Welcome to the next episode!!  This is, as with the
previous stories, based heavily on events and situations
from the preceeding ones, which are available on my
Web Site:

http://www.geocities.com/coutuva

As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.
All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

Please Enjoy!
Coutuva.


Hell Hath No Fury - Part 3
-------------------------------------------------------------------


	Hitomi just stared at the woman behind the till, blinking
in disbelief.
	"What do you mean, canceled?" she finally asked, shaking
her head.
	"I'm sorry, ma'am, but it's coming back as canceled by
the company...  There's no explanation given," the salesgirl stated,
regarding her suspiciously.
	"Kuso...  How much was it again?" she spat, angry at the 
embarrassment, and at the fact that it had only been a week since 
she'd paid off the card.
	"215.93, Ma'am," the girl replied, smugly.
	"Hai," she shot back, slapping the cash on the till.
The salesgirl's eyebrows raised as she picked up the money and
closed the sale, and as Hitomi gathered her bags to leave, she
looked back and flashed a smile.  "Don't worry...  My dirty 
cash and I won't bother you ever again," she quipped, and sauntered
out the door.
	On the street, Kikyo and Shampoo noticed immediately that
she was not a happy camper.
	"Anata...?  What happened?  You look upset," Kikyo observed, 
moving beside her.
	She frowned.  "I dunno...  That 'woman' in there told me 
my credit card was canceled.  I just paid it off last week!  I still 
have the statement in my purse," she stated, incredulous.  "And she
treated me like a thief on top of it all!"
	"Well, we can call them tomorrow and find out what happened.
Don't worry...  It'll be fine," Kikyo soothed, patting her back.
	"Hai...  I know.  It's just embarrassing.  And if they don't
fix it, I'll sure tell them what they can do with it!"
	"I would too...  That can ruin a reputation too quick,"
Shampoo agreed, nodding.
	"Well, let's just forget about it and go get a coffee,
ne?   My feet are killing me," Kikyo suggested, to the happy nods
of the others.  Inwardly, however, she had a sinking feeling of
foreboding.




	The next week, as Hitomi opened the main doors of the
Centre to begin the day, she was surprised to see a vehicle parked
in the driveway.  As soon as she opened the inner doors, two men
in suits got out and started toward the entry, each carrying a 
clipboard.
	Hitomi could feel her hackles rise as they approached, but
forced herself to calm down and be pleasant to greeted them.
	"Metro Department of Public Health, Ma'am.  We're here to
inspect your facility and speak to a miss Hitomi Seirei," the
first man stated, as soon as he stepped in.
	"I am Hitomi Seirei.  What can I do for you?" she asked,
smiling innocently.
	"We've been alerted to a possible violation, and would
like your permission to carry out our inspection.  If you choose
to refuse us, we can obtain a warrant," he responded, curtly.
	Hitomi's eyes widened, then narrowed.  "There's no need
to be rude..." she replied, locking his eyes.  "Right this way," 
she added, gesturing them in.
	"Your cooperation is appreciated," the man responded,
reading the look.
	Kikyo stood in the hall near the entry to the common room,
watching Hitomi with the two suits.  She could tell that they had
said something to upset her, but decided to stay out of it until 
they had left, not wanting to interfere.
	A short time later, after the men had inspected every
inch of the building and facilities, they escorted Hitomi
back to her office, and quietly filled out the last of their
reports.  Just as Hitomi's patience was about to wear out, the
taller of the two tore off a copy and handed it to her, all
smiles.
	"Miss Seirei, it appears as though the information we
received was erroneous.  Your facility exceeds every applicable
standard, and should be an example for all other private Daycares.
Our congratulations, and we apologize for the inconvenience,"
he remarked, extending his hand after depositing the paper on her
desk.
	"Thank you.  I could have saved you the trouble if you had
only asked.  We had our regular inspection two months ago, and
they said the same thing," she noted, almost too pleasantly.
	"Well, when we receive a complaint, we have to respond
immediately.  There are a number of these that we've had to close
because of violations so flagrant that they were making people 
sick.  We do have to follow up," the same man responded, his tone 
apologetic.  His partner, the one who made the initial comment, 
remained silent.
	"Okay...  Well, if that's it, then I must get back to my
children...  They're starting their break now.  May I see you to
the door?"
	"Yes, that's it.  Thank you again, and we appreciate your
cooperation," the tall one smiled again, and stepped back as
Hitomi crossed in front of him to open the door.
	Upon watching the men get in their car and leave, her face 
darkened.  As she turned to head back to her office, she came face 
to face with a worried Kikyo.
	"Anata....  What was that all about?"
	"They were from the Health Department.  Somebody filed a
complaint against us, and those... 'Guys' were ready to shut us 
down," she growled, eyes flashing.
	"Kuso...  You're kidding!" Kikyo breathed, covering her
gaping mouth.
	"Iie -- they were serious.  Tried to bully me with a warrant,
too...  Like they were actually expecting to find something," she
added, her voice controlled but still angry.
        "Ano...  What was the complaint?  Nobody has ever said
anything..."
	"They didn't say.  All I know is what they told me, and
that wasn't much.  By the way, they didn't find anything wrong...
in fact, they even said we exceeded the standards," she added,
grinning.
	Kikyo smiled.  "I knew we would.  With the way you run 
things, there was no doubt," she winked, relieved at the outcome.  
"Come back to the kitchen, Anata... I'll buy you a coffee," she 
invited, hoping to distract her for a little while.
	"Hai...  Sounds good.  After that little episode, I could
really use one," she agreed, sighing.
	Later, as Hitomi read to a group of fascinated children,
Kikyo sat nearby watching the show, and thinking about all that 
had happened.  She had the gnawing feeling that none of it was 
coincidental, especially given that it was all happening to
Hitomi.  She knew for a fact that she was utterly efficient and 
conscientious about everything she did, particularly if it 
involved the Centre.  Hitomi viewed its operation as a sacred 
trust, and wasn't about to let sloppy operations or substandard 
care endanger that trust.
	As she pondered those thoughts, she heard the familiar
clank of the mailbox lid, and rose to go check what had come.  She
groaned quietly as she stood up, her now fairly large tummy making
such simple tasks a major chore.
	Waving at the mailman as he rounded the corner, she dug
into the mailbox and pulled out the usual assortment of bills,
Thank-You cards and junk mail, as well as one distinctly different
looking envelope.
	Sorting the delicate pink colored item out from the rest,
she noticed immediately that it was gently scented with fine
perfume, and the paper was a high-quality combed bond, like that
used by some calligraphy artists.
	Her face darkened as she thought of who might send such a
letter, especially after she turned it over and found out that it
was addressed to her.  Glancing up quickly, she noted that Hitomi
was still involved in her story, and wasn't looking her way.
Shoving the envelope into her frock pocket, she pasted a smile on
her face and walked past the story gathering, as if she was just 
taking the mail to the office.
	Once safely in the office, she tore open the envelope and 
was at once impressed by the elegant, artistic Kanji.  But her 
mood quickly changed as she read it to herself.

	
		"Dearest Kikyo-chan:

	I know you have said that you were already 
	seeing someone,	but I still can not stop 
	thinking about you.  You are in my thoughts
	every day, and in my sweet dreams each night.
	I wish I could see you - just once.  Long 
	enough to tell you how I feel, and show you 
	that I am the only one worthy of your 
	attentions.
	Please call me - soon.  I miss you.

		Love, Anita."


	Kikyo sighed aloud, actually feeling sorry for the woman.
She recognized the desperate plea hidden in the words, but was
unmoved by the attempt.  She knew that if she called or spoke to
her now, then she would never give it up, and that could mean
trouble.
	Crumpling up the letter and envelope, she tossed it in the
wastebasket and left the office, shaking her head at the woman's
persistence.




	Kikyo looked at the others with her mouth gaping.  "Are 
you serious?  They seized your account?" she echoed, covering 
her mouth.
	"Hai!  She tried to use her debit thing and the machine
took it!  When she called the bank, they said there was a seize,"
Shampoo responded, shrugging.
	"But why...?  There was lots in it, ne?"
	"I dunno...  I don't get it.  It's like the world is out
to get me all of a sudden..." Hitomi remarked, slumping into the
booth.  "That credit-card outfit won't talk to me, the Bank hung
up in my ear... " she added, her voice drifting off.  "I don't
understand..." she sniffed, wiping her face with her hand and
trying to compose herself.
	"Anata...  I'm sure it's all just a mix-up.  We can call
the Credit Bureau tomorrow and find out what happened.  I can pay
for supper...  It's time I did anyway," Kikyo soothed, gently
stroking the hurting girl's head.
	"Kikyo...  I'm worried.  The mortgage comes out of that
account, and if it doesn't get paid..." she gasped, eyes widening.
	"Aiyah...  Your beautiful house..." Shampoo breathed,
shaking her head.
	"I'll call them too, Anata... I can cover it until we get
this fixed.  I figure there must be a problem with their computers
somehow.  You know how they're all linked together nowadays."
	"Hai...  Okay -- I guess," she finally resigned, trying to
compose herself.  "Kiko-chan, take me home...  Please?"  she added,
clasping Kikyo's hand and leaning on her shoulder.




	Over the next few days, Hitomi fretted incessantly about
the Bank problems, and making matters worse, the Bank itself had
refused to offer any explanation.  The Credit Bureau could only
tell her that her credit was gone, and that they had no further
information.  Kikyo feared for Hitomi, afraid that the blows to her
honor and flawless reputation would create lasting scars.
	Another thing that worried her was that the sparkle normally
present in her girlfriend's big blue eyes was becoming less obvious.  
In fact, there were times when she swore that it was missing 
entirely, which unsettled her more than the reasons for it.  She 
tried her best to keep her spirits up, but she began to fear it was 
a losing battle.
	As Kikyo watched her girlfriend cross the common room in
a daze, her attention was distracted by the appearance in the entry
of three men, again dressed in dark suits and reeking of trouble.
Hitomi was nearby, and Kikyo could see her face fall as she spotted
them herself.  Biting her lip, she quickly headed toward them.
	The men looked both women over carefully before uttering a
word.  Finally, one of them spoke, gruffly and to the point.
	"Is there a Lin Shan Pu working here?" he said, regarding
both of them suspiciously over his wire-framed glasses.
	"Hai.  Do you wish to speak to her?" Hitomi asked, surprised
at the question.
	"Where would I find her?" he responded, as the other two
fanned out behind him.
	"Ano...  In the kitchen, preparing the afternoon snack,"
Hitomi answered, gesturing in the direction of the room.
Instantly, the other two men raced off toward it, and Hitomi and
Kikyo both gasped as they heard Shampoo cry out her indignance.
	At that moment, the remaining man reached into his pocket
and produced an ID wallet, flipping it open to display his
credentials.
	"Department of Immigration, Ma'am.  We have reason to
believe that one Lin Shan Pu is in this country under false
pretenses, and is now under arrest for being an illegal alien."
	Before the now stunned Hitomi could respond, the other
two men almost dragged a surprisingly subdued Shampoo out of the
kitchen, dangled between them like a mannequin.  Her arms were
behind her back, firmly clamped in handcuffs.
	Hitomi's eyes flared, and Kikyo swore she could see a
faint aura build around her body.  "Is this sort of brutality
necessary?  She's only visiting us for a few months...  Not living
here!" the redhead snarled, glaring at the badge-holding agent.
	"Policy, Ma'am... You can file an affidavit with the
bureau if you wish.  And by the way...  What is your name?"
	"Hitomi Seirei...  Your wor..."  she began, building up a
ball of energy in the hand she held out of sight.
	"Anata!" Kikyo interrupted, stepping up beside her and
grabbing her arm.  "We'll do that," she stated with a sheepish 
smile, all the while squeezing Hitomi's arm.  Hitomi shot her an 
angry glance, then abruptly relaxed... a bit.
	"Hai.  Count on it," she growled, then turned to Shampoo.
"Hang in there, Lin-san...  We'll try to get this ironed out," she
assured, stepping up and hugging the Amazon.
	Shampoo only smiled weakly.  "Not to worry, Hitomi-san...
I'll be back soon.  I've done nothing wrong," she noted, her face
showing her defiance.
	"We'll see about that.  Take her out.  Miss Seirei, don't
leave town...  We'll be in touch," the agent smirked, and turned
to join his fellows.
	Watching the car depart, Hitomi could see Shampoo's large
eyes looking back at her sadly.  Once the car was out of sight, she
crumpled to her knees and stared numbly at the doors.  Slowly
turning back toward Kikyo, she stared at her for a few long seconds, 
then dissolved in painful tears.
	In the car, Shampoo sat quietly between the two large men,
deliberately maintaining a frightened puppy look.  Behind her back,
she slowly worked her hands until the cuffs slipped off, and
immediately smirked to herself.  The handcuffs were similar to the
ones her Great Grandmother used to train her with, and just as she
figured, they were equally easy to get out of.  She was glad they 
hadn't used leg shackles as well, since they took a bit longer.
	Silently, and with barely perceptible movements, she worked
her arms above and behind the men on either side of her.  When
they were in position, she coughed nervously and uncrossed her legs,
then slowly re-crossed them.  Both men, predictably, glanced down at
her thighs, and as they did, she drove her thumbs into certain
pressure points on the backs of their necks, and they both slumped
forward.
	Moving her arms behind her back again, she changed her
expression to one of shock, and called out to the driver.
	"Ano...  Something wrong your friends..."  she exclaimed in
fractured English, threading concern through her voice.
	"What?" the driver blurted, glancing in his mirror and
seeing the two collapsed figures.  "What the hell...?" he added,
pulling the car over.
	Once stopped, he stepped out and opened the rear door, 
glancing at her as if to verify she was secured.  Satisfied,
he leaned in to check on the first man.  
	She simply smiled wickedly.



	

	Kikyo frowned deeply as she walked to the bathroom to
rinse Hitomi's compress.  She too was in a state of shock, 
unable to believe that she had just watched Shampoo dragged 
away in handcuffs.  Hitomi was completely numb after her long, 
wrenching cry, and had been hugging Kikyo for all she was worth.
	Kikyo bit her lip as she recalled the defeated look on her
girlfriend's face.
	She was in fact worried sick, having never seen the
normally happy, carefree redhead so depressed and angry.  As well,
she still couldn't believe the run of bad luck they were having.
She compared it to having an oni loose in the building, even
though she knew that wasn't possible.
	Suddenly, a thought struck her like a slap in the face.
Gasping, she ran into the main office, and dug the letter from a
few days ago of the wastebasket.  Wide eyed, she reread it,
looking for a certain phrase.  Her jaw dropped when she found it.
	"... and show you that I am the only one worthy of your
attentions," she repeated to herself, the true meaning of the
line finally becoming clear.
	"You miserable bitch...! she snarled, shredding the letter
and firing the pieces back into the can.  "It's been you all
along!" she spat, then turned and stormed out the door.
	Arriving in the kitchen, she quickly rinsed the cloth, 
intent on getting back to Hitomi and telling her what she'd 
discovered.  She felt a sudden twitch in her tummy, then winced 
from a painful cramp.  Ignoring it, she wrung the cloth and turned
to head back, only to manage two steps before getting hit with 
another cramp, easily twice as powerful as the first.  
	The pain forced a cry from her lips, despite her best
efforts to hide it.  As she tried to calm herself to continue, she
was hit again, only this time the pain doubled her over, sending 
her to the floor.
	Hitomi, having heard her first cry, suddenly appeared in
the doorway, eyes panicked.
	"Kiko-chan... !" she cried out, dropping to her knees to 
lift Kikyo's head to her lap.  Her heart pounded as she saw the 
perspiration on Kikyo's forehead, her ashen skin and her rapid, 
shallow breathing.
	"Gomen... ne... Hitomi-chan," Kikyo grimaced, clutching
at her tummy.  "I think I need to go to the hospital..." she
gasped, voice shuddering.
	"Shhhh...  Kiko-chan...  I'll get you there.  You'll be
fine," Hitomi soothed, flashing a reassuring smile.  Reaching for
the cloth Kikyo still held tight in her shaking hands, she wiped
her stricken girlfriend's forehead.  Inwardly, however, she felt 
as though she'd swallowed broken glass, and prayed with all her
heart that Kikyo's pain didn't mean what she feared it did.
	Two hours later, she sat quietly in the hospital room 
beside a sleeping Kikyo, who had been carefully sedated.
	As she watched the love of her life sleeping peacefully, 
she sighed sadly to herself.
	She reasoned that somehow, she must be attracting bad luck
to the two of them, as it seemed that anything and everything
connected to her was falling apart or being destroyed.
	For the first time in her brief existence, she was truly,
deeply and profoundly scared.  Scared for Kikyo, scared for 
Shampoo, and most of all, scared for their unborn child.
	Sniffing, she reached over, took Kikyo's hand and kissed 
it gently.
	"Gomen nasai, Kiko-chan," she whispered, laying her face
against the union, closing her eyes tight against her tears.


====================================================================
END - Hell Hath No Fury  - Part 3 	A Ranma1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva


Comments Appreciated, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@gmail.com