Legal: The characters of Ranma 1/2 were created by the great Rumiko 
Takahashi.
I am using them without permission, hopefully for the purpose of 
entertaining someone.  If anyone who has a right to sue me has that 
desire, I have almost no money.

	C&C is appreciated, you can contact me at brenda02@sprynet.com
--------

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfict
Surreal Genius
By Brendan O'Donnell
Part four

	Ranma followed Akane into the waiting room of the Clinic.  Dr. 
Tofu was a chiropractor who was also skilled at acupuncture and herbal 
medicine.  And Akane knew him quite well.
	*'Whenever I was hurt, he'd always fix it.'* Akane had told him 
on the way over.  And the way she had talked about him said even more. 
 *I think I've found another reason to be glad I put off that 
engagement question.* Ranma thought as he looked at Akane's smile.
	"Doctor Tofu!" Akane called into the clinic.  A door opened and 
in walked a man in his mid twenties wearing a brown gi.  His brown hair 
was tied in back with a very short pony tail, and a pair of glasses sat 
on his face.
	"Ah, Akane!" he said with a smile.  "It's been a while since 
you've been by."
	"Oh, well I didn't... that is, I haven't done anything,  I've 
haven't really gotten hurt in a while," Akane responded, her face 
reddened somewhat.  Ranma glanced at her and smiled.
	"And you must be Ranma," Dr. Tofu said, turning to him.
	"Pleased to meet you," Ranma responded with a slight bow.
	"How do you know about Ranma?" Akane asked.
	"Oh your father talked about him the other day," Dr. Tofu 
responded.  He turned to Ranma and added, "Mr. Tendo mentioned that 
deal you made about the engagement question.  He was upset, but I know 
you did the right thing.  I mean you're both too young to be thinking 
about marriage."
	Akane sighed, her smile fading into a look of sadness.
	"So why are you here?" Dr. Tofu asked, not noticing Akane's 
change of mood.
	"Uh, it's not that major," Ranma responded, tearing his eyes 
away from Akane.  *Oh boy, maybe I should talk to mom?*

	"So, he's a martial artist?" Ranma asked Akane as they ran back 
to the Dojo together.
	"How could you tell?"
	Ranma glanced at her with a surprised look on his face.  "How 
he caries himself,  the way he moves, it's obvious if you know how to 
look."
	Akane flushed slightly.  "I guess, I just have a hard time 
associating him with any sort of martial arts.  He just doesn't act 
it."
	"You like him," Ranma stated.
	Akane stumbled slightly, and looked at Ranma, her cheeks 
burning.  "Wh- What makes you say that?"
	"Oh a lot of little things that'd scream it to anyone who's 
sufficiently distant from the relationship to look objectively," Ranma 
responded.  Looking her in the eye he added, "Just be careful not to 
tell sis, she fancies herself a real matchmaker."
	"ONIICHAN!" called Noriko from down the street.
	Ranma looked at his little sister as she ran up to the pair, 
and jumped down from the fence she had used as her path.  "Oniichan, 
there's something I'd like to know about your day today..."
	"Does it involve these?" Ranma responded, holding out the 
pictures of his female side which Kuno had been carrying.
	Noriko looked them over and nodded.  "Yep, Nabiki snatched the 
Negatives when she thought I wasn't looking.  I just wanted to figure 
out what she was doing with them."
	"Apparently she sold them to this pervert in class who's 
infatuated with my girl side," Ranma responded.
	"EWWW!" Noriko replied.  "Did you... what did you call it..."
	"Apply kinetic aversion treatment?"
	"Yeah, did you beat him senseless?!"
	"I'm afraid he was pretty senseless to begin with," Ranma 
responded.  "I changed when he was watching and he still doesn't 
realize that the girl is actually me."
	"I see.  So do you want to do anything about Nabiki?  I 
definitely owe her something for trying to put one over on me," Noriko 
responded.
	"Well, I am a bit upset about her selling Kuno those photos.  
Still, she's your sister Akane, how do you feel about all this?"
	"Huh?" Akane responded.  "Well, I'm a bit upset too, but 
Nabiki's not malicious, and I'm sure she didn't intend anything bad.  
She's been supplementing the family income with stuff like those 
pictures for a few years, and I try to let it slide as long as it 
doesn't get too bad."
	"Ah, so she could be seen as using the photo's of me as an 
alternative of getting rent from me.  Of course I should have enough in 
the bank that there's no real need of this."  Ranma thought a moment.  
"You know, I do feel like doing something in retaliation."  He turned 
to Akane "If you say don't I won't do anything.  I promise that we 
won't actually hurt Nabiki, if we do anything."
	"No, I'm feeling a little mad at her for selling Kuno those 
pictures of me.  Go for it!"
	"Ok, now what to do?" Ranma responded, stroking his chin while 
he thought.
	Noriko shook her head, "You know you're no good at sneaky stuff 
Oniichan.  I've got a little idea, if you're interested."
	Akane and Ranma leaned over close to Noriko.  "I'm interested," 
Ranma responded.
	"Ok, you know that weird Chi thing you're working on?..."

	Nabiki was siting on the edge of the back walkway reading a 
Manga, when Noriko came up to her holding the photo album she had shown 
her last night.
	"Hi Nabiki," Noriko said as she sat and started going through 
the album.
	"Noriko," Nabiki responded with a smile.  Her smile slipped a 
little when she saw the album.  "Uh, is there any reason you've got 
that out?"
	"Yeah, this morning I noticed some of the negatives were 
missing.  I was just trying to figure out where they might have gone," 
Noriko said, focusing her attention to the book.
	"OH, Well....  I sort of borrowed them earlier," Nabiki said.  
She pulled the negative's from her bag and added "Here they are, I was 
planing to put them back in later."
	"Hmm, I was wondering if you had anything to do with it, but I 
couldn't see what you'd want with them."  She looked Nabiki in the eye 
and raised an eyebrow.
	"Well, actually there's a few folk in school who were impressed 
enough by a few of the pictures to want to buy some, and I figured that 
you wouldn't mind letting me borrow those negatives to help pay for 
you're family's visit."
	"Why should I mind that?" Noriko responded.  "What I mind is 
you not talking to Ranma and me before going ahead and selling those 
pictures.  And if you needed money we can definitely afford it."
	"Well... if daddy heard about me asking for money he'd start 
sobbing and lecture me about self reliance and being good hosts."
	"Yeah, but why not ask us about the pictures?" Noriko asked.
	"Uh, actually I wasn't sure your brother would go along with 
the idea," Nabiki responded, looking quite nervous.
	Noriko looked at her quizzically.  She closed her eyes and 
said, "Oh, selling revealing shots to guy's who're into that sort of 
thing.  Ranma'd really hate that.  He hasn't found out yet has he?"
	"Actually he ran into someone who bought some photo's after 
school."
	Noriko winced and asked, "How many months will that guy be in 
the hospital?"
	"Oh, he didn't do anything that severe, he just knocked the guy 
out, and took back the photo's."
	"Uh, did he threaten or lecture you?" Noriko asked with a 
slightly worried expression.
	"No, he just looked annoyed and went off to a local doctor's 
office with Akane."
	"Uh oh.  No it's gotta be out of his system by now," Noriko 
muttered to herself.
	"What was that Noriko?" Nabiki asked.
	"Oh nothing, I was just recalling something unpleasant that 
happened a few years ago, but I'm sure it's over."
	"What?"
	"Well..."  Noriko looked around her.  Leaning close to Nabiki 
she said, "Promise me that you'll keep this a secret, and never let 
Ranma know I told you."
	Nabiki looked into Noriko's very serious face.  "OK, I 
promise."
	"Well, a few years ago when my brother was into this Mad 
scientist thing...  Well he's still into it, he's just more careful  
Anyway, he was experimenting with these Chi enhancing potions and one 
of the ones he tried wound up turning him psychotic for brief periods 
of time."
	"... That doesn't happen anymore though, right?" Nabiki 
responded with a slightly worried expression.
	"He only took it that once and didn't do anything similar ever 
again.  Thing is he sometimes got these flashbacks, first he'd be 
unnaturally calm for a few hours, then he'd get this weird multicolor 
aura and pummel anyone who'd upset him within the past month until they 
stopped moving.  Don't worry the last time it happened was six months 
ago, he's fine now."
	The pair was interrupted by a scream.  Akane flew over the wall 
and rolled along the ground coming to a halt face down by the pond.  
She didn't move.  Then another figure leaped over the wall and landed 
in a crouch alongside the wall.  The figure, glowing with a purple aura 
streaked with red rose to it's feet and looked at the porch with wild 
eyes.  It was Ranma.
	"Nabiki..."  Ranma almost whispered it, but Nabiki heard it 
quite well.
	"Uh oh, I guess he's not completely over it," Noriko said 
rising to her feet.  "Now Ranma, you're not in full control of 
yourself, if you could just..."  Ranma stepped forward and cut her off 
with a barely visible backhand that threw Noriko to the ground where 
she lay quietly.
	Nabiki had stood while Noriko had approached her brother, and 
now she was backing away from him.  He looked at her, she hurried, 
stumbled and fell back landing with her back to the wall.  Before she 
could try to move Ranma was just in front of her.  With a scream she 
held her arms before her head while closing her eyes and turning her 
head away.  A hand touched her shoulder.
	"You know you shouldn't take peoples things without asking 
them," Ranma said in a very normal voice.  Nabiki opened her eyes and 
looked ahead.  In front of her was a widely grinning Ranma, to his left 
was Noriko holding a small camcorder, and to his right was Akane with a 
wide grin that was threatening to break down into wild laughter any 
second.  "And that goes double for selling photos of people," Ranma 
added.  Akane started laughing.
	"Is it my fault you folk cost so much to feed?" Nabiki said in 
an annoyed tone as she glared at her sister.
	"No, but it is your fault for not seeing if we could pay for it 
ourselves," Ranma replied.  "We can."  *Yeah, I'm pretty sure rent 
would involve fourth to fifth power, and the account should be seventh 
power.*
	Nabiki looked at the trio in front of her and scowled.  "OK! 
FINE! I'M SORRY!  Happy now?"
	"That'll do for now," Ranma replied with a grin.  He extended 
his hand to Nabiki, who slapped it away as she stood.  She focused a 
very hateful look at her younger sister who was still laughing.
	"I-I'm sorry Nabiki, but you know I don't like you selling Kuno 
those photo's of me," Akane said, forcing her laughter back into a 
smile.
	Nabiki turned her gaze back to Ranma.  "And just how did you 
manage that weird aura thing anyway?"
	Ranma took off his shirt.  The T-shirt he was wearing 
underneath had several wires and a few metal plates taped to it.  "It's 
a special chi-conductive metal I've been studying since before the trip 
to China.  You just get the right mix of alloys, focus some of your chi 
through them, and voila."  Ranma concentrated a second and the red and 
purple aura reappeared.  "It takes a little effort to maintain though," 
he said letting the aura vanish.
	Nabiki looked the trio over once again.  She turned and walked 
calmly up to her room.  They could hear the slam of her door closing 
quite distinctly.
	"You know, it's probably a good thing your heading home with 
mom and dad tomorrow," Ranma commented to his sister.
	Noriko looked around her and sighed slightly, "I guess," she 
replied.
	"Hey, don't worry, you can visit anytime you want!" Akane said 
to Noriko.  "And if you need an excuse, just say you don't trust Ranma 
in a house with three girls."
	"Hey!  What kind of guy do you think I am?!"
	"The kind who uses a gender changing curse to sneak into girls 
baths," Akane said with a playful grin.
	"Haven't we laid that fiction to rest?" Ranma retaliated.
	Akane looked at him a moment then said "Well... OK, I won't 
mention it anymore."
	"Sounds good," Ranma replied with a smile.
	"If you'll excuse me, I think I should have a little chat with 
Nabiki," Noriko said as she began climbing up the stairs.

	The Saotome's and Tendo's were sitting around the breakfast 
table eating the miso soup that Kasumi and Nodoka had prepared 
together.  The two of them were chatting quietly about meals they 
enjoyed making, everyone else focused on something they understood.  
Nabiki was deliberately avoiding looking at Ranma and Akane, talking 
quietly with Noriko instead.
	"Hmm, looks like they made up last night."  Ranma quietly 
commented to Akane who was sitting next to him.
	Akane looked at her sister, then at Ranma's.  *I've always been 
the little sister around here...*  "You've got a great sister, you're 
really lucky."
	"See if you still think that when Mom gets you to baby-sit."  
Ranma reached for the same vegetable Akane was picking up.  "Sorry, 
it's yours."
	"Still, it must be hard on her..."  Akane tapered off.  She had 
avoided talking about how Ranma and Genma's new curses had affected the 
rest of his family.
	Ranma looked at her and smiled.  "Don't worry, as far as 
Noriko's concerned, Jusenkyo gave her a giant teddy bear for a father, 
and the big sister she's always wished for.  The only thing that 
depresses her about the trip is that there wasn't any Spring of Drowned 
Magical Girl for her to jump into."
	Akane looked back at him and returned the smile.
	"Oh, Akane?" Kasumi said, noticing that she and Ranma were 
finished with their breakfast.
	"Yes Oneechan?" Akane replied.
	"If you have the time could you return this book to Dr. Tofu's 
after school for me?"  Kasumi asked, holding up a small book.
	Akane's smile vanished.  "Uh, I'm busy after school today..."
	Ranma looked at her with a puzzled expression.  "Isn't that 
book a great excuse?..." he whispered.
	"Time to go Ranma!"  Akane shouted as she shot to her feet.  
Grabbing Ranma's hand she rushed out the door.
	"Hey, what gives?"  Ranma shouted as he was dragged down the 
street.  The splash of water thrown by the old woman watering her step 
went unnoticed as the pair ran to school.  At the gates Akane came to a 
stop.  "Uh, Akane?"  Ranma asked.
	"Could you mind your own business?"  Akane replied, her voice 
resonating with pain and sorrow.  She looked at Ranma, anger in her 
eyes.  The anger was displaced by shock as she glanced down at Ranma's 
female body.  A quick prod with a finger confirmed the reality of 
Ranma's chest.  "When?"  She broke off, and spun, cursing herself for 
her inattention.
	The mob was there.  Akane shifted into a defensive stance, then 
dropped out of it when she saw that they were just standing quietly in 
front of the school.
	"Akane."  The president of the Karate club stepped forward.  
"Uh, we've all talked about it and well, we wanted you to know we 
aren't going to fight you like that anymore."
	"You aren't?"  Akane responded, a puzzled expression on her 
face.
	"Oh, we still think you're the prettiest girl in school, and 
we'll all be really jealous of whoever you wind up going out with, but 
we think Saotome's right.  Love isn't something that's won in a fight, 
and we'll just let you decide who you want for yourself."
	Akane glanced at Ranma looking slightly annoyed.
	Ranma looked back at her, shrugged her shoulders and said, 
"Truth is really powerful."
	The president of the fencing club interjected, "That's true, 
plus my folks were getting really mad about the Doctor bills from the 
daily fights."  He and the rest of the mob chortled half heartedly.
	"Besides," the Rugby club president added, "Saotome might not 
believe in interfering, but if he can trash Kuno we'd be idiots to get 
on his bad side."
	"Lies!"  Shouted Kuno as he walked around the building.  His 
face and chest were covered with bandages under his Kendo outfit.  
"Some fool has spread false rumors that Saotome has bested me..."  Kuno 
staggered and fell to one knee.  He pushed himself back up with his 
Shinai.
	"Pride is one thing, denial of reality is something else," 
Ranma said, shaking her head as she looked at Kuno.
	Kuno looked at her.  "Oh, Pigtailed girl.  I have waited so 
long to see your beauteous visage again."  He pulled the bandages off 
his face, revealing the two footmarks.
	*What does it take to make this idiot get the point!*  "Kuno, 
are you actually going to try coming on to me when Akane's three feet 
away?"
	Kuno looked at Akane who was standing with her back to them 
both.  "Ah, fair Akane  do not fear.  I have not abandoned you!  For my 
heart is a boundless fount of love that can embrace the pigtailed one 
and not take any of my love from you."  Kuno said stepping toward her.
	"You are aware that being a two timer is even less attractive 
than being obnoxious and being arrogant?  As they say in baseball 
strike three!"  Ranma commented.
	"Kuno," Akane said quietly.  She looked at him.  "Chase after 
her all you want. It won't change my feelings in any way."
	Ranma looked at her.  *AH MAN! What's the big idea of 
encouraging this moron!*
	Kuno took step back from the two girls.  "Oh, how deep her 
feelings, how beautiful the fair lily Akane.  How can I part with her; 
and yet the pigtailed girl, such vitality, my energetic dandelion.  
What can I do!?"  Kuno ran away a few feet and assumed a pose of 
intense contemplation.  He turned.  "I SHALL DATE WITH YOU BOTH!!" he 
screamed as he rushed forward, being thrown back by simultaneous impact 
of Ranma and Akane's feet to his face.

	In PE class Ranma's classmates Daisuke and Hiroshi watched as 
Ranma effortlessly outperformed the best acrobat in the class.  After a 
easy landing from the bar he walked over to sit by the pair.  "Hey 
Saotome, is there anything you're not an expert at?" Daisaku asked
	Ranma sat, looked over the next participant and said "Of 
course, there's even a few things I'm lousy at."
	"Like..."   Hiroshi started to ask, stopping to look at the 
girls baseball game in progress nearby.  Specifically at Akane who was 
jumping to catch a pop fly.  "Wow."
	"Hey Saotome, have you gotten anywhere with Akane yet?"  
Daisaku asked.
	"Gotten, No!  What kind of question's that anyway?"
	"Come on Saotome!"  Hiroshi said.  "You're living in her house, 
you walk to school with her every morning, you're the reason those 
guy's who kept attacking her stopped."
	"Yeah, are you trying to say that haven't even tried anything."
	Ranma turned his head to look at Daisaku.  "Is it some sort of 
crime too..."  The impact of the baseball with the side of his face cut 
off his retort.  *Ah great.*  When someone was attacking him with 
anything from fists to shurikens, Ranma's first sense of the attack was 
his awareness of the focusing hostility.  Unfortunately with accidental 
events like this that didn't happen.  And since he was looking the 
other way he had no warning before the ball hit.
	"Uh, couldn't you have dodged that or something?"
	"I had something on my mind."

	"Well, it's good seeing you again Ranma."  Dr. Tofu said as he 
looked over Ranma's bandaged cheek.  "Would you two like some tea?"
	"I don't want to put you to any trouble," Ranma responded.
	"Oh it's no trouble at all."  Dr. Tofu responded as he walked 
into his kitchen.
	The Phone rang.
	"Could you get that for me?"  Called Dr. Tofu.
	"OK," responded Akane.  "Moshi-moshi?  Ah...  yes."  She slowly 
hung up the phone and bowed her head sighing despondently.
	"Akane?" asked Ranma, as he walked up to look at her.
	"I'd better go now."  Akane said, turning toward the door.
	"Hey, is something wrong?"  Ranma asked.
	"Is something the matter Akane?" said Tofu as he looked out 
from the kitchen.
	"Oh nothing."
	"Well, the tea'll be ready in a minute, won't you share a cup 
with me and Ranma?"
	"Of course Doctor."  *Why did I say that, now I have to stay 
here.*
	Ranma looked at Akane again, and whispered, "Hey, what's wrong. 
 I thought you'd be happy to have tea with him."
	Akane glared at him.  Fighting back a sob she quietly said, 
"Dr. Tofu's already interested in someone.  That was her on the phone, 
she's on her way now.
	"Really?  Who?"
	Akane looked at the floor and closed her eyes.  A moment later 
she looked up, into Ranma's eyes.  "kasumi."  Ranma blinked and looked 
her in the eye.  "Dr. Tofu's completely in love with my sister Kasumi."
	"Your sure?" Ranma asked.  "Has he told anyone or anything?"
	"No but it's so obvious anyone can see."  Akane replied.
	Dr. Tofu returned with the tea.

	"Hmm, definitely a baseball."  Dr. Tofu said as he looked at 
Ranma's cheek.  "Akane hit it, right?"
	"Huh, why do you think that?"
	"The angle of the impact and the depth of the impression.  Who 
else but Akane could hit a ball that hard?"
	Ranma looked him over.  "You're joking right?"
	"Actually yes, did Akane really hit that?"
	"Yep."
	Akane sighed and looked into her tea with a forlorn expression. 
 "Now now Akane, you're just a very healthy girl.  This kind of thing 
isn't something to feel bad about."
	"Ok Doctor." Akane responded, making herself smile.
	"Well then, I'll just add a little disinfectant and bandage 
this back up."  Dr. Tofu said to Ranma.
	The door slid open.
	"Hello Dr. Tofu." said Kasumi Tendo from where she was standing 
in the doorway.
	Dr. Tofu looked at her.  His glasses fogged up.
	Dr. Tofu placed his other hand on the opposite side of Ranma's 
head.  He shifted said head almost ninety degrees to Ranma's right, to 
the accompaniment of a loud cracking noise..
	"K-Kasumi, it's so incredible to meet you here of all places." 
 Tofu said.
	"I suppose.  But what was that horrible cracking noise?"
	"Noise, what noise?"
	"Ranma, what's the matter with your head?" Kasumi asked.
	"It's nothing."  Ranma responded, wanting to minimize his 
exposure to Dr. Tofu until he could see how to restore his rationality.
	"Oh, Ranma just had a little problem with a baseball."  Dr. 
Tofu said to Akane.  She turned him around so that he was facing 
Kasumi.  "What brings you here?"
	"Oh I just came by to return this book I borrowed from you."  
She reached into the basket she was holding and pulled out a plate 
wrapped in a napkin.  "And...  I don't know if it's a fitting gift or 
not..."
	Dr. Tofu stepped up to Kasumi, and accepted the plate.  
Removing the napkin he put the plate on the counter.  "Well now," he 
said as he tied the napkin around his face.  "What a great mask!  It's 
fitting pretty well too."
	"That's just the wrapping."  Kasumi said, picking up the plate 
of cookies and placing it in Dr. Tofu's hands.
	Dr. Tofu pulled down the napkin, and nibbled on the edge of the 
plate.  "Mm, crunchy."
	"Uh, that's the plate." Kasumi said, smiling at him.
	Akane looked the scene over and sighed.  "I'd better be going, 
sis."
	"Are you sure?"  Kasumi said, trailing off as she watched Akane 
leave.  "What's wrong with her?  We could have walked home together."
	Ranma stood and walked after her.

	"What's wrong?"  Nodoka asked as she set down the small 
suitcase she was carrying and walked up to Akane.  She looked up as she 
heard Ranma close the door.  "And your neck Ranma?"
	"It's nothing major."  Ranma said while Akane just sighed.
	Nodoka walked up to Ranma, ran her finger along his neck a 
second.  Her left hand slipped between his head and his shoulder.  She 
precisely spread two of the fingers of  her right hand.  With a quick 
motion she jabbed two points on Ranma's neck a moment before cracking 
his head back upright.
	"ITAI!"  Ranma exclaimed through clenched teeth.  He rubbed his 
neck a second.  "Thanks mom."
	"No problem, Ranma."  Nodoka replied.  She turned to Akane.  
"Now, what's wrong?"
	"I-It's nothing," Akane said quietly.
	"Uh-huh.  Come on, the Dojo's more private."  Taking Akane by 
the hand Nodoka led the way to the Dojo.
	Ranma started to follow the two of them.  Then he stopped a 
moment,  turned and went up to his room and lay on the futon.

	He lay there about a minute, then stood.  Opening the window he 
silently leaped to the roof of the Dojo.  Walking to the edge of the 
roof he peered into the room.
	His mother was holding Akane as she wept.
	*Oh boy.*  Ranma stood, and leaped onto the roof of the main 
house.  Walking to the front edge of the roof he sat down and sighed.  
*Damn, I knew she'd need someone to talk too.  Lucky it was mom, if 
she'd needed my help...  What would I have done?*  Ranma clenched his 
teeth in frustration, then sighed.  "Physics, Metalurgy, Archaelolgy, 
Martial arts."  He shook his head.  "That I know."
	"Hey," called a voice from the side of the roof.  Hearing it 
Ranma walked over and looked down.  Below him was Nabiki leaning out 
her window.  "Sorry I can't join you up there but some of us are 
normal." she said with a slight grin.
	Griping the edge of the roof he rolled down onto her 
windowsill.  "Is there something you want?"
	Nabiki stepped back giving Ranma room to enter.  "Well I do 
want to talk about Rent while daddy won't hear, but I also wanted to 
know what's wrong with Akane?  There's definitely something."
	Ranma looked into her face, rather than the looks of smug 
anticipation or the more common poker face she had a look of faint 
worry.  "She was with me when I stopped by Dr. Tofu's.  And she didn't 
leave till after Kasumi showed up."
	"Ah yes.  I should have guessed," Nabiki responded.  "So you 
checked on her, what's she doing?  Not to mention your mom?"
	"Mom's just holding her, and she's crying.  If you value your 
life and well-being this information doesn't leave this room."
	Nabiki looked at Ranma hardly.  "Look I may do some things you 
find honorably questionable for money, but I will die before I do 
anything that would hurt either of my sisters."
	Ranma matched her gaze a moment then smiled and nodded.  "Good 
answer.  Well, Noriko's a good judge of character and I wouldn't have 
said anything about Akane to you otherwise."
	"I'll trust some of the things Noriko's said about your mom 
too.  Assuming Akane's in good hands that just leaves us deciding on a 
decent rent for you to pay."  Nabiki smiled and took a notebook from 
the drawer in her desk.
	Ranma returned the smile.  "Not to mention a way to hide me 
paying that rent from your father."
	The fact that the amount of rent to be paid was determined 
after fifty three seconds of  debate stems partially from the fact that 
Nabiki was deliberately trying avoid excessive overcharging, and 
partially from the fact that Ranma had always avoided the subject of 
accounting because his impressive mathamatical understanding mainly 
stemmed from his attempts to minamise his use of arathmatic, something 
he was truly lousy at.

	"Bye, mom."  Ranma said, embracing his mother.  They were 
standing in the front hall of the Tendo house, Noriko was standing off 
to the side right next to Nabiki.  Genma was standing by the door with 
a large backpack on his back and two suitcases under each arm.  Soun 
was standing opposite the group, tears streaming down his face, but 
fortunately this trickle was the extent of his weeping.  Ranma and his 
mother released each other and stepped apart.
	"Now you take care of yourself Akane."  Nodoka said as she 
stepped up to Akane and bowed to her.
	Akane returned her bow with a smile.  She sniffled slightly 
then said, "I will Auntie Nodoka."
	Nodoka turned and walked to open the door.  Genma and Noriko 
walked out, and she followed them.  She paused before closing the door 
and looked at Ranma.  "Oh Ranma, don't forget about this Sunday."
	Ranma winced then forced himself to cheerfully reply, "I 
wouldn't mom."
	"If you want to invite Akane and Nabiki their welcome too."
	*Invite them to laugh at my expense.*  "I'll do that mom."
	Nodoka shut the door.
	"What's happening this Sunday?"  Nabiki asked.
	Ranma fixed a baleful look at her a moment, then sighed and 
shut his eyes.  "Well, when it turned out that Dad and I were going to 
stay cursed a while, mom decided that I should take advantage of this 
opportunity to develop an understanding of what it means to be a woman. 
 So once a month she has a "girls night out" with me.  I have to spend 
the day in my female form, and call myself her daughter Ranko."  
Hearing a pair of giggles he opened his eyes to look at the two 
youngest Tendo sisters.  "Well, do you want to come?  I haven't been 
seen by anyone who knows me yet."
	"I wouldn't miss it for anything."  Akane replied with a 
laughter filled voice.
	"And I think it makes a good payback for that little joke."  
Nabiki added.
	*Well, hopefully this'll get all that over with early on.* 
Ranma thought as he went to his room.