Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ The Ultimate Antidote ❯ Holding and Family ( Chapter 19 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

The Ultimate Antidote
Written By: Matdeception

Ranma 1/2 Notes: Takes place after the Manga

X-Men: Evolution Notes: Time line all screwed up. Taking place during the second season, 'The heX factor' episode happened before Angel Wings, and Rogue only barely met Risty. Live with it.

Disclaimer: I do not write using the aforementioned series in an attempt to steal, discredit, or defame said series or their characters. I write to pay homage to the original creators, as well as improve upon my own dim writing ability. Not now, nor ever will this fan fiction be used to gain monetary value at the expense of said creators intellectual properties.

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Chapter 14C: Holding and Family

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"It's Kitty an Rogue." Lance sighed at that. The first time Kitty came over of all times it had to be this one. With the Rogue was standing back and to her side, while staring at the door with a mixture of apprehension and anxiety, it didn't take a genius to figure out what and why she had come here. He doubted Nabiki or Ranma understood the totality of Rogue's problem. How could they? How could they truly understand something so damning with just words? He didn't doubt they would eventually come to understand it. It was only a matter of time until then, and he didn't know if that would be a good thing or a bad thing, especially in Ranma's case. Best to just see how it goes.

He opened the door, "Hey.."

"Lance.." Kitty sighed, waving, "Is he.."

Peitro sighed, "Yo, lets get outta here. I could use a burger about now." he stepped by Lance, "It's gonna get angsty here, I just know it." he bit back as he passed Rogue. Toad and Blob were quick to follow after the speed demon. Lance watched them go. He couldn't tell if the guy was trying to be helpful, or just being an ass about it. Probably a little bit of both.

"Burgers sound great!" Tabitha grinned, grabbing her jacket and chasing out after the guys. She shouted back in passing, "Don't worry Nabs! We'll pick you guys up something!"

Ranma blinked, "Hey! Make mine a double! No wait, TRIPLE!"

Rogue startled at the sound of his voice. She hadn't been expecting him to be awake, in fact she had been hoping he wasn't. She just needed to know if everything that happened was real, to make sure it wasn't some fluke caused by what happened. Dealing with him now, while he was awake.. she wasn't ready for that. Turning back, she quickly found her hand caught and held in place by Kitty.

"Yeah yeah!"

"WITH EXTRA FRIES!"

"I get it already!" Tabitha screamed back in annoyance. Damn that boy and his stomach. She doubted he even realized why they were getting the hell out of there.

Lance spared Wanda a glance, "Think Nabs needs to lay down.. you?"

Nabiki blinked. She didn't want to go anywhere. "Uh... no thanks.."

Wanda apparently wouldn't take no for an answer, dragging the girl out of her chair, "Just go. I'll let you have the side of the bed by the wall this time.."

"But now that you mention it.." Nabiki smirked. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for the girl who slept on the edge of the bed to roll out during the night. Wanda had bitched about it over and over again until she finally agreed to share her side. Hmmm, oh yes, that's what she needed. Some pampering, "Y'know.. my back is really stiff.. think you can.."

Wanda scowled. She was taking advantage of her! With clenched teeth, she forced herself to say "Yes."

"And my feet could use your magic fingers.."

"Sure. Want me to smother you with a pillow while I'm at it?" Wanda threatened.

Nabiki yawned, "After those magic fingers of yours are done, I'd gladly die a happy woman."

Wanda blushed at that, before scowling as she practically dragged the girl away, "You're so damn perverted!"

"Ahhh, your blushing! So cute!" she grinned. Wanda was so damn paranoid about her sexuality it was hilarious to mess with her like this. She wasn't interested in her, not in that way, but the girl didn't know that. "Now, onward slave! To my bed! To my massage! To.."

Wanda slammed the door shut, "Oh shut the hell up!"

"You coming in or what?" Lance grumbled, backing into the house, "Air conditioners running, we aren't in the habit of cooling the neighborhood."

"Oooh! You meanie!" Kitty hissed, dragging the struggling Rogue into the apartment. She kicked the door shut, before releasing the girl and stomping up to Lance, "I come all this way to visit, and you yell at me?"

Lance snorted, turning towards the kitchen, "Yeah, I bet you came to visit me." he bit off sarcastically.

"Hey!" Kitty blinked. He was trying to get away from her! Oh no, not happening! She ran after him into the kitchen, she opened her mouth to say something, only to meep in surprise when he wrapped his arms around her, one hand coming up covering her mouth. He whispered, "Shhh. Stay quiet and we can listen in on those two."

---

Ranma wasn't stupid. That wasn't to say he was very smart, either, but he doubted even some one with an IQ in the low teens would be fooled by this set up. With the recent revelation on Rogue's power, her appearance, and everyone else's sudden exodus, it just screamed "Boy, you've been set up." It just begged the question of what they expected from him. Pushing himself up, he gazed at the girl by the door weirdly. She was just standing there, not moving even an inch from where Kitty had let her go finally. She also looked agitated, extremely nervous, heck, she looked ready to make a break for it any second, what with the way her eyes were shooting from the window, to the door. He'd seen that look plenty of times, it's the same look he had when looking for the nearest escape route.

"Hey.." he smiled as comfortingly as he could.

What do you say to some one in this situation? She couldn't think of anything but the possibility of touching him. Not in a perverse way, just in a way to prove she wasn't losing her mind, prove she could do just as she had been hoping for all this time. She realized Lance and Kitty were in the kitchen, no doubt there to spy on them, but she couldn't bring herself to care about that. Not now.

She moved up to Ranma, forcing her eyes to lock on with his as she went. Sitting down next to him, she couldn't help but notice the confusion present in those eyes. It was comforting, knowing she wasn't the only one confused. She raised her ungloved hand, moving it closer to the boy's cheek.

Ranma eyed the girl weirdly. "Uh.. Rogue.. is there.."

"Shhh.." Rogue whispered, "Please.. don't talk.. not now." her hand was not hovering over his cheek. If she touched him now that he wasn't amidst whatever insanity he had been, would her power affect him? Would her only hope to touch some one be dashed? Or would everything turn out the same as before..

He really didn't understand this. So he was immune to the girls power, that was kinda cool he guessed, but what was with all the hype? He felt sorry for her, knowing now she couldn't turn off her power, but he really didn't understand how this could be so bad for the girl.

Contact. The warmth of his flesh, the rough, yet in it's own way comforting, feel of his skin pressed against hers. Nothing came. No memories. No power. Nothing. It was all too real, there was some one she could touch with out fear of her power consuming them. Someone she could touch.. some one she could.. touch.

Ranma blinked as tears started to escape the girls eyes, traveling with out pause down her alabaster skin. All this from a simply touch? Was it really that bad, not being able to touch some one? "Rogue.." he began, with a sigh. Her words made sense to him now. She didn't want or need words, they were aspects of her life that had brought her little comfort in the past. He still didn't understand it, but to her it was obviously a big deal, maybe even the biggest she had ever had to face in her short life.

He reached up, covering her hand with his own. With the touch, she began to sob. Not in sadness, no there was something deeper then that, something pure. She was happy. He was making her happy, as happy as he had felt when Akane's eyes opened, opened and proved she had survived through the titanic battle with Saffron. It was perhaps the greatest moment in his life, that day beneath the ravaged Jusendo spring. Shifting himself closer, he did the only thing he could think of.

He hugged her close, and whispered, "Shhh. I'm here for ya.." This was the least he could do for saving him from the Neko-ken.

---

"Good for her." Lance smiled. He didn't think Ranma would be so keen on hugging the girl after everything, it was nice to see him like that. You know.. come to think of it, he didn't know why he even thought that about the guy. He wasn't like Peitro, but he still showed more then enough interest in girls to be normal he supposed.

Kitty grinned, "Oh. I wish I had a camera!"

Lance hmmed. "No. I don't think so." he turned and moved deeper into the kitchen.

"What?" Kitty blinked, casting one more glance at Ranma and Rogue as the girl finally started hugging him back, before moving after Lance. "That has to be cutest thing you've ever seen! Maybe Rogue's best memory!"

Lance nodded, "A picture is nice, but I'd think she'd want to keep it for herself.. special.. y'know?" he tapped his head, "In here. One place she'll never have to lose the memories meaning."

Kitty blinked, mouth shaped like a little o. That had been rather deep, very deep in fact. "Wow.. you've changed.." She had been so engrossed with the arrival of Nabiki and Ranma, and the changes they had wreaked against both the X-men and the Brotherhood. She hadn't outright ignored him, but their time of late together had been rather.. stretched out.

Lance smirked, "That a bad thing?" he hmmed, moving in closer to the girl.

"I don't know.." she responded lightly. "You're almost a different person.."

"Different person, but same heart." he wrapped his arms around her. He may be confidant on the outside, but inwardly he was twitching nervously and just expecting her to phase through him at any moment.

"I dunno about that." Kitty grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. Today had been hectic, and revealing, but this was a nice change of pace. "That heart of yours.. does it want to go to the dance with me?"

Lance didn't answer with words, instead leaning down and kissing her ever so lightly on the lips. The kiss was simple, if sweet, a testament to the growing feelings between the two. Pulling back, smiling insanely, he said, "Only if you promise not to break it."

"Oh.. I think I can swing that.." Kitty grinned, surprising Lance by practically pouncing him, aggressively kissing him in return.

Lance's eyes widened. Whoa.. talk about shaking things up.

---

He didn't know how long he had sat there, on top the roof of an adjacent building, watching through the veranda window as his sister arrived, the Brotherhood depart, and then of his brother embracing her in a hug. The moonlight from encroaching night spoke well of the time that had past, with the way Rogue was lying against the boy, head pressed against his chest, the rest of her body practically lounged over the couch, and the boy, he didn't doubt that she had fallen asleep.

Ranma was awake, he knew that much. His head was rolled back, resting against the top of the couch, but with his arm holding the girl close, his free hand ever so lightly playing with the strands of her white hair. It was rather cute, he supposed. He felt a little upset when Lance and Kitty moved into the living room, Lance sitting in the recliner with the girl taking the ever so comfortable seat in his lap. He was happy for her, there could be no doubt, but it still hurt to see one of his first crushes moving on like this.

Things were changing. He knew this, accepted it as best he could, but were these changes for the better? He couldn't say. He needed time to think..

Kurt turned away, vanishing in a puff of smoke as he did so.

---

"Neither of em have come back. Kurt's vanished, an Storm couldn't find any trace of this attacker." Logan sighed, idly watching a security tape play back. They had been at this for hours, with still no sign of any mysterious attack being present. The fact the children had vanished on them only added to their urgency, even if he could guess where they were right now.

Hank hmmed, taking a sip of his coffee, "It's to be expected, at least on Rogue's part."

"Kitty probably went with her just to help." Scott yawned. With Jean confined to the medical wing until morning, he had found himself with pent up apprehension, and no outlet to release it. It's why he had volunteered to go through the security tapes with Beast and Logan, hopefully to help get his mind off of what happened earlier today. It didn't help, much, but even the little bit it did was a welcome change.

Logan grunted at that, "I suppose."

---

Xavier sighed, closing his eyes tiredly. It had been nearly four hours since the children had vanished, and at first he found himself lost with worry. He realized something like this would happen, with Rogue knowing the truth, Kitty for no better reason then to help a friend. He couldn't help but blame himself for it. Perhaps if he had told her sooner, when they had first come back from Japan with the knowledge the child might be immune to her power they could have avoided this. So many ifs, never enough answers.

He had wandered for a time. He supposed he could have used Cerebro to track the girls down, but he already knew the only place they would go. Now he simply had to wait, wait for Rogue to make a choice, to stay with them or leave. Maybe if Ranma joined them.. no, the boy didn't care for politics. Far to obsessed with living his life, Xavier couldn't find it in him to blame the child for such things.

Sitting here now, within Rogue and Kitty's quiet room, he wondered what would become of them in the end.

A subtle popping sound emitted, before a puff of smoke flashed, marking the arrival of Kurt. The boy stared at him for a second, a kind hearted smile growing on his lips, "Oh! Professor. I didn't think anyone would be in here."

"Kurt.." Xavier smiled kindly, "How is she?"

"Sleeping now. She's with Ranma."

"I see.." he eyed the boy as he went about and start packing some clothes, "I take it she's not coming back tonight?"

"I don't think so." Kurt grinned, flashing the older man a quick glance, "Unless you plan to drag her back.."

"She, and Kitty, are my personal responsibility Kurt." the man sighed, then shrugged, "Do you think she'll return home tomorrow?"

"She knows where her home is." Kurt nodded, "I don't think she'll ever forget that, not now, or ever."

Xavier smiled again, a tired if gentle one, before nodding, "Thank you, Kurt."

Kurt shrugged, moving to Kitty's side of the room, "I'm just going to grab some clothes, don't want either of them missing school tomorrow, do we?"

"Of course not." Xavier turned around, rolling towards the door, "It's a relief to have you here for them Kurt. I'm sure you know this, but they do love you."

"Ahh." Kurt grinned, throwing the pack over his shoulder, "And don't you forget that they love you too."

---

To them, the house was an empty shell, containing no warmth, no soul, a testament to what they had been missing in their lives. Looking upon it now, through the darkened windows into the trashy, desolated insides, none of them wanted to ever return to the way things had been.

"You know." Toad smiled, looking at the others, "I love you guys."

Tabitha blushed bright red at that. "Whoa.." she hadn't been expecting that from Toad of all people. "You guys are getting a little too
friendly with each other, if you ask me."

Fred smirked, pulling the smaller girl by the shoulders into a hug, "Don't even think for a second you aren't included in this, Tabs. We love ya too."

Tabitha's blush ascended to atomic rouge. Ahhhhhh.

Peitro smirked, "This is cute." leaning up against Toad.

Toad surprised everyone then, looking up at Peitro with a honest smile, "No. This is family."

Peitro blinked, then chuckled, "Suppose it is.. suppose it is."

"Family huh." Tabitha smiled.

---

Wanda slowly, quietly opened the door. Tiptoeing out, she risked a glance back inside. Nabiki was sleeping peacefully, a happy little smile plastered across her lips. Honestly, the girl just loved to be pampered to death, she had practically fallen asleep during the massage.

Lance opened his eyes as the girl came into the living room. He didn't dare move, Kitty having fallen asleep against him long ago. "Hey.." he whispered.

Wanda smirked, eyeing both sleeping girls and the guys they were pressed up against, "See everything went good."

Lance chuckled, "Yeah.. looks like it went good on your end, too."

Wanda blinked, "What?"

He risked waking the girl in his arms up, pointing towards Wanda's chest. "Surprised you didn't notice, Nabs got half your buttons undone."

Wanda blinked, looking down. Whoa.. he was right. Why that.. that.. that minx! "Uh.." she blushed. "You're not implying what I think you are..."

"Nope." Lance chuckled, "Nabs just thinks you need to loosen up."

Wanda snorted, buttoning up her shirt, "She needs to mind her own business."

Ranma chuckled, proving he was still awake, "I'd think you were her business."

"What's that mean?"

Lance smirked, "Don'tcha know? We're her family."

"And family helps each other, even if we can't always appreciate it." Ranma grinned.

Wanda rolled her eyes, walking back out of the living room as she went, "I think it would be better if she just told me I need to loosen up, not strip me."

"Where's the fun in that?" Ranma blinked, then nervously chuckled as the girl shot him a baleful glare. "Heh.."

"Night." Wanda shrugged, stepping back into the room she shared with Nabiki. Closing the door softly behind her.

Standing there now, watching the slumbering girl, remembering how she had gone her whole life ostracized by her real family.. only to find her recent memories of her time spent with Nabiki, with the others. The contrasts were different, far different. She smiled, "Family, huh?"

---

To be Continued (Heh.)

I felt this was a fine enough point to leave it off with out convoluting the chapter. It's short, sweet, and touches base with the current main characters. Don't go fretting your head though, Emma will be a main character soon enough. Besides, I doubted you wanted me to write about her lying in bed, fetal position, crying her eyes off for what happened in Ranma's mind.

Hahah! Anyway, that's that. I'll be starting work Monday (Wee, time to make cigarette money!) So expect my writing to drop off from then, to at least Thursday or so. Not that this will kill my writing entirely, but you can't expect to find a new chapter everyday.

Anyway, peace out. Current poll listing provided below.



Ranma:

Rogue 17

Emma 16

Nabiki 15

Jean 14

Tabitha 2

Wanda 10

Kitty 1

Nabiki:

Ranma 15

Tabitha 5

Wanda 9

Logan:

Mystique 2


And just because I think it's funny, and very very doubtful on more then a billion fronts.

Ranma:

Jean, Rogue, Emma, AND Nabiki: 2