Here it is, Volume Two, Part Two!  For this and any of my other 
works, visit my Web Site at:

http://www.geocities.com/coutuva

As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.
All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

Please Enjoy!
Coutuva.



Secrets:  Volume Two Part Two
------------------------------------------------------------------



	Miyoko's face contorted in confusion.  "What do you mean?
I know you had some kind of problem with an ex-boyfriend..." she
trailed off, her eyes suddenly widening.  "Kuso!  Is he trying
to get you back or something?" she abruptly gasped, her face
instantly darkening.
	"Iya..." Yoriko sighed, shaking her head.  "I wish it was
something that simple," she remarked, exasperatedly.  "It's far,
far worse than that," she added ominously, turning to the railing
and grasping it with both hands, then hanging her head.  "I guess
the best place to start...  Is the beginning," she stated, turning
and facing Miyoko, a profound sadness etched in her features.  
	"Miyoko-chan...  I am not Naganato Yoriko.  My real name...
Is Christine White," she stated, then paused.  "You might
recognize the family name," she added at length, watching Miyoko's
eyes.
        Miyoko's face fell.  "White....  As in...  White
Consolidated Industries?  The outfit that has that 'city' for an
office building?" she stammered, incredulously.
	"H-Hai," Yoriko replied, lowering her eyes.  "Eric Jessop
White...  The founder and current CEO...  Is my father," she
explained, her eyes still lowered.  "He's American.  He came to
Japan 30 years ago on a vacation, and ended up marrying my mother.
After that, he moved his business here.  I was born 4 years later,
right here in Kyoto."
	"Masaka..." Miyoko breathed, her mind spinning.  "Then
how...  Why...?" she attempted, but couldn't get her brain to focus
on one question.
	Yoriko noted her reaction, and sighed heavily.  "My father
hates me...  Hates what I am, and what I mean," she continued, the
merest hint of a waver detectable in her voice.  "Two years ago,
when my father tried to marry me off, he found out about my...
'true preference'," she explained, shooting a remorseful glance
at Miyoko.  "He almost had a stroke, thinking his Company would be
ruined and his reputation destroyed if anyone found out.  And, he
was horrified to think that his only child was, as he put it,
'screwed up'," she added, a sniff finally sneaking out.  "He had
wanted a son to carry on the name and the business, but because my
mom couldn't have any more kids, he ended up without an heir and
without a successor...  And blamed me for all of it.  That's when
he decided to disown me.  He had my name changed, and all of my
history destroyed.  'Christine White' disappeared, and then
someone named 'Naganato Yoriko' just appeared," she sobbed, unable
to hold back the pain any longer.  "He made sure he erased his 
'mistake'..."
	Miyoko's heart melted.  Without any further thought, she
stepped forward and took the bawling girl in her arms, holding
her tight to her chest.  Yoriko immediately clenched her robe
and buried her face in the fabric.
        "Oh, Miyoko...  I'm...  So sorry....  So...  Sorry..." she
attempted, barely able to speak.
        "It's okay...  It's okay...  I'm here," was all Miyoko
could manage, her thoughts torn between heartfelt sympathy and
angry disbelief.
	For some indeterminable length of time, Miyoko continued
to hold the girl, letting her cry as long as she felt the need.
Yoriko, however, soon forced herself to stop and tried to speak
again.
	"They forced me..." she abruptly sniffed, not moving
from Miyoko's embrace.  "They forced me to start a new life...
Forced me to keep quiet about my old identity, saying they would
be watching everything I did...  And they have.  That's why that
Nabiki person...  Was so scared of me," she added, wiping
ineffectually at her eyes.  "*They* scared her off.  I couldn't
tell you because I was afraid...  Afraid that if I did, I'd lose
the only person who's ever loved me...  For *me*.  The only
person...  Who *wanted* me in her home...  And in her *life*!  I
was afraid that they'd see you as a threat and take you from
me...  And I'd rather die than ever lose you, Miyoko-chan,"
she gasped between her suppressed sobs, her voice becoming
strained and thin from the effort.
        "Don't even say that.  Yori-chan, I don't care who your
father is...  I don't care what he thinks...  As far as I'm
concerned, nothing's changed.  I love you...  And I always will,"
Miyoko assured, gently but firmly.
	Even as she was speaking her words of encouragement,
however, her anger was seething like the lava under Mount Fuji.
As she had said, she didn't care who Yoriko's father was.  The
indescribable bastard had hurt her -- hurt her in ways that had
obviously scarred her for life.  
	In that moment, as she held the still sobbing girl in her
arms, she resolved that somehow, some way, he *was* going to pay.
	Half an hour later, Miyoko handed the still-sniffing
Yoriko a glass of water, then leaned back against the front of
the sink.  "Maaa, I can't believe he'd treat you like that...  
It's sick, Yori-chan," she spat, her face still dark.
        "Hai...  It tore my heart out, Miyoko-chan...  He never
paid any attention to me all my life, but I still loved him; he
was my Dad.  But, when he caught me with my girlfriend when I was
supposed to be dating a guy he set me up with...  It got a *lot*
worse," she sniffed, pausing to take a long drink.  "He treated
me like a disease...  A contagious one.  He isolated me, then
destroyed me...  And his company had enough power and money behind
it to do it, too," she added, her voice showing a tinge of
bitterness.
        "Well, he better not try anything now...  Or I swear,
it'll be the last thing he ever does," Miyoko growled, her eyes
flashing angrily.
	Yoriko gasped, quickly rising from the table and walking 
up to her worriedly.  "No, Miyoko-chan.  They're too strong, and 
have too many connections.  I know; I tried to fight what they did
to me, but it only made matters worse," she cried, her eyes 
shimmering with fear.
	Miyoko frowned even more deeply than she already was,
then took Yoriko by the hand.  Wordlessly, she led her into the
bathroom and flicked on the light.  Moving the confused girl
before the mirror, she pointed to her reflection.
	"You see that?  Those are the two most beautiful eyes
I've ever seen...  But when I look at them now, all I see is fear.
I hate him for that, Yori-chan.  And there's no way in *hell*
I'm going to let him do anything else to you -- no matter what I
have to do," she stated, angrily.
	Yoriko, despite worrying that Miyoko was going to do
something dangerous, turned and hugged the redhead tightly.  Her
words were exactly the ones she had needed to hear.




	Nodoka sat quietly in her living room, thumbing idly
through a magazine as she sipped her tea.  Her thoughts, however,
were not on the book.  She was deeply concerned that Akane was
going to repeat her past mistake, and there was no way she was
going to let that happen.
        Problem was, she had no idea how to go about it.
	She knew she could try forcing Akane to cooperate, but
she realized that she would likely end up losing contact with
her grandson over it, which was something she couldn't stand
the thought of.
	Sighing, she knew she'd have to think long and hard
over it, unaccustomed as she was to being manipulative and
devious.  She knew there were people around her that
specialized in such things, but she really didn't want to resort
to asking them for help.  This was a matter best handled quietly,
she felt, as involving others would only complicate it.
	Closing her magazine, she huffed exasperatedly.  This
was going to be a more difficult issue to resolve than she thought.




	Miyoko sighed contentedly as she luxuriated under the
shower, having had a great day with her classes despite being
tired from her interrupted sleep.  As she toweled off and trotted
back to the changeroom, she only hoped the rest of the day would
go as well.
	Dressing quickly, she grabbed her purse and beelined for
the doorway, wanting to get home before Yoriko.  With the state
the girl had been in, Miyoko wanted to ease her mind by being
there when she arrived, just in case.
	Heading down the street toward the train, she noticed a
black Mercedes parked a short distance away, and found her hackles
rising.  She figured it was exactly the type of vehicle the people
Yoriko mentioned would use, and not wanting to be caught off-guard,
watched it warily.  
	As she walked closer to it, she noted that the windows were
blacked out, which really set her on alert.
	Ahead of her, two men suddenly stepped out of a small cafe
and started to walk toward her, and she noticed that they were
attempting to look harmless.  Eyes narrowing, she prepared herself.
	The two men continued toward her steadily, their eyes
concealed behind their dark glasses and unreadable.  Her suspicions
were confirmed as they stopped about four feet from her, and simply
stood in her path.
	"Miss Takara?" one of them ventured, smiling disarmingly.
	"Hai.  Who wants to know?" she responded, subtly taking a
stance.
        "We are...  Friends of Naganato Yoriko.  We would like to
speak to you about her, if we may," he stated, still smiling.
	Miyoko frowned.  "You got a death wish, pal?" she snarled,
evenly.
        The man's face fell.  "Ahh...  We do not wish you or Miss
Naganato any harm -- but there is something we must discuss with
you.  It concerns her future," he stammered, sweat beading on
his forehead.
	Miyoko growled, anger instantly washing over her face.
"The only future you better be worried about is your own, buddy...
Especially if you don't get the hell out of my way," she snarled,
clenching her fists.
        "Ahh...  Miss Takara...  Th-This is an important matter..."
the man stammered, becoming increasingly nervous, but still
standing his ground.
	In a blur, Miyoko made her reply.  When she stopped
moving a heartbeat later, her foot was millimeters from the
second man's face, and her fist was an equivalent distance from
the first's eyes.  Glaring up into the first man's glasses, she
almost smiled.  "You were saying...?"
        "A-Ano...  S-Sorry to disturb you," he gulped, both he
and his partner freezing in place, afraid to even breathe.
	Miyoko settled back to her feet, straightened her dress,
then handed them both back their belts, each rolled neatly.  "I
figure you better pull those up," she smirked, then reshouldered
her purse and strode off toward the station, now almost late for
her train.
	Finally arriving home, she looked around quickly to see
if Yoriko had arrived.  When she discovered that she was alone, 
she quickly changed and plunked herself in front of the TV, 
wanting things to look as normal as possible.  
	She had already decided she wasn't going to tell Yoriko
about her little meeting, despite the fact that it worried her 
deeply.
	She didn't know why the men wanted to talk to her so
badly, but she was certain it had to do with Yoriko's fears.
	Face darkening, she vowed that she wasn't going to give
them any chance.  After Yoriko had stood by her, she was going
to stand by Yoriko -- to the bitter end, if necessary.  In her
opinion, Yoriko had suffered enough for one lifetime.




	After supper, the girls landed in front of the TV, taking
in a movie that Yoriko had brought home.  Miyoko sat on the couch
with Yoriko between her legs on the carpet in front of her, which
positioned her perfectly for Miyoko to brush out her shimmering
blonde hair.
	Yoriko soaked up the attention hungrily, actually pouting
when Miyoko finished the job and stretched out on the couch to
relax.
        "Hey...  Don't tell me you're done," she complained,
turning to pout into her girlfriend's face.
        "Hai...  I am.  If I brush it any more, you'll be bald!"
Miyoko admonished, running her fingers through the blonde wave.
"And then you'd look funny," she smirked, tossing a lock across
Yoriko's face.
	"But what a way to go," Yoriko sighed, flopping back
against the couch and doing her best "Gone with the Wind" pose.
	"Baka ne," Miyoko snickered, tapping the top of the
girl's head with her foot.  "So how was work today?  You never
said anything at supper."
        "I know...  I was just so happy to get home and find
everything okay," Yoriko responded, fidgeting with her sleeve.
"I worried all afternoon that they'd bug you again," she added,
sadly.
        "Don't fret.  I'd just introduce 'em to the hospital if
they bother us again," Miyoko smirked, taking a couple of quick
punches at the air.
        Yoriko's eyes widened.  "Sugoi...  That was fast,
Miyoko-chan," she gasped, unable to even see her girlfriend's
hands move.
	Miyoko smiled wickedly.  "You want to see fast?" she
intoned, just before leaning forward and handing Yoriko her bra.
        "Aiy...!" Yoriko shrieked, her face flushing beet red
as she held open her blouse and looked down it.  "How did you...?"
she sputtered, covering her now unrestrained chest with one arm
and taking the garment back with the other.
	"It's a modification on a technique I learned years
ago...  Comes in handy for things now and then," she grinned,
smugly.
        "That's evil...!" Yoriko protested, half-seriously.
"If you weren't a nice person..." she added, leaving the sentence
dangle.
        "Yeah...  Then there'd be no telling what nasty things I
could do to a sweet little girl like you, ne?" Miyoko countered,
affecting her best evil grin, and leaning forward menacingly.
	"But then all I have to do is pull out my secret weapon...
The dreaded 'cute kiss'!" Yoriko giggled, lifting up to kiss the
tip of Miyoko's nose.  Miyoko lost it, followed immediately by
Yoriko.
	When they regained their composure, Yoriko slipped up
onto the couch and stretched out beside Miyoko, deliberately
positioning herself low enough that she could nestle into the
redhead's chest comfortably.  Upon doing exactly that, she sighed
deeply and smiled contentedly.  "Miyoko-chan...  I love you,"
she breathed, happily.  "I feel so safe like this," she added,
her smile widening.
        "I love you, too, Yori-chan.  And I think those are the
sweetest words you could ever say to me," Miyoko responded
softly, closing her arms around the girl.
	



	The next morning, upon extricating herself from Yoriko's
lingering good-bye hug, Miyoko headed toward the train station,
wondering what to expect from the day.  She hoped she had made
her point with her 'pursuers', and wouldn't see them again, but
her hopes were dashed as she rounded the corner onto the main
street.
	Sure enough, she spotted another black Mercedes.
	Glancing down at her attire, a mid-thigh skirt and flowing
full-sleeve blouse, she sighed resignedly.  She wasn't exactly
dressed for what she had in mind, but if they so much as looked at
her, she was going to give them a lesson in surveillance they'd
never forget.
	Squaring herself, she strode right past the car, noting
that it was blacked out just like the last one she had seen.  As
she passed it, she heard its doors open and prepared for her
response.  Slowing her pace deliberately, she stopped at the lights
and waited demurely, listening to the footfalls behind her.  When
they came within four feet of her back, she spun around, smiled
sweetly, and waved at the two men happily.
	"Ja-ne!" she sang, then sprung straight up, and flipped 
onto the rooftop beside her.  A few leaps later, she hid
behind a stack on a large building and waited for her company to
arrive.  
	As the car cruised by slowly with people hanging out all
four windows, she somersaulted into a roll and plummeted the three
storeys to the street, landing gently behind the car.  Making sure
they saw her, she stuck out her tongue and pulled an eyelid down,
then darted into an alleyway.
	When the reversing car screeched to a halt outside the
alley, she took to the air again right over their heads, rolling
into a tuck to cover her assets.   When she hit the street on the 
far side of the stopped car, she bounced up toward a building 
across the street, using its awning to springboard herself onto 
its roof.
	From there, she headed for her train, despite knowing
they'd likely be waiting there, too.  Sure enough, as she
descended toward the platform, another Mercedes sat within view
of the boarding point.  Grinning, she angled toward the station
house, ricocheted off its roof and landed noiselessly on the top
of the train.  
	Flattening, she slid to the opposite side of the car and 
found an open window, then snaked her way into it, landing in the
center aisle just in time to pay for her ticket.
	Moving to a platform-side seat, she looked out at the
car, slid down her window and waved happily at it as the train
pulled away from the platform.
	Later, as her train jerked to a stop, she scoped the
area for another car, and was relieved to note there wasn't one.
That, however, didn't lull her one bit.  She figured they knew
where she worked, and given their surprising persistence so far,
anticipated another run-in before she arrived.
	Heading up the last street before the School, she
discovered she had guessed right -- only this time, there were
two casually-dressed men sitting on a bench, trying to look
innocuous.  
	Striding right past them, she waited until they proved 
their intent, then sprang up into a backward roll, landing right
behind them.  As they reacted to her sudden move, she grabbed 
their belts and tied them together before either man knew what 
hit him.
	"Leave us alone!" she growled, then simply walked past
them and headed into the School.  Once inside, however, she had
to fight to keep from laughing.
	



	"What do you mean, there's been no progress?  You've
had twenty-four hours!" Eric White growled in disbelief, his eyes
wide.  "I don't care what your excuses are.  If you don't make
contact and get the ball rolling by Friday, then it's a scrub, do
you hear me?  No!  I wasn't so sure this was a great idea, and
you're beginning to prove me right.  By Friday or not at all," he
snapped, slamming the phone onto its cradle.
	Scrolling back through the series of Emails he had been
poring over, he frowned deeply.  His team was being made a mockery
of, and he was beginning to worry.  Now that some contact had 
been made, the risk of the whole thing blowing up in his face was 
becoming even more real.
	As well, he had already told his wife, having been 
considerably more confident about the outcome.
	Finally, he shut off his screen and rose from his chair,
walking to the back of his office to peer out the large windows
thoughtfully.
	After a few silent minutes, he sighed heavily.  "I should
have adopted," he groaned aloud, pulling off his glasses and
rubbing his eyes.
	



	Rising from her dismissal bow to her class, Miyoko was
surprised to see Atsuko, the girl from the reception desk,
frantically trying to get her attention.  Nodding an
acknowledgment, she strode across the mats to meet her, wondering
what all the fuss was about.
        "Miyoko-sensei!  There is someone here to see you.  They 
look important!" the flustered girl babbled, pointing toward the 
outer office.
        Miyoko's face went hard.  "Okay...  Now what?" she
responded, confusing the receptionist.
        "They did not say.  They simply asked for you, and said it
was urgent, Miyoko-sensei," the girl reiterated, clutching her
headset cable.
        "Hm," she grunted, then headed for the office.   She was
not surprised to find two men, dressed in 'power suits', simply
sitting in the waiting room chairs waiting for her arrival.  Once
she stepped in, however, both of them rose and bowed.
	"Miss Takara?" one of them asked, immediately removing
his dark glasses and smiling.
        "Atsuko-chan -- could you excuse us for a few minutes?"
Miyoko abruptly asked, shooting the girl a look.
	"Hai, Miyoko-sensei," she bowed quickly, and left the room
immediately.
        "So; do I have to ask what you want?" Miyoko asked,
regarding her 'guests' levelly.
	"We are still trying to speak to you about Naganato Yoriko,
Miss Takara.  If you wish, we can set up a meeting at a time and
place of your choosing?" the man indicated, in a well-practiced,
non-threatening manner.
	Anger flashed across Miyoko's face, and as it did, she
reached down and tightened her gi belt.  "I'll make this real easy
for you.  I'm not interested!  All we want -- is to be left
alone.  And if you guys don't stop bothering us, someone is going
to get hurt!"
        "Miss Takara -- we are not trying to cause anyone harm.
In fact, this could be very much to your..."
	"Leave.  Now," she snarled, taking a single step forward.
	The two men frowned, then started for the door.  "We must
talk to you...  And soon," the first reiterated, flipping a
business card at her.  "Call us," he stated, then left as Miyoko
snatched it from the air and flashed him a look.
	She huffed as she watched them leave, then glanced at the
card.  All it contained was a phone number and a name.
	"And if you think I'm ever gonna call *you* bastards..."
she grumbled, crumpling the card and jamming it in her pocket.
Walking to the rear door, she popped it open and told Atsuko to
come in, and left orders that she was not to be disturbed unless
it was by a girl named Yoriko.
        Next, she set a course for the staff lunchroom, badly in
need of a good stiff tea.
	Heading home after her day finally ended, Miyoko was so
'on edge' that her shoulders started to feel tight.  She studied
every street, checked every corner and every shop, wanting to
avoid any contact with the 'men' she encountered earlier.  Their
attempts were getting wearisome, and she had already decided
that she'd had enough.
	As she stepped onto her train, she inspected every face
carefully, noting with mild surprise that there were no suspicious
ones.  Even at her stop, and all the way back to her home block,
there were no questionable cars or people.
	For a fleeting second, she thought they may have gotten the
hint, but her heart sank as she rounded the last corner, and saw one
of the dreaded black cars.
	Instantly, her anger boiled over.  Setting herself, she
strode up the street toward the car and awaited their reaction.
Almost predictably, four men got out and lined up alongside the
car, awaiting her arrival.
	As she neared, one of them pasted on a smile and stepped
toward her.  She stopped and glared death at him.
        "Miss Takara...  I *must* speak to you about Yoriko..." he
began, but didn't get to finish.
	Stepping right up to him, Miyoko's eyes narrowed to thin
slits.  "I warned you," she growled, then faster than the eye
could follow, launched the man at his cohorts, taking out two of
them in one swing.  She then sprang over in front of the fourth,
who surprised her by taking a shaky stance.  Miyoko looked at
him for a second, then rolled her eyes.  Stepping out of her own
stance, she regarded him disappointedly.
        "No, No, No.  Not like that!" she frowned, looking
him over.  "Kuso, let me show you," she snapped, walking up and
correcting his arms and body position.  "See?  You were too far
back.  Remember -- you have to be able to direct the force through,
and you sure as hell can't do it like this," she indicated,
affectedly imitating his non-corrected stance.  "Now, if you do
it like this," she continued, correcting her position. "You can
hit better...  See?" she added, unloading a shot to his chest
that left him gasping on the ground.  "And I barely touched you.
It's all in the stance, buddy.  Remember that," she stated,
glaring at him.
	His breathless response surprised her.  "H-Hai, s-sensei,"
he choked, just before his head rolled to the side.
	Dusting herself off, she stepped over to the barely
conscious first man and grabbed his shirt.  Pulling him up, she
glared angrily into his face.
	"You guys have pushed me about as far as I wanna go.  If
I *ever* see any of you again...  Whoever it is damned-well 
better have an up-to-date Will," she growled, and dropped him to
the ground.




	The young exec frowned, then set the phone back down.
"Well...  It didn't work.  Keiji and his team are in the hospital.
It looks like we're at the point of no return, gentlemen," he
stated, flatly.
	"Then we withdraw?" another asked, tossing a file on
the table.
        "No.  You and Moriatsu are dismissed.  You may leave,"
the young exec replied, sadly.
        "Ano...  Why, Sir?" the stunned man asked, blinking.
        "Plausible Deniability.  Go," the exec stated,
indicating the door.  As the two men gratefully left, he turned
to the remaining one and eyed him resignedly.  "You realize what
this means, don't you?" he asked, allowing his hand to drop onto
the table.
	"Hai.  I do.  All the way or no way," he nodded, quietly.
	"One chance.  And above all, be gentle.  Identify
yourselves and say who it's from.  We do *not* want to intimidate
here -- only get co-operation.  Are we clear on this?"
	"Hai.  Understood," the second nodded sharply.
	"Good.  Tomorrow?"
        "Iya.  Perhaps the day after...  It's still too soon."
	"Agreed.  Anything you need?"
	"No, sir.  I am prepared."
	"Good.  Leave by the rear entry, and I will see you here
in 48 hours.  Good Luck," the exec stated, and watched as the other
man left the room.  Once alone, he leaned back in his chair and
sighed heavily.  "I hope this works," he moaned, lowering his
shaking head.
	



	Akane gazed out at the koi pond as she finished her
cigarette, flinging the butt into a prearranged can a few feet
away.  She was glad Nodoka had gone home, as she was becoming very
tired of the woman's expectant gaze following her everywhere, and
her still liberally sprinkled suggestions about contacting 'Miyoko'.
	Making matters worse was the fact that Nodoka had now
apparently enlisted Kasumi's help, and if there was anyone who
could get on her nerves in a heartbeat, it was 'Miss Wonderful'.
	She had already endured her older sister's subtle variety 
of suggestion for enough years to become quite weary of it, and in
fact, that was why they barely spoke.
	As well, Kasumi couldn't seem to resist a well-placed
needle about her lifestyle whenever they did speak, which also made
Akane tend to avoid her as much as possible.  That preference,
however, didn't preclude Kasumi coming over on her unannounced
'drop ins', and adding her two cents about the issue of the day.
	Overall, the entire scenario was becoming irritating.  
	Unbeknownst to any of her supposedly well-intentioned
'advisors', she had actually reconsidered going along with 'Miyoko's'
plan, just for the sake of harmony.  The only thing she still 
couldn't get past, no matter how hard she tried, was the thought of
the girlfriend' being in the picture.  And Akane knew full well 
that she would be, given how much they seemed to be in love.
	The entire concept turned her stomach, and seemed
inescapable.
	Suddenly, she actually found herself wishing she could do
exactly what Ranma did, and just pack up and leave the crap behind.
	"Boy, wouldn't that be nice..." she said aloud, albeit
quietly.




        "Anybody home in there?" Miyoko asked jokingly, tapping
on the top of Yoriko's head.  The girl had been quietly nestled
against her side as they lay on the couch, but Miyoko could tell she
hadn't been watching the movie.
        "Ano...  Gomen, Miyoko-chan.  I was just thinking about my
mother," Yoriko stammered, raising her gaze toward the redhead.
        "Your mother?  Why?  Was she in on this too?" Miyoko
responded, blinking.
        "Iya, iya.  I got along very well with her.  She was the
only real parent I had growing up," Yori noted, emphatically.  "I
was very close to her.  We talked a lot, did things together...
She was there for me," she added, her eyes widening as she spoke.
"I was just wondering...  What she was told about my...
Disappearance," she explained, her demeanor abruptly changing.
"I'm a lot like her, Miyoko-chan.  I'm sure it must have...
Devastated her," she noted, her voice going quiet as she lowered
her face.
	Miyoko frowned sympathetically.  "She's your father's
wife.  I'm sure he concocted something," she noted, dryly.
        Yoriko nodded slowly.  "I'm sure he did too.  I just
hope...  He didn't break her heart," she almost whispered, her
concern twinging Miyoko's heartstrings, but at the same time
making her nervous.  
	She knew Yoriko would worry herself sick over something
like this, so she knew she had to either distract her, or ease her
mind somehow, and do it quickly.
        "Yori-chan -- how did your father treat her?  Did he...
Love her?" she asked, hoping for the best.
        "Hai.  Very much.  I used to love seeing them together.
You could almost feel the affection between them," she responded,
wistfully.
	Miyoko almost sighed out loud.  "Then I'm sure he broke it
to her gently.  If he cared that much...  And your mother is
anything like you, then he would've had to," she stated, smiling
confidently.  "Probably told her he got you a top-secret job in
the U.S. or something," she added, winking.
	Yoriko looked up at her again, considering the statement.
"Hai.  That would make sense," she acquiesced, thoughtfully.
        "I'd be willing to bet on it," Miyoko assured her, leaning
down and kissing her forehead.  "So don't fret.  It'll give you
lines," she chided, grabbing the corners of her own eyes and
wrinkling the skin for effect.
	Yoriko, much to Miyoko's relief, smiled at the bit, then
sighed heavily.  "Gomen, Miyoko-chan.  I've just been thinking a
lot about this lately, and sometimes it gets to me," she smiled
weakly, leaning her head back against Miyoko's side.
        "I know...  It's okay, Yori-chan.  I understand," she
responded gently, patting her girlfriend's rear.
	Yoriko nestled her face a little closer into Miyoko's side
in response, and tightened her grip on the front of her
girlfriend's robe.  "I know you do.  That's one of the reasons I
love you so much," she whispered, a serene smile settling on her
visage.



=================================================================
END - Secrets V2P2                   A Ranma1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva


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coutuva@vecdev.com