The Next Bus

Ranma lowered her gaze and blushed at his scrutiny. Realizing that he was making her uncomfortable, Mousse picked up the robe and held it open for her. She looked at him warily but allowed him to wrap it around her; he left to allow her to dress.

He met her at the table and didn’t ask any further questions while she fell on the ramen and gulped it as only the truly hungry can. Mousse was a bit surprised by her appetite when she bolted down three bowls, until he had to resort to feeding her bread and butter until she was actually full.

She looked nervous as she wiped the final crumbs from her face. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked her patiently.

She felt very weird under the circumstances, considering everything she was wearing belonged to Mousse, right down his socks and underwear. She’d had to borrow his deodorant and hairbrush to. She wondered whether to admit her secret or not to her former enemy. He’d been so kind to her and she needed a friend now more then ever. “It’s Ryoga’s baby” she said in a voice barely above a whisper, refusing to meet his eye.

Mousse’s eye bulged out of his head; he certainly wasn’t expecting it to be his! He couldn’t see her sleeping with Kuno, but the shy, virginal Ryoga was the last person he’d suspected.

“Did he force you?” he asked, picturing this even less.

“No, we are in love......were in love. It happened one night when we were training together. We were sparring and he kissed me, I was so shocked that I kissed him back. He admitted that he’d been attracted to me when I was a male and loved that I could become a girl. I fell in love with him on the spot; that someone could accept both sides of me. He made me feel special and taught me that I wasn’t a freak” she said blinking tears away. “I’m not a freak” she said raising her head and glaring a challenge at him.

“Ranma, I have two percent vision in both my eyes and turn into a duck; if anyone understands about wanting to be accepted its me” Mousse assured her, which made her feel a little better. “What are you planning to do?” he asked her.

“I don’t know, I can’t go home or my mother will make me commit seppuku and I would be ruined if anyone found out about this” she said. “The original plan was that I would pretend I was locked to get rid of my fiancées and then meet Ryoga at his boarding house. We were going to travel back to his home and tell his parent that we were married so they that would help us, but he died and I didn’t know what to do! I stayed at the boarding house as long as I could and then went to find Ukyou, I thought that she might help me as an old friend, but her restaurant was closed” she said.

“She sold her business and moved away after your announcement “Mousse informed her.

“Oh” she said, realizing she’d found another deadend.

“So Ryoga knew about his child? Why risk his life then?” Mousse asked.

“That was just how Ryoga was” Ranma said.

Mousse nodded in understanding, Ryoga had been noble and tenderhearted in his way. “Couldn’t you go to his family if you carry their grandchild?” he asked her sitting forward.

“What if they don’t believe me?” she asked.

“I see what you mean. Than what will you do?” Mousse asked her.

Ranma shrugged “I guess camp out until I can find some sort of work” she said.

“Camp out, are you insane? You’re pregnant; you have to remain warm, eat properly and exercise properly. What did your doctor say?” Mousse said appalled at the idea.

“I’ve never been to one” she admitted.

Mousse pinched the bridge of his nose at her naivety “you have to be careful, there are tests you need take, you need to prenatal vitamins. There are so many things that can go wrong” he said.

“I don’t have the money for those, or insurance for doctor’s visits. I don’t have anything. I’m not sure anyone would even hire me in my condition. How am I supposed to stay home and take care of myself when I don’t have one?” Ranma asked feeling defeated, she hadn’t realized how hard being pregnant was. She missed Ryoga and longed for him.

Mousse looked at her desperate expression and remembered another girl who’d looked at him like that. Her face and hair had been darker and her eyes more of a turquoise colour, but the expression was the same. He’d failed her and wouldn’t fail this girl. He weighed his options. He had a hut that was meant for a family of five and lived on his own. He had a job that he was returning to, which easily paid for anything that his mother’s farm couldn’t produce. Ranma had no place to go; that was the main issue. But did he want to take her into his home? Did he really want to help her through her pregnancy and perhaps help her raise her and Ryoga’s child? It was a big responsibility for someone his age, but she was the same age as him and homeless. Mousse finally resolved what he had to do, he made a horrible white knight for his former enemy, but he was all she had at the moment. “You could come live with me in China” he suggested. “I have a place or my own and a job, you could stay with me until you get on your feet”

Ranma’s head shot up in shock, this was something she’d never thought that he would say. She looked at him warily “I can’t do what I did with Ryoga with you” she said blushing.

Mousse shot to his feet at the insult “How dare you even think that! Do you really think me so base, so disgusting that I would make such a sickening bargain with a girl in need for sex? So I’m so ugly that I’m desperate now?” he snarled. He raised a trembling hand and pointed to her, “anyone woman I know could be sitting in that chair and I would offer her the same thing because she needed help. Here take my bank card! I don’t have much in my account but it will last you for a few weeks if you’re careful, than you just have to seek out charity places for help” he said and slammed it on the table in front of her.

Ranma lowered her eyes from the raging Chinese man, “I’m sorry, I’m not used to anyone but Ryoga doing anything for me without expecting marriage, love or sex” she said. “I didn’t mean to insult you. Why would you be willing to take me into your home?” she asked.

Mousse got a flash of the same dark, anguished face and said “let’s just say that I did the wrong thing once and need to atone for it karmatically” he said.

“I don’t know what to say” she said feeling overwhelmed about the idea returning to almost the exact same place where her curse began.

“Say yes, I think we’ll get along. I know a lot about babies being a male Amazon, who are normally the domestic partners in a marriage. I have even studied to be a midhusband. I can help you look after yourself properly and you’ll have your own room” Mousse said.

“How would we get there?” she asked.

“I took a job on a cruise ship leaving in a few days; they asked if I knew of any girls who wanted a job as a waitress. If you apply, we can probably get you there with two weeks pay and all room and board covered.” Mousse said.

“I-I don’t know, I hate working as a waitress” she said.

“What’s to like about it? It’s a demeaning job and I hate having to smile all the time, but I can’t resist being paid to go home” Mousse said with a shrug. “Now say yes, you don’t have to do a thing for me but be my roommate. I’m not used to living alone anymore and don’t recall liking it in the first place” Mousse said allowing a bit of his own vulnerability to show.

Ranma had to admit that his idea was logical “I don’t see how it could work, as soon as Shampoo finds out that I was lying, then she’ll start pursuing me over that stupid law again” Ranma said distastefully.

Mousse felt a stab of pain that always accompanied hearing Xian Pu’s name “you don’t have to worry about her. Much has changed while you were away, that law is now null and void and she’s getting married” he said.

Ranma’s eyes bugged out in surprise at this.