Nabiki - New Horizons Part 1 - A Match Made On Wall Street by G.L. Sandborn The young man stood in the classroom doorway and stared at his would-be love. She looked so cool and collected, like someone totally in control of her environment. Leaning on her elbows, her fists supporting her chin, she listened patiently to a particular petitioner as her assistants came and went, delivering tiny slips of paper and occasional money. The only time her expression changed was when one of them bent over to whisper something in her ear. He watched her transform from a beautiful, smiling classmate to a scowling, dangerous predator. Despite his usual control, he shuddered at the sight. "Tell him that if he doesn't pay up by Friday,... well, he knows the consequences," she growled with a lethal look. He thought about turning around and leaving. Just send her a note or relay a message through an intermediary. There was less chance she would do something right away. At least he'd have time to prepare. He glanced again at the girl and paused as her cute little sardonic grin returned. Something the petitioner said must have amused her. Maybe, she'll take it okay. Maybe he shouldn't worry so. After all, the last time they were out together, she actually said she liked him. Or did she mean she liked the way he was throwing money around? With a hard swallow and a nervous smile, he stepped into the room. "Toshi," the girl said pleasantly with a large welcoming smile. "It's so good of you to visit me in my humble classroom." The young man cleared his throat and nodded. "I... I just felt this needed to be delivered in person." He tugged at the high collar of his school uniform jacket. It felt like a noose around his neck. For some reason it was growing warm in the room. The fact those around the couple suddenly stopped talking didn't help. "Oh?" the girl said while idly flattening out a yen bill with her fingers. No one could take a crinkled mess of money and make it look almost new like she could. If she suspected anything, there was no indication in either her voice or her manner. "Yes, well... I..." He felt faint, his pulse raced, and his fingers went numb. "I... won't be able to take you out this weekend," he finally stammered in one gigantic gasp. There was no reaction from the girl other than she stopped smoothing the paper money. The rest of the room slowly began to back away from the couple. "I, uh,..." He paused and tugged at his collar again as he noticed his growing isolation. "I don't have enough money to go --" His voice choked into silence as the girl's head slowly rose from the table, her eyes tiny slits and her jaw set. "You mean to tell me my entire weekend will be ruined because you don't have enough money to fulfill your obligation?" Her voice sounded like the deep growl of an awakened tiger. "Honestly, Nabiki, I... I don't have any more money. I tried but my parents insist they give me enough of an allowance. My savings account is empty. I have nothing." He kept backing towards the door. His eyes never leaving Nabiki's face. The very air seemed to crackle with growing energy. Nabiki said nothing more. She continued to glare at the young man as he abandoned his slow retreat and replaced it with a hasty scramble for freedom. He should have known better than to do this in person. As the young man's terrified scream echoed down the hallway, Nabiki pulled out her ledger book and opened it to a particular page. "Hmmmm, yessss," she said under her breath. Turning to one of her assistants, she began to smile. "Tell our recently departed friend that I noticed he borrowed 50,000 yen from me only six months ago. I've been more than fair in allowing him to date me in exchange for not collecting right away." She snarled at the now empty doorway. "But I never said I wouldn't collect some time in the future. Well, the future is now. Tell Toshi-san that he has until Friday to come up with the entire amount... or else." "But, Nabiki, if he doesn't have enough money to take you out this weekend, how is he going to come up with enough money to repay you?" the long-haired assistant asked sweeping her hair from in front of her face with a graceful wave of her hand. "That's his problem," Nabiki said in growing serenity. "Surely he has things he can sell." She went back to looking through her ledger book. Numbers seemed to comfort her. "Besides, he wasn't all that great a date anyway. No imagination and nothing but hands when we were alone." She fluffed her hair with a hand. "No great loss." Her assistants exchanged looks. She'd done this particular act before. In fact, she'd made a career of attracting the unwary, dating them, then removing every last yen of their money before moving on and repeating with another guy. There was no love involved, just lust for the money of others. They knew better than to get involved. The first day at a new school is always stressful; even more so if that school is in a foreign country. With that in mind, Jeff Lawrence faced the daunting task of integrating himself into a Japanese high school after spending his entire academic life attending embassy schools. Born in London to an ambassadorial attache, Jeff moved to Japan at age 12 when his father was transferred. His mother insisted he attend only embassy schools to get the best American education possible. Still, as he grew, Jeff felt something was missing. He was 17 years old living in a foreign country but attending only American schools with other American students. Of course, he never really made the connection to his American roots to begin with. After all, he only visited his home land a few times, spoke with more of an English accent and used too many British and Japanese slang words to be easily understood by his own countrymen. His Japanese was quite good; the embassy staff saw to that. While he admitted he probably would never master kanji (few outsiders ever do), his grasp of hiragana and, to a lesser degree, katakana was quite admirable. Certain he had sufficient background for such a venture, he made plans to experience a regular public school once before departing to college. In truth, Jeff had a stronger motivation for his desires. There were simply no girls his age in the foreign legation community. Actually, that wasn't entirely true. There was one 16 year old girl over at the Russian embassy, but she scared the hell out of him. As far as the embassy schools were concerned, he was keenly aware that the only female near his age was a rather well stuffed 13 year old. Not much to look forward to; at least not if he wanted to stay out of jail. Like a typical 17 year old male, he wanted to be around girls his own age and like a more mature person, he wanted to experience fully the academic environment of his host country. After much debate with his parents, highlighted by Jeff applying the unassailable argument that it would be like being a foreign exchange student while getting to come home every evening, they reluctantly agreed. At first, they held out for an international high school of some sort. But Jeff thought they were just English speaking Japanese-style schools with a lot of other foreigners enrolled. No, if he was going to subject himself to a Japanese school environment, it would be with a real Japanese school or nothing. By the early hours of the morning, it was finally settled that he would be allowed to attend the local high school in nearby Nerima to finish his senior year. His parents worked even harder to convince themselves that he would be able to handle this new challenge. Academically, he was far ahead of the average student; he had been taking college level courses for over a year. However, they feared that socially he was in for a rude awakening. It was a warm April morning, sunny and dry. The type of morning that could make even a reluctant student glad to be walking to school. With a sigh, Jeff Lawrence trudged alone down the street past the large concrete drainage ditch that ran through the center or Nerima. Occasionally, a small group of students would pass him, glancing his way only out of curiosity. None ever initiated a greeting, although most returned his formally, but without conviction. Jeff never felt so alone. He was experiencing the ultimate paradox; isolation in a country of 125 million people. Smiling through all this was difficult as he just couldn't shake the feeling he was going somewhere he didn't belong. The reactions of his soon-to-be classmates confirmed it. With increasing unease, he tried to figure out why the passing students gave him such a feeling. It couldn't have been because of his attire; he was wearing the correct school uniform, his mother had seen to that. He wasn't especially tall (barely six feet), or large (175 pounds admirably proportioned on his frame), or even oddly colored (his dark hair and deep tan made him visually similar). Perhaps, it was just that in such a homogenous society as Japan's outsiders easily stood out. Jeff was decidedly an outsider. As he continued to walk, the imposing facade of Furinkan Senior High School emerged from behind the many trees on the school grounds. Built in the late 50's, it represented the best of Japanese bureaucratic architecture; imposing, functional, and totally out of place next to all the neighborhood wood and stucco structures. The main tower held a clock that read 8:15. Plenty of time. "Looks okay for a public school," he mused softly as he approached the school's main gate. "At least it's not run down like some American inner city school." Passing through the gate, he noticed a large number of male students dressed in all manner of sporting gear gathered in small groups in front of the building. he thought while approached the front doors. For the most part, the crowd tended to ignore Jeff's presence. Occasionally, however, a person would look his way and mutter "gaijin". Jeff tried not to react but it was difficult when having the most hated title in Japan applied to you. Used originally to describe any outsider, it now came to mean anyone from the outside who was undesirable. Jeff swallowed hard. This was what his father warned him about and what his mother feared. This was what he mentally prepared weeks for. Whatever happened, he told himself, he would control his temper. Nothing would provoke him in becoming an "ugly American" in this school, he vowed. That, however, didn't last long. Allowing his young hormones a loose rein at the sight of high school females, he was distracted by the sight of a large number of attractive young coeds looking out of the upper floor windows, Jeff made his first, and almost fatal, mistake. He collided with an imposing male student dressed in a sword-man's traditional gear complete with super-loose trousers and a deadly looking wooden bokkan. "Clumsy whelp!" The swordsman shouted as he spun around to face Jeff. "By the grace of the heavens. A filthy gaijin. Oh, what transgressions we must have committed for the gods to have delivered to us such a despicable form of life such as this." Jeff held his tongue but watched carefully the way this fellow waved his little wooden samurai sword around. It looked dangerous. "What are you dressed for, you ugly monkey? Halloween is months away," Jeff muttered in English, secretly hoping no one understood the language well enough to translate the insult. Figuring now was not the best time to start trouble, he tried a simple apology. Jeff bowed respectfully and issued his regrets at the incident - making sure he assumed all the blame for being so clumsy. With a second bow, he courteously asked where the main office was. All he got for his troubles was a round of laughter from the assembled males. Jeff scowled at the ground and pursed his lips. This was going to be tougher than he thought. "He knows our customs and speaks our language. I, Upperclassman Tatewaki Kuno, undefeated captain of the school's Kendo Team, rising star of the high school fencing world, think we should humor the gaijin as a reward." Kuno raised his bokkan and was immediately answered by a crash of thunder and bolt of lightning. Jeff raised one eyebrow and scanned the skies discreetly. "They're coming!" came a shout from near the gate. Suddenly Jeff was no longer the center of attention. "The destination you seek is inside these doors and to your right. Now begone, I have other matters to attend to." With that Jeff felt sufficiently dismissed to start for the door again. Kuno's sword flat across his chest indicated otherwise. "But mark this well, gaijin, the vengeance of heaven is slow. Were it not for my preoccupation with a matter of great import on this spring morn, I would provide you with an education unlike any other in the manners and respect due an upperclassman. Tatewaki Kuno will remember you." "You're too kind," Jeff responded while repeating to himself: Opening the door, he looked back over his shoulder and added: "Isn't it a little late in the day for pajamas, big guy?" With that, he slipped inside turning in time to catch Kuno's glare through the glass. The rest of the morning went fairly routinely, except for the commotion taking place out front. Jeff didn't get too good a look at what was going on but concluded that there must have been a dandy rumble between rival gangs to create such a stir. He filed away for future reference a warning to be careful of high school gangs. Jeff found himself in the same class as his earlier nemesis, Tatewaki Kuno, who spent the entire day glaring at him, and a couple of attractive young ladies; the most interesting among them, a bored looking young lady with short brown hair who always seemed to be the center of some kind of activity. Like a queen bee, she sat passively waiting as her little worker bees buzzed about, always returning to her desk with what looked like money and small slips of paper. Jeff fought the urge to find out if she was the local bookie or not. At one point, their eyes met. Actually, they didn't meet, Jeff smiled and the lady looked right through him. Jeff thought as he returned to his 'English' book. "Is that the new student?" Sayuri whispered to her two compatriots. She and her friends watched as Jeff Lawrence slipped quietly into the class room. "Hmmm. Not bad for a gaijin," Yuka remarked as she swept her long hair clear of one ear. "Think he's rich?" "Aren't all Americans?" Sayuri stifled a giggle. Nabiki Tendo, in her characteristic pose; seated at her desk, her head supported on her hand, eyed the stranger critically through half open eyes. She had been watching him ever since he walked onto the school grounds. Until now, she'd reserved her thoughts. In a soft voice that sounded every bit as lethal as she was capable of, she let her associates in on her observations. "In any case, I think he deserves a checkout." At lunch, Jeff quickly discovered just how much of an outsider he was. Despite the traditional Japanese affinity for being good hosts. Meal time was an exception. No one openly welcomed him to join them, not even the girls. Especially, the girls. They would look at him with blank expressions, then break into giggly conversation, obviously, at his expense. They didn't refuse him a place to sit, just made it clear he was intruding. Naturally, he declined to join them without a proper invitation. He finally wound up balancing on a curb while he ate. Even from such an uncomfortable vantage point he was able to catch some of the school gossip by eavesdropping on the various conversations that swirled around him. The most common theme was about how Upperclassman Kuno jumped out of a third floor window yesterday chasing some character that got too close to his girl. Jeff made another mental note to find out who this chick was and avoid her like the plague. The last thing he needed was a stick wielding wacko chasing him around because he said 'hi' to the wrong girl. The rest of the day went quietly, or at least sufferably. It was all so much different than he imagined. He had made no friends or even acquaintances. The teachers were cold and remote - certainly nothing like the embassy teachers he was used to. Worst of all, not a single female indicated even the slightest interest in him. All things considered, this was *not* how Jeff envisioned public high school - Japanese or otherwise. Jeff was beginning to have second thoughts about this whole Japanese public school thing when he made a major breakthrough. Another student, judging by his attire an equal 'outsider', actually said 'hi' to him. What's more, they even enjoyed a short conversation. True, it was mostly about that 'baka' Kuno, but under the circumstances, any conversation was worth it's weight in gold. Unfortunately, it was equally true that the other student acted as if he wished to remain remote and detached from the gaijin he was talking to. Still, he *was* talking to Jeff. That was something. Much to Jeff's dismay, just after the two went their separate ways, he discovered that he forgot to find out just who it was he was talking to. Jeff chastised himself. At least he didn't run into Kuno a second time. One encounter with Mr. Blue Thunder was enough for the first day. Arriving home Jeff dropped his book bag on the hall chair and slipped into the kitchen to see what was available, his lunch having been abbreviated by the length of his search for a place to sit. "How was school, dear?" his mother asked while reviewing the guest list for some embassy function. "Well..... I didn't get killed, I understood most of what was said, and I failed to connect with any of the girls in my class. All things considered, it was okay." Jeff snuck a few cookies from the cookie jar to go with his glass of juice. "That's nice dear," his mom droned. She was so out of it when it came to his activities. Not that she was a bad mother or anything. It's just that she was constantly being asked to assume more and more of the day-to-day operations of the embassy to the point where she was running almost as hard as his father trying to keep up. "Where's Dad?" Jeff asked, certain he wasn't going to like the answer. "Somewhere down in Kure, dear. Something to do with a cultural exchange. He'll be back by Friday." Jeff thought as he swallowed the last cookie. "I'm goin to practice now, mom. I'll be back by 10" "Have fun dear." Jeff wondered just how much she actually heard. With an audible sigh, Jeff went up to his room to change. He didn't want to be late to his kempo practice. Sensei Tendo would be particularly hard on him if he was late. Not that he ever let Jeff coast through practice anyway. Practice for Jeff was always a painful experience. For five years in England, he was trained by an old shinobi master in the way of his people. Shinobi were master shadow warriors - ninjas in the West. The training he underwent was most unusual and sometimes even bizarre. In any case, it shaped him into the careful, controlled person he was. Jeff never knew exactly why he wound up with Master Sato, he always assumed it was something his parents wanted him to do. As a child, he rarely rebelled against the decisions of his parents. Over time, it became his desire as well. Master Sato's training method was unusual. Unlike other martial arts instructors, he refused to use training weapons and pads, opting instead for the real things. He insisted that warrior training that does not face actual danger is not true warrior training at all, but merely a desire to play at being bold. Early in his training back In England, Jeff faced things that would have horrified his parents. He hung over the edge of sheer cliffs supported only by ropes he himself tied. He stood for long periods of time in freezing pools pummeled by ice cold waterfalls in order to teach him how to focus. He learned his limits and his abilities. By the time he left England, there was little he could face that would frighten him beyond action. In spite of all this, his training was incomplete. Conquering his fear was only the first goal of ninjutsu training. Guile and deception was the second. Fighting came later. Kempo? The Tendo school? He had no idea why kempo at the Tendo school either. It was just where he wound up. The embassy security office had approved the Tendo school (at least, Jeff assumed so); they did that only after carefully checking for the safety of the dependents. In the legation community, kids hobbies were encouraged to give them a sense of continuity, making their inevitable relocation easier. To the folks at the American Embassy, Jeff was simply another dependent with a hobby. Why Sensei Tendo would take such a student as Jeff is buried in the Japanese Gordian knot of reciprocal obligations. Strange, how Jeff never made the connection between Nabiki Tendo and the Tendo Martial Arts Dojo. Especially, since she lived on the grounds of the dojo itself. Perhaps it was because Tendo was a common family name, like 'Smith' in the U.S. and he never actually saw any members of the family on the grounds - with one exception. Jeff had been coming to the Tendo Dojo once a week, for almost 5 years and only encountered one other member of the Tendo family, a little dark haired stick of dynamite called Akane. Jeff rubbed the spot on his chest when he remembered how almost a year ago, during a moment of hormone-induced desperation, he asked the lovely young Akane to go out for a soda or something after practice and she kicked him across the room. After that, she never worked out the same times as Jeff. Much to his relief. Nabiki called her usual sources of information and was most disappointed in the results. "What do you mean, you can't find anything on him?" Nabiki shouted incredulously into the phone. "That's impossible! Everyone has a financial trail." "My feet are not big!" came Akane's voice from her room down the hall. "Well, they're big for a girl." The sound of Ranma arguing with Akane barely distracted Nabiki any more. But the sounds of a growing fight in Akane's room was not helping her disposition. The voice at the other end of the line confirmed that they were unable to find anything on Jeffrey Lawrence. His father, yes, but nothing on Jeff himself. And there were no other living relatives on his branch of his family tree. In short, there was Jeff, a low paid government employee father, and a void thereafter. The voice went on to ask if she wanted them to check for dead relatives. "Are you nuts!" she growled, clearly irritated at the suggestion. "What kind of ghoul do you take me for? If he had gotten any money from dead relatives it would be obvious in his own record. Honestly, I sometimes wonder just how you people stay in business." Nabiki hung up the phone totally confused. she repeated to herself several times. "Nabiki-chan, if you're done with the phone, could I borrow it for a moment?" Akane asked as she stepped out of her room. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead." "Thanks." Akane took the phone from her sister and disappeared back into her room. Nabiki thought to her self. The idea gave her a warm, satisfied feeling. Above all else, she wanted to be rich. Sure, she valued a guy's looks and personality too, but his net worth or potential worth were clearly the deciding factor. She had contacts in all the financial institutions in Japan that could dig out a boy's net worth in a matter of minutes or project his potential earnings in a few more. This was the first time she failed on all counts. Nabiki paused at the top of the stairs. A loud argument could be heard coming from Akane's room. From the sounds of things, Ranma was trying to back-track on his observations about the size of Akane's feet. Akane, however, was in little mood for such discussions. Nabiki chided herself with a shake of her head. Nabiki carefully ran through her sources again and found no immediate gaps. Nabiki went down stairs to the sounds of someone being beaten with a phone. As usual, Sensei Tendo worked Jeff to the breaking point. What was quite out of the ordinary was how Jeff showed just enough ineptness to frustrate his sensei. Still, it was uncanny how the guy knew just how far he could push a student before letting up. This evening there was another man in the dojo the same age as Sensei Tendo. All evening long, he just sat on his heels in the corner of the room watching Jeff's every move. Jeff didn't especially like being watched, it made him nervous and this guy made him exceptionally nervous. He had all the air of a master of the arts, and looked the part too. Big and burly, with little wire rimmed glassed secured to his face with, what looked like, rubber bands. For three hours, he never moved as Jeff went through drill after drill. Not even the sound of someone being thrown out of a second floor window at the residence had the slightest affect on him. In frustration, Tendo-sensei halted a drill. With his back to the stranger, he formed a shinobi sign of questioning. Jeff shifted his eyes quickly to the stranger then back to his sensei. Soun Tendo immediately understood and class resumed. [Stranger present. Conceal, deceive, evade.] At the end of the evening, Jeff made sure to acknowledge the other man's presence by bowing politely before leaving. To Jeff's relief, the man responded from his kneeling position. "A moment Jeff-san," Tendo-sensei said looking at the other man. "I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine, Genma Saotome." Jeff bowed respectfully and added: "The honor is mine, sensei." For the first time the stranger spoke: "How do you know I am a teacher of martial arts?" Jeff smiled slightly. Personal observation had long been a strong suit of his. Often he could pick out the most important person at an embassy affair or meeting by simply watching them. His father said it was valuable gift that would serve him will in the diplomatic corps (not that he ever really wanted anything to do with the diplomatic corps). He could also detect weaknesses in opponents whether on the athletic field or in a poker game and often used it to his advantage. He couldn't explain how he did it. But then, many of the things Jeff acquired from Master Sato were beyond explanation. "Your ki, sensei," Jeff lied quietly. [Reveal nothing, observe everything.] "You have an aura of complete control of your environment. Ichi masu, the first law, ne?" Jeff instinctively quoted something he had learned from old Master Sato in England. He almost regretted having said it when he noticed the looks Saotome and Tendo exchanged. "You quote a venerable book, young one," Mr. Saotome said with a hard look. There was an awkward pause. Jeff had just committed one of the most unpardonable sins of shinobi life; he had inadvertently revealed his knowledge of their ways to an outsider. Such was often the start of a clan's betrayal. Soun Tendo, sensing Jeffrey's predicament, rescued him with a little diversion of his own. He chuckled lightly causing Mr. Saotome to shoot him a questioning look. "Perhaps I should explain. Lawrence-san reads too much. He came to me with his head filled with stories of ninjas and samurai. He has yet to learn the path of a true martial artist. As a favor to an old friend, I have been teaching him traditional kempo so he could find the path to our pure art." "I see," Mr. Saotome's voice rumbled ominously - like a large volcano before it explodes. "You move well for a Westerner... too well. But you do not appear to me to have ever been tested. Therefore, it would appear you need a more challenging workout, boy." For some reason, Soun Tendo slowly stepped aside. Out of the corner of his eye, Jeff could see the look of curious detachment on his sensei's face. Something was going to happen. Part of Jeff's ability to detect emotions allowed him to sense danger and his mind was positively screaming warnings now. As Mr. Saotome's eyes once again fixed on the young American, Jeff got the uncomfortable feeling that he was about to be tested in a most unpleasant manner. Like a cat, Mr. Saotome sprung at the young student, a sharp cry announcing the fingers of his right hand aimed for a most vulnerable area, Jeff's throat. Without thinking, Jeff dropped, shifted his weight, and using his opponents momentum against him, whipped the older man across the room as easily as if he were a rag doll; a fairly basic move any first year student could easily accomplish. Mr. Saotome rolled upon landing and immediately launched a flying kick at Jeff's head. Jeff, assuming a typical ninjutsu fighting pose, had expected such a follow up but not this fast. It had been long time since Jeff had been in a real fight. So long that he had forgotten just how fast things can happen. This time, he waited too long. The first blow caused him to see stars. The second sent him spinning across the dojo, ending flat on his back. Jeff thought as his vision cleared. Apparently, however, Mr. Saotome wasn't finished with him just yet. "Whoa, Jesus!!" Jeff muttered as he rolled out of the way of a follow up attack that was aimed at the spot where Jeff was laying. As fights go, he was clearly on the defensive and running for his life. Jeff's mind was rapidly slipping into disorganized panic. It was then he remembered Mr. Sato's words: [Fear and panic are a shadow warrior's greatest allies and his worst enemies. Embrace them as your allies and your power will be magnified.] Two more complicated attacks that Jeffrey was just able to deflect and he escaped to just in front of the open panels leading to the garden. For the moment, he had established his ability to fight Genma Saotome to a standstill. [When victory is without reward, stalemate is acceptable.] As the defeat of Mr. Saotome would accomplish nothing positive, Jeff switched to Plan B; getting Sensei Tendo involved. [Allies come in many forms. All should be used.] Jeff slid back towards the door slightly and closer to Soun Tendo. This would take precise timing to make it look right. It also depended on Tendo-sensei being quick enough. Assuming an almost laughably inept looking pose, Jeff calmly awaited Genma Saotome's next attack. When it came, Jeff's preparation had the desired effect. To anyone watching, Jeff looked like an easy kill. Soun Tendo must have agreed. As Genma's jump kick attack began, Soun reached out faster than the eye could follow and, grabbing Jeff's collar, yanked him out of the way. Jeff landed in a heap on the floor. Mr Saotome, startled by the sudden displacement of his opponent, missed badly. Now out of control, his momentum aided by a swift kick from Soun Tendo, Genma passed through the open panel, over the balcony and, with wildly waving arms, landed with a tremendous splash in the koi pond. "I always wanted to do that," Mr. Tendo mumbled then turned to Jeff. "I believe that is enough for tonight, young warrior. You... did well." He was obviously looking for something positive to say, especially about the last action. In his mind, Jeff was caught cold turkey and would have been spattered all over his dojo had he not pulled the young student out of harm's way. In truth, all went according to Jeff's plan. Jeff knew Sensei Tendo wouldn't allow anything to happen to him. He also knew defeating Genma Saotome would be pointless and possibly dangerous. His solution was to simply allow himself to be yanked out of the fight by his sensei. The part about the koi pond was a bonus. However, to Soun Tendo, there remained one last question to be answered. "A trained martial artist would never have allowed himself to be so exposed as your last position. I am curious. Why?" "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time?" Jeff was being evasive but reasonably honest. He was just referring to his plan instead of the last fighting stance. Mr. Tendo just sighed and placed a hand over his face, probably to cover his frustrated embarrassment, then excused himself to see to Mr. Saotome. Jeff bowed deeply to his sensei. Like all shinobi warriors, he gave a silent prayer of thanks for coming away with his life. As Jeff packed his things, he thought back to old Master Sato in England. He remembered how the man could simply 'appear', as if out of nowhere. Maybe the old man really was a master of the ancient arts. Maybe he was telling the truth about the ancient shinobi clans. Maybe there was something to all the Ninja talk. "Ninja's," Jeff spit out the word. "Another Hollywood invention. Good grief." Still, he fondly recalled his sessions with Master Sato. He never knew why, exactly, that he wound up being taught by such a strange little old man. He knew the embassy had something to do with it as only schools trusted by the embassy security office could teach American dependents. Whatever the case, Jeff was totally unprepared for what he underwent in the hands of Master Sato. Quickly, and sometimes brutally, his childhood was stripped from him. In five years he was subjected to rigorous spiritual training sessions with Master Sato, usually followed by long tales from ancient Japan. Most were interesting, some were boring, but all related a great deed performed by an ancient shinobi master and contained some pearl of wisdom. The part of his training he seemed to excel at was throwing things; shuriken, caltrops, even the tanto. Being somewhat of a loner, he had lots of time to practice. That practice, however, led to his best times and his worst. In England, he developed a bad habit of haunting the family pubs, winning shillings from strangers by playing darts. He was good at it. Good enough for people to start betting on the outcome of some of his matches. The stakes quickly grew. Sometimes, the gambling would exceed the weekly salary of the average better. Even under such pressure, he continued to win easily. It was good fun, until word got out and his opponents dried up. Still, he had made a lot of spare change in the process. He also was, for the first time in his life, the center of popular attention. Unlike at school or home, where he was just another warm body or in town where he was a 'damn Yank' responsible for every misfortune in the region, in the pubs he was a star. Unfortunately, Master Sato quickly put a stop to all that. Jeff was being trained as a shinobi. Not, as an entertainer. He would have to demonstrate better control if he wished to continue. Typically, Jeff complied. His thoughts shifted to the last night in England when Master Sato made him a member of his shinobi clan, not a shadow warrior (he was clearly not ready for that), but a member of the old man's noble family. It was like being adopted. Jeff still wore the small clan symbol on a chain around his neck, an honor he never sought nor felt qualified to hold. Nevertheless, it was something he was determined never to disgrace. In spite of all this, Jeff still harbored reservations. He knew of all the Western stories about ninjas, how they were night stalkers and assassins. Hollywood never treated the shinobi warriors with much respect, but then they never seemed to treat anyone with much respect. "Not me," he repeated out loud. "I may be a lot of things, but a midnight assassin is not one of them." Pulling out a 6 inch long shuriken shaped like a common pencil from his bag, he twirled it with his finger tips as he looked around the dojo. He especially liked the shuriken. He used to practice for hours throwing from different positions, inventing little games to amuse himself, until his aim was deadly. His eye caught on a white paper fan mounted on one of the dojo's vertical beams about 20 feet away. In the middle of the fan was a red rising sun the size of a quarter. Jeff smiled slightly and he turned away from the fan. With practiced skill, he quickly spun around, dropped to one knee and flung his projectile at the target. Almost faster than the eye could follow, the deadly metal object flew straight and true imbedding itself in the exact center of the red dot. he thought to himself with a satisfied grin. Jeff's evening did not go unobserved. Outside, peeking through a back window, was an interested bystander. Nabiki Tendo had taken an interest in this strange gaijin with an indecipherable past. She wasn't interested in him personally. She was just curious how this gaijin was tied to her father. Of course, there were other reasons for her interest. When she was getting started in the snooping and spying business, she checked into her mother's background. What she found almost made her give up snooping forever. Her mother had come to live with her relatives when very young; this much they all knew. It was where she came from that was most startling. Her mother was born to an ancient mountain family well known for their shadow warrior connections. In Japan, shinobi shadow warriors, or Ninjas, were no invention of overactive imaginations. They were legendary in their skills at fighting, deception, and guile. Like moss on a rock, myths grew around the truth about the shadow warriors until their perceived powers far exceeded their real ones. Of course, the shinobi were content to let the myths grow; it only increased their power and prestige. If her mother was really part of a shinobi clan, it would explain a lot. It would explain why her father, who had given up teaching upon the death of his wife, would return to the dojo with a new student. Only one thing could compel him to do so; a shinobi clan obligation. That would also explain a lot about Jeff Lawrence. Somehow, he was mixed up in this shinobi clan business. How, she didn't know; but was determined to find out. She normally avoided the dojo as she had no interest in martial arts. But Jeff's presence drew her to her concealed position to get a better look at this fellow who had no financial trail and who just happened to be drawn to the Tendo Dojo and her father. She had watched him practice. She saw the fight. Finally, she saw his little act with the shuriken. Nabiki knew of the shinobi skill at deception. They were masters at concealing their true identities. Maybe... Nabiki was closer to the truth than she knew. She was about to leave her concealed location when Jeff pulled off his gi jacket. she thought as she took a quick visual tour of his muscular body. Financial whiz or not, she *was* 17 and appreciated a good male form as well as anyone. Her usual sardonic smile grew into a wistful grin as she memorized every exposed inch of his body - making certain to fill in the other parts from her vivid imagination. She watched his muscles flex as he toweled off. However, to her disappointment, he only donned a scarlet, light weight t-shirt that read: 'USMC - When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Killed Overnight', packed his bag and started to leave. With a satisfied grunt, Jeff slung his bag over his shoulder and sauntered towards the main gate. He knew he was being watched. He knew he was being followed. He also knew, that she was no danger to him at all. A small smile creased his face as made his way to the gate. he mused. He wasn't far from the gate when a movement near the side of the Tendo residence caught his eye. It was dark and there were many shadows, but he could have sworn he saw a large black and white animal crawl over the engawa and into the house. he thought while exiting the main gate. When Jeff got home, he found his mother waiting up for him along with a man Jeff recognized as an embassy legal counsel. Dropping his bag on the hall chair, he walked warily into the living room. "Jeff, dear," his mother said quietly. "This is Mr. Wollenberg from the embassy." She indicated the distinguished looking man standing next to her. "Something wrong?" Jeff asked trying to appear calm and unconcerned. "Nothing's wrong, young man," the lawyer replied. "In fact, you might be pleased with my visit. Why don't we sit down?" The lawyer moved to occupy a large chair across from the sofa where Jeff and his mother nervously sat, waiting. He dug through his brief case for a few moments before producing a large file of papers, many with official looking seals. Adjusting his glasses he looked at the Lawrences and smiled. Jeff never liked it when a lawyer smiled. This one made him more nervous than Mr. Saotome. "I have here the final will and testament of Ronald and Ruth Phillips," he said looking through the pages for something. "Phillips?" Jeff looked to his mother to fill in the gaps. "Your grandparents, dear." Jeff's mom softly placed a hand on her son's arm. "They died ten years ago when you were very little." "Oh yeah, Dad's parents, right?" Jeff asked. He didn't really remember much about them other than they were nice to him when they visited and always brought him presents. Mrs. Lawrence nodded and smiled. "As you probably know, your father was the product of a previous marriage. By the time his mother remarried, he was in college and didn't want to change his name. Hence, our different family name." "I won't bore you with all the legal mumbo-jumbo," the lawyer began. "In accordance with the provisions of the will, Mr. Jeffrey Lawrence will assume control of all the assets, investments, and holdings of the estate of Ronald and Ruth Phillips on his 18th birthday - some 8 months hence." Jeff sat stunned and frantically searched for a reason why *he* would receive such a windfall, not his father. "Why me?" "I can answer that." His mother shifted nervously on the sofa. "Your father's step-father never understood your father's refusal to follow his path." She paused with a soft sigh. "As an only child, they hoped he would take an interest in his step-father's profession but he instead chose to follow his late father's academic calling and became a professor." She hesitated again, looking for the right words to continue. "Your father felt that it was... wrong for one person to have all that money and financial power." "He thought making money was wrong?" Jeff looked at the lawyer who just shrugged his shoulders. "What a bizarre concept." "Anyway, your grandparents were very disappointed." She paused again with a sad smile. "When you were born, they naturally took steps to assure you would be the one to carry on. I guess they saw it as an obligation." Her eyes glistened as a particularly moving memory revealed itself. "With your father gone so much of the time, I made the decision to let the training take place. Everything you have been through since you were 5 years old has been at their direction. The schooling you received, the trips you took,--" "Even Master Sato?" "Especially Master Sato. You were the repayment of a very great debt Mr. Sato's family owed your grandfather." Jeff stopped his mother right there. Casting a quick glance at the lawyer, he asked if he could be excused for a few moments. Mrs. Lawrence, catching her son's meaning, asked the lawyer if he would like some good English tea. The lawyer looked up from his papers like he wasn't aware they were leaving and nodded. Jeff led the way into their kitchen. He wasn't all that certain he really wanted to know the whole story. He already had problems enough. Adding money to that mix would only make things harder on him. Closing the door, Jeff asked: "Now, what's all this about Master Sato?" Jeff listened carefully as his mother told him the story of how his grandfather, an Army Intelligence officer during the war, had befriended Mr. Sato's village just after that war, providing them with food, medicine and help rebuilding and planting the next rice crop. He was especially interested in how his grandfather kept Mr. Sato, a former Japanese Army officer, and many other members of the village, out of the war crimes trials. Naturally, all this carried a heavy price in Japanese obligated reciprocality. His grandfather learned of Mr. Sato's shinobi clan position and named only the teaching of one of his offspring the way of the shadow warrior as repayment. As Jeff's father had no interest in such things, Jeff became the logical choice. Mr. Sato even came all the way to England to fulfill his obligation and then went one step further, making Jeff a member of his own clan; an honor unheard of for a 'gaijin'. "But mother, I never finished the training." "I know, dear," she said quietly. "That was your father's doing, I'm afraid. He didn't hold with all this 'shinobi' business. That's why we transferred." She paused, a genuinely sad look came over her face. "It was the first serious fight we ever had." Jeff, naturally, was uncomfortable with the thought of his parents fighting over anything. Their fighting over him was especially unsettling. "Ironic, isn't it," Jeff finally observed. "We left England to get away from Master Sato, and the State Department sends us to Japan." Jeff's mom looked at him for a long time. He got the feeling she wanted to tell him something very important but couldn't. Jeff didn't press the issue. "Your father really does love you, Jeff. It just doesn't always show." Jeff had never been particularly close to his father. He now knew why. They were about as different as any son could be from his father. They rarely talked and only recently had Jeff indicated any desire to ask his father anything. His mother, on the other hand, was always available, always there for him, always understanding of his troubles, hopes, and fears. Outside Master Sato, only his mother would listen. For a few minutes, only the ticking of a wall clock broke the silence. Never were two people so close together in the same room but so far away at the same time. Jeff suddenly had a strong desire to talk with his venerable master once again. "We better get back," his mother suggested as she stood up to leave. "Mom," Jeff said, stopping in the doorway. "The tea." With an embarrassed smile, she quickly prepared the lawyer's tea and the two returned to the living room. Back on the sofa, the meeting resumed. "How much are we talking, here?" Jeff finally asked. The lawyer flipped through a few other pages before answering. "Oh...It's hard to say exactly. Certainly in the hundreds of millions of dollars. It's really hard to put an exact figure on it because so much is tied up in the net worth of so many companies. I can try to get a more precise accounting for you if you wish?" Jeff thought. "Mom, this could all become... difficult for me. If word of this were to get out..." He paused searching for the right words. His mother gently rested a hand on his and smiled sadly. "I know, honey. We tried to talk you out of this Japanese high school thing of yours. We know you only wanted a regular high school experience with regular kids... and to meet girls your own age." Jeff blushed at the floor. It was true, of course, but embarrassing when stated out loud - especially by his mother. Mrs. Lawrence sensed her son's embarrassment and offered an alternative. "Perhaps, its not too late to enroll in a nice international high school. At least there you'll meet nice young girls who aren't Japanese or who are Japanese and have traveled abroad enough that they have adopted Western values." "I hate to quit just yet," Jeff said still looking at the floor. "I mean, today I actually made a friend... well, I think so anyway." "Well, we'll let it go until the end of the term. If things are still difficult for you then, we'll transfer you to St. Mary's or American International or something." "As for word of all this getting out," the lawyer said with a wave of his hand. "Not to worry, young man. Everything is currently listed by proxy; sort of a blind trust. Until you turn 18, the only way anyone could find out that you are the eventual beneficiary would be to see the will itself." He smiled. "And I have ways of preventing that." Jeff didn't remember much of the rest of the meeting. He was lost in his own thoughts. Jeff had trouble falling asleep that night, his mind was working overtime. He had to be careful from now on. The lawyer would do his job and the inheritance would be safely shielded from prying eyes but Jeff would have to be on his toes. One slip and the word would get out. He has to continue looking like a poor son of a embassy staff member. Otherwise, he could kiss goodbye any chance of finding a girl who loved him for himself. Not that he had anyone in mind. Heck, he didn't even have any prospects. On that depressing thought, he drifted off to sleep. &&&&& Nabiki was working late on the family books. She had taken her bath and was dressed in her pajamas; she always worked numbers better in her pajamas. she thought as she finished balancing the books. She was referring to a pair of strange deposits she was holding. Every month she would receive mysterious bank drafts for deposit in the family account. The first was drawn on a large Tokyo bank, without notation as to just what investment account it was for. When she asked her father, he just said it was the monthly stipend from his late wife's inheritance. Upon closer examination, it appeared to be exactly that, money from an account with her mother's name on it. No matter how much she tried, there was simply no way of determining where the money was really coming from. Reluctantly, she accepted the deposits without comment. The second set of mysterious drafts began arriving the same time this Jeff fellow started working out at the dojo. These were from a different bank in Tokyo. Again, no notation as to where they were from or why. This time, her father just laughed and noted that they were a repayment of an old debt the person couldn't pay for a long time. Now that he is wealthy, he can afford repayment. Their anonymous nature is because he wishes to remain just so; nameless. Again, they appeared to be exactly what her father said they were, legitimate repayments of a debt. Still, she thought it odd that no one at the bank could (or would) provide her with a name to go with the account. All they would tell her was the account's number; something anyone could have gotten simply by looking at the deposit slip. Together they made up a sizeable chunk of the family's living expenses. she sighed. The family was in the black and the bank agreed. That was all that counted. The next day at school, Jeff missed the commotion out front again. He was quietly reading at his desk, twirling a pencil in his fingers; one minute surrounded by dozens of milling students and the next he was totally alone as everyone had gathered at the windows to watch the front lawn activities. By the time Jeff pushed his way through the crowd at a window, all he saw were a bunch of beat up students in various athletic garb being assisted by their fellow students. He listened to the conversations but couldn't make heads or tails of them. "They were just mowed down," one girl said. "You'd think they'd have learned by now," another replied. "Those guys are going about this the wrong way," offered one fellow. "More coordination, that's the ticket," his companion answered. None of this made any sense to Jeff and he was left further in the dark than before. Between classes, Nabiki actually talked to him like one of the other students. She wasn't getting familiar with him, to be sure, just getting to know more about him personally. Most of her questions were cleverly worded to sound like an interested acquaintance but were actually probes to find out the really important stuff; like how much he was worth. If she was expecting to easily beat Jeff at a battle of wits, she was going to be in for a disappointment. He was easily her match in that arena. Still, the more she talked to him the more interesting he became. She even started thinking about what he would be like on a date. Yuka, the bolder of Nabiki's two cohorts, playfully squeezed Jeff's left bicep. Since the day he moved to Japan, one of the things his embassy Marine friends made him do was lift weights. Five years of lifting had the positive effect Yuka was currently admiring. "Ooooh," she cooed. "Guys, you gotta feel this." She squeezed his arm a few more times. Sayuri quickly joined in on the other arm. They giggled and made faces at each other. For some reason, this irritated Nabiki. "Okay, break it up. Don't you girls have some collections to make?" Yuka and Sayuri scurried away giggling to make their rounds. "I'm sorry about that," Nabiki dead panned. "They're really very nice, once you get to know them." Jeff just shrugged. "And you?" Nabiki looked at Jeff through narrowed eyes. She wasn't sure but it sounded almost like a proposition. She didn't like propositions, especially those with no profit in them. Both stood awkwardly in silence until the bell rang for the next class. Each smiled a little embarrassedly and returned to their desks. Jeff thought sitting down. Nabiki just sat at her desk, resting her chin in her hand, with a far off look on her face. She was still seeing Jeff in the dojo with his shirt off. Noon found Jeff facing the usual problem of where to sit for lunch. The boys shooed him away from their tables and the girls went through their usual giggling act. At the farthest table, a lone figure sat alone hunkered over. He looked familiar. Jeff happily thought as he wound his way through the crowd. "Hey, stranger. Mind if I joined you?" Jeff asked with a smile. The stranger lifted his eyes slowly. "Why not?" and responded by shifting his position slightly. Jeff sat down and began eating quietly. "By the way, I forgot to introduce myself yesterday, my name is Jeff Lawrence." Jeff extended his hand across the table to his new friend. The strangely dressed young man frowned at Jeff's extended hand. "Yeah, I know who you are. I'm Ranma Saotome." "Saotome?" Jeff said shyly withdrawing his hand. "Are you related to Genma Saotome, by any chance?" "He's my old man," came the almost embarrassed response. "I've seen you working out. Take my advice, don't get in any fights." Jeff just gave a little smile and looked down at his tray. "By the way," Ranma said with a curious cock of his head. "What really happened last night?" "Nothing much. Your dad was showing me how little I know about kempo, he had me cold, Sensei Tendo came to the rescue and your father wound up in the koi pond." Jeff said as if it were something that happened every day. Ranma snickered, linked his hands behind his head, leaned back and muttered: "So *that's* what happened. I thought he'd been drinking again." "I hope he's all right," Jeff added with genuine concern in his voice. "Don't worry about him. I've dunked him hundreds of times. He seems to enjoy it," Ranma chuckled. "Odd thing though" Jeff said, picking out the bits of pork from his entre. "The Tendo's certainly have some strange pets." "What makes you say that?" "I thought I saw a large panda climb into the house as I was leaving." Ranma grinned broadly. "He sure is." "Huh?" "Never mind." Jeff offered Ranma some of his lunch, saying that he always took more than he could eat (an American weakness, he suggested). Ranma quickly finished the noodles and chugged the can of soda before Jeff could pick up his chop sticks again. All things considered, it was turning out to be the kind of day Jeff had envisioned when he first enrolled at Furinkan High School. He might go hungry but felt confident he had broken through the 'gaijin' barrier. He almost blew it with the next line of conversation. "By the way, I heard a rumor about you being engaged to some girl." Ranma's face dissolved into a mask of despair. "It's not my fault. My father arranged it. I'm engaged to a... a... uncute, unfeminine, baka tomboy!" "Bummer." "And every morning before school, she fights half the male student body along with that fool Kuno for the honor of a date." "I've only been in Japan for a few years, but is that, like, normal? For an engaged girl, I mean." "It is for her." "And this happens every morning?" "EVERY morning!" "Don't you help her? You're at least her fiance." "Hah! If I try, she goes after me as well. And *I* don't even want to date her!" "Well, since you're engaged, I would think that dating kind of goes with the territory. Maybe she just gets excited." "She's crazy, baka, always looking for ways to hurt me." "Sounds like true love to me." Jeff was being sarcastic but Ranma seemed to miss it completely. "Not you too." Ranma slammed his elbow on the table and plopped a cheek onto his fist. "Well, at least you can get away from her after school." "No way. I gotta live with her family." Jeff thought, trying to imagine being engaged to a girl and living in her house. Such a situation was rife with hormonal possibilities. "I hate it," Ranma moaned as his forehead slammed into the table hard enough to attract the attention of nearby tables. Jeff watched, along with a couple dozen other students, as Ranma repeatedly banged his forehead on the table causing its surface to crack. "Uhhh, big test today," Jeff said with a sheepish grin to those staring at Ranma repeatedly banging his head on the table. Most just gave knowing smiles before returning to their own lunches. "So she beats up dozens of guys every morning, right out front," Jeff said trying to change the subject; if only to save the table. "I told you..," Ranma moaned, interrupting his head banging. *This* I gotta see." "Tomorrow morning. 8:30. Just don't get too close." During his last hour class, a research period, Jeff trotted up to the library for some light reading. He had developed a taste for Japanese manga and was anxious to read the latest edition of 'Lum' he had purchased. Just outside the library, he encountered three upperclass members of the Kendo team; all associates of Tatawaki Kuno. "Scram, baka gaijin!" one growled taking a martial stance. The other two closed ranks and helped block the library entrance. Jeff's irritation gauge immediately red lined. His training had taught him when to fight. It had also taught him when to walk away. He looked each in the eyes and saw their determination. He also saw their fear. They might just carry through with their threat but their fear would limit their effectiveness. In short, they could be beaten - but it would be messy. Once again, Jeff's ability to 'read' his opponents gave him the edge. "Well, well, if it isn't Larry, Curly and Moe. I hate to break this to you but the library doesn't stock coloring books." "Leave now, gaijin!" Jeff remembered another of Master Sato's wise sayings: 'Never spoil a good day by getting the crap beat out of you.' or something like that. His eyes swept the hall and he concluded that conflict in this setting would be unwise. At least a victory here would gain him nothing. Besides, there was always a chance he could lose. With a good cleansing breath, he turned on a heel and quietly walked away. "Wise choice, gaijin." The tree toughs laughed, clearly savoring their 'victory'. Jeff did a quick search for a substitute place to read and soon found himself in front of the PE Equipment Storage Room. he thought while opening the door. He was right, only the far off sounds of normal school activities disturbed the tranquility of his location. Making a lounge type chair with a few tumbling mats, Jeff settled down in a pool of sunlight to some serious reading; even if it was only manga. His peaceful respite was interrupted by the sound of the room's door suddenly opening and slamming shut. Curious, Jeff peered around a pile of mats to see a red haired girl, dripping wet, wearing a familiar looking red and black outfit gasping for breath. "Hello?" "Oh, Jeff-san," the girl responded. "Can I hide in here for a few minutes?" "Uh, sure," Jeff said standing up. "Just who *are* you, anyway?" The girl quickly glanced down at the front of her and back at Jeff. "Oh no," she groaned as her shoulders sagged. "Oh no, what?" Jeff blinked at the girl. "Do I know you?" With a sigh, she quietly said: "I...I guess so... I'm... Ranma Saotome..." Then mumbled: "Sorry about this." There was a very pregnant pause as Jeff looked the dripping girl up and down. Slowly, a grin spread across his face. "Of course, you are." Jeff chuckled with realization, then shouted at the door: "Very funny Saotome. Tossing a girl in on me wearing your clothes. Ha Ha, very well done but I'm not falling for it." "Will you keep it down? Someone might hear you?" she pleaded while waving her arms like a bird trying to take off. "It's really ME Ranma." "Yeah, sure sweetie and I'm Astro Boy." Jeff was starting to lose interest in this game. With a shake of his head, he turned to sit back down. "Okay, I know this looks strange but you gotta believe me." Maybe it was the voice pattern. Maybe it was Jeff's ability to read people. Maybe he was just turned on by a damp babe in a too tight top. Whatever the reason, Jeff paused to consider. "OK... if you're really Ranma Saotome, what did I say I saw climbing into the Tendo house last night?" "My dad," the girl said with a degree of resignation. "HA! Got ya! It wasn't Mr. Saotome, it was a panda." Then yelling at the door again: "Hear that Saotome, you need to prep her better than this!" "That panda *was* my father. He turns into a panda every time he gets doused with cold water. Just like *I* turn into this...*girl* when I get wet." Ranma sighed. He really hated this story. Jeff stood there stunned, taking another visual tour. "I don't get it." "I'll make it simple for you. Pop and I fell into some cursed pool a few months ago while on a training mission in China. Ever since, I have this little... problem whenever I get wet!" Jeff thought for a few minutes, eyeing Ranma critically. Master Sato used to tell him stories about strange, mystical things that happened in the Orient. But Jeff always chalked them up to an old man entertaining an impressionable young boy. Maybe, there *was* something to his stories. Leaning forward, Jeff looked closely at Ranma. "Are those real?" he said poking one of her breasts. If it was really Ranma, he wouldn't mind. If it was some girl, as he suspected, she wasn't going to blow the joke by slapping Jeff silly. "Yes, they're real," she said with a grimace before adding softly: "I wish you wouldn't do that." Jeff leaned back against a vaulting horse and crossed his arms. "And very nice they are, too. Tell me, how'd you shrink six inches? And your voice... Wow, does Hugh Heffner know of this place? Lot of money to be made there. Think of it, just round up a bunch of out of work actors, dunk 'em in this pond and bingo you got Miss May, June and July." "Are you finished?" Ranma asked. "You know, I've been having trouble lining up someone for a date. I don't suppose..." Ranma's low growl and narrowed eyes suggested the obvious. "I guess not. So, are you, like, stuck this way?" Jeff said waving a hand at Ranma's shapely form. "Only until I can get some hot water." "Hot water?" "Yeah, its the only way," Ranma said squeezing the dampness out of her top. "I don't suppose you could...you know. I don't exactly want to go prancing around the campus looking like this. That crazy Kuno is skulking around out there and he's in love with my female form." "Well, well. Maybe he's not so crazy after all." "Hey! I'm still a guy in here. You think I like this?!" "Well.., it would appear to have its advantages." Jeff stroked his chin and looked at the ceiling. "There's always the women's locker room....hmmmmm." "Sheesh! And they called *me* a pervert. Are you going to get the hot water or not?" "Sure thing. Uh...how hot?" "I don't know. Just....hot." "No problem. Be back in a flash." A knock at the door and a female voice interrupted Jeff's exit. "Ranma, are you in there?" "Were you expecting company?" Jeff asked. "OH NO! Not now." Ranma collapsed over a vaulting horse, a disgusted look on his face. "What ever you do, get rid of her." "Get rid of who?" Jeff asked as he peeked out of the window to see a familiar girl standing at the door. "Geeze. You act like she's your fian...ce..." The parts slowly fit themselves together. "Wait a minute. Akane? Akane Tendo?!? She's your fiancee?" It all added up. The strange noises from the Tendo residence on nights Jeff was training; Why Mr. Saotome 'just happened' to be at the dojo; Talk about a 'crazy tomboy'. The spot on Jeff's chest started to hurt again. Ranma just gave Jeff a disgusted look. "If she doesn't already know about this problem of yours, take my advice, stay like that. I don't think even she's up to clobbering girls yet." "Don't bet on it." Jeff opened the door a little way to see a short, dark haired girl holding her hands in front of her. thought Jeff. "Is Ranma in there?" she asked sweetly, trying to look around Jeff. "Well...yes... and... no," Jeff answered casting a look over his shoulder at Ranma. That was all she needed to hear. With a sudden kick, Akane slammed the door into Jeff's forehead hard enough to snap his head back. Sweet Akane Tendo pushed her way into the room. "OK, Ranma. How many times do I have to tell you: Don't walk right next to the building this time of day? Those stupid upperclassmen just dump their cleaning buckets out the window without looking." Rubbing his forehead and closing the door, Jeff sighed: "Oh Ranma. Your sweetheart is here." "I'm NOT his...." She suddenly paused. Slowly she turned. Step by step. Inch by inch. She closed the distance between them. Jeff's life flashed before his eyes. "Uh, Hi Akane. Long time, no see." Jeff tried to sound calm while frantically looking for a quick way out. "YOU!" she accused with a pointed finger her voice a snarl usually reserved for those she despised most. "I know you! You're that pervert that tried to put the moves on me back at the dojo!" "MOVES?!?" Jeff protested, all thought of retreat now lost to his indignation. "You call inviting you out for a soda after practice - moves?" "You creep! I know what you boys want!" she yelled as she approached almost within striking distance. "That's why I HATE BOYS!" "All I wanted was someone to go get a soda with. Who else could I ask? You and I were the only two people in the damn class!!!" Akane's interest in conversation quickly ran out. With a move only a trained martial artist could do, she launched a spin kick at Jeff's chest, just like the last time. Unlike last time, Jeff was ready. He grabbed her foot in mid strike, twisted it until Akane was facing away from him, then flipped her towards Ranma. "Here, Catch." The two collided and fell into a tangled heap on one of the mats. "Get your hands off me, you pervert!" she screamed as Ranma's arms enveloped her. "Get off, you clumsy tomboy!" Ranma shouted back. "A match made in heaven," Jeff muttered. "I'll just nip out and fetch a bucket of hot water while you two work this out." He slipped out of the door, just in front of a tossed dumbbell. He paused outside facing the door, his hand still on the knob. Turning to leave, he ran headlong into more bad news; Tatewaki Kuno, armed and crazy as ever. The sound of a rip-snorting, object-throwing, fur and feather fight coming from the PE Equipment Room provided the background music. "Gaijin! I have crossed the burning sands and climbed the highest peaks following my lovely Akane. I saw her come this way. Is she in there?" Kuno asked loudly pointing to the door just as a heavy object dented it's steel surface from the inside. "Ahhh, yeah. But now's probably not the best time to talk to her. She's a little...upset." Kuno suddenly reached out and grabbed Jeff by the throat. "This is *your* doing, gaijin!" "Actually, no. You see, she and...ah...some other girl are having a little discussion about marriage...and ..well, things," Jeff croaked in a voice sounding like he was on helium. "My lovely goddess, Akane. Threatened by some common tart!" Kuno bellowed, releasing Jeff to grip his bokkan with both hands. "In truth, I think Akane is taking care of herself. In any event, you really don't want to go in there." The sound of Ranma bouncing off the softball bat rack and screaming for Akane to stop lent credence to Jeff's words. "That voice...," Kuno started as his head snapped to look at the storage room door. "Speak, gaijin. Is the other girl red of hair with a pig tail?!? Answer me quickly or by the heavens I'll --" "Yeah, sure. Something like that. Why?" "So my two beauties are dueling for the honor of my company." Kuno was suddenly rational again, smugly so. "Uh...right..." This was getting truly bizarre but an idea quickly took shape. "Look, Kuno old pal, why not give the ladies a little time to work this out. One will come out the winner and then you, Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder, undefeated captain and rising star of the high school fencing world, can be her knight... er, samurai in shining armor and claim her affections." "Forget not, the comforting of the loser," Kuno added with dramatic flourish. "She will need a strong, sympathetic shoulder to cry on. Oh, how sweet is the dew from a young maiden's eyes." Jeff stared incredulously at the school's master swordsman. Kuno sly smile radiated his confidence. "You speak with some wisdom, gaijin. I shall wait for the victor to emerge whereupon I will allow her to claim her prize, namely me, while still getting to comfort the loser. Brilliant!" Kuno's last exclamation was punctuated by Ranma's scream of pain and the sound of something heavy and metal bouncing off one of the concrete walls. "Perhaps she requires assistance..," he began. Jeff put his arm around Kuno's broad shoulders. "You don't really want to go in there right now. Both all flushed and sweaty; don't look their best. It would just embarrass them." The sound of an entire box of equipment scattering across the floor caused even the stalwart Kuno to flinch. "But the comforting..," Kuno started. "Can take place tomorrow," Jeff finished patting Kuno on the shoulder. "I have a radical idea. Let's run it up the old temple wall and see how many monks hum along. When the winner comes out of there, she's gonna be stomping mad; in no mood for claiming. She'll want to look her best for you, tiger." "Blue Thunder." "Whatever. Why don't you go home, rest, get freshened up a bit, maybe get some flowers, see her in the morning. She'll be fresh. You'll be fresh. No more resistance to your... magnificence. OK?" Jeff plucked some lint from Kuno's shoulder. "And the looser?" Kuno asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'll get some bandages, maybe some hot water. A little first aid. I'll tell her of your concern. She'll be fine and ready for your strong shoulder to cry on. Think of me as sort of a neutral go-between." You could almost hear the gears grinding in Kuno's head as his brains kicked in to think it over. A baseball bat flying through the window and landing at his feet convinced him that Jeff's plan was a sound one. "I shall listen to your advice and comfort them both later when they are more... reasonable." "Ah, good...good. I'll just nip over to the dispensary now and gather up some bandages and hot water for the loser. It'll all work out, big fella," Jeff said patting Kuno on the back. Kuno bowed slightly, giving Jeff a look he usually reserved for his servants, and departed towards the school gym just as a whole weight rack came flying out onto the grass. "How, in the world, do I do it?" Jeff mumbled in English. Jeff was about to leave when he heard she sound of someone sarcastically clapping from the doorway of the next building. He eased himself around the corner to come face-to-face with Nabiki Tendo who was still clapping. "Masterful performance, gaijin-san. Tell me, are you really that much of a toady worm or were you just playing the part?" she said lazily. "Well, well, well, Miss Tendo, I presume." "None other," Nabiki said crossing her arms. "Don't tell me you never use deception in your line of work," Jeff said with a sly smile. Nabiki's own smile flickered before returning. "In any case, it was an impressive performance. Not that *I* would ever stoop to such groveling. But with you it seems to work." "Don't sell yourself short." Nabiki's smile slipped long enough for Jeff to notice. He could tell she wasn't pleased with the comparison. "You seem quite good at outwitting the witless." "Well, it helps when the person I'm dealing with has a room temperature IQ. Not to change the subject or anything, but I've been meaning to ask you something and seeing Akane again reminded me." Nabiki's face screwed into a disgusted look. First he refuses to acknowledge her superior intellect and now he appeared to be treading places she found distasteful. Her voice dropped and became business-like. "OK, gaijin. I don't see why you should be any different than the rest. Here's the deal. Ten thousand yen and I'll introduce you to Akane. For twenty thousand, I don't tell Kuno." She looked and sounded like she had made this speech a thousand times before. Perhaps she had. Jeff calmly placed his hands on the wall either side of Nabiki's head and leaned in real close. Nabiki didn't even flinch. Impressive, he thought. She exhibited all the airs of someone completely confident in her own safety. "And how much for an introduction to Nabiki Tendo?" For the first time in Japan, Jeff found himself alone with an attractive girl. So what if it was Nabiki Tendo, the financial vampire of Furinkan High. Date-wise, this was as good a chance as he was going to get. A chance he was not going to throw away by being timid. After all, he had just talked his way out of a confrontation with Kuno. He was on a roll. Besides, if she said 'no', there was always Yuka. Nabiki's eyes grew wide in surprise. The remark must have sounded so sudden and sincere that it momentarily pierced her armor. Perhaps no one had ever been this honest with her before. Perhaps she was just struck by its boldness. Whatever it was, it lasted only a second as she quickly recovered and jumped to her second wrong conclusion. "It won't work, you know. Trying to get to Akane through me," she smugly advised. "I don't want to *get* to Akane. Been there. Done that. Got the bruises to prove it." "Oh, yes, I remember now. You're the American student she kicked into the next prefecture for being too forward. What'd you try, something from a sappy American movie." "Actually, it was something like: 'You want to get a soda after practice? I'll buy.'" "Hmmmm. Little sis never did have enough sense to accept a freebie," Nabiki said shifting her position so that she was leaning more against the wall, her arms crossed. "And just what makes you think a lady such as myself would be interested in a yen-less gaijin, such as you?" She turned her head slightly away while her eyes remained on Jeff. She finished with batting her eyelashes at him in mock Western fashion. It was clear she had done her homework on Jeff. "Perhaps, I simply wish to enjoy your company." "Honey, I don't think you can *afford* my company." "Well, why don't you let me take a whack at it, anyway. I've done some checking around on my own and you're not exactly on the 'A' list for parties. Not to put too fine a point on it, if it weren't for Yuka and Sayuri, you'd spend all your time talking to yourself." Outwardly, she showed no emotion. On the inside, she was seething. How dare this upstart taunt her. True to her negotiating abilities, her voice showed no traces of her emotions. "True. I don't get out as much as I would like. I'm too busy making money. As for Yuka and Sayuri, they're business partners," she said looking off past Jeff. "At least, I have a place to sit at lunch." "How much did you pay for it?" Nabiki's icy stare confirmed Jeff's touche'. A small smile crept across her face. On another woman, Jeff would have been running for his life. On Nabiki, it looked like a challenge and he just couldn't resist a challenge. "But enough of this mental fencing. You're an interesting woman, Miss Tendo." "I find you... interesting as well." They stared at each other through masks of knowing smiles. Jeff broke the silence first. "I'll tell you what, you pick the place. Something you've always wanted to do, within reason. I'll pick you up Saturday at ten and I"ll even throw dinner. Deal?" "It sounds like you're proposing a date, gaijin," She replied sarcastically. "I accept." She looked up at the sky for a moment to make her selection, then paused like a cat about to devour a helpless mouse. She was going to take this gaijin for everything he had. "Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to ride a horse. You may take me riding," she said stroking Jeff's cheek with her index finger. This was as much a test as a date. Horseback riding was more expensive than golf in Japan. Only the very wealthy could afford a horse. A person needed to be well heeled just to rent one. If she was expecting a stunned reaction from Jeff, she must have been disappointed. He had anticipated spending a bundle on his first date anyway. Going riding fit easily into his proposed budget. "Be ready at ten." Jeff took her hand and gently attempted to kiss it. Nabiki quickly withdrew her hand and gave him a look of warning. Jeff just smiled confidently and watched as she slipped under his arm, opened the nearest door and, with a wry smile, disappeared inside. Jeff thought as he envisioned a moonlight ride with Nabiki. Ranma's scream snapped Jeff back to reality. "Damn! The water," he muttered scurrying off to the dispensary. Friday morning dawned clear and warm. Jeff Lawrence made sure he arrived at Furinkan High School extra early to pick out a good spot to watch the morning show. Setting up a low beach chair under a large tree, Jeff settled in for the entertainment portion of his day. Wearing dark glasses and sipping a mug of juice, Jeff balanced a sun reflector under his chin as he reclined in the beach chair. An ominous shadow soon fell over him. "You're blocking my sun, fella. You wanna move?" Jeff said lazily. "So! You deceive me into leaving the duel between my two lovely angels..." Kuno's voice seemed to echo in the school yard. "Lovely Angels? No, Yuri and Kai were *not* in that room. Trust me," Jeff said putting down the reflector and sipping some juice. "I'm referring to my two loves; Akane Tendo and the red haired pig-tailed girl." "Oh, them." "Yes! Them! And *now* I find you here to challenge for Akane's affections. Deny it, gaijin!" He was waving that 'pig-sticker' again - this time in an aggressive, threatening manner. Jeff thought. He lazily looked up at the large would-be samurai and said: "Back home, we have a saying: 'If the horse throws you, get back on. If the horse throws you then kicks you, get another horse.'" Kuno seemed to be struggling with Jeff's homey proverb. Maybe it was the lousy way it translated into Japanese. Maybe it was just a little to 'low brow' for his delicate taste. In any case, it was like watching a 10 year old try to figure out quantum physics. "SO?!?" Kuno finally roared out of frustration. "So, I have all the bruises I require from Miss Akane Tendo and have no further interest in her. Besides, I prefer older, more intellectual women like... oh, say Nabiki Tendo." "Nabiki?" Kuno snorted. "Nabiki Tendo?!" This time he roared with laughter. "Well, yes." "That female ledger book? That temple money changer?! That Yakuza reject?!? That..." He never finished because the object of this discussion crowned him with a large book. Kuno blinked, got a far away look in his eyes, and droned: "I'll deal with you in a moment, gaijin. I seem to have... developed a...slight...head ache." With eyes rolled back into his head, Mr. Blue Thunder hit the ground with a resounding 'thud'. "Never knew when to shut up," Nabiki lamented sarcastically. "Nice shot. What'd you use?" Jeff asked taking another sip of his drink. Nabiki held up an oversized hard back edition of 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare'. "Quite appropriate, my dear. And so skillfully applied, too." "Well, a girl has her reputation to protect," Nabiki responded, flicking a few stray strands of hair from in front of her face. "Join me?" Jeff indicated a grassy spot next to his seat. Nabiki hesitated. "A gentleman would offer his chair." "Two thousand yen, please," Jeff answered with his hand out. Nabiki's friends gasped. Nabiki only gave a wry smile. she thought. She too liked challenges and this character was certainly a challenge, in more ways than one. With a sigh of resignation, Nabiki neatly tucked her school uniform skirt under her as she sat down next to Jeff on the soft grass. He casually handed her a small bottle of juice from his cooler. "How much?" she inquired before reaching for it. "On the house. I don't want you to think I only see you as a source of extra income." Nabiki accepted the juice but gave Jeff 'the look' meaning that she felt a challenge to her lofty position of champion extortionist. Movement over by the main gate caught her attention. "Looks like we just made it." "Yup. The circus is in town and the parade of clowns is about to start." The Akane whirlwind arrived in its usual fashion: Ranma perched on top of the wall next to the gate holding Akane's book bag; love sick jocks streaming in from all directions; and Akane Tendo chopping the whole bunch into cole slaw. As luck would have it, the last suitor fell not 10 feet from Jeff and Nabiki. Akane, gasping for breath, eyed the two suspiciously when they broke into applause. "Bravo! Masterful performance!" Jeff cheered. "Morning, sis" chirped Nabiki between sips of her juice and applauding. Akane, her distaste at being considered light entertainment clearly written all over her face, was about to reply when she noticed the prostrate form next to her sister. "What's with Kuno?" Akane finally asked. "Yeah, he doesn't look too ready to fight Akane this morning" quipped Ranma as he arrived at Akane's side. "Had a little run-in with Shakespeare," Jeff said removing his shades. "Something about being quoted out of context, I believe." "You know, Jeff-baby. He's going to be late for class if he doesn't wake up soon," Nabiki said sweetly, dabbing her mouth with a fresh napkin. "Quite right, my dear. You four fellows there" Jeff pointed to a small group of males in the gathering crowd. "Haul Mr. Blue Thunder here up to his class and place him at his desk. I seriously doubt the teachers will notice any difference." All loose ends being neatly tied up, Jeff stood, brushed off his sleeves, and offered his arm to Nabiki. "I believe we should be getting along ourselves, Miss Tendo." "Delighted, Mr. Lawrence," Nabiki answered slipping her arm around Jeff's and leading him towards the school. Akane, Ranma and the rest of the gathered student body watched wide eyed as Jeff and Nabiki lead the four students struggling with Kuno's limp body towards the school building. "Well, what do you make of all that?" Akane finally asked. Ranma wasn't listening. He missed much of his breakfast trying to get to school on time. "I wonder if there's any juice left," Ranma thought out loud, looking through Jeff's things. "I should have known better than ask you. Always thinking of your stomach. You're so immature." "And you're an uncute tomboy." That did it. Round two commenced and it was shorter than a Mike Tyson fight. Officially, it was a TKO for Akane resulting in Ranma upside down in Jeff's beach chair covered with orange juice. Saturday at ten found Jeff outside the Tendo compound. His father arranged for an embassy car and driver to take him and his date wherever they wanted to go. Jeff's father seemed pleased that his son was finally getting involved with girls. His mother, however, remained skeptical - especially after hearing all about the girl in question. She didn't seem like the kind of girl a mother would approve of. Jeff approached the door to the Tendo house and announced his arrival. An older looking girl with a pony tail over her right shoulder greeted him. "You must be Jeffrey. I'm Kasumi, Nabiki's sister. My, you look handsome in your riding outfit. Come in, come in. Everyone is in the main room waiting for you." Jeff bowed politely and thought: Kasumi Tendo watched passively as he struggled with his riding boots then directed Jeff into the main room where a rather large panda and Soun Tendo greeted him from the table and motioned for him to enter. Mr Tendo was reading his newspaper while the panda chewed on some bamboo shoots. With cautious curiosity, he approached the panda. "Is that really you, Mr. Saotome?" Jeff said leaning close and looking carefully into the panda's eyes. The panda responded by holding up a small sign saying: [Need breathmint.] Jeff thought. Smiling, he asked: "If you get sick, do they call a doctor or a vet?" The panda just growled and took a swipe at Jeff's head. "Now, now, my friend. Lawrence-san has a point," Mr. Tendo said calmly from behind his paper. The panda eyed first Jeff then the back of Mr. Tendo's newspaper before holding up a sign saying he was going to take a bath. No sooner had Genma-panda left, then Nabiki appeared, dressed in her new English riding outfit. It was spectacular. A white poet-necked shirt topped by a beige vest only a shade darker than her light beige riding pants. She carried her calf-length mahogany brown riding boots like a game show hostess. A brown riding derby and a cute little riding crop completed the ensemble. She paused in the door way, posing like something out of an ad. She was careful to show off how well the outfit accented her nice figure. "Something wrong with your legs?" Ranma snorted as he squeezed past her into the room. "She's posing for Jeff, you dolt," Akane replied, following him. "Don't you know anything?" Nabiki just held her pose, closed her eyes and prayed the two children weren't going to do what they did every morning. "Well, I know she looks goofy standing like that." Ranma was embellishing his challenge. "You're such a jerk, Ranma! She happens to be showing off her expensive new riding outfit like a model!" "Yeah? Well, I still say it looks goofy." "Ooooooooh!!" Akane somehow produced a large mallet and began waving it like a samurai sword. Ranma, skipping the part where he tries to figure out how she produced such a weapon out of thin air, bolted for the open door and ran for his life with Akane right on his heels taking repeated swipes at his head with the mallet. "Come back here!" Akane yelled as the two sprinted across the compound. "Quite the lovebirds, aren't they?" Nabiki dead panned. She had given up the posing and was leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed. "This goes on all the time?" Jeff asked watching Ranma dodge several blows as he headed for the dojo. "All the time. Every day. Morning, noon, and night. Honestly, I don't know how we keep up with the repairs." Mr. Tendo just mumbled something about minor lovers' quarrels from behind his paper. Jeff recovered enough to say something nice about Nabiki's attire. For her part, she downplayed her overall looks while making sure he understood she spent a bundle on looking nice for him. "I arranged for two horses to be available at the Imperial Riding Club. We have them all afternoon," Jeff said looking at his watch. "Sounds expensive." Nabiki watched for a reaction. Always probing, she had been frustrated through official channels in her search for Jeff's true worth. All she had left now was trickery. Clearly, she would have to do better. Jeff just smiled. "Actually, a friend at the embassy arranged this through your prime minister's office." she thought. "Shall we?" Jeff indicated the way out. Nabiki bid her father goodbye and happily led Jeff to the door. She was impressed with the 'chauffeur' driven car. "It's provided by the embassy," Jeff corrected. "We hire these guys to drive embassy personnel around. It avoids the problem of having to get a local license." Still, to Nabiki, it seemed like a limousine as she happily watched the neighborhood pass through car's tinted glass. she thought to herself with her sardonic smile in place. To Jeff, however, the whole affair was starting out with less of a bang than he had hoped for. Nabiki sat on one end of the seat while Jeff sulked slightly in the other. You could have parked a bus between them. Still, she was going out with him alone; that was something. At the riding club, Jeff was relieved to see English tack on the horses. He had failed to consider, until arriving at the club, that Japan might use some strange saddle arrangement that would have left him looking foolish trying to figure out. To him, it was very important to look like a man in control. He sensed that Nabiki Tendo would only respect him if she thought he was masterful enough to control his environment. Grateful that his parents had given him riding lessons back in England, Jeff easily swung into the saddle. However, it quickly became obvious that Nabiki wasn't kidding when she said she never been on a horse before; it took three tries to get her in the saddle and from the start, the horse was clearly in control. The handler, who was helping her mount, gave her a few simple instructions and they were off. The trail led across a field and into some woods. At first, Nabiki looked like she was about to fall off at any second - her little riding bowler bouncing up and down as the horse's gait caused the poor girl's body to slam back into the saddle with each stride. But, by the time they reached the woods, she had gotten in the rhythm and seemed to be enjoying herself; with only an occasional frantic grab at the poor animal's mane for balance. The couple didn't talk much, which probably was for the best as Nabiki needed all her concentration skills to keep her mount under control and herself in the saddle. They had ridden for a little over 30 minutes when she hailed Jeff and said that the insides of her knees were hurting. "Should've worn panty-hose," Jeff quipped as he pulled alongside. "Wear what!?!" She responded incredulously. "American 'Star Trek' joke." "Star what!?!" "Don't you ever watch TV?" "Only the financial news." "Oh. Well, how about walking a little while? It'll be easer on your legs," Jeff suggested dismounting. He worked his way around the animals to help her off her horse. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, he thought. He instructed her to swing her opposite leg over the horse and slide off - he'd catch her. With a look of mixed skepticism and warning about getting 'too familiar', Nabiki tried. Outside kicking the horse in the head and almost twisting her other foot off because she failed to pull it from the stirrup in time, Nabiki practically fell off her horse into Jeff's arms. For just a moment, they were uncomfortably close; his hands on her slim waist, her hands on his shoulders. He could smell her perfume, feel her tight waist, and see the strange look on her face as he lowered her lithe body till her feet were safely on the ground. He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn she was waiting for him to do... something. Toe-to-toe they paused looking into each other's eyes. After an awkward interval, Jeff cleared his throat and urged her to take the reins of her horse for the walk. Almost shyly, Nabiki complied. Both seemed to sigh in relief. As the two slowly walked, side by side, Jeff cursed himself for not being a little more 'romantic'. He was uncomfortably aware the she had more experience at this dating business than he. he thought. For Nabiki's part, she was working the equation from the other end. As a result, neither talked much, just small bits about the weather, school, classes, and the like. One of those boring conversations guaranteed to kill an ordinary date. This, however, was proving to be anything but an ordinary date. Thankfully, the woods finally opened up to reveal a clearing with a small lake in the middle. Jeff suggested they stop and rest awhile before heading back. As he tied up the horses, Nabiki wandered down by the lake and sat beneath a large tree. Casting curious glances his way, her conscience issued warnings. She shifted her position to create just the right 'look' of cool confidence for Jeff's benefit. She paused her analysis to indulge in a little female fantasy - something she felt she had a right to. Thinking about Jeffrey stirred something in her. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree. She could envision his strong arms around her, holding her body tightly against his. Slowly, her mind caressed his features, his arms, his chest, his waist, his... "Napping?" Jeff's question announced his arrival. Nabiki snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice. He had a way of being innocently charming at times. It's just he had lousy timing. She cautiously glanced his way and smiled her content little smile. Jeff, apparently oblivious to it all, stretched out on his side in the soft grass. "It's been a long time since I've ridden. I forgot how the knee joint gets rubbed raw," he said feeling a little sore himself. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you." "That's alright," she said rubbing where it hurt. "I'm having fun anyway." They sat together, only three feet and a culture apart, for a while, neither willing to break the mood. "Jeff...," Nabiki started while looking at the lake. "Tell me about yourself." Once again, she was probing. "Not much to tell. Born in London, England. I'm an only child. My father is a professor of international relations serving as an assistant to the ambassador. We moved to Japan five years ago. I went to embassy schools until this year when I convinced my parents to let me go to a Japanese high school." "Haven't you ever lived in America?" she asked. "Not really. I spent a couple of summers there living with relatives; once in Kansas and another time in Michigan. I really didn't enjoy it very much." "Why?" "They were practically strangers. It was like being sent away to camp or boarding school... or worse." Jeff paused as a particularly unpleasant memory of one summer with farming relatives slithered through his mind. "It wasn't home and they didn't seem like family." "Were they farmers?" "Some were." "Farming offers a return on investment of less than one half of one percent before deductions," she recited. "Not a profitable occupation." She had finally found something to talk about that she knew completely, business affairs. She went on to quote business analysis reports on farming in Japan, even to the point of noting the Ministry of Agriculture document numbers. Jeff felt challenged by that and responded: "Actually, if proper farm subsidies are utilized to their fullest, the return is much higher. Before taxes, I mean." he thought as he watched some ducks land on the little lake. Nabiki looked critically at Jeff while he was watching the ducks. she thought. Slowly, her eyes drew down his reclining form. What she saw started her juices flowing again. It was a feeling she had rarely felt before. She wasn't sure just how much she was going to like this new feeling. True, he was easily the best built guy she had ever been out with or even considered going out with. Inside, she was scowling darkly. She was falling victim to a physical attraction and she didn't like that kind of loss of control. For almost a minute, Nabiki was quiet. For the first time she could remember, she was at a loss as to what she should do next. That was a bad sign. She'd made mistakes in the past when confronted with just such a condition. She struggled with her usual control. This time, her control lost. Without warning and with an exasperated tone, she turned to Jeff and asked: "Isn't anyone in your family well off?" Jeff kept looking at the lake as he thought with some amusement: After an awkward pause, Jeff quietly had a question for her: "Is it all that important to you?" "Yes!" Nabiki responded, looking Jeff in the eyes, a little peeved that it had come to something so 'ham handed'. She might have also been upset that her values had been called into question. "Well... maybe," she added as she thought of the other things in life. "I don't know..." She turned her face away to avoid the embarrassment of her indecision. she thought with disgust. When she entered this glen, she knew she was in control. Now... she could feel it slipping away. "I see," Jeff said quietly, looking down at the grass. "Then it would make all the difference in the world if I was rich." "Yes," was her tiny response, her face still looking away. She didn't even want to look at him while admitting such a thing. "Why? I'd still be the same person." "You wouldn't understand, gaijin Jeff. You don't understand us. You never can." She whipped around and looked at him again, serious and stern. She had little left to debate with - the shear will of her personality and the hope that 'Gaijin Jeff' wouldn't know a Japanese dodge when he heard it. Jeff had encountered the Japanese closed society before and knew enough not to challenge it now. Still, he got the feeling that this was more than a cultural thing. I sounded almost like a cheap dodge of a direct question. Perhaps he pricked a nerve with his questioning of her values. In any case, he figured this was a good conversation topic to avoid. In the mean time, a frustrated Nabiki shifted her position, pulling her knees up, hugging her legs and resting her chin on her knees. She looked like she was drifting in another world. For several minutes they said nothing as the sounds of nature surrounded them. "This place reminds me of the park where mother used to take us for picnics," she finally said. "It seems like so long ago." She hesitated, a grim look capturing her face. "Father had a lot students back then and was always teaching in the dojo, especially on weekends. So mother would take us on outings. I always liked the picnics best. Akane and I would run and play while Kasumi was helping mother with food." She was rocking slightly now, her eyes staring a thousand miles away. More memories came flooding back, some good, some not so good. "We had more money then. Kasumi always dressed so nice. Now...." She paused while a particularly bad memory washed by. "Akane was always trying to catch the ducks or getting in fights with the other kids. I usually wound up leading her back to mother bruised, dirty or both." She chuckled painfully. "Akane always did have a temper." She hid her face in her arms for a moment, perhaps to wipe a tear, perhaps just to clear a bad memory. Jeff knew her mother had died when she was younger, but was unprepared to face Nabiki's reality just yet. "When mother died..." She paused, her face taking on a grimmer look. "When mother died, everything changed. Kasumi took over the household; cooking, cleaning, shopping. Little Akane moved into the dojo and spent all her time working out. I..." She swallowed hard before continuing. "I tried to help too by keeping the books and looking for ways to make more money. With the dojo shut down, we had to depend on investments made back when business was better. It's been barely enough to make ends meet." Jeff thought. Jeff examined Nabiki closely. She had an attractive figure, a beautiful face, and a sharp wit; everything he hoped for. He was mentally tracing her figure, maybe even undressing her a little, when she startled him with a kind of question the inscrutable Japanese are famous for. "What's your mother like?" Jeff thought of his mother and answered honestly. "Loving, caring, supportive... a good diplomat's wife." Nabiki shifted her position to address Jeff more directly. "Ever wish you had brothers or sisters?" This one caught him off guard. He had rarely thought about siblings. Being an only child, Jeff was typically ambiguous. "I guess so, sometimes. Rumor has it my parents only got married because of me." "You mean...?" she shot Jeff a look of pity. "Yup. Shotgun wedding time. They never let me think I caused either one to have less of a life than they wanted but sometimes..." Jeff took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sometimes I wonder if I ever really made them happy." "You should never think that!" Nabiki scolded. "Every child is a gift. Your parents, I'm sure, are very happy they have you." "I suppose. I just wish they had more time..." He ripped up some grass and tossed it away from him. This was more than Jeff had ever admitted to anyone and it caused him some embarrassment. He didn't like baring his soul to someone he'd just met. They sat in silence for a few more minutes. The sound of the woods surrounding them. she thought. She felt more and more out of control. It was a feeling she definitely didn't like. "Jeff..," came Nabiki's tiny voice. "Do you...do you think I'm cute." she thought, her mouth was uncharacteristically working on its own. So what if it *was* a question that had haunted her for years? Akane was cute. Kasumi was cute. Her mother was... She swallowed hard and terminated the comparison. Deep down, she envied her sisters. They always dressed like girls, even if Akane didn't always act like one. Nabiki, on the other hand, avoided dressing too feminine, hoping to be taken more seriously than her sisters. It worked, but came with a price - she was no longer treated as a girl and *that* scared her a bit. Alone in this wooded glen, she desperately *wanted* to be a girl - she wanted to feel, if only for a little while, what is was like to spend a spring afternoon with a handsome guy. For his part, Jeff was stunned by this question. Up to now, he thought he knew where the conversation was going; how wealthy he or his family was. Now, Nabiki Tendo, the girl most likely to wind up running Sony or Toyota some day, was worried about whether or not a gaijin thinks she's cute? Jeff stared at her for a few moments. Like all males when faced with similar situations, Jeff frantically scrambled for sense to the conversation. In the end, he guessed at the right answer. "Hai, kawaii, Nabiki. Kawaii." Nabiki dropped to one elbow next to Jeff and looked him in the eyes. "Really?" came her soft voice. She was really out of control now. Her hormones just finished beating up her reserve. What was left had definitely slipped its leash. "Really. Since the first day I saw you. Kawaii, very kawaii." She finished rolling onto her elbows, her body perpendicular to Jeff's. With a finger, she traced his jaw line, much like she did the first time they met. Her mind raced with images she had invented while reading romantic manga - images that continued to haunt her dreams when she slept. She felt flushed, scared, confused, but determined to see where all this would lead. "Jeff-san, have you ever kissed a girl?" she asked casually. She'd never been so alone with a guy before. She never felt so... turned on by her proximity to a guy. Still, the question caused Jeff to think back to England and a birthday party at the French Embassy. He remembered a cute 9 year old daughter of a Dutch diplomat. He smiled painfully, as he remembered her soft lips and his clumsy attempt to kiss her. It was a disaster better left buried and forgotten. Still, his male pride wouldn't let him admit to his inexperience. "Yes, once or twice. You?" She continued tracing designs on Jeff's face, but she was no longer looking at him. Her gaze was, once again, fixed on something far away. "No... not really. In Japan, kissing is so... sexual." "Sexual?" Jeff asked softly. He'd never considered it in such a way. To him, it was always so innocent, an end in itself. Nabiki turned her head to look at him. Their faces were only inches apart as they studied each other carefully. "Hai, Jeff-san," she whispered. It seemed like hours passed like that, neither wanted to make the first move. It must have been a silent will between them. Maybe there's something to the talk about magnetism between two people, because Nabiki slowly drifted closer, lips parted, until they touched his lightly. The kiss that resulted was like butterfly wings, barely there; a moist breeze. She withdrew, looked him deeply in the eyes and repeated. They paused for a moment; both scared of where this was going but each secretly desiring to find out. It's hard to say just who moved first. One moment they were frozen, staring intently at each other and the next they slid together in an embrace, kissing passionately; she holding his head with her hands and he with his arms around her slim body. They did nothing else but kiss, over and over again. He ran his hands lightly over her back, feeling the tautness of her muscles through her riding shirt and vest. Their chests pressed together, each could feel the other's heart beating... fast. For the next hour, the two lay in a light embrace, saying nothing but speaking volumes. Each resisted the urge to go further, instead reveling in the comfortable feeling to being held. It was getting dark by the time the two riders made their way back to the riding club. The handler welcomed them and asked if they had a pleasant ride. They just smiled shyly. Dinner at the club was a simple affair, not that either knew the difference. They spent most of the evening acting like two embarrassed friends on an outing; only a smile or raised eyebrow revealing their deeper emotions. What conversation that did take place sounded more like two high school kids practicing their English, innocent yet daring. The ride home was cozier than the one out, both sitting on the same side of the seat, Jeff with his arm casually around her shoulders, Nabiki leaning lightly against him. Neither broke the spell with conversation. Each was lost in their own thoughts. The driver, sensing what was going on, smiled knowingly to himself and took the long way home. Outside the Tendo residence, the couple embraced once again. Jeff traced a line from her cheek down across her jaw line with his fingertips. "I'll call you," he promised. "Hai, Jeff-chan" She glanced nervously at the house then kissed Jeff lightly once more before she slipped through the gate and disappeared into the compound. Jeff watched until he saw her silhouette entering the house. Reluctantly, he turned and stepped back into the car. He didn't remember much about the ride home or entering his darkened house; no one was there to greet him. It was times like this, Jeff wished he had someone to share his experiences with. Instead, he had just a cold shower and bed. Nabiki didn't have the same quiet arrival at home as Jeff. Waiting up for her, seated at the top of the stairs, were Akane and Kasumi. "Well?" Akane asked. "Well, what?" Nabiki answered, a little peeved at the reception committee. "Come on, Nab-chan. Tell us all about it," Kasumi said with a little smile that was part mischievous and part motherly. "Nothing to it," Nabiki said pushing past her sisters, trying to make a break for her room. "Nothing, she says," chimed Akane. "I guess those grass stains on her elbows came from falling off the horse." "Poor dear," Kasumi said sympathetically. "It must have hurt to fall so far on your elbows." Shocked, Nabiki quickly checked the elbows of her new shirt. Sure enough, they were stained light green from the grass at the lake. "Ok, we kissed. Satisfied?" Nabiki clearly wanted to escape her inquisitors. "Nothing else." "Couldn't do it standing up?" Akane chided leaning against the wall, her hands behind her head, trying to look nonchalant. She had never had a real date herself. Ranma wasn't the dating kind and Kuno made sure no one else had the chance. Living vicariously through Nabiki's dates were the only experiences she had. Nabiki froze staring at the door to her room. She wanted to run inside and latch the door. She had been out on lots of dates before, came home extra late on a few. Her sisters never waited up for her like this. Why did all this bother her so? Silence surrounded the three. Off in the distance, you could hear Ranma working out in the dojo with his father. Soun Tendo was probably there too. For now, the house belonged to the women. "Really, it was...nothing." Nabiki's voice wavered slightly, her mind a whirl of emotions. She turned slowly to her older sister and started to say something but failed. In frustration, she flung open the door and stumbled into her room. Kasumi and Akane glanced at each other, shocked. Something was most certainly wrong. Nabiki was always the strong one who flippantly butterflied from boy to boy, without emotional attachments. Seeing their middle sister this way was... unnatural. They quickly followed their sister into her room. Nabiki crawled onto her bed clutching her pillow, her back, fittingly, against the wall. She wore a look of irritated concern on her face. Kasumi sat at the foot of the bed while Akane straddled the chair at her sister's study desk. Kasumi quietly asked: "Nab-chan, what happened." "If that creep did anything to you, I'll..," Akane flared looking over her shoulder out the window. "NO! It's... it's not like that. It's just..." Nabiki hugged her pillow tighter now. "Jeff's... different, that's all." There, it was finally out. This was the closest she had ever admitted to being attracted to anyone. Her list of temporary boyfriends was long and littered with their financial corpses. Her reputation as a pecuniary vampire had spread such that few ventured close enough any more to consider serious dating. What nights out she could arrange was usually the result of some fool thinking he could buy he say into her heart. It never worked. Love was an unprofitable emotion better left to rich fools like Kuno or idealistic dreamers such as her sister Kasumi. Up to now, Nabiki never considered herself susceptible to such an emotion. Kasumi gently reached out and brushed the hair out of Nabiki's face. Kasumi had become the family's defacto mother substitute. Her quiet wisdom and patience often helped her younger sisters come to grips with the trials of growing up. To the casual observer she was lost in another world much of the time. But that was simply her contentment with the life she led. Underneath, she was the best combination of mother, older sister and friend. "Kasumi..," Nabiki started like a little girl. "I can't explain it...I..." Her young body shuddered as an emotion washed over her. "Are you in love with him?" Akane asked wide eyed. "I mean, really in love." "I... I don't know," Nabiki sighed in resignation. At least she was being honest. "Nabiki, dear. It was only one date. How could you be in love with someone after only one date?" Kasumi asked as she took her sister's hand. "I'm not sure. I don't know." Nabiki shuddered again. "Something in me *wants* to but... I can't be... I *can't* be in love with him. He's poor. He probably had to borrow enough money to take me out tonight. I WON'T MARRY A POOR MAN. I won't turn out like mother." Her sisters looked at each other in shock. Poor? Marry? Like mother? What was she talking about? "What about mother?" Kasumi asked, a frown crossing her pretty face. She, probably more than any of the other girls, carefully protected the memory of their mother. To Kasumi, mother was the whole universe. "Mother wasn't happy. She couldn't have been happy... or fulfilled," Nabiki protested. "Cooking and cleaning. Keeping the family books. Having to bear children then raise them. When was she going to fulfill her dreams? I heard that before we were born, mom was going to go to college. She could have been successful in some business. She gave all that up for *children*, cooking, and cleaning. How could she have possibly been happy?!?" "Oh, Nabiki," Kasumi sighed. "You never really knew her. Mother was the happiest woman I've ever met. What she had here made her very happy." "But what about a career, her dreams?" "Are you so sure that we were not part of her dreams? Nabiki, honey, you have to follow what is important to you, but to mother, it was a home and a family that made her happy. It would seem that you don't really know *what* you want." That stung Nabiki. She had been much younger when mother died and didn't really get to know her like Kasumi, who was always doing things with her. Nabiki had been too wrapped up with her friends and things outside the home to think much about her mother. What contact she did have was often contentious. She had never considered that having daughters could be part of a woman's dreams. By the time Akane and Kasumi left, Nabiki was deep in thought about what to do now. She had much to think about. Jeff, too, had much to ponder. But his was more defensive. He thought sadly. Jeff was laying wide awake on top of his covers. Visions of Nabiki; trying to ride, sitting under the tree, kissing (especially, kissing), kept a constant parade in his mind. Jeff's confusion blended with his imagination to create scenario after scenario, each a little better than the last. It was a mental version of the old 'she loves me, she loves me not' game. Too bad sleep overtook him before the last petals of the flower were plucked. By morning, Nabiki was her old self; sly and calculating. "You alright?" Akane asked over breakfast. "Never better," Chirped Nabiki as she dug into her food. "What about Jeff?" "Him? Oh, I guess I'll still go out with him but I could never love someone poor. Pass the juice, please." "But what about last night?" Nabiki froze for a moment. The question was exactly what she didn't want to face this morning. "It meant nothing. It won't happen again." Akane looked at her sister carefully before turning to her own breakfast. She could tell her sister still hurt. Asking more questions would only hurt her more. There was nothing left for her to do but wait around to pick up the pieces when Nabiki crashed. Besides, she had her own problems with that jerk, Ranma. "Oh, Oneechan, could you please try to get those grass stains out of my shirt? I might want to use it again," Nabiki asked sweetly, as she always did when she wanted something from others. "Of course, Nabiki. Another ride with Jeff?" Nabiki eyed her older sister coolly. "I said: 'no'. We are only friends." She viciously bit into a biscuit. Jeff came to school Monday, excited to see Nabiki again. His phone calls to her Sunday went unanswered and unreturned. Kasumi was quite polite about it but Nabiki was never home or in the bath or something else. Jeff's naivete screened out much of reality and left him with only his hopes. he pondered in class. Occasionally, he would look her way but they never made eye contact. She made no effort to talk to him. Between classes and during lunch, she would respond to him in a friendly but distant manner, like an unfamiliar fellow classmate. It was if Saturday never happened. Confused and hurt, Jeff retreated to reconsider. Nabiki was as infected with confusion as Jeff. Despite her best efforts, a little voice in her head kept insisting that she really loved him. Her conscious mind rejected such a notion out of hand. And so, the battle raged. On one hand, he was everything she had hoped for emotionally in a man; patient, attentive and loving. On the other, he was as poor as a gaijin could be. she thought. When Jeff called her a few days later, Nabiki acted like she was almost anxious to talk to him. "Jeff-chan" she cooed. "I loved our little ride so much I will allow you to take me somewhere else." "Oh?" Jeff almost sounded sarcastic. And why not? The horseback riding date cost him three month's allowance. His savings account starting digging foxholes at the sound of Nabiki's voice. "I haven't been to the mountain spas in years," she said in her little girl voice. "Mountain spas?" Jeff's savings account stopped with the foxhole and went right to building a bomb shelter. This sounded expensive. "Japan is full of outdoor mineral hot springs. It's the 'In' place to go." Nabiki sounded genuinely excited. Jeff thought back to England and the mineral spas around Bath. All he could remember was the large number of elderly who frequented such places. Surely, she wasn't suggesting spending a weekend surrounded by the senior citizen set. "Isn't that for old people?" "Silly. Everyone goes there. It's lots of fun. There's all kinds of games and activities..." "Sounds expensive." "Does this mean you don't want to go?" she pouted. Nabiki knew just where to probe to get Jeff's goat. One fake sniff, and he was putty. "Of course, we'll go. How about next weekend?" "Oh, you'll love it. It's so warm and healthy. And it has a wonderful view of Mount Fuji." She was sounding like a travel agent. Jeff's mind had teamed up with his hormones to create a vision of a naked Nabiki snuggled up next to a naked Jeff gazing at... He swallowed hard. I find it hard to believe he would approve of my seeing *that* much of his daughter.> "Actually, Nabiki, I'm not sure this is all that good of an idea." Jeff knew he was sounding like someone with cold feet. It couldn't be helped. The thought of what might happen if word got back to the parents made his blood run cold. "I'm not convinced we should be seeing all 'that much' of each other." "Oh now you're being ridiculous." Nabiki baited her trap. "At the spas no one notices such things. Just get in and soak. Honestly, you gaijins have some of the weirdest hangups." Jeff apologized for his apprehension and the plans were quickly finalized. The two would catch a train to Hakone and stay (in separate rooms, of course) a night at an inn before returning the next day. Most of each day would be spent soaking in the rich mineral water of the natural hot springs or partaking of the inn's activities. Jeff hung up the phone. He now had two problems: how to get enough money together for the trip and how to gracefully get into a hot spring buck naked, in front of his would-be girl friend, with at least a few shreds of his dignity left. For the first problem, he would, reluctantly, raid his savings account again. This would put a sizeable dent in his cash reserves but if it's for Nabiki, well... he would make that sacrifice. As for the dignity problem, he quickly thought through possible sources of help. The cultural attache wouldn't be much help, she's a woman and would probably laugh at the idea of a 17 year old prude. His mental search finally reached Satouro-san, the morning cook. Mr. Satouro was a chunky, 30 year old, Japanese equivalent to a short order cook who worked the morning shift in the embassy kitchen. Not only was he an expert on Western-style cooking, but he was also a dandy darts player. He and Jeff would have some exciting games of darts down in the kitchen between meals. He was jolly, honest, and, most of all, discreet. You could talk to him about anything with complete confidence that it would go no further. The only annoying part of him was he fancied himself a great master of the English language and refused to use Japanese around Jeff. "Ahhh. Jeff-san. Come in. Come in," Mr Satouro crowed as Jeff entered the kitchen. "You come play darts?" "Not today, old friend. I need your help with a point of protocol." "Oh, too bad. Not my job. I cook. You need protocol lady," he said rubbing the back of his head. "No, Satouro-san. This is *personal* protocol," Jeff corrected, sitting down on a stool. "Ahhhh. I understand," the cook bobbed. "You having problem with girl. Satouro help. Big with women." He laughed then said something to the kitchen help who joined him in laughter. "My girlfriend wants me to go with her to Hakone." "Ah. Very nice place. Hakone." "Yes, well, at the mineral baths. I...ah...I'm not sure how to get in...you know," Jeff said a frustrated wave of his arms. "No problem. Take off robe and get in." "In front of her?" "Why not? She do same." Jeff's look of apprehension tipped Satouro to Jeff's problem. "Ahhh. Satouro see. Jeff-san shy," he said with a grin, poking Jeff in the arm. The help roared with laughter. "I guess so. Just how do you do it?" "No problem. Take tenugui, little towel, drop robe, hold tenugui in front," he said demonstrating with a dish towel. "Get in water. No problem." "Just like that?" "Like that." He demonstrated again. "Won't people stare?" "No, Jeff-san." He waved his hand at Jeff. "Only look because you Westerner. Not look at your...." He gestured at Jeff's groin area. The kitchen staff shared Satouro-san's laughter. Jeff just nodded and smiled. He knew they weren't laughing at him. It must have sounded like a funny situation to guys who grew up going to public baths. In Japan, Western modesty was still amusing. "Satouro have even better idea," the cook said shushing the rest of the kitchen staff. "Get in water first. That way, she be naked in front of *you*." The whole kitchen broke up at his suggestion. "You mean, like, get to the pool while she is still changing?" "Hai." Sounded reasonable. Timing would be the problem but it was worth a shot. Jeff thanked Satouro-san and waved goodby to the rest of the staff. They were still cutting up and laughing at each other as Jeff wandered back to his room. It was going to be a long week. To Jeff's surprise, the week passed rather quickly. Nabiki was less talkative and more inscrutable [oh, that word] than usual. By Saturday morning, Jeff had psyched himself up to going through with this 'mixed nude bathing' business. However, his arrival at the train station quickly delivered a crushing blow to his resolve. "Ohayo, Jeff-san," Nabiki called from across the station. "We're all ready to go." Jeff hesitated when he noticed that Nabiki was accompanied by three attractive young ladies. Two he knew from school, Yuka and Sayuri. The third was her older sister, Kasumi. "Nabiki, I though this trip was for you and me alone. I can't afford all these people," Jeff whispered while pulling Nabiki aside. "Don't worry, Jeff-chan. They are paying their own way." She flashed her mischievous grin and gently stroked his chin with her index finger. Jeff thought as they rejoined the other girls. "Besides, I don't think daddy would have let me go alone," Nabiki whispered to him. The train trip out was noisy and fun for the four girls. For Jeff, it was an hour of boredom. All the girl-talk left him with plenty of time to look out of the window and ponder his weekend. With the other girls around, Jeff was certain to get no quiet time with Nabiki. he thought sadly. Jeff barely remembered the lunch Kasumi had packed or the latest school gossip shared by the girls. He was dreaming of a hot spring and a warm Nabiki. They checked in at the inn after noon and made arrangements to meet at the pool in an hour. Up in his room, Jeff decided to follow Satouro-san's advice and beat the girls to the spring. he mused with a grimace as he got undressed. Jeff was robed and out the door in less than ten minutes. As he wandered down to the mineral spring, he noticed the great amounts of steam rising from the water, mixing a few feet above the surface in the cooler air before disappearing above the many trees. Much of the water's surface was obscured by the steam. This is going to be easier than he thought. Many of the bathers were older with a few honeymooners and families mixed in. It wasn't overly busy, more than enough space around the edge so that Jeff could soak in some privacy. He caught sight of a young couple slipping out of the water. Much to his relief, they were as nude as he was under his robe. At least, he couldn't claim to be underdressed for the occasion. "Ohayo," the young husband said cheerfully as they passed. Jeff returned the greeting as nonchalantly but pleasantly as possible. At the water's edge, Jeff looked around until he felt sure no one was looking or could see before dropping his robe on the side of the pool and slipping in. The heat of the water struck him immediately and drove from him all concerns of his current lack of attire. He felt like a lobster being boiled alive. his brain screamed. Employing his ninjutsu training, he quickly regained control of his senses and began damage control. It wasn't as hard as the time Master Sato had him stand under a freezing waterfall for two hours in sub freezing temperatures,... but it could have come in second. Slowly, he became acclimated to the hot water and settled back onto a conveniently placed underwater rock to soak, his little hand towel draped over his head. It wasn't bad at all, once you get used to the temperature, he thought. The sounds of Nabiki and the other girls approaching caught Jeff's attention. Slowly, he turned his head to see the four coming down the stairs wearing the same type of inn supplied robes that Jeff had used. "How's the water?" Nabiki asked as the girls got to the edge of the pool. Thankful for the mineral induced murkiness of the water combined with the rising steam that concealed him from the mid-chest down, Jeff responded calmly that it was hot enough to boil eggs. "Perfect," Nabiki replied as she turned to her friends. he thought, trying not to look like the hormone driven teen that he currently was. Kasumi led the parade into the pool by dropping her robe to reveal... her pleasantly styled conservative one-piece swim suit. The other girls followed, each wearing their own stylish beachwear. Jeff's jaw hit the water with a noticeable splat. Only four words formed in his head as he sank lower into the water. Nabiki and her two friends giggled and whispered together for awhile before disappearing into the mists, still gossiping and giggling. For some reason, Kasumi assumed it fell to her to 'entertain' Jeff while in the pool. She balanced on an underwater rock not far from Jeff and led a lengthy round of small talk. Not that she wasn't a stimulating conversationalist. Much to Jeff's surprise, in many ways, she displayed greater mental agility than her younger sister, as they freely and easily touched on subject after subject. One subject came up so abruptly that it almost knocked Jeff off his rock. "You know, Jeff-san. Nabiki really likes you," Kasumi sighed as she looked directly at the dazed Jeff. "If she likes me, why does she treat me like something to keep at arm's length?" Jeff recovered quickly but slid immediately into irritation. Nabiki's affections for Jeff appeared, to him, to be less than serious. Kasumi smiled slightly before continuing. "In Japan, girls wait for the boys to show their interest before responding." Her own love life with Dr. Tofu added a tinge of sadness to her voice. "Sometimes, the boy is too good to be true. Sometimes, he's not everything the girl hoped for. Sometimes she's just shy. In any case, be patient with Nabiki. She is fighting her heart right now." "It's the money thing, isn't it?" Jeff cut to the heart of the problem. "You know about that?" Kasumi looked a little embarrassed at having to explain her sister's actions. "Well, that is her struggle. She wants to be rich. I don't really understand it or why she is so driven..." She paused as if considering some possible answer. "So she likes me but I'm not rich enough for her." Jeff's summation was short, brutal and boorishly American. "Give her time, Jeff-san," Kasumi said softly with a smile. "Give her time." Jeff wasn't fully convinced, but nodded and changed the subject. Before either of them knew it, the afternoon had passed and it was time for dinner. Kasumi insisted Jeff leave first. She would wait for the other girls and they would join him for dinner. Jeff hesitated, gulped, and checked the distance between himself and his robe. It looked a mile away. To complicate matters, a light wind had sprung up and their entire half of the pool was now free of the concealing mist. Nothing left to do but get out and try to act natural about it. "Jeff-chan," came Nabiki's call as the three girls came back. "Good. You're still here." Then, turning to Yuka: "Looks like I win. I told you he wouldn't get out with my sister there." Kasumi's face wore a confused expression as she looked first at the three girls and then at Jeff. "Go ahead, Jeff," Sayuri chided. "Are you Japanese enough?" "What are you girls talking about?" Kasumi said, clearly confused. "I still say he won't get out until after dark." Nabiki was savoring her brilliance. She was clearly on the verge of winning some kind of bet with the other girls. "I know Americans." So that's it, Jeff thought. She hauled him all the way out here to be a wagering object. He locked eyes with Nabiki, his mien clearly expressing his dislike for the situation she put him in. Nabiki's grin shrunk slightly. he thought darkly. With no fanfare, Jeff stood up, skillfully concealing himself with the little tenugui towel as he stepped out of the pool. Kasumi, for her part, looked away but wore an expression of a bottle that just cracked; her eyes fixed on the water near the rocks, a little smile creasing her face. She hadn't been in a mineral spring pool with a naked man since she was 5 years old. In spite of the traditional Japanese nonchalance towards opposite gender nudity in bathing, the sight of a naked Jeff exiting the pool right in front of her had caused a slight 'tilt' in her expression. Nabiki and her friends didn't help. They giggled and called out encouragement at the sight of Jeff's bare white bottom exiting the pool. Jeff quickly threw on his robe and hesitated. If it was a show they were after, he'd give it to them. Turning quickly, his yukata still untied, he bowed politely to the ladies. The girls and Jeff looked at each other, but their eyes never met. "Oh my," Kasumi gasped. Jeff tied his yukata shut, turned on his heel and started back to the inn; leaving Kasumi, wide eyed and hand in front of mouth and the other three girls giggling like, well..., school girls. An hour later, the girls met for dinner. The conversation was lively and pleasant but without mention of the day's 'show'. Only Kasumi seemed concerned with Jeff's absence. She kept scanning the dinner crowd and checking the door for Jeff's arrival. She was getting a bad feeling about this. Near the end of their meal, Kasumi excused herself and sought out a hostess to ask if Jeff had eaten yet. "Hai, Lawrence-san ate very quickly and left just before you arrived," the hostess said with a big smile. "After dinner, he took bottle of sake and left." "Sake?" Kasumi asked, unsure if she like the sound of that or not. "Hai," the hostess replied before adding: "Is there a problem, miss?" "I hope not," Kasumi answered, dark visions swirling through her head. "Thank you." Kasumi was exceptionally quiet when she returned for the rest of dinner. Jeff's absence combined with his acquisition of the sake didn't sound good. She worried that Jeff had been driven to drink to resolve his embarrassment... possibly worse. This was not good at all. After dinner, the girls scampered off to check out what amusements the inn provided. Kasumi, enjoying the serenity of not having to do the dishes or clean anything for one night, wandered out to the balcony, a soft drink in hand. She was still wondering what she could do about the missing Jeff and how much to get involved, when she noticed a familiar looking form sitting in the nearest pool. A more careful examination confirmed; it was the missing Jeff. "Kasumi," Nabiki called as she walked onto the balcony. "Have you seen Jeff? I want to find out why he wasn't at dinner. That was pretty inconsiderate of him to make us dine alone." Kasumi just pointed out the lone figure in the pool. "You know, Nabiki, I can't say I'm surprised. What you girls did to him wasn't very nice." Kasumi began her older sister routine. "I think you hurt him." Nabiki shook her head. "Oh, Oneechan, he's a big boy --" "Who happens to love you," Kasumi finished forcefully. Stunned, Nabiki slowly looked first at her older sister then at Jeff in the pool. She knew Jeff liked her. She even had some feelings for him. But the fact her older sister knew more about Jeff's feelings than she did cut her right to the bone. "How do you know that?" Nabiki asked softly. "By what he said when he talked about you and the way he said it." Kasumi crossed her arms like a chastising mother. "He's pretty vulnerable right now. It wouldn't take much to push him away forever." "Why should I care?" Nabiki shrugged, again trying to gain the upper hand in the discussion. "He's poor. Remember?" "Sister, I hate to think that I spent an entire evening in your room trying to calm down a girl who didn't have some strong feelings for a certain young man. At the very least, I think you owe him an apology." Kasumi looked her younger sister in the eye. Nabiki started to say something but was derailed by her older sister. "You owe him," Kasumi said with a firm look. In Japan, the worst thing you can do is owe someone and make no effort at repayment. "Okay, Oneechan, I'll... apologize to him," Nabiki sighed looking at the deck. She couldn't understand why it had all come to this? It was only a prank. Yuka and Sayuri went along with the plan because it sounded like fun and was another chance to engage in a little light gambling. They never really meant to hurt Jeff. Quietly, Nabiki made her way back to her room. Removing her clothes, she picked up another bathing suit and paused before throwing it back on the bed. she thought as she pulled on her yukata. With a sigh, she walked slowly down to the pool. She couldn't help but notice the empty saki container laying on its side behind him. Jeff never moved, yet he knew she was there. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he said softly as she came up behind him. "See how the shadow of the mountain over there slowly marches up the side of Mount Fuji." Jeff indicated unsteadily with his hand the masking of the shadow. "Magnificent." His hand splashed weakly back into the steaming water. He didn't seem to notice the water's heat. Nabiki paused for a few moments considering his words and absorbing the scene. She wondered how much of the sake was talking. "I'm... sorry for earlier..," she said softly while shooting nervous glances left and right. She was used to others apologizing to her and had little experience at doing such herself. It was harder than it looked. "That's okay, Nabiki. It was a good joke... really," he replied but sounded sad doing it. Drunk or not, Jeff sounded like a beaten little boy. There was an awkward pause. Nabiki shuffled her feet slightly. For once, she was at a loss for what to say or do. "Twelve years," he said with a heavy sigh. "What?" "I've been trying to fit in for twelve years. Growing up in foreign countries and knowing only kids from the legation community. You don't make many friends that way." Nabiki wanted to stop him, to tell him she was sorry again. Clearly, what she and her friends did hurt him deeper than she thought. "When I failed to make friends my own age, I resorted to trying to please the adults. Whatever it took, I did; jokes, stories, languages, even acting silly if necessary. I became a 'trick pony', performing on cue in hopes they would like me. It was really embarrassing." He paused and squirmed uncomfortably at the memory. "Only Master Sato treated me like someone of worth. He respected me for who I was - not trying to make me something I'm not. I hated leaving him back in England. He was like a grandfather to me." Jeff shifted position to rest an elbow on a large rock. "Japan isn't much better. No one my age I want to be friends with. All I had was the Marine Guards and whomever I could round up from the Japanese staff." Jeff looked back over his shoulder at Nabiki. "Then I met you." Nabiki started to say something but gave up when her usual nimble mind failed to fit her emotions into words. In English or Japanese she was speechless. Jeff sighed and looked back at the water. "Do you know that before last weekend, I had never been on a date before?" "You're kidding," Nabiki said incredulously. "You were so relaxed, like you'd done this a hundred times." "Thank you, but everything I know about dates come from old movies and stories I overheard the Marines tell. Anyway, I really wanted to impress you." Jeff's eyes fell and he took a deep breath before proceeding. "You know, I really do like you. Maybe I even love you." He practically mumbled the last. He'd never admitted something so personal to anyone before. "I know you don't have the same feelings for me. It doesn't really matter. I'll... settle for your friendship, if that's all I can get." Nabiki didn't know what to say. She was sure the sake was talking now. Still, sake or not, no guy had ever said to her those words. The more she thought about Jeff and the more she looked at him, the more the feelings she had for him the first date flooded back. She understood a lot of what he said. She too was a bit of an outsider. Most boys wouldn't even approach her unless they wanted a loan or were willing to pay for her temporary company. No one had ever expressed their love for her, as a person, and no one had ever exposed themselves to this much ridicule for her. Nabiki suddenly felt rotten. "Can I join you?" she asked timidly. "Sure, it's a big lake... pond... spa, whatever. I think this rock is big enough for two," he said scooting over slightly. Jeff never looked at Nabiki but he heard her robe fall to the ground, saw the ripples of the pool when she entered and felt her arm bump his as she slid onto the hot rock with him. He closed his eyes and smiled to himself as he smelled her perfume and felt her presence. His dream was coming true; even if she really didn't love him. Being alone with her was all he ever wanted. Deep down, he wanted to cry right then. Sharing a rock in a steaming hot spa with a girl who really didn't love him seemed like the fitting end to his experiment in Japanese courtship. "I tried to be Japanese today. As usual, all I did was provide entertainment. I guess you were right when you said I could never understand," he lamented reminding her of what she had said on the first date. "I'm sorry, Nabiki. I guess I should have known better." Nabiki quietly slipped her arm through his and snuggled close. As their bodies came together, Jeff noticed something was different. Something soft and warm was pressing against his right bicep. Her head rolled slowly over to rest on his shoulder. He wasn't sure but he could have sworn what he was feeling was her bare left breast rubbing his arm lightly as she pulled herself against him. Slowly, he tried to look at her out of the corner of his eyes but her head was in the way and his eyes weren't focusing very well at the moment anyway. He couldn't lean forward to see if he was right without being obvious or falling face first into the water. In the end, he simply rested his cheek lightly on her hair and enjoyed the feeling. By then the shadow of the mountain had covered all but the snowy peak of Mount Fuji, creating a moon like affect. The stars began to twinkle lightly above. Back on the balcony, Kasumi had finished her soft drink and watched as the two sat silently soaking in the pool. "Kawaii," she whispered before leaving them to their privacy. On her way inside, she intercepted Nabiki's two friends and guided them into the game room to prevent their interrupting the couple. Kasumi thought as she herded the two girls. Just before total darkness, Jeff asked if Nabiki wanted to for a walk. She happily agreed and Jeff quietly stood up. Like Jeff's earlier in the day, Nabiki's jaw seemed to hit the water. He was wearing a beige swim suit. She watched as he climbed out and donned his yukata. "You coming?" he asked innocently. With a sudden flush of Western modesty, Nabiki shrunk deeper in the murky water. "Toss me my robe," she pleaded. "No way. It'll get all wet," Jeff said with a small smile. "I'll tell you what, I'll hold it for you." Jeff picked up her yukata and held it open. It suddenly became apparent to the tipsy Jeff Lawrence that he was faced with turned tables here. Nabiki was balking at an exit because, like Jeff earlier, she was totally naked in the water. "Turn you head," she said her eyes narrowed. The water was up to her chin now. "Why? You didn't turn your head this afternoon. Besides, I thought only gaijin had such weird hangups." She was caught and knew it. Without a word, but with a mixed look of warning and fear, she stood up abruptly. Without even the help of a tenugui towel, she made vain efforts to cover herself as she stepped from the pool and into the waiting yukata. "Kawaii," Jeff said as he hugged her, wrapping the warm garment around her body. "Now we're even." "I should hate you for that," she replied snuggling back against his warm body. she thought. A cool autumn breeze caused her to shiver slightly. She snuggled closer. For a few minutes they stood like that, enjoying for a second time in their lives the comfortable warmth of each other, until interrupted by another young couple coming down for a soak. Jeff helped Nabiki tie up her yukata and held her hand as they slowly walked up to the inn. The walk could wait until both were suitably dressed. From that day on, Nabiki and Jeff went out again and again; to school sporting events and movies. Nabiki made it sound like a matter of convenience. Who else would take her out, Kuno? Sure he had money, but the thought of being physically close to him was enough to make her skin crawl. Jeff was... comfortable, and as always, the perfect escort; considerate, attentive, and, most importantly, always able to pay the bill. For the first time in three years, Nabiki began to feel like she belonged at Furinkan. At least, now when the other girls talked about boys, she could actually relate to what they were talking about. In some cases, she could even top them - not that she'd ever try, of course. Some things are simply too personal to share with mere classmates. Jeff was also very indulgent. One warm November weekend, with the assistance of his Marine friends, he helped Nabiki fulfill another dream of hers; shooting a gun. At an American military target range, the Marine Range Safety Officer handed Nabiki a loaded Beretta 9mm. With a serious look, the RSO gave her a few words of caution and encouragement, none of which she understood as he insisted on using English. Finally, on her own, she assumed a position she saw Nene Romanova use in one of her manga and pulled the trigger. Unprepared, the recoil from her first round knocked her back a couple of steps. Her astonishment quickly faded as her stubbornness took over. With a lethal look, she resumed her position, braced herself and started squeezing off round after round. By the third round, the Marines were scrambling for cover. Shots were going everywhere. Jeff, however, stood calmly, his arms crossed and his chin resting on his palm, his eyes moving just enough to follow where each round struck. At the end of nine rounds, Nabiki paused. There were bullet holes in just about everything but the target she was supposed to be shooting at. Obviously, the RSO was not pleased. He bounded to his feet and began a verbal assault on the girl that would have been right at home in a Marine boot camp. Unfortunately, he was still speaking English and Nabiki still wasn't getting a word of it. Everyone else did, and the snickering began. That only made the RSO angrier. Nabiki, wondering just what was so funny, turned to say something to the Marine who was yelling at her. Unfortunately, she was still holding the pistol. The Marine's eyes grew wide and he jumped back, yelling for Nabiki to watch where she was pointing the weapon. Nabiki looked at Jeff and asked: "What's he so upset about?" "I think he wants you to put the gun down," Jeff replied nonchalantly. Nabiki just looked at the Beretta, giggled and started to set it back on the pistol stand. Would have made it too, except she accidentally squeezed the trigger. There was one round left. The bullet passed between the RSO's legs (about a half an inch below his crotch), ricochet off the blacktop, off a metal trash can, and through the windshield of the embassy car they had come in. As his window exploded, the driver bailed out, screaming in Japanese. For several minutes, bedlam prevailed. Jeff calmly walked up to Nabiki, took the pistol out of her still shaking hand and handed it to the RSO (who had just seen his life pass before his eyes and it wasn't pretty. Especially the last part about being shot in the crotch by a 17 year old Japanese high school girl.) The range was none the worse for wear, all the targets were undamaged, except for one down on the end. One of Jeff's Marine friends retrieved it for her. It was a perfect bulls-eye. She was delighted and couldn't wait to show it to her sisters. As they walked past the damaged embassy car, two of the Marines were inspecting the damage. The Japanese driver had taken a walk to calm down (rumor has it, he made it all the way to Yokohama). One of the Marines turned to Jeff, folded his arms and said: "I want to be there when you explain *this* to your father." "No problem, I'll just blame it on a ricochet," Jeff said with a shrug. "After all, it'll be the truth." The sounds of half a dozen Marines laughing accompanied the pair as they walked to the nearest humvee and got in. For the record, the RSO finished his tour in Japan but seemed to have developed a strange reaction to Japanese high school girls (something similar to Ranma and cats). As for Nabiki, all the way home she kept sniffing the cordite smell on her hand and getting an odd look on her face. It took three days for that look to finally go away. It was the last time he ever took her shooting. After several months, even Nabiki began to wonder if she misjudged him. Perhaps, he (or his family) had more money than they showed. She tried again to track down his net worth through her usual channels, even resorting to bribing a former classmate of Kasumi's working at a major financial institution and ran smack into the same ambiguities as before. Perhaps there was something there and, then again, perhaps not. To her friends at school, she was the same old Nabiki. Inside, however, she was riding an emotional roller coaster; her emotions urged her to openly return Jeff's love but her common sense insisted that it could never work due to his lack of wealth. she would think. For Jeff's part, he was running up some pretty hefty IOU's to keep financing his affair with Nabiki. His mother reminded him that he was supposed to be playing poor to see if a girl would marry a poor Jeff. Spending all this money was defeating the purpose. Jeff dismissed such talk, insisting that Nabiki really liked him just for his self. His mother just sadly shook her head and let the matter drop. Her main concern was for her son. From all appearances, this 'Nabiki' girl was systematically draining her son financially dry. About the only positive aspect of all this was that when she was through with him and his meager savings, he would be wiser to the ways of women and more careful with the fortune that awaited him. By New Years, it was obvious to everyone except Nabiki that the two of them were heavily involved. When she wanted to go out, Jeff was there. He was warm, cuddly and not afraid to show his love for her. Even Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome noticed; they kept congratulating themselves on such a successful match. Jeff was always willing to play along with whatever Nabiki wanted to do. He would suffer the worst indignities to be with her. Many times she would do something as if to test his resolve; not returning his phone calls or going away to a friends house for the weekend unannounced. Each time, Jeff patiently waited her return; usually following up with small gifts or a special date. Of the two of them, Jeff was the only one truly confident in the relationship. A month before graduation, Jeff invited Nabiki to a fancy embassy ball to honor the Japanese Prime Minister. For Nabiki, this was an opportunity too good to pass up. Making important contacts in the government was paramount in good Japanese business relations. There was no better contact than the prime minister himself. To her way of thinking, if nothing else, knowing Jeffrey got her *this* much. So, their association wasn't a total loss. Jeff arrived early to pick up Nabiki. Dressed in his tuxedo, he looked every inch the gentleman. "I trust you will have my daughter home at a decent hour. I've heard about how late these affairs last," her father asked pouring himself some more tea. Jeff was about to respond, when Ranma, or at least the female Ranma, came in dripping wet. "Stupid old man," she mumbled. "Tossing me in the pond like that." "It's your own fault, boy," Mr. Saotome said as he followed his son into the room. "I've told you a thousand times, training is a 24 hour a day job." "Yeah, but not while I'm on the can!" "A good martial artist is prepared for attack anywhere." With a disgusted look and a low growl, Ranma-chan spun quickly and kicked his father across the lawn and into the koi pond. A loud splash accompanied Mr. Saotome's landing. Strangely, Mr. Tendo didn't seem to notice the activity. He just kept sipping his tea. "Take that, old man," Ranma-chan chimed as she began to remove her dripping wet shirt. "Ranma, you pervert, don't you know anything about feminine modesty?" Akane yelled as she entered the room. She grabbed a large towel from the kitchen, and threw it at her gender switched fianc‚. "Oh, like you'd know about anything feminine," Ranma-chan shot back. Akane was about to respond in her usual 'delicate' manner when Kasumi entered the room and announced that Nabiki was coming down. Jeff just sighed and thought: Jeff was used to Nabiki's fashion sense, but was unprepared for the sophisticated beauty that appeared in the doorway that night. Her entry seemed to take all the air out of the room. Wearing a long strapless evening gown of midnight blue velvet that seemed to glitter in the bright light of the room, Nabiki Tendo looked like a woman ready for a night to meet royalty. The mid-calf length skirt was cut modestly to just above the knee on one side to show the shapeliness of her long, nylon encased legs. Above that, the material hugged her form until it reached her breasts, where it abruptly ended, leaving a truly modest amount of cleavage exposed. A black velvet choker and a beautiful silver necklace with an impressive looking amber amulet attached that nestled seductively between the swells of her breasts proudly announced her heritage to the world. Silver bracelets from her late mother's collection and formal black gloves lent her a regal air. "Oh Nab-chan, you're beautiful," Kasumi sighed as she poured a kettle of warm water over Ranma's head. Deep down, she was envious of her younger sister - getting all dressed up and going to a fancy ball. Kasumi sighed again. Mr. Tendo gave her the once over, nodded and declared her to be 'kawaii' before returning to his tea. Jeff just stood and stared, his mouth hanging open. He had seen Nabiki dressed up several times before, but nothing like this. She was more beautiful than even his dreams and for once, he was at a loss for words. With a small smile, Nabiki slowly crossed the room, placed her fingers of her right hand under Jeff's chin and gently closed his mouth. "And what about you, Jeff-chan?" she purred stroking his cheek. "Oh... wow." Nabiki smiled. "That was what I was hoping for." Jeff slowly shook his head. "I fear this party will be a great disappointment to the prime minister as he will be completely ignored," he said softly. "All eyes will be on you this evening." Akane gave Ranma, now switched back to his male form, a jab in the ribs. "What?!?" he said with a startled look. "Say something nice," she hissed back at him. Ranma cleared his throat. "You... ah... look better than usual tonight." Akane slapped herself in the forehead. "Why thank you, Ranma," Nabiki cooed. Jeff closed his eyes and everyone else held their breath, waiting for the flame. "How sweet of you to notice." All were relieved at the mildness of her answer. However, Jeff got the feeling that Ranma had not heard the last of this issue. "There, nyeaaaa," Ranma said to Akane sticking his tongue out at her. Bad move. Akane bopped him on top of his head hard enough to cause a painful bite on his tongue. The two glared at each other. Nabiki had Kasumi take a few photographs of the couple with her camera. "No profit in these pictures," Jeff whispered to Nabiki. She smiled slyly. "A girl can have a scrap book, can't she." "I'll bet your's is worth a fortune." "Be nice and I *might* let you look at it." "I'll check my bank account and get back to you." A few more photographs and the couple were ready to leave. Kasumi waved, Mr. Tendo cried, and Akane repeatedly slammed Ranma's head into the table. Just another night at the Tendo's. Jeff and Nabiki arrived at the embassy early. Nabiki immediately took off like a kid in a Toys-R-Us. Everywhere she turned, she was faced with another of the powerful and influential. It was all Jeff could do to keep her from becoming a nuisance. The party was in full swing when Jeff offered to introduce her to the prime minister. That was what she had been waiting for, she practically sprinted over to the Japanese politician, dragging a bemused Jeff behind her. Then it happened. Nabiki was used to wheeling and dealing with the folks in her neighborhood. The highest ranking person she had ever dealt with was that rich idiot Kuno. Sure, she had done some deals with the bank to keep the family's home out of hoc. One bank officer had even said that she could charm the siding off his bank. But she was suddenly aware of where she was. This was the big time; the very inner sanctum of the high and mighty. Every word, every inflection, every move was vitally important. A misstep here could damage her business goals permanently. This was a job interview, college entrance exam, and a major international negotiation all rolled into one. Nabiki was frantically grasping for the proper words in her head. She started to panic. She needed a plan. Her brain, however, had a plan all it's own; it ran home an hid under the bed. As Jeff was addressing the prime minister, Nabiki became aware she was about to go into a battle of wits unarmed. "Prime Minister Takahashi, may I present my good friend; Tendo Nabiki. She is from Nerima," Jeff said with a formal bow. Nervously, Nabiki tried to bow and curtsy at the same time. It came out like a person who was either going to fall on her face or lunge at the prime minister. For his part, Takahashi proved the master politician. Bowing politely to Nabiki, he responded: "It is a great honor to meet a resident of such a distinguished Tokyo district. What do you do there?" "I... I... school... my sisters... father dojo," Nabiki squeaked. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car and talked like a defective computer. Jeff did a double take between the prime minister and Nabiki that quickly turned into a triple take. Jeff's Japanese was a bit off at times but even *he* noticed there was something seriously wrong with her answer. He quickly attempted to clarify her words. "Her father runs the Tendo School of Martial Arts, your excellency. She is a student at Furinkan Senior High School, soon to be a graduate." Nabiki still stood rooted to the spot, smiling like a billboard. At least, she didn't faint. "Ah," the prime minister responded. "A charming graduate of our public school system. I trust you will be attending college?" Nabiki looked like she was trying to say something but nothing came out of her mouth. Once again, Jeff rode to the rescue. "Her college plans are not yet complete, your excellency. She is yet to receive her final test scores." The prime minister chuckled and said: "I understand. I too took my time in deciding on a college. You will not regret your caution. It has been very nice meeting the both of you." He bowed again and returned to his earlier conversation. Jeff took the still grinning Nabiki by the shoulders and guided her back through the crowd. "Well, that's enough excitement for you tonight, young lady. Let's check out the punch bowl to see if it's deep enough to drown in." As the couple passed Jeff's mother she stopped him and asked: "Is your young lady friend alright? She looks awfully pale." "I'm sure she's going to be fine, mother. However, when she snaps out of this I think it wise to hide all the sharp objects for awhile. We're going outside for some air." "That's nice, dear." Jeff steered Nabiki out onto the back patio, snatching a very large glass of champagne from a waiter along the way. Outside, he sat her down on one of the benches and turned to face her. "What was *that* all about?" He asked. Nabiki just blinked. And tried to speak again. "Here, drink this," he said shoving the glass in front of her face. Nabiki had lived a rather sheltered life when it came to most vices. Drinking was definitely *not* on her resume. In spite of that, she took the large glass and downed the entire contents in one gulp. You could almost hear the internal detonation as the alcohol viciously grabbed her conscious self and slapped it around. "You okay?" Jeff asked as he slid onto the bench next to her, easing the empty glass from her fingers. For a moment all he could see was her lower lip trembling. Suddenly, she started sobbing and buried her face in her hands. "Once in a life time," she sobbed in a very tiny voice. "I will never have another chance to get that close to a member of the Diet. Never!" Jeff just wrapped a comforting arm around her and sighed. "I can't believe I froze! Jeff-chan, I couldn't say a thing!" she moaned. "I can never face someone in authority again. I've failed!" Her body shook as she announced her failure. "I'm just a fat fish in a puddle." "I think that's: - a big fish in a small pond," Jeff corrected while examining the size of the glass she just drained. "Besides, they're just people like you and me." "You don't understand!" she sat up straight, grabbed another glass of champagne and looked Jeff in the eyes. "This was my country's prime minister, the man I came to meet tonight. I couldn't even say 'hello'." "Yeah, well... talking to prominent people takes some getting used to. You just have to think of them as regular people that dress nice." "Oh, that's easy for you," she said finishing off the glass of champagne and snatching another from a passing waiter. "You do this all the time." "Not really," Jeff said looking for a place to set Nabiki's original 'empty'. "My father was always afraid I would screw up somehow and affect relations, or something. So he never allowed me to meet anyone important." Nabiki finished her third glass with a flourish, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Ahhh, you better go easy on that stuff. It can have a rather nasty kick." "Never let you meet anyone important?" Nabiki was clearly one conversation behind. Jeff was beginning to worry about bringing a drunken Nabiki home to a peeved father. "My father once introduced me to a famous British general because I had expressed some interest in military things or something," Jeff began looking around for a clear area to place two more empty glasses. "What happened?" Nabiki asked wiping her eyes. She was beginning to have troubles focusing. "We shook hands and when I went to say something, I belched loudly." Nabiki stared at Jeff incredulously before stifling a small drunken laugh, covering her mouth with one of her hands. "Actually, the general wasn't insulted. He claimed while shaking my hand that it was the most eloquent greeting he had ever received; one worthy of an old soldier." Jeff grinned. "My father acted like I had just singlehandedly killed NATO or something." "No!" Nabiki giggled. It was good to see her smile again; even if it was alcohol induced. "The general even invited me out for an ale." Jeff chuckled. "Of course, my mother insisted we wait until I was of drinking age, the spoil sport." The two laughed together, the earlier indiscretion forgotten. "You know," Nabiki said standing. Big mistake. It took several seconds for her blood to catch up. Only Jeff's arm on hers kept her from flopping over on her backside. Still, she *was* a determined woman. "You're right. They are just like me...us. I'm going to march right [burp] pardon...in there and talk to the prime minister." She started towards the ballroom. "Do you really think that's wise, right now?" Jeff asked as he caught up with her. In her rapidly deteriorating intoxicated state, she could easily say or do something she would regret tomorrow. Jeff, worried about Nabiki making a fool of herself in her current condition, quickly moved in front of her and held up his hands to stop her. "I mean, your first impression was such a memorable one. Why spoil it?" "Ah, Jeff-chan," she said waiving a finger in Jeff's face. "Still with the 'wind song'." "I really think...," Jeff said taking hold of her arm as she tried to walk past him. "NO! Jeff-chan," she protested shaking Jeff's hand off her arm and flashing her famous 'look of warning'. "I'm going to speak with my country's leading... leader." She made a face and started, once again, for the ballroom. She might have made it, too. Except she misjudged where the door was, tripped over a potted plant, slammed into the door facing, spun around and landed in Jeff's arms before she could collapse onto the patio. Stunned she held her forehead for a few moments, looked questioningly at Jeff while trying to make everything return to at least double. "Well, *that* went well. Perhaps you should wait for another day to address the Diet," Jeff suggested. Nabiki nodded groggily as Jeff helped her back to the bench. She couldn't have been too far gone. She made an abortive attempt to grab another glass of champagne from a passing waiter. "Jeff, Jeff, Poor Jeff," she lamented, then started to giggle when she realized the irony of what she had said. "You know, it's really... a pity...that I cannot marry you. Cause you're such a nice guy and my sister Kasu... Kasummm... Kasumani... something, thinks I'm in love with you." "Well, Kasumi is a very wise woman." Jeff was beginning to worry more about being caught with a drunken Nabiki than returning her home. "It's a pity you'll always be too... poor to marry me," she pouted then smiled a crooked little smile. Jeff almost dropped her when she said that. "What are you talking about, Nabiki-kins," he said sweetly but with an edge to his voice. "I... cannot... marry... a... poor... man," she said, poking Jeff's chest with each word. "And *you*, my sweet, caring, but utterly broke, gaijin-chan, are a poor man." "Ah, well. Money isn't everything," Jeff answered, a bit embarrassed at the whole situation. "Yes it is, silly," she said trying to curl up in his lap. "My father, the *great* dojo master, thinks that baka Ramnma-na... is going to *save* the family's business." She waved her arm under Jeff's nose for emphasis. "And you know what? He and my poor, sweet, but totally without a clue sister, are going to leave my dear father without even a place to live." "I...I don't really think...," Jeff strained to say, trying to move her elbow which she had planted in a tender spot. "Oh, but it *will* unless I marry a rich man," she said stretching. "And you're just not rich enough... and you never will be. I know, I've checked you out. You are, how do you Americans say: don't have a piss to pot in." She added a tender flick of Jeff's chin for emphasis. She was actually aiming for his nose. "I'm sure you understand, Jeff-chan." "No, not really." "You know the worst part, Jeff-chan?" she said grabbing his head to keep it from moving. "I really think I *am* in love with you." "Perhaps we should get you somewhere you can have a little lie down," Jeff suggested, scooping her up in his arms. "I think the library has a couch." She still had some spunk left as she cleanly snatched a whole champagne bottle off a passing waiter's tray. Jeff got her into the library without being seen and set her gently on a large leather couch. He had only a small struggle getting the champagne bottle away from her and was about to go get her an ice bag for her head when she called to him. "Jeff-chan, am I still kawaii?" she said in a baby doll voice. "In an Ernest and Julio way, yes," he answered. "But I think you're really gonna need that ice bag in a few moments." She pouted and looked at him through squinty eyes. "You kissed me," she said in an accusing voice. "Not tonight, I didn't." Jeff was defensive and confused at the same time. "You know what that leads to...And you can't have it." "It?" A glimmer of anger forced its way through her alcohol fogged brain. "All you want in... is to get in my... tiny, pink... panties." She was industriously tucking her skirt in around her legs, sealing her nether regions from attack. "Well, mine is only for my rich rusband...husband." "Lucky guy," Jeff said quietly bemused before turning to leave. "Stay put, and I'll return soon with your ice bag." "Good," she mumbled. "This drink needs some ice." She was holding one of her shoes under her nose. "I think it's gone bad." Jeff just shook his head. he thought. With a sigh, he left in search of an ice bag. He wasn't gone long. Just long enough for her to fall fast asleep, her skirt askew almost to her waist and her shoe draped over her nose. She looked like she had been in a wrestling match and lost. Jeff removed her shoe, set the ice bag on her head and straightened her skirt. He pulled a large comforter over her body before retiring to an overstuffed chair across the room. He had much to think about. Two hours passed before she woke with a start. She frantically, looked about, confused and frightened. "How are you feeling?" Jeff asked quietly from the refuge of his chair. In the darkness, she could just make out where he was sitting. "My head hurts," she answered, pressing what was left of the ice closer to her throbbing head. "How long have I been here?" "The party or the couch?" "In this room." "Well, the party just ended. It's a little after 10 now," Jeff began, looking at his watch. "I'd say...two hours." "I've got to get home. Father will be worried." She crawled out from under the comforter and started gathering up her shoes, dropping the ice bag on the floor. Without a word, Jeff helped her up off the couch and to the door. Before he could open it, Nabiki stopped him. "Ommm. Did anything happen in here?" she asked softly. "Other than you were drunk, cried about the prime minister, tried to drink your shoe, and passed out on the couch?" Jeff listed her evening. "...no.." "You didn't..." "Didn't what?" "You know..." she sounded embarrassed. "No, Nabiki. Your virtue is intact. I'm sure your future husband will appreciate the fact that I didn't take advantage of Nabiki Tendo under the influence," Jeff dead panned. "By the way, pink panties suit you." She stared at him in horror, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. Jeff used his finger tips on her chin to gently shut her mouth. "Can we go now?" Nabiki's look was that of a person frantically trying to sort out the events of this evening. On one hand, she remembered clearly the party, the prime minister, and a glass of champagne. After that... well, it was all still a bit fuzzy. she thought. "You need to freshen up before I take you home." Jeff opened the door. His voice was, somehow, less friendly than she remembered earlier in the evening. "I'll show you to the little girls room. While you're in there, I'll get you some aspirin." With that, he guided her, a bit wobbly, up the back way to the ladies powder room. She took only a few minutes to fix her makeup (at least, as much as she could), her hair, straighten her clothes and emerged, after three tries at opening the door, looking almost presentable. "Jeff-chan, I think I should go home now," Nabiki stated timidly. Getting the aspirin down her was a trick best described another time. On the trip home, Jeff asked the driver to stop the car about six blocks from Nabiki's home. Nabiki looked confused when he directed the driver to return to the embassy and that he would walk home. "The fresh air will sober you up enough to get in the house" Jeff said calmly as he helped her out of the car. he thought to himself. Moments later, the couple were alone on the street. A light rain earlier in the evening had left the sidewalks and street glistening. The sky had cleared enough to see the stars above and, on any other night, might have lent a romantic air to the evening. Shyly, Nabiki took Jeff's hand and the couple walked silently hand-in-hand through the darkened neighborhood. Nabiki giggled, still affected by the alcohol, as she slipped off her high heeled shoes. "I haven't walked barefoot in years," she giggled. "I can't have Nabiki-chan hurting her tender feet," Jeff said as he scooped her into his arms. "It might damage her marriageability." Nabiki squealed lightly and wrapped her arms around Jeff's neck, resting her head on his shoulder. She failed to catch the meaning of his words or the detect the trouble ahead. Still, she liked this position and snuggled close, warm and comfortable. Somewhere a dog barked and the bullet train could be heard passing the city. Outside the Tendo residence, Jeff gently set Nabiki down and embraced her tenderly. Through the mist of all the champagne she had consumed, Nabiki's hormones began to stir. The same feelings she had for him on the first date crawled out of their locked closet and took control. She wanted to hold him, to feel his body against hers. She wanted to kiss him over and over, perhaps even ... "Nabiki-chan," Jeff said quietly. "Hai, Jeff-chan?" she answered, her arms around his neck, holding him tight against her. Jeff swallowed hard. "What you said earlier. About marrying a rich man." Nabiki froze for a moment, before slowly sliding out to arms length and staring at Jeff, a look of apprehension on her face. His words sobered her like a cold shower. Her mouth opened but nothing came out. Once again, she fought to remember just what she had said to him. Jeff willingly filled in the gaps. "Nabiki, You said you intend to marry someone rich enough to help your family. This I understand. However, you also said that I could never be that person and that hurt." They were staring intently into each other's eyes now. It was all about to come to a head. Jeff had carefully hidden his future wealth from prying eyes to avoid having to make this speech. Nabiki had sought wealth in a husband, not love, but continued to see Jeff; for what reasons she didn't know. He failed, she failed, and everyone was about to get hurt in the fallout. Nabiki had made no secret that she would only settle for a rich man when marrying. True, her motives sounded pure; helping her father when he got older. But the fact that Jeff wasn't going to be able, in her eyes, to fill the requirements of marriage had meant that the last eight months had been a waste of time for both of them. Jeff knew the relationship was doomed but chose to make sure she clearly understood his position, even though she might not remember much of it in the morning. "Nabiki, I love you. I will always love you. When I walk away from here tonight, and I will,... a piece of my heart will remain behind. Wherever you go. Whomever you marry. That piece will always be yours. I hope you find who you are looking for and have a happy life." Nabiki's mouth dropped open. He was dumping her! No one had ever dumped her. What was worse, it was not for some silly reason or even another girl; he was dumping her for the most noble reason of all: because he loved her and wanted her to be happy. He was terminating the relationship so she could get on with the search for a suitably wealthy mate. he thought. Throughout this entire affair, she had drawn the lines and made the rules. Jeff had played within those boundaries, trying to make her love him. But it was a game he now knew he could never win. Therefore, he was prepared to make the sacrifice for her happiness. He would sacrifice his love for her. Simple, clean,... and painful. Nabiki was instantly flooded with emotions. Rage, because he had expressed his love for her repeatedly over the last eight months and was now dumping her. Fear, because she was about to lose the one person who had ever loved her completely. Anger at herself, for being so selfish. And finally, Self pity, because she couldn't see around her desire to marry wealth to recognize her own love for Jeff. "Konban wa," came Kasumi's voice from the house. "You two wish to come inside for some tea?" Jeff stared at a broken Nabiki before suggesting: "It would be impolite not to accept." "Hai," was her whispered reply. Together, they went inside. Kasumi showed them to the dining table and saw that they were comfortably seated next to each other. Mr. Tendo came in as well and sat across from the couple smiling like a new father-in-law. Nabiki couldn't bring herself to look at either her father or sister. She just stared at her hands in her lap. Everyone just assumed it was bride-to-be shyness. Akane brought in the cups of tea on a tray and placed them on the table. Kasumi set a kettle of steaming water on the table and sat between Jeff and her father on one end of the table while Akane seated herself at the other. It was uncomfortably quiet. Clearly, the assembled expected something memorable to occur this evening. They were not going to be disappointed. "So, how was the embassy ball?" Kasumi asked cheerfully as she poured the hot water into the cups and mixed the tea. "It was a most interesting evening," Jeff responded looking at the table in front of him. "Hai, most... ," Nabiki started softly but failed to finish. Kasumi and Akane exchanged worried glances. Something was terribly amiss. "Tendo-san...Sensei," Jeff began, uncharacteristically stumbling for his words. "I understand from your daughter, Nabiki, that I am not an appropriate suitor for her." The other two sisters gasped. "Furthermore, I feel it would be inappropriate for me to continue seeing your daughter as it would jeopardize her chances at finding a suitable husband." Jeff paused glancing briefly at Nabiki. "I want you to know that it is because I love Nabiki with all my heart that I do this. I cannot bring myself to deprive her of the true love of her life, money." Mr Tendo's eyes moved slowly from Jeff to his middle daughter. He was the only one who saw the single tear roll down her cheek. "I only ask your forgiveness for being unworthy." Jeff ended with a bow towards Mr. Tendo. You could have heard a pin wrapped in cotton drop as Mr. Tendo stiffly returned the formality. Kasumi, eyes wide, was holding her hands in front of her mouth, looking at Nabiki. Akane, jaw set, was gripping the table causing the wood to warp, her mind a whirl of violent things she was going to do to Jeff. Mr. Tendo was the first to break the silence. "Is this true, daughter?" "Father..," she whispered but couldn't finish. He began to say something else but stopped short, closing his eyes and setting his jaw against the shame. Kasumi, accidentally, set off the fireworks: "But Nabiki-chan, I thought you loved Jeff." It could have been the alcohol. It could have been the eight months of living a lie. In any case, something in Nabiki snapped. Jumping to her feet she screamed at Kasumi. "Love?!? Love?!? Is that all you can think about?!? What about money? What about security? Do you know what it takes to get along in this world? You know nothing!" She then turned her wrath on her father. "Ever since mother died, I have worked, schemed, begged, borrowed and did whatever was necessary to keep this family afloat! Kasumi could cook and keep the house. Akane will provide you with an heir to carry on the dojo. What can I give you?!? NOTHING! That's exactly what you'll get, if I marry this yen-less gaijin!" Akane reached up to quiet her sister but Nabiki slapped her hand away. "Nabiki behave yourself!" growled the Mr. Tendo. "Jeff is our guest. Do not dishonor this family further with your display of immaturity." "HONOR!?! Will our honor pay the gas bill? Will our honor feed you? Will our honor pay for the two free-loaders we have living under our roof using all our hot water? Don't speak to me about honor. You can't spend it." Nabiki was clearly on a roll. Years of pent up feelings about her mother, her position, and even her very existence were being vented. If it were dragon breath, half of Nerima would have burned to the ground by now. "Nabiki, let it go. It has to be this way," Jeff said quietly when she paused for a breath. "YOU!" her eyes red with emotion. "The trouble is you!" she paused gasping for breath and fighting her emotions. "Everything was fine before *you* came. The whole trouble is you....me...." she ran out of suspects and did the only thing left to do, run out of the room crying. Kasumi immediately apologized and excused herself to see to her sister. Akane followed giving Jeff a look that would have killed a lesser man. Mr. Tendo simply stared at his cup of tea and cried. Nabiki beat her sisters to her room and threw herself on the bed, crying. Kasumi entered and sat on the end of the bed, waiting for Nabiki to cry herself out. Akane, confused as to what she should do, stood over by Nabiki's open closet and fidgeted. Her solution would be to clobber Jeff. It always worked with Ranma. Neither girl had ever seen Nabiki cry. She never cried; not when she got hurt, not when she was frustrated, not even at their mother's funeral. Nabiki Tendo had always been the one whose shoulder *they* could cry on. The sight of a totally destroyed Nabiki, her body spasming with every sob, was, to say the least, unnerving. After a few minutes, Nabiki's sobs became less regular and she seemed to be taking great gasps of air. "Nab-chan," Kasumi said softly. "I know I'm no substitute for mother, but if she were here, I think I know what she would say." Nabiki slowly rolled over clutching her pillow to look at her older sister, her eyes red and puffy. While she rarely acted like it, she always valued what Kasumi had to say. Tonight, she needed some of her older sister's wisdom and patience. "Marriage is forever," Kasumi started. "It isn't easy under the best conditions. But when two people join together as one, each must sacrifice something on the alter of that union. For the man, it's easy. He has to sacrifice his freedom. He assumes responsibilities to provide for the family; shelter, food, clothing. He can no longer stay out as late as he likes, go wherever he wants, spend whatever he feels like, be with whomever he wishes. He has sacrificed all that to the marriage. Do you understand, Nabiki?" Nabiki weakly nodded, still clutching her tear stained pillow. Even Akane was taking an interest in her older sister's counsel. "The woman must bring something of equal value to the alter for sacrifice. It's different for each woman, but just as hard to give up. It might be her friends, her comfortable existence, or familiar surroundings. Very often it's her dreams. She must sacrifice them for her husband and the family. Whatever it is, it is given out of love for the man; the most important thing in her life." Kasumi had the complete attention of both girls. "Out of the ashes of that sacrifice comes a new life for both. It's that new life that makes a marriage, not the bits and pieces of their past. The goals and dreams are no longer his or hers, but theirs, something they build together." Kasumi took Nabiki's hand. "Mother and father made the sacrifices for their marriage; you said so yourself. And for that sacrifice, they got the three of us. And we, in turn, gave back to them the happiness that only a family can give. Remember how happy we were. Remember all the good times, the love. We only had that because our parents were willing to sacrifice themselves for us." Kasumi paused to let the last sink in. "You have a chance to sacrifice something for Jeff; just as Jeff is ready to sacrifice everything for you. Your dreams of wealth and happiness can work for two as well as one. You said he had a nose for making money. Use that. Build your dreams together." Kasumi paused a few moments before continuing. "Besides, in time, you may discover that there are more important things than wealth." she placed her hand on her sister's stomach. "Especially when you feel it move for the first time." Nabiki smiled painfully, fighting back more tears, covered her sister's hand with her own. Suddenly, she wanted to cry again. She had been selfishly chasing shadows; things that would mock her vain attempts at capture. Wealth is not a stable foundation upon which to build a relationship. Only the mutual love of two people can support the building of a successful marriage. Anything else is too weak to survive the trials of life. Jeff's love, something she could hold on to forever, had been there for the taking and she had just rejected it. She could have still become rich, only *with* Jeff instead of in place of him. Nabiki crawled up and hugged Kasumi. "Mother would have been proud," she whispered. "I know," Kasumi whispered back. "Mother gave me the same speech when I was young and foolish." Nabiki now knew why she loved her sister so much and why Kasumi always seemed at peace with the world. She knew the answers AND the questions. Akane, feeling awkward, fought back her own tears. She understood better what was expected of her relationship with Ranma. She understood what was expected of a wife-to-be. She understood... (looking in the closet)...that Nabiki had been stealing her clothes for months! Half the damn stuff in there was her's. she thought. "There's still time," Kasumi whispered. "Go to him." Nabiki hugged her sister once again, sprung from the bed and scampered down stairs. What she found tempered her enthusiasm. The room was dark, all the lights having been turned off. A lone candle in the middle of the table struggled to burn. Only one figure was still seated at the table, her father. "He's gone," her father said in a emotionless deep voice. "How...how long?" Nabiki begged, looking vainly out past the garden to the street. "Too long. He left with his honor; for that is all you allowed him to keep." There was a long pause as Nabiki dropped to her knees next to her father. Tears started flowing again. Slowly, she placed her head in his lap. Too late. She had screwed up business deals in the past and felt really rotten afterwards. This was a hundred times worse. This was the worst failure of her life. Instead of providing for her father, like she wanted, she failed him, she failed the family, and, worst of all, she failed herself. "I'm sorry, daddy." Mr. Tendo just stroked his daughter's hair as she quietly cried. Jeff wasn't at school Monday. In fact, no one could recall seeing him anywhere. Ranma confirmed that Jeff no longer went to the dojo and phone calls to the embassy went unreturned. There were even rumors that he had left the country. All this had a profound affect on Nabiki. She stopped her usual wheeling and dealing, even to the point of no longer offering odds on various sporting and social events. Her investments went untended and her loans went uncollected. Yuka and Sayuri tried to keep the schemes going but were clearly not up to the task. Nabiki seemed to just drift from class to class. Oh, she responded to everyone okay. It was just that you got the feeling she wasn't all there. Those who knew her best, could confirm that she wasn't. The last day of class came around and yearbooks were happily passed out. Yuka and Sayuri tried to get Nabiki involved in the usual signings and pictures but she wouldn't be moved from her desk. She stiffly leafed through her yearbook until she came to the pages of senior pictures. Nabiki's picture was on the upper right corner of the page. It was taken during happier times and reflected a young woman confident in the world. She was alright until she noticed who's picture was on the opposite page, in exactly the right place so that their pictures would be together when the book was closed. It was Jeff Lawrence. Nabiki just stared at the photograph looking like she would start crying again at any moment. Nothing they could do would snap her out of it. Jeff packed purposefully a few things in his suitcase. He was leaving, going home to a country he had never really known. He had turned 18 and was no longer a dependant of a member of the embassy staff. His diplomatic immunity had run out and he had 90 days to leave. That was the bad news. The good news had come that morning. His parents had gathered him in a small office with the same lawyer who had brought him the news of the inheritance several months before. Jeff barely remembered the words the lawyer spoke, his mind was across town at Furinkan High School. All he could think about was Nabiki. Her smile haunted him when he closed his eyes. The smell of her perfume, the warmth of her body, the softness of her kiss. He could hear her voice over and over again, saying how it was a pity he was too poor to marry. Jeff thought as he thrust the last of his clothes in the bag. Dressed in khaki slacks, a knit sport shirt topped by a light blazer, Jeff looked like the millionaire he now was. He thought of how ironic it was that the only girl he ever loved wouldn't marry him because she thought him too poor. "Well, well, well," came a voice at the door. "Is our little brother about leave town. "Looks to me like little brother's forgettin somethin." Jeff knew those voices. They belonged to two members of the Marine Guard Detachment. Probably, two of the closest friends he had in Japan. Perhaps, the closest friends he ever had. Ever since he moved to Japan, he got up every morning and ran with the Marines. At first, he kept his distance; respectful of the fact of who they were and who he wasn't. But as soon as they noticed he could keep up with them, he was invited to officially join them. That led to other activities with them. He had become kind of a mascot to some; a little brother to the rest. In any case, he was treated like one of the Marine 'family'. And, no one, dissed a member of this family. "Guys," Jeff said quietly. "It's over, she threw me out, remember?" "Bull! She loves you, man." "I wasn't..," Jeff started. Feeling his own tears well up again, he took a deep breath before continuing. He wasn't going to start crying again, especially in front of the Marines. "I wasn't the person she wanted to marry." "That was the 'po' you, boy. Wait till she gets a look of the rich you." The two Marines laughed. "But that's just the point," Jeff sighed as he turned to sit on his bed. "If she wouldn't marry me when I was poor, how could I be sure she wouldn't be marrying me only for my money now that I'm rich?" The two Marines looked at each other. "Look, kid. When you dumped her, did she make a scene?" "Yeah, she cried and yelled, and caused a big scene in front of her family. So what's your point." Jeff was curious where this was all going. "Because Japanese chicks don't do that. They would rather die than embarrass themselves that way in public. Look, I'm no expert on marriage. At least my ex-wife would agree on that. But I *know* when a woman is really in love with a guy. Jeffrey, my boy, THAT lady is in love with you. She proved it by the way she embarrassed herself." "Then why the rejection?" Jeff was beginning to see their point but was having trouble putting it all in perspective. "Family. Family is very strong in these people. You have *got* to respect that when dealing with them. She's just pulling the old 'I'm going to sacrifice myself for my family' routine by insisting on marrying only a rich man. She loves *you*, boy" Somehow all the parts had eluded him until today. What she said; Kasumi could cook and clean, Akane could provide an heir, Nabiki could only... provide for the family. It finally all fit. Her father. The dojo. The fact that she felt alone in providing for the family; doing the job of a man. She *was* doing the old self sacrifice bit for her family. That's why she made such a scene. That's why she couldn't face him that night. That's why... "Oh, God," he groaned as he leaned forward and held his head with his hands. "If it were me, boy. I'd give the girl one last chance to come to her senses. Poor or rich, she's gotta break if you force the issue." "What day is it?" Jeff asked through his hands. "Friday. Why?" "Last day of school. I know right where to find her." Jeff jumped to his feet and headed for the door. One of the Marines stopped him with a hand to his shoulder. "You might need some backup, kid. We all heard of how the guys at that school hassled you. It was a disgrace. Why don't a couple of us go with you to, say, even the odds." Jeff gave the Marine a friendly backhand into his rock-hard stomach. "Sorry guys. This is one thing I gotta do myself. If I can't walk alone into a Japanese high school and leave with the girl I love, well, having an entire Marine division there wouldn't change a thing." Both men slapped Jeff on the back and pushed him on his way. "Go getem, boy." "Oooh Rahh!" Soon Jeff was around the corner and gone. One Marine turned to the other as they started to follow. "Think he'll be alright?" "He'll do fine." "Maybe we ought to trail him. Just in case." "OK. Besides, I always wanted to see a ninja in action." "You really believe all that stuff about him being a ninja?" "Hey. You ever play darts with him?" Jeff had the driver of the limousine stop and let him out two blocks from the school. "Give me 30 minutes and meet me at the front gate. There might be another passenger." Walking the remaining way, Jeff set his jaw and resolved nothing would keep him from Nabiki today. He would get an answer, yes or no, before he got on that plane. Jeff paused at the gate, taking in all the sights and sounds of the old school. he thought as he removed his sunglasses. Jeff slowly walked the sidewalk leading to the main doors, listening to the happy voices coming from the classrooms. Just inside the front doors, things turned sour. Three familiar Kendo Club teammates blocked the main stairs just inside the building. These were the same boys who had blocked his entry to the library every day, refused him a place at their table, denied him a chance to participate in school activities of any kind. Now, they were trying to keep him from the most important rendezvous of his life. "So, you decided to come back," one observed drawing his bokkan. "No filthy gaijin will ever cross the threshold of this school again," another added holding his wooden blade at the ready. "Leave now, of face the wrath of the Samurai of Furinkan Senior High." Jeff's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Every fibre of his body prepared. He couldn't go back without abandoning Nabiki forever and the way forward was blocked. He was trapped. Master Sato's words echoed in his mind: 'A cornered animal is the most dangerous.' Jeff was now that cornered animal. One of the swordsmen made the mistake of his life by quickly changing positions. Accounts of what happened next differ. Not even the three swordsmen can recall for sure. One moment they were blocking the way to the school and the next found two of them, upside down, heading for the glass windows flanking the front doors. The third staggered backwards, collapsing on the floor, his bokkan held in front of him with two throwing stars sticking out it. Had that wooden sword not been there, those stars would have imbedded themselves deep in the student's chest, a point not lost on the victim. Only Jeff knew that the stars struck exactly where he intended. They were a warning to the remaining would-be samurai and anyone else that might think of getting in his way. He was going to Nabiki's third floor classroom and woe-be-to-he who got in his way. Those students and faculty who witnessed the incident immediately scurried to make themselves scarce. John Wayne was in town and looking for Maureen OHara. Jeff ascended the stairs past the second floor. Few noticed his passing. However, Akane, signing a couple of girls' yearbooks, caught sight of Jeff as he turned to climb the stairs to the next floor. Her jaw dropped open and the books she was holding clattered to the floor. Suddenly, she felt the cold chill of fear. Fear for her sister Nabiki. Fear of what Jeff was here to do. Fear that she was inadequate to do anything about it. Her father had warned her to never cross Jeff. He didn't said why, exactly, but hinted that Jeff was more than he appeared and could, if motivated, be a truly lethal adversary. Jeff's determined look as he passed the second floor clearly spoke of his motivation. Nabiki was in danger. Frantically, she looked around for Ranma. She might not be good enough but Ranma could stop anybody. She quickly dashed down the hall looking for her wayward fiance. This was family business and, like it or not, Ranma was family... practically. As Jeff stalked the hallway, students quickly moved to make themselves part of the walls. Just the look on his face was enough to convince them he was in no mood to be detoured. No one made even the slightest move to stop the crazy gaijin as he inexorably made his way to Nabiki's classroom. He stopped in the open doorway, his hands resting lightly on the door frame. His eyes took but a moment to find the one he'd come for. Conversation in the little room died away as one by one his former classmates discovered his presence. Many were stunned at seeing him again. Some dropped their books and scurried for cover. All sensed something momentous was about to happen. Nabiki continued to stare at her book, her eyes unfocused, her lids drooping. She was unaware of Jeff's arrival, her mind still pondering where she would go or what she would do now that high school was over. Yuka's colliding with her desk as she retreated jolted Nabiki back. A glance at her associate's terror-stricken face told her the reason for the room's unnatural silence. Jeffrey was back. A flood of memories inundated her causing her fingers to grip her book until they turned white from the exertion. She feared what his presence meant. She had stumbled upon his shinobi background shortly before the embassy ball and knew full well what it meant. She knew how the clans were very much into honor feuds. She had rejected him, spurned him, embarrassed him, and in the end, dishonored him by her rejection. He had every reason to seek revenge for such indignities. A thousand fates swirled through her mind, each more gruesome than the last. She swallowed hard and waited. Jeff started up an aisle towards the front of the room where Nabiki sat, ripping off his blazer in the process and throwing it away. Two desks blocked Jeff's path. Slowly, his eyes still on Nabiki, he reached down, placed his fingers under their shells, and gently tipped them over. The sound of each impacting the floor echoed through the room. It had the desired affect on Nabiki; she flinched with each crash. Another he moved only enough to cause it to squeak. Its sound closer to Nabiki and thus more threatening. He could see her tremble but steadfastly continued to stare at her book. She never turned to look. She knew where he was and there wasn't anywhere she could run anyway. It was like waiting on a track for a slow train to run over you. It was shadow warrior psychological warfare at its finest. Jeff finished in front of her desk and paused staring down at her face. She still held the book in front of her, frozen in place, not daring to meet his gaze. Nothing in the entire school moved. Gently, Jeff slid the desk from in front of Nabiki and set it aside. With an afterthought, he tipped it over. The crash caused Nabiki to flinch as if she had been shot, her eyes screwed tightly shut. Again, Jeff turned to Nabiki. Her hands were beginning to tremble. With no expression whatsoever, he gently took the book and slid it out of her hands. With a look of detachment, he glanced at the book, then at her, before tossing it over his shoulder. It sounded like a shot when it hit the floor. Nabiki folded her hands in her lap and stared at them. A single tear crawled down her left cheek and took the plunge to her school uniform skirt. Her mouth held no words but her mind screamed in protest: For the first time in her life, she truly feared for her safety. Terrified and alone, she had no one to call on for protection. Because of her years of preying on her fellow students, it was little wonder nobody came to her aid. Only her heart spoke. Only her mind heard the words. She felt his hands on her shoulders. His breath caressing her cheek told her he was leaning close, perhaps closer than they were the first time they met, so many months ago. She trembled noticeably, a tiny whimper escaped her lips. "Nabiki Tendo," he said in a soft voice, so soft it surprised her in its lack of malice. "I once told you I loved you. I once gave you everything my heart would allow. But it wasn't enough." This caused a slight tremor of voices to run through the assembled student body as each dealt with the prospects in their own way. Quickly, they were hushed by the others. Trembling, a confused look crossed her face. Her mouth opened slightly and she was on the verge of hyperventilating. For the second time in her life with Jeff, she was fighting every argument she had ever thought against loving him. She wanted to run, she wanted to cry, but most of all, she wanted to answer. "You wanted something I couldn't give you." He reached into his pocket and clutched something in his fist. Holding it out to Nabiki he waited until her eyes focused on his hand. Like the lid on an old treasure chest, his fingers opened to reveal an handful of coins. "Here is what you love more," he said turning his hand over, the coins spilling onto the floor in front of her. "You now have my heart, my money, and my honor. I have nothing left to give. Enjoy it, Nabiki Tendo. Hold it close. This is all you will ever have." A rumble of voices rolled around the room until several students shushed the others and the room again grew quiet again. John Wayne would have been proud. Inside Nabiki, everything was happening in ultra slow motion. Her mouth opened slowly. Words formed and were lost several times. Kasumi's voice echoed through her mind debating that of her own: <...there are more important things than wealth...I WILL NOT MARRY A POOR MAN!...Love is the key, not wealth...I will *not* be poor like mother!... sacrifice something for the marriage...but what about *her* dreams...are you so sure we were not part of her dreams?> He stood in front of her for, what seemed like, hours. She did not answer. Time was up. "Goodbye, Nabiki Tendo. I hope you enjoy the material things you so earnestly seek. I will not be part of your collection," he said standing up. He stared at her for a few seconds before turning towards the door. He would leave only with what was left of his dignity. He had a plane to catch. Stiffly he walked towards the door. "Strike...three," he mumbled. Somewhere, far off, Nabiki heard a voice that sounded like hers say: "Jeff?" so softly she questioned if it ever happened at all. The crowd began to murmur again as they glanced between Jeff and Nabiki. In Nabiki's mind, panic alarms were going off. For the second time, he was leaving; this time for good. Any second he would be out the door and gone. She had been given a second chance and was about to blow it, too. With a supreme effort she stood up and turned to face the departing Jeff. "Jeff-chan" she said just loud enough to be heard. The room grew quiet again. He kept walking. "Jeffrey!" her voice sounded desperate. At the door, he stopped and slowly turned to face her. For several seconds, they stood - he waiting for what he wanted to hear and she desperately trying to fit into words her feelings. A gentle gust of air swirled through the windows and stirred her school uniform skirt. Her hair danced in the soft breeze, a few strands caressed her face. The tear trail on her cheek glistened in the natural light of the room. Nothing else moved or even dared to breathe noticeably. "Was that not enough money?" he taunted digging in his pocket again. "Here, it's all I have on me. Maybe I'll bring more next time." He tossed the remaining coins at her feet. She had embarrassed him in front of her family. She humiliated him at the mountain spa. At times, she had treated him with great disrespect. Through it all, he refused to give up; refused to abandon the pursuit. She had finally pushed him too far. It was now her turn. The whole room held its breath. Nabiki stood, head down, her hands held down the front of her skirt. She knew everyone was watching. How could they not? She could feel their eyes burning holes in her as she fought the shame of the situation. The embarrassment was greater than anything she could remember. There was only one way she could prove her love for him. Reaching into her own pocket, she pulled out all the money she had with her. The coins felt cool and pleasant in her hand, like they were in a place they belonged. The yen notes, freed from the confines of her pocket, unwound like they were stretching in the afternoon sun. Holding her hand out, she offered the money to Jeff. "That won't be necessary," she whispered as she turned her hand over, sending coins and notes scattering across the floor. Everyone in the room stared with wide eyes at the sheer volume of cash that was littering the floor of their classroom. For some, it took everything in their power to keep from diving for yen. "You already have what you value most. I was wrong. I'm sorry." "Will you marry me?" he said turning his pockets inside out. There was nothing left. Nabiki hesitated. Inside she was screaming 'yes' but outside, her mind faltered. "What about father?" "Do you trust me?" "Yes." She closed her eyes and trembled. Everything was coming out into the open now. "Do you trust me when I tell you he will be all right?" "I want to," she said through gritted teeth and fighting to keep from crying in front of everyone. "Then take my hand. I promise you will be rich in the only thing that really counts, someone who loves you unconditionally." Nabiki stared at Jeff's open hand. That was all it would take, she thought. Just reach out and take his hand. "Kasumi too?" she asked. As much as she wanted to see to her father, she wanted most of all for Kasumi to be taken care of. She had no faith in Dr Tofu. It could be years before he got enough control of himself to even approach Oneechan for a date. Her whole family could be in turmoil before the issue of marriage would become an issue. "I promise," Jeff said with a sincere smile. "How?" Jeff's hand never wavered despite his smile slipping a bit. "All you have to do is trust me, Nabiki." "But Oneechan --" "-- will be fine. Trust me." His smile returned. Nabiki's eyes searched his face for some sign of deceit or insincerity. Finding none, she finally allowed her heart to take over. "I love you Jeffrey," she whined. In an instant, she was in his arms, desperately clutching him to her. Jeff held her tight, repeatedly whispering: "I promise. I promise." The stunned reaction of the students remaining on the third floor quickly gave way to bedlam. Loud applause and shouts of congratulations rocked the room. Those in the hallway who'd gathered out of curiosity added to the noise. Nabiki's two cohorts hugged each other, smiling and crying. Nabiki just clung to Jeff, her face buried in his firm chest, and vowed to never let him go again. She didn't care who heard. She didn't care who saw. As long as she had her Jeffrey, she had the one thing she valued more than money. He caressed her hair with his cheek, his voice surrendered to his emotion. In a single movement, he suddenly swept Nabiki off her feet and carried her towards the hall. She wrapped an arm around his neck and wiped her face with her free hand. "I know we can make it together," she said over the chaos surrounding them. "I just know it. We can live with my family. Go to school. I can make you happy... I know I can... I love you." Jeff just smiled. Only true love would marry a poor man. Nabiki had to make the choice based on the belief of his poverty. She made that choice and made it for all the right reasons. But there would be plenty of time to discuss that later. For now Jeff carried his bride-to-be through the halls of Furinkan High School the waiting limousine. Never, in her wildest dreams could she imagine leaving her high school this way; being carried from the building by her fiance while all her friends and classmates cheered and applauded, wishing it were them. "Don't forget us, Nabiki," Yuka called as she helped her friend tear up the note cards that listed all Nabiki's debtors. "We want to come to the wedding." Nabiki winked at them and smiled. It was the first genuinely happy smile anyone could remember seeing. Ranma and Akane skidded to a halt at the sight of a happy Nabiki being carried down the hall. Akane's mouth dropped open. She'd never seen her sister look like that, not even when her bookie operation netted record receipts. Her look softened as the happy couple approached. "How romantic," Akane sighed as the couple passed. "I wish someone would sweep me off my feet and carry me off to live happily ever after." "Oh?" Ranma replied, a curious look on his face. "Yes, It'd be..." Her voice trailed off as their eyes locked. She couldn't be sure but she could have sworn she saw something. Something deep in his eyes. For a short, shining moment, she could have sworn she saw a flicker of actual compassion for her. It was small. It was deep. But it was there, nevertheless. Maybe... Ranma was the first to snap back to reality. "He'd have to be pretty strong," "I am *not* fat!" Akane yelled back, stunned. "Tomboyishly chunky, I'd say," Ranma said stretching. They were on a roll again. "You're such a jerk!" "And you're a stupid girl!" "Pervert!" "Uncute tomboy!" Further 'conversation' was interrupted by both being buried under an avalanche of thrown year books. It would seem that everyone on the floor had had enough of the bickering pair. "Hey!" Ranma and Akane yelled in unison. "GROW UP THE BOTH OF YOU!" everyone in the hall including Jeff and Nabiki yelled. Stunned, neither Akane nor Ranma could think of a thing to say.