This is, as with the previous releases, based heavily
on events and situations from the preceeding stories,
which are available on my Web Site:
http://www.oocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/9295
As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.
All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.
Please Enjoy!
Coutuva.
The Best Laid Plans - Part One
----------------------------------------------------------------
The blind landed with a rattling thump on the sill as
Elysse stared blankly at the now covered window. Letting the
drawstring fall from her hand, she turned her gaze to the empty
room she had just finished packing, and sighed resignedly.
Resting her hands together on her large tummy, she smiled
as she thought happily about the nascent life growing within it,
and how excited she was that it was almost ready to arrive. Just
as quickly, however, her mood changed as she thought about her
next task.
Too far along to work, she had left her job at the
convenience store, and didn't want to dip into her savings to
maintain her apartment. That meant only one thing.
As much as she had tried to avoid it, the time had come
to call her family and give them the news. She hadn't spoken to
them in almost a year, having been too preoccupied with her own
life. She knew that her news would come as a shock to them,
especially since she was always the good kid... the one that
never got in trouble, the one that always excelled at everything
she tried.
In a way, she was glad that things had gone the way they
did. She knew she could use the 'ashamed and embarrassed' line
to explain her lack of contact, but even that didn't make her
feel any better about it all. Her parents would be disappointed
and upset, and that was going to be hard enough to deal with,
aside from being in the last month of the pregnancy.
She could picture the reactions, but assured herself that
they would eventually accept her child, and be happy to be
grandparents. One thing she knew she couldn't ever do was reveal
who the father was, especially since her parents thought so
highly of him for bringing her back to them.
Lifting herself slowly from the chair, she prodded her
aching back to get herself to the small bedroom, where she planned
to take a little nap before making the fateful call.
Finally reaching her goal, she rolled herself onto the
bed and shifted about for a comfortable position. Kicking off her
slippers, she pulled the blanket over her large form and closed
her eyes, hoping to get a little better sleep than she did the
night before. Her worries about the events to come had kept her
awake, and she had tossed and turned all night.
Reaching up and fishing out her necklace, she toyed with
the ring that dangled from it, wishing that she had it's owner
with her. Images of him proudly holding their newborn son with
her standing at his side began to play through her mind, and she
found herself smiling, depite knowing that it was only a fantasy.
Her smile widening as the images continued to run through
her mind, she finally drifted off to sleep, the gold ring still
firmly in her grasp.
A few days later, as she drove up the long driveway to her
parent's house, she sturdied herself for the next steps. When she
had spoken to her mother, the reaction had been predictable... she
had cried, her tears a combination of surprise and happiness, as
she had been worried about her daughter.
As she pulled to a stop, the family piled out of the house,
her younger brother leading the way. She had to look twice at the
kid, as he had grown probably a foot since she saw him last. Her
mother, eyes already moist, followed close behind, while her Dad
stopped on the verandah, leaning against a pillar. When Elysse
noticed the look on his face, her heart sank.
She had always been "Daddy's little girl" to him, and she
could see the disappointment in his weathered features. It hurt
her to think that she had upset him that much, but she didn't regret
her decision, and nothing he could say or do would make her. They
would just have to accept the fact that they had a grandchild, and
it was here to stay.
Shutting the car off, she opened the door and swung her
legs out, then reached for the doorframe to hoist herself from
the seat. She had gained almost 40 pounds with the baby, and at
this stage of the game, could feel every ounce.
Her brother, first to her side, stopped and looked at
her in surprise. "Whoa, Sis... You're as big as a horse!" he
blurted, in his typical indelicate manner.
"Glad to see you too, Bill." Elysse droned, shooting
him a look.
"Elysse! Oh, baby, I'm so happy to see you!" He mother
squealed happily, hugging her as tightly as she could over her
large tummy. "Let me look at you! Oh, that's a big one, isn't
it? I was never that big for either of you." she commented,
shaking her head.
"I know... it feels like I'm going to have a six year
old." Elysse smirked, patting her tummy.
"Has it been okay? No problems?" Her mother continued,
concerned.
"Perfect... I've been to the doctor all along. He
thinks I'm going to have a boy, and yes, it looks healthy and
big." she assured, smiling.
"Geese, Sis... how did you end up like this? I thought
you were gonna..." her brother began, but stopped short as she
shot him a look again.
"I don't want to discuss it... not now, anyway." Elysse
deflected, knowing her father was listening.
"Right. Bill, get your sister's things and bring them
inside. Edward, you too. You haven't even said hello to your
daughter yet." her mom noted, waving him over toward them.
Her father sighed and stepped off the verandah, then
strode over toward the gathering. As he came closer, Elysse
swore she could see a tear in his eye. That observation made
her nervous, not knowing what it was a result of.
Edward stopped right in front of Elysse and looked her
over from top to bottom. A thin smile parted his leathery
cheeks, and he leaned over and kissed her cheek gently.
"You look good, girl. I'm glad you're home." he said
quietly, then turned away and went to the trunk of her car.
Elysse sighed sadly. He hadn't yelled at her, but she
knew he was hurting. She hadn't expected a hero's homecoming,
but her Dad's reaction hurt a lot more than she would have
guessed.
"Let's get you inside, Lee... Your feet must be killing
you carrying all that. C'mon, and I'll fix you some tea."
her mother injected, closing the car door and urging Elysse
toward the house.
"Thanks, Mom... It's good to be home." she responded,
smiling weakly.
Later that evening, her Dad sat in his favorite chair
on the verandah, gazing out over the property in his customary
fashion. Elysse noticed him there, and decided she had best
get to the bottom of things with him, so it wouldn't be
hanging over her head.
Sighing, she lifted herself from the chair she was in,
and ambled out to the verandah. The old timbers creaked as she
approached her father, who cocked his head slightly at the
sounds.
"Pretty night, isn't it?" she ventured, hopefully.
"Yep. Be a nice day tomorrow, too." he drawled,
noncommittally.
"Dad..." she began, carefully lowering herself to
the old wooden bench near her father's chair. "I want to talk
to you about this." she continued, earnestly.
Edward lowered his head for a moment, then drew a breath
and puffed it out as he raised his gaze to Elysse.
"Y'know, I always had high hopes for you, Lee... I
figured you'd be a Doc or a Lawyer-type. When we lost you
almost three years ago, it devastated your mother. Then, by
a miracle, you came back to us. We thought we were the
luckiest people on this Earth. Then, you run off to the big
city, and come back again... carrying a child. I don't know
what to think anymore, girl. How are you gonna make a life
when you're chasin' a kid all day? And with no husband...
in my day, that said bad things about a woman." he responded,
as if reciting a prepared speech.
"Dad... I don't expect you to understand, but I'm
doing what I want to be doing." she stated, looking hard at
her father's expressionless eyes. "I haven't told Mom this
yet, but my baby's father is dead, which is why I'm keeping it.
I loved him, and this way I can still have a part of him with
me." she explained, lowering her misty eyes. "I don't care
what anyone wants to say or think... this is our child, and I'm
going to raise it. Myself." she insisted, placing a hand
on her tummy. "All I ask of you, Daddy, is to accept it as
your grandchild... and love it like you did me. You don't have
to worry about money... I saved almost every dime I earned to
carry me through until I can get work again." she added,
sniffing quietly.
Her father turned his gaze away, and simply resumed
staring at the horizon.
Elysse looked at the back of his head for a few
minutes, hoping for some kind of feedback. When it didn't
come, she felt her eyes begin to tear up, and, not wanting to
start bawling in front of her father, fought the tears off
until she managed to get up from the bench and start back
into the house. Just as she stepped through the door, a sob
escaped her guard, and she tried to quicken her pace before
any more slipped out.
Back out on the verandah, Edward stared stone-faced
at the landscape before him, his etched face unmoving...
until he heard his daughter sob. The sound hit him as if
he'd been shot, and despite his best efforts, he jumped
involuntarily.
Listening as she made her way back into the house, he
waited until she was out of range and closed his eyes slowly,
squeezing a single tear from each.
"Wake up, sleeping beauty!" her mother's cheery voice
called, rousing Elysse from the last of her sleep.
"'Morning, Mom." she responded, groggily.
"Let me help you get up, Lee, and we can get some
breakfast into you. You know the old saying..." her mother
beamed, happily.
"Boy, do I ever. Especially lately. I can't stop
eating, it seems." she replied, tossing off her blankets.
Taking a deep breath, she accepted her mother's proffered
assist, and groaned as she pulled herself upright.
"Mom, I don't know how you did this... especially
twice in six years. It must have been really rough on you."
she gasped, brushing her hair aside.
"It was, but I never carried as big a you are. I'm
actually surprised at you; You've still got almost a month
to go, and you're that size. His Daddy must have been a big
boy." she responded, setting out a housecoat for Elysse.
"Actually, he wasn't... he was only about 5'4"... but
he was built really well." Elysse indicated, her eyes getting
a faraway look.
"So, where is he? I would think he would want to be
around for this."
"Mom... he won't be." Elysse indicated, sadly. "He...
died in a car crash before I even knew I was pregnant. We'd
been seeing each other almost since I moved to the city."
Her mother gasped aloud, covering her mouth with her
hand. "Oh, Baby.. I'm so sorry..." she breathed, hugging her
daughter tightly. Elysse accepted the hug, feeling a bit
guilty about her modification of the truth, but she reassured
herself that it was 'almost' accurate.
"It's okay, Mom... I still miss him, but I have our
child... that's almost as good." Elysse added, smiling
slightly. "So, what's for breakfast?"
"Ahh... Pancakes, eggs and bacon. Better hurry, your
brother is still eating."
"I guess so... he'll clean out the house if nobody
stops him." she smirked, and slid the housecoat over her
shoulders.
After breakfast, Elysse parked herself on the verandah
with a stack of books, and wiled away the morning watching the
world go by. After working up to 60 hours in a week, she
found the inactivity a bit hard to get used to, but she didn't
want to do anything more to jeopardize her pregnancy. Her
Doctors had previously advised her to get off her feet, and
she had pushed the envelope by well over two weeks already,
trying to get just a little more money socked away for her
baby. It had been a long, exhausting experience, building
her life around very careful planning and constant
watchfulness, all to avoid contact with cold liquids of
any kind. Her various Doctors were unaware of her curse,
and it had led to some interesting moments during her frequent
examinations.
Abruptly, a voice from beside her startled her, both
with it's suddenness and it's identity.
"Wow! Your Mom wasn't kidding, was she?" the surprised
female voice blurted, followed by a low whistle.
"Toni? Is that you?" Elysse responded, caught
completely unaware.
"You bet, stranger! I heard you were home, and rushed
right over. You look different, but good." her friend noted,
smiling. "So, how do you feel, 'Mom'?" she asked excitedly,
swinging down from her horse.
"Oh, Toni... it's wonderful. I can't wait." Elysse
beamed, proudly.
"Well, it looks good on you, too. I've seen other
girls look really grim this late in, but you look great...
can't remember seeing you this happy."
"I am! Come on in here, and I'll tell you all about
it!" Elysse beckoned, extending a hand toward her visitor.
Once Elysse had related her tale, Toni simply sat across
from her, gape-mouthed. "You mean you've done all that by
yourself... all the way through?" she finally asked, shaking
her head slowly. "Sandy drove her family crazy when she was
carrying Josh... they were ready to to tie a gag around her
mouth." she added, grinning. "I can't imagine how tough it
must have been."
"Toni, the hardest part of this so far was losing his
father." she commented, resting her hands on her tummy. "He
would have been so proud of the baby. I really wish he could
have seen it." she added, her voice softening.
Toni bit her lip, noticing the sadness in Elysses eyes.
She could tell that whoever the father had been, Elysse was still
very much in love with him, and that observation worried her
slightly. Having known Elysse all of her life, she knew how
Elysse could obsess over things, and hoped this wouldn't turn
out to be one of them. Brightening her expression a bit, she
decided a redirection of topic was in order.
"So when are you officially due? Yesterday?" Toni
smirked, glancing down at her friend's tummy.
"Actually, a few weeks. The 30th. I have a feeling
that I might not make it that long, though." Elysse noted,
puffing out a breath. "He's big, and hasn't been moving much
lately... I assume that means he's getting ready."
"Ay... well, call me if you need anything, Lee... I
have to get back home to help Dad with the hay. Good luck,
and Congratulations! I can't wait to see him." Toni smiled
brightly, rising from her chair and untying her horse's reins.
"I'll call you tonight." she added, mounting back up and riding
off toward her house.
Elysse smiled and watched her friend go, glad for
having had the company. It helped get her mind off the
situation with her father, which had been in the back of her
mind all morning. His acceptance had proven to be far more
important to her than she had initially thought, reminding
her of how it had been all of her life. It was something
that was hard-won, and she knew that for the moment, it was
definitely lost.
"Hey, Sis...!" a familiar, grating voice called from
behind her, startling her slightly.
"What is it, Bill?" she finally deadpanned, turning
to face her younger brother who stood smirking a few feet
away.
"So what gives? I thought you said you were gonna
save your money to go back to Japan and marry that Ranma guy."
he asked, regarding her tauntingly.
"None of your business. You wouldn't understand,
anyway..." she replied, shooting him a look that she hoped
would stop the questioning.
"Oh, sure... you just don't want to admit you screwed
up, right?" he replied, snarkily. The look on his face told
Elysse that he was enjoying himself, which aggravated her even
more.
Taking a deep breath and puffing it out slowly, Elysse
sat back in her chair and turned away from her brother's smug
expression. "Like I said, Bill... you wouldn't understand,
so there's no point in explaining it." she stated, reaching
for a magazine.
Bill, meantime, wasn't about to be dismissed. "Okay,
so tell me something... now that you're about to calf, do you
still have that curse thingy?"
"Yeah... why do you want to know?" she responded,
turning to regard him as if he was from Mars.
A funny look came over his face as he went to respond,
the sort of expression one gets when they know something big
is about to happen. Elysse noticed it instantly, and felt
her stomach tighten.
"Because if you didn't, then this wouldn't work!" he
exclaimed, suddenly swinging a bucket out from behind him and
dumping it's contents onto the panic-stricken Elysse.
"NOOOO!" she shrieked in horror, unable to believe what
her idiot brother had just done.
Instantly, everything seemed to go into slow motion as
she watched the bucket upend, it's deadly contents rushing toward
her. Abject panic took over and tried to make her dive clear,
but her oversized maternity dress got caught on the arm of
her chair, causing her to fall painfully over the side. When
she realized she was trapped, sheer terror gripped her soul.
The life of her child - the child she had struggled to protect
for over eight months - the child she had sacrificed
everything for was about to be simply swept away, and she was
utterly powerless to stop it. Her breath stuck in her throat,
and her brain screamed at her to move, but all she could
manage was to shudder, as tears began to flow from her
widened, panicked eyes.
She whimpered pitifully as she felt the first impacts
of the bucket's contents on her head, which proved to be as
much as her sanity could stand. With a gushing sigh she
passed out cold, her upper body landing on the boards of the
verandah with a dull thud.
Pain. More pain. It intruded on the blackness,
thrusting Elysse rapidly back to awareness. Instantly, her
disoriented mind assumed the worst - her baby was gone. The
pain that had awakened her was coming from her midsection and
points south, indicating that it was probably true. In response,
her conscious mind fought her revival, not wanting to face
such a horrific reality. Briefly, the struggle raged within
her head, decided finally by an incredible stabbing pain that
literally tore her back to full awareness. As it gradually
subsided, she suddenly noticed that she felt motion, and that
there were voices - loud, anxious voices - all around her.
Another sharp spasm of intense pain shot through her
pelvic region, causing her to try to double over and forcing
a cry from her lips. It was then she discovered she couldn't
move, and opened her eyes to see the face of a worried young
man looking down at her.
"She's awake!" the young man called out, then gently
brushed her hair away from her perspiring face. "It's okay,
honey... we're almost to the hospital. Just hang in there."
he soothed, trying to smile. After a few panicked seconds,
she realized she was in an ambulance, and strapped securely
to a stretcher. It then suddenly occurred to her that if that
were true, she hadn't transformed. Now, she was really confused.
"What happened... ?" she gasped, wild-eyed.
"I'm not sure... you were passed out halfway off a deck
chair, and covered with silver confetti when we got there. Your
mother was in a panic... yelling something about cold water." he
explained, gently.
"That little... AUUUGHHH!" she abruptly yelled, again
trying to clutch at her midsection.
"Step on it! I think the baby's coming!" the young man
suddenly yelled, then leaned over and grabbed a wet cloth,
preparing to wipe Elysse's perspiring face. Her eyes opened
just in time to see him get his arm yanked away by someone behind
him.
"Good lord boy, don't EVER touch her with cold water!"
Elysse heard her mother snap angrily, much to her relief.
"Okay, Okay! No cold water!" the stunned EMT responded,
dropping the cloth. "What's the problem?" he added, upon
recovering his wits.
"Bad... reaction to... cold liquids...." Elysse growled
through clenched teeth. The pain was becoming almost constant
now, punctuated with what she assumed were contractions. She
made a promise to herself that somehow, she would make her evil
little brother pay, and tried to distract herself by thinking
up inventive tortures.
"Wow... first I've ever heard of that." the EMT remarked,
scratching his head. Shrugging, he decided not to pursue it.
"So, tell me.. is this your first?" he asked, reaching for a
dry cloth.
"Yeah... first... and last." she gasped, gritting her
teeth at another spasm.
The young man smiled knowingly. "I hear that from every
woman I bring in." he responded, finally wiping her face. "Is
the father coming in, too?" he asked, tossing aside the cloth.
"Father dead... car accident." she indicated breathlessly,
seeking out her Mother's face.
"Oh... I'm sorry. Forgive my prying, but I'm just trying
to keep you talking. We've got a few minutes yet to go." the
man indicated, apologetically.
"S'okay..." Elysse groaned, tossing her head. She had
seen her mother's worried look, but was in too much pain to
deal with it at that moment.
When they finally arrived at the hospital, there was a
flurry of activity that Elysse was only barely cognizant of, the
pain almost completely blocking anything else. All she knew
was that she was suddenly in a delivery room, surrounded by a
bunch of green-suited people. One of them she finally recognized
as her mother, who had in fact never left her side.
"Mom...?" she implored painfully, flailing her hand in
the air.
"Shhh... I'm here, Baby... I'm here." her mother
soothed, catching her hand and giving it a supportive squeeze.
"You're 10 centimeters already... it looks like he's impatient."
she stated though her mask. "You're actually lucky... I was in
labour for 3 days for you." she added, gently.
"Lucky?!? I feel like my insides are being ripped
apart...!" Elysse almost yelled in response, squeezing her
mother's hand.
"Well, this should help." a calming voice announced,
causing both Elysse and her mother to look up abruptly.
"Dr. Morely... you startled me." Elysse's mother finally
responded, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Hello, Elysse... Mavis. If we can roll you on your side
Elysse, this should take all that pain away." he indicated,
holding up a fair-sized syringe.
"Roll me! Roll me!" she gasped, trying to move under her
own power.
Several agonizing minutes later, the epidural shot
started to work, and Elysse began to slowly relax. She had been
moved into the birthing position, and her feet were now suspended
in the stirrups above her, leaving her feeling most undignified
and very exposed.
"Well, young lady, it seems as though you're having a
pretty fair sized baby... Just so you know, we may have to do
a section. Your pelvis is a bit narrow." Dr. Morely abruptly
indicated, looking up at Elysse from between her legs. "Just a
minute..." he added, and Elysse abruptly groaned as she felt
incredible pressure. It was hard to tell exactly what was going
on, but by the way the Doctor reacted, it was something major.
"Showtime! Elysse, get ready to push... hard!" he
abruptly instructed, as a crowd of blue masks began to form
around him.
Elysse and her mother quickly exchanged nervous
glances, and Elysse felt a reassuring squeeze on her hand.
She just had time to smile weakly before the Doctor's command
intruded on the moment.
"Okay, Elysse... PUSH!"
Again, Elysse found herself rousing from
unconsciousness, but this time at least, it was for a very
good reason.
"Here you go, Dear... he's absolutely perfect." the
nurse smiled happily through her mask. Elysse broke out in
the widest, proudest smile she had ever issued as she took
the 10 pound, six ounce child from the woman. The nurse
couldn't help but comment on his size, which at 24 inches
was considerably bigger than most.
He was sleeping peacefully, his pudgy little fingers
clenched in two fists just below his chin. His mop of wild
black hair looked just like his fathers, and his features left
no doubt as to his Asian heritage. He was so beautiful that
Elysse began to cry with happiness, pride, and overwhelming
relief, hugging her new son to her chest lovingly. Her dream
had finally come true, and she felt like shouting out to the
world that she had made it.
All the months of avoiding water, the aches in her back,
the pain in her ankles, her brother's stunt, and finally the
agony of delivery all faded from her memory as she gazed into
the child's sweet face, her own decorated with the loving pride
that only a new mother could know.
Only one thing cast a dark shadow over her ecstatic
happiness, that being that Ranma was not celebrating this moment
with her. She was certain he would have been proud, were he
still the man he used to be. Sighing sadly, she lifted her new
son gently and kissed his forehead, the scent of his freshly
cleaned newborn skin filling her senses with a heady euphoria.
He was real, he was healthy, and he was hers - and she
vowed to herself again that she was going to raise him to be a
proud, powerful man, just like his father.
In that spirit, she wanted to pick a Japanese name for
him symbolic of who and what he was, and to do justice to his
lineage. Since she had a little time before she had to christen
him, she decided to wait and think it over carefully. The
obvious choice, 'Nouma', somehow just didn't feel right.
Finally, her son woke from his quiet slumber, and within
a few seconds made it apparent that he was hungry. Elysse
obligingly opened her gown and placed her left nipple in his
mouth, then grimaced slightly as he began to feed. She had to
smirk at the power in his suckling, wondering if it was an
indicator of things to come.
A few hours later, Elysse awoke to a room full of
people, all happily congratulating her on her new son. Notably
absent were her father and brother, and she was afraid to guess
why her father hadn't come. His absence was particularly
disturbing, especially given his words from their last
conversation. She was glad her brother had stayed away, since
he was the last person she wanted to see.
Over the course of the day, her room quickly filled up
with flowers and gifts from friends of the family, as well as from
many of her own friends. She was encouraged by the outpouring of
support, having been a bit worried about how their friends would
take her being an unwed mother.
Her own mother still stayed close by, carefully watching
for unthinking staff and careless visitors, since even though
the baby was now safe, Elysse was still in jeopardy. Neither of
them wanted to even think about the consequences of Elysse
transforming in the hospital, especially given her current
weakened state.
By her second day, Elysse was finally able to get out of
bed, and luxuriated in her first hot shower since delivering her
son. The effort took a toll, however, and she had to catch a
quick nap before going to get her son for his morning feeding.
As she rounded the hallway corner just near the nursery,
she could hear a lot of excited chatter coming from the nursery
itself. Concerned, she quickened her pace as much as her sore
body would let her, worried that her son might be involved somehow.
Stepping through the door, she saw the duty nurses racing
from machine to machine, frantically pushing buttons and quieting
alarms. It resembled a scene from a war zone.
Nervously, she scanned the room for her son, and was
relieved to see his bassinet amoung a group of others that were
not connected to any machines. Sighing heavily, she walked over
to it and carefully lifted him from within it. She made sure
the head nurse knew she had come, and then happily headed back
to her room. The baby, meantime, continued to sleep soundly,
oblivious to the confusion and his mother's actions.
When Elysse and her son left the nursery and started down
the hallway, the machinery abruptly began to settle down on it's
own, baffling the beleaguered nurses. Making matters worse,
once Elysse and her son had rounded the nearby corner, everything
returned to normal. The nurses all looked at each other in
bewilderment, yet nobody wanted to speak aloud the question that
was on each of their minds.
Once back in her room again, Elysse gently lowered herself
into the rocking chair positioned near her bed. Smiling proudly,
she cradled her baby happily in her arms, content to watch him
sleep peacefully until he was ready to eat.
"You are a heavy little thing, aren't you? I just carried
you from the nursery to here, and my arms feel like they want to
fall off." she commented sweetly, reaching over and touching the
child's tiny nose. "You're going to give me arms like a
weightlifter before too long, ne?" she added, not even noticing
that she had said her last sentence in Japanese.
"What the hell did you just say to him?" a friendly but
confused voice asked abruptly.
Elysse looked toward the door in surprise, then her eyes
widened as she noticed who it was. "Toni!" she gasped, breaking
out in a smile. "I hoped you'd come see me!" she stated,
gesturing her friend closer with her free hand. "Come and meet
the family." she invited, proudly.
"Wow... he's a big one, isn't he?" Toni gasped, raising a
hand to her gaping mouth.
"Tell me about it... " Elysse groaned, rolling her eyes.
"I'm still so sore I can hardly move." she added, emphatically.
Toni grinned at the comment, then leaned a bit closer to
get a look at the child. Elysse could see her nose wrinkle
slightly, indicating that she was trying to figure out how to ask
her next question.
"His father was Japanese." she anticipated, grinning.
"Oh... Okay. I wondered. He's even a different color."
Toni noted, looking back at Elysse.
"Typical, though." Elysse smiled, gently brushing aside
his wild black hair. "He looks just like his Dad... and eats like
him, too."
"So, what's his name? I bet you've picked a lulu." she
smirked, shooting Elysse a sideways glance.
"Well, not yet. I have several in mind, but none of them
feel right. And yes, it'll be Japanese. I figure that'll be
easier on him when he gets older." As she finished speaking, she
lifted her gaze toward her friend once more, only to note how she
suddenly looked a bit guilty.
"What's wrong, Toni?" she asked, regarding the woman
questioningly.
"I... uhh... heard a little about what happened with your
brother. I wish I would have stayed a bit longer." Toni
sheepishly responded, lowering her eyes. Elysse sighed slowly,
her face sobering.
"Don't fret. He was waiting for you to leave. That
little... 'shit' and I have never gotten along, you know that.
Torturing me with his dirty little practical jokes is his mission
in life. Hell, he's the reason I disappeared in China." Elysse
responded bitterly, suddenly biting her tongue before she let
anything else slip.
Toni looked back at her aghast. "He did that?" she
finally blurted, shocked. To her, Elysse had gone missing after
an outing, but hearing that Bill was responsible put an entirely
new spin on things.
Elysse swallowed hard, suddenly realizing that she had
some major damage control to do. Thinking fast despite her
painkillers, she nodded casually. "Yep. Sent me down a path
that led into a really dense forest. That's how I got lost."
she explained, as casually as she could. "I thought I told you
this story..." she added, hoping Toni wouldn't press for more
details.
"You never said much about that..." Toni responded
quietly, shaking her head. "That's unbelievable... even for
him."
"No, Toni... what's unbelievable is what he pulled
yesterday. He could have killed my son with his stupid stunt."
Elysse glowered, her large eyes narrowing.
Toni could see the anger flash in Elysses eyes, and
thought better of asking for the details. She already knew that
Bill had caused everything, and she had seen Elysse being quickly
carried off on a stretcher by four EMT's, but nobody had wanted
to talk about what had happened. Shrugging inwardly, she decided
to shift gears.
"Well, at least you two both made it through okay. Gad,
Elysse... he's an absolute doll!" she smiled again, reaching
over and moving the blanket from beside his face. The ploy
worked, and Elysses scowl was instantly replaced by a proud,
soft smile.
"I know... he's beautiful." she breathed, leaning down
to kiss his forehead. Inwardly, she sighed with relief, knowing
that she had only narrowly dodged the bullet.
With the uncomfortable topics out of the way, Toni
visited with Elysse until she had finished feeding her son, and
then escorted them back to the nursery. Once Elysse had wandered
back to her room and crawled up on her bed, she turned and smiled
at her friend.
"Thanks, Toni... I really appreciate you being here. I
needed a friendly face today." she remarked, appreciatively.
"I had to... the curiosity was killing me." Toni
deflected, patting Elysse's hand. " When do you get out?" she
asked, smiling slightly.
"If the Doc says I'm fit, tomorrow. If not, the weekend.
Frankly, I hope it's the former." she emphasized, crossing her
fingers. "I hate having to take him back to that nursery... I
want him here with me." she pouted, affectedly.
Toni grinned knowingly. "Sure... you say that now, but
just wait... you'll be wishing for the nurses after a few days."
she smirked, pointing at Elysse. "Mark my words!" she added,
grinning confidently.
"No way!" Elysse smiled, her eyes lighting up. "I'll
never wish for anything like that." she asserted, emphatically.
"I just hope you'll come see me once in a while."
"I will, I promise. I want to see him, too... and his
Mom. Well, I gotta go again... life on the family farm, right?
See you tomorrow, I hope." Toni smiled, stepping back from
Elysse's bedside.
"Me too. Tell your Mom and Dad I said hi!" Elysse
called after her, then settled back into the bed. She smiled
as she thought about Toni, and how good of a friend she was.
When she had first come back home from Japan, it was her Mom and
Toni who helped her get back on her feet, and Toni who was
always there for her. In many ways, she reminded her of Ranma's
new persona, Hitomi.
Thinking about that made her begin to wonder how 'Hitomi'
and her girlfriend were doing, and if they were even still in
Canada. She hadn't had any contact with them since she left
Metro, and in fact, hadn't even thought about 'them' for several
months. However, since she had now allowed herself to, she began
to remember why.
Deep inside, she found she still felt somewhat jealous
of the 'girlfriend', and blamed her for interfering in her
original plan. She noted however, that there was one good side
to it all. If Mrs. Saotome ever found him, the 'girlfriend' would
get the blame. That consolation brought a small smile to her face.
As she continued to roll everything around in her mind,
she gradually noticed that her eyes were getting heavy. Blinking,
she realized that she had been wasting her nap time thinking, and
according to her room clock, it was close to lunch time. Sighing,
she shook her head to clear it, fluffed up her pillows, then laid
her head down and closed her eyes. As she settled in, the last
thought on her mind was of how nicely things happened to have
worked out.
After lunch, Elysse and her son attended their 'Baby
Classes', which consisted of learning how to change him, bathe him
and care for his umbilical stump, a process Elysse endured like a
trooper. When it was all over, she fed him and took him back to
the nursery, just in time to receive a surprise visitor.
At her door stood the young man who had attended her in the
ambulance on her way in. She almost didn't recognize him, as he
was now dressed in civilian clothes and sported a ball cap.
"You look a lot better now..." he observed, upon
introducing himself. "I was a bit worried." he added, his
features indicating his relief.
"Thanks." Elysse smiled, automatically using her best
waitress smile.
"How's your new son? I hear he broke the record for
biggest baby of the year." he smiled, gesturing toward her
bedside table with the flowers.
"He's doing great. Came through without any trouble."
she replied, nodding and smiling again.
"Congratulations. Well, I'm on duty in fifteen minutes,
so I have to get going... glad it all turned out okay." he said,
walking up and placing the flowers on her table. "See? No
water." he smirked, pointing to the neatly wrapped bouquet.
"You're going to have to explain that to me someday." he
indicated jovially, starting for the door.
"I'll put it to you this way... you wouldn't understand.
I barely do." she responded, seriously. He was a bit surprised
by the tone of her remarks, and took a second to recover.
"Uh... okay. Well, talk to you later." he stammered,
and headed out the door.
Once he was well down the hall, Elysse breathed a huge,
tired sigh, her face becoming grim. She recognized the look in
the young man's eyes, and didn't like it one bit. He was taking
a fancy to her, as her Mom would put it, and that was something
she wanted no part of.
Glancing at the flowers beside her on the table, she
huffed as she noticed that they were chrysanthemums, and reached
for the bouquet. Studying it for a moment, she discovered a
small card in amoung the blossoms, and pulled it out to see
what it said.
The card, plain except for a handwritten note, was
addressed to her by name, and contained an invitation for supper
in the hospital cafeteria at six that night.
"Oh, shit..." she groaned aloud, shaking her head.
"This is the last thing I need right now." she continued, covering
her eyes with her hand.
"So, how'd she take it?" Mavis asked, as the young man
walked back up to her.
"Not well, Ma'am. I felt like I was talking to a statue."
he sighed, his face downcast. "I don't think she likes me one
bit." he added, shaking his head.
"Well, she's probably just tired and sore, and it's
making her grumpy. Don't get discouraged yet." Mavis
encouraged, patting his shoulder. "I'll talk to her some, and
see what she really thinks." she added, smiling.
"If you want... I don't think she'll come, though. She
was really distant." he countered, resignedly. "Well, I have to
get to work. What do you think I should do?"
"Show up anyway. You have to, now."
"I guess. Okay, Ma'am... see you later... and thanks for
trying." he smiled, turning to walk away.
"No, Steve... thank *you*. I'm happy that you think so
much of her." she countered, earnestly.
"That's the trouble... it seems to be a one-way street."
he responded with a small smile, and finally walked away. Mavis
frowned after a moment, then turned and looked toward her
daughter's room.
"You silly girl... you can't hold a candle forever.
It's high time to light a new one." she thought to herself, her
eyes narrowing. "And I'm going to hand you the match." she
added, a knowing grin spreading over her face.
===================================================================
END Elysse - Part 1 A Ranma1/2 FanFic By Coutuva
Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com
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geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay) (
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