Shocking News

By: Missfortune

See part 1: Drunkard's Revenge for disclaimers and notes.

The next morning when the rest of the house woke up it was to the sound of pots and pans clanging in the kitchen. They soon found out why. It seemed that for the first time in forever, Kasumi was in a bad mood. Not just a bad mood. She was in a black mood. One couldn't look at her without getting a glare that sent shivers down their spines. When they sat down to breakfast they were shocked to find a box of cereal sitting on the table with a pitcher of milk, a pile of bowls and some spoons. Kasumi had always cooked before. She never fed them cereal. They were beginning to suspect that something was seriously wrong. But when they asked, she would speak to none of them. Finally she brought out a large tray full of delicious looking food and walked right past them. She marched to her room and shut the door. They exchanged puzzled glances but decided that it was safer not to ask.

Kasumi brought the heavily laden tray into her room and set it on the table next to the bed. She watched as Ranma slowly roused from the smell of food. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around groggily.

"Where am I?" he croaked.

"You're in my room," Kasumi replied.

"Wha-what happened?" he asked sitting up slightly.

"You tell me. Are you hungry?" she asked holding up the tray.

Ranma nodded and she set the tray down on his lap. She sat and watched while he ate slowly with a far away look in his eye. She knew that he was trying to remember what happened. She was afraid of his reaction when he did. She watched as he began to slow even further. When the fork dropped from his hand she was ready to pull the tray off his lap as he leapt from the bed and ran to the bathroom to empty his stomach. She sighed. She was afraid that this would happen. There weren't many other ways it could happen, but she was angry that it had to be Ranma.

She put the tray on the side table and walked to the bathroom where Ranma was curled around the toilet sobbing. She knelt on the floor beside him and pulled him into a tight embrace. She rocked him back and forth as he cried his heart out. She murmured soft comfort words. Telling him it wasn't his fault and that despite everything she loved him like her brother. They sat there on the cold tile of the bathroom for an eternity before Ranma's sobs began to slow into the occasional sniffle. Kasumi kissed his head and rubbed his back soothingly. Finally Ranma pulled back and looked up at her with puffy red eyes.

"Why?" he asked brokenly.

"I don't know Ranma. I just don't know."

Weeks had passed and everyone in the Tendo Dojo was walking around on cats' feet afraid of invoking Kasumi's wrath. If anyone so much as looked at Ranma wrong they received a glare form Kasumi. And a glare from Kasumi was more intimidating than a mallet from Akane. Ranma had moved into Kasumi's room at her insistence. Soun had gone off on a rant about Ranma marrying her, but Kasumi soon put a stop to that. It didn't escape their notice that Ranma was much quieter than usual though. He walked around without noticing anything around him. He gave off an aura that said don't touch me. The one time somebody tried, Shampoo ended up with a broken arm. People left him alone after that. The biggest talk around tow was what was wrong with Ranma Saotome. But Ranma refused to talk.

Ranma was sick again. This was the third week in a row. Ranma would wake up sick. He'd spend the morning in the bathroom and miss school, but then he'd feel fine later on. Kasumi was getting suspicious. So one night as they sat and talked she asked Ranma if she could do a small spell on him. Ranma didn't really like magic, but he knew that Kasumi was a very accomplished white witch and so he reluctantly agreed. Kasumi chanted a few words and held her hand over Ranma's stomach. She felt a warm glow emanating from it, which confirmed her suspicions.

"Ranma," she began.

"What is it Kasumi?" he asked curiously.

"Ranma, you're pregnant." she told him.

Ranma looked at her with wide-eyed surprise before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fainted.

When Ranma came around Dr. Tofu and Kasumi were standing over the bed talking.

"But everything is normal?" Kasumi asked.

"Other than the fact that Ranma is a boy, the pregnancy looks perfect. No complications." Dr. Tofu replied.

"I-I'm really pregnant?" Ranma asked bringing a hand to his still flat stomach.

"Yes, Ranma. You're three months pregnant," Dr. Tofu confirmed.

Kasumi nodded. Ranma looked down at his stomach in awe. "Hello baby," he said as he ran his palm across the exposed stomach. Kasumi smiled.

"So, I'm gonna have a baby," Ranma said softly. They nodded at him. "I'm gonna have a baby," he repeated to himself. Tears began to leak from the corners of his eyes. Kasumi sat down on the bed and pulled him into her arms. He cried on her shoulder for a while before calming down. He looked at her. "I can't believe I'm going to have a baby. You're going to make a great aunt Kasumi."

TBC....

>Part 4 Ryouga's Return