Nine


 "Ayeka? What are you doing outside?" 

 Tenchi's question catches Ayeka staring into the woods blankly as she sits on 
the steps outside of the Masaki household. She blinks for a moment then peers at 
Sasami and Tenchi.

 "What?" Ayeka realizes how improper she is sitting and quickly stands up. She 
bows in embarrassment and lets her violet hair cover her red face. "I am sorry, 
Tenchi. I was just sitting outside to get some fresh air." 

 "Uhm, it's okay, Ayeka. You don't have to get so worried about it." Tenchi 
assures her and shifts his weight uncomfortably. 

 "Well, Miss Ayeka, are you feeling better?" Washu inquires as she comes out of 
the house. "I thought you were going to stand there all day and look at my 
Jaaku." Washu says with a laugh and Ayeka goes beet red again.

 "Jaaku?" Tenchi asks and tilts his head a bit, looking at Ayeka. Ayeka covers 
her face and Washu laughs between her teeth. 

 "Hi, everyone." The voice of Kiyone comes from behind and they all turn to look 
at her. She looks like she is having a very bad day. Mihoshi just smiles 
cheerfully and waves to everyone.

 "Oh, hello Miss Kiyone. Are you and Mihoshi okay?"

 Kiyone nods at Tenchi's question and lets out a belated sigh. Just then some 
loud voices come from the path from the woods and everyone looks to see two 
figures walking up. Washu immediately recognizes who it is and gets a small grin 
tugging at the corner of her lips. Ryoko blurts out laughing and looks Jaaku 
walking next to her. "So then, Ayeka goes into the hot springs and I just happen 
to get my hand tangled on her towel. Off comes the towel right in front of 
Tenchi!" She roars with laughter again and Jaaku also bursts out laughing. Ayeka 
is horrified at the subject they are talking about and gets really mad at Ryoko.

 "You have entirely too much fun torturing Princess Ayeka, my little sister." 
Jaaku says and laughs. Ryoko nods with a grin and finally stops as they both 
reach the others. Jaaku does the same and greets them all, a special smirk going 
in the direction of the GP officers.

 "Well, it seems you two lab wreckers are having a good time." Washu says and 
crosses her arms lightly over her chest.

 "Yeah, it seems Jaaku isn't as big a jerk as I thought he was. But he's close." 
Ryoko says and steps in close to Jaaku, sliding her arm around his waist. Jaaku 
grins and gives everyone the peace sign, putting his arm around Ryoko's neck and 
hanging over her shoulder. Washu's lips turn into a smile at the two and 
everyone else can't help but smile also. Everyone except for Kiyone. She narrows 
her eyes and starts to slide her hand over her pistol. Jaaku turns his head and 
whispers something into Ryoko's ear, which makes her nod evilly. 

 "Stop right there, Jaaku!" Kiyone yells and throws her hands forward, clasped 
around a missing gun. "What?!" Her yell startles everyone and she looks at her 
empty hands with a twitch.

 "Now now, officer Kiyone. We can't have any of that." Ryoko says with a wink as 
she reappears next to Jaaku. She twirls Kiyone's pistol around her finger and 
laughs triumphantly. Jaaku claps his hands together in applause and smiles, 
glancing at her.

 "Bravo, Ryoko. I could not have done it better myself." Ryoko bows to him and 
gives him a thank you. 

 "Return that to me! It is Galaxy Police property!" Kiyone demands and points 
her finger at Ryoko. Ryoko smirks and flips the pistol up, catching in her palm.

 "Is that so?" She squeezes her hand and crushes the pistol into a smoking chunk 
of metal. She drops it to the ground and Kiyone stares at her blankly, dropping 
her hand down. Both Jaaku and Ryoko erupt into laughter.

 "Well done, sis." Jaaku congratulates her and they slap each other's hands. 
Kiyone falls to her knees and looks at the ground with a sigh. 

 "I am a terrible Galaxy Police officer." Mihoshi pats her on the shoulder in 
concern. 

 "Don't say that, Miss Kiyone. I think anybody would have problems with those 
two." Tenchi consoles her and smiles sheepishly at the two laughing demons. 
Kiyone sighs again and Jaaku looks at her, slowly dying off from his laughter.

 "Oh, do not be so down, Detective." He says and disappears from in Ryoko's arm. 
He reappears next to her and leans forward, "You have done rather well, 
actually. You are probably the best one yet." 

 "Go away, you criminal." Kiyone says blandly and glances at him. 

 "Well, I tried." He says and shrugs. Then he looks at Mihoshi and smiles, his 
fangs peeking out beyond his lips. "How about you, Detective First Class 
Mihoshi. Don't you want to arrest me?" She swallows hard and takes a step back, 
her pupils shrinking a bit. "Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt you. Besides, out of 
all the officers who have tried to arrest me, you are by far the most beautiful. 
How could I blemish such a rose?" Jaaku says quietly and takes her hand in his. 
He brings it up to his lips and touches the back of it in a soft kiss.

 "Oh my!" Mihoshi shrieks and turns her red face, giggling lightly. All the 
others sweatdrop and Ryoko rubs her head.

 "Maybe I should try something like that." She fades away and appears next to 
Tenchi. In a quick motion, Tenchi finds himself being leaned back by Ryoko and 
she leans in close to him. "Tenchi, you smell as good as a flower and I would 
never hurt ya." Tenchi blinks and swallows nervously.

 "Ryoko, what? Let me go.....ah...stop! What are you doing?" Ryoko giggles 
evilly and keeps leaning in closer. Sasami clasps her hands in front of her and 
smiles cheerfully but her sister hardly is so calm. Ayeka explodes in anger and 
puts one hand on Tenchi's forehead and one on Ryoko's. She uses all her strength 
to push their heads apart and yells at Ryoko.

 "Do not touch Lord Tenchi like that! Let go, you devil woman!" 

 "You let go of me!" Ryoko says and pushes her head against Ayeka's hand. Tenchi 
is trying to not get his head pulled off as the other two yell threats at each 
other. Washu smiles and watches her two creations cause some havoc. She peers 
over at Jaaku and he has his arms around Mihoshi lightly. Her red face is 
staring up into his and he is whispering to her.

 "Detective Mihoshi, you are not like the rest. I feel you 
actually....understand me. You do, don't you?" 

 "Ohhh...." Mihoshi giggles and looks away, trying to hide her red face. Jaaku 
grins and tilts his head towards hers.

 "Detective, please allow a humble criminal the honor of kissing one of the 
great Detectives of the Galaxy Police." Mihoshi looks up at him and sighs 
dreamily.

 "Okay, but who would that be?"  

 Jaaku gets a big monstrous sweatdrop and looks at her for a moment. "Uhm, that 
would be you." 

 "Oh...." She sighs again and nods, closing her eyes. Jaaku smiles and leans in 
closer to her, brushing his lips lightly against hers. Just as she expects him 
to kiss her, he steps past her walks towards Tenchi.

 "Tenchi, I have a plan."

 Mihoshi falls forward and sits up on her knees, looking around. "Wha...what 
happened?" She looks at Kiyone for a moment and then places her hands on her 
cheeks, her face going a bit red again. "I think he likes me, Kiyone." 

 "Oh shut up, Mihoshi." Kiyone growls and glares at her.

 "Tenchi, we need to talk." By this time Tenchi was sitting on the ground with a 
dizzy look on his face. Ryoko and Ayeka are still going at it behind him as 
Jaaku walks up to him. "What are you doing on the ground?" Tenchi just rubs his 
head and looks up at him. "Well, anyway I was thinking. Those scouters probably 
know we are here. We should move and go somewhere a bit more....seclusive."

 "Uhm, it sounds like a good idea. Where did you have in mind?" Tenchi asks and 
staggers up to his feet. 

 Jaaku chuckles to himself and holds out his hand, putting up his pinkie and 
ring finger. "Two words.....hot springs."


 "Oh yeah! I can't wait! I looooove hot springs." 

 Ryoko's cheers puts a smile on Jaaku's face and he looks at the steam coming up 
from behind the fence. The whole group of them walk around to the entrance and 
see the sparkling, bubbling pools of water. Ryoko cheers and holds her fists to 
her cheeks. "Drinking sake and sitting in hot springs. Two things a girl could 
do forever!" Jaaku smiles at her for a moment and then his glance moves down to 
the small girl next to him. Washu's eyes move up to him, then she turns her head 
and smiles cheerfully at him. Jaaku tilts his head a bit, then manages to smile 
back at her slightly. "Last one in is a wet princess!" Ryoko yells and appears 
behind Jaaku. She shoves her hands in his back and sends him flying through the 
air towards the springs. He can't even manage to yell her name before making a 
big splash, sending a column of water into the air.

 "Ryoko..." Tenchi says and smirks at her.

 She smiles innocently and looks at him, "What?" He just shakes his head and 
looks back over the water.

 "Where is he?" Sasami asks and Ryo-oki leans of her head a bit to look over the 
settling water. They all look over the water and don't see anything for a long 
time.

 "Maybe we got lucky and he drown." Kiyone says in a huff and walks off towards 
the house. They all wait a bit longer and Ryoko rubs her head.

 "Where is he? I didn't hit him that hard." She lets out a quick breath and 
disappears. She reappears floating over the water and looks down at it. "Jaaku?" 
She floats with her head close to the water and looks at her own reflection. 
Suddenly two hands shoot out of the water and grab her by the shoulders.

 "Gotcha!" Jaaku yells as he comes up from the water, holding her.

 "No wait, Jaaku! Don't you dare or I....." Ryoko protests loudly but Jaaku 
quickly falls back underwater, pulling her down with him. A moment later they 
both come back up and Jaaku brushes his wet hair back.

 "Heh, you look a bit wet, Ryoko." Ryoko looks at her wet clothes and then 
glares at him. Then she pushes both her hands through the water and sends a wave 
of water at him. He turns his head and closes one eye, "Hey, I am already wet. 
Are you going to make me more wet?" She chuckles and keeps doing it.

 "I am gonna try!" They both start laughing loudly and the group watches them 
for a bit.

 "Well, I am going to go get ready." Washu says with a smile and heads towards 
the house. 

 "Me too! Come on, Ryo-oki." Sasami says and follows with the cabbit in tow. 
Ayeka watches them a bit longer, then also heads for the house. Tenchi looks at 
Mihoshi and she is watching with a sparkle in her eyes.

 "Are you okay, Mihoshi?"

 "Huh? Yeah, I am great." She smiles cheerfully at him and they both start 
walking towards the house. After a while, Jaaku and Ryoko stop and look around.

 "Hey, where did everyone go?" Ryoko says and wrings out one of her sleeves. 
Jaaku shakes his head vigorously, sending water flying from his hair. 

 "I don't know. Maybe to go settle in." Ryoko nods and pushes her hands through 
her wet hair. "Hey Ryoko, so this is one of your favorite places?" Ryoko smiles 
at him a nods.

 "Yeah, it's nice to just sit in the springs and forget all your worries." She 
turns from him and looks into the night sky. "Sitting out under the stars, 
drinking bottles of sake. It is all just so great." She feels his hand touch her 
stomach and he slides his arms around her from behind. He fans his fingers out 
and holds her close.

 "Sounds great." His quiet voice makes her turn her head slightly, her cheeks 
getting slightly red. She sets her hand on his arms and leans her head back into 
his chest.

 "I think I like this too." He laughs a bit at her and she can feel his head 
nod.

 "So do I, Ryoko. So do I."