Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, Pioneer and AIC do.  I have just
used them in a story that I would love to see happen.  I am not doing this
for money, and definately not lookign for a lawsuit as I am barely making 
ends meet as it it.  I hope you enjoy the story and as a side note, This
story takes place using the OVA characters and occurs after Daughter of
Darkness movie or MNE as it is often called.

Things at the Masaki house are never boring, especially in the morning.  
However, Tenchi has noticed that for the past week instead of seeing Ryoko in 
his room when he woke up, he was alone.  Part of him was relieved but he was 
surprised that he missed it.  He thought back to the time that Mayuka first 
arrived.  He was mortified that he might be a father, especially since she was 
close to his age.  Chucking to himself he remembered the first time he was hit 
with the idea of being a parent.  It was the time that Ryoko had convinced 
everyone that Ryo-Oki's egg was the child of Ryoko and himself.  He remembered 
that day clearly, but he unsure which part scared him more, being a father or 
being with Ryoko.

Ryoko had nudged up against him and proclaimed how happy she was to have a child 
with him and when he held the egg and it opened he was shocked and surprised.  
Then the truth was revealed and he found out that it was not his.  He found 
himself relieved and yet also sad.  Now he really did have a child, but it was 
not from anyone that he loved.  He lay in bed for a few moments thinking about 
actually being a father, but with whom...

After a few moments of thinking he thought he heard singing.  Getting dressed 
quickly for school he went to investigate.  Opening the door to the nursery he 
saw an amazing sight. Ryoko was sitting in there holding his daughter singing 
her to sleep.  She was wearing a long pink dress with a red collar.  He stood 
there for a minute then proceeded inward. He then realized that anytime she 
cared for a child she was wearing this same dress.  She stopped singing when she 
heard the door close.  Looking up at him she knew that he knew now about her 
singing.

"Please," he began softly, "keep singing she is not asleep yet."  Ryoko looked 
at the little girl and blushed.  After a moment she continued to sing a soft 
lull-a-bye.   Tenchi moved over closer so that he could see her holding his 
daughter.  He noticed how beautiful she looked and how happy Mayuka seamed.  As 
he sat across for them looking on with a smile he listened to the words and then 
realized the tune.  His mom and grandma used to sing that song to him when he 
was a child.  And it still seamed to do the trick as he looked on he leaned back 
and rested in the peacefulness of the scene and the song.

"Tenchi?  Tenchi?"  He awoke slowly to hear Ryoko's voice.  She had put Mayuka 
to bed and was now trying to wake him up. 

He thought that this was more like a normal morning, waking up and looking into 
her eyes.  He suddenly blushed and could not believe what he had just thought.  
She noticed this and whispered to him. "If you are going to scream take it 
outside."  He nodded sheepishly.  "Come Tenchi, you have to get downstairs and 
eat.  Besides you said that you needed to be at your best today for that test."  
She giggled as she led him out of the room.

As he stepped out it hit him, "THE TEST!!!" he shouted then covered his mouth as 
Ryoko smiled.  He had to admit it, Ryoko had been very different since merging 
with Zero.  He apologized and then turned to run down the stairs.  He barely had 
a chance to say good morning to the others as he grabbed some lunch and ran out 
the door.  As he ran he spoke out loud to himself.  "No! It can't be that time 
already."  Looking at a watch he noticed that he would barely make it, if he did 
not miss the buss. "Man, this is the day of my finals, I cannot be late!"

However he did miss it, he stood there watching it disappear into the distance.  
Hanging his head he started to run after it.  He had not gotten very far when he 
ran into Ryoko.  She caught him in her arms so that he would not fall backwards 
this time.  "Ryoko I have to get to School! I don't have time for this!"

Giggling she said, "well I thought you might need a lift."  Before he could 
object she was behind him and flying through the air towards the school with her 
arms around his chest.  As he watched the ground pass below them he saw the bus.  
He then realized that he was going to arrive ahead of time.

He bowed his head and said to her, "I am sorry for yelling at you.  I thought 
you just wanted to make me late again."  He could feel the heat rising off her, 
either she was mad or blushing he could not tell so he placed his hands over 
hers as she flew to reassure her that he was not mad.

They arrived at the school and he had a few minutes even before the buses 
arrived.  He looked at her and he could tell that she was still a little red 
from their contact.  She had changed from her pink dress into a pair of green 
leggings with a tight red top.  Over her shoulders she had a light colored 
jacket.  He moved closer to her and taking her hand he said again, "thank you, 
that was the best ride I have had getting to school...will, um will you..." he 
was not sure if he should finish or not but he had already started so he might 
as well finish.  "Will you fly me home later?"

Ryoko was overcome with joy, and she said "of coarse My Tenchi!"  He blushed a 
little too and then she disappeared.  He thought about why he had asked, but 
instead decided to get back to what was before him and take his finals.  He 
looked forward to his summer break, but he also dreaded what will happen when he 
had no place to escape from the girls' constant attention.

Ryoko arrived back at the house a short while later.  When she teleported it was 
to the top of a nearby tree so she could watch him, then she flew back home.  
Once inside she looked about,  Sasami had already served everyone breakfast and 
was cleaning up afterwards with a happy Ryo-Oki munching on a carrot.  Mihoshi 
was watching TV while Kiyone was working in the garden with Ayeka.  Looking 
around she went to Mayuka's room and found her missing.   Rushing downstairs she 
went into Washu's Lab.  And sure enough the sleeping baby was in a floating crib 
as she typed away at her keyboard.

Smiling she spoke up, "I see you got her again...mom..." She hated saying that 
but she knew it made Washu so happy.  And just as she though the little genius 
was bubbling over with happiness.  The two talked about the sleeping baby 
quietly when Ryoko noticed that Washu was in her adult form.  "Why are you like 
that?  I mean you usually look like a kid?"

"Well, after watching everyone for this long I have decided that this is 
better."  Her thought drifted away to her first child and then to her second.  
And although she wanted Tenchi it was not for love or desire for anything other 
than to study him.  Ryoko was surprised about this and was beginning to think 
that she had given up on Tenchi when Mayuka awoke crying.

"I guess that's my cue." Ryoko changed back to her pink dress and picked up the 
little girl and went to the kitchen to get her some milk.

As the day passed Ayeka kept seeing Ryoko with the baby and she fumed, she knew 
that Ryoko was getting to Tenchi through the little girl.  Following them into 
kitchen she over heard Ryoko calling herself the girls mom.  It became too much.  
"You devil!  How dare you call yourself her mom!  How could you think that!"

"Princess," Ryoko began without a hint of sarcasm or demeaning even though those 
words hurt.  "I am sorry you feel that way, but Mayuka need to be cared for, I 
don't have time for this."  At that Ryoko and Mayuka phased out and reappeared 
in the nursery just as Ayeka was about to speak again."

She stormed out of there to destroy something, as she knew it would hurt Tenchi 
if she were to fight Ryoko in the presence of Mayuka.  Ryoko instead of wanting 
to destroy things she cried as the child drank from her bottle in Ryoko's arms.

The day passed slowly with everyone going about their business while Ryoko hid 
in Mayuka's room taking care of the little girl.  She did not come out for lunch 
even though Sasami had invited her for lunch.  Lunch was quiet and passed 
quickly.  Everyone went about their business with Ayeka still upset about her 
conversation with Ryoko.  After lunch when everyone was gone Sasami brought some 
food up to Ryoko.

"Ryoko? May I come in?"  The little princess asked.

"Sure kid, come on."  Ryoko was still masking her pain, but she would not allow 
anyone to see her cry.

Sasami entered and noticed Ryoko was reading a book to a sleeping Mayuka.  "Oh I 
see you were too busy to join us, but I brought you some food!"  Ryoko thanked 
her and before Sasami left Ryoko spoke up again.

"Sasami?  I am going to have to run a errand in a little bit could you watch 
over her while I am gone?"

Her little eyes widened with joy! "I would be happy to!"  With that Sasami 
retreated downstairs to plan for tonight's supper.  Ryoko went back to reading 
to the little girl.  Even though she was asleep Ryoko hoped that it helped in 
some way, if nothing else it kept her thought off what Ayeka said.  Her little 
cabbit slept on the floor near them thinking of carrots.

When the time came Ryoko handed care of Mayuka over to Sasami and then flew off 
as fast as she could to the spot where she left him this morning.  As she neared 
the spot her heart leaped for joy as she saw Tenchi running up to that spot.  He 
looked up at her as she descended to him.

"I am glad you showed up," he said then added, "The busses left an hour ago."

"What! Why?"  She was shocked, not only that they had left that long ago, but 
also he had stayed behind to wait for her.  He proceeded to explain that the day 
was cut short because of the finals.  And since he had asked her to pick him up 
he did not want to spoil it.  Blushing she asked, "well then, are you ready to 
go?"

The flight home was a mix of emotions, as she thought that he had waited for 
her, he was not afraid of the monster the devil woman as so many had called her.  
He even asked if she would be near him.  She was over-joyed and ascended higher 
till they passed through the clouds.  She could hear him laughing and truly 
enjoying himself.

The ride had to end sometime though as they landed close to the steps leading to 
the house, still out of sight of the others.  "Ryoko," he said, "that was fun, 
we will have to do that again sometime, but I have to meet grandpa and start 
training.  Even though I don't have school for two more days he says that I 
cannot relax in my training." 

Ryoko looked at him as he smiled and then after an awkward moment passed as they 
both were unsure how to part they were interrupted by a voice "You devil woman 
get away from him!"

They both said together, "hello Ayeka" Tenchi left Ryoko as he whispered, "thank 
you again."  As he passed Ayeka he said quickly "see you later" and rushed off 
to his room to change then start training.