Nabiki - New Horizons
                       Chapter 25  - Blue Haze
                        by G.L. Sandborn



     Nabiki paused in front of the aging wood and brick building. 
Despite her preparation for this, she wasn't ready for how bad
the place really looked.  She'd seen some pretty run-down offices
in the last few days but nothing as bad as this place.
     Glancing up and down the street, making sure nobody was
watching her go into such a disreputable place, she took a deep
breath and pushed open the front door.
     Inside was little better, the floors were clean enough and
the seating appeared to be functional but the lighting hadn't
been maintained; someone had obviously shifted surviving
florescent bulbs to balance out dead ones.  All that accomplished
was to cast the room in a gloomy blue tint.
     Nabiki sighed quietly, gathered herself and stepped over to
a worn table.  Placing her briefcase lightly on its surface, she
pushed one of the chairs just enough to make a noise.
     "Go away, we're closed," came a tired voice from behind the
counter.
     Nabiki remained where she was.  There was no backing out
now.  This was her last chance to show any kind of success in her
little company's first business venture.  It was also her last
chance to regain some of her confidence.  Above everything else,
she wanted that most.  
     "Hello?" she said.
     "If I owe you money, I'll pay by Friday."  The young woman's
voice sounded sad, almost pathetic in the plaintive way she
answered.
     "You don't owe me anything, Ukyou."
     There was a hesitation before a head poked into view. 
Despite her unkempt appearance, there was no mistaking the
okonomyagi chef.  The woman's eyes widened in recognition before
glowing with anger.
     "YOU!" she yelled.  "How DARE you come here!"
     "I just came to --"
     "Damn you!"  Ukyou rose behind the counter, her hands
filling with deadly throwing spatulas.  Trembling with rage, her
lips moving in silent oaths and her breath coming in spastic
gasps punctuated by tiny sounds of distress that escaped with
every move, she gave every appearance of being a woman on the
verge of homicide.
     Nabiki, her warning senses screaming in panic, stood her
ground.  She couldn't run.  This was too important.  With a look
of determination, she braced herself and calmly awaited Ukyou's
next move.
     It came in a flurry of throwing spatulas, most screaming
past her head and slamming against the front door.  What remained
of the aging structure gave way to the ferocity of Ukyou's
attack, exploding out into the street in a shower of wood and
glass.
     Thanking Jeffrey for insisting she carry a ballistic
briefcase reinforced to stop a .45 caliber pistol round, she
raised the case in time to stop two more spatulas that would have
been closer to their mark.  Obviously, Ukyou hadn't been
practicing.
     She peeked out from behind the briefcase to see Ukyou
grabbing her giant battle spatula.  The handle wrapping was
frayed and other signs of neglect suggested she hadn't taken very
good care of her most cherished weapon.  Holding it like a
katana, the younger woman screamed a string of curses and
charged.
     Still standing her ground, Nabiki lowered the briefcase and
stared directly into her assailant's tear-filled eyes.  She had a
hunch and was playing it to the bitter end.
     "It's all your fault!" Ukyou yelled, closing to within
striking range.
     Nabiki continued to stare at Ukyou, almost daring her to
follow through.  The previous sounds of a gathering crowd,
curious as to why the front door to U-chan's had been so
violently displaced, faded.  The blue tint of the room darkened.
Everything in Nabiki's world focused on the charging okonomiyaki
chef and her weapon.  It was a daunting sight; one that should
have sent Nabiki fleeing into the street.  Instead, she stood
quietly, staring at Ukyou in a non-threatening manner and waited.
     Ukyou skidded to a halt, raised her spatula, then for some
reason, hesitated.  Trembling, still holding her battle spatula
high in the most menacing manner possible, she glared at her
quarry.  Her lips parted to accommodate frantic gasps, her
nostrils flaring and bloodshot eyes wide.  Time stopped for
Nabiki, every element of the scene before her etched itself in
her memory.  It might be the last thing she saw because Ukyou's
grip on the weapon tightened as her eyes narrowed.
     Nabiki's refusal to duck or run had the desired effect. 
Ukyou's rage peaked but in another direction.  With a scream of
frustration, the woman slammed her spatula down on the next table
over, splintering it into kindling.
     For a few precious moments, Ukyou stood gasping and staring
at the damage she'd wrought.  Without looking Nabiki's way, she
growled: "After what you did to me..."
     "Ukyou, I won't apologize for what I did.  It was a long
time coming and destined to happen."
     "You took him from me!" Ukyou accused, spinning on her heel
to confront Nabiki, her fury rising again like a reborn
hurricane.
     "No, Ukyou, I have no power to take from you what was never
yours to begin with."
     "I loved him!" Ukyou gasped, her fury dissolving in a pool
of despair.
     Nabiki maintained her calm, rational demeanor.  "Akane loved
him as well."
     "He would have come to me."  Ukyou's voice betrayed a tiny
grain of doubt.  "Eventually."
     "No, Ukyou, he never would have made that decision on his
own.  He didn't want to hurt you so he kept putting it off.  I
just gave him the opportunity to do the *right* thing."
     "The right thing?" Ukyou gasped, clutching the front of her
yukata.  "You call taking my Ran-chan, the right thing?"
     "He's not property, Ukyou.  He had the choice of free will. 
He chose Akane.  I only provided the means for that decision." 
Nabiki endured Ukyou's glare of defiance, ever mindful of the
fringes of the woman's temper.  "In any case, I did not come here
to debate my family's affairs."
     "Oh," Ukyou gasped.  "I see now."  Ukyou's eyes narrowed,
her anger rising to dangerous levels again.  "You're the rich
bitch married to the guy who owns everything.  You probably own
all of Nerima by now, including my shop.  Did the bank send you
over to take it?  Huh?  Well, TAKE IT!"
     She kicked her spatula's handle, sending the weapon spinning
across the floor.  With more screams of frustration, she added a
couple of powerful kicks that sent chairs flying.  
     "Take everything!"  
     She struggled to pull off her empty bandoleer before
swinging it high overhead and slamming it on the remaining table. 
     "Not enough?  You've got my shop.  You've got my honor. 
You've got my Ran-chan.  Why not take the rest?"  
     She tore at the stained and dirty-looking bow in her hair. 
Clawing the bit of fabric free, strands of her dark hair clinging
to the knot, she threw it at Nabiki.
     Nabiki should have been disgusted at such a display of
emotion or embarrassed at its irrationality but instead felt a
sense of pity.  Ukyou had wrapped her entire life, practically
since birth, around one person - a person that was never hers to
have.  Despite that, she milked every fragment of hope to feed
her insatiable need for Ranma to return the love she felt for
him.  In a way, Ranma helped sustain that phantom of desire
through his craving a true friend rather than a lover.  Theirs
was a tragic case of two people clinging to each other out of
necessity rather than mutually shared love.
     Exhausted, Ukyou covered her face with her trembling hands
and gave leave to her distress; her body jerking as she cried
openly.
     Setting her briefcase on the remaining table, Nabiki sighed
and took the sobbing Ukyou into her arms.  The younger woman
wrapped her arms around Nabiki's body, alternating between
clinging to her and striking her back with fists of grief.  Each
blow caused Nabiki to flinch but she refused to release the
woman; preferring to endure the discomfort of Ukyou's anger than
watch her suffer alone.  Everyone needs someone now and then, she
thought.  Ukyou's been alone for so long that, outside of Ranma,
she never had anyone comfort her or share her feelings.  Business
could wait.
     Ukyou's blows became less frequent and far less intense as
the strength seemed to drain from her still trembling body. 
Together, they sagged to the floor; Ukyou clinging to the one
person in the world she had only moments before dearly wanted to
harm.  
     Nabiki held the okonomyaki chef as she would a distressed
friend; cradling the woman's head on her shoulder and stroking
her long dark hair while adding soft words of comfort and
encouragement.  Ukyou's hot breath and perspiration combined to
make their joining sweaty and uncomfortably hot in the cool
atmosphere of the diner.
     "It's going to be okay, Ukyou," Nabiki said in a soft voice. 
"You're going to be okay."
     "Damn you," Ukyou whined, her arms tightening about Nabiki's
bruised body.  "Why did you have to come back?  Why did it have
to be you?"
     Why indeed?  On that point, Nabiki herself was torn.  She
needed Ukyou to make her business plan work.  That was a given.
But on a more personal level, there was something unfinished
between them, something she had to do.
     She had never thought much about Ukyou one way or another
until the attack on her sister at the first wedding.  After that,
she viewed Ukyou as an increasingly desperate woman who displayed
disturbing bouts of instability.  That made her unpredictable and
that unpredictability made her dangerous.  Outside of her
devotion to Ranma and the reasonable assumption that she'd never
do anything to hurt him, it was never clear what lengths she
would go to turn him against Akane.  
     The disastrous wedding day attack, however, seemed to change
her.  Possibly because she realized such actions were more likely
to turn Ranma against *her* rather than Akane.
     In any case, Nabiki now held in her arms, an enigma.  If she
didn't find some way to pull Ukyou together and soon, she'd have
to return to Hawaii empty handed.  Not good for either her status
with her friends or her husband.  Her first big business deal,
one she guaranteed her companions would work, would end in
failure.
     Ukyou, still shuddering and taking great gulps of air,
separated just enough to look up at Nabiki.  She appeared
vulnerable and scared of something.  She also wore a strange
expression that Nabiki totally misinterpreted.
     Hoping to convey the right message, Nabiki smiled in a
reassuring manner.  That seemed to work.  Ukyou's expression
softened, her eyes sparkling in the gloom.  Her clutches became
softer as well.
     It was going to be okay, Nabiki thought.
     Nabiki felt one of Ukyou's arms slip up around her neck, a
hand cupping the back of her head, fingers gently caressing her
hair.  Without warning, Ukyou gasped: "I love you."  Before
Nabiki could respond, the woman pulled their bodies together,
pressing her lips to Nabiki's.

*****

     Little Sodoshi crept down the hall leading to the workout
room.  Her stockinged feet made no sound as she advanced, step by
step, in the stealthy manner her father had taught her.  She
could hear him going through his usual early morning workout but
it sounded different this morning.  She paused at the partially
open door before peeking in.
     Her father, wearing his usual sweat pants and little else,
launched attack after attack on the practice bag in the corner. 
Sweat rolled over his chiseled features, making his muscles stand
out even more than usual as he rained blows, kicks, and jabs that
sent the bag rocking on its weighted base.
     She'd often snuck down to watch him practice, usually in
hopes of learning some new technique or just watching in awe. 
Today, however, there was something different in his attacks. 
Instead of his usual calm and methodical strikes, he was almost
savagely assaulting his target, raining blows that seemed to make
the whole room shake.  She dropped to the floor to peek inside
again.
     Silently, he struck a familiar Shinobi fighting stance, his
eyes narrowed and fixed on his target, his body becoming rigid. 
She stifled a tiny gasp when he began to glow a dull blue.  She
could almost hear a rushing of ki energy as her father gathered
and channeled its force.  His glow grew in intensity, brightening
the room like a tiny blue sun.  With barely a grunt, he struck
the bag with a move faster than she could follow.  She blinked
and tried to focus on her father's glowing form.  It looked to
her like there was more than one person striking the bag.  The
powerful uppercut delivered with a single hand augmented by the
combined force of the ki he'd gathered, lifted the bag and its
base more than a foot off the floor.  
     She ducked back behind the wall and swallowed hard.  How was
he able to do that?  In the past, his attacks all seemed so...
nonlethal.  They barely moved the bag.  She remembered the day
three strong delivery men struggled to carry the heavy training
device into their new room.  It had to weigh a lot because the
three of them were barely able to lift it.  Yet here her father
had been able to lift it with just one hand.  A loud bang
announced the heavy base slamming back onto the floor.
     She swallowed hard and gathered her courage to peek once
more.  Her father was now standing in the middle of the room, his
hands balled into fists at waist level and his eyes tightly
closed.  With gritted teeth, he trembled like he was trying to
control whatever was making him glow so brightly; his muscles
trembled at the effort.
     Slowly, the blue aura faded as he seemed to relax.  Drawing
two deep breaths, exhaling slowly through his mouth, his eyes
fluttered open and fixed themselves on the partially-hidden
Sodoshi.  She quickly ducked back around the corner and hugged
the wall.
     When nothing more happened, she relaxed.  Perhaps he hadn't
seen her.  With that expectation, she peered back around the
corner.
     Coming face-to-face with her father, she yelped and tumbled
back.
     "Came to watch me work out?" he asked, a big smile gracing
his sweaty face.  He looked okay as he dabbed at the moisture
with a fresh towel, almost normal.  Maybe it was just all her
imagination, she thought.
     "Hai," she gasped, her eyes wide.  She still wasn't sure if
he was mad or not at her spying.
     "You're getting better.  I didn't even hear you in the
hallway."  He straightened up and walked back in the room.
     "Daddy?"
     "What, sweetheart?"
     "Why were you glowing?"
     Jeff turned to regard his daughter.  She gulped at his
expression.  It was hard to tell if he was angry or not.  As a
smile slowly grew on his face, she relaxed - a little.
     "I was just trying something new.  It's nothing to worry
about."
     "But you hit so hard," she gasped.
     "Yes, that's part of the power.  It was stronger than I
expected," he admitted while staring out the glass wall that
overlooked their pool and patio.
     "Can... can you teach me?"
     Her father looked over his shoulder at her.  This expression
was unlike any she'd ever seen before.  It caused a shiver to run
through her young body.  "No," he said in a flat, almost
threatening manner.
     She was going to ask why not but choked it back when she
noticed the look in his eyes.  It was so flat, lifeless, and
without pity of any kind.
     "Okay, Daddy," she said softly.
     He took a deep breath and wrapped the towel around his neck. 
"I have to get to get cleaned up.  Jade will be here any minute."
     She stepped aside as he headed for his bedroom.  The issue
was closed - for now.
     
     
     Jeff finished showering and stood in front of the mirror
toweling off.  He felt great.  Better than any time after a
workout.  Doing this in the morning was a great idea.  It allowed
him to get a full workout and still have his evenings free for
his family.  It also left him feeling more energetic during the
business day.
     He rubbed the towel briskly in his hair when a dull flash of
light caught his attention.  He peeked out from under the towel
to see the ghost of Sodoshi Tanaka hovering over the vanity,
casting no reflection in the mirror behind her.
     She smiled as her eyes dropped.  When they reached their
goal, one eyebrow shot up.  "Well, now we know why Nabiki always
has a smile on her face."
     Jeff quickly wrapped the towel around his waist.  "Sodoshi,
what are you doing here?" he asked in an irritated voice. 
"Nobody summoned you."
     The ghost reluctantly tore her eyes away from the towel-
covered view.  "I've come with a question," she said.
     "Fine," Jeff replied with a sigh.  He didn't have time for
this.  He had to get to work.  Not waiting for her to elaborate,
he turned and stomped into the bedroom.  Like a balloon on a
string, Sodoshi floated along behind.
     "Why are you tapping the Shinobi spirit forces for energy?"
she asked.
     "I'm just trying something new; exploring the limits of my
training.  Nothing more," he insisted, pulling open his underwear
drawer.
     "You are tampering with things better left alone." 
Sodoshi's spirit seemed to settle onto the bed behind him.
     "Don't be ridiculous.  I'm not taking in enough to be
dangerous."  He whipped out his underwear and pulled it on under
the towel.  Spirit or not, she'd already seen all he was going to
show.
     "Jeffrey, spirit energy is composed of many kinds of
powerful forces.  Some of those forces are provided by departed
spirits like myself.  Others are more dangerous.  If you don't
know how to distinguish between the energy you're channeling, it
can harm you," she said seriously.
     "Nonsense.  I feel fine.  I've never felt better in my life. 
Every time I tap the energy, I feel stronger and more in control. 
I'm more decisive and assertive at work.  Do you know what that's
like?"  He paused when he noticed Spirit-Sodoshi's expression
hadn't changed.  She still looked worried.  "All my life, I've
been indecisive, passive, and easily manipulated.  Since I've
been tapping this new energy source, I feel great.  I'm in
control now.  I can give orders and know I'm right when I do. 
I've never felt like this before."
     "You don't know what you're dealing with," Spirit-Sodoshi
insisted.
     Jeff started to explain again, feeling the same old sense of
indecision creep over him.  With an irritated wave of his arms,
he dismissed the spirit.  "Go away, Sodoshi.  I know what I'm
doing."
     She stared at him as he pulled on an undershirt.  "Very
well, Jeffrey."  She began to fade from view, her voice becoming
ethereal as it too faded.  "Just remember, my duty is to protect
your daughter.  I won't let you do anything to harm her."
     Jeff stared at the spot from which Spirit-Sodoshi faded. 
Why was she so concerned about this?  It wasn't as if he were
trying to steal great amounts of this strange new energy for some
nefarious scheme.  He was just taking tiny sips of the force to
help him become the person he always dreamed of being.
     "Superstitious nonsense," he snarled with a wave of his
hand.  "I feel great.  Nothing's going to happen."

*****

     Akane sat quietly on the floor in front of the open sliding
glass door leading out to their tiny balcony.  It was nice
sitting in the sun and watching the last of the cherry blossoms
fall.  She thought how this time of year was so bitter sweet. 
While the last of the cherry blossoms made her heart ache, it
also heralded the beginning of summer; her favorite time of year.
     Of course, that meant there would be a few changes in her
life.  She slowly ran her fingers over her still taught stomach. 
In a few months, she'd actually look pregnant.  Hopefully, that
won't occur until after swimming season.
     Kasumi's admonition from yesterday still buzzed in her head. 
Naturally, her Oneechan was right.  She was always right.  Akane
was too selfish and self-centered to be a good mother.  Of
course, that was what she also used to think about her sister,
Nabiki, and *she* turned out to be a pretty good mother.
     She sighed and fingered her skirt.  Kasumi would be a good
mother, she thought, and Nabiki turned out that way.  Why
couldn't she do it?
     That thought led her to Ranma.  Yes, he acted pleased with
her announcement but then how else should he act?  They'd never
actually discussed having a baby.  Maybe... just maybe he didn't
really want to be a father.  They had a pretty good life now. 
Why mess it up with a baby he didn't want and she wouldn't care
for properly.
     The sound of Ranma coming out of their bedroom caused her to
look his way.  He tread lightly across the tatami floor, tying
his black gi pants as he walked.
     "Ranma?" she asked in a soft voice.
     "Hmmm?" he replied, plucking at the knot he'd tied in an
effort to pull it out.
     "Have you given much thought about becoming a father?"
     Ranma halted his knot teasing to stare her way.  His frown
indicated he either didn't understand what she was talking about
or didn't like the question.  After a moment, he shrugged and
went back to the knot.  "I don't know.  Never really thought
about it."
     "I mean, would you be like your father?" she asked.
     Ranma shot her a disgusted look.  "No way."
     "Then what kind of father would you be?" she insisted.
     "I donno.  Why does it matter?  The woman is supposed to
raise the children anyway."
     Akane bristled.  "The father is supposed to help."
     "That's girl stuff.  Boys don't mess with kids," he said.
     "What do you mean?"
     "That's the way its always been.  It's tradition."
     "Not around here," she growled, getting to her feet.
     "Your dad didn't have any choice."
     "Are you saying my daddy was a bad father?"
     "No, I'm just saying he didn't have any choice in the matter
after... you know," he said, acting embarrassed when he got to
the last bit.
     "So, you're saying you won't help with the baby?"  Akane
could feel the old anger rising.
     Ranma must have felt it too.  "I don't know," he said with a
flap of his arms.  "How *should* I know?  I've never been a
father before."
     "Well, I've never been a mother before and *I* know the
father is supposed to help," she snarled.
     Experience had taught Ranma when to abort a discussion
before things got out of hand.  This was one of those times. 
"Akane, I'm busy in the dojo at night and trying to drum up
business during the day.  I'm almost like a salaryman.  I start
early in the morning and don't finish until late at night.  I
don't have time to deal with children.  That's a woman's job," he
insisted, turning to leave.  He'd learned to walk away before his
discussions with Akane got out of control.  Easier on the old
body, you see.
     He congratulated himself when he reached the door.  Akane
was still standing in the same spot, her eyes wide and her mouth
half open.  He thought with some satisfaction how well this
method of dealing with his wife was working.
     In an instant, he was gone.  Akane slowly slumped to the
floor.  So that's what he really thinks about being a father, she
thought bitterly.  Well, who needs it?  This whole 'baby
business' was a big mistake.  Her jaw set and her eyes narrowed. 
At least it's a mistake that can be corrected.

*****

     Jamie Wilde was at the office to meet Jeff when he arrived. 
He looked upset.
     "Got the information you asked for," he said.  "Looks like
your wife was right."
     Jeff took the folder and flipped through the pages. 
Everything was there; dates, names, the works.
     "Good," he said with a serious expression.  "I think we're
ready for the enigmatic Mr Sao."
     Jamie shifted his weight from one foot to another.  "Sir, I
don't usually question your decisions --"
     "Wise move, Mr Wilde," Jeff said, seeming to concentrate on
the folder's contents.  There was a hint of menace in his voice
and a strange blue glow in his eyes.  "I'm glad to see you
finally realizing you're working for me instead of the other way
around."
     Jamie stared at Jeff for a moment.  "Up to now, I understood
perfectly who I was working for.  I'm not so sure anymore."
     Looking up from the folder, Jeff scowled at Jamie.  "Huh? 
What was it you were saying?"
     Jamie swallowed and tried to look away.  He couldn't get
over how different Jeff was this morning.  The man simply wasn't
the same, kind and jovial person he'd come to admire.  "Nothing
important, sir."
     "Good.  Make certain Mr Gaffney is available to finalize an
agreement with Mr Sao."  Jeff smiled like a man who had a plan. 
The look caused combat veteran Jamie Wilde to shudder.
     "Mr Lawrence?" came Rachel's voice over the intercom.  "Mr
Sao is here."
     "Go get our chubby little friend," Jeff said in a predatory
voice.  "It's time I wrapped up a few loose ends."
     Jamie hesitated.  "Are you feeling alright?"
     "I'm fine," Jeff insisted, his expression bordering on
suspicion.  "I've never felt better in my life."
     "Whatever you say."  Jamie continued to look suspiciously at
Jeff as he quickly left the office.
     After inviting Mr Sao into his boss's office, Jamie dallied
a moment at Rachel's desk.
     "Rachel, have you noticed anything unusual about Mr
Lawrence?" he asked, staring at the door to Jeff's office.
     "Now that you mention it, he has been acting a little odd
this morning," she answered with a concerned frown.
     "Did you notice his eyes?"
     "No."
     "They appeared... blue."
     "Well, he *does* have blue eyes."
     Jamie shook his head and sighed.  "Maybe it was just a trick
of the light but to me it looked like they were glowing."
     Rachel rocked back in her chair and cast the security chief
a skeptical look.  "Glowing blue?  Sounds to me like someone
stayed up late watching movies on the Scifi Channel again."
     Catching her expression, he forced a reassuring smile. 
"Yeah, maybe you're right.  I'm just imagining things."  With
another look at the door, he drew a deep breath and frowned. 
"Still..."
     Rachel crossed her arms.  "You think something's wrong at
home?"
     Jamie shrugged.  "Who knows?  Nabiki's not the easiest woman
to live with.  She's always going home to Japan.  Maybe, this
time he's had enough."
     "I sure hope not," Rachel said with worried raised eyebrows. 
"I'd hate to see little Sodoshi caught up in a divorce."
     Jamie just nodded before drawing a deep breath.  "Well, I
better see Mr Gaffney and prepare him for what's going to come
out of Jeffrey's office.  I've got a feeling Mr Sao is in for a
very rough morning."

     Jeff paced in his office, gleaning every scrap of detail out
of the report on Mr Sao and his family.  Like everything else Mr
Wilde did, the report was comprehensive and all inclusive.  There
was, however, a point Jeff felt begged to be clarified; the name
of Jade's father.  It wasn't important to Mr Sao's fitness to
operate a restaurant in his resort hotel but it would go a long
way towards explaining why Jade looked so much like Shampoo.  In
any case, he was going to get some answers today, whatever the
cost.
     "Welcome, Mr Sao," Jeff said when the man poked his head
inside.  He sounded like the old friendly person he'd always
been.  "I'm so glad you could come down to see me."
     Mr Sao, wearing a cheap suit and looking distinctly
uncomfortable doing so, bowed several times as he entered.
     "So, did you have time to think about my offer?"
     "Yes, thank you," Mr Sao said with a broad smile and a
couple more bows.  "Family very anxious to start work."  He
appeared genuinely happy with the opportunity.
     Jeff dropped into one of the overstuffed chairs across the
room from his desk.  He liked transacting business in this less
formal part of his office.  It helped him and those he was
dealing with relax during negotiations.
     Motioning for Mr Sao to take the other comfy chair, he
opened the folder.
     "Now then, we can have a friendly little chat before signing
the papers," Jeff said with a sly smile.  "I'm always very
interested in my business partners.  And since your daughter
works for my wife, we're practically family."
     Mr Sao nodded but his smile had slipped a bit.  He shifted
in the chair like it was less than comfortable.
     "I already know the basics.  You're a widower with five
children.  You came here a year ago from Hong Kong where you ran
a successful restaurant.  You've supported your family by working
as a gardener.  Your eldest daughter works for my wife as a
housekeeper."
     Mr Sao nodded with each item, his smile returning.
     "All very interesting, I'm sure.  But I'd like to hear the
story behind the story, if you know what I mean."  Jeff's eyes
narrowed.
     "I not understand," Mr Sao said, his eyes locked on Jeff's.
     Jeff's hand waved in a most dismissive manner.  "You know,
the early history; what happened in China."
     "I see," Mr Sao said in a soft voice.  "Well, I was born in
Hong Kong and worked for father in restaurant from the time I
could walk."
     "No, I'm thinking more about the time before that."
     "Before?"
     "Yes.  I want to know about your family."
     Mr Sao's shoulders shrugged.  "Nothing to tell.  Family have
most humble history."
     "Oh, I think you can do better than that," Jeff said opening
the folder.  Mr Sao's eyes were drawn to the papers in Jeff's
lap.  His uncomfortable expression returned.
     "Let's see," Jeff said, picking up one of the papers. 
"Well, lookie here.  It says that your grandfather was a Japanese
soldier captured by the British Army in the closing days of the
war and held in Hong Kong.  When the war ended, he remained in
Hong Kong, eventually marrying a Chinese woman and working in a
restaurant."
     Mr Sao's eyes, at first, went wide with surprise before
slowly dropping to the floor.  Jeff knew then the information he
had was worth what he paid.
     "When your father grew up, he too worked as a cook. 
Eventually, he married and started his own restaurant."  Jeff
looked up from the folder.  "How am I doing so far?"
     Mr Sao stared at Jeff.  "Where did you...?"  His voice
sounded panicked.  
     Jeff felt a growing sense of power, he could feel it surging
through his body.  He couldn't remember ever being this much in
control of any business meeting.  It was exhilarating.
     "You inherited the restaurant from your father and ran it
quite profitably.  Along the way, you married, had several
children, and were considered comfortable by Hong Kong
standards."  Jeff paused to savor the man's discomfort.  He
couldn't explain why but it satisfied something deep inside him. 
"Perhaps you'd like to fill in the blanks."
     With a deep, ragged breath, Mr Sao slumped back in the
chair.  "Mr Lawrence has been most thorough."
     "I didn't ask you here to impress you," Jeff snapped.  "I
want to know the rest."
     "You already know all that's necessary."  Mr Sao looked past
Jeff and out the window.  His eyes appeared dull and lifeless;
like a man who'd just forfeited his life or failed at some
crucial endeavor.
     "Not everything," Jeff corrected.  Licking his lips like a
cat about to make a kill, he leaned forward.  "I want to know
about your wife and Jade."
     "Why?"
     "They are not from Hong Kong."
     Slowly, Mr Sao's head began to shake.  "I not understand."
     Jeff slapped the folder down on his expensive glass-topped
coffee table.  "You understand perfectly.  Your wife is*not* from
Hong Kong, as you claimed on your immigration application."
     Swallowing hard, Mr Sao bit his lip and scoured the floor
with his eyes.  Like a trapped animal, he looked for some escape.
"You want me expelled from your country," he declared in a flat
voice.
     "No," Jeff insisted.  "But you're hiding something from me. 
I don't like when people hide things from me."
     Slowly, Mr Sao's head dropped into his hands.  His voice
sounded muffled.  "Please.  I cannot.  You not know what you are
asking."
     Leaning forward in his seat, Jeff stared intently at the
broken man.  "I'll bet it would break your heart knowing you
failed to tell me the one thing that would have prevented your
lovely children returning to China.  Your wife's people might
even consider taking action and reclaiming the children."
     Mr Sao squirmed in the chair.  Several times, he tried to
say something but failed each time.  "Why are you doing this?" he
finally gasped.  "Do you not know what this country means to
children?"
     "Yes.  It means their freedom.  You risked everything to get
them here.  It would be a pity to have them sent back only
because you refused to answer a simple question."
     Mr Sao groaned lightly and sagged even deeper into the
chair.  "Very well," he said slowly, like every syllable was
painful.  "You are correct about grandfather.  He felt such shame
over outcome of war he could not face family in Japan.  So, he
burned uniform, dressed as Chinese, and took new name."
     "Tell me his original name."
     "Saotome," Mr Sao said softly.  "There were many refugees in
Hong Kong nobody thought it strange single man without family be
in the city.  Because he Japanese Army cook, he find work in
international restaurant.  He learn much from Indian, English,
and Chinese cooks.  He master all he learn.  Soon, he very
popular cook."  Mr Sao said the last with some pride, despite his
overall appearance of dejection.
     "So, he *is* related to Ranma," Jeff said to himself like it
was a great discovery.  "That would make you Genma's cousin."
     "Sao not know people you speak.  Sao only know about
grandfather because father tell story.  Have proof."  The man dug
in his pants pocket before holding something in his cupped hands. 
"It very old."
     Handing the item to Jeff, he slumped back like a great
weight had been lifted off his shoulders.  
     Carefully turning it over in his hand, Jeff examined all
sides of the object.  It was a tiny stamp, like the one Nabiki
owned.  Holding it up to the light, he tried to make some sense
of its carved surface.
     Grunting in disgust, he crossed to his desk and rummaged
through a drawer until he found a stamp pad.  Inking the stamp,
he cast a glance Mr Sao's way before imprinting a piece of paper.
     Kanji was never his strongest part of the Japanese language,
but he knew enough to understand this was a personal seal; a
family personal seal.
     "Are people you spoke of from Sendai?" Mr Sao asked in a
weak voice.
     "I believe so," Jeff answered.
     "Then stamp belong to them.  It belong to head of Japanese
family."
     "Your grandfather must have been the head of that clan,"
Jeff said thoughtfully. 
     "He dishonored family name," Mr Sao insisted with a vacant
expression.  "His name no long appear on family history."
     Jeff snorted in disgust.  Such a primitive attitude, he
thought.  All the man did was save his own life.  He even
prospered in China.  There was no shame in that.  He should have
been welcomed home and honored for his success.  But then, if
Genma Saotome was an example of the family in Japan, perhaps he
was better off in China.  
     "Return it yourself," he growled handing the stamp back.
"I'm no messenger boy." 
     With a look of surprise and fear, Mr Sao accepted the wood
and ivory carved symbol of an ancient clan's power and prestige.
     Noting the man's reaction, Jeff grew a disgusted look. 
"This family honor business is your problem.  I just want to know
why your daughter looks exactly like a certain female warrior
from Joketsuzoku."
     "I... cannot...," Mr Sao began, stuffing the inked stamp in
his coat pocket where it was certain to leave a stain.
     "You can and you will tell me," Jeff prompted with an
aggressive look.  He could feel the power inside him growing
again.
     Mr Sao swallowed hard, his eyes avoiding Jeff's.  "Xifaji
was just baby when I meet mother."  Sagging back into the
overstuffed chair, like he was resigned to telling the complete
story, Mr Sao shuddered and sighed.  "I was young man, running
father's restaurant and doing everything from cooking to keeping
books.  One rainy evening, I was closing restaurant, taking out
last of trash to containers in alley when I hear noise.  Curious,
I look around.  There, behind trash containers was beautiful
young woman.  I must have frightened her because she took a
Sholin fighting stance.  She was dirty and wear torn clothes,
like she live on streets for much time.
     "I not mean her harm, so I held up hands and talked to her. 
I remember what grandfather say about poor; they like he was.  I
want help woman.  But she stare at Sao like she scared.  When she
hear baby cry, she jump so high she go over me and go to small
cardboard box in alley.  It placed under balcony to shield it
from rain.  She watch me and pull small bundle from box and hold
to her chest.  Even with baby, she look like fighter.
     "I talk to her more, keep voice soft so not scare.  I beg
her come inside and eat.  Say cold rain not good for baby.  Let
baby warm up.  Woman nod but wait for me go first inside before
she follow.
     "I give her food and clean kitchen while she feed baby.  She
thank me.  That first time she speak.  Her voice so beautiful,
like wind chime in soft breeze.  I ask if she has place to stay. 
Of course, I know by her clothes she live on streets.  Very sad.
     "I tell her again cold rain not good for baby.  Offer her
room for night.  She agree but say she work for room.  I agree.
     "Many weeks pass, she clean and wash dishes in restaurant. 
She also talk more and more.  I also tell her about self.  Then
she tell me her story."
     Jeff sighed and collapsed into the chair across from Mr Sao. 
So he was going to hear the truth after all.  He felt the power
inside him slip a little, like another part of him was asserting
itself.
     Mr Sao drew a deep breath and continued his tale.  "She from
valley deep in China.  Her people go by many names.  Even
government fear them.  I hear tales of women warriors from deep
in China but not believe until she tell story.  She say they
value strength and fighting skill above all else.  Men were just
attendants, consorts, and breeding material.  One day, she caught
with another woman's husband."
     "Is that when your wife became pregnant?" Jeff asked.
     With a nod, Mr Sao replied: "I believe so."
     "Then Jade's real father may still be alive."
     To Jeff's surprise, Mr Sao shook his head.  "No, I not think
so.  Wife say penalty for what they do is death - for both."
     That was certainly understandable.  In a warrior society
that survived on the strength of unity, transgressions that could
tear apart the harmony of the group would be considered most
dangerous.  The woman would be killed because she threatened that
society by bedding another woman's husband.  The man would
probably be killed to teach the other men a lesson.
     "Obviously, she didn't die," Jeff said, noting the obvious.
     "She claim first rights to man and challenge other woman to
trial by combat."
     "Did this other woman have a name?"
     "Wife not say."
     "What was the name of the man?"
     "Not know."
     "Then, did the other woman have a child?"
     Mr Sao just shook his head.
     "This isn't getting me the answers I want," Jeff warned, the
feeling of inner strength and power returning.
     "I cannot tell what I not know," the man said firmly.
     "Fine," Jeff snorted, slumping back into the chair.  "I
trust your wife won this contest."
     "Yes," Mr Sao said softly.  "Other woman die in fight."
     "So that's why your wife had to leave."
     "Yes."
     "And Jade is someone else's daughter."
     "No," Mr Sao said, his expression changing from resigned to
defiant.  "Xifaji MY daughter."
     Jeff smiled.  The man had pride.  Yes, he admired pride. 
Pride was good.  Pride meant *power*.
     He paused and blinked.  Power?  Why, on earth, did he think
of that?
     Something snapped inside him with a sound so loud he half
expected Mr Sao to notice.  Instead, the man continued to stare
at the carpeting, lost in whatever world his people used to
protect themselves from prying outsiders.
     Jeff tried to ask another question but felt his voice
paralyzed by some sort of inner struggle.  He blinked and stared
out the window.  What was going on?  It was like two organs in
his chest were fighting, his larynx trapped between them.  He
winced when a sharp ripple rolled through his body.  This was
bad.  This was VERY bad. 
     Instinctively, he gripped his chest, like he was
experiencing a heart attack.  It wasn't because it felt painful. 
It just overwhelmed him with surprising force.
     When another spasm struck, he gasped out loud causing Mr Sao
to look up with a startled expression.  
     "Mr Lawrence okay?"
     Okay?  No, Mr Lawrence most certainly wasn't okay.  The
pressure in his chest was growing and spreading, not down his
arms as you would expect a heart attack but down his body and
into his legs.  He twitched, gasped again but most of all,
glowed.  His body taking on a dull radiance that gave him a
ghostly appearance.
     "Help!  Mr Lawrence need help!" Mr Sao yelled, his wide eyes
and fixed on Jeffrey's form.
     Through a blue haze, Jeff saw Rachel appear in the doorway
and saw her hands cover her mouth as she stared in horror.  That
figure was quickly replaced by Jamie, who shoved the girl back
towards her desk while shouting something Jeff couldn't hear.
     As the blue haze grew and deepened, all he heard was
laughter; dark, evil laughter from somewhere inside the blue
haze.
     "I'm free," the voice cackled before continuing his
laughter.  "I'm finally free!"

*****

     Akane, dressed in a pair of sweats, slipped on her shoes and
quietly crept outside.  She didn't want anyone to see or hear her
leave.  What had to be done, had to be done quietly and without
notice.  She'd come home later today, when it was all over, as if
nothing had happened, just another day at the Tendo's.
     Only today was not just another day.  Today Akane had a very
important appointment.
     She considered catching a train but found herself walking
away from the station.  Getting there faster would be like she
was rushing this and such an important decision had to be crystal
clear in her own mind before stepping through the door of the
clinic.  Once she entered, there would be no room for doubts, no
turning back.
     Passing Furinkan High, she only glanced up at the imposing
structure.  It seemed so alien to her now; something from her
distant past.  Even the girls playing softball on the athletics
field seemed so childish and frivolous.  They were too young to
understand a woman's life; especially one making such an
important decision.
     She paused a moment, watching the girls' carefree play. 
Fifteen years or so from now, her own child would be playing on
that field, giggling and socializing without a care in the world. 
That is, providing it was a girl.  Maybe it would be a boy.  Now
that would make her father happy.  It might even please Mr
Saotome.  Boy or girl, she didn't really care.  Just as long as
it was healthy and happy and...
     Groaning, she admonished herself for thinking such thoughts. 
Everything had already been arranged.  The decision had already
been made.  She'd even talked with the priest at a nearby
Buddhist temple.  He assured her that if her decision was made
with a pure heart and for the most unselfish reasons, he could
perform a mizuko kyuo ceremony for her unborn child and the
spirit would be set free.  She had even picked out a little
monument to honor the child's spirit.  Everything had been
considered.  There was nothing left to do but walk to the clinic
and have the procedure done.
     So why did she feel so troubled by this?   After Ranma's
reaction to becoming a father, it was clear, to her anyway, that
having this baby was a mistake.  Besides, they couldn't afford
it, Ranma wasn't interested, and like Kasumi said, she wasn't fit
to be a mother.  There really wasn't anything more to consider.
     Pushing herself away from the fence, she forced herself to
continue walking.  The clinic was only a few blocks more and she
had thirty minutes before her appointment.  It wouldn't be good
to be late.
     What followed was more like a forced march than an easy
walk.  For some reason, her feet acted as if they had a mind of
their own; causing her to force every step.
     In an attempt to disengage her mind from walking, she asked
herself how many times she'd come this direction.  Quite a few,
she surmised.  Her favorite ice cream shop was just around the
corner and the dress shop that she and Kasumi went to so often
was across the street.
     Kasumi.  Why did she have to think of her?  Oneechan made it
clear, she wasn't mature enough to have a baby.  Her child would
most likely be abused because of her immaturity.  Yes, that was
it.  She was doing the right thing because it was best for
everyone.
     That thought alone urged her to walk a little faster and
with more confidence.  She was doing this for the family.  She
was doing her duty for the betterment of the group.
     He pace continued briskly until the gleaming white clinic
building came into view.  It wasn't much larger than Tofu-sensei's 
clinic but looked decidedly different.  Instead of a
welcome appearance, it had the look of a small hospital, all
sterile and impersonal.  Her pace to faltered.  What was she
doing?  Why was she doing this?  Every argument she'd had for the
last week replayed in her mind over and over again.  It didn't
help.  Where moments before, the issue was clear, there were now
doubts.
     Across the street from the clinic, she spotted a small park
with a number of benches.  Hesitating only long enough to cast
one more look at the stark white building, she turned towards the
park.  She needed to think, needed to reassure herself this was
the right course of action.
     Finding an empty bench was a stroke of good luck, she
thought.  It would give her the privacy to work out her
conflicts.  She still had fifteen minutes.  Surely, she could
come to a decision in that amount of time.
     Sitting on one end of the bench, she folded her hands in her
lap and stared at her feet.  Her new, white athletic shoes
scraped their soles on the concrete, making little sounds as she
slowly rocked her heals back and forth.
     Her mind drifted back to how one of her friends got an
abortion at this very clinic and highly recommended the doctor
she was going to see.  He made no comments that would have caused
her friend to reconsider and the staff was nothing if not
supportive.  Yes, this was the right place to do this.  So why
couldn't she just stand up and walk across the street?
     Still deep in thought, she only half-felt someone sit next
to her; close enough to touch but far enough to not intrude on
her thoughts.  Her eyes remained on her shoes, still slowly
sliding along the concrete, back and forth, as her mind drifted
from argument to argument.  There seemed to be no resolution.
    It had to be getting close to her appointment time.  She
couldn't be late.  That would be unthinkable.  It was now or
never, she thought.
     Her feet stopped their idle activity and gathered beneath
her.  She forced herself to stand.  Feeling her muscles quivering
at the effort, she willed them to obey.
     Her eyes rose from the concrete to the building.  All she
had to do was walk across the street, go inside, and check-in at
the front desk.  That was all.  Everything else would be taken
care of.
     Still staring at the front door of the clinic, she took a
step.
     "Akane?"
     She froze at the sound of her name, not because it was her
name but because of the voice that said it.
     "Ranma?" she gasped, still staring at the clinic door and
praying it wasn't really him.
     "Don't do this."  The words were more of a plea than a
demand.
     Abruptly, she sat down again.  Ranma's voice sounded
different, more serious and thoughtful.  It was unlike any time
she could remember.  Why was he stopping her?  Why was he even
here?
     "I've been thinking."
     Thinking?  Ranma thinking?
     "About what I said the other day."
     The other day?  The day he said he didn't care about being a
father?  Her fingers gripped themselves as if to let go would
cause something awful to happen.
     "I didn't really mean what I said."
     That caught her full attention.  He was apologizing -
admitting he was wrong?  She blinked, her eyes glued to the
clinic's front door.
     "I don't know why I said those things.  Maybe because you
scared me with your question.  I felt trapped.  I was desperate
to say something I thought sounded adult and manly."
     Adult?  Manly?  To her, what he said was anything but.  His
words hurt more than all the times he called her 'uncute' or
'tomboy'.  
     "I know this decision is yours but I want you to know that
if you decide not to... you know, I'd try to be a good father."
     Her hands went from her lap to gripping the bench on either
side of her legs.  She tried to maintain her composure but it was
becoming harder by the second.  Ranma was willing to try?  He
might actually *want* to be a father?
     Gripping her lower lip between her teeth to keep it from
quivering, betraying her real feelings, a thousand angry insults
swarmed through her mind.  Why did he wait until now to say this?
     "I really do want to be a father."
     Her hands squeezed the bench so hard her fingers hurt.  All
the doubts returned in force.  Closing her eyes, she tried not to
cry.  Why was he doing this?  Everything was decided.  If she
didn't go now, she'd be late for her appointment.  She couldn't
do that.
     "I was reading something the other day, a story from an
American writer about a boy who grew up with a father that meant
well but abused him anyway.  That boy grew up to be a father
himself and, despite meaning well, he subjected his own son to
abusive situations in the hope of making him a man among men, the
best martial artist in the world.  The story told of how abuse in
families is a continuing circle, passed down from parent to
child, until one can become man enough to break the cycle."
     Could he be talking about...?  No, that was impossible.  His
father was never abused.  Or was he?
     "Father said he'd make me a man among men.  I donno about
that.  I certainly don't feel much like a man right now."  He
paused as if a thought occurred to him.  "Maybe, that's another
step in my training.  Maybe, the only way I can really become a
man is to break the cycle."  Ranma's voice sounded so soft and
vulnerable.  He also sounded a little scared.
     She felt his hand cover her's, his fingers, strong enough to
crush rocks, gently caress her own.
     "I want to try, Akane."
     That was all she could take.  With a whimper, she sagged
against his shoulder, her face buried in his neck.  Her other
hand covered his.  She felt him shift slightly so he could hold
her as she cried softly, finally free from the pressure of the
decision and what she'd have to endure afterwards.
     "Baka," she whispered.  "Why didn't you say something
sooner?"
     "I donno.  I guess I just have to be stupid before I can do
something smart.  I learn from my mistakes, Akane."
     She choked a grim chuckle.  Yes, that was Ranma's way.  He
often had to lose before finding a way to win.  Maybe the
realization that he was about to lose his child... their child
made him find the courage to try.  He could be so stubborn at
times.  That was one of the things that she found endearing.
     "You know, I don't always win the first time.  I usually
have to go back and learn something before I can overcome what
beat me before.  This time I had to learn what it meant to be a
man.  That was the hardest technique I've ever leaned."
     Akane tried to respond but choked each and every time.  Her
hand released his and gently cupped his head, pulling it tighter
against his.  "Baka," she whispered.  It wasn't said as a threat
or taunt but like a term of endearment.  "Why are we both so
stupid?"
     "Sometimes," he said, rubbing a cheek on her dark hair. 
"But we learn and that's what's important.  Let me prove to you I
can be a good father."
     He HAD changed.  This time, it wasn't physical, because of a
curse or something, but a real change, like a maturing.  As far
as Akane was concerned, he'd become a man among men; a caring,
loving father.
     "Ranma?"
     "Yes?"
     "Take me home."

*****

     Nabiki sat uncomfortably at one of the remaining tables in
Ukyou's Diner.  What had happened only minutes before left her
confused and a little scared.  Not because of what happened but
her reaction to it.
     At first, she was shocked and repelled.  She never thought
of Ukyou in that way and certainly never considered kissing
another woman like she kissed Jeffrey.  To think Ukyou thought of
her that way made her sick.  The memory of how she actively
responded caused her to blush.
     She looked up when Ukyou returned from the back room
carrying two bottles.  Like she was noticing for the first time,
the okonomiyaki chef's top was parted almost to her slender
waist, exposing the canyon between her full, womanly breasts. 
Nabiki tore her eyes away and gulped.
     "I got us a couple of cold ones from the cooler in the
back," Ukyou said, placing one of the bottles in front of Nabiki
before sitting down herself.  "I hope you don't think it's too
early in the day for beer."
     Snatching up the bottle, Nabiki took a long drink.  It was
beer alright, the way it burned all the way down her throat
reminded her of how little alcohol she actually consumed in her
life.  Shunning such beverages was only logical for one who
wanted to keep her wits about her.
     Another look at Ukyou sitting across the table caused Nabiki
to gulp down more of the strong concoction.  The woman had a
strange expression on her face.  Through a blue haze, Ukyou
looked like she was glowing.  It had to be the beer and this
crappy lighting, she surmised.
     "I know what you're thinking," Ukyou said softly, her
fingers caressing her bottle.  "But I'm not really that way.  The
truth is, I'm not really sure just who or what I am.  One minute
all I want is Ranma in my arms and the next... well, sometimes I
have these... feelings.  You know what I mean?"
     Nabiki started to nod before catching herself and vigorously
shaking her head.
     "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't," Ukyou admitted, bowing her
head slightly and watching her index finger trace the bottle's
opening.  "I can't really explain it myself."  She paused, her
finger stopping in mid-stroke.  Closing her eyes and sighing, she
plunged on.  "Truth is, sometimes I went to your house for
another reason than seeing Ranma.  Sometimes, I went just to see
you."
     Instinctively, Nabiki rocked back in her chair, her jaw
dropping.  This was nuts!  They were both girls.  What could she
have done to encourage Ukyou?
     "I know," Ukyou said with another sigh, holding up her hand. 
"You think I'm strange for admitting this but you gotta
understand.  I spent so much time trying to dress, act, and think
like a boy that I started to wonder just why they looked at girls
the way the did.  At first, I couldn't see what the big deal was. 
I guess that's because I physically had everything the girls had. 
     "But then I saw you.  You were everything the other girls
weren't.  You were always in control, always so masterful and
commanding.  I guess I kinda started wondering what you were
like.  Sometimes, when my dreams of Ran-chan ran out, I dreamed
it was you I loved."
     "Ukyou, I'm married," Nabiki gasped.  "I have a child.  I
love my husband."
     "I know.  That's why I'm trying to explain what I did and
why."  Ukyou shifted in her seat and leaned forward.  "Can't you
see?  I had lost Ranma.  It still hurts to even think about that
but I know now I have to accept it.  Ranma is gone.  When you
walked in this morning, all those feelings rushed back.  I'm
sorry but I couldn't help myself."
     "You have a funny way of showing your affection."
     "I wouldn't have hurt you.  Yes, I was angry.  You took my
reason for living away.  You destroyed my dreams.  I wanted
revenge.  But when I looked into your eyes, I saw the person I
fell in love with back when you were in high school.  I couldn't
hurt you."
     Nabiki glanced at her briefcase, still sporting the two
throwing spatulas embedded in its side.  "Ukyou, if I wasn't
carrying a special briefcase, you'd be mopping up my blood right
now and trying to figure out what to do with my body."
     "I know."  Ukyou grimaced.  "You have no idea the panic I
felt when I threw those.  All my life I practiced my martial arts
with the goal of never striking in anger.  I know now why.  In
anger, one forgets what's important and makes mistakes."  Closing
her eyes, Ukyou rolled her head back and drew a ragged breath. 
"I might have killed the only other person in this world I
loved."
     "Ukyou, I hold no animosity for you but I also can't let
this go on.  I'm not attracted to you."
     "You say that but the way you returned my kiss suggests
otherwise."
     "You surprised me."
     "Your reaction surprised me, too."
     Stunned by Ukyou's assertion, Nabiki hugged herself, trying
to cover her vulnerable parts.  All that did was cause fabric to
move provocatively across her most sensitive parts.  How long had
it been since she and Jeffrey...?  No, she couldn't think of that
now.  She knew how her body reacted to thoughts of her husband
and that was the last thing she wanted Ukyou to see.
     She didn't hear Ukyou leave her chair and had no idea where
she was until she felt arms go around her body, pinning her own
against her breasts.  Ukyou's hot breath on her neck caused her
to gasp.  When the woman's lips brushed her cheek, Nabiki tensed,
almost crying in fear - fear of what it was doing to her.  She
felt herself reacting to Ukyou in the same way she did her
husband.  She repeated to herself over and over how this was
wrong, unnatural, improper. 
     "Please, no," Nabiki gasped when one of Ukyou's hands cupped
her breast through her suit coat.  Gritting her teeth, she
whimpered: "I can't."
     Her words appeared to have no effect on the relentless
Ukyou.  "Don't take my last hope away," Ukyou whispered as she
nuzzled Nabiki's ear.  "Just this once.  Please."
     Nabiki felt her resistance crumbling.  Ukyou's hands were so
gentle and insistent as they explored her body.  This wasn't what
she bargained for.  All she wanted was a business partner, not a
lover.  She had to stop this.  She couldn't continue.  She...
suddenly felt a desire unlike any she'd experienced before.  It
burned in her so strongly her body shuddered, her hands reaching
to gently cup and caress Ukyou's beautiful face.  Her willpower
had retreated to its last redoubt, prepared to make a final stand
for her virtue and her marriage.
     "Nabiki Tendo," came a strong male voice from the doorway.
     Nabiki froze, even as Ukyou reached for her skirt.  She
recognized that voice and it seemed to draw her back from the
brink.
     "Respected elder of the Cold Moon Clan," the voice said
almost like an oath.
     Yes, a Jonin; an elder of a Shinobi clan.  She was a
respectable woman, married to an American who shared her Shinobi
life.  Hold on to that, she told herself.  Fight the feelings. 
Don't give in.  It wasn't easy, Ukyou's hand began to slide
sensuously up her nylon-clad thigh causing her to sob in
desperation.
     The voice growled an incantation, his words coming fast and
forcefully.  The room began to spin and flared bright yellow.  In
a flash, Ukyou's hands disappeared, the woman's presence
instantly vanishing.
     Nabiki didn't have time to consider the importance of that
because she was too busy holding her head in both hands, fighting
a wave of nausea.  Her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she gasped
for breath.  What was happening?  What had she done?  Where was
she?  How long had she been here?
     With a final flash of light, the room stopped spinning and
returned to its previous poorly-lit condition.  Nabiki bent over
in her chair gulping air and trying to keep from throwing up. 
Whatever held her here before was gone, only a slight chill in
the air marked its passing.
     "You are safe now," came the voice again.
     Nabiki turned her head enough to blink and squint at the
figure still standing in the open doorway, silhouetted in the
afternoon sun.  She didn't recognize him at first, their last
meeting being so long ago.  As he stepped into the room, enough
light crept around his face until her eyes went wide in
recognition.
     "Master Sato," she gasped.
     "You must come with me.  Jeffrey is in much danger."
     Nabiki glanced around the diner but Ukyou was nowhere to be
seen.  "Where...?" she began.
     "The one you call Ukyou is sleeping peacefully in her bed
far away.  This is no longer her shop and she was never really
here."
     "Then what was it that...?"  Nabiki shook her head, pulling
tighter the opening of her business suit and glancing around the
room like it contained demons ready to pounce at any moment.
     "There is no time to explain.  You must come with me
immediately.  I fear that Jeffrey has undone that which was
carefully done.  You are all in much danger."