Noting that Hotaru was looking tired, Ranma suggested that they rest at an open park bench.

"But I'm fine, really I am," Hotaru half protested in a small voice.

"Well, I'm tired," Ranma said as she plunked herself onto the bench. She really wasn't, but it was the best excuse that Ranma could come up with to get her young charge to rest. "Man, Setsuna wasn't kidding when she said that Hotaru wasn't strong," Ranma thought as she watched the young girl sag on the bench next to her. "We haven't even walked five miles and I can tell she's exhausted - but... I gotta hand it to her, she is determined to get stronger."

"We'll rest here a bit and head home, okay?" Ranma said as she leaned against the back of the bench.

"Miss Saotome?" Hotaru asked lowly. "Can we stop for some ice cream on the way home?"

Still leaning back against the bench, Ranma tilted her head toward Hotaru. "That sounds like a wonderful idea," Ranma said in 'Ranko mode'. "And please stop calling me Miss Saotome, just call me Ranma. Okay?"

Hotaru smiled at her nanny before she too leaned back against the bench, "Okay, Ranma."

Ranma raised her head to better view the resting twelve year old. She realized that there was only about a four and a half year difference in age between them, but Ranma hadn't really met anyone who was in such poor physical condition as Hotaru. "She's as frail as a seven year old," mused Ranma. "No wonder Setsuna worries about her."

Popping her neck, Ranma felt her hair catch on something and pull. Absently, she reached back behind her to free her pigtail and felt something squishy between her fingers. Probing around a bit, Ranma drew her hand in front of her face to see what was the matter. With a confused look, Ranma noted sticky, thin, spider web-like filaments dance in the sunlight.

"What the hell is this?" she wondered as she reached back again to explore what was caught up in her hair. She continued to pull and prod and it only seemed to make matters worse. Something was definitely sticking to her hair near the base of her pigtail and it wasn't coming out.

"Miss Saotome!" Hotaru exclaimed. "Stop! You're making it worse!"

"What?" Ranma asked worriedly. "What's in my hair?"

"You somehow got gum in your hair," Hotaru explained. "Stop touching it, you're only working it into your hair more."

"Gum? Gah! How'd I get gum in my hair?" Ranma exclaimed as she continued to mess with her hair, heedless of Hotaru's advice.

"It looks like it came from the back of the bench," Hotaru softly said. "Someone was pretty careless with their gum."

"Great, just great," Ranma said irritably as she examined her sticky hand. "Now what I'm I gonna do?"

Thinking only for a half second, Hotaru piped up, "We can go over to Kikuko's Salon. They would know what to do."

Ranma was about to object about going to a hairdresser - it was so girly. But she did see the reasoning behind it. If anyone knew how to get gum out of hair, it would be a master of hair. Sighing, Ranma agreed. "Lead the way."

Soon the Ranma and a much reenergized Hotaru entered a small salon that was wedged in between a small grocery and a manga store. The salon was definitely geared toward the younger set with posters of idol singers on the walls and other 'teenage girly' stuff decorating the shelves and, as luck would have it, there were not many customers in the shop. Ranma's senses were assaulted by the smell of hair gel, spray, and perfume.

"Hotaru! What a pleasant surprise," a woman of twenty something called out as she swept up hair clippings from the floor. "You're a few days early for your trim - and who's this you have with you?"

"Mrs. Ayanami, this is Miss- er, I mean Ranma; she's my new nanny," Hotaru explained quickly in one breath. "Can you help her? She got gum in her hair."

"Oh no," Kikuko Ayanami said dramatically as she waved Ranma over to a chair. "We'll have a look and see what... we..." there was a long, pause. "Oh dear."

"What? What?" Ranma asked.

"I'm afraid that it is worked in rather deep," Kikuko said as she addressed Ranma's reflection. "I hate to say this... but we'll have to cut it."

"Oh," Ranma said. "So, you have to cut it. What's the big deal?"

"Ranma, that's your name, right?" she received a positive nod. "I'll have to take as much as this," she held up the pigtail for Ranma to see in the mirror, "to get the gum out."

Ranma's eyes widened when she saw how much would have to be trimmed off and scowled. It had taken a long time for him - well - her, to grow her pigtail and it had become her trademark; a trademark she kept despite the other changes she made recently. Her eyes then narrowed when she realized that she was probably thinking like a girl and hair length shouldn't matter to a guy. "Do it," she said evenly.

On that the hairdresser went into action, unbraiding Ranma's pigtail and trying to minimize the damage that the gum had done. "Good lord, how many sticks of gum are in here?" she muttered as she worked.

As Kikuko continued to untangle the gummy knots that Ranma's hair had become, Hotaru started flipping through several books that had pictures of various hairstyles in them. After digging through a few, she paused on a page and cocked her head. "Ranma? What do you think about this style?" she asked as she held the book open for Ranma to see.

It took all of Ranma's control that she had learned on her training trip not to openly retch at what Hotaru showed her. True, it was a simple cut, not too girly, and would work with the amount of hair that Ranma would have left. The big problem was that it was the same hairstyle as someone who had made her life hell and she'd rather not think about.

"Ooo... That would be prefect," Kikuko commented as she snipped a few gummy strands of Ranma's hair. "It would frame your face so nicely. The boys would definitely notice you."

"You don't like it?" Hotaru asked plainly, having caught Ranma's reaction. She could not have known that the reaction was from the hairdresser's words and not anything that Hotaru did. Though Hotaru did want her nanny to have hair that the boys would notice.

"I don't want to look like Nabiki," Ranma replied evenly at the photo of a model sporting a pageboy cut.

"Who's Nabiki?" Hotaru asked.

"Someone who made my life hel-, er... she made my life difficult," Ranma explained. "She has that kinda hair; I don't want to look anything like her."

"I'm afraid that with as much as I had to cut, we can't do much more than that," Kikuko as she studied the photo and Ranma's hair. "But we can put some mousse in it to give it more body. It would change how it looks so it wouldn't be the same."

"I don't want no Chinese Amazon stuff in my hair either," Ranma said while staring at her reflection and fingering her shortened locks. "I had enough problems with them as it is."

Hotaru and Kikuko stared at the seated girl in incomprehension.

"Miss Saot- I mean, Ranma, mousse is stuff that adds body," Hotaru said, standing next to Ranma's chair. "I think it'll make you look good."

"What's wrong with my body?" Ranma asked. "I've been told I have a great body."

"It adds body to your hair," Kikuko explained as she looked at Ranma dubiously.

"Oh."

Cocking her head to one side, Kikuko ran her fingers through Ranma's hair, making Ranma shudder as it tickled the back of her head. "You know," Kikuko said as she continued to comb Ranma's hair with her fingers, "I could give you a permanent. That would definitely be different. How long ago did you dye your hair?" she asked, having noticed the red roots in the nanny's auburn locks.

"A what?"

"A perm, dear," Kikuko said patiently. "But I need to know when you dyed your hair. If it is too soon, it'll mess up the perm."

"Oh, about a couple weeks ago, I guess. It was just some dye I put in to darken it." Ranma said.

"Oh! A perm! That would look really good on you, Ranma!" Hotaru excitedly interjected. "You'd look so pretty!"

Ranma tried not to wince at Hotaru's choice of words. He was - that is, she was a guy. Pretty is not something she wanted to be! "Um, that's a thought," Ranma stumbled out. "But I don't want anything done that would be permanent to my hair."

Hotaru and Kikuko looked at the former redhead, at each other, then back at the seated girl. "Ranma," Hotaru said, "You can get a perm undone if you don't like it. But I know you'll like it! You'll look so cute!"

"Well...," Ranma began, only to be undone be Hotaru's puppy-dog eyes of persuasion. "Umm... er... that is..."

"She is right, Ranma," Kikuko chimed in. "It would look softer and nice. It would be very feminine."

"I'm a guy-, er, I mean," Ranma sighed - and caved in. "Oh, go ahead."

"Yah!" Hotaru cheered. Ranma had the feeling that she was doomed.

Gripping the armrests of the salon chair like a condemned man awaiting execution, Ranma tried not to lose her nerve and bolt from the small establishment right then. She watched with forced detachment as Kikuko opened counters and pulled out bottles of evil smelling liquids that remind her of the smell of a certain tomboy's cooking. Once she made that connection, Ranma found herself feeling unexpectedly homesick and cursed Nabiki for making a bigger mess of her life.

With some flare, Kikuko started to work.

It was a process Ranma would not fully recall later. She remembered the odd chemical smells and the painful ways her hair was contorted, but for some reason the manipulation of her hair was also relaxing. The sensation was unlike getting your head scratched and Ranma found herself in a cozy, half sleep state. It wasn't until Kikuko announced that she was finished that Ranma came around and saw the results.

There in the mirror, a complete stranger stared back at her. Behind the stranger in the mirror, Hotaru and Kikuko both cooed in delight.

"That... that's not me..." Ranma asked in thinly controlled panic.

"You look great Miss Saotome!" Hotaru said.

"Now don't wash it for three days or the curls will come out." Kikuko advised as she put the finishing touches here and there.

"Right," Ranma dumbly said as she put a hand to her hair... the one consolation was that the style was nothing like Nabiki's. Nabiki would never have something this... girly.

"You look so pretty, Ranma! I bet all the boys will think so too," Hotaru exclaimed. She somehow hoped that this new style would help her nanny get over her apparent boy-shyness.

Ranma tried not to gag as her hand pulled away from her hair as if it were on fire.

"I may have gone a bit overboard on the curl and body, but a Nanny should have a nice style," Kikuko said.

"It's all puffy! What did you do to my bangs?" Ranma asked as she reached up again and flicked the curled ends to her hair. Ranma looked at her reflection and couldn't believe that the little springs attached to her head was her hair... or what was left of it.

Kikuko removed the cape covering Ranma and helped the nanny to her feet. Hotaru handed Ranma her glasses and as she donned them caught a glimpse of her full self in the large mirror. A young woman with adorably feminine hair and a black dress with a white collar and matching white stockings. Ranma was not wearing her apron but she could easily envision it on her feminine frame.

Being too stunned by her appearance was all that kept Ranma from looking ill.

"Oh man," Ranma thought. "As if the curse isn't bad enough, now I really look like a girly-girl. Man, I'm glad pop ain't here to see this."

"You look wonderful Nanny Ranma!" Hotaru repeated.

"Just... Ranma," Ranma said, half dazed at the fix she found herself in. How in the hell did her life come to this?

"Okay!" Hotaru happily chirped. She was thoroughly enjoying helping her nanny like this - a girl's hair was important, after all. "Ranma it is!"

"I can set you up for a monthly appointment," Kikuko said as she touched up Ranma's hair with a brush. "Same day as Hotaru comes in? That way you only need one trip?"

Still dazed and not quite all there, Ranma simply nodded her head.

"Great. Should I add your bill to Miss Meioh's tab? Or will you pay yourself?"

"Just put it on the tab," Hotaru chimed. "C'mon Ranma, let go home and show Aunty!"

Chapter 1 The Shape of Things to Come

 

1234567890987654321

 

Crossing the nearly empty street, Ranma marked off another job opportunity listed in the want ads. The warehouse job just didn't pay enough.

 

"It ain't enough to live on even if I live out of my tent," he groused to himself. Safely on the other side of the street, Ranma set down his oversized pack and folded the newspaper over to the next page. "Maybe I could get a job in construction or something."

 

Leaning against the brick wall, Ranma read the folded newspaper and scanned the listings. His face turned sour the more he read. "They all pay better than waitressing, but damn, most of these ads are looking for experienced people or someone that's twenty or older."

 

Sighing in disappointment, but not willing to admit defeat, Ranma continued to read the ads in hopes of finding something to his liking. Nothing presented itself; it was either not enough money or the employers wanted experience or he was too young. This left Ranma with his only option.

 

"Maybe I can get a waitressin' job at one of those fancy restaurants... but that might make me be too visible... maybe a shrine maiden?" he thought as he skimmed that particular ad. "Damn that Nabiki."

 

He was about to move on to the next page, when one caught his eye near the bottom. There was nothing especially outstanding about it, but for some reason he couldn't help but feel drawn to it.

 

"Hmmm... Housekeeper/Nanny needed," Ranma paused in his reading and checked the listing heading. "Construction? Man, talk about being in the wrong section,"he thought before resumed reading. "Looking for a responsible female that is willing to do light housework and care for the needs of a young child of delicate health. No experience necessary and will train. Room and board provided with a monthly allowance. Those interested please come to..."

 

"Damn," he swore to himself. "Sounds like just what I need. Room, food and some spending money. The only problem is I gotta be a girl..." he paused in thought, "but it'll only be for a few months or until Akane gives me the all clear."

 

He looked at the ad closer, feeling a mixture of amusement that it was in the wrong section and eeriness for no rational reason. Shaking off those feelings, Ranma looked around. "If I gotta be a girl, I better go in disguise. The last thing I need is to be spotted by Nabiki or Huang."

 

Twenty minutes later, Ranma emerged from a stall of a public restroom, female and dressed appropriately for her gender. Looking in the mirror, she double-checked the dye job she had given her hair - one she knew she botched the instant she washed the excess dye out. Instead of the jet black hair she was trying for, she had ended up with a more natural looking dark auburn color that matched her complexion better than the planned black hair would have done. Ranma studied herself in the mirror.

 

"Hmmm... I need something more... something that would make it even harder to recognize me," she thought as she leaned forward, examining her reflection for a moment before exclaiming, "Ah!"

 

Ranma knelt over her backpack at her feet and proceeded to dig through it. After a bit of rummaging, she pulled out a small case and withdrew a pair of dark-rimed glasses from them. "I knew these would come in handy again," she thought with a touch of mirth.

 

In the mirror, Ranma adjusted the fit of the fake glasses, the same ones she had used as a disguise when fooling Ryoga, then took in the newest addition to her look. "I look like a... bookworm... or one of those geeks from the science club," she regarded her reflection with a cock of the head and a critical eye. "Perfect! Not even my own father would recognize me."

 

On her way to the address given, Ranma waffled back and forth between applying or trying to find another job more suited to her tastes. It was not that she minded being a girl for a stretch of time - in fact she had already half expected it - the problem was that she was hiding as a girl. For some twisted reason of logic that only Ranma could fathom, hiding out as a man would have been less... unmanly. In the end, standing outside her destination, the decision was made for her when the dark clouds overhead whispered of thunder.

 

"What the heck," she concluded as she looked up at the modern and expensive looking apartment building. "At least it'll get me out of the rain."

 

1234567890987654321

 

Slightly nervous, Ranma carefully placed her heavy pack by the doorway off to one side where it wouldn't be stepped on, and knocked on the nicely varnished wooden door. Shifting from one foot to the other, trying to calm her nerves, she idly noted how expensive the interior of the building was. It was while waiting for the door to be answered, she realized that she needed to think of how she was going to present herself.

 

"I can't go in speaking like I do - if I do that, I'll never get the job," she thought as she took in her surroundings more. "And by the looks of this place, they're either looking for someone with class - a lotta class - or a sensitive girly-girl type."

 

Ranma considered knocking again, but got side tracked by trying to decide how to act. "Heh, maybe I should act like Kasumi or ask Akane to knock me on the head... Hey! That's it! I'll just act like I did when I got knocked in the head and thought I was a girl! Perfect!"

 

Before she could cackle at her cleverness, the door opened unexpectedly, causing Ranma to slightly jump. There, on the other side, was a tall woman with long green hair and magenta eyes. She looked Ranma in the eye before looking her up and down, then she returned her gaze to match Ranma's. The green-haired woman was dressed rather sharply and sported a slight smirk on her face - the type that one has after hearing a secret joke or something.

 

"May I help you?" the woman asked in an odd mixture of authoritativeness and gentleness in her tone.

 

Blinking, Ranma tore her eyes from the woman and came back to herself. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said in her best 'Ranko' voice as she bowed. "I didn't mean to stare."

 

"That's all right," the woman said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Are you here about the position of Nanny?"

 

"Er.. yes ma am," Ranma replied. "I saw your ad and came right over."

 

"Please come in."

 

Following her host, Ranma couldn't help but be captivated by how this person moved, causing the knee-length hair to sway with each step. Asserting some self-control, Ranma looked past the woman and took in her surroundings. She noted that the apartment was richly furnished as she half-expected it to be and concluded that whoever this woman was, she was loaded.

 

All too soon, Ranma was sitting across the table from her host, with a tea service between them. The green-haired woman now took on a business-like air, which was why Ranma was caught off guard when the green-haired woman introduced herself so casually. "My name is Meioh Setsuna, and you are?"

 

"Er, I'm..." Ranma paused as another problem presented itself: To give her real name or not? Better to play it safe and stick to something she was already familiar with; it was less confusing that way. "My name is Saotome Ranma. I'm very pleased to meet you and I thank you for asking me in."

 

"Quite all right," Setsuna said as she offered Ranma a cup of tea. "You are kind of young to be looking for a full time job like this. Aren't you still in school and does your family know?"

 

"Oh crap!" Ranma thought loudly to herself. Using the natural break that is involved when sipping tea, her mind raced for an acceptable excuse. During Ranma's mental grasping, she missed the bemused expression on her host's face. Finally, after a short wait, Ranma came up with something that was essentially the truth. "Um, I've been having... problems at home...," she said lamely.

 

"I see," Setsuna said with that secret-type smirk on her face. "What are your qualifications?"

 

"My what?"

 

"Your qualifications. What can you do?" she clarified as she sipped her own tea.

 

"Oh. Well, I can cook, clean and..." Ranma paused as she thought of the lazy, bedridden boy that she tried to get to go outside and the various other 'problem children' she had dealt with in the past. "I've had some experience with kids," she said with some confidence.

 

"What experi- oops," Setsuna said as she expectedly spilled some hot tea in Ranma's direction. "Did I get you wet?" she asked her guest as she took several napkins and wiped up the mess.

 

"N-n-no, I'm fine," Ranma said from her new spot, perched atop the back of the chair.

 

"My apologizes for being so clumsy," Setsuna said as she wiped the last of the spill. "Now, where was I? Oh yes. What experiences have you had with children of... weakened health?"

 

"Er... I ain't- that is, I'm not a nurse or anything" Ranma replied while reclaiming her seat. "What's wrong with him?"

 

"Her," Setsuna corrected. "She has a weak constitution-" she stopped when she noted the blank stare of her guest. "She is physically weak and gets tired easily."

 

"Oh. Well that can be helped with some exercise," Ranma said offhandedly. "I know some things that will build her up real quick and-"

 

"You don't understand," Setsuna interrupted. "She isn't that strong to begin with."

 

Ranma pondered that. She switched from being in a 'interview mode' to a 'martial arts mode' without being aware of it. Her speech reflected that as she spoke her thoughts. "Well... there's some of the softer arts... like tai-chi and stuff... that might help build her up without tiring her." She puzzled over the problem a bit more. "I'm sure that there ain't nothing that can't be helped with a little work and a lot of time."

 

Setsuna smiled at the auburn-haired girl. "Would you like to hear me outline some of the duties of the job to see if you are interested?"

 

"Um, yes please," Ranma said, this time with her 'Ranko' lilt.

 

"As nanny, your job will be basic housekeeping, some cooking, and errand running," Setsuna explained. "But those are only your minor duties. Your most important duty will be attending to the wellbeing of my ward, Hotaru. This means escorting her to and from school, assisting her in school work and any extra-curricular activities."

 

Ranma felt a slight sinking feeling in her stomach, the kind one gets when they find themselves in over their heads.

 

"Most important to me," Setsuna said firmly while locking eyes with Ranma; Ranma was captured and captivated by those magenta eyes. "I looking for someone who can help Hotaru get stronger and healthier. As I said earlier, her constitution is weak and I worry about her health."

 

Thinking a moment, Ranma unexpectedly came up with a reasonable response. "Er, Miss Setsuna, it seems that you are looking for a professional. I don't think that I'm what you're looking for."

 

"That may seem true," Setsuna said smoothly. "But the problems that I have been encountering with professional help is that they either don't want to deal with someone as frail as Hotaru, or they don't understand and fear Hotaru's - gift."

 

"Gift?"

 

"Yes... Hotaru is a special child - and because of that people are leery of her," Setsuna explained with a note of sadness in her voice. "It has made her all but an outcast."

 

"What is her, er, gift?"

 

"She can heal a person's wounds by touching them."

 

Ranma waited for that other shoe to drop. After a long moment of staring at her host, it was now obvious that nothing more was coming. "That's it?" Ranma finally asked.

 

"Well... occasionally, she seems to have visions of the future, but I haven't had time to really explore that claim."

 

Ranma mentally sighed. Why was it that the rich ones were always the weirdest. Part of her wanted to leave and find something else, but... if she could put up with Picolet and Madame St. Paul and their martial arts eating, then she could put up with one little girl. A bizarre little girl maybe, but a little girl none the less.

 

"I don't have a problem with that," Ranma said. "I've seen some pretty weird stuff."

 

Setsuna smiled at the younger girl. "Would you like to meet her?"

 

Blinking a few times, Ranma answered with a nod.

 

"Hotaru, would you please come in here?" Setsuna called out.

 

Soon they were joined by what looked to be a ten year old girl with neat, shoulder-length dark purple, almost black, hair. She was thin and willowy, and she looked as delicate as Setsuna had described. She had an air of indescribable sadness about her, as if she was trying to fade into the background as not to be noticed. Though the young girl avoided eye contact, Ranma managed to catch a glimpse of the dark purple color of Hotaru's eyes.

 

"Hello, I'm Ranma," the currently auburn-haired girl greeted.. "You must be Hotaru."

 

"Yes ma'am," the small, short-haired girl said.

 

Without batting an eye, Ranma smiled at the smaller girl. "Don't worry, I don't think you're a freak or anything."

 

Hotaru gave Ranma a thin, guarded smile as she looked up. "R-really?" she asked in a voice filled with hope.

 

"Nah. I've seen some real strange stuff," Ranma said candidly. "What you've got, er - what you have is nothing compared to some of the things I've seen."

 

"Like what?" Hotaru asked with curiosity.

 

"Er, well... I know someone who keeps an alligator as a pet."

 

"What so strange about that?"

 

"She named it Mr. Turtle and keeps it in the koi pond."

 

"That doesn't seem very strange," Hotaru pointed out.

 

Not one to back down from a challenge, even one that wasn't really given, Ranma continued. "Okay, how about this: I fought the Eight Headed Orochi in Ryugenzawa - almost got eaten by him too."

 

"You lie," Hotaru said softly as she smiled at what she thought was a playful tease.

 

"No, I ain't," Ranma gently insisted. "There was also a cursed bathing suit that I had ta... well, never mind that one. I did have to fight this goofy lookin' bird called a Phoenix that nested on top of some idiot's head." Then Ranma muttered, "Darn beak, hurt like heck too."

 

Hotaru let out a small giggle.

 

"The toughest one so far has been Pantyhose," Ranma said offhandedly as she fell into bragging. "He fell into the Spring of the 'Yeti Riding a Bull, Holding an Eel and a Crane' now he looks like a winged bull when he gets splashed with cold water. You want to talk about someone with a bad attitude... we darn near beat the tar outta one another, but I put his lights out..."

 

Hotaru blinked at Ranma. "Huh?'

 

Ranma blinked in return and stared at Hotaru for a moment. "Never mind," Ranma said with a wave of the hand. "You see, compared to the things I've been through, your gift is pretty neat because it doesn't blow stuff up."

 

"O-kay," Hotaru carefully responded. "You blow things up?" she curiously asked.

 

"Not that I mean to," Ranma found herself replying without thought. "I just happen to get caught up in stuff that always seems to explode in my face."

 

"Like Family problems?" Setsuna asked with just a hint of sarcasm.

 

"Er... yeah. That's one way of looking at it," Ranma admitted. "It seems all my problems come from my family. Er... like my problems with cats and stuff," Ranma muttered the last while mentally adding, "stupid Pops."

 

"What's this about cats?" Setsuna asked.

 

"Um... I'm... ummm... I'm allergic to c-c-cats! Yeah, that's it," Ranma said unconvincingly. "I get sick just thinking about them."

 

I see," Setsuna said in a tone that hinted at something more. "It does seem to be a common allergy."

 

"You're allergic to cats?" Hotaru asked. "My friends have cats, does that mean I can't play with them?"

 

"No. No, not at all," Ranma responded. "Er, my allergy is... um... different. It's kinda like, er, a... ahhh... I get sick when I see them sorta thing."

 

"How can looking at a cat make you sick?" Hotaru asked with the innocence of the twelve year old she was. Setsuna sat and quietly watched the exchange with a bemused look on her face, one she had been wearing for most of the conversation.

 

"Er... it's not quite sick," Ranma bumbled out. "It's kinda like... I get... er, a little... um, scared."

 

Hotaru looked up at the teen and blinked at the admission. "You're scared of cats?"

 

"Um... yeah."

 

"But why? They're so cute," Hotaru said in a voice just filled with curiosity.

 

"Um... would ja, er, I mean, would you believe a training accident as a child?"

 

Hotaru gave her prospective nanny a doubtful look.

 

"I'm serious," Ranma insisted. "I got... er, mauled by a bunch of hungry c-cats when I was a kid and... I've been... scared of them ever since." For some reason, the obvious admission seemed hard for Ranma to make.

 

"How horrible," Hotaru said with sympathy.

 

"Mauled by hungry cats?" Setsuna piped in with a smirk. "What happened? Were you covered in fish cakes and thrown into a pit with them or something?"

 

"How'd ja-kno-, er, I mean," Ranma's brain slipped out of gear for a moment before re-engaging. "Something like that," she finally said, feeling a little creeped out about the green-haired woman. She slipped into 'Ranko' mode and spoke, "Let's just say it was an... unpleasant experience that I never recovered from."

 

"You poor girl," Hotaru said with the same sympathy as before, she surprised Ranma by giving her a hug as if to make it all better.

 

"Er, thanks Hotaru," Ranma said with a mixture of unease and genuinely being touched by Hotaru's gesture.

 

"Very well," Setsuna said business-like. "You don't have to worry, we have no pets here. Is there anything else we should know?"

 

"Umm..." Ranma's mind stalled as she considered saying that she was allergic to hot water, but dismissed it as pushing her luck. "No ma'am, I think that covers most everything." Ranma mentally added with some bitterness, "Everything that doesn't involve curses, multiple fiancees, and a freaky rich guy that's 'bought' you as a slave. Stupid Nabiki."

 

Setsuna turned to Hotaru. "What do you think about Miss Saotome?" She asked.

 

"I like her," Hotaru replied. She then gave Ranma a warm smile. "She's nice."

 

"I agree. I think you will do," Setsuna announced to Ranma. "You seem to have a certain way about you. You are not frightened by Hotaru's gifts, and you seem like someone that I can trust with her well being. Would you be interested in accepting the position of Hotaru's nanny?""

 

Being surprised at being offered the job, especially one she felt like she was over her head in. Ranma had to blink a few times before answering. "Oh yes I would," she replied in her 'Ranko' voice. "When do you need me to start?'

 

"Tomorrow would be fine," Ranma's new boss replied. "Here," she said as she rose from her chair, "let me show you around."

 

For the next fifteen minutes Setsuna showed Ranma around the large apartment. Hotaru tagged along and added a few comments on where everything was as enthusiastically as only a child can do. Soon Ranma was escorted to the back of the apartment to what would be her room. It wasn't as big as the room she had at the Tendos', but she didn't have to share it with a part-time panda either. After a few more minutes of small talk, Setsuna excused herself and ushered Hotaru to her own room since it was starting to get late.

 

Ranma was alone in her new home.

 

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ranma sagged against the wall of her room and relaxed. The relief she felt over getting a job, that also doubled as a good hideout, was tempered by the fact that, during the interview, she was almost hit by hot water no less than three times. "I'm gonna have to do something about that," she thought with an edge. "I can't be turnin' into a guy - especially with Hotaru around."

 

Ranma pondered the problem. She knew of one way of temporally locking the curse, but the ladle and kettle were in China with Herb and she had neither the time nor the inclination to go there and get them. Besides, the chances of Herb lending them to her were practically nil. "There's gotta be a way... dammit, it's like once I solve one problem, another takes i's place."

 

Ranma ran through other options and didn't like where those led either. They had the advantage of being closer to her new home, but that meant running the risk of running into certain people she'd rather avoid at the moment. "It can't be helped," she concluded. "I can't spend my time between doing my job and watching for hot water. Whether I like it or not, I gotta go get some of that waterproof soap or something to keep me a girl. I don't like it, but I gotta be sneaky about it."

 

With that course of action firmly in mind, Ranma mentally began her plan of attack in acquiring what she needed.

 

1234567890987654321

 

In the deep shadows on the buildings and alleyways, a shadow slinked in the darkness of a moonless night. Slipping out of Setsuna's apartment was no problem and making her way back to Nerima was a cinch, it was the coming raid on the Cat-Cafe that had Ranma's nerves on edge. Although she did not know it, all her elaborate planning for breaking and entering without alerting the inhabitants of said cafe were for nothing; the Amazons had left the day before searching for her, so there was no one home when Ranma entered through a second-floor window.

 

Exiting the building a few moments later with a bag filled with plunder, Ranma decided to take a minor detour on her way back to her hideout.

 

Leaving the bag of ill-gotten goods on the roof, Ranma swung down and hung from the overhang outside of a certain tomboy's bedroom window and tapped softly on the glass. She repeated the process a few times before the curtain was shoved aside and a sleepy short-haired girl peered out the window, almost looking at her eye to eye. Blinking a few times, Akane cracked open the window and addressed the upside down girl.

 

"Yes?" Akane asked not quite awake enough to realized what was truly going on.

 

"Akane, it's me," Ranma said lowly.

 

The short-haired girl blinked a few times before narrowing her eyes. "Are you a fiancee of Ranma's?" she asked sharply. "Well he isn't here and I don't know where he is."

 

"Akane, it's me," Ranma repeated a bit louder and firmer than the last.

 

Akane's sleepy eyes widened when she finally realized who was hanging outside her bedroom window. "Ranma!" she hissed lowly under her breath. "What are you doing here? What happened to laying low for a while?"

 

"I was in the neighborhood getting some things," Ranma explained in a whisper while dangling from the roof. "And I wanted to see... how things were going."

 

Looking left and right conspiratorially needlessly, Akane leaned toward Ranma and lowered her voice. "It's still the same as it was four days ago when you left," she said. "Huang is still here, and still wants you for his personal slave."

 

"I didn't think that showing him my guy side would backfire like that," Ranma said sourly. "Who would have thought that he had a thing for girls and guys?"

 

"Ssshhh," Akane admonished. "Keep it down. Anyway, he has even hired some private investigators to look for you."

 

"Great," Ranma whispered bitterly. "What about Nabiki? She started this mess."

 

Akane bit her lip in thought before answering. "Well... she said she was sorry and didn't think that things would have gotten out of hand like they did... but you know Nabiki."

 

"Yeah, and I wished I didn't."

 

"Well she really didn't expect that the guy who bought you in Hong Kong to be rich enough to bother us here," Akane said, somewhat feeling the need to defend her sister. "But... I think she is looking for you too, so she can collect the reward."

 

"Well, tell her the next time she gets in a ten yen battle with someone, she's on her own," Ranma hissed out. "What about my pop and yours?"

 

"Well, daddy is worried about the schools being joined - your dad keeps going back and forth between 'being proud that you mastered the Saotome Secret Technique' and trying to negotiate a higher price for you with Huang."

 

Ranma stared at her fiancee for a moment and seemed to sag in the direction of gravity. "Great. Just great."

 

A silent moment fell between the two that told Ranma that there was something more.

 

"What?" she asked, having the feeling that the other shoe was about to drop.

 

"Um... it's about Nabiki," Akane said lowly. "She's... she's also been trying to move the engagement over to her."

 

"WH-" Ranma loudly began, only to have Akane's hand pressed against her mouth, silencing her.

 

"Do you want to wake the house and have her find you here?" Akane hissed.

 

Ranma exhaled, causing her cheeks to poof out; she then shook her head slightly and Akane removed her hand. "Why?" Ranma asked.

 

"It's not so hard to figure out," Akane said." You're an 'asset' and a 'money making investment' now," she explained with a certain amount of contempt. "She's probably planning on buying and selling you... or at least renting you out."

 

Ranma shook her head. "She has some nerve - well, it's not like she hadn't done that before. Don't tell me pops is going along with this?"

 

With sagging shoulders, Akane nodded sadly. "I think Nabiki promised him a percentage of the profits."

 

In an effort to rein in her anger, Ranma counted to ten. Then twenty. She was almost calm enough not to hunt down her father and kill him by the time she got to forty. By fifty she was much calmer and only seeing red. Seventy-five rolled around and Ranma was just fuming enough to be able to hear what Akane was saying.

 

".. you all right?"

 

"Just... dandy..." Ranma replied through tightly pursed lips. This bit of news was highly unwelcomed, it meant that it was likely that Ranma wouldn't be able to return home to the Tendos' as soon as she hoped. She exhaled. "Thanks for the warning... now I gotta watch out for pops and well as Nabiki and Huang."

 

An uncomfortable silence followed.

 

"So... where are you staying?" Akane asked.

 

"I ain't telling."

 

"What!" Akane whispered loudly. "You come here, wanting my help, and you don't trust me?"

 

"It's not that!" Ranma replied in an equally loud whisper. "I've been thinking."

 

Akane gave Ranma a doubtful look.

 

"Look, if I tell you where I am, chances are that the Amazons would try and get it out of you," Ranma explained.

 

"I'd never tell them anything," Akane said firmly.

 

"I know you wouldn't... willingly. But what if they try something like that memory stuff? Mess with your head? Make you tell them without knowing it?"

 

Akane blinked a few times. She hadn't thought of that. "I... see. I can't tell them what I don't know." She then looked at Ranma for a moment. "Well, how am I supposed to get in touch with you then?"

 

"I dunno right at the moment," Ranma confessed, then an idea struck her.

 

"Say, is the class trip to Tokyo Tower still on in a few weeks?"

 

Akane replied with a nod.

 

"Well, I'll meet you there... say the top observation deck. I should have something figured out by then."

 

"Okay. I'll see you then, but be careful."

 

"I will," Ranma said with a smile. "Er, say Akane?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"Thanks for, ya know, helping me and everything... and stuff," Ranma awkwardly stammered out.

 

Akane smiled broadly. "You're welcome."

 

Soon Ranma was gone to parts unknown, leaving behind Akane, who was snuggled back down in her bed. A warm feeling of contentment flowed through her at the thought of actually helping Ranma for once without making matters worse. Hugging her pillow as she drifted back to sleep, she basked in the feeling. It was nice.

Stretched out on the couch and rubbing her tired stocking feet together, Setsuna pondered over how well Ranma had fitted into hers and Hotaru's life. It was really amazing the turn around that Hotaru had under Ranma's guidance. This was no small feat considering the lack of any positive parental role models Ranma's had in his, that is her, life.

 

Feeling her feet were much better after today's abuse, Setsuna stopped rubbing them and thought back to when Haruka, Michiru and she first took the reborn baby Hotaru away and the debate as to who was going to raise the child. At first, Michiru suggested that she and Haruka take in the baby, but Setsuna did not wish to burden them with a child yet. Michiru's and Haruka's capabilities were also an issue. Setsuna knew that Hotaru would need special care, and that those two might not be the best for it.

 

Setsuna decided that she would take Hotaru and, with the occasional help of Haruka and Michiru, raise her. Hotaru grew quickly at an astonishing speed until she reached her current, physical, age.

 

Setsuna's mouth drew into a thin line as she wondered how strong Ranma's and Hotaru's bond was and how well it would withstand whatever might come. She was not omnipotent, not by any stretch of the imagination. Her job was not to alter the course of time, and while she knew more than most people; it was due as much as to research and networking as it was to any... magical powers.

 

A prime proof of this lack of total knowledge walked into her apartment. Setsuna was not alarmed when she heard the front door being unlocked; Ranma obviously had a key and did not expect her employer to be home yet.

 

Setsuna walked to the foyer and immediately smiled at her ward. The young girl had been through so much pain, and it was good to see her regain some confidence and normality. Setsuna then looked at her employee and was about to congratulate her when the green-haired woman noticed Ranma's new hairdo - and did a double-take.

 

"Oh... my... " Setsuna paused to regain her composure; this was unexpected. "It is... very cute, but why the style change Miss Saotome?" she asked, shock and surprise slowly seeping onto her face.

 

"Uh... I got gum in my hair," Ranma blushed more in annoyance than embarrassment as she closed the door behind her. It seemed like every other person along the way home had to stop and comment on how 'cute' she was with her hair done up like this. Stupid girly crap.

 

"Isn't it pretty?" Hotaru happily asked as she and Ranma removed their shoes.

 

"That it is." Setsuna smiled thinly. "It certainly suits you Miss Saotome."

 

"Er... thanks..." Ranma sighed and tried to think what "Ranko" would say. "It's a bit much Miss Meioh but Hotaru insisted, and it is nice."

 

"Hair like that will take much more time to take care of," Setsuna commented.

 

"It will?" Ranma asked cluelessly.

 

"Don't worry, I'll help," Hotaru assured.

 

"Good, I wouldn't have my employee looking poorly. Since I got in early I'll help you with dinner Miss Saotome." Setsuna's smile grew. "You know it really is a very adorable hairstyle," she added.

 

Ranma felt like denying it, but didn't have the energy to. "Tell me about it," Ranma agreed tiredly as she followed Setsuna into the kitchen. Her only consolation from the whole hair ordeal was that at least her disguise had gotten better.

 

"How was your day?" Setsuna asked Ranma conversationally as she began to remove foodstuffs from the refrigerator.

 

"Oh... okay, I guess," Ranma replied as she took the vegetables from Setsuna and began washing them in the sink. "Not much happened in school... Hotaru's getting better at Tai-chi, I'm gonna probably step that up just a bit and... I'll have to double check, but I think that there is a form for you to sign."

 

"Oh?"

 

"Yah, just a permission slip so Hotaru can go on a field trip," Ranma said as she shook the remaining water off the vegetables. Thanks to the water proof soap, she didn't have to worry about changing. "I'll get it for you after dinner."

 

Setsuna nodded and mentally noted that Ranma was fitting into the nanny role rather quickly. As the two worked together preparing the meal, Hotaru wandered in and sat at the table and watched. "What time do auntie Michiru and uncle Haruka get here?" Hotaru asked as she watched the two prepare the meal.

 

"Around seven," Setsuna replied, then paused. "Oh yes, I almost forgot. We're having guests tonight."

 

Ranma nodded in reply as she worked on the vegetables. "How many are coming so I can set the table."

 

"Just two," Setsuna said.

 

With her apron now added to 'nanny uniform', Ranma helped put the finishing touches on dinner. Hotaru was excited that her "aunt and uncle" were coming over for a visit and was anxious to introduce Ranma to them. Setsuna had informed Ranma that Michiru and Haruka were old and very close friends and were considered family by herself and Hotaru. Since Ranma was still 'on duty' as Hotaru's nanny and she was expected to be available if and when she was needed, but it was alright for her to relax and socialize with the guests. Ranma had just completed placing the plates around the dining table when the doorbell rang.

 

"I'll get it," Ranma called out to the kitchen where Setsuna was before heading down the short corridor that led to the front door. Ranma paused in front of the hall mirror just long enough to check and see if everything was in place before opening the door to greet Hotaru's aunt and uncle. Giving a polite greeting while bowing, Ranma stepped aside and ushered in, what appeared to be, a blond-haired boy and teal-haired girl.

 

"They're kinda young to be Hotaru's aunt 'n uncle," Ranma thought as she led the way. "Then again, Setsuna seems kinda young to be raisin' a kid too."

 

"Auntie! Uncle!" Hotaru chimed loudly as she charged the two. All three people enveloped in a mutual, warm hug. Ranma suddenly felt uncomfortable - as if she were intruding on a private moment.

 

"My you've gotten stronger," the blond boy said as he broke the hug. "What have you been doing?"

 

"My new nanny has been teaching me tai-chi," Hotaru replied happily. "She's also showing me a lot of stuff to help with my stamina so I won't be so tired."

 

"Oh, is that so?" The teal-haired girl said as she looked between Hotaru and Ranma, who was standing quietly by the entranceway. "I hope you're not pushing yourself too hard," she said in concern as she faced Hotaru. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to my favorite niece."

 

"Don't worry, auntie," Hotaru said merrily. "Nanny Ranma has been taking real good care of me."

 

"Hello there, I'm Tenoh Haruka," the young man said. "I'm Hotaru's - uncle."

 

"I'm Saotome Ranma," Ranma said as she bowed respectfully. "I'm pleased to meet you." She studied the young man. He had longish hair for a guy, but not too long - at least not as long as Ranma's had been before the 'gum incident'. He wore a neatly pressed dark colored, sports jacket and a white button up shirt. The slacks were the same dark color as the jacket. "Er, may I take your jacket?" Ranma offered, feeling awkward.

 

"Thanks, but you don't have to," Haruka replied offhandedly. "I'll just toss it over a chair somewhere, we're very casual here. I'd like to introduce Michiru," he said as he motioned to the girl at his side.

 

Ranma bowed to the green-hair girl as she considered how odd Haruka sounded. The words used were definitely masculine, but Ranma noted the almost preadolescent tone in which they were said in. Before she could contemplate anymore, Michiru addressed her.

 

"I heard a lot about you through Setsuna," Michiru said politely. "I hope that you are careful with Hotaru though," she cautioned. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to her."

 

"Auntie! Nanny Ranma is careful, if anything, she's going too easy on me," Hotaru said in Ranma's defense.

 

Ranma smiled and rubbed the top of Hotaru's head, mussing the hair a bit. "Thanks squirt," Ranma said as Hotaru gave a playful pout as she straightened her hair with her fingers. "But I can tell when you've reached your limit better than you can, you'll get there."

 

"Welcome Michiru, Haruka," Setsuna said as she entered the room. "Dinner will be in a few minutes. Ranma, could you help me carry things out?"

 

"Yes, ma'am," Ranma replied as she excused herself. Though it was an informal affair, Ranma felt the need to be formal - if anything to keep her from making any accidental fuax pas'.

 

"You forgot to set a place for yourself," Setsuna commented as she gathered the food laden plates to carry into the dining room.

 

"Er, I didn't think it'd be right," Ranma responded. "I mean, I'm just the nanny here."

 

"Ranma," Setsuna said as she handed the plates in her hands to Ranma, "You're more than a nanny to Hotaru. Yes, you are her nanny, but in the short time that you've been with her I can tell that she sees you as a friend, a mentor, and someone to look up to."

 

"I... am?"

 

"Yes, and I would like it very much if you would join us at the table," Setsuna continued as she gathered more serving plates. "And I'm sure that Hotaru's aunt and - uncle would like to get to know you better as well."

 

"O...kay," was all Ranma managed as a reply.

 

Once seated, the food was quickly passed around and things started to get more and more relaxed. Ranma found out that Hotaru's aunt, Michiru, was very artistically inclined, being able to play the violin and paint. Her aspirations to become a violinist were evident in the amount of practice she said she had. Haruka, the uncle, was charming, told jokes, but also seemed to have an underlying strong edge to him. There was no doubt that he and Michiru were a couple and it floored Ranma that both were still in school, attending the same school as Hotaru, but in a higher grade.

 

"So, how long have you been a nanny?" Michiru inquired politely.

 

"Um... not long, if fact this is my first time as a nanny," Ranma answered.

 

"Oh?" Haruka said with a cock of the eyebrow.

 

"So far, Ranma has exceeded my expectations," Setsuna said firmly. "In the short time that she has been employed, she has helped Hotaru psychically and emotionally."

 

The blond boy and the teal-haired girl looked at Ranma in an approving way.

 

"And I'm helping her too," Hotaru chimed in. "I helping her be a little more feminine; Ranma is a real tomboy."

 

"Really now?" Haruka said as he studied Ranma closer. "With such an adorable hairstyle, you don't seem the type that would be a tomboy."

 

"I was noticing that," Michiru added in. "It seems to suit you so well."

 

Ranma sighed, she couldn't understand it - it was just hair. "I just got it today. Hotaru suggested this style after I had to have my hair cut because I got gum in it."

 

"I must say that my niece has good taste in hairstyles," Haruka said as he smiled at the youngest member of the table. "How did you wear your hair before?"

 

"Umm... in a pigtail that came down to my shoulders," Ranma replied, not really understanding why hair was so important to a person's image.

 

"Well, I must say again you look adorable in it. When we came in, Hotaru said that you were teaching her tai-chi?" Michiru asked. "Have you been doing that long?"

 

Smiling at a more comfortable subject, Ranma replied. "Oh yes. I've been involved in martial arts all my life."

 

"Any good?" Haruka asked.

 

"I'm..." Ranma trailed off and reconsidered bragging. "Very good," she finally said with a thin smile. "I still find new stuff to learn though."

 

"And why tai-chi?"

 

"Because it is a soft art that emphasizes building strength, control and flexibility," Ranma replied. "Between that and walking, she's starting to build up some strength."

 

After that the conversation drifted around to various subjects from racing cars to music. Ranma found a certain irony that Haruka liked pandas and wondered if he'd be interested in having a certain one as a pet. Ranma felt more relaxed than she had in quite some time. There was no crazy Amazon busting down a wall, no arguing or prodding to get her married, no fighting over food, or any of the other things that had been part of her daily routine at the Tendo's.

 

After dinner was finished, Hotaru insisted on helping Ranma clear the table while idly chatting with Michiru and Haruka about various subjects that were now running from Tai-chi to school to boys. While Ranma freely conversed on the first two subjects, she carefully avoided saying much on the latter. Hotaru did notice this however, and assumed that it was due to Ranma's boy-shyness; something that she was determined to help her nanny overcome. The guests noticed as well and drew their own conclusions.

 

Setsuna joined in and helped carry the last of the serving dishes, placing them next to the sink for washing later. For Ranma, she was glad that her table manners were improving. When she first arrived, she slipped up for a brief instant causing her employer to raise her eyebrows. She had to fight the urge to 'eat as much as you can fast as you can' mentality that had been beaten into her over the years, but knowing that someone was judging such behavior harshly quickly curtailed it.

 

Soon afterward Haruka and Michiru excused themselves and departed back to their place. Ranma was still amazed that the two were on their own, being as young as they were. There was no doubt that the two were definitely a couple. By the time Setsuna and Hotaru said their goodbyes, Ranma was in the kitchen and elbow deep in the soapy water, washing, rinsing, and placing the wet dishes in a drying rack.

 

"Can I help?" Hotaru asked in a almost tiny voice.

 

"Sure can, squirt," Ranma replied with a smirk. "Grab a towel and start drying."

 

Both girls were efficiently washing and drying; Ranma would do the cleaning and pass the plates to Hotaru who wiped them dry with a clean, soft towel. Watching and smiling inwardly, Setsuna was pleased that Ranma and Hotaru were getting along so well. The change in Hotaru in such a short time was better than she could have hoped for. Ranma fumbled around with the dishes in the sink and felt something flatter than it should be.

 

"Ahh!" Ranma screamed involuntarily; the pain was sharp and intense. Withdrawing her hand from the dishwater, a crimson mark ran across where her fingers joined the palm of her hand.

 

"Are you all right?" Setsuna asked in concern as she rushed to Ranma's side.

 

"Yah," Ranma said as she carefully dug around the sink with her uninjured hand. "I cut myself... on this," she said as she pulled a sharp knife that was under the dishes and hidden in the soapy water.

 

"Let me look," Setsuna said as she proceeded to examine Ranma's injury without waiting for a reply.

 

"It's nothing," Ranma said reassuring. "I've had worse."

 

"No doubt you have," Setsuna said offhandedly as she studied the cut. "Ranma, you might need stitches on at least one of these cuts."

 

"Stitches? Feh," Ranma said. "It'll be all right. Trust me."

 

"Can I look?" a small voice said. Both women turned to face Hotaru who stood near the sink, wearing an expression of deep concern. "I want to help," she finally said.

 

"That's okay," Ranma said. "It's no biggie."

 

"Please?" Hotaru half pleaded.

 

Looking at the dreaded puppy dog eyes of persuasion, Ranma knew she was definitely out of her league. "Okay," she relented. Sighing as Hotaru began to probe the cut with her fingers, Ranma idly thought that she should try and master that look; oh, the ice cream she could scam.

 

She was jolted out of her musings by a warm, flowing feeling that radiated from her hand. It wasn't unpleasant, as matter of fact it felt comforting, almost as if Ranma were being held in a protective way. Then another feeling accompanied it. This one though was intangible, like something being... changed?

 

"All done," Hotaru announced, bringing Ranma back to the here and now.

 

Holding her hand up for inspection, Ranma first noticed that the pain was gone; the second thing that came to her was the fact the cut was no longer there, in fact there wasn't even a scar. Ranma blinked a few times as her mind wrapped around the fact that Hotaru had healed her. "Wow," she finally muttered.

 

"Is it all right?" Hotaru carefully asked. Though Ranma had said that she didn't mind her gift, this was the first time that Ranma had seen it in action.

 

Sensing the young girls reservations in her voice, Ranma smiled at Hotaru putting her at ease. "All right? This is great!" Ranma beamed, brightening Hotaru's mood considerably. "I wish I could do something half as neat."

 

"Really?" Hotaru asked, her grin broadening.

 

"Really," Ranma reaffirmed. Ranma was getting a kick out of seeing Hotaru so happy about the fact that she wasn't creeped out by her 'gift', that Ranma ignored the slight dizzy sensation that passed over her. "C'mon squirt," Ranma finally said. "Let's finish up these dishes."

 

1234567890987654321

 

Leaning against the rail, Ranma looked out on greater Tokyo from the vantage point of the top observation deck of the Tokyo Tower. She had cut school - something that she had hated to do since she promised her employer that she would continue with her studies, but she had to meet Akane here. The only consolation about going to school and being a nanny was she got out of any after school obligations - part of her duties was dropping Hotaru off at her school and picking her up afterwards.

 

Outside of that difference, Ranma's new school was as boring as her old one.

 

While waiting, Ranma fingered the collar of her Juban high school uniform and divided her time between watching the scenery below through the thick glass and watching for Akane. The uniform didn't bother Ranma too much since she considered it part of her disguise like the fake glasses she wore; she looked at everything she wore as part of her disguise, right down to the bra and panties she was currently wearing. Ranma had figured the Nabiki would be looking for a guy-acting girl and not a, well, girly-acting girl. Sighing, Ranma watched the lines of traffic far below that moved about the streets like a column of ants, the ugly rooftops, and some tennis courts and a soccer field in the near distance.

 

The observation deck was much smaller than the main one that was located three hundred twenty feet below and cost an extra fifteen hundred yen to get up to, but it still had it's share of tourists, mostly foreigners. Most importantly, the extra cost might keep most of Ranma's old classmates down on the main deck instead of venturing up here; there would be less chance of recognition.

 

Ranma shook her head clear of a touch of vertigo as she looked down. It was odd, but she had been having spells of slight dizziness since the other day, but had been dismissing it as stress.

 

Soon, a short-haired girl wearing the familiar Furinkan high school uniform exited the elevator and looked around the modestly occupied floor. Ranma frowned somewhat when she saw that Akane was not alone; she was accompanied by Yuka and Sayuri, two of her closest friends.

 

"Great, how am I gonna get Akane alone?" Ranma asked herself. Then she noticed that Akane was looking around with nervous eyes, completely overlooking her. Ranma smirked when she realized that Akane didn't recognize her. "Not that that's a surprise considering what I'm wearing."

 

Seeing no harm in trying, Ranma maneuvered behind the trio of girls as they looked over Tokyo and nudged the short-blue haired girl in the middle. Getting no response, Ranma nudged again, this time a bit harder than before. This time Ranma got a response.

 

"Is there something I can do for you?" Akane asked as she turned to face the annoyance.

 

"Um, sorry you look like someone I know," Ranma said lamely as she watched the other two girls to see if they would look; as luck would have it, they didn't. Ranma mouthed "It's me" to Akane in hopes that she'd understand.

 

Wearing a mask of confusion before her eyes lit up in recognition, Akane did a comical double-take as she took in the changes to her fiancee. As Ranma patiently waited for Akane to come around, she clasped her hands in front of her, mirroring the habit she had picked up working for Setsuna. Unfortunately, Akane's staring lasted long enough that Yuka and Sayuri noticed that their friend had stopped responding to their conversation and turned to see what was the matter. Ranma remained calm on the outside and said a silent prayer that they wouldn't see through her disguise.

 

"Who's this?" Sayuri asked Akane. "A friend of yours?" The girl with glasses looked somewhat familiar to her, like most of the pretty but mousy girls in school.

 

"Ah... yeah," Akane managed to get out.

 

"Ooo... I love your hair, who did it?" Yuka, noticing the tight curls, asked the new girl.

 

"Um, I had it done at... er," Ranma's mind drew a blank before she grasped at straws, "at my employer's hairdresser. I'm sorry, but I can't recall the name right now."

 

Akane came out of her stunned state and deflected anymore question from her friends. "Um, girls this is a... friend of mine from another school. Can you give me a moment to talk to her?" Akane asked her friends.

 

"Sure," and "Make sure you get the name of her hairdresser," were the replies from Akane's friends as Ranma smiled and led Akane towards the opposite railing, breathing a sigh of relief at dodging a bullet.

 

"What happened to your hair?" Akane asked as she tried, but failed, to tear her eyes away from Ranma's new hairdo.

 

"I dyed it," Ranma deadpanned.

 

"I mean...," Akane motioned. "What's with the curls?" She examined Ranma's hair closer. "Say... did you get a perm?"

 

"Yes, I gotta perm. I didn't mean to, it just happened."

 

"Ranma, perms don't just happen," Akane said with a hand on her hip. "How did you...?"

 

Sighing, Ranma relented. "I got gum in my hair and they had to cut it out."

 

Akane blinked, paused in thought, and then blinked again. "Ranma? What kind of weird martial arts challenge that you gotten yourself into that involved getting gum in your hair? I just want to know so I can avoid it in the future."

 

"It wasn't a martial arts challenge," Ranma half-hissed. "It was a plain, old, everyday accident. I leaned back on a park bench and the next thing you know: gum in the hair."

 

"But - the perm? Have you seen how you look?"

 

"Like I stuck my finger in an electric outlet right after a shower?"

 

"No!" Akane said, forgetting Ranma's true nature. "You look... cute." Part of Akane wondered where Ranma had gotten the perm and how Akane herself would look in one. "It really compliments your face... and," she stared closer at Ranma's face, "your... makeup?"

 

"My boss expects a certain amount of... feh" Ranma waved off the question. It was bad enough having Setsuna expect that she carry and present herself in a professional way and also having Hotaru bug her about looking feminine enough - it was just plain bad to be feminine at all in Ranma's book. She was a guy, dammit! "Look, I don't want to look cute," Ranma whispered to Akane. "I'm a guy - guy's aren't cute."

 

Akane gave Ranma a half-liddened gaze. "Ranma, there are guys that are cute. Besides, you're not exactly a guy right now."

 

Rolling her eyes, Ranma sighed dramatically causing a brief moment of silence that was broken by Akane. "So, why did you decide on a perm?"

 

"Hota- that is, the kid that I watch, her hairdresser did it to me," Ranma half-explained before grumbling, "She first wanted to make me look like... never mind, stupid foo-foo hair - now everyone thinks I look cute."

 

"Well you do look cute," Akane pointed out again, much to Ranma's discomfort. "I just never expected to see you like this." She then cocked her head in thought. "Say, you said you were babysitting?"

 

"Er, yeah. Mmm... not quite, you see, I'm a, er, well," Ranma stammered, while inadvertently looking the part of a blushing schoolgirl.

 

"You're a what?" Akane pressed.

 

"I'm a, er... a nanny," Ranma finally managed weakly.

 

Blinking, it took a moment for Akane's mind to shape Ranma's words into something meaningful. It didn't work the first few times and the mindless blinking she was doing as she stared off into space was starting to worry Ranma a bit.

 

"Akane? Akane? Akane, are you all right?" the former redhead asked, trying to get the other's attention.

 

"Did you say... nanny?" Akane finally asked.

 

"Yes I did, but that's not important right now," Ranma said, attempting to move the conversation along. "What's the news from home?"

 

Shaking her head free of any more thoughts about nannies and perms, Akane focused on the situation on hand. "It's worse," she sighed out. "Uncle and Nabiki have convinced daddy to move the engagement over to her," Akane practically spat out. "I never thought that my own sister would be such a... a..."

 

"A sneaky, amoral, money-grubbing bitch that won't stop at nothing until she has made every yen outta using me?" Ranma said sharply. "Feh, I ain't surprised; look at what she did to you, selling pictures to Kuno and stuff."

 

Akane nodded in agreement, she had no reason to defend her sister's selfish actions anymore. "And Huang has stepped up his efforts in looking for you - his 'property' as he calls you. I tell you Ranma, that guy gives me the creeps every time he comes over, and what's worse Nabiki treats him like royalty."

 

"That's because he's rich," Ranma pointed out. "If it wasn't for that, Nabiki wouldn't give the guy the time of day."

 

Sagging against the rail, Akane shook her head. "I don't understand Nabiki, I mean, daddy makes enough for us to get by on - we even get a small allowance... she has no reason to do the things she does."

 

"Some people are just that way," Ranma snorted out as she turned to face the city below them. "She loves to make life difficult for others and make money at the same time. She thinks it makes her in control and better than everyone else - which means you will have ta watch out Akane - I mean it."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"How long will it take for Nabiki to subtly suggest, for a modest fee, an omiai between you and Kuno?"

 

Eyes widening in horror, Akane leaned away from Ranma as if she suddenly developed bad breath. "She wouldn't!" Akane said. "She knows how much I hate him."

 

"Doesn't matter," Ranma said flatly. "Look what she did to me, her future brother-in-law, er... now future husband, if she thought she could do it and get away with it, she'll sell you out as well."

 

"She wouldn't!"

 

"Akane, she has already sold pictures of you to Kuno, fed his delusions, and made money off of your fights in his attempts in pursuing you," Ranma said while giving Akane an even glare. "Wake up and smell the tea; it's probably only a matter of time before she approaches your father saying something like," Ranma switched her voice to mimic Nabiki's, "since I'm now engaged to Ranma, Akane is free and there's a rich boy who-"

 

"No! She wouldn't," Akane insisted loudly, drawing some stares from the people around them.

 

"When there is money to be made?" Ranma asked pointedly.

 

"She... she... she would," Akane uttered in defeat.

 

Ranma smiled as she finally got through to Akane. "Just keep your eyes open," she warned Akane while looking at her dead in the eye and taking Akane's hand in hers for emphasis. There was a small, barely detectable shock of electricity that was ignored by both. "If she tries anything like that, you get the hell out of there as fast as you can. I'll help you as much as possible."

 

"How would I even get a hold of you?"

 

"My boss is gettin' me a cell phone," Ranma replied. "I'll get the number to you - somehow."

 

An uncomfortable silence fell between the two girls as they stared out the window and onto Tokyo below, their futures now more uncertain than ever.

 

1234567890987654321

 

"I heard you left school early today," Setsuna said conversationally over dinner.

 

Ranma froze, chopsticks halfway to her mouth. She knew that her employer expected a certain amount of 'excellence' from her and skipping school could be considered an infraction. Still, it was important that she had spoken with Akane, so Ranma decided to be honest about her absence.

 

"Er, yeah," Ranma replied with unease. "I had to meet and talk to someone - a friend. It was important."

 

"I see," Setsuna said. "Everything is all right, I hope."

 

"Um yeah... well, not really," Ranma said uncertainly. She was waffling between completely trusting Setsuna and not. It wasn't anything that Setsuna did that made Ranma hold back, but with the problems that Ranma had, she had a fear of being turned away.

 

"Some boy didn't get you in trouble, did he?" Hotaru scandalously asked.

 

"Huh?" Ranma said, breaking from her internal debate.

 

"Now Hotaru, I'm sure that Ranma isn't that kind of girl," Setsuna said with that secret grin on her face. "I'm sure it had something to do with the 'family problems' that she had hinted at before."

 

"Oh," Hotaru said with a mixture of relief and disappointment.

 

Blinking a few times as she looked between Setsuna and Hotaru, Ranma wondered if she'd missed something. "Um... right,' she managed out. "It's about my family problems." She paused; her boss was a sharp woman and remembered everything

 

"I see," Setsuna said, returning to her earlier conversational tone. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

 

Ranma stared at Setsuna for a few heartbeats. "You want to help me? You've only known me a couple of weeks, how do you know I'm worth helping?" Ranma asked.

 

"I'm a good judge of character," Setsuna replied. "And I did hire you to take care of Hotaru. That alone shows my trust in you. I could tell that, in spite of your - roughness about the edges, you are a good person at heart. Do you think you would have this job if I felt otherwise?."

 

Ranma blinked at the answer. "Oh," she said dumbly. Internally, Ranma was rather touched to know that someone had put that much trust in her. "It's... kinda... complicated," she ventured, not sure where to begin.

 

"I'll tell you what," Setsuna said as she picked up a bite of food. "After dinner, we'll get together and talk about it - if you want."

 

Finding her rice very interesting at the moment, Ranma picked at a clump of grains.

 

"We'll both help," Hotaru chimed in enthusiastically. Ranma couldn't help but smile, Hotaru had a way of disarming her.

 

After the dishes were washed and put away, all three girls settled in the living room. Setsuna sat on the overstuffed couch and motioned for Ranma to do the same. Hotaru, not wanting to be left out, but not wanting to get in the way, established herself in the arm chair across from the two older women. Silence dragged out for a moment before Setsuna cleared her throat. "So, what sort of family problems are you having?"

 

"Um... it's kinda complicated," Ranma said. "I don't know where to really begin."

 

"Why not start with what caused you to leave home," Setsuna suggested, "and we can work from there."

 

Pursing her lips, Ranma thought for a moment. "I can't tell them everything... like the curse - they'll think I'm a freak. Better tell them the truth, but sorta switch things around a bit," she concluded. Taking a deep breath, Ranma began her story starting with the Ten Yen Battle...

 

A bit later and after several cups of tea, Ranma managed to tell Setsuna and Hotaru the events that led her to their door. Though she had edited out the more bizarre or magical moments in her life, that still left a great amount to be amazed and appalled about.

 

"So your father and your new fiance are basically trying to rent you to the highest bidder?" Setsuna said with frost in her voice. She'd had been somewhat familiar with the past of Ranma Saotome and knew the type of person she was dealing with: a kind and caring young man wrapped in a cocoon of crassness. It would be fair to label Ranma an asshole, but it was his willingness to go to extremes to help someone in need - even strangers - overshadowed that personality quirk that he acquired from his upbringing.

 

Setsuna found herself being moved as Ranma outlined the schemes of her fiancee's 'brother' and her father's attempts at reducing her life to being nothing more than a high-class whore. Setsuna found that addition noteworthy.

 

"Um... yeah, basically," Ranma said nervously, eyes darting between Setsuna and a horrified looking Hotaru.

 

Feeling anger build up in her chest, Setsuna took in a claiming breath. There was something very different about speaking with a real flesh and blood person about their problems. There was no clinical detachment; the situation was tangible now, personal. "And your first fiancee, the one that they switched the engagement from... he helped you escape?"

 

"Yes. Sh- er, he was a great help in making sure I wasn't followed or nothin'," Ranma replied.

 

"Is that who you had to meet?" asked a wide-eyed Hotaru.

 

"Er, yeah," Ranma replied. "Er, he's been keeping me up to date on what's going on... back home."

 

"I see," Setsuna said as she considered something. "You trust him?"

 

Ranma blinked at the question and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I do."

 

"Is he handsome?" Hotaru asked with interest.

 

"Er... something like that," Ranma stammered. "Look, it's like we kinda like each other, but... there was just too much pressure to get us married," Ranma explained. "S-he's a good friend, that's all." Thinking of Akane as a guy was too weird; though if they were the same sex then there would be no romantic tension.

 

"Well no one can blame you for leaving home," Hotaru said with righteous justice burning in her eyes. "There should be a law against what they're trying to do to you."

 

"I'm very sure there is," Setsuna said in the same tone as Hotaru had just spoken in. "Ranma I think that you did the right thing in getting out of a bad situation, but you're partly responsible for allowing it to continue as it has."

 

"Huh?" Ranma said, she was confused by that slight accusation.

 

"Why haven't you report this to the authorities?" Setsuna asked. "Surely you have to know that these people are breaking the law."

 

"I can't do that, "Ranma half-retorted. "They're my family... sorta."

 

Silence fell in the room as Setsuna and Hotaru eyed Ranma incredulously.

 

"Ranma, if this is your family, then you would be better off without them," Setsuna said in a surprisingly blunt manner.

 

"B-but..."

 

"Ranma, what your father and your so-called fiance are doing to you is awful," Hotaru said in a thin, almost scared way. "I can't imagine what I'd do if I was in your shoes, but I know I wouldn't allow them to get away with breaking the law."

 

Another bout of silence followed

 

"At least your ex-fiance seems like a decent man," Hotaru pointed out. "But even though it is his brother that is doing this, he still should have reported it as well."

 

"And by not reporting it yourself, you are allowing yourself to be victimized," Setsuna added.

 

"I-I see," Ranma said, slightly unnerved by the inescapable conclusions that these two relative strangers had arrived at. There was no denying the logic behind their reasoning and that disturbed Ranma even more. Ranma sighed in indecision. "Um... guys... I need to think about this."

 

"That's okay," Setsuna said as she leaned forward and captured Ranma's eyes with her own, making it impossible for Ranma to ignore anything that was about to be said. "But remember: No one can abuse you unless you allow them to - and if you need any help, I'm more than willing to help you."

 

Ranma jerkily nodded as she wrestled with what to do.

 

1234567890987654321-

 

Eight and a half miles north of where Ranma was staying, Akane entered the grounds of the Tendo dojo. She was tired and the fact that the bus returning them from field trip had arrived back late didn't help - and she still had homework to do. Tiredly she slipped out of her shoes and she made her way into the family room.

 

"Great," she though bitterly. "I won't be able to relax with some TV while he is here."

 

Scowling, she saw her sister, Nabiki, entertaining Mr. Huang - Ranma's "master", still trying to "pool their resources" and find "his property". Reining in her anger toward her older sister, Akane decided that she didn't want to deal with either one of them at the moment, so she retreated to her room and changed out of her school uniform.

 

"She better not try marrying me off to Kuno," Akane thought in irritation as she pulled the jumper part of her uniform over her head. "If she does..."

 

She sighed. Outside of taking Ranma's advice of getting the hell out, there was little she could do. If Nabiki did manage to put a bug in her father's ear, Akane knew that she'd be pressured into agreeing to the arrangement by her father, Nabiki, Kuno, and most likely Mr. Saotome as well. Deep in her heart of hearts, she knew the pressure would be greater than she could handle.

 

She sighed again. Life was never easy when you had a gold-digging bitch for a sister.

 

Sitting on her bed in just a bra and panties, Akane brought her bandaged right knee up to examine it. She had skinned it pretty badly the day before practicing in the dojo and wanted to see how it was healing. Using her fingernails, she picked at the edge of the adhesive bandage until she was able to get a grip. In one even pull she separated the wide strip from her knee and blinked at what she saw.

 

And blinked again.

 

"What the-? I know I skinned my knee," she thought as she ran her fingers over the smooth, unmarred surface of her knee. Akane looked at the inside of the bandage, still in her hand, and saw that there was dried blood there. "Maybe I'm finally starting to be a faster healer like some of the other martial artists around here."

 

1234567890987654321

 

Ranma drummed her desktop with her fingers as she waited for the teacher to enter the classroom. It was between classes and everyone had taken the opportunity to gather into their little cliques and talk amongst themselves. Since it was still morning and Ranma had managed to cultivate a reputation for being a bit grumpy at that time of day, she was left alone for the most part. While waiting, she had time to reconsider if hiding out as a nanny was a good idea or not for the umpteenth time.

 

Sighing, she stared off into space, she wondered if and when it would be safe for her to go home again. It had been a month since she went into hiding and two weeks since she saw Akane at the Tokyo Tower. In all that time, Ranma was still trying to decide on what to do, whether she should report Nabiki's dealings to the police or not. Ranma felt lost in the face of a simple moral dilemma that should have been easy to resolve; she was just too used to handling things herself.

 

At least her cell phone helped things; as long as Akane called her from a private location it would stay secure. From the clandestine phone call she had with Akane the previous night, the situation at the Tendos' hadn't improved at all - there was too much money involved in finding her for things to quiet down. Ranma sighed again and wished that she could go back to her normal life

 

That is, back to his normal life. "Gotta stop doing that," Ranma scolded herself. "I'm a guy. I ain't no girl. I gotta take a break and turn back into a guy... even it it's for a few minutes," Ranma concluded. "I think this curse is startin' to mess with my head."

 

This was the most disturbing development in the whole hiding out thing: "He" was starting to pick up behavior that he had always attributed to women. Being around more "normal" people and emulating their behavior to better fit in was one thing, being around girls "his" own age and emulating them to fit in was another. Over the course of the last few weeks, Ranma had discovered, much to his dismay, that the mannerisms that she had picked up were becoming more and more second nature.

 

Except for a few things...

 

"Miss Saotome?" a voice asked, breaking Ranma from her thoughts. Looking up, Ranma was greeted by a tall and handsome upperclassman who towered over her.

 

"Yea- , er, yes?" Ranma replied as she looked the young man in the eye.

 

"I'm Kanagaki Ken, senior in class A3," the tall, handsome boy said in a voice that cracked with a trace of nervousness. "I, er... say, I really like your hair; it really fits you."

 

Ranma frowned and made the boy fidget even more. She hated that such cute, girly hair could "fit" her and she still couldn't grasp what the big deal was about her hair. It was just hair after all. She sighed in resignation.

 

"Thank you for noticing," she softly said as she unconsciously ran her fingers through her hair. She had decided that it was easier to be nice about it than indignant; she seemed to make more friends that way or at least get less negative attention. And negative attention was the last thing she wanted right now.

 

"I was wondering... if... if," he paused to gather his courage. "I was wondering if you would mind going out with me this weekend?" Ken's smile and tone were laced with hope. "I would be most honored if you came with me to the beach."

 

It took a few moments for Ranma to register that she had just been asked out - nicely. This was so unlike Kuno's demands, or blackmailing for dates, or kidnapping that she couldn't make head or tails of it at first. Still after intellectually understanding what was going on, it still took a few moments for that fact to actually sink in.

 

"He asked me out," she thought indignantly. "He asked me out. That... that... jerk."

 

Face flushing in irritation, Ranma controlled herself as to not to stand up and punt the boy out of the room for even suggesting that she'd be interested in going out with him. However, a cooler part of herself prevailed and overruled that first instinct. "Wait, he doesn't know I'm really a guy, so I can't get mad at him," Ranma thought as she watched the upperclassman's expectant face. "Gotta act like a girl... but I don't wanna date no guy either."

 

Not wanting to do anything that would blow her cover, Ranma put on her best 'Ranko' look, smiled and stood up by her desk, facing the upperclassman. "Thank you for asking me," she said with a bow to the upperclassman. "But because of my responsibilities, I'm afraid I have little time to date," Ranma said as she pushed her glasses back up. Bowing was always a pain while wearing them.

 

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ken said as he bowed to the shorter girl. "Perhaps another time when you're free?"

 

"Er, yeah," Ranma managed to get out. "That would be, er... wonderful," she finished as she flushed with further indignation of the situation.

 

Sagging with relief as Ken strode away and out of the classroom, Ranma ignored the excited buzzing that the scene created among her classmates. Reclaiming her seat, she tried to focus on other things to take her mind off her perceived embarrassment of situation when two girls wearing glasses came up on either side of her, both sporting broad grins.

 

"Gosh Ranma, you're so lucky to be asked out by Ken," Kimiko gushed.

 

"I can't believe you didn't take him up on it," another girl said as she adjusted her glasses.

 

"I bet it's because of your new hair," Kimiko smiled. The perm showed that Ranma really did want to become more feminine; she was just cautious. Kimiko was a bit jealous; she knew she didn't have the guts to change her hair like that. It was very daring and attention-getting.

 

Ranma sighed, as she unconsciously adjusted her own glasses. She really liked Kimiko and Nami, but their determination to 'break Ranma out of her shell' was wearing a bit thin. This, coupled with the fact that Hotaru thought of her as 'boy shy', added unneeded complications in her life. But the problem was that Ranma couldn't really get mad at any of them because in their minds they were helping her; so Ranma did the best thing she could in a situation like this: grin and bear it.

 

"I ain't- er, that is, I have too many things to do after school for dating," Ranma said.

 

"I know, I know. You're a nanny and your charge comes first," Kimiko said. "But you have a day off every now and then. You should've gone for it."

 

"Hotaru keeps me very busy," Ranma explained.

 

"C'mon Ranma," Nami insisted. "Everyone saw how you acted, all blushing and everything - anyone who saw can tell you were interested."

 

"I wasn't blushing, I was...," Ranma insisted - before her mind froze and then stumbled.a bit at the realization of how she probably looked; in spite of her best effort, Ranma paled a bit. "Aw crap," she thought. "They mistook me gettin' mad as blushing."

 

"You've got to stop being so shy and live a little," Kimiko said in a cheery way as she mistook Ranma's stammering as shyness. It was important to keep positively supporting her. They had already seen Ranma get more comfortable with makeup and get more proper in her manners, not to forget the amazing progress made by changing her hairstyle.

 

"I ain't," Ranma paused and sighed. "I'm not shy, I have a job after school that I have to do," she explained, slipping back into 'Ranko' mode. "I really don't have time for boys."

 

"I'm sure your boss would understand that you need a day off," Nami urged. "You're her employee, not her slave."

 

"Look," Ranma began patiently - it was just so hard to get mad at these two, irritated, yes - mad, no. "I just...," Ranma paused to collect her thoughts. Maybe a 'white lie' would do the trick. "Guys- er, girls, my life is a bit of a mess right now," Ranma explained. "I just got out of a bad situation and it's not over with yet."

 

Both girls looked at Ranma with wide eyes. "Oh dear... why didn't you tell us, we would've understood," Kimiko said.

 

"You would've?" Ranma asked at the sudden turn of events. She had been trying since she had met these two to get them to stop their matchmaking.

 

"Of course," Kimiko said in slight admonishment. "You should have said something."

 

"So who was he?" Nami asked.

 

"Who's who?" Ranma asked.

 

"The boy who broke your heart," Kimiko said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

 

"I bet he was a real jerk, wasn't he?" Nami added in.

 

"Huh?" Ranma asked, wondering how they made that great leap of logic.

 

"Your ex-boyfriend," Kimiko replied in the same obvious tone.

 

Ranma spasmed. "I ain't got no-" she paused to rein in herself. "I don't have a ex-boyfriend. I've never had a boyfriend," Ranma said as she mentally added, "and I never will."

 

Kimiko and Nami looked at Ranma incredulously before shaking their heads in unison. "You poor girl," Kimiko said as she slightly 'tisked'.

 

"I'll say," Nami chimed in. "I have never met anyone as boy-shy as you are."

 

"And Nami is a girl that swooned the last time she was asked out," Kimiko grinned.

 

"He was dreamy," Nami mumbled.

 

"Don't worry, we'll help you through it," Kimiko said, then paused. "Wait - if it's not an ex-boyfriend, then what is the problem?"

 

"Er..., it's...," Ranma stammered about, trying to think of a solution. In a stroke of inspiration, Ranma decided to tell the truth - in a way. "I'm trying to get out of an arranged marriage," Ranma finally said.

 

"Marriage?" both girls plus a few more in the classroom who overheard exclaimed. "You're engaged?" asked Nami.

 

"No! Not really, my father arranged for me to marry an abusive bitc-, er, bastard," Ranma said as she thought of how best to describe Nabiki. "There's no way I'm gonna marry 'im."

 

"Oh my," Kimiko said in a Kasumi-esque way before continuing in a dramatic way, hands clutching to her chest. "The horror of being trapped in a relationship to an abusive, self-centered, egoistical lout."

 

"Er, guys," Ranma said, knowing what would happen if these two girl's imaginations took over.

 

"And your only escape was to run away before you were forced into a loveless marriage against your will," Nami added, just as dramatically as Kimiko.

 

"Um... guys," Ranma tried again.

 

"Don't worry Ranma," Kimiko said in all seriousness. "If that lout shows up here, you'll have every guy in the school willing to defend you. No one today would blame you for running away."

 

Ranma sighed as she sank into her chair and was ever so glad to have a teacher show up when she did. "Maybe I should have taken that shrine maiden's job," Ranma thought as the teacher began her instruction.

 

1234567890987654321

 

The afternoon was a lazy one as Ranma lay on the couch and thumbed through her textbook. Since it was officially her 'day off' she chose to relax in a red pullover with loose, dark blue silk pants. Though she still thought homework was a drag, Ranma stuck with it; with the sharp decrease in martial arts challenges that used to unexpectedly come her way, she focused on schoolwork as something to overcome.

 

Shifting her attention away from world history, Ranma smirked a bit as Hotaru watched a hokey kung-fu movie on the television. Ranma had been too engrossed in her studies to pay much attention to the screen, but she could tell very easily how cleverly the fights were choreographed. Ranma could tell that Hotaru was completely absorbed into the movie.

 

On screen, two bare-chested men were duking it out; fists were striking out and legs were kicking as both combatants dodged and weaved around one another. One of the men got a punch in, sending the other into a stack of thick bamboo, sending it scattering on the pavement. Scrambling about in the pile, the fallen man emerged with a particularly sturdy staff of bamboo and began swinging at his opponent in an almost dance-like way.

 

Hotaru leaned toward the screen and seemed to soak in every move and detail the stick-welding man was making. At this point, the other fighter grabbed a broomstick and defended himself with it artfully. Hotaru continued to watch as the fight went on; each thrust and parry was punctuated by the combatant's grunts and the smacking sounds their weapons made.

 

"Wow," Hotaru whispered. "Are you watching this?" She asked without taking her eyes from the action.

 

"Mmmmm," Ranma replied noncommittally while she continued to watch over the edge of her history book.

 

The small girl on the floor turned to face Ranma. "Do you know how to do that?" Hotaru asked wide-eyed, motioning toward the action on the screen.

 

Lowering the book to get a better view of the television, Ranma studied the two over-muscled men fighting it out with staffs. It reminded her of the many bouts she had with her father. "Yes," Ranma replied as she raised her book up as if she were reading it. "My Pops and I used to practice with staffs and a bunch of other weapons."

 

"Can you teach me that?" Hotaru asked, excitement leaching into her voice as she motioned again to the action on the screen.

 

Answering while hiding her sly smile behind her book, Ranma shrugged and pretended to continue to focus on her reading. "Oh... I guess I could... sometime..." she said coyly.

 

"Oh Miss Ranma, you have to teach me that," Hotaru exclaimed as she climbed onto the edge of the couch. "I wanna learn how to do that!"

 

Looking into Hotaru's purple eyes, Ranma saw a fiery determination burning inside them. Her enthusiasm for learning martial arts sometimes exceeded her capabilities, but Ranma figured that there would be no harm in teaching Hotaru how to use a staff. "Especially if I combine it with the Tai-Chi and Karate that I already taught her and move up from there," Ranma mentally concluded.

 

"I don't know...,"Ranma said with a teasing smile and a turn of the page. "I don't want Miss Meioh to think I'm pushing you-"

 

"Then we'll keep it a secret!" Hotaru interrupted as she stood. "Like that other cool stuff you taught me."

 

"Well..." Ranma drawled out playfully, "I just don't know..."

 

"Miss Ranma!" Hotaru insisted with a stamp of her small foot. "Please!"

 

Smiling at the younger girl's antics, Ranma allowed a small giggle to escape. Hotaru looked at Ranma with an adorable pout on her face before realizing that she had been made fun of. "Ooo... you..." Hotaru sputtered.

 

Grinning, Ranma stared at the indignant girl, snorting in suppressed laughter.

 

"Miss Ranma!" Hotaru roared in mock anger while attacking Ranma with tiny fingers that sought out and found Ranma's most ticklish spots. Squealing at the assault, Ranma dropped her book and counterattacked eliciting howls of laughter from the smaller girl. Both wrestled for dominance as each tried to out-tickle the other until both rolled off the couch and landed on the floor with a soft thump.

 

"I'm sorry, squirt," Ranma said coming down from her laughter. "But I couldn't help it."

 

"You'll teach me, won't you?" Hotaru asked longingly as Ranma picked up her dropped book.

 

"Yeah squirt, I'll teach you," Ranma conceded before being enveloped in a glomp, causing Ranma's just recovered book to be jammed hard into one of her breasts.

 

"Thank you, thank you," Hotaru said as she hugged her nanny, making Ranma grunt with pain as a corner of the book jabbed her. Breaking the hug, Hotaru looked excitedly at Ranma and almost danced around the middle of the room. "I'll work real hard at it, like when you taught me how to breathe right and stances and blocks and..."

 

Hotaru continued to rattle off the various things that Ranma had taught her in an increasing excitable way. "I wonder...," Ranma thought as she picked herself off the floor. "If I was given the choice, would I have been as excited about martial arts as Hotaru is?"

 

"This is going to be so cool!" Hotaru announced, interrupting Ranma's reflections. "When can we start?"

 

"We'll have to get some supplies," Ranma replied. "We'll have to make another trip to Daishi's."

 

"That's fine," Hotaru whole-heartedly agreed. "You think that he'll still have that gi?"

 

"Dunno, let's find out."

 

1234567890987654321

Stretching at the table, Ranma sighed in relief. She had just finished her homework and not only had tonight off, but Sunday as well. This windfall of time off was due to Hotaru spending the weekend at her aunt and uncle's. This left Ranma with a day and a half that she could do anything she wanted. Not that it mattered, for she rarely went out except to practice her martial arts clandestinely and maybe visit this great little sushi bar that Nami introduced her to a couple of weeks ago. They had rice cooked so finely that it rivaled anything that Kasumi could do and the price was affordable.

"Hmmm," Ranma thought, "maybe I can go there and get a bite or three... or four." She cocked her head. "And with Hotaru spending the night with her aunt and uncle, I can hang out late if I want to."

 

Closing the book before her and piling up her school work, she continued to consider things to do for the next few days. "I wonder if I can fine a bath house somewhere and scrub this water proof soap off," she thought while absently playing with her curly locks, not even thinking about the perm she was currently sporting - or what it would look like on her guy form. "I really need to change back into a guy... I think I've forgotten what's it like to pee standing up."

 

The doorbell rang, breaking Ranma's musings. Before she could rise from her seat, Setsuna called out "I'll get it."

Sagging back into her chair, Ranma relaxed. Yes. Changing back to a guy would definitely be the top order for this weekend. "I'll just tell Setsuna that I'm going on a short training trip and find a cheap hostel somewhere and-"

So deep in thought, Ranma did not even register when Setsuna entered the room, or the two other people that she was leading. One was a green-eyed brunette with her hair pulled into a pair of ponytails that fell straight down behind her ears. The other was a bit shorter, though still taller than Ranma, had brown eyes and black hair that was shorter and pinned back in a simple bun, and a more statuesque figure. Both were wearing glasses as well.