[Ranma][Fanfic] Nabiki-New Horizons Chapter 12

[G.L. Sandborn]

Nabiki - New Horizons
Chapter 12 - School Ties
by G.L. Sandborn

"Sodoshi!"
Nabiki called her daughter's name several more times, irritation
dripping from her voice. She had just found her daughter's room
empty. That would not have been so bad except Sodoshi was supposed to
be in there studying. Entrance exams for the pre-school at Sunrise
Hill Academy, the most prestigious private school system in all of
Hawaii, were to take place in less than a week. Nabiki desperately
wanted her daughter to be enrolled, for more than just Sodoshi's sake.
While Nabiki was determined her daughter would have the best education
money could buy, she also wanted the pride and prestige that went
along with having a child attend such an institution. Discovering
Sodoshi wasn't taking this as seriously as she was, irritated Nabiki.
Stalking through the house like a cat on the prowl, Nabiki looked
in every room except two, Jeff's office and the playroom. After a few
moments of analysis, Nabiki stomped off for the most likely option.
As expected, she found her daughter in the playroom, slowly
walking the length of a practice balance beam. Nabiki paused with a
sly grin as she recalled how that piece of gymnastic equipment came to
be in the playroom in the first place.
Soon after Jeff had built the playroom on the back of their
house, Nabiki purchased the beam in an effort to counter all of Jeff's
shinobi training. If her husband was going to put their daughter
through all the 'balance' training that was the foundation of their
ancient art, Nabiki was going to try and channel her daughter's
natural ability into something more popular and less objectionable,
like gymnastics.
She had been more successful than she expected. From the start,
Sodoshi took to the practice beam like a favorite toy, spending long
hours becoming confident in her own abilities; falling often, but
always returning with a burning determination and stubbornness. She
supplemented her time by watching gymnastics meets on TV as much as
her parents would allow.
Pausing in the doorway, Nabiki folded her arms, leaned against
the door frame and silently marveled at her daughter. Her anger
momentarily forgotten in the wave of motherly pride she held for her
child's three and a half year-old skills.
Quietly pacing back and forth on the four inch wide surface of
the practice beam, her tiny arms only slightly outstretched to give
her balance, Sodoshi walked as if the thin surface of the beam was
actually as wide as the floor it rested on, moving effortlessly from
one end of the beam to the other. Obviously, she got her Uncle
Ranma's sense of balance, although Nabiki couldn't figure out just
*how* she came by this so naturally.
"You're supposed to be studying," Nabiki finally said out loud.
For a few moments, Sodoshi acted like she didn't hear her mother;
instead continuing to pace confidently back and forth on the beam.
But Sodoshi knew her mother would not be denied for long and that once
her mother got her mind made up, *nothing* could turn her from her
goal. With a sigh, Sodoshi paused.
"Don't wanna," she said softly.
"What?" Nabiki gasped back. Not studying was... was... well, it
certainly wasn't Japanese, that's for sure.
"Don't wanna study." Sodoshi repeated as she resumed her slow
pacing back and forth on the beam.
Nabiki absorbed her daughter's intransigence with narrowed eyes
and a slightly quickened pulse. *This* was unacceptable.
"You need to go to Sunrise Hill," Nabiki finally said after
pushing herself upright and glaring at her daughter. Sodoshi,
however, continued to pace on the beam as if she were alone. All she
offered was the favorite question of children everywhere.
"Why?"
"Because it's the best school in Hawaii." Nabiki was becoming
even more irritated having to explain all this to someone who was not
quite four.
"So?"
"Don't you want to get into a good college?"
"No."
Nabiki almost staggered backwards at her daughter's answer. In
Japan, every child was drilled incessantly on the importance of
obtaining entrance to the best universities. Obviously, to Nabiki,
she'd failed... no, *they'd* failed to instill in their daughter the
proper appreciation of the importance of a good college education.
The spark of irritation she had felt earlier flared into anger so
intense Nabiki could only sputter a response.
"WHAT?!?"
Sodoshi just ignored her mother and continued to pace on the
beam, adding a sassy little turn at the end of each circuit. Nabiki
reined in her anger enough to sound coherent in her continued attempt
to reason with her daughter.
"Sodoshi, you can never become anyone important without going to
college."
"Daddy didn't go to college and everyone think's *he's*
important."
Nabiki's mouth opened and closed quickly. As if someone had
thrown a full bucket of water on her anger, transforming it into pure
curiosity. Sodoshi was right. Jeff never *did* go to college. The
obvious question immediately sprang to Nabiki's mind and totally
occupied her thoughts as she suddenly forgot about Sodoshi and set off
to find her husband.

Captain Jeff Lawrence stepped from the briefing hut into the
bright spring sunshine. The weather was favorable in Southeast
England, a bit rare for early spring, and promised to be good all the
way to and from the target. His flight had drawn a bomber escort
mission over central France, it was he third in as many weeks.
Casually, he thought how it must be part of the pre-invasion push he
had heard rumored so much about. Personally, he liked the escort
missions best. They gave him a chance to hunt the fighters who were
hunting the bombers, adding to his already impressive score. It was
the ultimate predatory situation.
Acknowledging the other members of his flight as they joined him,
he climbed into the jeep that would take them out to their waiting P-51
Mustangs. They were a good team. His wingman was experienced and
loyal, always remaining in position guarding Jeff's back, whatever the
cost, and resisting the natural urge to latch on to the tail of a
enemy. The other section was made up of a pair of younger pilots but
equally aggressive to Jeff when it came to a fight. Quietly, Jeff
smiled to himself and thought how lucky he was to have such
experienced comrades with him. It made his chances of returning that
much better.
In all too short a time, they were airborne and forming up for
the flight to the coast where they would rendezvous with B-17's of the
304th Bomb Group. The 'flying fortresses' were good planes to escort
as they could usually fend off any fighters lucky (or skillful) enough
to get past Jeff and his team.
They found the 'big friends' exactly where they expected and
exactly on time. Jeff liked that. A prompt rendezvous was always a
good sign. Taking up sun-high positions, Jeff and his team began to
scan for the inevitable German response. A bomber formation of this
size would, surely, not go unnoticed by the Luftwaffe. The enemy
fighters would certainly come. It was just a matter of when.
Secretly, Jeff hoped they wouldn't run into his old nemesis, the
yellow-nosed fighters of JG-26, nicknamed 'the Abbyville Boys' by the
Americans who encountered them. Flying the latest Focke-Wulf 190
fighters and led by some of the most talented pilots Nazi Germany had
to offer, JG-26 had mauled previous American incursions into France.
Twice in the last two months, Jeff's own squadron encountered these
'yellow nosed brutes' and usually came off the worse for the
experience. Today, Jeff scanned the skies nervously hoping they would
encounter anyone 'but' the Abbyville Boys.
"Bandits!" his wingman called. "Ten o'clock low."
Jeff leaned forward in the cockpit to pick out the four dark
specks heading for the bombers. They were too far away to tell what
kind of fighters, but their aggressive maneuvers spoke of their
confidence... or their desperation.
Quickly, he organized the defense. As his other section peeled
off to ambush the attackers from another angle, Jeff dropped his
external fuel tank, charged his guns and pushed the throttle to the
firewall. Speed is life in a dogfight and Jeff was determined to
enter this fray with all his massive Rolls Merlin could offer. His
wingman struggled to keep up.
As the distance closed, it became obvious his worst fears were
about to be realized. Not only were these guys from JG-26, but they
were also being trailed by a second flight intent on ambushing the
ambushers. With a shout of warning from his wingman, Jeff and his
flight were among the Focke-Wulf's scrambling for position. In a
heartbeat, the sky was filled with tracers, smoke, and pieces of
airplanes.
"I'm hit!" screamed his wingman, as his plane slowly rolled over
and began its 20,000 foot plunge to the French countryside. Jeff
didn't have time to see if his wingman got out. There were simply too
many 190's. It seemed like the entire Luftwaffe had focused their
attention on Jeff and his little flight.
"I'm hit!" came the frantic call from his other section. It was
hard to tell if it was the section leader or his wingman. Only the
ugly smear of black smoke marked his out-of-control exit from the
battle. It was becoming abundantly clear things were getting quickly
out of hand. Instead of attacking the bombers, the enemy fighters had
pounced on Jeff's little flight with ruthless ferocity.
Jeff got further evidence as tracers slipped past his cockpit,
close enough he could almost feel their heat. One of the aggressive
German veterans was trying for a quick kill with a high deflection
shot. In another second, the German would correct for his mistake and
Jeff's Mustang would feel the bite of the Focke-Wulf's 20mm cannon.
With a grunt, Jeff whipped the little fighter into a high 'g'
turn, his vision going gray as the blood drained from his head. The
sound of his last comrade taking the final plunge greeted his return
to the world of color. It was now clear that Jeff was in *real*
trouble.
A quick look to the left confirmed that two more 190's were
closing in. There was only one option - run.
Pressing the nose of his Mustang earthward, Jeff pushed the speed
of his little fighter up to dangerous levels. It was his only chance,
using his superior quickness to escape back to England. The bombers
would just have to take their chances - alone.
Looking to his right again, he noticed another fighter trying to
cut him off. Jeff turned inside his attacker's arc and gained clear
sky ahead as tracers, once again, danced over the canopy of his
Mustang. Three Focke-Wulf's tenaciously clung to his tail, just out
of range but still threatening should he falter.
Something else caught his eye. A movement off to his left. A
quick glance confirmed an even bigger threat....
<Wife at 9 o'clock! Break, skipper! BREAK!>
Assuming a grumpy sitting position in his office over-stuffed
chair, Nabiki glared at her husband. Jeff, distracted from the
frantic air battle, began to make mistakes.
It only took one more nervous glance at his wife for one of the
Focke-Wulf's to send a stream of cannon fire into his Mustang.
Durable as it was, the P-51 was no match for such punishment and it
simply exploded in mid-air, sending flaming pieces of wreckage over
several miles of French countryside.
As the screen went red and an animation showed a fighter plunging
into some wooded terrain, Jeff pushed back from his desk.
"Twenty-four missions down the drain." Jeff scowled at the
screen as the computer animated a military funeral. "I was going for
a personal best."
Jeff turned to regard his wife who was now slumped in the chair,
her legs crossed and her head supported on a fist. She didn't look
happy.
"So, how do you like being the widow of a war hero?" Jeff
sarcastically asked.
"Jeffrey, we need to talk about our daughter." Nabiki's voice
combined with her most serious look of warning, assured Jeff this was
important.
"Okay." Jeff swiveled his chair around to face his wife. Pushing
back so he could put his feet up on his desk, Jeff folded his hands
into his lap and tried to look calm and reasonable. Nabiki *hated*
when he did that.
"Jeffrey, she doesn't want to study."
"I can't blame her," Jeff answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
"She's just a child."
"I don't believe you're taking our daughter's future so
cavalierly." Nabiki punctuated her frustration by waving her arms.
"She *needs* to get into Sunrise Hill."
"Why?"
"Don't you start too."
As usual, Jeff didn't have a clue as to what his wife was talking
about. Whatever it was, it had certainly put her in a grumpy mood.
That, in itself, was not a good sign for the weekend.
"So... explain to me the problem?"
"If she doesn't study, she doesn't stand much of a chance in next
weeks entrance exam."
"Nabiki, why is it so important she go to *this* school?"
"Because it's the best school in the islands and all the other
members of Hawaii's rich and influential go there."
"I... see." Jeff finally did begin to see where all this was
going. It wasn't so much Sodoshi's welfare they were talking about,
although having Sodoshi go to such a school would most certainly boost
her future chances at certain elite, private high schools. It was
about Nabiki using their daughter to enhance her own prestige in the
community.
"She refuses to study, Jeffrey. She says she doesn't need to go
to college because *you* didn't."
Jeff didn't exactly like the way she phrased that last statement,
even if it was true.
"You want me to talk to her?"
"If you think you can do it without screwing up."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Just why *didn't* you go to college?"
"I never had the time."
"Baka! I'm *not* going to be married to the only male member of
our family who didn't go to college. Tofu-sensei went to college.
Ranma is going to college...."
"Your daddy didn't go to college," Jeff interrupted with a smile.
"Leave him out of this. He doesn't count." Nabiki's jaw thrust
forward with frustration as she shot a special 'look of warning'
Jeff's way. "You *need* a college education."
"Why?"
"Now STOP that! Am I the only one around here who values a good
education?"
"Nabs, I think you're just making too much of this. Sodoshi is
just a little girl who wants to do things that other little girls do."
"Like wasting her time playing games?"
Jeff grimaced at his wife's direct hit and nervously leaned over
to shut off his computer.
"Nabiki, you know Sodoshi doesn't play any games."
"That's another thing, Jeffrey. She's not developing socially
like she should. She needs to be around other children. Sunrise Hill
guarantees our child will have a positive social experience."
"She's around other children here in the neighborhood."
"Jeffrey, the mothers of those other children say our daughter is
too... weird. She doesn't play like a child. She scares the other
children.... at least she scares their parents."
"Scares them? How?"
"Do you know that last week one of the mothers called me to
complain that Sodoshi tried to 'rent' our pool to the other kids to
swim in?"
Jeff tried to keep from laughing as the events of the last week
spun through his head. He remembered the incident. The mother wasn't
so upset that Sodoshi was trying out her 'entrepreneurial' wings on
neighborhood children but that she had actually convinced them that 5
dollars an hour was a reasonable charge. The mother was especially
upset because the Lawrences didn't need the money.
"That wouldn't have been so bad except she wanted another dollar
for the float toys."
Jeff could tell Nabiki was trying to keep from smiling but the
combination of the amusement she personally held about the incident
and the obvious pride she took in her daughter's developing skills was
simply too much. Together, Jeff and Nabiki broke into giggles.
"Okay, Nabs. Enrollment for the spring semester should be in a
week or so. If it'll help, I'll... take a few classes." Jeff
chuckled as he got up to leave. "And... I'll talk with 'Doshi."
"Good. Take a book with you. It'll make you look more serious."
Jeff hastily looked around and selected his thick 'Air Ace' game
manual.
"Not *that* book, baka!"
Jeff just shrugged his shoulders and looked around for a
substitute. Spying a dictionary, he replaced the game manual the more
scholarly document.
"Oh, for crying out loud," Nabiki grumped as she reached for a
more appropriate book from Jeff's bookshelf, the one she got him last
Christmas: 'Winning Through Intimidation'. Shoving the book in her
husband's hands, she offered one last bit of advice.
"And be firm. She just *has* to pass that test next week."
Jeff nodded like he understood as he left the room. Once safely
in the hall, he rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe he was actually
doing this.
"And don't roll your eyes at me, Jeffrey!"
"Yes, dear."

Finding Sodoshi was no problem. She was still in the play room,
only she had switched from walking the balance beam to doing a little
tumbling, each time ending with her arms raised like she saw the
gymnasts do on TV. Jeff paused in the doorway and watched his
daughter as she did a simple forward roll before springing to her feet
and posing like the 'big girls' did. You could almost hear the crowd
roaring their approval. Jeff clapped his appreciation.
Sodoshi's reaction was, at first, embarrassment at being caught
playing out a fantasy. Daddy was more understanding about such things
than mother but still, such an intrusion left her most uncomfortable.
Instinctively, Sodoshi bowed politely to her father. One of the
things Nabiki insisted on was showing the proper respect to elders,
especially parents.
"Whatcha doin?" Jeff asked with a slight chuckle.
"Nuthin." Sodoshi hung her head in embarrassment. What she had
been doing was *her* private fantasy. It didn't include parents.
"You're pretty good." Jeff slowly walked over to his daughter.
Sodoshi only shrugged her little shoulders and scowled lightly at
the floor.
"You know..." Jeff paused as he stroked his chin with a free
hand. "I'll bet there's lots of gymnastics schools in Hawaii."
Sodoshi looked up suspiciously. He was up to something. That
much she was sure of. In her short life, she'd become pretty good at
detecting when her parents were leading her on. This felt
suspiciously like one of those times.
"How would you like to take lessons?"
There it was - the 'carrot' - the inducement to perform some task
or comport one's self in a particular manner. Sodoshi was becoming
familiar with the methods of her parents. All that remained now, was
to find out what the 'stick' was. As usual, her father was all too
willing to fill in the gaps.
"I'll bet with enough practice you could become quite good.
Perhaps one of the best." He paused with his disarming smile in
place. "Just like this test thing with the school."
Sodoshi closed her eyes and slowly rolled them. Daddy was soooo
predictable. Unable to muster the 'subtlety' of her parents, Sodoshi
reverted to the position she took with her mother.
"Don't wanna."
"Why not?"
"You didn't go to school..."
"I most certainly did, young lady," Jeff cut his daughter off
with a look of shock that was more real than for show. "Just where
did you get the idea I didn't go to school?"
Sodoshi grimaced. This wasn't going the way she intended. Daddy
had the upper hand and she knew it. Time to call upon her best
argument.
"Mommy's going to school but *you're* not." Sodoshi tried to
cross her arms to emphasize her position but her father's stern gaze
paused her awkwardly where she almost didn't know what to do with her
hands. She finally settled on holding them together in front of her.
"It just so happens that I *am* going to enroll this semester."
Jeff crossed his own arms in an authoritative manner and looked
sternly at his tiny daughter. To her credit, she stood her ground.
"People think you're important already. Why do *you* need
school?" Sodoshi's pushed her lower lip out in an attempt to look
serious.
Jeff snorted and sadly shook his head.
"You have much to learn, little girl. People respect my money.
That does *not* mean they respect me."
Sodoshi pouted openly now. This wasn't what she expected from
her father. He was usually the one she could manipulate.
"People respect, *really* respect, those who have knowledge and
know how to use it." Jeff paused. This was becoming more of a
personal argument than an object lesson for his daughter. "What's
more, in order to hold on to and even build upon what money I already
have, I need knowledge - the kind offered by a college. Do you
understand?"
Naturally, Sodoshi didn't. All she understood right now was that
she was going to have to return to her room and look at that stupid
video tape her mother had given her.
"If it will help," Jeff leaned over closer, like he was telling
her a deep dark secret. "I'll come study with you."
"Really?" Sodoshi looked a bit skeptical at her father's offer.
Still, company while watching that boring old tape was better than
nothing. Her daddy winked his response.
With a smiling nod, Sodoshi took her father's hand and led him
down the hall towards her room.
"Daddy, why are you carrying the book mommy got you for
Christmas?"
"It's your mother's idea. She thinks it makes me look more
serious."
"Oh."
Sodoshi remained deep in thought until they reached the door to
her room.
"Daddy, does mommy push you around too?"
"I just let her think she does." Jeff chuckled. "The secret to
your mother is to let her force you to do what you really wanted to do
in the first place. Understand?"
Sodoshi shook her head slowly.
"Let's get through your tape first and I'll show you what I mean
later." Jeff opened the door to his daughter's room.
"Is this going to be my shinobi lesson today?" she asked
anxiously while stepping inside. She really looked forward to her
daily shinobi lessons - even if they did have to hide it from mom.
"Shush, child. Your mother is liable to hear you." Jeff looked
conspiratorially up and down the hall before following his daughter
into her room and closing the door.

***** 1 *****

Akane smiled to herself as she carefully removed the tiny plate
of appetizers from the microwave. They *looked* done. With some
anticipation, she leaned extra close to the baked morsels and sniffed.
A large smile soon spread across her face as she straightened up.
They not only looked perfect, they also smelled perfect. She'd done
it. She'd finally made something that looked and smelled like real
food. Tanaga-sensei, her new cooking teacher, would be proud of her.
Of course, the final sauce topping was whipped up by sensei herself,
but the rest of the job - the cutting of the meats, the arrangement of
the crackers on the plate, and the placement of the meats on the
crackers - was all Akane. Carefully, she set the hot plate on the
counter and smiled to herself. With pride, she removed the oven
gloves she remembered to wear. This time, there would be no smashed
plate on the floor. This time, she would not have to hurriedly clean
up mashed crackers. This time, she would not have to stand by and
watch Ami-chan eat all the meat bits.
Akane chuckled when she glanced at the tiny dog, sitting
patiently by the refrigerator, her tail twitching in anticipation of
another catastrophe.
"Not this time, Ami-chan," Akane cooed as she bent over to
scratch the pup's ears. "These are for Ranma."
Akane had been planning this afternoon for weeks. It was their 5
year anniversary - sort of. Exactly five years ago, her father
announced she was to be engaged to young Ranma Saotome - a person she
had never even met.
Ranma had come to live with them as a head-strong, blunt, and
socially unacceptable *boy*. Since then, he'd grown into a head-strong,
blunt, but socially passable *man*.
Still, he was *hers*. She even had a ring to prove it. She just
had to prove to him she could be a good wife.
She hurriedly finished topping off the appetizers with the
whipped sauce and carried the plate into the main room where it soon
joined others on the table with their store-bought and Kasumi-made
treats. Akane carefully arranged everything so they looked exactly
right. After all, Tanaga-sensei said that the presentation of food is
just as important as its preparation - or something like that.
She was in no real hurry. She had all afternoon for her little
plan. Kasumi had seen to it that they would be alone. Daddy and Mr.
Saotome were off visiting Mr. Miyagi's bar again and Kasumi was
spending the afternoon helping Tofu-sensei clean out his files. At
least, that's what she said they were going to do. Akane rolled her
eyes at the thought of Kasumi and her new husband. If only half of
what Nabiki told her about those two was true, Dr. Tofu won't last
very long.
Satisfied with the food, Akane hurried to change. The clothes
were 'phase 2' of her plan.
She had picked out her outfit carefully, depending totally on
Nabiki's advice. In fact, Nabiki helped her plan just about every
part of this afternoon's activities.
Nervously, Akane pulled off her everyday clothes and picked up a
bulky, loose fitting top with an oversized neck opening. Slipping it
over her head, she noticed that it was a bit difficult to balance the
neck opening so it didn't slip down one or the other of her shoulders.
With an annoyed look, Akane checked herself in the mirror. As Nabiki
said, it did an effective job concealing her figure. Following her
older sister's instructions, Akane bent forward while watching herself
in the mirror.
"I wonder why Nabiki suggested I..." Akane's eyes grew big at
what was revealed. "Oh my."
The top performed exactly as Nabiki said it would. Akane
swallowed hard as she reconsidered going through with her sister's
plan. This might be going just a little bit too far.
Pulling off her everyday cotton panties, Akane reached for the
sleek nylon pair Nabiki had sent her. Holding them up, Akane grimaced
at the thought of actually wearing something so... skimpy.
"Well, I *did* say I wanted the kind of excitement Nabiki was
always talking about." Akane swallowed hard again. "I'm just not
sure I'm ready for *this* much excitement."
Nervously, she pulled on the panties and held up the bottom edge
of her top to see how they looked in the mirror. Pink, thin, and
really sexy, Akane blushed slightly when she considered how little of
her they actually covered. As she turned this way and that, she had
to admit, they made her look pretty good, even for a tomboy. Of
course, these were certainly not something she would wear outside the
house. They would make her too self-conscious and certain someone
would notice.
She giggled nervously at the thought as her fingers traced
lightly over her small, tight posterior, taking special notice of how
it felt as her fingers passed from the nylon to her exposed flesh.
Closing her eyes, she stroked further and felt something stir inside
her as her fingertips tickled her firm body through the slippery
fabric. Rolling her head back, Akane stood in front of her, now
useless, mirror and drifted away with the feelings, mentally
substituting another pair of hands for her own. For several minutes,
Akane caressed her nylon-encased body, relishing the sensations that
shot through her with every feather-like stroke of her fingers.
Carefully, she harnessed the feeling , filing away every sensation and
replaying it over and over in her mind. She would need it in the
coming hours to follow through with her plans. For now though, she
would have to wait. Swallowing hard, she forced her hands from her
maturing body.
A tiny gasp escaped her lips as she crossed her arms and hugged
herself, allowing the last of the sensations to reverberate through
her tight, young form. It was followed by the first twinges of
embarrassment and, perhaps, a tiny bit of regret that she had to
experience such feelings alone.
Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, she finished
dressing. A loose fitting pair of red lounge pants that gathered at
the ankles finished off her ensemble. A few minutes with her hair,
some dabs of perfume strategically placed per Nabiki's instructions,
and Akane was ready.
She admired herself in the mirror a few moments longer. Turning
to her dog who was lying on the bed watching her, she giggled behind
her hand.
"Am I kawaii, Ami-chan?" Akane giggled again, adding a sassy turn
to show the dog her outfit from every angle. The dog just raised her
head and wagged her tail faster, her dark brown eyes showing her
pleasure over the attention. Akane looked back at the mirror and ran
her hands lightly over her small posterior.
"Of course, *you'd* think I was kawaii no matter what I wore."
She admired herself in the mirror a few moments longer. Even
*she* had to admit, she looked good. All those years of martial arts
training had paid off. As her body matured, the constant 'tuning' of
her training contributed greatly to her present figure. As attractive
as she was in high school, her 21 year-old body looked even better
now. She giggled behind her hand when she thought of what Ranma's
reaction would be to everything she had planned.
Akane crossed to the bed and she scratched her little dog's ears
lightly. "I'm sorry, Ami-chan, but you'll have to stay up here in my
room. I really need to do this alone. Sorry." She kissed the dog's
head before she skipped lightly out of the room, making sure to close
the door firmly behind her to keep her dog penned inside.
As she walked back down the hall, she thought of Ranma and
reminded herself of exactly why she was doing this in the first place.
Over the past year, Ranma had begun to show signs of actually
being interested in Akane. It started slow enough, listening to
college friends talk about dating and girls in general. At first, he
continued his indifference to females, content with being with 'the
guys'. After all, he was the only one in the group actually engaged
to a girl. But they spent most of their time talking about girls...
and dating... and... other things. Ranma had little experience dating
and almost no experience in any of the other subjects his friends
talked about. Being around such people left him feeling distinctly
'un-manly'.
Back downstairs, Akane finished setting the mood. A few candles,
some soft lights, and a special CD Nabiki had sent her playing on the
family's new stereo system completed the ambiance.
As Akane was making her final check, she heard Ranma coming in
the front door.
"In here," she called lightly as she assumed her position on a
low pillow off to the side of the table.
As Ranma entered, he paused, like a fighter expecting a trap.
The darkened room, the soft music, and all the food on the table was
odd enough, but the sight of Akane, kneeling on a pillow, a happy
smile gracing her face, was enough make him *really* nervous.
"Surprise," she chirped lightly. "Happy Anniversary, Ranma."
"Oh... yeah... I kinda forgot." Ranma grimaced and rubbed the
back of his head in embarrassment.
Akane's smile only quivered slightly to show her irritation at
his forgetfulness. Nabiki had tried to warn her that men were like
this. It helped a little. With a silent sigh, Akane gathered herself
to continue.
"I prepared some things for you." She nervously gestured towards
the table with its many goodies spread across its shiny surface.
Ranma hesitated, looking quickly between Akane and the table. If
this was Akane's food, his life was in danger. Either he'd eat some
to be polite and get sick or he'd refuse and Akane would react in the
predictable manner. Ranma swallowed hard and started to sweat. Akane
knew right away what the hesitation was about.
"It's okay. They're not mine," Akane said softly as she looked
at the floor. She added under her breath so Ranma couldn't hear:
"Most of it, anyway."
With an almost audible sigh of relief, Ranma plopped himself down
on the nearest pillow and started to wolf down the food. Akane's
grimace caused him to pause.
"You really don't need to eat so fast, Ranma." Akane sounded
almost irritated. It was getting hard to keep the mood romantic.
"The food's not going anywhere."
Ranma paused long enough for Akane's words to sink in. As if
under a great pressure to behave, he slowed his eating to a
respectable pace. Akane nodded approvingly and poured him a glass of
soft drink from Kasumi's best pitcher.
Ranma reached for an appetizer.
"What're these things?" he asked with a full mouth of rice.
"Something special...," Akane replied with a blush as she watched
her fiance carefully.
Ranma popped one of the appetizers into his mouth and began to
chew happily.
"... that I made."
Ranma froze in fear, his jaw paused in mid chew. Sweat broke out
all over his forehead as his eyes slowly rolled towards Akane. He
quickly evaluated his options. They didn't look good.
He could spit the offending food out and risk the wrath of Akane.
He could tough it out and finish eating the one small appetizer
while making sure to avoid the rest of its companions, thereby
protecting his health without offending his fiancee.
Of course, he could also miscalculate the whole situation and die
instantly from 'Akane food poisoning'.
As Akane eyed him coldly, he decided to run a few more tests on
the offending bit of food before coming to a conclusion.
Mouth? Tastes okay. Nothing offensive here.
Throat? No detectable impulse to gag detected.
Stomach? Current contents should not be affected by inclusion of
this bit of food.
Head? No dizziness or burning detected.
With all 'damage control' stations reporting positive, he felt
confident enough to resume eating.
Cautiously, Ranma began chewing again. That alone had the effect
of lessening the tension in the room. And as he chewed, a remarkable
thing happened.
<Tastes okay.> He chewed some more. <Actually, it tastes pretty
good.>
"You made these?" He asked between chews.
"Hai." Akane looked his way hopefully. "Do you really like
them?"
Ranma swallowed and took a moment to savor the aftertaste.
"Yeah, not bad." Ranma ran his tongue around his mouth to gather
the last bits of the appetizer. "Not bad at all."
Akane giggled and held her hands together in front of her face.
She had actually done it. Without burning down the house or causing
grievous personal injury, she had made something even Ranma liked.
Perhaps there was hope for her yet.
Ranma, as if to confirm his claim, snatched a couple more of the
little appetizers and quickly gobbled them down while making 'yummy'
sounds. Akane, giddy with delight, feasted on the approval.
Pouring Ranma more soft drink, Akane felt a warmth and happiness
unlike anything she'd felt before. It was as if she and Ranma were
'playing house', but with a definite goal in mind. Someday, they
would actually play out these roles as husband and wife. Akane
shivered slightly at the thought. It gave her goose bumps just
thinking about being married like her sisters. To be married was
every Japanese girl's dream - even if it meant being married to Ranma.
Ranma quickly finished everything on the table and looked towards
Akane for what to do next.
"Wanna watch some TV?" he asked between gulps of soda.
Akane fidgeted slightly on her pillow. Nabiki had said that the
time had come for them to take their relationship to the next level.
It involved something Nabiki had shown herself to be very good at. It
was something Akane had never openly considered before.
Akane shifted her position slightly, feeling the nylon panties as
they slid across the inside of her lounge pants and rubbed a sensitive
part of her anatomy. It relit the fire she experienced earlier in her
room. Closing her eyes, and flexing the muscles under those panties,
Akane took a deep breath and plunged ahead.
"There.... there are other things we can do." Her voice was
barely above a whisper, her eyes darting from her pillow to Ranma's
face.
Oddly, he looked like a man who didn't have a clue.
"Yeah? Like what? Shoghi?"
"No... something... better." Akane hid her irritation over the
board game suggestion as she scissored her knees together, stoking the
fire she felt.
"Well, first we'd have to turn off that mushy music..." Ranma
paused when he considered that such an offer might just be
inappropriate at the moment. Maybe that music was there for a
purpose. He swallowed hard as he nervously contemplated what she must
be thinking.
"Ranma, do you think I'm kawaii?" Akane's voice was still little
more than a squeak.
"Yeah... sure... sometimes..."
"Do you think I'm attractive?" Akane began to lean towards
Ranma; just as she was leaning over the line and timidly venturing
into the adult world of personal relations. She was scared, nervous,
and totally on her own now. Having eclipsed Nabiki's advice, all she
could remember was that her sister had been somewhat vague at this
point. Akane could only recall something about 'riding a wild
stallion', whatever *that* meant.
She was also about to do something totally radical, something
Kasumi would *never* have cleared the residence for had she known
about, something Nabiki said would make Akane a 'real woman'.
Akane started with giving Ranma 'just a peek', like Nabiki taught
her. However, as usual, Akane misjudged... more than a little bit.
"Yeah... attractive..." Ranma's voice cracked slightly as Akane
continued to lean over towards him. The light from the candles behind
him seemed to crawl down her chin... her throat... her... her....
Ranma gasped lightly at the scene unfolding before him.
"Do you think I'm...," Akane swallowed hard and licked her lips
nervously, "sexy?"
She was all the way over on her hands and knees now, gravity
having long since done its job pulling her loose top away from her
body. The illumination of the candles behind Ranma did the rest. He
began to pant anxiously as Akane slowly worked her way over to him,
crawling on her hands and knees, her top hanging down almost a foot
from her body. It was all to obvious to Ranma that she wasn't wearing
a bra.
With great effort, he tore his eyes away from that usually
covered by her shirt to look at her face. He had seen that expression
before. All the times she had come to his aid, all the times she had
fought by his side, she wore the same expression - scared but
determined. Whatever she had in mind, the food and the 'personal
exposure' was only a beginning.
By the time Akane reached him, he was beginning to feel faint.
Her loose top rubbing against his arm reminded him that a part of her
usually completely out of bounds was now easily within arms reach. He
fought the natural urge to do what his hormones were screaming for him
to do. His ragged breathing sounding like a full gale force wind in
his ears. He could feel his heart pounding, like it did when faced
with a dangerous foe, only this time, the desire to flee was tempered
by something else, something that caused his kneeling position to
become suddenly uncomfortable.
"You're... you're... ," Ranma finally gasped, his eyes locked on
what her top refused to hide.
He felt something he was only used to feeling in the mornings or
late at night, when he was certain his father couldn't see; something
that felt like a pressure between his legs. Something he constantly
denied himself, refusing to even acknowledge when it demanded
attention. He closed his eyes and fought the temptation to respond.
Rolling his head back and panting in fear and excitement, he
almost jumped off the pillow as Akane's hot breath caressed his neck,
sending jolts of electricity up and down his spine, her breath teasing
the sweat on his throat and tickling his libido. Nabiki had taught
her well.
Her lips were close behind, gently nuzzling their way up his
throat, under his jaw, and finally to his ear. With a groan of
surrender, Ranma collapsed onto his back.
Akane seemed to be moving in time with the slow, romantic music
now, as she sat up on her knees, hooked her thumbs in the elastic
waistband of her silky red pants and seductively slid them down her
thighs. The sound her pants made as they slid past her nylon panties
caused Ranma to whimper slightly. He wanted to run. He wanted to
hide. But most of all, he wanted to see what came next.
Unconsciously, he moved his hands to cover his reaction to her
body. It bothered him that Akane could cause this kind of response.
It established a sort of power she could hold over him. A power that,
like every other male, scared and thrilled him at the same time.
And it wasn't as if he never saw her naked before; he had that
pleasure twice on the day he arrived at the Tendos. It was just that
he never considered he'd have this kind of reaction to seeing her
undressed. Perhaps it was the music.
Akane, scared, nervous, but willing to go through with anything
to make sure *she* was the one he would marry, moved on to the part
Nabiki had her rehearse over and over again. With a nervous smile,
Akane crossed her arms and grasped the bottom of her pull-over shirt.
Ranma's eyes went huge, his mouth dropped open and his face
twisted into astonishment. Surely, she wasn't going to...
"I love you Ranma. Love you lots." Akane quickly pulled her top
off over her head and sensually shook her hair back into place.
Shivering as a tiny gust of cool air caressed her body, she smiled
nervously. To her, this was humiliating, exciting, daring, but most
of all, highly erotic. It was like some romantic movie where she was
playing the part of the beautiful girl willingly giving herself to her
lover. It was all so perfect.
When she opened her eyes, all she could see was Ranma's shocked
expression. If she could have said anything, she would have announced
that all he saw was his for the taking.
Lost as to what came next, Akane decided to improvise. Thinking
back to every romantic movie or TV show she had seen, she ran her
hands behind her hair and quickly raised them, causing everything to
bounce seductively.
Ranma's mind screamed its surrender.
Totally lost in her part now, Akane tossed her top behind her,
duplicating what she saw in a movie once. It was playful, sexy, and
totally ill-advised.
A sudden crash announced her mistake as her discarded top
collided with the pitcher of soda which smashed into one of Kasumi's
best serving bowls. Both broke as they plunged to the matted floor.
Akane, still on her knees, quickly turned in horror, her seduction of
Ranma forgotten, only to slam her elbow into the unyielding wood of
the table. As her arm went numb from the impact, she grabbed her
elbow, and yelped in pain. The evening was ruined, the spell broken.
She couldn't believe this was happening. Not now - not here - not to
her. In embarrassment, she tried to stand up to escape the
humiliation - to run and hide her shame. Unfortunately, she had
neglected to remove her pants entirely, both ankles still securely
held by the silk-tie cuffs. Her tangled feet refused to function
properly, causing her to painfully topple to the floor in a most
undignified manner.
For several seconds, all that could be heard was Akane's sobbing
and the, now out of place, romantic music playing on the stereo.
She'd tried to be feminine and romantic, she really did. She did
everything Nabiki told her to do. She dressed right, she acted right,
she was even willing to try and seduce Ranma in a way that was not of
her choosing. All for naught.
As she hid behind her hands, her arms covering her exposed chest
and her legs slowly scissoring back and forth in frustration, she
cried out of embarrassment, shame, and disappointment. This wasn't
the romantic evening she envisioned. This was a disaster - the
*worst* anniversary ever.
She didn't hear Ranma get up. She only noticed him when he
covered her torso with her previously discarded top. Instinctively,
she tried to use the bit of clothing to cover everything from her
exposed panties to her chest. She didn't even feel Ranma gently
untying the cuffs of her pants and easing them off. She was still
sobbing when he helped her to her feet and led her towards the stairs.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she kept repeating all the way up the
stairs. Ranma remained silent as he guided her towards her room.
"I'm such a clumsy... uncute... tomboy."
In front of Akane's door, Ranma released his fiancee and stood
uncomfortably a few feet away. Akane pressed her forehead against the
cool wood of the door and started to whimper again. She'd lost her
dignity with this attempt. Worse yet, she once again appeared the
clumsy tomboy that she had come to loathe.
"It really wasn't that bad..." he tried to sound consoling while
looking at just about everything but Akane's semi-clothed state.
"It was terrible!" she blubbered between sniffs.
"No-no... the food was good and the music was... okay, I guess."
Ranma fumbled with trying to sound polite. He had little experience
at sounding polite.
Confused, Akane peeked over at the young man forced upon her by
her father. She could see how uncomfortable he was in the current
situation. She could also see something else - something in his eyes
and the way he looked at her. She could see genuine compassion,
genuine concern, and even affection. A warm blanket of realization
enveloped her as she realized what she had done was frighten him by
moving too fast - going too far. He simply wasn't ready for what she
was offering. Inwardly, she questioned if even *she* was ready for
what they almost did this evening.
"Good night, Ranma." Akane softly opened the door to her room.
"Akane..." Ranma's voice caused Akane to pause apprehensively in
the doorway, one hand on the door knob. Her head slowly turned to
look his way, her trepidation clear.
"Would you really have.... you know." Ranma, unwilling to even
look at his fiancee while asking such a personal question, nervously
fiddled with his fingers. He'd heard guys at school talking about
certain intimacies with girls. It confused him at first. But the
thought of how close he might have just come...
Slowly, Akane's face grew a small smile, her eyes twinkling in
the subdued light of the hallway. Not hearing a response caused Ranma
to look up anxiously only to lose himself in the soft brown pools
looking back at him.
Nothing more was said. The two clung to each other with their
eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Each fumbling with their
thoughts, each wanting to say more but frightened by the prospects of
what they wished to say... or do.
Akane's enigmatic smile deepened as she slowly disappeared into
her room and softly closed the door.
As a final click announced the door's latching, two voices
whispered, each unheard by the other.
"I love you."

***** 2 *****

Jeff Lawrence arrived at the campus of the University of Hawaii
with his wife in tow. He was there to resume his stalled education.
She was there to see that he did.
He purposefully chose a different school from Nabiki, not wanting
to be accused of following his wife around. After all, he still had
his male pride. Besides, UH had a better economics department and a
football team. Jeff liked his college football.
They easily found the Registrar's Office and Jeff took his place
in the short line of students waiting for the office to open. Nabiki,
dressed in her best 'chic' school fashion, lazily scanned the bulletin
boards, sipped her bottled water, and generally tried to look like a
bored upperclassman.
Jeff was just getting into the feeling of being a simple student
again when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he found himself
face-to-face with a shorter, bearded male.
"You a freshman?" the bearded male asked.
"Yeah, something like that."
"The name's Richard," the bearded male said with a smile while
extending his hand. As they shook hands, Richard pointed with his
thumb to a studious young man standing behind him. "That's Nick.
We're transferring in from the mainland."
Jeff nervously went through the introductions and a few minutes
of small talk until he was interrupted by Richard's sudden
exclamation.
"Yeow! Look at *that* babe."
Jeff curiously followed Richard's gaze till it stopped with his
wife. After a couple of back-and-forths to make sure he was looking
at the right 'babe', he chuckled silently to himself and decided to
play along.
"Yeah, she's okay."
"Okay? You island guys amaze me." Richard shook his head while
watching Nabiki's every move. "Surrounded by all these hot babes has
really retarded your mating instincts." Richard straightened his
collar and slapped his friend on the shoulder. "Let me show you guys
how we do it on the mainland."
Before Jeff could say anything, Richard was making a bee-line to
Nabiki.
<Well, *this* should be interesting,> Jeff thought with raised
eyebrows as he crossed his arms and waited.
As Richard approached, Nabiki looked like she was trying to do
her best to ignore him. That seemed to work well enough until
something in what Richard said caught her attention. You could tell
it caught her attention by the way her head snapped around to glare at
him. His approach might not have been original but it was certainly
direct. For several seconds Jeff and Nick watched as Richard put his
best 'moves' on the serious looking Nabiki. When he finished, Jeff
saw his wife's eyes narrow into the predatory slits that she saved for
'special' occasions. Jeff slowly shook his head and pitied poor
Richard.
Neither Jeff nor Nick heard what Nabiki said, but the discussion
was mercifully short and the ashen expression on Richard's face when
he returned to the line spoke volumes.
"So, how'd it go?" Jeff covered his mouth trying to hide a
smile.
"Ah, she's married and says her husband is a killer martial
artist." Richard shook his head while shooting scowls Nabiki's way.
"Probably married to some knuckle-dragging, rock and roll, dope
smoking, steroid using muscle man whose entire vocabulary is composed
of single-syllable words."
"Football player," Nick added with a disgusted snort.
"Oh, I don't know." Jeff scratched the back of his head. "I'll
bet you just used the wrong technique."
"And you think you can do better?" Richard looked insulted.
"Maybe. It's all in the way you approach them, married or not."
"Well, be my guest..." Richard waved his hand Nabiki's way.
"Hold my place in line."
With a bemused look on his face, Jeff casually sauntered up to
his wife.
"Jeffrey, did you see what that guy tried to do?" Nabiki started
off in her usual animated way.
"Every bit, my love," Jeff answered in Japanese. This caused
Nabiki to naturally fall into the language herself.
"An you just let him get away with it?"
"Nabiki, I had total confidence in your abilities to handle the
situation. And, from the looks of things, you did quite well, my
wife." Jeff added a polite bow Nabiki's way.
Instinctively, Nabiki duplicated her husband's public politeness.
To Richard and Nick, it appeared to be a strange island mating custom,
one they quickly noted for future reference.
"So, why aren't you still in line?"
"I just wanted to see if you're alright, my wife."
"Jeffrey, that's sweet of you. Now tell me, why are we speaking
in Japanese?" Nabiki added a gentle stroke of her husband's cheek.
"Just to keep our little conversation between us," Jeff said
softly as he leaned in close enough to kiss his wife on the cheek.
Nabiki blushed slightly a the public intimacies her husband was
committing and chuckled at his brazenness before hesitantly returning
a kiss to her husband's cheek. All this public displaying of
affection was hard for the Japanese Nabiki to comprehend. Still, she
thought it sweet when he did such things - provided they weren't too
obvious. After all, as she so often noted, a girl has her reputation
to protect.
"Now," Nabiki brushed a few strands of hair out of her face.
"Get back in line and get enrolled so you can take me to lunch."
Jeff chuckled out loud as he wandered back to the line. Richard
and Nick were not hard to make out as they were the ones staring
incredulously, their jaws agape.
"Thanks for holding my place, guys." Jeff looked back at Nabiki
and winked.
"How... what...," Richard stammered. "What did you say to her?"
"Aw, that's easy. I learned years ago that Hawaiian girls are
different. They're more submissive when confronted by a person that
projects power and they respond best to the macho, chauvinistic
approach. All I did was approach her and ask: 'How would you like to
go out with a *real* man?'"
Jeff rearranged his enrollment paperwork while trying not to
break out laughing. It had been a long time since he baited such a
trap. He could see Richard and Nick exchanging confused glances.
"That's it?" Richard incredulously asked.
"I guarantee you. If you use that phrase, you'll get a response
unlike anything you've ever experienced." Jeff finished with a wink
Nabiki's way. Nabiki unwittingly added to Jeff's story by blushing at
his public flirtation.
As the Registrar's Office opened, the line quickly moved inside.
Richard and Nick, however, decided to stay in the hall for a short
while and try out their new 'pick up' style.
Inside the office, Jeff easily worked his way to an empty station
and smiled at the clerk.
"Hello, may I help you, young man?" The elderly female
enrollment clerk flashed a warm welcoming smile.
Outside, they all heard a woman scream, a slap that sounded like
a shot, and the sound of Nick's body sliding the length of the hall
till it impacted the glass doors with a dull 'thud'.
Inside, everyone acted like this sort of thing took place every
day.
"Incoming freshman?" the registration clerk asked, totally
ignoring the ruckus outside.
Jeff just smiled and held out his paperwork. Richard's screams
echoed down the hall as he ran for his life, an angry mob of females
surging after him bent on his demise.
The lady looked through Jeff's paperwork while keeping up a
steady pace of small talk.
"My, but you've been out of school for a few years. And a
graduate of a private Embassy school... with such marks. I see no
problem, mister...." The clerk looked at Jeff's name on the
application and blinked a few times. "Mister... Jeffrey... Lawrence,"
she read carefully.
"Is there a problem?" Jeff was feeling pretty good about getting
into the school until she stumbled over his name. He had a bad
feeling about this.
"Are you any relation to the Jeffrey Lawrence who's a big
contributor to the university?" the clerk, recovering her usual
friendly demeanor, asked with a smile.
"Well... yes."
The clerk smiled again before her face dissolved into a suddenly
frightened look.
"You... wouldn't be... THE Jeffrey Lawrence, would you?"
Jeff glanced at the people who had ceased their enrollment at the
sound of his name and were keenly tuned into his conversation with the
enrollment clerk. It was like an old 'Merrill-Lynch' commercial where
everyone stops to listen to advice from the brokerage firm.
"Well... yes."
The clerk, with a very surprised look on her face, took a few
steps backwards and motioned for Jeff to stay where he was while she
disappeared into the office of the Registrar. Jeff started to sweat
as those around him stared and whispered among themselves. He felt
like he had just been caught robbing a bank or something.
The only sounds in the office were the soft buzzing of whispered
conversations punctuated by the screams of Richard as he ran past the
office going in the opposite direction. The women had switched to
torches, buckets of tar, and bags of feathers.
Jeff was about to leave out of nervousness when the clerk
returned with a chubby, heavily sweating man in tow.
"Mister Lawrence, it's so good to make your acquaintance," the
heavy-set man said loudly as he held out his hand. Jeff took the
man's hand in somewhat of a daze over all the fuss. "My name is
Wilson Wu, the Registrar for the University of Hawaii. Dean Chalmers
would like a few moments of your time. If it wouldn't be too much
trouble, I mean."
Nervously, Jeff agreed and all parties concerned paused
uncomfortably, grinning at each other.
"He'll be right down." The portly administrator finally said as
he nervously adjusted his collar. "Would you like to wait in my
office?"
Jeff agreed and followed Mr. Wu into his office, accompanied by
the curious stares from those still in line at the counter.

Outside, word was spreading that the ultra-rich, multi-millionaire
Jeffrey Lawrence was on campus. Naturally, that set off a
stampede for the Registrar's office by nearly every available female,
soon to graduate male, and just about everything in between.
As the hallway filled up, Nabiki started to become concerned.
First it was the little bearded goof, then it was the nailing of his
friend's underwear to the wall, now it was a mob all talking about
Jeff Lawrence.
Figuring her husband somehow screwed up again, she started for
the Registrar's office door.
"Excuse me, I need to get through here," she shouted over the din
of the growing mob.
"Yeah, you and me both, sister," a blonde beach-bunny type female
in tight spandex shorts shouted back.
"Hey, I saw him first!" another protested.
"Aw, you're both loony. He's already married," a nerdish looking
male hollered as he tried to slide past a pair of athletic females.
"Yes, *I'm* his wife!" Nabiki protested.
"Sure you are."
"Nice try, toots."
"I happen to know his wife is Japanese."
"But *I'm* Japanese!" Nabiki yelled in her native language.
A few shot her looks of pity, convinced she was suffering from
delusions. One even tried to correct her grammar.
"Yeah, and I'm the Queen of Hawaii."
"Boy! Someone takes a few Japanese classes and suddenly they
think they're experts on the language."
"Give it up, girl. You're as Japanese as I am."
Part of the mob laughed as Nabiki's indignation grew. Someone
was going to pay for this.

Inside, Jeff was attempting to make himself comfortable in Mr.
Wu's chair when a disheveled university Dean burst through the door.
He looked like he'd been running.
"Mr. Lawrence, how nice to finally meet you," he gushed while
grabbing for Jeff's hand. "Your foundation has been most generous to
this university. Most generous indeed. Up till now, we've always
dealt with your Mr. Gaffney. My, he certainly has some interesting
stories about South America. All those head-hunters and all. Can I
get you anything?"
Jeff carefully disengaged himself from the clutches of the
school's Dean and tried to smile.
"Actually, all I'm here for is to enroll in your school."
Jeff's announcement caused the two administrators to exchange
nervous glances. Dean Chalmers cleared his throat.
"I don't really think that will be necessary, Mr. Lawrence." He
adjusted his tie nervously. "We can certainly arrange for an honorary
Doctorate in... say, Humane Letters."
"No, you don't understand. I just want to enroll as a student -
to take some courses." Jeff couldn't help but notice how much he was
beginning to sound like Jimmy Stewart.
"Why?"
"I need the education and my daughter needs to study for her
entrance exams into Sunrise Hill Preschool."
There was a short pause as the two school administrators tried to
make sense of Jeffrey's answer.
"Come again...?"
"She can't get into Sunrise Hill without passing an entrance
exam."
This still wasn't fitting together.
"All of which means...?"
"It's my wife's idea."
"Ooooooh," the two men said knowingly in unison.
Just then, one of the enrollment clerks pushed open the door and
poked her head into the room.
"Excuse me, Dean Chalmers. But there's a large mob gathering out
in the hallway."
"What kind of mob?"
"Peaceful, for the most part."
"What do they want?"
"All we've been able to make out is some discussion about Mr.
Lawrence's presence here."
The two men looked questioningly at Jeff who just shrugged his
shoulders. He had no idea why a mob of students would be waiting
outside for him.
"Well, call Campus Security."
"I already did and they said it was beyond their control."
Both men exchanged uneasy glances again and grinned nervously at
Jeffrey. This was perhaps the worst possible time for such a
disturbance. With one of their largest annual contributors sitting in
the Registrar's chair, insisting on enrolling in the university as a
freshman, the university was faced with a growing and increasingly
agitated mob. Dean Chalmers concluded that this was not a good day.
"Mr. Lawrence, please try to understand our position on this
issue." The dean tugged nervously at his collar. "As you can see,
your presence on this campus would be a distraction to the educational
mission of this university. We'd be having mobs like this all the
time."
Jeffrey could now hear the mob outside. They sounded like the
crowd at a ball game; noisy and excited.
"Surely, they'd get used to me," he offered.
"Perhaps, but until they did, we'd be up to our hip pockets in
'groupies', protestors, and the just plain curious." The dean really
sounded like a trapped man. On one hand, he clearly didn't want
Jeffrey enrolled in his school - not in the usual manner, anyway. And
on the other hand, he didn't want to offend one of his richest
contributors.
"Wouldn't you, at least, consider the honorary degree?" Mr. Wu
whined.
Jeff considered the offer while looking at the two nervous men
and listening to a joyful sounding chant coming from the mob in the
hall.
"Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Rich Industrialists Gotta GO!"
This certainly wasn't what he expected when he walked on campus.
The sound of something breaking out in the hall and the return of the
clerk with Jeff's paperwork helped make up his mind.
"Very well," he sighed, taking his papers from the clerk and
rising from the Registrar's chair. "I'll... think about it."
The two men looked relieved as they assured Jeff he was making a
wise decision. Dean Chalmers even offered two tickets to the next
home football game like he hoped Jeff would still look favorably upon
the university. Unfortunately, Jeff had been under the tutelage of
one Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence.
"How about these tickets for the entire season?" Jeff asked
without even looking at the dean.
"Well," Dean Chalmers cleared his throat. After all, these were
*his* tickets. "How about season tickets, Row Z on the 30 yard line
*and* the honorary degree?"
Jeff wrinkled his nose and shook his head. He'd have better
seats watching it on TV.
"These tickets for the season *and* the honorary degree in
exchange for... a new wing to the Science Hall."
It was the dean's turn to wrinkle his nose. Who cares about a
Science Hall? "Two tickets, Row... ah, 'G' between the 35 and the
40... on the West side... really shady there."
"And the honorary degree?"
"Of course." Dean Chalmers looked on anxiously as Jeff pondered
his position. The sound of breaking glass from the outer office and a
change in the chant to 'Burn Down The U' accompanied by Richard's
continued screams as he ran by the window outside, his pants smoking
and still pursued by a horde of angry females, totally changed Jeff's
position.
"Well, if you throw in season tickets for mid-court seats for
basketball, I could include a new weight room for the athletes."
As all this negotiating was going on, Mr. Wu's head kept
swiveling back and forth like a spectator at a ping-pong match.
"The football tickets, the basketball seats, *and* the honorary
degree for a new weight room *and* a research fellowship for... oh,
South American headhunters or something."
"We'll call it the 'Gaffney Fellowship'." Jeff was beginning to
see why Nabiki enjoyed this 'negotiation' business so much. It was
fun.
"Done."
"I'll think about it."
"Fair enough."
Another crash from the hallway reminded Jeff of a particular
problem.
"Just how am I supposed to get back to my car with that mob out
there?"
Mr. Wu just smiled and indicated, what looked like, a closet
door. Escorting Jeff to the door, he chuckled softly as he opened it
to reveal a small room backed by a door to the outside.
"Installed back in the 60's during all the campus student unrest.
We use it now for a fire escape." He seemed pleased with his
cleverness. "Have a nice day, Mr. Lawrence."
"Yes, and do let us know what your decision is." Dean Chalmers
was sweating again as another crash indicated the glass part of the
door to the Registrar's office had just given way. "I'm sure you'll
enjoy your degree. All the prominent people in this state have one."
Jeff nodded an acknowledgment and slipped out the back door. He
wasn't getting the education he wanted. All he was getting was a
payoff for all the donations he'd made to the university. It carried
no academic weight, just form without substance. And what did they
mean by: 'every one in the state had one'?!? If it wasn't for the
really neat football and basketball seats he got...
Back at his Jeep, he noticed Nabiki was missing.
<Gee, I hope she wasn't caught up in that mob,> he thought when
he remembered where he last saw his wife.
His answer came in the form of a fuming, limping, disheveled-looking
Nabiki stomping her way towards their car. She looked like
someone who'd gone through a blender. Her hair was a mess, one lens
was missing from the sun glasses still perched on top of her head, the
sleeve of her blouse was torn - the rest untucked from her skirt, and
she was missing a shoe. Her bottle of pure spring water was also long
gone.
"So, you ready for lunch now, dear?" Jeff chirped, making sure
the Jeep Cherokee was between him and his volatile wife.
"Home, Jeffrey!" she growled through clenched teeth while staring
at the door of the vehicle as if daring it to remain closed.
Jeff apprehensively climbed into the driver's seat and waited for
his wife.
"Unlock the door, Jeffrey!" Nabiki snarled loudly, still staring
at the offending door.
Jeff quickly complied and watched warily as his wife entered the
vehicle with all the dignity she could muster, given the
circumstances. Jeff couldn't help but notice the seam on her skirt
had torn slightly, revealing her stylishly cut underwear as she
settled into the passenger seat.
Jeff opened his mouth to say something.
"Start the car, Jeffrey!"
Lightly blowing out a deep breath to indicate his exasperation
with the whole affair, Jeff quickly got the Jeep out of the University
parking lot and back on the road. Figuring all she needed was a quiet
drive to calm down, he set off in the opposite direction of their
home.
Absently, Nabiki reached up for her sun glasses. Setting them in
place, her face sank when she noticed the missing lens.
"Figures," she mumbled as she removed her glasses and casually
tossed them into the back seat. "Jeffrey, this would never have
happened at *my* school."
"Well, I..."
"And you wouldn't believe what that blonde... loose.... woman of
the evening said to me." Nabiki's face went hard as she contemplated
how she would get her revenge on those who mocked and abused her
today.
"I'm sure she..."
"And I haven't been mauled like that since the Tokyo subway."
"I can tell..."
"I find it hard to understand why you donate so much money to
that... that... wild animal park.
"Well..."
"I find it even harder to believe *you're* going to attend that
university, Jeffrey. What on earth has gotten in to you?"
"Hey, the whole thing was your idea. I was quite content with my
life as it was but Nooooooo, you wanted Professor Brainiac for a
husband. Wasn't the financial fortune enough?"
"Jeffrey, you were doing this for your daughter, remember?"
"I was doing this because *you* insisted!" Jeff was becoming
irritated at his wife's inability to recall how all this got started.
"Jeffrey, I'm *not* going to be married to a baka!"

The couple continued to shout back and forth as they drove out
the east shore of Oahu. Somewhere around the last stop light, they
passed a newer Mercedes.
"Was that the Lawrences?" Kei asked her husband as she twisted
around in the front seat quickly enough to keep the rampaging Jeep
Cherokee in sight as it lumbered out of town.
"Hmmmm, it would appear they are having another of their
'disagreements'." Jim Bateman, friend and now personal attorney for
Jeff Lawrence, sighed as he prepared to make a 'U' turn and follow the
bickering couple.
"Well, step on it, you idiot. We gotta catch up with them.
There's no telling *what* that maniac will do to her." Kei was
visibly upset. She and Nabiki were never close friends but knew of
each other and their respective early lives. There was a bit of
respect that passed between them, respect for what each had been
through to get where they were now.
Jim gunned the Mercedes as he swung around and set off in pursuit
of the speeding Cherokee. He was used to the 'disagreements' the
Lawrences were famous for. For the most part, the couple behaved in
an adult manner. However, they still had their moments when they
fought like children. Neither would give an inch in their struggle to
'one up' the other. Jim was just thankful that they usually found a
way of doing it without little Sodoshi getting caught in the
crossfire. In his line of work he'd seen far too many children caught
in fights between their parents. It was the one part of his job he
hated the most.
He was also thankful that, up to now, they had never done
anything serious to each other. Seeing their animated disagreement as
they passed through the last intersection convinced, at least, Kei
there was trouble ahead. Jim, however, figured they were just up to
their usual childishness and followed only to keep it from getting out
of hand. After all, they sometimes still needed adult supervision.
Jeff and Nabiki continued to trade 'points' about the day's
fiasco at school until Jeff abruptly turned off the main road, down a
narrow access road and onto a deserted beach. Slipping the Jeep into
4 wheel drive, Jeff accelerated towards the waters edge. Nabiki
continued her verbal assault on her husband, making sure he understood
that today's disaster was all his fault.
By the time the Jeep reached the water, Jim's Mercedes was just
turning onto the path leading to the same beach. He and Kei arrived
in time to see the Cherokee plow into the surf.
"My god! He's going to drown her!" Kei pounded on her husband's
shoulder.
"Naw," Jim replied with a soft Tennessee drawl, although he
didn't sound all that convinced. "He wouldn't do that."
With a noisy splash, the Cherokee came to a stop in the shallow
surf, the water lapping gently at its doors. Jeff bounded out of the
car and splashed his way around to Nabiki's side. Sensing what he was
up to, she quickly locked her door and displayed a unladylike amount
of tongue. Jeffrey, however, had an answer for that. Pressing his
remote keyless entry device on his keychain, he saw Nabiki's eyes grow
wide as the locks popped open again. Before she could respond,
Jeffrey yanked open the door and reached in.
"What are you doing?!?" she yelled as she felt his arms go around
her waist.
With a grunt, Jeff struggled to slide her out of the seat. It
wasn't easy as Nabiki still had her seat belt on and, while he was
dealing with that, she took every opportunity to grab onto anything
she could reach to delay the inevitable.
Finally free of the vehicle, Jeff hefted his squirming wife over
his shoulder and headed for deeper water.
"Put me down!"
"You need to cool off!"
"Jeffrey, don't you daaaaaaaare!"
Her voice was cut off as her body disappeared into little more
than knee deep water. In seconds, she reappeared, sputtering and
growling. Jeff leaned over, placed his hands on his knees and glared
at his wife.
"You ready to calm down now?"
Nabiki glared right back at him before using both hands to splash
him with water.
"Fine. You can just soak there until you're ready to talk to me
in a civil manner." Jeff turned to leave.
Nabiki with visible snarl, sprung to her feet and splashed after
her husband. Demonstrating she was the daughter of a master martial
artist, not to mention a part-time student of Anne Lawrence, Nabiki
caught up with her husband, hooked a leg in front of his and, with a
sharp shove in his back, casually leveraged his feet out from under
him. He splashed down face first in shallow surf. With a 'harump' of
satisfaction and brushing some of the stringy wet hair out from in
front of her face, Nabiki calmly 'walked' over her husband's prostrate
form, using his posterior as a stepping stone, as she started for the
beach.

Back up on the access road, Jim Bateman was observing all this
through his binoculars.
"What are they doing now?" Kei anxiously asked as she squinted to
make out the wrestling forms in the surf.
"It would appear they're going for the best two out of three."

Down in the warm Pacific Ocean, Jeff Lawrence proved his shinobi
roots by lying still until the right moment. With a lightning quick
move, he reached out and grabbed his wife's ankle, causing her to
duplicate her husband's earlier prat-fall into the shallow water.
Scrambling to his feet, he bent over and hoisted a dazed Nabiki into
his arms. Setting her on the hood of the Jeep, Jeffrey leaned in
close.
"Are you calm enough now to talk to me like a reasonable human
being?" he asked pointedly.
Nabiki pouted and slowly dissolved into tears. Whether they were
real or not was another question. It was becoming harder and harder
for even *he* to detect the difference.
"You threw me in the water," she moaned softly.
"You're lucky I didn't throw you in a volcano. But then, you're
not a virgin, are you."
"You're mean."
"You're stubborn."
"You're not nice."
"You're head-strong."
"You're a brute."
"You're cute when wet."
The couple paused, breathing hard for more reasons than just the
exertion, before melting into a passionate embrace, locked together
like desperate lovers.

Up on the access road, Jim Bateman put away his binoculars. Kei,
however, started to open up her car door.
"Where are you going?" Jim asked in the midst of his repacking.
"To get the blanket out of the trunk for Nabiki. After what the
poor girl has been through..."
"Kei, I think she's being well taken care of."
Kei looked between the passionate couple on the beach and her
husband.
"You don't mean..."
"Knowing the Lawrences, I probably do."
"In the middle of the day?" Kei looked and sounded shocked.
Jim playfully reached out and patted Kei's shapely posterior.
"Let's go find our own deserted beach."
Kei giggled and blushed as she slid back into the car, closing
the door as she did.
"I hear Wahine Park is nice." Kei blushed even more at the
suggestion. She couldn't remember where exactly she heard about the
goings on at Wahine Park but it sounded so... appropriate right now.
One more glance at Jeff and Nabiki fueled her desire. "Well, hurry
up. Let's go."
Jim just chuckled as he put the Mercedes into gear and backed it
towards the main road. He knew full well it wasn't a good idea to
keep his lovely angel waiting.

***** 3 *****

Ranma and Akane had avoided each other for the last few weeks,
allowing their school schedules to rule their lives. Both were still
profoundly embarrassed Akane's 'seduction' attempt. However, by
Sunday, with both around the house, it became inevitable that they
would encounter each other.
"Oneechan?" Akane asked as she entered the kitchen. "Where's
Ranma?"
Akane's interest was more in what places to avoid than in making
contact with her fiance. Still, something in her wanted an encounter
to occur. There were things she wanted to discuss with him.
Important things.
Kasumi was in the process of preparing the evening meal but
paused long enough to answer her little sister.
"Well, it's Sunday afternoon. He's usually teaching over at
Inoue-sensei's dojo on Sunday afternoon's. So, I'd say that's where
he is." Kasumi carefully thought through her answer.
Akane's irritation at her fiance's absence was tempered when she
looked down at her hands and noticed the engagement ring she still
wore. It reminded her just how that ring was financed. That job also
proved that Ranma could be trusted to hold down a job and be a
provider - something very important if they were to ever marry.
Akane just nodded her acknowledgment and drifted out of the
kitchen, her mind caressing the image of Ranma becoming a sensei,
growing up to take some responsibility in his life. She sighed as she
made her way out the front door, bound for her usual afternoon workout
in the family dojo. As had become her custom in the last few years,
she brought along her boom-box tape player. Music made the workout's
more pleasant, more therapeutic, and helped her with her rhythm -
almost like a dance workout. It also helped her forget all the
troubles; Ranma, Ukyou, Shampoo, Kodachi... She sighed as she walked
the aging covered walkway leading to the dojo. It was never simple.
Her life was always so complicated.
She paused at the sight of Ami-chan racing through the yard,
intent on catching one of the many birds that sought to take refuge
inside the Tendo compound. Frustrated at her usual failure, Ami-chan
resorted to a ferocious string of loud barks. Akane scowled as the
dog's actions reminded her of another frustrated female; one more
human and more familiar.
With another sigh, she closed her eyes and shook her head. For
four years she had been engaged to Ranma. At first, she openly hated
the idea, mostly because she still held out the forlorn hope of
capturing the heart of Tofu-sensei. By the time she was finally
willing to accept Ranma, there were more than enough frustrations on
both sides.
Akane watched as Ami-chan circled a tree in the yard, barking
repeatedly. It was exactly the same reaction Akane so often had when
confronted with her frustration over Ranma. She would verbally lash
out, usually followed by some negative physical activity guaranteed to
'put off' just about everyone involved. With the sad realization that
she would have to work harder to change her ways, Akane climbed the
steps to the dojo.
Inside the door, she quickly became aware that she was not alone.
The soft sounds of rapidly moving feet accompanied a brief shadow that
displayed itself, then was gone. She froze as more movement from the
center of the dojo floor caught her attention. A flash of red and
black and it became clear that it was Ranma. Surprised to find her
fiance home instead of at work, Akane prepared to confront him on his
negligence when she happened to notice the kata he was doing.
Something about it seemed... familiar. She slid silently into the
shadows so as not to be seen while she watched Ranma continue his
workout.
He flowed slowly through the various positions and movements in
practiced and precise ways. Sometimes he flowed beautifully and
others he lashed out with precise and lethal looking strikes.
As she watched, the odd, familiar feeling grew stronger. This
kata *was* familiar, like the lyrics of a song. Akane could almost
count out the beats between movements, her breath coming in tiny gasps
as she watched him smoothly flow from position to position. As he
did, she began to notice more about him - little details she usually
didn't pay much attention to. She began to breathe a little faster at
the way his firm muscles flexed and rippled while he moved - the way
the sweat glistened on his skin - the firm, stoic look on his face
that never seemed to change from its confident, controlled expression.
She had to admit, he had physically matured into a truly impressive
specimen of a man. And to watch the masterful way he moved stirred
something inside her. Something she liked.
The last four years had been difficult for both. Ranma's other
fiancees continued their efforts, becoming ever so refined and clever
in their execution. They had both experienced close calls, minor
injuries, and hours of exasperation. Through it all, Ranma remained
steadfast and loyal in his dedication to Akane - the one he openly
pledged to marry.
As he finished his workout, she saw him smile at the floor,
almost chuckling as he did.
"Hi Akane." His voice was soft and non-demanding.
"How did you know..." she began but stopped herself. He was a
master at his craft. Over the years, he'd developed his senses to the
point where few could sneak up on him or in any way surprise him with
their presence. It would have been unusual for Akane to have been
able to remain hidden. With a slight scowl of concern, Akane slowly
emerged from the shadows.
"Why aren't you at work?" Her voice taking on her usual edge
caused Ranma to stiffen slightly before relaxing and offering an
answer.
"Inoue-sensei closed the school this weekend so he could attend
the wedding of his niece down in Osaka."
"Oh," Akane blushed as she suddenly felt guilty about suspecting
anything improper in Ranma's presence. She should have known him
better than that and chastised herself for what she had been thinking
before. She reminded herself of the barking Ami-chan and how she
needed to change.
In hopes of softening the atmosphere, she changed the subject.
"Ranma, what was that kata you were doing?"
"Oh, nothing special." He shyly rubbed the back of his head.
"Just something pop taught me when I was younger."
Akane smiled like she knew the answer to an inside joke. Ranma
paused as he recalled how cute she could look when she wanted to.
Secretly, he liked her smile.
"It looks like the same one daddy taught me when I was a little
girl."
"I suppose so." Ranma shrugged his shoulders and smiled back.
"I mean, our fathers *are* from the same school."
"Could you do it again? With me, I mean." Akane turned to set
up her boom-box.
"Sure... I guess." Ranma tried to look around her to see just
what she was up to. "Why the tape player?"
"Well, I've found that when I work out, music helps me relax and
concentrate."
"That's...," Ranma bit his tongue. He was about to point out how
stupid that was but quickly thought better of it. He, too, had
learned much in the last four years. Chief among his lessons was when
to keep his mouth shut. "... an interesting idea."
"You really think so?" Akane asked as she turned to look at her
fiance with wide eyes. She still wasn't used to him agreeing with
her.
Ranma swallowed hard and nodded, adding a slight smile to
reassure Akane of his sincerity. It must have worked because she
smiled, blushed and placed one of her tapes in the player.
"Come on," Akane urged as she pressed the 'play' button and
assumed a starting position on the floor. Ranma shyly struck his
starting pose while facing her, still unsure about all this.
At first, Akane was going to insist they both face the same way
but halted herself. She didn't know why, exactly. It just seemed
better this way.
As the music started, they began the kata. Their movements were
hesitant, at first, trying to match the beat of the music and each
other. But they quickly adjusted so that they were soon gliding
through the carefully choreographed steps as if they had been doing it
this way all their lives. They became mirror images of each other,
their movements precise, exact, and fluid.
Without a word, each eyed the other, less than three feet apart,
as they smoothly transitioned from position to position. Akane, once
again, marveling at the way his body moved; the beauty, the strength.
Ranma soon lost himself in the beautiful twin pools of brown that were
watching him so carefully. He could feel her doing more than watching
him as he moved. There was a kind of communication - one that seemed
to echo in the song.

"And sometimes when we touch,
The honesty's too much.
And I have to close my eyes and hide,
I wanna hold you til I die.
Til we both break down and cry,
I wanna hold you 'til the fear in be subsides."

Ranma could feel a kind of emotion building within him. An
emotion he'd been dealing with since the afternoon Akane tried to
'seduce' him. The longer the kata and music lasted, the stronger the
emotion built itself. The last time he felt this vulnerable, this
exposed, was the night Nabiki opened the old monk's cave and the Snow
Fox Clan was 'judged'. That night he, too, underwent the shinobi
'trial' and felt all the pain and suffering he caused those around
him, some he could justify but others he would always regret causing.
Akane was chief among them. Looking deep into her eyes, he could see
her walls crumbling, the true Akane opening up, revealing itself to
him in all her vulnerability. He could also see her eyes beginning to
water.
There were parts of the song that almost brought *him* to tears
as well.

"Romance and all its strategy,
Leaves me battling with my pride.
But through the insecurity,
Some tenderness survives.
I'm just another writer,
Still trapped within my truth.
A hesitant prize fighter,
Still trapped within my youth."

As the chorus replayed itself again, both renewed their actions
with increased vigor. It was as if they finally opened up and were
now drawing strength one another and feeding it back again, as they
had so often done in the past. Only this time, it was deeper, more
meaningful - it touched parts of them they had previously hidden.
They were a team, a pair, an inseparable constant in a changing
universe. Old Master Sato often talked of destiny. Not until this
moment did Ranma ever consider what that fully meant. As they
continued the kata, Ranma began to see his own destiny. His was with
Akane. They were incomplete apart. Only by uniting together in
marriage could they become whole.
As they approached the end of the kata and the song, the most
poignant and telling part of the lyrics seemed to echo throughout the
dojo, resonating through the very souls of the two martial artists.
It was as if the song was written for them alone.

"At times I'd like to break you,
And drive you to your knees.
At times I'd like to break through,
And hold you endlessly."

Another chorus and their movements became quicker, their hands
flashing in strikes only inches from each other's faces. Neither
reacted as their total concentration was focused on the person in
front of them. Their combined auras linked, combined, and flared
incandescently. The whole room was illuminated by their shared love.
When the music finally ended, each held their final positions,
their eyes locked, their breathing deep and reaching.
The communication continued.
<Don't ever leave me. I need you.>
Ranma saw the single tear slowly work its way down her cheek -
her only expression of the depth of her emotion. As if in sympathy,
he felt the room shudder, the windows rattling like an earthquake. He
had but an instant to brace himself as Akane threw herself into his
arms, locking the couple in a tight embrace, her head nestled firmly
under his chin.
Instead of fighting or resisting, as he had done so often in the
past. Ranma's arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her firm
body and drew her into a protective embrace; his cheek caressing her
soft hair in relief.
"I love you," Akane whispered after a sniff. "You don't know how
terrible the last few weeks have been for me. I've missed you so
much. I didn't know what to say or do."
Ranma shushed his fiancee and gently stroked her hair. He didn't
know what to say either, having so often in the past ruined tender
moments by opening his mouth and saying the wrong thing. He wasn't
going to damage *this* moment if it killed him.

***** 4 *****

Nabiki leaned in close to the mirror to apply her lipstick.
Tonight was a celebration, of sorts, and a chance for her to advance
her cause, namely Sodoshi's admission to Sunrise Hill Academy. She
and Jeffrey were going to a dinner that would host all the rich and
well known in the islands. It was some 'society' affair that Jeffrey
had been invited to, obviously because of his wealth. Nabiki,
however, was determined to put her own stamp on Hawaiian high society
while giving her daughter a boost towards the school of their
choosing.
In just about everything, things were going well for Nabiki. She
was rich, beautiful, a mother and doing extremely well in school,
making the Dean's List every semester and scheduled to graduate in
less than a year. A couple of her friends were even talking about
starting their own investment firm that would specialize in small
investors on a more personal level than the 'big' companies. Nabiki
smiled when she thought of being a major player in the financial
world. Unlike Jeffrey, who never sought fortune and now appeared
determined to give away great sums of his net worth through his
philanthropical endeavors, Nabiki was driven to become the richest
woman in America... perhaps even the world.
Standing in the master bath, still in her underwear, Nabiki
Tendo-Lawrence, the future richest woman in the world, was putting the
finishing touches on her makeup when she felt a tug on her garter
belt. It was Sodoshi.
"What is it, sweetheart?" Nabiki asked without even looking, her
voice flat and mechanical. She didn't have time for this and it
showed.
"Will you read me a story?" Sodoshi asked plaintively as she held
out one of her favorite books.
"Can't, honey." Nabiki pursed her lips while checking every
possible angle of her make up. "Getting ready to go out with your
daddy. Very important."
"Oh."
Slowly, Sodoshi withdrew the book and stared at her mother. With
curious eyes, she scanned every inch of her mother's body, before
asking her next question.
"Mommy, will I be as pretty as you when I grow up?"
Nabiki seemed to jerk to a halt at the question. It was so
innocent, so honest, so hard to answer. With a sly but brief smile,
Nabiki turned to her daughter.
"I don't see why not. You're my daughter." Nabiki smiled
condescendingly at Sodoshi and returned to checking her makeup.
Sodoshi, not really satisfied with or fully understanding her
mother's answer switched to examining her mother's legs.
"Mommy, what are those?" She pointed to her mother's nylons.
With an exasperated sigh, Nabiki turned again to her daughter.
She was becoming a nuisance. Her face was decidedly 'non-motherly'.
"They're called 'nylon stockings'. They are supposed to make my
legs look pretty."
Sodoshi slowly ran her hand over her mother's nylon-encased
thigh.
"Smooooth," she said in awe.
Nabiki smiled as sincerely as she could but really was beginning
to feel pressed for time. She glanced at her watch, her irritation
clear. She had to finish getting ready for the dinner and Sodoshi was
annoying her with a lot of foolish questions that could easily wait
for some other time.
"Mommy, why do you put that stuff on your lips?" Sodoshi had
switched from feeling her mother's leg to scowling at her mother's
face in the mirror. Nabiki was growing increasingly irritated at her
daughter.
"It makes me look pretty. Now go away." Nabiki's voice had
taken on a sharper edge while dealing with her child. Apparently
Sodoshi agreed as she took an involuntary step back, like her mother
just scared her. Nabiki quickly tried to explain herself. The adult
terms she used and her frustrated tone of voice only fueled the
situation.
"I don't have time for you tonight. Okay?"
Nabiki felt a sudden stab of regret at how badly she just treated
Sodoshi. After all, the child was only curious. She didn't deserve
the response Nabiki just gave. The look on Sodoshi's face was fear;
fear of her mother.
Before Nabiki could formulate an appropriate apology, Sodoshi
took matters into her own hands and bolted from the bathroom.
"Sodoshi?" Nabiki called after the tiny pounding feet that marked
her daughter's flight. She took only a couple of steps, following her
daughter before halting. She didn't mean to chase Sodoshi off. It
was just that she was in a hurry to get ready for this dinner. It was
going to be a very important dinner, important for Sodoshi. She
simply couldn't be late.
Sadly, Nabiki returned to her mirror. Leaning heavily on the
counter, she looked deeply into the eyes of her reflection. Why
couldn't she say the right things around Sodoshi? She loved her
daughter. She wanted the best for her. She was willing to do
whatever necessary to assure her daughter a prosperous future.
Couldn't Sodoshi see that? Why couldn't Sodoshi just understand her
mother was working very hard for her? Nabiki's irritation flared.
After all, she was doing far more than *her* mother ever....
Nabiki closed her eyes and fought the wave of regret that
threatened to overwhelm her for what she just thought. It wasn't her
mother's fault she died. It wasn't her mother's fault Nabiki had to
grow up without a mother's guidance. It wasn't her mother's fault
they didn't get along when she *was* alive.
Slowly, Nabiki lowered her head until it rested on her folded
arms on the counter. She was wrong in her treatment of Sodoshi.
She'd make it up to the child. Perhaps, she could bring her something
from the dinner. Maybe a paper parasol or something.

Down in Sodoshi's room, it appeared empty - until you looked in
the 'punishment corner'. The place where Nabiki would have Sodoshi
kneel in meditation when she misbehaved. There, on her knees, her
back straight and head erect, was little Sodoshi Lawrence. Proudly
serving her self-punishment for angering her mother. As she stared at
the corner, her eyes glazed and unfixed, she replayed her mother's
outburst over and over in her head.
<"I don't have time for you."> repeatedly echoed in Sodoshi's
head. Each time, the words hurt worse than the last.
On the outside it would have been difficult to tell how much of a
turmoil was going on inside the girl. Only a single tear, slowly
working its way down her cheek betrayed her pain. Only the redness of
her eyes marked her sorrow.

***** 5 *****

"Oh, Ranma," Akane gasped. "That feels so goooood."
"How about this?" Ranma's breathless voice echoed through the
seemingly empty dojo.
"Harder! Don't stop! Don't stop! Oh! Oh!"
Akane's long, satisfied groan finally marked her relief. Ranma,
exhausted from his exertion, collapsed against the wall.
"Akane, you wouldn't get these leg cramps in the winter if you'd
warm up properly."
"I know," Akane moaned as she continued to rub her leg that only
moments before was painfully cramped. "It's just I get in a hurry."
"I can't believe how long it takes to rub one of those things out
of your calves."
"I said I'm sorry! Okay?" Akane's irritation started climbing.
It never really had very far to go. "I don't warm up as fast as you."
"Maybe you should start earlier instead of hanging around your
room putting on perfume and stuff."
"I'm not putting on perfume, you jerk. It's called deodorant.
You ought to try it some time."
"You suggesting I smell?"
"Ranma, when you sweat, half the flies in Nerima follow you."
Ranma was about to offer one of his witty retorts when they both
heard someone clearing their throat from the doorway. Slowly they
turned to see Kasumi, bundled against the cold and holding a little
wooden tray containing a small bottle and a pair of shallow cups.
"I was just leaving to go help my husband with some paperwork
down at his clinic and thought I would drop off some sake for you two.
It being such a cold day and all, I thought it would help keep you
warm." Kasumi paused, a disappointed look on her face. "I had
assumed there were two adults out here. Sake is not for children."
"Sorry, Oneechan," Akane offered sheepishly.
"Yeah, sorry." Ranma even looked like he regretted the incident.
"That's better." Kasumi quietly shuffled over to the pair and
set the tray between them. "I'll be back in time to cook dinner.
Father is helping Mr. Saotome with some project and will be home in a
couple of hours."
Kasumi started to leave, then paused.
"You two behave yourselves, okay?"
"Yes, Oneechan," they answered together. Kasumi replied only
with a smile as she bundled herself against the Tokyo winter weather
and left for Tofu's clinic.
Ranma wasted no time in pouring two cups of the warm liquid. As
they filled, both cups seemed to cast tiny clouds of steam above their
surface, like two small hot springs. Handing one to Akane, Ranma
settled back against the wall and gently cupped the tiny bowl-shaped
container in his hands, savoring its warmth.
"That was sure nice of Oneechan," Akane said between quiet sips
of sake. She relished the warm feeling as the liquid slid down her
throat, driving the chill from her body.
"Yeah, she sure takes care of us."
"She always has," Akane wistfully said as she rolled the cup back
and forth in her hands, spreading the warmth out to her fingers.
"You really believe all that stuff about her and Tofu-sensei?"
"What stuff?" Akane took another sip while wearing an innocent
look.
"You know, all the things they supposedly.... do."
"Do?"
Ranma grimaced at how close he was coming to a full description
of the things he'd only heard about. He found it so completely
impossible that Kasumi and Tofu-sensei would behave in such a way.
Kasumi was so much like... like... well, like his mother and he
definitely couldn't see *her* doing some of the things he'd heard
about.
"What they do when they're alone." Ranma blushed deeply and
scowled at his cup. "Things that husbands and wives do.... together.
You know."
Akane blushed and chuckled lightly. She, too, had heard all the
rumors about the goings on between Kasumi and her husband down at the
clinic. About how they would hang an 'Out to Lunch' sign on the door
and.... well, they were *not* filing papers, that's for sure. Akane
knew more of their escapades because of Nabiki. Her older sister
filled her in completely about the Ono honeymoon. Especially the part
about the late night trip to Wahine Park.
But she wasn't too sure just how much to reveal to Ranma. After
all, he wasn't 'officially' family.... yet.
"Oh, I'm sure it's exaggeration. You know how people talk."
Ranma snorted and shook his head. With a shy smile he reminded
himself that they were talking about Kasumi here. Heck, *all* the
Tendo girls were about as 'un-sexy' as he could imagine. Kasumi was
simply too.... perfect for such things. Nabiki... well, knowing her
like Ranma did, he couldn't see her doing much beyond what she had to
in order to get pregnant the first time. As for Akane... well, she
had her moments but it was still hard seeing her as something other
than a tomboy - most of the time. He turned to look at her as she
sipped more of the warm sake. He couldn't help himself. She looked
so... cute sitting like that.
"Akane..." He hesitated and tried to gather himself again.
"Hmmmmm?"
"You know... all the things they're saying about Kasumi... and
Nabiki..."
"Hmmmmm?"
"Well, do you ever... you know... think about it?" There it was
out in the open. Finally. Ranma collapsed back against the wall and
waited for the mallet or whatever violent reaction Akane could think
of.
"It?" Akane's voice sounded detached and unconcerned. Like she
was asking about a school assignment or something. Ranma decided to
press his luck.
"You know.... the rumors about Kasumi and Tofu-sensei... what
they're always... doing."
"Oh, that." Akane tried to sound unconcerned but couldn't fully
hide her blush at the suggestion.
An uncomfortable silence prevailed in the dojo. You could
clearly hear the wind outside causing the old joints of the building
to creek softly.
"Sometimes," Akane admitted shrinking her head down further
between her shoulders out of embarrassment. Just admitting such a
thing to Ranma scared her a little. It was such a personal and
private thought - something she never used to even *consider*
revealing to her fiance. Today, though....
"I sometimes dream of you," Ranma softly admitted.
Akane's eyes went wide and she slowly looked at Ranma. At first,
it was like him admitting he was spying on her as she bathed or
changed clothes or something. She could feel her old anger bubbling
to the surface. Then it occurred to her that he might just be
dreaming of her for another reason, one that stroked her ego.
"You do?"
"Why do you think I sleep in my girl form so often?"
Akane just shrugged and sipped a little more sake as she
contemplated his point... not that she could see one clearly.
"I don't want pop to know. He thinks dreaming about girls is
'unmanly' or something." Ranma looked miserable with that revelation
and he slumped down further. "I've had these dreams almost every
night since I gave you that ring, Akane."
Akane's eyes went from her fiance to the ring with the tiny
diamond that she wore everywhere. Nervously, she thumbed the tiny
band and pursed her lips. Ranma was dreaming of *her* - not Shampoo,
not Kodachi, not even Ukyou, but HER.
Ranma gently poured more sake into her cup and she reciprocated
for him before softly replacing the bottle back on the tray.
"I donno," Ranma said with a heavy sigh, certain she never
dreamed of *him*. "I suppose I shouldn't expect you to have those
dreams with such a 'pervert' living with you."
"What are you talking about, Ranma?" Akane's shocked reply was
matched by her equally shocked look. "I only used the 'pervert' label
because I couldn't think of anything else to say the day you surprised
me in the bath. I certainly don't think of you that way now."
"Oh?" Ranma set his cup on the tray and stood up. "You don't,
huh?"
Ranma walked over to a small bucket that was catching melted ice
water from the leaky dojo roof. Without fanfare, he raised the bucket
and dumped the small amount of cold water over his head. Instantly,
he went through the transformation, shivering as his anatomy altered
itself to conform to his cursed form. In seconds, a female Ranma
Saotome stood alone in the center of the dojo.
"Can you really love someone that looks like this?" Ranma-chan
bitterly asked. "Can you dream at night of sleeping with THIS Ranma
Saotome?"
Akane took a sad tour of her fiance's body and lowered her head
in shame. It was true. She was never able to see past the physical
form of Ranma Saotome. She had never been able to accept his curse.
She was simply not able to adjust to the fact that underneath the
female exterior was still the male Ranma she so desperately wanted to
love. She shuddered and sighed loudly. Perhaps *that* was the reason
she treated him so badly in the past. Instead of him, it was *her*
that was the problem all along. Slowly, she hid her face with her
cold hands.
"Until I get rid of this curse..." Ranma-chan flapped her arms
and looked disgusted. "I don't blame you for not--"
Ranma-chan's words were cut off by Akane's slow rise to her feet.
Akane paused in silence for a few seconds before drifting towards
Ranma-chan like a ghost, her feet softly gliding across the polished
wood floor of the dojo.
Next to her fiance, Akane stood almost eye-to-eye in his female
form. Carefully, like she was seeing him this way for the first time,
she looked at his face. A hand soon followed, its fingers gently
following where Akane's eyes went, tracing the contours of her
fiance's face.
He had to admit, he liked the feel of her touch. He liked it
enough to close his eyes and submit to whatever she had in mind.
Akane, fighting 'what appeared to be' and struggled to move aside
the fog that was obscuring 'what really was', moved ever closer to
Ranma-chan - their chests almost touching. This was the defining
moment for Akane. Either she accepted him here and now in his female
form or acknowledge forever that it would always, in some manner,
stand between them - a barrier that she couldn't overcome.
Ranma-chan's breathing became more rapid and ragged as Akane's
fingers traced across her cheek and under her jaw. The touch was so
gentle, so loving, so erotic. Ranma-chan fought her emotions and
awaited what came next.
Both were thinking about how it was now or never for their
relationship. Either she could totally accept him this way or there
was no future for them - ever.
Akane shocked even herself at what she did next.
As if to prove her acceptance of his condition, Akane's arms slid
quickly around her fiance's neck and she abruptly pulled their faces
together, instigating a long, deep kiss. Her soft lips caressing
Ranma-chan's in a slow, sensual exploration.
As their lips met, Ranma-chan's body instinctively stiffened -
there being a little of the female spirit left in the curse; enough
that the thought of female-to-female intimacies could cause such a
hesitation.
Soon, Ranma's male side asserted itself and Ranma-chan began to
return the kiss, her arms slowly enveloping Akane's lithe body and
drawing them closer together until their breasts compressed almost
painfully against each other.
<I know you're still Ranma inside. I love you, Ranma. I always
will.>
Ranma felt the same way he did the day they did the kata together
- like they were one, complete only when together. Whatever form he
was in, he was still Ranma Saotome, fiance of Akane Tendo the girl he
wanted more than anything to spend the rest of his life with. He also
felt like crying at the release of inhibitions. He had nothing more
to hide. The last barrier was down.
Their intimacies were interrupted by the sound of a small gasp
coming from the doorway.
Ranma-chan and Akane froze, their lips still locked together,
their eyes wide at being discovered. Slowly, they rolled their heads
together, their kiss now forgotten, to look at who made the noise.
There, standing in the doorway, her hands covering her mouth, was
Kasumi. She had returned because she had forgotten to ask Akane to
shop for some pork for dinner when she interrupted the 'shocking'
sight before her.
"Ah...." Kasumi tried to say something - anything.
She remembered all of Akane's protestations about not liking
'boys' while growing up.
"Ah...."
She remembered all of Akane's reactions to the 'male' Ranma.
"Ah...."
She remembered all of Akane's 'tomboyish' ways.
"Ah...."
She especially wondered just how long this had been going on
without her knowing about it.
Akane, now keenly aware that she was clutching a red-headed
female in a passionate embrace, froze while giving her sister a
'you-caught-me' look.
Ranma-chan, intimately aware of Akane's body pressed up against
hers and equally aware of the effect *that* was having on her,
frantically tried to think of something to say.
Finally, Kasumi found her voice.
"Wouldyoupleasegotothemarketandgetsomeporkfordinnergottagobye."
With that, Kasumi bolted from the dojo and back out into the cold.
For several seconds, Ranma-chan and Akane remained in their warm
embrace, staring at the spot where Kasumi had only moments before
stood.
"Think she noticed?" Ranma-chan asked in a shaky voice.
"That would be my guess."
"Think she'll tell?"
"Don't know."
"Pop's gonna kill me."
"Probably."
The two girls slowly looked at each other before breaking into
giggles.
"Did you see the look on her face?"
"She was speechless."
"Except for the part about dinner. What do you think she wanted
me to do?"
"Before or after she caught us?"
"Never mind." Akane sighed her resignation. "I'll call her at
Tofu's."
"What, and break up *their* intimacies?"
"If I'm lucky." Akane grinned mischievously.
Almost reluctantly, Akane disengaged herself from her fiance's
arms. With a shy smile, she took Ranma-chan's hand and started for
the door.
"In any case, it's cold in here. Let's go get you back to normal
and take a hot bath so we can, you know, warm up a little."
Ranma-chan hesitated before following.
"Ah, Akane," she bit her lower lip nervously. "Aren't you afraid
that something might 'happen'?"
"Ranma, nothing's going to happen. I promise." Akane shook her
head as she led him to the door. As an after thought she playfully
added, "You jerk."
"Tomboy."
"Pervert."
"Kawaiikunee."
There was a short, suspenseful pause before Akane resumed towards
the house. Her face almost a painful smile.
"Sorry, Akane. I didn't mean it. Still love me?" Ranma-chan
asked apprehensively.
"Of course, silly. I know you don't really mean some of the
things you say." She glanced at the red-headed female she was leading
by the hand. "Just like *I* don't mean all the unkind things I
sometimes say."
Ranma-chan squeezed Akane's hand and willingly allowed herself to
be led to the family bath. Akane, at least this day, was true to her
word.

***** 6 *****

Nabiki knelt in the hallway outside the testing room at Sunrise
Hill Academy and carefully brushed her daughter's hair while checking
her little dress for any imperfections. Everything had to be perfect.
This was Sodoshi's big day - the day she would take the entrance test
for Sunrise Hill.
"Now, you've studied like I asked, right?" Nabiki asked in as
friendly a voice as she could manage.
"Yes, mommy." Sodoshi's response was less than enthusiastic.
"And you look just perfect."
"Yes, mommy."
"And you'll do your best in there."
"Yes, mommy."
"Good, because it's very important that you pass this test."
Nabiki stood up and fidgeted with her own business suit. "We want you
to go to the best school possible."
"Yes, mommy."
Nabiki was about to offer her daughter more 'words of
encouragement' when she was interrupted by a secretary from the
testing room doorway.
"Mrs. Lawrence, we'll interview little Sodoshi now."
Nabiki bit her tongue to avoid correcting the woman as to her
last name and smiled her response. Patting Sodoshi on the head, she
gently pushed the apprehensive little girl towards the testing room.
As Sodoshi passed the secretary, she paused and looked back at
her mother.
"Do your best," Nabiki said in Japanese.
Sodoshi's only response was a short, sharp bow of unhappy
acknowledgment before disappearing into the room.
"You can wait down with the other mothers in the reception area.
We have coffee and fresh Danish." The secretary pointed down the hall
and added an enigmatic smile.
Nabiki thanked her politely and walked briskly towards the
indicated area, her head erect and wearing a look of upper class
confidence. Things were going exactly as she planned. Sodoshi would
pass the entrance exam, attend Sunrise Hill, and Nabiki would then
assume her rightful place among the wealthy elite of Hawaiian society.
It was all so perfect.
In the reception area, Nabiki was a bit surprised to find it
empty. Figuring the other mothers were simply off to the ladies room
or something, she snagged a Danish and found herself a comfortable
chair behind a small jungle of plants to read the school's handbook.
She was carefully perusing the handbook when she heard the other
mothers returning. Judging from the sounds, there were three of them.
"Can you believe who they're going to interview tomorrow?" one
asked conspiratorially.
"Oh, I know." another gasped in an exaggerated manner. "Another
Chinese family."
The others groaned at the notion.
"Don't we have our quota of those people yet? What is the father
this time?"
"I think he sells cars or something."
They groaned again.
"I don't know why these people continue to apply to Sunrise Hill.
They have to know they are simply not Sunrise material. Why can't
they go to their own schools. I mean, if they start letting those
types in, they'll have to let everyone in."
"I know what you mean. I hear they're interviewing Jeff
Lawrence's daughter today."
"Hmmmm, isn't he the one who married that... Japanese...
schoolgirl?"
"Oh, yes. Well, the age of consent IS younger there you know."
"You don't mean..."
"Probably. I've seen 'Shogun'. They drop into the sack at the
first grin from a white male."
"Maybe he just wanted his own private geisha."
The women all giggled.
"She probably got pregnant to trap him."
"Wonderful. He gets waited on hand and foot and we get another
'half-breed'."
"Honestly, I can't understand why these men can't find white
girls to marry. I mean, after all, there are lots of eligible young
ladies from respectable families out there."
"Well, maybe if they let the little Lawrence girl in, we can take
a field trip to the Arizona Memorial."
"Yeah, and take her Jap mother with us too." The lady switched
to phony oriental voice. "Look what honorable ancestors did.
Banzai!"
They all giggled loudly at their cleverness.
The women's revelry was interrupted by the same woman who
escorted Sodoshi into the testing room.
"Mrs. Lawrence?" she called from the hallway.
Nabiki, still sitting behind the plants, the school handbook long
since crumpled into an unrecognizable form in her hand, was staring
straight ahead at the pictures on the wall, her body only slightly
vibrating.
"Mrs. Lawrence?"
Abruptly, Nabiki stood up, smoothed her skirt, and marched
towards the hallway. Upon passing the other women, who were nervously
exchanging glances, Nabiki paused.
"By the way," she said in a sharp, flat voice without even
looking at the women. "The name is Tendo-Lawrence. Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence.
Don't you ever forget it."
With that, Nabiki passed the woman who had come for her and led
the way down the hall, her head erect, her back straight.
Encountering Sodoshi in the hallway, Nabiki switched to her native
Japanese.
"How was your test, Sodoshi? You weren't in there very long."
Sodoshi just shrugged her shoulders.
"All they asked was: 'Which is your right hand' and stuff like
that."
"Are you sure?" Nabiki was shocked at the simplicity of the
test. Surely, Sodoshi must be mistaken about its complexity. Why
else would they have her prepare using a special video tape if the
test was going to be so simple?
"Well, they did ask about Daddy." Sodoshi looked questioningly
at her mother, like she wasn't sure if she did something wrong or not.
Further interrogation of Sodoshi was derailed when the lady
reappeared and directed Nabiki and Sodoshi back into the room where
the 'test' had been conducted.
Offered seats in front of a long table where the Admissions Board
was seated, Nabiki suspiciously sat down. Sodoshi easily slid into
the seat next to her mother, her little legs swinging nervously as she
took time to look around the room. Nabiki, however, eyed the small
panel that was busy shuffling through papers, reading a few, and
commenting quietly on some point or another they found interesting.
Finally, the Director of Admissions looked up and smiled at
Nabiki.
"Welcome Mrs. Lawrence," she said with a practiced smile. Nabiki
cautiously returned the courtesy but refrained from correcting the
lady about her name. After all, there would be ample time for that
later.
"We want you to know how pleased we are that Mr. Lawrence and you
have chosen Sunrise Hill Academy for your daughter's education. I'm
sure you will agree that we offer the most progressive educational
environment possible in Hawaii." She paused and smiled sweetly at
Sodoshi. "We are most impressed with little Sodoshi. She is an
exceptionally intelligent and well mannered young lady. I'm sure
she'll make a fine addition to our school."
Nabiki cautiously smiled and nodded to the lady's remarks about
her daughter. However, something about all this didn't feel right.
Her sense of danger was tingling now - warning her that there was
something wrong about this entire setup.
"We only have a couple of questions for you, Mrs. Lawrence. Then
we can finish the enrollment process and little Sodoshi will be
officially accepted into the Pre-School Class for the coming school
year."
The lady shuffled a few papers, looking for one in particular.
Nabiki took the opportunity to quickly scan the other members of the
panel, looking for anything about them that might tip her off to why
this made her so uneasy.
Next to the Director of Admissions was a seedy looking man in a
rumpled suit and ugly little bow tie. His little half-moon glasses
kept slipping down his nose as he quietly conversed with the director,
causing him constantly push them back into place between mopping the
bald patch on the top of his head with a handkerchief. He wore like
some regal robe the rarified air of academic arrogance. His presence
seemed to ooze condescension and self-importance. Nabiki quickly
developed an instant dislike for him.
On the opposite side was a younger lady with long brunette hair
pulled back by a wide hair band. She shifted in her seat nervously,
like she was uncomfortable with having to sit on the same panel with
the other two. She was obviously new to this process and radiated her
discomfort broadly.
Nabiki was still assessing the younger lady when the director
found the paper she was looking for and smiled once again at Nabiki.
Her look caused Nabiki to shiver.
"We just want to check a few facts on your application, if you
don't mind," she said with a disturbing degree of authority.
Nabiki was convinced now that it was this matronly-looking white-
haired woman that made her so uncomfortable. Something in the way she
looked at the two of them felt almost... contemptuous.
"I understand you are the wife of Jeffrey Lawrence."
Nabiki nodded but continued to watch the white-haired director
with the artificial smile.
"And Sodoshi is his daughter?"
A frown floated across Nabiki's face as she tried to figure out
where this line of questioning was going. From what parts she *could*
gather, she didn't like the picture it was forming.
"I don't understand." Nabiki wanted a clarification before she
answered for more reasons than just wanting to understand the
question. She had learned long ago to be careful with her answers.
Especially in a hostile environment.
"What we want to know is if Jeffrey Lawrence is the 'natural'
father of little Sodoshi. Did he 'father' the child?" the balding man
in the bad suit asked - almost too pointedly for Nabiki's taste.
"Sodoshi was born New Year's Day three years ago here in
Honolulu. I am the mother of record and Jeffrey is the father. Is
that what you're looking for?" Nabiki's eyes began to narrow and she
was developing a really bad feeling about all this.
Apparently Nabiki's reaction to the question did not go
unnoticed.
"Please do not take offence at the question, Mrs. Lawrence," the
young lady said in a soft voice while leaning forward and clasping her
hands together on the table in front of her. "We simply wish to
establish if Mr. Lawrence is Sodoshi's natural father. That's all."
Nabiki nodded while glancing suspiciously between the board
members.
"Well," the director said with a practiced, almost forced smile -
like she was doing a great favor. "Under the circumstances, I'm sure
my fellow board members would agree that Sodoshi is certainly Sunrise
Hill material and should be admitted as a student. Congratulations."
Nabiki thanked the board and looked at her daughter. Sodoshi was
slumped down in the chair, like a defendant at a trial who had just
been declared 'guilty' of all charges. She did not look happy.
The board began talking in low voices among themselves leaving
Nabiki to ponder what just happened. Indeed, Nabiki had gotten what
she wanted. She had won again. But something about that 'victory'
bothered her. The phantom 'test' of Sodoshi. The odd interview. The
general lack of discussion about Sodoshi's educational goals. Was
this really all legitimate? After all, this was her daughter they
were talking about. Sodoshi was supposed to be getting a good
education so she could eventually take over her mother's fortune. So,
why couldn't she shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong?
"Excuse me," she said, almost before she knew she was speaking.
Her voice had the desired effect as the mini-conversations among the
board members came to an immediate halt.
"I don't wish to sound ungrateful but could I please see the test
my daughter passed to gain admission to this school?"
Nabiki's question seemed to cause the room to grow suddenly cold.
"That would be most irregular, Mrs. Lawrence," the man said in a
most condescending voice.
"Nevertheless, I wish to know what tests were conducted to
determine my daughter's suitability for this school." Nabiki was
growing insistent and more determined to get to the bottom of this
'testing' business.
"Sodoshi is obviously such a bright and well behaved young lady -
a perfect addition to Sunrise Hill." The man nervously adjusted his
suit coat as he talked; like he'd been challenged in his expert
opinion - or asked to tell the truth when the truth would prove more
dangerous. "Our testing procedures are obviously not to be made
public as other schools would quickly pick them up for their own use."
"I thank you for your evaluation of my daughter but I want to
know why Sodoshi wasn't tested." Nabiki finally caught up with
exactly why all this made her so uneasy. Sodoshi had obviously not
been evaluated by the board - her parents were. Or more precisely,
her father was. Sodoshi Lawrence was being admitted to the school
simply because she was the daughter of Jeffrey Lawrence,
multimillionaire. As long as that was factual, who the mother was
didn't matter. Nabiki's very existence wasn't even a matter for
discussion.
"Mrs. Lawrence," the director began in a slightly irritated but
steady voice. Her smile had mysteriously vanished. "Sodoshi has
already been accepted. I don't see where the question of her testing
is relevant any longer."
"Then it's true that my daughter was admitted solely on the basis
of her father." Nabiki, as usual, cut to the heart of the matter.
All three members of the board fidgeted nervously. The director
adjusted her necklace and glared at Nabiki.
"I understand your reluctance, due to your Japanese background
and all..."
"What about my Japanese background?" Nabiki interrupted
pointedly. This statement along with the comments of the ladies in
the foyer were leading Nabiki to a very nasty conclusion about Sunrise
Hill. A truth that was, only now, beginning to emerge from the twin
fogs of wishful thinking and blind ambition.
"All we are saying is that we understand your irresoluteness due
to your experience with the obviously inferior Japanese public school
system." The younger member of the board was attempting to smooth
over the disagreement between Nabiki and the board's director. She
wasn't doing a very good job. "Those schools do nothing to engender
in their students independence, freedom of thought, and self-esteem."
"They simply teach their students the importance of study,
scholarship, and achievement," Nabiki interrupted. "I might also add
that *I'm* a graduate of that school system."
"Which is exactly why we don't fully expect you to understand how
our school functions or why we choose the students we do." The man
ceased his fidgeting and was now gripping the table, his knuckles
turning white from the exertion. He couldn't understand why this...
this Asian immigrant was questioning their motives.
"Perhaps it would be best if you took some time to discuss
further with Mr. Lawrence as to whether or not he wishes little
Sodoshi to attend Sunrise Hill," the director noted pointedly as she
briskly stuffed Sodoshi's papers into a file.
"When you decide, have Mr. Lawrence give us a call."
Nabiki abruptly stood up with Sodoshi quickly following. With a
polite bow to the board, Nabiki stomped towards the door. Just before
she exited, Nabiki paused and turned once again to the board.
"By the way, the name is Tendo-Lawrence. Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence."

Her eyes glowing with anger, Nabiki snagged Sodoshi's hand and
departed the school with what dignity she had left.

During the cab ride home, Nabiki leaned against the back seat
door and stared out the window. She couldn't believe how badly all
this had gone. She couldn't believe how seriously she misjudged the
situation or how unfortunately she allowed her ambition to cloud her
common sense. She also couldn't believe she almost sent her only
child to be 'educated' in such an environment. Nabiki sniffed back
her tears of frustration and glared at passing traffic.
"Mommy?"
Slowly, Nabiki turned her head to look at her daughter. Two tear
streaks marked the girl's pretty cheeks. Spots on her light skirt
told of others that had come before. Despite that, Sodoshi sat
upright and looked to her mother.
"I'm sorry, mommy. I tried my best."
Nabiki looked at her daughter, her mind a whirl of emotions,
thoughts, and developing plans. It wasn't Sodoshi's fault, Nabiki
knew that much. The child did everything Nabiki asked of her this
day. In spite of that, Sodoshi still believed what happened was
somehow her fault. She deserved comforting, or at least
understanding.
Nabiki, however, was not in the mood to provide either. All she
offered was her own philosophy on life. The very thing that had
served her well for 21 years.
"Never cry, Sodoshi. *Never* let them see you cry."
"Yes, mommy." Sodoshi sniffed and obediently wiped her eyes.
She finished by trying to duplicate her mother's firm-jawed look.
An act Nabiki missed as she turned again to the window and stared
blankly out. A single tear worked its way loose and tumbled down her
cheek. Her mind had already joined forces with her emotions and was
hard at work planning her revenge.

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G.L. Sandborn [aka Uncle Fester]

Home on the range at: sand...@microlink.net
sand...@burnsmcd.com

All my stories can be found at:
http://www.microlink.net/~sandborn/

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