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 does the dark shadowy ninja past of her mother have to do with this American transfer student? More importantly, why does 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?

13. The Cycle Continues

Breakfast at the Lawrences was always a 'get it yourself' affair. With the exception of Sodoshi, each saw to their own breakfast needs. This morning was no exception. Jeff yawned and leaned against the kitchen counter, his first morning cup of coffee warming his hands. He really hated mornings - even Saturday mornings annoyed him. Nabiki stumbled in, still dressed in her nightgown, scratching her side and yawning.

"'Ohayo," she mumbled as her hands sought out the coffee maker.

"Good Morning, my sweet," Jeff chirped pleasantly, perhaps too pleasantly.

"What are you so happy about?" Nabiki dug out her 'Nagano Olympics' mug, a souvenir sent to her by Akane, and reached for the coffee.

"You are looking at the newest member of the freshman class at Chaminade University." Jeff beamed. Nabiki grinned to herself and chuckled lightly as she poured her coffee. He was finally doing what she wanted him to do all along - attend *her* school. It was so hard manipulating him so he thought he was doing what *he* really wanted to do in the first place. Still, it was worth it to get the results that *she* desired. "And I think I've solved Sodoshi's problem as well."

Nabiki's scowl became apparent as her mind shifted gears and recalled the treatment she and Sodoshi had received at the hands of the other mothers and school staff of Sunrise Hill Academy. "She's *not* going back to that... institution," Nabiki finally growled.

Jeff just waved his hand nonchalantly to shush his wife. "I know and I quite agree. To that end, I talked to a lady in the office at Chaminade and she said the school was forming its own pre-school to be run by the Social Science Department for their Early Childhood Education program."

"So?"

"So, I called the lady in charge, a Sister Angelica, and she said they still have some openings." Nabiki looked suspiciously at her husband as she took a sip of her coffee. Rolling the tart liquid around in her mouth, she contemplated all the possible problems with her husband's plan.

"What kind of test do *they* want? Ethnic purity?"

"No," Jeff chuckled and shook his head. "All they want is a short interview with the two of you and a quick test to see if she knows her colors, shapes, and stuff like that."

Nabiki considered this issue carefully as she scowled at the coffee swirling around in her mug. Another school was exactly what she had in mind. Accordingly, a plan began to form in her mind and it caused her to grow a sly smile as it's form became clearer.

"What's the name of this educational wonder?" she asked softly.

"St. Catherine's Pre-School." Jeff grinned again at his own cleverness. St. Catherine's would suit Nabiki's needs just fine. It had such a religious sounding name and run by a nun as well. No one would ever suspect. Yes, she thought, it would do nicely.

"You are so clever, my husband," Nabiki purred as she set her mug on the counter and slipped into his arms, hugging him tightly. Nestling her head under his chin, she finished with the finer points of her plan. She couldn't help but think how sweet revenge could be.

Their revelry was interrupted by Sodoshi's appearance. The little tyke, still dragging her stuffed kitty, drifted sleepily into the kitchen and paused, eyeing her parents. Jeff wiggled the fingers of his free hand at his daughter. Nabiki just forced a smile and thought how she might make it up to her daughter for all she'd put the poor girl through in the last few weeks.

"Morning Doshi," Jeff chirped. Little Sodoshi looked apprehensively at her parents before bowing a proper Japanese greeting to her parents and assuming her usual place at the table. They were up to something. She was sure of it. Her little tummy rumbled its protest at the delay in her breakfast - or was it something else.
"How about something warm for breakfast?" Jeff slowly disengaged from his wife and started for the opposite side of the kitchen. "Instant oatmeal?"

Sodoshi happily nodded. She liked when her daddy made oatmeal. He always put raisins and lots of sugar on it. Her only scowl came when her mother returned with a glass of orange juice and her daily chewable vitamin.
As Jeff was fixing his daughter's oatmeal, Nabiki looked nervously between her husband and Sodoshi. She had some unfinished business with her daughter. Business that had been gnawing at her since the 'Sunrise Hill' incident. Quietly, so as to not attract her husband's attention, Nabiki knelt next to Sodoshi's chair. Sodoshi shifted to staring at the table, wringing her little hands nervously.

"So-chan," Nabiki almost whispered. "How would you like to go shopping with me today? Just you and me."
Sodoshi scowled briefly while casting short, nervous glances at her mother. Her mother was up to something but Sodoshi was at a loss to say just what. Her stomach rumbled again as she tried to figure out just what her mother was up to *this* time. "We can go to the mall. You like the mall." Nabiki looked nervously Jeffrey's way to make sure he was still busy on the other side of the kitchen.

Sodoshi slowly turned to look directly at her mother. Her scowl had deepened. Nabiki instantly knew why. "You're right. I didn't treat you very well. I was wrong." She glanced once again Jeff's way before whispering: "Please forgive me, So-chan. I *do* love you."
Sodoshi eyed her mother suspiciously. She was *saying* the right things and she *looked* sincere enough. Still...

Nabiki seemed to sag at Sodoshi's silence. Either the child did not forgive her or was too afraid of her to speak. Either way, Nabiki had really lost this time. And she knew it. Before self-pity could take total control, a spark of irritation flashed through Nabiki. She had just apologized to the little brat, humbled herself in ways she never would have in the past, and the child wouldn't even accept it. Nabiki's thoughts were beginning to grow *really* dark when Sodoshi spoke.

"Mommy?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, So-chan?" Nabiki's smile was genuinely hopeful as she, once again, looked at her daughter.

"Can we get another dolphin for my room?" Sodoshi's passion was for dolphins. She had stuffed dolphins on her bed, ceramic dolphins on her shelves, dolphin curtains on the windows, and a dolphin border to her wall paper. When they went to the beach, she would spend much of her time looking for dolphins. She drew dolphins, had books with dolphin pictures in them, and liked to play 'dolphin' in the family pool (even though she still couldn't swim). Every store she passed she wanted to look inside for dolphins. Quietly, Nabiki fed this passion because it marked something in herself that she missed from her own childhood - a collection of some sort she could share with her mother.

"Of course," Nabiki breathlessly whispered. Both smiled broadly before melting into a hug only a mother and daughter could share. As Jeff brought the steaming breakfast to his daughter, he caught her eye and winked.

"Oh, Jeff-reeeee," Nabiki cooed, causing Sodoshi to giggle.

"I know," Jeff chuckled with a sigh. "You need a ride to the mall."

"You heard?" Nabiki looked and sounded stunned. Jeff could tell it wasn't real.

"Naturally. After all, I *am* a 'master nin-ja'." Jeff followed his teasing by grabbing his wife by her slim waist, snatching her off the floor and depositing her on a nearby counter. Sodoshi giggled at her parents antics. She liked when her parents played this way. It was so funny.

Nabiki folded her arms and tried to look firmly at her husband. "You *know* how I feel about that."

"Yes, but I'm the master ninja, stealing through the darkness, come to... get you," Jeff held a towel around his face like a shinobi mask and leaned real close to Nabiki. She fought the urge to laugh out loud. With a tiny smile, Nabiki quickly kissed Jeff's nose.

"Ah, the 'Attack of the Tiny Kiss', eh?"

"With a nose like that, I couldn't miss." Her arms were still crossed but one leg was softly stroking Jeff's thigh.
Jeff snarled and tried to bite Nabiki's neck. Quickly, she held him off with her hands and squealed.

"Not in front of Sodoshi," she loud whispered. Casually, Jeff turned his head to look at his daughter. She was watching her parents intensely while shoving a big spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth. This was better than TV.

"Turn your head kid, I'm gonna tame this here little filly," he said in a very bad John Wayne voice. As he turned back and went for Nabiki's neck once again, Sodoshi slid off her chair and grabbed for her daddy's bare leg while giggling and wiping her oatmeal smeared face on his calf.

"Egad!" Jeff switched to a pretty good British accent. "I've been assaulted from the rear!" Nabiki slid her arms around her husband's neck. "We Lawrence women..." She was interrupted by Sodoshi's little growl and giggle. "We Lawrence women stick together. Right So-chan?" Nabiki leaned over to look at her grinning daughter who was now totally wrapped around Jeff's left leg.

"Yeah." Jeff twisted slightly to look at Sodoshi.

"And you're a messy eater too."

"So-chan, dear, be a good girl and let your daddy go. He's going to carry me back to the bedroom so I can get dressed." She stroked his cheek lovingly.

"So we can go buy another dolphin?" Sodoshi asked.

"Of course and maybe some ice cream too." Nabiki was caressing more than her husband's face now. She could tell it was having the usual effect on him.

"Okay, mommy," Sodoshi chirped as she released her father and scampered back to her chair.

"Now carry me back to our room so I can get dressed, Jeffrey," Nabiki pouted in her best 'helpless female' voice. Jeff easily slid his wife off the counter and cradled her in his strong arms. She liked the feel of being carried this way. It was so much like being pampered.

"You're lazy."

"You're so big and strong."

'Hmmmmmm..." He resumed his assault on her throat, slowly working his way downward.

"Jeffrey, we don't have time... I really need... Sodoshi will be... Oh, what the heck." Nabiki finally returned her husband's advances as they disappeared down the hallway towards their room.
Sodoshi, knowing that her parents would be busy, at least long enough for her to watch one cartoon show, slid off her chair and took her oatmeal into the living room. After all, it was Saturday morning and there were lots of usually forbidden but neat shows for her to watch.

***** 1 *****

---

Jeff dropped his wife and daughter off at the mall and proceeded to his office to finish up some work. He was supposed to meet the guys at the country club later that afternoon for a quick round of golf. Nabiki had indicated they would catch a cab home so he didn't have to wait on them.

As he pulled into the parking garage under his office, he noticed that Rachel's car was also there. Concerned that she was working too hard, he made a mental note to himself to talk to her about taking more time off.
As he entered the outer office area he paused with a concerned look on his face. The room looked like a bomb had gone off in it.

"Rachel?" he called before going any further into his office. If there was trouble, he wanted to be in the best position to fight.

"Oh, I didn't expect you," Rachel chirped lightly as she poked her head out of the back room. "I just came in to do a little rearranging."

"A 'little' rearranging?" Jeff asked skeptically as he slowly scanned the mess that was once his neat, professional-looking office.

"Well, I got a little carried away," Rachel admitted. "Those cleaning people never seem to get all the parts that are covered, out of the way, or somehow inconvenient for them." As she shrugged her tiny shoulders, Jeff noticed what she was wearing - or barely wearing. He had to admit, he'd never seen quite this much of his secretary before. Wearing a gold 'SEAL Team 7' shirt, obviously without a bra, over a pair of shorts that would have made Nabiki blush and nothing more all the way to the floor, she was clearly dressed in what could be called 'Hawaiian Casual'. Jeff quickly looked everywhere other than at Rachel.

"You... you moved all this yourself?" Jeff was trying to think of something to say to avoid having to look at his secretary again. He was never any good at trying to sound nonchalant.

"Pretty strong, huh?" Rachel flexed one arm and giggled. Jeff nervously nodded his agreement, trying to avoid looking at what else flexed when she took a deep breath. With a clearing of his throat, he quickly scurried towards his office. As his hand touched the door knob of the closed door, he paused.

"You didn't straighten up in *my* office, did you?" Jeff asked the door in front of him.

"Of course not, Mr. Lawrence." Relieved, Jeff shook his head, blinked hard, and generally tried to purge his memory of the sight of his secretary's body while he stumbled through the door to his office.

Inside, he sighed his relief before his eye caught on the pictures of his wife and daughter. He slowly smiled when he realized how silly he was being. Rachel was just a young, healthy 24 year-old woman who was totally at home in the relaxed Hawaiian environment. He shook his head again and plopped into his oversized desk chair. He had too much work to do to spend his time on Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition thoughts.

Instead, he thought back to this morning and his wife's resolution with their daughter. A smile stretched across his face. As he expected, his wife did the right thing. He knew all about the troubles between Nabiki and their daughter. He also knew that Nabiki was basically a good person and would do the right thing in the end, learning a valuable lesson along the way. It was all so shinobi.

To be sure, he'd never allow Nabiki to harm Sodoshi. But his wife was never going to learn from her mistakes if she was never allowed to have any. Further musings on the issue were sidetracked by Rachel's soft knock on his open office door.

"There are two gentlemen out here to see you." She grinned mischievously. Jeff always liked that 'naughty little girl' smile of hers. "I really think you should see them."

"It's Saturday morning," Jeff protested. "Who in their right minds would be hanging around here on a Saturday?" Rachel just shrugged her shoulders and giggled.

"Some damned fool who would follow you on a hare-brained expedition to rescue your daughter," came a familiar voice from the outer office.

"Jamie!" Jeff crowed as he bounded out of his seat. Jamie Wilde paused in the doorway, giving Rachel, what appeared to Jeff to be, a more than friendly hug, before meeting his employer halfway.

"It's been too long." Jeff happily shook his security chief's hand. "I read about you all the time in reports but never seem to be able to catch up with you."

"Well, I've been busy and recently I've taken a little time off to help a friend." Jamie looked back over his shoulder towards the outer office and smiled.

"Anybody I know?" Jeff, too, was trying to see who was in the other room. He didn't have long to wait. Still looking trim and fit, his close-cropped gray hair still projecting an air of authority, was Inspector Abe. The Inspector slowly bowed to Jeff, his face graced by an enigmatic smile that hid his pleasure at seeing the young Mr. Lawrence again.

Jeff excitedly greeted the Inspector and urged his guests to take seats in around a small coffee-table. Jeff preferred the more informal surroundings of the area away from his desk to conduct business. For social calls, it was a must. Before he could take a seat of his own, a thought occurred to him.

"Where are my manners?" he mumbled. "Can I offer you some tea?" The two visitors nodded and Jeff scurried over to his desk and pressed the button on his intercom system.

"Rachel? Do you think you can find some tea in that disaster area out there?"

"I think so," Rachel's voice squeaked through the intercom. Jeff smiled confidently at his guests. "I'm just not sure I can find the tea maker." Rachel's voice was punctuated by the sounds of things falling - lots of things falling. "Oh, there it is." Jeff mercifully released the button and tried to flash a reassuring smile to his guests. It came out a pained grimace instead.

"You haven't changed a bit, skipper." Jamie hid his mirth behind a hand. Jeff might be a multimillionaire but to Jamie he was still just a kid with a lot of money.

"So, what brings you to Hawaii?" Jeff asked, anxious to change the subject.

"I want to thank you for all you've done for Yuriko, Mr. Lawrence," Inspector Abe said slowly in a deep voice. Jeff could tell it was hard for the old man to accept such charity. "The lawyer for her trial, the help for her condition, and especially the employment. Through it she has restored her honor and dignity."

Jeff fidgeted nervously as the Inspector outlined everything the Lawrence Foundation had done for Abe's niece. He thought back to the injured and filthy young woman they found that day in the abandoned village. He especially remembered his own homicidal thoughts when he found out she was the one responsible for stealing his child. A wave of shame swept over him when he realized she was so retarded she couldn't be held responsible for following the dictates of another. That was the reason Jeff funneled so much money and assistance to her through the Lawrence Foundation - as much his own guilt as the need to help another.

"I trust she's doing well," Jeff asked in a manner that would suggest he was only vaguely interested in one who's social position was less than his own. It might have sounded cruel to Western ears, but it was exactly right for the situation. Such observance of proper Japanese protocol soothed the aging Inspector.

"She is most happy and among new friends now. You have given back her life, Lawrence-san." Abe bowed slowly from his chair. He was both grateful and slightly embarrassed at having to rely on outside help for his niece. But he was a pragmatic enough person to understand that without Jeffrey's help, Yuriko might well have wound up in an institution or worse.

"They were never able to find her parents." Jamie leaned forward, his hands together, until his elbows were resting on his knees. He grinned like he was telling the happy ending of a fairy tale. "She's been remanded into the Inspector's custody for the duration of her probation."

"Since my wife died, the old house has been... lonely. Having Yuriko there has been like the sunshine after a long night." The Inspector smiled shyly. It was clear that more than Yuriko had been helped here.

"I'm sure having someone around to cook for such a busy police inspector as yourself is most helpful," Jeff chirped as he slumped back into his chair with a satisfied look on his face. That quickly changed when he caught the nervous exchange of looks between Jamie and the Inspector.

"That... is one of the things we've come to see you about." Jamie's demeanor had totally changed. Before he was pleasant reminiscing. Now he was all serious business.

"I am no longer a Police Inspector for the Greater Tokyo Police Department. I was... retired." Inspector Abe glared at the table in front of him like he was facing once again the men who forced him from his job.

"Retired, hell," Jamie growled. "He was sacked because he knew too much and was getting too close to the truth."

"Excuse me, but I thought this 'conspiracy' business had been cleaned up three years ago." Jeff's dismay was clear in his voice.

"As did I," Abe said slowly. "However, every lead I followed developed more leads of their own. I started getting too... close. Since my retirement, I've done some checking and it would appear that I had done my job too well. Those who were in a position where they should have known about the conspiracy professed their ignorance - internally, that is. I was directed to quickly turn in my final report - complete or not. Two months later, I was ordered to take early retirement."

Jeff and Jamie exchanged glances before Jeff asked the obvious question. "Why?"

"Because my report was most embarrassing to the entire department, especially those above me. In private, they expressed their sincere regret for this but kept insisting that I must understand. The superiors in the police department couldn't be exposed as being so incompetent. Our society depends on the respect and trust our people have in their police force. If any hint of this were to get out, -" Abe sadly shook his head for thinking the unthinkable. His retirement was simply the price he had to pay in order to save face for the department. His personal sacrifice for the betterment of the whole.

"That's not the worst of it," Jamie said softly while scowling at the floor.

"Six months ago, Kenji Watanabe escaped police custody. We believe he had inside help because another officer disappeared the same time." Inspector Abe sounded like the professional police detective he was as he calmly relayed the bad news.

Jeff, however, showed his obvious displeasure. "I don't believe this. Why weren't we told?"

"The same people who demanded my retirement have also kept the Watanabe information from the public. Too embarrassing, you see." Abe, still sounding professional, looked directly at Jeff. There was sadness in his eyes - sadness and resignation.

"Kasumi -" Jeff gasped.

"Is possibly in danger, yes."

"She deserves to know. She *and* Tofu-sensei."

"Which is why we are here, Mr. Lawrence. The police will not make that contact for fear of having their whole cocoon of deniability destroyed by the obvious questions. We believe you are best suited to determine exactly how to deal with the Tendos. The police will say nothing and it would most disrespectful for me to contact them."

Jeff, never one to take bad news sitting down, bolted from his seat and began to pace. "He's already blown up Tofu-sensei's clinic once. He's liable to be luckier the second time around. That is, if he *is* still in Japan." Jeff paused to look at Abe.

"We believe he is still in the country."

"How do you know?"

"He has no means of leaving." Abe shrugged. "We've confiscated all his possessions, his bank accounts, everything he had of value. All his companions are in jail. I seriously doubt he'd be foolish enough to contact any members of his family. They've gone to great lengths to distance themselves from him and his deeds. Remember, we had many months to deal with him and we are most thorough when we put or minds to it." Abe looked confident. Jeff, however, was still not convinced.

"Inspector, I'm sure you know your business better than I do but I cannot shake the feeling that if a person was truly determined to 'lose themselves' in the teeming masses of the city, he could do just that."

Abe thought about what Jeff had said for a few quiet moments before nodding his agreement. "It would be difficult, but not impossible. The yakuza alone would be most anxious to listen to someone like Watanabe. They might not aid him in his plans of revenge but would certainly provide him with shelter and food - for a price."

Jeff wandered over to his desk, paused, then lashed out with a vicious kick at its thick wooden sides. The deep booming sound of the impact punctuated his frustration. "I should have thought of the yakuza," he lamented before leaning against his desk. "Think they would be interested in a bounty for his arrest?"

Abe's distaste for Jeff suggestion was evident in his expression. Jamie, however, voiced the obvious. "Did it ever occur to you that the police don't want to find Mr. Watanabe?"

Jeff's groan of frustration clearly indicated that it hadn't. "You mean they 'prefer' he remain missing."

"Exactly. He's an embarrassment - a person that could cost more than a few people their jobs... their honor. No, the police would just assume he remain lost."

"I agree with Mr. Wilde," Abe thoughtfully noted while stroking his chin. "He could find refuge with the yakuza only so long as he's of some use to them. I doubt they would totally trust him, though. Certainly, if he were to become a... liability, he wouldn't last long. The yakuza don't like the police. They especially don't like someone who's demonstrated treachery against his own."

"And attempting some kind of revenge against your sister-in-law would most certainly make him a liability to the yakuza," Jamie thought out loud.

"Perhaps they would be interested in someone who'd be willing to pay for his head," Jeff mused out loud. It brought a surprising response from Abe.

"I wouldn't advise that, Mr. Lawrence. You don't want to deal with such people. Once your hands are stained with such filth, it becomes impossible to ever clean them completely. It would so damage your reputation that you would find it very difficult to ever do business in the Far East again."

Jeff pondered the alternatives as Rachel entered with freshly brewed tea and politely poured three cups. As she was handing the tea to Jeff's guests, Abe tried to discipline himself to look somewhere other than directly at the provocatively dressed secretary. Jamie, however, just grinned and watched her every move.

Once a sailor, always a sailor. Jeff thought. Still, he had to admit that Rachel didn't seem to mind all the attention by the ex-SEAL. Jeff scowled lightly when he considered what the spirit of Sodoshi Tanaka would do about someone 'moving in' on her territory. Rachel's repeated bowing departure was enough to make all three men breathe a little faster.

"Gentlemen, I don't wish to be rude but I need to make some phone calls. Would you two like to join me for dinner? We can discuss this further." Jeff continued to lean against his desk, stroking his chin and staring at the carpet. It was already Sunday evening in Japan, so he needed to do a few things before it turned Monday morning there.

Jamie and Inspector Abe willingly took the offer of dinner at Jeff's club and they agreed on a time before leaving. Rachel was kind enough to show the visitors out while Jeff returned to his desk and picked up his phone. He was certain the person he wanted to talk to would be home.

***** 2 *****

---

Quietly, Kasumi swept up the mess on the engawa. Sighing to herself, she went about her cleaning with her usual thoroughness. She might be absently dealing with the result of a botched fiancee incident, but her mind was sadly recalling every such 'incident' that had taken place since Akane got her engagement ring.

Shampoo by far and away had been the most active in attempts to separate Ranma from Akane. Outside of her usual clumsy 'ambushes' of Ranma in an obvious attempt to convince him she was so sexually ready for him that he should respond and accept her Chinese-Amazon mandated marriage, she would leave hints or reminders around the house for Ranma to find. However, whenever the subtle failed, Shampoo could be counted on to be more direct. The usual result was broken parts of the house and occasional human collateral damage. Kasumi shook her head as she noted the girl simply had no imagination.

Ukyou, preferring the more subtle approach, worked Ranma over every chance she got. Not with physical advances, but with temptations of the mind. She tried appealing to his honor, citing their earlier 'engagement' or twisting his words when they talked so that he would appear to denounce Akane in favor of herself. She even tried luring Ranma to her shop, feigning an injury and milking his compassion for all it was worth, hoping someone would catch them in a compromising position or he would conclude she needed him. She even tried to trick Akane into saying or doing something that would indicate to Ranma that their engagement was over. It never worked, of course, but the strain of having to constantly be 'on guard' against such tricks was beginning to take its toll on both Ranma and Akane - especially Akane.

The Kunos were another matter altogether. The Black Rose had grown even more demented as she aged, making ever more lethal attempts to eliminate Akane or somehow make her so unappealing to Ranma that he would dump her. One of her attempts had been partially successful, catching the unawares Soun Tendo and sending him to the hospital with a rare disease that temporarily turned his skin green. He recovered but had become much more careful about sampling things left for another member of the family.

Tatewaki Kuno split his time between chasing Akane, annoying Ranma whenever he caught the poor boy in his female form, and trying to bully his way through a local university. His kendo career having been derailed by back-to-back losses in the All Japan University Championships only fueled his desire to wed Akane, Ranma-chan, or if possible, both.

Kasumi stopped her sweeping when a strange feeling that she was being watched came over her. As she scanned the wall surrounding the Tendo compound, her feeling of unease increased. The knowledge that she was currently alone only intensified that fear. Gripping the handle of her broom tighter, she slowly started backing towards the open panel that led into her home. If she could just get inside, she reasoned, she would be safe. Her eyes continued their sweep of the compound as the feeling of fear increased.

Suddenly, a body dropped to the ground just off the engawa and instantly sprung to a standing position. Kasumi, startled by the sudden appearance, screamed, dropped her broom, covered her face and dropped into a protective squat just inside her home.

"Kasumi? Did I scare you?" came a familiar voice from the figure. Cautiously, Kasumi peeked between her fingers to see a confused looking Ryouga standing just off the family engawa scratching his head. For a few moments, she concentrated on slowing her pulse and keeping from fainting.

"Oh, Ryouga-kun," Kasumi gasped in relief as she lightly fanned herself with a hand. "You just startled me, that's all."

"I'm... sorry, Kasumi." He bowed nervously. He knew his entrance was the cause of Kasumi's fear and he instantly regretted sneaking up on her like he did. He just wanted his arrival to be a pleasant surprise for his substitute 'big sister'. He certainly didn't want to scare the wits out of her.

"Maybe I should have used the gate," he said sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.

"Yes, that probably would have been better," Kasumi gasped as she finally stood up, still a little wobbly.

"Yeah... I guess so." Kasumi finally smiled as she remembered her manners and invited the young world traveler into her home for some tea. Tea had a way of making everything better, she reasoned.

When finally seated around the family table sipping warm tea to drive away the early spring chill, Kasumi suddenly remembered a letter that had come several weeks before for Ryouga. Fetching it, she asked if he knew anyone in the Canto Prefecture. Ryouga thought for a moment before his face brightened.

"Well, there *is* a girl-"

"A girl?" Kasumi interrupted with a delighted smile. "That's wonderful, Ryouga-kun." Ryouga blushed as Kasumi handed him the letter. Sure enough, it was from 'her'. "Who is this girl?" Kasumi sounded more like a curious older sister than a mother. She wasn't making value judgements, just prompting Ryouga to talk about someone who was obviously special to him.

"Just someone I met awhile back." Ryouga shrugged his shoulders and tried to look unconcerned. He was obviously hiding his excitement at receiving the letter. Kasumi knew better than to push Ryouga on the subject, knowing how hard it must be for him to accept Akane's commitment to Ranma. She offered him some treats she had been baking for the family that evening and he willingly accepted. As she was in the kitchen, he felt confident enough to excitedly tear open the envelope.

As he was pulling out the letter, a small picture fell out onto the table. Leaning around the letter and envelope, Ryouga could tell it was a picture of a kawaii young lady. Picking up the picture, he stared at the shy-looking girl in the cute kimono. Something about her made him feel good - like he was looking at someone very special - someone who liked him just for himself.

"Pictures?" Kasumi chirped as she returned with a place of sweets.

"Yeah," Ryouga mumbled as he quickly tried to hide the picture.

"May I see?" Kasumi looked and sounded like a mother. Nervously, Ryouga debated with himself whether or not to show Kasumi the picture. In the end, he figured it wouldn't hurt anything if Kasumi saw it. Besides, he valued her opinion.

"My, she's very pretty, Ryouga-kun," Kasumi cooed. "She looks like a very nice person."

"Hai, she lives with her grandfather raising champion sumo-pigs. I agreed to, you know, write her." Ryouga sounded almost excited talking about the girl. Kasumi grinned to herself.

"How clever of you to give her this address to send her letters."

"Well, last time I was here, you gave me that card with this address on it. I just let her copy the address as I told her it was as good a place as any to reach me by mail. Anyway, I wouldn't have found my way here so easily without it." Kasumi smiled her motherly smile as she poured Ryouga more tea.

"You should write her back right away." Ryouga squirmed in his seat nervously. It took only a few moments for Kasumi to diagnose his discomfort.

"It's your writing, isn't it?" Normally, having something he couldn't do pointed out to him would have led to a violent outburst. But this was Kasumi, the girl most like a mother to him. All he could do was hang his head and sadly nod.

"You missed a lot of school growing up, didn't you?" Kasumi's voice was soft but supportive. She clearly wasn't accusing, just trying to find a way of helping.

"I can write a little." He paused to look at the photograph again. "Oh, who am I kidding?" he moaned as he spun around and faced away from the table. "She'd never love someone who couldn't even write a simple letter."

"Nonsense!" Kasumi's admonition seemed to startle Ryouga a bit. "I can tell that she's not that kind of girl just by looking at her picture. Anything you write will be cherished like a poem from a great warrior. Trust me."
Ryouga fidgeted again. He really did want to impress this girl. She clearly demonstrated that she was willing to 'overlook' his little unconformity.

In fact, she seemed to take delight in it. Deep down, he had to admit, she was a better match for him than Akane ever was. "I'll tell you what." Kasumi went to a cupboard to fetch paper and writing materials. "You tell me what you want to say and I'll write it out for you. All you have to do then is copy it onto another piece of paper and you can mail that to your... pen-pal." It took only a moment for Ryouga to agree. It would guarantee that he wouldn't make a writing mistake that might cause him trouble with Akari. Of course, it would also mean that he would have to be careful about what he said. Kasumi would be watching.

Despite these reservations, Ryouga soon found himself happily dictating his thoughts to Kasumi who used her beautiful handwriting skills to transfer them onto paper. There were times she would correct his grammar or question his use of a word, but in the end, it was totally Ryouga's thoughts and feelings that went into the letter. The pair spent the rest of the afternoon crafting a letter for Akari, drinking tea, and nibbling on sweets. By the time the letter was completed, they were chattering like two old friends and Ryouga felt more at home than anywhere else in his life.

***** 3 *****

---

Nabiki stood in front of the building that now housed St. Catherine's Pre-School. Clutching her daughter's tiny hand, Nabiki took a deep breath and slowly let it out in an effort to 'center' herself for the battle that was to come. She'd made mistakes at Sunrise Hill. Mistakes that she was determined she'd not repeat. Sodoshi just looked the property over, as if she was hoping for some reason not to enter.

With obvious apprehension, Nabiki entered the building. Despite the fact it was Saturday, there was a young lady sitting behind the front desk. Nabiki surmised it was because of all the parents trying to get their children into St. Catherine's, it was less disruptive to the other classes by holding admission interviews and evaluations on Saturdays.

"Good morning," the young receptionist chirped. "Welcome to St. Catherine's. Are you here for an interview?"
Nabiki nodded and silently handed the woman her paperwork. She couldn't help but notice how young and friendly the woman seemed. It was also comforting to Nabiki to notice that the woman obviously had the blood of many different ethnic groups in her. Some difference from the totally 'white bread' atmosphere of Sunrise Hill.

As the woman quickly scanned her application, Nabiki took a quick visual tour of the lobby. There were plenty of religious icons and symbols on the walls but that was all balanced by a number of student generated pictures as well. The whole place had a feeling of newness about it. Nabiki reminded herself that was because the building had only been standing for few months.

"Sister Angelica will be right out, Mrs..."

"Tendo-Lawrence. Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence," Nabiki replied as politely as she could.

"Of course, Mrs. Tendo-Lawrence. Could I get you something to drink?" Nabiki shook her head but Sodoshi, after an quick glance towards her mother, asked for some juice.

"Orange be okay?" the receptionist asked as she bent over the little girl. Sodoshi giggled and nodded. She liked this woman who acted so much like her Aunt Kasumi.

The receptionist disappeared into a small back room for a few moments before reappearing with a small paper cup filled with the juice. Sodoshi politely bowed before receiving the cup and thanking the woman.
"I see you're teaching her the traditional courtesies," the woman noted as she sat down again. "My grandmother was Chinese and always required us to act in the proper traditional manner when we visited her." She sighed like it was a pleasant thought. "I'll always remember the lessons of courtesy she taught all of us kids."

"Yes, it is very important she learn proper respect for others, especially elders." Nabiki actually tried to sound like she was talking to a peer instead one of the hired help. It wasn't easy but the woman behind the counter had a way of making Nabiki feel welcome. The whole tenor of St. Catherine's felt decidedly different than Sunrise Hill. Nabiki's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a young woman in a modern nun's habit.

"Mrs. Lawrence, I'm Sister Angelica, the director of our little educational experiment here at St. Catherine's." The nun extended a friendly hand to greet her visitors. As she took the nun's hand, Nabiki quickly sized her up. She was decidedly of mixed heritage, her almond-shaped eyes and straight, dark brown hair spoke of her Asian blood. The rest of her face was distinctly Caucasian topped by crystal blue eyes. She was a slightly chunky woman and couldn't have been over 30 years old.

Nabiki, a bit taken aback by the fact that the head of the school would take time to greet them in the lobby, hesitated. She quickly recovered when she surmised it might very well be because of their relationship to Jeffrey. She immediately vowed to watch her step around this woman.

"And this must be Miss Sodoshi," Sister Angelica said softly as she extended a hand to the youngest member of the party. Sodoshi bowed as she'd been taught before looking to her mother as to whether or not she should shake the nun's hand. Nabiki's slight nod assured her that it was alright and Sodoshi eagerly shook hands with the nun. "Why don't we go down to my office where we can be more comfortable and have a little chat." Sister Angelica indicated the way and easily fell in beside Nabiki, all the time keeping up a steady monolog about the school and what they hoped to accomplish. She was clearly excited about the prospects and rightfully proud of her new facility.

Nabiki listened attentively but kept her eyes moving, always looking for some clue to the true nature of the school. She'd learned her lesson well at Sunrise Hill. This time there would be no mistakes of omission. This time she would not be taken by surprise. Everything was subject to her skeptical evaluation before being accepted.

Once in Sister Angelica's office, Nabiki and Sodoshi were shown to a pair of chairs in front of a modest desk that was littered with papers, books, and empty paper cups. Nabiki noted that the woman wasn't very neat and appeared to be a bit disorganized. Not a good sign, she thought.

As if she could read Nabiki's thoughts, Sister Angelica smiled. "Please forgive the mess. We are so short-handed because of the start-up, I've had to do the work of several people. Sometimes the paperwork piles up."
Nabiki nodded like she understood and accepted the possibility that the nun was telling the truth. "Well, you wish your daughter to be enrolled here at St. Catherine's and we certainly would be pleased if she did," the young nun said pleasantly as she sat down in her chair and opened a folder containing the papers Jeffrey had filled out earlier.

I'll bet you'd be pleased, Nabiki sarcastically thought as she eyed the young nun. I'll bet you know exactly how much Jeffrey is worth. "Let's see," Sister Angelica pulled out a particular form and read it carefully. "Sodoshi is three years old and was born here in Honolulu on New Years Day." She paused and smiled at Sodoshi. "That's a lucky day to the Hawaiians, you know."

Sodoshi sipped her juice and continued to look around the nun's office. It had a homey feeling about it that put the child at ease. Sister Angelica's pleasant demeanor helped as well. "I see you go by the name 'Tendo-Lawrence'." The nun paused as an embarrassed expression came over her face before she looked at Nabiki. "Do forgive me for not knowing that in advance. I should have read the application more carefully. I hope you were not offended."

Nabiki smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. It's a common mistake." She was impressed that the nun was willing to accept her on her own terms.

"Tell me, Mrs. Tendo-Lawrence, what brings you to St. Catherine's?" Nabiki explained that her husband had arranged this, feeling it was a good idea since they were both students at Chaminade, just up the hill from the school. They wanted a good education for their daughter and simply felt that the school, being so close to the university, was convenient. It was only a partial lie. She never mentioned Sunrise Hill and Sister Angelica never asked.

After a few minutes of small talk with Nabiki, where they discussed everything from Hawaiian weather to Nabiki's family in Japan, the nun addressed Sodoshi. "What things do you like to do, Sodoshi?"

Sodoshi squirmed slightly in her chair before answering. "Coloring."

"That's wonderful. We do a lot of coloring here," Sister Angelica answered in almost Kasumi fashion. That alone put the child more at ease.

"And gym...gymnasic... things." Sodoshi struggled with the word 'gymnastics'. Sister Angelica only smiled and nodded. She was used to dealing with pre-schoolers and understood their grasp of the language was sometimes slippery. Many of her students also came from bi-lingual homes so English was only the first of many hurdles both the school and the children would have to overcome.

"She is going to her first gymnastics class this afternoon," Nabiki added with a touch of pride. She believed that getting Sodoshi enrolled in the classes represented a small victory for her over her husband's attempts to train Sodoshi in the traditional shinobi manner.

"That's wonderful," Sister Angelica repeated. "Maybe we'll see you in the Olympics some day." Sodoshi just giggled. She was beginning to like this lady with the strange cloth in her hair.

The nun was about to ask Nabiki another question when Sodoshi uncharacteristically interrupted with a question. "What's that?" she asked loudly while pointing to a crucifix on the wall.

Nabiki scowled at her daughter's lack of manners while Sister Angelica turned slightly to ascertain what the child was pointing to and smiled. She explained in simple terms what it was and what it represented. Sodoshi scowled slightly like she was trying to determine if the nice lady was telling the truth or not.

"Just how much religious exposure will Sodoshi be subjected to?" Nabiki asked. Sending her child into an environment that would challenge her own religious beliefs was not what she expected.

"Very little. We are supposed to be a school with more secular goals. If the child asks about Christ we will, of course, tell them the truth." She grinned at Nabiki. "I guess we just can't help ourselves sometimes." The look on Nabiki's face prompted Sister Angelica to elaborate. "We have children here from many different religious backgrounds. Believe it or not, the majority are not Catholic, as you'd expect. Many are Buddhist. The rest are a mix of Catholic, Protestant with even a few Jewish children as well. Rest assured, we'd never do anything to challenge the religious training a child would receive elsewhere."

Satisfied, Nabiki put Sister Angelica through a series of tough questions concerning Sodoshi's educational goals, always making sure the class work would advance her daughter's educational opportunities in the future. With every answer, Nabiki became more convinced this was the right place for her daughter. "If you're ready, we can take Sodoshi down to the classroom for her evaluation now." Sister Angelica stood up. Nabiki followed along with Sodoshi.

The room where the evaluation was to take place looked like a normal classroom except for the large mirror along one wall. Another young lady with blonde hair greeted the trio. To Nabiki, she seemed far too young to be doing something like this for a living. Sister Angelica assured Nabiki of the woman's qualifications and noted that she was most likely to be Sodoshi's teacher. The blonde woman briefly explained to Nabiki what the evaluation would entail and then addressed Sodoshi.

"Are you ready to have some fun?" Sodoshi shyly looked at her mother.

"Do your best," Nabiki advised in Japanese.

"Hai, mother." Sodoshi answered in Japanese as she stiffly bowed. "I will not fail this time."

Nabiki hesitated, glancing nervously at the other women before kneeling down to quietly address Sodoshi. "You did not fail last time. It wasn't your fault. Do you understand?" Sodoshi nodded. "Just do what the nice teacher tells you. I believe you will do fine." Sodoshi repeated her bow, a little unsure just what her mother meant by 'it wasn't your fault'. Satisfied that her daughter understood that this wasn't a matter of life or death, Nabiki led Sister Angelica back out to the hallway.

"Mrs. Tendo-Lawrence, if you'd like to watch, we can go into the observation room over here," Sister Angelica said as she indicated another door off the hallway. Nabiki hesitated. This was certainly unusual, compared to Sunrise Hill. Still, the offer indicated to Nabiki how open and honest this evaluation would be so she happily accepted.

In the small room, Nabiki noticed a large picture window that she determined occupied the exact position where the large mirror was in the classroom. It must be a one-way mirror, she concluded. "This room is most often used by the Early Childhood Development program students. They sit in here and observe the children interacting, participating in lessons, and playing. It's one of the reasons for the school." Sister Angelica indicated a chair for Nabiki and joined her as she continued to explain some of the finer details about he school.

Nabiki had to admit, if this nun had chosen sales instead of her religious calling, she'd be very wealthy now.
While they were watching, Sodoshi went through a few simple balance and hand-eye coordination tests. Nabiki smiled as she thought how her daughter was probably the most advanced 3 year-old the teacher would ever see because of all the early training Jeff had put her through.

The pair continued with small talk while Sodoshi picked colors and shapes from a box, threaded beads on a cord, and identified common objects and animals by their pictures. In less than 30 minutes, the evaluation was completed when the blonde teacher nodded to the mirror and asked Sodoshi if she wanted to look around the room on her own and play with some of the toys.

Eagerly, Sodoshi accepted and scurried off to play with a box full of multicolored Legos. Sister Angelica announced that it would appear that Sodoshi passed the evaluation and offered Nabiki a chance to go back to her office to finalize the enrollment. Nabiki was secretly pleased with her daughter's performance and impressed with the manner in which the teacher treated Sodoshi. She considered how this was 'phase one' of her plan and it was time to set in motion 'phase two'.

Back in Sister Angelica's office, Nabiki settled back into the chair she had used previously. "I'm most impressed with your school," she began as Sister Angelica demurely sat back down at her desk. "This certainly appears to be a school that will provide Sodoshi with a progressive educational experience."

"Well, I'm not sure how 'progressive' we are here." Sister Angelica folded her hands and placed them on the desk in front of her. "Our mission is dedicated to the betterment of the student while providing the university with a laboratory for their Early Childhood Development program."

Nabiki smiled at the nun. "Of course, this school doesn't have the track record of, say... Sunrise Hill Academy."
The nun's face suffered a slight frown before resuming her usual innocent smile. "We are a different school than Sunrise Hill."

"Yes, well..." Nabiki paused to size up the nun for the next step of her plan. "I suppose it's because they have more money than St. Catherine's."

"I'll admit we are on a bit of a budget. You'll notice that our fees are lower than others. Much of that is because the school is dedicated to dual purposes; education of the child and a laboratory for the university."

"I understand. Still, a little more money wouldn't hurt." Nabiki opened her purse and pulled out her little-used check book. "Now, if I and my husband were to help you close the financial gap between St. Catherine's and Sunrise Hill, you'd be able to develop this school into something that would rival and, just perhaps, eclipse the accomplishments of Sunrise Hill." Nabiki's pen hovered over her checkbook as she got to the punch-line. "We could start with, say, $100,000."

Sister Angelica's face showed no expression as she stared at Nabiki. For several long minutes, the nun continued to stare expressionlessly. One could not tell the struggle that was currently going on inside the young nun - a struggle that marked this moment as one of 'temptation'.

"Mrs. Tendo-Lawrence, could I speak frankly?"

"Of course."

"I detect a bit a conflict between you and Sunrise Hill Academy." It was Nabiki's turn to show no expression, despite Sister Angelica's 'direct hit'. "This school is not in competition with Sunrise Hill and we have no intention of ever doing so. We have no educational machine to support. Graduates of this program will go on to any number of regular schools here in Hawaii - some may even attend Sunrise Hill. All of our teachers are dedicated only to the development and betterment of the children in their care, regardless of their educational goals."

Nabiki's face slowly slipped into a light frown. This wasn't going as she expected. She thought that EVERYONE wanted money, especially Jeff's money. She thought the school would be delighted to be able to finance its move into the 'big leagues'. Nabiki hesitated. Sister Angelica, however, left Nabiki no time to consider the situation.

"Of course, we'd be delighted to accept your contribution to the school. However, I cannot shake the feeling it is being given for the wrong reasons."

"Whatever do you mean?" Nabiki tried to sound innocent while she worked on an alternative plan. She'd heard that nuns were simple, unsophisticated people who were always poor. She assumed they would jump at the chance at getting money to allow them to follow their religious calling in a more comfortable way. She'd planned on using that naivete to allow her to buy access to the school's governing body, use that access to remold St. Catherine's into an educational giant and then take on Sunrise Hill. This Sister Angelica was proving to be a lot more 'worldly wise' than she anticipated.

"I'm just guessing here, but I suspect you've had a bad experience with that other school. An experience that left you badly wounded. Naturally, when hurt by someone else, your first instinct is to retaliate, to strike back. As you're dealing with an educational institution, one way of striking back or getting even is to develop a competitor that can do the most damage to the institution that hurt you. Revenge, I believe it's called."

Slowly, Nabiki's eyes lowered to her check book. She'd been caught in her own trap, found out by a simple nun.

Slowly, Nabiki's jaw set against the shame of her failure.

"Nabiki, one of the basic principles of our religion is the concept of forgiveness. Hatred and the darkness that is so self-destructive must be resisted. Revenge is such an unprofitable goal." Nabiki's body seemed to flinch slightly at Sister Angelica's words. It also got Nabiki to thinking. She remembered saying something similar to someone who had come to mean a great deal to her - someone who died because of her hatred and desire for revenge.

"I once learned an old Chinese proverb that applies here. 'When setting out for revenge...'"

Nabiki quietly interrupted the nun. "'... you should first dig two graves.'"

"You know of this proverb?"

"I once told a very good friend the same thing. She didn't listen." Sister Angelica nodded and silently moved from her desk to the chair next to Nabiki. "And she paid a price for her refusal to listen."

Nabiki nodded sadly and hung her head while clutching her check book. It was hard sometimes not to cry when thinking of Sodoshi Tanaka. The last shadow warrior of her clan, and only real friend Nabiki ever had, was truly a tragic story that Nabiki deeply wished she could change.

"I'm sorry," Nabiki sniffed back a tear. "I'll leave now." She tried to stand up. Sister Angelica's hand on her arm stopped her.

"Please don't." The young nun tried to smile at Nabiki. "Forgive me if I'm out of line here but I sense you're a very lonely person. A person who needs someone to talk with at times, if only to help you find your way."

Nabiki bristled slightly. "I've been on my own since..." She swallowed hard trying to avoid telling the nun about her mother, the shinobi, her loneliness, and how she had no one to lean on until she met Jeffrey. Somehow, Sister Angelica seemed to already know all that.

"Everyone needs a friend now and then. Would you let me be that friend. I promise I won't pass judgement, just listen - like a friend." Sister Angelica smiled as warmly as Nabiki had ever seen before. "I understand how it can be sometimes for young wives, especially ones married to someone as successful in the business world as your husband. It must be very lonely at times."

Nabiki stifled a chuckle as she thought of how Sister Angelica totally missed with her last observation. "Jeffrey is not like that. He is always home when I want him. He's a wonderful father to Sodoshi and a good husband to me. I cannot think of anyone else in the world I'd rather spend the rest of my life with."

"Forgive me. I've seen so often women who's husbands are successful in their business life at the cost of their family. It is more common an occurrence than many would believe. Perhaps I should meet this 'man of your dreams'", Sister Angelica said with a raised eyebrow. "I suspect he's a very special person."

"You've never heard of Jeffrey Lawrence?" Nabiki paused to eye the young nun suspiciously.

"I'm new to Hawaii. Of course I've heard of Jeffrey Lawrence but I always assumed he was a much older man. I thought you were married to his son or grandson." Sister Angelica paused with a quizzical look. "You mean there's only one Jeffrey Lawrence? Just how old is he?"

Nabiki giggled softly. "He and I went to high school together in Japan."

"Oh my." Sister Angelica sounded distinctly Kasumi-ish as she gasped and covered her mouth in surprise. "So young and so burdened with such wealth. It must be a terrible struggle for you both."

Nabiki refrained from correcting the nun but simply smiled softly and nodded. "I think I understand better now why you are so defensive about how you are perceived by other, more established people of wealth." Sister Angelica paused thoughtfully. "He must be a very special person indeed.

"Don't get any ideas. I saw him first," Nabiki said with her usual sardonic smile.

The young nun just laughed out loud and held up her left hand, showing Nabiki her own 'wedding' ring. "I'm already taken." She leaned over like she was telling Nabiki a secret. "And He's pretty special too."

The two spent the rest of the hour chatting like old friends, telling stories and sharing secrets. Nabiki sensed a kindred spirit in Sister Angelica, one she could feel comfortable talking to and sharing things with. There was an inner toughness to the young nun that Nabiki admired and a mind as sharp as any she'd ever encountered.

Sister Angelica told her of how she was born in Korea of mixed parents and how she was an outcast in her own society because of her heritage. She spoke of her early life in an orphanage because her mother had died and her father could not be found. She jokingly talked about how she used to 'con' the other children into doing her chores for her or how she was able to part them from their limited funds with schemes and bets.

Nabiki could see the pain and regret in the young nun's eyes when she confessed such deeds. It cause Nabiki to re-examine her own past and suffer a few pangs of regret herself. Once again, she thought how successful this woman would have been had she chosen business instead of religion. Still, she had qualities that Nabiki could identify with. Quietly she made plans to visit her often.

Sister Angelica went on to speak lovingly about how she received her 'calling' when she was 13 and how she found peace being a nun - being able to give instead of always taking. Her tales of early life in a Korean Catholic convent and Nabiki likened it to tales she had heard of young Buddhist priests and their trials. Some were funny and others were deeply moving.

Yes, Nabiki thought, this woman was one she genuinely wanted to be friends with. Despite that, she was careful to avoid any mention of her shinobi past or Sodoshi's eventual shinobi future. She wasn't ready just yet to be quite that open with anyone outside her family.

By the time they went to retrieve Sodoshi, Nabiki felt like she belonged at St. Catherine's. She was also certain this was the right choice for her daughter. All thoughts of revenge on Sunrise Hill became insignificant now. Naturally, she'd always remember her treatment there but she now had a new way of dealing with such insults - a way that would allow her to handle such things with dignity and maturity.

As Nabiki and Sodoshi left St. Catherine's, Sister Angelica was out front to see them off. Sodoshi waved from the taxi like a typical 3 year-old. Nabiki, too, waved and smiled at her new friend. She'd never felt so welcome and accepted since her home in Nerima. Sister Angelica had become her Hawaiian 'Kasumi' - her best friend.

***** 4 *****

---

In the early hours of the morning, a small van backed into a dark and deserted alley. As this was a part of Tokyo that offered a few love hotels, bars, and small restaurants, it was not unusual to see a delivery van in an alley. The van's lights went out but there was no movement by the driver to get out of his vehicle.

Moments later, the rear doors were thrust open from the inside. There appeared to be a brief struggle before a body was thrown from the van only to land in a pile of rotting garbage. Quickly, the doors were slammed shut and the van sped away from the scene, its tail lights dimly illuminating the man's body in red for a brief moment before disappearing down the street.

With an audible groan, the beaten man rolled over onto his back and tried to get up. There was no sign of physical injury, outside of the way the man held his arm tightly across his rib cage. There was no blood yet his injuries were painful none the less. His clothes looked disheveled and his hair mussed, but he was alive.

With great effort, he rolled to his knees and staggered to his feet. As he gasped at the pain shooting through his right side, it started to rain. Not a hard rain, but one that quickly soaked the man right down do his underwear as he staggered out of the alley.

Leaning against the corner of a building, Kenji Watanabe paused to try and focus his eyes on the deserted street before him. A few of the bars that were still open glowed like fireflies along the dimly lit street, their lights beckoning the cold and hungry traveler promising warmth and food inside.

But Kenji Watanabe could not follow his aching stomach or his burning thirst. Should he be recognized, he felt certain he would be betrayed to the police. In fact, he had no way of being sure the people who dumped him here had not already betrayed him. Pulling his soiled and rumpled jacket tighter around himself in as a temporary shield from the increasingly hard rain, Kenji staggered down the street in search of a dry refuge where he could recover and take stock of his situation.

To what few passing patrons of the bars and love hotels that ventured forth on such a soggy night, he appeared to be nothing more than a simple drunk, a salaryman staggering home from a hard night of drinking and socializing with his friends. He had only a few yen in his pocket, courtesy of his previous 'hosts'. A stab of pain magnified his snarl as he thought of how the yakuza had used him, picking at his knowledge of police procedures, before abandoning him in this quiet area of Tokyo.

They were most careful in not doing enough damage as to threaten his life. Such would have drawn undue attention, almost forcing the police to investigate the homicide. No, they wanted to be rid of the 'turn-coat' without much attention and without giving the police a reason to be more curious than they usually were when it came to yakuza activities.

He staggered around another corner, taking temporary refuge in the doorway of a locked shrine merchant's storefront. He didn't recognize this part of Tokyo at all. In the dark and the rain, the street looked much like any of a thousand. Frantically, his mind sifted through all the parts of town he knew, trying to make a match of any kind that would tell him where he was.

That search was temporarily interrupted by the memory of what he'd been through and what still burned in his heart, revenge. He wanted revenge on Jeff Lawrence, Inspector Abe, and, most of all, on the Tendos. They were the cause of all his trouble. They were the ones that caused him to lose his comfortable life and promising future. They were the ones who would pay for this indignity.

As a car sped past the storefront, splashing water like a speedboat as it went, Kenji's thoughts turned to things that might have been, things that should have been. Kasumi Tendo should have been his. He should have been related to Jeff Lawrence's millions. He should have been in line to inherit the Tendo property, including the large house in Nerima. And who knows? With a few timely deaths, he could have been one of the richest men in the world.

But that was all gone now. There was no fortune, no inheritance, and no Kasumi Tendo. In frustration, he lashed out with his good hand, causing the thick wood doorway to crack under the blow.

Nerima.

*That's* where he needed to go. That's where he would start his revenge - with the Tendos.
With a wince of pain, Kenji Watanabe staggered back out into the rain to find a place to hide - a place to recover - a place to plan his revenge.

***** 5 *****

---

Nabiki and Sodoshi arrived at the gymnastics center as the sun was going down. As with many like facilities, it was a large metal building that looked more like an aircraft hanger than a gymnasium. Learning from her previous experience, Nabiki checked this gym out very carefully. This time, instead of just asking about their success rate and who the students were, Nabiki checked into the teachers and the manner in which the classes were conducted. All checked out to be something Nabiki could trust to provide her daughter the best learning environment possible.

Inside the imposing building, Nabiki was impressed by the large waiting area for the parents with its large windows that allowed the parents to watch. It was not luxurious but functional enough to suit Nabiki.
She quickly spotted someone that looked like she was in charge and wormed her way through the large number of waiting parents and leotard attired students.

A short discussion confirmed they were at the right place and just in time for the start of the Tumbling Tots class. A cheerful young high school aged girl quickly appeared and took Sodoshi's hand. As she started towards the crowded gym, Sodoshi hesitated.

"Have fun, So-chan," Nabiki chirped in Japanese, her crooked little smile as reassuring as she could make it. Sodoshi, unsure just what her mother meant, bowed abruptly and followed the high school girl as they wound their way through the noisy groups of young gymnasts. Her head quickly turning one way then another as each new group caught her attention. She was fascinated by the sights of girls doing things she'd only seen on TV, the pungent smell of sweat mixed with chalk dust, and the cacophonous sounds of laughter mixed with shouts of encouragement and exclamations of disappointment.

At the back of the room was a small knot of little girls Sodoshi's age. At the high school girl's urging, Sodoshi sat on the matted floor next to another little girl dressed in a pretty silver and pink leotard. For a few moments, Sodoshi sat in silence as the other girls gossiped and giggled among themselves. It was obvious that they had all come with friends because of the way they pointed, talked and giggled with each other. She felt like an outsider until the girl in the pink and silver leotard nudged her arm.

"Hi, I Missy," she said with a wide grin. She pointed to the girl sitting next to her. "That LeLani." Sodoshi smiled nervously and nodded to the girls. She was happy about the introduction but nervously tugged on her leotard while she tried to smile. She had little practice in social skills "What your name?" LeLani asked with a giggle when Missy nudged her as she tried to lean around the girl to see Sodoshi. Before Sodoshi could answer, the class instructor started the class.

"Okay girls. I'm Tammy and I'll be your instructor for this class." The well tanned blonde in the light purple shorts and t-shirt said with a huge smile. "We're going to start today with a few stretching exercises and then we'll play a little game." The class went through a series of simple stretching and general exercises. At least, the girls went through the motions as they took turns acting goofy for each other's benefit. Sodoshi didn't join in the frivolity, her natural reserve holding her back enough so that she did the exercises without comment while watching the other girls with detached curiosity.

The class proceeded through a series of tumbling, mostly forward rolls, and finished with rolling over big foam barrels on their backs. Sodoshi liked the feeling of being upside down while one of the high school girls held her ankles. It was just like doing a back spring. Sodoshi could see herself on TV doing this to the roar of an appreciative crowd.

As the class ended, the instructor along with her assistants herded the girls towards the lobby and their parents. Somehow, Sodoshi separated herself from the group and paused in front of an unused, full sized balance beam. It seemed to tower over the little girl, its surface covered with a heavy dusting of white chalk from all its use.

She glanced across the gym to see a much older girl doing a series of graceful moves, traveling from one end of the beam to its other. With a finger lazily in her mouth, Sodoshi examined her own balance beam, taking special note of its metal supports and all the padding around it. After looking both directions to see if she was unobserved, Sodoshi quickly climbed up the balance beam's supports until she was perched on its 4 inch wide polished wood surface far above the padded floor below.

It was then that the height suddenly hit her. A chill of fear ran through her little body causing her to shudder and close her eyes, her little fingers gripping the chalky surface. This was too high. It was scary. She didn't like it.

All she heard was her father's voice. "Control your fear and you can control everything around you." With a hard gulp, Sodoshi trembled for a moment while she fought the first real battle of her shinobi existence. This was a challenge she was not scheduled to face for another 7 years. It was something she should not have been able to conquer at her age. It was the biggest challenge of her life - conquering her fear.

Forcing her eyes open, she scowled purposefully at the narrow, dusty surface of the beam. Silently, her scowl dissolved into a look of supreme determination. This was no more difficult than the little beam she had at home, she told herself. It was only higher off the floor. She could hear a girl's voice whispering in her head.

"Make me proud. Prove you are worthy." Sodoshi licked her lips in preparation. The voice scared her but she put it aside as the beam was her real challenge. Gathering her feet under her, she slowly let go of the beam and stood up. She paused for a moment to become comfortable with being so high off the floor. That only took a moment.

With head held high, she lightly stepped off the ten paces it took to travel from one end of the beam to the other. Then, like she'd seen on TV, she made some little gesture with her arms and abruptly reversed her direction, setting off back to where she started from. By the time she reached the other end of the beam, she noticed something was different in the gym. Where there was once a raucous combination of voices and sounds, there was only silence. The whole gym was watching.

Sodoshi, now more confident in her ability, reversed her direction once again and strode back across the length of the beam, adding a pointed toe with every step like she'd seen on TV. In her mind, she wasn't in a crowded gym but on a stage, with television cameras pointed her direction and her parents in the audience proudly watching their little girl win a prize for being so good. She especially saw her mother, beaming with pride. Sodoshi smiled as she envisioned her mother's happy face. She had made her mother proud. She had proven herself worthy.

She didn't notice the other girls as they gathered around the beam, many with their mouths open in awe at the obviously advanced skills of a three year-old. She didn't even notice her instructor, Tammy, as she scurried up to the beam in panic. Sodoshi just continued to pace the beam high off the floor like it was a surface as wide as the floor itself. She added a sassy little turn at the end of each circuit to celebrate her accomplishment, setting off excited conversations among the older girls.

"Okay, little lady," Tammy said as she reached for Sodoshi. "I think you've had enough for today."

Shaken out of her reverie, Sodoshi scowled at her gymnastics instructor. They were about to give her the prize for being so good on the beam. How dare this annoying blonde girl interrupt her. Sodoshi had little time for further thoughts on the subject as Tammy's hands firmly clasped themselves around Sodoshi's slim waist and she was snatched from the beam. Sodoshi's scowl turned into a look of disdain as Tammy carried her to the lobby.

Tammy set Sodoshi on the floor in front of her mother and apologized for not keeping a better eye on the little girl. Nabiki just dismissed the instructor with a nod and a smile before shooting her daughter a special 'look of warning'. This might have been a proper gymnastics environment but Sodoshi had demonstrated her shinobi heritage in a totally unacceptable way. Sodoshi missed he mother's warning as she was currently the center of attention among her peers.

"Wow! That was cool!" Missy gushed as she patted Sodoshi's shoulder.

"Were you scared?" LeLani asked, her pretty Hawaiian eyes big and round.

Sodoshi just shook her head and smiled shyly at her new 'friends'. "I have one at home." She pointed to the balance beam in the gym.
"Cool!" Missy repeated. "We going to McDonalds. Wanna come? They have a play room with balls and everything."

Sodoshi looked questioningly at her mother who was already chatting pleasantly with Missy's mother. Nabiki appeared to be enjoying playing the part of a simple mother. No one asking about Jeff Lawrence and his millions. No one raising any embarrassing questions about Nabiki and her relationship with Jeff. They openly accepted her at face value. She was simply another mother of a pre-school member of the Tumbling Tots class.

To Sodoshi's satisfaction, things worked out that day. Nabiki agreed to meet the mothers at the local McDonalds. Jeff eventually showed up after his dinner with Abe and Wilde to take them home. And Sodoshi got to eat her favorite meal, burgers and fries, along with spending almost an hour crawling through the maze of tubes and bins of plastic balls that made up the McDonalds play area. Meeting and getting to play with Missy and LeLani was just a bonus.

This proved to be a major breakthrough day for Nabiki as well. Not only did she have a new 'best friend' in Sister Angelica, but the mothers of Sodoshi's gymnastics friends turned out to be pleasant and non-judgmental as well. More importantly, they were willing to accept Nabiki as simply another mother, like themselves. Nabiki got a totally different feeling from these women than she did from those at Sunrise Hill. They were more honest, more trusting, and most of all, more real. By the time they all departed for home, Nabiki felt the tired satisfaction that went along with the kind of group acceptance she missed growing up. It was all so perfect. There was just one thing missing.

"Jeffrey," Nabiki said softly as they entered their home. "I think we need to talk." Jeff's reaction was slight defensiveness. Nabiki never suggested they 'needed to talk' unless she had something really big on her mind.

"I suppose it wouldn't do any good for me to run for my life," Jeff dead-panned as he shooed Sodoshi off to get ready for bed.

"Nope. I'd just hunt you down." Nabiki smiled conspiratorially as she slowly wandered up to her husband, slid her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. She could tell it had the desired effect.

"I've got the feeling you want something."

"You know how I like going places with you." She gently kissed him.

"Yes?"

"And you're always good about taking me places when I need to go." Nabiki added a little nuzzling of Jeff's neck.

"Yes?"

"Well, I was thinking. You're busy so much of the time anymore." Her tiny tongue traced a path from his throat to his earlobe.

"Yes?"

"I really should be driving myself. All the other mothers can drive and have cars of their own." Nabiki timed her suggestion with an attack on the one spot on Jeff's body she knew would drive him wild. It almost worked.

"YOU WANT TO WHAT?!" Nabiki loosened her grip on her husband and looked him seriously in the eyes. Her 'sex for whatever-it-was-she-wanted' routine wasn't working out like it usually did.

"I deserve this Jeffrey. I've been taking taxi cabs for over three years now. I'm sick of riding in taxis." She almost glared at her husband. She wasn't the begging type but this almost sounded like such an appeal. "I want a car of my own, Jeffrey." Jeff paused to consider the possibilities of his wife driving. There were obstacles, to be sure, but the whole concept wasn't so far-fetched as he first imagined. She was a mature, intelligent person with a temper, an ego, and a sometimes inflated sense of self-importance. He figured she'd fit right in with all the other 'crazies' on the road.

"Why not," Jeff sighed. "You can have the Cherokee and I'll go get a new car." With a squeal of delight, Nabiki hugged him to her and immediately began planning her driving classes. Jeff just shook his head and figured, at least, she'd be able to get herself around now. Besides, Hawaiian traffic wasn't all *that* bad. What harm could it do?

Nabiki excitedly towed Jeffrey back towards their bedroom. She was always more sexually excitable when she got her way about something or received an expensive gift of some sort. Jeff had inadvertently pushed all of Nabiki's 'hot' buttons tonight and was about to reap the rewards for doing so.

As they passed the playroom, Jeff paused when he noticed it wasn't totally empty. Nabiki paused as well. There in the dim light was their daughter, draped length-wise of the balance beam, fast asleep. With a sigh, Jeff carefully gathered the exhausted little girl into his arms and carried her down to her room. Nabiki pulled down the covers on Sodoshi's bed so that Jeff could place her little body on the clean sheets. She could sleep in her leotard for one night.

As the happy parents softly closed the door and started, once again, for their own room. Nabiki, with the help of her husband, was working herself back into the sexual frenzy she enjoyed so much. Jeff, on the other hand, never had all that far to go when it came to Nabiki.

They had just reached their bedroom door, Nabiki to the part where she peels her husband's shirt off, when the phone started ringing. For a couple of rings, Jeff and Nabiki just stared into each other's eyes, longing for the annoying phone to just go away. Finally, Jeff slowly lowered his eyes and sighed.

"I better answer it," he mumbled in disgust. "It could be any of a dozen people who know my home phone number."

"No," Nabiki gently pushed her husband back against the door to their room. "I'll go answer it. If it's important, I'll come get you. If not -" She grinned conspiratorially. "You better be ready when I get back." Nabiki's sly grin dissolved into a frown of irritation as she stalked the ringing phone. This had better be good, she thought darkly as she entered the kitchen and snatched the receiver from its cradle.

"Hello?" Nabiki growled. What she heard instantly drained whatever anger she might have had. It was the sound of a female sobbing.

"Oneechan?" Akane's shaken voice broke and quivered. She was obviously in distress.

"What is it, Akane?" Nabiki quickly abandoned all thoughts of a romantic evening interlude with her husband. It sounded like a member of her family in trouble. Akane sniffed a few times and proceeded to pour out a story of how she was fed up with all the interferences by the other fiancees; how they were constantly interfering and disrupting everything she and Ranma tried to do. They couldn't go to the beach, or local festivals,
or even try to spend a quiet day in the park without interruption. She was at her wits end and didn't know where else to turn.

Nabiki took a few minutes to calm down her sister and assured her that this couldn't go on much longer. Remembering how Akane dropped everything and came to her aid when she was pregnant, Nabiki offered to come home to Nerima and help Akane sort out all the fiancees, once and for all. As she hung up the phone, she felt Jeff's strong arms surround her waist. He had obviously been eavesdropping. With a sigh, she leaned back against her husband. "That was Akane. It would appear that the other 'fiancees' have been up to no good again."

"So it would appear." Jeff nuzzled the nape of her neck. For just a moment, she toyed with the idea of forgetting her sister's problems until tomorrow. Gently, she stroked her husband's cheek.

"I really need to make some arrangements, Jeffrey. She needs me." Reluctantly, Nabiki disengaged herself from her husband's arms. "Even though I'd much rather spend the night -" Jeff's kiss aborted the rest of what she was saying. The way she responded to his kiss told him she too would prefer a romantic evening to what she had to do.

"Would it be okay if I helped you?"

"I'd like that," she purred with a smile as her index finger traced a line down his muscular chest.

"Come on," he urged taking Nabiki's hand. "I'll help you make the arrangements and then we'll go pack." As they retired to Jeff's office, Nabiki once again thought how lucky she was to have married this unpredictable gaijin with a shinobi past. Here she was about to abandon her family to go to the aid of her sister, something that should be causing trouble with her husband, yet he was acting like it was part of their normal life. Yes, she had been very lucky, in more ways than one.

While Jeff called up the on-line airline reservation system on his computer, Nabiki made a list of things she needed to pack. Her mind was also working on how she was going to solve her sister's problem. In spite of her usual mental agility, she was clueless as to what she could do.

She entertained the possibility of 'buying off' the others but quickly dismissed the notion on the grounds that it would cost too much and most were rich enough to laugh at such an attempt in the first place. She tried to resolve some manner of blackmail that would guarantee her sister's serenity but, again, rejected such as being too time consuming and possibly illegal. No, there was no easy solution to this problem.

With reservations made and tickets waiting for her at the airport, she decided to put off the packing till morning and retired to bed. But even snuggled with her husband, her mind continued to work on the problem of what to do about the fiancee situation. She'd thought about this before but never came up with an acceptable solution outside of Ranma simply renouncing them all, something that would cause them much pain and, thus, unlikely to be something he'd do anyway. In any case, because Akane was now calling for her help, this was no longer someone else's problem. It had become Nabiki's problem as well. Nabiki shifted so that her head was resting on Jeff's strong shoulder as her mind continued its work. She needed a plan.

The next morning, while Nabiki was packing, Jeff went out to get the morning paper. A large folded, lightning shaped message, hanging from the porch roof, blocked his way. Cautiously, Jeff examined the message and scanned the neighborhood. As nothing appeared out of order, he gently removed the paper and silently slipped back into his house.

As he was examining the message in greater detail, Nabiki entered the room. "What's that?"

"It's addressed to the 'Elder of the Cold Moon Clan'." Jeff turned the message back and forth in his hand. "It would appear to be for you, my dear." Nabiki quickly snatched the message from Jeffrey's hands and tore it open. "So what do they want?" Jeff asked softly when he saw his wife's reaction to the message inside.

"I'm being summoned." Nabiki sadly shook her head. "The Grand Council of Elders have ordered me to appear before them."

"Ordered?" Jeff caught sight of Sodoshi wandering in for her breakfast and started for the kitchen. Nabiki followed, still reading the message.

"That's what it says here. I'm ordered to appear." She paused to scowl at Jeff. "Why do you suppose they used the word, 'ordered'?"

Jeff mixed up Sodoshi's oatmeal and placed the bowl in the microwave. "It sounds to me like a nasty reaction to someone they fear."

"That's ridiculous, Jeffrey. As a clan, we're practically extinct. Why should they fear us?"

"Perhaps its the 'monk's cave' business again. You know, not everyone accepted that you didn't gain some dangerous secret from the cave."

"I didn't see anything in that cave that would be dangerous to anybody, much less bring it out with me." Nabiki's protestations were loud enough to bring a scowl to Sodoshi's face as she waited for her breakfast.

"Well, something's upset them enough to demand your return to Japan." Jeff absently placed Sodoshi's breakfast on the table in front of her. She scowled at the bowl. No raisins or marshmallows.

"I can't believe this." Nabiki stormed back into the living room. Jeff followed, only because he had another bit of bad news he'd been keeping from his wife.

"I guess this is as good a time as any to give you more bad news."

"What could be worse than Akane coming unraveled over the other fiancees and the Grand Council demanding my head?"

"Kenji Watanabe escaped."

"ESCAPED? When did THAT happen?"

"About six months ago."

"How long were you going to sit on THIS little tidbit?"

"I just learned about it this week myself. I've called Tofu-sensei and Master Sato -"

"THAT OLD GOAT!?" Nabiki seemed to explode in front of Jeffrey. "If I so much as SEE his face, I'll... I'll... think of something really nasty to do to both of you!" Nabiki stormed back into the kitchen. She only paused when she noticed Sodoshi's oatmeal bowl. It was now full to overflowing with raisins and sugar. Mini-marshmellows littered the surface of the table, heralding what lay just under the mound of raisins.

"He's going to see what he can do about Watanabe." Jeff followed, trying to sound reasonable. "And I thought Tofu had a right to know because Kasumi was once involved with that creep."

"I'm returning to Japan to face an inquisition by my own people, to rescue my sister from all the nut-cases that refuse to leave her alone, and NOW I have to keep an eye out for an escaped and possibly dangerous felon who has an axe to grind with my family." Nabiki paused, her face a mixture of anger and frustration, before gesturing towards Sodoshi. "And to top it all off, our daughter has YOUR eating habits." Both watched as Sodoshi shoved a giant spoonful of raisins and sugar into her mouth.

"Well, at least she's getting some fruit for breakfast."

"Aaaaaaarrrggh!" Nabiki threw up her hands and stormed back into the bedroom.

Jeff watched her go and turned to Sodoshi. "Well, here we go again."