***************************************************************** A Lost and Found cat Part 5 : Meeting A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction Written by Jenny 'Android18' Chan android18@hotmail.com www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/4071/index.html ***************************************************************** Mousse looked at his watch nervously. It was almost time for Ranma and Akane to come. He had been very lucky the past two days. There had been a staggering amount of deliveries, so he had been able to hide Shampoo successfully from Ranma and Akane. Tonight, however, there had been absolutely NO take out orders at all, which was bad both financially AND personally. ~I have to find more ways to hide Shampoo,~ Mousse thought to himself. ~Ranma and Akane are both getting suspicious about me. If Ranma finds out... he'll take Shampoo away from me again, and I can't let that happen!!~ So engrossed in his own thoughts was Mousse, he didn't see Shampoo, who came up to him from his side, and tapped him on his shoulder. Mousse jumped. "What?!" He cried. Shampoo, surprised at his harshness, took a step back. "I-I was wanted to know if you were going to let me waitress today," She said softly. "Shampoo," Mousse breathed, "oh, I'm sorry. I'm just, really, really, REALLY stressed at the moment." "Oh," Shampoo said softly. "I guess... this means you're too stressed to show me how to waitress?" "No... Shampoo, that's not it but.. it's just... not today, okay?" "Okay." Shampoo said, down hearted. Then, she brightened when the phone rang. "I'll get it!" She said happily. She picked up the home. "Nekohanten," she said cheerfully, "can I help you?" The person on the other side of the line was silent. "Hello?" Shampoo repeats. "Yeah, heeeey," the person said in a slow, voice. "Can I help you?" "Uh... are you Mousse?" The person asked. "No, I am Shampoo." The person at the other end took in a sharp breathe. "Are you sure?" "Yes. You want to talk to Mousse?" Shampoo asked. ".... Yes. Yes, I'd like to talk to Mousse, thank you." "Mousse, it is for you!" Shampoo called. She gave the reciever to him. "Hello?" "Start explaining, Mousse." Mousse froze. "Nabiki Tendo?" He asked. "You'd better believe it! What's going on? Ranma and Akane both told me Shampoo wasn't back yet!" Mousse swallowed. "Nabiki, listen to me! Please!" "I'm listening." "I cannot send food over to you. I just can't." "Are you refusing my business?" Mousse swallowed again. "Ah..." "You realize that's unheard of when one runs a business right?" "Ah..." "I wonder what Cologne will think when she learns of this when gets back?" "Okay, okay! I get it!" Mousse cried. "I'll accept your business, but do NOT tell Akane or Ranma that Shampoo's back!" "Why would I want to do that?" Mousse started to sweat. "I'll give you... 2000 yen," he finally blurted. "What? Hello, it'll take more than THAT to keep me-" "5000 yen!" ".... you have yourself a deal then, Mousse." Mousse started to relax. "Now, I'd like to place an order. Can you have 3 orders of beef ramen delivered in half an hour?" "Yes, yes, of course." "Good. Bye Mousse, nice doing business with you." Mousse put the reciever down. "Was that an order?" Shampoo asked. Mousse nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to make the food now. Just wait a second." "Okay." Mousse went into the kitchen to begin cooking. He did everything without much concentration, as most of it went into trying to think up a plan as to what he was going to do. ~Shampoo has to go deliver the ramen, and Ranma and Akane are going to come here! They're going to meet each other really soon, if I don't do something! Hmm... maybe, I'll send Shampoo to Ucchan's first, and tell her to pick up something, so that will delay her. Then, she won't meet Ranma and Akane!" Yes! That's what I'll do! Mousse finished making the food while Shampoo idily cleaned off the surface of an already sparkling table. Finally, Mousse was done. "Shampoo, I want you to take this to the Tendo residence at this address." Mousse said. "But first, I want you to go over to Ukyou's and pick up ah... uh... some... okonomiyaki. Bring that to the Tendo's too." Shampoo blinked. "Is Nekohanten and Ucchan's going into business together?" She asked. "Ahh... right! That's it!" "Okay then! I be back soon!" Shampoo grabbed the food, the address, and her bike before riding off. Mousse exhaled a few times to calm his wildly thumping heart before he went to the phone to tell Ucchan about the plan. "Hello, Ucchan's." "Ukyou?" Mousse asked. "It's me, Mousse. I just sent Shampoo over to you so she wouldn't bump into Akane and Ranma when they came here. Is that alright?" "....." "What? What's wrong?" "Mousse, Ranma and Akane just left from her a few minutes ago!! They said they wanted to grab a bit before coming to work!" Mousse froze, and almost dropped the phone. "NO!!" He cried. "I have to stop Shampoo!!" He didn't bother to hang up the phone before he dashed outside to stop Shampoo. Luck was not with him that day. He could not find Shampoo. He looked up the street, he looked down the street, but he couldn't see her anywhere. It was like she just... disappeared! Also, it never occured to him to put on his glasses. ***************************************************************** Shampoo hummed to herself as she rode along the top of a fence on her bike. It was Nekohanten policy that if the food was not delivered within 30 minutes, then it was 50% off. Mousse had explained to her that if she took over 30 minutes, then it was a very bad thing. Yesterday, there was 2 minutes left until time was up and Shampoo found that there was a traffic jam and too many pedestrians on the sidewalks to gain any speed. So, rearing up on the hind wheel, Shampoo vaulted off of a piece of garbage and landed on the top of a fence. She made it in time and the customer (who lived on the fifth story of an apartment)was pleasantly surprised at having his food delivered through his fifth story window by a pretty girl riding a bicycle balanced on the top of a lamp post. He had given her a big tip. Thus, Shampoo discovered the joy of fences, roof tops, mailboxes and lamp posts which was why she was riding on top of a narrow fence right now. ~Mousse will be proud of me when he discovers how fast I can ride on a fence!~ Shampoo thought happily to herself. Visions of the long haired handsome boy filled her thoughts. She found that she really liked him, and he obviously loved her, even though he acted rather eccentrically some times, and rather weird come dinner time. His refusal to keep his glasses on his eyes and his tendancy to mistaken many strange objects for her might have proven to be annoying and a nuisence with other girls, but Shampoo found that these flaws made him endearing. ~And he's so cool when it comes to being my fiancee. My loosing my memory probably delayed the wedding, but he doesn't seem to mind at all. He's such a nice person." So engrossed with thoughts of Mousse was she, that she didn't see the couple walking towards her. Actually, the girl was on the ground and wouldn't have posed as much trouble, but the boy was on a direct collision course with her front tire. The boy and the girl seemed to be talking to each other, and didn't even seem to notice her. When Shampoo realized she couldn't get to the ground because there wasn't enough time to avoid the girl, and she couldn't get off the fence on the other side, because it was a river, she did the only thing she could do. She shouted, rung her bell, and closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable collision with the boy who had just looked up, shock all over his face. BAAAAM!! Shampoo opened her eyes. Her front tire was resting on the boy's head. The girl was staring up at her in disbelief. Shampoo swallowed. "I sorry. I did not see you there." The girl looked up. "S-Shampoo?" She asked. Shampoo looked down at her. "Yes? How you know my name? Do I know you?" "Shampoo! Oh, it IS you! You're alright!" She gave a yelp of delight. "You're okay!" "Who are you?" She blinked. "What do you mean, who am I? I'm Akane!" Shampoo tapped her chin. "A-Ka-Nay. No. Does not ring bell. Sorry." Just then, the boy clamped his hands on the tire, and removed his head from underneath it. "SHAMPOO!!" He shouted, steam raising from his skull, his pig tail standing on end, "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING UP HERE?!" Shampoo turned back to him, frightened. "I-I s-sorry!" She said. "I just riding bike, and did not see you! I am sorry!" "BIKES BELONG ON THE GROUND, NOT ON TOP OF FENCES!" The boy bellowed some more. Akane glared up at him. "Ranma, why are you shouting?!" Ranma glared down at Akane. "Akane, it's not MY fault! We don't see her for days, and then, suddenly, out of nowhere, she parks her bike on my head! Again! If this happened to you, you'd be upset too!" "Hey, what are you yelling at ME for?!" Akane shouted, feeling angry, "bikes don't belong on fences, and neither to PEOPLE, Ranma! Why don't you ever look where you're going?!" Shampoo gulped. "If you two want yell some more, then go ahead. I have to go make delivery. Sorry about crash. Never happen again. If want talk about this later, then go to Nekohanten to talk in half hour, okay? Must go now." Shampoo rode off. "Hey, wait!" Akane called. She turned to Ranma who also watched as the Amazon rode off, shocked. "Ranma, was that really shampoo?" Akane asked. Ranma nodded. "Looks like her, sounds likes her except with better Japanese, and even has her bike! I THINK it was her!" "B-but she acted like she didn't even KNOW us! She didn't even try to glomp on to you! Something's wrong with her..." Ranma frowned. "I think Mousse owes us a lot of answers." ***************************************************************** When Shampoo reached the okonomiyaki restruant, she found Ukyou, looking out the door. When the girl saw Shampoo, she rushed out and grabbed onto the chinese girl's arm. "Did you see them?!" She blurted out. "See who?" Shampoo asked. "Ranma and Akane," Ukyou replied. Shampoo blinked. "I bump into two people on way here... are they who you talk about?" "What did you say to them?" Ukyou demanded. "??? What Ukyou talking about? I no understand," Shampoo said. "You mad at Shampoo? Why you talk so loud?" Ukyou swallowed a few times, trying to calm down. "N-no, I'm not mad at you, Shampoo. But, I have to know... what did you tell Ranma and Akane?" "I bump in to them, so tell them if they upset, then go to Nekohanten and we talk because I have delivery right now." Shampoo did slowly. "That okay?" Ukyou bit her lip. Shampoo looked at her watch. "Ukyou, Mousse say you have okonomiyaki to give me to go with delivery. Where food?" Ukyou looked up, blinking. "Eh? Mousse never told me that." Shampoo frowned. "Is no good. Shampoo no can wait for you to make it. Have to make delivery now. Oh well. Go with out okonomiyaki. Give discount. Bye bye." Then, Shampoo left. Ukyou fell to the ground. "Oh man... Mousse is gonna be in trouble," she said softly. ***************************************************************** Shampoo looked at the address on the piece of paper, and the sign of the house in front. "This is place," Shampoo said softly to herself. She got off her bike and walked up to the door with the food, humming to herself. She knocked and a few moments later, Kasumi Tendo opened the door. Kasumi blinked. "Oh my! Shampoo! I haven't seen you in a while! How have you been?" "I am fine," Shampoo replied. "Do I know you?" Kasumi looked at Shampoo questioningly when Nabiki suddenly came to the door. "I'll handle this, Sis," Nabiki said smoothly. She eyed the confused Amazon who acted like she didn't know the middle Tendo sister. "Here is food," Shampoo said. Nabiki took the ramen and handed Shampoo some bills, telling her to keep the change. "Thank you," Shampoo said, turning to go. "Hey, wait," Nabiki said, causing Shampoo to turn around, puzzled. "Come in," Nabiki said. "Really should get back to Nekohanten before Mousse wonder where I am," Shampoo said. "Don't worry about Mousse," Nabiki replied. "Shampoo... what's wrong? You're not... yourself." Shampoo looked at Nabiki, confuse. "You know me?" "Well, you're around here so much you're kinda hard to forget," Nabiki replied, "although I must admit, I wouldn't really believe you were Shampoo if you didn't look so much like her..." "What do you want?" "Come in," Nabiki said, "hey, you don't have to worry. I mean, it's not like I'm gonna eat you or anything! That's what the ramen's for. I just want some answers." "A-are you my friend?" Nabiki was silent. "You... could say that. Come in, okay?" Shampoo reluctant stepped inside the house. "Hey, Kasumi, dinner's ready!" Nabiki lead Shampoo into the kitchen and sat her down in a chair. The older Tendo Sister was already in the kitchen, setting the table. "Oh, Shampoo! Are you joining Nabiki and I?" Shampoo looked at Nabiki questioningly. "Have you eaten yet?" Nabiki asked. Shampoo shook her head. "Then yes, you are joining us." A few minutes later, dinner was underway. "Do you two sisters live here alone?" Shampoo asked. Nabiki and Kasumi looked at each other for a moment before Nabiki turned to face Shampoo. "No... our sister, our father and his friend are out tonight. RANMA is out too," Nabiki said, putting enthisis on the noun. "Who Ranma?" Shampoo asked. Nabiki and Kasumi looked at each other again, before Nabiki asked Shampoo, "where were you the past week? Did you get in an accident?" Shampoo blinked. "How did you know?" "Oh my!" Kasumi cried, "are you alright? Please, tell us what happened!" Shampoo looked at Kasumi, who looked right back at her, and decided that Kasumi really was concerned for her. So, she told Kasumi the whole story, while Nabiki listened. ***************************************************************** When dinner was finished, so was the tale. Shampoo found that it was quite easy to talk to Kasumi who listened intently. "So THAT'S what happened," Nabiki said to herself when she heard Shampoo's tale. Both Kasumi and Shampoo looked at her. Nabiki laughed, "I was just wondering why you were acting so strangely," she said. "Guess now we know!" "If there's anyway we can help you regain your memory..." Kasumi said, "don't hesitate to ask!" Shampoo nodded. "You two must be good friend of me before to help me so much. I very grateful. Thank you. But I have to go back to Nekohanten now. Mousse probably looking for me." *****************************************************************