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

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All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

Please Enjoy!
Coutuva.



Secrets: Volume One Part Three
-----------------------------------------------------------------



	A skirt flew by.  A pair of shoes followed.  Then a
magazine -- and several small boxes.
        "Where *is* that damned thing?" Miyoko cursed, rummaging
anxiously through her closet.  "I know it's here...  I brought it
with me on purpose!" she complained, settling back to sit on her
heels in front of the huge mess.
        "Are you sure that's where you put it?" Yoriko asked,
trying to be helpful.
        "Hai...  I'm sure it's...  Waitaminit!  There it is!" she
smiled, reaching into a tipped box at the back of the closet, and
reverently withdrawing the Chisuiton.  "Thank the Kami!  Now I can
be myself again," she remarked excitedly, then abruptly gasped.
Her eyes widened as she realized what she had just said.
        Yoriko, noticing her state, knelt beside her and regarded
her worriedly.  "Miyoko-chan...  What is it?" she prodded gently,
placing her hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.
        Miyoko turned to her with a strange, contorted smile on her
face.  "All this crap has reminded me of the old days...  And how I
used to hate the thought of spending *any* time as a girl," she
began, softly.
        Yoriko nodded, then cocked her head slightly, not quite
sure where Miyoko was going.
        "Well, it just hit me that now...  The thought of being
anything else bugs me even more," she noted with a smirk, then held
the ladle up and looked at it.  "I guess that just makes it
official, ne?" she added, turning toward Yoriko and smiling
brightly.
        "Hai...  I guess it does," she responded a second later,
then flashed a small smile and rose to her feet.  "Well, I have to
get in to work, Miyoko-chan...  And I need to get changed, too.
You're working again tonight, right?" she redirected, fidgeting
with the scrap of paper she had in her hand.
        "Hai...  Got three left," Miyoko answered, noticing
something odd in her girlfriend's demeanor.
        "Okay...  I'll call you tonight," she smiled quickly, then
leaned down and kissed Miyoko's forehead.  "Ja!" she added, quickly
turning and walking out of the room.
        "Ja..." Miyoko responded absently, a frown crossing her
face as she watched the girl go.




        Yoriko had to fight back her tears as she left Miyoko's
building, her heart feeling like it was shattering in her chest.
That 'thing' that Miyoko found had sent a chill down her back, and
overwhelming guilt ripping through her conscience.
	She had never loved anyone this much in her entire life, and
it was that very situation that now made her feel like a monster.
She wanted to have Miyoko all to herself, no matter her history,
no matter her curse, no matter even -- her son.
        Sadly, she knew what it was like to grow up without a
father, as hers had been too involved in his own affairs to even
acknowledge her presence.  The scenes of the times he would walk
past her as she tried to speak to him still haunted the dark
corners of her memory, and when she saw the ladle, it somehow
brought it all right back to her in living, painful color.  It
also made her realize that she had been willing to allow Miyoko to
do the same thing, just so she could have the woman all to herself.
	Regrettably, there was only one way she could think of to
clear her conscience, and that meant she had to take matters into
her own hands.  
	Even though she knew full well it could all backfire in her
face.
	Wiping her tears, she raced back to her apartment, called
in sick, caught a shower and was out the door again in twenty
minutes.  Hailing a cab, she gave it the address she wanted and
jumped in quickly, hoping she would make it to her appointment
before she lost her nerve.
	Once she arrived outside her destination, she stood on the
sidewalk for a moment and took a deep breath.  Summoning all the
courage she could find, she pasted on her most disarming smile and
strode straight through the doors of the Happy Spatula.
	



	Nabiki closed her phone and smiled proudly across the table
at Akane.  "Phase two is in motion.  They're faxing what they
have to me, and digging a little deeper as we speak."
	Akane sighed tiredly. "Are you sure all this 'Cloak and
Dagger' crap is gonna get us anything?  A little piece of fluff
like her is probably so clean she squeaks," she countered,
disgustedly.
	"Oh, ye of little faith.  Everyone has something to hide,
Akane.  The only 'clean' people in this world are either not born
yet or have good press agents.  You'll see...  We'll turn up
something -- even if we have to 'embellish' it a little," Nabiki
replied, her smile becoming slightly evil.
        "Right.  Well, it better work, Nabiki...  I'm getting
tired of all this waiting."
        "You won't have to wait much longer, sister dear...  I
figure I'll have something by this afternoon.  If I don't, then
that only means she *really* has something to hide," Nabiki
assured, confidently.
        "I only wish," Akane grumbled, digging a smoke out of
her jacket pocket.  "What's that one for?" she asked a moment
later, jabbing her lighter toward the file jacket on the table.
        "That's Ranma's dirty laundry," Nabiki smirked, picking
it up.  "It's my weapon of last resort.  He got some fake ID's and
he has a chequing account, so that means we could nail him on
fraud.  There's a few other goodies in there too...  He was pretty
careless," she explained, tossing it at Akane.  "If he won't
cooperate, we send this to the Police," she grinned, smugly.
	Akane looked at the file for a moment, then glared back
at her sister.  "No, we won't," she stated, angrily.
	Nabiki's face almost hit the table.  "What?  I thought
you wanted to get him -- one way or another?"
        "I do...  But that's not one of the ways.  I don't *ever*
want this used, got that?" Akane snarled, shoving the file back
at her sister.
        "Okay...  It's your choice.  But, I'll keep it around,
Just in case," Nabiki responded, taking the file and slipping it
into her valise.  "Well, I'm starving.  Destroying people is
hungry work.  Coming?"
        "Yeah...  Might as well.  Gotta call home first.  Kei
isn't used to me not being there."
        "Make sure you don't say anything yet -- it's too soon."
	"I'm not gonna say anything until I've got that bastard
on a leash.  I don't want to get Kei all excited, then end up
disappointing him."
        Nabiki had to smile.  "Trust me, Akane...  You won't." 




	Ukyou's eyes fell out of her head.  Ryouga almost choked
on his food.
        Yoriko simply stood just inside the door, politely waiting
to be invited in.  Finally, Ukyou stuffed her eyes back in their
sockets and walked over to the nervous girl, the look on her face
saying it all.
        Noticing it, Yoriko smiled effacingly.  "I have come to
talk to you.  Do you have a few minutes?" she asked, bowing
quickly.
        "Ano...  Sure, sugar...  C'mon over here," Ukyou responded,
unable to conceal her curiosity.  "So, what's on your mind?" she
asked, after seating Yoriko near the grill.
        As Yoriko moved to the table, she was relieved to note
that the woman called Akane wasn't in the shop.
	Turning to face Ukyou, she meshed her fingers together in
her lap and flashed a hopeful smile, going for as many sympathy
points as she could.  "I am sorry to disturb you at work, but I
knew of no other way to contact you," she indicated, looking
over at Ukyou apologetically.
	Ukyou waved off the remark with a smile, then swung into
a chair across from her guest.  "Don't sweat it...  We're pretty
informal around here," Ukyou added, leaning back in her seat to
try to look as non-threatening as possible.
        Yoriko's gaze dropped for a moment, then she drew a breath
and steeled herself.
	Ukyou flashed a glance at Ryouga, who only shrugged and
turned on his stool to better hear the conversation.
        "Miyoko-chan doesn't know I'm here.  I came on my own to
speak to you," she began, looking directly into Ukyou's eyes.
"From what I saw when we first met, I believe you to be a friend
of Miyoko's...  And because of that, I have come to ask a favor --
for her.  I...  Want to find a way to bring Miyoko and her son
together...  Without forcing her back into her old life," she
began hesitantly, lowering her eyes for a moment.  "I can't bear
the thought of her son not knowing her...  She's a wonderful
person, and her child should know that," she insisted, raising
her gaze to Ukyou's now even wider eyes.  "But she won't see
him...  And you probably know the reasons why."
	Ukyou's face sobered.  "Yeah...  I sure do.  So what do
you want from me?"
        "I need your help...  I don't think that Akane woman will
let Miyoko see her son without a price, and...  It's a price I'm
not willing to pay," Yoriko indicated, her voice growing quiet.
"I...  Love her too much," she added, almost inaudibly.
	Before Ukyou could respond, a scoff from the doorway
caught everyone's attention.
	"You damned-well got that right, blondie!" Akane growled,
striding toward the table.
	"Akane, wait!  She's only..." Ukyou tried to inject, but
Akane stopped her with an angry glare.
	"Bullshit!" she snarled, stepping around the table and
stomping right up to Yoriko.  "If you think I'm gonna do you or
that bastard any favours, you're more of a damned idiot than I
thought you were!" she yelled, grabbing Yoriko's jacket and
leaning down into her face.  "And there's no way in hell I want
my son anywhere near a carpet-munching hentai like you, anyway,"
she growled, her eyes flaring.
        Yoriko, to everyone's surprise, only sighed resignedly.
"If that's the way you want to play this," she replied levelly,
meeting Akane's glare head-on.
        Akane's eyes widened.  "You little..." she began, but
never got to finish.  A hand landed on her shoulder suddenly,
actually startling her.
        "That's it, Akane...  You just stepped over the line,"
Miyoko growled, and before Akane knew what hit her, she found
herself being thrown across the room, ending up crumpled against
the same wall she had slammed Yoriko into.
	"It was bad enough you had to mess up *my* life by showing
up here...  But I will *not* let you hurt Yoriko!  Ever!" Miyoko
yelled, pouncing on the hapless Akane, picking her up and jamming
her into the wall again.  "Get it through your thick head, woman!
I'm *not* going back there...  No matter what kind of shit you try
to pull!" she yelled, releasing her grip and letting Akane fall
to the floor.
	Turning to face the rest of the assembled, she glared at
each of them angrily.
        "Okay, you guys...  Listen up.  I'm only gonna say this
once.  Get the *hell* out of my life!" she ground out, her large
eyes flaring.  "All you've done by coming here is remind me why I
left in the first place!" she growled, angrily.  "And convince me 
I made the right choice!" she added, glaring at each of them in 
turn.  "And if you *ever* lay another finger on Yoriko..." she 
hissed, her large eyes narrowing as she glanced back at the slowly
rising Akane.
        "Fuck you, Ranma...  I'm not the least bit interested in
you or your ditzy little plaything.  The only reason I'm here is to
pay you back for the way you screwed me over!" she snapped,
dusting herself off and looking down her nose at the green-haired
woman.
        "Don't shit me, Akane...  I know exactly why you're here.
If you believed that line of crap, you'd never have come," Miyoko
retorted, eyeing the woman levelly.  "So, pack up your bike and
your attitude and get lost.  You've found out what you wanted to
know."
	Akane's eyes flashed, but she didn't speak.  All she could
manage was to glare at Miyoko, her entire body trembling.  Miyoko
looked her up and down, then smirked disparagingly.
        "Don't even bother," she indicated smugly, turning her back
to the fuming woman.
	Akane popped a synapse.  "BASTARD!!!" she shrieked, pulling
out a huge mallet and aiming directly for Miyoko's head.
        Miyoko waited for exactly the right moment, then spun and
effortlessly caught the mallet in mid-swing, stopping it dead.
Akane, realizing something was wrong, opened her eyes to see Miyoko
holding the mallet by the handle and shaking her head sadly.
	"How much more proof do you need?" she asked quietly,
then flung the mallet aside.  "It's over, Akane.  It has been for a
long time," she reiterated coldly, then turned and offered her hand
to a slightly shocked Yoriko.  "C'mon, Yoriko-chan...  This is
finished," she remarked, then escourted her girlfriend out the
door without looking back.
        Once they had hailed and boarded a cab, Miyoko remained
expressionlessly silent for the entire ride back to her apartment.
	To Yoriko, it felt like the longest one of her life.  She 
was afraid that Miyoko was mad at her over her little act, and her
girlfriend's stony silence only made her feel worse.  The only
encouraging sign was that Miyoko held her hand right up until they
stepped through the apartment door.
        As soon as the door closed behind them, Miyoko stepped out
in front of her, then turned back with a frighteningly shaken
expression on her face.
        "Yoriko-chan...  Hold me," she whispered brokenly, then
stepped forward and buried her face in Yoriko's shoulder.  A
heartbeat later, she did something that Yoriko thought she'd never
live to witness.
	She broke out in tears.




	Akane was devastated.  Nabiki, Ukyou and Ryouga were at a
loss.  What they had just witnessed was so incomprehensible, they
still couldn't accept it.
	Ranma *caught* a mallet.
	Abruptly, Akane rose to her feet and mindlessly groped for
her cigarette pack.  "I'm...  Going for a ride," she babbled, then
strode out the door.
	Her movement snapped the others out of their respective
trances, prompting Nabiki to be the first to comment.
        "I don't believe it.  He's immune to the mallet.  That was
his only Achilles heel," she stated, shaking her head slowly.
        Ukyou hung her head.  "Nabiki...  You know why, don't
you?" she began, defeatedly.  "He...  Really doesn't love her any
more," she followed, echoing the thoughts of all present.  As she
spoke the words, however, she had another realization.  He was not
only out of love with Akane, but he was very much in love with
someone else -- and it wasn't *her*.
	Wordlessly, she got up and walked back to her office,
slowly closing the door behind her.
        Ryouga's reaction was more succinct.  "Shimata..."
	Nabiki watched Ukyou go, then started to shake her head
violently.  "No.  I refuse to accept that!  He's been in love with
her since they met!  He..."
        "Give it up, Nabiki.  Nothing you or anyone else can do is
going to make the slightest bit of difference now.  He's right...
It's over," Ryouga admonished, frowning.
	Nabiki only glared back at him angrily.  "No way!  I
don't care if he thinks he doesn't love her.  She loves him!  And
she has his child!  I don't care what any of you think...  He's
coming back, and he's going to marry her!  And he's going to do
what honour demands!  I'll make damned sure of it!" she shouted,
jumping to her feet.  "To hell with you defeatists -- I'll do it
all by myself!" she growled, then stormed out the door.
        "Baka..." Ryouga sighed, shaking his head sadly.




	Tatewaki couldn't understand why he hadn't heard from
Sasuke as of yet.  It had been almost two days, and his faithful
underling had not so much as faxed him an update.  
	Which could mean one of two things had likely occurred.
Either absolutely nothing, or too much to step away from.  Tatewaki
sincerely hoped it was the latter, as he was long tired of being 
vexed by the ghost of Saotome.
        To this day, he still bore the scars of his discovery that
his 'Pigtailed Goddess' was in fact only Saotome's cursed form,
a revelation which had nearly driven him mad.
        He also blamed the man squarely for the ruination of his
dearest Akane, and for him having to settle for the hand of Tendou
Nabiki in her stead.  He had thought it to be a shrewd move at the
time, the potential long-term benefits outweighing the short-term
pain.
	He had not, however, taken into account the sheer
ruthlessness of the middle Tendou sister.  She had succeeded in
building herself an empire of thugs and ne'erdowells that cast a
tarnish upon the name of Kuno as their reputation became known.
	It had cost his empire a princely sum to be rid of her and
her band of miscreants, but it had so far proven to be worth every
penny.  And he congratulated himself on having had the presence of
mind to engage legal counsel, ensuring there were no loopholes in
their parting agreement.
	Sighing, he leaned forward in his chair and leafed through
the pile of documents on his desk, trying to decide which to
address first.  As he lifted one to inspect it more closely, his
private hotline suddenly buzzed.
	Snatching the receiver from its cradle in his desk
drawer, he raised it to his face and spoke a single word.
	"Hai."
	Listening intently to the voice of his servant, a thin
smile crossed his face.  "You have done exceptionally well, Sasuke.
Return to Nerima with all due haste and dispatch.  Your job is
done.  No, my sister is already returned.  Her driver, it seems,
came down with some malaise that prevented her from ever
arriving," he stated, then listened intently for another few
seconds.  "Very good," he finally remarked, and hung up the phone.
	Settling back in his chair, a wide, slightly malicious
smile spread across his face as he toyed with the news.  It was
far and away better than he had expected, and he could feel within
him an urge to celebrate.  His long-time enemy was vanquished, and
as it seemed, by the works of his own hand.  This meant that he,
Kuno Tatewaki, had his choice of the women once held captive by
the spell of Saotome.
	Turning in his chair, he looked up at the wall behind him
and smiled deliriously.  Before him were two huge images, one
featuring a pre-fatigues Akane, side by side with one of a certain
purple-haired Amazon.
	Turning again and leaning forward, he touched a panel on
his desk.  "Come in here immediately," he barked at the secretary
who answered his summons.  "I must arrange to send a 'gift'," he
announced, smiling now with great satisfaction.




        Miyoko lay against Yoriko's side on the couch, numb from
shock.  Her hasty retreat from the okonomiyaki-ya, while serving
the purpose of underscoring her point, had also been to cover her
reaction to what had happened.
	Somehow, deep inside her, she had just *known* that she
could stop the mallet, and had in fact baited Akane into using it
just to prove that.  With that realization, an even bigger fact
now stared her in the face.  There was only one reason she was
suddenly immune; she really *didn't* love Akane any longer.
	That phase of her life was over, there was no denying that
now.  And that meant that Saotome Ranma the person was also as 
good as  gone.  She was Takara Miyoko now, and there was no turning
back.
	She shuddered.  This had been what she wanted -- what she
had in fact prayed for when she left Nerima all those years ago.
Now, it was hers.  The proof was indisputable...  And it hurt
like hell.
        The soft touch of Yoriko's hand in her matted green bangs
finally penetrated her daze, and she abruptly sat up and wiped
her eyes.
        "Miyoko-chan?  Are you feeling better?" Yoriko asked,
worriedly.
        "I...  Don't know, Yoriko-chan.  I'm kinda still in
shock," she replied, distantly.  "I did something back there...
Something that proved to me that my old life really is over.  Not
only did I attack Akane, but I *caught* that cursed mallet," she
added a moment later, turning to her girlfriend with shimmering
eyes.
        Yoriko looked back into her eyes uncertainly, then chewed
her lip.  "G-Gomen, Miyoko-chan...  I don't understand.  Is that...
good?" she asked, hesitantly.
        Miyoko's lower jaw shuddered visibly as she struggled to
answer.  "I...  Don't know," she sobbed, and collapsed into
Yoriko's arms all over again.
        Yoriko closed her arms over her girlfriend and held her
tight, suddenly understanding at least part of Miyoko's sadness.
She knew from painful personal experience how hard it was to
really lose your past.




	Ukyou sat in her office alone, not feeling particularly
inspired to create any works of culinary art this day.  The
events that unfolded a short time ago had shaken her to her core,
the real meaning of it all only now starting to sink in.
	Her Ranchan was no more.  The man she had loved with
everything she was had simply disappeared, lost to anger, hate and
the particular brand of insanity that only Nerima Ward could
foster.  In a strange way, she found she wasn't mad at the girl
known as Miyoko.  Instead, she envied her.  She had found the kind
of love that most people wish for.  The kind Ukyou herself had
hoped to find.  As well, she seemed to have found herself,
something Ukyou had suddenly realized she still needed to do.
	Sighing, she reached into her desk drawer and removed a
tattered, faded picture, the only record she now possessed of the
man she once had built her life around.  A smile parted her visage
as she ran her finger over the image, tracing the outline of his
face.
	After a few almost pleasant moments reliving some events
now relegated to a lost history, she placed the picture back in
the drawer and closed it slowly.  As the grinning image slid from
her sight, she was abruptly struck by how that act mimicked what
had just happened.  A wry smile slid across her face, followed by
a resigned huff, then she buried her face in her hands and started
to cry.
	Hearing the soft sound of someone weeping, Ryouga pushed
Ukyou's office door open, then shook his head sadly at what he
saw.  Quietly, he walked up behind her and placed his hands on
her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze.
	Ukyou, surprised at the sensation, immediately wiped away
her tears.  "G-Gomen...  I..." she stammered, but Ryouga only
smiled and shook his head.
        "Don't worry, Uuchan...  I understand.  I'm shocked too,"
he stated, sitting on the corner of her desk.  "I guess I knew
this is what would happen.  But I didn't think it would happen
like this," he remarked, still somewhat flabbergasted.
        "You said it, sugar...  But a part of me still hoped..."
she sniffed, not really wanting to finish the sentence.
        "We all did...  I think that's why most of us were here.
Well, we have our answers now," he sighed, rising from the desk.
"I just wish...  We could have at least parted as friends," he
added, quietly.
	Ukyou nodded sadly, then abruptly sat up straight.
"Maybe we still can," she said, then started rummaging through
her desk.
	"What are you looking for?"
        "My phonebook," she replied, anxiously.




        "You really had me worried, Miyoko-chan.  I think that's
the first time I've ever seen you cry," Yoriko noted, handing
her red-eyed girlfriend her tea.
        "I'm sorry, Yoriko-chan.  I must have come off like some
major suckybaby there," she replied, embarrassedly.
	"No you didn't!" she protested, tossing a stern look at her.
"You were hurting, that's all.  If anyone can understand that,
it's me," she added, placing her hand on her knee.  "I don't ever
want you to think that you can't cry in front of me," she insisted,
her expression softening.
        Miyoko blinked back at her unexpected outburst, then smiled
appreciatively.  "Arigato, Yoriko-chan...  I just...  Don't usually
cry.  Things don't often bug me that much," she indicated, patting
Yoriko's hand.
        "Hai...  Well, I was surprised, but after I thought about
it, I'm not anymore.  You were pretty mad back there -- and then
when you found out you'd lost your past for good..." she trailed
off, the memories of her own experiences momentarily saddening her.
        "Yeah...  Kinda.  But there was more to it than that,"
Miyoko sighed, settling back in her chair.  "Seven years ago, I
made a choice.  I made myself a new life -- I became Takara
Miyoko, and deliberately turned my back on my past.  It was a
*choice*.  But today, I found out that I don't have that
choice any more, and it tore my guts out," she indicated, glancing
at Yoriko.  "But, once I got over the shock, it didn't bug me any
more.  I don't need a choice...  I don't even want it.  *This* is
what I want.  It's what I've wanted since I left," she insisted,
patting her chest.  "I'm happier than hell about what happened,
because it means I'm finally *free*.  No more hiding...  No more
shit...  And I can live where I want, how I want, and with whoever
I want," she stated emphatically, looking over at the still
downcast Yoriko expectantly.
        "Are you sure, Miyoko-chan?  You don't regret..."
        "Look at me, Yoriko-chan.  Do you see any regret here?"
Miyoko countered excitedly, leaning forward and looking deep into
her girlfriend's sea-green eyes.  "It's over, Yoriko-chan.  That
life has no more hold on me!" she whispered, insistently.  "That
mallet bit proved it."
        "Miyoko-chan...  You have no idea how happy you've just
made me," Yoriko smiled, leaning forward and hugging her happily.
        "Oh, I think I might have a clue..." Miyoko smirked,
returning the hug with gusto.
        "Shimata...  Miyoko...  What about your son?" Yoriko
suddenly gasped, snapping back up from the embrace.
        "Actually...  I don't know," Miyoko replied, after blinking
back her surprise.  "I suppose, now that Akane knows there's not a
hope in hell that I'm ever going to marry her, she might even try
to *keep* me from seeing him," she suggested, having to gather her
thoughts.  "Which reminds me...  I still don't know whether to kiss
you or kick your butt for going down there alone today.  You
could have been hurt," she abruptly redirected, shooting Yoriko a
purposely disapproving gaze.  "What the hell ever possessed you to
try that?"
        Yoriko gasped, then swallowed hard.  In all the confusion,
she had forgotten about that little detail.
        "Gomen, Miyoko-chan... " she abruptly bowed, then slid off
the couch and landed on her knees in front of Miyoko.  "I went
there...  Because I love you so much," she began softly, then
waited nervously for a reaction.
        Miyoko only sighed, then rose from her seat and lifted
Yoriko back into hers.  Moving to the couch beside her, she took
Yoriko by the shoulders and looked directly into her eyes.
        "You mean you went into that pit of vipers alone...  Just
to stick up for me?" she asked, incredulously.
        "Iya, Miyoko-chan...  It wasn't... *Just* for you," she
countered, her face flushing slightly.  "I felt guilty...  I felt
terrible about wanting to keep you all to myself...  While your
son was missing out on what a beautiful person you are," she
explained, slowly.  "I...  Couldn't stand the thought of being so
happy...  And knowing what he would be going through," she
continued, sniffing and dabbing at her eyes.  "It's an awful
feeling, knowing your father doesn't want you, but it's an even
more awful feeling when you let it happen to someone just because
you're greedy!" she concluded, finally starting to cry.
        Miyoko couldn't respond, the lump in her throat making it
difficult to breathe, much less talk.  She knew Yoriko was right,
and she also knew that the girl would never be happy until her
mind was at ease.
	That meant only one thing.
        Chewing her lip, Miyoko considered the possibility from a
few angles until abruptly, she remembered how they first got on
the subject.  From that, it occurred to her that perhaps, instead
of creating a new obstacle, she had inadvertently cleared the old
one.  Her eyebrows raised as she toyed with the idea, and as it
began to look better and better, she broke out in a smile.
	Gently, she pulled her sobbing girlfriend close and hugged
her tightly, then kissed her on the forehead and nestled her chin
near the girl's ear.
        "After the dust settles...  We'll try to set something up.
I promise," she whispered, happily.
        Yoriko gasped though her tears, then raised her face to
Miyoko's with hope written all over it.  "Miyoko-chan...  You mean
it?"
        "Hai.  You're right, Yoriko-chan.  I should at least see
him.  I owe him that much," she smiled, nodding.  "Only thing is,
I can't guarantee that anything we try is gonna work.  It all
depends on the Dragon Lady," she reminded, firmly.
        "Yattai!" Yoriko squealed, leaping back into Miyoko's arms.
"As long as we try, Miyoko-chan...  That's what matters!" she
gushed, excitedly.


	
	As Nabiki walked into her room and tossed her keycard on
the dresser, she noticed the pile of paper sitting on her fax.
Picking it up, she read the messages and frowned even more deeply.
Her 'assistant' had not been able to find anything more on the
girlfriend.  From his list of hits, Nabiki had to agree that he
had at least tried hard, but to her ongoing dismay, there was
nothing new in the entire package.
	Tossing aside the papers in a huff, she pulled out her
laptop and plugged it in, then as it booted up, ordered room
service for one.  It was going to be a long day, and quite
possibly, an equally long night.


                         
===================================================================
END - Secrets V1P3                   A Ranma1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva


Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com