Gasps were heard around the room as Ranma apprehensively shared the news that she was both staying as a female and keeping the baby. A knock could be heard from the front door. Kasumi politely excused herself. As she left the room, a loud slam drew everyone's attention to the large martial artist seething with rage. His hands clenched into tight fists that practically shook as he stood up. "Boy, stop acting like a weak little girl. I raised you to be a man among men and to be a martial artist. It doesn't matter if you are uncomfortable with being a man. You have a duty to unite the families. I have told you multiple times that a martial artist's life is full of perils. And to have my own son get pregnant just so he can try to escape his duties. I don't know what I did to deserve such an ungrateful son."
Still standing next to Shampoo, Ranma tried her best to keep her raging emotions in check. She had done so a million times. She just had to sit there quietly and take her father's verbal onslaught. It would blow over like always. This time, she even had people on her side. Just that thought alone helped her calm her breathing. Usually, everyone was against her. Looking down at Shampoo's hand and gripping it tightly to ground herself enough to give a reply.
"You really don't know a thing about me, pops, do you?" Taking a moment to look at Genma and expecting a reply, which she never got, so she continued. "To be honest, pops, I love the art, but probably not for the same reasons you do. I love that it gives me the ability to protect the weak. It gives me feelings like none other in this world. But you, pop, you are always preaching about honor and junk, but you are a joke. You sold me for food. What parent does that? I didn't get pregnant to run away from the art. I'll always practice the arts, but I will say one thing: you will never get near my baby. If you even think about it, I'll kill you like I did Saffron."
Kasumi could be heard talking quietly in the hall to someone, but since she hadn't returned yet, and no one could make out who she was talking to, everyone just figured everything was okay. So they assumed she would return shortly after she was done. Genma angrily responded, "I sacrificed eighteen years of my life raising you just so you could think you could disrespect me. I am your father, and you will obey me. You will have this child, and then you will become a man again and stay that way. If you can't agree to that, I will beat that child out of you and force you to stay as a man."
Genma huffed loudly as he began to stomp over to his now daughter as if to force her to answer him, but was stopped by the sound of a katana being swiftly removed from its sheath. "And what, pray tell, gives you the right to demand such things of my child"? Panic seeped into the room in waves as everyone saw the glint of a very familiar katana. Ranma's eyes widened as she began to shake a bit with worry. Shampoo noticed this and pulled Ranma's arm so that she could protect the pregnant girl just in case Nodoka would turn on her daughter. But when Nodoka saw this, her heart broke. How could her own child be afraid of her? Where had she gone wrong?
She thought back to her most recent actions, most of which she had been spouting nonsense about how manly her son was. Her grip began to falter. She knew she had to do better. All she ever wanted was a big family, and it seemed her daughter wanted to give her a family. She knew she had to do this right, so no matter what, she would protect her child.
A grunt came from Genma, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "Oh, hey Nodoka, you know how it is; just teaching the boy the responsibilities of a man amongst men." Nodoka just stared at the man with fire in her eyes until he began to cower on the ground before her. "I heard everything, Genma." The plump man shuddered. Realization hit him like a ton of bricks, so he began to do the one thing he had truly perfected over the years: switching the blame.
"Well, you see, No-chan, the boy was just joking. He had a lapse in his judgment, but he is definitely ready to be a man amongst men. I swear," but he was cut off by Nodoka as she drove her sword into his hand, pinning him to the floor. "That's enough out of you. Obviously, you can't be trusted. I want to hear everything from my child's mouth." Nodoka looked at her trembling daughter before she spoke again. "Now, honey, I'm not mad; I just want to know all the facts. I need to know who's the father first off. Then what were the circumstances? How far along are you? Do you plan to keep the baby? Do you plan to stay a female forever? Do you have a plan for the future?"
"I know you're stressed, honey, but as a mother, I must know these things, so please calm yourself and take a seat so we can continue." Ranma nodded shakily, trying to get her emotions back under control, but after seeing her father get stabbed and pinned to the floor, it turned out to be more difficult than she thought. Even after a full minute, she was unable to pull herself together.
Shampoo watched as the woman she loved struggled to pull herself back from the cusp of a panic attack when she had a brilliant idea. If a hug could bring her back from her rage, then she had something that could be twice as effective. "Shampoo knows something to help Airen calm down. If Airen lets Shampoo that is".
Ranma seemed to hesitate for a second, but when she thought about it, all Shampoo had done was help her since she came to the cat café, so she nodded. Shampoo slowly wrapped her arms around "Airen trust Shampoo." Ranma once again gave a small nod, and then Shampoo leaned down to the slightly shorter girl. Their lips grazed each other as Shampoo's arms that were wrapped around Ranma's shoulders gently tightened, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss. Ranma's fur stood on end at the beginning, but slowly, as the kiss deepened, a spark of electricity began to jolt down her spine, and her fur began to flatten. Ranma wrapped Shampoo in a deep hug her arms resting above her hips. Pulling her tightly, Ranma's tail began to squirm more and more as they continued. Shampoo's tongue began to beg for entrance, and Ranma was very tempted as her loins began to moisten, but the two were brought back by Nodoka clearing her throat.
Shampoo was the first one to separate, still holding a now panting Ranma as her tail swished back and forth, making a noticeable icy wind. Nodoka decided to get things back on track before things got too spicy. "My apologies. It's not that I'm not happy my child found someone who obviously makes her happy, but I would really like to get all the details about my daughter's situation. And I would prefer if you both only did that while alone".
Shampoo gave a gentle nodded then guided the dazed Ranma back to her seat. When Ranma sat down, she was finally able to get her breathing under control and her mind organized. All while Akane seethed to the side of Kasumi. Said girl was watching over her sister like a hawk to ensure that Akane wouldn't attack the would-be mother.