STRANGE TRIP

Part 7

Nothing much had surprised Heero this however overwhelmed him. When he decided to follow Wufei he had never thought that this was going to be the outcome. He didn't know how long he sat there in the hotel lobby but his pondering came to an end when he heard Wufei's voice.

"The others don't know about her and I like to keep it that way," Wufei was telling that Ryoga guy. Heero watched them leave the hotel. At first he was going to ignore all it and go on to his room to do research but then two thoughts came to him that changed his mind.

First was that Wufei was keeping secrets from them, second was who was she? Was she the girl Duo described? Also he was a little peeved at Wufei. He had stolen his partner. He was not interested in Duo that way but it was the principle of the matter.

Quickly, Heero made his decision and started to follow them. He watched Ryoga wonder off near the school and decided to continue following Wufei. He watched Wufei's questioning the other students, his very brief fight to the Kendo club dressed man and Wufei's flight after the guy with the Chinese jacket.

Heero did not want to interrupt the fight in the park but when they both changed into girls Heero had to make sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him.

He approached the now female Wufei-yes, he was definitely a girl. He reached out and touched her arm-yes, she was definitely real. "Wufei how is this possible," Heero questioned him.

"I am so ashamed," Wufei cried and collapsed down into the riverbed. Wishing it could just swallow him whole.

"He's curse like I am," Ranma supplied.

Heero turned and looked at Ranma. He wasn't hostile just puzzled. "You're cursed?"

"Yeah, so is this guy," Ranma said nodding at Wufei. "A friend of yours?" Ranma then asked Wufei.

"Yes, I am," Heero answered for Wufei. "Who are you?"

"I am Ranma Satatome from the anything goes school of martial arts," Ranma informed Heero with a shrug. "You're friend must have went to the sacred hot springs in China-the Jyusenkyou, the special training grounds-many go there to train but few know that the springs are curse."

"Is this true Wufei?" Heero asked. Wufei did not answer him. He was still too upset that Heero had discovered his secret. Heero had no patience for emotional distraught people. In fact he wouldn't even recognize the symptoms. Heero wanted answers. He reached down and dragged Wufei to his feet.

"Hey get a grip, it's not like he saw your boobs," Ranma said to Wufei. That got Wufei 's attention. He turned he glared at Ranma.

"How long has this been going on," Heero questioned giving Wufei a light shake. "How long?"

"The day before I took Duo up to the initiation site," Wufei confessed shrugging Heero off. "Heero please don't tell anyone about this. I don't want the others to know."

"Hnnn-," Heero said crossing his arms. "What about him, he knows."

They both turned to look at Ranma. Ranma was not intimidated in the least. He had people threatening him all the time. "I won't tell."

Wufei frowned at him. "Now will you talk to me."

"Sure, well hey, if you had told me that you were also cursed I wouldn't have given you such a hard time," Ranma told him with a sheepish smile. "I do however have to head home. Then I have to look for a job. You and Ryoga got me fired last night."

As the walked out of the park, Heero overcame his shock and he took a good look at this new Wufei. He didn't believe it was a curse but he was damned to know how this happened.

"Wufei did you consider that maybe this is from something the scientist had a hand in," Heero suggested.

"Don't you think I already thought of that," Wufei said heatedly.

"Maybe we are both drugged and going through a psychotic episode," Heero suggested. "Let's go back to the hotel, you should let me give you a thorough examination."

"You think I want you to see me this way, Heero. I made sure when this happened the second time. Everything is real," Wufei stressed.

"I don't believe in curses," Heero stated.

"Yeah, you also didn't believe the ancestors made Duo unbeatable."

"He is not."

"Oh, so how do you explain what happened during our fight," Wufei said

"It was chance," Heero said.

"You're wrong," Wufei said firmly.

As they continued on for a few more blocks Wufei started to notice the looks he was getting. He wanted to change back. He didn't want people staring at him. What Wufei didn't notice was that it was mostly men that were staring.

"Woman, I really want just to ask you a few questions."

"Woman? Look, because of you I'm hungry, tired and wet. I'm going home and I'm taking a hot shower to get back to normal. I'm not doing any talking till then," Ranma snapped and trotted off leaving Heero and Wufei slightly behind. He was insulted Wufei called him woman.

"Woman, I saw you last night," Wufei accused. "Maybe this is your true form or maybe you enjoy being a female? I would never put on a dress to entice men in a bar."

"You are a woman so you better start getting used to it. Also that wet shirt you have on is see-thru. All these men have been ogling you," Ranma tossed over his shoulder watching for Wufei's reaction. "Including your friend."

He wasn't disappointed. Wufei wrapped his arms around his chest. He had notice people looking at him but he had thought it was because he looked strange as a girl. He never thought they might be lechers. Suddenly, Wufei experienced something he had never felt before in his life. Fear.

Wufei glanced around nervously. Was Heero really looking at him? He felt so vulnerable. He remembered he needed Duo's help to get out of the pool. He didn't like this feeling of vulnerability.

"You have to change back," Heero said noticing the reaction Wufei was having at Ranma's words. In truth he had been looking at him but not for the reasons Ranma accused him of. Well maybe just a little, he thought secretly.

"It only happens when I take a shower," Wufei told him feeling suddenly shy.

"What about when you dry off?" Heero asked.

"I don't think so."

"It's triggered by the water temperature. Cold water will trigger the effect and hot water will return you to normal. Now shut up, both of you are getting on my nerves," Ranma told them rudely.

Heero didn't bat an eye at Ranma's tone but Wufei glared at him with true menace.

"Woman-I mean Ranma, I said I only want to ask you some questions."

"I told you no questions right now. So if you don't like it, you can head right back to where ever you came from," Ranma said walking just a little bit faster.

Wufei was ready to storm off but Heero blocked him.

"We will compensate you for all your trouble," Heero told Ranma.

Money! Ranma looked them both up and down. They were not wearing anything expensive but they had to have some money staying at a hotel. Could he make some money off these guys? And How much?

"50,000 yen," Ranma asked.

"Fine," Heero replied.

Ranma frowned he should have asked for more, he had agreed too easily. What Ranma didn't know was that Heero had no intention of paying him. Not because he didn't have the money but because he started to believe that Ranma and this curse of Wufei's was some sort of elaborate trap.

Ranma was deciding how to get more money out of them when he noticed Ryoga. He was with Akane. Just seeing that jerk would have annoyed him-seeing him with his fiancé really pissed him off. As he got closer he realized that Ryoga and Akane were not alone. They were talking to others.

"Akane Tendo my girlfriend," Ryoga said.

"Like hell," Ranma shouted.

Wufei was so angry at the situation he was in that he didn't notice Ryoga till Ranma yelled out. Then as he looked up he was just in time to see Ryoga and the girl jump away from each other and reveal Quatre and Duo.