Chapter Six

After what seemed like hours of driving, they pulled up into the driveway of a nondescript looking house in the suburbs. Shan Pu leapt out of the van and circled the house before indicating it was secure. Mu Tsu drove the van into the garage after Shan Pu opened it and exited the van, listening at the door to the house.

Hatta, Ranma and Akane were ordered to stay in the van until the garage door was closed and secured, which Shan Pu took care of quickly, turning on an overhead light. Not hearing anything, Mu Tsu unlocked the door and entered the house, checking all the rooms for intruders before signaling the others to come in. Khu Lon hopped in, leaving the others to carry their gear in. Shan Pu hoisted a large, black duffel Ranma hadn't noticed before and waited for them to get their stuff before following them into the house.

The garage door opened into the kitchen and Koh Lon stood on her staff in the middle of it. "We are in our safe house now. You will do exactly as I say if you wish to remain alive. There is a possibility we may be found and have to leave very quickly. There will be no room for arguments in this house. Do I make myself clear?" She fixed the three with a no-nonsense glare.

They nodded and Akane spoke up. "Well, this is only temporary, right? We'll go to the board on Monday and tell them everything and then we can go home."

Mu Tsu was standing by the counter with his arms folded, shaking his head. "That still doesn't change the fact that Iversson's after you and your research. You give the board your report, what then? Go back home and wait for Iversson to pick you up?"

Akane didn't answer and Ranma spoke to Khu Lon. "Look, it's been a long day and we're tired. Please tell us where we can sleep and we'll talk things over in the morning, okay?" Hatta nodded in agreement. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open and the cracked lens in his glasses was giving him a headache.

"Shan Pu, show them their room," the elder commanded her granddaughter, seeing that she'd removed her cap again. She sighed inwardly at the sight of the luxurious hair and remembered a time when her own had been just as vibrant.

On their way up the stairs, Mu Tsu took the laptop and leather bag from Akane, putting them in a cabinet by the garage door. "In case we need to get away during the night," he explained, not listening to Akane's protests.

Shan Pu led the three to a large room with one bed. "You leave blinds closed. Stay away from window. Go to sleep, we wake you early. Bathroom across hallway. Get Mu Tsu, me or grandmother if need anything." She left the room and the three looked at each other.

Akane lay down on the bed, spreading his legs and arms out, claiming the bed as his own. "Where are you guys going to sleep?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? I'm the girl here, I should get the bed." She plopped down on the bed, moving Akane aside with her knee. "What do you think Hatta?"

Hatta looked at his best friend from high school. The one he'd known through good times, bad times and high times. Now he was a woman, a pretty good looking one at that and seeing her on the bed raised a response in Hatta he had so desperately hoped he would not feel. "I gotta go to the bathroom," he mumbled and exited the room.

Ranma watched him go; realizing it must be hard for him to deal with his best friend suddenly being a woman. Hell, it was hard for him to deal with it. And Akane being a guy, 'A very good looking guy at that,' that was something totally different. She looked at him now. He had his eyes closed and seemed to be falling asleep. Ranma looked hard at him and found she could still see some vestiges of the female Akane in his face. It was a very odd sensation for her, this being attracted to a guy business.

There was a mirror above the dresser across the room and she stood up carefully to avoid disturbing Akane, moving closer toward the mirror. She examined her face closely, noting the complete absence of any beard stubble. Her eyes were still blue but the face was rounder, the cheek bones higher. She was a good six inches shorter and about 40 pounds lighter than she was when she woke up this morning. And that red, red hair. A sister like this? She supposed it was a possibility, her mother did have red highlights in her hair after all.

'Shan Pu said magic is what did this,' she thought, striking a couple of poses in the mirror and feeling foolish. I've never heard of this Jusenkyo place, I'll have to do some research on that when all of this is over.' She shook her head. 'I certainly don't know of any scientific way to do this.'

Still in front of the mirror, she heard the shower start up and figured it was Hatta getting cleaned up. She raised her arm and took a whiff, making a face at what she found. 'I guess some things don't change,' she thought with a smile. Ranma glanced over her shoulder at Akane on the bed. He looked like he was still sleeping and she turned back to the mirror, setting her glasses on the dresser.

She quickly whipped the shirt off and over her head and pushed the sweats down, removing Akane's shoes from her feet and stood in front of the mirror wearing only the borrowed underwear. The bra was a bit tight and uncomfortable and she wondered how women wore these things. 'Well, I'm not sleeping in the damn thing, so off it goes.' Being far more proficient in the removal of female undergarments, she had it off in a few seconds and massaged the skin that still showed the pattern of the elastic.

Ranma looked at herself in the mirror again. 'Wow. I'm a babe,' she thought. Suddenly feeling embarrassed, she put the T-shirt back on and went back to the bed where Akane lay, sitting on the edge. The shower stopped and a few minutes later Hatta emerged with a billow of steam dressed in a pair of sweats he brought with him and a 'Star Wars' T-shirt.

He entered the room and stopped when the saw Ranma dressed only in a T-shirt and panties and cleared his throat nervously. "Uh, you hungry? I'm going to go downstairs and see if there's anything to eat, okay?"

"Sure. Don't worry about me though, we ate before everything went crazy," Ranma smiled, sorry to see her best friend so uncomfortable with her now. Hatta went downstairs and she decided to make use of the facilities while they were free.

The bathroom was very nice and large, and everything looked new. Ranma did her business quickly, finding it odd to sit down to urinate. Back in the bedroom, she nudged Akane gently awake. "Hey, do you need to use the bathroom?" she asked quietly when Akane woke up looking very disoriented.

He nodded and stumbled to the bathroom and Ranma imagined a very similar scene transpiring with Akane. Feeling her hair was still in the ponytail, she took out the rubber band and left it on the dresser, combing through the red mass with heir fingers. She was still working on a troublesome knot when Akane walked back in.

"Ranma, I have to say you make a very nice looking woman," he commented as he sat back down on the bed. "Where's Hatta?"
"He took a shower and went downstairs for something to eat. Are you hungry?" Ranma finished with her hair and stood by the dresser. "You can sleep in the bed if you want. I'll be okay on the floor."

Akane shook his head, "No, you shouldn't be on the floor." He looked at the bed and back at Ranma. "It's a big bed. You don't look like you'd take up much space. We can share it."

"Are you sure?"

Akane nodded, looking down. "Yeah. I think I'd feel better if you were close by." He paused for a moment and continued, "This has all been so crazy. I'm sorry I got you mixed up in this, but I'm really glad you're here."

Ranma shook her head and smiled. "Hey, don't apologize. They were watching my place too, remember?" She sat back down on the bed and turned to Akane. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired and want to sleep. Are you going to stay up?"

Akane shook his head and yawned. "No, I'm beat." He stood up and pulled back the covers, watching Ranma slide in and get comfortable. "Question for you. What do you usually sleep in?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Uhh…maybe not."

Ranma chuckled at Akane's discomfort. "Just take off the jeans and leave the T-shirt and underwear on. I promise to behave."

**

Khu Lon watched her granddaughter and son-in-law peering owlishly at Dr. Tendo's computer screen chatting quietly in their native dialect. Mu Tsu removed his round wire-framed glasses and rubbed his eyes, smiling when Shan Pu moved his long black hair aside and rubbed the back of his neck. Khu Lon smiled inwardly, watching the two. She remembered when they were children growing up together in their village in China. Shan Pu would not have anything to do with the clumsy, nearsighted boy that followed her around wherever she went.

Mu Tsu was different from the other boys in the village his age, Khu Lon had noticed and she petitioned for him to be educated outside of the village, to be sent to England and learn the ways of the outside world. There were others from the village who'd chosen to stay in the world and these were the ones who educated the eager young boy in language, math, science, literature and deadly combat.

Shan Pu was given a more traditional Amazon upbringing and, like Mu Tsu, grew up knowing nothing of her grandmother's plans for her. She learned how to fight, hunt, and wield the magic of the Amazons, preparing for the time when she would take over her grandmother's place at the council of matriarchs.

Eight years later, when Mu Tsu returned to the village, Shan Pu was astounded at the change in him. Gone was the clumsy boy full of declarations of love, replaced with a graceful young man who knew when to hold his tongue and she found herself watching him as he went around the village on his daily business, taking care to make sure their paths crossed at least three times a day.

When she gauged the time was right, Khu Lon approached Shan Pu about the selection of a mate, encouraging her to court the boy of her choice as was the Amazon woman's right. She was not surprised when the boy she chose was Mu Tsu and they were soon married. After their marriage, Khu Lon approached the two with the possibility of becoming covert operatives in the elite Joketsuzoku organization. Five years later, they were the team in the highest demand and were able to pick and choose their assignments, which took them all over the world. When they started on this, their latest assignment, Shan Pu told her this would be the last one. She and Mu Tsu wanted to 'retire' to their London townhouse and start a family. She would miss their adventures together, but the time was right for them.

Hatta came hesitantly down the stairs and Shan Pu asked, "You need something?"

He smiled nervously and said, "Uh, just a bit hungry. Is there anything to eat?"

Shan Pu pointed to the kitchen and he went in, looking through the cupboards and refrigerator, pleasantly surprised at what he found there.

Khu Lon hopped into the living room on her gnarled stick and perched on the arm of the couch. "Son-in-law, can't you see my granddaughter is tired?" she addressed Mu Tsu in their native language. "Why don't you two get some rest. I will watch."

"Are you sure? You have been up as long as we have," Mu Tsu said in concerned tone.