Never Give A Short Red-Haired Scientist Too Much Free Time
Book 2
-Chapter 1-

Sasami hummed, cheerfully, as she prepared breakfast. "Good 
morning, Tenchi," she told him, as he walked into the kitchen, 
"breakfast is almost ready."

"It smells delicious." Tenchi told her.

"Not as delicious as you, Tenchi." Ryoko chimed up as she 
appeared, floating in mid-air with her arms around Tenchi's 
shoulders.

"Um, Ryoko..." Tenchi stammered.

Washu walked in, carrying Ryomitsu. The alien child had a towel 
wrapped around his head. She set the child down on the counter, 
so she wouldn't have to bend over. Ryomitsu wore a very 
perturbed expression on his face as Washu combed his 
chestnut-brown hair. He winced as Washu combed through the 
normal snags and tangles that came with long hair. Finally, she 
pulled what she could've it back into a short but thick 
ponytail.

"There," she told him, cheerfully, "all nice and handsome."

"Wow!" Sasami giggled. "You do look cute, Ryomitsu."

Washu set the child down on the foor and went over to the 
refrigerator to get the orange juice. She set it on the 
counter,then went to get the glass. 

Washu turned back with the glass in her hand and saw, much to 
her annoyance, Ryomitsu sitting there with the now empty juice 
carton. His hair, fur, and clothes were soaked and sticky from 
the juice, which he'd managed to pour out onto himself.

Washu let out a cry of frustration. She ran over to the small 
child and scooped him up. "You guys start without us." She told 
the others, as they prepared to eat breakfast. "I've got to give 
him another bath." She picked up the juice-drenched little 
fellow and carried him back to the bath.

Kiyone was taking a morning bath when Washu arrived. "Kiyone. 
I'm glad you're here. You can give him a bath. I'm starving." 
She handed the child to Kiyone, then returned to the kitchen.

The moment the toddler was in the water, he shrieked and latched 
onto Kiyone, tightly enough to make a face-hugger alien suffer 
from grip envy. His fingernails were humanoid, but still dug 
into Kiyone's skin as he clung to her.


Being a Detective First Class, Kiyone was *not* about to let a 
small child get the better of her.  It took some doing, but she 
somehow managed to get him cleaned up.

***

Tenchi heard a yelp and ran into the living room.

Ryomitsu was sitting on the floor, playing. Nearby, Mihoshi was 
pontificating about infections and getting sick all the while 
dabbing anti-bacterial medicine (the kind that stings) onto the 
little wounds left in Kiyone's shoulders from Ryomitsu's 
fngernails.