Finding Your Way Home

Mousse yawned and carefully untangled himself from Ranma’s arms and stood up. He looked at her in the early morning sun. Her hair was a flaming tangle of curls because it had still been wet when they stumbled to the bed to make love again.

In the light of a new day she looked so innocent against the white sheets that allowed the curve of one breast and her creamy shoulders to peek through where she cradled them against her. Mousse had ceased to think of her as simply being friend a long time ago and had come do admire the strength and determination of her spirit. She was just as stubborn and refused to quit, just like when he’d first met her but there was a certain sweetness in her that had surprised him at first. Like how she was so gentle and patient with his younger patrons. Also how she brought food to the homeless that would come to their back door and would always smile and share a joke with them. There was more good in her soul then he ever expected and he loved her.

Mousse walked around the house that was his home now and looked at the subtle changes that Ranma had brought about. They were not much, a toothbrush beside his, her practical winter boots beside the black cotton Chinese shoes she preferred to wear, just the little touches that make a house a home. When Suzie had lived with him it had seemed like a home and then when she was gone and he was alone. It had become a place for him to sleep and eat at, nothing more then a hotel where he toiled in the garden to while away his spare time. Ranma had turned it back into a home with her busy ways and need for excitement. This was her home now and she had a vocation and friends.....and Mousse wasn’t sure that he even had a place in her life anymore.

Mousse had grown up with strong women, so Ranma seemed like the perfect Amazon to him, a powerful warrior who would defend those she cared about to death. He could now see why Cologne was so determined to win the male Ranma for their tribe. Oddly enough it was her female form that would have made her more desirable as a warrior. Ranma was practically a force of nature and like nature, could not be contained, she was meant to be free. With a heavy heart Mousse made the phone call he’d been debating for while.

Ranma woke and reached for the warm body that had cradled her so tenderly while they’d slept. She smiled and blushed a little to remember that she had given herself willingly to someone for the first time in her life. Making loving with Mousse had been a little weird, slightly terrifying at how passionate he’d been and absolutely wonderful. She’d felt so cherished and safe, she pulled the sheets up to stifle a giggle at how she must have sounded when she’d got demanding about what she’d wanted him to do.......and he’d done it. Apparently she was a bit of a tyrant in bed. Then she realized that despite that she had two boxes of condoms sitting in her nightstand, that they hadn’t used any protection. She tried to find the fear of getting pregnant again but failed to. Now that she had her own dojo, she would need an heir and who better to be the father of her child then a powerful martial artist?

She wondered where Mousse was until he came in with a tray of food and some tea. He was blushing a bit too but his face was wreathed in smiles. “I thought you might be hungry” he said and gave her a peck on the lips. She smiled a bit shyly in return, poured him some tea and popped a strawberry into his mouth and then into her own.

“For your dragon breath” she teased.

“Are you saying my breath stinks?” he demanded. “I just brushed my teeth”

“You didn’t do it well enough” she said and then laughed when he pounced on her and tickled her after moving the tray out of the way. He hovered over them, his hair draped them like a tent and Ranma could feel her desire rising all over again. She wondered if she was some sort of nympho.

Mousse felt himself responding to her firm, curvy body and shook himself out of his own sexual trance. “Sorry there’s somewhere we have to go” he said, “come on, get dressed.”

She was surprised when he drove them to a building with a sign that read “Mr. Ito Barrister & Solicitor.”

“What are we doing here?” she asked when Mousse helped her out of the car.

“Something I should have done a while ago” he said and held the door open for her. She found herself shivering at the ominous tone of that. They were immediately shown into the office by a smiling receptionist who was sent for tea.

Mr. Ito was a portly middle aged Japanese man who peered at them through black rimmed half glasses as he opened a file. “Mr. Mu, I’m assuming this is Miss Saotome?” he asked smiling in a friendly, if not pompous fashion. Mousse nodded, knowing Ranma didn’t much care to be called Miss. “Might I call you Ranma?” he inquired.

“I insist” Ranma said through gritted teeth.

“I had a most unusual request from my client, that I tried to talk him out of, I will admit. Mr. Mu has a financial advisor looking after his interests, who suggested that he keep me on retainer in case of any legal problems arising from his winnings. I’m not suggesting that you did anything shady, but the amount of money that Mr. Mu won tends to draw less then scrupulous people to him. He’s been lucky so far in his personal relationships and that brings us to you. Mr. Mu asked that I split his winnings and move half to a separate bank account in your name, you also are being offered the use of his personal residence and dojo for as long as you wish, rent free. He can’t deed them to you free and clear as he made a deal with his former fiancée’s family that they would have the option of buying him out before he put them up for sale” Mr. Ito explained.

Ranma saw red, “you’re paying me for sex? What am I just whore to you?” she screamed. This was at the same time that the receptionist was coming in the door, she turned red, quickly set down the tray and left.

“Ranma it isn’t like that.....” Mousse protested.

“Well at least I’m not a cheap fuck to you” she raged.

“Mr. Ito, could you give us a minute?” Mousse asked.

“Of course, I’m sure you and your friend need to talk” he said and left.

Mousse turned to look at her and said “no, the money isn’t for services rendered, it’s just for you” he replied.

“But why?” she asked.

“You said you’ve never been free to make your own decisions. You said your father’s been trying to control everything about you your whole life, including who you’re going to marry. You said your fiancées try and do the same, along with your mother. I want you to be free to make your own decisions. I refuse to tell you what to do just because I have money and you don’t. This way you would be a free as a bird, all you have to do is sign a few papers and you’re set for life. Don’t worry about me, I’ll find another place to live. My needs are few and I still have lots of money of my own” Mousse said, taking her hands and squeezing them in a reassuring manner.

Ranma could feel her eyes prick with tears at how generous he was being to her. “I could never accept this, you’ve worked so hard to get where you are, and you changed so much. Just tell me why?” she cried.

Mousse blushed and said “it’s because I love you. You’re a butterfly who needs to soar and not remain pinned down. There’s a whole world out there for you, full of friendships and the love you deserve” Ranma could only stare at him speechless, shocked into silence that he loved her too, until Mousse got nervous. “I promise I won’t stalk you or anything, I’m not like how I was before with Shampoo. You can move whoever you decide to be with into this very house, whether they’re a girl or guy. I don’t expect you to become mine just because of a one night stand. Ranma say something” he almost pleaded at her bewildered expression.

She answered him by drawing him into a searing hot kiss that seemed to melt his bones; he was breathless when she drew back. Mr. Ito opened the door during their kiss to see if they were done......and hastily closed it. She smiled at the dazed expression on his face and said “wai oi ni”

“You mean that you love me too?” he said in shock.

Feeling more content then she had in her life, she picked up the file and toyed with the bank card......and snapped it in half to Mousse’s surprise. Humming tuneless, she picked up the housing proposal. “I do like the idea of having a dojo at my disposal and I do love the house.....but” she began in a playful voice.

“But what?” Mousse asked, waiting with bated breath for her answer.

“The house isn’t a home without you” she replied, placing a hand on his baby soft cheek.

“Are you done?” Mr. Ito said, entering his office carefully.

“Yes, Mr. Ito. What is the quickest way we can get married?” Ranma asked.

Mr. Ito’s eyes went wide with shock.......and so did Mousse’s.

“But, don’t you think you should ask me if I want get married?” Mousse stammered.

“Sorry don’t you?” Ranma asked. “I know it’s sudden but I feel its right. Didn’t you feel the same thing with Suzie?” she asked him.

Mousse thought about it and said “yes, I want us to get married.”

“You have to go to the government office and bring your id, fill out the paperwork and pay a fee to obtain your Kon-in Todoke Juri Shomeisho. You’re both over the age of twenty, so parental authorization isn’t required. You’ll need two witnesses over the age of twenty, but they’re never hard to find at government offices” he explained.

Mousse shared a look with Ranma, he’d gotten her a set of id in her current form from a friendly hacker he knew for when he’d wanted to hire for the diner. It’d worked and she was registered in the system; there was nothing to prevent their marriage, not even crazy her crazy family or fiancées.

She smiled and pulled out her id, “shall we get going then?” she asked him sweetly. “I want to be hitched before the Nerima jerks show up.......you know they will” she said in a threatening voice.

Mousse just laughed. “I do” he answered her simply.

“So do I” she replied.

“But what happens if you regain your male body, won’t you prefer to be with a woman then?” Mousse asked her.

Ranma said dismissively, “who cares?” and meant it. She liked her woman’s body now and knew that Mousse did to. She blushed and made a confession that she’d never told a living soul, “I’ve never been attracted to girls, I kind of liked Akane because she was so masculine that I didn’t mind her so much. In fact I thought Ryoga was cute”

“You’re gay?” Mousse said in surprise, his head reeling from the idea that the guy all the girls wanted to marry didn’t like them.

“I guess so. In this form we work, we can be together. You don’t mind do you? I promise that I won’t make you sleep with my male form if you never make me sleep with your duck form” she purred.

Mousse laughed at that “let’s get married, we’ll deal with the male side of you if he ever shows up again”

“I frankly don’t care if he ever does. I guess you’re just a sucker for redheads” she teased him.

“I guess I am” he replied, drawing her in for another kiss.... .only to be interrupted by Mr. Ito clearing his throat.

“Miss Hinata, cancel my appointments for the rest of the day. We’re acting as witnesses to get these two married” Mr. Ito said, getting caught up in the moment.

“I’ll get my purse” she said with a smile. They all piled into the huge car and drove to the government office. The groom wore blue jeans and a t-shirt with a picture of cookies on it that read “come to the dark side, we have cookies.” The bride wore a blue mandarin shirt, winter boots and black pants. Yet they were the happiest couple there.

They walked out holding hands. “Now what?” she asked after they dropped the lawyer and his receptionist off.

“Wedding rings” Mousse said and drove them to a jewelry store. After some deliberation because Mousse wanted to buy her a diamond studded band, that Ranma felt looked too gay for words, they settled on plain matching platinum bands. They giggled like teenagers when they slipped them on each other’s finger. They were drunk on love and high on life.

Ranma touched her band and then said,” how does our marriage affect the Amazon kiss of death or marriage” she asked him.

“Our marriage isn’t considered to be valid until we have an Amazon ceremony. Because you’re stuck as a girl, Shampoo would have to kill you or you just get the kiss dissolved” Mousse explained.

“Dissolved?” Ranma asked.

“Sure it’s a simple matter of going before the council and offer retribution for the offense. That system is set up for outsiders who are ignorant of our laws, this gives them an out. We aren’t barbarians by any means or blood thirsty fiends who want to kill over a simple misunderstanding. Didn’t Cologne or Shampoo tell you this?” he asked.

“No, they said that I was married to Shampoo and had to go to China” Ranma said, getting irritated. “Those lying bitches” she snapped.

“Feel like honeymooning in China?” Mousse asked, indicating that they were passing a travel agency.

“Yes and after that let’s find some five star spa resort where we won’t have to lift a finger. Just think: massages, hot springs, sandy beaches to lie on, fruity drinks with umbrellas in them, buffets and making love every night” she purred.

“We’re going to have to get lots of birth control” Mousse said with a frown.

“Heck no, we’re going to need an heir for my school, why wait?” she said with a giggle and dragged him into the agency.

Everyone at the diner was pleased for them and they had a root beer float toast......except for Reiko that is.

“You got married and didn’t let me plan a thing! No dress, no venue. You people are trying to drive me insane” she raged at them.

Mousse and Ranma exchanged looks “we could have a real ceremony after we get back from honeymoon” she offered.

“Yes something small perhaps” Mousse said.

“I’ll plan it down to Ranma’s dress” she said getting excited. “You have to promise me you’ll let me dress you” she said with so much determination in her voice that Ranma agreed.

The China part of the honeymoon spent with the Amazons was a blur as one marriage was dissolved and the other cemented by the proper ceremony. Ranma was readily accepted by her sister Amazons, even if they were somewhat surprised by her choice to marry a male instead of marrying Shampoo, but any way that they could bring fresh blood was good for the tribe.

Ranma enjoyed meeting her in-laws, though Mousse wanted to sink into the ground when his mother and his sisters entertained Ranma by reading her the letters he’d sent home from Nerima which decried “that foul Ranma” in every one of them.

They visited Jusenkyo and stood before the resurrected spring of the drowned man.

“Do you want to do it?” Mousse asked her.

Ranma snorted and rolled her eyes “how would we have an heir if we’re both men? Unless you want to jump in there while I take a dip in this one?” she said sweetly indicating the spring of the drowned young girl. Mousse glanced at it and dived into the spring of the drowned man.......and remained a man. They held their breath as the guide poured some cold water over him after he was dried off......and he still was a man. This led to them celebrating back in their tent in a manner I simply won’t describe :P

They said their goodbyes.....and then it was off to Hokkaido for two weeks to be spent at a luxury resort and spa where they’d be spoiled off their asses. Both Ranma and Mousse reveled in everything the hotel had to offer from their natural hot springs, to their unspoiled beach where Ranma taught Mousse to surf, to their day spas where they both got massages, various skin treatments and their first manis and pedis. Then there was the food, where Mousse marveled that his wife could eat as much as four truckers at a five hundred yen buffet.

Ranma and Mousse left the honeymoon suite for a day on the beach; Ranma knew that they weren’t going to be there that long, for under her coverup she wore a black bikini that barely qualified as one. It had been purchased in secret with Reiko and both had decided it was the one when it gave a boy waiting for his girlfriend a nosebleed.

She had her arms wrapped around his as they walked, she’d always thought that women looked stupid when walking this way with their heads on their loved one’s shoulders, but now it felt good to her. She traded loving smiles with him while he got their caddy to set up their sight with: an umbrella, a thick beach cover, tons of suntan lotion and a huge brimmed hat for Ranma. They’d discovered early on that she freckled like a natural red head; she hadn’t been amused to learn this.

Sitting down she removed her coverup and snickered when Mousse’s jaw dropped at what was barely there. “I could really do with one of those drinks served in a coconut shell with an umbrella and all that fruit” she purred, rubbing suntan lotion seductively onto her perfect body.

“Coming right up” Mousse squeaked, only severe martial arts discipline kept his swim trunks from flying a flag pole. Ranma looked good enough to eat.

Ranma chuckled when he departed, admiring his tight glutes from behind. She promised herself that she was guaranteed a sensational night of lovemaking. ‘Ranma the sex kitten. Who knew?’ she mused and watched as he approached the sea side bar.

Deciding to stroll down to the water, she dipped her toes into it and remembered how she used to loath all cool water. She didn’t give a rat’s ass now.

She was startled when a familiar voice shouted in broken Japanese “Ranma, it really you” and she was captured in a tight hug. She gaped to find out it was an older Shampoo who was wearing a resort uniform. “Shampoo so happy, now we go back to China” she enthused.

“Honey what’s going on?” Mousse asked, he’d returned with their drinks in just in time to see a purple haired stranger assaulting his wife. Purple haired? Then the identity of who she was snapped into place. “Shampoo?” he said in surprise, he hadn’t thought about her in years.

She turned to see a handsome stranger watching her, he looked familiar and cute, but she couldn’t quite place him. And then she knew “Mousse, what you do here?” she asked him.

Ranma wrenched herself from Shampoo’s tight embrace and went and stood beside him and took his arm. “I believe you know my husband” she said simply.

“Husband? He no can be your airen. You my airen” she cried.

“Oh we got that taken care of when we were in China, I formally apologized to the council of elders about the misunderstanding and brought tons of food to replace what my father and I ate. They were very understanding, but told me that our marriage couldn’t be dissolved as there was a chance I could turn male again. So I offered them an alternative, I said I wished to marry another Amazon and they agreed to allow me to marry Mousse. I didn’t have to defeat him as I was an outsider. I pointed out that I seemed to be permanently locked; I couldn’t very well marry you and preferred not to die. So they married us the same day. Didn’t anyone call you to tell you that our marriage had been dissolved?” she asked Shampoo sweetly.

“And we have another ceremony to look forward when we get home” Mousse said, acting just as cool as Ranma.

“You know can’t marry Mousse” Shampoo cried.

“Why not? We’re already married according to the laws of Japan and China” Ranma said with a shrug.

“Where you even meet?” she demanded.

“Nerima” Mousse said without missing a beat.

“No where you find Ranma? Shampoo look all over place for you.” Shampoo cried in frustration.

“We ran into each other at church” Mousse replied. That gave Shampoo pause, not only were they different religions, but neither was particularly religious.

“We give up restaurant and take any job we can find. I am waitress here and great-grandmother cook. You no can be married, you can’t dissolve kiss without great-grandmother say so. She the leader” Shampoo yelled.

“She appointed her great-grandmother to act in her stead while she was away in Japan. She approved our marriage, the council voted on it and it was passed, the decision’s irreversible. If the old ghoul had wanted to have a say in the matter she should have stayed in China” Ranma remarked.

“This not over” Shampoo cried.

“Yes it is” Ranma observed.

“What’s going on here!” the manager of the resort demanded, he’d been out for a walk when he’d heard the commotion. He quickly went to intervene when he realized that one of his waitresses was harassing a honeymoon couple.

“This young lady used to stalk my wife and claimed to be married to her” Mousse sternly said and Ranma covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

“She was man then!” Shampoo protested.

“My wife has never had a sex change” Mousse snarled.

The manager’s eyeballs practically popped out of his head to hear this “Miss Pu, I don’t care about your gender preferences, you can’t harass the guests” he chided.

“No she man, watch” Shampoo said and frantically grabbed a tea pot from a waitress going by and flung the contents on Ranma, Ranma just stood there being completely female……and very pissed off.

“Is this a new spa treatment?” she asked him sarcastically.

“Miss Pu, you’re fired” he shouted.

“That won’t be necessary” Ranma said smoothly. “Just make sure she doesn’t come near me again. I’m sure she’ll be going to China soon. She’s perfectly welcome to rejoin her tribe whenever and has nothing to keep her here”

With tears in her eyes she watched Mousse and Ranma leave.

“You can keep your job, but I’ll be watching you” her manager hissed.

“It no matter, I quit. I go back to China. You keep stupid job with lousy tips and groping hands” she hissed and dropped her apron on the ground.

She returned to her room and started packing, but found herself weeping instead. She couldn’t believe that out of all the girls who were after Ranma, it was Mousse who’d won him. He was the first man that she’d ever loved and now he was taken by a person who wasn’t even fit to tie him shoes. Yet why he hadn’t changed back when she doused him with hot water?

Shampoo thought about the implications of that and then decided to make things a little more interesting for Ranma and Mousse. Going to reception, she managed to convince her friend to give her their home address by saying they were old friends of hers……and she wanted to surprise them by sending them a wedding present.

Returning to her room she placed a long distance call to a number she still knew by heart and asked for Genma Saotome. “Hello Mr. Saotome, I’m wondering if you know where Ranma is. No? Would you like to know?” she asked him.