This is a short story set in my "Thy Outward Part" universe.  More, it 
takes place during the events described in "Definitions of Hell".  I'm 
still working on that story, but while I did, I thought I'd whip this 
off.

It's not necessary to be strictly familiar with TOP or DoH, although 
you may have some questions about a couple of points if you haven't 
read them.  :)

Let me know what you think.

-Richard
sterman@sprynet.com

|------------------------------------------------------|
| All of my fanfics can be found on my fanfic web page |
|  http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/sterman/fanfic.htm  |
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A Better World Than This

by Richard Lawson


Nabiki knew how to use a phone.

Phones were a part of her everyday life.  She brokered a lot of deals 
with a phone.  Sure, face-to-face contact was important.  Nabiki could 
wield her forceful presence and attractive features quite effectively 
in a personal meeting.  And sometimes she sent email, mostly little 
notes to keep things flowing, to make sure everyone was in sync.

But phones were what she used nearly all the time.  She'd punch the 
speaker button - she seldom held a receiver to her ear.  With the 
merest twitch of her fingers on the number pad, she could call any of 
two dozen corporate heads, any of a hundred people in other positions 
of power all throughout Japan.  More often than not she could bend them 
to her will, get them to do things that would make her money.  Much 
more often than not.

Yup, she knew phones.  They were almost a direct extension of her will. 
Even simple little phones like the one in the house she grew up in. One 
line, no speaker button, no fax.  How could Ranma possibly run a 
business without a fax number or an Internet connection?  She'd have to 
have a talk with Ranma very soon.

Simple ol' phone.  Pick it up and dial.  Easy.

Someone was tugging on her blouse.  Nabiki glanced down from where she 
sat at Ranma's desk.  "Please, dear, this cost a lot of money."

"Sorry, Aunt Nabiki."  The voice contained almost no contrition; 
instead, excitement bubbled through the words.  "We're going on a 
picnic, right?"

Nabiki nodded.  "Yes, yes.  Your, uh, mother promised."

"Yippee!"  The six-year-old twirled in place, high-kicking the air. 
"Can I help make the sandwiches?  Peanut butter and apples!"

Nabiki raised an eyebrow.  "In your sandwich?"

"It's my favorite!  Please please?"

Somewhat to her surprise, her voice was on the verge of laughter.  "All 
right, Kyoko.  In a few minutes.  Can you play by yourself for a 
while?"

"Okay."  Kyoko remained where she was, however, peering up at Nabiki. 
"Are you going to call Tazzy-wocky?"

Nabiki only just kept her eyes inside their sockets.  "How- why do you 
ask that?"

"Mommy said that there was gonna be a man with us, a strange man who 
would say silly stuff all the time.  My pretend Mommy."  Kyoko stood on 
her tiptoes so that her face was very close to Nabiki's.  "Mommy said 
that Tazzy-wocky is a nice man, and that you might like him very much 
and that's why he would be coming on the picnic with us."

"Your 'mother'," Nabiki said dryly, "is meddling in affairs that don't 
concern her and telling her 'daughter' far more than she should know."

Kyoko grinned.  "You *do* like him!"  She dropped back on her heels and 
turned to skip down the hallway.  "Auntie's in lu-uv!  Auntie's in 
lu-uv!" She continued her singsong all the way down the stairs and out 
into the yard.

Nabiki growled.  Damn kids were more damn trouble than they were worth. 
 Thank God she never had any by her ex-husband.  What a nightmare 
*that* would have been.  Not just for her, but for whatever kid she 
might have had.

Nabiki looked down at the desk, forcefully expelling strange emotions 
that were intruding into her brain.  Emotions that had no business 
being there. She was Tendo Nabiki, corporate raider extraordinaire, and 
that was all that mattered.  That was all that would ever matter.

Kyoko's voice floated through the open window from the back yard.  She 
was playing with some imaginary friend.  Soon the playing turned into a 
mock battle, with Kyoko fighting some evil demon while at the same time 
trying to suppress giggles.

Nabiki glared an accusation at the phone.  Then she snatched the 
receiver off the cradle and stabbed at the buttons.  As the phone rang, 
she tattooed a rapid rhythm with her fingertips.

The voice in her ear was cool and professional.  "BT Acquisitions.  How 
may I direct your call?"

Nabiki bit down hard on the hesitancy that wanted to creep into her 
voice. "Kuno Tatewaki, please."

"May I ask who's calling, please?"

"Tendo Nabiki.  Tendo & Associates."

"And this is in regard to?"

"Put me through.  He will take my call."  She'd had enough of 
protective AA's.

"One moment," the voice said dubiously.

Nabiki's fingers were a blur on the desktop.  A nervous habit she'd rid 
herself of early in her career.  Never show weakness.  Never.  Glad 
she'd gotten past it.

A deep voice that ran along her nerves and froze her fingers in an 
instant. "Tendo Nabiki?"

She looked around, hoping a glass of water would materialize in front 
of her.  Damn dry mouth, betraying her.  "Hello, Kuno-chan."

Oh, *great*.

She'd called him that in high school, because she was a month older 
than he was and because it irritated him.  The salutation had slid off 
her lips before she could remember what a horrible insult it would be.

"What may I do for you, Tendo Nabiki?"  His voice was neutral, giving 
her no clue as to whether or not he *was* insulted.  She desperately 
wished she could see his face, to give herself a better idea of his 
feelings.  The fact that he had repeated her full name was perhaps a 
hint that he did not find her salutation amusing.

Get your act *together*, Tendo.  "Tatewaki-san, I am interested in 
obtaining some art pieces for my office.  I understand you deal in 
antiquities."

A slight pause, and then the same neutral voice.  "You understand 
correctly.  What are you interested in?"

"If I knew that, what would I need you for?"  This was better, she had 
control of the conversation.  Keep the other person off-balance, that 
was always good.  "I'd like you to present me with a selection.  I 
assume you have pictures and the like?"

"We do.  I could send one of my assistants over to show them to you."

"Oh, *please*, Ku-"  Oops.  "Tatewaki-san."  Move on before he notices. 
"I don't deal with flunkies.  It can only be you."

"Indeed."  Still neutral, an idle comment.  Damn, she wished she could 
see him.

Time to move to the core of the matter.  "Why not come for lunch?"

A slight pause.  "I can make myself available.  You were thinking of 
today, I assume?"

"Yes.  Meet me... meet me at the park.  You know, the one by the Tendo 
Dojo.  I'm baby-sitting my niece today, and I promised her a picnic 
lunch."  Nope, not suspicious at all.

"A picnic lunch."  Parroting the words with still no emotion.  This was 
getting irritating.

"Yes, lunch.  Around noon work for you?"

A very significant pause.  She didn't hear him move or check his 
calendar.  She had a very clear vision of him sitting rigidly at a 
desk, the phone held stiffly to his ear, staring straight ahead of 
himself, not moving at all.

"Very well."  His voice came so abruptly that she almost dropped the 
phone.

"Great.  Noon.  See you then.  Bye."

"Goodbye, Tendo Nabiki."

She slammed the receiver down on the cradle and stared at it.  What the 
hell was she doing?  This was nuts.  Some goofball from another 
universe putting wild stupid ideas in her head.  Setting her up with 
another goofball so he could get some laughs.  She wouldn't put it past 
him.

So why, then, was her heart hammering so?

She shot to her feet and flew out of the room.  She had to slow down as 
she descended the stairs, turned the corner at an even pace, and 
wandered idly down the hallway until she stopped by the door leading to 
the back yard.  For a few moments she watched Kyoko jumping around and 
over the pool.  Then she called out.  "Kyoko-chan, let's make lunch for 
the picnic."

"Yeah!"  Kyoko came running.  She grabbed Nabiki's hand and began 
pulling her down the hallway.

Nabiki grudgingly allowed herself to be led on.

---

The park was a small one.  And quite crowded with people and kids. 
 Nabiki shook her head, wondering where she'd gotten the image of a 
vast empty lawn with pockets of trees.  This park had woodchip-covered 
playgrounds interspersed with garbage cans.

Kyoko immediately ran off and began to climb a jungle gym.  Nabiki 
examined the playground equipment for possible litigation windfalls, 
then began searching for a place to eat.

She was fortunate; one group of businesspeople was just vacating a 
bench.  Nabiki quickly glided over to it, cutting off a young couple 
who were moving much too slowly.  She put down the picnic basket and 
ignored the hard looks they gave her.  They were so far beneath her 
that she didn't think them worthy of a withering look or raised 
eyebrow.

Nabiki opened the basket and brought out a tablecloth.  She spread it 
out, then weighed it down with a small vase of flowers in the center 
and heavy plates on the edges.  She efficiently placed the food around 
the table, then took a towel and briskly wiped the benches.  She sat 
down, putting the towel away and pouring herself a cup of hot tea from 
the thermos.

She reflected on her own domesticity.  She had never done anything like 
this before; she had merely mimicked Kasumi's methods for arranging a 
picnic.  Nabiki wasn't sure if she liked it or not; it was manual 
labor, which she detested, but it hadn't felt particularly unpleasant. 
 Somehow, it was different when she was the one in charge of the 
preparations.  She had control, and it was important that it be done 
well, no matter what it took.

Besides, she'd had no one else she could order to do it for her.  She'd 
have to look into rectifying that.

A shadow fell over her.  She looked up speculatively, her tea cup held 
in front of her face with one hand, her other arm resting on the table. 
"Hello, Tatewaki."

He was tall, she'd forgotten that.  His hair, while a little more 
conservative, was still full and impeccably coifed.  She had 
half-expected him to be wearing a hakama, and was surprised at the dark 
blue business suit he wore.  He was carrying a large briefcase.

The whole effect was startling.  Nabiki barely remembered the high 
school boy.  This version of Kuno was much matured, without sacrificing 
the air of superiority he'd always maintained.  His face was a neutral 
mask, but she could see his eyes moving around her face.

He bowed deeply.  "Tendo Nabiki.  It is an honor and a pleasure to see 
you again."

"Isn't it, though."  She indicated the bench on the other side of the 
picnic table.  "Sit, please."

Tatewaki straightened and managed to make sitting on a park bench look 
like he was assuming the throne.  He put his briefcase on the bench 
beside him and looked at her.  She could sense him trying to come up 
with something to say.  She decided to let him stew, wondering what he 
would begin spouting, laying two to one odds with herself that it would 
be Shakespeare.

Kyoko ran up to the table.  "Hi, Tazzy-wocky!"

Nabiki cringed internally.  She should have remembered to correct Kyoko 
before this.

Tatewaki turned towards Kyoko and considered her for a moment.  He 
spoke in a serious tone of voice.  "My name is Kuno Tatewaki."

"Tatewaki?"  Kyoko looked puzzled.  "Mommy said you were Tazzy-wocky. 
She said it twice to make sure I got it right."

Nabiki began planning something painful for the other-world Ranma. 
 Hopefully involving cats.

"I see."  Tatewaki still sounded completely serious.  "Your mother has 
always had a strange sense of humor."  Nabiki's revenge planning was 
interrupted by this revelation; if she was reading that right, Tatewaki 
had realized somewhere along the way who the "pig-tailed goddess" was.

Tatewaki crossed his arms, making him look even sterner.  "I would 
prefer to be called Tatewaki."

"Tatewaki."  Kyoko looked to the side, as if trying out the name. 
 "That isn't as fun."

Tatewaki rubbed his chin.  "I see your dilemma.  You may alternatively 
call me the Blue Thunder of Nerima District, Tokyo.  Age: 
Thirty-three."

"Blue Thunder of Nerima District, Tokyo."  Kyoko sounded uncertain.

Tatewaki nodded.  "Age:  Thirty-three."

"Age:  Thirty-three."  Kyoko pulled her lip.  "I'm gonna go play now, 
Tatewaki.  Is that okay?"

"You have my leave.  You may wish to consult your aunt in the matter, 
however."

Kyoko looked over at Nabiki, who nodded.  She smiled, whirled, and ran 
off.

Nabiki considered Tatewaki as he looked back over at her.  "Do you have 
any children?"

"No.  I have not married."  His voice was a little more coldly formal 
than it had been with Kyoko.

Nabiki took another sip of tea.  Being in his presence hadn't helped 
her read his mood.  She had no idea what to make of his exchange with 
Kyoko. Either he was remarkably good with children, or he had no idea 
how to handle them and treated them like he would a subordinate.  Yet, 
he had allowed her to call him by a very familiar form of address. 
 That wasn't like him at all.

He tilted his head towards her.  "Shall I show you our selection of 
antiquities?"

She shrugged.  "Sure."

Tatewaki opened his briefcase.  He brought out something wrapped in tin 
foil.  Carefully he unfolded it, putting it on the picnic table, along 
with a small silver knife.

A familiar odor drifted into Nabiki's nose.  She raised her eyebrows. 
 "Normandy Camembert."  She picked up the knife to cut a sliver from 
the triangular hunk of cheese.  Lifting it to her mouth, she used her 
tongue to lift the sliver into her mouth.  A little shiver of pleasure 
rippled through her.  She looked into his eyes.  "My favorite."

Tatewaki nodded once and put gourmet crackers next to the cheese.

Nabiki couldn't believe it.  "How did you know?"

Tatewaki lifted a leather notebook from his briefcase.  "Is it not a 
good practice for a salesman to curry favor by playing to his client's 
pleasures?"

Nabiki cut a larger slice from the cheese and put it on a cracker. 
 "Yes, it is a good practice.  But you didn't answer my question."  She 
took a bite from the cracker, examining Tatewaki.

For the first time, emotion appeared on his face: embarrassment.  There 
for a second and then gone.  "I learned of your predilection for this 
cheese during high school.  When you commented to your friends how you 
had discovered the most excellent thing France had ever produced."

Nabiki swallowed.  "You were listening to me talk to my friends."

"Yes."  He placed the notebook in front of her.  "Here you can find 
what we have to offer at the current time."

Nabiki took another bite and flipped open the notebook.  Next to large 
photographs of antiques were exquisitely hand-written descriptions and 
histories of the objects.  Nabiki nodded her appreciation and flipped 
through a few more pages, all the while eating Camembert.  "Very nice. 
 How did you get into this business?"

"A hobby, really.  If I wanted, I could live on the vast wealth of the 
Kuno estate for the rest of my life.  However, I have an appreciation 
for the finer works of art, and have decided to use that appreciation 
to beautify the world and educate its people of their history."

"Nice speech."  Nabiki lifted a bottle out of the basket.  "Wine?"

Tatewaki took the bottle from her and examined it gravely.  "Not 
exactly appropriate for the cheese, but then you were not aware it 
would be served.  Nevertheless, an altogether able wine in its own 
right.  Shall I?"

Nabiki handed him two glasses and a corkscrew.

"You have done well for yourself, Tendo Nabiki."  The cork popped out, 
and he deftly poured it into the glasses.  "I once read an article on 
your business activities."

"Did you?"  Nabiki took a sip of the wine.  "You've been keeping track 
of me?"

Tatewaki took a sip of his own wine, buying time for himself, Nabiki 
suspected.  "I happened upon the magazine."

"I see."  She smiled slightly smugly.

He seemed to take a small bit of offense at this.  "Tell me, Tendo 
Nabiki, why am I here today?"

She furrowed her brow.  "I told you-"

Tatewaki looked impassively into her eyes.  "You know as well as I that 
you have no interest in anything my company has to sell."

Nabiki flushed and scowled at him.  "Don't you try to tell me what does 
and does not interest me!"

Tatewaki shook his head.  "I cannot fathom this interest of yours.  I 
do not know what I possess that you could want.  You have all the money 
you could desire, and nothing I or my family owns would be of service 
to you.  Tendo Nabiki, what do you want?"

She was furious now.  Was that all he thought of her?  "I'm just 
keeping tabs on you and yours, Kuno-chan.  Or have you forgotten what 
happened between Ranma and that sister of yours?"

Tatewaki's expression turned to granite.  "I forget nothing."

Nabiki growled.  Kodachi had come to the Tendo Dojo about six months 
after the Herb incident, looking for a male Ranma and very dissatisfied 
with the female Ranma she found.  She had harped on Ranma, asking her 
where "Ranma-sama" was and accusing her of all sorts of perverse things 
and finally pounding her with a club.  Ranma, whose mental stability 
hadn't been the best during that highly stressful time of her life, had 
snapped.  Nabiki had never seen her so angry.  Ranma had attacked 
Kodachi with a ferocity that had frightened Nabiki.  Akane had had to 
restrain her, or Kodachi would quite possibly have been killed. 
 Kodachi had escaped with nothing more than a scare, but that scare had 
been real - Kodachi had looked terrified at the sight of Ranma's rage. 
 She'd quietly left and had never returned.

Nabiki had kept track of Kodachi, purely for the family's protection. 
 "I know you hide your sister inside that mansion of yours, making sure 
she never leaves without several escorts.  I just want to make sure 
that her caretaker isn't taking leave of his senses as well."

Tatewaki trembled once, and Nabiki knew that she'd scored.  That she'd 
gotten under that serene exterior of his and hurt him deeply.  And, she 
thought as she looked down into her wine, she had never been more 
ashamed in her life.

Kyoko ran up.  "I'm hungry."

Nabiki quickly opened the packages of food and served them.  She placed 
one in front of Tatewaki, not looking at him, and another in front of 
her niece.  Kyoko ignored the food, instead standing on the bench and 
examining Tatewaki's head intently.

Tatewaki turned to regard her.  "May I ask the reason for your interest 
in my hair?  I assume you are not admiring it for its aesthetic 
qualities."

Kyoko reached a hand out to pat his head.  "Mother says that you 
sometimes have an egg or bird hidden in your hair.  I wanted to see if 
you had one now."

Tatewaki looked evenly at her for several seconds while she continued 
to pick through his hair.  Finally, he spoke gravely.  "I am sorry to 
disappoint you, Marumoto Kyoko.  More often than not, I have no such 
objects in my hair."

"Oh."  Kyoko dropped into her seat.  "I've got peanut butter 'n apple. 
 What have you got?"

Tatewaki looked into his lunch, picked up his chopsticks, and poked at 
the rice.  "It appears to be seaweed sushi," he said with just a hint 
of surprise.  He looked at Nabiki.  "My favorite."

"Neat!"  Kyoko leaned over to smell his food, then looked up at 
Tatewaki.  "Maybe we could trade some of our lunch."

"Trade."  Tatewaki covered his lunch with one hand.  "That presupposes 
that I would be interested in eating a sandwich with apples and peanut 
butter in it."

Kyoko seemed surprised.  "You don't like it?"

"It has never even occurred to me to try it."

An excited smile lit Kyoko's face.  She spoke in a haughty tone of 
voice.  "How do you know you don't like it if you won't even try?"  She 
giggled.  "Daddy says that all the time."

Tatewaki seemed to consider this.  "A valid point.  May I have a bite 
of your sandwich?"

Kyoko nodded enthusiastically and tore off a corner of her sandwich. 
 Tatewaki put it in his mouth and chewed judiciously, rolling his eyes 
as if testing wine.  Kyoko was watching him closely.  "Well?  Do y'like 
it?"

"It has a surprising piquancy, not altogether unpleasant."

Kyoko furrowed her brow.  "What's that mean?"

Tatewaki offered her his chopsticks.  "It means yes, I like it.  Take 
as much of my food as you like."

Kyoko giggled and shoveled some of the sushi into her food.  She then 
gave Tatewaki half of her sandwich.  He nodded gravely as he accepted 
it, placing it alongside his container.

The rest of lunch was spent with Kyoko babbling on in-between mouthfuls 
of food, talking about whatever she found interesting.  Tatewaki always 
responded to her seriously, never so much as smiling or twinkling his 
eyes.  Yet, for some reason that escaped Nabiki, Kyoko responded to him 
with enthusiasm, evidently taking great pleasure in his attention. 
 Nabiki shook her head, unsure how she would have responded in Kyoko's 
place.  Certainly in high school she'd found a dark enjoyment in 
teasing him because of his seriousness.  She'd never bothered to see if 
there was anything underneath that exterior.  Kyoko evidently had found 
something, and it delighted her.

Nabiki ate her lunch silently, adding the occasional cheese-and-cracker 
and sip of wine.  She considered Tatewaki and alternate universes and 
paths not taken, and wasn't sure where it was all leading her or if she 
wanted to go there.

Finally, Tatewaki looked at his watch.  "Please forgive me, Marumoto 
Kyoko, but I must take my leave."

"Oh."  Kyoko looked sad.

Nabiki handed him his notebook back.  He took it, his eyes meeting her, 
his voice turning a little cold.  "I take it, then, that I failed to 
make a sale today?"

Nabiki matched his tone.  "That you did.  Sorry."

He nodded and rose.

Kyoko jumped up so that she was standing on the bench again.  "Are you 
going to marry Aunt Nabiki?"

Nabiki covered her face with her hands.

For the first time, something like uncertainty entered Tatewaki's 
voice.  "What makes you ask that question?"

"Mommy said that you and Aunt Nabiki were going to meet and have lunch 
and probably yell at each other, but that maybe you'd end up liking 
each other and getting married.  Mommy said that's why Aunt Nabiki was 
asking you to the picnic, and that's why you'd come, 'cuz you might 
like each other more 'n you'd ever say out loud."  Kyoko paused a 
second, then spoke in a way that made it clear she was quoting 
something carefully rehearsed.  "Sir, fare you well: Hereafter, in a 
better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you."

Nabiki looked above her hands to see Kyoko with one hand pressed 
against her breast, the other lifted in the air in front of her as if 
she was holding an invisible ball.  She looked very serious.

Tatewaki was staring at her thoughtfully.  "As You Like It, Act One, 
Scene Two."

Kyoko smiled, clasped her hands behind her back, and rocked back and 
forth on her heels.  "Mommy said she's heard you say that before. 
 Mommy said you might say it again someday, or something like it, if 
Aunt Nabiki will let you."

Tatewaki shot a look over to Nabiki, then bowed to Kyoko.  "Thank you 
for your very pleasant company, Marumoto Kyoko.  It has been a very 
rare pleasure."

"You're not going to turn into a tree?"  Kyoko cocked her head.

"No."

"Or grow horns on your head?"

"No."

"Or cut watermelons into tiny bits?"

Tatewaki hesitated.  "Not now.  Perhaps another time."

Nabiki spoke quickly before she could think clearly.  "Yes.  Another 
time."

This time Tatewaki kept his gaze on Nabiki much longer.  The mask was 
gone, and she could see surprise mixed with hope on his face.  Then he 
bowed to her.  Nabiki, somewhat to her own surprise, rose to her feet 
and bowed back, trying to put apologies she couldn't speak into it.

Tatewaki seemed to understand what the gesture meant.  He smiled, and 
his face changed with the smile, becoming something with a touch of 
beauty and history like the antiques he sold.  Then he turned and 
strode stately from the park.

Nabiki looked down at the picnic table, emotions churning in her like 
they hadn't in years.  As much as she detested the loss of control, she 
found that it actually felt liberating in a way.

"Aunt Nabiki?"

"Yes, Kyoko?"  She began packing their lunch things.

"I like Tatewaki.  He's funny."

"Is he?  I would never have thought to describe him like that."

"But he is, he is!"  Kyoko seemed insistent.

"I believe you, dear."  Nabiki closed the basket.  "Now, while we're 
walking home, I want you to keep your eyes open for any cats you can 
find.  We're going to surprise your 'Mother'."

"Wheeee!"  Kyoko jumped off the table and began running.

Nabiki followed more slowly, in the certain knowledge that she had time 
enough to accomplish what needed to be done.

~*~