Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to the wonderful Romiko Takahashi and her licensees (Viz Communications in North America). This work is strictly for the non-profit enjoyment of fans. No copyright infringement is intended. =========================== Children (Working Title) Part 1: Meetings A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by TeW Last Update: July 25, 2000 ========================== "Ranma, Telephone!" Kasumi called. Ranma stopped the Kata he was working on and sighed. He'd noticed that unexpected phone calls for him were never good news. He dashed in the house and headed for the phone table in the hall, passing Kasumi on the way. "Who is it?" He asked Kasumi politely. It was almost impossible to be anything less than polite to Kasumi. "Ryoga, I think. He seemed to think it was urgent."Ranma thought. "What's up Ryoga?" Ranma said as he picked up the phone. "Ranma, thank the gods you're home." Ryoga sounded desperate. "Whoa, what's wrong?" "You and Akane have to come and get me. Now." "It's getting kind of late Ryoga, can this wait 'til tomorrow?" Ranma asked. He could smell dinner cooking and didn't want to miss it. Ryoga might be a friend of sorts, but Kasumi's cooking was pretty special. "As soon as possible, and it's gotta be both of you." Ryoga really did sound desperate now. In the background Ranma could hear some traffic and the sound of a baby crying. Ranma sighed. He'd have to hope Kasumi could keep his father from finishing everything off. Leftovers were better than nothing. "Okay, where are you?" Ranma asked. "Right Ranma, like I'd know." Ryoga said sarcastically. "How can I get you if I don't know..." Ranma began, then shook his head violently. Ryoga's 'lost boy' act wasn't an act. He really didn't know. "All right, what's the number of the phone you're using?" Ranma asked after a moments thought. Ryoga read the number off the phone. "Wonderful," Ranma said sarcastically." You're not even in the Tokyo area. Osaka, I think. Now look around and tell me what you see, especially any shop names or street signs." Ryoga described his surroundings in minute detail while Ranma scribbled notes. "Okay, that should do it. Stay close to the phone. If I hurry I can catch the last train and get to you late tonight." "You have to bring Akane." Ryoga said. "Why do I have to bring her? You know she'll slow me down." "Ranma, trust me this once. If you don't bring her you'll wish you had. I'll tell you more when you get here, there's no way you'd beleive me without proof anyway." "This better be good pig-boy." "Just trust me." Ryoga said in a weary voice. Ryoga's lack of reaction to 'pig-boy' was enough to convice Ranma this was important. "Right. See you as soon as possible." * * * * Ranma stared out the window of the train, not really seeing the dark landscape go past. The late train on Saturday wasn't crowded and he and Akane had been able to get a seat together. Next to him Akane yawned and stretched. "Tell me again why we're doing this?" She asked. "Because Ryoga asked us to. It must be important, he wouldn't ask us to do something like this for no reason. You know how proud he is." "Yeah, almost as bad as a pig-tailed boy I know." Akane said sourly. "What I meant was what reason he gave you. In the rush you never said." It sure was a rush, Ranma thought. When he'd gotten off the phone he immediately went and told Kasumi. It was a good thing too, no one else could have gotten them orgainized and out the door in time to make the train. She'd even managed to pack dinner for them. "Well?" Akane asked. "Sorry. He never really said. Just that he would tell us more when we got there and something about not believing him." "Oh." Akane yawned again. They sat together in silence for a little while. Ranma's eyes returned to the window, where the lights of some small town where going past. Another advantage of the late train was it made less stops at places like this. Even so, they had almost two more hours before they got to Osaka. It was going to be *very* late before they found Ryoga. "Ranma?" Akane said, breaking the silence. "Hmm?" "I'm starting to nod off. Would you mind if I got a little sleep? I had to get up early this morning." Akane said. "Sure, no problem. Even if we both fall asleep we're going to the end of the line, so they'll wake us up." There was silence for a moment, and Ranma figured Akane had settled in. "Umm, do you think I could lean against you? It's not very comfortable sitting here." Akane gestured toward a couple where the woman was using the mans shoulder for a pillow. Ranma was about to say something that would probably get him malleted when he realized something. There was no one here who knew them. He didn't have to worry about Shampoo, Ukyou, Kuno or whoever showing up. They'd left in such a rush there was no way anyone could have found out and gotten on the same train. "Sure." Ranma turned toward her and held up his arm, twisting his body so Akane could lean on his chest, then let the arm drop so it was draped lightly over her shoulders. Akane gave him as sleepy smile and closed her eyes. She looked so adorable Ranma couldn't help himself. He curled his hand around her upper arm and pull her in a little closer. She just sighed and settled herself more comfortably against him. Soon her slow deep breathing let him know she was asleep. "You sure are cute when you're asleep." He said quitely to his fiance. He slowly slid his other arm around her waist and spent the remainder of the trip enjoying the rare moment of closeness and peace. He knew it couldnŐt last long. * * * * Ranma squinted at the notes he'd written, trying to read his sloppy handwritting by moonlight. "We should be almost there. Start looking for a mini-mart with a pay phone out front. Ryoga's camp should be visible from there." "I don't..." Akane began doubtfully. "There! she added. It's closed and dark, but isn't that a mini-mart?" "Yeah." The two trudged over to the store and began scanning for Ryoga's campsite. It had taken them two hours to work their way from downtown Osaka to the edge of the city where Ryoga was waiting. Ranma hadn't realized how big the city was until he'd actually started wandering around in it at night. It hadn't helped that the two had cut through the red-light district before getting out of the main city. Ranma was pretty sure he'd *never* seen Akane blush that bad before. The campsite was in an empty lot half a block away. Fortuantely Ryoga still had a fire going, it might have been tough to find him otherwise. Ryoga had a tent set up but was sitting in front of it huddled by the fire. Ranma called his name softly but got no response. Moving closer they saw he'd fallen asleep sitting in front of the fire. Not the safest thing to do, and Ryoga should know better. Ranma waved Akane back and poked Ryoga in the arm, jumping back as soon as he'd finished. Ryoga just cracked on eye open and looked at him mornfully. "Took you long enough." he said. "Yeah, yeah. What's this all about Ryoga?" Ranma asked. Ryoga rubbed his face and looked around. "Why don't you set up camp while I make some tea. I'm not going to say awake long otherwise. And keep the noise down." Ranma shrugged. They'd have to set up camp anyway. Might as well do it now. With Akane's help he pulled pretty much everything out of their hastily packed backpacks and separated out what they'd need for the night. Only one tent of course, though they'd packed two. One of their fathers must have removed the extra. Ranma had expected it and figured he'd end up sleeping in Ryoga's tent. Oddly Ryoga made no comment. Ranma threw his things into the tent without laying out his sleeping bag. Then he repacked both packs, making sure they hadn't forgotten anything important in their rush. Satisfied they'd be okay for a few days, he went back over to the fire, where Ryoga was just handing Akane a cup of tea. He gave Ranma another and they all took a sip of the too-hot liquid. Akane grimanced a bit at the taste and looked up at Ryoga. "What's going on Ryoga-kun?" Akane asked. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" "No." Ryoga said. "Well, actually I am in a way. And it's all your fault Akane." Ranma stared at the lost boy. Ryoga saying something was *Akane's* fault? "What do you mean Ryoga? I haven't even seen you in months." Akane said a bit sharply. Ryoga frowned. "Actually, I saw you three days ago, and you were dying." "You better explain that Ryoga." Ranma growled. "If this is some kind of joke..." "I wish it was." Ryoga said quietly. "Tell us, Ryoga." Akane said. Ryoga downed the rest of his tea. "It was three nights ago. I was wandering in a forest when a light flashed across from me and Akane was there." Ryoga shuttered. "She was a mess. Nasty burns and bad brusing, but no cuts. Nothing really life threatening that I could see. She brought two... Wait, I'll get to that in a minute." "Anyway, she told me she was from two years in the future. Showed me a cracked mirror she said was the Nanban Mirror. Then she told me how Happosia went...goes crazy in about six months. Something to do with his chi being infected 'cause of the stuff he does to keep himself alive at his age. The story was pretty disjointed and it was around then that I realized she had a high fever." "Where is she?" Ranma asked. "Is she...is she dead?" "No, yes... Hell I don't know! She went back. To die on your grave Ranma. You'd finally stopped Haposai, but it killed you, and me, and pretty much everyone else in Japan. Oh and I guess the infection got onto the continet too, so lots of people there. It should stop though, she said that the infection can't spread with Haposai gone. She just came back to warn us and to give me... some things." "Why you?" Akane asked. "Why not me? Or Ranma?" I don't really know, maybe she was afraid Haposai would see her. But I think I can show you one reason she came to me. One of the things she gave me." Ryoga went into his tent and came back out with a small child, maybe a year and a half old. The child was curled in a blanket, and sleeping peacefully. "This is my son Himi-chan. She brought him back to me. There's no one left to take care of him in the future she came from. She'd been helping me take care of him since his mother died. Ranma stared at the small child in Ryoga's arms. This was getting just too weird. Ryoga with a kid? Everyone in Japan dead in two years? If it was anyone but Ryoga he probably wouldn't believe the story, but Ryoga just didn't do stuff like this. He did have the imagination to come up with it and was too honest to tell a story someone else made up. Akane got up and walked around the fire to Ryoga. She sat down next to him and held out her arms. Ryoga passed the child to Akane to hold. "Ryoga? You said two years in the future?" Akane asked, looking down at the boy. "Yeah." Ryoga said. To Ranma he sounded almost sheepish. "And Himi-chan looks like he's about a year and a half old." Akane said. "Umm... yeah." Ryoga was looking down at the ground now, sounding very nervious. "So?" Akane said. Ryoga just hunched in on himself a little more while Akane waited paiently for him to say something. "Uh, guys?" Ranma asked. "What are you talking about? What difference does it make how hold Himi-chan is." Ryoga glared at him. "You really are an idiot Saotome." "Himi-chan's mother must be around three months pregnant." Akane said quietly, looking down at the child in her lap with a small smile. "Ten weeks." Ryoga said. "Umm...Ryoga, didn't you break up with Akari three months ago?" Ranma said. Ryoga glared at him again. "It's not Akari," Akane said suddenly. "It's Ukyou. I should have realized weeks ago. She's been acting wierd, tired all the time, sick in the morning a lot. I even joked to her about her 'morning sickness' once." Akane looked up from the childs face and into Ryoga's. "She needs someone to help her Ryoga." Ryoga looked down at the ground. "I know. One of the reasons I called you two was that I wasn't ready to face her yet. She... helped me after the thing with Akari, and now this. I don't know what I'm going to do." "We'll take care of Himi-chan tonight. Why don't you get some rest." Akane said. Ranma was beginning to think he was dreaming. Ryoga and Ukyou? Akane being kind, understanding, and *wise*? He was getting a definite feeling of unreality, creeping in behind it was dread, as if he knew that the worst was yet to come. "Thank's Akane, but I don't think that's going to be possible, you'll be too busy." Ryoga said taking Himi-chan from Akane's arms and putting him back into the tent. Ranma's feeling of dread increased as Ryoga moved around in the tent. When Ryoga came out with a tiny baby and made his announcement, it was almost anticlimatic. "Akane, Ranma, may I present you with your daughter, Midoko." But not so anticlimatic that he didn't faint. === END PART 1 ===