~A few hours later~
The entire Tendo household minus one was clustered around a couch on which a young girl slept. Everyone was listening to Kasumi as she explained the events of the afternoon, “...and then I carried her in here and she cried herself to sleep.”
“Did she say anything else?” Nabiki asked.
“No, she just kept saying she wanted her Daddy back.”
“Well, from the way she's dressed I'd say she's looking for Ranma but...”
Nabiki was cut off as the two fathers went into their usual routine. Soun wailing about how now the schools would never be joined and Genma moaning about his dishonorable son cheating on his fiance and having a child with another girl. A vein started throbbing on Akane's forehead as Genma went on about Ranma going off to have sex with another woman when he could have been doing it with Akane and ensuring the future of Anything Goes. Luckily for the two fools they were interrupted.
“I'm home. Hey, what's everyone doin' in here?” Ranma tried to ignore the sinking feeling he got as everyone turned to look, and in a few cases glare, at him.
“Boy, how could you do it?”
Ranma ignored Nabiki's comment of, “If you don't know that Mr. Saotome, it certainly explains quite a bit,” and quickly ran through the past several days trying to find anything that might have brought about this latest problem, whatever it was. All in all, it had been pretty quiet this week.
When no answer was immediately forthcoming, at least, no answer he wished to address, Genma went on, “Bad enough that you turn into a weak little girl, boy,” Ranma twitched at these words, “ but now, after everything I have sacrificed <twitch> and all the hardships I have endured <twitch> to bring you up correctly <twitch>, to have you just throw it all away. Oh how cursed am I to have such a dishonorable son.<twitch> What new hardship will the Kami put me through?”
“I don't know Pops,”Ranma growled, “Why don't you go find out!” With that Ranma kicked his father out into the koi pond. Turning back to everyone else Ranma asked, “Alright, I was having a pretty good day up ta now. I even got ta work on a few new techniques I've been itchin' ta try out, so..”
Ranma was interrupted by the other resident idiot, tears fountaining already, “Oh son, why would you go to someone else to try out new techniques when you could have been trying them out on Akane?”
“WHAT!?!”
“Why would I want to do that with that uncute tomboy?”
“Father, I really don't think that would be appropriate until after their married.”
“Who are you calling an uncute tomboy?”
“I'll be right back, I'm going to get a drink.”
“That's right boy. You should be practicing your technique on your fiance and working the next generation of Anything Goes. We'll move your stuff into Akane's room right now and then you can start working on providing us with a grandchild. Right Tendo?”
“Right Saotome. Err, Saotome, old friend, shouldn't we call a priest first?”
BAM. Ranma sent the two flying into the backyard, “That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard,” he yelled after them. “I ain't doin' nuthin like that with nobody!”
“Oh no Ranma?” Akane said through gritted teeth, “then what is that?” She pointed at the couch.
Ranma looked over the back of the couch and saw a little girl, sleeping fitfully. “Looks like a little girl.”
“I know that.”
“Geez, then what'dja ask me for?”
Akane kept clenching her fists as she tried to control her temper, “And what about what she's wearing? You got any explanation for that?”
“She's got good taste?” In the background they could hear Nabiki choking on her drink. “Just what the heck is going on?”
Kasumi quickly explained what had happened earlier.
“So lemme get this straight. Some girl appears out of nowhere dressed like me cryin fer her daddy and you all automatically assume she's mine?”
“Well, except for the fact that..”
“Who else could be her father, you jerk?” Nabiki looked annoyed as Akane cut her off again. With a shrug she decided to just watch the brewing fight..
“What, when I was twelve? How stupid can you be?”
“I wouldn't put it past you. You hang all over those girls, just how many of the sluts are you sleeping with? How many more children are going to come by looking for you?”
“Akane, please watch your language, we've got a young child present.”
“I ain't never seen the girl before in my life!”
“Oh so you just abandoned her mother after your little one night stand. I don't know why..”
“Daddy?”
That one quiet comment cut through the increasingly loud argument. Everyone stopped to look at the small girl peering over the back of the couch. The sad and haunted look on her tear streaked face faded away to be replaced by one of exuberant joy. “DADDY!” She leaped off the couch and practically flew to Ranma.
Ranma staggered slightly when he caught her, and she clung to him fiercely as she started crying again. “Daddy, Daddy.I missed you so much. Mommymadeyougoawayan'thenshetoldmeIwasgonnagetanewdaddybutIdidn'twan'tanewdaddyIwantedtohavemydaddybackan'mommywasgettin'madcuzIwouldn'tstopcryingsoIrantothedojoand..”
Ranma blinked a couple times while his daughter babbled at him, slowly focusing on her. He pried her arms off of him, gently, and set her down in front of him, a look of confusion on his face. Kneeling so he could look her in the eye he asked, “Ra..Ranko-chan?” He knew, he didn't know how he knew but he could feel it to the depths of his soul, this was his child. His little Ranko-chan.
That was enough for Akane. Ranma had just all but admitted the child was his. Plus he had just been lieing to her about it. “I can't believe you, you two-timing jerk!” Akane yelled.
Ranko turned horrified eyes on Akane as she raised the mallet to deliver some righteous justice upon Ranma. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
With an “oof” Akane fell backwards as pint-sized fury was vented upon her. It was surprise more than anything else that took her down, though for such a small girl she hit pretty hard. “Ranko,” Ranma called sternly. Ranko broke off and ran back to Ranma, hugging him tightly and once again crying. She turned to glare at Akane, “I hate you! I hate you! I wish you weren't my Mommy.” She buried her head back into Ranma's neck.
In the stunned silence which followed that pronouncement Ranma told everyone that he was going to take Ranko upstairs to his room and put her to bed. “An' I don't want anyone botherin' her, she's had a rough day. Understand Pops?” With a last glare at the two father's to emphasize his point he marched upstairs.
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(Posted Fri, 16 Apr 2004 18:39)
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