{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!}

Kuno licked his chops eagerly and leaned forward in anticipation. Nabiki ran her fingertip through the gash in the rabbit and lifted it to his nose, where his nostrils flared with the tantalizing scent teasing it.

She touched the thin line of his lips lightly until he finally took her finger into his mouth and sucked aggressively on it, scraping his teeth lightly on her skin. He set the rabbit on the tree, releasing Nabiki's finger, and pushed her over to the side so she was on her back in the snow.

Kuno pulled open the tunic-like shirt she was wearing, and with ability born of much practice, he carefully unhooked her bra. She didn't feel particularly cold even though the temperature was low enough to make the ground freeze. Yet, she wasn't adversely affected by it. Her body was still reacting to the temperature, especially with her chest laid bare, and her nipples had already hardened.

Grunting, Kuno exposed her chest and stomach completely. Delighting in the sight, he was suddenly so excited that he didn't know what to do because he wanted to do it all at once. Her body, the cold air, and the smell of the rabbit was beginning to overload his brain.

Nabiki reached up, fumbling a bit, and took hold of the rabbit and pulled it off the dead tree. Staring into Kuno's eyes, she allowed blood from the quickly cooling body to dribble down the path of her breastbone.

Setting it aside, more within her reach this time, she ran her fingers through the blood on her chest, then traced the curve of her breast and swirled her fingertip around her nipple. Wearing a smile somewhere between amused and wicked, the heady scent of coppery blood exciting her as well, Nabiki whispered, "Take them all off."

The blood, the smell, the taste, the pure desire... She hated it. She hated being a slave to her sense, but...

Kuno quickly stripped her the rest of the way and immediately had his own ideas on what to do. Before going any farther, he lightly brushed his fingers over Nabiki's eyes to get her to close them. He then reached for the rabbit, teasing her bare skin with the brush of his fur. No matter how much he enjoyed everything, it only got better with the addition of blood from a kill.

Sitting up quickly, he held the rabbit up and let the blood spill out over Nabiki's stomach and lower, then back up over her breasts. The sight of her covered in the blood, writhing beneath him would fuel his fantasies for a very long time to come. He bent down and began lapping up the blood when Nabiki grabbed a handful of fur.

She glared at him, holding on very tightly, and said, "Change."

Kuno raised his eyebrows at her command, then quickly changed back to human. Instead of being held by the fur, it was by the hair, and he was being yanked down for a heated kiss.

Relaxing, he lowered his body and felt the thickening blood squelch between them. His whole body shivered against the feeling as it created a slippery layer, growing slightly sticky between the two of them. How did she always know what to do to make him so desperate? It was absolutely infuriating. In a good way.

"Two times in one day. I do believe you are getting worse," Kuno said as they lay in the snow next to each other.

"Worse? In what way?" Nabiki asked.

Sitting up, Kuno looked down at her. Seriously, he answered, "Each day, your insatiable appetite grows ever larger." He smiled.

"Don't even start. You know I blame this on you anyway," she replied.

"Of course. Forgive me." He continued to look at her, his smile gone. It was still strange to him, the way he could gaze at her naked form and not feel anything beyond mild arousal. There had been a time, not that long ago really, that the sight of a half-dressed (or less) girl (namely Akane or the pig-tailed girl) would have him drooling and twitching.

Now... He ran his finger up the outside of Nabiki's thigh and felt the vague stirrings, but nothing that needed immediate attention. If anything, it was a feeling of satisfaction, but not for the most obvious reason. The way his body worked now was just too confusing. Whenever he actually tried to make sense of it, he just ended up going in a circle. He found it best to simply accept things and take them as they came.

If only it was possible to get Nabiki to do the same...

Nabiki saw the unfocused look in his eyes and shook her head. "And you call me insatiable. Look who's talking."

Kuno looked startled for a moment, then he grinned. "The lady makes a joke? We shall see how funny she thinks this is then." He scooped Nabiki up, who immediately began to struggle, but maybe not as hard as she could have. Standing, Kuno headed for the river.

"Not this again!" Nabiki protested, putting a little more effort into her escape attempt.

"Fear not. It is only slightly colder than it looks. And cleansing for the both of us is in order." At the river's edge, he took a small step, letting the cold water cover his foot. No, it really wasn't that bad.

"Think of it as simply a refreshing dip," he continued, and started walking out farther into the water.

The moment the frigid water hit Nabiki's backside, she shrieked, more in surprise than anything else. "Get me out of this water right now!" she demanded.

"That will cost you." And then Kuno ducked and submerged them both, maintaining his footing in the rushing current. He knew she probably wasn't enjoying it as much as he, simply because there was no way his body could even come close to feeling like hers, wet and squirming against him.

This time, he emerged with her from the water and kissed her before she could protest. That was her problem. She was either serious or wickedly humorous. Nabiki never relaxed, except for those precious few days at lunch, which he sorely missed.

"Relax," he whispered to her as the river flowed around them. "Enjoy this." He kissed her gently again, holding her body against his. Nothing overtly sexual about it, just comfortable, inviting... His hands roamed slowly, carefully, not losing hold of her.

He broke the kiss, listening to her murmur, maybe of protest, and sighed. "How could I ever not love you?" he whispered.

"You seemed to manage it pretty well for a while there," she answered smartly, still doubting his sincerity.

"Your words are cold, but your body is warm. Abandon your protests, give in to your desires and leave your doubts behind," he proclaimed loudly.

Nabiki looked at him with surprise. "What drugs are you on?" she asked, blinking. Still she held on to him, tuning out the pleasant sensation of their bodies in contact with one another in the cold water. Suddenly blushing like a fool, she tried to push Kuno's arms away so he would put her down, but he resisted.

"Jesus, Kuno-chan. What's wrong with you?" Nabiki asked, becoming more confused by each passing moment.

"Nothing could be more right!"

"Did you hit your head? Or get bitten by a bug? Eat something bad maybe?"

"Nay! And now..." His voice turned quiet and bordered on suave. "Shall we continue, or do you truly wish to stop now?"

"What is it with you tonight?"

"Since you did not say no..."

The words forming in Nabiki's mouth were forced out of her as a squeak as he lifted her against him, letting her legs go and pressing their chests and stomachs together tightly while they kissed.

When they finally returned to the cabin, both wet and slightly chilly, they managed to squeeze into the bed this time together.

Before sleep overcame them, he whispered to her, "Sex with you is the best thing that's ever happened to me." He kissed the nape of her neck before settling in.

Sleep was not as easy for Nabiki to find. What was it with him that suddenly had him acting like an extreme loon? And that last thing he had said... What was up with that? But, she considered as she yawned, he did have a pretty comfortable hold on her, and the water had been nice, and maybe she could just... go with the flow for a little while.

That was when she finally managed to sleep.

For most of the night, the two slept deeply, moving very little in the cramp space afforded them, but eventually, Kuno started to dream. A dream of something dark and unpleasant.

It wasn't anything visible, just an impression of an intruder, someone watching him. Watching him, watching Nabiki... An intruding male, which he didn't take kindly to. However, when he looked around for whoever it was, he couldn't see anyone.

He couldn't see anyone, couldn't smell anyone... Nothing, but he knew there was someone just waiting for a chance to take Nabiki away from him. Not that he would ever allow that. he would have to be dead to allow that.

Thankfully, the dream passed shortly, and the darkness reclaimed him.

***

Morning came early, seemingly extra early with the continuous darkness. Nabiki awoke first, slowly coming to awareness in the tiny bed. That was one thing she didn't mind about the whole situation: waking up in someone's arms. Even if it was only Kuno, it still felt pretty nice. And maybe he really wasn't that bad...

But no one needed to know that either. That could just be her little secret. She freed her arms from Kuno's hold, noticing immediately where his hands fell, and stretched luxuriously. "Kuno-chan," she said quietly, "are you done yet?"

Almost in mocking, his hands squeezed her momentarily, then they slid down to her ribs, tickling her slightly. Of course, it was from the soft fur covering his arms and brushing delicately against her.

Shivering a little, wishing momentarily she had her own fur coat she could rely on, Nabiki pulled away from Kuno and sat up in the bed. She wasn't as tired from the previous night as she thought she'd be, which was a plus, but there was now the whole death thing weighing on her mind. That was a fairly sizable minus.

Bleah. None of that was accomplishing anything. But neither was just sitting on the bed. She was undecided. She just didn't feel up to life in general that day. It happened to everyone now and again, and Nabiki was not exempt from that. And why was she talking to herself like that?

Oh yeah. That did it. Nabiki laid back down to get a little more sleep. Rolling to her back after a few moments, she exhaled heavily. From there, she shifted to her other side so she was facing Kuno. It didn't seem to matter though. No matter how hard she tried to sleep, there was just something not right that was preventing her.

The bed itself was fine. The problem wasn't there. It was something else. Giving up on the idea of more sleep, Nabiki got out of bed and paced the room. Yes, the room. That was it, but what about it?

"Come back to bed," Kuno said sleepily.

Nabiki looked over at him and shook her head. "I can't sleep."

"Why not?"

What a twit. "If I knew that, I'd be able to do something about it and I'd be asleep." She maintained her annoyance for another second. "There's just something not right here. I don't know what."

Kuno sat up yawning and stretching. That was an interesting feeling in itself as his muscles did their own stretching, changing and changing back again. It was like a really, REALLY good stretch.

Nabiki's eyes glazed over when Kuno stretched, his chest acquiring unreal proportions for a few moments. Would going to the beach be like this, staring at all the guys? Or was it just Kuno? Either way... "Kuno-chan, stop that."

"Stop what?"

Nabiki rolled her eyes. What a dip. "I need some air. I'm going outside." She slipped on some clothes and left the room, feeling like there was a stranger watching her back. Too bad for Kuno-chan. He could stay in there for all she cared.

Leaving the home and stepping out into the cold air immediately woke Nabiki up and refreshed her. That weird feeling was gone, which relieved her quite a bit. Looking around, it was apparently earlier than she had thought because the village wasn't bustling yet. If only the sun came, then he'd be able to tell what time it was. Or at least know when it was morning.

Not that it mattered because she enjoyed the silence, the tranquility. Nabiki decided then to go for a little walk alone with just her thoughts. Somewhat surprisingly, her thoughts were particularly silent at the moment. That made it all the more quiet in the snow.

When would Kuno realize that she wasn't like him and that she operated in a different manner? Ah, there was her inner monologue. A perfect way to start out the day, even with the pleasant walk. Her stomach growled to punctuate her thoughts.

Her nose twitched unconsciously and her stomach growled again. Eating for three. What a pain. It was looking like she'd have to cut her walk short to get something to eat before she woke up the entire village with her noisy stomach.

Turning, Nabiki was planning on simply heading straight back, but the small shape hiding amidst a clump of dormant bushes caught her eye. Her eye and her nose, and that was what set it all in motion. The feeling hit her like a ton of bricks and she was powerless to stop it.

Desperately attempting to shed any clothing that might rip, Nabiki fought through the pain, fought the urge to just fall to the ground and give up while the agony rifled through her. It was only when the change reached her stomach, the on problem point, that she did sit down roughly.

Strangely, the cold snow made it not so bad, the wetness somehow taking the edge off the pain in her arms and legs. Moaning, Nabiki put her hands, now with long, thin fingers and impossibly sharp nails, on her stomach. It felt like she had the most wicked cramp in the universe, and it wasn't going away. She knew she shouldn't have gone out alone, but...

"Just get it over with," she growled, her voice sounding barely human, as another wave of pain hit her. All this because she had been hungry and a stupid little rabbit had caught her attention. She really needed to get these changes under control in a hurry.

Finally, with a great stomach-churning shift, it was done with, and Nabiki was feeling a whole lot better, if not much happier. Grumbling to herself, she collected the clothes she had shed, folding them neatly.

Crap. She couldn't go back in her current condition. Someone would probably end up having a heart attack, or attacking her. Great. Maybe if she could just get Kuno-chan to... Her stomach rumbled again, letting her know its demands hadn't been met yet. And that damnable rabbit was still hiding over there. Well, if it wanted to live on the dangerous side, Nabiki was obliged to teach it a lesson.

The rabbit did little more than twitch its left ear and Nabiki was off. She covered the original distance between the little animal and herself in three bounds, sending the rodent tearing off through the snow. Nabiki was faster, but the rabbit was more maneuverable in its native territory.

The chase, as the little creature seemingly ran through every obstacle in an effort to annoy, was making Nabiki a tad upset. It had teased her with its presence, then had the nerve to run away. Well, she would make sure it learned not to toy with her when she was hungry.

And it was so annoyingly quick. Growling, Nabiki tried to force herself to move a little faster, but there simply wasn't enough room among the trees for her to really go all out. The rabbit darted under a fallen tree that Nabiki was forced to hurdle. Instead of continuing though, the rabbit had found its way to its burrow positioned beneath the tree and had scurried down it.

Stopping abruptly in the snow, Nabiki turned and glared at the fallen tree that had helped her breakfast to escape. She could see the little space under the tree where the rabbit had gone. Maybe if she was lucky... Crouching down, Nabiki reached her arm down into that little area and felt for... well, anything. Feeling the hole the rabbit had escaped into, she thrust her down into it as far as it would fit.

Unfortunately, that wasn't very far, and she couldn't get that floppy-eared bastard. Withdrawing her hand, she pushed the tree over a little, and that was when the rabbit made its move.

Instead of hiding down the hole, it had squeezed under the tree to the opposite end and had been hiding there. For fear of being squashed, it started to run, which got Nabiki's attention. Her head whipped around to see the annoying little beast run off, much to her consternation.

... Until it was nearly beheaded by a set of claws piercing its neck. It was dead before it even knew what happened.

Nabiki looked up sharply, caught totally off-guard by whoever this stranger was. She had been able to tell immediately that it was not Kuno, because this stranger, this wolf had white fur. Whiter than white even. This was not good.

Nabiki yanked her arm and hand free the rest of the way and jumped back, eyeing the stranger suspiciously. Possibly even a bit hostilely, considering her last encounter with a strange wolf, but she was probably not using as much caution as she should have been.

Instead of making any sort of aggressive move, the other simply stood and watched her, his whole body perfectly still. Backing away very slowly, Nabiki couldn't help but stare, her attention at the possibility of being in a very dangerous situation wavering. Since she hadn't actually seen any other... others besides Kuno and herself, this one standing before her was fascinating. There were a host of little details about him that differentiated the two males, and that's what she was looking at.

This one's legs were a little longer, but his chest was smaller, more compact. His nails were shorter and Nabiki could see they were much thicker and somewhat ragged with use. But his eyes were the strangest thing of all. They weren't red. They were white, like the color in them had simply been forgotten.

The stranger removed his claws from the body of the rabbit and slowly backed away, putting even more space between himself and Nabiki. There was something in his eyes, those flat, almost dead eyes, that she didn't care for. It was like she was being sized up again, the same way that vampire had done to her before. She snarled, just a little, at him.

So this was her. How interesting. It was obvious she was inexperienced, but he knew how difficult the pregnancy would make the change and that didn't help her at all. Not that that mattered. His little investigation had almost gotten him caught. She probably would have noticed him eventually, and then things would have gotten awkward. He really liked to be in control when it came to confrontations, and surprise was his best ally in that sense.

Oh well. He would make an effort to watch the two more, maybe see what the other one looked like, test his mettle. And maybe, in a bit of vicarious living, he could catch them doing something with another rabbit. Whatever they had been doing before smelled... very intriguing, definitely worth watching.

Continuing to move back, he watched her snarl at him and couldn't contain his deep inhuman chuckle. Oh yes, she would fit right in to things. He turned and ran just far enough away so he could see what she would do next.

Nabiki watched him run off into the trees, the mysterious figure now capturing all her attention and curiosity. Her nostrils flared repeatedly as she picked up the mingling scent of the stranger. She picked it up, a bit faint, and then again, stronger. Suddenly, in a rush of sensation, she could smell... everything. Not like before, not things here and there, but everything.

This was what she had been missing before, what was really impressive. Everything seemed more real. And that rabbit... Nabiki looked at it and immediately her mouth began to water. She could almost taste it.

Still looking for the stranger amidst the trees, she approached the rabbit slowly. If the stranger was planning on returning for his kill, she wanted to be ready for him. If he wasn't, then she'd just have to thank him for breakfast.

The morning wasn't exactly turning out like she had planned, but it wasn't all bad either. She still had that little problem of turning from a human into an animal... But first, a little something to tide her over until lunch.

***

Kuno reawakened later, spread out in the bed. It was nice to have some room while he slept and not be reduced to a coat of fur to keep himself warm. Just one of those little things about Nabiki... Such a bedhog. But, then, it was very nice to wake up with someone cuddled against him like she always did. It didn't hurt that she was usually naked.

He started to get out of bed, the blanket around his waist just in case anyone peeked in, still rather tired after the late night. Not that he minded; he could think of worse things to do late at night than... He sighed and tried to calm himself down. There just wasn't any call for that so early in the morning.

The one sure way to kill his mood... The smell. Damn it, why couldn't they just be left alone to go about their business? Didn't anyone have any respect for a physically bonding relationship anymore? Didn't they know Nabiki was his? It was something whoever had been snooping around had better learn quick because he was prepared to defend her, KEEP her, fight for her to the very end.

Wait a minute. Kuno looked around suddenly. Um... just where was Nabiki? In a sudden panic, Kuno pulled on his pants, ignoring a shirt and shoes for the moment, and burst from the room. He could smell she wasn't anywhere in the house, which meant she was outside, which meant...

Not sparing Rhodes or Anatalia any glances, Kuno threw open the door and slammed it behind him as he ran outside. The only thought running through his head over and over again was that he had lost her, maybe for good this time. And even if he hadn't, every time she left his sight, he would think that he had.

It took him a moment to pick up her scent, a failing of his worried mind, but when he did, he was off and running. There was a steady stream of curses running through his brain as each of the scents, Nabiki's and the stranger's, grew stronger.

No, he would never forgive himself if anything happened to her, but if something did, something... permanent, he wouldn't hesitate to kill himself. This train of thought helped him even less, and he doubled his efforts at locating her. His breathing was getting heavy as unwanted panic began to set in. Kuno was forced to stop for a moment and examine the woods around him.

"Nabiki!" he yelled, unable to control his terror any longer. "Where are you?" He stopped and listened for any reply, but only the sounds of the woods answered him. "Nabiki!" Kuno yelled again, this time his voice cracking.

It was only when her shape merged from the darkness at him and he almost fainted from surprise that Kuno felt better. He actually had tears of relief in his eyes as he went and embraced her tightly. The fact that she was a wolf and why was unimportant. All that mattered to him was that she was safe.

"You saw a stranger?" he asked, unwilling to let go even though she was trying to push him off.

Finally annoyed with his unrelenting hold, Nabiki took hold of Kuno's arms and pulled them apart, freeing herself. She pushed him away and held him at arm's length.

"Are you injured? Where did the fiend go? I shall..." Kuno said, his face shifting from worry to anger.

Nabiki let go of one of his arms and put her hand over his mouth to make him quiet. She led him back toward the village, releasing him when it seemed that he had finally calmed down. Making a quick detour to get her clothes from where she had left them, Nabiki resisted all of her wild urges to just be an animal, even if it was only temporary.

That was maybe the one thing she found more tempting than anything else about her situation, that if she really wanted to, she could just run off and leave everything behind. The scary thing about that though was that she knew if she did, she wouldn't feel the least bit guilty about it.

Leave her friends behind. Leave her home and family behind. Leave everything and she wouldn't feel bad about it at all. Their loss, it was her life to do with as she pleased, and there was no way she was going to cater to their pathetic needs just because they couldn't take care of themselves properly.

After all, shouldn't Father have a job? Shouldn't he be bringing money into the household instead of being a useless lump every day? And Akane and Ranma, always breaking things... When would they learn some responsibility and just grow the hell up? Nabiki had never seen a more immature pair of 16 year olds than them. Frankly, she was getting sick of it all.

Before she knew what she was doing, Nabiki threw Kuno to the ground, pinned his arms and had his neck in her jaws. She was about three seconds from literally biting his head off. Then his fear washed over her, his fear of her, and all her anger and annoyance disappeared.

Even subconsciously, she was manipulating him, using her power over him to wash away the helplessness she felt about her family. She used him to make her feel better, and strangely, it felt fine. It felt like it was the natural order of things. That, in a way, scared Nabiki.

Was the natural order of things for her to come close to killing people just as an easy way to make herself feel better? If it was, Nabiki had to admit she wasn't all that enthused with the idea. She didn't care about treating Kuno like crap... did she? But she didn't want to murder anyone. No, she was not a bloodthirsty killer. She would never kill anyone unless it was absolutely necessary.

But... Kuno had killed plenty of people, and that hadn't been necessary at all. OK, time for rationalization to kick in. Kuno was like that. He had quite a temper when it served his purposes, and he was naturally high-strung and quick to act. Of course he would go off murdering people like that if he thought they deserved it. However, she was nothing like that.

Nabiki Tendo would simply never get mad enough to go on a vengeance-motivated killing spree. And yet, vengeance wasn't beyond her. So what if she lost control, even once, and decided to take revenge on the person that had insulted her the other day? She would be little more than high school yakuza then, even if no one else knew it.

All the brief moments she had spent considering her sudden wild instincts, she had sat there with Kuno's life between her teeth, just waiting to remove him from existence. And she could have done so, so easily...

Nabiki stood up quickly, then ran off into the woods. Things... things were getting too personal, too dangerous. She was getting too close to things she wanted no part of. And she really didn't want to do anything bad to anyone. She just had to keep telling herself that.

Kuno would have no trouble finding her, but she hoped he realized that chasing after her at that moment would be a very unwise idea. Yes, she could just run off and be a wild animal, but more than anything, she just wanted to be home.

Nabiki wouldn't feel guilty for leaving her family, but guilt and sadness weren't necessarily related to each other.

Kuno sat up slowly, missing where Nabiki had run off to. At the moment, he didn't think he'd be following her anyway. She apparently needed some time to herself, and who was he to go against her wishes?

He put his hand to his throat and felt where her teeth had been only moments ago. That had truly been the most terrifying experience of his life, more than his initial encounter with the... the person who had done... It was so hard to think about his situation in regular terms. He had made due for a time, but now those terms seemed so inadequate.

They just didn't do justice to everything he had gone through, all the physical and mental pain that he had endured. He wasn't being melodramatic or self-pitying (two things he knew Nabiki would have accused him of), he was just being realistic. Anyone who had experienced what he had would feel the same way.

And anyone who knew what Nabiki's teeth felt like on their throat would have been just as afraid. But the most worrying thing was that he didn't know why she had done it. She had never been that... angry? She hadn't seemed angry when they had been walking; there hadn't appeared to be anything wrong when he had found her. In fact, she seemed more annoyed by his presence than anything. So just what had he done this time?

Sighing, Kuno stood and looked in the direction Nabiki's scent led. He wanted to go after her, if only to find out what was wrong, but he didn't want to test her mood either. It was then that he knew, he would never understand women. They were their own species and not meant for men to understand.

Instead of heading back to the village or following Nabiki, Kuno went and sat down on the ground with his back to a jagged tree stump. Whatever the problem was, he would be waiting when she returned.

Now that Nabiki was nearly an adult, and would be in only a couple more months, there were two things she truly despised: indecisiveness and lack of control. At the moment, she was experiencing both and hating herself for it. When she couldn't be in control of her own body, what was left? Not her mind, that was for sure. She had lost that when she had given in to her want, her need to have sex with Kuno.

Even then, her body hadn't really been under her control, but that hadn't occurred to her at the time. It hadn't been as big an issue as it was now. Back then, she had basically lowered herself to the level of a man, not being in control of her hormones. But now, she didn't even know what she was.

Shaking her head ruefully, Nabiki was finally getting an idea how Ranma felt. She wasn't strictly human any longer, but she wasn't an animal either. She didn't know what to think of herself, how to think of herself, which was ultimately frustrating because she had never had to worry about such a thing before.

There was one thing she definitely refused to be though. Nabiki would never belong to anyone but herself. Whatever Kuno called her, his love or his reason for living, or her father calling her his little girl... None of that mattered. She wouldn't be any of those things for them.

There was only herself, and how anyone else tried to coexist in her world would be on her terms. And it was as simple as that. She was her own master, and that was who she was. Nothing more, nothing less.

Finally with something, no matter how insignificant, worked out, Nabiki decided it was time to return. So maybe she wasn't the master of her own destiny (how could she be when she didn't believe in destiny), but she knew she could be the controlling force in her own... Nabiki looked down at herself and sighed. Her own life and the lives of at least two others. She figured she was already indirectly controlling Kuno's life, but that was practically by his own choice.

Walking back slowly, feeling the chill of the air as an almost abstract thing, Nabiki wondered just how much she could take. How much longer would it be until she DID give in? When would she find herself in the position that she had to kill someone? Those were questions she hoped she never had to answer.

And now to deal with Kuno. Jeez, what was she supposed to do with him? There were times he was so hard to deal with, not listening to her, acting like a complete reckless fool... A fool and an idiot that was good in bed, and maybe some other things that she couldn't admit. Of course, not all that was her fault. She hadn't actually asked for a bunch of annoying emotional ties, but...

Nabiki growled. It would have to be him, wouldn't it? It would have to be the one that couldn't plan five seconds into the future, the one who couldn't accept the obvious, the one that seemed to enjoy getting the crap beat out of him. Though, at least it hadn't been someone completely pathetic like Mousse, or a schmuck like Mikado. Not that there were many other choices that weren't complete strangers.

Naturally, no ordinary guy, like the other Furinkan riff-raff would do, so she would, of course, end up with the non-ordinary riff-raff. Why, oh why, did she have to live in Nerima? Someplace, some town where the people were normal... that was all she asked for. To hell with profitable. A simple, easy life was all she wanted now.

Kuno stood up slowly as Nabiki approached. She looked... tired. And unhappy, but not necessarily with him. Not to say she wasn't annoyed with him, but he got the distinct impression it wasn't only with him. He watched her slow, even footsteps carry her toward him and waited. If Nabiki wanted to come to him, then she would. No words needed to be spoken.

He did sigh with relief when she took his arm, no matter how roughly, and forced him to walk with her. Making an effort, Kuno tried to move closer, to walk against her and enjoy her presence. Because that was what he did. Sometimes, not very often, he was a simple person. Doing things because they made him happy was an uncommon thing, too uncommon for his liking.

When he found something he liked, something simple he could enjoy, he did it. That was what he did. Maybe it was a feeble effort to maintain his own semblance of sanity, maybe it was something that ate away at his sanity, those glimpses, almost forbidden, of simple happiness...

Even when Nabiki treated him like an idiot, like a child, in a way, it made him happy because it was simple and straightforward. She didn't think much of him, but he knew that. The lines between them were very clear, even if they did cross every so often. Simple.

That's the way he liked things. That was who he was.

***

No one could actually tell the clouds overhead were thickening, no one could really cared. They were a fact of life, and they did as they pleased. In the deepening darkness of approaching night, a rumble came from the clouds, slight and barely audible, but it was there.

A single snowflake fell lazily to the ground, accompanied by that rumble. It was joined by a second flake and the uncommon flash of lightning.

"Where do you think..."

"You know they'll be perfectly fine. Why do you insist on protecting them like they were babes? I don't understand."

Anna looked worriedly back at her husband, then slowly closed the door. "I don't know. They just..."

"Look, I understand. You know how... deeply, painfully I do. But really, if anyone needed protecting, it would be us, and they would do a better job of it than everyone in this village." Rhodes' voice had taken on the gentle soothing tone he used to placate his wife.

Inhaling once deeply and exhaling, Anna nodded and returned to her preparation of dinner. Her irrational, motherly feelings wouldn't have been so bad if... if they hadn't know tragedy before.

Rhodes sat down and was about to start mending a seam on one of his shirts when the thunder started again. "What the..." Both he and Anna looked upwards as if they would be provided with answers.

The thunder came again, this time sounding like 50 trees all falling at once and shaking the little house with its power. "I had better check on the animals before they panic totally," he said, rising from his chair. It was so strange. The weather was never so violent in the winter. Never.

He opened the door to see the scattered flakes making their slow descent. There was another crack of thunder that made him cringe slightly, and that was when he heard them. Two voices, growing in pitch and volume, howling at... Rhodes could guess. Shaking his head, partly at the couple, partly at the mysterious weather, he went to check on the animals.

It was sometime later, after Anna had gone to bed, but Rhodes was still up when the two returned. As they entered the house, Rhodes looked at them questioningly, but said nothing.

Kuno was wearing his usual happy, befuddled smile on his face, while Nabiki was cradled in his arms. By all appearances, she was asleep. When Kuno saw Rhodes looking at them, he blushed, ever so slightly, and nodded his head in greeting.

Rhodes quirked a smile at the couple, letting his gaze travel down to the exhausted, yet happy look on Nabiki's face. He arched one eyebrow and looked back up at Kuno.

Shaking his head in a feeble attempt to deny what Rhodes was implying, Kuno's cheeks turned scarlet and he hurried back to their room.

Chuckling slightly, Rhodes turned his attention back to the shirt he had been attempting to fix all evening. "To be young and in love," he said quietly to himself.

***

"I don't want to go," Nabiki whispered.

"Are you sure?"

"No."

Kuno understood, but would not say it. Nabiki was scared. Maybe he was a little scared himself. Frankly, the unknown scared him, and if things weren't unknown now, he didn't know when they ever would be. "What do you want to do then?" He could predict her answer; it was what he wanted to do too.

"Go home."

"Are you sure?"

"No."

Neither was he. "Why is that?"

Nabiki shrugged against him the dark. "I don't know. We've come so far, and..."

"It wouldn't be giving up."

"I know! You know, if I thought there wouldn't be any difference, I don't... I don't think I would have ever done this. I don't even really care about myself now. It's just... I don't think it's right to..." To force them to live in an unnatural state, or for her to have to take care of them.

"I understand."

"You always do. How do you manage that now? You never did before."

Kuno's next words shocked Nabiki. "I never made an effort before."

"Simple as that, eh? You never made the effort before? And what about Ranma?" It suddenly felt like he was playing some huge joke on her, on all of them.

His silence was proof of his sincerity though. "I... I never made the effort."

"I know, you already said that."

"Fine. It was an effort I never wished to make. Is that what you want to hear me say?"

"So you knew, but you never wanted to believe?" Nabiki made a tsking sound. "Kuno-chan, that is so cliche."

"It may be cliche. It may even be true."

Nabiki didn't know what to say to that. It sure sounded like he didn't even know why... if he... "Kuno-chan, are you gay?"

The outrage was quite clear in his voice. "Of course not! That is... I would never... Unthinkable!"

She couldn't help it. Nabiki started to laugh quietly, but with increasing volume. She just knew he was frowning at her, and that made it even more humorous. Always with that serious look on her face. "Well," Nabiki managed to say when her laughter died down, "that's good to hear."

"Is it now?"

Immediately, Nabiki knew she had made a mistake. He was quick enough now to use a little slip like that in his favor, even if it was only about his little fantasy that she really loved him. That was just ridiculous, but a quick comeback was more necessary than denial.

"Yeah, or I just wouldn't feel right about this." Nabiki rolled over so she had her back to Kuno, then she pressed back against him, wiggling. Not quite seductively, but just enjoying the feeling.

"You are correct," he answered, slipping his arms around her. "I'm sure that would not feel as pleasurable as it does if I were... if I was inclined toward the companionship of men."

"I've always wondered... when did you start talking like that? And why? I don't remember when..."

"I would prefer not to speak of it." In that instant, his voice had lost all semblance of familiarity or friendship. He was suddenly speaking to her as if she were Ranma.

"But I..."

"I will not speak about it." And with that, he turned and refused to say anything more.

That hadn't been the right approach to take, but Nabiki knew he would get over it and be his regular stuffy self again. Yet, this was a little mystery he wouldn't be able to keep to himself forever. After all, he hadn't always been so obsessed with his poetry and being a samurai.

Hesitating for a moment, Nabiki rolled over and looked at Kuno's back. His body was still, the only movement coming from his breathing. She meant to put her hand on his back, but as she was about to touch him, her hand stopped. Deciding to stop thinking so much, just this one time for his sake because they were in this situation together, Nabiki gently placed her hand flat on his shoulder blade. They needed each other.

Kuno's body twitched when Nabiki's hand came into contact with his back, then relaxed. She slid her hand from his shoulder up and over his side, then she moved closer to him until they were almost touching. "You know, for claiming to love me so much," she whispered, moving her hand up and down his side, "you sure like to push me away."

His voice in reply was quiet and much subdued, and Nabiki knew that he was hurt by something. "You do not, and do not attempt to tell me otherwise, love me. Whatever emotion I show for you, apart from base lust, is not returned. I will not have you abuse more knowledge about me when you feel it suits your purposes."

"You don't trust me?"

His answer was slow in coming. "I trust you more than I believe I should, but not as much as I would like to be able to." Kuno's voice was still hard and hurt.

And for some reason, the words he had said... hurt her. The fact that Tatewaki Kuno didn't feel he could trust her was... laughable. Insulting. Disappointing? "Well..." Nabiki shrugged so he could feel it. "I'm sorry."

"Your words are appreciated." It was quite obvious that they weren't.

"I mean it. I'm not just saying that. I figure, in this situation, we need each other. We need to be able to trust each other, turn to each other for help. I trust you." In their situation, she couldn't think of an instance when she wouldn't; Nabiki just couldn't imagine him turning on her.

"True."

At that moment, Nabiki just wanted him to face her. "Is that all you're going to say? Why are you so damned..."

"Melodramatic?" Kuno finally did roll over. "And why are you expressing such interest in an animal which you care nothing for? Honestly, the mystery of the real person hidden behind your exterior would warrant my presence near you even if our situations had never changed."

"You mean you weren't interested before?" It seemed that he had recovered a little of his budding sense of humor.

Kuno sniffed. "Of course not. I only desired..."

"My sister. I know. So why did you always hang around me?" She smiled. "Everywhere I went, I swear, you were right there."

"Mere coincidence."

Nabiki nodded as she spoke. "Uh huh. Sure. Anyway, that's OK. I'll keep your secret and won't even charge you until we get back home." She pressed his nose with her fingertip in a gesture of tired playfulness.

"Nonsense," Kuno grumbled. "I never needed to follow you. I had a myriad of young ladies seeking to date with me. Why would I chase you when all you think of is robbing me?"

Chuckling, Nabiki shook her head. "You were pretty cute back then. What happened?"

"I was tortured by your thieving ways."

"Don't be so melodramatic, Kuno-chan."

"Ah, your standard answer. Dare I say it, Nabiki Tendo, that you are becoming predictable? I know with fair certainty when you shall accuse me of being melodramatic.

"I think," he said suddenly, looking thoughtful in the darkness, "that each time you refer to me as melodramatic, that I shall call you predictable. Does that seem fair?"

Nabiki was left speechless, but only temporarily. "Kuno-chan, I don't know what to make of you. You may be melodramatic..."

"As you are predictable."

"Right, but you sure aren't any more."

"I will take that as a compliment. And now, I think it best that we get our needed rest. I believe the upcoming days will be harsh."

Nodding, Nabiki closed her eyes and tried to relax. There was nervous energy bubbling in her, just waiting to be released, but Kuno was right. Rest was important now, and she thought it would probably be important in the near future. She smiled slightly as his hand slid over her side. Big talker, still the same old Kuno.

"Not too bad now either," she whispered to herself.

"Thank you," he replied quietly, startling her.

Shaking her head, Nabiki knew she'd have to keep herself in check. Those little nighttime thoughts would have to be kept quiet and to herself. No point in giving too much away that could be used against her.

***

"I don't know how much stuff you two want to take with you because I know you're perfectly capable of fending for yourselves." Rhodes looked quite uncomfortable as he spoke, obviously disagreeing with the decision to travel to the overlord's stronghold.

"You know, only half the struggle will be dealing with Maxim. You have to get to him first," he continued, trying to be as hard-nosed as he could. He could tell he was failing. "You're going to have to cross a lot of hostile territory... Hostile. People, things that wouldn't take kindly to your presence. Ones that would eat you alive..."

"Stop it!" Anatalia said loudly. "Stop trying to scare them!"

"You know very well that it's the truth. Maybe if they get scared they'll drop this foolish idea and go home!" Rhodes yelled back, ignoring Nabiki and Kuno. "You know those swamps..."

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I do. I saw more men, more of their kind," he gestured at the two teens, "more vampires disappear into those swamps than I can remember. And they knew the risks. These two... they don't have a chance."

"We will take that risk," Kuno said. He looked quickly down at Nabiki when he started to smell her fear and uncertainty. "We have said before that we will risk death for this."

"So now we will," Nabiki added, though her voice didn't sound nearly as confident as her words.

Rhodes shook his head. "Risking death is one thing, but walking to your certain deaths is something completely different."

"There is no such thing as certain death," answered Kuno defiantly.

"Then you are a fool and your efforts will be in vain and your lives will be wasted. Don't you know, that's why his stronghold was built at that location, to force any ground-based assaults through the swamps, or into the mountains. Quite simply, nobody goes there unless they have permission or a death-wish." Rhodes simply could not believe the foolishness of the two.

"We shall take our chances then. And if you have no other help to offer us, we shall be leaving. We thank you for your hospitality." Kuno turned and headed for the door, Nabiki following. He was about to open it when Anna's voice stopped him.

"Wait! I won't let you go like this," she said. "I may not know as well as my husband, but I know the way. Follow the river south. When you can see the mountains in the west, go toward them."

"See them? But how..." Nabiki started to ask.

"You will know. They will be impossible to miss. Avoid the towns, especially those around the swamps. They're nothing but brutish animals there anyway."

Now Nabiki was curious how Anatalia knew all these things, but there wasn't exactly time to get into deep details. "What about getting 'permission'?" she asked instead.

Anna seemed to hesitate at the question. "You could try, but... Remember who you are dealing with. To them, to him, you are nothing."

No, she couldn't resist. "How do you know all this?" Nabiki asked quickly.

"Because... All our lives are directly linked to Maxim. Our survival, or our death, is all in his hands. It has been this way ever since..."

"Forever," Rhodes said coldly.

Silence.

"If that is all..."

"I wish you luck because without it, you won't survive." He was deadly serious, and anyone looking in Rhodes' eyes could see that.

***

"What do you think about the swamps he kept mentioning?" Nabiki asked, ruining the snowy silence of the forest. "Are you scared?"

"Nervous perhaps. But there is nothing to be frightened of until we actually encounter something. I will make no judgments before then."

"Fair enough. I have to admit, I'm not to excited by the prospect myself. Of meeting up with... whatever."

"Understandable. There has always been a quality about the unknown that make it more frightening than the mundane world."

Nabiki looked up at him and smiled wryly. "You call this a mundane world?"

"More so than it was before. Those moments before we passed through the portal... I was afraid then. Afraid for you because..." He shrugged. "You know why."

That she did, but the idea of Kuno being afraid. That was mind-boggling. He was never afraid. Yet... what did he have to be afraid of? Ranma thrashing him? That wasn't scary. Kodachi? She was scary, but she was also his sister. Um... ridicule from the other students? Not scary and he wouldn't care. "When is the time you can remember being the most afraid in your life, Kuno-chan?"

He looked at her suspiciously, then seeing she was serious, thought over his answer. "I think... when I was attacked. I was sure my life was forfeit when that beast pounced on me. Though there have been times that have come close to that."

"Like when?" This was fascinating. Whoever knew Kuno would be so open about this... and to her.

"When you were kidnapped. I felt the depths of such despair..." He looked at Nabiki, who was giving him an odd look. "I was afraid I would never see you again. After... after you had almost died, I knew I could never bear it. I could never stand losing you."

Flattering, but... Nabiki opened her mouth to ask another question, but Kuno was already speaking.

"And what of you? When did you find yourself most frightened?"

There weren't many times she could remember being scared enough to really stand out in her mind, but there were a few. "The first time I saw you, in that alley. I could barely make my legs move... You scared the living hell out of me, you know?"

"For that, I am sorry. I never intended to."

"I was..." VERY. "...pretty scared when that vampire grabbed me. Some of the things he said..." She shuddered a little.

"The criminals in the alley? They did not frighten you?"

Nabiki shrugged. "Sure they did, but that's something that sits at the back of my mind everyday, that I might be mugged or raped."

"Truly? How abhorable."

"Yeah, well, that's life. But... what about before? What scared you before?"

Kuno sighed. "You simply refuse to leave this alone. Very well. My father. He... he always frightened me. Never that I can remember was he a nice, kind man. I can never remember a day that I wasn't frightened of him. I know... I know that is..." His voice broke then and he couldn't form more words.