The characters in this story belong to their respective creators and rights holders. 
Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Sailor Moon is the creation of Naoko 
Takeuchi. All original content is the creation of Samuel Phoenix. Recognition is given to 
John Sanchez for a small kick of inspiration that helped produce this story, and to 
Harold Ancell who has been a near constant source of input, information, and ideas.  
 
Awkward Consequences
Chapter 9a: Butting Egos
PsyckoSama (syp104@psu.edu)

With strained breath, and a pulsating vein on her forehead, Ten'ou 
Haruka slowly stepped forward, blocking off the only exit from the 
alley. "Mustn't kill. Mustn't kill. Mustn't kill..." muttered Haruka as 
she approached the two. 

Ranma looked to Hotaru at his side, who appeared to be in shock. She 
slowly choked down her discomfort and opened her mouth. "Papa, what... 
what are you doing here?" she asked.

Haruka sneered. "That's my question, young lady! What the hell are you 
doing here with this hentai!?"

"Hey, who's a..." began Ranma angrily before he was cut off with a wave 
from Hotaru. 

Once Ranma was silent, Hotaru clenched her fists and violently shook 
her head. "No!" she cried, and she looked Haruka dead in the eyes, 
"What are you doing here?! Why did you come here?" 

Haruka halted her advance, shocked by the vehemence in Hotaru's voice. 
"I'm here to protect you..."

"Protect me?! Protect me from what?!" screamed Hotaru.

"From... from him..." stammered Haruka, her own rage cowed by Hotaru's 
anger.

"No... that's... that's a lie..." Hotaru's head dropped, and all anger 
slowly began to leave her features. With a sigh, she continued. "Why... 
why can't you trust me? Why do you refuse to trust me?"

Ranma looked side to side. Hotaru slowly sat on the steps of the hotel 
they had just exited, while Haruka stood in place, words obviously lost 
to her.

Hotaru slowly looked up to Haruka, her eyes red and clouded with unshed 
tears "I'm not a child any more... or... or is that not it..." Hotaru's 
tears began to flow as she continued, "Last night, did you lie to me 
when you apologized? Do you really think that I'm a..."

Haruka winced. "No! That's not it! I'm... I'm sorry Hotaru. I did mean 
it, more than anything. I wish I had kept my mouth shut."

Once again, an uncomfortable silence gripped the group. Ranma wanted to 
say something, but he really didn't know what to say.

Hotaru looked Haruka in the eyes. "Why don't you trust me?"

Haruka smiled, and placed her hand on Hotaru's shoulder. "Hotaru, 
you're my daughter, of course I trust you, It's HIM that I don't 
trust!"  Haruka glared at Ranma as she said the last part.

"Like you trusted me last night?" replied Hotaru, in a stern tone.

Haruka looked at Hotaru and winced, "I'm sorry Hotaru... I wish you had 
just come to us in the beginning... I was angry, and said things I 
shouldn't have..." Again, her gaze shifted to Ranma, "Maybe it would 
have made dealing with this little jerk easier."

Ranma stepped back. "Hey," he blurted, wincing even as he said it.  
"What did I do?" Bad reply.

Haruka stood in place, her face turning bright red with anger. "What 
did you do? What did you do?!" In an instant Haruka was in Ranma's face 
looking him directly in the eyes. "You BASTARD! What gives you the 
*gall* to even *think* about asking that question?! You want to know 
what you did? YOU want to KNOW what you did?! I'll TELL you what YOU 
did!" 

"Well tell me already," grumbled Ranma.

Hotaru tugged on Haruka's arm attempting to hold Haruka back, or find 
some other way to calm her down or distract her, but it didn't work. 
She was far too angry.

"Fifteen! Hotaru is *fifteen*. You've ruined her chance to have a 
normal adolescence. Now because of you, she is going to be a mother 
before she finishes her first year of high school! I hope you're happy, 
I hope you had *your* fun, Saotome."

Haruka grabbed Ranma by the collar, and pushed him against one of the 
alley walls. "I hope your sister was telling the truth, you little 
worm. You damn well BETTER marry her. If you don't, I'll cut your 
damned balls off! You hear me? I will fucking KILL YOU!" 

"I hear that a lot..." reflected Ranma.

Haruka snarled. "Well, I'm *dead* serious, there is no way in hell I'm 
going to let you get away with this!"

Ranma scowled, and pushed Haruka, causing her to put some distance in 
between them. "I had no control over what happened. I was drunk, and so 
was Hotaru..." he paused for a moment, and sighed. "I'm stuck between a 
rock an' a hard place here. If I don't marry her, you'll kill me, a 
fate I'd welcome 'cuz I couldn't live with myself. If I do then I'll 
have the psychos in Nerima after my ass, lookin' for blood. It's a  
damned-if-I-do, damned-if-I-don't kinda thing. I know things are gonna 
be tough for her... the next few months are gonna be hell on both of 
us, but were gonna go through this together." 

Haruka snarled. "Bullshit. I'll believe that when I see it..."

With a sigh, Ranma said, "Hotaru, could ya back me up here?"

Haruka's fists clenched, but she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. 
Slowly, Haruka turned around to look at her daughter.

"Papa... you don't have to worry" Hotaru lifted her left hand so Haruka 
could see the engagement ring which Ranma had given her. "He's already 
asked, and I've accepted his proposal." 

Haruka took a long moment to look at the ring, and whistled in 
appreciation.  "That's a hell of a stone, if it's real.  Did you see 
him buy it?" 

Hotaru blushed. "Yes, I picked it out. Why?"

"Err, guys, we're startin' ta draw a crowd," muttered Ranma, with a 
slight wave to the small cluster of people that was starting to form 
within earshot.

Almost instantly, Haruka was in front of the group of people, chasing 
them off. "Ok, show's over... break it up... ," she shouted. "Get the 
hell out of here!"

"Lets get somethin' ta eat. I'll pay." He paused for a moment, then 
motioned to Haruka adding, "She can come too, if she can behave herself 
or at least keep the volume down."

Haruka snarled and clenched her fist. "Why you little..."

"Fine," replied Hotaru, cutting Haruka off. "Lets go."

---------------------------------- 
 
Hotaru looked down into her beef bowl and sighed. What the hell was 
with these two? Haruka-papa just seemed to hate Ranma on general 
principles, while Ranma took every one of her insults, snide remarks, 
and threats as a challenge to be met, just making her madder. Between 
all their bitching and screaming, they barely had time to eat their 
food.

She had just about given up running interference for these two idiots.  
She was starting to think that it was a good idea to just lock them in 
a room somewhere and let them beat the crap out of each other. Maybe 
they might actually get along afterwards... It worked for 'Ranko'...

Ranma slightly nudged Hotaru in the ribs to get her attention, and 
said, "Hotaru-chan, you know any way ta make her keep her mouth shut? I 
really want to eat..."

Hotaru sighed, and looked down into her food. He had wonderful 
timing...

Haruka snarled and clenched her fist. "Why you little..."

Ranma rolled his eyes at Haruka's threatening gesture. "Oh get off 
yourself, Haruka! I... err... my sister told me how ya were doin' when 
she showed ya the Amaguriken and she told me how good ya fight."

"Oh yeah? As soon as we're out of here, I'm gonna kick your ass, you 
little bastard!" hissed Haruka in response.

Ranma scoffed, "Haruka, you couldn't beat me if I was blindfolded, my 
arms were tied behind my back, and I had one leg tied to a panda!"  A 
thought struck him, and he added maliciously, "Hell, ya'd hafta 
transform before you could give me anything even approaching a 
workout!" 

Haruka's face twisted into an expression of sheer, unadulterated shock. 
Her eyes jerked from Ranma to Hotaru and narrowed in stunned disbelief.

In a low, startled voice she said, "You didn't! You told... How the 
hell could you TELL him!?"

"Setsuna-mama said I could..." Hotaru paused, and continued, "She said 
he was trustworthy."

Haruka growled. "Trustworthy, my ass, that little piece of shit just 
shot his big mouth off in a public place!"

Ranma's eyes narrowed, and he replied in a cool, low voice. "You're one 
ta talk. You were screaming about Hotaru's baby in front of Kami-sama 
only knows how many people in that alley. You know how fast rumors 
spread! You've probably made things a lot worse!"

Haruka backed up, as she was struck by a wave of guilt. After just a 
moment it faded, replaced by a simmering anger "But you still..."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "No I didn't.  I said I could beat ya 
transformed, I never said how you'd have to transform or what ya turn 
in to, did I?" Ranma looked at the interior of the eatery and added, 
"Besides, this place is as dead as it gets, and no one in here prolly 
gives half a damn what we say and even if they do they'll just think 
that we're delusional morons."

Haruka sighed, and looked around the almost empty restaurant. They were 
a good 15 meters from the counter, and the closest of their fellow 
patrons was well out of earshot if they kept their voices at a low to 
normal tone. "I guess you're right... but we still should avoid 
mentioning names" she paused and look to Hotaru, "Exactly what did you 
tell him?"

"That... that I'm... I told him who I am."

Haruka blinked. "That's it?"

"Yes," replied Hotaru.

"Then how did he...?"

Ranma shook his head. "Hey, I ain't stupid. It's easy ta figure out, 
one plus one is two and all that."

Haruka blinked. "What?"

Ranma smiled, and put his arm around Hotaru. "She's one of the... you 
know."

Haruka nodded.

"So are you, right?"

Haruka nodded again.

"It explains the huge holes with yur fighting style."

Haruka blinked. "How's that?"

"Well, you're either a real baka, soaking blows even though ya can't 
take 'em or ya got some kinda huge magical handicap."

Haruka's eyes narrowed. "Magical handicap?!" 

"No real fighter needs some skimpy cheerleader's outfit to fight stuff 
in. All it does is give ya a free boost. Power should be earned, ya 
shouldn't just get it like that. Getting things for free makes 'em 
worth less to you, and in your case, gettin' sumthin' fer nuthin' is 
making you sloppy."

Haruka scowled. "Screw you."

Ranma sighed and shook his head. "Listen Haruka, I'm serious. What I 
think about yur powers is just what I think. I know there are holes in 
your style, and I... er... Ranko and I are gonna help ya fix 'em."

Haruka looked at Ranma, and a smile slowly made its way to her face at 
the mention of Ranko's name. "You seriously want to teach me?"

Ranma nodded, "Yeah, I do. You got potential, and even now that I know 
what you two are, I still don't think yur quite good enough as is."

Haruka's smiled faded, replaced by annoyance. "Why's that?"

Ranma sighed. "While it's never really interested me that much, I've 
seen videos and crap of you guys in action..."

Hotaru turned to him. A smile slowly made its way to her face at the 
idea that he had interest in the senshi enough to watch videos of their 
battles. "You have?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, one of my fia... one of the girls, Akane, was 
kinda obsessed with ya guys for a while."

"She's the one who I met at the Dojo, right?" asked Hotaru morosely.

"Yeah," replied Ranma.

Hotaru's face fell. Great, it wasn't Ranma at all. It was that stupid 
fiancée from the dojo who was interested... the one that had made her 
so upset.

Ranma smiled and placed his hand on the shoulder. "Ya know, Hotaru. I 
think I'm taking a new interest in your group... I don't know about 
you, but I think the one with the purple skirt and pole arm is really 
cute..."

Hotaru blushed, and gave Ranma a peck on the cheek. "You're pretty cute 
too... in every shape, way, and form."

Haruka began rubbing her temples and coughed. "No offence, but do I 
really have to be center stage for this touching moment?"

"Fine." Ranma sighed. "As I was sayin', I've seen movies of you guys in 
action. You fight in a pack an use magic ta blast the critter while you 
avoid close combat... While it's good against demons, it wouldn't stop 
determined martial artists."

"Hey," interjected Haruka, "I do *not* avoid close combat, neither do 
Hotaru, or a couple of the others."

Ranma sighed. "That don't mean you could match people like me, who've 
dedicated their entire lives to the Art in one on one personal combat. 
Those skimpy outfits of yours might give ya a boost and stuff, but it 
ain't enough ta make up for skill."

Haruka scoffed at Ranma. "And how the hell do you know the limits of 
our abilities."

Ranma shrugged. "I might not know how they perform in a fight, but I've 
seen how the power up performs in an... *Ahem*... extreme physical 
situation..." 

Hotaru blushed brightly, and smiled blankly. He did not just say 
that...

Haruka blinked, "What the hell..." Haruka paused mid sentence as she 
realized what he was implying. Her face twisted into a grimace, and she 
gave Ranma a bitter look. "Oh, for the love of... I *really* didn't 
need to know that, you prick!"

"Ranma," Hotaru squeaked, "There are some things I think we should keep 
our little secret..." she blushed even brighter, and continued, 
whispering in Ranma's ear, "our sex life for example."

"Please do..." Haruka's voice dropped several decibels, and she stared 
Ranma in the eyes coldly, "Listen, for Hotaru's sake I'm trying my best 
to act congenial, but you're trying my patience AND my self-control... 
Don't piss me off." 

"Ok, ok..." Ranma sighed, and shook his head. "Haruka, if ya want 
proof, when ya spar with Ranko tomorrow, do it transformed."

Haruka blinked. "Hotaru, did you tell her too?"

"There are no secrets between me and Ranko... it's a twin thing." 
muttered Ranma.

Haruka smirked. "Sure... maybe that'll make you see reason."

Ranma smiled and stood up. "Hotaru, are you finished?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Good. Now that we're all done, lets go..."

"Hey," retorted Haruka, "I'm not finished yet!"

"Looks to me like you are," replied Ranma, pointing to Haruka's empty 
bowl.

Haruka blinked in confusion as she looked at it. "I... I couldn't have 
eaten all of it so fast."

Ranma chuckled. "Haruka, new stage in your speed training. If you can't 
guard your food, someone else will eat it."

Haruka glared at the pig tailed martial artist. "You stole from my 
plate?!"

"Yeah, and next time you see Ranko, she will too. If ya can't defend 
it, ya can't eat it. It's all part of the training." Ranma paused for a 
moment, and added, "Or at least that's what my baka old man claimed."

Hotaru gawked at Ranma. His father stole food off of his plate? 

Haruka stood up, and snarled at Ranma. "What kind of stupid training is 
that?"

He shrugged. "Hey, ya can always return the favor... at least I do."

"Oh..." said Haruka as she began to realize the intention of the 
training, "It's an incentive to get faster isn't it?..."

"Yep, while he probably came up with it to fill his fat stomach, it 
does work." replied Ranma.

Hotaru looked at Ranma. "Is this how you've always eaten?"

"Yep. All my life."

Hotaru eyes narrowed. The more she heard about Ranma's Old Man, the 
more she despised him. Stealing food from the mouth of his own child... 
what kinda of depraved individual was he? "No wonder your table manners 
are so horrible..." she commented. Setsuna-mama was right. He was a 
fixer-upper.

"At least I don't have to grab anything out of a fire..." jested 
Haruka.

Ranma chuckled and shook his head. "Haruka, you ain't seen nothing 
yet..."  He paused for a moment and in a low voice he added, "The path 
of a martial artist is fraught with peril."

"I suddenly feel that accepting your sister's offer of training wasn't 
a very good idea," replied Haruka in an unsure tone.

"Feel like someone just walked over you grave?" inquired Ranma.

"Well... kinda."

Ranma smirked. "I get it all the time... get used to it. Lets go."

The two teens and the twenty year old stood up and left the 
establishment. As they walked, Hotaru slipped her hand into that of her 
fiancée.

"What's with this Papa and Mama crap any ways? Haruka's a girl, there's 
no way Michiru is your mom, and Setsuna looks nothin' like ya..."

Hotaru smiled, and snuggled into Ranma, who put his arm around her. 
"They're like a family to me. It's a long story."

"We have a lot of those..." reminisced Ranma.

Hotaru turned her head to Haruka, "Papa, How did you know where we 
were?"

"Well... Minako saw you enter the hotel," answered Haruka calmly.

She did? "And she told you?" questioned Hotaru. 

"No, she told everyone else. Rei told Michiru and I. She said you were 
being tricked into going into a love hotel with a pervert." Haruka 
paused for a moment then added, "Looks like she was right."

Hotaru scowled deeply. She and Rei were going to have a very *long* 
talk. The priestess needed to learn when to butt the heck out of other 
people's lives.

"So, what ya wanna do now, Hotaru?" inquired Ranma.

"I don't know," answered Hotaru.

Ranma shrugged. "Ya wanted ta introduce me to your friend, so let's do 
that." 

Hotaru smiled. She really liked the idea of having a cute significant 
other to show off to Chibi-Usa and the other Senshi. Maybe she should 
rub Rei's nose in it... In a cheerful voice she replied, "Okay!"

"Going to see Chibi-Usa?" inquired Haruka. With a shrug, she continued, 
"I'll give you a ride."

"No thanks," said Ranma. "We can walk, and it'll do Hotaru some good."

"Then walking it is," replied Haruka. "Lets go."

"Haruka-papa, why are you coming with?" asked Hotaru.

Haruka smiled, and looked at her surrogate daughter. "I may not want 
kill this jerk at the moment, but I'm sure as hell not going to trust 
him alone with you. Where you go, I follow. If you don't like it, 
tough."

Ranma smirked, "Then we'll just havta ditch ya!" 

Haruka chuckled and shook her head. "I would like to see you try!"

Ranma paused for a moment, then smiled. "Okay!"

In one deft motion he pulled a laughing Hotaru into his arms, then 
bounded off across the Juuban rooftops at high speed.

Left alone on the sidewalk with the choice of ducking into the alley to  
transform and try to catch back up, leaving her car unattended on the  
street, or trying to catch up with the car, all Haruka could think of 
to say was "I guess I really had that coming..."