Ranma 1/2

Disclaimer: I don’t own Ranma, Rumiko Takahashi does. I just borrowed some of the characters. Rated: NC-17

Shades of Home

Chapter 7

CHAPTER seven

Steven gave Ranma's letters to Doris." I think he has handled his business himself. It took him most of an hour to write about six lines to Akane. I hope she doesn't reject him. It would probably set him back more than a little. He's really hurting. I want to get Saotome. How could a man sell his own son? But then after reading this report on him. I think the ass-hole is just stupid. Has no more right to raise a kid that a cat does. We'll just have to see how Ranma does after he gets back. I hope that letting him go off alone is the right thing to do. He seems to need time to himself. I want him watched discretely, at all times. I don't want him to harm himself somehow. Well, you'd better get going. You know what you're going to do?"

Doris smiled, "Oh, yesssss! I know exactly what I'm going to do." Doris picked up a briefcase, straightened her conservative business suit and walked to the door. "Boss, you don't have to worry about a thing!"

Steven shivered, "Why don't I find that to be reassuring?"

Xian Po saw the new customer walk in. {Something not right here} "Welcome, I show you table?"

Doris replied in perfect amazonian Chinese. "No I thank you. I am here on business. I need to speak to Elder Kou Lon. Please show me to her."

Kou Lon was sitting at her desk in the back, reading a book on herbs. Doris put a few papers in front of her. "I see that you have been looking for a boy. A special boy. I have information about his whereabouts."

"How much do you want? I won't be cheated you know. If Nabiki doesn't know where he is by now . . . "

Doris tossed a coin onto the desk. "He's in the Shadows now. Read the papers I gave you. Then we'll talk more. I'll wait" Xian Po brought tea so she could over hear what was being said.

"Stupid girl! Go away! Private conversation!" Kou Lon grunted as she shifted around so that she could watch the door and read at the same time. "How did that stupid boy get himself involved in Shadow play? I won't allow it! He is going to marry with Xian Po; not spend the rest of his life running around the dimensions fighting demons and oni and who knows what else." Kou Lon picked up the top paper and glanced at it.

After reading a description of Ranma, the word seller jumped out at her. ‘SELLER: Genma Saotome.'

"I will kill him. I will gut him like a fish!" Kou Lon took a deep breath and then let it out very slowly.

"Xian Po, girl, where are you? Come here!"

"Yes Grandmother. Do you need me?" Xian Po felt nervous. This had something to do with Ranma. She had heard enough to know that, but what had made her grandmother look so furious.

"Stupid Genma has sold Ranma to be a chain child! Your engagement is off! No amazon can marry a chain child . . . or a freed man. We will pack up and go back to china tonight."

"NO!!!! I want to marry Ranma! He is not like amazon men. He is . . . " Xian Po started to cry. "I don't like amazon men! They don't have the backbone of a jelly fish! They smile and nod and agree with everything I say. Mu Tzu should be called mouse! They're all like that! Ranma, he fights me and tells me I'm stupid. And stands up to you. " Xian Po ran out.

"Well, I always wondered why she clung to Ranma When he doesn't love her and she knows it. Don't worry Miss. What did you say your name is? I'll see to it that the girl doesn't bother Ranma anymore." Kou Lon shook her head. "Here's your ID back." She picked the coin up and handed it to Doris. "If you don't mind me asking? What's a high-ranking operative doing handling stuff like this?"

Doris gave Kou Lon a nasty smile. "Just want to make sure that one of our top new operatives isn't annoyed by ‘old business'. And I hope that it is old." Doris stood up and walked to the door. "Oh! I would appreciate it if the contents of that file got around to the right people. You know who I mean I think"

To: Ukyo Kuonji

Ucchan: I'm really sorry to write this. I don't love you I really like you a lot but that's all there is. I hate hurting you and have been a real coward trying to avoid it. I probably hurt you more by not being honest with you from the start.

Pop really screwed you over but that was him not me. I don't understand how he can blame me for his bad decisions but he always does.

I'm not going to be his goat anymore. He can just be a man and take the blame for his own mistakes. After all he sold me so now he has no claim on me what so ever. Please forgive me for being a jerk.

Your Ex-fiancee Ranma

Ukyo read the letter twice. "Well, Ranma Honey. I'm glad you finally decided to make up your mind. I'd rather you chose me, but at least you got off the fence. Hey, Konatsu, noon rush is going to start any minute."

Konatsu looked at Ukyo. She had gotten a letter that made her cry. But now she seemed to have gotten over it. He was glad. If Saotome stayed away long enough maybe he had a chance.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Akane turned the letter over in her hand.

"Nabiki, How did you get this? Where is Ranma? Why doesn't he come back? Where did Genma go? Tell me or I'll get you good. This is no time to be . . . mmmmmmuuuuuuuuuuufffffffffff"

Nabiki put her hand over her sister's mouth. "Just read the damn letter. Then I'll explain anything that he doesn't."

Dear Akane:

Sit down before you unfold the rest of this letter, and don't be mad at Nabiki.

That summer camp that pop took me to was a slaver agency. Chain Child is another word for slave. Yup. Pop sold me. I hope he got a good price because it cost him a son.

I love you. Yes I said it. And I'll keep saying it until you believe me. Ask Nabiki anything else you need to know.

I love you Ranma

Akane's scream shattered every window in the house. "EEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!!! I'll kill him!! Nabiki! You find that son-of-a GGGGAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I'll pay you whatever you want. Just you find him so I can pound him into the ground." Akane stood up, panting.

"No, Little Sister, I'm not going to let you do something that could ruin the rest of your life. He's not worth it. He doesn't deserve any honorable action on the part of any of us. Let the police have him. He'll have plenty of time to repent his foolishness in jail. It's worse than anything for him. Don't you think?" Nabiki smirked at Akane "Plus there is a nice reward for information on the whereabouts of anyone involved in the slave trade. I'll even split it with you"

Akane threw up her hands. Nabiki was right. That didn't mean that she was going to forget. If she ever saw Genma Saotome, he'd regret it.

"OK Big Sis. I'll take you up on that but don't ever say that name in this house again. No one is to ever say Ranma's fathers name in my hearing."

Suddenly her knees went weak. She sat down hard. Nabiki, startled, took her hand and touched her cheek.

"You strain something? That was quite a scream. I'm glad no one else was home . . . What? I didn't hear you"

"He said he loves me. Right here in the letter he wrote it, twice. And he said he'd keep saying it until I believed him. Oh, just you wait Ill get him! He's such a jerk! Why didn't he tell me sooner? I wouldn't have been such a bitch to him."

Akane started to cry. Nabiki just hugged her and let her go. They had all been so worried. The relief made her cry too.

Flashback to two days after Genma Sold Ranma

Genma Saotome hid in the alley behind the Chain Child agency. What had he done? All he wanted was to make Ranma a better Martial artist. And he had to admit the money had looked pretty good too. But this was all wrong. Nodoka was going to make him commit Sepuku. He didn't want to die. Soun, Nabiki, Well, actually everyone in Nerima who knew Ranma would want his head on a pike. "I'm a dead man. Someone is going to have a panda skin rug. I have to get out of town. Forever. " Genma just started running. Away. Not anywhere just away.

Letter to Nodoka Saotome

Dear Mom:

When I was six years old you made Pop sign an oath. If I didn't turn out to be a man among men, he and I would both cut our belly. Well, you can forget it. I'm not going to honor an oath that was signed on my behalf before I even understood what it was about. I think that I'm manly and that is the only opinion that counts.

I have no father. The man who was my father sold me. So now I own myself. Any attempt to damage my property will be dealt with accordingly. I'm sorry if I come off arrogant. But that's because I am. I was never allowed to play with other kids so I have the social skills of a junk yard dog. Deal with it!

Your emancipated minor son Ranma

PS It's been ten years since I've seen you in case you lost track.

Doris smiled with real enjoyment. She was a holy bitch when she wanted to be. And she wanted to be right now. Saotome Sr. was in deep shit. She had read {Shame on you girl} Ranma's letters. She was glad that she hadn't had to add anything to any of them. She really hated messing with letters like those. She had also dropped another file with Nabiki. They would read it later. She just hoped Soun understood what had happened. He was untrustworthy, because he couldn't bring himself to care since his wife died.

The repercussions of this were going shake Nerima to its foundations. Good thing too. Because it was the center of a lot of activity and would be for the foreseeable future. Ranma was going to come home to a mess and it would be his responsibility to keep it contained. She was glad she didn't have the job. Waste his talents as a body guard? "My ass!"

"Yay! Now for something fun. If I can find the little shit. How can his sense of direction be that bad. Genetic? Well you might know!" Doris read the note Ranma had written Steven again. ‘please find a boy by the name of Ryouga Hibiki, also known as the lost boy, or P-chan. If you can't find him as a human find a small black piglet wearing a bandanna. Pour hot water on him, Not too hot though. Give him a GPS. He needs it worse than anything. Thank You.'

Doris turned around and caught sight of a small black piglet sitting dejectedly beside a large pack and some clothes. {It's Nerima! Thank you!} Doris walked over to him and picked him up in one arm. As she snagged his pack, he squealed indignantly. "Oh, shut up P-chan. I can't manage my briefcase, you and your pack if you keep wiggling." Doris gave him a squeeze.

After dumping hot water on him and turning her back so he could get dressed, Doris handed Ryouga the object she had picked up at the compound armory.

"Here, It's a GPS. You know what that is don't you? No? Well, It's a Global Positioning System. It tells you where you are and helps you get where you want to go. I'll show you how it works and give you the operating manual."

Ryouga looked at the GPS. Then he burst into tears. After he got control of himself he made Doris show him how it worked three times, and tried it himself until he was positive he had it exactly right.

"This is going to save my sanity. You don't know how hellish my life has been. I can't go anywhere. I need a guide worse than a blind man. To whom do I owe this wonder. Please tell me your name."

"AW! Honey. You don't owe this to me. I'm just the messenger. Ranma sent it to you. He told me to tell you he doesn't hold any grudges against you and hopes that this will settle any you have against him. I guess being a slave has mellowed him some." Doris smiled slyly. That put the last nail in old Saotome's coffin or she missed her guess. "Why the shocked look. You didn't know that the old man sold him. Some kind of new training technique he thought up or something." Doris shrugged, "Well, I got to get back to the compound. Work to do and all thatl"

Ryouga didn't scream or threaten. He just nodded once, as if he had made up his mind about something. "I'll thank you to stay a while. I would like to know everything you can tell me about this." He was so calm that Doris was a little disappointed. She had expected more reaction than this. Then she got a good look at the kid's eyes. {Yikes, one of the calm ones. All flash and fire when he's just annoyed but make him really angry and he calms down. And destroys everything in his path} "OK I'll tell you everything"