The Sayoko Saga
Book One: Death
Part III
by Devon Masterson
aoi37@hotmail.com

	"And this is where you'll be living," Andy commented as he opened the door 
to a little house behind his mansion. "I thought it would be better for you to 
be close by in case someone breaks in or I have to go somewhere spur of the 
moment."
	Ryoko looked around and whistled in approval. "How much is this going to 
cost me?"
	"Think of it as a benefit of working for me," he smiled as he handed her 
the key. "There are some other benefits that we never got around to discussing."
	"Like health insurance?" she asked as she absent-mindedly rubbed her lower 
abdomen.
	"Of course," he answered then looked at her strangely. "Are you pregnant?"
	Ryoko blushed.
	"This is just great. That means in a couple of months you'll be 
useless..."
	"Listen," Ryoko interrupted as she grabbed Andy by the collar. "I was 
never nor will I ever be useless. I will be able to protect you up until I 
deliver this baby so don't worry about that." She released Andy and stepped 
back. 
	"Sorry," he replied as he straightened himself up. "Touchy subject."
	"Let's get some things straight, if I'm going to protect you, you have to 
play by my rules. No questions about how I do things, no matter how strange they 
are."
	Andy shook his head. "Fair enough." He smiled as they shook hands in 
agreement. "Such fire. I'm going to enjoy getting to know her."
	"Good." Ryoko sat down on the sofa and relaxed. This had to be the best 
legitimate gig of her life, short of living with Tenchi. All she had to do was 
protect this guy by beating up people. The whole thing would be almost as good 
as being a pirate, except she would not have to look at the disapproval in 
Tenchi's face when she told him of her exploits. "Tenchi..." In about a month 
she would start to show and he would want to know what happened. How would she 
tell him? She would just have to convince him that she could make him happy like 
Tsunami used to. "Yeah!" Ryoko commented as raised her hands in victory.
	"Huh?" Andy asked.
	Ryoko chuckled sheepishly. She had forgotten he was still standing there.
	Andy coughed. "Right," he whispered. "I'll see you tonight."
	"Whoa. Whoa. What's tonight?"
	"The Sakura Awards. You're my date tonight. I figured it would allow you 
to be close and inconspicuous."
	"The Sakura Awards. I've seen them on tv...and I'm going to get to go in 
person," she shrieked. "Wow." She started to dance and float around the room in 
her excitement. "Oh what am I going to wear? I wonder if Tenchi will be 
watching..." She stopped once she saw the distraught look on Andy's face. She 
floated down in front of him as Andy started to back up in fright. She 
teleported behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck almost 
affectionately.
	"How did you..."
	"No. No," she tsked in his ear. "You promised not to question me on my 
methods."
	Andy turned around and faced her. "But..."
	"Shhh," she interrupted, putting a finger to his lips. "Just go with the 
flow. We're going to have lots of fun. I'll be back, I need to go find a dress." 
Ryoko stepped away and ran off.
	"Now that's a complicated woman," Andy sighed as he shut the door to her 
apartment and started for the main house. "Just the way I like them."

	"Mihoshi," Ryoko whispered behind a door of a dressing room. "Where's 
Kyone? I thought I told you bring her along."
	"Kyone had to work..." Mihoshi began.
	"Great! I'm stuck with you then," Ryoko interrupted.
	"I don't know much about fashion. Kyone always helps me," Mihoshi replied. 
"I could do your hair..."
	Ryoko narrowed her eyes then sighed as Mihoshi continued to babble on. At 
least her hair would look nice. "Geez."
	"..and that's why I called Washu..."
	"You what?" Ryoko asked stepping out the dressing room.
	"You heard her. Washu, the greatest scientific mind in the universe," she 
announced as popped out of hiding in a dramatic fashion.  "..and fashion  
expert."
	"By the gods," Ryoko sighed as she hit her head against the wall. "What do 
you know about fashion? You walk around looking like a twelve year old!"
	"You got a point there," Washu commented. She changed into adult form. "If 
I'm going to be a grandma, I might as well at least be an adult." She modeled 
herself in the mirror. "This outfit has got to go." She jumped into a portal and 
back out again wearing a short, flattering, rose colored summer dress. 
"Perfect."
	"Hmmm...not bad," Ryoko complimented.
	"I like the color," Mihoshi added.
	"I'm such a dish," Washu replied as she looked in the mirror and blew a 
kiss. Ryoko sighed and looked down wondering what she was about to get into. 
"Well time to make you beautiful."
	"What are you planning on doing to me?" Ryoko asked cautiously.
	Washu smiled innocently. "Nothing out of the ordinary, just trust me."
	"Yeah whatever," Ryoko  mumbled under her breath. What else could she do 
it was either Washu's help or really mess it up. She was always hated it when 
she go into situations like this.
	"Let's get started, Mihoshi," Washu commented as she pulled out sissors 
and a comb.
	"Okay," Mihoshi smiled as she pulled out the gel. The two women walked 
into the dressing room and started construction. 
	 An hour later the three women emerged to inspect their work. "Wow! Ryoko, 
you look so pretty."
	"A chip off the old block," Washu complimented. She walked around Ryoko 
and nodded, quite proud of her work. "Who better to tell you how nice you look 
than..." she began, "Tenchi." She snapped her fingers and he fell out of a sub-
space hole.
	"Hey, Washu, I told you give me warning first. I was about to take a 
shower..."
	"We wanted your opinion on Ryoko's new look for the Sakura awards 
tonight," Washu replied.
	Tenchi looked at her curiously then turned around. Ryoko stood before him 
dressed in a madarin style dress with a plunging design neckline and splits on 
either side. The dress accented her curviness. Four years ago he would have had 
a massive nose bleed seeing in her such state. He wasn't so sure he still 
wouldn't have one. "Wow," he whispered, "you look nice." 
	Ryoko blushed. "Thank you, Tenchi." She smiled and looked in the mirror 
for herself. She had been too afraid to look. She almost gasped at her own 
reflection. Washu and Mihoshi managed to wrestle her coarse hair into a high bun 
with her tendrils hanging down. "I love it," she said as she spun around in her 
satin heels.
	"You better get going," Washu replied as she looked at her atomic wrist 
watch. "You'll be late."
	Ryoko smiled. "See ya later," she called as she faded out.
	"Well our work is done, Mihoshi, let's go celebrate." 
	"That'll be great, Washu," Mihoshi replied as the two women walked out.
	"I've never seen her look so beautiful," Tenchi thought.
	"Oh my god! There's a man in the women's dressing room," A woman called 
out. 
	"Someone call the police!" Another woman called.
	Tenchi grabbed his shirt that fell beside him and ran out of the boutique. 
He was really glad that was all he removed when Washu grabbed him. "It's been 
awhile since this kind of trouble has happened to me, maybe everything's finally 
getting back to normal."

	Across town, Andy was pacing back and forth waiting for Ryoko. "I'm here."
	Andy turned around  to the sound of his new bodyguard's voice and smiled. 
"You look amazing."
	Ryoko blushed. She spun around so that he could get the full view. "Let's 
go," she commented and turned to open the door.
	Andy grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. "Does your boyfriend know how 
lucky he is?"
	"I can't believe he's actually coming on to me." This was first time she 
ever had the attention of a male other than Tenchi. It was kind of cool, but it 
wasn't the same. "I don't have a boyfriend and you're touching me."
	Andy let go of her. "I'm sorry. You're right, you work for me and you're 
an expecting mother," he apologized as he bowed deepily. "Let's be on our way 
then."
***

"Need any help, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked as he came in the kitchen.
"It's just take out, Tenchi, it's not like I actually cooked," she replied good 
naturedly. "Besides this is the first time you and the girls have been over."
"Just be careful. I don't want you to strain yourself."
Ryoko looked at him curiously. "She told you didn't she? Who else knows?"
"I'm the only one who knows and don't blame Washu. She was worried she only told 
me so that..."
"How do you feel about it?" Ryoko asked.
"I'm behind you hundred percent," Tenchi answered as he hugged Ryoko.
"And you don't hate me?"
"I could never hate you, Ryoko," Tenchi replied.
Ryoko smiled, "Thank you." "Now we'll be a real family."


(c) 2001 Devon Masterson.
Another Bond Girl Production
I think we know who belongs to who, Tenchi characters belong to the wonderful 
creators, who let me borrow the characters for fun and imagination. Everybody 
else is a figment of my wonderful imagination.