Disclaimer:
I do not own any of these Tenchi Muyo! characters,
they are copyrighted by AIC and Pioneer.  This fic
is for entertainment value only, not for profit.  So
please don't sue me, I'm broke.

NOTE: I just had to write this ending.  I've
been itching to do something like it for a
long time ^_^.  I truly hope you like it.
Feedback is always appreciated!

*Sleepless Nights 2*
By, Heather B. Kytes

The moon hung high in the sky, brilliant in its
superiority.  Moonbeams reflected off the stars
above, touching every tree and flower with a
gentle caress of silver light.  Trees ordinary
by day transformed into mystical giants shining
with green leaves sprinkled with fairy dust.
Lightning bugs fluttered by in bursts of light,
momentary flickers of comprehension that were
soon gone.
        Tenchi gazed out the window at the magical
scene a moment more before shutting the curtain.
He turned around, smiling at Ryoko, who was
playing on the video game console in the corner
of his room.  He sat down on his bed, propping
his face in his hands and watching her.
        The smile on his face turned into a frown
when he saw the sluggish way she poked at the
control.  The game was over in a matter of seconds
as the computer player killed her character and
'Game Over' flashed on the screen.
        The control slipped out of Ryoko's hands and
bounced aimlessly on the floor.  She sat there,
silent for a moment, then turned around to face
Tenchi with a big smile.  "I guess you want to get
to bed, huh?"
        Tenchi blinked.  *Her smile looks painted on*
he thought with a twinge of worry.  It was like
she was trying extra hard to be cheerful when she
really wasn't.  "Uhh--not really," he stammered.
"You can still play if you want to."
        "Nah," she said, getting to her feet.  She
shrugged.  "Ten losses in a row tells me this isn't
my night."  She turned to leave.
        "Wait!"  When Ryoko turned to face him,
Tenchi laughed nervously, putting his arm behind
his head in a casual gesture.  "I mean, I wanted to
show you something on my new computer."
        Aeka stuck her head in the door.  She'd been
passing by in the hall.  "What is it, Lord Tenchi?"
she asked, walking into the room.
        "What's going on in here?" Sasami asked,
bounding in the room after her sister.  Mihoshi and
Washu followed, and soon the room was packed.
        Tenchi inwardly groaned.  Sometimes he thought
this house was just too crowded, but then, he
couldn't stand the thought of anyone leaving, either.
        Tenchi put his hand on the mouse, and double
clicked on the mp3 player icon.  "I downloaded some
really cool songs," he said.  "I thought you might
like to hear them."
        "Tenchi," Ryoko said.
        Upon hearing the soft tenderness on her voice,
Tenchi turned around and looked into her beautiful
gold eyes.  "What?" he asked.
        A moment passed between them that everyone in
the room felt.  A moment when pure emotion crossed from
one pair of eyes to another.  Ryoko shook her head,
smiling sadly.  "Never mind," she said quietly.  She
turned around, walking to the door.  "I think I'll go
to bed."
        Tenchi felt disappointment weigh heavily on
his soul as he watched her walk away, unable to call
her back.  He pressed the play button, and hard rock
music filled the room, much to others' delight.  They
danced to the music while Tenchi gazed down at the
keyboard, thinking.
        *What is wrong with Ryoko?*  She wasn't fooling
Tenchi in the slightest.  She was trying her best to
play the part and pretend that nothing was wrong.
But Tenchi knew better. *I'll talk to her tonight* he
decided.  *This time, when she's awake.*

        The house was quiet with the sounds of midnight.
Floorboards creaked under Tenchi's feet as he
unsuccessfully tried to make his way to Ryoko's room
without causing a disturbance.  At this rate, he thought
miserably, the entire household will wake up before I
make it halfway to her room.
        After what seemed like an eternity of breathless
moments, he pushed her door open and entered the room,
sighing as he closed the door safely behind him.  "Thank
God, Ryoko--" he started.  "I--"
        His words cut off in midsentence when he noticed
the bed was empty.  Panic rose in his throat as he
crossed over to the bed, running his hands over the
rumpled sheets.  "What the--?" he murmured, looking
around frantically.  "Where did she go?"
        *Don't freak out yet* his rational voice in his
mind said.  *Check other places to make sure she's gone
before you start panicking.*
        Tenchi raced out of the room, forgetting his vow
to be silent.  He pounded down the hallway to the living
room and almost fainted from relief when he saw Ryoko
laying peacefully on the couch.
        Tenchi sighed, placing his hand over his racing
heart.  He walked over and knelt by the couch, gazing
at Ryoko's face.  Her eyes were tightly clenched, a
frown marring the beauty of her face.  She looked pained
and sorrowful.
        "Nightmare?" Tenchi murmured, reaching out to touch
her but quickly drawing his hand back.  He glanced
around warily, to see if he had awakened anyone else in
the house.  The air was still, but carried a current of
intensity as white-hot as a bolt of lightning.  This
night contained endless possibilities, limited only by
the weakness in one's heart.
        Tenchi sighed again, this time with sorrow instead
of relief.  His hands tightened into fists in his lap as
he stared down, mentally beating himself for being such
a wimp.  Eternally afraid to show emotion and to be
real.  He tried in vain to bring back memories of hating
Ryoko, to take away his pain of loving her silently, but
none returned.  He vaguely realized that she had done
nothing in the past month to incite any form of hatred.
She hadn't been herself, not really.
        "Do I only love an image of you in my mind that
isn't real?"  Tenchi looked up at Ryoko, almost as if
expecting some sort of answer or sign.
        The past month, he reflected, he'd been running
on auto-pilot.  Ever since that one sleepless night when
he'd admitted his feelings to a sleeping Ryoko, he'd
caught himself staring at her, unable to take his eyes
away.  Thinking of her constantly.  Like telling her he
loved her had opened a floodgate that not even his hate
could close.
        Tenchi lifted a hand in the air only to find that
he was trembling uncontrollably.  He slowly moved his
shaking hand towards Ryoko's sleeping form, over her
face, to rest delicately on her soft cheek.
        Ryoko mumbled in her sleep, rolling over so that
her back faced him and his hand fell from contact with
her.
        Blinking puzzled for a moment, Tenchi sat back on
his heels.  An idea popped into his mind.  Maybe he
couldn't tell Ryoko to her face that he loved her, but
he thought he could manage if she wasn't facing him.  He
shook her shoulder gently, whispering, "Ryoko, wake up."
        He got no response, so he got up and loomed over
her, looking at her face.  His eyes widened considerably
when he saw two crystal tears shining on her cheeks in the
moonlight.
        "Ryoko, what--?"  Tenchi shook her, harder.  "Are
you awake?"
        An endless moment, then Ryoko sighed.  Her eyes
slowly opened and gazed up at him, her eyes flooded with
unshed tears.  "Tenchi," she said, her voice pitifully
weak.  "Why are you still here?"
        Tenchi stared down at her, confused.  His brow
wrinkled in frustration.  "Why are you crying?" he asked
rather harshly.  "You never cry."
        Ryoko angrily brushed her tears away, glaring at
him.  "Yeah?  What do you know about me anyway, Tenchi?
Nothing."
        "That's not true."  Tenchi's face twisted with
anger.  "I probably know you better than anyone else in
this house."
        Ryoko sat up, hurling the covers away from her.
"And you don't know jack.  What does that say?"  Her
eyes shot golden flames at him.
        Tenchi took a step back, surprised by her anger,
and as well as his own.  His eyes moved over her, and
with the covers pushed aside, he realized she was
wearing nothing more than a little slip.  Against his
will, heat rose in his cheeks, but the redness was
hidden under the cover of night.  "I know you," he said
again, not wanting to believe otherwise.
        "Oh, enlighten me."  Ryoko sat back, unperturbed
by her scant clothing.  She folded her arms across her
chest and looked at him expectantly.  "Well?"
        Tenchi blinked hard, shaking his head.  "All
right."  He stared down at the floor, going through his
mind for things to say but coming up blank.
        Ryoko's mouth formed a bitter smile.  "As I
expected," she said coldly.  "Blank slate."
        "You hate snow," Tenchi said quietly, lifting his
head and meeting her gaze.
        Ryoko's mouth opened to say another sarcastic
remark, but Tenchi cut her off.  "Your favorite place
to be is the clearing behind the shrine in the spring
when the trees are covered in cherry blossoms.  You
like to drink tea, and usually by the fifth cup you're
pretty out of it."  The facts were flowing now, he had
tapped the well inside him and everything poured out of
his heart as easily as water.  "You like to read romance
novels when you think no one is watching.  I can always
when tell you're getting angry because your right eye
twitches a little.  You like to sit on the roof and
gaze at the stars because it helps you remember the
days you were wild and carefree."
        "Shut up," Ryoko whispered, her eyes shaking with
tears.  She stared helplessly at Tenchi as he peered
through her eyes, deep into her soul, exposing her most
precious feelings.
        Tenchi continued, merciless.  "When you're having
a nice dream, you smile.  When it's a nightmare, you
grit your teeth a little.  Sometimes you snore, but I
think it's cute.  You care deeply about everyone in the
house, even Aeka, and you would do anything to protect
us.  You think of us as the family you never had."
        "Shut UP!" Ryoko shouted, closing her eyes tight
for a moment to stop her tears.  She formed her energy
sword and pointed it threateningly at Tenchi.  "Don't
you say another word!"
        "I know you," Tenchi repeated calmly.  He slowly
stepped forward.  "I know you could never hurt me."
        "You don't know anything," Ryoko said.  Her eyes
blazed like twin infernos, not extinguished by her
sparkling tears.
        "Everything I said is true.  You can't deny
that," Tenchi said, continuing to walk forward as Ryoko
backed away.
        "Are you happy, Tenchi?  You win, all right?
You *know* me, oh, good for you!  What does it prove?"
        "That you're not an island," Tenchi said, pausing
in his steps for a moment and watching her intently.
"That even though you tried to stop everyone from
knowing you, we crept into your soul.  We *are* your
family, Ryoko.  We all care about you."
        "Bull!" Ryoko exclaimed.  "Care about me, what?
You hate me!"
        It was Tenchi's turn to step back.  "Huh?"
        Ryoko's sword shook.  "Don't even play
innocent!  I heard you that night!  That night you
couldn't sleep and came into my room."  Her voice lost
strength, her sword dissipated as she slumped over,
her emotions running uncontrolled throughout her
body.  "I--I heard you say you hated me."
        Tenchi froze, frantically trying to remember his
exact words.  *I was so cold to her* he remembered
with horror.  *She was awake, oh no.*
        Ryoko's back was to the wall, and she slid down
until she hit the floor, her knees drawn up to her
chest.  Her face was a mess of tears of sorrow.
        Tenchi gazed down at her.  *Sadness is beautiful*
he thought distractedly.  Surely she had never looked
so wonderful to him, so openly feeling her emotions,
the heart-breaking agony on her face transforming her
into a fallen angel, lost in the world of her pain.
        He moved swiftly to her side, kneeling in front
of her.  He cupped her face in his hands, forcing her
eyes to meet his.  Carefully, he wiped her tears away
with his forefinger, his touch lingering on her skin.
"I said I loved you, Ryoko," he said.
        Ryoko's brows furrowed in anger.  "No, you
said--"
        Tenchi closed her lips with his tear-stained
finger, moving it away when he was sure she would
listen.  He stared at her face in wonder, her beauty
only inches away from him.  "What is more important?"
he asked quietly.  "That I hate you sometimes, or that
I love you always?"
        Ryoko shook with injury.  "Not always," she
whispered.  "You didn't say that."
        "Words aren't sufficient," Tenchi said firmly.
"Nothing can describe the way I feel when your eyes are
on me.  It takes a long time to realize what true
feelings are.  When I talked to you that night, I was
still confused.  I'm not confused anymore."
        "You can't love someone and hate them at the same
time.  That's not the way it is!" Ryoko exclaimed.  "How
can your love be real?"
        "How should I know?" Tenchi asked.  "No one can
explain the way love works.  But I love you.  Are you
saying you don't care?"
        Ryoko's eyes stared past Tenchi.  "When you said
you hated me," she said quietly, "when you called me a
monster, I knew what it felt like to have your heart
broken."
        Tenchi waited for her to finish, grimacing at the
pangs in his own heart.
        "If your love can't conquer your hate, then it's
worth nothing to me."
        Tenchi nodded.  He got to his feet slowly.  "I'm
sorry you feel that way," he whispered, feeling tears
surface in his own eyes.  He smiled sadly.  "I'm sorry
I bothered you, Ryoko.  Good night."
        He walked out of the room, his head bowed, pain
shooting at his heart from all directions.
        Suddenly, he stopped, and whirled around.
        Ryoko stood in the living room doorway, a
stricken look on her face.  Her eyes called out to him,
a silent plea.  *Tenchi, don't go. . .*
        All thoughts flew from Tenchi's mind.  For once in
his life, he followed exactly what his heart told him
to do.  He raced back down the hall and swept Ryoko into
his arms.  She clung to him as if he were a life
preserver, her arms tightly circling around his neck, her
face buried in his hair as she sobbed silent tears.
        "Ryoko," he whispered, over and over.  His hands
stroked up and down her back, as he carried her to the
couch, sitting and cradling her in his lap.  His cheeks
were bright red, but a smile stretched across his face,
as bright as the sun.  He stared down at her, smiling,
as her sobs slowed and faded into silence.
        She looked up at him sheepishly, her own face
flushed.  "I've never cried so much in my life," she
complained, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I swear I'm turning into Mihoshi or something."
        "Nah."  Tenchi met her eyes, still grinning and
blushing.
        Ryoko's defenses waned, and vulnerability flashed
over her features.  "What?" she asked, not meeting his
intense gaze.  Her head drooped.
        "Don't you want to look at me, Ryoko?" he teased,
his grin growing wider.
        Ryoko's face shot up.  "Huh?" she asked, her jaw
dropping with surprise.  She glared when she realized he
was making fun of her.  "Since when are you Mr.
Comedian?" she muttered.
        "Since when are you Miss Hard-to-Get?" Tenchi
shot back.  He shifted, pulling her closer.
        A sigh escaped Ryoko's lips.  "You hate me," she
said, reminding herself.  She started to move away.
        Tenchi tightened his hold on her.  "Ryoko, stop
it.  Stop using that as an excuse to push me away and
block me out."  He shook her slightly.  "You're wrong.
My love *can* conquer my hate.  It already is.  So stop
keeping me at a distance."  He coughed.  "I mean--"
        Ryoko put a finger to his lips, and on her face
was the familiar, seductive grin he loved so much.  "You
talk too much," she said.  "I mean, hell, you said you
loved me and all.  Aren't there better things we could
be doing than *talk*?"
        Tenchi swallowed hard.  "W-what do you mean?" he
stammered.
        "You know."  She stared at him through her
lashes.  Her finger moved across his lips lightly.  "You
know, Tenchi."
        The blush returned to his face, hotter than
before.  "I, uh--"
        Ryoko lifted her face to his, slowly, meaningfully,
and as her lips neared his, she let her true feelings
show on her face.  The tenderness and love softened her
eyes, now unclouded windows to her soul.  "Love you."
The whispered confession tumbled out of her lips as she
pressed her forehead to his, closing her eyes at the
intensity of the moment.  Tenchi held his breath, inching
forward, his mouth waiting for hers.  Until that instant
of contact, soft lips on his, gentle and yielding,
forceful, loving, perfect.  Beyond dreams and
expectations.  Tenchi could stay this way forever, die
this way, sweetly surrendering to the waves of passion
whirling between him and his love.
        They pulled back at the same time, cheeks flushed
with pleasure and emotion.  Eyes on each other.
        Ryoko sighed contentedly, resting her head on his
chest.  She snuggled deeply into the warmth of his
body.  "That was--" she trailed off.
        "No words," Tenchi said, running his fingers
through her hair.  He moved into a laying position on
the couch, gently shifting so that Ryoko remained on top
of him, as close to him as possible.  He reached down
and grabbed the quilt, placing it around himself and
Ryoko.  He yawned, tired from the emotional stress of
the night, but definitely happy in spite of the
exhaustion.
        "They're gonna see us in the morning," Ryoko said,
yawning and stretching against him.
        Tenchi pictured in his mind the embarrassment he
would face when the sun rose and everyone saw him this
way.  "I don't care," he said finally.  "Have to get
used to it, I suppose."
        Ryoko looked at him joyfully.  "You mean--?"
        Tenchi smiled.  "Of course.  I love you.  I want
to be with you, and I don't want to have to sneak around
to do it."
        Ryoko closed her eyes, hugging Tenchi.  "I'm so--"
She yawned again.  "--happy."
        "Sleep, angel," Tenchi whispered.
        He stared up at the ceiling, listening to Ryoko's
steady breathing.  Suddenly, in a moment of perfect
clarity, he realized this was the last sleepless night
he would ever have.
        With that as his last thought, Tenchi fell asleep.
        Smiling.

The End (for real this time ^_^)

*Sigh*  I've always wanted to write a happy ending.  I'm
sorry if they were too out of character, but really, how
can you make Tenchi act super-caring without him being
somewhat out of character?  Oh well.  Liked it?  Hated
it?  Tell me.

e-mail: frozen_angel18@hotmail.com