so. Why? You want to negotiate a treaty or something?"

"Oh no," she said defensively. "I just think you're interesting."

"I see. That would explain all the questions about my father." Jeff eyed Nabiki with a knowing grin. There was no way she couldn't know he was on to her. Still, she covered it well.

"I don't get to meet many Americans." She turned profile and fluffed her hair. "Nerima is such a dreary little town. Not exciting like London or even New York." She quickly turned her head to regard him again. "You ever been to New York?"

"Only the airport, changing planes on my way elsewhere."

"Hmmmm, I'll bet you get to fly a lot."

"Not really. Got nowhere to go."

"Surely you must have relatives in America."

"Of course. I'm an American."

"A handsome young man such as yourself must be related to actors or bankers or industrialists of some sort." Jeff almost laughed out loud. So that's what she was looking for. She was checking out his financial family tree. Well, he could play along. "Hmmmm, I think I had a relative who owned a hardware store. Is that what you're looking for?"

Nabiki frowned. "Nothing bigger?"

"Well, it was a BIG hardware store."

"I mean like a company or something." Her voice had an edge that could only come from impatience.

"Hmmm, nope. No companies in the family."

Nabiki wore a disappointed expression as she shot him an odd look. "Nothing else?"

"A couple were farmers in Michigan. Something to do with cows, I believe."

"Cows," she repeated like she didn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yeah, you know; 'mooo', milk, and hamburgers."

"Farmers," she repeated, a thinly disguised expression of disdain on her face.

Jeff decided to have a little fun with her. "Of course, they owned just about everything between Lansing and Battle Creek. Lived in big houses with swimming pools and their own horse stables out back. Quite the landed gentry."

Nabiki's interest picked up considerably with the mention of vast land holdings and big houses. "Sounds wonderful," she said. To her, farmers were grubby little people who scratched around in the dirt. Their homes were filthy little shacks with filthy little wives caring for filthy little children playing in filthy little yards with other filthy little children. It all sounded so... filthy. American farmers were obviously of a higher social order. Jeff wanted to determine her tolerance level for deep blarney.

"Oh yes, but they didn't just sit on their money. They bought stocks - lots of them. I think they're majority stockholders in a few companies. Perhaps you've heard of them." He went on to name ten well-known companies and watched with growing amusement as Nabiki's jaw visibly dropped. This was fast becoming the most fun he'd ever had in school.

"You're related to all that?" she gasped.

"Well, not really." He sighed almost theatrically. "It's all on my mother's side and they have lots of kids. Too bad, I guess. Sure would be nice to be rich." He watched her excitement drain away, her shoulders sagging in profound disappointment.

"What about your father's side?" she asked in a flat voice.

"He's an only child."

"I know that...," she snapped before catching herself. "I mean, how interesting. What did his father do?"

"He was a school teacher," Jeff said with a shrug. Nabiki's interest came to a complete, grinding halt. School teacher? Those were among the lowest forms of life she could imagine - next to farmers. Jeff grinned inwardly. It would destroy the joke to tell her his father's real father was an economics professor emeritus at a very famous university and had written numerous books on the subject. Anyone even remotely interested in the subject would immediately recognize his name.

Her interest in his potential financial status sated, she excused herself and rejoined her companions. From her desk, she cast a curious glance his way before the next teacher arrived to begin the class period. Jeff didn't get much out of the class. He was still thinking about Nabiki and how easy it was to deflect her probing questions. He had to stifle a couple of chuckles recalling her reaction to the farmer and school teacher bits. She might not be the girl of his dreams but she was certainly interesting enough - in a predatory sort of way.

Between the next set of classes, Nabiki returned to her supervising of Yuka and Sayuri as they came and went, returning quickly with more paper and money.
Jeff watched for a few minutes before deciding it was time he found out just what she was doing. After all, he owed her a visit. Standing and stretching, he casually walked over to her desk and craned his neck to see what she was writing in her little book.

"Can I help you?" she asked without looking up. From the tone of her voice it was obvious he was interrupting something.

"Just curious," he said, looking closer. Her handwriting wasn't the best in the world but what he could make out looked like odds and bets. "You the class treasurer?" With a sigh, Nabiki set her pencil down and glanced up at him.

"Yes, but this has nothing to do with being the class treasurer."

"Oh," he said softly with an innocent look. "You a bookie or something?"

"I prefer to be called a statistical facilitator," she replied in an irritated manner.

"You ARE a bookie," he gasped incredulously.

"I handle all sporting endeavors, as well as, short-term loans, and the occasional test answers," she said with no small pride.

"Can you take bets on American football games?" he asked with all the feigned enthusiasm of a young kid. Nabiki frowned at him for a moment before flipping a couple a pages in her book. The page she ended on was empty.

"Not much interest in that," she noted. "You have money?"

"Yeah, I have some money," he replied. "You making the odds?"

"I can handle anything," she said smugly.

"You know anything about American football?" She caught his grin and bristled.

"I can handle the odds on whatever you want."

"Good. What's the odds on Kansas City at Tennessee?" Jeff wasn't an expert on either football or sports gambling but knew enough to know that it was June and American football was nowhere near ready to play in June. He grinned some more which only seemed to irritate Nabiki. With a suspicious scowl in his direction, she reached into her book bag and snatched out a folder. Opening it, she sorted through some papers before finding what she was looking for; a newspaper sports page, clipped to the betting odds. After much searching, she frowned at the paper.

"I don't seem to find anything on American football." Jeff chuckled.

"Well, the Japanese don't know much about football anyway. I guess the newspaper just omitted it for space reasons." He smiled in a condescending way. "So, I guess that means you're not interested." He turned to leave but she stopped him with:

"I told you I can handle anything. How much you want to bet? Fifty yen?" Pausing only a moment, Jeff dug in his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. He saw her eyes go wide for a moment when she saw how much he was holding. Plucking a couple out of the wad, he held them up and asked:

"How about Tennessee for... two thousand yen? That okay?" Nabiki hesitated, her eyes locked to the pair of thousand yen bills dangling in front of her face. It was certainly tempting but she had no idea what the odds really were. Moreover, she didn't even know where to find out what the final score was after the game.
She frowned at Jeff till she caught his laughing eyes. The nerve, she thought! He was taunting her, making fun of her business. This was serious. How could he laugh at something so serious?

"Fine," she snarled, snatching the money from his fingers. "When do they play?"

"Oh, sometime in October, I imagine. Could be November," he said laughing and walking away. "I can wait." That weasel, she fumed. He was making fun of her. Her blood began to boil with resentment. She'd teach him. She'd take him for everything he had then laugh when he begged for mercy. Yeah, that's it. She'd have the last laugh. She always had the last laugh.

The next class was even more boring than the last. The male teacher just stood up front and read from his book while the students were expected to follow along and take notes. There was no question and answer and the teacher never paused long enough for any stragglers to catch up. Glancing around, Jeff noticed only about half the class was actually listening. The rest were either sleeping or doing something else at their desks. He looked up front and noticed Nabiki furiously writing something in a notebook, pausing only long enough to flip a couple of pages in her text before returning to her scribbling. Odd way to get an education, he thought, pulling out a manga and opening it.

Between classes, there was the usual scurrying about, Yuka and Sayuri leading the way. When they returned to the class, Jeff smiled at them both and asked how they were doing. Instinctively, they stopped to talk.

"You girls look awfully busy today," he said.

"Nabiki keeps us busy," Yuka said with a shy smile. Sayuri joined her and the two huddled together, whispering back and forth between giggles. They certainly were a jolly pair, he thought. But the way they constantly giggled gave him the impression they weren't very smart.
Yuka kept looking him over like she was impressed.

"Are you an athlete?" she asked shyly.

"Me? No, why do you ask?"

"You're so... big," she gasped, staring at his arms. Jeff glanced down at his biceps. Since the day he moved to Japan, one of the things his embassy Marine friends made him do was lift weights. Five years of lifting had the positive effect Yuka was currently admiring. "How did you get like that?" she said in a little girl voice. He liked the way she was genuflecting around him. "Are they real?"
Holding out his arm, he added:

"You can see for yourself."

Yuka giggled together with Sayuri, casting shy glances his way between giggles. Eventually, curiosity got the best of her and she tentatively reached out to squeeze his left bicep.

"Ooooh," she cooed to her companion. "You gotta feel this." She squeezed his arm a few more times. Sayuri quickly joined in on the other arm. They giggled and made faces at each other.

"Okay, break it up," Nabiki growled as she approached. "Don't you girls have some collections to make?" Yuka and Sayuri, still giggling, scurried away to finish their rounds.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop distracting them," Nabiki dead panned. "They're on a tight schedule."

"A little diversion now and then can't hurt anything," Jeff replied, crossing his arms. He even flexed a little which caused her to pause and look.

"It's hurting collections," she finally said with a firm warning look.

"What's the matter? Don't you ever like to engage in a little diversion?" Nabiki looked at Jeff through narrowed eyes. She wasn't sure but it sounded almost like a proposition. She didn't like propositions, especially those with no profit in them. Both stood awkwardly in silence, eyeing each other, until the next teacher arrived. Bowing slightly, they parted like a pair of wary gunfighters before returning to their desks. He missed most of the next class thinking about the girls. Regardless of how hard he tried to concentrate on the others, his mind kept wandering back to Nabiki. There was something about her that intrigued him.

Nabiki missed most of the class as well. Sitting at her desk, resting her chin in her hand with a far off look on her face, she didn't even bother to open her book. Instead, she allowed herself a little daydreaming. This Jeffrey person was certainly annoying but there was something about him that gave her a strange feeling inside. Thinking of Yuka fondling his arm, she recalled the previous evening at the dojo and carefully recreated in her mind the scene of Jeff with his shirt off.
When the class ended, Nabiki was still staring out the window, an enigmatic little smile on her face.

Noon found Jeff facing the usual problem of where to sit for lunch. The boys shooed him away from their tables and the girls went through their usual giggling act. It was another nice day, so he figured he'd just take lunch outside again. As with the day before, he didn't immediately find a place to sit. That is, until he spotted a familiar figure sitting at a far table all hunkered over. The guy was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Jeff happily wound his way through the crowd.

"Hey, stranger. Mind if I sit here?" Jeff asked with a smile. The stranger lifted his eyes slowly.

"Naw. I was leaving anyway."

"You don't have to leave on my account," Jeff said, dropping his sack lunch on the table. The stranger's eyes locked on the little bag of food.

"Well, I suppose I could stay for a little while," he said, his eyes never leaving Jeff's lunch.
Sitting down, Jeff opened his sack and began quietly eating.

"By the way, I forgot to introduce myself yesterday, my name is Jeff Lawrence." Jeff wiped his hand on a pants leg and extended it across the table to his new friend. The strangely dressed young man frowned at Jeff's extended hand.

"Yeah, I know who you are. I'm Ranma Saotome."

"Saotome?" Jeff said shyly withdrawing his hand. "Are you related to Genma Saotome, by any chance?"

"He's my old man," came the almost embarrassed response. "I've seen you working out. Take my advice, don't get in any fights." Jeff just gave a little smile and looked down at his lunch. How many people have been spying on him at the dojo? He had no idea his activities had an audience. It gave him a funny feeling. One he didn't especially like.

"By the way," Ranma said with a curious cock of his head.

"What really happened last night?"

"Last night?"

"In the dojo."

"Nothing much. Just your normal evening workout," Jeff said as if the previous night's activities were something that happened every day.

"You throw Pop in the water?"

"No way," Jeff responded holding his hands out defensively. "That was Sensei Tendo's doing." Ranma snickered and linked his hands behind his head.

"Wish I could have seen that."

"I hope he's all right," Jeff added with genuine concern in his voice.

"Don't worry about him. I've dunked him hundreds of times. He seems to enjoy it," Ranma replied with a chuckle.

"Odd thing though" Jeff said, picking bits of bread from his sandwich. "The Tendo's certainly have some strange pets."

"What makes you say that?"

"I thought I saw a large panda climb into the house as I was leaving." Ranma grinned broadly.

"He sure is."

"Huh?"

"Never mind." Jeff offered Ranma some of his lunch, saying that he always brought more than he could eat (an American weakness, he suggested). Ranma snatched Jeff's second sandwich and chugged his only can of soda.

"You must have been hungry," Jeff noted.

"I don't always get to eat breakfast," Ranma replied between burps.

"How come?" Shaking his head, Ranma replied:

"You don't want to know." Jeff felt it was best to let the subject die. There was something Ranma wasn't telling him. The rest of his lunch period passed quickly. Ranma turned out to be kinda fun talking to, although highly opinionated on certain subjects. Girls, for instance. Well, one girl in particular.

"By the way, I heard a rumor about you being engaged to some girl," Jeff said casually. He thought it was just a silly rumor. After all, Ranma couldn't be much over fifteen or sixteen. He was surprised when Ranma's face dissolved into a mask of despair.

"It's not my fault. Pop arranged it. He engaged me to a... a... uncute, unfeminine, baka tomboy!"

"Then it's true?" Jeff gasped.

"Yeah, it's true." Jeff was speechless. He couldn't believe that in this day and age, kids Ranma's age could get engaged against their will. It just wasn't civilized.

"And every morning before school, she fights half the male student body along with that fool Kuno for the honor of a date," Ranma added.

"I've only been in Japan for a few years, but is that, like, normal? For an engaged girl, I mean."

"It is for her."

"And this happens every morning?"

"EVERY morning!" So *that's* what's been going on before school.

"Don't you help her? You're at least her fiance."

"Hah! If I try, she goes after me as well. And *I* don't even want to date her!"

"Well, since you're engaged, I would think that dating kind of goes with the territory. Maybe she just gets excited."

"She's crazy, baka, always looking for ways to hurt me."

"Sounds like true love to me." Jeff was being sarcastic but Ranma seemed to miss it completely.

"Not you too." Ranma slammed his elbow on the table and plopped a cheek onto his fist.

"Well, at least you can get away from her after school."

"No way. I gotta live with her family." [Tilt!] Jeff tried to imagine being engaged to a girl and living in her house. Such a situation was rife with hormonal possibilities.

"I hate it," Ranma moaned as his forehead slammed into the table hard enough to attract the attention of nearby tables. Jeff watched, along with a couple dozen other students, as Ranma repeatedly banged his forehead on the hard stone table causing its surface to crack.

"Uhhh, big test today," Jeff said with a sheepish grin to those staring. Most just gave knowing smiles before returning to their own lunches.

"So she beats up dozens of guys every morning, right out front," Jeff said trying to change the subject, if only to save the table.

"I told you..," Ranma moaned, interrupting his head banging. *This* I gotta see."

"Tomorrow morning - 8:30. Just don't get too close."

During his last hour class, Jeff was excused from the national test preparation and allowed to go sit in the library. Happily, he gathered up his latest 'Urusei Yatsura' manga and hurried up to the library for some light reading. He had developed a taste for Japanese manga and was anxious to read what the fur bikini-clad Lum was up to. Just outside the library, three upperclass members of the Kendo team - all associates of Tatawaki Kuno - stepped in front of the doors, their arms crossed. Stopping far enough to not appear threatening, he glanced at each of the young men.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Scram, baka gaijin!" one growled taking a martial stance.

"I just want to sit in the library and read."

"The library is closed to you," another said. "You are no longer welcome here." Jeff cocked his head.

"Is that 'here' as in Furinkan or 'here' as in the library?"

"Don't try your gaijin semantics on us," another warned. "We've seen how you dealt with Nabiki Tendo." Jeff tried a smile.

"Oh, you liked that, did you?" His antagonists didn't smile back.

"Okay, so you didn't like it."

"Leave now, gaijin!" The three clearly indicated their intention of enforcing their will if he didn't comply immediately. Jeff remembered one of Master Sato's wise sayings: 'Never spoil a good day by getting the crap beat out of you' or something like that. His eyes swept the hall and he concluded that conflict in this setting would be unwise. At least a victory here would gain him nothing. Besides, there was always a chance he could lose. With a good cleansing breath, he turned on a heel and quietly walked away.

"Wise choice, gaijin." The tree toughs laughed, clearly savoring their 'victory'. Jeff did a quick search for a substitute place to read and soon found himself in front of the PE Equipment Storage Room. Figuring it was about as good as he was going to get, he pushed open the door and surveyed the room.
It was a little cluttered but looked clean enough. Most importantly, it was quiet. Only the far off sounds of normal school activities disturbed the tranquility. Making a lounge type chair with a few tumbling mats, Jeff settled down in a pool of sunlight to some serious reading - even if it was only manga. His peaceful respite was interrupted by the sound of the room's door suddenly opening and slamming shut. Curious, Jeff peered around a pile of mats to see a red haired girl, dripping wet, wearing a familiar looking red and black outfit gasping for breath.

"Hello?" The girl appeared to flinch at the sound of his voice. Only when she turned to see who it was did she relax. "Oh, it's you," she said with obvious relief. "Can I hide in here for a few minutes?"

"Uh, sure," Jeff said standing up. "Just who *are* you, anyway?" The girl quickly glanced down at the front of her and back at Jeff.

"Oh no," she groaned, her shoulders sagging.

"Oh no, what?" Jeff blinked at the girl. "Do I know you?" With a sigh, she quietly said:

"I... I guess so... I'm...Ranma Saotome..." Her chin slowly dropped as she mumbled: "Sorry about this." There was a very pregnant pause as Jeff looked the dripping girl up and down. Slowly, a grin spread across his face.

"Of course, you are." He chuckled with realization, then shouted at the door: "Very funny, Saotome. Tossing a girl in on me wearing your clothes. Ha-Ha, very nicely done but I'm not falling for it."

"Will you keep it down? Someone might hear you?" she pleaded, waving her arms like a bird trying to take off. "It's really ME. I'm Ranma Saotome."

"Yeah, sure sweetie and I'm Astro Boy. Hit the road. I'm busy." Jeff shook his head and mumbled something about twisted minds and practical jokes as he turned to sit back down.

"Okay, I know this looks strange but... Don't you believe me?"

"No." Ranma blinked at the American like he couldn't understand how anyone could be so dense.

"Ask me anything. I'll prove I'm Ranma Saotome." Jeff groaned and muttered:

"Aw, Geez, why me?"

"Anything," Ranma offered.

"OK... if you're really Ranma Saotome, what did I say I saw climbing into the Tendo house last night?"

"My pop," the girl said with a degree of resignation.

"HA! Got ya! It wasn't Mr. Saotome, it was a panda." Then yelling at the door again:

"Hear that Saotome, you need to prep her better than this!"

"That panda is my father," the girl said like it was a tough admission.

"Your father is a panda?"

"My father is as human as yours. He just turns into a panda every time he gets doused with cold water. Just like *I* turn into this... girl when I get wet." Ranma sighed like he really hated this story. Jeff stood there stunned, taking another visual tour.

"I don't get it."

"I'll make it simple for you. Pop and I fell into some cursed pool a few months ago while on a training mission in China. Ever since, I have this little... problem whenever I get wet." Jeff thought for a few minutes, eyeing Ranma critically. Master Sato used to tell him stories about strange, mystical things that happened in the Orient. But Jeff always chalked them up to an old man entertaining an impressionable young boy. Maybe, there *was* something to his stories.
Leaning forward, Jeff looked closely at Ranma.

"Are those real?" he asked, poking one of her breasts. If it was really Ranma, he wouldn't mind. If it was some girl, as he suspected, she wasn't going to blow the joke by slapping him silly.

"Yes, they're real," she said with a grimace before adding softly: "I wish you wouldn't do that." Jeff leaned back against a vaulting horse and crossed his arms.

"That's... really weird."

"You ought to try it from this side," Ranma grumped.

"You know, I've been having trouble lining up someone for a date. I don't suppose..." Ranma's low growl and narrowed eyes suggested the obvious.

"I guess not. So, are you stuck like this?" Jeff asked waving a hand at Ranma's shapely form.

"Only until I can get some hot water."

"Hot water?"

"Yeah, its the only way to change back," Ranma said squeezing the dampness out of her top. "I don't suppose you could... you know. I don't exactly want to go prancing around the campus looking like this. That crazy Kuno is skulking around out there and he's in love with my female form."

"Well, well. Maybe he's not so crazy after all."

"Hey! I'm still a guy in here. You think I like this?!"

"Well..., it would appear to have its advantages." Jeff stroked his chin and looked at the ceiling. "There's always the girl's locker room."

"Sheesh! And they called ME a pervert. Are you going to get the hot water or not?"

"Huh? Oh, sure thing. Uh...how hot?"

"I don't know. Just... hot."

"I can do that. Be back in a flash." A knock at the door and a female voice interrupted Jeff's exit. "Ranma, are you in there?"

"Were you expecting company?" Jeff asked.

"OH NO! Not now." Ranma collapsed over a vaulting horse, a disgusted look on his face. "What ever you do, just get rid of her."

"Get rid of who?" Jeff asked as he peeked out of the window to see an all to familiar girl standing at the door. "Geeze. It's just Akane Tendo. You act like she's your fian...ce..." The parts slowly fit themselves together. "Wait a minute. Akane? Akane Tendo?! She's your fiancee?"
It all added up. The strange noises from the Tendo residence on nights Jeff was training, why Mr. Saotome 'just happened' to be at the dojo, and all the talk about a 'crazy tomboy' fiance. The spot on Jeff's chest started to hurt again. Ranma just gave Jeff a disgusted look.

"If she doesn't already know about this problem of yours, take my advice, stay like that. I don't think even she's up to clobbering girls yet."

"Don't bet on it." Jeff opened the door a little way to see a short, dark haired girl holding her hands together down the front of her school uniform skirt. She hadn't changed a bit.

"Excuse me but is Ranma in there?" she asked sweetly, trying to look around Jeff.

"Well...yes... and... no," Jeff answered casting a look over his shoulder at Ranma. That was all she needed to hear. With a sudden kick, Akane slammed the door into Jeff's forehead hard enough to snap his head back. Sweet Akane Tendo pushed her way into the room.

"OK, Ranma. How many times do I have to tell you: Don't walk right next to the building this time of day? Those stupid upperclassmen just dump their cleaning buckets out the window without looking." Rubbing his forehead and closing the door, Jeff sighed:

"Oh Ranma. Your sweetheart is here."

"I'm NOT his..." She suddenly paused. Slowly she turned. Step by step. Inch by inch. She closed the distance between them. Jeff's life flashed before his eyes.

"Uh, Hi Akane. Long time, no see." Jeff tried to sound calm while frantically looking for a quick way out.

"YOU!" she accused with a pointed finger, her voice a snarl usually reserved for those she despised most. "I know you! You're that pervert that tried to put the moves on me back at the dojo!"

"MOVES?" Jeff protested, all thought of retreat now lost to his indignation. "You call inviting you out for a soda after practice - moves?"

"You creep! I know what you boys want!" she yelled as she approached almost within striking distance. "That's why I HATE BOYS!"

"All I wanted was someone to go get a soda with. Who else could I ask? You and I were the only two people in the damn place!" Akane's interest in conversation quickly ran out. With a move only a trained martial artist could do, she launched a spin kick at Jeff's chest, just like the last time. Unlike last time, Jeff was ready. He grabbed her foot in mid strike, twisted it until Akane was facing away from him, then flipped her towards Ranma.

"Here, Catch."

The two collided and fell into a tangled heap on one of the mats.

"Get your hands off me, you pervert!" she screamed as Ranma instinctively tried to catch her.

"Get off, you clumsy tomboy!" Ranma shouted back.

"A match made in heaven," Jeff muttered. "I'll just nip out and fetch a bucket of hot water while you two work this out." He slipped out of the door, just in front of a tossed dumbbell. Pausing outside the door, his hand still on the knob, he shook his head and muttered: "There's something *seriously* wrong with those two." Turning to leave, he ran headlong into more bad news; Tatewaki Kuno, armed and crazy as ever. The sound of a rip-snorting, object-throwing, fur-and-feather fight coming from the PE Equipment Room provided the background music.

"Gaijin! I have been seeking the fairest rose of Furinkan all afternoon. Someone said they saw her come this way. Is she in there?" Kuno asked loudly, pointing to the door just as a heavy object dented it's steel surface from the inside.

"Ahhh, yeah. But now's probably not the best time to talk to her. She's a little... upset." Kuno suddenly reached out and grabbed Jeff by the throat. "This is *your* doing, gaijin!"

"Actually, no. You see, she and... ah... some other girl are having a little discussion about marriage... and... well, things," Jeff croaked in a voice sounding like he was on helium.

"My lovely goddess, Akane. Threatened by some common tart!" Kuno bellowed, releasing Jeff to grip his bokkan with both hands.

"In truth, I think Akane is taking care of herself. In any event, you really don't want to go in there." The sound of Ranma bouncing off the softball bat rack and screaming for Akane to stop lent credence to Jeff's words.

"That voice...," Kuno said as his head snapped around to look at the storage room door. "Speak, gaijin. Is the other girl red of hair with a pig tail?! Answer me quickly or by the heavens I'll -"

"Yeah, sure. Something like that. Why?"

"So my two beauties are dueling for the honor of my company." Kuno was suddenly rational again, smugly so.

"Uh... riiiight..." This was getting truly bizarre but an idea quickly took shape.

"Look, Kuno old pal, why not give the ladies a little time to work this out. One will come out the winner and then you, Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder, undefeated captain and rising star of the high school fencing world, can be her knight... er, samurai in shining armor and claim her affections."

"Forget not, the comforting of the loser," Kuno added with dramatic flourish. "She will need a strong, sympathetic shoulder to cry on. Oh, how sweet is the dew from a young maiden's eyes."Jeff stared incredulously at the school's master swordsman. This guy was not playing on the same planet as the rest of them.
Kuno's sly smile radiated his confidence. "You speak with some wisdom, gaijin. I shall wait for the victor to emerge whereupon I will allow her to claim her prize, namely me, while still getting to comfort the loser. Brilliant!" Kuno's last exclamation was punctuated by Ranma's scream of pain and the sound of something heavy and metal bouncing off one of the concrete walls.

"Perhaps she requires assistance..," he began. Jeff put his arm around Kuno's broad shoulders and turned him away from the fight. "You don't really want to go in there right now. Both all flushed and sweaty - don't look their best. It would just embarrass them." The sound of an entire box of equipment scattering across the floor caused even the stalwart Kuno to flinch.

"But the comforting...," he said like a little boy told he couldn't go to Disneyland.

"Can take place tomorrow," Jeff finished patting Kuno on the shoulder. "I have a radical idea. Let's run it up the old temple wall and see how many monks hum along. When the winner comes out of there, she's gonna be stomping mad; in no mood for claiming. She'll want to look her best for you, tiger."

"Blue Thunder."

"Whatever. Why don't you go home, rest, get freshened up a bit, maybe get some flowers and see her in the morning. She'll be fresh. You'll be fresh. No more resistance to your... magnificence. OK?" Jeff plucked some lint from Kuno's shoulder.

"And the loser?" Kuno asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll get some bandages, maybe some hot water. A little first aid. I'll tell her of your concern. She'll be fine and ready for your strong shoulder to cry on. Think of me as sort of a neutral go-between." You could almost hear the gears grinding in Kuno's head as his brains kicked in to think it over. A baseball bat flying through the window and landing at his feet convinced him that Jeff's plan was a sound one.

"I shall listen to your advice and comfort them both later when they are more... reasonable."

"Ah, good, good. I'll just nip over to the dispensary now and gather up some bandages and hot water for the loser. It'll all work out, big fella," Jeff said patting Kuno on the back. Kuno bowed slightly, giving Jeff a look he usually reserved for his servants, and departed towards the school gym just as a whole weight rack came flying out onto the grass.

"How, in the world, do I do it?" Jeff mumbled in English. He was about to leave when the sound of someone sarcastically clapping from the doorway of the next building drew his attention. Curious, he eased himself around the corner to come face-to-face with Nabiki Tendo who was still clapping.

"Masterful performance, gaijin-san. Tell me, are you really that much of a toady worm or were you just playing the part?" she said lazily.

"Well, well, well, Miss Tendo, I presume."

"None other," Nabiki said crossing her arms.

"Don't tell me you never use deception in your line of work," Jeff said with a sly smile. Nabiki's own smile flickered before returning.

"In any case, it was an impressive performance. Not that *I* would ever stoop to such groveling. But with you it seems to work."

"Don't sell yourself short." Nabiki's smile slipped long enough for Jeff to notice. He could tell she wasn't pleased with the comparison. She smiled again before noting:

"You seem quite good at outwitting the witless."

"Well, it helps when the person I'm dealing with has a room temperature IQ. Not to change the subject or anything, but I've been meaning to ask you something and seeing Akane again reminded me." Nabiki's face screwed into a disgusted look. Her voice dropped and became business-like.

"OK, gaijin. I don't see why you should be any different than the rest. Here's the deal. Five thousand yen and I'll introduce you to Akane. For ten thousand, I don't tell Kuno." She looked and sounded like she had made this speech a thousand times before. Perhaps she had. Jeff calmly placed his hands on the wall either side of Nabiki's head and leaned in real close. Nabiki didn't even flinch. Impressive, he thought. She exhibited all the airs of someone completely confident in her own safety.

"And how much for an introduction to Nabiki Tendo?" For the first time in Japan, Jeff found himself alone with an attractive girl. So what if it was Nabiki Tendo, the financial vampire of Furinkan High. Date-wise, this was as good a chance as he was going to get - a chance he was not going to throw away by being timid. After all, he had just talked his way out of a confrontation with Kuno. He was on a roll and couldn't lose. Even if she said 'no', there was always Yuka.

Nabiki's eyes grew wide in surprise. The remark must have sounded so sincere that it momentarily pierced her armor. Perhaps no one had ever been this honest with her before. Perhaps she was just struck by its boldness. Whatever it was, it lasted only a brief moment as she quickly recovered and jumped to her second wrong conclusion.

"It won't work, you know. Trying to get to Akane through me," she smugly advised.

"I don't want to *get* to Akane. Been there. Done that. Got the bruises to prove it."

"Oh, yes, I remember now. You're the American student she kicked into the next prefecture for being too forward. What'd you try, something from a sappy American movie."

"Actually, it was something like: 'You want to get a soda after practice? I'll buy.'"

"Hmmmm. Little Sis never did have enough sense to accept a freebie," Nabiki said, shifting her position so that she was leaning more against the wall, her arms crossed. "And just what makes you think a lady such as myself would be interested in a yen-less gaijin, such as you?" She turned her head slightly away while her eyes remained on Jeff. She finished with batting her eyelashes at him in mock Western fashion. It was clear she had done her homework on him.

"Perhaps, I simply wish to enjoy your company."

"Honey, I don't think you can *afford* my company."

"Well, why don't you let me take a whack at it, anyway. I've done some checking around on my own and you're not exactly on the 'A' list for parties. Not to put too fine a point on it, if it weren't for Yuka and Sayuri, you'd spend all your time talking to yourself."

Outwardly, she showed no emotion. On the inside, she was seething. How dare this upstart taunt her. Despite her irritation, her voice showed no trace of emotion. "True. I don't get out as much as I would like. I'm too busy making money. As for Yuka and Sayuri, they're business partners, nothing else," she said looking past Jeff. "At least, I have a place to sit at lunch."

"How much did you pay for it?" Nabiki's icy stare confirmed Jeff's touche'. A small smile crept across her face. On another woman, Jeff would have been running for his life. On Nabiki, it looked like a challenge and he just couldn't resist a challenge.

"But enough of this mental fencing. You're an interesting woman, Miss Tendo."

"I find you... interesting as well." They stared at each other through masks of knowing smiles. Jeff broke the silence first.

"I'll tell you what, you pick the place. Something you've always wanted to do, within reason. I'll pick you up Saturday at ten and I'll even throw dinner. Deal?"

"It sounds like you're proposing a date, gaijin," she replied sarcastically.

"I am."

"I accept." She looked up at the sky for a moment to make her selection, then paused like a cat about to devour a helpless mouse. She was going to take this gaijin for everything he had.

"Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to ride a horse.

You may take me riding," she said stroking his cheek with her index finger. This was as much a test as a date. Horseback riding was more expensive than golf in Japan. Only the very wealthy could afford a horse. A person needed to be well heeled just to rent one. If she was expecting a stunned reaction from him, she must have been disappointed. He had anticipated spending a bundle on his first date anyway. Going riding fit easily into his proposed budget.

"Since this Saturday is the one we get off this month, I'll pick you up then. Be ready at ten." Jeff took her hand and gently attempted to kiss it. Nabiki quickly withdrew her hand and gave him a look of warning. He just smiled confidently and watched as she slipped under his arm, opened the nearest door and, with a wry smile of her own, disappeared inside. That was easy, Jeff thought as he envisioned an afternoon ride with Nabiki that ended after dark, her beautiful profile framed by a full moon. Now, where the heck was he going to find a couple of horses?

"JEFFREY!" Ranma's scream snapped Jeff back to reality.

"Damn! The water," he muttered bolting for the dispensary.

---

Friday morning dawned clear and warm. Jeff Lawrence made sure he arrived at Furinkan High School extra early to pick out a good spot to watch the regular morning show. Setting up a low beach chair under a large tree, Jeff settled in for the entertainment portion of his day. Wearing dark glasses and sipping a mug of juice, Jeff balanced a sun reflector under his chin and reclined contentedly in the beach chair. An ominous shadow soon fell over him.

"You're blocking my sun, fella. You wanna move?" he said lazily.

"So! You deceive me into leaving the duel between my two lovely angels..." Kuno's voice seemed to echo in the school yard.

"The man will take Famous Lovely Angels for fifty dollars. Time's up. The correct answer is: Who are Yuri and Kai?" Jeff said putting down the reflector and reaching for his juice. Just what he needed this morning - Kuno.

"I'm referring to my two loves; Akane Tendo and the red haired pig-tailed girl."

"Oh, them."

"Yes, them! And *now* I find you here to challenge for Akane's affections. Deny it, gaijin!" He was waving that 'pig-sticker' again - this time in an aggressive, threatening manner. Without thinking, he blurted out in English:

"What is it with this Akane girl, anyway. Dating her has got to be like getting cozy with a rattlesnake."

"What are you babbling about, fool?" Kuno demanded. Jeff lazily looked up at the large would-be samurai and said in Japanese:

"Back home, we have a saying: 'If the horse throws you, get back on. If the horse throws you then kicks you, get another horse.'" Kuno seemed to be struggling with Jeff's homey proverb. Maybe it was the lousy way it translated into Japanese. Maybe it was just a little to 'low brow' for his delicate taste. In any case, it was like watching a 10 year old trying to figure out quantum physics.

"SO?!" Kuno finally roared out of frustration.

"So, I have all the bruises I require from Miss Akane Tendo and have no further interest in her. Besides, I prefer older, more intellectual women like... oh, say Nabiki Tendo."

"Nabiki?" Kuno snorted. "Nabiki Tendo?!" This time he roared with laughter.

"Well, yes."

"That female ledger book? That temple money changer?! That Yakuza reject?! That..." He never finished because the object of this discussion crowned him with a large book. Kuno blinked, got a far away look in his eyes, and droned:

"I'll deal with you in a moment, gaijin. I seem to have... developed a... slight... headache." With eyes rolled back into his head, Mr. Blue Thunder hit the ground with a resounding 'thud'.

"Never knew when to shut up," Nabiki lamented sarcastically.

"Nice shot. What'd you use?" Jeff asked taking another sip of his drink. Nabiki held up an oversized hard back edition of 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare'.

"Quite appropriate, my dear. And so skillfully applied, too."

"A girl has her reputation to protect," Nabiki responded, flicking a few stray strands of hair from in front of her face.

"Join me?" Jeff indicated a grassy spot next to his seat. Nabiki hesitated.

"A gentleman would offer his chair."

"For two thousand yen, I might consider it," Jeff answered with his hand out. Nabiki's friends gasped. Nabiki only gave a wry smile. She too liked challenges and this character was certainly a challenge - in more ways than one. With a sigh of resignation, Nabiki neatly tucked her school uniform skirt under her as she sat down next to Jeff on the soft grass. He casually handed her a small bottle of juice from his cooler.

"How much?" she inquired before reaching for it.

"I'm wounded that you would think me less than a good host," he said defensively.

"How much?" she insisted, her eyes narrowing.

"On the house. I don't want you to think I only see you as a source of extra income." Nabiki accepted the juice but gave Jeff 'the look' meaning that she felt a challenge to her lofty position of champion extortionist. Movement over by the main gate cut short her reproach.

"Looks like we just made it."

"Yup. The circus is in town and the parade of clowns is about to start." The Akane whirlwind arrived in its usual fashion: Ranma perched on top of the wall next to the gate holding Akane's book bag, love sick jocks streaming in from all directions, and Akane Tendo chopping the whole bunch into cole slaw. As luck would have it, the last suitor fell not 10 feet from Jeff and Nabiki. Akane, gasping for breath, eyed the two suspiciously when they broke into applause.

"Bravo! Masterful performance!" Jeff cheered. "Author! Author!"

"Morning, Sis!" chirped Nabiki between sips of her juice and applauding. Akane, her distaste at being considered light entertainment clearly written all over her face, was about to reply when she noticed the prostrate form next to her sister. "What's with Kuno?" she asked.

"Yeah, he doesn't look too ready to fight Akane this morning," quipped Ranma as he arrived at Akane's side.

"Had a little run-in with Shakespeare," Jeff said removing his sunglasses. "Something about being quoted out of context, I believe."

"You know, Jeff-baby. He's going to be late for class if he doesn't wake up soon," Nabiki noted sweetly while dabbing her mouth with a fresh napkin.

"Quite right, my dear. You four fellows there." Jeff pointed to a small group of males in the gathering crowd. "Haul Mr. Blue Thunder here up to his class and place him at his desk. I seriously doubt the teachers will notice any difference." All loose ends being neatly tied up, Jeff stood, brushed off his sleeves, and offered his arm to Nabiki. "I believe we should be getting along ourselves, Miss Tendo."

"Delighted, Mr. Lawrence," Nabiki answered slipping her arm around Jeff's and leading him towards the school. Akane, Ranma and the rest of the gathered student body watched wide eyed as Jeff and Nabiki lead the four students struggling with Kuno's limp body towards the school building.

"Well, what do you make of all that?" Akane finally asked. Ranma wasn't listening. He missed much of his breakfast trying to get to school on time.

"I wonder if there's any juice left," Ranma thought out loud, looking through Jeff's things.

"I should have known better than ask you. Always thinking of your stomach. You're so immature."

"And you're an uncute tomboy." That did it. Round two commenced and it was shorter than a Mike Tyson fight. Officially, it was a TKO for Akane resulting in Ranma upside down in Jeff's beach chair covered with orange juice.

---

Saturday at ten found Jeff outside the Tendo compound. His father arranged for an embassy car and driver to take him wherever he wanted to go. His father also seemed pleased that he was finally getting involved with girls. His mother, however, remained skeptical - especially after hearing all about the girl in question. Nabiki didn't seem like the kind of girl a mother would approve of. Jeff approached the door to the Tendo house and announced his arrival. An older looking girl with a pony tail over her right shoulder and wearing a frilly pink apron greeted him.

"You must be Jeffrey. I'm Kasumi, Nabiki's sister. My, you look handsome in your riding outfit. Come in, come in. Everyone is in the main room waiting for you."
Jeff bowed politely but couldn't help thinking about what a strange family this was. The youngest hates boys, the middle runs the school mafia, and the oldest was obviously on happy drugs. Kasumi Tendo watched passively as he struggled with his riding boots then directed Jeff into the main room where a rather large panda and Soun Tendo greeted him from the table and motioned for him to enter. Mr Tendo was reading his newspaper while the panda chewed on some bamboo shoots. With cautious curiosity, Jeff approached the panda.

"Is that really you, Mr. Saotome?" he said, leaning close and looking carefully into the panda's eyes. The panda responded by holding up a small sign saying:

[Need breath mint.]

Jeff couldn't believe it. He'd just been insulted by a panda. Smiling, he asked:

"If you get sick, do they call a doctor or a vet?" The panda just growled and took a swipe at Jeff's head.

"Now, now, my friend. Lawrence-san has a point," Mr. Tendo said calmly from behind his paper. The panda eyed first Jeff then the back of Mr. Tendo's newspaper before holding up a sign saying he was going to take a bath. No sooner had Genma-panda left, Nabiki appeared, dressed in her new English riding outfit. It was spectacular. A white poet-necked shirt topped by a beige vest only a shade darker than her light beige riding pants. She carried her calf-length mahogany brown riding boots like a game show hostess. A brown riding derby and a cute little riding crop completed the ensemble. She paused in the door way, posing like something out of an ad. She was careful to show off how well the outfit accented her nice figure.

"Something wrong with your legs?" Ranma snorted as he squeezed past her into the room.

"She's posing for Jeff, you dolt," Akane replied, following him. "Don't you know anything?" Nabiki just held her pose, closed her eyes and prayed the two children weren't going to do what they did every morning.

"Well, I know she looks goofy standing like that." Ranma was embellishing his challenge.

"You can be such a jerk sometimes! She happens to be showing off her expensive new riding outfit like a model!"

"Yeah? Well, I still say it looks goofy."

"Ooooooooh!" Akane somehow produced a large mallet and began waving it like a samurai sword. Ranma, skipping the part where he tries to figure out how she produced such a weapon out of thin air, bolted for the open door and ran for his life with Akane right on his heels taking repeated swipes at his head with the mallet.

"Come back here!" Akane yelled as the two sprinted across the compound.

"Quite the lovebirds, aren't they?" Nabiki dead panned. She had given up the posing and was leaning against the door frame,
her arms crossed.

"This goes on all the time?" Jeff asked watching Ranma dodge several blows as he headed for the dojo.

"All the time. Every day. Morning, noon, and night. Honestly, I don't know how we keep up with the repairs." Mr. Tendo just mumbled from behind his paper something about minor lovers' quarrels. Jeff recovered enough to compliment Nabiki's attire. For her part, she downplayed her overall looks while making sure he understood she spent a bundle on looking nice for him.

"I arranged for two horses to be available at the Imperial Riding Club. We have them all afternoon," Jeff said looking at his watch.

"THE Imperial Riding Club? That place is expensive." Nabiki waited for a reaction. Always probing, she had been frustrated through official channels in her search for Jeff's true worth. All she had left now was trickery. Clearly, she would have to do better. Jeff just smiled.

"Actually, a friend at the embassy arranged this through your Prime Minister's office."

"Well, well, well. You DO have connections," she said with a wry smile. Jeff laughed.

"Not really. My father handled everything. The American Military Attache has a good friend who's a member and he made the arrangements." He avoided telling her the friend in question happens to be the Japanese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.

"Oh my, I'll just never understand all this talk about people in high places," Kasumi said with a wistful sigh.

"Shall we?" Jeff indicated the way out. Nabiki bid her father goodbye and happily led Jeff to the door. By the time they got to the street, she was glancing around to see if anyone was watching, certain they would be impressed with her leaving in a chauffeur-driven car. "It's provided by the embassy," Jeff corrected. "We hire these guys to drive embassy personnel around. It avoids the problem of having to get a local license. It's nothing special. Really." Nabiki just smiled knowingly. It was harder to do than one might imagine as it was suddenly interrupted by Ranma running past with Akane close behind, now swinging a nasty-looking shinai. Jeff just glanced at the retreating pair.

"You say they do this every day?"

"Every day for thirty-eight episodes."

"Come again?" Jeff asked.

"Never mind," she replied with a sigh. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"I'll buy that," Jeff mumbled as he held the car door for his date. She happily settled into the back seat, casting sly looks out the tinted glass windows. Nabiki Tendo, in a diplomat's chauffeur driven car. You've come up in the world, girl, she thought to herself with her sardonic smile in place. To Jeff, however, the whole affair was starting out with less of a bang than he had hoped for. By the time he climbed in after her, she was clear on the other side of the seat. He wanted her to sit a little closer - at least in the same prefecture.

At the riding club, Jeff was relieved to see English tack on the horses. He had failed to consider, until arriving at the club, that the Japanese might use some strange saddle arrangement that would have left him looking foolish trying to figure out. To him, it was very important to look like a man in control. He sensed that Nabiki Tendo would only respect him if she thought he was masterful enough to control his environment. Grateful that his parents had given him riding lessons back in England, he easily swung into the saddle.

However, it quickly became obvious that Nabiki wasn't kidding about her lack of riding experience; it took three tries to get her in the saddle and from the start, the horse was clearly in control. The handler, who was helping her mount, silently endured her awkwardness and struggled to keep horse and rider together. Once she was finally in the saddle, he gave her a few simple instructions and sent her on her way. Jeff took the lead and followed a trail that led across a field and into some woods. All the time, he kept glancing back to see if Nabiki was still on her mount.

At first, Nabiki looked like she was about to fall off at any second - her little riding bowler bounced up and down as the horse's gait caused the poor girl's body to slam back into the saddle with each stride. But,by the time they reached the woods, she had gotten in the rhythm and seemed to be enjoying herself - with only an occasional frantic grab at the poor animal's mane for balance. The couple didn't talk much, which probably was for the best, as Nabiki needed all her concentration skills to keep her mount under control and herself in the saddle. They rode in silence for 20 minutes until she hailed Jeff and said that the insides of her knees were hurting.

"Should've worn panty-hose," Jeff quipped as he pulled alongside.

"Wear what!?" She responded incredulously.

"It keeps your pants from rubbing against the knee joint." When he saw she was still confused he added:

"It's an old John Wayne joke." "John who?" she asked like she'd never heard the name before.

"Don't you ever watch TV?"

"Only the financial news."

"Oh. Well, how about walking a little while? It'll be easer on your legs," Jeff suggested as he dismounted. He worked his way around to help her off her horse. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, he thought. The whole process seemed simple enough. All she had to do was swing her opposite leg over the horse and slide off - he'd catch her. With a look clearly conveying her uncertainty about his plan, Nabiki tried. Besides kicking the horse in its head and almost twisting her other foot off because she failed to pull it from the stirrup in time, she practically fell into Jeff's arms. For just a moment, they were uncomfortably close; his hands on her slim waist, her hands on his shoulders. He could smell her perfume, feel her tight waist, and see the strange look on her face as he lowered her lithe body until her feet were safely on the ground.

He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn she was waiting for him to do... something. Toe-to-toe they paused looking into each other's eyes. After an awkward interval, Jeff cleared his throat and urged her to take the reins of her horse for the walk. Almost shyly, Nabiki complied. Both seemed to sigh in relief.
As the two slowly walked, side by side, Jeff scolded himself for not being a little more 'romantic'. He was uncomfortably aware that she had more experience than he at this dating business. So, he figured he'd just let her make the first move - whatever it was - and he'd follow along. Sounded easy enough.

For Nabiki's part, she was working the equation from the other end. Yes, she thought he was really cute - and strong. She couldn't believe how easily he helped her off the horse. She also couldn't believe how it made her feel. Good thing he's an American. She'd heard they always know how to show a girl a good time. She would just sit back and let him lead.

Neither talked much as they walked, just small bits about the weather, school, classes, and the like. One of those boring conversations guaranteed to kill an ordinary date. This, however, was proving to be anything but an ordinary date. Thankfully, the woods finally opened up to reveal a clearing with a small lake in the middle. Jeff suggested they stop and rest awhile before heading back. As he tied up the horses, Nabiki wandered down by the lake and sat beneath a large tree.

Casting curious glances his way, her conscience issued warnings. Don't get ahead of yourself, it warned. You don't know anything about him... yet. She shifted her position to create just the right 'look' of cool confidence for Jeff's benefit while allowing herself to indulge in a little fantasy. Closing her eyes and leaning back against the tree, she relived the way his hands felt on her waist and the way his muscles moved as he lowered her to the ground. Taking the fantasy a step further, she envisioned his strong arms around her, holding her body tightly against his. Slowly, her mind caressed his features, his arms, his chest, his waist, his...

"Napping?" Jeff's question snapped her back to reality. Darn! He had such an innocent charm about him. Too bad he had such lousy timing. She cautiously glanced his way and smiled her content little smile. Jeff, apparently oblivious to it all, stretched out on his side in the soft grass.

"It's been a long time since I've ridden. I forgot how the knee joint gets rubbed raw," he said rubbing the inside of his own knee. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you."

"That's alright," she said flexing a shapely leg. "I'm having fun anyway." They sat together and admired the scenery, only three feet and a culture apart, neither willing to break the mood.

"Jeffrey...," Nabiki started while looking at the lake. "Tell me about yourself." Once again, she was probing.

"Not much to tell. Born in London, England. I'm an only child. My father is a professor of international relations serving as an assistant to the ambassador. We moved to Japan five years ago. I went to embassy schools until this year when I convinced my parents to let me go to a Japanese high school." Nabiki eyed him critically while he was watching some ducks on the lake. A thin smile grew as her gaze flowed down his reclining form. What she saw gave her a warm, tingly feeling, something she had rarely felt before.

There could be no question that he was the best built guy she had ever been out with or even considered going out with. The memory of how she felt when he helped her from the horse gave her tiny goose bumps. He had held her in such a masterful way; so totally in control. Yes, he was physically everything she'd hoped for. She liked that. Inside, however, she was scowling darkly. Falling victim to a physical attraction meant loss of control and that was something she wanted to avoid at all costs. He was still poor and as such presented no future for their relationship. No, she mustn't give in to her emotions. She had to remember her goal. For almost a minute, she quietly admired the handsome gaijin before her impatience got the best of her.

"Jeffrey, did you ever wonder what you'd do if you were rich?" she asked. Jeff kept looking at the lake.

"Is it that important to you?" he asked in a low voice.

"Yes!" she responded, a little peeved that it had come to something so 'ham handed'. She might have also been a little upset that her values were being called into question. "Well... maybe," she added as she thought of the other things in life. "I don't know..." She turned her face away to avoid the embarrassment of her indecision. Why was she even admitting this to him? He's just a poor gaijin. Why should she even care? When she entered this glen, she knew she was in control. Now, she could feel that control slipping away.

"I see," Jeff said quietly, looking down at the grass. "Then it would make all the difference in the world if I was rich."

"Yes," was her tiny response, her face still looking away. She didn't even want to look at him while admitting such a thing.

"Why?"

"Because then you would be..." Her voice trailed off.

"I'd still be the same person." She whipped around and glared at him.

"You wouldn't understand, gaijin Jeff. You don't understand us. You never can." She had little left to debate with except for the shear will of her personality and the hope that 'Gaijin Jeff' wouldn't know a Japanese dodge when he heard it. Jeff had encountered the Japanese closed society before and knew enough not to challenge it now. Still, he got the feeling that this was more than a cultural thing. It sounded like a cheap dodge of a direct question. Perhaps he'd pricked a nerve with his questioning of her values. In any case, he figured this was a good topic to avoid. In the meantime, a frustrated Nabiki shifted her position, pulling her knees up, hugging her legs and resting her chin on her knees. She stared ahead like she was drifting in another world.

"This place reminds me of the park where mother used to take us for picnics," she finally said. "It seems like so long ago." She hesitated, a grim look capturing her face. "Father had a lot of students back then and was always teaching in the dojo, especially on weekends. So mother would take us on outings. I always liked the picnics best. Akane and I would run and play while Kasumi helped mother with the food." She was rocking slightly now, her eyes glazed with a thousand mile stare. More memories came flooding back, some good, some not so good. "We had more money then. Kasumi always dressed so nice. Now..." She paused while a particularly bad memory washed by.

"Akane was always trying to catch the ducks or getting in fights with the other kids. I usually ended up leading her back to Mother bruised, dirty or both." She chuckled painfully. "Akane always did have a temper." She hid her face in her arms for a moment, perhaps to wipe a tear, perhaps just to clear a bad memory. Jeff knew her mother had died when she was younger, but was unprepared for how hard it really effected her. "When Mother died..." She paused, her face taking on a grimmer look. "When Mother died, everything changed. Kasumi took over the household; cooking, cleaning, shopping. Little Akane moved into the dojo and spent all her time working out. I..."

She swallowed hard before continuing. "I tried to help too by keeping the books and looking for ways to make more money. With the dojo shut down, we had to depend on investments made back when business was better. It's been barely enough to make ends meet." So that's it, Jeff thought. She wants money for her family. Noble sentiment. But where would he fit in to all this? Or did he fit in at all? Examining Nabiki closely, he saw details that before he had missed. She had an attractive figure, a beautiful face, and a sharp wit; everything he hoped for in a girl. He was mentally tracing her figure, even undressing her a little, when she startled him with a question he didn't expect.

"What's your mother like?" Jeff thought of his mother and answered honestly.

"Loving, caring, supportive... a good diplomat's wife." Nabiki shifted her position to address Jeff more directly.

"Ever wish you had brothers or sisters?" This one caught him off guard. Being an only child, Jeff was typically ambivalent about siblings.

"I guess so, sometimes. Rumor has it my parents only got married because of me."

"You mean...?" She shot Jeff a look of pity.

"Yeah. They never let me think I caused either one to have less of a life than they wanted but sometimes..." Jeff took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Sometimes I wonder if I ever really made them happy."

"You should never think that!" Nabiki scolded. "Every child is a gift. Your parents, I'm sure, are very happy they have you."

"Were yours?"

"Of course. Why would you ask such a thing?" He shrugged.

"I donno. You just seem unhappy so much of the time." He ripped up some grass and tossed it away from him. This wasn't how he imagined a romantic conversation. They sat in silence for a few more minutes. The sound of the woods and their grazing horses surrounding them.

"Jeff..," she said in a tiny voice. "Do you... do you think I'm kawaii?" She immediately cursed herself for asking such a question. It just wasn't something she'd ever felt like asking someone. So what if it *was* a question that had haunted her for years? Akane was kawaii. Kasumi was kawaii. Her mother was... She swallowed hard and terminated the comparison. Deep down, she envied her sisters. They always dressed like girls, even if Akane didn't always act like one. Nabiki, on the other hand, avoided dressing too feminine, hoping to be taken more seriously than her sisters. It worked, but came with a price - she was no longer treated as a girl and *that* scared her. Alone in this wooded glen, she desperately *wanted* to be a girl - she wanted to feel, if only for a little while, what it was like to spend a spring afternoon with a handsome guy.

For his part, Jeff was stunned by the question. Up to now, he thought he knew where the conversation was going; how wealthy he or his family was. Now, Nabiki Tendo, the girl most likely to some day end up running Sony or Toyota, was worried about whether or not a gaijin thought of her as 'cute'? He knew how important it was for young unmarried women in Japan to be thought of as kawaii. So, he guessed at the right answer.

"Yes, I would say you are kawaii." She dropped to one elbow next to him and looked him in the eyes.

"Really?" came her soft voice.

"Really. Since the first day I saw you, I thought you were a kawaii girl - very kawaii." She blushed and shook her head.

"You're such a liar."

She finished rolling fully onto her elbows, her body perpendicular to his. She traced his jaw line with a finger, much like she did the first time they met, while her mind raced with images she had invented while reading romantic manga - images that haunted her dreams when she slept. She felt flushed, scared, confused, but lie or not, she wanted to hear more.

"Jeff-san, have you ever kissed a girl?" she asked casually. She'd never been so alone with a guy before. She never felt so... turned on by being with a guy. Jeff tried not to react to her question but it wasn't easy. It caused him to think back to England and a birthday party at the French Embassy. He remembered the cute 9 year-old daughter of a Dutch diplomat. He was only ten at the time but the memory of her soft lips and his clumsy attempt to kiss her had remained hidden in his hall of things better left buried and forgotten. Still, his male pride wouldn't let him admit to his inexperience.

"Yes, once or twice. You?" She continued tracing designs on Jeff's face, but she was no longer looking at him. Her gaze was, once again, fixed on something far away.

"No... not really. In Japan, kissing is so... sexual."

"Sexual?" Jeff asked softly, a little afraid of where she was going or what she expected of him. He'd never considered kissing in such a way. To him, it was always so innocent, an end in itself. He swallowed hard and tried not to think about how the Japanese weren't as hung-up about sexual matters as Westerners. One part of him hoped she meant what he thought she meant and another part of him began to sweat. Nabiki turned her head to look at him, their faces only inches apart as they studied each other.

"Hai, Jeff-chan," she whispered. It seemed like hours passed in that position, neither wanted to make the first move. Neither knew what to do next. It must have been a silent will between them. Maybe there's something to the talk about magnetism between two people, because Nabiki slowly drifted closer, lips parted, until they touched his lightly. The kiss that resulted was like butterfly wings; barely there. She withdrew, looked him deeply in the eyes and repeated. They paused for a moment; both scared of where this was going but each secretly desiring to find out. It's hard to say just who moved first. One moment they were frozen, staring intently at each other and the next they slid together in an embrace, kissing with a purpose; she holding his head with her hands and he with his arms around her slim body. They did nothing else but kiss, over and over again. He ran his hands lightly over her back, feeling the tautness of her muscles through her riding shirt and vest. Their chests pressed together, each could feel the other's heart beating... fast.

For the next hour, the two lay in a light embrace, saying nothing but their caresses speaking volumes. Each resisted the urge to go further, instead reveling in the comfortable feeling of being held. For Nabiki, it fulfilled nearly every romantic fantasy she'd ever had. His submission to her desires caused something hard inside her to melt. This was her moment. She was in control. It was perfect in every way. With increasing fervor, she returned to exploring his lips, allowing herself to savor the sweet taste. His hands firmly caressing her torso left her wanting more. When one of his hands wandered past her belt, she gently relocated it back to her waist and fought the urge to allow him to go further. He might be poor but there was no question he knew how to kiss.

It was getting dark by the time the two riders made their way back to the riding club. The handler welcomed them and asked if they had a pleasant ride. They just smiled shyly. Dinner at the club was a simple affair, not that either noticed. They spent most of the evening acting like two embarrassed friends on an outing; only a smile or raised eyebrow revealing their deeper emotions. What conversation that did take place sounded more like two high school kids practicing their English; innocent yet daring.

The ride home was cozier than the one out, both sitting on the same side of the seat; Jeff with his arm casually around her shoulders, Nabiki leaning lightly against him. Neither broke the spell with conversation, each lost in their own thoughts. The driver, sensing what was going on, smiled knowingly to himself and took the long way home. Outside the Tendo residence, the couple embraced once again in the darkness. Jeff traced a line from her cheek down across her jaw line with his fingertips before lifting her chin for one more kiss.

"I'll call you," he promised.

"Hai," she answered in a husky voice. For the first time in her life, she actually did care if a boy called on her again. With a nervous glance at the house, she kissed him lightly once more before slipping through the gate and disappearing into the compound. Unwilling to let the evening end, Jeff watched until he saw Nabiki's silhouette entering the house before reluctantly turning and reentering the car. As first dates go, this one had things guaranteed to be replayed in his dreams, over and over again. Slumping into the back seat, he could still feel her firm body in his arms and the soft touch of her lips as they lay in the cool soft grass of the forest clearing.

He wasn't certain what he'd gotten himself into but hoped he'd get a chance to find out. She wasn't his first choice to date, but as fate had thrown them together, he was certainly happy about the outcome. He didn't remember much about the ride home or entering his darkened house. No one was there to greet him. Another embassy function, he thought. That meant it would be well after midnight before his parents returned. It was times like this, Jeff wished he had someone to share his experiences with. Instead, he settled for a cold shower and a warm bed, his dreams guaranteed to be filled with visions of a special young lady with mercenary tendencies.

---

Nabiki didn't have the same quiet arrival at home as Jeff. Seated at the top of the stairs were her sisters, Akane and Kasumi.

"Well?" Akane asked.

"Well, what?" Nabiki answered, a little peeved at finding a reception committee waiting for her.

"Come on, Nab-chan. Tell us all about it," Kasumi said with a little smile that was part mischievous and part motherly.

"Nothing to it," Nabiki replied pushing past her sisters, trying to make a break for her room. "We rode horses. Big deal."

"Nothing, she says," chimed Akane. "I guess those grass stains on her elbows came from falling off the horse."

"Poor dear," Kasumi said sympathetically to Akane. "It must have hurt to fall so far on her elbows." Shocked, Nabiki quickly checked the sleeves of her new shirt. Sure enough, they were stained green from the grass at the lake.

"Ok, we kissed. Nothing else. Satisfied?" Nabiki clearly wanted to escape her inquisitors. What did these ghouls want? Details? If they wanted details, they should get their own boyfriends.

"Couldn't do it standing up?" Akane chided leaning against the wall, her hands behind her head, trying to look nonchalant. She had never had a real date herself. Ranma wasn't the dating kind and Kuno made sure no one else had the chance. Living vicariously through Nabiki's dates were the only experiences she had.
Nabiki froze, staring at the door to her room. She wanted to run inside and slam it shut behind her, to escape from all these questions.

She had been out on lots of dates before and had come home extra late on a few. Her sisters never waited up for her like this. What was going on and why did all this bother her so? For a few moments, there was an uncomfortable silence. Off in the distance, came the faint sounds of Ranma working out in the dojo with his father. Soun Tendo was probably there as well. For now, the house belonged to the women.

"Really, it was... it was nothing." Nabiki's voice wavered slightly, her mind a whirl of emotions. She turned slowly to her older sister and started to say something else but couldn't. In frustration, she flung open the door and stumbled into her room. Kasumi and Akane glanced at each other with stunned expressions. Something was most certainly wrong. Nabiki was always the strong one who butterflied from boy to boy, without emotional attachments. Seeing their middle sister this way was... unnatural.

They quickly followed Nabiki into her room and found her on the bed, her back against the wall, clutching her pillow. Only her eyes could be seen, scowling at the rumpled covers like she was daring them to make some comment about her date.
Kasumi softly sat at the foot of the bed while Akane straddled a chair at her sister's study desk.
Kasumi quietly asked:

"Nab-chan, is there something wrong?"

"If that creep did anything to you, I'll..," Akane flared, looking over her shoulder out the window like she was already hunting for someone to hit.

"NO! It's... it's not like that. It's just..." Nabiki hugged her pillow tighter now, pressing her face deeper into its cool surface. "Jeffrey's... different, that's all," she said, her voice muffled by the pillow. There, it was finally out. She was admitting out loud that this wasn't a typical date and Jeffrey wasn't a typical escort. One might even infer she was actually attracted to the tall American. That would be most unusual. Her list of former, temporary boyfriends was long and littered with their financial corpses.

Her reputation as a pecuniary vampire had spread such that few ventured close other than the occasional fool who thought he could buy his way into her heart or as partial compensation for money owed. Those dates never came with the attachment of genuine affection. That would be too close to love and love was an unprofitable emotion better left to rich fools like Tatewaki Kuno or idealistic dreamers such as her sister Kasumi. Until now, Nabiki never considered herself susceptible to such feelings.

Kasumi gently reached out and brushed the hair out of Nabiki's eyes. Since the death of their mother, Kasumi had become the family's defacto substitute. Her quiet wisdom and patience often helped her sisters with the painful experience of growing up. To the casual observer, she seemed lost in another world as she went about her daily chores. Some might even conclude she was simple of mind. But that would have been their mistake. Kasumi was just content with her life.

"Kasumi..," Nabiki started like a little girl. "I can't explain it... I don't understand why I feel this way." Her young body shuddered at such an admission of weakness.

"You're not in love with him, are you?" Akane asked, wide eyed. "I mean, really in love."

"I... I don't know," Nabiki sighed in resignation. At least she was being honest. She'd never had any feelings like this before.

"Nabiki, dear. It was only one date. How could you be in love with someone after only one date?" Kasumi asked as she took her sister's hand.

"I'm not sure. I don't know." Nabiki shuddered again. "Something in me wants to but... I can't be... I can't be in love with him. He's poor. He probably had to borrow enough money to take me out tonight. I WON'T MARRY A POOR MAN! I won't turn out like Mother." Her sisters looked at each other in shock. Poor? Marry? Like Mother? What was she talking about?

"What about Mother?" Kasumi asked, a frown crossing her pretty face. She, probably more than either of the other girls, carefully protected the memory of their mother. To Kasumi, their mother was the whole universe.

"Mother wasn't happy. She couldn't have been happy... or fulfilled," Nabiki protested.

"Cooking and cleaning, keeping the family books, and having to bear children then raise them. When was she going to fulfill her dreams? I heard that before we were born, Mom could have gone to college. She could have been successful in some business. She gave all that up for domestic life. How could that have possibly made her happy?"

"Oh, Nabiki," Kasumi sighed. "You never really knew her. Mother was the happiest woman I've ever met. What she had here made her happy."

"But what about a career, her dreams?"

"Are you so sure that we were not part of her dreams?"

"They wouldn't be part of my dreams," Nabiki grumped.

"Why? Those are the dreams of every Japanese woman," Kasumi countered.

"Not me! No way! I'm going to be somebody."

"With Jeffrey?"

"Yes! I mean, NO!" Nabiki allowed her head to sink further into the pillow. "You've got me so confused," she moaned. Kasumi shook her head with a look of pity.

"Nabiki, honey, you have to follow what is important to you. What made Mother happy was a home and a family. It would seem that you don't really know what you want." Nabiki looked up and started to protest but found she couldn't. She was only seven when her mother died and had never made an effort to know her like Kasumi.

What contact she did have with her mother was usually contentious, often leading to loud fights when she tried to assert her independence. She never considered that having daughters could be part of a woman's dreams. What kind of profitless dream was that? Her eyes closed as her head rolled back until it rested against the cool wall. She had to think this through. There had to be an answer to her feelings about Jeffrey. Deep in thought, she didn't hear Akane and Kasumi leave. Stubbornly, she frowned at the idea of their help. She didn't need their help. She didn't need anyone. She would do what she'd always done; go at it alone.

---

By morning, Nabiki was her old self; sly and calculating.

"You alright?" Akane asked over breakfast.

"Never better," chirped Nabiki as she dug into her food.

"What about yesterday? What about Jeffrey?"

"Him? Oh, I guess I'll still go out with him but I could never love someone poor. Pass the juice, please."

"That's all?"

"Yup. Just another notch in the old lipstick case."

"But what about last night? What about what happened on your date?" Nabiki froze for a moment. The question was exactly what she didn't want to face this morning.

"It meant nothing. It won't happen again."Akane started to ask something else but hesitated. Hunching further over her breakfast, she resumed eating in silence with only an occasional glance at the confident-looking Nabiki. "Oh, Oneechan, could you please try to get those grass stains out of my shirt? I might want to use it again," Nabiki sweetly asked her older sister, as she always did when she wanted something from others.

"Of course, Nabiki. Going for another ride with Jeff?" Kasumi asked in a cheerful voice. Nabiki eyed her older sister coolly.

"No. We are only friends." That is, until his money runs out, she thought, viciously biting into a biscuit. Jeff went to school Monday, anxious to see Nabiki again. Despite his phone calls to her Sunday going unreturned, he held out hope that it was just a case of her being busy. Kasumi was quite polite about it when she answered but Nabiki was never home or in the bath or something.

There was always an excuse why she couldn't talk on the phone. In class, he tried but failed to make eye contact. She acted as if he no longer existed and made no effort to look his way. Between classes, he tried talking to her but she responded in a cold, distant manner. It was as if Saturday never happened. Confused and hurt, Jeff retreated to reconsider.

Nabiki knew what she was doing. She had allowed herself to get too close. Getting close to someone was the surest path to losing the chance of taking advantage of them and she wasn't finished with Jeffrey. Despite her best efforts, a little voice in her head kept insisting that she was being unfair and throwing away something special, but her conscious mind rejected such a notion out of hand.

He was poor and had no discernible talent for being otherwise. She had to be disciplined about this. She had to save herself for a man who showed promise. During the last class, she chanced a peek his way and saw him sitting forlornly at his desk. His look of dejection was too painful to watch. With a sigh, she considered how it couldn't hurt to have some fun with him while waiting for Mr. Right. At least until his money ran out.

When Jeff called her a few days later, Nabiki acted like she was eager to talk to him.

"Jeff-chan," she cooed. "I loved our little ride so much I will allow you to take me somewhere else."

"Oh?" Jeff couldn't help his almost sarcastic response. The horseback riding date cost him three month's allowance. Things had gotten so bad that his savings account started digging foxholes at the sound of Nabiki's voice.

"I haven't been to the hot spring spas in years," she said in her little girl voice.

"Hot spring spas?" Jeff's savings account stopped with the foxhole and began building a bomb shelter. This sounded REALLY expensive.

"Japan is full of outdoor mineral hot springs. It's the 'In' place to go." Nabiki sounded genuinely excited. Jeff thought back to England and the mineral spas around Bath. All he could remember was the large number of elderly who frequented such places. Surely, she wasn't suggesting they spend a weekend surrounded by senior citizens.

"Isn't that for old people?"

"Silly. Everyone goes there. It's lots of fun. There's all kinds of games and activities -"

"Sounds expensive."

"Does this mean you don't want to go?" she asked in a pouty voice. "Or did you run out of money already?" Something in Jeff just couldn't stand it when she sounded like that.

"That's not it. Of course, we'll go. How about next weekend?"

"Oh, you'll love it. It's so warm and healthy. And it has a wonderful view of Mount Fuji." She sounded like a travel agent.

"I suppose it's one of those modern places with concrete pools and room service," he said.

"Oh, no. It's a traditional inn with a traditional spa, just north of Hakone, up in the mountains," she replied enthusiastically.

"A traditional spa?" he asked, almost dreading the answer.

"I've never been there but I'm told it's a wonderful place. You'll get a feel for what old Japan was really like." He didn't know much about old Japan but he knew what 'traditional spa' meant; mixed bathing. While the thought of being snuggled up to a naked Nabiki in a pool of hot water was appealing, what might happen to him should his parents find out was enough to give him a sudden chill. The thought of Sensei Tendo finding out made him break out in a sweat.

"Actually, Nabiki, I'm not sure that's a good idea." He knew he was sounding like someone with cold feet. It couldn't be helped. His physical health might be at stake.

"I'm not convinced we should be seeing all 'that much' of each other."

"Oh, now you're being ridiculous," Nabiki said with a mocking tone to her voice. "At the spas no one notices such things. Just get in and soak. Honestly, you gaijins have some of the weirdest hangups." Jeff apologized for his apprehension. She was right, of course. Westerners did have a natural cultural resistance to casual nudity in groups. He barely heard Nabiki's plans as his mind grappled with what was being offered; being entertained by an attractive girl in a pool of very warm water while both were quite naked.

He caught bits a pieces of the plan, enough to understand that the two would catch a train Saturday after school to Hakone and stay a night at a the inn (separate rooms, of course) before returning the next day. Most of the time would be spent soaking in the rich mineral water of the natural hot springs or partaking of the area's recreational activities. She had to repeat the time and place where they would catch the train twice before he acknowledged the schedule.

"You're going to be alright with this, aren't you?" she asked, like she was suspicious he might still not want to go.

"Huh? Oh, yes. I'll be there," he replied, shaken out of his thoughts by her sudden question. By the time Jeff hung up the phone, he had the feeling Nabiki had lured him into doing something against his better judgment. Being alone with a girl, especially a high school girl, at a resort could be misunderstood. That would be hard enough to explain in America. In Japan, it could get a person into more hot water than your average spa. Slumping to the floor, he questioned why he was even doing this. More importantly, why was he so attracted to this girl? Why couldn't he just tell her she was too expensive for him and be done with it? Either one of her associates, Yuka or Sayuri, would probably cost less to date - if they dated at all.

Still, there was something special about Nabiki. Something he just couldn't put his finger on. Yes, part of her was everything he dreamed of in a girl but there was something else about her. No matter how hard he tried, the feeling gnawed at him that she was something more than she appeared. He knew she was the daughter of Soun Tendo and Tendo-san was somehow tied to Master Sato's Shinobi clan. Could that be the problem? Was he uncomfortable because she could be of Shinobi blood? Why should that bother him?

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," he mumbled, remembering something Master Sato used to say. He guessed that applied to those you weren't sure of as well. With a sigh, he resolved to go through with Nabiki's date and considered his two immediate problems: how to get enough money together for the trip and how to gracefully get into a hot spring buck naked, in front of an equally naked girl. For the first problem, he would again raid his savings account. It would put a sizeable dent in his cash reserves but if it would help him resolve his questions about Nabiki, he would make that sacrifice.

As for the dignity problem, he quickly thought through possible sources of help. The cultural attache wouldn't be much help, she's a woman and would probably laugh at the idea of a 17 year-old with such a problem. His mental search finally reached the one name he knew he could trust with such a question: Mr Satouro, the morning cook. Mr. Satouro was a chunky, 30-year old, Japanese equivalent to a short order cook who worked the morning shift in the embassy kitchen.

He was not only an expert on Western-style cooking, but also a deadly-accurate darts player. Between meals he and Jeff often had exciting games of darts down in the kitchen. Satouro was jolly, honest, and, most of all, discreet. You could talk to him, even in front of his kitchen staff, about anything with complete confidence that it would go no further. The only annoying thing about him was he fancied himself a great master of the English language and refused to use Japanese around Jeff.

"Ahhh. Jeff-san. Come in. Come in," Mr Satouro crowed as Jeff entered the kitchen. "You come play darts?"

"Not today, Satouro-san. I need your help."

"Must be very bad if you need help from Satouro," he said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Well, sorta. This is something Japanese," Jeff clarified, sitting down on a stool.

"Ahhhh. I understand." The cook bobbed with a knowing smile. "What Japanese problem?"

"It's kinda... well, it involves a girl." Jeff slumped a little on the stool when he noticed some of the kitchen staff listening in.

"Japanese girl?" Jeff just nodded.

"Ahhhhh, Satouro help. Satouro big man with women." He laughed then said something to the kitchen help who joined him in laughter.

"A girl wants me to go with her to Hakone," Jeff admitted with glances at the gathering kitchen staff.

"Ah. Hakone very nice. You go modern inn?"

"She wants to go to a traditional inn and spa." Satouro stroked his chin.

"I see."

"It's her idea," Jeff said quickly, hoping to assure Satouro it wasn't his idea. With a chuckle, Satouro shook his head.

"She naughty girl. Not Jeff-san's type. Go modern inn with many friends. That way girl honor not questioned."

"I don't think she's too worried about that," Jeff mumbled. Satouro shot Jeff a look of pity.

"Okay, you go with naughty girl to traditional spa. What is question?"

"Yes, well, at the mineral baths. I... ah... I'm not sure how to get in... you know," Jeff said a frustrated wave of his arms.

"Get in?" Satouro asked with raised eyebrows.

"You know... without..." Jeff waved his hand at his pants. The cook shrugged like he still didn't understand Jeff's dilemma.

"No problem. Take off yukata and get in."

"In front of her?"

"Why not? She do same." Jeff's look of apprehension tipped Satouro to Jeff's problem.

"Ahhh, Satouro see. Jeff-san shy," he said with a grin, poking Jeff in the arm. The help roared with laughter.

"I guess so. Just how do you do it?"

"No problem. Take tenugui, little towel, drop robe, hold tenugui in front," he said demonstrating with a dish towel held at his waist. "Get in water. No problem."

"Just like that?"

"No, like this." He demonstrated again, this time adding a comic little wiggle of his hips. The kitchen staff roared with laughter. Jeff just nodded and smiled. He understood why they were laughing. The whole situation must have sounded funny to guys who grew up going to public baths. In Japan, Western modesty was still something to laugh at.

"Satouro have even better idea," the cook said shushing the others. "Get in water first. That way, naughty girl be naked in front of you." The whole kitchen broke up at his suggestion.

"You mean, get to the pool while she's still changing?"

"Hai." Sounded reasonable. Timing would be the problem but it was worth a shot. Getting out was something else. He'd just have to face that when it happened.
Jeff thanked Satouro-san and waved goodby to the rest of the staff. They were still laughing and joking with each other as he wandered back to his room. Despite Satouro's plan, he still felt trapped.

"Oh, man," he cursed. "I better practice."

---

The week passed quickly. By Saturday afternoon, Jeff had psyched himself up to going through with this 'mixed nude bathing' business and he had a pretty good idea of how to use the tenugui. However, his arrival at the train station quickly delivered a crushing blow to his resolve.

"Ohayo, Jeff-san," Nabiki called from across the station. "We're all ready to go." WE? What's this 'We' business? Jeff hesitated when he noticed that Nabiki was accompanied by three attractive young ladies. Two, Yuka and Sayuri, were still in their school uniforms. The third was her older sister, Kasumi. Jeff pulled Nabiki aside and hissed:

"Nabiki, I though this trip was for you and me alone. I can't afford all these people."

"Don't worry, Jeff-chan. They are paying their own way." She flashed her mischievous grin and gently stroked his chin. His horrified expression only caused her to giggle. "If it bothers you, they can use another pool. We won't even see them." Thoughts of how it was too late to back out now filled him as Nabiki took his arm and led him back to the girls.

"Besides, I don't think Daddy would have let me go alone," Nabiki whispered when they got close. "He's so old fashioned at times. He thinks only 'naughty girls' go alone with boys to spas. Isn't that ridiculous?" Jeff smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, ridiculous."

A two hour train ride and another hour on a bus later, they checked in at a rustic old Japanese inn well away from the tourist areas. Everyone agreed to meet at the first pool in an hour. Up in his room, Jeff decided to follow Satouro-san's advice and beat the girls to the spring.
He undressed, hoping Nabiki would appreciate his going along with such a 'revealing' endeavor. All the while, he just kept reminding himself that he had to act like he didn't notice anything when she got in the water - as if that wasn't the whole point.

Jeff was in his yukata and out the door in less than ten minutes. Despite his urgency, he forced himself to slow down when he hit the path leading to the agreed-upon mineral spring. As he got closer, he noticed great amounts of steam rising from the water, mixing a few feet above the surface in the cooler air before disappearing above the many trees that surrounded the pools. Much of the water's surface was obscured by the steam. This is going to be easier than he thought.

Many of the bathers were older with a few younger couples he took to be honeymooners mixed in. It wasn't overly busy, more than enough space around the edge so that Jeff could soak in some privacy while he waited for the girls. He caught sight of a young couple emerging from the pool and noticed they were wearing swimsuits. That in its self didn't really bother him that much. After all, the sign at the inn said swimsuits were optional.

At the water's edge, he looked around until he felt sure no one was looking before dropping his yukata on the rocks that ringed the pool and quickly stepping into the steaming pool. Instantly, it occurred to him that the water was steaming for a reason. All concerns about his current lack of attire were instantly driven from his mind as the steaming water taught him what it was like being boiled a lobster. His brain screamed as his more delicate parts of his body touched the water.

Employing his Shinobi training, he quickly regrouped and gained control of his senses enough to began damage control. Remembering what he was told about hot springs; if he just remained still, the water closest to his skin would cool enough to be tolerable, he settled down and let the initial shock pass. It wasn't as bad as the time Master Sato had him stand under a freezing waterfall for two hours in sub-freezing temperatures - but it could have come in second.
He felt each agonizing second tick off as he acclimated to the hot water and slowly settled onto a conveniently placed underwater rock. It wasn't bad at all, once you got used to being a three-minute egg, he thought. Glancing at other bathers, it didn't help his ego to see them calmly step into the pool like it was a luke-warm bath.

Sounds of Nabiki and the girls approaching soon drew his attention away from his discomfort. Looking back towards the inn, he saw them coming down the walkway wearing the same type of inn supplied yukatas as his.

"How's the water?" Nabiki asked when they got to the pool's edge. Confused as to why her associates and sister were still with her, he calmly claimed:

"Scalding."

"Perfect," Nabiki said before turning with a mischievous grin to her companions. Before he could remind Nabiki that they had agreed her sister and schoolmates would use another pool, Kasumi shed her robe to reveal her conservative one-piece swim suit. The other girls followed, each wearing their own stylish beachwear. When Nabiki shed her cloak, Jeff's jaw dropped. Only four words formed in his head as he sank lower in the water: I - have - been - had.
Gingerly stepping into the murky water, Nabiki and her two companions giggled and whispered together for awhile before moving off and disappearing into the mists.

Kasumi balanced on an underwater rock less than ten feet away and sighed contentedly. He tried not to look her way. She might have been a beautiful young lady only two years his senior, but she was also the family's surrogate mother. Sitting naked so close to her made him thankful for the water's murkiness.

"It is so nice you could come with us, Jeffrey," she said in a motherly way. "I'm certain we will all have fun this weekend." Jeff nodded and swallowed hard before looking off in the direction Nabiki and the other girls had disappeared. If he had to get out before they left, he wasn't sure just how much fun they were going to have. This wasn't turning out at all like he envisioned. Maybe Nabiki planned this all along. If so, that would certainly suggest some questions about why.

"You know, Jeffrey, I think Nabiki really likes you," Kasumi said with a sigh. He glanced at her before quickly looking away. How did she know what he was thinking? Frowning down at the water, he asked:

"If that's true, why does she keep avoiding me?" Kasumi smiled slightly.

"In Japan, girls try not to show what's in their hearts before they are certain. Girls Nabiki's age have no experience with boys. They're often too shy to express themselves. In Nabiki's case, I believe it is something deeper. All I ask is for you to be patient with her. She's fighting her heart right now."

"It's the money thing, isn't it?" he said with more bitterness than he intended.

"You know about that?" Kasumi looked a little embarrassed at such a thing being mentioned out loud. "Well, yes, that is her struggle. You see, she wants to be rich. I don't really understand it or why she is so driven..." Her voice trailed off as if she were considering some possible answer.

"So she may like me but I'm not rich enough for her." Jeff's summation was short, brutal and boorishly American. Kasumi's smile returned along with her motherly expression.

"Give her time, Jeff-kun. It will all work out in the end." Still unconvinced, Jeff nevertheless nodded and changed the subject. There was nothing to be gained debating the point with her sister. This was something he and Nabiki would have to work out together. An hour passed in pleasant conversation. Kasumi proved to be quite knowledgeable about many subjects and expressed herself with surprising eloquence. Jeff found it easy to forget she was only a high school graduate who supposedly devoted all her time to shopping, cleaning, and caring for a family.
At one point, she stretched and sighed aloud.

"It's getting late. Why don't you go get cleaned up for dinner and I'll wait for the girls. We can meet in an hour in the dining room." Jeff readily agreed and started to get up. A sudden rush of hot water against parts that had previously been sheltered reminded him of his predicament. He abruptly dropped back onto the rock.

"Is there something wrong?" Kasumi asked. Jeff glanced her way and shook his head.

"No. I'm fine." Kasumi nodded and again scanned the pool for Nabiki. Jeff hesitated, gulped, and checked the distance between himself and his yukata. It looked a mile away. To complicate matters, a light breeze had sprung up and their entire half of the pool was now free of the concealing mist.

"Jeff-chan?" came Nabiki's call as the three girls returned. "Good. You're still here." Then, turning to Yuka: "Looks like I win. I told you he wouldn't get out with my sister sitting there." Kasumi wore a confused expression as she looked first at the three girls and then at Jeff before turning to Nabiki.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know Americans. He won't get out until after dark." Nabiki was savoring her brilliance.

"Why wouldn't he get out?" Kasumi asked with a tilt of her head. With his jaw firmly set, Jeff stared at Nabiki until their eyes locked. Her self-satisfied little smile wavered and slowly dissolved, like something unpleasant just occurred to her. Jeff's feeling of betrayal was hard to hide as he continued to stare at her. Yes, she'd gotten him good and he was used to being the butt of practical jokes. The Marines were legondary pranksters around the embassey. But this went far beyond a joke. It was calculated to inflict the maximum amount of embarrassment. Whether it was done maliciously or not, he couldn't tell but Nabiki's satisfied expression was enough to convince him it was ending exactly as she wanted. Without taking his eyes off of Nabiki, he stood up, skillfully concealing himself with the little tenugui towel, and stepped out of the pool.

Kasumi's eyes went wide and she quickly looked away, an odd little smile creasing her face. She hadn't been in a mineral spring pool with a naked man since she was 5 years old. In spite of the traditional Japanese nonchalance towards opposite gender nudity while bathing, the sight of a naked Jeff exiting the pool right in front of her caused a slight 'tilt' in her expression. Nabiki's friends didn't help. They giggled and called out encouragement at the sight of Jeff's bare white bottom exiting the pool. Nabiki's voice was conspicuously absent. Quickly throwing on his yukata, he hesitated. If it was a show they were after, he'd give it to them. Turning quickly, his yukata still untied, he bowed politely to the ladies. He and the girls looked at each other, but their eyes never met.

"Oh my," Kasumi gasped. Jeff tied his yukata shut, turned on his heel and started back to the inn; leaving the stunned Kasumi, the barely smiling Nabiki and the still giggling girls behind.

---

An hour later, the girls met for dinner at the inn's traditional dining room. The conversation was lively and pleasant but without mention of the day's 'show'. Only Kasumi seemed concerned with Jeff's absence. She kept scanning the dinner crowd and checking the door for his arrival. Near the end of their meal, she excused herself and sought out a hostess to ask if anyone had seen Jeffrey.

"The American? Hai, he ate very quickly and left just before you arrived," the hostess said with a big smile. "After dinner, he took bottle of our house sake and left."

"Sake?" Kasumi asked, unsure if she liked the sound of that.

"Hai," the hostess replied before adding: "It was only a small bottle. Is there a problem?"

"I hope not," Kasumi answered, dark visions swirling through her head. "Thank you." She returned to her table, hiding her fears behind a carefully crafted submissive image. Jeffrey's absence combined with his acquisition of alcohol didn't sound good. The fact her own sister probably drove him to it was even worse. That would make her family responsible should anything happen. No, this was not good at all. After dinner, the girls scampered off to check out what amusements the more modern part of the inn provided. Kasumi, still concerned about the missing Jeff Lawrence, found her way to the wood deck overlooking the resort's darkened grounds to see if he could be spotted from there. She was just about to give up and notify the management of his absence, when she noticed a familiar-looking form sitting in the same pool they used earlier in the day. She squinted at the figure and sighed in relief. It was the missing Jeff Lawrence.

"Kasumi," Nabiki called as she walked onto the deck. "Have you seen Jeffrey? I want to find out why he wasn't at dinner. That was pretty inconsiderate of him to make us dine alone." Kasumi frowned at her sister and pointed out at the pool.

"You know, Nabiki, I can't say I'm surprised. What you girls did to him wasn't very nice." She launched into her older sister routine. "I think you hurt him." Nabiki frowned and shook her head.

"Oh, Oneechan, he's a big boy -"

"Who happens to love you," Kasumi finished forcefully. Stunned, Nabiki looked quickly between her older sister and Jeff in the pool. "How do you know that?" she gasped, casting a pained expression at the deck.

"By what he said when he talked about you and the way he said it." Kasumi crossed her arms like a chastising mother. "He's hurting right now. It wouldn't take much to push him away forever."

"Why should I care?" Nabiki said with a shrug of her slender shoulders, again trying to gain the upper hand. "He's poor. Remember?"

"Nabiki, I recall spending an evening in your room, listening to you try to talk yourself out of your feelings about him. I know you care about him more than you want to show. What you do about it is your business. For now, I think you owe him an apology." Kasumi frowned like a mother scolding a child. Nabiki glanced up at her sister and started to say something but was quickly derailed by her older sister's expression of disapproval.

"You OWE him," Kasumi said with an even firmer look. In Japan, the worst thing you can do is owe someone and make no effort at repayment.

"Okay, Oneechan, I'll... I'll apologize to him," Nabiki said with a sigh while trying to avoid her sister's steely expression. She couldn't understand why everyone was taking this so seriously. It was only a prank. She was just showing off in front of Yuka and Sayouri. She never really meant to hurt anyone.
With Kasumi's words still ringing in her ears, Nabiki made her way back to her room. Removing her clothes, she picked up another bathing suit and paused before throwing it back on the bed with a scowl.

Stupid Jeffrey, she thought while pulling on her yukata. Americans could be so stubborn. He was probably sitting down there like this afternoon, trying to prove he was more Japanese than they were. Well, she could play that game, too. With the knowledge her older sister was watching, Nabiki walked slowly down to the pool. As she got closer, she noticed the empty saki bottle laying on its side behind him. He never moved, yet must have known she was there.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said when she got close enough to hear. "See how the shadow of the mountain over there slowly marches up the side of Mount Fuji." Jeff indicated unsteadily with his hand the masking of the shadow. Nabiki paused for a few moments considering his words and absorbing the scene. She wondered how much of the sake was talking.

"About earlier... well, I'm... I'm sorry. It wasn't a very nice thing to do," she said softly while bowing. Nervously, she glanced left and right to see if anyone was listening. Ordinarily, others apologized to her. This apologizing business was harder than it looked. Drawing a deep breath, he replied:

"That's okay, Nabiki. It was a good joke... really." Drunk or not, he sounded beaten. There was an awkward pause while Nabiki shuffled her feet on the grass and glanced around some more, hoping no one could see her doing this.

"Twelve years," he said with a heavy sigh.

"What?"

"I've been trying to fit in for twelve years. Growing up in foreign countries and knowing only kids from the legation community may sound glamorous but it really stinks. You don't make many friends. Those you do make always leave and you never see them again." Nabiki reached out hesitantly. Her hand halted inches from his head before retreating back to her side. She wanted him to stop. This wasn't the way she wanted to see him, all broken and depressed. She never intended to hurt him. He was different from other boys she had dated. That didn't mean she wouldn't take his money. It just meant she didn't want to hurt him in the process. It might have been because Kasumi was right; she really did have feelings for him. The plan was to have a little fun. Watching him suffer because of it left her with a unique feeling; shame. Jeff just drew a deep breath and pressed on.

"When I gave up on friends my own age, I resorted to trying to please the adults. I did whatever it took; jokes, stories, languages, even acting silly if necessary. I became a 'trick pony', performing on cue in hopes people would like me. It was so embarrassing." He paused and squirmed uncomfortably. "Only Master Sato treated me like someone of worth. He respected me for who I was - not trying to make me something I wasn't. I hated leaving him back in England. He was so much like my grandfather."

Jeff shifted position so he could lean over and rest an elbow on a nearby rock. "Living in Japan wasn't much better. There was no one my age I wanted to be friends with. All I had was the Marine Guards and whomever I could round up from the Japanese staff." Jeff looked back over his shoulder at Nabiki. "Then I went to Furinkan." Nabiki started to say something but gave up when her usual nimble mind failed to form the proper words. In English or Japanese she was speechless. Jeff sighed and looked back at the water.

"Do you know that before last weekend, I had never been on a date with a girl?"

"You're kidding," Nabiki said incredulously. "You were so relaxed, like you'd done this a hundred times."

"Thank you, but I've never even been alone with a girl before. Everything I know about dating comes from old movies and stories I overheard the Marines tell. Anyway, I really wanted to impress you." Jeff's eyes closed and he took a deep breath. "You know, I do like you. I like you a lot." He practically mumbled the last, like he'd never admitted something so personal to anyone before. "I know you don't have the same feelings for me. It doesn't really matter anymore. I'll... I'll settle for your company, if that's all I can get."

Nabiki didn't know what to say. She hoped the sake was talking now. No guy had ever expressed his affection for her in such an honest and straightforward manner, totally devoid of any material gain for doing so. The more she thought about what he said, the more her feelings for him flooded back. Closing her eyes, she remembered how it felt with his arms around her on that first date. It was so warm, so safe. With him, she didn't have to be the strong one. She could surrender her fears and apprehensions, if only for a little while. Standing so close to him now, she wanted to be that girl in the forest clearing again.

In truth, she was as much an outsider as he. Most boys wouldn't even approach her unless they wanted a loan or were willing to pay for her temporary company and then they felt due some physical satisfaction. No one had ever treated her like someone to be loved, only an object to be pawed for their own pleasure.
She almost groaned with the realization that her life had become an empty void, bereft of the one thing she never got; unconditional love. Having never received it, she had only vague notions of what it must be like. Outside her family, only Jeffrey was willing to treat her like she wanted and offer the one thing that could fill the emptiness inside her. He was her equal in every way. No, he was even better than that. He could love her completely and ask nothing in return.

"May I join you?" she asked timidly.

"Sure, it's a big lake... pond... spa, whatever. There's a rock over there," he said, pointing to a spot about ten feet away.

"How about next to you," she suggested after leaning over a bit to see through the murky water.

"I guess this rock is big enough for two," he said almost as if he didn't really care. He squirmed in the hot water to scoot over slightly.

Jeff never looked her way but heard her yukata fall, saw the ripples of the pool when she entered. Her arm bumped his as she slid onto the rock. He closed his eyes and smiled to himself as the fragrance of her perfume slipped through the hot spring's mineral odors and enveloped him. Part of his dream was coming true, even if she really didn't love him.

That depressing thought ripped the last hope from his heart. Sharing a rock in a steaming hot spa with a girl who really didn't love him seemed like the fitting end to his experiment in Japanese courtship. "You were right when you said I could never understand," he lamented, reminding her of what she said on their first date. "I'm sorry, Nabiki. I guess I should have known better."

She said nothing but quietly linked arms with him underwater and snuggled closer, only their heads and shoulders above the steaming surface. When their bodies touched, his alcohol-fogged senses noticed something was different than he expected. Something soft and warm was pressing against his right bicep. When her head rolled over to rest on his shoulder, he was certain there was something very strange about what was touching his arm. He couldn't tell if it was just the sake but would have sworn he was feeling her bare left breast as she pulled herself against him. Slowly, in disbelief, he tried to look at her out of the corner of his eyes but her head was in the way and his eyes weren't focusing very well at the moment anyway. He couldn't lean forward to see if he was right without being obvious or falling face first into the his cheek lightly on her hair, he heard her sniff and felt her body tremble. Something wet dropped onto his shoulder.

When she drew a ragged breath, he wanted to ask if she was okay but stopped himself when her grip tightened and she pulled even closer than before. "It's okay," he whispered. "You can stay as long as you like." With cheek lightly caressing her hair and his head spinning from all the sake, he drew a deep breath and relaxed against her soft body. The masking shadow had covered all but the snowy peak of Mount Fuji, creating a moon like affect. The stars began to twinkle lightly above.

Back on the balcony, Kasumi finished her soft drink and watched as the two sat silently soaking in the pool.

"Yes, Mother. It's just as you predicted," she whispered before leaving them to their privacy. On her way inside, she intercepted Nabiki's two companions and guided them into the game room to prevent their interrupting the couple. It would cost some of the family's money to keep the girls occupied but would be worth it if everything finished as planned.

Just before total darkness, Jeff asked Nabiki if she wanted to go for a walk. He needed some fresh air to clear his head. When she agreed and released him, he slid off the rock and stood up. Nabiki shyly averted her eyes but couldn't resist just a peek. What she saw caused her eyes to go wide. Instead of looking at his tight white bare bottom, she found herself staring at the back of a beige swim suit. In a panic, she turned her head and squeezed her eyes shut. This can't be happening, she told herself. As he climbed out and donned his yukata, she desperately searched for a way of avoiding an embarrassment similar to what had happened to him this afternoon.

"You coming?" he asked innocently, tying his yukata shut.

With a flush of Western modesty, Nabiki slid deeper in the murky water. "Toss me my robe," she said.

"You sure? If you miss, it'll get all wet," he replied with a drunken little smile. "I'll tell you what, I'll hold it for you." He picked up her yukata and held it open.

"Turn you head," she demanded with narrowed eyes. The water was up to her chin now. Jeff frowned a few seconds before one eyebrow arched, like he suddenly understood her predicament. The irony was delicious.

"Why? You didn't turn your head this afternoon. Besides, I thought only gaijin had such weird hangups." With a mixed look of warning and fear, she glanced around quickly and hoped no one else could see her. Convinced they were alone, she gritted her teeth and abruptly stood up. Absent even the dignity of a tenugui towel, she made vain efforts to cover herself as she stepped from the pool and practically dove into the waiting yukata.

"Kawaii," Jeff said as he hugged her, wrapping the warm garment around her body. "I guess now we're even."

"I should hate you for that," she replied, allowing his arms to encircle her body, his upper arm brushing the bottom of her firm breasts.

"Yes, you should." When she felt his lips press lightly against her neck, she shivered. A second kiss higher up caused her to gasp: "Please, not here."

"Why?" he asked between kisses.

"Someone might see us," she answered, feeling her body begin to betray her by responding to his affections.

"Let them," was all he said before gently attacking her throat. The sake had released his final inhabition.

Despite her instinct for escape, she felt her arms cover his and her body press back searching for confirmation that this wasn't just an act. Ignoring her plea, he gently kissed his way back under her ear, nuzzling it seductively. Whatever movies he had been watching were darn good ones. With a tiny whimper, she rolled her head aside, allowing him better access. Her arms held his as she pressed even harder against him, her knees weakening with every kiss. She felt flush, even in the cool evening air. Gasping for breath, she could feel her resolve slipping. No longer begging for him to stop, it took everything she had to prevent it going any further. Only the knowledge that she had to save herself for a suitably wealthy husband, allowed her to cling to her virtue.

As if in answer to her prayer for a way out, a cool breeze sprang up and caressed them both. His kisses ceased and she snuggled closer, breathing like she'd just run a mile. For a few minutes they stood like that, enjoying for a second time in their lives the comfortable warmth only two bodies could supply, until the pressure she was providing became too much. Without warning, the inebriated Jeff Lawrence lost his balance. Tumbling backwards, his arms still wrapped around her, the two fell heavily onto the grass.

Rolling off his body, she lay quietly for a moment before the absurdity of the situation overcame her and she began to giggle. It started as a tiny little womanly giggle before building to a full-bodied release-of-tension laugh that came from deep inside. Jeffrey soon joined in and the two escalated to outright howls of laughter as she crawled over enough to rest her head on his vibrating chest. His arms again enveloped her in a warm, safe hug that left her feeling more content than ever before. Moments passed as their laughter drained away.

"Perhaps we better save the walk for another time," she suggested. Jeff agreed with another chuckle. She helped him to his unsteady feet, paused only long enough to gather the empty sake bottle and glass before linking arms and guiding him back to the inn. Along the way, she vowed to herself this was one story her sisters were not going to get.

---

Over the next few months, Nabiki and Jeff were constantly seen together. They attended school sporting events, went to dinner on occasion and indulged themselves in inexpensive day tours and movies. When asked, Nabiki made it sound like a matter of convenience. Who else would take her out, Kuno? Sure he had money, but the thought of being physically close to him was enough to make her skin crawl. Jeff was... comfortable, and as always, the perfect escort; considerate, attentive, and, most importantly, always able to pay the bill. For the first time in three years, Nabiki began to feel like she belonged at Furinkan. At least, now when the other girls talked about boys, she could actually relate to what they were talking about. In some cases, she could even top them - not that she'd ever try, of course. Some things are simply too personal to share with mere classmates.

Jeff was also very indulgent. One warm November weekend, with the assistance of his Marine friends, he helped Nabiki fulfill another dream of hers; shooting a gun. At an American military target range, the Marine Range Safety Officer finished loading a Beretta 9mm pistol. With a serious look, the RSO gave Nabiki a few words of caution and encouragement, none of which she understood as he insisted on using English. Finally, he stood closely behind her, fitted the weapon into her hands, snapped off the safety and backed away. On her own, she assumed a position she saw Nene Romanova use in one of her manga and pulled the trigger. Unprepared for the recoil, the first round knocked her back a couple of steps. Her astonishment quickly faded as her stubbornness took over. With a lethal expression, she resumed her position, braced herself and started squeezing off round after round.

By the third round, the Marines were scrambling for cover. Shots were going everywhere. Jeff, however, stood calmly off to the side, his arms crossed and his chin resting on his palm. His eyes moved just enough to follow where each round struck. At the end of nine rounds, Nabiki paused. The target twenty meters away appeared untouched. Chuckling, the RSO suggested that perhaps Nabiki could hit the target if she moved closer.

Unfortunately, he was still speaking English and she still wasn't getting a word of it. Everyone else did, and that's when the snickering began. Laughter soon followed, along with a series of comments about the RSO's teaching methods. Nabiki, wondering just what was so funny, turned to say something to the RSO. Unfortunately, she was still holding the pistol. The Marine's eyes grew wide and he jumped back, yelling for Nabiki to watch where she was pointing the weapon.

She looked at Jeff and asked: "What's he so upset about?"

"I think he wants you to put the gun down," Jeff replied nonchalantly. Nabiki looked at the Beretta as if she forgot she was holding it before giggling and turning back to set it on the pistol stand. She would have made it too, except she accidentally squeezed the trigger. There was one round left in the chamber.
The report caused everyone to duck again as the bullet passed through the loose material between the RSO's legs, ricochetted off the blacktop, off a metal trash can, and through the windshield of the embassy car they had arrived in. Screaming a string of obsenities, the driver bailed out as his window exploded. For several minutes, bedlam prevailed. Those that weren't ducking for cover, ran to assist the driver. Through it all, Jeff calmly walked up to Nabiki, took the pistol out of her still shaking hand and handed it to the RSO who looked like he had just seen his life pass before his eyes. It must not have been pretty, especially the last part about being shot in the crotch by a 17 year-old Japanese high school girl.

When things calmed down, it was obvious the range was none the worse for wear. All the targets were undamaged, except for one down on the end. One of Jeff's Marine friends retrieved it for her. It was a perfect bulls-eye. She was delighted and couldn't wait to show it to her sisters. As they walked past the damaged embassy car, two of the Marines were inspecting the damage. One of them turned to Jeff, folded his arms and said:

"I want to be there when you explain THIS to your father."

"No problem, I'll just blame it on a ricochet," Jeff said with a shrug. "After all, it'll be the truth." The sounds of half a dozen Marines laughing accompanied the pair as they walked to the nearest humvee and got in. For the record, the RSO finished his tour in Japan but seemed to have developed a strange reaction to Japanese high school girls (something similar to Ranma and cats). As for Nabiki, all the way home she kept sniffing the cordite smell on her hand with an odd look on her face. It took three days for that look to finally go away. It was the last time he ever took her shooting.

After several months and countless expensive dates, even Nabiki began to wonder if she had misjudged him. Perhaps, he (or his family) had more money than they showed. She tried again to track down his net worth through her usual channels, even resorting to bribing a former classmate of Kasumi's working at a major financial institution but ran smack into the same ambiguities as before. Perhaps there was something there and, then again, perhaps not. To her friends at school, she was the same old Nabiki. Inside, however, she was riding an emotional roller coaster. Her emotions urged her to openly return Jeff's feelings but her common sense insisted that it could never work due to his lack of wealth. Sure, she liked him, perhaps even loved him - a little. But she had other considerations that prevented any commitment beyond his company.

For Jeff's part, he going through some pretty hefty deficit spending to keep financing his affair with Nabiki. His mother openly worried about what he was doing but stopped just short of getting involved. She had heard all the stories about the middle Tendo girl and worried her son was being used for some insincere purpose. Whenever she mentioned her concerns to Jeff, he quickly dismissed such talk, insisting that Nabiki really liked him just for his self. His mother just sadly shook her head and let the matter drop. From all appearances, this Nabiki girl was systematically draining him financially dry. About the only positive aspect of all this was that when she was through with him and his savings, he would be wiser to the ways of women and more careful with the fortune that awaited him.

By New Years, it was obvious to everyone except Nabiki that the two of them were heavily involved. When she wanted to go out, Jeff was there. He was warm, cuddly and not afraid to show his love for her. Even Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome noticed. They kept congratulating themselves on such a successful match. Jeff continued to play along with whatever Nabiki wanted to do. He would suffer the worst indignities to be with her. Many times she would do something as if to test his resolve; not returning his phone calls or going away for the weekend unannounced. Each time, Jeff patiently waited her return, usually following up with small gifts or a special date. Of the two of them, Jeff was the only one truly confident in the relationship.

Their classmates could only hold their breath and wait for the inevitable 'break-up' that was sure to happen. They knew Nabiki never remained with just one person for long and this Jeffrey person was warping the averages by continuing to indulge the Furinkan Ice Queen. Betting pools sprang up all around the school on when the end would come. No one was willing to bet on the relationship lasting forever - or even until March.

---

In late February, Jeff invited Nabiki to a fancy embassy ball to honor the Japanese Prime Minister. For Nabiki, this was an opportunity too good to pass up. Making important contacts in government was paramount to good Japanese business relations. There was no better contact than the Prime Minister himself. To her way of thinking, if nothing else, knowing Jeffrey had the benefit of a embassy invitation. She'd get her evening with the Prime Minister in an environment guaranteed to put him in the best possible mood. Jeff arrived early to pick up Nabiki. Dressed in his tuxedo, he looked every inch the gentleman.

"I trust you will have my daughter home at a decent hour," Soun Tendo asked, pouring himself some more tea. "I've heard about how late these affairs last."
Jeff was about to assure Mr. Tendo they would be home at a decent hour, when Ranma, or at least the female Ranma, came in dripping wet.

"Stupid old man," she mumbled. "Tossing me in the pond like that."

"It's your own fault, boy," Mr. Saotome said as he followed his son into the room. "I've told you a thousand times, training is a 24 hour a day job."

"Yeah, but not while I'm on the can!"

"A good martial artist is prepared for attack anywhere." With a disgusted look and a low growl, Ranma-chan spun quickly and kicked his father across the lawn, barely missing the koi pond.

"Forgot to allow for the wind," Ranma-chan lamented, as she began to remove her dripping wet shirt. Strangely, Mr. Tendo didn't seem to notice the activity. He just kept sipping his tea and reading a current magazine.

"Ranma, you pervert, don't you know anything about feminine modesty?" Akane yelled as she entered the room. Grabbing a large towel from the kitchen, she threw it at her gender switched fiance.

"Oh, like you'd know anything about being feminine," Ranma-chan shot back. Akane was about to respond in her usual 'delicate' manner when Kasumi entered the room and announced that Nabiki was coming down. The two young people just glared at each other. Jeff quietly watched the odd goings-on in the Tendo household and reminded himself that he just had to start picking her up somewhere else.

He was used to Nabiki's fashion sense, but was unprepared for the sophisticated beauty that appeared in the doorway. Her entry seemed to take all the air out of the room. Wearing a long strapless evening gown of midnight blue velvet that appeared to glitter in the bright light of the room, Nabiki Tendo looked like a woman ready for a night to meet royalty. The mid-calf length skirt was cut modestly to just above the knee on one side to show the shapeliness of her long, nylon encased legs. Above that, the material hugged her form until it reached her breasts, where it abruptly ended, leaving a modest amount of cleavage exposed. A black velvet choker and a beautiful silver chain holding an impressive-looking amber amulet attached that nestled seductively between the swells of her breasts. Silver bracelets from her late mother's collection and formal black gloves lent her a regal air.

"Oh Nab-chan, you're beautiful," Kasumi sighed as she poured a kettle of warm water over Ranma's head. Deep down, she was envious of her younger sister - getting all dressed up and going to a fancy ball. Kasumi sighed again. Mr. Tendo gave her the once over, nodded and declared her to be 'acceptable' before returning to his tea. Jeff just stood and stared, his mouth hanging open. He had seen Nabiki dressed up several times before, but nothing like this. She was more beautiful than even his dreams and for once, he was at a loss for words. With a small smile, Nabiki slowly crossed the room, placed her fingers of her right hand under Jeff's chin and gently closed his mouth.

"And what about you, Jeff-chan?" she purred stroking his cheek.

"Oh... wow."

Nabiki smiled. "That was what I was hoping for."

Jeff blinked some more. "I fear this party will be a great disappointment to the Prime Minister as he will be completely ignored," he said softly. "All eyes will be on you this evening." Akane gave Ranma, now switched back to his male form, a jab in the ribs.

"What?!" he said with a startled look. "Say something nice," she hissed back at him.

Ranma cleared his throat. "You... ah... look better than usual tonight."

Akane slapped herself in the forehead and muttered: "Why do I even try?"

"Why thank you, Ranma," Nabiki cooed. "How sweet of you to notice." All were relieved at the mildness of her answer. However, Jeff got the feeling that Ranma had not heard the last of this issue.

"There, nyeaaaa," Ranma said to Akane sticking his tongue out at her. Bad move. Akane bopped him on top of his head hard enough to cause a painful bite on his tongue. The two glared at each other. Nabiki had Kasumi take a few photographs of the couple with her camera.

"No profit in these pictures," Jeff whispered to Nabiki. She smiled slyly. "A girl can have a scrap book, can't she."

"I'll bet your's is worth a fortune."

"Be nice and I *might* let you look at it."

"Are you certain I can afford it?"

"Behave yourself and I'll let you have a peek for free." A few more photographs and the couple were ready to leave. Kasumi waved, Mr. Tendo cried, and Akane slammed Ranma's head into the table. Just another night at the Tendo's.

Jeff and Nabiki arrived at the embassy early. Right away, Nabiki took off like a kid in a Toys-R-Us. Everywhere she turned, she was faced with another of the powerful and influential. It was all Jeff could do to keep her from becoming a nuisance. The party was in full swing when Jeff offered to introduce her to the Prime Minister. That was all she had been waiting for. She practically sprinted over to the Japanese head of state, towing a bemused Jeff behind her.

That's when it happened. Nabiki was used to wheeling and dealing with the folks in Nerima, a small town that should consider itself honored to be called a suburb of Tokyo. The highest ranking person she had ever dealt with was that rich idiot Kuno. Sure, in the past, she had done some negotiations with the bank - one bank officer even said she could charm the siding off his bank - but this was different. This was the big time, the very pinnacle of power and prestige. Every word, every inflection, every move was vitally important. A misstep here could damage her business goals permanently. This was a job interview, college entrance exam, and a major international negotiation all rolled into one. Nabiki frantically grasped for the proper words in her head. When they didn't come, she felt the first icy fingers of panic rake across her spine.

She needed a plan. Her brain, however, had a plan all it's own; it gave its notice and quit. As Jeff was addressing the Prime Minister, Nabiki froze at the thought of going unarmed into an important public meeting of minds. She stared at Jeff, her mind whirling with possible proper things to say when she heard him make the introduction.

"Prime Minister Takahashi, may I present my good friend; Tendo Nabiki from Nerima," Jeff said with a formal bow. Nervously, Nabiki tried to bow and curtsy at the same time. She looked like she was either going to fall on her face or lunge at the Prime Minister. For his part, Takahashi proved the master politician. Pretending he didn't see her awkward courtesy, he bowed to Nabiki and responded:

"It is a great honor to meet a resident of such a distinguished Tokyo district. Are you a student?"

"I'm very touched - no, I mean, I'm greatly honored - no, that's not right - I'm very - It's great... Hi, how ya doin'?" Nabiki squeaked, her voice unsteady and her eyes wide. She felt like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

Jeff did a double take between the prime minister and Nabiki that quickly turned into a triple take. Something was seriously wrong with his usually quick-witted companion. Like a translator, he attempted to cover for her.

"Her father owns the Tendo School of Martial Arts, your excellency. She is a student at Furinkan Senior High School, soon to be a graduate."
Nabiki stood rooted to the spot, smiling like a toothpaste ad on a billboard. At least she didn't faint.

"Ah," the Prime Minister responded. "A charming graduate of our public school system. I trust you will be attending college?" Nabiki looked like she was trying to say something but nothing came out of her mouth. Once again, Jeff rode to the rescue.

"Her college plans are not complete, your excellency. She is yet to receive her final test scores."

The Prime Minister chuckled and leaned closer. "I understand. I too took my time in deciding on a college. You will not regret your caution. It has been very nice meeting the both of you." He bowed again and returned to his earlier conversation. Relieved it was finally over, Jeff took the still grinning Nabiki by the shoulders and guided her back through the crowd.

"That's enough excitement for you tonight, young lady. Shall we see if the punch bowl is deep enough to drown in?" As the couple passed, Jeff's mother stopped them with a concerned look.

"Is your young lady friend alright? She looks awfully pale."

"I'm sure she's going to be fine, Mother. However, when she snaps out of this I think it would be wise to hide all the sharp objects for awhile. We're going outside for some air."

"That's nice, dear. You behave yourself." Jeff steered Nabiki out into the courtyard, snatching a very large glass of champagne from a table along the way. Finding a bench, he sat her down and turned to face her.

"What was that all about?" he asked with an expression half-way between irritation and concern. He was still stunned by her actions - or her lack of action.
Nabiki just sat stiffly on the bench and blinked.

"You are really out of it. Here, drink this," he said shoving the glass in front of her face. Nabiki had lived a rather sheltered life when it came to most vices. Drinking alcohol was definitely not on her resume. In spite of that, she took the large glass and downed its contents in a single gulp. Jeff could almost hear the internal detonation as the alcohol landed in her stomach, causing her whole body to shudder.

"You okay?" Jeff asked as he slid onto the bench next to her and eased the empty glass from her fingers. For a moment all he could see was her lower lip trembling. Before he could say anything more, she started sobbing, burying her face in her hands.

"Once in a life time," she sobbed in a tiny voice. "I will never have a chance to get that close to a member of the Diet again. Never!" Jeff wrapped a comforting arm around her and sighed.

"I can't believe I froze! I couldn't say anything intelligent! I sounded like a complete idiot," she moaned. "I'm not good enough to meet the powerful. I'm just a girl from the backwater part of Japan. I'm just a fat fish in a puddle."

"I think that's supposed to be: a big fish in a small pond," Jeff corrected while examining the size of the glass she just drained.

"I'm sure it didn't really matter. You Japanese have the ability to pretend you don't notice such things, even when they're pretty blatant. Anyway, they're pretty easy to talk to when you remember they're just people like you and me."

"You don't understand!" She sat up straight, grabbed another glass of champagne from a passing waiter and looked Jeff in the eyes. "This is my country's Prime Minister we're talking about, the man I came to meet tonight. I couldn't even say 'hello' without sounding like a stupid girl."

"Yeah, well... talking to prominent people takes some getting used to. Just think of them as regular people who dress nice."

"Oh, that's easy for you to say," she said finishing off the glass of champagne and snatching a half-empty glass from a waiter headed towards the kitchen. "You do this all the time."

"Not really," Jeff said still looking for a place to set Nabiki's original 'empty'. "When I was younger, my father was always afraid I would screw up somehow and affect relations, or something. So he never allowed me to meet anyone important." Nabiki finished her third glass with a flourish, wiping her mouth with the back of her gloved hand.

"You better go easy on that stuff. It can have a rather nasty kick."

"Never let you meet anyone important?" Nabiki was clearly one conversation behind. Jeff began to worry about bringing a drunken Nabiki home to a peeved Soun Tendo.

"My father once introduced me to a famous British General because I had expressed an interest in military things or something." He continued looking around for a clear area to place two more empty glasses.

"What happened?" Nabiki asked wiping her eyes. She was beginning to have trouble focusing.

"Well, I'd been drinking soda before he arrived. So, when we shook hands and I started to say something, I belched - loudly." Nabiki stared at Jeff incredulously before stifling a small drunken snort, covering her mouth with a hand and making a face like it had flushed some of the alcohol back up her throat.

"Actually, the General wasn't insulted. He claimed it was the most eloquent greeting he had ever received; one worthy of an old soldier. My father acted like I had just singlehandedly killed NATO."

"No!" Nabiki said incredulously, adding a drunken giggle. It was good to see her smile again, even if it was alcohol-induced.

"Yes and the General even invited me out for an ale." Jeff chuckled. "Of course, my mother insisted we wait until I was of drinking age - the spoil sport." The two laughed together. Nabiki's earlier indiscretion was apparently forgotten - or so Jeff thought.

"You know...," Nabiki said, standing. Big mistake. It took a few seconds for her blood to catch up. Only Jeff's hand kept her from flopping over on her backside. Still, she was a determined woman. "You're right. They are just like me... us. I'm going to march right..." She paused long enough to burp loudly. "Pardon. I'm going to march right in there and talk to the Prime Minister like we're old friends." She started towards the ballroom, her steps a little wobbly.

"Do you really think that's wise?" Jeff asked as he caught up with her. He was worried that in her current condition, she could easily say or do something regrettable. He stopped in front of her and held up his hands. "I mean, your first impression was such a memorable one. Why spoil it?"

"Ah, Jeff-chan," she said waiving a finger in his face. He could smell the alcohol on her breath. "Akane warned me you could really shovel the 'wind song'."
The conversation might have gone better if he had any idea what she was talking about. Wind... song? What the heck did that mean? "Nabiki, I really think-," Jeff began, taking hold of her arm as she tried to stagger past.

"NO, Jeffrey!" she protested, shaking Jeff's hand off her arm and flashing a 'look of warning'. "I'm going to speak with my country's leading... uh, leader." She made a face and started, once again, for the ballroom. She might have made it, too, except she misjudged where the french doors were. The fact that her body refused to move in a straight line didn't help. She drifted slowly to the left when she walked, ending only when she collided with the door frame. Stepping back, she blinked, made a face and reached for the door knob.

When it didn't open right away, she resorted to a couple of sharp tugs, the last so hard she pulled herself against the door. Stepping back, she paused and glared its way. How dare it not open. Well, she'd show that stubborn door what it meant to defy Nabiki Tendo, personal friend of the Prime Minister. For the next minute or so, in full view of nearby astonished party goers, she muttered a string of increasingly explicit curses while yanking on the door knob, her lithe body bobbing and weaving as she tugged. At one point, she actually put a foot up on the door frame and leaned back into a single mighty heave. Jeff just watched incredulously as she tried to open the inward- opening door by pulling out.

Finally giving up, but not before delivering a swift kick to the offending door, she spotted another door nearby. Fluffing her hair and checking her dress, she confidently strode towards the alternate entrance. Fearing her next encounter with one of the embassy doors would be just as successful as her last, Jeff followed a discreet distance behind. Once again, the alcohol upset her balance. Veering to the left as she walked, she tripped over a potted plant, stumbled,
and slammed into the door facing before spinning around and landing in Jeff's arms. Stunned, she held her forehead for a few moments, and looked questioningly up at Jeff while trying to make everything return to at least double.

"I thought that went well," he said, trying not to smile. "Perhaps you should wait for another day to address the Diet." Nabiki gave up and nodded groggily as he helped her back to the bench. She couldn't have been too far gone. She made an unsuccessful attempt to grab another glass of champagne from the tray of a waiter cutting through the patio, en route to the party. Jeff was beginning to wonder if the waiters were coming by with drinks on purpose.

"Jeff, Jeff, Poor Jeff," she lamented, then started to giggle when she realized the irony of what she had said. "You know, it's really... a pity... that I cannot marry you. Cause you're such a nice guy and my sister Kasu... Kasummm...Kasumani-something, thinks I'm in love with you."

"Well, Kasumi is pretty observant." Jeff glanced about nervously when she threw her arms around his neck and tried to pull his face down to her breasts. He was now more worried about being caught with a drunken Nabiki than returning her home.

"It's a pity you'll always be too poor to marry me," she pouted, then smiled a crooked little smile.

"People are not always as they seem, Nabiki. Sometimes you just have to trust people."

She snorted a little laugh. "Oh, Jeffrey, you're so naive. You can't trust people. Look at me. I don't trust anyone."

"Even me?"

She caressed he cheek with an index finger. "Especially, you. Trust is for fools. That's why I never learned how."

"You don't trust me?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, but I love you," she replied.

"Now I'm confused."

"Look, I - cannot - marry - a - poor - man," she said, poking Jeff's chest with each word. "And you, my handsome, sweet but utterly broke, Jeffrey, are a poor man."

"Money isn't everything," Jeff answered, a bit embarrassed at having this sort of discussion in the open where somebody might overhear.

"Yes it is, silly," she said, drawing her legs up and trying to curl up against his body. "My father, the great dojo master, thinks that baka Ramnma-na...na." She paused and frowned at her attempt to say her future brother-in-law's name. "Ran-ma is going to save the family's business." She waved her arm under Jeff's nose for emphasis. "And you know what? He and my poor, sweet, but totally without a clue sister, are going to leave my dear father without even a place to live."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," Jeff said, his voice wavering as Nabiki's elbow slipped off his thigh, spearing a tender spot. He gasped, his eyes beginning to water, as she unintentionally ground her elbow into him.

"Oh, but it will unless I marry a rich man," she said, finally sitting back up and stretching. "You see, Rana-ma is an idiot. He has no business sense. Without a rich man's money, we'll lose everything." Her eyes narrowed into a drunken version of her usual predatory expression. Her index finger poked him in the chest again.

"You're just not rich enough to marry - and you never will be. I know, I've checked you out." She switched to wagging her finger in his face. "See? If I trust you, I will be broke too, and we will lose the house and land that has been in our family over... oh, hundreds years." She added a tender flick of Jeff's chin for emphasis. "I'm sure you understand, Jeffrey."

"No, not entirely."

She obviously wasn't listening. "That's good. You want to know the worst part, Jeff-chan?" she said grabbing his head, the alcohol on her breath making his eyes water. "I really think I do love you. I know it's silly but I can't fight it any longer. I get this... this feeling whenever I think of you." Her knees rubbed together as she began to whine. "If only things were different, I know my father wouldn't object. He never objects. He just cries a lot." Despite the oddness of what she just said, Jeff gazed into her brown eyes and felt himself getting lost in her wanton expression.

Her head slowly tilted back and her lips parted slightly. When her eyes fluttered closed, she moaned in a theatrical way: "But before I sacrifice myself to the carnal desires of a fat old rich man, I want one evening I can remember. I want to know what it is to be a real woman." Throwing her arms wide in dramatic fashion, her breasts pushed up in his face, straining for release from her dress. "Take me, my love," she begged before passing out.

For several seconds, Jeff held the unconscious Nabiki in his arms, still shocked at her offer. He quickly glanced around, hoping no one could see them. Feeling like a dog when he finally caught a car, he asked himself:

"Okay, now what do I do?" With a deep breath, he checked the people inside, some of whom were approaching the window to see what was going on outside. "Perhaps I better get you somewhere you can have a little lie down," he suggested, scooping her limp body up in his arms. "I think the library has a couch."
All this movement roused her enough for her to snatch a whole champagne bottle off a nearby waiter's tray. Jeff was now certain they were hanging around on purpose.

He had little trouble getting her into the library without being seen and set her gently on a large leather couch. By then,
she was fully awake. He had only a small struggle getting the champagne bottle away from her and was about to go get her an ice bag for her head when she called to him.

"Jeff-chan, am I still kawaii?" she said in a baby doll voice.

"In an Ernest and Julio way, yes," he answered. "But I think you're really gonna need that ice bag soon."

She pouted and looked at him through squinty eyes. "Was it good for you?" she asked.

Jeff fought the urge to make a face. "Oh, yeah, it was the best, Nabiki."

"You're a good kisser, ya know," she answered with a drunken little sly grin. "I heard that good kissers are always good in bed."

"I'll remember that. Look, I really gotta get that ice." He tried to leave again.

"I always dreamed it would happen in a romantic place like this," she said wistfully, lying back on the sofa and spreading her arms wide like a movie starlet.

"Funny, I don't feel any different."

"Just don't throw up on the rugs," Jeff warned. "They're Persian originals. And if anyone comes in, act like you don't feel well."

Nabiki suddenly sat up, covered her mouth with a hand and shuddered. "Oh, Jeffrey. I really don't feel well."

"Oh, man," he mumbled, scrambling to grab a plastic trash can from behind the desk before something regrettable happened.

By the time he got the can over to Nabiki, she was holding one of her shoes in a hand and frowning. "Get some ice for this drink, will you? I think it's gone bad."

Jeff just shook his head. How was he going to explain THIS to her dad? If he was lucky, he'd escape with his life. He didn't even want to consider what would happen if Akane found out. He wasn't gone long. Just enough for her to fall fast asleep, her skirt askew almost to her waist and her shoe draped over her nose. She looked like she had been in a wrestling match and lost. He removed her shoe, gently set the ice bag on her head and straightened her skirt. Gentleman or not, he couldn't help himself and took a quick peek. Yup, pink panties. Pulling a large comforter over her body, he tucked her in and retired to an overstuffed chair across the room to figure out what to do next.

"Well, at least she didn't throw up on the rugs," he said to the pictures on the wall. Hours passed before she woke with a start and began frantically looking about, confused and frightened.

"How are you feeling?" Jeff asked quietly from the refuge of his chair. In the darkness, she could just make out where he was sitting.

"My head hurts," she moaned, pressing the bag with what was left of the ice closer to her throbbing temple. "How long have I been here?"

"The party or the couch?"

"In this room." She winced like the sound of her voice made her head hurt worse.

"Well, the party just ended. It's a little after midnight,"

Jeff said, looking at his watch. "I'd say... a good four hours."

"I've got to get home. Father will be worried." She clumsily crawled out from under the comforter, gathering up her shoes and dropping the ice bag on the floor.
Without a word, Jeff helped her to her feet and towards the door. Before he could open it, Nabiki stopped him.

"Ummm. Did anything happen in here?" she asked softly. "I vaguely remember..."

"Other than you were drunk, cried about the Prime Minister, tried to drink your shoe, and passed out on the couch?" Jeff listed her evening on his fingers.

"Nothing much."

"Then... we didn't... you know."

"Didn't what?"

"You know..." She sounded embarrassed. "On the couch."

"Why on the couch?" he asked.

Her eyes went wide, her body hunching over like she couldn't believe it. "We did it ON THE FLOOR?" she gasped in horror.

"Well, they're covered in expensive Persian rugs," he replied, barely able to conceal a smile.

"I LOST MY VIRGINITY ON THE FLOOR?"

"I'm sure if we look around we can find it," he said, glancing around.

"On the floor?" she repeated.

Tired of the game and certain she was in no condition to appreciate the humor of the situation, he shook his head. "No, Nabiki. Nothing happened. Your virtue is intact. I'm sure your future husband will appreciate the fact that I didn't take advantage of a drunken Nabiki Tendo," he said in a serious voice. When her expression changed to relief, he added: "By the way, pink panties suit you."

She stared at him in silent horror, her mouth hanging open.

He used his finger tips on her chin to gently shut her mouth. "Can we go now?"
Nabiki eyed him fearfully, allowing herself to be escorted out to a waiting car. It was going to be a long, confusing ride home as she tried to sort out the events of this evening.

On the trip home, Nabiki kept to her side of the back seat, earnestly trying to sort out the events of her evening. On one hand, she clearly remembered the party, the Prime Minister, and a glass of champagne - or two. After that... well, it was all still a bit fuzzy. Trying to hide her surprise when Jeff told the driver to stop the car, she chanced a single glance his way. Why was he stopping here? They were still six blocks or so from her home. When she heard him direct the driver to return to the embassy, adding that he would prefer to walk home, she couldn't help but wonder what he was up to.

"The fresh air will sober you up enough to get in the house," Jeff said calmly as he helped her out of the car. "I thought we could walk the rest of the way."
A walk? All he wanted was a simple romantic walk home. Maybe she was making more of what happened tonight than she should. A few moments later, they were alone on the street. A light rain earlier in the evening had left the sidewalks and street glistening. The clearing sky and reappearing stars lent a romantic air to the evening. Shyly, Nabiki took Jeff's hand and the couple walked in silence through the darkened neighborhood. Still affected by the alcohol, she slipped off her high heeled shoes.

"I haven't walked barefoot in years," she giggled, trying to walk a straight line, an expensive shoe in each hand.

"We can't have Nabiki-chan hurting her tender feet," Jeff said scooping her into his arms. "It might damage her marriageability." Nabiki squealed and wrapped her arms around Jeff's neck. Her head came to rest on his shoulder, breathing deeply his masculine scent. Her marriageability, she thought in a dismissive way. Why should she care about something so trivial? After all, she was right where she always wanted to be; in the arms of someone who loved her completely. Besides, she liked this position. It was so warm and comfortable. Not even the sounds of a nearby dog barking or a train passing in the distance could damage the romance of this evening.

On the sidewalk at her home's main gate, she reluctantly allowed him to gently set her back on her feet, the cool evening causing her to shiver and seek his embrace once more. Through the mist of all the champagne she had consumed, something stirred when their lips met. The same feelings she had for him on the first date emerged once again and tempted her with unusual ferocity. There in the open, she threw caution and proper decorum to the gentle spring breeze. Her body molded itself to his. All she wanted was to hold him, to feel his body against hers. Her lips sought his, ending in such a desperate kiss it stole her breath away. When they broke, their faces nearly touching, she felt a growing hunger for more. She wanted him now so badly her mind toyed with selecting a location. It had to be somewhere close and private. The dojo. No one would be there this time of night. All they had to do was sneak in through the gate and steal their way to the silent, darkened building out back. There were plenty of mats that were almost as good as a futon. It wasn't the location of her dreams but she was so far past dreams now that even the dojo appealed to her.

"Nabiki-chan," Jeff said quietly.

"Hmmmm?" she answered, her arms around his neck, her head rolling forward and caressing his firm chest. She could feel his heart beat and felt the effect she was having on him as her legs straddled his thigh.

"What you said earlier - about marrying a rich man." Like a blast of cold air, her body tensed. The apprehension she felt earlier came rushing back. Slowly she slid out to arms length and stared at him. There was something in what he said that sobered her like a shower. His voice wasn't menacing but the way he said it caused her to shudder. Once again, she fought to remember what she could have said to him earlier.

Jeff willingly filled in the gaps. "Nabiki, when you told me you intended to marry someone rich enough to help your family, I understood. In some ways, its even an admirable goal." She saw his expression harden and feared what was to come. "However, when you said that I could never be that person, it hurt more than anything you've ever done to me." She stared intently into his eyes, only to see a seriousness unlike any she'd seen in him before. Her warning sense was clawing its way up her spine, causing her body to tremble and filling her with dread at what was to come. When he spoke, she clung to his words like someone being read a death sentence; grim fascination vying with mortal dread for possession of her emotions.

"Nabiki, I love you. I will always love you. But you made it clear tonight that I will never be suitable for you to marry. Because I love you, I'll respect that. I'm truly sorry about this, Nabiki. I hope you understand and will be able to find the man you are looking for. I only want you to have a happy life." Her mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was dumping her! No one had ever dumped her before. No one had dared. Worse yet, it was not for some silly reason or even another girl. He was dumping her for a noble purpose; he loved her and wanted her to be happy. The nerve of him!

Jeffrey tried to console himself with the knowledge that he did everything possible to make her love him. For eight months, he tried to convince himself that everything he'd heard about her and all the things she had done to him were just the result of her caution. But tonight she made it clear, wealth was more important to her than love. Bitterly, he accepted the fact he had wrong about her all along. The look of shock and dismay on her face was nothing compared to how he felt having to do this.

A flood of emotions crashed over Nabiki, smashing what was left of her romantic evening. How DARE he do this to her. After all she invested in the relationship, after all they had been through, he was abandoning her because she had confessed her financial requirements? What was so unfair about wanting to be financially secure? It wasn't like she required him to be a billionaire or something. A couple of million or so would do. Was that so unreasonable?
The worst part was; at that moment she really did love him. Maybe she had all along.
Before she could respond, Kasumi's voice called from the house.

"You two wish to come inside for some tea?"

Looking deeply into his eyes, she barely heard him say: "It would be impolite not to accept."

"Hai," she acknowledged in a hushed voice that almost choked her.

Together, they went inside. Kasumi showed them to the dining table and saw that they were comfortably seated next to each other - all the while talking about how good they looked together. Mr. Tendo came in and sat across from the couple smiling like a new father-in-law. He, too, had come to the conclusion that his most difficult daughter to match had found a guy on her own.

Nabiki avoided looking at either her father or sister. She just stared at her hands in her lap. If anyone noticed, they made no comment.
Akane brought in the cups of tea on a tray and placed them on the table. Kasumi retrieved a kettle of steaming water and sat between Jeff and her father on one end of the table while Akane seated herself at the other. It was uncomfortably quiet. Clearly, the assembled expected something memorable to occur this evening.

"So, how was the embassy ball?" Kasumi asked cheerfully as she poured the hot water into the cups and mixed the tea. "I always wondered if they were as exciting as in the movies."

"It was a most... interesting evening," Jeff responded without looking up from the table in front of him.

"Hai, most... ," Nabiki started softly but failed to finish. Kasumi and Akane exchanged worried glances. Something was terribly amiss. Their sister was supposed to be happy tonight. Instead, they got an uncharacteristically quiet and uncomfortable-looking Nabiki who refused to look up or otherwise acknowledge their presence. Akane eyed Jeff accusingly. He must have done something to her. Guys were such jerks.

"Tendo-san... Sensei," Jeff began, stumbling for his words. "I understand from your daughter, Nabiki, that I am not an appropriate suitor for her." The room seemed to gasp at his announcement. Kasumi stopped stirring the tea, her eyes wide, while Akane ground her teeth together. She was right. Guys really are jerks.

"Furthermore, I feel it would be inappropriate for me to continue seeing your daughter as it would jeopardize her chances at finding a suitable husband." Jeff paused glancing sideways at Nabiki. Her emotionless mask was in place. She gave no hint she even heard what he'd just said. "I want you to know that it is because I love Nabiki with all my heart that I do this. I cannot bring myself to deprive her of the true love of her life; money." Mr Tendo's eyes moved slowly from Jeff to his middle daughter. He was the only one who saw the single tear roll down her cheek, cling for brief moment before dropping to her lap.

"I only ask your forgiveness for being unworthy." Jeff ended with a bow towards Mr. Tendo. You could have heard a pin wrapped in a cotton ball drop as Mr. Tendo stiffly returned the formality. Kasumi, eyes wide, held both hands in front of her mouth as she stared at Nabiki in disbelief. Akane, her jaw set, gripped the table with such force you could almost hear the wood warp. Her mind whirled with violent things she wanted to do to Jeff. He WAS a jerk!

Mr. Tendo was the first to break the silence. In a low voice that cracked with the effort he employed to maintain his dignity, he asked: "Is this true, daughter?"

"Father..," she whispered but couldn't finish. Her eyes squeezed shut as her chin dropped lower. He began to say something else but stopped short, closing his eyes and setting his jaw against the shame.

Kasumi accidentally set off the fireworks with a simple declaration: "But Nabiki, I thought you loved Jeff."
It could have been the alcohol. It could have been the eight months of living an emotional roller-coaster. In any case, something in Nabiki snapped.
Jumping to her feet she screamed at Kasumi.

"LOVE? LOVE? Is that all you can think about? There's more to life than love. What about money? What about security? Do you know what it costs to get along in this world? You know nothing!" She then turned her wrath on her father. "Since mother died, I worked, schemed, begged, borrowed and did whatever was necessary to keep this family afloat! BUT IT WAS NEVER ENOUGH!" Her voice screeched its protest.

Her fingers drew themselves into fists. Fingernails dug deeply into her palms. She hesitated, her jaw trembling. "That's all I can give the family. I have no other worth. Kasumi can cook and keep the house. Akane will provide you with an heir to carry on the dojo. What can I give you?! NOTHING! That's exactly what you'll get, if I marry this yen-less gaijin!"Her sister's actions even embarrassed the usually emotional Akane. She reached up to quiet her sister but Nabiki slapped her hand away.

"Nabiki, behave yourself!" growled Mr. Tendo. "Jeff is our guest. Do not dishonor this family further with your display of immaturity." Nabiki, however, was having none of it. She was on a roll. Years of pent up emotions about her mother, her position in the family, and even her very existence exploded like dragon's breath. Half of Nerima could have burned in the white-hot anger that bubbled up from the depths of her most hidden fears.

"HONOR? Will our honor pay the gas bill? Will our honor feed us? Will our honor pay for the two free-loaders we have living under our roof using all our hot water? Don't speak to me about honor. You can't spend it."

When she paused for a breath, Jeff quietly said: "Nabiki, let it go. It has to be this way."

"YOU!" she screamed, her eyes red and puffy. "You're the cause of all this! Everything was fine before YOU came. I was happy. I was... successful. I... I had..." She choked on her own lies. Looking into Jeff's eyes, she couldn't bring herself to hate him. She wanted to, she needed to, but deep in her heart she knew he was right.

Images flashed before her eyes, not of her and Jeffrey, but of her mother. She clearly saw the disappointment her mother saved for occasions when she refused to be the 'good little Japanese girl'. She couldn't face that now. She just couldn't. In a panic, she bolted from the room. With gritted teeth, she repeatedly told herself that she wouldn't cry, even while she felt the first streaks of moisture rolled down her cheeks.

Kasumi immediately apologized and excused herself to see to her sister. Akane followed giving Jeff a look that would have killed a lesser man. Mr. Tendo simply stared at his cup of tea and wept, as he had so many times when his middle daughter refused to conform.

Nabiki stumbled up the stairs, her heart pounding, and exploded through the door to her room. Throwing herself on the bed, she finally gave in to her emotions. Punching her pillow with a fist, she asked herself over and over: Why was this happening to her? She didn't deserve this. Why couldn't things be like they were before, when Jeffrey did all the right things but never expected anything in return? Still crying, she heard Kasumi enter and felt the bed move as her sister sat down. She could tell Akane was there, too. Probably confused as to what she should do. Her usual solution would be to just clobber Jeff. It always worked with Ranma.

Neither girl had ever seen Nabiki cry; not when she got hurt, not when she was frustrated, not even at their mother's funeral. Nabiki Tendo had always been the one whose shoulder they could cry on. The sight of a totally destroyed Nabiki, her body heaving with every sob, was, to say the least, unnerving. Minutes rolled by. Every time it appeared she had cried herself out, she started sobbing again. It seemed like forever but Nabiki's sobs finally became less frequent and she seemed to be taking great gulps of air.

"Nab-chan," Kasumi said softly. "I knew this was coming. I tried to warn you about pushing him away. He has pride, too."
Nabiki pushed her face deeper into the pillow and gritted her teeth. "I'm no substitute for mother, but if she were here, I think I know what she would say."

"Leave me alone," Nabiki moaned into her pillow, her hands wadding its edges into her tight fists.

"No one said you have to marry Jeffrey."

"Yeah, it's not like somebody arranged you engagement against your will or anything," Akane added, a touch of bitterness in her voice.

"We just thought that the two of you had grown close enough to possibly begin thinking about it," Kasumi said. "If we were wrong, I apologize."

When Nabiki didn't answer, Akane asked: "You were thinking about marrying him, weren't you?"

With a sniff, Nabiki rubbed her face on the pillow. "Maybe. I don't know."

"Marriage is forever," Kasumi started. "It isn't easy under the best conditions. But when two people join together as one, each must sacrifice something on the alter of that union. For the man, his choice is clear. He has to sacrifice his freedom. He assumes responsibilities to provide for the family; shelter, food, clothing. He can no longer think only of himself. His thoughts must be what's best for the family. Do you understand?"

Still clutching her tear stained pillow, her face buried, Nabiki appeared to be listening with interest to her sister's words. "The woman must bring something of equal value to the alter for sacrifice. It's different for each woman, but just as hard to give up. It might be her friends, her comfortable existence,
or familiar surroundings. Sometimes, it's even her dreams. She must sacrifice them for her husband and the family. Whatever it is, it's given out of love for her new family; the most important things in her life."

Kasumi had the complete attention of both girls. "Out of the ashes of that sacrifice comes a new life for both. It's that new life that makes a marriage, not the bits and pieces of their past. The goals and dreams are no longer his or hers, but theirs; something they build together." Kasumi took Nabiki's limp hand. "Mother and Father made the sacrifices for their marriage - you said so yourself - and for that sacrifice, they got the three of us. We, in turn, gave back to them the happiness that only a family can give. Remember how happy we were? Remember all the good times, the love? We only had that because our parents were willing to sacrifice themselves for us."

Kasumi paused to let the last sink in. "You have a chance to sacrifice something for Jeffrey, just as he is ready to sacrifice everything for you. Your dreams of wealth and happiness can work for two as well as one. You said he had a nose for making money. Use that. Build your dreams together.

Nabiki bit her lip and choked a final sob. Suddenly, she wanted to cry again. She had been selfishly chasing shadows; things that mocked her vain attempts at capture. Wealth over love was not a stable foundation for a marriage. Only the unquestioning devotion of two people could support the building of a successful marriage. Anything else would be too weak to survive the trials of life. Jeff's love and devotion, something she could hold on to forever, was what most people search for all their lives. She could have still become rich, only WITH Jeff instead of in place of him.

Nabiki rolled over and hugged Kasumi. "Mother would have been proud," she whispered.

"I know," Kasumi whispered back. "I heard Mother give that same speech to a cousin when she was about to marry." Nabiki now knew why she loved her sister so much and why Kasumi always seemed at peace with the world. She had so much of her mother's wisdom and patience.

Akane, feeling awkward, sniffed and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands. It was as if Kasumi's words were meant for her as well. Much of the cloudiness that surrounded her relationship with Ranma seemed to evaporate with her sister's counsel. She now understood better what was expected of such a relationship. She understood what was demanded of a wife-to-be. She understood... Pausing when her eyes caught on the contents of Nabiki's closet. She understood that Nabiki had been stealing her clothes for months! Half the damn stuff in there was her's. Well, there would be time to deal with that later, she thought.

"If you hurry, there's still time," Kasumi whispered. Nabiki hugged her sister once again, sprang from the bed with a look of renewed determination. Fading sounds of her stockinged feet padding lightly on the stairs spoke of her haste. Kasumi waited a few moments until Akane wandered after her sister, obviously determined to see the reconciliation, before sighing. "I know, Mother. You never said this would be easy. I just don't understand why THIS gaijin. What's so special about Jeffrey?" She sighed again and shook her head. "I just wish you'd tell me what this is all about. And stop saying it's all part of the prophecy. What prophecy? You never said our clan was part of any prophecy."

"Kasumi?" came Akane's voice from the hall. "Are you talking to yourself?" When Akane leaned into Nabiki's room, Kasumi had her contented little mask in place and smiled at her sister.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking out loud."

"Oh."

After a mad dash down the stairs, what Nabiki found in the darkened living room tempered her enthusiasm. A lone candle in the middle of the table struggled to burn, casting a pall over the room's remaining occupant; her father.

"He's gone," Soun said in a deep, emotionless voice, his eyes never raising from the empty tea cup across from him.

"How... how long?" Nabiki begged, looking anxiously out past the garden to the street.

"Too long. He left with his remaining honor, for that is all you allowed him to keep." Nabiki dropped to her knees next to her father. She felt herself starting to cry again. Slowly, she bent forward, placing her head in his lap, as she had done many times when she was a little girl. She was too late. She had screwed up business deals in the past and felt rotten afterwards. This was a hundred times worse. This was the worst failure she could remember. Instead of providing for her father, like she'd wanted, she'd failed him, she'd failed the family, and, worst of all, she'd failed herself.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she said in a tiny voice, her body beginning to vibrate with her tears again. Mr. Tendo just stroked his daughter's hair as she cried.

Jeff wasn't in class Monday. In fact, no one could recall seeing him anywhere. Ranma confirmed that Jeff no longer went to the dojo and repeated phone calls to the embassy went unreturned. There were even whispers that he had left the country. The rumor-mill at Furinkan ran wild with speculation. The Nerima Ice Queen had been seduced and rejected, they said. She had actually fallen in love with a gaijin and he turned down her offer of marriage, they whispered.

There were few left in the school who could find it in their hearts to shed a single tear over Nabiki's situation. All this had a profound affect on Nabiki. Since Jeff didn't return her phone calls, she came to school hoping to see him again and tell him how she really felt. She desperately wanted to explain and maybe even apologize. She owed him that much. His absence made the whispers and rumors hurt that much more.

The rest of the week went the same. By Wednesday, Jeffrey Lawrence was officially no longer a student at Furinkan. Nabiki went about her daily activities like a zombie; physically present but her mind obviously not on school. She stopped her usual wheeling and dealing, even to the point of no longer offering odds on various sporting and social events. Investments went untended and loans went uncollected. Yuka and Sayuri tried to keep the schemes going but were clearly not up to the task.

Friday saw the last day of school with the usual boring closing ceremonies in the gym. Nabiki rose to accept her diploma in its red velvet case as if it were an unimportant trinket that offered little more than an exit from Furinkan. Back in their homeroom, yearbooks were handed out. Yuka and Sayuri tried to get Nabiki involved in the usual signings and picture taking but gave up when they couldn't entice her with anything other than 'being part of the celebration'. She didn't feel much like celebrating.

Stiffly leafing through her yearbook, Nabiki came to the pages of senior pictures. Her photograph, on the upper right corner of the page, was taken during happier times and reflected a young woman confident of her place in the world. Almost by accident, she noticed whose photo was on the opposite page, in exactly the right place so that their images would be together when the book was closed. It was Jeff Lawrence. That reminder was enough to make her cry again. It was all Yuka and Sayuri could do to shield her from the other students seeing. Pressed together, forming a screen between Nabiki and her classmates, they prepared to endure the two hours remaining before the teacher would release them from high school for the last time.

In his room at the embassy, Jeff packed purposefully a few things in his suitcase. He was leaving, going home to a country he had never really known. Since he was now eighteen, he was no longer considered a dependant member of the embassy staff. His diplomatic immunity would soon run out and he had 30 days to leave. That was the bad news.

The good news had come that morning. His parents gathered him in a small office with the same lawyer who had brought him the news of the inheritance several months before. Jeff barely remembered the words the lawyer spoke or the papers he signed. His mind was across town at Furinkan High School. All he could think about was Nabiki and how her smile haunted him when he closed his eyes. Her voice in his head kept repeating over and over, how it was a pity he was too poor to marry. If she only knew. In twenty-four hours, she and the rest of the world would know of his inheritance. Shoving the last of his clothes in a bag with a feeling of finality, he sighed and looked around his room, checking for anything he might have left behind. Dressed in khaki slacks, a knit sport shirt topped by a light blazer, Jeff looked every bit the millionaire he now was.

"Well, well, well," came a voice at the door. "Is our little brother about to leave town?"

The first voice was answered by another: "Looks to me like our little brother but there's somethin' missin'." Jeff knew those voices. They belonged to two members of the Marine Guard Detachment. Friends unlike any he ever knew before. Since moving to Japan, he ran every morning with the Marines. At first, he kept his distance, respectful of who they were, and trailed them close enough to hear the cadence but not so close as to be intrusive. As soon as they noticed he could keep up, they invited him to officially join them. That led to other, age appropriate, activities. He became kind of a mascot to some, a little brother to the rest. In either case, he was treated like one of the Marine family. Once they heard what had happened between him and Nabiki, they went out of their way to rally his spirits - with mixed results.

"Guys," Jeff said quietly. "It's over. She threw me out, remember?"

"You poor screwed-up little squirt. You can't even see the truth in front of your face."

"I wasn't..," Jeff started. Feeling his own tears begin to well up again, he took a deep breath before continuing. He wasn't going to start crying again, especially in front of the Marines. He'd done enough of that to last a lifetime. "I wasn't the person she wanted to marry."

"That was the 'po' you, boy. Wait till she gets a look at the rich you." The two Marines laughed together.

"But that's just the point," Jeff said with a sigh as he turned to sit on his bed. Looking up at the faces before him, he could see compassion behind their flippant expressions. "If she wouldn't marry me when I was poor, how could I be sure she wouldn't be marrying me only for my money now that I'm rich?"

The two Marines glanced at each other. "Maybe she wanted to but couldn't. When you broke it off at her place, did she make a scene?"

"Yeah, she cried and yelled, and caused a big scene in front of her family. So what's your point?"

"Because Japanese chicks don't do that. They would rather die than embarrass their family with such a display. It shames everyone, even their ancestors. Look, I'm no expert on marriage - at least my ex-wife would agree on that - but I know when a woman is really in love with a guy. Jeffrey, my boy, that lady is in love with you. She wouldn't have acted that way if she wasn't. What you heard were her words, not her heart."

"If she really loves me, why the rejection?" Jeff asked, as if they were putting a perspective on the situation he hadn't considered before.

"Family. Family is very strong in these people. You have to respect that when dealing with them. She's one of three daughters, right?"

Jeff nodded. "The middle daughter. What does that have to do -?"

"Her older sister is the 'dutiful eldest daughter'. She runs things and is considered the 'lady of the house'. She's the real treasure in the family. You said her younger sister is engaged."

"Yeah, to some kid who's supposed to unite her family with his. Something to do with a martial arts legacy. They were promised almost from birth."

"Then her place is secure because she serves a purpose in the family. What about your girl?"

"I don't know. She doesn't seem to have any skill other than handling money but that can't be the problem," Jeff said, frowning at the floor.

The first Marine leaned against the door frame and sighed in exasperation. "You still don't get it, do you? This girl of yours is the 'throw-away daughter'. Unless something were to happen to her older sister, she has no value to the family."

"Oh, come on," Jeff groaned. "This isn't ancient Japan. Nobody thinks like that anymore."

The Marine's fist slammed against the door frame. "Damn it, Lawrence. Aren't you listening? Ancient or modern, these people are wired to think and act a certain way. To you and me, their ways may seem bizarre and archaic but it's a system that works for them. Don't get the idea they're any more Western just because they dress like us." His voice softened. "In her world, she has a role to play from birth. She cannot change that, no matter how hard she tries."

"Is that why she's such a schemer?" Jeff asked. "Is that why they let her manage the family accounts?"

"Exactly right. They LET her manage the family accounts, not because they need the money but because it gives her something to do in the family. What she probably manages are their secondary accounts, not the money they live on. Do you really think her father would entrust their financial well-being to a high school girl?" Jeff admitted the man had a point. He had always wondered just how much Nabiki really did to keep the family financially afloat. At least, SHE certainly thought she was the sole provider. Maybe that was why she felt so much pressure to secure the family's financial future. Maybe she was holding out for a rich man only because she saw no other way to be of value to the family.

"Then she's willing to sacrifice herself for nothing," he said, looking between the two Marines.

"In a manner of speaking," the Marine replied with a relieved expression. "Her family's honor demands it. Tell me, did her father approve of her dating a gaijin?"

Jeff shrugged. "I guess so. He never said anything against it that I know of."

"High school girls don't date in Japan. It's not allowed. And dating a gaijin would be doubly bad. But she gets away with it because of her position. She has no worth to the Tendos. Therefore, so long as she doesn't do something to embarrass them or shame the family, they allow her to date - even a gaijin like you."

The other Marine cut in. "What we're saying is: she loves you, boy, but she must live her life by a certain set of rules. If she happens to marry well, all the better. Her own honor will be satisfied and the family will be pleased. That's why the old: 'I'm-going-to-sacrifice-myself-for-my-family-by-marrying-only-a-rich-man' routine. Make no mistake, she means it. Deep down though, she loves you."

Slowly, Jeff struggled with all the pieces. Nabiki said that Kasumi could cook and clean, Akane would provide an heir and carry on the family legacy, but she could only...

All the parts finally fit together. Her father, the dojo, and the fact she thought herself alone in providing for the family; doing the job of a man in the hope it would prove her worth. Despite her feelings for him, she believed herself to be the one thing between her family and financial ruin. That's why she made such a scene. It was her way of expressing how trapped she felt. Her heart had always belonged to him. Her station in life wouldn't allow her to settle for less than a rich man.

"Oh, God," he groaned, leaning forward, his head in both hands. He'd let her go. He'd made as much of a mess as she did, all because he didn't let himself see what was really going on. They were right. She was actually reaching out to him the whole time and he only saw the illusion, the mask she used to hide her real feelings. He should have known better.

One of the Marines leaned forward, his hands on his knees. "If it were me, I'd give myself one last chance. With clearer eyes, you might just be able to see the truth. If she means anything to you, you'll hear what she's really saying."

"What day is it?" Jeff asked through his hands.

"Friday. Why?"

"Last day of school. I know right where to find her." Jeff jumped to his feet and headed for the door. One of the Marines stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.

"Alone? No offense but that's not a good idea. We all heard of what the guys at that school did to you. They treated you like a dog. Why don't a couple of us go along to, say, even the odds. We'll stay in the background but close enough should someone get in your way."

Jeff gave the Marine a friendly backhand into his rock-hard stomach. "Sorry guys. This is one thing I gotta do myself. If I can't walk alone into a Japanese high school and leave with the girl I love, well, having all the Marines in Japan there wouldn't change a thing."
Both men slapped Jeff on the back and pushed him on his way.

"Go get'em, boy."

"Oooh Rahh!"

The Marines watched Jeff practically run down the hall until he turned a corner and disappeared. With a worried look, one turned to the other. "Think he'll be alright?"

"He'll do fine."

"Maybe we ought to trail him. Just in case."

"OK. I got nothin' to do. Besides, I always wanted to see a ninja in action."

"You really believe he knows all that Shinobi stuff?"

"Hey, you ever play darts with him?" Ducking into the Transportation Office, Jeff quickly found Mr Brown the Transportation Manager.

"I need a vehicle and driver. Anything you got," he said, leaning over Mr. Brown's desk.

"A car? To where? For what reason? Aren't you supposed to be on your way back to the States?" the man said, leaning back in his chair, his face and upper body concealed behind the local English-language newspaper.

"I just need it for a couple of hours," Jeff begged. "I'll take anything."

"Goin' to see that girl?"

"How do you know about that?"

Folding his paper, Mr Brown yawned and stretched. "Hell, kid, everybody here knows about you and Miss Tendo."

"Everybody?"

"Even the Ambassador. I understand you two were quite the topic between him and the Japanese Prime Minister at the last party. They agreed you two are a good couple. You might say that you have the official blessing of the Japanese government to date that girl."

"Yeah, well, if I don't get some sort of transportation, that blessing won't amount to much. My plane leaves at four."

Mr Brown chuckled and pulled up his schedule on the computer. "About all I've got today is the Ambassador's limo."

Jeff's shoulders sagged in disappointment. "Oh."

With another chuckle, Mr Brown pulled out a trip ticket and began writing. "Naturally, the Ambassador will expect you to take good care of it."

Jeff's excitement at the prospect of using the Ambassador's personal, specially-built stretch limousine was hard to conceal. "You mean it? I get to use 'the beast'?"

Holding out the trip ticket, Mr Brown shrugged. "Yeah, why not?"

"What if he needs it?"

"Oh, I doubt that'll be a problem. You see, he bet the Prime Minister you'd get the girl before you left Japan."

"They're gambling on my...," Jeff sputtered.

"Hey, the Prime Minister thinks you'll never convince her. He said something about Nerima girls being... strange."

Jeff plucked the trip ticket out of Mr Brown's hand and cast him an annoyed look. It was bad enough they were using his love life for gambling but knowing the Prime Minister of Japan thought Nabiki was 'strange' bothered him more. Checking his watch, he hurried to the garage. It was almost one o'clock. Furinkan would probably dismiss in another hour or two. That didn't give him much time.

---

Jeff had the driver of the limousine stop and let him out two blocks from the school.

"Give me thirty minutes then pick me up at the front gate. There might be another passenger." Walking the remaining way, Jeff set his jaw and resolved nothing would keep him from Nabiki. Today he was legally a man. It was time he started to act like it. If only he could think of how John Wayne would handle this?
He paused at the school's gate, taking in all the sights and sounds of the old school. Happy voices coming from the classrooms convinced him that the last day of school was the same everywhere. Things had not been all that bad here. Most of the students were friendly and more curious about him than anything else. There were exceptions, of course. Tatewaki Kuno and his kendo gang came to mind.

Removing his sunglasses, he shook his head. At least he never had to fight them or anyone else. A couple of first-year girls scampered past as he entered Furinkan Senior High School. He glanced their way only a moment and thought how young they looked. People do a lot of growing up between their first and third years of high school. He wondered if any of them would have to face the same kind of emotional maturing both he and Nabiki had gone through.
Checking his old shoe locker, third row - third locker from the left, a smile grew on his face when he noticed his slipper- like inside footwear were still parked exactly where he left them. He shouldn't have been surprised. That's the way things are in Japan. Abandoned items are always left for the owner to return and claim them. Something he was going to miss, he thought while snapping the elastic on his slippers.

When he started for the stairs, his smile disappeared. Three familiar Kendo Club teammates, having seen him arrive, blocked the main stairs, their arms folded and their glares obvious. These were the same boys who had prevented him from using the library, harassed him over his familiarity with Ranma and Akane, and made sure he understood his unwelcome gaijin status. Now they were blocking his way to Nabiki.

"So, you decided to come back," one observed drawing his bokkan, its shiny polished black wood surface gleaming in the overhead lights.

"You're not welcome here," added the second student. "You never were."

"Gaijin will never cross the threshold of this school again," the third said, holding his wooden blade at the ready. "So swear the Samurai of Furinkan Senior High."
The 'Samurai of Furinkan'? Who were these jokers kidding? That crap died out centuries ago. Had to be caused by hanging out with that wing-nut, Tatewaki Kuno, he concluded. Still, he had to admit they looked menacing enough.

"You clowns need to get a life," he said in English, not caring if they understood or not.
Jeff tried to calmly walk around the three but his way was quickly blocked by a bokkan across his chest. His eyes remained forward, but his voice dropped to threatening levels. "I have no business with you."

"Ah, but we have business with you. Master Kuno promised you a lesson in respect. I see no reason why we can't deliver that lesson ourselves."
Jeff's eyes narrowed into tiny slits while he lightly probed with his Shinobi-trained senses. He detected in them more fear than anything else. That made them dangerous only so much as they were unpredictable. If his main goal was to see Nabiki, any detours would endanger his plans. Besides, a fight would surely attract unwanted attention. Then again, maybe not. This was Furinkan, home of continuous youthful martial arts combat. Every day, someone destroyed a wall, broke a window, or toppled a tree in his or her attempt to prove their fighting skills. The arrival of Ranma Saotome and all his would-be fiancees just caused the damage estimates to go from petty cash to capital expenditures.

As a result, the rest of the student body quickly developed valuable survival skills and learned when to make themselves scarce. Avoiding trouble was practically a credit course at Furinkan. Jeff usually relied more on his Shinobi-taught talent for deception than his incomplete fighting abilities to stay out of trouble. Today, it looked like there would be no deception, no evasion, and no way to avoid the fight he long dreaded.

The bokkan slid up his chest, coming to rest with its point at his throat. No, there was no way to avoid those determined to fight. The whole situation had become a not-so-subtle trap. He couldn't go back without losing Nabiki forever and his only way forward was through the three swordsmen that blocked his way. Master Sato's words echoed in his mind: 'A cornered animal is most dangerous.' Jeff closed his eyes when he realized he had become that cornered animal.
Drawing a deep breath, he felt the clan amulet around his neck begin to warm, its smooth surface growing hotter until it almost burned his skin.
The heat radiated down into the pit of his stomach while the air around him began to hiss with energy.

As the heat built and spread throughout his body, the hiss became a roar. Ki energy from all around began to pour into his body at a frightening rate. Master Sato tried to teach him how to gather and concentrate his ki but always failed because Jeff couldn't focus hard enough. His past experiments only involved small amounts of energy. He had never experienced this much and never this fast. Gritting his teeth, he endured the rising heat of focused energy. He could feel himself sweat. Everything went from black to red behind his tightly closed eyes. He had to stop fighting it. Let it flow. Let it work. His conscious mind shut down the instant he felt himself breaking through the last mental barrier into a deep red world of peace and complete control.

He never felt his body moving or striking anything. He never saw his own actions. There was just a loud noise after the ki rush and then complete silence.
When he happened to chance opening his eyes, there were man-sized holes in the glass on either side of the front doors. The third swordsman remained, cowering on the floor, his eyes wide and staring at two throwing stars embedded in his bokkan. Had that wooden sword not been there, those stars would have imbedded themselves deep in the student's chest - a point not lost on the victim.

Standing alone in the hall, feeling the last of his gathered ki draining away, Jeff glanced left and right to assess the situation. The hallway was empty. Nothing stood between him and the stairs. Those students and faculty who witnessed the incident immediately hurried to make themselves scarce. The door to the teachers' office slammed shut, its sound echoing through the now-deserted first floor. There should have been tumbleweeds blowing down the hall, it was so empty. John Wayne was now officially in town and looking for Maureen O'Hara.

Putting the fight behind him, Jeff ascended the stairs with a purpose, turning quickly past the second floor. Few noticed his passing. However, Akane, signing another girl's yearbook, caught sight of him as he turned to climb the stairs to the next floor. Her jaw dropped open and the book she was holding tumbled to the floor. She felt a cold chill of fear climb up her spine. Fear for her sister Nabiki. Fear of what Jeff was here to do. Fear that she was inadequate to do anything about it.

Her father had warned her to never cross Jeff. He didn't say why, exactly, but hinted that Jeff was more than he appeared and could, if motivated, be a truly lethal adversary. From the look on his face as he passed the second floor, he was fully motivated. His expression and direction of travel could mean only one thing: he was going after Nabiki. Frantically, Akane looked around for Ranma. She might not be good enough to deal with Jeffrey but Ranma could stop anybody. Not seeing him nearby, she scurried down the hall looking for her wayward fiance. This was family business and, like it or not, Ranma was family - well, practically.

As Jeff Lawrence stalked the hallways of Furinkan Senior High School, weaving through the upperclassmen on the third floor, conversations died and incredulous stares were the rule. A few, curious about his destination, fell in behind - making certain to keep their distance from the crazy gaijin as he inexorably made his way down the hall. His pace slowed only when he reached classroom 3-A. Stopping in the open doorway, his hands resting on the frame, he leaned in and looked around. The teacher was gone. That meant the homeroom president, Tatewaki Kuno, was in charge.

No problem there, considering how the would-be samurai talked about Nabiki. Whatever relationship he might have had with Nabiki was all business and nothing more. It took only a moment to confirm she was in her usual seat up front, partially screened by her two associates. Conversation in the room faded away as his former classmates one-by-one noticed or was alerted to his presence. Many appeared stunned at seeing him again. Some, apparently recalling his rumored 'killer connections', scurried for cover.

Oblivious to it all, Nabiki continued to stare at her yearbook, her eyes unfocused, her lids drooping. She neither heard nor cared what was going on in the rest of the room behind her. Memories of her greatest failure still fogged her mind, taunting her twisted values and lack of foresight. She was pondering where to go or what to do now that high school was over when Yuka collided with her desk. A glance at her associate's apprehensive expression led her to guess the reason for the room's unnatural silence. Jeffrey Lawrence was back.

Her first reaction was relief. Jeffrey was here! He hadn't left town. There was still a chance to explain. But Yuka's continued retreat and ashen expression unleashed Nabiki's natural warning senses. Something was wrong. Why was Yuka so frightened? What was it about Jeffrey's presence that could cause such a reaction? Her blood ran cold at her own answer to the question. His presence could only mean trouble. She had stumbled upon his Shinobi background shortly before the embassy ball. At first, it meant little to her. After all, her own mother was Shinobi born. But she had heard how the clans were very much into honor feuds.

Insulted honor demanded satisfaction and there was no question she had damaged his honor. Along the way, she had also toyed with him, spurned him,
embarrassed him, and in the end, dishonored him by the very method of her rejection. Despite her fervent hope that as a gaijin he wouldn't seek revenge, she knew he had every reason to do so. Swallowing hard, she waited, a thousand fates swirling through her mind, each more gruesome than the last.

Too frightened to turn and look, she listened intently for a sound, any sound, of his approach, while fighting a rising tide of panic. He could be anywhere, even right behind her. That thought caused a shudder to run through her body. She blinked and flinched slightly when a 5-Yen coin glanced off the floor beside her desk. Seconds later, another coin pinged as it bounced and rolled past. With her heart racing, she listened again for his approach but there was still nothing but complete silence.

Several girls gasped an instant before a throwing star slammed into her yearbook, pinning the pages together. She could no longer control her trembling at the sight of a Shinobi warning; a ninja calling card. Her sweaty fingers flexed and gripped the book tighter. She wanted to run. She wanted to beg him not to do this but couldn't. Alone, she closed her eyes and waited.

Certain he had her complete attention, Jeff silently glided through the room. Before, SHE had been in control of everything that happened between them. They dated when SHE desired, they attended only activities SHE approved, and whatever intimacies they had took place solely at her direction. She even had the nerve to think he might have taken advantage of her the night of the embassy party.

Well, that was all going to change. For too long, he had allowed her to dominate him. Today, she was going to shut up and listen to him. A little scaring would put sufficient 'fear' into her, he thought. Of course, judging by her lack of reaction, it wasn't going to be easy. She was so disciplined she could sit alone, unafraid even while he stalked her. That should not have been a surprise. As the daughter of Soun Tendo, she was an heir to her clan's legacy. Jeff chastised himself for not remembering that sooner. She was as much, if not more, Shinobi than he. No wonder she sat quietly through his little "test". It would take more than a couple of "trinkets" to panic one such as her. She was probably laughing at his pathetic attempt to gain the upper hand. Without a sound, he slipped the rest of the way through the room, suddenly appearing in front of her desk. Leaning over, he stared down at her face. She continued to hold the book, frozen in place, refusing to meet his gaze. Nothing in the entire school moved.

Gently, Jeff slid the desk from in front of Nabiki and set it aside. He turned back to notice her eyes screwed tightly shut and her body tensed, like she expected to be struck at any moment. What was going on? Was this some sort of trick? With an unsure expression, he gently took the book and slid it free of her now-limp fingers. Glancing at her photograph, then at her, he asked:

"Not a bad likeness, wouldn't you say? I wonder if the girl in the picture is really happy." Nabiki folded her hands in her lap but refused to open her eyes. He almost called the whole thing off when he saw a single tear crawl down her left cheek and take a plunge to her school uniform skirt.

For the first time in her life, Nabiki truly feared for her safety. Alone because of her years preying on her fellow students, she knew there was no one to call on for protection. Even the valiant Tatewaki Kuno remained silently in the background, his business dealings and use for her at an end. In the midst of her fear, the strangest thing happened. As if standing there next to her, she heard her mother's voice telling her to stop acting like a child. A flash of instinctive indignation, followed by a feeling of shame for such a reaction, that finally gave way to a strange sense of calm that soon spread throughout her body. Her trembling slowed, then stopped. The voice kept telling her this was all supposed to happen. Jeffrey would not harm her. Yes, she thought. Her fate was out of her hands. Whatever happened, it would come at the hands of the person she truly loved. When his hands closed on her shoulders, she stiffened. His breath caressed her cheek as he leaned close, perhaps closer than they were the first time they met, so many months ago. A shudder rumbled through her body as her fear rose again. Through gritted teeth, a tiny whimper escaped from her lips.

"Nabiki Tendo," he said in a soft voice, so soft it surprised her with its lack of malice. "I have come to see you one last time." This caused a slight tremor of voices to run through the assembled students. Quickly, they were shushed by the others. For a moment, Nabiki was confused. Why didn't he just get it over with? Why did he feel it necessary to talk? They both knew why he was here. At least, she thought she knew why he was here. With a gulp, she licked her lips and chanced a final deep breath. The calm that surrounded her was almost visible. For the second time in her life with Jeff, she was hearing in her mind every argument she had ever thought against loving him. She wanted to run, she wanted to cry, but most of all, she wanted that damn voice in her head to shut up already.

Jeff could almost feel sorry for Nabiki. Once so strong and intimidating, she was now reduced to pitiful inaction awaiting whatever he decided to do. Such sympathy would have been wasted, he thought. The memory of what she had done to him banished all thoughts of doing this softly. It had to be hard and forceful to breach the monetary barrier she had constructed between them. Only she held the key to that obstruction. If she truly loved him, she would destroy that obstacle herself.

"I once tried to give you something I valued more than my life. You willingly accepted my love but held it cheaply compared to what I couldn't give you. Well, maybe I can finally satisfy you." He pulled something out of his pocket, clutching it in his fist. Holding his hand in front of her face, he waited until her eyes opened and focused on it. Like the lid of an old treasure chest, his fingers slowly opened to reveal an handful of coins and large denomination Yen notes. "Here is the part of me you claim to love," he said turning his hand over, the money spilling into her lap. Some tumbled noisily onto the floor at her feet. "I'm curious. Does it warm your heart? Can it hold you on a cold evening, comfort you when you're ill, or share your laughter and your sorrow? I still love you, Nabiki Tendo. Nothing will ever change that. But I have to know if money is really all you love." A rumble of voices rolled around the room and through the crowd in the hall until several students shushed the others and the room grew quiet again. Jeff pretended not to notice but was secretly impressed with his own actions. Even John Wayne would have been proud, he thought.

Inside Nabiki, everything happened in ultra slow motion. Her mouth opened and closed as words formed and were lost several times. Kasumi's voice now echoed through her mind debating that of her own: "...there are more important things than wealth...I WILL NOT MARRY A POOR MAN!...Love is the key, not wealth...I will NOT be poor like mother!...sacrifice something for the marriage...but what about *her* dreams...are you so sure we were not part of her dreams?... you can build together...build together..."

Jeff stood in front of Nabiki for what seemed like hours waiting for her response. When she didn't answer, he knew time was up. He couldn't wait any longer.
"Okay. If that's how you want it, this is goodbye, Nabiki Tendo. I hope you find the wealth you desire. At least I know now you love it more than what I offered," he said, his eyes flashing with indignation as he straightened up. It took all his concentration to keep his voice steady. The finality of his loss all but choked him.
He stared at her for a few seconds more, hoping she would say something - anything. When she didn't, he turned towards the door. He would leave only with what was left of his dignity. He had a plane to catch. Walking stiffly across the room, he looked neither left nor right but continued to stare straight ahead while mumbling:
"Strike... three."

Somewhere, far off, Nabiki heard a voice that sounded like hers gasp:

"Jeffrey?" It was so soft she questioned if it had really come from her.
Jeff gave no indication he heard. In Nabiki's mind, panic alarms were going off. For the second time in her young life, the man she loved was leaving;
this time it looked like for good. Any second he would be out the door and gone. Something in her head kept screaming: "Do something, stupid!"
Forcing herself to her feet, she turned towards the departing Jeff Lawrence.

"Jeffrey," she said just loud enough to be heard. The room grew quiet again.

He kept walking.

"Jeffrey!" she called, her voice sounding panicked and desperate.

At the door, he stopped and slowly turned to face her. For several long seconds, he stood waiting, his expression neutral. A gentle gust of air swirled through the windows and stirred her school uniform skirt. Her hair danced in the soft breeze, a few strands caressing her face. The tear trail on her cheek glistened in the room's natural light as she faced the man her heart desired. When she looked up from the floor, their eyes met. Nothing else moved or even dared to breathe in the entire school.

"Was that not enough money?" he asked, digging in his pocket again. "I have a little more here. It's yours if it will make you happy." He tossed a pitiful few coins at her feet. They danced across the floor before rolling to a stop. She had embarrassed him in front of her family. She humiliated him at the mountain spa. At times, she treated him with great disrespect. Through it all, he endured everything she threw at him until she finally pushed him too far. It was now her turn to endure the un-endurable. The shame and embarrassment she felt ripped at her very being. The whole room seemed to hold its breath. Nabiki stood rooted to the spot, head down, her hands together in front of her skirt with fingers intertwined and holding each other in a death-grip. She knew what she wanted to say but something wouldn't let her. Everyone was watching. She was the center of shameful attention. The embarrassment was greater than anything she could remember.

There was only one way she could prove what she really felt about him. Kasumi was right, she had to sacrifice something. She had to sacrifice what she held most precious. Reaching into the pocket of her uniform skirt, she pulled out all the money she had with her. It was a sizeable sum. In her cupped hands, the coins felt cool and pleasant, as if they were in a place they belonged. The Yen notes, freed from the confines of her pocket, unwound and stretched in the afternoon sun. Holding her hands out like an offering, she looked to Jeffrey for some sign of acceptance. He just watched her in anticipation.

With her lower lip quivering, she opened her hands, sending coins and notes scattering across the floor. She felt the impact of every coin like a knife plunged into her heart. Everyone stared with wide eyes at the sheer volume of cash littering the floor of their classroom. For some, it took everything in their power to keep from diving for Yen.

"You are right. I was too stupid to see the value of your offer. I was wrong. I'm sorry," she said with an embarrassed half-bow.

"I can think of only one way to correct this situation," he replied with no emotion.

"Whatever you want," she said, her voice was barely a whisper.

"Will you agree to marry me?" he asked turning his pockets inside out, showing there was nothing left.

"Marry you?" she gasped, her feeling of delight wrestling with a natural fear of such a step.

"Why not? We now carry the same amount of money. We're equal, you and I."

Nabiki hesitated. Inside she was screaming 'yes' but outwardly she faltered. "I... I can't," she gasped, her teeth grinding together when she remembered her responsibilities. "I can't just abandon father."

"Do you trust me?"

"I want to but...," she began with a frustrated sigh while fighting to keep from crying in front of everyone. "Jeffrey, you can't just trust people. They lie to you! They try to cheat you! They try to take advantage because ..." She choked and glanced fearfully at her classmates. "... because I'm a girl."

"Some, no doubt do, but not everyone's like that. When you really love someone, you first have to trust them. I'll make it easy for you. Just take my hand."

"But father..."

"Will be pleased with your decision."

Nabiki looked up at Jeff's open hand. That was all he required, she thought. Just reach out and take his hand to prove her trust. It was such a simple thing. But when her arms tried to move, her mind screamed a warning. There was more than just her father to consider.

"Kasumi, too?" she asked. As much as she wanted to see to her father, she wanted most of all for the care of Kasumi. She as close to an ideal mother as Nabiki had ever had. It might not make up for all the fights she had with her mother but taking care of her Oneechan was a start.

"I promise," Jeff said with a sincere smile.

"How can you say that?" she gasped from the very edge of panic. "You have less than I do."

Jeff's hand never wavered, his smile never changed. "All you have to do is trust me, Nabiki."

"But Oneechan -"

"- will be fine. I promise."

Nabiki's eyes searched his face for some sign of deceit or insincerity. She tried that special sense she depended on so often in the past, the one that warned her of impending deception. She found none.

"All you have to do is take my hand, Nabiki, and we can make everything the way you want," he repeated.

"Why should I trust you?" she moaned. The ultimate shame of confessing her weakness in front of those she'd exploited struck her like a thousand blows.

Then she heard him say the only thing she really needed to hear: "You would ask that after all the things you did to me? Nabiki, I'm here because I don't want to leave without you. I love you. Marry me and you'll never be alone or want for anything again. I promise."

Her whole body shuddered as something inside her gave way to the pressure of her desire. In an instant, she closed the distance between them. Throwing herself into his arms, she buried her face in his chest and sobbed.
Jeff held her trembling body tight, repeatedly whispering: "Everything will be fine. I promise."

The stunned reaction of the students remaining on the third floor quickly gave way to bedlam. Like spectators at a sporting event where their team just won, loud applause and shouts of congratulations rocked the room. Girls hugged each other and the guys threw papers in the air. Those in the hallway who'd gathered out of curiosity added to the celebration, tossing handfuls of papers out the open windows creating a virtual snowstorm of white paper. Yuka and Sayuri hugged each other, smiling and crying. Her freedom meant theirs as well.

Kuno just snorted and crossed his arms. "What a disgusting public display," he said with a grunt.

Nabiki continued to cling to Jeff, her forehead pressed tightly against his neck, and vowed never to let him go again. She no longer cared who heard what she said. She didn't care who saw her humiliation. She had her Jeffrey. She had the one thing she valued more than anything - even money.

Jeff caressed her hair with his cheek and thought how she humbled herself in front of the very people she'd terrorized for so many years. It had to be the hardest thing she ever did. She deserved an escape; someplace where she could regain her composure and her dignity.
In a single movement, he suddenly swept Nabiki off her feet; cradling her lithe body in his arms. Delighting at his show of force, she wrapped her arms around his neck. It had been a secret dream of hers to find a man her equal, one who wouldn't abandon her. None ever appeared. Every day, she was forced to confront weak, spineless men who bent so easily. Jeffrey refused to be intimidated. He took her abuse and gave back even more love than before. Fate, destiny, or just blind luck, it didn't matter. In his arms, she was with the one person she was meant for.

He carried her towards the hall wearing his best John Wayne smile. She held on with one hand while wiping her face with the other, a modest attempt at her shredded vanity.

"I know we can make it together," she said over the chaos surrounding them. "I just know it. We can live with my family. Go to school. We'll make a fortune together, you and I. I know we can be happy... I love you." He smiled at the thought of how his little secret would please her. Only true love would marry a poor man. Nabiki made that choice and made it for all the right reasons. She was someone with whom he wanted to share his good fortune because it would always be second in her heart. She had proved that today.

There would be plenty of time to discuss financial matters later. For now Jeff carried his bride-to-be through the halls of Furinkan High School, heading for the waiting limousine. Never, in her wildest dreams could she have imagined leaving her high school this way; being carried from the building by the man of her dreams while all her classmates cheered and applauded, wishing it were them.

Akane chased after Ranma as he raced up the stairs to the top floor. She'd found him happily scarfing down treats left over in the teachers' office. It was a good thing she found him. The sounds coming from Nabiki's floor convinced her Jeffrey must have already struck her sister. The cheering had to be coming from all those classmates she'd victimized over the years. Akane's blood did a slow boil concocting how that gaijin beast had the nerve to humiliate her sister in front of her family and then show up at school to complete his revenge with a physical assault. How he would pay for this, she steamed.

At the top of the stairs, she collided with Ranma who'd skidded to a halt. His head was tilted like he didn't understand what he was seeing. Angrily, Akane elbowed her way past him only to freeze at the sight of a happy Nabiki being carried down the hall. Her mouth dropped open. She'd never seen her sister look so happy, not even when her bookie operation netted record receipts. Something was wrong with this picture.

"You dragged me away from free food for this?" Ranma asked with a disgusted look. "You said her life was in danger."

"Well, I thought... I mean, he looked like..." Akane sputtered. "How was I to know this was going to end so... so romantically?"
The pair watched Jeff glide past, Nabiki clinging to him like it was all she ever wanted. Neither could believe what they were seeing.

"Well, it is pretty romantic," Akane said with a sigh as the couple passed. "I wish someone would sweep me off my feet like that."

"Oh?" Ranma replied, looking her way with a curious expression crossing his face.

"Yes, it would be..." Her voice trailed off as their eyes met. Deep in the reflection of his gleaming eyes she saw herself, in a light sun dress, being carried across a field... No-no, wearing a swim suit at the beach, in front of hundreds, being carried from the water... No, it had to be at school, just like Nabiki, at the end of their third year. She let out a sigh and noticed something curious in Ranma's expression. She couldn't be sure but she could have sworn she saw a flicker of actual compassion for her - maybe even love. It was small. It was deep. But it was there.

Ranma was the first to snap back to reality. "He'd have to be pretty strong to carry you all the way downstairs."

"I am not fat!" Akane yelled back, stunned at his continued insensitivity. Why couldn't he be more like Jeffrey?

"Tomboyishly chunky, I'd say," Ranma said stretching. "I'm going back to the food."

"Fine! Go stuff yourself! See if I care. You're such a jerk!"

"And you're a stupid girl!"

"Pervert!"

"Uncute tomboy!"

Their bickering was interrupted when both were buried under an avalanche of thrown year books. It would seem that everyone on the floor had had enough of the bickering pair.

"Hey!" Ranma and Akane yelled as they surfaced from the pile.

"GROW UP, THE BOTH OF YOU!" everyone in the hall yelled.

Stunned, neither Akane nor Ranma could think of a thing to say.