Michael Chase wrote:

[Writer's note: I ordinarily don't like to do this, but I don't believe

this

chapter is quite as good as the one before, but it accomplishes what I

want

and need to do. Hopefully you'll enjoy it anyway.]

I certainly enjoyed it.  It shows Kachiko's kinder, gentler side.  Sort

of.

I guess there is that.

But Kasumi was eager to have a child for her mother to look after, and

they

seemed the last reasonable hope. Otherwise she would have to rent one

from

an orphanage or something.

I still think she should have tried Babys 'R Us first.

Heh.

Kasumi looked at her mother, aghast. "That's terrible. What sort of

person

would allow a child to cut themselves to... prove..." The outrage (or

what

qualified for such in Kasumi's eyes. Most people would merely have

called it

mild disapproval) quickly passed as she remembered...

Lovely flashback.

Thanks. We do tend to remember only the good things of those long gone. It's
only when we're prodded that we remember the negatives.

"Oh," Kasumi said as she absently rubbed the finger that had been cut so
long ago. It was odd how she didn't remember her mother being quite so
direct in her teaching methods. She seemed much more... angelic, at

least

before.

That's the one that's a joint shorter than the others, right?

Heh. No. They didn't belong to the Yakuza.

"Experience is always the best teacher," Kachiko informed her as she

stuck a

finger in the casserole, then pulled it back yelling, "Hot, hot!" She

began

sucking on the burnt digit. "What's the kid doing here anyway?" she

asked

through a mouthful of finger.

An excellent example that proves her point.

Yep, of course she wasn't aware she was doing it. :)

Kasumi turned from her memories of a young Nabiki, and later Akane,

cutting

themselves and her mother giving them the exact same lecture. "Oh,

that's

Tetsuo. I'm baby-sitting him." Kasumi felt increasingly bad about

misleading

her mother this way, but it was for the best for everyone, including
Kachiko.

It's amazing that Akane has any fingers.

Nah. She's not clumsy.

"Already got the little brat bundled up for your trip," Kachiko said as

she

held Tetsuo out for Kasumi.

I have this vision of a ball of rope with a single strand of hair sticking
out.  From the bottom.

Heh. Not quite that drastic.

"You'll be dead by dawn."

I probably don't want to know where he get the apostrophe.

No, it's better you don't.

Kachiko just shook her head resignedly. "I see someone has hit their
terrible twos a bit early, and I get stuck watching them. Great. Just

!#$%

great." She made as though to sit down and eat.

Not much gets past her.

Her experience with children is somewhat limited.

"The only thing you shall be bound to is torment, misery, and

hopelessness."

"And I told you I am not marrying Soun!"

Interesting how she ties all that to marrying Soun.  He's not much of a
singer either.

True. All around bad deal, as far as she's concerned.

A stick with a blackened marshmallow stuck on the end was thrust over

his

shoulder and held out in front of him. "Want one?"

I'm glad she's taking this seriously.

She's an old hand at this.

She slapped her thighs. "I can crack coconuts with these babies. Did

that

once in front of the student body. Had a hard time getting a date for a
while after that, for some odd reason," she added.

Maybe it was the boy's uniform she was wearing at the time.

Hehehehe.

Kasumi sighed at the giggling child in Nodoka's arms. It appeared some

other

plan would be needed. Perhaps if her father successfully wooed Kachiko,

that

would serve as the trigger to awaken her true identity...

He still can't sing.

Yes, this is true. I can't either, for that matter.

"Well, not yet, kind of," Ranma pointed out, though he was uncertain if

he

was right. Time traveling made explaining things a real pain. He did

know

Kachiko didn't consider herself to be their mother, and seemed to get

more

irritated when the people around her tried to make her admit that. He

could

definitely sympathize with her in that regard. People tried to get him

to

admit to things he didn't want to all the time. Like Akane was doing

right

now.

Ranma and Nabiki seem to be the only ones who really understand Kachiko's
situation.

Yes, but Nabby's is in large part because she doesn't like the competition
and family ties would hamper her.

"Isn't having a name like Kachiko going to be a bit hard on him?" Ranma
asked.

"It's better than being called Shuma-Ghorath-Chan."

That name probably has plenty of bad memories for them too.

True.

Ranma was astonished to see that Kachiko now seemed happy when talking

about

children. It was like she was a completely different person.

Kasumi's plan did work, a little.  It could help set up Kachiko being
willing to have children if she returns to the past.

Yep. it shows at least a little nod in the direction of becoming what they
remembered before. And of course, there is the irony that despite the fact
Kasumi's plan shouldn't have worked, it actually did, even if she is unaware
of it.

Special thanks to
Michael {Chasse : Chase}

I always do that and I don't know why. >_<

Thanks a lot for the additional comments. They are very apprecaited.

D.B. Sommer

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