Well, she couldn't justify staying away now. Not when she only lived across town, and could afford to take a few weeks off, anyway. Kasumi would be coming with her family when they could arrange it, but she might not be able to make it before Soun passed on. And, of course, this would all be very hard on Akane...
"Akane?" she called out.
"Up here, Nabiki." Akane's voice traveled down from the second story.
Nabiki shook her head as she climbed the stairs. Akane was a far cry from the bratty, angry little tomboy sister she knew as a child. But when life started dumping one bad turn after the other on her, Akane learned to deal with it, instead of whining about it.
Nabiki frowned. Of course, she thought Akane had taken more than her share of shit dumped on her. It all began with the Chardin engagement. Picolette choose Akane as his fiancee, and her current fiancee - Saotome Genma's son, Ranma (or at least, so he claimed) - showed the depth of his feeling for her... by switching the engagement to Nabiki herself.
Those were two months of hell on earth. She'd never before quite understood why Akane didn't get along with Ranma... then she found out what an utter chauvinistic bastard he really was. Then Akane was sent home as 'unacceptable,' severely malnourished and with massive trauma all over her mouth and jaws.
Nabiki should have smelled a rat with the sudden care and concern Ranma was showing to Akane while she was recovering in the hospital, but she was so glad to be rid of the asshole that it slipped right by her. Right up until she found out that the creep had managed to convince Akane to marry him right away.
Nabiki shook her head again. It was a match made in hell, all right. Ranma, it seemed, wanted to marry her mainly so he could then start collecting mistresses. His mother loved it, Akane... didn't. It got worse when Akane became pregnant. It all came to a head when Hikaru was born, what with that freak Happosai baptizing the new-born boy in some kind of magic water that turns him into a girl sometimes. Ranma outright said he had no use for a son that was a girl sometimes. That was when his 'Training Trips' started.
They were still married, technically. Nodoka wouldn't hear of having a divorce. Of course, Nabiki didn't think he'd shown his face around Nerima in the last five years.
Then, of course, came the other curve balls. Akane's affair with Ryoga that nearly tore his marriage apart. Or when she got raped by Tatewaki Kuno. Not to mention the children than came from each incident.
Akane had been made stronger by each incident... but it cost her any social acceptability. Small wonder Akane rarely left the Tendo compound anymore.
Nabiki found Akane in her room, working on her computer. It still surprised her... who would have thought that Akane would have a talent for writing? But Akane's novels gave her family all they needed and more. It still seemed wrong to look at Akane with such pale skin, though...
"My sister, the computer nerd." Nabiki said with a small laugh.
Akane got up and hugged her sister. "I'm glad to see you too, Nabiki. You really should stop by more often!"
Nabiki groaned. "Yeah... well..."
Akane shook her head. "Come on, I'll make some tea." Seeing her sister hesitate, Akane sighed, and said, "Don't worry. It's instant tea. All I need to do is boil water... and you know I can do that."
Nabiki grinned. "I know. But it's my right to tease you, don't forget."
Akane rolled her eyes as they headed downstairs. Soon the knelt at the table, tea in cups before them.
"So," Nabiki started, "How are the kids?"
Akane smiled. Even if the neighbors shunned her for them, she loved all her children. "Well, Hikaru's thinking about heading to China once he learns all he can from the dojo he's currently studying under. But he promised to come home first, so he should arrive within a day or two."
"It's frightening how fast he picks things up, you know."
Akane grinned. "Yep. The Art is a part of Hikaru, to an extent I could only dream of." Then Akane frowned. "It's too bad he's not allowed to study the style that should be his birthright."
"Frankly, if Ranma's the head of the school, I think it should be closed down."
Akane just looked away a moment. Nabiki frowned at that, but then Akane spoke up again. "Well, Makoto's in Kyoto, right now. He sent me some of his latest paintings, and I think they'll sell well. He's going to try and make it, but... well..."
Nabiki shrugged. "He's his father's son. Strong as an ox, but couldn't find his way out of a paper bag."
"Please don't insult my son like that."
"Sorry." Nabiki took a sip from her tea. "And Ai? This is her last year at Furinkan, right? How's she doing?"
"Oh, she's doing fine. She spends far too much time in her garden, far too much time with her autie Kodachi, and far, far too much time with her boyfriend for my piece of mind, but other than that, she's doing great. I think she's got a real chance to get into Tokyo University, provided she can be pried off the boy."
Nabiki boggled. "How can you let Ai keep in contact with that loon?"
Akane grimaced. "I don't like it... but she's Kodachi's only relative, regardless of the... circumstances... of her conception. And Ai really does like being around her, and seems to be able to relate to her. I can't deny Ai something she wants like that, you know. Unless Kodachi does something to hurt her, I won't stop it." Then she grinned and winked. "Besides, Kodachi keeps that Sanzenin boy of hers in line much more effectively than I ever could."
Nabiki actually had to laugh at that.
"And how are you doing?"
Nabiki shrugged. "Being a freelance journalist isn't glamorous, but it pays the bills."
Akane snorted. "Uh huh. This from the woman that broke the news about that slavery ring. Or the art smugglers. And let's not forget blowing the whistle on those terrorists before they managed to detonate their little bomb in the Diet."
Now Nabiki grimaced. "Please, Akane. You make it sound like I hunt down the big cases. All of those dropped in my lap. I much prefer investigating stories where people don't shoot at me."
They were quite for a time, just sipping their tea. Then Akane broke the silence. "Are you still working with Ukyo on that... side project."
Nabiki frowned. "Yeah, but it's stalled. Ukyo swears up and down that the Ranma you married isn't the Ranma she knew as a child... but there's just nothing solid to prove it. If we could get a DNA sample, then maybe... but he's as slippery as a snake. We can't even find him, much less draw blood."
Once again, Akane flinched. Nabiki narrowed her eyes, but Akane's next statement derailed that thought. "Will Ukyo be joining us?"
Nabiki blinked. "Uhh? Why should she?"
Akane sighed. "Nabiki... I'm not Kasumi. And... I already know that you've been sleeping with her."
Nabiki nearly spit out her tea. "What? How did you..."
Akane shrugged. "She came by shortly after you two started getting serious. We talked for a while about it. I kept it to myself... but, well, this is going to be a family affair, and I'd like to get all the family together for it. And I think that includes her."
Nabiki just stared, amazed. "All this time?"
Akane nodded.
"And... you don't have a problem with it?"
Akane snorted. "Nabiki... my eldest child is as much my daughter as my son... and Hikaru's admitted that she finds men attractive, and would consent to being a wife and even a mother if she could find a man that can accept him. Makoto is so shy that I'm not sure he'll ever find someone. And I seriously worry that Ai is going to get herself pregnant before the end of the year. I don't love them any less for that... did you think I would for my sister?"
"I... I guess I was just worried..." Nabiki waved her hand in a vague manner.
"Yes, well, Kasumi might not approve, but she won't make a scene. And neither of us live under her roof, anymore. She doesn't have any say in the matter."
"Akane... thank you."
"Of course."
"Mom's Japanese? Are you sure?"
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(Posted Sat, 21 Jun 2003 09:29)
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