Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that I claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:

For Love and Money, Chapter 37

Homecomings, Part 1.

Nabiki had managed to get almost a week off from work, barring any major disasters. She had full faith in those that she had trained, of course. It was their talents and skills that had drawn her to them in the first place, after all. It was just a bit hard to step away, a fact that she had often been reminded of by her overly competent secretary. Honestly, they worried about her too much, or so she had thought up until she had been laid up after the punishment. It was then that she had finally accepted a few things. One, that she did have her limits, and two, that if anything ever did happen, the business would be safe.

They had started to get things ready back home for the end of the week when Ranma would finally be back home. She had talked to her sisters, and the extended family that was the Teahouse and had made all the arrangements she could so that the family would have a night to themselves. She had even managed to get Mother Konatsu and Amaya to agree to having Xaph Ti stay over. She had been surprised that Qiang Pu had been okay with that, since she often seemed to want to keep some distance from her newfound sister, but perhaps that wound would heal over time?

Nabiki could only hope that would be the case, because both of the girls would need as many allies as they could find, no matter what life had in store for them. Especially if they were to be taken back to China. For Qiang Pu,there would be so many were gone, so very many pieces of her life that were lost forever. She knew that she was being selfish in wanting to keep Qiang Pu with them in Japan, and that it was not a simple matter to decide.

Nabiki looked from her adoptive daughter to Xaph Ti, and worried again about the future of Ranma's other daughter. She hadn't had the opportunity to build the same kind of relationship with her that she had with Qiang Pu, and she regretted that. It still was difficult at times to put the person that Xaph Ti was now with the destructive person she had been. Just how much had Rai Zur poisoned the mind of Ranma's lost daughter to twist her into the weapon that Xaph Ti had been before?

The quiet, respectful and shy young girl was such a an enigma in so many ways, and she had quickly become popular among the denizens of the Teahouse. Amaya in particular had taken an almost immediate liking to Xaph Ti, and had taken her under her wing. How Amaya would react if it was decided that Xaph Ti was to be handed over was another question that lingered on the horizon, and was a point of concern for Nabiki.

Another of the strange occurrences that had popped up was the whole situation with Yaayaa and the cursed doll Hina. Nabiki had been kept in the loop on that whole situation, especially with how it concerned Qiang Pu. Nabiki couldn't help but wish that the two girls would reconcile things between them before the young Amazon left Japan, but that seemed unlikely at this time. The guilt that Qiang Pu felt seemed like it was just too much still.

Nabiki shook her head as she pulled her mind from such melancholy thoughts. Xaph Ti had been dropped off by Amaya to let her spend time with Qiang Pu and Chiko while Nabiki worked around the house to finish preparations for Ranma's return. She had already carefully packed away Ranma's male wardrobe until they could undo the lock on the curse. It had always amused her that Ranma's female wardrobe had been almost as extensive as her own. Nabiki blushed as she thought about the contents of the locked drawer in their dresser.

While it was true that they had mostly enjoyed a more… conventional… sexual relationship, they had both explored other aspects of their physical relationship. Nabiki had been very surprised by her own excitement about one new experience, even if Ranma-chan hadn't seemed all that surprised…. Even as she had been taken from behind by her wife.

Perhaps Nabiki would have to take some time tonight after the children had gone to sleep to check over the contents of that drawer.

Qiang Pu looked over at her guardian and smiled. Elder Nabiki seemed to be lost in thought, and the smile that graced her lips sent a shiver down the young Amazon's back. Whoever Elder Nabiki had her sights set on should prepare themselves, because they were not likely to make it out of what she had planned unscathed. Her time in Japan had taught her many things, some of the lessons she had learned had come at a steep price, and she would forever bear the scars of those lessons, as would others.

One thing that she had learned though that would be considered heresy in the village was that outsider women were not weaklings to be looked upon with scorn and contempt. They had their own strengths, and some were truly mighty indeed. Elder Nabiki had a ruthless cunning combined with a truly caring heart that would make the Elders quiver in fear. Elder Kane was a skilled fighter who, while not as blooded and ruthless as the warriors of the village still had leveraged her own talents into power and influence. Elder Ukyo had tamed the heart of the fierce Akane, and domesticated her. And the gentle Elder Kasumi wielded her own power and influence to make the lives of all those that she touched just a little better.

How could she not respect and honor such women?

Qiang Pu had found that she had many regrets about what she had done, and left undone, since coming to Japan. As much as she wanted to see Yaayaa, she just couldn't. The first time she had seen her friend in the hospital, the guilt had been too much. It had driven her to take actions that she wished she could undo, but those were hardly thoughts worthy of an Amazon, or even a friend. And she knew all too well that she just…. Didn't have the words yet to make things right between them, if they ever could be again.

What she had done to her sister was also unforgivable. Killing her would have been a more just and honorable thing, but…. Then she would never have gotten to know THIS Xaph Ti. She wouldn't have understood just what I meant to have a younger sister, one that she could do things with that she never could with her half brother.

Even if it still hurts to see Xaph Ti at times.

But perhaps the biggest regret that she had found was the thought of leaving them all behind when she went back home.

To whatever was left of her home.

But at least Mother and Great-Grandmother would be there to help her settle her mind and return to just who she had been before.

Before her eyes had been opened.

Xaph Ti Pyn, daughter of Ranma and Xian Pu watched her sister with concern even as she played with Chiko. She had found that she had a take t for watching people and figuring out what they were thinking about. Sensei Amaya had noticed, and had started to teach her how to sort out what she had been seeing. How to understand people,and to use that to better interact with them.

Sensei Amaya had told her that she would have made a good Geisha, if things had been different. But that was not the road that she would walk, even if her future was uncertain, she knew that. It just felt like there was .. something… she had to do, she just wasn't sure what it was yet

Sensei Amaya had said that when the time was right, she would know what she should do. That as long as she paid attention, she would find her purpose. She looked at her family, her older sister, her younger brother and the woman who cared for them all and felt content.

"Elder Nabiki? Would it be alright if I helped Sister Qiang Pu with supper tonight?" Xaph Ti asked as she looked up from the blocks the three children had been engaged with.

Nabiki pulled herself from her thoughts and smiled warmly at Xaph Ti, amazed once again at the change in the young girl. "Of course, dear. And you really don't have to call me Elder, you know. I'm not an Amazon, after all "

Xaph Ti shook her head as Qiang Pu watched the interaction with an unreadable expression on her face. "Why shouldn't I, though? Mother Konatsu, Amaya-Sensei, Tachi-Sensei. Elder Akane and Ukyo, Elder Kasumi and you are the Elders of this community, after all?" Xaph Ti stated like it was obvious as Qiang Pu nodded along. Xaph Ti smiled warmly and grabbed hold of her sister's hand and pulled her into the kitchen in her wake as Nabiki looked on in amusement before she picked up Chiko and settled him into her lap and watched the pair of sisters as they went to work in the kitchen.

She saw so much of Ranma in each of them that it made her heart hurt for a moment until she took a breath to calm herself. Ranma would be home in a few days, and then everything would be okay. They would figure out some way to make things work. It was what they had always done, after all.

With a determined look in her eyes, Nabiki stood up and transferred Chiko to her hip as she went to oversee the girls in the kitchen.

That night at the Teahouse, Amaya stretched as she walked out of the latest meeting that had just ended. It had been a long day for the Geisha, that was for sure. Her morning practices with the girls, then helping get things ready for Xaph Ti Pyn to stay with Nabiki for the rest of the week. After she had seen the young lady off, she had stopped on the way back for her appointment to get the final adjustments made for her suit, along with the armor that she would have on underneath.

She had initially insisted that she would not need the armored vest, until Mother Konatsu had reminded her that not only was it a necessary part of her outfit, but that Ranma would disapprove of her choice to not wear it, as well. She had worn armored vests before, of course, but only as a man.

She hadn't fully appreciated the challenges that women faced when it came to personal protection until she had to be fitted for an armored vest herself. Luckily for her she wasn't quite as endowed as some of the other women of the Teahouse, and a custom made and fitted vest didn't have quite the issues of the ones that most women had to endure.

Amaya bowed to some of the other denizens of the Teahouse as she made her way towards her chambers, and shook her head as Michi practically dragged off her next conquest. Honestly, she would never understand the promiscuous nature of their resident medic. She knew that many had fallen for the wiles of Michi, and that her list of conquests was, honestly, impressive in a way. But for Amaya, sex had only ever been really part of keeping up the act. It was expected that men would sleep with women as much as they could, so that is what she had done. It hadn't been out of any particular drive or urge, except to fit in. Yes, she had experimented a bit since she had found her true self, but even then it had not held the allure that it seemed to for others. For the longest time, she had worried about it, but the Teahouses resident therapist had helped her work through that, at least as much as she was likely ever to. Honestly, facing the tiny albino had been one of the scariest things she had done in her life, since her own father had often seemed to use his training to keep the family in line when he felt it had been necessary. Might just show the differences between a military psychologist, and one who worked in the private field, though?

Amaya bowed once more as she moved past another group and finally made it to the refuge that was her own quarters. Unlike many of the others, she had never felt the need to take on an apprentice. It was understandably much harder for any of the Lillies, but Michi had managed, of course. Tachi… Everyone just felt that she was waiting for the right person to come along, and that once they did, that would be it. But as far as she went, herself, Amaya hadn't really felt that urge to nurture someone to walk in her footsteps. Honestly, she closest she had was the girls that she had taken responsibility of, to train them enough to make sure that they could survive and remain safe.

And that brought her mind back to Xaph Ti once again.

The girl showed all too well that she was the daughter of Ranma and Elder Xian Pu, in many ways that was almost frightening. It made her truly question what she would have been like, if she had been raised by her biological parents, and not the psychopath that had stolen her. And it made her speculate on what future the young girl might have in store for herself. She had an idea of what Xaph Ti might do, what she might feel obligated to do, and if that was the route she took…

Well, perhaps Amaya would have to walk alongside her a bit longer.

Yaayaa woke up with a start as she flailed for a moment before the warm arms of Hina pulled her in and held her until she calmed down. This was the first night that they had been allowed to sleep in their new bodies, and Yaayaa had been plagued by the nightmares of what had happened to her once again. She wished she could say it was a new experience, but it had been something that had occurred regularly ever since she had woken up in the hospital. She relaxed as she let Hina guide her head to Hina's lap, and closed her eyes as the cursed spirit gently stroked her hair.

"The same nightmare?" Hina asked softly, not wanting to wake up their attendants who slept next door to them.

Yaayaa turned her head a little to look at Hina and nodded, before she settled back on her side with her head once more in Hina's lap. "It was…" Yaayaa said in a shaky voice, barely noticing that she couldn't take in the long breath that she would have normally. "Do you… Ever think that they will stop?" She said in a small, plaintive voice.

Hina hummed for a moment as she continued to gently stroke the head of the life-sized doll that lay in the bed with her. "I can't give you an answer to that, Yaayaa. I can only say, that I think in time the panic and fear will fade as long as you keep working on it. As long as you don't let your mind hold you in a prison of your own making."

"Do.. You still have nightmares like that?" Yaayaa asked in a hesitant little voice.

Hina thought about it, then sighed and decided to give her young friend an honest answer. "I do. There are times I still remember waking up in that first doll, all those many years ago. I can't remember the faces or voices of my family or friends from then, but that is one thing I will never forget, I don't think. But, it doesn't hold as much weight anymore. I can wake up, and remember that that is then, and this is now. Even before we swapped bodies, I had found ways to work though it… And you will, as well. Just give it time, and don't be afraid to lean on those closest to you."

"You mean.. Like Qiang Pu…." Yaayaa said in a small voice.

"In time I think you two will find a way to reconcile things. I have not had a chance to meet her, but anyone who has had the good graces to become so close to you so quickly has to be an amazing person. Even if she is being an idiot right now." Hina said and continued to gently soothe her young friend. "Be patient. It's the one thing I have learned in my long, long time on this planet. If you are patient, and keep your eyes open for possibilities that almost anything can be achieved. You just have to be willing to wait for it, and to fight for it if that is what is called for."

Yaayaa smiled and settled in as she let Hina continue to stroke her head until the young girl fell asleep once more in her doll body.

Hina smiled as she watched her and continued to gently stroke Yaayaa's head until she was able to drift back to sleep herself. She knew that things would be alright, that there were many people who would help both her and Qiang Pu as the years passed, and the wounds healed over.

After all, she had watched similar things happen over the many, many years herself.