Series Title: Glory Days
Story Title: Orchid in Full Bloom
By Horosha
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Viz Communications and Kitty Productions
If you have any comments, my email address is:
V_Bashaw@hotmail.com
WARNING: This is an adult fanfic so if you are under the age of 18 or you don't want to read a work that contains adult situations and content, like sex and violence, stop here.
Forward: A while ago, a friend of mine asked me to write a Ranma fanfic where Ranma voluntarily choose to be a full girl. In other words, Ranma decides to stay female. Now anyone who has read Ranma fanfics know, this is a common theme in many of them, but in those, Ranma is either forced to be female by some outside influence (as in Girl Days) or Ranma was originally a girl at birth and was forced to be male (as in Genma's Daughter). I have yet to find one where Ranma choose to be female was made of his own free will.
So I'm giving it a shot.
Chapter Three: Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
Location: Fuurinkan High School, Nerima, Tokyo
It was strange, even after selecting the homeroom president and doing the seating raffle, Ukyo ended up in the same seat she had occupied the previous year. She wasn't bothered by it, what did get under her wig was the absence of Ranma and Akane. She hadn't seen either one of them since the nuclear fallout zone that mimic the couple's wedding at the Tendo home. She was pretty sure Ranma and Akane were pissed off at her and the others who crashed the ceremony. The girl in the boy's winter uniform knew Nabiki's telephone call was a hook, she knew it was a ploy of some kind by the Ice Queen, but all of the same, the ponytail teenager bit the bait and took it hook, line and sinker. The only hope she had was Ranma and Akane had forgiven her since the wedding happened at the beginning of the late winter break and it was now the first week of a new school year, a month later.
At lunchtime Ukyo had cornered Hiroshi and Daisuke, literally, giving them the third degree. With both threats and promise of free okonomiyaki for a month, the martial arts cook discover Ranma's best buddies hadn't seen him since Friday, the threesome planning to go watch the latest Jackie Chan flick at the local theater on Saturday, but Ranma never showed up. This no-show worried Ukyo since Jackie Chan movies were the only martial arts movies Ranma would spend money to watch.
With this in mind, Ukyo went downstairs to Nabiki's homeroom, finding the middle Tendo sister with her crew of 'employees'. Leaving the king-sized spatula in her homeroom, Ukyo sneaked as close as she could to the group without giving herself a way. What she heard didn't match the look she saw in Nabiki's brown eyes. It sounded like normal business between the Ice Queen and her groupies, but the way the light dazzle in the money girl's eyes, the way she relished her food and the way she smiled at the other girls, it didn't make sense.
"Ne-ne, Ukyo-chan, thinking of joining us?" Nabiki asked without looking at where the martial arts cook was hiding in plain sight.
Ukyo groaned, looked down before asking, "Can we talk in private, Nabiki-senpai?"
"Hai," Nabiki stood and lead Ukyo out of the classroom to the closest maintenance closet, one of Nabiki's employees standing guard outside, "So what can I sell you ka?" The upper-class-mate leaned against the back wall.
"Ranma and Akane," no beating around the bush for Ukyo, "this is the first day of the new school year and they aren't in class. Where are they?"
"Ten-thousand yen," Nabiki grinned at the narrowing of the other teenager's eyes, "but since you are a businesswoman after my own heart, I'll take okonomiyaki for me and my crew for a year."
"Deal," Ukyo didn’t think twice, "Now out with it."
"Akane and Ranma got married in a surprised ceremony following an ancient bushi tradition," amusement in Nabiki's features, "and I have to say Ranma even surprised me, which is no mean feat."
"NANI!" Ukyo's shout could be heard from outside of the closet.
Nabiki grinned wider, "It was planned by Ranma and he even got some help from Ryoga in carrying it out. Akane was so shocked when the ring slipped on her finger, she fainted, bumped her head and suffered an concussion,” the older teenager gave Ukyo a Cheshire Cat’s grin, “so the honeymoon has been postponed."
Ukyo felt hollowed inside, she took a step back and her foot tripped over empty bucket, the handle flipping up and snagging her feet, causing the martial arts cook to fall against the mops and brooms, the cleaning items making a loud clattering sound as the fell to the floor, along with Ukyo, "Iie..."
Nabiki watched Ukyo laying on the closet floor, amused by the other girl's reaction and deciding not to give away any freebies, "See you after school, Ukyo-chan, the mercenary girl waved at the shocked girl, "Ja ne."
********
As predicted Ukyo was waiting at the main entrance to the school grounds, her face a kaleidoscope of emotions. She wanted to deny what Nabiki told her, yet she knew there was one code that the middle Tendo sister adhered to, no lying. Sure she would tell half-truths or present the information in just the right way to allow the buyer to make assumptions, the correct ones or the wrong ones, but the bobby-haired teenager never told an out-and-out lied.
Finally Nabiki came out of the main entrance where the shoe lockers were located, her groupies surrounding her, the Ice Queen using a Post-um pad to write out notes as she made her way to where Ukyo stood under an elm tree. Once the yellow notes were in the hands of her assistants, they left with expressions of glee. By the time Nabiki reached the martial artist cook, her 'employees' where gone, "Ready, Ukyo-chan?"
Ukyo nodded and fell into step with Nabiki, "I have a feeling you haven't told me everything."
"Ne-ne I told you exactly what you asked for," Nabiki's brown eyes show her amusement, "no more and no less."
"Yare-yare, so if I want to get more information from you," Ukyo's eyes narrow, "I’d have to pay through the nose for it ne?"
"I don't know if that booty is up for sale," Nabiki noticed the shocked look on the taller teenager, "a girl sometimes needs to weigh the benefits of a quick profit versus investing in the future for a bigger payout."
It took several minutes for Ukyo to untangle Nabiki's reasoning, "You mean if you sell the information I'm asking for, its value will go down later?”
"Sort of..." Nabiki shrugged, "I could make a tidy profit by milking money from you, Ukyo-chan,” the two passed the channel and Doctor Tofu's clinic, "but the problem here is if I did sell this information to you, it would mean the control of such information would pass from me and my family to you."
From all of her training and learning of the way of a martial artist, Ukyo recognized a statement of honor being made here, but what surprised her was Nabiki was making this statement, "You're not known as someone who cares much for family honor, Nabiki-senpai, so what's the beef?"
"Wheels within wheels within wheels, Ukyo-chan," the pair approached the main gate to the Tendo compound, the old dojo sign next to the entrance, "use too much oil and the wheels will lose traction and slip, use too little oil and the wheels will grind and break. Just the right amount of oil will keep the wheels working in peak condition wa."
Ukyo blinked at Nabiki's reasoning. For the most part the cross-dressing teenager thought of Nabiki as a yakaza-type, not as something even remotely like her, a young business owner. Then there is the usage of an example in a manner alien to the tall girl, which made Ukyo feel slightly intimidated, "Which means na?"
"You're find out, Ukyo-chan," Nabiki grinned wide.
As the twosome entered the compound, Ukyo paused for a second just inside the gate. There stood Ranma practicing martial arts wearing a very tight lime green halter-top and teal short-shorts, no big deal. Then her eyes go wide when it hit her, "Nani!"
Indeed the redhead is practicing martial arts, on her crutches. Nabiki enjoyed the shocked expression on Ukyo's face as they both watched the blue blur of Ranma’s cast leg held so it can't touch anything, the girl using the crutches to swing in leg sweeps, spins on her one good foot and back flips along with combination of other moves.
"I see you created a new technique," Nabiki intoned, "Martial Arts Crutches."
"Wha’ can I say," Ranma barely out of breath, "I'm bored thanks to Tofu-sensei's orders..." she looked over at Nabiki and spotted her friend, "Uu-chan!"
"Ran-chan!" Ukyo glared at Nabiki, "Nabi-chan, you didn't tell me Ranma was hurt wa yo?"
"You didn't ask," Nabiki’s expression spoke smartass, "you know I don't give away anything free, except on an occasional whim."
It wasn't the first time Ukyo felt like a fool, the martial arts cook knew she wasn't the only one to get nab by the mercenary girl. Instead she turned to greet Ranma, who moved at a good pace toward them, "Oh, Nabiki-chan, you're right about Kasumi's lessons," her grin sparkled, "I never knew how great it felt to..." her baby blues glanced to her oldest friend, "ano...you know what."
"Ne-ne," Nabiki waved her hand across her face, "I figured the bounce in your step was coming from some good vibrations."
"Tell me," Ranma baby blues flashed, her cheeks flush from more than doing a new routine, then she turned to Ukyo, "Uu-chan, are you okay ne?"
Ukyo couldn't miss the plain gold ring on Ranma's hand, deep down she had hopped Nabiki was pulling her leg, "Married wa?"
Ranma couldn't miss the heartbreak in her friend's eyes, nodding, "Sumimasen."
A burst of laughter came out of Ukyo's mouth, sounding so painful even to Nabiki's ears, "Who am I fooling," the cute teenager rubbed her eyes to hide the tears, "I'm sure my behavior at the wedding pretty sealed my fate wa."
Ukyo's laughter stopped when Ranma grip her right shoulder, "Com’ with me, Uu-chan. Me and Momma want to ask you something?"
The touch of Ranma upon Ukyo still had an effect on her, making her want to feel more of the redhead against her. She shook her head to get rid of those daydreams, "Why would you want to have anything to do with me after what I've done ne?"
Letting her crutches to rest on the inside of her armpits, Ranma gripped Ukyo's other shoulder, holding them both, "Cause you’re my oldest buddy, Uu-chan," she leaned forward, letting her baby blues fill the long-haired teen's gaze, "and best buds have misunderstandings, even fights with each other, but they help out when the chips are down da.”
Ukyo felt her broken heart melt, those lake blue orbs making her feel so feminine inside, "Ran-chan, I...I have feelings for you."
Ranma squeezed Ukyo's shoulders, "It's just a crush, Uu-chan," the redhead grinned, "remember how much you wanted my ass in a sling ‘fore you came to Nerima da?"
Ukyo nodded, remembering when she was child, how much her classmates teased her for wearing boy clothes, saying she was too much like a boy to be a girl. How those words wounded her so much and how much she plead for her father to allow her to wear girl clothes. Then came Genma with little Ranma. How Ranma didn't call her names and how Ranma treated her as best buddy. They playing together, even practicing martial arts as little ones do, pretending more than anything. Ukyo remembered her father saying he gave the okonomiyuki cart to Genma in return Ukyo would go with them on the training mission. Ukyo's heart burst with joy, no more name calling, no more throwing rocks at those teasing brats. She was going to be with Ranma and his father, be with her best friend forever.
Then came the soul-sheering pain as she watched Genma run away pulling the cart, Ranma waving at her from the top of it, Ukyo's small legs kept her from catching up to them. The pain grew inside of her, grew into hate with each day the assault of words from other children. The hatred grew and grew until Genma and Ranma became the source of all of Ukyo's suffering, the targets of her vengeance. Her cross-dressing became her badge of honor, a symbol of her goal, and her way to gain the training she needed to be a martial arts cook. Her thirst for revenge was wetted when she beat the hell out of Genma, but it all vanished when Ranma said two words. A simple statement, one she thought no one would tell her. Her hatred bloomed into happiness at being told she was a cute.
"Hai...just a crush..." Ukyo blinked, remembering how she first found out about Ranma's curse, "Ran-chan, you still a girl," her eyes glanced down at the blue cast on her friend's right foot, "the cast...your ankle ka?"
"Things happened," Ranma sighed a little, letting go of Ukyo's shoulders, "so please come da."
Ukyo nodded, following Ranma and Nabiki as the threesome made their way to the main house, "Can I ask how your foot got hurt wa?"
"Mousse," Ranma glanced over her shoulder, her reply got Ukyo to catch up with them, "he sent a challenge, saying he held Akane captive at an abandoned school. I should've known better, Akane can kick Mousse’s ass, but I fell for it jus’ the same," her baby blues sparkle with angry, "and the school was a death trap, a maze of traps and ambushes na."
Ukyo's eyes widen, "Kuso..."
"I beat them, the traps and the ambushes," Ranma smile coldly, "but Mousse must've had his feathers ruffled. He blew-up the school furnace, bringing most of the school down on top of us da."
This wasn't the first time Ranma survived a labyrinth of death nor one of Mousse's attempt to get rid of his supposed rival, so Xian Po would turn her attention to the be-speckled boy, but this was the first time Mousse had gone this far. Ukyo let out a whistle, "Your ankle got hurt then ne?"
"Ee," Ranma acknowledged, "but I messed up ‘cause Akane was there too. She told me later she found the challenge note in the trash can," the redhead’s hands clinched, "I should've ate it."
This wasn't the first time Akane ended up in a death maze, but the look on Ranma's face meant more, "Akane got hurt wa?"
"I thought she’d died," they reached the front door, where Nabiki slid it open, listening to Ranma's recalling of events, some of it she hadn't heard before, "we all did."
"But she wasn't ne?" Ukyo fought down her hopes, knowing they were false, already knowing the happy ending of this story.
"Hai, according to Tofu-sensei, Akane got such a whack on her skull it caused her to look dead," Ranma touched her left cheek as she hobbled through the entrance, "she woke up in the middle of the funeral, slapped my face, called me stupid for thinkin’ her dead, saying I should've known better."
Despite her warring emotions, Ukyo giggled, touching her lips, "Sounds like the funeral matched the wedding."
"Hai," Nabiki smiled as she closed the door behind them, "especially since it was Ranma slipping the wedding ring on Sleeping Beauty's finger that woke her up."
"Yare-yare," Ranma blushed at Nabiki's reminder, taking off her footwear along with the others, Ukyo leaning her fighting spatula against one wall. "Akane is up in her room, sedated by Tofu-sensei so she’ll stay in bed," Ranma told her friend while she led the group toward the living room, "and I've been discussing a few things with Momma and Kasumi."
"The birds and the bees," Nabiki smirked, causing Ranma's blush to deepen.
“Tadaima!” The three girls announced their presence just before entering the living room.
Nodoka sat at the chabudai with Kasumi at her right hand, sharing tea and a few cookies, "Okaeri!" the older females greeted the group. "I see you have brought home a guest," Nodoka commented.
"This is Kuonji Ukyo," Ranma put her crutches on the floor and hopped on one leg down to the low table, "Uu-chan, this is my mother, Nodoka,” she slipped her lower body under the table.
"Konnichiwa, Ukyo-san," Nodoka stood, gracefully bowed to the teenager, "I'm glad you are here, please sit with us."
Ukyo glanced at Nabiki, a curious look on her face, before she bowed to Nodoka, "Konnichiwa, Nodoka-san." She sat next to Ranma, while Nabiki sat on the other side of the martial arts cook.
Nodoka returned to her seat, "Ukyo-san, has Ranma or Nabiki told you what has occurred recently?"
"Only a little," having seen Nodoka only a few times, she was still surprised by how youthful Ranma's mother was, how the mother dark red hair made her look like a older version of Ranma's girl form.
Girl form?
Like a bolt, Ukyo realized Ranma looked different now. The redhead was almost as tall as the martial arts cook. Even under the baggy pants and shirt she wore when practicing the Art, the curves of her female body was more defined and packed than before. Then Ranma’s hair was the just as dark ruby color much like Nodoka. The tall teenager reached, touching the middle of her friend's pigtail, "Ran-chan?"
"I don't have the drown girl curse anymore," Ranma saw the shock in Ukyo's eyes, "I'm fully female da."
"How?" Ukyo couldn't stop from caressing Ranma's left cheek with one fingertip, as if the redhead was an illusion, which would crumble if touched.
"I choose it." Ranma broke eye contact with Ukyo, which got Nabiki's attention, "I grew tired of all the crap happenin’ to me, an’ except for Xian Po it all ‘cause I was a guy.” Ukyo's face turned pale, "Iie! Not you, Uu-chan or the other girls," Ranma waved her hands frantically at her old friend, "It’s all the shit Oyaji dumped on me," she looked down so her eyes wouldn't accuse anyone there, "I din’t show it, I suppose to be a man amongst men, but it got to me. This is suppose to be the best years for me, wha’ some call Glory Days. I couldn’t do any fun guy stuff. Instead Oyaji made my ‘manliness’ a straight jacket!"
Ukyo felt her heart go out to Ranma, she moved her hand down and put it on top of Ranma's hand, giving it a squeeze, "I'll tell you, Ran-chan, being a girl isn't easy either na."
"You aren't whistling Dixie there, Ukyo-chan," Ranma glanced at Nabiki, noticing a wolfish touch to the smile of the speaker.
"I know," Ranma looked up, letting her gaze touch on each woman there, "but what’s done is done. I wanna get on with my life, and the only good thing that came out of all the shit Oyaji did, was the arranged marriage between Akane and me. We’re hitched and its gonna stay tha’ way."
"I guess the idiom is true," Nabiki commented, "about a broken clock being right twice a day."
"Which brings us back to you, Ukyo-san," the martial artist cook turned to Nodoka, Ukyo found Nodoka majestic in her elegant kimono, "tell me, what sort of relationship do you have with your father."
"That notarin!" Ukyo spitted out the words "He sold me to his drinking buddy, an A-hole he barely knew," anger radiated from the teenager, "what sort of relationship do you think I had with him?"
"A bad one?" Nabiki ventured.
"Pinpoon!" The nasty look on Ukyo's face robbed the word of its usual playful sound, "I haven't seen him in ten years."
"Kami-sama..." Nodoka was stunned, "your father abandoned you ka?"
"My father sold me to Ranma’s fucked up father," Ukyo's voice dripped acid, "my real father considered his duty to me was over once the deal was made. He didn't care..." Ukyo looked down at the pressure she felt from her right hand, saw Ranma gently squeezing it, the cross-dresser realizing she was crying, "he...he didn't care the bald riceball left me behind."
"I do care," the room suddenly feeling chilly, Nodoka drew out her katana hidden in her kimono and lay it on the table between her and Ukyo, "I will honor the agreement made between Genma and your father, Ukyo-san, if you will accept me as the honoree."
"Nani?" It was Ukyo's turn to look stunned.
"Ranma has chosen as part of the marriage agreement to change her name and become a Tendo," Nodoka clarified, "and because of Genma's stupidity, I am no longer legally married to him, since in the eyes of the government, he is dead."
Ukyo felt giddy inside at Genma’s ‘death’, "So there is justice in the world wa yo!"
"Hai..." a wicked smile on Nabiki's lips, "with all of Genma's chickens coming the roost here, the biggest hen laid an elephant egg on the furball."
Nodoka coughed a little, keeping her reaction to the expletives being used mild, "I'm moving in here to take over the duties of housekeeping while Kasumi is going to high school, since I am certain she will easily pass the entry exam."
"What of your home?" Ukyo found things changing at a dizzy pace.
"I'm selling it and giving the money as a dowry for Ranma," Nodoka smiled sweetly at her daughter, "since Akane's dowry is the dojo, I'm hoping the additional money will revive it," her eyes moved to each of the Tendo sisters, "with help from the rest of her family."
"And how do I fit in ne?" Ukyo pointed at herself.
"As I said, I would like to honor the agreement reached between my former husband and your former father," empathy showing in Nodoka's soulful eyes, "at least in spirit. Since Ranma is going to become a Tendo, I plan to file papers at Nerima City Hall to allow me to return to my maiden name. My family is bushi and very old, but due to recent events, that bloodline is down to a single member, me. I want to save it from extinction and I need a heir to help me."
"HAI!" Ukyo's heart thundered as loud as her shout, leaning upon the low table, hands spread wide on top.
Nodoka blinked owlishly, "You know what I'm asking?"
"Gomen," Ukyo blushed, she used the back of her hand to try get her eyes dry, "you were about to ask me to be your heir ne?"
"Hai," Nodoka nodded, "what I'm asking of you won't be an easy task. In the pass ten years, I have inherited several holdings, most of them scattered throughout Japan and they will require much time for me and my heir to examine them, see which ones to keep and which ones to sell."
Ukyo saw how serious Nodoka was being, "I'll be your heir. I don't have a family. The money I used to set up my eatery I won in cooking contests."
"You will be more than my heir, Ukyo-san," Nodoka smiled, "you will be my daughter as well," her gaze shifted to Ranma, "when I first met Ranma as Tendo Ranko, it stirred an old desire, a longing for a daughter." Her eyes returned to the tall teenager, "I know you are not the most feminine of girls, Ukyo-san, and I have no desire for you to be a girl amongst girls,” her expression showing amusement before becoming serious once more, “I realized such idealized imaginings are poison. I want a chance to correct a great wrong done to you, I want to give you the love and care missing from your life."
A touch on her left elbow drew Ukyo to look at Nabiki, the Tendo sister offering a handkerchief. The longhaired teen took it, nodding her gratitude. Quickly she rubbed her eyes dry of unshed tears of joy, before she smiled wide, bowing deeply to Nodoka, "Domo arigato gozaimasu!"
A strong but feminine body hugged Ukyo, a glow of happiness flowering within the martial artist cook, "Welcome to the family, Uu-chan." Then Nodoka came around the table to join in the hug, causing Ukyo's glow to grow. It wasn't the way Ukyo thought she would be joining this family, not as Ranma's sister, but for once, her joy wasn't a soap bubble.
"By the way, Nodoka-san," Nabiki's money-making gleam was in her eyes, "just what will be your family name wa?"
Nodoka frowned at Nabiki, finding it a little bit in poor taste to ask such a question at this happy moment, "It is a cadet branch of a even older bushi family, the founding ancestor was a bastard, who rose to the rank of daimyo. The family name is Kunojo."
"NANI!"
"Oya maa."
"No wonder there is a fixation on swords," Nabiki observed.
********
Ranma sat in a chair next to Akane's bed, the redhead grinning as her wife as both enjoying the moment of Ranma feeding Akane with takoyaki, creamy miso soup, hard-boiled egg salad and barbecue pork strips.
Tofu-sensei made a call earlier, exam Akane and decided she could eat more solid food and be allowed to cut down on the sedative dosage, telling his patients Akane was recovering surprisingly fast from her concussion, but he did require her to stay in bed another day. The good doctor exam Ranma's ankle, declaring her ankle was healing as well despite the abuse it had suffered, but the teenager would still need to wear the inflated case and use the crutches for the rest of the week.
"It is good you are getting better, Akane," Ranma moved the tray with the empty dishes to her wife's study desk.
"Ne," Akane sipped her mug of tea, a playful smile on her lips, "getting antsy waiting to enjoy our wedding bed?" A full flush of Ranma's face was Akane's answer, "Or has Kasumi began her," staged cough, "pillow lessons with you?"
Ranma laughed nervously, pulling the chair closer to the head of Akane's bed, "How do you know ne?"
"I heard a very loud, very feminine squeal come from the furo," Akane's eyes looked over the rim of her mug, "and it wasn't a painful scream either." The tip of her tongue licked the edge of it, "and it didn't belong to either of my sisters, I know how they sound when they rariru, when they flip out."
Ranma's eyes were as wide as lakes, a tingle between her thighs came from both Akane's words and the action of her licking tongue, "Maa...Nabiki suggested I should let Kasumi teach me about the birds and the bees, instead of Momma," her hands touched her knees, not noticing she was leaning towards her wife, "and Momma agreed."
A naughty look showed in Akane's dark eyes, "Mine is in a locked drawer at the bottom of my desk."
Ranma knew what Akane meant by mine, "Kasumi let me borrow her beginner and one of her," her words became a whisper, "little vibrators."
"The egg one?"
"Hai..."
"How did it feel?"
"It blew my mind."
"Hadn't you masturbate as a boy?"
"Oyaji told me it would make me blind."
"Baka."
"You said it."
Ranma didn't realize she leaned all the way down, her face a couple of inches from Akane's face, their breaths blending together, warmly caressing their faces, "There are more lessons to come."
"I hope so. I need to catch up with you."
"Flatterer."
"I mean it. Kasumi opened my eyes about how little I knew about being a real fulltime girl."
"Baka."
Who kissed who first wasn't the issue nor did both girls care, both hearts lit up at the soft caress of lips press together, noses touching, Akane's hands on Ranma's shoulders, Ranma's hands pressing to the bed on each side of her beloved chest. After the first kiss, a couple of more came, each just as sweet, each just as sexy.
"I see you have new pajamas," Akane panted as their lips part.
"Momma selected them," the crimson silk shined in the light, "Nabiki took me and her on a shopping spree for new clothes."
"They feel really good on you."
"I was a little hesitate about them, but once I got them on, they feel so good against my skin."
The kisses came again, this time a little more passionate, some nibbling and sucking of lips.
"Did Ukyo accept Nodoka's offer wa?" A little heavier breathing from Akane.
"Hai...Ukyo jumped at the offer."
"Good for her, I like Ukyo a lot."
"Ukyo was alone for so long, treated as an outcast even by her own family. Even I had Oyaji so at least I wasn't alone like her."
"Hai, a person without a family is horrible."
"I was surprised when Momma told us her maiden name."
"So ka?"
"Kunojo."
"You don't mean?"
"Cadet branch of the Kuno clan, dating back to the Warring States period."
"So you and Nodoka and now Ukyo?"
"Very-very distant relations to those Knuo nutcases."
"I'm glad you are now a Tendo."
"Baka."
"Guilty as charged."
It only took a gentle pull from Akane to get Ranma to lay next to her on the bed, the redhead's hands softy stroking her lover's hair, the dark-haired teenager gently caressing her lover's arms from elbow to wrists.
A tap came from the bedroom door, "Are you finished?"
"I'll bring the tray and dishes down in the morning, Onee," Ranma eyes stayed on Akane's face.
"Onee?'
"Kasumi insisted."
"Kasumi always did think of you are her little brother-sister."
"Now I am."
"Remember you two are wounded warriors," Nabiki voice came from the other side of the door, "so no handcuffs or whips."
"Oneechan," Akane rolled her eyes at the further interruption, "I'm not Kodachi wa yo!"
Muffled giggles came from the other side of the door, before fading footfalls told of the departure of Kasumi and Nabiki. Akane and Ranma returned to kissing, the redhead surprised and then moan when Akane's tongue slid into her mouth, caressing her mate's tongue.
Ranma heard a soft sigh from Akane, the redhead detected her wife's body sag, "Are you okay?" Ranma carefully slid to one side of Akane, but holding her with both hands.
"The food and meds caught up with me," Akane's snuggled against Ranma's upper chest, "could we sleep like this tonight," she rubbed her right cheek against the silk top of Ranma's pajamas, "you not sleeping at the foot of our bed?" Ranma nodded, slipping under the bedcovers without untangling from Akane. The tomboy sighed happily, "When is Nodoka moving in wa?"
"Officially not until the home is sold," Ranma pitched her voice down to a whisper, "tomorrow me, Momma, Ukyo and Nabiki go down to city hall and register the home for sale, record our marriage, adopt Ukyo and change my name."
"So you will be Tendo Ranma?"
"I decided on Tendo Ran."
"Orchid instead of Wild Horse?" a tiny smile on Akane's lips, her eyes now close.
"Hai, I figured a girl called Wild Horse migh’ sound too manly. I also didn't wanna use Ranko, ‘cause I feel pretty bad about using it to trick Momma."
"Don't the Americans have a saying about turning a silk purse out of a sow's ear?"
"Don't say that around Ryoga or Akari, after all she is trying to do that to the Lost Boy."
"Good," Akane's warm breath played across Ranma's neck, "now I don't have to pretend to blow my stack about Ryoga being P-chan." A little giggle came from Akane when she felt Ranma stiffen against her, "Hai, I know the dirty little secret everyone was keeping from me."
"When?"
"It happened just before the whole thing with the Phoenix King," Akane's left fingertips caress the edge of Ranma's neck, "you were at the movies with Hiroshi and Daisuke. I was suppose to meet you at the theater but I got ambushed by Kodachi, using one of her poisons to paralyze me and dragged me off to the Kuno compound." Akane snuggled more to Ranma when she her mate's arms tighten, "Ryoga came to save me but got hit by a water balloon by that rose throwing cunt. I thought the croc was going to eat Ryoga, but out of the pool came P-chan and rammed himself into Kodachi's stomach, knocking the wind out of her, which caused her to fall back and hit her head on a rock."
Ranma kissed Akane's forehead at the hairline, "Sending her into dreamland?"
A shiver ran through Ranma when Akane's nodded, her lips brushing against one of Ranma's nipples through her pajama top, "Hai...P-chan chewed through the ropes."
"So you put two and two together."
"Not at first," Akane sounded like a sleepy cat who just had a canary, "I rushed to the pool, expecting a pool of blood and body parts. What I found was a disappointed croc. I stared at the croc for I don't know how long before it dawned on me. Ryoga wouldn't abandon me to Kodachi, his code of honor wouldn't let him. It was then I turned to P-chan with new eyes."
"I'm surprised I didn't smell bacon frying when I got home from the movies."
"I'm sure Ryoga was thinking the same thing," Ranma shivered against, this time the redhead was sure Akane's lips rubbing against one of her nipples wasn't an accident, "but I came up with a different sort of punishment."
"So ka?"
"Remember for about two weeks I kept everyone out of my room?"
"Hai, I remember Nabiki was making all sorts of snide remarks about what you were doing in your bedroom."
"I kept P-chan in a cage barely bigger than his body and made sure no hot water got close to him," sweet torture was being practiced by Akane's left hand lazily cupping Ranma's right breast, "then I would strip in front of him every chance I got and spend hours in the nude."
"So that is what Nabiki meant by nudist camp."
A little buzz of giggles from Akane caused Ranma to shiver as the sound was fed into her nipple, "I lost count the number of blushes, nosebleeds and fainting spells Ryoga went through before I took pity and decided he suffered enough."
"That was big of you."
Ranma couldn't stop a tiny moan when Akane's lightly squeezed the redhead’s right breast, "I told Akari about it and she promised me to make sure Ryoga would be too busy to be a Peeping Tom anymore."
"Don't you miss P-chan?"
"Hai..." Akane yawned, her body sagging even more in Ranma's embrace, "but I got someone much better than a pet to snuggle with."
Ranma kisses Akane on the forehead, "Goodnight."
"Night..."
********
