Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Custody Battle ❯ Chapter 02 ( Chapter 2 )

Custody Battle
Written by Maric, Skyler, Raquel, and Dane17

Disclaimer: All the Ranma characters are the © properties of Rumiko Takahashi. The Randelsons are the © properties of Mari and Skyler and Raquel and Dane17.

A/N: I would like everyone to meet my newest co-author for this fic. Dane17. She is also the author of "The Education of Ranma", so please make her feel welcome and check out her fics at www.fanfiction.net.

Chapter 2

After the evening's ruckus with Kuno and Nabiki had died down, Ranma once again thought about the letter he had been reading in secret. As he did so, he also thought back to when he first opened the letter in question.

************

Ranma had left the school grounds quickly that fateful Saturday afternoon. He had already made some excuses at the Tendo household that morning about having some errands to run, so as not to raise any suspicions. While his father tried for the umpteenth time to lecture him that all that was important was his fiancée and the Art, Mr. Tendo was under the impression that said 'errands' had something to do romantically with Akane, so convinced Genma to back down in his giddiness.

Ranma snorted at the thought. Romantic? Right. It was just the usual errands he had been running for well over a year, now. Some clothes, knick knacks, school supplies; stuff like that. Oh, yes. One more thing. The main errand he was running today. A trip to the post office.

************

A certain Nabiki Tendo watched as Ranma left the school grounds, then looked to her right and snapped her fingers. Immediately, a girl, most likely one of Nabiki's lackeys, appeared. Nabiki pointed at Ranma's retreating form and nodded her head. The other girl bowed and raced after Ranma.

Despite Ranma's earlier attempt that day to avoid suspicion, Nabiki had kept a wary eye on him all day. Nabiki was suspicious by nature. She prided herself on knowing everything that happened in Furinkan and especially about Ranma, and there was one thing about him that she just hadn't been able to crack yet. That was his bi-weekly jaunts into town.

Ranma had left the school every half Saturday like clockwork about a month after coming to the Tendos and settling into the usual routine of school, challenges, and fighting off fiancées. Only the greatest of emergencies or disasters would prevent this. It was the one thing that Nabiki had not gotten to the bottom of, and it frustrated her no end.

What Nabiki didn't know was that Ranma was on to her suspicions and curiosity. He might not have been able to outwit her in the other areas of their relationship, but he took his frequent trips to the post office quite seriously. As long as Genma did not know about them then there would be no problems. The only way Genma would know about them was if Nabiki knew about them. Therefore, Nabiki had to be kept in the dark.

This was why he was heading to the post office in a round about manner. He knew of Nabiki's lackey. She was the fifth one that Nabiki had sent after him from the school since the game of cat and mouse had begun.

Nabiki was also most likely calling in other girls to watch out for the route that Ranma was taking, and to follow after him. He had spotted them during his previous jaunts.

It was because of this that Ranma kept changing his routine during every trip. He had picked a post office as far away as possible from the Tendos that he could reach and return from in a short time by various means, thus insuring that nobody got suspicious about his errands because he stayed out too long. It also prevented Genma from finding out about Ranma's little secret.

This time, Ranma made a round about route to the train station. As he did so, he quickly noticed the other girls that Nabiki had no doubt called standing in alleyways and doorways. He internally smiled to himself. This was getting too easy.

From the various girls' points of view, Ranma was trying to catch the westbound commuter train. He just managed to dash into on e of the cars just before the doors closed, much to the girls' consternation. However, Ranma had taken the train before, so Nabiki had several agents already in place. Still, the girls following Ranma were dismayed at being unable to catch up to him.

Just as the train pulled away from the station, one of the girls, this being the lackey from Furinkan, turned around to see, to her amazement, Ranma leaping over the roofs of the nearby buildings in a southwesterly direction. She called out to her compatriots and pointed, but they all realized that it would be useless to continue the pursuit, as Ranma was, by now, long gone. Once again, he had given them the slip.

************

Ranma sauntered into the post office, confident that he had eluded any further pursuers. He went over to a P.O. Box and turned the dial in front of the small door, as he put in the combination. This was one of the features he had sought out when he had gone about picking out a post office to use, as having a key upon his person would have raised several suspicions. A simple, three number combination was much easier to remember and conceal.

Ranma opened the little door and found a letter envelope in the small cubicle behind it. He gingerly reached in and pulled the envelope out, then opened it.

It was all that Ranma could do not to let out a whoop of joy, as he read the letter's contents. He quickly folded the letter and put it into his shirt. He then closed the little door, threw the envelope into the trash receptacle, and then left the building.

Just one more day, he thought happily, as he bounced off the rooftops of various residences on his way home. I just have to put up with all this madness just one more day.

************

At Los Angeles International Airport, a certain family of five was preparing to board a non-stop flight to Japan. Emotions from this group ranged from nervousness to excitement.

"Does everybody have everything they're taking on board with them?" Gina asked her children.

"Yes!" three voices said from behind.

"Good. It's going to be a long flight, so I want everybody to have enough amusements to last the trip."

"Last call for Flight 612 to Tokyo, now boarding at Gate Number Eight," a wall intercom blared.

"Well, that's our cue, guys," Nick told the group. "Let's go."

The group started down the loading ramp as one.

************

Nick looked up from the book he was reading to look up at his family. All were seated to his right, Nicki and Randy being seated across the aisle from him, Gina, and Jackie.

It had been several hours into the flight. A wonderful lunch had already been served and there was a pretty decent in flight movie that the family had seen, but time was starting to take its toll.

Little Randy had fallen asleep, his head resting on his big sister's right shoulder. Gina also looked exhausted, but for other reasons, Nick believed.

Nick gently nudged his wife. "You okay, honey?"

"I'm fine," Gina replied. "Just a little anxious, is all."

"Are you sure that you want to go there alone," Nick asked. "We could join you as backup."

"Thanks, but no," was his wife's reply. "It's best that I go alone, at first, to get the lay of the land, so to speak. That way, if there's any trouble later, we will have the element of surprise."

"Who knows?" she added. "We may get lucky, and get to take Ranma without much fuss.'

"That would be nice," Nick said, "but I get the feeling that Genma is not going to be so accommodating."

Gina sighed. "I'm afraid you're right about that. He was always the pig-headed sort.'

"Hey! That reminds me!" Jackie exclaimed. He started digging into the pockets of the light jacket he was wearing.

He quickly produced a bracelet-like device from his right waist pocket and handed it over to his mother. "Give this to Ranma, first chance you get," he said. "I've got a feeling that we're going to need it."

"What is it?" Gina asked.

"Oh, just a little something that I whipped up for this occasion," Jackie replied with a flare. He than leaned closer to his mother to explain the details of the device.

Gina gave off a little laugh when she heard her son's explanation. She quickly put the bracelet-like device into her shoulder bag and grinned. It would definitely be useful to them. "One thing's for sure," she turned to her husband, "this is definitly one family reunion that no one will ever forget."

"I have to take your word on that one." Nick agreed when he sees his wife getting tired. "Now why don't you get some rest, we have a long day tomorrow when we get there." He advised and Gina nodded in agreement. She settled in her seat to get comfortable and went fast asleep.

And as the plane flew across the ocean nearing the country of Japan, the sun starts to rise. Greeting the new day of what may come.

Well this seems that it's going to be an interesting trip. But what will happens when Gina confronts the Tendo's and her brother Genma? Will Ranma ever get to meet his long lost aunt? Find out next time in "Custody Battle"