Ryoko And Tantei-A ------------------ An Alternate Universe Tale --------------------------- -Prologue- -Somewhere in Deep Space...- -Earth Year: 1962- ----------------------------------------------- Ryoko let out a cry of pain and bore down one final time. A batlike alien stood over her, holding her hand and smiling at her. "Do you really have to leave?" He asked her. "I'm just not cracked up for domestic life." Ryoko replied as their child emerged. "And I certainly don't intend to cramp my style with a little brat." The white-haired alien bent down and retrieved the small infant from between Ryoko's legs. It had no fur yet, but it already had a full head of long, thick chestnut-brown hair. Ryoko recovered quickly, and left the planet. -------------------------------------------------- -Chapter 1- -The Masaki Home: Earth- -Earth Year: 1996- Ryoko sat on the rooftop and wept, softly. "Ryoko?" Washu asked as she joined her daughter. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you've got all sentimental about that guy you met. Just think, the Space Pirate Ryoko in love with ..." "I am *NOT* in love with him!" Ryoko screamed almost loudly enough to blast Washu off the roof. "He's my... Why didn't I take him with me back then? I could've stopped him from throwing his life away. He could've done better! I should've taken him with me on the day he was..." Ryoko fell silent. "Ryoko?" Washu blinked, suddenly realizing that Ryoko was blocking a part of her mind from her. "Ryoko, what is it?" Ryoko smiled and stood up. "I'm bored!" She laughed. "Let's have some fun!" She leaped from the roof and ran down an invisible stairwell, running across the yard to Tenchi, whom she glomped onto. "Hmmm... Washu mused. "What is it about that guy that you're hiding from me?" **** Washu lounged by the edge of the Onsen. She smiled as Ryoko walked in. "Hiya." She waved. Ryoko started to leave again. Washu quickly typed a sequence of keys on her computer and the exits vanished. "Hey!" Ryoko complained. "I thought we could have some time alone. Just the two of us." Washu smiled. "A little mother-daughter chat." "I don't want to have a chat." Ryoko whined. "Please?" Washu asked, in her best immitation of a cute little girl, even going so far as to bat her eyes a bit. "Oh, fine." Ryoko griped. "Let's get this over with." "Oh thank you!" Washu hugged Ryoko. "So, first thing's first. What is it about that cop that you like so much?" Ryoko laughed. "What makes you think I'm interested in him?" "Ryoko..." Washu chastised. "You know, if you're going to be evasive, I could use one of my devices to extract the information." "You wouldn't..." Ryoko fell silent. "You would." She corrected herself. Okay, if you really want to know, that cop was my son." Ryoko waited for a snide comment or some kind of perverted joke. But they never came. Then, she noticed that Washu was crying. "My little girl had a baby." Washu was weeping. "Oh, Ryoko... I'm sorry." "I always thought if I ever wanted to get to know him, I could..." Ryoko's voice hitched in her throat. "But then Kain..." "I got a blood sample from the body." Washu told her. "If you want, I could..." Ryoko's face went from griefstricken to bewildered. "Go ahead." She said, quietly. She decided she would save all her cheers for later. No point in getting her hopes up prematurely. Ryoko And Tantei-A Chapter 2 Washu's Lab Later That Same Day ----------------------------- Washu took Ryoko's hands. "My daughter," she said, "are you sure you want to go through this again. I can simply clone him in my lab." "I can handle this." Ryoko replied. "Very well." Washu smiled as she injected the newly fertilized zygote into Ryoko's uterus. She watched her monitor as the tiny egg implanted itself into Ryoko's uterine wall. After several minutes, she looked up from her monitor. "Ryoko, dear," she said, cheerfully, "you're pregnant." Ryoko smiled at her mom and hopped down, carefully, from the bed. Washu watched her, then saved the information that was stored on her computer screen. *** "Hey, Princess!" Ryoko called to Ayeka, "How about sharing that tempura?" She gave a pleading look to Tenchi. "Tenchi, she's hogging all the tempura." "I am not!" Ayeka yelped. "How dare you say such a thing, Ryoko!" Ryoko started to get up to challenge Ayeka. Then, surprisingly, she stopped. "I'm sorry." She said, quietly. "Actually, Ayeka, you go ahead and finish it up. There's plenty of food down here." Ryoko reached for a nearby plate of gyoza and helped herself to a few. Ayeka just sat there with her jaw hanging open. "Okay, what is going on?" She finally demanded. "Nothing." Ryoko replied. "I just don't feel like fighting with you, that's all." "You're up to something, and I demand to know what it is." Ayeka challenged, taking a bite of the tempura she'd just served herself. "Well," Ryoko smirked, "if you must know, I figured if I gave in and let you have that tempura you might get all fat and bloated and I'd have a better chance with Tenchi." She puffed out her cheeks, saying "Look, Tenchi! I'm the girl of your dreams." then, laughed cheefully. "Why you...." Ayeka fumed. "Azaka! Kamidake!" The two Guardians appeared. "Hold Ryoko!" Ayeka demanded. The Guardians remained passive. "I don't believe this." Ayeka muttered. "How *dare* you disobey me! I ordered you to hold her!" "We can't hold her." Kamidake explained. "We are forbidden from doing anything that would endanger an innocent person." Azaka added. "Innocent?! Ryoko?!" Ayeka glared at them. "I gave you an order. Now carry it out." "We can't." Azaka explained. "We might hurt the baby." "The *WHAT*?!" Ayeka glared at Tenchi. "It's not his." Ryoko said, quietly. "Not... Ryoko? Who's..." "I know!" Mihoshi chimed up. "Its the baby of the guy who was in school with us!" "Actually its not his baby." Ryoko replied. "Its him." "Why in Tsunami's name ...?" Ayeka wanted to know. "He's my son, Ayeka." Ryoko explained. "Oh?" Ayeka raised an eyebrow. "You must have been very proud. Your son being a cop and all." "This time around, I'm not going to let him make that same mistake." Ryoko replied. "Mistake?" Kiyone asked. "How is being one of the Galaxy's finest a mistake?" "It got him killed, in case you forgot." Ryoko replied. **** Ryoko and Tantei A - Chapter 3 -3 Months later- ------------------------------- Ryoko knelt over the toilet and vomitted. standing up, she went over to the sink and washed her face and hands. Then, she went downstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat. "Good morning, Ryoko." Sasami called, cheerfully. "Did you sleep well last night?" "Yes, I did." Ryoko replied. "Thanks, Sasami." Sasami held out a bowl of miso soup for her. "Here you go." She said. "Thanks." Ryoko grinned. "I'm starving." "You really should eat more than that, Ryoko." Washu told her. "Maybe later." Ryoko nodded. "Let's just see if I can hold this down for now." "Morning sickness?" Washu sympathized. Ryoko nodded. "Serves you right." Ayeka chastised. "I'll remember that when you've got a bun in your oven..." Ryoko shot back. "Oh, that's right... its more like a refrigerator in your case, isn't it?" "I am *not* frigid." Ayeka huffed, stomping off. Ryoko chuckled to herself. **** Tenchi was out at the Shrine, sweeping. He brushed the sweat from his brow and continued in his task. "Tenchi," Yosho said from the Shrine door, "come inside for a moment. There's something I want to talk to you about." Tenchi walked into the Shrine. "What is it?" "What about Ryoko?" Yosho asked. "I mean, I know you're not the child's father, but I've given it a lot of thought and..." "You want me to marry Ryoko." Tenchi guessed. "I suppose I want to, but what about Ayeka?" Yosho closed his eyes and meditated for a moment. The illusion of age melted from him. He now appeared young and handsome. "I'll handle that." He said. **** Ayeka was sewing the hem of her nightgown while Ryoko leaned against the window and watched for Tenchi. "Don't you have breathing classes or something?" Ayeka asked. "Not until tonight." Ryoko replied. "And I... Oh my god. AYEKA! COME QUICKLY!" Ayeka rose, serenely and walked, regally over to the window. "I don't see what you're so ex... EEEEK!!!!" By the time Ryoko turned around, Ayeka was gone. All that remained of her was a cloud of dust and two knitting needles. The needles hovered in mid-air for a second, then clattered to the ground. **** "But, sir... " Mihoshi pleaded. "No buts." Commander Saarnd growled at her. "Tantei-A was a member of the Galaxy Police. His clone is Galaxy Police property and I will not leave Galaxy Police property in the hands of a Space Pirate." "Understood." Kiyone replied. "Once the child is born, we will retrieve him and bring him back to undergo the rapid aging process and for memory re-implantation." "Kiyone, you can't!" Mihoshi wailed. "That's Ryoko's baby! You can't take him away from her! I won't let you." "Mihoshi..." Kiyone grumbled. She took a moment to compose herself. "Look, I'm sure Ryoko's just doing this to try to trap Tenchi. She doesn't care about Tantei-A, and I don't believe a word of her story about him being her child." "How can you say such a thing!" Mihoshi bawled. "Kiyone, you are so mean!" She burst into tears. **** "She wants to *WHAT*?!" Ryoko turned from Mihoshi to Kiyone. "Tantei-A was our property and so is his clone." Kiyone explained. "I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. And when the clone is born, you will hand him over, Ryoko." "I will do no such thing!" Ryoko vowed, unleashing her powers in fury at Kiyone. Kiyone felt herself hit the wall. Then she passed out. **** Kiyone woke a while later. It was dark out and Nobuyuki was sitting over her patting both her forehead and her cleavage with cold towels.. "PERVERT!!" She screamed, grabbing Nobuyuki and throwing him out of the nearby window. Sasami looked up from raking the yard and saw Nobuyuki flying overhead. "Kiyone's awake." She called out, cheerfully. Kiyone appeared in the window a moment later. "Kiyone!" Sasami called up to her. "Sasami, you're out kind of late." Kiyone noted. Sasami nodded. "I can't sleep." "Maybe some warm milk would help?" Kiyone offered. "No. It's not that..." Sasami sighed, morosely. She decided to just come right out and say it. "Do you have to take Ryoko's baby away from her?" "Sasami," Kiyone began. She held her hand up. "Hold on. I'll be right down." A couple minutes later, Sasami and Kiyone were sitting on the porch together. "Sasami, He's not..." "Yes, he is. He's Ryoko's little boy. You can't take him away. Please?" Sasami's eyes filled up with tears. "Please, Kiyone." "The Galaxy Police want the child." Kiyone replied. "There's nothing I can do about it." ***** -Chapter 4- -3 Months Later- Ryoko Masaki sat on the porch, looking up at the stars and stroking her belly. She felt a tiny kick inside her and looked down. "You're an active little fellow, aren't you?" She smiled. "You're going to give your daddy and me a real workout." "Mind if I join you?" Ayeka asked from the door. She was dressed in her nightgown and bathrobe. Her own belly was starting to swell with the result of her and Yosho's marriage. "Not at all." Ryoko smiled. "Oh!" "Is it kicking?" Ayeka asked. Ryoko nodded and took Ayeka's hand, guiding it to the area where it was most active. "Oh my." Ayeka smiled. "He's going to be a handful." Ryoko sighed, smiling. ***** The next afternoon saw Tenchi and the girls immersed in their daily chores. Even Ryoko was doing chores. This surprised everyone except Washu. "It's just her nesting instincts taking over." The little genius explained. "It happens to all mothers-to-be. Don't worry, once the baby's born, she'll be back to normal." "So, all we have to do to keep her acting responsibly is keep getting her pregnant?" Ayeka wondered aloud. "That would work." Ryoko grinned slyly. She turned and winked at Tenchi, who, despite nearly half a year of marriage fell backwards in shock. Ayeka giggled at this. "Oh dear, my husband has fainted." Ryoko sighed, turning her eyes to Ayeka. "I guess I'll just have to borrow yours." She went over to Yosho and looked up at him with sexy eyes. "Yosho..." she said, a little too sweetly. "RYOKO!" Ayeka screamed at her. Ryoko looked up at Yosho, and spoke again. "Yosho, darling. Why don't you give that pretty princess over there a nice little kiss. She deserves one, you know. She's really pretty, don't you think?" "Um.. yeah.." Yosho blinked. "WHO THE HELL ASKED YOU?!" Ryoko snapped, quite suddenly. "I was afraid of this." Washu sighed. Ryoko activated her weapon and charged at Yosho. Yosho activated his own weapon. Ryoko and Yosho circled, weapons drawn. Ryoko lunged. Yosho blocked and managed to diffuse Ryoko's weapon. Then, he pinned her arms behind her back. "Calm down." He told her, gently. "Just calm down." Ryoko began to sob. Then her body began to heave, violently. "The baby..." She panted. "Oh gods, its coming." "Okay... just relax. Don't push. Its too early. I'll get Washu, maybe she can stop it." Yosho started for the house. He had only gone about four steps away when Washu arrived with some equipment. "Ryoko. Breathe deeply and relax. Don't push. Don't bear down." Ryoko shrieked and cried in pain and horror. "Get Tenchi!" Washu ordered. "Have him come to my lab immediately!" Yosho went to fetch his grandson. *** By the time Tenchi finally arrived in the lab, Ryoko was asleep. "Is everything okay?" Tenchi asked. "Everything is fine." Washu replied. "The baby came a bit early, but he's in an artificial womb and his chances are excellent." "How's Ryoko?" Tenchi asked. "Sleeping. I sedated her after the child emerged. She thought she lost the baby and she wouldn't listen when..." "I understand." Tenchi replied. Ryoko woke a few hours later. She lie in bed, waiting for a kick from the baby to tell her that she hadn't lost it. But no kick came. "Come on," she cried out, "kick me. I said "kick me", you goddamned G.P. son of a bitch. DO IT!" Nothing happened. Ryoko sat up impatiently and felt a pain between her legs. As everything rushed back into her mind, she let out a scream of horror and grief. Her son was dead. She had let herself get all riled up and as a reesult... Guilt stung her heart and soul. "I'm sorry, my little one." She whispered. "I didn't mean it." She started toward the outer door of Washu's lab, then stopped. In corner, she saw a case which held the baby she had expelled earlier. She went over to it. She had to see her son one last time. As she watched the baby, she noticed that there were some tubes and sensors attached to him. "This isn't a coffin..." she muttered, wonderingly. "Its... an incubator. But why would Washu put a baby who was stillborn into... " her voice faded as she saw the baby's fist clench and unclench. "He's... alive. I don't know how but he is. This has to be Washu's doing." Washu walked into the room. "Good morning, Ryok- ACK!" She yelped as Ryoko grabbed her and squeezed her a little too tightly. "Um... you're welcome." She managed to get out as Ryoko thanked her over and over, punctuating each time with an enthusiastic "I WON THE CAR!!" kisses. Tenchi walked in. "Ryoko..." He began. Ryoko rushed over to Tenchi, knocking him over. She hugged him tightly and smiled at him. "There's no need for jealousy." She told him. "I have plenty of kisses for you, too." And then she gave him some. *** CHAPTER 5- The Tenth Month... "Ryoko, dear." Washu said, as Ryoko was lounging on the roof. "I'm about to take the baby out of the incubator." "Yahoo!" Ryoko cried out, excitedly. She drifted upward then vanished. Ryoko reappeared seconds later in Washu's lab. Tenchi wasn't there. "Don't you think Tenchi should be here?" "If you like." Washu reached out, her hand vanishing. A moment later, it reappeared with Tenchi attached to it. "You could have just come get me." Tenchi protested. "This way's more fun." Washu explained. Ryoko smiled. "We're going to hold our baby, Tenchi." She said. Washu turned her attention to the incubator. She removed all the tubes and sensors from the tiny body. Then, she carefully opened the tiny device and reached inside. A moment later, she spoke very softly. "Um, Ryoko..." she whispered. Ryoko's heart sank. Was her child dead? Had something gone wrong? "Yes...?" She asked, hesitantly. Washu turned with a huge grin on her face. "Its a boy!" she announced. Ryoko felt relieved and annoyed at the same time. She wanted to strangle Washu for scaring her, but she wanted to hold her baby, too. Fortunately for Washu, maternal instinct won out. "Oh, what a good widdle baby." Ryoko cooed at her newborn son. "What a good widdle boy. This time I'm gonna raise you right. Yes, I am. Mommy's little baby isn't gonna be a naughty widdle powiceman. No sir. Mommy's little baby's gonna be a good widdle space pirate. Just like mommy." "Oh boy." Tenchi groaned. "Yes, you are, you precious widdle thing." Ryoko continued. "Is it just me or has she completely lost it?" Tenchi asked. "She's lost it." Washu groaned as Ryoko walked off. "...baby wanna see a cute widdle cabby-wabby..." Ryoko was saying as she walked out of the lab with the baby. ***** EPILOGUE -------- (Seven Years later...) Nobuyuki drove the family car toward the Inn. He hummed quietly. In the back sat Yosho and Ayeka. Tenchi and Ryoko, Washu, Tsunami, Tantei-A, and Yoshiko. The two children, who were respectively seven and six years of age, were playing a little travelling game. After several minutes, they got bored. "Are we there yet, mommy?" Tantei-A asked.