Ranma: Motherhood

    The characters and places depicted in this story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and are being used without her permission. This document may not be reproduced for resale. (Okay, I haven't written a disclaimer before so if I've missed anything, contact me at jtbell2@hotmail.com and let me know what I might need to add in the future.)

    This story is an idea that I've been tossing around for a while and have decided that I'll give it a try and see what you think. It is a bit dark, but I hope you will see the light peeking through each character. (Kuno...a hero? Who knew?) One character is from the Accused Springs series I have written for in Anime Squared magazine. It seemed appropriate due to the nature of the problem. Also, as an outsider, he has an interesting perspective on things.

    Well, I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter One: Dilemma

    It was a cold, raw day in the early part of Spring – so cold, Ryoga wore the warmest shirt in his pack, so wet he wondered why he hadn’t been changed….but the water remained in the air as a dreary fog that masked all the landmarks and hid the sun from him. If he hadn’t been lost when he started, he certainly was now.
    Ryoga…he’s been missing for days! The sound of Akane’s voice kept buzzing through his head. Please…you’ve got to help me find him….something terrible has happened, I just know it!
    Having left the train station behind him some time ago, he walked, umbrella in hand, through dingy side streets, scanning back and forth as he went. Ranma Saotome was missing…had been missing since a trip to a neighboring community for a martial arts workshop four days ago. Akane…her face as she turned to look over her shoulder at him, a picture of Ranma in her hands…dear as nothing else in the world was dear…pale, wide-eyed…terrified. I just know it… Her sisters had been more matter-of-fact about it, but there was something in the way Kasumi clasped her hands in front of her, and Nabiki wouldn’t meet his eyes. And both of them were out looking, too.
     “Dear Akane…” he mused, “When I find that – Ranma – for you, I will tear him limb from limb for what he puts you through…I’ll beat him to a bloody pulp…I’ll –“
    The meow of a cat caught his attention – and then, a shoe. Lying in the road was a shoe…kneeling, he picked it up. Looking up, he saw the trash dumpsters, full and overflowing, awaiting the trash pickup. And then he saw the other shoe…still attached to a foot. Attached to a body wedged between the dumpster and the wall of the alleyway.
     “Oh no.”
    Black slippers, they were…and the foot still wearing one was wearing the drawstring pants Ranma favored. Pushing the dumpster aside, pawing through the garbage on top of the body, his heart went cold as red satin began to peek through the trash. And then, red hair. “Oh no. No…it can’t be.”
    He’s been missing for days….Just the tiniest of sounds came from the body…a whimper. Pushing the last of the trash aside, he knelt next to the body…”Oh, Ranma…”
     “…din’ move…I…din’ move…” A face so bruised and swollen, it was hard to recognize as Ranma’s. The eyes were swollen and caked shut, the mouth barely able to parse sounds through the split lips, stiff with caked blood and spit. “…please…don’ kill me…please…please…”
     Ryoga kept pushing the trash away, further exposing a terribly broken body. Ranma, changed into his female form by the curse of Jusenkyo, wore only the tatters of his favorite outfit…blood, rotting food, and other substances left unmentionable caking every scrap left. Cuts, bruises, lacerations…he laid in the rubbish unmoving, limbs at strange angles, as if he’d been thrown there like a discarded toy.
    Somebody thought they’d killed him…they left him here for dead…Ranma!
    Thanking the sprits who guarded unlucky martial artists, he carefully tried to gather the tiny body into a bundle to carry in his arms. A shoulder looked dislocated, the collarbone broken…wordlessly, he opened his pack to pull out extra clothing, gently wrapping him in his groundcloth and blanket. I’ve got to get him to some help…but where?
    So small…I didn’t know he was so small…and so cold. So very cold…”Ranma?”
    The eyebrows reacted, drawing together over closed, bruised eyewells…”…ho..?” Then, feebly, he tried to back away, withdraw. “…no…”
    Praying, he put every bit of warmth he could into his voice. “Ranma…we’ve found you. It’s Ryoga…remember me, Ranma? We’ve found you…we’ve –” He couldn’t choke out another word.
    Carefully, gently as if he held a fragile glass sculpture and not a living being, he stood, cradling Ranma close to his chest, tucking the head between his shoulder and chin. So cold…
     “Ry-oga?”
     “Yeah. Ryoga.” Red hair matted with blood and filth wavered in his vision as his eyes filled with tears. This can’t be happening… “We’ve found you. And I’m going to take you home where’s it’s safe…right now.”
    Sweet Akane…guide me. What can I do? Leaping to the rooftops, Ryoga set out in the direction his heart set, hoping with every step that it was the right way. When Ranma didn’t answer, he thought better of returning to the Tendo dojo, fixing the image of Dr. Tofu in his mind. In all the years, the image of killing Ranma…had often been a thought in the heat of anger, quickly banished. But now…even thinking of being cursed as he was…he couldn’t feel a thing about it now…leap again…dodge the television aerial…get a bearing…that way…Ranma only laid in his arms like a bundle of sticks and cloth. So cold…and he doesn’t even shiver…this is bad. Bad…
    Stopping once, he pulled the blanket away from Ranma’s face, his heart skipping a beat or two until he was sure Ranma was still breathing. The eyebrows, drawn together tightly over the closed eyes…the mouth set grimly in a straight line, the jaw clenched….pain, and a lot of it. “Ranma? We’re almost there…hang on.”
    Ryoga’s heart turned over as this time the face registered his voice, turning towards him…the eyes trying hard to open. Strong, so strong…”Ryoga Hibiki has you, Ranma.” He murmured the words almost absently, more for himself. “Whoever did this will pay. I swear it.”
     “…don’ go ‘lone…” A sigh, a whisper it was… “…kill you….h-urt you….” Tears…tears!…began to leak from the closed eyes. “…’yoga…don’ go…”
    He went faster.

     “Kasumi?”
     “Here…” Stepping away from the wall, she had the phone to her ear. “Akane…Ryoga needs me now…yes…yes, of course….” She offered the phone to him. “It’s Akane…”
     “Dr. Tofu needs you in there. Here, let me take the phone.” Stepping to her side, he barely noted her pass by him as he took the deepest breath he could imagine, and tried to smile as he took the phone. “Hello, Akane?”
    Her voice…she was crying, and begging him to tell her what happened. Turning to see if anyone could see or hear him, Ryoga slowly let his guard down. To the one person who wouldn’t judge him for it.
     “Akane…do what the doctor said. Come quick—” His throat tightening against what he would have added, his vision began to swim as the tears he had been holding back came forth. Poor dear Akane… “I don’t know what happened, but Ranma’s been hurt bad…real bad…and he’s a girl right now…and…”
    Dial tone answered him. She was on the way.
    Placing the phone back on the hook, he went back into the exam room.
    Tofu raised his head as he entered, but only to note his arrival and then went back to the business he had at hand. The IV pole, with the bag of solution now hanging from it, stood at the head of the table, out of the way of both he and Kasumi, who were quickly cleaning away the filth Ranma had laid in when he was found. Ranma, now covered with a thick cotton blanket, still laid too still for Ryoga’s liking. The doctor also had a tray of instruments, bottles, and sutures at his elbow…and he was using them.
     “Get another basin of water…thanks, Ryoga. Change out what Kasumi’s using, and get a gown from in the cabinet over there.” Pausing, he stood briefly, wiping his brow with the back of a gloved hand. Putting the suturing material down, he stripped the gloves off into the trashcan, donning new ones. “I’d sure like to take some x-rays…” he mused, putting the stethoscope to his ears, bending over Ranma to listen to his chest. “Heart’s sounding better…lungs are clear. So far so good.” Taking the blood pressure cuff from the tray, he stepped around the table to slide the cuff onto the other arm, and took a reading. “Much better. Pressure’s approaching normal again.”
     “There’s something wrong with his heart?” Finding the gowns in the cabinet, he slid one out and closed the door.
     “For someone just up and walking around, yeah. For someone who hasn’t had a thing to eat or drink in days with a core temp four degrees subgrade, no.” Gentle hands passed over Ranma’s body, sliding under the thick cotton blankets covering him. “But it’s getting better.” He added softly. Kasumi lifted the covers now and again to remove another shred of clothing, silently going about the business of cleaning, now and again taking a butterfly strip from the edge of the tray and applying it to some part of Ranma’s body under the covers. “Think we need to heat that blanket up again?”
     “It is cooling off some.” She replied, and turned to the cabinet where the gowns were kept and took another blanket out, stepping to the microwave.
     “Careful, only 45 seconds or so, or you’ll burn it.”
    She turned to smile brightly at Dr. Tofu. “Of course. It’s not as if we were going to eat it, Dr. Tofu.”
    Why did that make him think of Akane?
     “There are some spots on my side you need to look at.” She added softly.
     “Okay.”
    After waiting for the timer to ring, Kasumi took the blanket out and went back to the table. Nodding to Ryoga, they lifted the blankets off just long enough for the newly warmed one to be applied, then tucked the others in around the areas they hadn’t gotten to yet. But even Ryoga could see the extent of the damage…it hadn’t been his imagination that Ranma had been lighter that he remembered.
     “He – she – Ranma…has lost a lot of weight.” Tofu remarked. “I’m sure the IV fluids will help with that.”
     “You’re not saying, ‘don’t worry,’ Dr. Tofu.”
    Hands passing over Ranma’s ribcage, he looked at Ryoga over his glasses. “I am worried. I’m really wondering if I should call in another doctor…even call an ambulance.”
     “But –“
     “I’m only one pair of hands…” Muttering to himself, Tofu kept working swiftly, absently mentioning what he saw. “Yup, that shoulder is definitely dislocated…broken collarbone…get to that in a minute…no sign of internal injury, that’s good…ugh, gotta tape the ribs, there’s one broken on either side…okay, now the fun part….”
    Ranma lay as still as before, but Ryoga was hoping it wasn’t his imagination that a bit of color was beginning to trickle back into his body. A slight flinch, he wasn’t sure he saw it…and then he saw gooseflesh come up on his exposed arms, and a slight shiver set in. “He’s cold…”
     “Actually, he’s beginning to warm up. Taking deeper breaths, too. Good, good…coming right along….”
    Flipping the blanket up, the doctor undid the drawstrings at both ankles, and then moved up to the waistband. And froze. “Uh, oh. This isn’t good…”
    The drawstring was missing completely. Ungathered, the pants loosely hung about hips that bore bruising on top along the bones. It was a simple matter to pull the pants away. But they wouldn’t. Thick clots of dried blood stuck the legs together and the fabric to the legs. “Okay, that’s it. I’m calling for help.”
     Ryoga didn’t want to think it. He didn’t want to see it. Shrinking away, he met Kasumi’s eyes and saw his face reflected in eyes gone wide in shock. Dropping the waistband, Dr. Tofu flipped the blanket back over, absently tucking it in as he sped from the room. “You girls know Dr. Waipio, don’t you?”
    Hands raising to her face, Kasumi nodded blindly. “But she’s a woman’s doctor –“
     “It’s what we need!” Silent, staring at each other, Ryoga and Kasumi listened to the sounds of the city trickle in over the sounds of Ranma breathing, the table rattling with his shivers. The unmistakable sounds of a phone being dialed in the next room could be heard as alternately, Ryoga stared at Ranma…then Kasumi.
    Taking a deep breath, Ryoga gathered what was left of his sanity and took Kasumi’s hands away from her face. “Keep working. And keep thinking. Ranma needs us. We’ve got to be strong.”
     “…he’s been raped…oh, Ranma…”

    There was nothing to compare to the smell of the outdoor air after it rained. Taking a long, deep breath of it, a young man of indeterminate age sat on the stairs outside his home and watched the world go by him. All was well, and that was the way he liked it.
    It was also an unfamiliar feeling as well, apart from his daily routine. He knew if he looked hard enough, he’d find something that needed fixing. A well-used sense also told him not to go looking for trouble. Sighing, he sat back and looked up into the cherry trees in the front yard, noting they were beginning to bud, even though they were still bare of leaves.
    Maybe I could help it along a little…just this once. It’s warm enough…the frost won’t catch the new growth any more.
    The neighbors were used to their resident gajin. After all, his entire family had lived in the apartment until just recently when he had finished school and began working on his own, and they had returned to America. He was too tall, too fair -- ah, but he was just a friendly gajin, what could one do? He was pleasant and kind enough to suit anyone’s taste. At least he spoke Japanese as well as one could ask, and constantly asked questions to better himself.
    And luck seemed to follow him like flowers followed rain.
    Oh yeah, these blossoms are going to be spectacular this year…wish Mesha were here to see it. His wistful look was accented by a sigh.
    He was well known at the counseling center down the street as the crazy American that had remarkable success curing people of any sort of addiction or obsession troubling them. When prospective clients finally met with him, however, they discovered there was no easy miracle cure awaiting them. After a thorough interview (and few of the prospective clients found meeting those piercing blue eyes easy), the patient was asked to sit quietly in a darkened room and meditate on whatever it was that troubled them. He would sit there with them, talking quietly for an hour or so. That was all.
    Still, for some reason, the anorexic girls stopped starving themselves, the salarymen who needed to stop drinking, did and anyone who wished to stop smoking found themselves without the slightest need for a cigarette.
    Wonder if anyone’s going to notice…that would be bad. Maybe it's better not to borrow trouble.
    It was not easy to meet with him, because he was rarely there. He claimed he had other pressing engagements often, and was scarcely home as he was now…looking up into the cherry trees.
    The blossoms always looked so beautiful in Mesha’s hair…like pink snowflakes.
    “Don’t.”
    Jarred out of his reverie, he straightened up to see a familiar face standing in front of him. “Oh, hello Gabe. Fancy meeting you here.”
    “Forcing a cherry tree to bloom early is a little more noticeable than forcing paperwhites, Alex.”
    Looking up into the face of a kind old man wearing a woolen overcoat and scarf, the younger man smiled as he put chin into hand. “I was only thinking about it, y’know.”
    “Imp.”
    “You oughta know.”
    Smiling broader, he sat down next to him, mimicking Alex’s posture. “You know what they say about idle hands.”
    Eyebrows arching, he grinned and winked. “Do tell.”
    “Imp twice, then.” Gabe replied pleasantly. “Bored?”
    Leaning against the wall, he nodded. “Considerably.”
    “Why haven’t you gone home to see your family…or your friends?”
    “Too far away, too busy…and call it a hunch, but I thought you might be dropping in soon. So, I stuck around." Stretching, Alex looked at his supervisor. "Was I right, or did I waste a perfectly good afternoon?”
    The older man only smiled as he met Alex’s eyes when all of a sudden, Alex felt warmer – like being wrapped in a blanket fresh from the dryer. Warm, safe…and the sole object of a boundless affection. Chuckling, he dropped his eyes. “Okay, okay…okay, boss…you didn’t come all this way to just to boost my ego. What’s up?”
    Gesturing towards the door, “Shall we go inside?”
    Frowning, he returned a puzzled look at the older man. “Sure. Don’t tell me you’re cold.”
    Fingering his overcoat and scarf, Gabe chuckled. “Not in the least. But you’ll want to be sitting down for this one. Someplace reasonably soundproof would also be good.”
    Eyebrows raised, Alex stood and escorted them inside. “Soundproof? You’ve got to be kidding.”
    “Never.”
    Alex fumbled in his pocket for his keys. “Don’t keep me in the dark…what is it?”
    “Put the water on, my boy. We’re about to have company.”
    Curiousity alight, Alex moved to unlock and open the door ahead of the old man, but before he followed him, he turned to look up into the branches of the tree again. There…that branch oughta do.
    As neatly as one could ask, one of the branches near the top severed itself and floated slowly down into Alex’s waiting hand. Turning to go inside, he stared at it while passing the other hand over it – and the branch sprouted leaves and bloomed in his hand. Trailing petals, Alex stepped inside his home, breathing in the fragrance from the cherry blossoms. When I marry Mesha…these will be someplace nearby…not in her bouquet, maybe…but on the tables at the reception…or perhaps on the altar….
    God, I miss her. Five more years. Five more, and she’ll say she’s ready. Another sigh escaped his lips. Wish it was only five minutes….
    From inside the apartment, “Alex? Come inside.”
    “All right already, keep your halo on!”
    You didn’t keep the archangel Gabriel waiting, you know. Guests, huh? Good thing I did the dishes this morning….

Chapter Two: Repercussions

    The next day,the two fathers reactions were predictable. Soun began to literally cry a river while Genma began to berate Ranma about his lack of training. Akane quietly began a slow burn. For a change, the target of her anger was not Ranma, who seemed to shrink from his father's scorn. This only made Akane's ire grow exponentially.

    "I don't believe you, boy! All our training and you allow this to happen? Maybe you aren't worthy to carry on the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts." Genma was on a roll and with Ranma just sitting there taking it, he wasn't about to let an opportunity like this slip by. "And how could you allow yourself to become pregnant? A true martial artist never lets his guard down. Do you think I let my guard down when I'm a panda? You had better believe I don't! I've taken your best shots and kept right on coming. Which brings me back to..."

    Akane's hand slamming onto the table sounded like a gunshot. The glowing mallet in her hand caused everyone to back away. "THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH!"

    Kasumi peeked in from the kitchen. "Akane, you promised Dr. Tofu not to mallet Ranma, remember?"

    Her eyes never left Genma. "It's not for Ranma, it's for Mr. Saotome!" Genma began to backpedal rapidly.

    Kasumi paused a moment to consider this, then smiled happily. "Well, that's all right then. Just don't make a hole in the roof if you can avoid it." She retreated back into the kitchen.

    Akane advanced into the backyard, still in pursuit of the wayward Genma. "No problem, Kasumi." She swung the mallet and knocked Genma into the sky and over the horizon. She paused to judge the arc of her drive; her tongue hung out as she concentrated. "Hmmm, I think he'll make the canal. I'm better judging distance with Ranma though." Akane shrugged, put the mallet back in mallet space and went to kneel behind Ranma. Ranma still hadn't moved from his spot at the table with his head still hung in shame.

    "The thing of it is, Pop is probably right." Ranma was trying to hold back the tears but was having only limited success. "I did get careless, that's the only explanation." Ranma buried his face in her hands.

    Akane was at a loss. Still Dr. Tofu's words ran through her head. 'He's going to need you more now than ever before.' Quietly, Akane moved beside Ranma and wrapped her arms around the girl. She knew how she'd feel in this situation but for Ranma... Sorting it out can come later. Right now, Ranma needs me. She sat and held Ranma until dinner. Eventually the emotional storm passed.

    To her surprise, when Kasumi came in to set the table, Ranma was asleep in Akane's arms. Akane looked up at Kasumi helplessly. She was mildly annoyed by Kasumi's smile.

    How cute, Kasumi thought. To Akane, she said. "The poor dear is exhausted. I'll keep a plate warm in the oven until he's ready to eat." Motioning to Ryoga. "Could you help me put Ranma to bed? I think he needs to sleep more than anything else right now."

    Ryoga stepped up and picked up Ranma easily in his arms. To Ryoga's embarrassment, Ranma wrapped his arm around the lost boy's neck and snuggled into his chest. This time Kasumi's smile found a mate on Akane's face. His face red, Ryoga followed Akane upstairs and went into Ranma's room. Kasumi having aired it out the night before prevented a repeat of Ranma's nausea. Gently, Ryoga laid Ranma on the futon and helped get his blanket arranged. When they were done, they left the room quietly.

    Ryoga noticed Akane's frown. "What's wrong?"

    Akane shrugged and led the way back downstairs. "Oh, I was just thinking that we're going to need to get Ranma a real bed. I don't think that futon is going to do the job in a few months."

    Ryoga thought about that as they went down the stairs. "Would it be that important? Ranma's always been able to sleep most anywhere."

    Akane snorted. "Think about it, Ryoga, when the baby grows, it's going to shove everything in there out of the way. Plus, image trying to get to your feet from a futon when you have a medicine ball strapped to your stomach. Especially when you REALLY have to go to the bathroom. Not a pretty picture."

    Ryoga was stunned. "Gee, I never thought about it that way." Still lost in thought, he took a seat at the table.

    "And that's only one change Ranma's going to have to adjust to..." Akane began. Nabiki interrupted her as she joined them at the table.

    "What change?" Nabiki asked.

    "Getting a bed for Ranma." Akane said. "We can't just leave him on that dirty old futon sleeping with his father."

    Nabiki's eyebrows dipped as she thought about the finances involved. "I'll look into it tomorrow. Hopefully we can find something nice that's not too expensive." She looked at Akane in curiosity. "What about maternity clothes? He's going to need those not so long from now."

    Akane and Ryoga's eyes widened. "Wow, I didn't even think about that." Akane looked thoughtful. "I guess none of us has completely thought this through." She looked around the room. "So where's Dad?"

    Nabiki smiled. "Oh, Daddy went off with a thermos of hot water to find Mr. Saotome. How far do you think you knocked him?"

    Akane smiled. "Oh, I was aiming for the canal. If the winds were right, he should have landed in there somewhere. I'm more used to Ranma, so I may be off a little bit." Her smile became more satisfied. "He got what he deserved. I mean honestly, he didn't have torment Ranma like that. He's feeling bad enough already."

    Ryoga chuckled as he reached for his tea. "Well, I enjoyed the look on his face when you told him that he was getting the mallet this time." He took a sip. "Did either of you believe that he could run that fast?"

    The conversation ebbed after that. Each was lost in thought about what this new turn of events held. It was only when Soun showed up with a bedraggled Genma that a few smiles returned. Except for Akane, who directed a warning stare at Genma to behave himself, or else. For a change, he ate his food in silence. After dinner, he and Soun began one more of their never-ending games of Shogi.

    That night, Genma moved his futon into Soun's bedroom, under the steady gaze of Akane and Ryoga. Ranma was still sleeping and had his father awakened him, he would have once more gone swimming...far, far away.

    Ranma was running! She didn't know where she was but they were after her. She looked into police stations and tried to enter buildings to find a place to hide Either they were empty, or the doors were all locked. She kept going, trying in vain to find some landmark she could recognize. For some reason, however, she couldn't read any of the signs on the buildings or at the corners.

    She was passing a dark alley when they caught her. She tried to struggle, but it was as if all of her punches and kicks were useless. She fought and screamed as they forced her to the ground. Unseen hands began to pull at her clothing. She felt a crushing weight on top of her and the stinking breath in her face but she couldn't see the face. She could only lie there and feel the pressure between her legs. There was a stabbing pain...

    Ranma woke with a scream. His hair was matted in sweat and he was shaking in terror. It took a moment to feel the hands gently holding his shoulders. He slowly turned his head to see Akane there beside him. Akane's face was full of concern. Behind Akane, Kasumi and Nabiki were quietly waiting.

    "Ranma, are you...?" Akane's voice sounded scared as well as concerned. She could still feel the shudders running through her fiancé's body.

    Ranma shrugged. "I don't know, Akane. I had this horrible dream." His stomach growled loudly. With an ironic chuckle, he added. "I guess I'm a little hungry too."

    Stepping forward, Kasumi said, "I saved you some dinner, Ranma. Do you want me to bring it up here?"

    Ranma shook his head. "No, I think I'd like to go downstairs and...ulp!" His face held an odd look before Ranma suddenly bolted from the room and into the bathroom. The sounds of Ranma getting sick could be heard followed by the sounds of cold water running in the sink. Soon, Ranma emerged still looking a little pale. "God, there's nothing worse than the dry heaves." Seeing everyone's concern, he smiled sadly and added. "I'm okay. This won't happen every day, you know."

    A week passed. Every morning, Ranma found himself loosing what was left of his dinner into the toilet. It was becoming a ritual every morning, get up, go to the bathroom, throw up, take a bath... In short, he was miserable.

    Downstairs, the family and Ryoga had gathered around the breakfast table. For the past week, Ryoga had stayed in the Dojo. Kasumi and Akane had offered to find a room for him, but he merely smiled. "I'm fine in the Dojo, really. For now, I just want to stay close by. I'm just not sure why."

    Kasumi looked at Ryoga and smiled. She set another helping of breakfast in front of him. "You're such a good friend Ryoga."

    Soun and Genma looked toward each other. "There is another consideration." The others turned toward both fathers. "There is a rapist, or group of rapists out there somewhere." Genma pushed his glasses up before continuing. "They struck once, they will strike again. Also, they seem to be able to overcome a trained fighter to achieve their ends."

    Ranma walked in just them. He sat down quietly and slowly began to eat. He didn't look up when Genma turned toward him.

    "All right, boy. You've had it easy for too long. We'll begin training after breakfast, then we'll get ready to go after these criminals." When Ranma didn't respond, Genma persisted. "What's the matter, boy? Don't you want to get even with that scum who did this to you? What kind of man are you?" He failed to notice either of Ryoga or Akane's glares.

    Ranma finished his breakfast in silence. "Thanks, Kasumi. It was really good, like always." He rose to leave. "I'm going up to my room now. Excuse me." He turned to go.

    Genma quickly blocked his path. "I didn't raise you to roll over and play dead, Ranma. Do you know what you're doing?" Behind him, Ryoga and Akane rose as well.

    Ranma felt his anger flare at his father. "What I'm doing, old man? I'll TELL you what I'm doing every morning." Rapidly his voice began to rise. "Every morning I'm in the fucking bathroom trying to bring up my intestines. I can't change back into a guy; I'm having nightmares every night about those creeps chasing me. Now, you want me to go out there and try to find them again?" He grabbed Genma and threw him into the koi pond. When the panda emerged from the water, Ranma rounded on him once more. "I'll tell you the honest truth, I don't WANT to find them. Every night, I can't get to sleep because I'm afraid of THEM finding ME! NOW, YOU WANT ME TO GO OUT THERE AGAIN? HERE"S YOUR ANSWER, POP! FUCK YOU!"

    In tears now, Ranma turned and ran inside. He didn't stop until he was in his room. In the dining room, everyone sat in shock. Kasumi's hands covered her mouth. No one moved until Ranma's door was heard slamming shut. Kasumi recovered first and walked over to the telephone. She quickly dialed Dr. Tofu's number.

    He picked up almost immediately. "Dr. Ono, can I help you?"

    Kasumi's voice betrayed her. "Dr. Tofu, its Kasumi. We seem to have a problem here." She quickly highlighted the week's events.

    Tofu listened until Kasumi was done. "I was afraid of this. With Ranma being normally a male, the hormonal changes inherent in pregnancy are hitting Ranma harder than they would affect a woman under the same circumstances. That compounded with the trauma of the attack, I'm surprised Ranma's holding up as well as he is." Tofu paused thoughtfully. "Do you know what sparked the outburst today?"

    Kasumi's normally placid face became dark. Her frown spoke volumes. "His father was trying to get him to go out to find his attackers." Her sigh was heavy with her frustration. "Sometimes that man can be such an asshole." Her eyes grew wide and her free hand flew up to her mouth as she realized what she said. "Oh my!"

    Tofu's chuckle could be heard through the receiver. "Such language." In his mind's eye, he could almost see Kasumi blushing. He continued more seriously. "I may have found someone who can help. I need to make a few phone calls yet, but I think this person can answer some of our questions."

    Kasumi looked thoughtful. "Who is this person?"

    "A friend of a colleague, he said that he has a unique perspective on things. Beyond that he remained very vague." Tofu sounded uncomfortable.

    "Is this person reliable? I don't think Ranma's in much of a mood to deal with a fraud right now."

    Tofu sounded a bit more certain on this point. "Kyniogi hasn't ever led me wrong on the important things. That and he has dealings with young people at the school he teaches at. I trust his judgement."

    "Then we'll trust yours, doctor." Kasumi knew the doctor would never let anyone hurt his patients so she felt on solid ground here. "Please excuse my language from before."

    Tofu laughed before answering. "You forget, I know Genma as well. And yes, sometimes he CAN be a real asshole." He chuckled some more at Kasumi's shocked noises. "I'll call you later with more information."

    Kasumi laughed at herself for feeling so scandalized by the swearing. She had started it after all. And the way Mr. Saotome was behaving definitely added weight to both Kasumi and Dr. Tofu's opinion.

    Akane knocked lightly on the door of Ranma's room. She heard his muttered reply and entered quietly. Ranma knelt on his futon and stared off into space. He didn't turn as Akane entered the room and knelt behind him.

    Ranma bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

    Akane smiled and laid a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "It's called being pregnant, Ranma. It generally turns your world upside down." She looked around the nearly empty room. "We were planning to go out and find a bed for you tomorrow, but I think I can convince Nabiki to do it today. What do you say?"

    Ranma shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Hope you guys have a good time."

    Akane looked at the red-haired girl sadly and sighed. "Oh, Ranma. You have to go out sometime. School's going to be starting again in a few weeks, you know."

    "Akane," Ranma began slowly. "I can't go out like...this." He tried to picture what it would be like to have his friends see him like this. "What are you going to say, this is my fiancé Ranma, he's going to be giving birth sometime around Christmas?"

    Akane blushed as she thought about it for a moment. "If I have to. I think its something else that's bothering you." She watched Ranma's head snapping around. "You don't want to go out because those guys who attacked you are out there somewhere." Ranma's face confirmed her suspicions. "You're afraid they'll find you? Why?"

    Ranma tried to bluster his way out of it. Unfortunately, Akane refused to get angry this time. She just sat there until Ranma wound down. Finally, he dropped his head. "I dream about it every night. If I go out, they can get me again." Ranma's eyes were haunted as he looked at Akane. "Nothing I did made any difference, I couldn't fight them all." He began to shake as he recalled the attack. "W-when they were...finished...with me, they just left me in the alley and told me not to move."

    Ranma took Akane's arms. "I stayed where they told me for three days, Akane. Three days! What did they do to me?" Ranma began to cry and collapsed into Akane's arms. This time Akane's tears joined Ranma's as he repeated more softly. "What did they do to me?"

    Akane held Ranma close and whispered soothingly in his ear. "I don't know, Ranma. We'll find out together." Akane's face grew grim. "Then we'll make them pay."