{These characters are not property of me. I would never attempt to claim them as my own. This story may not be used without my permission, and may not be used to make money in any way, shape or form. Characters and certain situations were created by Rumiko Takahashi, so don't try any funny stuff!}

Hurrying home without further incident, Kuno was even more worried about Nabiki because she hadn't come around. Her eyes were open, but they were glazed and she was limp in his arms. Sneaking through the basement, Kuno stayed out of the main house so as not to disturb Kodachi, and because the nurse arrived very early in the morning.

He carried her to the room he had started using to get away from things and laid her down on the soft rug. Kuno considered warming the cold fireplace as he carefully removed her top. Maybe it really had been a big mistake to do it to her. Maybe he should have just let her go in peace...

Laying down, Kuno rested his head on her body with his ear to her stomach. To him, it was like having his head next to a drum with all the noise. In fact, he could almost hear the two little ones develop; he could most definitely hear the two hearts beating. It was that sound that Kuno eventually fell asleep to.

***

"I just don't know what to do anymore." Kuno was in the bath, washing his sister. The nurse had the weekends off, a reasonable request, and it was up to Kuno to see after Kodachi then. Unfortunately, she couldn't help him with any of his problems.

"I saved her life. Was it selfish of me? I only wanted her to live. And now... she doesn't do anything when she changes. Nothing I do makes her respond. What do I do, Kotchi? I feel like... I feel like everything is against me."

He washed her hair, massaging her scalp, thinking deeply. Nothing was working, nothing was happening the way he would have liked. "Kotchi, why won't you wake up? I... I could use your help. You were... You are so much smarter than I."

He began the process of rinsing her hair and sighed. How could he help Nabiki break out of her shell? It had become painfully obvious that when Nabiki changed, her mind simply shut down and refused to deal with the situation. It was so frightening because she would be her normal self, then as soon as the change happened, she was a vegetable.

Kodachi couldn't help him, but just maybe Kasumi could.

***

Kuno watched Nabiki from across the street. He just hoped she didn't know he was there. If she smelled him then she was doing a very good job of hiding it. Now if she would only leave so he could talk to Kasumi. Kuno hadn't spoken to any of the Tendos except Nabiki since that fateful night, and things could get... interesting.

As if some higher power had heard him, Kuno saw Nabiki walk out of the gate and head down the street. Once she was out of his sight, he ran across the street and through the gate, nearly trampling Ranma in the process.

"Yo, jerk!" Ranma yelled, "Why don'tcha watch where you're goin'!"

Kuno ignored him and ran around the side of the house to the open doors. He stopped and tried to appear casual as he strolled past Soun and Genma, who were staring at him. Anything would have been more welcome than the silent stares they gave him. Sweating buckets, Kuno went to the kitchen where he knew Kasumi was.

Kasumi paused in her dinner preparation and turned. She had the same smile she always had, but now she also had a simple ring on her left hand. "Tatewaki, we've missed you."

Kuno coughed a little. "Yes, well, it has been a... difficult time. My sister..."

"Nabiki told me." Kasumi gave Kuno a pleasantly reassuring and sympathetic smile.

"Oh." Kuno fidgeted for a moment then gathered the nerve to speak. "I wanted to... I need... Would you..."

Kasumi continued to smile.

"I feel I must request your help," he blurted out finally.

"Really? Whatever for?"

"Nabiki is not... adjusting well. And the pregnancy..."

"Oh my, you knew?"

Kuno nodded. "Of course. How could I not?" He could almost feel their presence, even when Nabiki was nowhere near.

An uncharacteristic look of worry crossed Kasumi's face. "And Nabiki knows?"

"Naturally."

Hoo boy. No wonder she had been so grouchy. "You're saying she's having a hard time adjusting. Adjusting to what?"

"Her change, of course." Why didn't Kasumi know any of this? Could something have gone wring when she was healed? Maybe Gosunkugi had done one last evil act...

"She's done it already?"

"Multiple times."

That wouldn't help her mood either. It did go a long way to explaining what the problem was. Sighing softly, Kasumi closed her eyes for a moment. "How is she having trouble adjusting?"

"She becomes completely unresponsive. Nothing I do seems to reach her in this state."

"How often does she change?"

Kuno shrugged. "She avoids it as often as possible, but there are times it is not possible."

Oh yeah, Kasumi knew that. "And what am I..."

"Anything." Kuno's voice was pleading. "Anything. She won't be able to..."

Kasumi finally saw Kuno for what he was: a scared young man, and he needed her help. Kasumi couldn't possibly turn him down. She nodded and said, "She'll be back from the store in a little bit. Tell me as much of what's happened as you can."

"She will know my presence even after I am gone."

"That doesn't matter right now. The most important thing is that we help her," Kasumi said firmly.

Kuno nodded reluctantly and told her everything he could remember since the night he had bitten Nabiki.

***

"Nabiki, I think you should see a doctor."

Nabiki stopped in mid-step and stared at Kasumi. She spoke slowly, with caution. "But Dr. Tofu said I was..."

Kasumi shook her head. "No, Nabiki. I want you to see a real doctor. Tofu knows a lot, but I want you to see someone about the baby."

There might have been a facial tic, but that was all. "What baby, Kasumi?" A sharp pain lanced through Nabiki's stomach at that question.

"Don't do this to yourself. No one's mad. I just want to see that you and the baby are healthy." Tatewaki had been right; Nabiki was not adjusting well at all.

"Look, I'm not..."

"No one else has to know, just please go to the doctor," Kasumi pleaded.

Nabiki pursed her lips as she considered Kasumi's words. She wasn't really afraid of anyone finding out, it was just... She most definitely did not want to go to a doctor in case...

Kasumi saw Nabiki's hesitation and could tell there was more to it than just the pregnancy. "What is it? Why don't you want to go? Please talk to me."

Eyes moving to Kasumi's and back to the wall, Nabiki opened her mouth to speak. "I..." It was hard to say, even to Kasumi. "I'm..." Nabiki shook her head. "What if they're not right?" she asked quietly.

'They? More than one?' Kasumi thought, her expression unchanging. "What do you mean? This is why you should go to the doctor, if you're worried."

"No. I don't want anyone to see." That sick feeling... It wasn't an upset stomach, it wasn't the babies... It was shame. "I don't want anyone to know that they're..."

Kasumi gave Nabiki a hug. "I'm sure they're perfectly fine. You have no reason to be so afraid." She pretended to ignore Nabiki's return hug.

"I... I guess not." Nabiki still didn't want to go, but maybe, just maybe it was for the best.

"It only has to be between you and the doctor. No one else has to know," Kasumi said quietly. Maybe if Nabiki just accepted this, she'd start to adjust to... other things.

***

"First pregnancy?"

Nabiki nodded.

"Oh, well you've got nothing to worry about. We're going to do some tests, make sure you and the fetus are healthy, answer any questions you might have... standard stuff."

The doctor, Takayama, was young, but doing his best to put her at ease. At the moment it was working. Still, Nabiki was worried that he might find something... out of the ordinary if he examined her. She nodded and kept quiet.

"So why don't you just relax, and we'll get started."

"This is your first exam?"

"Yes."

"You know you're nearly three months pregnant?"

Nabiki nodded.

"Oh. You should definitely come in for an exam more often." Doctor Takayama looked at his papers for a moment, giving Nabiki just enough time to worry. "And, good or bad, you're going to have twins." He smiled hopefully, unsure how the teen in front of him would take it.

Nabiki merely nodded again.

It wasn't quite the reaction the doctor had been expecting. "OK. So remember you're doing everything for three now. Eating, sleeping, exercising... You're not alone. I would suggest you get help from your family... to..."

Nabiki was shaking her head. "No."

"Then the father..." He waited to see what her reaction would be to his mention of the father. 'Not another one, I hope,' he thought.

"I guess," Nabiki said slowly. She already knew Kuno wanted to help, but he was also the one that had pushed her to change, and she didn't like that. She didn't like the fact that it was his fault.

The doctor nodded. 'Not married, but not abandoned either. That's one thing she's got going for her.' Standing up, Dr. Takayama put the papers in Nabiki's file. It seemed so many of the young women he was seeing in his office were alone, without family, without the father... What was the world coming to? "Would you like to schedule your next appointment, or would you prefer a reminder?"

"A reminder, and could you..."

"Unmarked envelope, of course." It was not an unusual request. He smiled at her then. "Good luck, Miss Tendo. See you next time."

***

"How did things go?" Kasumi asked.

"Just fine," answered Nabiki. "Everything's fine."

"And the baby?" Kasumi was trying to steer Nabiki toward telling her there was more than one.

"The doctor said they were fine too."

"That's good to hear." The silence stretched for a few moments. "Nabiki, is there something you're not telling me?" Kasumi finally asked.

"Like what?"

"Like anything. You know you can trust me." Nabiki was fighting more than usual. She must have been more concerned than Kasumi initially thought.

"Well..." Nabiki looked at Kasumi. It was true, she could trust Kasumi, always had, but things were going beyond trust. It wasn't just trust, it was almost like she was placing the two still-developing lives in Kasumi's hands. Even if it was Kasumi, it just didn't feel right, almost like she needed Kasumi's help. "Twins," Nabiki finally said.

"That's wonderful, Nabiki," Kasumi said excitedly. "Have you and Tatewaki..."

"I don't want to talk about him," Nabiki said sourly.

"Are you still upset that he..."

"I'm upset about everything! None of this should have happened to me!"

"Yes, but you know he cares for you."

Nabiki snorted. "Yeah, I know. The same way he cared for Akane and Ranma. I don't believe he really... cares for me, and I don't care about him at all."

Kasumi looked at Nabiki, then nodded slightly. 'Why don't you tell me what you really feel, little sister? It'll make you feel so much better.' Kasumi nodded again, more firmly. "Keep me updated." Kasumi headed back to the kitchen.

Nabiki watched her go, feeling very uneasy. She didn't like the way Kasumi seemed to have her own hidden agenda and managed to make it mesh with everyone else's. Not that Kasumi was really hiding anything. Nabiki knew that Kuno had been there and talked to Kasumi. Why else would Kasumi have been so concerned?

Not that it mattered. Kasumi couldn't bother her forever. All she had to do was get out of the damn house. Nabiki leaned heavily against the wall as pain ripped through her. Nothing the doctor said mattered because things were definitely not fine and normal, but who would understand?

Slowly working her way up the stairs, clutching the handrail and her stomach. How could they be anything but not right with the way she was feeling? Nabiki made it to her room, ignoring the worried looks Akane was giving her. Shutting herself in and latching the door, Nabiki laid down on her bed and wished for the nightmare to end.

***

Everyone was asleep at 2 am, so none of them saw the light flare up behind the drawn curtains. That was the only indication that anything out of the ordinary was happening. For the time being.

***

The phone rang, waking Kuno. Not that he cared; he had been sleeping poorly anyway. He picked up the phone and put it to his ear, but said nothing. The breathing pattern told him who it was before any words were spoken.

Kuno had learned, as he learned his abilities, mastered his form, that he had automatically absorbed everything about Nabiki that he could. Every habit, each muscle movement, the pattern and sound of her breathing... He didn't think she could ever lie to him because he would just... know. That would be his secret though, to know what she wanted even when she couldn't admit it.

A voice finally came over the phone. "K... Kuno..." It was shaky and devoid of strength. "It... hurts..."

"I shall be there momentarily." Kuno slammed down the phone and tossed aside his blanket. He hopped out of bed, opened the window and jumped out. As soon as his feet hit the ground, Kuno changed and charged off into the night, toward the Tendo's.

Nabiki waited in bed, trying to keep calm. The pain was almost unbearable, but seemed to lessen when she didn't move. Now if she could only sleep motionless... No, every little move caused pain, even breathing. Nabiki was getting frightened almost to the point of tears as the pain refused to recede. What would it take?

Then she knew he had arrived. What good he could do, she didn't know, but he couldn't put her in any more pain than she was already in. Nabiki heard the thump, but couldn't look as Kuno grabbed the window sill and pulled himself up. She groaned. "They hurt..."

Kuno somehow managed to squeeze himself into Nabiki's bed, worming his way underneath her, around her. Nabiki ended up with her head on his thigh, and he with his head on her stomach again. He covered them both, stroking her body gently. He could feel her begin to relax almost immediately.

Things were getting worse. First she couldn't live without him, then she thought she might have been falling for him, then she had gotten pregnant, then, actually now... When she was in pain, only he seemed to help. Boy, life really sucked.

***

Akane knocked on Nabiki's door. It was awfully late and her elder sister still wasn't up. She knocked again. Without an answer, Akane opened the door, jiggling just enough to get past the latch, and managed to stifle her gasp.

Overflowing from Nabiki's bed was a tangle of human and wolfen bodies, barely covered by a blanket. As Akane stared, something stirred under the blanket. The blanket was pulled back and Kuno looked at her sleepily. Seeing it was only Akane, he pulled the blanket back over his head.

Akane tried to shake off the stunned feeling as Nabiki moved, snuggling up with Kuno's tail. "Uh," Akane said nervously, "it's time to get up."

There was more movement under the blanket and Akane could hear the unmistakable sound of a licking tongue. It was when Nabiki moaned and seemed to struggle about that Akane decided to leave, and fast. She was about to close the door when a strange sound came from the bed. It was a strange growling, moaning sound, soon followed by some hideous crunching.

What Akane could see of her sister soon shifted and took on the appearance of a, no denying it, wolf. She decided to brave one more wake up call. "It's almost eight. You don't want to be late."

Her only answer was two sets of growls and a lot of rustling under the blanket. Akane quickly shut the door and left the two alone.

***

"So where is he?"

"I don't know. The light's too bright; I can barely think."

"You were the one that wanted to wait."

The shorter man snarled. "Thank you. I didn't know that." He put his hand to his forehead, closing his eyes. "I assumed he would return before morning. That's why we waited, simpleton."

It was the taller man's turn to glare. "Sorry, I don't have the same restrictions you do." He sneered, restrictions being weaknesses to him.

"Don't test me. I have no patience for your kind, and it wouldn't trouble me in the least to be rid of you."

"Just try it, whitey." He was ready, his whole body singing with the change.

The two stared at each other for several seconds. "You're not worth it," the first man said. "Now, we need to find this rogue and the book."

"I know that."

"Then why don't you do something useful and sniff him out, Karl?"

The taller man named Karl snarled. "I've been trying, but the two stiffs in the closet are making too big a stink, Anatoly."

"You shall address me by my proper rank, and remember that I am your superior." Why did he always get stuck with the irritating ones? "I shall remove them if they are causing you trouble."

"Yeah, thanks, lieutenant." He leaned against the dresser, waiting for the rather self-absorbed vampire to finish his chest beating. Maybe with the little show of power, he'd get over it. It was bad enough being stuck with looking for a rogue who had decided to start anew, and to find some moldy old book, lost who knows how long ago... At least, that's what Karl had heard. No one had actually told him much of anything; they never did.

"So, Ana... I mean, lieutenant, what's so important about this book anyway?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," the lieutenant replied quickly, removing the two bodies. 'Idiotic dog-man... They're barely worth the trouble,' he thought disintegrating the lifeless husks. "Is this better?"

Karl inhaled deeply three times. "Yeah, a lot..." Then his eyes got very wide. "Whoa."

"What? Is he here?" Anatoly asked excitedly. The sooner they left this place, the better.

"No, he's gone. Hasn't been here in a while," Karl answered absentmindedly.

The lieutenant looked annoyed. "Then what are you getting so worked up over?" The sunlight was making him edgy and irritable.

"Oh, well someone else has been here pretty recently, like a day or two ago. But the main thing..." He paused for dramatic effect. Karl grinned a little when he saw his superior getting angry. "Whoever was here, this person is one of us."

"Us?" Anatoly looked aghast at the use of the word 'us'. "What do you mean, us?"

"'Scuse me, your highness. What I mean is that this person is a shape shifter."

"Shape shifter," snorted the lieutenant. "Dog-man, you mean."

"No," Karl said through gritted teeth, "I mean this place is kinda backwoods. You'd probably have people messin' in their pants if you walked outside. Me too... So what I'm saying is that someone from our lovely little home country has been, or still is, here."

That seemed to dissipate the annoyance. "Oh really? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Hmm, perhaps you should survey the area. Maybe you can find this person. That's probably where the book is."

"Sure. How long should I..."

"The entire day. I won't be leaving until tonight, so take your time, but don't draw attention to yourself."

"Right, right. I'll be back at nightfall."

***

Finally, finally Nabiki seemed to have broken out of her funk. The events of that morning proved that, the way she had been obstinate and had fought him... Kuno still had the bite marks on him from Nabiki's teeth.

"Mr. Kuno, are you alright?"

He gingerly touched the bandage on his neck that covered the nasty looking gouges. "Yes, it was a minor accident this morning."

"Ah. Well, today's lecture..."

***

Backwoods. The place wasn't backwoods at all. There were things here that Karl had never seen before. Things he couldn't even imagine. Overall it was pretty damn amazing. But the noise was awful, and the smell wasn't any better. The stink that came out of the... vehicles he supposed they were, masked everything. It was impossible to get a good whiff of anything.

He supposed he should be used to being dropped into strange places and situations. After all, he was the best expendable man in the state. Time after time though, forced into the middle of a bloody battle, the wonders of a new world around him were lost. Well, not this time. He was going to make sure.

So lost in his thoughts and explorations of things he had never seen, he failed to notice the girl he was on an intercept course for. He actually had his head turned when he made contact and didn't really see the girl until his instincts had kicked in and he was snarling.

"Ouch! Why don't you watch where you're going!" After going to Dr. Tofu's for what could have been another twisted ankle, she was heading back to school feeling thoroughly grumpy, and then this moron had to plow into her. Akane was not pleased.

Karl sprang to his feet, snarling and looking generally pissed. "You little..." Then his eyes met hers. All the anger in him seemed to drain away and he found himself captivated by her beauty and strength. "Oh, forgive me. It was entirely my fault."

Akane stared at the man apologizing to her. At least he was being polite now. "That's OK. I'm not hurt or anything. Well, excuse me, but I have to get going to school." Akane gave one last glance at the man before moving off as quickly as she could.

Karl watched her go. The girl had lots of potential, she was so pretty, but he had neglected to get her name.

He watched Akane walk, his entire body thrumming. Since he had been raised a soldier without his parents, without a normal life, he had never had the chance to take a mate. And this girl... He desired her like he never had anyone else before. She might have been a bit young, but that made very little difference in the end.

So absorbed by her looks, Karl had not noticed exactly how far away she was until she turned a corner and was out of his sight. He hadn't noticed the scent on her either until she was gone. Not just one though... Two. And one of them was... Karl quickly began walking in the direction Akane had. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all.

Kuno was sitting in class, incredibly bored. He picked absently at the bandage on his neck, barely listening to the lecture. School seemed unnecessary now; he had his instincts to rely on and that was all he really needed. He glanced at Nabiki out of the corner of his eye and had to stop himself from smiling. Every day his anticipation and excitement grew.

Nabiki glanced at him and scowled. She didn't want Kuno getting all goofy on her in school. That was a secret she didn't want getting out. Nabiki lifted her hand and rubbed her nose; she hoped she wasn't coming down with a cold or anything. Sighing, she sniffed and continued taking notes. Idly, she smelled Akane coming onto school grounds, and wondered where her little sister had been.

It was about that time that Kuno sat up suddenly, his back straight, his eyes slightly wide. He looked over at Nabiki, seeing she was still taking notes. She must not have noticed, but he had definitely noticed. A smell, not a normal one, but a threatening one. Kuno raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"There are urgent needs I must attend to."

"Go ahead."

Kuno stood up, looking at Nabiki, trying to get her to look at him. She was completely ignoring him though, so he left the room as if there was nothing wrong. He quietly shut the door and quickly went to a window. Looking down at the school's front yard, he could see it was empty except for Akane.

There wasn't anyone else visible, but there was definitely someone else there. Someone or... something. Kuno would have liked to thoroughly examine the person who had attacked him so he could know for certain, because now... Kuno could smell an invader, a strange male challenging his territory.

'To hell with class.' Kuno ran down the hall toward the stairs then stopped himself. He looked at the window for a second, then slid it open. Looking down at the ground, Kuno took one deep breath, remembering the last time he had done this, then jumped.

Akane was walking to the front doors slowly. The way she had smacked heads with that guy had hurt more than she had let on. She had a throbbing headache and was feeling thoroughly woozy.

She was about to head up the steps when she heard a noise coming from above. Akane looked up and felt her muscles lock. Hurtling toward her was Kuno. She felt her eyes grow to the size of dinner plates before Kuno landed on the walk next to her.

"Akane Tendo, who else is here?" Hearing no answer, Kuno tried a different question. "Has someone followed you?" Still without an answer, he looked up at her. Upon seeing her stunned condition, Kuno said, "Perhaps you should make use of the infirmary."

Akane nodded slowly and headed inside zombie-like. Kuno watched her go, then stood and looked out at the seemingly empty yard. He didn't move; he knew someone was there.

A lone figure stepped into view from behind the school wall. The two men looked at each other. "You're the one," the man, Karl, said.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Kuno took the opportunity to study the man. The man was tall, but thin, and even under the loose clothing looked muscular.

"I don't care about your territory. I'm only interested in the girl."

Kuno walked forward about six feet. The man did the same. "She is under my protection."

"She's not yours, is she?"

"She belongs to no one."

"Then you won't mind." The man walked closer to Kuno. "I only want to get to know her."

"I thoroughly doubt so." Kuno didn't move as the man moved closer still.

He shrugged. "Maybe you're right."

"Why are you really here?"

"Truth is, it's your fault. You were in that house, and you took the book. I want it back." They were within ten feet of each other.

"I have no such book."

"Lying doesn't get us anywhere. The book belongs to someone else, and he wants it back." No response. "Don't make this a fight. Just give me the book." He extended his hand.

Kuno looked at the hand and noted the presence and size of a set of very nasty looking claws. He stopped himself from responding in kind and slowly shook his head.

"I'm not here alone, ya know. We'll take it if you won't give it up willingly.

Kuno didn't change his expression. "Then so be it."

"If that's the way you want it." He looked up at the third floor windows. "You just better keep a close watch on that female of yours. I wouldn't mind showing her the difference between a man and a little boy."

Things had gone too far. First, the stranger invades his territory, then proceeds to threaten Nabiki and insult him... The anger was a tangible thing now. "Where you've come from I do not know, but I will kill you."

The man smiled. "If I don't get you first." He winked. "See ya around." With that said, he turned and left.

Kuno watched the man leave school grounds, his body shivering. He pulled his eyes away from the man's figure and decided he wasn't feeling so good. Heading back inside, Kuno knew things were getting out of hand again. The day was just too strange, and now he had to worry about the book, Akane, Nabiki and the mysterious stranger. There was a lot of trouble in the foreseeable future.

***

The kid most definitely had the book. Why he was protecting it so fiercely... Surely he couldn't read it. No way some outsider wolf-boy could read the oh-so sacred vamp scribble. For a second, Karl thought that maybe the boy (names, damn it) was already working for the rogue, but he didn't smell at all like a vampire's servant.

'Probably dead. Don't know how, but there's no trace of vamps. There should be a small army by now.' Karl sat on a bench and watched the people walk by. None of them gave him a second glance.

His plan was simple, more complicated in execution. The kid would be on alert, and the kid knew his smell. Getting close enough to take him by surprise, or touch anything he knew well enough would be a problem. The arrogant vamps who thought they knew everything were so much easier to deal with.

Oh well. The rest of the day was his to do with as he pleased. Karl figured he might as well get in some recreational activity... He stood up and began to follow one buxom young lady at a respectable distance.

***

Kuno sat and looked at the book in his hands. What was so important about it? He flipped through the pages, looking at all the information he couldn't read. The house... Gosunkugi... He looked back at the pages, taking more time to look at each page. Every so often, the writing would change, the characters getting larger, more rounded. Different handwriting? Not that it mattered; it was still illegible.

Toward the back of the book, a slip of folded paper fell out finally shook loose and fluttered to the floor. Kuno set down the book and picked up the paper. Unfolding it somewhat carefully since the paper was rather brittle, he looked what was written on it and began to read.

It was a note, not done by the writer of the book, speaking of thinly veiled conspiracies and overthrowing the throne, replacing the evil overlord... Wait a minute. Kuno looked away from the note in his hands, then back at it. He could still read it.

It was... very strange. It reminded him of the funny feeling he got when he read English. Many other people looked at it and saw chicken scratch even while he could read it. The note wasn't written in in Japanese or English, but he could read it perfectly. Kuno scanned the note again, almost unable to see where the the lines of each character began and the language started.

Kuno dropped the note and rubbed his eyes. Too strange... It was too close to the end of the day and Kuno just didn't want to think any longer. What he really wanted was to be under a big, pillowy blanket with Nabiki in his arms, and she'd be grouchy as ever, and he'd be... That was when he realized one hand had strayed to his groin.

Shaking his head, blushing heavily, Kuno picked up the note, tucked it back into the book and decided it was time to get some help.

***

"What you want?"

There was something strangely familiar about Shampoo. Kuno frowned, pretending to be thinking about his order. He looked up at her, then back at his menu. "May I have a few moments?"

Shampoo sighed angrily and walked away. Under her breath, she muttered, "Stupid sword boy."

Kuno glared at her back. The Nekohanten was not a place he would recommend for its friendly staff. Still, there was something... Then he got a glimpse of who he was looking for: Cologne, naturally.

"Stupid Mousse!" came Shampoo's angered voice. Then there was a clatter of pans and the sound of splashing water.

Most of the patrons ignored the noise, but Kuno craned his neck to see what had happened. There was the angry hiss of a cat and some impassioned quacking that he heard, but he still couldn't see anything. He leaned back a little further and saw a pile of fine Chinese silk laying on the floor, and emerging from it, a small purplish-colored cat.

Controlling his surprise and amazement, Kuno watched Cologne scold the cat and... duck with glasses? Then she poured water over the two and Kuno's jaw dropped. In front of his eyes, the cat and duck changed into a pair of wet and naked teens. All thoughts of the book and speaking to Cologne were driven from his mind as he stared at the two.

Kuno stood up slowly and left the restaurant in a daze. After a few moments of aimless wandering, he found himself walking toward the Tendo home, his thoughts in a whirl. Most pressing, the stranger's threat sat very vividly in the front of his mind. 'No matter, I watch Akane, Nabiki and the book at all times and...' Yeah, simple, no problem. Carry the stupid little book everywhere and watch two people that didn't want him around, easy.

One thing to be grateful for was that Gosunkugi's home was farther away. That would probably add up to trouble... That would have been trouble long before now though... It was starting to get difficult to string together any sort of rational thoughts and his head was really starting to throb. Kuno wondered if he had been out too many nights and was paying for it with a cold. Thankfully he was close to the Tendo's; Kasumi wouldn't turn him away.

Finally at the door, he knocked, feeling more faint by the second. Kasumi answered, and seeing his condition, ushered him immediately inside.

"You look sick. Why don't you come inside and lay down?" Kasumi said, pulling gently on his arm. Feeling too ill to refuse, Kuno followed her, dragging his feet a little. "We'll put you in the guest room for now. Ranma and Uncle Saotome won't mind."

Kuno shook his head and tried to refuse, but Kasumi would have none of it. "You look horrible. No arguing."

"I must..."

"No, you must lay down. You're very pale." Kasumi put her hand to his forehead. "And a fever. You probably have the flu." Kasumi practically threw Kuno down, then bundled him in a blanket. "Let me get you some tea." Kasumi left the guest room and went toward the kitchen.

Wrapped in the blanket, Kuno tried to break free, but found he was thoroughly trapped. He got one arm free, sweating heavily from the effort, and laid his head back down. At least he could still feel the book safely in his possession, pinned to his body under the blanket.

By the time Kasumi returned with tea and a protesting Nabiki, Kuno was unconscious, his face flushed. "It seems he's already asleep. I'll just have to take this tea to father; mustn't let it go to waste."

Nabiki barely noticed her departure. She entered the room, feeling strangely compelled to do so. Sitting down by Kuno's head, Nabiki looked at him and frowned slightly. She listened for any sound in the house, and hearing only Kasumi and the two men playing shogi, scooted forward, putting Kuno's head in her lap.

She brushed some hair from his forehead, feeling the heat coming from his skin, and wondered aloud, "Why you? Why couldn't you have been smarter? Why did you have to come from a crazy family? Why does my life feel like such a waste?"

Kuno's eyes opened momentarily, revealing his red irises. He looked dazedly up at her, then returned to unconsciousness. Nabiki shook her head and sighed, then continued to smooth his hair. A new batch of questions began to form in her mind, the answers even more confusing and uncertain. 'Why does this feel so right? Why did this have to happen? What's going to happen to me?'

Kasumi silently watched Nabiki sit with Kuno. She really wanted to go and comfort her younger sister, but it was something that needed to be worked out by Nabiki, and her alone. The single tear Kasumi watched fall made her bite her lip. It was all she could do to stop herself from rushing over and giving Nabiki a hug. She shut the door and went back to the kitchen, wringing her hands.

The thought suddenly occurred to Nabiki just how desperately she wanted whatever was in her to be gone. And how that would solve so many of her problems, and she would be able to stop worrying. Then she felt it, and knew it couldn't be what she thought it was. It just wasn't possible at only three months. She wasn't even showing, how could it be possible? It happened again, and there was no mistaking it.

Nabiki's stomach cramped, and right away her whole body tightened up against the pain she knew was forthcoming. Why did this keep happening? Nabiki started to stand, ready to call out for help. Before she could manage to do so, her change overtook her, ripping through her shirt and bra.

Laying on the floor, breathing heavily, Nabiki was just thankful it had only been the process of the change and not... something else. 'Why? You want them gone, don't you?' her completely rational mind asked. 'Or... Are you afraid of losing them?' it teased.

Nabiki tried to deny it, but found she couldn't mount much of a protest. 'Shame on you. You've gotten soft... real soft,' the voice said then faded out.

Looking at her hands, Nabiki had her own thoughts. 'If we were in a room alone together, would you still be saying that?' That made her feel a little bit better about things, knowing it was the truth. No one would do well to cross her path. That was when Kasumi opened the door, a wet washcloth in her hand.

"Oh my," she said, sounding vaguely surprised. "Nabiki, is that you?"

Nabiki nodded and shifted uncomfortably. If these spontaneous changes were going to keep happening, she was going to have to start wearing larger clothes.

"I brought this for Tatewaki," Kasumi said, walking over and kneeling next to Nabiki. She placed the washcloth on his forehead. "It's just the flu; he'll be perfectly fine."

Denying things, Nabiki realized she was just growling at Kasumi, who seemed not to notice. Giving up the the show, Nabiki instead began to gently pick at the bandage on Kuno's neck, removing it. As she thought, the marks were healed over, completely gone. Snorting softly, Nabiki finally decided to let her body take over and give her mind a break for a while. She couldn't do anything worse than what she had done already. What difference would it make?

Nabiki stood and bent over, Kasumi watching her intently. She gathered the unconscious Kuno into her arms, blanket and all, and lifted him. Again, she reveled in the strength she felt, as Kuno felt like he weighed little more than a bag of rice.

"Nabiki, you shouldn't..." Kasumi started to say, standing up.

Like Kuno was a baby, Nabiki held him close to her and shook her head. She just wanted some privacy to wind down and relax. Kasumi didn't fit anywhere in that plan, and neither did the guest room. Refusing to hear anything more from Kasumi, Nabiki left the room and carried Kuno to her own room.

Settling him into her bed, she went back to close and latch the door. It was somewhat unfortunate that Akane knew how to get past the latch, but there was an unspoken understanding that Akane would never abuse the knowledge.

Finally feeling well-secured, Nabiki went back to the bed and started to get in. Before she got one leg in, she stopped and looked down at herself. Grumbling, she struggled out of the rest of her clothing, trying very hard not to ruin any more of her clothes. So much for ever wearing her shorts again.

So this was where they both lived, and sisters even. How interesting. And the boy was there. Even more interesting, but more complicated. Karl sat on the wall surrounding the property and looked up at the open window. The two of them were in there now, and the boy was sick. This would be the perfect time.

Karl hopped off the wall and approached the house. Three birds with one stone; very convenient. Changing just enough to give himself the necessary strength, Karl leapt up to the window. Oh yes, this would be very convenient, very fun...

Nabiki was situated in her bed, her legs on either side of Kuno's body with him resting against her. One arm was around his body and resting on his stomach, with the other over his shoulder, under the blanket, on his chest. Now all she had to do was figure everything out, make some sense out of how she was feeling.

Kuno moved a little, tossing his head. "No... not her..."

Nabiki's hands began moving in a surprisingly motherly manner, trying to soothe and quiet Kuno. If she had thought about it, she just might have been worried because of the automatic reaction and the natural, almost loving way she was doing it.

"Not Nabiki... You can't have her..." Kuno actually began to struggle in her arms.

Nabiki pulled him into a nearly sitting position and held him tightly. With his arms pinned and being in a dream state, Kuno's struggles were fairly weak, and after a few moments stopped. Nabiki knew there was no denying it any longer as she squeezed Kuno gently. The same thing that had happened to him was happening to her; she could feel it.

She didn't want it. She didn't want it in this way, or with this person, but... Nabiki closed her eyes and squeezed tighter. But she needed someone, she needed him, she WAS going to have his children, and God help her because she couldn't help herself...

How she could have missed all the noise, Nabiki didn't know, but she definitely heard the stranger come in through her window. She turned her head to look at the foreigner climbing into her room. Growling, Nabiki released Kuno and got out of bed so she was facing the intruder.

Karl got himself through the window and into the room. He was now facing a very upset looking wolf. A female. They always had the worst tempers. He glanced at the bed to see that the boy was still passed out, which he was. Everything seemed to be going Karl's way that day.

"Settle down, girl. I just want you to come with me. There doesn't have to be a fight."

Nabiki stared at the man in front of her, still growling. Instead of the nervousness she had felt at first, there was only anger in her. It was white hot and refused to be denied. It was this, this feeling of power, mastery and intimidation... This was what it was all about, what was so tempting. Especially to someone who had never known it in such a raw state. Nabiki glanced briefly over at Kuno. Someone who had never known...

Karl picked that moment to strike. Wolf or not, she was still only a female, and an inexperienced one at that. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know Nabiki in the slightest.

While he did catch her by surprise, covering the distance between them very swiftly, Karl wasn't expecting Nabiki to put up any sort of a fight. He grabbed her wrists, waiting for her to quickly give in. The look on Nabiki's face when she turned back was anything but helpless. It was easy to see the bright red and orange her eyes had become; a color that resembled the fury bubbling up like lava within her.

Twisting her hand, Nabiki broke free of Karl's grasp and got hold of his wrist. She may not have been able to fight, but she had one advantage. Nabiki snapped her head forward, closing her jaws over the lower half of Karl's face.

Karl let out a strangled scream as Nabiki slowly tore the skin from his cheeks and chin. She wrenched her other hand free and drove her claws deep into his stomach. Karl slumped against her, his body becoming slack with shock. Nabiki shoved him away, removing her claws from his gut, and took hold of his clothing. With a quick jerk of her arms, she expertly flung Karl through her window, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Tromping angrily over to the window, Nabiki shut it, then closed the curtains. Feeling supremely satisfied, she shivered with the pleasure of what she had done to that intruder had given her. Back at the side of her bed, she looked down at Kuno and shook her head. He hadn't moved an inch.

Nabiki got back into the bed behind Kuno, resuming the position she had been in before. It was like this that she fell asleep very early in the evening.

***

Anatoly looked out the window. Full darkness had descended, but Karl had not returned. As irresponsible he thought the dog-man was, he couldn't believe Karl would run away like that. He didn't want to have to go out to look, but if Karl didn't show up soon, he wouldn't have a choice.

The bleeding and ravaged body pulled itself along the ground. Karl had been very lucky it had gotten dark or he would have been causing quite a ruckus. On top of what the girl had done to him, he wasn't healing very well at all. And to top THAT, some horrid little beasts had tried to feast on him.

Exhausting his limited strength, Karl decided to lay in the darkness for a little bit and let his energy recharge. Anatoly was waiting for him, no doubt, but that was just too damn bad.

Kuno didn't open his eyes. He was surrounded by silky softness and didn't want to ruin the sensation. His wonderful envelopment was breathing deeply, relaxing him further. It was almost impossible to keep awake for even a few moments. He sighed tiredly and his cover tightened around him.

Turning slightly, he pressed his face into the softness. There was an intimidating bone structure under the gentle touch, but he didn't mind at all. Pulling his arms from under the blanket, he wrapped them around the mass of velvety comfort. "Mm... Nabiki..."

There was a snuffling growling noise in his ear, then Nabiki shifted her position. Kuno's entire body shivered as Nabiki's fur caressed his skin. Even while he was holding her, she managed to start removing his clothes.

Kuno released Nabiki and laid on the bed placidly, his head still swimming with the flu, as she pulled off the rest of his clothing. He finally opened his eyes, revealing their faint glowing, as he felt the smooth, wet touch of Nabiki's tongue across his chest.

Karl heard it, heard the howl of that bitch. If he had had enough of his face to scowl, he would have. For the time, things were progressing very slowly. It was like she had actually hurt him, though he didn't know how it was possible from the minor wounds she had given him.

He really needed to get back to that house, get off the sidewalk, but as it was, he couldn't move his legs very well. Maybe, just a little longer and things would get better.

***

Kuno woke up, laying precariously on the edge of the bed. Thankfully, happily, Nabiki was acting as his anchor. She, in her regular human form, was wrapped around him seductively, sleeping peacefully. The blanket was over them, barely maintaining their modesty.

Slowly disentangling himself from Nabiki, Kuno sat up, feeling his head. Apparently, whatever fever that had been present was gone. He looked down at the pile of clothing on the floor, the book sitting on top. Last night had been an experience he would most assuredly like to repeat at some point in time, remembering what he had woken up to.

Kuno stood up and went to look out the window. There was something on the windowsill... blood by the smell. A stranger's blood. Dry, but still, where did it come from?

"Aren't you cold?" came Nabiki's voice from behind him.

"Surprisingly, I am not," he answered. "From whom did this blood come from?" Kuno turned and looked at Nabiki, who was sitting up in bed, the blanket over her.

Right away she began to snicker. "You should do that more often; it's awfully sexy. I could get pretty used to it." There was a predatory smile on her face and her eyes were the faintest bit red.

"To what are you re..." Kuno looked down at himself and was a little surprised himself. His stomach and legs were covered with fur. There was more on his chest, though it was much thinner there. "How interesting," he said. As he watched, the fur receded into his body, leaving him with only smooth skin.

"How do you do that?" Nabiki asked, really anxious to get her own changes under control once and for all.

Kuno shrugged. "Extensive practice." He began sorting through the pile of clothes, picking out his own. "Now, to whom does that blood belong?"

"Some creep came in here last night." It was Nabiki's turn to shrug. "He got a little violent, so I got a little more violent."

Kuno looked up in surprise at her admission. "He didn't hurt..."

Nabiki laughed lightly. "Kuno-chan, don't you know I can take care of myself?" She arched an eyebrow. "You should have seen his face, or what was left of it." Smiling devilishly, Nabiki got out of bed and slipped on her robe. "I'm going to take a bath and get downstairs early before Ranma and his father eat every scrap of food on the table. I'm starving."