I have recieved seven queries in the last day regarding A Wish Come
True.  'Where is part 4?'  'Have you abandoned it?' 'Can I write it for
you?'  things like that.

In response I offre the first few pages or so.  To show that it is being
worked on, just not as quickly as I would like.  I am trying to work on
several fics at once and that delays things a little.  This part is also
available at my website.



---644 begin cut-and-paste---


Disclaimer:  Rumiko Takahashi is a goddess.... she created these people 
and the unbelievable lives that they live.


A Wish Come True, part 4:  Running Interference
	A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic, by Brian

So Far:  Ummmm, I'm not good at summarizing, you'll have to hunt down 
the first three parts.  I have a web-page now:  
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Shrine/6648


*-*-*-*

	Akane stared in shock at Mrs. Saotome for just a few moments, as 
the color slowly faded from her face.  She noticed blackness beginning 
to intrude on the outskirts of her vision.  She fought bravely to 
maintain her fully conscious state, but failed.  The last thing she 
heard was Nodoka asking her if she was feeling allright.

*-*-*-*

	Ukyo watched Akane collapse in a heap on the floor of the dress 
shop.  As she rushed to her new friend's side her mind poured over a 
couple things.  The first was that her new 'friend' was a potential 
fiancee that Genma had been trying to shack Ranma up with for a long 
time now.  The second was that she had fainted after learning that Ranma 
was going to be married in three weeks.  This led to the inevitable 
conclusion.  Akane wanted Ranma... not good.
	Ukyo and Nodoka called for a doctor as they knelt over Akane's 
prone form.  Within minutes, an on-duty medic who worked at the mall was 
there with a gurney.  Akane was wheeled to a nurse's station within the 
mall, where Nodoka and Ukyo could wait for her to awaken.

*-*-*-*

	Ranma had fled his mother and Ukyo's company when they'd headed 
into a dress shop.  He was currently still in female form and heading 
out of the mall with an ice cream cone.
	Nabiki was nearing the mall, in a huff due to Akane not being at 
their usual meeting place during lunch, when she saw the pig tailed 
girl.  She almost reflexivly whipped out her camera before she 
remembered the new information she had received yesterday.  Walking up 
to the martial artist, Nabiki was only slightly surprised when Ranma 
began talking just as she was about to tap him on the shoulder.
	"What do you want?"
	"I need to talk to you... Ranma."  Nabiki responded, almost 
wanting to giggle.  Ranma stood straight up as she heard his, currently 
her, real name.  He feigned ignorance.  "What are you talking about?  
Ranma's a guy's name."
	Nabiki leaned forward and prodded one of Ranma's breasts.  "You 
may not look the part, but I happen to know about your curse."  She took 
a few moments to think of an appropriate nickname for her future 
brother-in-law.  "Fem-boy."
	Ranma shoved her hand away, "Don't call me that.  Only one person 
ever called me that, and he only got away with it because he was a 
skilled martial artist."
	"Better than you?"
	"There ain't anybody better than me."
	"Well then, Mr. Perfect, let's talk."

*-*-*-*

	Kasumi was in a tea house with a woman who, to the rest of the 
world, was her employer.  To Kasumi, however, Kodachi was one her true 
friends.  Kasumi took slow sips from her cup, enjoying the warmth, as 
Kodachi chatted on and on about irrelevent things.
	It had been shortly after Kodachi regained her sanity, the same 
day that the rumored 'super-pervert' had finally been sent packing, that 
Kasumi had been hired to work for the Kuno staff.  Kodachi had hired her 
primarily for two reasons.  The first was to help the Tendo family in 
their time of need.  The second was to atone for the hospital stay that 
Akane had suffered after her match with Kodachi.
	This was one of the first times Kasumi had ever just sat down and 
spoken with Kodachi.  She was learning some truly interesting things 
about the Black Rose of St. Hebereke.  When Kodachi mentioned the name 
'Ranma Saotome' however, Kasumi found herself hurridley cleaning tea 
stains out of the seat across from her.  Kodachi found herself drenched 
in scalding liquid, but maintained her composure.  It wouldn't due for a 
Kuno to be seen overreacting in a tea house.
	"What's the matter, Kasumi-san?"
	"Pardon me, Kodachi-chan, but did you say Ranma Saotome?"
	"Yes."
	"Oh my!"

*-*-*-*

	Genma Saotome entered the Ucchan and began his vigil of waiting.  
When Ukyo and Ranma returned, they would be going on a little training 
trip.  One that Ukyo would most certainly never forget... neither would 
Ranma for that matter.

*-*-*-*

	Akane woke to find herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.  This 
did not disturb her.  What did disturb her was the fact that Ranma was 
not one of the people waiting for her to recover.  Mrs. Saotome and Ukyo 
leaned over and looked at her, both with worry in their eyes.
	"Are you all right, Akane-chan?"  They both said at the same time.
	"I'll be fine, I just fainted."  Akane sat up, and a wave of 
dizziness followed.  As she was grasping her head, Nodoka reached out to 
steady her.  Akane rose slowly from the bed and began heading towards 
the door.  "See? I'm fine."
	Nodoka and Ukyo looked at each other doubtfully before following 
Akane out into the hallway.  As they made their way down the hall the 
general atmosphere reverted back to the way it had been before Akane's 
fainting spell.  Nodoka was deep into a daydream, she had been wanting 
to visit Soun for a while now but hadn't had the time.  Which she found 
amazing considering how little she did.  For some reason something 
always came up, usually involving Genma.  <How odd.> she thought.  Ukyo 
was pouring over other possibilities for Akane's having fainted.  She 
could come up with none save that Akane wanted Ranma as well and was 
very upset at hearing that he would be married.  Of course, the thought 
of marrying Ranma sent Ukyo into her own fantasy.
	Akane was upset to discover that Ukyo and Nodoka were both 
daydreaming about something or other while they were walking back into 
the main foyer of the mall.  She didn't begin to get really upset until 
she heard Ukyo sigh and mutter 'Ran-chan'.
	Feeling rather fed up with shopping for the day, Akane opted to 
take her two companions and exit the mall.  So deciding, Akane grabbed 
each of them by a sleeve and began pulling towards the entrance.  Upon 
leaving, Akane found Nabiki in the midst of a business deal with Ranma.  
This surprised her, as the plan was to not speak to any of them until 
that night at the Ucchan.  <You didn't go according to plan.>  She 
thought to herself.  <But that was different.  Ranma was being a 
pervert.>

*-*-*-*

	Nabiki's conversation with Ranma was interupted by the sudden 
appearance of Akane, who was dragging along Ukyo and an older woman that 
Nabiki didn't recognize.  Nabiki approached her sister, noting idly that 
the two other women with Akane snapped out of their twin trances as she 
did.  "So, sis, what are you doing here?"
	"I could ask you the same question Nabiki."
	Nabiki's reply was interupted as Nodoka voiced her own question.  
"Pardon me, Nabiki, but did you say that Akane was your sister?"
	Nabiki nodded, and found herself struggling for breath as Nodoka 
hugged her.  She was released after Ranma pointed out that her face was 
started to change color.  Nodoka apologized profusley, her excitement at 
meeting Soun's children had merely gotten the better of her.

*-*-*-*

	As the group of five traveled down the street, currently heading 
towards the Ucchan, Ukyo pulled Ranma aside.  Ranma had regained his 
male form shortly after leaving the area of the mall.
	"So, Ran-chan, what was all that about?"
	"You know that girl Nabiki?"
	"Yeah."
	"She's the same one thats been trying to get pictures of you and 
me for a while now."
	Ukyo removed several small spatulas from the bandoleer around her 
chest.  Ranma reached his hand over and stopped her as she entered a 
battle stance.  "Stop, Ucchan, there's a reason she's been doing it."
	Ukyo packed her spatulas away and turned sharp eyes on her 
fiancee.  "This had better be good Ranma."
	Ranma smiled at Ukyo as he began explaining.  "Apparently, they've 
been down on their luck recently.  Her family, I mean.  She used to sell 
pictures of her sister to that Kuno guy to help make the bills but he 
stopped buying.  So did the rest of the school."
	"You mean Akane's the girl that all those guys were fighting over 
when we first came here?"
	"Yeah, and it looks like we stole the picture market from her.  
Nabiki's been trying to get pictures of us to sell to Kuno.  Her family 
needs it.  We haven't done them much good considering how we've been 
destroying her cameras whenever we find them."
	Ukyo nodded and turned to face down the road.  Nodoka, Nabiki and 
Akane had stopped a little ways ahead and were now waiting for them to 
rejoin the group.  Ranma grasped Ukyo's hand and the two walked back to 
join the rest.
	Akane, noticing Ranma's actions, turned to give Nabiki a worried 
look.  Which Nabiki returned with a shrug.  When Ranma and Ukyo resumed 
walking alongside Nodoka, hands still joined, Nabiki reached into her 
purse and took out two aspirins.  Akane still looked worried, but Nodoka 
didn't notice.

*-*-*-*

	Kodachi was supporting Kasumi as they walked towards the Tendo 
Dojo, Kasumi having fainted shortly after learning the identity of 
Kodachi's love interest.  For the life of her, Kodachi could not figure 
out why Kasumi had reacted the way she did.  <Perhaps she has some wish 
to claim Ranma's heart as well.  No, most certainly not.  Still...>
	Kodachi propped Kasumi up against the stone wall surrounding the 
dojo and began pulling open the large wooden gate that served as an 
entryway.  It took some doing, but she managed to eventually open the 
door.  Unluckily enough, it nearly slammed Nodoka in the face as it she 
rounded the corner.  A surprised squawk from the elder Saotome informed 
Kodachi of what she had almost done.
	Nodoka peeked worridley around the wooden gate at Kodachi, who was 
blushing from head to toe at the knowledge that she had nearly hit Mrs. 
Saotome with the door.  "Kodachi-chan, perhaps you should be more 
careful when opening large wooden gates."
	"Gomen nasai, Saotome-san.  I was not looking while I opened the 
door."  Kodachi was bowing repeatedly as she spoke to the matriarch.  "I 
hope that you can forgive me for that."
	"It is all right, Kodachi-chan.  Might I ask what you are doing at 
the Tendo household?"
	Kodachi looked behind Nodoka to see Nabiki, Ranma and Ukyo 
standing looking slightly bored.  She noted that Akane was watching her 
warily.  "I was at a teahouse with Kasumi-san when she fainted for 
apparently no reason.  I was merely bringing her home."  Kodachi pointed 
to the girl with long brown hair who was leaning dazedly against the 
other half of the gate.  Kasumi waved weakly at Mrs. Saotome.
	"Oh my, you poor girl.  What happened to you?"
	"I believe I already explained that Saotome-san.  Could you please 
help me take her inside."
	Nodoka asked Ranma to come around to the other side of Kasumi, so 
that he could help her inside.  This also had the unseen side effect of 
allowing Kasumi her first good look at Ranma.  Unbidden, a blush came to 
the eldest Tendo daughter.  <Oh my!  He _is_ rather handsome.  Even if 
he is somewhat younger than me.>
	Mrs. Saotome, seeing that Kasumi's breathing was rapid and her 
face was flushed, rushed the whole lot of them inside without any 
further ado.  Nabiki witnessed Kasumi's uncharacteristic change in 
attitude and became even more worried than she had been.  <NO NO NO NO 
NO!  This isn't what's supposed to happen!  Not Kasumi too!>  Nabiki 
decided then and there that she wouldn't let Kasumi get hurt again.  If 
Akane couldn't deal with that, tough.

*-*-*-*

	Nodoka sipped the hastily prepared tea as she sat across from 
Soun.  "Oh, Soun-kun, it has been so long since I last saw you.  Tell 
me, are you well?"
	Soun spoke calmly at Nodoka, informing her of what had happened in 
the last ten years.  The death of his wife had been a particularly 
strong blow, but he had come out a stronger man for it.  Ukyo and 
Kodachi sat on either side of Ranma as Soun imparted his tale.  Kodachi 
seemed somewhat oblivious to the entire story, her mind still thinking 
about Kasumi's odd reaction to Ranma's name.  Ukyo and Ranma shared the 
occasional odd glance whenever Soun mentioned the dojo, which he seemed 
to emphasize quite a bit.  The dojo and the school carrying on to the 
next generation.
	Nodoka was truly mortified, so much suffering inflicted on a 
single family.  And most of it within the last two years.  It seemed 
that the Tendo's lives had gone steadily downhill since Kimiko's death 
almost ten years ago.
	Kimiko... she had been one of Nodoka's few true friends, and 
Nodoka hadn't even known of her death.  Her eyes clouded over with tears 
as she thought of the last time she had seen her.  Holding young Akane 
in her arms at the park, Ranma's absence had left Nodoka feeling 
terribly lonely and Kimiko was one of the few people who had been able 
to keep her happy.
	Ukyo noticed the change in Mrs. Saotome's disposition at the 
mention of Mrs. Tendo's death.  <They must have been very close.>  She 
clutched tighter at Ranma's hand, sneaking a peek a her fiancee.  His 
face was downcast as he listened to Mr. Tendo tell his tale.

*-*-*-*