Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ I'm the Mother and the Father? ❯ The Announcement ( Chapter 4 )

I'm the Father and the Mother?

A Ranma Fanfic by Michael A. Ivins

 

Ranma and friends are owned by Rumiko Takahashi along with her publishers and Viz Video. I make no money off this so please don't sue me.

 

Recap of Chapter 3

The results of the DNA test confirm Ranma's male side is the father of baby in girl Ranma's womb. Cologne tells Ranma the story of another case of a Jusenkyo curse victim impregnating herself. Ranma learns her baby is a girl.

 

Chapter 4

The Announcement

 

As they walked back to the dojo Nabiki worried that Ranma's overly emotional behavior might become a problem. Maybe she should call her gynecologist to see about some medication to calm Ranma down. Even while doing that she entertained an idle though about setting up a betting pool on whether or not Ranma would turn completely girlish by the time the baby was born.

 

At the moment Ranma was almost euphoric. She was going on and on about the whole “wonder of a new life growing in her.” In fact Nabiki was getting to a point where she wished Ranma would just shut up about it. The brown haired girl felt relieved when they got to front gate of the dojo.

 

Kasumi had just come back from doing the dinner shopping and was starting to prepare dinner. Ranma asked her about making an announcement. The answer was that it might be best to wait until after dinner. After thinking about it for a few moments, Ranma decided that people might be in a more receptive mood after eating one of Kasumi's delicious dinners.

 

Ranma stood while the rest of the family sat. At Ranma's request everyone had a tea cup either in front of them or beside them. When she was sure she had everyone's attention, she said, “I'm sorry that everyone was worried about me over the last few days. I can tell you that the results of all the medical tests are in. I don't have a fatal disease.”

 

The soft sounds of breathing in the room made Ranma think that people had been holding their breath to hear the announcement. “I know that some of the things that you heard gave the impression that I was sick, possibly dying. That was never true.”

 

There was a gasp at that. “The truth about my condition is complicated and I wanted to be sure I had all the facts before I told anything. I'm sorry that the information that I did give was misleading. Nothing I said was a lie, I just never told the whole truth.”

 

She was starting to look very nervous. She said, “I'm going to try and present this is the most positive way that I can.”

 

Ranma faced her mother and father who were sitting beside each other. She took a deep breath and said, “Mom, Pop, you're going to be grandparents!”

 

The expression on every face (other than Ranma's) was stunned. Finally Genma ventured, “What does this have to do with your curse being locked? Are you saying Akane is pregnant? I didn't even know you had gotten intimate with her.”

 

Before Ranma could answer Akane stood up and indignantly insisted, “I am NOT pregnant! Ranma have never done that with me. Not that the pervert hasn't thought about it.”

 

Ranma sighed sadly and said, “She's right about one thing, Pop. Akane isn't pregnant, I am.”

 

Silence fell again. Nobody moved, nobody spoke. After nearly a minute Nodoka spoke up. “Ranma, dear, I'm not sure I heard you right. Did you just say that you are pregnant?”

 

“Yes, Mom. I'm pregnant. I've got the test results here if anyone doesn't believe me.”

 

Bluntly, Genma asked, “Who's the father?”

 

Before Ranma could speak Akane, who was still standing said, “I know who it is. Who it has to be… Ryoga.”

 

In disbelief Ranma shouted, “Ryoga!”

 

“I should have seen it before. I could tell the two of them were hiding some kind secret from me. I just never thought it would be something like this. Ranma's girl side must have fallen in love with him.”

 

Ranma gave a shudder. “I don't understand why people keep thinking there is something romantic between Ryoga and me. Maybe they're seeing something in him that I can't see. Get this straight! I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH RYOGA! I can't even imagine being attracted to that pig.”

 

“Then who! Who is the father?” shouted Akane.

 

Ranma again heaved a huge sigh. “Now we come to the part that's going to sound impossible.”

 

Akane sarcastically said, “More impossible than a boy with a magic curse who turned into a girl and got pregnant?”

 

 

“Yes, more impossible than that.”

 

Ranma rubbed her hand over her abdomen for a moment. “I am the father of this child.”

 

Suddenly everyone was talking at the same time so it was impossible to make out what any one person was saying. If one listened carefully words like `ridiculous,' `preposterous' and `impossible,” could be made out.

 

After things settled down Genma said, “Boy, for what you say to be true your male and female forms would have to be separate people. Has that happened?”

 

“No Pop, I wasn't split into two people. It turns out that all that's needed was for me to change from guy to girl at just exactly the right (more like wrong) time.”

 

“The right time? Explain yourself boy.”

 

Ranma looked around the room. “I'm not exactly comfortable talking about this part of things in front of my mother and fiancé. Could we discuss it in private?”

 

“Explain now.”

Ranma looked around. Do the rest of you insist on hearing this now?”

 

Akane appeared to be simmering and close to a boil. “I want to hear this.”

 

Soun said, “I think we should all hear this.”

 

Ranma looked over to Nodoka. “Mom?”

 

“You don't want to tell me?”

 

“Not in front of everyone. It's embarrassing.”

 

Nodoka seemed to weigh that. “If you eventually tell everyone in private how is it different from telling everyone now?”

 

“Does everyone insist?”

 

Predictably, Kasumi said, “I wouldn't mind waiting.”

 

Ranma looked at Nabiki.

 

She nodded and stood up. “I played part in this story so I will tell you my part. It was Sunday morning when all of the rest of you were out. Ranma and I were here alone. Ranma had been training in the dojo and I had been in my room doing my own exercises.”

 

“I went down to the bathroom and undressed. It was only after I was undressed that I noticed the sign that the bath was occupied. I thought it would be a laugh to tease Ranma, so I went in. He didn't notice me.”

 

“What was he doing that he didn't notice.”

 

Nabiki surprised herself by blushing. “Ranma was… aroused.”

 

Akane was getting angrier. Her mallet appeared in her hand.

 

Nabiki held up a hand and said, “Akane please hear the whole story before you do anything. Remember that I was the one who walked in on Ranma.”

 

Genma said, “I repeat, what was he doing?”

 

Ranma shouted, “I was masturbating, Ok! There I said it, are you happy?”

 

Akane's grip on the handle of her mallet tightened and she was now practically growling.

 

Nabiki continued, “When I saw what he was doing, my first thought was to leave and give him privacy to finish. Then I saw the buckets of water he had filled for his washing up. I don't know what came over me. I just thought it would be funny to splash him when he was `busy.'”

 

Ranma picked it up, “When I changed everything went inside and the sperm ended up in my womb and they made me pregnant. At least that is what Dr. Tofu says. The DNA test they did proves that either I was the father or it was a brother and you all know I'm an only child. I really am both the mother and the father. The test results are there on the table if you want to confirm it.”

 

Still growling, Akane asked, “Who were you thinking about when you were `busy?' Was it Shampoo or Ukyo? Maybe it was Kodachi.”

 

Ranma's face sagged into an expression of infinite sadness. “No matter what I say you're going to call me a pervert. If you have to know it was you I was thinking about.”

 

Things started happening very fast. Akane shouted, “How dare you think about me like that YOU PERVERT!” As she swung her mallet up over her head in preparation for smashing Ranma into the floorboards. Nodoka leapt forward to grab one of Akane's arms practially screaming, “What do you think you're doing!” Nabiki grabbed the other arm and also screamed, “Akane Stop!” Ranma leapt up to kick the mallet out of Akane's hands.

 

The mallet landed on the floor behind Akane with a crash where it glowed for a moment before dissolving into tiny motes of light. Those motes rapidly faded and disappeared. Ranma landed lightly on her feet just inches away from Akane. She was breathing hard as if in a terrible rage and trying to control herself.

 

Nabiki was livid. “Akane were you just trying to hit a pregnant woman with a mallet?”

 

“Ranma's not a woman! He's a perverted boy who deserves to be punished!”

 

“NO! Right now she's a pregnant woman who is scared and confused. She needs our help, not you hitting her.”

 

At this point Ranma gained enough control of herself to speak. “So this is how you really feel about me. I'm a pervert who deserves to be punished. You hit first and listen to explanations later. When you find out I didn't deserve to be hit you are all sweet an apologetic until the next time. You almost never believe me and you blame me for stuff that isn't my fault. You don't trust me. I used to think you love me but you are doing a pretty good imitation of someone who hates me.”

 

Akane's eyes had widened and she was looking astonished to be hearing this from her fiancé. “During the fight with Saffron I said I loved you and I meant it. But every time since then that you hit me with the mallet, every time you refused to believe me when I told you I wasn't at fault, every time you called me a pervert my love for you died a little more.”

 

Ranma turned her head to look into her mother's eyes. “I don't want to be engaged to Akane any more. You see what she's like. Even if I wasn't pregnant now, if we got married one of us would be dead in a year or less. Either I'd be dead because she beat me to death or she would be because I got fed up and fought back. I can't marry her.”

 

The anger had faded from Ranmas face and tears streamed down it. Both Nabiki and Nodoka released Akane's arms. Nodoka enfolded her daughter in a hug and Nabiki put her hands on Ranma's shoulders. The middle-aged woman said, “If that's how you feel then we won't force you to marry her.”

 

Genma protested, “But No-chan, what about family honor?”

 

Soun joined in, “What about joining the schools?”

 

Nodoka said angrily, “Weren't you listening! Do either of you want our children to kill each other? From what I've seen today I believe that's what's going to happen if these two marry. Family honor and the joining of the schools could still be satisfied if Ranma married Nabiki or Kasumi.”

 

Akane looked stricken and lost by the way things were going. She didn't hate Ranma, did she? She reached a hand toward Ranma and called her name in a pleading tone.

 

Ranma heard and edged away, still holding onto her mother. Her expression was now one of fear. Tears still streaming down her face, she said, “Before when you hit me I let you do it to prevent you from hitting anyone else. But it's not just me anymore, there's someone else in here. You killed my feelings for you but YOU'RE NOT GONNA KILL MY BABY!” The last part was a scream.

 

“Kill… your baby? But… but… I didn't mean… I wouldn't… Please, Ranma…” She took a step toward the red haired girl.

Ranma shied back and screamed at Akane, “GET AWAY FROM ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!”

 

Nodoka clutched Ranma tighter. She said, “Akane.”

 

The black haired girl was just staring at the weeping, trembling Ranma. Her fiancé was frightened, maybe terrified… of her.

 

Nodoka tried again, “Akane!”

 

The girl looked at the middle aged woman.

 

“Ranma is practically hysterical. Right now she's afraid of you. I think it would be best if you went to another room, at least until we can get her calmed down.”

 

Tears were now streaming down Akane's face. “But I don't hate Ranma.”

 

“You'll need to convince Ranma of that. A good place to start is the mallet, it has to go. We can talk more about this later.”

 

Kasumi came up and placed her hands on Akane's shoulders. She said to the shell shocked teen, “Come on, Akane. Let's go into the dining room. I'll make you some tea.”

 

Nodoka steered Ranma to the couch and got her sitting on it with Nodoka on one side and Nabiki on the other. Ranma was wiping her eyes with a tissue from a box on the table. She looked fearfully around and timidly asked, “Is she gone?”

 

“Yes, dear,” her mother assured her. “We're not going to let her hurt you.”

 

“I don't care about me. I'm tough, I can take it. But my baby's helpless. If Akane hits me it could kill my baby. I can't let that happen.”

 

Nabiki said as soothingly as she could, “I don't think Akane wants to kill your baby.”

 

Ranma shook her had. “She probably doesn't but she can't control her temper. She gets mad over the silliest little things and it's always my fault, even if I was nowhere near. When she gets mad, out comes the mallet and I'm either pounded into the ground knocked flying. That could kill little Ranko.”

 

“Ranko? I thought that was the name you were using.”

 

“It was but I thought it was a nice name. When we visited Cologne she did a deep chi reading and told Nabiki and me that the baby is a girl. I know the mom and the dad usually pick the name between them, but since I'm both I figured it was my choice.”

 

“'Both.' That's going to take some getting used to. I thought that I was getting used to the idea that my son is also my daughter but to find out that you are both the mother and the father of my grandchild takes the strangeness to a whole new level.”

 

Nabiki said in a timid sounding voice, “Auntie Nodoka?”

 

“Yes, Nabiki.”

 

“I'm sorry. It's my fault Ranma's in this situation. I'm the one who splashed him at the critical moment. I'll help anyway I can, I'll treat Ranko like she's my own child.”

 

“Nabiki, that's very sweet of you.”

 

“I do feel responsible. Besides, Akane may not see it, but Ranma is a good person. She's brave, honorable, willing to sacrifice herself to defend friends and family. She cares about everybody here, even Akane. If she's agreeable I'd like to be the fiancé and get married after the baby is born and the curse unlocks.”

 

Nodoka looked uncertain. “I had heard that you did trade the engagement with Akane for a few weeks. You sold dates with Ranma.”

 

Nabiki winced. “That's true. At that time I didn't really appreciate what a wonderful person Ranma really is. Even if he… she is a jerk sometimes, underneath it, she's someone I can imagine living the rest of my life with. (These personal pronouns can make me crazy.)”

 

Nodoka sat back with amazement on her face. “I must say, this is… unexpected. After the scene we just got done with, I was afraid we would have to use `family honor' to shame you or Kasumi into agreeing to the engagement.”

 

Nabiki blushed. “I hated the way Akane was treating Ranma. I could tell he didn't deserve it. I started to really appreciate his good qualities. I even thought about getting the engagement back from Akane again, but I was pretty sure I had blown my chance from the way I behaved the last time.”

 

Nodoka turned and asked, “How do you feel about this, Ranma?”

 

The red haired girl looked into Nabiki's eyes and said, “Yes, I do want to marry Nabiki. I've learned to look past the mercenary mask she wears. There's so much there that she doesn't let the world see. I would like to spend the rest of my life exploring those depths.”

 

Nabiki's eyes grew big and tears began to gather. Who knew Ranma could ever be so… poetic?

 

Before Nabiki could formulate a response, Ranma took her hand and said, “Tendo Nabiki, will you marry me?”

 

Nabiki nodded with a big smile and said, “Yes! I will.”

 

An expression of impish humor came to Ranma's face as she asked, “If we get an engagement ring do I wear it or do you?”

 

In mock exasperation, “Oh, you. If we do that we'll get one ring for each of us.”

 

Ranma chuckled, “That might work.”

 

Soun stood up. “We must have the wedding at once.”

 

Everybody looked at him as if he had taken leave of his senses.

 

Nabiki said, “Uh, daddy. Don't you think we should at least wait until Ranma's curse unlocks? I mean it would look pretty silly trying to get two girls married to each other.”

 

“Ah.” Tears began to drip down the Tendo patriarch's face. “I'm sorry. I got caught up in the moment.”

 

Nodoka stood up. To Ranma and Nabiki she said, “I can see that the two of you have a lot to talk about and a future to plan. I think I should go have a talk with Akane. I fear she may be in need of… professional help.”

 

Ranma hesitantly said, “I… may not love her anymore but I still care what happens to Akane. Please let me know how that turns out. I'm just not sure if I can face her without freaking out right now.”

 

Nodoka nodded. “From what I've heard you have had a trying day. Maybe you should just take a bath and go to bed.”

 

They watched as Ranma's mother went to the dining room. Ranma asked, “A bath… together?”

 

Nabiki grinned, “Why not? We're both girls right now and we're fiancés too.”

 

Ranma laughed. “With you the fact that we're both girls doesn't mean I'm safe.”

 

Enjoying the teasing, Nabiki asked, “Do you want to play it safe?”

 

The look Ranma gave the brown haired girl was challenging, “Maybe, maybe not.”

 

Laughing the two girls got up and headed to the bath. Nabiki said, “I'll wash your back.”

 

In spite of the playful banter, nothing more serious developed than a tickle fight. By the time they got into the hot water of the furo both girls were out of breath from the laughing. They didn't realize that Akane had been outside the door listening to them.

 

A deep sadness was evident on Akane's face as she listened to the laughter. She'd lost him. She loved Ranma, didn't she? She didn't hate him. But if she loved him why did she keep hitting him? Was he really that big a jerk? Was he really that bad a pervert?

 

They sounded so happy together. Had she and Ranma ever laughed together like that? Had they ever playfully teased each other? Had they ever tickled each other? Maybe Nabiki really was a better choice for fiancé.

 

Akane turned away from the bathroom door. She wanted to go to her room and have a nice long, cleansing cry.

 

After their bath Ranma and Nabiki headed upstairs. The brown haired girl was wearing a robe and Ranma was dressed in boxers and a tank top, her usual sleep ware. She thought to herself that if she was going to be a girl for nearly a year, maybe she should get some girl's pajamas to wear. She tried to conjure up a mental image of herself in tank top and boxers at nine months with that big belly.

 

When Ranma snickered Nabiki asked, “What's so funny?”

 

“I just imagined what I would look like at nine months pregnant and dressed like this.”

 

Nabiki laughed and said, “We'll have to get you some maternity clothes. We have a while before we need to start worrying about that.”

 

They separated and Ranma went off to the guest room. She was surprised to find her father unrolling his futon. Since the Saotome home had been destroyed in a fight between the fiancés Nodoka had been living with the Tendos and Genma had been sharing her room. This had the advantage of letting Ranma have the other guest room all to him/herself..

 

Ranma asked, “What happened, Pop? Did mom kick you out?”

 

“Respect your elders, boy.”

 

Oh, Kami-sama, is he back to that again?

 

“Yeah, whatever.” She walked over to her futon.

 

“What was that downstairs? You're turning into a weepy, whining girl.”

 

Ranma rolled her eyes. “You try getting pregnant and let's see how well you handle it.”

 

“Don't take that tone with me, boy.”

 

Genma had picked the wrong time to come on authoritarian with Ranma. She said, “Boy, boy, boy, that's what you always call me! I have a name, you know. Why don't you use it? Do I even look like boy to you right now?”

 

“What are you going on about?”

 

“I know you won't call me `girl' even if I will be one for almost a year. The only time you ever call me a girl it's some kind of insult. It's always a weak girl, a silly girl, a weepy and whiny girl. You say it so often that I don't usually pay attention anymore.”

 

Genma looked confused. “Then why are you making a big thing about it now?”

 

“The hormones that were making me weepy are also giving me mood swings. I can be `weepy' one minute and really mad the next.”

 

“Ranma?”

 

“There! You used my name. Was that really so hard?”

 

“You really do sound like a girl.”

 

“Is that really such a bad thing? Like I said, I'm going to be stuck this way for nine months for the pregnancy and seven weeks after. That's almost a year. You should really know that girls aren't weak.”

 

“What?”

 

“Girls aren't weak. I'm not weak. Akane may be a psycho with anger issues but she isn't weak either. Do you think mom is weak?”

 

A look of apprehension came to Genma's face. “I'm not going to answer that one.”

 

“And that proves my point. After fighting Safron and all the stuff I've been through I could kick your butt even when I'm a girl any day of the week and you know it. If doctor Tofu hadn't ordered me not to fight I'd feel tempted to pound you right now.”

 

“I didn't do anything!”

 

“Agh. Why don't you just change into a panda so I don't have to listen to you talk. No, never mind that.” She grabbed her futon and folded it, then grabbed her pillow and blankets.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I don't want to sleep in the same room with you. I'm going to sleep in the dojo or something.”

 

“Put that futon down! You're staying here.”

 

Ranma dropped the things she had been holding but turned an angry face to her father. “I really don't think it's a good idea for a pregnant teenaged girl to be sharing a bedroom with her father.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“The Dr. who did the procedure that took the sample for the DNA test said she saw fear in my eyes when I was getting tested. The way she thinks scared plus pregnant equals rape. If you read the test result it says that the father of my child is a `close family member.' They don't know about the curse so they think the father of my baby is either my brother or my father.”

 

Genma didn't like where this was going. “What are you getting at?”

 

“Dr Tofu talked her out of calling the cops. I wouldn't even have to say you did anything. All I'd have to do would be call that Dr up and tell her I don't have any brothers. She'd have the cops on you for sexually abusing a minor who is your daughter real fast. Of course they'd never make the charge stick so you went to prison, but they'd still have to bring the whole curse thing out into the open. Do you want that?”

 

Weakly, “No I wouldn't want that. But you're my son, not my daughter.”

 

“Right now I look like your daughter. I'm going to be this way until seven weeks after the baby is born.”

 

“But what about my manly son?”

 

“Your manly son has gone away for a while. I'd like to hope he'll eventually be back just as manly as ever. We'll just have to wait and see. Until then you have a daughter - Get used to it!”

 

“But…”

 

`I'm going to sleep in the dojo. You should do some thinking how to treat me and talk to me. A good start would be to start calling by my name instead of `boy.' In the meantime please just leave me alone.”

 

Genma remained silent.

 

 

Author's Note: At the time I post this I actually had several chapters worth of material finished. I just needed to do a little proofreading to make sure it's ready to post.

Coming up - Ranma spends the night in Nabiki's bed and the following morning experiences morning sickness for the first time.