Here it is, Part Four! For this and any of my other works, visit my Web Site at: http://www.geocities.com/coutuva 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. Secrets: Volume One Part Four -------------------------------------------------------------------- "Sugoi, Miyoko-chan! You look great!" Yoriko gushed, walking around her nervously smiling girlfriend and taking in the sight. "Yeah... I thought it was time to let the real me out again," she indicated, flashing a sheepish grin. "So I guess you like it?" "Like it? I love it! It looks so... Wild!" Yoriko exclaimed, walking up and taking a handful of Miyoko's shining flame-red locks and holding them against her cheek. "Mmmm... You have such beautiful, rich hair. And it looks so nice with that dress! You're a *fox* Miyoko-chan!" she added, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Ano... Stop it, Yori-chan. You're embarrassing me," Miyoko blushed, despite her smile. She had worried that suddenly going back to her original hair color might have spooked Yoriko, but was completely unprepared for such an 'enthusiastic' response. "I can't help it. You look *gorgeous*," she smiled back, allowing her eyes to roam over Miyoko's figure-hugging green China Mini. "I always wanted to see you in one of those, but I thought you didn't like them or something," she added, reaching over and straightening one of the bodice ties. "No... Just didn't have anyone I wanted to wear them for," Miyoko smiled, self-consciously straightening out some pesky wrinkles. Yoriko flushed again, then abruptly clasped her hands together. "Let me braid you... You'd look so good!" she gushed, excitedly stepping behind Miyoko and gathering her hair in. "Whoa, Yori-chan... Slow down a bit, here!" Miyoko blurted, reeling from the outburst. "What's got into you?" she chided, half-seriously. "You, Miyoko-chan!" she stated, wrapping her arms around Miyoko and squeezing. "You're just so... Perfect!" she added, happily. "Heh... As long as you think so, I won't argue," she smirked, shaking her head slightly. "I don't think... I know." After sitting Miyoko on the coffee table, Yoriko pulled out every brush and ribbon she could find, determined to create a masterpiece. As she fussed and fretted, Miyoko simply sat back and enjoyed the attention. "You're not snoozing on me, are you?" Yoriko finally asked, noticing her girlfriend's silence. "No... Not yet anyway. You have great hands, Yoriko-chan," she moaned in response, her gentle smile widening slightly. "You can pinch me if I snore," she added, sighing deeply. "Hai, hai... Oh, Miyoko... I almost forgot. I had a message on my machine this morning. Probably from yesterday by the sound of it," she mentioned, starting a new braid. "Oh yeah? Who was it from?" Miyoko responded, opening her eyes grudgingly. "I think it was that woman who owns the 'Happy Spatula'... Kuonji Ukyou? She said she couldn't find your number, but wanted to talk to you," she explained, curiosity in her tone. "Huhn... I don't know if I like the sound of that," Miyoko grumbled, not impressed that she had bothered Yoriko at home. "Is the cordless beside you? I might as well get to the bottom of it," she muttered, sighing. "Here... I already punched in the number. Just hit the button." "Hai," she responded, then put the unit to her ear. Within two rings, a pleasant voice answered. "Ano... Could I speak to Kuonji Ukyou, please? Hai. Domo," she responded, then began to hum as she waited for Ukyou. Finally, the silence of the hold was broken by a breathless "Kuonji Ukyou desu." "Ohaiyo, Kuonji-san... It's Miyoko. Hai, she just gave me your message. Ano... Let me talk it over with Yoriko-chan. Only if she does, too. Okay... I'll let you know. Ja," she concluded, pushing the 'End' button slowly. "More trouble?" Yoriko ventured, noticing Miyoko's distraction. "Iya... She said she wants to see us... So we can start over from the beginning," she responded incredulously, turning as far as she could to see the girl's reaction. "What do you think?" "Well... She never did anything to me. She was actually pretty nice. How about you?" "I dunno... Still a lot of hard feelings there," Miyoko noted, darkly. "Let me think about it for a while. I don't want to be distracted right now, anyway," she smiled, closing her eyes. "I'm liking this too much," she noted, leaning back slightly. "So am I... Cause my turn's next," Yoriko quipped, lifting Miyoko's hair aside and wetly kissing the back of her neck. "Ah...! Keep that up and neither of us will get finished," Miyoko shivered, reaching back and tickling the inside of the girl's thigh. "Hey! You're one to talk!" Yoriko squealed, slapping her legs closed. "Owww..." she abruptly followed, rubbing her now sore knees. Miyoko lost it. An hour later, the two of them stood admiring themselves in Miyoko's bedroom mirror, Miyoko quite impressed with the intricacy of Yoriko's work. "This is beautiful, Yoriko-chan," she smiled, flipping the long braid over her shoulder. "No... It's only because of who's wearing it," Yoriko deflected, fussing over a ribbon. "You'd make anything look good," she added, smiling. "Don't be so modest. You should have been a hairdresser," Miyoko insisted, glancing at her in the mirror. "So... Now that we're all dressed and ready, what do we do? I'd hate to waste my surprise day off..." she added nonchalantly, hoping Yoriko would catch the hint. "Day off? I thought you still had two more nights?" Yoriko squealed, grabbing Miyoko's hands. "Iya... Michi came back today. They called me first thing this morning," she explained, smiling. "I figured since it was yours, too..." she added, looking to Yoriko to complete the sentence. "We could do something together?" Yoriko finished, hopefully. "Hai... All we need is the 'something'," she nodded, happily. "What about going to see your friends? She sounded like she really wanted to talk to you," Yoriko offered, delicately. "Hmm... I don't know if I want to deal with that today, Yoriko-chan. I'd kinda like to keep this one to ourselves," she responded, leadingly. "We haven't had any *us* time all week." Yoriko's response made her day. "I was hoping you'd say that!" she grinned, excitedly. Nabiki still couldn't believe her eyes. She read over the tenth set of printouts one more time to make sure, but the results were the same. Nothing new. Whoever this Naganato Yoriko was, she had absolutely no footprints. No family, no previous addresses, no medical history, no traffic tickets... Absolutely nothing. She was in the phone book and worked at a fast food joint, and that was it. Nabiki had never seen the like of it before. Even people in 'Informant' programs had some trail behind them, but this girl's sheet was absolutely clean. She couldn't understand it. Frowning, she tossed the pile of paper back on the table, resolving to look into the matter again after she got something to eat. She was convinced that she was just missing something, or perhaps she just hadn't tripped over the right source yet. Either way, she wasn't about to just let it go. As far as she was concerned, it was just getting interesting. Feeling some tightness across the top of her shoulders, she rubbed her eyes and stretched in her chair, deciding it was as good a time as any to start her day. Glancing at her watch, she picked up her phone to buzz Akane's room, partly to see how she was doing, and partly wondering if she wanted to join her out in the baths. By the time the phone had rung six times, she realized that Akane wasn't there. Looking at her watch again, she found it hard to believe that her sister would be up and out so early. Shrugging it off, she changed into one of the hotel kimonos and gathered up her bath bag. Akane or no, after the session she had just put in, she was going to enjoy a good, hot soak. A little over an hour later, she was walking back up the hall still smiling contentedly when she noticed Housekeeping in her sister's room. Curious, she walked to the door and peeked inside, only to gasp as she noticed the absence of Akane's personal effects. Catching the attention of the chambermaid, she asked her if she knew anything. "Gomen... Lady here moved -- double room," the Taiwanese girl explained, in her best broken Japanese. Frowning, Nabiki slipped her 500 yen for her trouble and trotted back to her room quickly. Grabbing her phone, she immediately called down to the desk, wondering why Akane hadn't told her about her plans. "Yes. She moved to a first-floor double room -- number 1123," the Desk Manager confirmed, pleasantly. "Can you connect me?" Nabiki responded, curtly. "Thanks." Again, all she was greeted with was a ringing phone. Huffing, she left a message and hung up angrily. As she was about to sit back and try to figure out what Akane was up to, she heard a knock at her door. Silently, she walked to the peephole and peered out, only to frown as she saw Akane waiting outside in the hall. What also struck her was that the woman was wearing a kimono. Something she hadn't done in probably five years. Curiosity piqued, she quickly opened the door and almost yanked Akane in. "Well... Isn't this a surprise. Run out of camo paint?" Nabiki jibed, purposely looking her sister over intently. "No... I just felt like it," she replied, walking past her smirking sister and settling in a chair. Nabiki couldn't help but notice the scent of fine perfume as she passed, which instantly raised an eyebrow. "Okay... The kimono, maybe. But you're going to have to explain the perfume," she prodded, eyeing her sister suspiciously. "My son is coming," she sighed, flashing a frown at the question. "I talked to him last night, and they'll be here later today." "You put on perfume for your son?" "No, Nabiki... Nodoka is bringing him, and I don't need her climbing all over me, too," she groaned, quickly tiring of the questions. "This is a surprise. I take it you decided to go ahead anyway? I was sure you gave up," Nabiki blinked, regarding her sister quizzically. "Nabiki... Can... We not talk about this right now? I came to tell you about my new room, and ask if you wanted to get your hair done with me," she deflected, eyeing her sister with a slightly pleading look. "Uh... Sure," Nabiki responded, not quite sure what to make of her sister's 'different' attitude. "When and where?" "I saw a decent place yesterday. We can go after we have something for breakfast." "Don't you mean lunch? It's after ten o'clock, you know," Nabiki corrected, twisting her watch arm in the air. "Whatever..." she droned, reaching for the room service menu. "Anything good on here?" "If you're desperate. There's a better place across the street." "Okay... Come get me when you're ready, and we'll go there," she acquiesced, then rose and headed toward the door. "Oh... Do you have any blush?" she abruptly asked, turning back to face her very surprised sister. "Hai... One sec..." she finally said, digging it out of her makeup case. "Here... It's a bit dark, so be careful." "Thanks," Akane grinned, then turned and walked out the door. "1123... Near the middle," she tossed back over her shoulder, then stepped off toward the elevator. Nabiki sank to the bed. She had no idea what had come over Akane, but she liked it. The only thing that concerned her was what had motivated the sudden change, fearing it may be a result of the shock she'd suffered. Eyebrows knitting with concern, she decided her little sister needed to watched. It was just like the 'old days'. Miyoko and Yoriko spent their day in a pleasant whirlwind, cruising from shop to shop on the strip and then hitting all of the major malls. After an exciting, fun day of doing everything from shopping to catching a movie, Yoriko decided a pit stop was in order, and suggested a trip to Miyoko's favorite sundae shop. Miyoko didn't need any convincing. As the girls sat at the bar enjoying their confections, a group of young men passed by the large window, and to a man, they all gaped at Miyoko. She noticed the unashamed leering, and her face instantly darkened. "Hey! Shake yer heads! Yer eyes are stuck!" she suddenly shouted, embarrassing the group into beating a hasty retreat, and turning every head in the small shop. "Ay, Miyoko-chan... What happened?" Yoriko gasped, the outburst catching her off guard. "Gomen, Yoriko-chan... Had a bunch of hentai peeking up my skirt," she grumbled, lifting her butt and tugging her hem down. "Its been happening all day." Yoriko smiled knowingly. "I don't blame them one bit. Like I said, you are quite the fox, Miyoko-chan," she winked, smiling. "Yeah, well it wouldn't be so bad it if wasn't all *men* gawking at me like that... Ugh," she shuddered, suddenly feeling a bit green. "That's the reason I stopped wearing these." Yoriko blinked back at her for a moment, then abruptly slapped her hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter. "G-Gomen!" she stammered, noting the frosty glare leveled at her in response. "Baka ne," Miyoko smirked, then started to laugh herself. When they reluctantly finished their treat, Miyoko suggested they pass by a certain sports shop on the Mall's main floor, having earlier seen a flyer detailing a Martial Arts exhibition. Reluctantly, Yoriko agreed, mainly because she couldn't come up with anything else to do. When they arrived at the shop in question, she opted to simply sit and wait while Miyoko watched the demonstration intently. After several minutes, she couldn't help but giggle at her girlfriend's constant criticism of the exhibitor's form. "Ano... Why don't you show them how it's done then, Miyoko-chan?" she quipped, finally. "Nahh... They wouldn't let anyone else on the mats. insurance crap, right?" she shrugged, as Yoriko blinked back at her. She hadn't intended her remark to be serious. As she was about to state that fact, the presenter stepped onto the mats with the Artist and asked if anyone would like to try their skills, and determine their need for professional instruction. Miyoko instantly turned to Yoriko and smiled. "Go for it, Miyoko-chan!" Yoriko encouraged, able to see for herself how badly Miyoko wanted to. "Arigato!" Miyoko whispered, shooting her hand up. A few minutes later, she stood on the mats looking very timid and demure, facing the Artist directly. The presenter announced that one of the benefits of the Arts was an increase in dexterity and speed, then handed off to the Artist. Miyoko had to fight down her smirk. The Artist took a stance, then delivered a fast jab to Miyoko's face, to which she didn't even react. A second later, she broke out in a girlish giggle, asking if she was supposed to have done something. The Artist huffed, then took his stance again. Yoriko had to hold her hands so tight over her mouth that she had trouble breathing. The Artist tried again, unloading a flurry of quick punches, to which Miyoko reacted in her usual fashion, effortlessly bobbing and weaving in and out of his strike zone. All the while, she giggled like a schoolgirl, teasing the Artist by saying it was such great fun. The gathering crowd laughed at her antics, which Yoriko greatly appreciated. Finally, the Artist tried to vary his attacks, but every time he struck, Miyoko wasn't there. Becoming frustrated, he stepped out and gathered himself, then came at her with blood in his eye. This time, Miyoko did smile. Again, she ducked and swung around his achingly slow strikes, each time zipping under his guard to tie another knot in his gi belt. When she ran out of belt, she waited for a kick, leapt into the air and rolled forward, coming to rest standing on top of his head. Her landing was so light that he at first didn't notice, and actually spun around looking for her. Squatting down, she tapped his forehead and giggled. "My win!" she quipped, then leapt off his head and stood in front of him. The gathered crowd went wild. The Artist, after recovering from his shock, bowed deeply. "Arigato, Sensei!" he barked, respectfully. "It was a good fight," Miyoko whispered as she returned the bow, not wanting to hurt the man's pride any further. "They want you to what?" Yoriko gasped, her eyes widening with excitement. "Teach Martial Arts at their Dojo. That's what that guy with the mike was bugging me about. Hell, he was begging me," Miyoko replied, sheepishly. "All I was doing was having a little fun," she added, shaking her head. "That's wonderful, Miyoko-chan! What did you say?" she prodded, giddily. "I said I'd have to think about it," Miyoko responded, flatly. "Ano... Why?" she blinked, a bit shocked. "I don't know if I can..." "But -- you were incredible... You made it look so easy!" "It's not. I've been at this for 23 years... Since I was three. Not like that guy... I figure he probably started about five years ago. He's got the basics, but not the skill," Miyoko noted, taking a sip of her pop. "He just needs to work harder," she added, seriously. Yoriko frowned slightly. "Listen to you... You even sound like a Sensei. You should take it," she prodded, urgingly. "I dunno... I like teaching, but I've never done it full-time. I'm afraid I'd get bored." "What have you got to lose? You're good at it, and I know you're patient and understanding -- it probably pays better than the club, too," Yoriko countered, insistently. "Hai... A *lot* better," Miyoko acknowledged, grudgingly. "Ano... I don't understand, Miyoko-chan. Why would you hesitate?" Miyoko looked over at her sadly. "Too much going on right now to try to get involved in something that requires that much concentration. It wouldn't be fair to my students or my employer," she stated, a hint of bitterness in her voice. Finally, Yoriko understood. "Then maybe we'd better go to that Spatula place, and see what they want. It might take some of that away," she suggested, hopefully. Miyoko stopped walking and turned toward her, regarding her questioningly. "I didn't want to see any of them today, Yoriko-chan. This was supposed to be *our* time together," she complained, unable to fathom Yoriko's suggestion. "I know... And I can't remember when we've had more fun. But it would make me even happier to see you able to do what you really want... Without worrying about it," she explained, placing her hand on Miyoko's arm. Miyoko considered her response for a few moments, then her face softened and she sighed out loud. "You would have to put it that way, wouldn't you? Baka ne," she grumbled, eyeing the now grinning Yoriko levelly despite her own smile. "Then you'll go?" she asked, breaking into a full smile. "Like I have a choice. Well, it's getting on supper time anyway -- let's go," she capitulated, gesturing to Yoriko to lead off. The Happy Spatula was buzzing with the beginnings of the supper rush, and as the girls walked in the door, Miyoko had to whistle at the bustle of activity. "I don't think I've ever seen this place so busy," she whispered, leaning toward Yoriko so she'd be heard over the din. "Hai... This may be a bad time," Yoriko agreed, also noting the chaos. "Welcome to the Happy Spatula! May I seat you?" a pleasant young girl suddenly offered, having appeared out of nowhere. "Hai... Is there anything near the grill?" Miyoko recovered, noting that Ukyou was on station. "Certainly! Follow me please," she smiled, and led the two girls to stools at the far end of the grill counter. "May I take your order, or would you like a menu?" "Three for me... Shrimp. And she'll have one to start... vegetable. And two iced cocoa, please," the redhead stated, flashing a polite smile. "Arigato! It will only be a few minutes," the young girl bowed, then turned and handed the order off to Ukyou. The beleaguered chef looked it over, gasped, then raised her anxious gaze to the crowd. After a quick sweep of the room, she frowned disappointedly. "Right here, Kuonji-san," Miyoko called out, shooting a smirking glance at Yoriko, who in turn giggled. "Miyoko-chan!" Ukyou blurted, surprising her with both the honorific and the name it was attached to. "I'm sorry... Things got busy and I'm down a girl. You guys got some time?" she gasped, apologetically. "Hai! We both have the day off," Miyoko indicated, glancing over at Yoriko, who nodded her agreement. "Good! I'll get yours made and try to get free," she responded, starting to prepare their order as she spoke. "Okay," Miyoko nodded, then looked back at Yoriko. "Kuso. I hope she doesn't take too long. I don't want to be here all night," she remarked, fretting. "Hai," Yoriko agreed, distantly. Reaching over and placing her hand on top of Miyoko's, she met her girlfriend's sapphire blues with a soft, almost shimmering gaze. "I'm glad you decided to come here, Miyoko-chan. I hope it works out for the best," she stated softly, flashing a smile. "Me, too. For a lot of reasons. Cross your fingers," Miyoko replied, taking Yoriko's hand in hers and squeezing it gently. "I am. And my toes too," she smirked back, nodding. Just as Miyoko went to reply, two plates landed in front of them, loaded with hot okonomiyaki. "Enjoy!" Ukyou smiled, tipping her spatula to them. "By the way... Love the hair!" she added, winking. "Well, we didn't exactly get off on the right foot, did we?" Ukyou offered, looking across the table at Miyoko sheepishly. "Tell you the truth, I was too pissed to care. I'm happy here, Kuonji-san. Seeing you guys again, and having that damned disk show up..." Ukyou blinked. "What disk?" "An audio disk of that soundtrack we did about a hundred years ago. *Someone* slipped to Yoriko-chan at work." "Ano... I never heard of it. I mean... I remember you and the other girls doing it, but I didn't know about this," she responded, earnestly. Miyoko studied her eyes for a moment, then sighed out loud. "Yeah, I guess you didn't," she conceded, actually a little relieved. "Let me guess... Yoriko-san didn't know about... 'everything' at that point, did she?" "Nope... But she does now. After Ryouga nailed me with that damned kettle, I told her the entire wretched tale," Miyoko responded, seeking her girlfriend's hand under the table and giving it a gentle squeeze. Ukyou's eyes widened. "No wonder you were so mad," she gasped, covering her gaping mouth. "Hai. It's not something I'm proud of," she grumbled, lowering her eyes. At that, Yoriko reached over and rubbed her back supportively, then looked up at Ukyou. "Until all this happened... I had no idea how upset she could get. She scared me that night, too," she noted, solemnly. "And I still owe you an apology for that," Miyoko replied, looking up into Yoriko's eyes seriously. "Daijobu desu... I can understand, Miyoko-chan," she assured, flashing a smile. "You shouldn't have had to," Miyoko stated, bitterness edging her voice. Ukyou, noting the tone of Miyoko's voice, abruptly leaned forward and took hold of her arm. "Ano... I didn't mean to get you all upset again, Miyoko-chan. That's not why I wanted to see you two," she noted, imploringly. "I just wanted to see... If we could still be friends. I know the score, so don't worry about that. I just don't want you... Hating me," she almost begged, switching her searching gaze back and forth between the two girl's faces. "And that sorta goes for me, too. Even though you did try to punch my ticket," Ryouga abruptly smirked, walking out from the back room and standing beside Ukyou. "I didn't know what Nabiki was up to, either. This is all I knew about it up until she arrived," he added, handing Miyoko a crumpled, folded piece of paper. "Kuso. She actually sent you a letter?" she gasped, reading it over and then showing it to Yoriko. "Hai. She phoned me... Same day you two ran out," Ukyou noted, to which Miyoko blinked. "You mean you knew it was me?" she asked, wide-eyed. "Iya... It didn't click until Nabiki called that night. My girls told me about your 'dash' after I spoke to you," she corrected, shaking her head. "Hai... Dash is right! She pulled me out of here so fast I lost my lunch... Literally," Yoriko quipped, drawing assorted snickers and looks. "Well? What do you say, Miyoko-chan?" Ukyou prodded, nervously. "Still friends...?" she dangled, looking somewhat like she was holding her breath. Miyoko only looked at her for a second, then abruptly rose. "We need a conference. C'mon, Yoriko-chan," she stated, then escourted Yoriko a safe distance away. Turning to face her, she looked deep into the girl's eyes. "You know her history with me... Do you trust her?" Yoriko's eyes widened slightly as she recalled Miyoko's description, then settled back quickly. "If you do, I do," she responded, to a huff from Miyoko. "That's not what I want to know, Yoriko-chan. I'm not going to risk upsetting you over *any* of them. You have to tell me... Do you trust her?" she repeated, hardening her gaze. "Hai, Miyoko-chan. I saw her eyes... She values your friendship... And even your approval. I don't fear her," she responded, firmly. "She'll be a good friend." "Okay... I think so too, but if you didn't feel good about it, there was no way I'd have done it. Let's go," she smiled, gesturing back toward the table. In a way, she was glad that Ukyou and Ryouga seemed to be 'on her side', despite the fact that it meant her 'cover' was officially beyond blown. However, as she realized almost within the same thought, it also meant that there were two less people to worry about -- just as Yoriko had said. She deliberately kept her game face as she sat back down, then glared across the table at the others. "We talked it over, and decided that we stood to lose a lot if we let you back into our lives..." she began, almost losing it over watching Ukyou's shoulders drop. "Without being able to trust you. But, we both felt that we could," she concluded, breaking into a smile. Ukyou almost broke out in tears. "Arigato, Miyoko-chan... I'm flattered," she sniffed, trying to maintain a semblance of composure. Miyoko reached across the table and touched her arm gently. "It's nice to have a friend," she stated, then looked up at Ryouga. "I still don't know if I'm willing to forgive you for that kettle stunt..." she intoned, eyeing him evenly. "Although, if you think about it, it's probably the only reason Akane is still breathing," she added, darkly. "What do you say, Ryouga? Think we can get along well enough to stay in the same city?" "Ano... It's been a lot of years... Miyoko. During that time, I did a lot of thinking, just like you probably did. Because of that, I came here with only one purpose in mind. To bury the hatchet once and for all. We were all crazy back then, and maybe, if we'd have been smarter, then none of this would have had to happen," he responded, adamantly. "If you can accept me as a friend, then I can accept... You," he stated, carefully. Miyoko was impressed. Rising from her seat, she walked up to the man she used to routinely fight to the death, about to extend her hand. Just before she did, she decided to do what she really felt like doing. In a move that caught Ryouga completely by surprise, she stepped right up to him and wrapped a hug around him. "It's a deal, buddy," she whispered, softly. After recovering from his shock, Ryouga shrugged and wrapped his arms around her, patting her back affectionately. Finally, Miyoko stepped back slowly, then looked up at Ryouga and smirked knowingly. "Just don't forget... I can still kick your butt all over Kyoto," she grinned, wagging a finger at him. Ryouga laughed. "One of these days, you'll have to try," he replied, winking. "Ohhh.... My feet hurt," Yoriko complained as she sat on Miyoko's couch, rubbing her foot gingerly. Miyoko snickered at her as she hung her purse on its hook and pulled out her slippers. "I think if I'm gonna train anyone, it should be you," she jibed, starting to undo her dress ties. "Sure, Miyoko-chan... Then you'd be in trouble for dating a student," Yoriko retorted, making a silly face at her. "It'd be worth it," she responded, tossing a smoky look over her shoulder as she walked into her room. Yoriko, picking up on the less-than-subtle hint, and of course not wanting to miss the show, immediately jumped off the couch and followed. As she entered Miyoko's room, she was treated to the breathtaking sight of Miyoko just pulling her dress over her head. "You're in a *much* better mood..." she remarked, sighing inwardly at the scene before her. "Hai... You were right, Yoriko-chan. Settling that stuff did take some pressure off," she smiled in response, sliding her arm bracelet off. "I hoped it would. I don't like seeing you held prisoner like this," she indicated, frowning slightly. Miyoko nodded. "Hai... I don't much like it either," she grumbled, kicking off her slippers. As she turned to face her mirror once more, she flipped her braid over her shoulder and paused to admire it again. "Seems like such a shame to take this out," she pouted, holding it up to gaze at it. "Don't worry. It just gives me an excuse to do it again for you," Yoriko pointed out, flashing her pixie grin. "Well, in that case," Miyoko smirked, starting to untie one of the ribbons. Yoriko grinned at her, then walked up and took the braid from her. "Let me," she purred, deftly slipping the first bow out. "Do you want me to put a sleeping ribbon in?" "Not yet... I was just going to have a bath. Care to join me?" Miyoko replied suggestively, tossing the girl a look through the mirror. "I could be talked into it," she responded softly, returning Miyoko's gaze. "Mmmm... Then you'd better get changed," Miyoko smiled, turning around and starting to open the buttons on Yoriko's blouse. A few moments later, as her underwear landed on the bed, Yoriko looked Miyoko over appreciatively, then frowned. "Hey... No fair. You're still dressed!" she protested affectedly, pointing to Miyoko's black lace bikini panties. "I can fix that..." Miyoko breathed with a wanton smile, and reached down to slide a thumb under the waistband above each hip. Her next move made Yoriko gasp. Turning to the side, she bent sharply forward as she slipped her undies over her curvey hips, then about the time her chin met her shins, she slid them down her legs slowly until they sat just above her ankles. Lifting her arms and entwining her hands behind her lower back, she then lifted her chin and straightened up slowly, slipping Yoriko a smouldering glance as she rose and stepped out of the panties. "Shimata..." Yoriko gulped, waving a hand before her heating face. However, Miyoko wasn't finished quite yet. Turning, she reached out for Yoriko's face and took it in her hands, guiding the girls lips to her own. As soon as they met, Miyoko's hands moved down the blonde-haired girl's form until they fully embraced her, pulling the girl's now trembling body tight to her own. Miyoko lay in the darkened room staring at the ceiling, Yoriko's head nestled comfortably on her shoulder. The girl was sleeping soundly, her big day having tired her out completely. As she slept, her hand still cupped Miyoko's left breast, a little quirk of hers that had developed over time. Miyoko had to smile as she glanced over at the girl, her heart warming all over again as she watched her peaceful face. She knew she was the luckiest person on Earth to have found someone as tolerant and accepting as Yoriko, especially given what their lives had become over the last few days. Even with all the insanity, the pain and the anger, Yoriko's feelings for her hadn't wavered, and in fact, they seemed to be getting stronger. Miyoko actually found the situation slightly amusing -- it seemed that their roles had come almost full circle, as Yoriko was now actually encouraging and supporting *her*. Leaning over to kiss Yoriko's forehead gently, Miyoko decided she couldn't wait any longer. It was time their relationship moved to the next level -- provided Yoriko was willing. =================================================================== END - Secrets V1P4 A Ranma1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished! coutuva@vecdev.com