Nabiki - New Horizons Part 8 - Just Another Day At The Tendos By G.L. Sandborn Sodoshi Lawrence slept soundly in her car seat strapped securely in the middle seat of the first class section on the giant airplane. Her parents were almost as thankful for her peaceful travel as the rest of the passengers - children being the bane of air traveling public everywhere. It had been six months since Nabiki gave birth to Sodoshi. It had also been six months since they had visited the Tendos. The family was displeased at Nabiki's reluctance to return home - none more so than Kasumi. All wanted to see the baby. Only Jeff knew the reason behind his wife's hesitation - Kasumi, or more precisely, Kasumi's expected reaction to Nabiki's lack of 'mothering' skills. As it was summer break from school for all parties concerned, Jeff 'decided' to travel to Nerima - a decision that brought mixed reactions from his wife. After much fussing and fighting, Nabiki finally agreed - but only on the condition that Jeff help her learn enough to hopefully pass her older sister's critical eye. This resulted in the Lawrences catching a mid-summer's flight to Japan. For most travelers, it would be 9 hours of eating, watching movies, and sleeping. For the Lawrence family, it was anything but. Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence passed the time with business magazines in two languages, taking careful notes about hot stock prospects and critical emerging technologies. Her attention, however, was divided between her work, her daughter and her silently sweating husband. While Sodoshi required only occasional tending, Jeffrey was more on edge than usual. For starters, he hated flying. Not that he was afraid or anything. It was just that being in such a confining place, thousands of feet in the air, supported by, what appeared to him to be, thin strips of metal, and flown by unknown former military pilots left him very.... uncomfortable. "Are you alright?" Nabiki finally asked, her hands full of magazines and papers. "I've never seen you so...." "I'm fine," Jeff cut his wife off abruptly - not angrily, but with a degree of nervousness. He certainly didn't *look* alright. In spite of the cabin's air conditioning, Jeff was sweating. "I thought shinobi training taught you to deal with your fears." Nabiki lowered her voice, trying to keep their discussion within the family. "Yeah, well... maybe we forgot to test for airplanes," Jeff loud whispered back. "I never could get the hang of flying." His eyes absently wandered to his fellow travelers. He secretly envied their easy nonchalance - the way they were able to calmly read or watch a movie. To him, every minute off the ground was torture. He tried drugs, therapy, and self-hypnosis. Nothing worked. He couldn't concentrate on reading material, business work, or even his lap top computer. In the end, the only way anyone could get Jeffrey Lawrence on a plane was to guarantee he would NOT be seated at a window seat. Otherwise, he would spend the entire trip staring out the window waiting for something to fall off. "Why don't you take a nap or have another drink or... something?" Nabiki suggested, a hint of irritation in her voice. She really didn't understand how someone could have such an irrational fear - not to mention a person with as much shinobi training as her husband. Jeff's incredulous look told her he'd already tried the nap route but kept waking up in a panic. Faced with another 8 hours of anguish, Jeff took his wife's suggestion and ordered another drink - a strong one. He'd arrive in Tokyo alright, however, he might need a little help getting off the plane. Sodoshi finally woke with a fuss - her legs kicking with displeasure. It was obvious what her problem was. Nabiki, having learned how to change a diaper without getting... ah, too close to the contents, put away her research materials with a sigh. Knowing how and liking the job were clearly two different things. "What a cute baby," came a voice from the aisle next to Nabiki's seat. Nabiki turned her head to see one of the young flight attendants admiring her daughter. "Baby needs changing," Nabiki lamented as she turned back to look at her, now wide awake, daughter. A quick glance at her sweating husband told her *he* wasn't going to be much help. "Oh, I can do that for you," the young flight attendant cooed as she reached for the baby. "I *love* babies." Nabiki just flashed an almost giddy smile at her husband while she handed the baby's bag to the attendant. she thought with an even bigger grin. Nabiki waited a few moments after the attendant took her daughter to be changed before 'getting even' with her husband for an earlier strike to her ego. Leaning over the middle seat, she held out one of her Japanese magazines and pointed to an article. "Did you see this story about the Chinese airliner that crashed in the South China Sea last month?" Her face was totally neutral, as if she was just informing her husband of something she thought he ought to know. "Seems they only found some floating luggage and an oil slick. Pretty grim, huh." Jeff stared at his innocent looking wife for several seconds before chugging that last of his drink and announcing he was going up to the lounge. As he staggered out of his seat and headed for the lounge, Nabiki sat back in her seat with a satisfied look on her face. she thought to herself with a chuckle. "I don't understand why we're not meeting Nabiki and her family at the airport, daddy." Akane Tendo had been nervously helping Kasumi all morning, cleaning and straightening. Everything was going to be just perfect for Nabiki's visit. She was almost as anxious about the visit as Kasumi. Both kept making detours past the open engawa, looking for the arriving family members. In a minor fit of impatience, Akane finally hinted to her father that they should go to the airport to meet the arriving trio. "Daughter, we cannot afford for all of us to travel out to the airport and back," Soun Tendo flatly declared from behind his newspaper. "Young Jeffrey-san will be arriving with his family in due time. Patience marks the true path of a martial artist." Akane just made a face at the newspaper and slunk back to her cleaning. "And making faces at me won't make them arrive any faster," her father added. Akane thought as she resumed dusting. "We are not," her father mumbled. "You are too," Akane casually answered. Seconds later, her mind successfully fit together all the parts of the last exchange. Her eyes 'boinged' open. Slowly, she turned her head to look at her father, still buried behind his newspaper. Her stare lasted only a few seconds as she quickly dismissed what she *thought* she heard as her imagination. She turned to leave. "You're right. It couldn't be." Her father sounded like he was talking about something he read in the newspaper. Still.... Six hours later, Jeffrey Lawrence had no trouble getting off the airplane in Tokyo - his shinobi training allowed him some ability to function 'under the influence'. However, only another shinobi would be able to tell the difference between a trained shinobi drunk and your common, garden variety drunk - they both acted much the same. As the Lawrence family trooped to the first class cabin door, Jeff looked almost beside himself with delight at being on the ground again. Nabiki, loaded down with Sodoshi, Sodoshi's carrier, the baby's bag, her own briefcase and the latest newspaper under her arm, looked like a pack mule - and an unhappy one at that. "Jeffrey, will you, at least, carry *something*," she snapped as they paused in the doorway. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear," Jeff replied lightly. As a growing crowd of impatient first class passengers queued up behind them, Jeff slowly selected... the newspaper. Sliding it easily from under her arm, he tucked it in the pocket of his lap top case and beamed at his wife. "Thanks a lot," Nabiki sarcasticaly grumbled as she pushed past the overly mellow Jeff and stomped her way up the boarding ramp. Jeff grinned like an idiot and took a few minutes to thank the attendants, the pilots, the controllers, and just about everyone from the baggage handlers to the designers at Boeing for the trip, making sure to shake as many hands as he could going out the door. "Look, kid, I'll vote for you if you'll just get out of the doorway," grumbled an American businessman at the animated Jeffrey. The attendant, her tired version of a 'Kasumi smile' stuck in place, thanked Jeffrey for flying the airline (for the 10th time) and motioned the way up the boarding ramp to the terminal - again. After an abrupt bow, she watched Jeffrey stagger up the boarding ramp and silently thanked the powers that be that this flight was over. Jeff caught up with his wife at customs. The bored looking customs inspector ran his white gloves lightly over their personal effects and asked if they had anything to declare. "My husband's drunk, my baby needs changing, and I'm in a real grumpy mood," Nabiki offered. The inspector could tell Mr. Lawrence was 'under the influence', chose not to check Nabiki's claim about the baby, and figured he only had five more years till retirement, so there was not reason to challenge Mrs. Lawrence on her personal statement. Stamping their passports, he waved the bicultural couple through. "Here," Nabiki thrust her briefcase in Jeffrey's gut. "I've got to go change sweetie-pants again. Do you think you can find our luggage?" "Certainly, dear." Jeff started looking around like he was lost. "Where do you think our luggage might be?" "Since it's an American flight, our luggage is probably arriving in Cleveland. But on the off chance that everybody did their job, try the baggage claim area, genius." Jeff squinted at the Japanese signs trying to determine where the baggage claim area for their flight was. Nabiki added that she'd meet him there after changing Sodoshi and disappeared to the nearest women's rest room. Jeff wandered towards the baggage claim area until he came across a tiny airport restaurant/bar. Stopping out front, Jeff looked at his claim tickets, then the sign for the baggage claim area, and finally the beaded door to the bar. He repeated the circuit several times before deciding what he needed was something to eat. The luggage could wait. Staggering into the establishment, he tucked his tickets into his coat pocket and grinned like a tourist. Finding a suitable seat at the counter, he smiled at the hostess and struck up a friendly conversation. Unfortunately, he chose to use English. "Hi," he grinned. "Hai." The hostess bowed politely and waited for his order. "I just flew in from Hawaii and, boy, are my arms tired." Jeff chuckled at the stupid joke and noticed the lady's smile didn't miss a beat as she endured another gaijin in her establishment. Jeff failed to notice a young, but very attractive, girl who had followed him in. She had been waiting for a specific gaijin - Jeff Lawrence. He *did*, however, notice two attractive young ladies seated nearby staring his direction, whispering between themselves. "You come here often?" He tried his best pickup line on the ladies. The two just leaned together and giggled. "Sir, would you like to order something?" the hostess asked in Japanese while trying to stay out of arms reach of the drunken gaijin. "You know," Jeff tried to rest his chin on his fist, but his elbow kept slipping off the counter. "You speak Japanese real good." "Arigato," she replied nervously. "Perhaps you would like something? Perhaps our chicken yakatori?" "Yakatori away, my good woman. I'm hungry." He finished with leaning back and rubbing his belly. The two ladies giggled again and the hostess went to fetch his food. Jeff leaned towards the giggling ladies and added: "You know, my wife doesn't understand me." He snorted a laugh. "I'll bet you've heard that one before." The ladies just giggled harder. "Pardon me, sir," the girl asked softly with a polite bow. "You *are* Jeffrey Lawrence, aren't you?" Something about him didn't seem right. She was expecting some accomplished shinobi warrior instead of this drunken gaijin. Her mind quickly formulated a conclusion that it was all an act. Only a truly accomplished member of her people could put on such a convincing performance in public and she was told Jeff Lawrence was a most accomplished member of their clan. Still, there was that little shadow of doubt. Jeff slowly turned to the plainly dressed girl and seemed to leer her direction. "And who's little girl are you?" He grinned in his most seductive manner - considering his inebriated state, it looked more goofy than enticing. Instinctively, she retreated a couple of steps at the forwardness of the gaijin and swallowed hard. "Are you Jeffrey Lawrence?" she asked again, her eyes darting around the room. This was not going as smoothly as she was told it would. It was also causing more of a scene than she anticipated. Fearful of delivering her message to the wrong person, she was taking unusually careful steps. "Hai, Lawrence-san," Jeff blurted out in a horse whisper while pressing his nose with an index finger. "These are for you... from a friend." She held out a small box of chocolates simply wrapped. "Arigato, my kawaii little messenger," he thanked the girl with a polite bow that practically caused him to fall off the bar stool. Turning to the nervous looking hostess, he waved the little box in front of his face. "What a wonderful country. They give gaijin visitors chocolates." With everyone's attention on the waving box of chocolates, the girl quietly slipped a carefully folded note into Jeff's coat pocket and silently glided back through the door, disappearing into the terminal crowd. When Jeff turned back to where the girl was, only moments before, to offer her some of the candy, he was surprised at her absence. His reaction, however, was still a drunken nonchalance. Thirty minutes later, Jeffrey was finishing off his second helping of the delicious meal. The two ladies were still giggling at the funny gaijin and the hostess was becoming worried that he was going to stagger away without paying. Jeff was just telling another joke in English, and getting rave reviews from the rest of the folks in the bar when a familiar pair of legs passed the doorway. Freezing at the sound of his voice, a peeved Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence burst through the beaded doorway, carrying Sodoshi and her bag. "There you are!" she accused in Japanese as she stomped up to the counter. The three other ladies just exchanged worried glances. "Dear! How nice to see you again." Jeff said in English as he waved his arm the direction of the women. "Let me introduce you to my companions." He paused as a confused look crossed his face. "Come to think of it, I don't even know your names." "Jeffrey!" Nabiki snarled as she glared at the other ladies. "We're going to be late." "Quite right. We don't want to keep Kasumi waiting any longer than necessary. After all, she's only been waiting for six months." He finished with leaning back on the counter, crossing his arms and trying to look in control. He wasn't fooling anyone - especially Nabiki. "Get your things, Jeffrey. We're leaving." Nabiki turned on her heel and stomped out the door. Jeff switched back into Japanese to thank the hostess and pay his bill. Bowing politely to the other ladies, which only elicited more giggles, he confidently staggered out of the bar. "Poor man," one lady said to her friend. "Yes, with such a shrew for a wife." the other answered. "So young and handsome too." "Why is it that only the shrews get handsome Americans for husbands?" "Perhaps it's because they don't hang out in airport bars." the hostess suggested. The pair groaned knowingly and returned to their drinks. The cab ride was colder than the little car's air conditioner could account for. Nabiki, still holding her baby, kept shooting angry glances at her husband. "I hope you had a good time with your little... friends." She sounded almost jealous and looked like a hundred pounds of dynamite with a lit fuse. "Now dear, I was just hungry and the ladies there were just being nice to the gaijin." Jeff tried to minimize the damage. "I still love only you, Nabsie." His hug only caused Nabiki to grow increasingly irritated. "I hope you didn't leave anything there," she snapped while fussing with Sodoshi's little dress. "Got everything right here." Jeff patted his pockets. "Even remembered to get my passport." He reached into his coat pocket and removed his passport and the carefully folded message the girl had slipped into his pocket in the bar. Nabiki quickly noticed the message. "One of your little trollops leaving you messages. Perhaps a rendezvous in a 'Love Hotel' or something?" Her 'look' was growing in intensity as she thought of her husband being propositioned by some strange 'lady of the evening'. Carefully, Jeff unfolded the paper and slowly read the message. What was written instantly shocked him sober. Nabiki could tell by his face it wasn't a social note from some gold-digging girl. "What is it, Jeffrey?" Jeff swallowed hard and handed the note to his wife. "It's from Master Sato." His voice was sounding miles away as he contemplated the ramifications of what he now knew. "This can't be right, Jeffrey." Nabiki glanced from the paper to her husband and back again. She had read the note twice and each time it said the same thing; all three of them, along with the rest of the Tendos, were in danger. Her initial fear was replaced by her anger as she thought of the injustice of it all. They had survived one shinobi war' already - both having suffered more than either deserved. Her solution to the current threat was simple. "Jeffrey, we're going home." "No, Nabiki, we can't do that," Jeff answered in a low voice while shaking his head. "This time we have friends. The shinobi clans are mobilizing now to protect us and our families." "Are you crazy. I saw how they 'protected' you before." Nabiki's eyes were wide and wild with emotion. "You almost died. Do you remember *that* protection?" Jeff shook his head again and shifted his position slightly. He might not have been born shinobi but knew all the implications of being a clan member. So long as your clan survived, you were never alone. "If evil is determined to hunt for us here, it'll surely come for us in Hawaii. If we run now, we'll be running for the rest of our lives. We saw what running did to Sodoshi Tanaka." He stared at his slumbering daughter. "I won't have that happen to our daughter as well." Nabiki, too, looked at her baby, fear battling with her stubbornness for control. She remembered well her child's namesake - how her parents were murdered - then her older brother - and finally.... Nabiki hugged her baby tighter. "I won't allow anything to happen to So-chan, Jeffrey." Her look told him that she was willing to protect her daughter with every fibre of her being. Sodoshi was *hers*. The threat of taking something so personal from her caused her blood to boil with anger. NOBODY *takes* anything from Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence. NOBODY! Jeff directed the driver to stop by Dr. Tofu's clinic on the way to the Tendos. The good doctor would have ways of purging Jeff's system of the alcohol. Above all else, Jeff needed to be sober and alert now. His family was in danger. Their arrival at the Tendo compound was pretty much what could be expected. As the cab pulled up at the main gate, Jeff was the first out, holding the door for his wife and their baby. Nervously, Nabiki adjusted the baby's little dress as she waited for her husband to remove the remainder of their things from the car's trunk. Keenly aware that her first impression with Kasumi would be the most important, Nabiki fussed with her daughter, all the while casting nervous glances at the front door. She needn't have worried. Bursting from the residence in a race to the gate, Akane sprinted for her sister. By the time Kasumi arrived, Akane was holding her niece, cooing and cuddling. Ranma, Genma, and Soun, maintaining the family dignity, calmly wandered out to help Jeff with his luggage. As the girls drifted inside, excitedly chattering amongst themselves while the men carefully gathered up the luggage and followed, quietly trading polite greetings - with one exception. Genma Saotome, always looking for ways to get his hands on portions of Jeff's money, eased up to the young American and began outlining his latest sure fire', can't miss, gonna-be-big money making scheme. It was, as usual, half-baked and hare-brained. All he needed was a couple hundred thousand yen to make it work. Jeff, as usual, just kept walking, smiling, and nodding like he was interested. Both knew Jeff wouldn't bite, he never did. Still, it didn't prevent Genma from trying. Jeff's primary concern at that moment was to find somewhere to lay down. The concoction Tofu had given him for his alcohol over consumption had a nasty little side effect; it left him nauseous and sleepy. Listening to Genma only intensified both. Dinner was a tribute to Kasumi's skills in the kitchen - everything was perfect. Much to Nabiki's relief, Kasumi held little Sodoshi throughout the entire meal, feeding her carefully warmed baby food with a spoon. Nabiki marveled at how natural and at ease the childless Kasumi was with her baby. It was Kasumi in her natural state - caring for an infant. All of which left Nabiki feeling even more uncomfortable. For her part, Sodoshi was unusually calm and cooperative for Kasumi - as if she knew she was in the hands of a competent provider of child care. Kasumi even finished off the dinner by feeding Sodoshi little bites of rice with her own chopsticks. All of which only fed Nabiki's feeling of inadequacy. After dinner, Ranma and Akane disappeared, Kasumi retired to the kitchen to clean the dinner mess while Nabiki played with her daughter. Nabiki figured that being a mother exempted her from helping her older sister - not that she ever helped Kasumi in the past. As she carefully wiped her daughter's face, removing the last of the child's dinner, she could feel her father staring at Sodoshi. A quick glance confirmed his wistful look. "Would you like to hold her?" Nabiki finally asked. "Grandpa." She couldn't resist adding the last title - almost as a gentle tease. The expression on Soun's face immediately caused Nabiki to regret applying the title to her father. The effect of such a title, in any culture, carries an added burden of age. Up until he heard it from his daughter, the thought of him actually *being* a grandfather had never really been brought home so directly. "I'm sorry, daddy," Nabiki quietly apologized with an embarrassed look. "Quite alright, daughter. You're absolutely right. I *am* a grandfather now." He paused staring at the slumbering Sodoshi. "It's just, until this moment, I hadn't actually thought too much about it." He looked at the table with the same blank expression they had seen many times when he was struggling with his emotions. "I would like very much to hold my granddaughter." Gently, Nabiki handed over her daughter and watched as Soun cradled the tiny body. In spite of the fact that Sodoshi had almost doubled in size since birth, she looked so much smaller in Soun's large hands. His eyes began to water as he softly touched the baby's tiny fingers. Nabiki was struck by the irony. Her father's hands that could break bone and crush rock were gently tracing the outlines of each tiny digit, almost caressing in a loving way. "I wish your mother could see this," he mumbled as if trying to avoid waking the slumbering child in his arms. "She would have been so proud of you, daughter." With that, he could contain himself no more. His tears flowed freely as he hugged the tiny body of his granddaughter. One of his fondest dreams was that his daughters would present him with grandchildren. Kasumi he was sure of. Akane he had hopes for. But, Nabiki... Nabiki was a total surprise. Holding her child first was beyond anything he ever dreamed possible. Embarrassed, Nabiki stared at her folded hands in her lap and sniffed a little herself. She hadn't anticipated her father's reaction to the baby. Actually, she hadn't thought too much about him one way or another. His blubbering over her baby left Nabiki a little embarrassed and unsure of how to respond. Luckily, her father took care of that too. "Forgive an old man for his... unmanly reactions," Soun sniffed. "It's just I never expected..." Nabiki stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. Her warm smile was genuine. "That's alright, daddy. I never expected her either." Soun's mustache fluttered up into a sad smile. Wordlessly, he acknowledged his daughter while watching Sodoshi yawn her readiness to sleep. He slowly began to rock the child. "It has been many years..." His voice sounded distant. His look was almost vacant as he reminisced. "I can remember holding you like this while your mother..." His voice seemed to choke and his lower lip began to tremble again. Luckily, he still had a close friend. "There, there, old friend." Genma leaned slightly in Soun's direction. "You are a trained Martial Artist." "I'm also a grandpa," Soun corrected. "I'm entitled to my memories." "Quite so, memories are the prerogative of the aged." Genma sighed almost wistfully. "I guess we *are* getting old." Their tranquility was broken by a commotion from the main hallway. "Stupid tom-boy!" It was Ranma-chan's voice - spitting mad and sounding like he always did when fighting with Akane. Sure enough, Akane's voice followed his. "Honest, Ranma, I didn't know the bucket was there! It was an accident, you jerk!" The sounds of pounding footsteps on the stairs clearly indicated the pair's combined anger. Genma quietly dead-panned: "Of course, our work is not quite done." "Quite so, old friend." Jeff, doing his best imitation of Soun Tendo, stared blankly at the wall across from him and sipped his after dinner tea. A nap and a meal had helped, but he still looked like someone coming down off of a two day drunk. Nabiki's eyes wandered from her father (still looking wistfully at the baby), to Genma (still shaking his head at the feuding youngsters), to her husband (still staring like a drunk salaryman). she lamented. Looking again at her husband. Excusing herself, noting to the fathers that it had been a long trip and both her husband and her baby needed their sleep, she retrieved Sodoshi and tugged at Jeff's collar to get him to follow. As she passed the kitchen, she bid her sister goodnight and endured Kasumi's final thoughts to baby Sodoshi. Kissing the child on the forehead, Kasumi smiled as Sodoshi's little hands fussed across her face trying to make the annoyance go away. Nabiki smiled to herself. At least, she knew something about babies in general and Sodoshi in particular that her sister apparently didn't; Sodoshi *hated* being messed with while trying to sleep. The Lawrence family passed Ranma-chan on the stairs as she was heading for the bath. Nabiki couldn't resist. "Well, I see you and Akane are getting along better." Ranma-chan's growl as she stomped down the stairs told Nabiki that she still had the touch. As the family reached the top of the stairs, Jeff took the opportunity to say something that, probably, should have waited until they were safely inside their room - better yet, not voiced at all. "I still can't get over it," Jeff chuckled drunkenly like he was talking to himself. "Ranma, in his female form, *still* has the hottest body of you girls." He finished with a few, lewd 'ruffing' sounds. Nabiki reacted predictably. After an icy stare her husband's way, she slipped through the door to their room and slammed it shut in front of Jeff. As his head bounced off the wood door, Jeff stepped back, wide awake now, and groaned at his stupidity. "Aw come on, Nabiki," he whined in a loud voice at the closed door. "I was just kidding. Let me in." Downstairs, the two fathers just looked at each other over their shoghi board. "Yes, we still have work to do, old friend," Soun lamented. "Quite so." Back upstairs, Jeff, lamenting his stupidity, suddenly noticed a small black pig at his feet. Rubbing his eyes, to make sure he wasn't 'seeing things', he snarled at the staring creature. "What are *you* looking at?!?" The pig backed up slightly. Akane took that opportunity to emerge from her room. "There you are, P-chan." She stomped down the hall to retrieve her pet. "Did that nasty man scare you?" she added with a mock pout towards the pig. "I give up. What is it?" Jeff knew better than to ask but, between the alcohol and Tofu's 'medicine', he'd lost both his reserve and his common sense. "It looks like an oversized, bald hamster." The pig's reaction was a flurry of feet movements and a struggle to escape Akane's firm grip - all the time glaring at Jeffrey Lawrence. Jeff just stood his ground and shot the pig an incredulous look of his own. "He's my pet pig, P-chan," Akane sneered as she turned to go back to her room. "You're as bad as Ranma." She cuddled the still 'bweeing' P-chan as she walked and cooed: "I won't let the nasty gaijin hurt you, P-chan." She paused at the door and glared at Jeff once more. "Surely, you're not going to sleep with that barnyard animal?" Jeff's incredulous voice was punctuated by Akane's glare just before she stepped into her room and slammed the door shut. "Then again, maybe you are." Downstairs, the two fathers just shook their heads. "Yes, *much* work left to do." Genma absently scratched his bald head while studying the shoghi board. "Quite so, my friend. Still, it's nice having all the children home again." Soun's voice was interrupted by a loud yell from back towards the bath. Seconds later, a naked male Ranma came tearing through the room and down the hallway with a small white cat in hot pursuit. As the pair exited the main door, they almost ran down an elderly neighbor lady coming up the walk towards the house. She adjusted her glasses at the naked Ranma as he sped past, heading for the dojo. What her thoughts might have been will forever be unknown as Kasumi, following calmly, noticed her and offered the appropriate evening greeting. "Oh, konnbenwa, Suzuki-senpai," Kasumi said in her friendliest voice while bowing politely. "I hope we're not making too much noise again." "No," the lady watched as the naked Ranma scrambled through the door of the dojo, followed by the bounding white cat. His cries of 'Get away from me' provided the background for further conversation. "I've come on behalf of a friend's son - as a 'go between'." "Oh my," Kasumi remarked in a tiny voice, her fingers lightly covering her mouth in surprise. Her thoughts, too, were interrupted. "Was that Ranma?" Akane asked as she scurried up to the ladies. "Yes. That way." Kasumi pointed towards the dojo, holding her pose while Akane quickly bowed her way past the pair and ran towards the practice building. "Wasn't that..." Mrs. Suzuki paused as her aged mind sorted through all the bits of information at her immediate disposal. "Nabiki?" she finally asked. "No, that was Akane." Kasumi corrected politely. "Then the other was..." "Ranma." "Isn't he..." "Engaged to Akane." "Wasn't he..." "Yes, he was running naked through our yard." "Isn't that..." "A little strange, yes. But we've gotten used to it." Kasumi sighed. "Damned strange boy, if you ask me." "You've got me there, Suzuki-senpai." The pair watched the darkened dojo for a few minutes, noting all the commotion. Mrs. Suzuki quietly tried to make some sense out of the noises coming from the building. "Ahhhhh. Get it off! Get it off!" "Hold still, you pervert!" "Meowwww!!!" "Let go of him, you bimbo!" Kasumi cleared her throat and invited the confused looking elderly neighbor inside for tea. Mrs. Suzuki accepted but continued to stare at the dojo as she entered the house. Upstairs, Nabiki finally relented and opened the door to her husband. Looking rightfully chastised, Jeff slunk through the door and into the room. Nabiki, however, wasn't through with him. "So, you don't think my figure is as good as Ranma's." She leaned against the closed door, crossed her arms, and glared at her husband. "I've worked hard to get back to my pre-pregnancy condition. You know that." Jeff just looked at the floor and tried to convey an expression of repentance - his eyes glancing up at his wife, showing his apology as best he could. He wasn't sure if she was really angry or playing one of her 'games' again. Nabiki caught his sheepish looks. She knew he was sorry but secretly enjoyed being the 'master', especially in her former home. "Have you had your bath yet?" She started tapping her foot. "I'm not letting you in bed without a bath." Jeff's look told her he hadn't. She suppressed her little smile as she hatched the rest of her plan. "Get your things and go take your bath." Nabiki stepped aside and waited patiently for her husband to comply. Armed with his night clothes Jeff slunk to the door. "Just a minute, buster," Nabiki growled. Jeff stopped and looked at his wife. Without so much as a warning smile, Nabiki grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a kiss as passionate as any she'd ever given him. Seconds later, she broke the kiss and stepped back - her face still hard and serious. She was the master here and Jeffrey better at least act like he knew it. "Now," She began while straightening her clothes. "Go take your bath." "Yes ma'am," Jeff pouted as he opened the door. If this was a new game of Nabiki's, he was secretly starting to like it. "Git!" she growled as she spanked his butt through the door. "I've got things to do here." Jeff scurried into the hall and paused only long enough to grin at the closed door behind him, before heading for the bath. Nabiki was inventing new 'games' with this trip. Secretly, Jeff enjoyed them more than he let on - it helped their marriage. As Jeff passed the main room, he noticed Kasumi seated around the main table with an older lady dressed in a drab kimono. He couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable his sister-in-law looked. This was a new experience for him; he'd *never* seen Kasumi with such an expression before. Without asking who the older lady was, as it was impolite to do so unless invited, Jeff proceeded to the bath, seemingly unnoticed by the ladies. Kasumi took a sip of her tea, trying to remain calm in the presence of her neighbor - her official 'go-between'. "Normally, my dear, I'd be dealing with your mother first. But since..." Mrs. Suzuki suddenly seemed tongue-tied at the suggestion of Kasumi's late mother. They had been friends ever since her mother came to live in Nerima as a little girl. She had seen just about everybody living in the neighborhood grow up but was particularly fond of the little girl who grew up and married the dashing and handsome Soun Tendo. "I understand, Suzuki-senpai," Kasumi nervously replied as she stared at the cup in her hands. This was all new to her. Having a 'go-between' contact the family indicated some young man was interested enough in her to take such a serious step. In spite of how excited she was, it understandably left Kasumi all... flushed. The two women talked in generalities for several seconds until they both noticed the fathers, still sitting at the shoghi board, leaning perceptibly towards the ladies like they were eavesdropping. Kasumi was the first to notice as she fixed her father with a blank stare. Mrs. Suzuki caught on quickly and turned to duplicate Kasumi's blank stare at the two men. Several seconds ticked by as the room grew totally quiet. Slowly, Soun's eyes rolled to look at Genma. His friend did the same his direction. "Ahem," Soun cleared his throat as he tried to think of what to say. "After all, I *am* her father." Somehow, that didn't seem to have any effect as the two women continued to stare blankly at the fathers. Obviously, the conversation between Kasumi and the 'go-between' was not going to proceed with the men in attendance. "Well, Saotome, I believe it's been a long time since we've visited Mr. Miyagi's establishment. I think I could go for a cold beer right now." Soun looked at his friend out of the corners of his eyes. "Weren't we just there yester..[Oooof]" Genma's reply was abruptly cut off by his friend's elbow in his ribs. He got the message. "Yes, I quite agree. A cold beer would taste quite good right now." The two fathers got up, bowed respectfully to the ladies, and began to leave. Genma hesitated next to Mrs. Suzuki before bending over and asking in a low voice: "Are you available to act as a 'go-between' for another pair I happen to know?" "Saotome!" Soun yelled from the hallway. "Subtle, you're not." he added as Genma quickly caught up with him. Kasumi apologized for her father and his friend as the two men walked to the door. She heard the door open and close. For several seconds, the two women sipped their tea and waited. Kasumi was an expert on every little sound the old house made. She could tell who was coming down the stairs in the morning or walking through the house during the day by the sounds of their footsteps. She knew every loose board and panel. Kasumi Tendo quietly smiled to herself. "Did you forget something, father?" she asked in a loud voice. "Ah... no... not really," came her father's voice from the hallway. "Come along, Saotome." "How did she know we were still here?" Genma's startled voice sounded genuinely shocked at being discovered. The door opened and closed again. This time, the ladies waited to hear the gate out front do the same before continuing their discussion. "Now then, Miss Tendo," Mrs. Suzuki smiled broadly. "I'm here on behalf of a young man who's family I've known for many years. While I'm no expert at these things, I've watched the young man in question grow up and think he'd be a good match for you and your family." "Was this request made by the young man in question or by his family?" Kasumi smiled at her cup of tea. "By the family." "I trust his mother approves of my family." "Quite so. They are most impressed with the Tendo family line." "I suppose we should begin dating then." "Yes, the Watanabe family is most anxious for their son to be wed." Kasumi's eyes 'ponged' open as she stared at her tea in thinly disguised shock. Mentally, she replayed the last few exchanges in her head, over and over. No matter how hard she tried, it still came out 'Watanabe'. "Who?" "Kenji Watanabe. He's a new policeman just assigned to our district. I understand you've already met him." Akane followed the scratched and bruised Ranma back to the house. Ranma, having to improvise a covering, wore an old blanket wrapped around himself like a toga. "Go upstairs and get ready for bed. I'll get some hot water and deal with our little... feline problem." Akane sounded almost amused at the thought of what she was going to do. She'd trapped Shampoo's cat form under a leaky old bucket out in the dojo. She figured she'd just heat up some water, making sure it was really hot, then pour it over the base of the bucket so it would seep through to the cat. She chuckled inwardly at the thought of a naked Shampoo materializing with a bucket on her head - faced with the prospect of wandering home through the busy early evening streets of Nerima dressed only in an itchy, moth eaten old blanket that Akane would, thoughtfully, provide. In any case, this evening's romp was *not* going to endear her in any way to the Chinese Amazon. Akane gleefully thought as she entered the kitchen. Jeff was just beginning to relax in the hot water of the furo. It wasn't like the one back home, where everything was new and modern - this furo had more of a personality; more history. From the chipped tile that surrounded the edge to the discolored ceiling overhead, each was the result of many years of use. He contentedly closed his eyes and idly thought of all the people who had used this furo over the years - how it was, at one time, the gathering point for the family. He wondered how many generations of Tendos sat in the very spot he was sitting in, soaking in the steaming hot water. He didn't know any of the early Tendos, so his thoughts wandered back over the current occupants of the residence. He thought of Soun and his wife, and how it must have seemed like heaven to them, having the old place to themselves. He could imagine in his mind's eye how little Kasumi would splash and play with her parents in a time when she could be a child and only a child. He also saw Nabiki and later Akane joining the family. The furo must have gotten crowded. He was just getting to the part where he was visualizing the scene Nabiki told him about that occurred 12 years ago, the night her mother died, when he heard the door to the inner bath open. With a little panic, Jeff spun around in the water to see who was intruding on his bath time. What he saw caused his jaw to drop. Standing in the doorway, innocently holding a small towel in front of her was Nabiki. She eyed him with her little smile before slowly dropping the towel and posing against the open door. "And *who* has the best body in the family?" she cooed seductively. She already knew the answer but was enjoying the remainder of her little 'game' anyway. "Well, I don't really know," Jeff started innocently. "I haven't really gotten a good look at your sisters' and..." "Jeffrey." Nabiki's prompt was as much a 'get to the point' as it was a warning. "None better than my lovely wife," Jeff finally answered, grinning like a little boy in a peep show. "I thought so," Nabiki answered as she shut the door and wandered over to the furo. "Room for two in there?" "It could be a little tight for two adults." "Well, we'll just have to see what we can do about that." Nabiki gently slid into the water and onto her husband's lap. "See? It fits two." Kasumi was just bidding her guest goodnight at the front door when a commotion in the dojo drew both of their attentions. It sounded like two females yelling at each other - only one was yelling in Chinese. They watched as the door to the dojo burst open and a naked Shampoo, her purple tresses trailing behind her, dashed across the compound only to disappear around the corner of the house. "Wasn't that...?" "The Chinese girl from the restaurant down the street." "Wasn't she...?" "Yes, she was running naked through our yard." "Isn't that..." "A little strange, yes. But we've gotten used to it." Kasumi sighed. "I see. Well, goodnight." The old lady waddled up the walk, casting curious glances around the corner of the house, trying to see just where the naked Chinese girl with the long purple hair went to - all the time thinking to herself: Kasumi was just about to go back inside when Akane, dripping wet but with a huge grin on her face, came slowly out of the darkened dojo. Ambling slowly past her older sister, Akane grinned happily and sloshed her way inside the house - leaving little puddles wherever she went. Kasumi watched her sister go before turning back to see a small white, and very wet, cat slip out the main gate of the compound. she thought with a shake of her head. Kasumi entered the house with a sigh. She now had a wet mess to clean up before going to bed. She closed the front door and turned to get the mop. Walking down towards the bath to get the mop, Kasumi stopped suddenly in the hall when she thought she heard a noise coming from the bath. Shaking her head and dismissing any thought about strange noises, she entered the outer room and retrieved her mop and bucket. Another noise from the bath attracted her attention - it sounded like a giggle. Quietly setting the mop and bucket down, she crept up to the inner door and cracked it open just enough to see inside. What she saw caused her to immediately blush, cover her mouth in surprise and turn away. she thought to herself as she quickly picked up the bucket and mop again. Kasumi quietly closed the outer door and started down the hall. Leaving her sister and brother-in-law to their privacy. It had certainly been an interesting evening. At 2:37 AM, the Sodoshi alarm went off, waking the entire household. All except Genma and Soun, who were blissfully sleeping off their visit to Mr. Miyagi's establishment. For the others... "It's *your* turn, Jeffrey." "Why always me?" Just another day at the Tendos.