Okay, after perusing all of the excellent comments I got, here's the
next version of my story.  I'd like to say it's my final version, but
I'm still not entirely satisfied.  So, if you've got the patience, I'd
sure like to hear any and all comments you've got about this draft.  Oh,
and I've changed the title.

Many changes, including slightly altering the flashback scenes; Akane
and Ranma are a lot less wordy when making up; Ikaru's presence at the
end is slightly less deus ex machina; Akane doesn't necessarily give up
cooking; a little more to Ranma's and Ukyo's discussion in the cave; the
dream sequence is a little more surreal (in the hopes of making it clear
it *is* a dream); and other myriad small changes.  Much to my regret, I
replaced Zen, after getting comments about how jarring his presence
was.  Sorry, Zen.  :(

Oh, and I'm wondering if I should cut the Happosai bit.  It's mildly
interesting, but doesn't add to the plot very much, except to point out
to Ranma that sometimes life doesn't give you any good choices.  Should
I keep the bit, or dump it?  The story is plenty long enough without it.

Thanks to everyone for their excellent comments; I leaned on them
heavily during my rewrite.  Thanks, too, for the votes on the title;
"Missing Ingredient" was the overwhelming favorite, although Zen offered
yet another choice that I liked.  :)

As always, let me know what ya think.


-Richard

sterman@sprynet.com
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/sterman


----

Ukyo watched carefully as the batter was poured on the grill.  It hissed, 
then settled into a familiar round shape.  Ingredients were added, then it
was flipped.  More ingredients were added, with flair.  Finally the finished
okonomiyaki was scooped off the grill and given to the waiting customer.

The customer thanked them, and took a bite.  He nodded his appreciation,
then wandered away from the cart.

Ukyo beamed.  "I could do that!"

"Do you think so?"  Father gave her a speculative look.  "What's the first
step in preparing okonomiyaki?"

This was a trick question, but Ukyo knew the answer.  "Wash your hands!"

Father's face was impassive, but she could see the approval in his eyes.
"What's the greatest danger?"

"The grill, when it's hot, you never ever touch it."

"Hmmm."  Father looked at her for a long moment.  "One last rule.  You 
never use the grill unless I'm here.  Do you understand, Daughter?"

"I understand, Father."  She danced on her feet.  "Can I make some
okonomiyaki now?"

He began to nod, then suddenly froze, looking off to the side.

Ukyo looked that way, and saw nothing but bushes.  "What is it, Father?"

Father looked down and started preparing another okonomiyaki.  Ukyo looked
at him in puzzlement; wasn't she supposed to be making one?  She didn't say
anything, because Father looked very serious.  He flipped the okonomiyaki,
added some toppings, then reached down underneath the cart and grabbed a few
of his special spatulas.

Suddenly the bushes exploded.  A large man came shooting out, running towards
the cart.  He made a flying leap at the okonomiyaki on the cart.

Father threw his spatulas at the big man.  Ukyo knew that they were just 
practice spatulas; they had dull edges.  Nevertheless, the man grunted in 
pain as the spatulas struck him.  Father grabbed his largest spatula and
leapt over the cart.  Soon he and the big man were hard at it.

Ukyo watched them in awe.  Father was very good at fighting, and he had
taught her a few basic moves so that she could defend herself.  The big man
seemed to be good, too.  It was fun to watch them.

Her attention was suddenly drawn to the bushes where the big man had come
from.  A boy was watching her and the cart.  They looked at each other; then
the boy drew his eyebrows together and gave her a hard smile.  Ukyo shuffled
her feet and planted herself, excited and determined.  No one was going to 
steal from her father's cart.

The boy bounded from the bushes and ran towards her.  She clenched her fists,
preparing to hit him real hard.  It looked like he was used to it; one of his
feet had a large bruise on it.

Just as she was about to swing her fists, he jumped.  He sailed over her as
she shouted.  He landed on the cart, his feet perched on the shelf above the
grill.  He reached for the okonomiyaki, then snatched his hand back as he
felt the heat of the grill.

Ukyo reached up and pulled him off the cart.  He somehow twisted as he fell,
grabbing her shoulders and bringing her down with him.  They wrestled on the
ground together for a while before the boy ended up sitting on her chest, 
holding her wrists and smiling wickedly at her.

"Enough, kids."  Ukyo looked to see her father with his arm around the big 
man's shoulder.  They both looked quite scruffy.

The boy seemed as surprised as she was. "What're you doing, Pop?"

The big man laughed.  "Don't worry, son.  This is a man that respects martial
artists."

Father laughed.  "You are both very good.  I haven't had such a challenge in
a long time.  Here."  He went over to the cart, grabbed a spatula, and flipped
the okonomiyaki towards the big man.  "It's a little..."

The big man jumped, grabbed it out of the air with his mouth, and swallowed it
almost whole.

"...burnt."  Father looked at the big man curiously, then shrugged.  He 
turned to the boy.  "Would you like one?"

"Sure!"  The boy released her and jumped up.  He watched intently as Father
began making another okonomiyaki.

Ukyo got up and bounced over to the boy.  "I can cook too!"  It wasn't strictly
true, but it soon would be.

The boy examined her for a moment, then grinned.  "You fight okay, but you're 
not as good as me.  I'm Ranma!"

Ukyo grinned.  "I'm Ukyo and I make okonomiyaki!"

Ranma beamed at her.  "Okonomi Ucchan."

***

Ukyo grunted as she set down the box of noodles in the refrigerator.  This 
one wasn't as big as the one in her first restaurant, and it was sometimes
a challenge to make everything fit.

The maker of the noodles handed her another box.  "I can do this for you, 
Ukyo-san.  It is a part of my job."

She quirked a corner of her mouth at him.  "Thanks, Ikaru-san, but I need 
to arrange everything just so, or it'll all collapse."

Ikaru nodded sympathetically.  "Well, you certainly have things well 
organized.  You're real good at that sort of stuff."

Ukyo let out another grunt as she set the box on the pile.  "You have to be
to work in this refrigerator."  She backed out and closed the door firmly.
"There. Ready for another few days."  She turned to Ikaru.  "See you tomorrow
at the other restaurant.  I'll have my orders for you there."

"Okay, Ukyo."  Ikaru looked at her for a second, and she waited for him to say
whatever was on his mind.  "Um, I saw your friend Kasumi the other day.  She
wanted to buy some of my noodles.  She said that you had told her that I made
good noodles, and she wanted some for her own cooking."  He smiled shyly at
her.  "I wanted to thank you for that.  Maybe I'll open a little storefront if
I get enough requests like hers.

Ukyo smiled happily at him.  "That's good.  Did you sell her some noodles?"

"Of course.  Gave her wholesale prices, too, just because she was so friendly.
We talked for a while.  She, uh, had some good advice for me."

Ukyo laughed.  "It was nice of you to give her a good price, Ikaru-san.  But
be careful; she likes to mother everyone.  If you give her a chance, she'll
be telling you to wash before dinner and making sure you eat right."

"Oh?  Uh, thanks for the warning."  Ikaru paused for another moment, looked 
down at his watch, grimaced, and left out the back door.

Ukyo smiled after him.  He made the noodles all by himself, and delivered them
to her restaurants.  He did a good job, and was a pleasant person as well.
A good guy to do business with.

She didn't have time for any introspection however.  She found the assistant
manager in the front of the restaurant, behind the register.  "The noodles 
were just delivered.  We should have enough until Wednesday.  Let me know,
however, when you open the last box."

Ukyo raised her chin and stared at the ceiling, trying to organize her 
thoughts.  "Try to get everyone out of here by midnight.  Make sure the grill
gets thoroughly cleaned this time, and watch the freezer door - it sometimes
doesn't close all the way."

The assistant manager nodded her head.  Ukyo could sense impatience from her,
as if she was saying "Of course!  I don't need you to tell me what my job is."
Ukyo knew, however, that things like that tended to be forgotten if she didn't
spell them out.

Without any further comment, Ukyo turned and left the restaurant. She unlocked
her bicycle and began cycling her way towards Nerima.

Depression hovered at the edge of her consciousness.  She'd been very excited
about opening a second restaurant.  She hadn't realized how much extra work
it would be for her.  Things had been so much simpler when she was the only
person running the restaurant.  Now she had to worry about employees that 
didn't have as hard a work ethic as she did, who would let things slide by if
she didn't stay on top of them.  She had to pay them and give them benefits
and vacations and cover for them when they called in sick (which happened a
lot, more so than she had ever thought possible - she herself had only been
sick a very few times her whole life).

Her profit margin had been gobbled up in a hurry.  She'd been forced to raise
her prices, which lost her a few customers.  It had been easy to save enough
money to open a second restaurant; now she was struggling to meet expenses.
Which explained why she was riding a bicycle halfway across Tokyo, rather than
driving or taking the train.

She gritted her teeth and began pedalling faster.  She lost herself in the
feel of the wind in her face and the exertion of maintaining her speed.  She
ran a couple of red lights, feeling reckless.

After a few minutes she slowed down.  The rational side of her mind reasserted
itself.  There was no need to risk her life or a traffic violation simply 
because she was feeling a little down.

Her first restaurant came into view.  She rode around to the back, dismounted,
and locked up her bicycle.  She spent a minute composing herself before
entering.

She surveyed the dining area, pleased to note that it was mostly full.  All
reviews of her restaurant had given her above average marks, and word of mouth
was equally enthusiastic, so she was building a steady clientele.  She idly
wondered whether another price increase would drive more of them away.  Ukyo
made eye contact with a couple of her regulars and smiled at them.  She would
have to stop at their tables and chat for a moment before they left.

Ukyo caught sight of Konatsu and nodded at him.  He was busy running around
the tables, serving food, making sure everyone had what they needed, and
making pleasant small talk.  Konatsu had a real gift for customer relations,
and his tips were simply staggering.  He insisted that all of his tips be
put into the company's coffers.  Like Ukyo, he was much more interested in
the company's welfare than his own.  Since Ukyo *was* the company, it showed
a devotion to her she appreciated very much.  His work ethic was the equal of 
her own, and she could count on him to run the restaurant on his own.  Ukyo 
hoped that she would someday be able to insure that he was adequately 
compensated for all of the work he did.

Konatsu came up to her and bowed slightly, his kimono rustling.  "Hello, Ukyo.
Business is good tonight.  The chef wants to leave early tonight because he
needs to take his daughter to the doctor early tomorrow morning."

Ukyo stifled a sigh.  "All right, give me a moment to change and I'll take 
over the grill.  Oh, and give tables six and eight free desserts with my 
compliments."

Konatsu bowed again, then moved quickly but gracefully away to pick up some
more orders.  Ukyo allowed herself a moment to admire his form.  He still liked 
to dress as a woman, but he pulled it off admirably.  He was lithe and winsome,
and when he danced from table to table, helping the customers as much as he
could, he was poetry in motion.  Ukyo had no romantic interest in him at all,
but she did admire him aesthetically.  He was a good friend, too.

She had so many "good friends" she wanted to scream.

Ukyo shook herself before that train of thought could continue its 
oft-travelled, depressing journey.  She turned, opened the door to the stairs,
and climbed to her room on the second floor.

She began changing into her chef's outfit.  Halfway through, she caught sight
of herself in the mirror and stopped.  She examined herself closely.  She was
only nineteen.  Ever since she'd embraced her femininity, she'd thought of 
herself as being attractive.  Not a knockout like Shampoo had been, but still
plenty good-looking.  She leaned forward and examined her face closely.  It
seemed to her that she was beginning to develop some worry lines on her
forehead.  And, were those creases at the corners of her eyes?  She spent a
long time trying to determine if her skin was becoming wrinkled.

She eventually realized that she was wasting a lot of time, and gave up. 
Besides, she thought to herself as she threw on her cooking clothes, staring
into mirrors was a good indication of narcissism, something she had no interest
in becoming a part of.

Ukyo went downstairs and relieved the chef.  She began cooking, which was her
one true joy in life.  All the cares of the world faded away as she prepared
her okonomiyaki.  Pour the batter, flip, add the toppings, serve, get new
orders, over and over, and the hours slid by.

She was almost disappointed when the last of her customers left.  She and
Konatsu were soon cleaning up and putting the restaurant in order.  Ukyo's
mind began racing with the thoughts of what she needed to do tomorrow.

Konatsu put the last of the glasses away, and smiled at Ukyo.  "Another day
successfully completed.  We live to do battle again tomorrow."

Ukyo laughed; it was an apt analogy.  "That we do."  She looked at him, and
put a teasing tone into her voice.  "Will you be seeing Fumiko tonight?"

He blushed furiously.  "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell
you."

Ukyo raised an eyebrow.  "Yes?"

"Um..."  He looked down at his feet.  "I... I'm going to be moving in with
Fumiko.  We'll be renting a new apartment together starting the first of next
month."

"Konatsu!"  Ukyo grinned from ear to ear.  "That's wonderful!  When's the
marriage?"  She meant that in a teasing way.

To her surprise, he turned a darker shade of red.  "We were thinking maybe
next spring."

Ukyo's mouth dropped open.  "Konatsu!"  She was repeating herself.  To add
variety, she flung herself at him and hugged him fiercely.  "That is *so*
great!  I am so happy for you."

"Thanks, Ukyo."  He pushed her away and looked into her eyes.  "It would never 
have been possible if you and Ranma hadn't gotten me away from my family and 
into a good job.  I owe you both so much."

Ukyo smiled widely.  "You owe me nothing.  My business wouldn't be where it is
today without you."  She stepped away and pointed to the front door.  "Now,
get out of here and spend some time with your fiancee.  All work and no play
makes Konatsu a dull kunoichi."

Konatsu laughed, bowed, and left.

Ukyo's smile faded as melancholy filled her soul.  How had Konatsu done it?
Found true love when he was as busy as Ukyo.  It should have been harder for
him, since some of his idiosyncracies were not widely accepted.   Yet he'd
found time to fall in love.

Ukyo sighed.  Why couldn't she do the same?

She locked up and turned out the lights.  She made her way upstairs, got ready
for bed, and crawled underneath the covers.  She always turned off the heat
at night in an effort to save a few yen; tonight, for some reason, she was
especially chilled.

How long had it been since she'd had someone to share her bed with?  A year, it
had been at least a year.  Kaneto had been a very nice guy, if a little wild.
They'd had some very good times, but in the end, he'd gotten bored with her
rigorous lifestyle, and she'd gotten fed up with his irresponsible actions.
They'd parted more or less amicably, and Ukyo had not found anyone to replace
him.  There was a price she was paying for choosing to live as she did, 
spending sixteen hours a day or more trying to keep her restaurants afloat.  
Part of that price was loneliness.

Something tapped against the window of her bedroom.  She looked over at it, 
alarm filling her.  The alarm grew when she saw someone hanging upside-down
just outside the window.  For a second she panicked; then she realized
who it had to be out there.

She got up, shivering slightly in the cold air, and turned on the bedroom 
light.  This didn't especially help, since the window merely acted as a mirror.
She went over and opened the window, allowing the light to illuminate the man
hanging around outside.

"Ranma, what are you doing?"  She wasn't mad, exactly, just tired.

Ranma himself looked weary.  "Uh, hi.  Sorry to disturb you.  Can I come in?"

Ukyo stifled a sigh and stepped back from the window.  Ranma flipped himself
inside.  Another time she might have admired his dexterity; now she was too
depressed and too exhausted to be able to generate any strong feelings.  "Do
you know what time it is?"

"Uh, yeah, sorry."  Ranma looked even wearier, and embarrassed.  "I didn't
know where else to go."

Ukyo rubbed her arms, and went over to her closet to pull out a robe.  "How
about home?"

He didn't say anything as she put on her robe.  Frowning, she turned around
to see Ranma looking quite miserable.  "Well, you see, that's the problem.
Akane... Akane threw me out."

This managed to penetrate Ukyo's tired haze.  "What!  What happened?"  She
went over, closed the window, pulled him over to the bed, and sat down with
him, holding his hands.  "Tell Ukyo all about it."

Ranma sighed, but Ukyo could see that he was glad she had asked him; he 
wanted to talk.  Slowly, the story emerged.

***

Ranma poked at his food unenthusiastically.  Akane's cooking had gotten 100%
better since their marriage.  That still meant it was pretty awful.  She was
still quite touchy about the subject, too.

Father-in-law seemed to be struggling as well.  After a couple of bites,
he stopped eating and started playing with baby Nouma.  The newborn was months
away from eating solid food, so was spared any of his mother's fare.

Akane was mechanically eating her food, glaring at the men around the table.
She'd only gotten back from the hospital two days ago, and had insisted on
fixing dinner.  Ranma's offers to prepare dinner had been coldly rebuffed.

Ranma steeled himself and took another bite.  The worst thing was that you
never knew what to expect when you bit into it.  This time, something liquid
squirted inside his mouth, burning his tongue.  He used all of his control
to keep from gagging.  He swallowed and quickly drank some tea.  Unfortunately,
Akane had prepared this as well, and it was much too strong.  Ranma began 
coughing, quickly grabbing his napkin and covering his mouth.

Something bounced off his head; he wasn't sure what.  He looked up at Akane,
who looked furious.  "Is there something wrong with my cooking?"

Ranma tried to speak calmly and reasonably.  "I didn't say anything."

"You're certainly making quite a scene.  You don't have to be so mean!"  This
last she said in a voice close to tears.

"Akane, please."  He tried to keep his own resentment at her unfair accusations
out of his voice.  "I just swallowed too quickly and got something caught in
my throat."  He felt bad about the lie, but he needed to calm her down first.

It worked to an extent; she merely glared at him and went back to her dinner.

Ranma sighed silently, then stood up.  "I've got to get ready for class
tonight."

Father-in-law smiled brightly at him.  "Ah, Son, you're doing such a wonderful
job.  You've got more students than I ever had.  The School is lucky to have
you."

Ranma gave him a weak smile before turning to enter the dojo.  Father-in-law
was right, he did have a lot of students.  Many of them were former classmates
at Furinkan, wanting to be able to do the things they'd seen him do during his
tumultuous education.  Somewhat to his surprise, he'd turned out to be a good
teacher, patiently instructing his students on the tenets behind the Anything
Goes School of Martial Arts.

Those tenets had gone through some changes.  Akane had been the one to point
out how dishonorable some of the "lessons" of the School were.  He'd formed
a committee with his Father, Father-in-law, Akane, Tofu, Mother, and Kasumi.
Kasumi had been a bit of a surprise, but Tofu had insisted, and she'd had some
very good ideas on what ideals needed to be set for the School.  It had been
the work of many months, but they'd finally reshaped the code to something
more honorable.

Happosai had not taken kindly to it.  He'd challenged Ranma to a fight over
the acceptance of the new code.  It had been the hardest battle Ranma had
ever fought - and that was saying something.  Happosai had been 
uncharacteristcally focused during the fight, which had raged on over the
course of two and a half hours.  The dojo had been all but destroyed, and
the yard and the house had taken considerable damage, but in the end, Ranma,
battered and bruised as he'd never been before, nursing a broken arm and his
left eye swollen shut, had dumped Happosai's unconscious body onto the ground
and had all but fallen into Akane's arms.  He'd been a week recovering.

Happosai had recovered much more quickly - the little man had amazing
resilency - but something had been broken in him.  He no longer went around
terrorizing the neighborhood, stealing panties and bras left and right.
Instead, he'd sat morosely on the roof of the Tendo home, ignoring the outside
world as much as possible.  A month later he'd left, and hadn't returned.

It had made Ranma sad somehow.  He'd never much liked the perverted creep, but
he'd never wanted to hurt the man so much, either.  Life, he was learning,
forced some unpleasant choices on you, and sometimes there was no winning
answer.

Ranma spent the next two hours teaching a beginning and an intermediate course.
When they were gone, he spent another hour working out by himself, trying to
clear his head of the unpleasantness over dinner.

His sense of duty eventually forced him to return to the house.  Akane 
shouldn't have to tend to the baby all by herself.  Newborns needed constant
attention, and Ranma was determined to do his fair share.

He went upstairs and found Akane sitting in the nursery, which happened to be
her old room.  She was nursing the baby and rocking him at the same time.
She looked up, and Ranma was shocked to see tears on her face.

"Well, did you enjoy spending so much time away from me?"  Her voice sounded
cold and angry.

Ranma grimaced, fighting his own anger and guilt.  "I was just teaching my
classes."

"Which ended an hour ago."

"I need to keep myself in shape as well."  He stopped himself before he made
more excuses.  This was not the way to try and make Akane feel better.  "I'm
sorry."

"Sorry?"  Her voice was getting louder and more hysterical.  "Sorry for what?
Sorry that you have such a bad cook for a wife?  Sorry that we had a son that
needs to be taken care of?  Sorry that you married a miserable hag?"

"Akane!"  He clenched his jaw, tried to calm himself.  "Don't do this.  
Remember what the sensei said?  The post-something depression?"

"Admit it Ranma!"  Akane stood up, still holding the baby carefully, Ranma
was glad to note, despite her anger.  "You're sorry we had Nouma, aren't you?
Sorry that we got married.  You'd rather be out fighting with someone than be
spending any time with me!"

He couldn't control his anger any longer.  "Don't say that!"  He was shouting,
but was beyond caring.  "I love you!  I love our son!  Don't ever try to tell
me what I'm feeling!"

"Love?"  Akane threw the baby's pacifier at Ranma.  Nouma, his nursing 
interrupted by all of Akane's motions, began to squirm.  "What do you know 
about love?  Love to you means being able to have sex on a regular basis.  
Well, I'm sorry that we haven't been able to do that for the past few weeks.  
You'll just have to go elsewhere to find 'love'."

Ranma was so angry that he was able to understand the truth behind the phrase
"seeing red".  He took several shuddering breaths, trying to control his fury.
And his pain.  She'd hurt him terribly just now.  

"I do love you."  He spoke quietly, slowly, pronouncing each word carefully.
"At least, I loved the woman I married.  I don't know how I feel about the
person standing in front of me right now."

He regretted the words as soon as he said them.  He saw her eyes widen, and
he knew that he'd just hurt her as well.

"Get out!"  She picked up one of the baby's toys and threw it at him.  "Get
out of my house!  Get out of my life!"  The baby started crying, which only
caused Akane to shout even more loudly.  "I want you out, Ranma!  Just...
OUT!"

Ranma bit his tongue, shaking with anger over the injustice of it all.  A book
hit him squarely in the forehead, and that was enough to make him spin on his
heel and storm out of the room, down the stairs, and through the front door.

He walked, and left his life behind him.

***

"Oh God."  Ukyo drew a deep breath.  What Ranma had just been through sounded
thoroughly awful.  If that's what married life was like, perhaps it was best
that she'd missed out on it so far.

She focussed on Ranma.  He seemed beyond pain or anger, beyond any emotion,
really.  He just looked tired.

He looked up at her.  "I need a place to spend the night.  Can I stay here?
My mom's place is clear across town, and I don't want to disturb her this
late; she's due any day now, and she needs her sleep."

Ukyo looked at Ranma steadily for a minute.  Obviously, he needed some help
with what he'd just gone through.  Also obviously, they were both too tired
to really be able to discuss it rationally.  "Sure."  She frowned; she had
precious little space here on the second floor.  The only spare room she'd had
was now being used by Konatsu.  She didn't feel comfortable offering it to
Ranma, even if Konatsu was unlikely to return tonight.

"You can sleep on the floor in here," she decided.  She got up and pulled some
extra linen out of the closet, along with a blanket.  "I'm sorry; this is the
best I can offer."

"Hey, that's okay.  It's very generous of you, actually."  He took the linen
for her and began arranging a place for himself at the other side of the room.

She went over and turned off the lights.  She crawled back into bed, sleep 
beginning to overtake her already.  She heard Ranma fumble about and take off
his clothes.  Ukyo picked up a pillow and threw it at him. He spun and plucked
it out of the air, then murmurred his thanks.

She drifted off to sleep, thinking about married life.  Ranma and Akane had a
son now.  Ukyo wanted to have a child someday, although not right now.  But
someday.  Having a child could only happen if you had sex, of course, which
meant having a boyfriend.  Her mind, losing its rationality as she drifted
off to sleep, filled her heads with memories of Kaneto in bed with her.  Except
he had a pig-tail; when had he grown that?  She couldn't remember.

Ukyo woke a while later to the sound of a crash.  She turned her head and
opened one eye to see Ranma, in the darkness, bent over her dresser.  He
spoke to her, sounding more asleep then awake.  "Bathroom?"

"Down the hall to your right."  She couldn't remember if it was the first or
second door, so she decided to close her eyes again and let Ranma figure it
out for himself.  He should know where it is, since he lived here.  Didn't he?
Maybe they weren't married yet.  She'd think about it some more in the morning.

Every time she thought she was about to fall back asleep, something brought her
back to the edge of consciousness.  The bedroom door opening.  Another door,
down the hall, opening and closing.  Yet another door opening and closing.
The sound of the toilet flushing.  The bathroom door doing its thing again.
The sound of someone entering her room and closing the door.  Someone crawling
into bed with her.

She turned around and put her arms around him, nestling her head on his 
shoulder.  He responded by wrapping his arm around her shoulders.  Their feet 
touched, and they wrapped their legs around each other.

She sighed happily, putting a touch of pleasure into it.  This felt *so* good.
How long had it been since she'd made love to him?  She couldn't remember.
Maybe it was time to reacquaint herself with the experience.

She kissed his shoulder, somewhat surprised to find that he was wearing a tank
top.  When had he ever worn one of those?  Boy, that was strange.

He turned his head and kissed the top of her head.  He dropped his head back on
top of the pillow, which she took to mean he was too tired to go any further.
She could accept that; maybe they could do something in the morning.

She raised herself up and kissed him.  He responded, and it went on for a while.
She broke it off, trying to respect his desire for sleep.  She snuggled up to
him, enjoying the feeling of his body next to hers.

"Love you, Sugar," she mumbled happily, letting sleep overwhelm her.

"I love you, Akane...."  He trailed off into sleep.

Something about that bothered her, but she was asleep before she could figure
out what it was.

***

Ranma couldn't think clearly. A woman's body next to his, it had been a while 
since she'd hugged him like this.  The bed was too small, it was the bed of the
beach house where he'd first discovered her body, then it was her bed at home,
but that was even smaller, and then it was the new bed, the one they used in
the room they made their own.  This one was the right one.

He was aroused, they were kissing passionately, their clothes were off, her 
skin on his, electrifying, good.  His hands roamed over her body, enjoying its 
softness.  

Then they were deep into sex, she was groaning tremulously as he began to build
towards to a climax, succumbing, feeling wonderful.  He could smell the sea,
the sea always made him think of sex with her, the salt reminding him of the
salt of her body, slick with sweat.  

Then they were lying next to each other, their arms wrapped around one another,
and the love they shared saturating the air around them.  She told him over and
over that she loved him, that she needed him and would always be there for him.
He smiled, and told her that he loved her.  The joy that filled him was as pure
as he had ever felt, and he was glad that she was there to share it with.

***

Ukyo woke before her alarm could go off, as she usually did.  The first thing 
she became aware of was that her right arm was asleep.  The second thing she 
noticed was that the reason for that was she had fallen asleep with her arms 
around somebody.

Then, like a bolt of lightning, she realized who it was who was lying next to
her. The memories of last night flooded over her, along with tinges of guilt.

She disentangled herself from Ranma and sat up, staring at him.  He began to
stir.  She moved as far away from as she could.  He opened his eyes, saw her, 
and smiled.

Then a look of pure horror came over his face.  He rolled over quickly and fell
out of her bed.  He scrambled over to his clothes, picked them up, and jumped
into her closet, closing the door behind him.

Ukyo couldn't help but smile.  Ranma had a tendency to over-react, which got 
him into trouble more often than not.  Still, perhaps it was just as well that 
he had reacted this way; it was best that they not treat last night like 
something that should be repeated.  It would be too easy to carry it too far.

She chuckled as she got out of bed and put on her robe.  She'd probably have to
calm Ranma down a little bit, but it would probably help him to realize how 
much he needed Akane.  Now that she thought of it, she could remember him 
mumbling Akane's name.  He had been thinking of her as he'd fallen asleep.

Some melancholy filled her as she went down the hall to the bathroom.  It had
felt wonderful to have someone in her bed.  Not for the physical pleasures, but
because of the shared intimacy and affection.  She really missed that, much 
more than she missed sex.

She shook her head slightly; she wasn't willing to break up a friend's marriage
just to meet her need for love.  She truly had given up on Ranma.  She liked
Akane, and if they weren't exactly friends, they got along well.  Ukyo had no
desire to make her miserable.

She washed herself quickly, put her robe back on and went back to her room.
Ranma was gone, which surprised her a little.  She thought he'd at least say
goodbye.

After dressing, Ukyo went downstairs and prepared herself a quick breakfast.  
As she was finishing, someone rapped on the glass of her front door.  She 
looked up to see Akane peering into the restaurant.  Ukyo wiped her hands and 
went over to unlock the door.

Akane came in, her baby in a stroller.  She looked frightful; her eyes were 
bloodshot and her cheeks were puffy.  It wasn't hard to imagine that Akane had
spent the night crying.  Ukyo winced inside; if she had any desire to have an
affair with Ranma, it was excised by the sight of Akane's misery.

"Is Ranma here?"  Her voice was tremulous and anxious.

Ukyo thinned her lips.  "He was here.  I let him sleep here last night.  He 
left, though, while I was taking a shower.  He didn't let tell me where he was 
going."

Akane studied Ukyo closely.  Ukyo returned her gaze calmly, trying to let her
know that nothing had happened between her and Ranma.  Nothing *had* happened,
not really.

Akane deflated a little, and hung her head.  "I see.  Thanks, Ukyo, for taking
him in last night.  If you see him, let him know...."  She stopped suddenly,
choking off a sob.  After a moment, she continued.  "Let him know that I'd 
really like for him to come home."

Ukyo reached out and squeezed Akane's arm.  "Of course, Kiddo."  She paused a
second.  "He loves you, you know.  He'll be back."

Akane gave her a weak smile.  "Thanks, Ukyo."  Her smiled faded and she looked 
down again.  She turned the stroller around and left the restaurant.

Ukyo locked the door and sighed heavily.  She hoped Ranma and Akane could work
their problems out.  Their love had been a year in the making - and realizing.
It was as strong a love as Ukyo had ever come across.  It would be a terrible
tragedy if it came to an end.

Ranma needed a home.

***

"Ranchan!"  Ukyo waved at him across the playground.  

He saw her and came running up.  "Hiya Ucchan!"  He threw a punch at her 
left shoulder.  She brought up her forearm and knocked it away.

"Not bad!  You're learning."  He then threw a punch at her right shoulder,
so quickly she didn't even notice until it connected.

"Ow!"  She rubbed her shoulder and frowned at him.  They would wrestle all the
time, and she'd win once in a while, but she got the feeling he was just 
letting her win.

His grin faded.  "I'm sorry."  He reached up to rub his own shoulder.

"Don't worry."  She reached out to touch his chest.  "You're it!"  She turned
around and ran away.

"Hey!"  She heard him run after her.

They ran out of the playground.  She ran down the street, squealing with
laughter.  She ducked to the side and ran up the side of the hill.  There
was a good trail through the trees that she followed.

Ranma dropped from a tree in front of her, and she screamed.  She couldn't
stop herself, and crashed into him.  He held her up, and they ended up 
clutching each other.

He grinned at her.  "You're it."

She gaped at him.  "How did you do that?"

He released her and looked around.  "Pop and I have our camp in these hills.
I've explored all over.  You took the long way here."

She frowned.  "What do you mean, your camp?"

Ranma looked back at her.  "Pop and I always camp out.  We never stay 
anywhere for very long."

"Wow!"  She looked through the trees, trying to find the camp.  "Neat!  I 
wish I could live like that.  When do you go home?"

Ranma blinked.  "Home?"

"You know, your house."

Ranma frowned.  "We've stayed in other people's houses before."

Ukyo examined him closely, trying to see if he was fooling her.  "Don't you
have a house of your own, Ranchan?"

"No..."  He trailed off uncertainly.  "I, uh, don't think so.  Sometimes,
though...."  He stared off into space.

Ukyo thought about it.  Camping out would be fun.  Would she want to do it
all the time?  She wasn't sure.  Sometimes it was nice to go home and play
by herself in her own room.

Ranma shook himself and grinned excitedly.  "Hey, I found a secret place.
Sometimes I go there  when I want to be alone.  But I don't mind showing it to
you, Ucchan!"  

Ukyo grinned back at him.  He was a neat guy, to show her his secret place.

He grabbed her hand.  Together, they ran down the trail.

***

There was a pounding on the back door.  Ukyo shook herself and looked at the
clock: delivery time.  She went to the back door and let the noodle man in.  
She began to think of what needed to be done today; she had a full schedule,
as usual.

Several cases were dumped into her freezer.  She went to her desk and got out 
the order for next week.

She handed it to him, smiling.  "How's business, Ikaru-san?"

He smiled.  "It could be better.  It's tough to operate a business on your own;
it's hard to compete against the corporations."  His smile faded.  "Would I 
lose you as a customer if I raised my prices?"

Ukyo laughed.  "Actually, it would give me the excuse I need to raise my 
prices, too.  Besides, your noodles are the best.  I only use the best 
ingredients in my okonomiyaki."

Ikaru bowed at her compliment, then took her order and put it in his book.  "I
don't see how you do it; running two restaurants all by yourself. It's such a
cutthroat business."

Ukyo allowed some pride to show.  "Well, I do okay because I make the best
okonomiyaki in the world."

Ikaru chuckled.  "Well, that helps.  I always thought, though, that one of
the reasons your restaurant became popular in the first place was that there
were two bright, beautiful, cheerful women greeting the customers and making
them feel special."

It was Ukyo's turn to chuckle.  "I'll tell you a secret about Konatsu some 
time."

"Okay."  With seeming reluctance, Ikaru took his dolly and headed towards the
back door.

Ukyo smiled after him, then went back into the freezer to rearrange some of the
boxes.  Konatsu arrived, nodded at her somewhat dreamily, quickly washed and
changed, then helped her open the restaurant.

After the lunch rush, she went over to her second restaurant.  She found
everything in good order there, which was a pleasant surprise.  She went into 
the small office she had there to do some bookwork.

A knock on her open door made her look up.  The assistant manager smiled 
apologetically at her.  "There are some people here to see you."

Ukyo raised her eyebrows, wondering who it could be.  She stood up and went to
the dining area.  Her heart sank when she saw who was waiting for her.  Akane
still looked as if she had been crying continuously.  Kasumi was standing next
to her, holding her hand.  

Ukyo walked slowly up to them, thinking.  They probably wanted to talk with
her somewhat privately.  Her office was much too small to accomodate them.
A booth in the dining area would have to do.  "Good afternoon.  Can I offer you
some tea?"

Akane looked like she was going to refuse, but Kasumi overrode her.  "Yes,
Ukyo, that would be lovely."

Ukyo looked around the restaurant.  They were in a bit of a lull right now,
caught between lunch and dinner.  She pointed out a table and asked them to
sit.  She turned to the assistant manager.  "Please have some tea served to
table four.  Also, try to seat people away from us as much as possible.  Let
me know if that becomes a problem."

The assistant manager nodded her understanding.  Ukyo gathered herself and
made her way back to the table.

Akane was wringing her hands while Kasumi was speaking to her in a low voice.
Ukyo uderstood Akane's pain; she knew what it was like to have someone run
away.

Akane spoke quickly, fearfully.  "Have you seen Ranma at all today?"

Ukyo shook her head sadly.  "Not since this morning."

Akane leaned forward.  "He didn't leave a note, did he?  Something you might
have missed?"

Ukyo sighed.  "Not that I've seen.  I can call and find out if anyone's found
anything."

"Would you?"  Akane sounded hopeful.

"Sure."  Ukyo got up just as the tea arrived.  She went over and called her
first restaurant.  She had Konatsu do a somewhat thorough search, and even
sent him into her room.  He found nothing, as she had feared.  She thanked
him, hung up, went back to the table, and shook her head as she sat down.

Akane stifled a sob.  Kasumi's eyes lowered for a moment; then she looked at
Ukyo.  "We'd very much like to find Ranma-kun.  He missed his afternoon class,
something he's never done before.  We're very worried about him, and would
like him to come home."

Ukyo sighed again.  "I know.  Truly, I wish I knew where he was.  I never got
the chance to even talk to him this morning.  I would have told him to go
home.  If I do see him, I'll make sure he does."

Akane reached across the table to grab Ukyo's arm.  "Do you know where he
might be?  Any place he might go and hide?"

Ukyo began to shake her head and then froze.

Akane grew excited.  "You do know, don't you?  Where is he?"

Ukyo licked her lips.  "It's a place back in Kansai.  It'd be awfully far for
him to go just to be alone."

"That might be just right, though."  Kasumi spoke serenely, as always.  Ukyo
had gotten to know Kasumi quite well in the past couple of years - they had
become good friends - and Ukyo thought she could see Kasumi getting a little
excited herself.  "If Ranma-kun was feeling depressed about what was happening
here in Nerima, he might want to go far away to think things through."

"The Saotome Secret Technique."  Ukyo frowned, thinking.

Akane tightened her grip on Ukyo's hand.  "Could you call and find out?"

Ukyo shook her head slowly.  "No, there's no phone."  She thought about it,
then decided.  "I'll just have to go there and see for myself."

Akane jumped up.  "I'll go with you."

"Akane-chan."  Kasumi stood up as well, grabbing her sister's hands.  "He may
not be there.  If he does come back, you should be home to meet him.  Ukyo
has very generously volunteered to go find him.  Let her do that and we'll 
wait here."

Akane glared at Kasumi for a bit, then lowered her eyes.  "All right, Older
Sister."  She looked over at Ukyo.  "Thanks, Ukyo.  You don't know how much
this means to me."

Ukyo could guess.  She stood up.  "I'll give you a call tonight and let you
know what I've found."

Kasumi gave Ukyo a big, friendly smile, then gently guided Akane out of the
restaurant.

Ukyo watched them go, and stood thinking for a long while.  She didn't have 
time in her schedule to find a boyfriend, yet she was making time to go on a
possibly fruitless quest halfway across Japan to try and help Akane and Ranma.
It made her angry for some reason.  She'd thought that by giving up on Ranma's
love, she'd no longer have to center her life on him.  Yet here she was, 
dropping everything to run to his aid.  It wasn't fair.  If she was going to
go to this much trouble for him, he ought to have married her two years ago.

She shook herself.  She wasn't being very nice.  If any of her friends had
been in trouble, she would be doing everything she could to help them.  She
wasn't obsessing over Ranma, just helping a friend in need.  They would do the
same for her.

So why weren't they?

Ukyo chuckled.  It wasn't their responsibility to fix her up with a boyfriend.
She'd probably hate it if they tried.  She'd have to work this out on her
own.

But damn, it has hard enough trying to keep the resaurants going and Akane and
Ranma happy without adding singles bar hopping on top of it.

Ukyo blew out a breath, and called the assistant manager over.  There were a
lot of instructions to be left with her and Konatsu before Ukyo could go to
the train station.  To perhaps go on a wild goose chase.

***

Ukyo held her hand over the grill.  It seemed hot enough.  She took a cup of
batter and dumped it on the grill.  The batter hissed and splattered and
ended up looking like a yucky blob.  Ukyo growled at it, then started
throwing some seasoning at it. She grabbed a spatula and flipped it over.
She wasn't entirely successful; half of the okonomiyaki broke off.  She
ended up with a pile of burning batter.

"You stupid thing!"  She pushed it to the side, off the grill, and dipped the
cup back into the batter, preparing to try again.

"Ukyo."  Father gently wrapped his hand around her wrist.  "You're trying too
hard.  Why don't you go and play, work off some of this energy, and we'll try
again when you're a little calmer."

Ukyo scowled at the remains of her earlier attempts at cooking, then
brightened at the thought of going to play.  "Okay, Daddy."  She jumped off
the stool.  "I'll go play with Ranchan."

"Ukyo."  Her father's voice sounded strange.  "Do you like Ranma?"

Ukyo nodded enthusiastically.  "He's my best friend, except when he beats me
up, and then he's a stupid nasty boy."

A corner of Father's mouth twitched.  "I see.  What you think about becoming
his fiancee?"

"Fiancee?"  The word was new to Ukyo.

"That means that when you grow up, you two would get married."

"Like playing house?"  Ukyo considered this.  "I don't think Ranchan likes to
play house."

"Ah, so."  Father smiled in a sad, funny way.  "Think of it this way; you and
Ranma would be together forever."

"Really?"  Ukyo thought about this, and decided she liked it.  Having Ranma
to play with whenever she wanted sounded like fun.  "Okay, Daddy."  She
frowned suddenly.  "I don't have to kiss him, do I?"

Father chuckled.  "Only if you want to.  You might not mind so much in a few
years."

"Bleah!"  She stuck out her tongue.

Father reached over and patted her head.  "Okay, I'll talk with his father.
Don't mention it to Ranma until I tell you it's okay."

Ukyo nodded seriously.  Secrets.  She was good at secrets.

She ran away from the cart, looking for Ranma.  She went to the playground
but he wasn't there.  She ran to the camp he and his father had made, but
nobody was there.  She frowned, trying to think where he could be.

She had an inspiration.  She ran towards the hills at the edge of town.  She
ran down a trail, then veered off of it through the underbrush.  The hill
was steep, and she scrambled along it until she came to a small hole.  She
wiggled through it, then stood up.

The cave was actually pretty big.  The light was dim; you could only see
anything in the afternoon, when the sun was shining on this side of the hill.

Ranma was huddling against the wall.  Ukyo grinned and skipped over next
to him.  "Hi Ranchan!  I've got a secret!"

"Hello, Ucchan."  Ranma seemed subdued, which puzzled Ukyo.  He was usually
so happy.

Ukyo tilted her head and examined him.  He had a bruise on his cheek, which
was not unusual.  He and his father were always fighting, and Ranma usually
was on the losing side.  The bruises seemed to disappear almost immediately.
Ukyo was jealous; she'd had a bruise once, and it had hurt for a week.

She fell to her knees in front of him.  "What's the matter, Ranchan?"

"My father hit me."

"He hits you all the time.  You hit him back.  My daddy says that's what you
do when you're in training."

"I know."  Ranma sniffed.  "I just sometimes wish it didn't happen so much.
There used to be...."  He trailed off, looking wistful.

Ukyo wrinkled her forehead, then leaned foreward to poke Ranma in the chest.
"Used to be what?  More food?"  He and his father were always mooching food
off of their cart.

"No, not that."  He looked down at his feet, thinking.  "It's just, when I
got hurt, I remember that there was someone I could go hug.  It made me feel 
good.  Then they went away and now I've got no one to hug."

Ukyo thought about it.  She cuddled with her father a lot, but Ranma's
Daddy didn't seem like the cuddling type.  Who could Ranchan cuddle with?

The answer came to her in a flash.  She grinned, then leaned forward to hug
Ranma.  He struggled a little bit, but she pinned him against the cave of
the hall.  Normally, Ukyo would never have been able to hold down against
his will - and she'd tried plenty of times.  Ranma seemed to lose interest
in resisting her, however, and for a minute she held him in her arms.  He
sighed and went limp.

Ukyo grinned happily.  She was being Ranchan's Daddy now.  She was a grown-up
and he was a little kid and she was being big and strong for him.

She wondered if this was what marriage was like.

Finally Ranma squirmed out of her grasp.  "Okay, stop.  Guys aren't
supposed to do this."

Ukyo released him and sat back up.  "What do you mean, Ranchan?"

He smiled suddenly.  "Hey, Pop taught me something new today.  Let me show
you."  He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the cave entrance.

Ukyo smiled at his back.  Ranma was so fun to be with.  She liked to play
with him and she liked to be with him.  It was going to be great to be his
fiancee.

Soon she would have him all to herself.

She giggled as Ranma lifted her to the light.

***

Ukyo looked up and down the street in front of the train station.  There was
a lot that was familiar, and a lot that had changed.  She'd tried not to
think much about her days here; the most painful thing that had ever happened
to her had occured very close by.  

She began walking down the street towards the hills.  The town had begun to
encroach upon some of the forest, but a lot of it was too steep for the town
to find a purchase.  That made Ukyo feel good; she liked the forest here.

The light was beginning to fade.  Ukyo zipped up her coat; it was getting cold,
too.  She began to jog, and soon enough found the trail.  It was still 
well-used.  She tried to remember where to turn off.  She found a likely place
and crashed through the underbrush.

The branches scratched her face and tore at her coat.  She gritted her teeth;
she didn't remember it being this hard to get through before.  She peered
through the gloom, wondering if she would have to spend the night in town and
try again in the morning.

She was about to do that when she noticed something higher up on the hill.
Making her way there, she saw that someone had torn up the side of the hill.
Hunks of dirt and rock were strewn about a hole.  Now that she thought about
it, it had been a tight fit when she was six.  An adult wouldn't have been
able to enter unless the entrance was widened considerably.  Such a feat was
easy for certain martial artists.

Ukyo peered through the hole, but all she saw was blackness.  She remembered it
being an easy drop when she was six, which should mean that she could reach
the bottom of the cave with her feet now.  She carefully sat on the edge of
the hole and stretched her legs.  Her feet met solid rock.  She carefully put
weight on them, then lowered herself into the cave.

She still couldn't see anything.  She cautiously made her way forward, crawling
on her hands and knees.  She kept hoping her eyesight would adjust, but it
continued to so dark that she couldn't see herself.  She finally came to the
back wall of the cave.  

She turned and sat against it, pondering her choices.  She didn't know if
Ranma was still here; he could be very quiet when he wanted to be.  She wasn't
sure she wanted to go blindly searching for him, either.  That was a good way
to get hurt.  She wished she had thought to bring a flashlight.

Ukyo finally decided to wait for Ranma to open up.  He had to know she was 
here.  She would give him time to think about what, if anything, he wanted to 
say.  If she didn't hear from him after a while, she'd leave and try again in 
the morning. 

She closed her eyes, actually enjoying the isolation.  Most of her worries were
halfway across the island.  She let them seep out of her mind into the darkness
of the cave.  If Ranma wasn't here, this was still a good experience for her.
She should maybe do this more often.  If she could find the time.

She heard something rustling in the cave.  For the first time, she wondered
if perhaps a wild animal lived here.  That would be good, she thought wryly,
to get bitten by some diseased creature.  Still, if there was an animal in 
here, it surely would have made itself known long before now.  It had to be
Ranma.

Even though she was expecting it, Ranma's voice made her jump.  "What are you
doing here?"  To Ukyo's surprise, Ranma was female.  Ukyo didn't remember it
raining today.

Ukyo kept her voice light.  "Trying to help you, Sugar.  There are a lot of
people who are very worried about you."

There was another long silence.  Ukyo waited patiently.

When Ranma spoke again, she sounded fearful.  "Oh, Ukyo, what have we done?"

This wasn't what she was expecting.  "What?"

Ranma continued as if she hadn't heard her.  "I can't, I won't.  I mean, I'm 
married.  Even if I'm no longer worthy of her.  Oh, Akane."  This last was
said in a voice full of despair.

Ukyo's puzzlement only increased.  What was she talking about?

It hit her suddenly.  The fact that they had fallen asleep in the same bed
was making Ranma feel guilty.  She was overreacting a bit, Ukyo thought.  Ukyo
tried to work through it.  "If you're talking about last night, Ranma, it
didn't mean a thing.  We were both too tired to realize what was happening."

She had more to say but was interrupted.  "Didn't mean a thing?  Ukyo, how can
you say that?  It means everything."

Something hit Ukyo in the chest.  It fell into her lap.  She felt for it, and
picked it up.  It was a ring on a chain.  Ranma's wedding ring.

Ukyo drew a deep breath.  She *was* taking this seriously.  "Ranma, listen to
me.  It was a mistake.  You certainly didn't intend for it to happen.  You've
broken none of your vows.  In fact, I'm certain you thought I was Akane.  I
heard you mention her name just before I fell asleep."

"It doesn't matter what I thought, it's what I did that matters.  I betrayed
Akane.  What the hell good are my vows now?"  She sounded close to tears, 
something she'd never expected from Ranma.  "I don't deserve to be Akane's
husband.  I don't deserve to be your friend, either."  

Ranma's voice deepened into anger.  "In fact, I don't understand how you
could do this.  You said you'd given up on me.  Yet you jumped into bed with
me at the first hint of trouble between me and Akane.  I thought you were my
friend.  Did you come here expecting that I'd fall into your arms?"

Ukyo found herself getting angry as well.  "Why are you taking this so badly?
Hell, Ranma, it's not like we had sex or anything.  Don't flatter yourself so
much.  Just because we accidently fell asleep in the same bed doesn't mean
that I'm about to return to the days of pining over you.  I've moved on with
my life, Ranma, so don't think that I want anything other than your friendship.
Hell, I'm not sure I even want that if you think so little of me after we made
one mistake."

Silence descended again, which was just as well.  Ukyo struggled to bring 
herself under control.  She was angry, but also very sad.  She had come here 
to help a good friend, and that friend had instead assumed all sorts of bad 
things about her.  If that's all Ranma thought of her, what did everyone else 
think? Did she really have any true friends?  Despair began to rise in her, to 
the point that tears came to her eyes and trickled down her cheek.

Ranma finally spoke in a quiet voice.  "What did you say?"

"Oh for crying out loud."  She got up and began to crawl towards the hole.
She'd had enough of trying to help out others.  A life of service to other
people had gotten her zilch; it was time to reassess her life.  Or to see if
life was worth living.  She squelched that thought; she was stronger than that.
At the same time, it was frightening to realize how tempting that option was.

A hand grabbed her elbow as she crawled.  She gave a small screech and turned
her head in that direction.  She couldn't see Ranma; she wondered how she had
known where to reach.  She must have done it by the sounds Ukyo was making, 
which was still quite impressive.

"Ukyo, please tell me.  This is important.  Are you saying we didn't... didn't
have sex last night?"

A light finally dawned in Ukyo's mind.  Suddenly everything she'd said made
sense.  "Ranma, of course not.  We just slept together."

Her voice sounded uncertain.  "But I remember... I mean, I was so sure...."

Ukyo turned herself so that she was facing in Ranma's general direction, and 
held her hand.  "Ranma, trust me, I would know if we'd done *that* last night.
We just fell asleep, that's all."  She stopped, and forced herself to be 
honest.  "We may have kissed each other good night, but even then, we were too 
tired to know better.  And you definitely called me Akane.  If you remember 
anything more than that, it must have been a dream."

Another silence for a long moment.  "You're sure, Ukyo?"

Ukyo growled.  "I am 100% certain, Ranma.  I'd go into some physical details, 
but I don't think you want to know."

Ranma snorted and chuckled, more in relief, Ukyo suspected, than anything else.
"Okay, I believe you."  A pause.  "This is so hard, you know.  I thought it
would be different then it was.  I mean, we were already living together.  We
would just be sleeping together, too.  I thought that would be the biggest
difference."

Ukyo frowned in the darkness.  She didn't have any experience to draw upon.
"What was it like?"

"It's... it's like you're both one person.  You know about every single thing
the other person does, and they know the same about you.  There's no such thing
as privacy any more.  I gotta check with her before I do anything.  And it's
just going to get worse, because now we have a baby.  Not that I had much
freedom before that.  Sometimes it feels like I'm being strangled, that all
the fun in life died when I got married."

Ukyo was glad Ranma couldn't see her face.  She was absolutely furious.  She
used all of her willpower to keep herself from trembling in anger.  Ranma had
it all:  a good wife, a loving family, a steady job, and the occasional zany
adventure to add spice.  Yet all she could do was whine.  Ukyo yearned for all
that Ranma had, so much that it sometimes gnawed her stomach late at night.
Was Ranma truly so blind that she didn't know how good she had it?

Ukyo opened her mouth wide so that she could draw several deep breaths as 
silently as possible.  When she thought she was under control, she spoke.
"Ranma, you stupid idiot."  Very good, she thought to herself, you've done a
good job at containing your anger.  Still, she reflected, it was perhaps for
the best.  "Let me put it this way:  I have a... a magic mirror.  You could
use it to go back in time.  There you are, on the rooftop, ready to propose
to Akane.  Do you stop?"

Ukyo heard Ranma draw in a sharp breath.  "No!"

Ukyo grunted.  "That didn't take long.  Why not?"

"Because...."  Ranma trailed off, evidently thinking, then continued.  "Because
proposing to her was one of the best moments of my life.  And we've had lots of
other good moments, too.  And I'd never trade any of that to... to live in 
this damn cave."  Ranma laughed humorlessly.  "And I am a stupid idiot, aren't
I?"

"Damn straight, Kiddo.  Life isn't always fun and games.  You gotta give some
of that up if you want to be married and raising a family.  The rewards you
get from that kind of life are a lot more satisfying."  Or so I understand,
she thought to herself.  There was a good chance she'd never get to find out
on her own.

"Thanks.  That helps."  Another hand covered hers.  "Ukyo, I apologize.  I was
thinking all sorts of horrible things about you.  I should have known better.
I was just so guilty, I wasn't thinking clearly.  If I had, I would have
realized that you would never take part in an affair.  Forgive me; I will never
doubt you again."

Ukyo felt a tension drain out of her.  She was glad to hear that.  "Okay,
silly, I forgive you.  Here."  She extricated her hands and gave Ranma back her
wedding ring.  "Now, put this on.  You and Akane are meant to be together.
You would never willingly betray her.  Trust me, I tried very hard to excise
her love from your heart.  It just isn't possible."

Ranma took her hands away.  Ukyo guessed that she was putting the chain back 
around her neck.

Ukyo reached out and grabbed Ranma's shirt.  "Now, let's get out of here."
She gently pulled Ranma towards the hole.  "We need to get you home.  Akane
has been worried sick."

"Ukyo."  Ranam's voice was serious and affectionate at the same time.  "Thanks
for coming all this way to find me.  I don't know what I would have done if 
you hadn't come to save me."

That's me all right, Ukyo thought.  Always ready to nail myself to a cross so
that everyone else feels better.  Ukyo bit her lip.  She was being unfair.
She should let herself feel good that Ranma and Akane appreciated her efforts
as much as they did.  They liked her, and counted themselves lucky to know her.
That should make her feel good.  She was just in a bad mood.

"Thanks, Ranma," she forced herself to say.  She positioned herself under the
hole and slowly straightened herself.  She lifted herself out of the cave,
then reached down to pull Ranma out of the darkness.

***

Ukyo ran blindly down the road, tears streaming down her face, sobbing
hysterically.  She bumped into somebody, and ran around them before she could
find out who.  Somehow she made her way home, and burst through the front
door.  Father was in the kitchen, and she ran over and clutched him.  "Daddy!"

He knelt down and hugged her.  "Ukyo!  What's wrong?"

"He... he... he... he left me!"  She sobbed into his shirt.  "He left me
behind!  He was supposed to take me with him, he was supposed to be my friend
forever and ever, he was supposed to marry me."  She broke down into sobs
again.

Father's voice, she somehow noticed, was very quiet.  "Who left you?"

"Ranchan!"  He waved goodbye to her as his father ran with the cart.  He seemed
happy to be leaving her.  Her fiancee.  Gone.  The tears continued to flow out
of her; she was never going to be happy again.

She cried and cried, the world coming to an end, her six-year-old heart 
broken.  She'd found someone to be her special friend, and he'd run away,
and she had nothing left.

Father let her cry.  When he finally spoke, he sounded angry.  "Did they take
the cart?"

"Uh huh."  She stopped sobbing and looked up at him.  He was hugging her 
gently, but his face was mottled with rage.

"He's a martial artist.  His word is supposed to be sacrosanct.  He's forsaken
his honor."  His eyes glinted.  "I should have known when he and his son tried
to steal our okonomiyaki that first time.  I thought he was just a wandering
ronin of the ancient kind, trying his best to feed his son.  Now I know he
was just a thief, worming himself into a position where he could steal as
much from me as he could."

Ukyo sniffled, thinking.  Ranchan's father was a thief.  It was okay to hate
him.  Ranchan had become her friend only so that he could help his father
steal the cart.  He didn't really like her.  In fact, he had been glad to
leave her behind.  Waving at her.  Taunting her.  

He would pay.  She would make him pay.

She wiped her eyes and looked up at her father again.  "Daddy, can you teach
me how to fight with spatulas the way you can?"

He looked down into her eyes, his eyes smoldering but his face softening as
he talked to her.  "Of course, Ucchan.  We need to make sure no one can ever
again steal from us."

Ukyo felt a blackness rising in her.  It swallowed the pain by promising her
that she would have her revenge.  She remembered how easily Ranma had beaten
her when he really tried.  If she focussed herself, dedicated her life to
revenge, she would be able to defeat him.  Be patient, the blackness told her.
Wait long enough, prepare hard enough, and Ranma would be hers.

And no one would ever get into her heart again.

***

They had to wait an hour and a half for a train. They used the opportunity to
clean themselves off as best they could, Ukyo running interference while Ranma
used the hot water in the women's rest room to turn male.  The ride back was 
long as well.  They rode in uncomfortable silence, Ranma sensing Ukyo's bad 
mood and not much in a position to be able to do anything about it.  
He certainly had worries of his own, Ukyo had to admit.

The train finally pulled into Nerima.  Even this late at night there were
plenty of passengers.  Ukyo and Ranma shuffled through the crowd as best they
could, finally stepping onto platform.

Ranma looked around, and locked his eyes off to his right.  Following his
gaze, Ukyo saw Kasumi, Tofu, and Akane.  Baby Nouma was there, too, bundled
in layers of cloth in a stroller.

Akane gave the handles of the stroller to Kasumi and ran towards Ranma.  She
slowed to a stop about three feet away from him, looking at him fearfully.

Ranma broke the silence first.  "Akane.  About last night, I'm sorry.  I love 
you, even when you're mad.  I get mad too, and I say stupid stuff.  It don't
mean nothin'."  He reached a hand out and placed the tips of his fingers 
underneath her chin.  "I'm sorry.  I love you."

"Oh Ranma."  Akane jumped into his arms.  The force knocked them to the 
ground, Akane landing on top of Ranma.  People in the crowd gave them a strange
look.

Akane seemed not to notice.  She lifted her head and stared into Ranma's eyes.  
"I was the one who was being mean.  I was feeling down for no good reason,
and when you tried to comfort me, I yelled at you."  She dropped her head onto
his chest and started to cry.  "I'm so sorry.  I let things get out of hand,
let little things build into bigger things until I drove you away.  How can you
love someone like me?"

"Akane!"  Ranma spoke sharply, angrily.  "Shut up!  It's that post... 
post-giving-birth whatsis talking again.  You gave me love, and happiness, 
and friendship, and a great family to be a part of.  You gave me a son. How
could I not love you?"

Akane seemed to almost scream out a sob.  She clutched Ranma and sobbed into
his chest, while Ranma stroked her hair and spoke comforting words to her.

Ukyo found that she was crying as well.  Kasumi and Tofu had come over beside
her, bringing the baby with them.  Ukyo looked down at little Nouma, who
was fidgeting as much as he could in the layers of cloth.  Ukyo unstrapped
him from the stroller and picked him up, cradling him in her arms.  He opened
his eyes, which were still baby-blue, and almost seemed to focus on her.  Ukyo
knew he was still a few days away from truly being able to see, but it made
her feel good to think that he was looking at her and finding a friendly face
staring back at him.

The sobbing slowed, then stopped.  Ukyo looked up to see Ranma and Akane
regaining their feet.  Akane sniffled and glanced at Ukyo.  "Maybe this whole 
thing wouldn't have happened if I hadn't tried to cook.  I mean, Ukyo can cook,
and Shampoo could, and Kodachi...."

"Akane..."  Ranma stopped, considered his words, and spoke again.  "Do you
enjoy cooking?"

Akane wiped her eyes and looked up at Ranma.  "Enjoy?  Sure.  It's fun to cook."

"Then why do you get so mad?"

"Because...."  Akane trailed off, gulped, and continued.  "Because everyone
hates it so much.  I work so hard, and nobody appreciates it."

"I appreciate the effort.  But I think you work too hard at it."

Akane's brow began to furrow; with a visible effort, she kept herself from
becoming angry.  "What do you mean?"

Kasumi spoke up.  "I think you want too much, too quickly, Akane.  Mother was 
a good cook, and you saw how much joy her cooking brought to the family.  So
you want to do the same thing, which is good.  What you forget, though, is that
it took years for Mother to become as good as she was.  You want to be as good
as she was right away, so you take shortcuts.  You get angry because you don't
see your family responding the way they did to Mother's cooking, so you try
harder. The harder you try, the less likely you are to succeed.  It's a vicious
cycle."  

Akane frowned.  "So, you're saying that I should stop trying?"

Ranma shook his head.  "Not really.  You just need to be more patient, I think.
You know, learn some more of your mom's lessons.  I'll bet my mom would help,
and Kasumi.  While you're doing that, I don't mind cooking so much.  I ain't
never going to be as good as Kasumi, cause I don't sing to my food or 
nothin'."  He glanced at Kasumi and smiled briefly.  "But I do okay.  Let's 
just say that I'll do the cooking and the dishes, and we'll have you do some 
other chores instead while you learn to cook the right way."

Akane glowered at him for a moment, then hung her head.  "You're right, Ranma.
I guess I thought that it shouldn't be so hard.  I felt so stupid when it
didn't work out the way I wanted."

"Hey!"  Ranma reached out and stroked her cheek.  "You ain't dumb.  You're
smarter than me, anyway.  If your talents don't happen to include cooking,
it don't mean that you're stupid."

Kasumi beamed at him.  "Ranma is absolutely right, Akane.  I'd love to help
you learn to cook, so long as you're patient and willing to listen to me.  In
the meantime, you might want to find something else around the house you enjoy
doing, and do it well, and in that way contribute to the family's well-being."

"Yeah, listen to her, Akane.  We can work around this.  We can work around any
problem, so long as we believe in each other."  Ranma glanced at Ukyo as he
said this.

Akane laughed and looked up at Ranma.  "Ranma, just when I think I've got you
figured out, you do something that surprises me. Sometimes you act like a total
jerk, and sometimes you act all kind and understanding and wise.  I like it a 
lot when you act this way."

Ranma smiled.  "Enough to forgive me when I act the other way?"

"Of course, silly."  Akane stepped into Ranma, wrapping her arms around his 
neck.  "If you'll forgive me when I act so stupid."

"Always.  I love you, Akane."

"I love you, Ranma."

They kissed, while Ukyo did her best to stifle a sob.  She decided that 
marriage was an okay thing after all when it made two people feel this way
about each other.

"Do you see, Ukyo, what a good friend you are?"  Kasumi's voice was very soft
and gentle, seeming almost ethereal, barely audible.  "Akane and Ranma had a
very bad argument, and it could have gotten out of hand, but you helped them
rediscover how much they love each other.  You are a wonderful person, so full
of warmth and kindness that you make everyone around you feel good.  Your 
family life will be full of joy and love, because of you.  You've planted quite
a crop with your seeds of love.  Be patient, and you will reap a generous
harvest."

Ukyo sighed, looking down at the baby.  He seemed to be intently studying her
face.  "Be patient," Kasumi had said.  She'd spoken of Ukyo's family, as if 
there was no question about Ukyo starting one.  Ukyo had no idea how Kasumi
had known what she was feeling, but she was thankful for the words.  It was 
something to build upon.

Akane and Ranma finally broke off.  Akane looked at her husband's face for a
few more seconds, smiled, then turned towards Ukyo.  She gently took Nouma
from her and clutched him to her, as if needing to feel him against her
heart.  She looked up at Ukyo and grinned, her eyes watering.  "Thank you,
Ukyo.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

"Mine too."  Ranma came up behind Akane, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"I'm glad you were able to find me.  I was acting like an idiot and you set
me straight."

Ukyo's bad mood couldn't withstand the affection she was feeling from the Tendo
clan.  It evaporated, leaving her with a soaring heart.  "Always glad to help
a friend."

Akane bit her lip.  "I wish there was something we could do to repay you."

Kasumi smoothly interjected.  "Now, now, friendship means that nothing is owed
when one friend helps another.  We'll find ways of returning Ukyo's friendship
by helping her out once in a while.  For now, let's get you home.  I think
you could use some rest."

As usual, no one could argue against Kasumi's words.  Akane fussed with Nouma,
carrying him with her as she followed Tofu to the car.  Ranma folded up the
stroller and put it under his arm.  He looked into Ukyo's eyes for a long
moment, then smiled somewhat sadly.  He hurried after Akane.  

Kasumi reached over to hug Ukyo.  Ukyo fidgeted somewhat.  Sometimes Kasumi
acted like her friend and sometimes she acted like her mother.  Mothering was
a big part of Kasumi's character; Ukyo wondered when she would have children
of her own.

Kasumi released Ukyo, smiled brightly at her, then walked after her husband
and sister.

Ukyo went off to where her bicylce was chained up.  She wasn't looking forward
to a long bicycle ride late at night through the cold.  She fought off the
melancholy that wanted to reclaim her soul.  She had done good today.  She'd
helped a family get back together.  Kasumi had told her to wait, that good
things would come her way.  So stop feeling bad, she told herself, and let
yourself enjoy the moment.

Still, the sight of a loving family together pulled at her heart, making her
wonder if she'd ever find the same.

Ukyo found her bicycle, still in good shape, she was thankful to notice.  She
unlocked it and pulled the chain out.  Someone walked up to her while she was
doing this.  The train station was a little more empty than it had been a few 
minutes ago.  Still, there were plenty of people around, so she shouldn't have 
to worry.  She did wish that she had some of her throwing spatulas with her.

She slowly stood up, grabbed the handlebars of her bike, and turned with it
in the direction of the person standing near her.  She looked into his face,
and it took a second for it to register with her.  "Ikaru-san?"

"Good evening, Ukyo-san."  He looked very nervous.  She also noticed that he
was dressed in a good-looking, casual outfit.  She'd seen him so much in
overalls that she hadn't really noticed that he was actually fairly attractive.

She shook herself, and gave him a bright smile.  "Meeting someone from the
train?"

"No.  Er, yes.  In a way."  He wrung his hands together, quickly noticed what
he was doing, then clasped them behind his back.

Ukyo blinked at him.  "What do you mean?"

"Well, uh, it was kind of strange."  He glanced around nervously, bringing his
eyes to her face and then as quickly looking in another direction.  "I was 
just shutting down for the night when, uh, your friend arrived.  She told me
that she was on her way to the train station, to meet her sister's husband. 
She, uh, told me that you were going to be there, too, and, uh, that you'd 
need a ride back to your restaurant."  His face was turning slightly red.  
"That it would be late, and cold.  I've got a truck, you see, and her family's
car wouldn't be able to fit you and your bike."

Ukyo narrowed her eyes.  Kasumi.  She was going a bit too far with this
mothering kick of hers.  She needed to get pregnant very quickly, or Ukyo was
going to kill her.

Ikaru blanched when she narrowed her eyes, and backed away.  "Uh, well, if you
want to ride your bicycle, that's fine too.  I'm, uh, sorry to have bothered
you."  He turned away.

Ukyo felt a sort of panic begin to rise.  "Wait!"

He turned back towards her, his eyes still a little wide.

Ukyo considered him for a moment.  Things started falling into place for her
a little bit.  He was often complimenting her, calling her beautiful and smart
and all sorts of things, in a roundabout way.  She had always thought good
things about him, too.  For some reason, however, she had never made the
connection that he was male and she was female.  He had simply been a business
associate, nothing more.  Now that the scales had fallen from her eyes, she
was beginning to see a bit more potential to their relationship.

She forced a smile, and found that it wasn't very hard to do that.  "I really
wasn't looking forward to having my face frozen.  If it's not too much trouble,
I'd really appreciate being given a lift home."

He looked at her for a moment, then smiled back, to her eyes looking somewhat 
relieved.  "It, uh, would be my honor.  Here."  He took the bicycle from her
and started wheeling it to the parking lot.

They walked to his truck.  He put her bicycle in the back, then rushed over to
unlock the passenger side door and open it for her.  Ukyo climbed inside.  As
he went around to the driver's side, she noticed a bundle of flowers sitting
on the front seat.  She picked them up.

He opened his door, climbed in, noticed her with the flowers, and turned beet
red.

She smiled at him.  "For me?"

"Uh, yeah.  I mean, I wasn't sure, uh, if it would be too forward of me.  I,
uh, thought it might be a bit much, you know, for just a drive home. Uh, if,
uh, it's too familiar, uh, I mean...."

He was babbling.  She decided to put an end to it.  She brought the flowers
to her face, sniffing them while looking into his eyes.  "Thank you."

He swallowed.  "You're welcome."  He started up the truck and pulled out of
the parking lot.

Ukyo continued to hold the flowers to her face, letting the fragrance 
overwhelm her.  She tried to figure out what she was feeling.  The whole
situation was a little forced, of course.  This was certainly something
she had never thought of happening.  Yet, she was not unhappy.  Her heart
was racing, and the depression was gone, replaced by a nervous excitement.
This, she decided, was a good sign.  

She decided she wanted to find out more about Ikaru.  Her first impression
was that he was friendly, intelligent, dedicated, attractive, and a little
shy.  He was no Ranma, of course.

Which, she was coming to realize, was probably a good thing.  For the very
first time, she entertained the thought that perhaps it was best that she
and Ranma had never ended up together.  He tended to act without thought,
to think of himself before thinking of others.  He ran from his problems
sometimes, and ignored the consequences of his actions.  He had hurt her 
terribly because of that, all those years ago.  He'd just done the same thing
to Akane.  Akane was able to forgive him because she tended to do some of the
same things herself, and because she often gave Ranma good reason to want to 
be alone.  Ukyo wouldn't have been able to put up with it.

Also, Ranma's curse tended to bring a certain level of zaniness and 
instability into his life, which both he and Akane accepted.  It made for an
exciting life, but that wasn't what Ukyo was looking for.  Ever since Ranma
had entered her life, he'd brought her mostly hardship.  It wasn't his fault,
and he aslo gave her his friendship, which she valued very highly.  He'd 
helped her out on a few occasions.  But a lot of the pain she'd felt between
six and seventeen could be traced, in one way or another, to Ranma, because
of the way he lived his life.  Ukyo wanted no part of that any more.

Opposites may attract, but attraction wears off after a while.  Ukyo needed
more than Ranma could give her.  It was just possible that Ikaru could do 
what Ranma couldn't.  Maybe, when Ukyo needed someone to be there, to give her
comfort, love, and a certain measure of dependability, Ikaru would be there.

Her first restaurant pulled into view.  Ikaru parked the car in front, then 
got out and helped her get the bicycle out of the back.  She thanked him, and
they stood for a moment facing each other.

Ukyo smiled shyly at him, poking her forefingers together.  "Why don't you
come by this restaurant tomorrow for dinner?  I'll cook us up some 
okonomiyaki and you can taste for yourself how good your noodles make my
food."

Ikaru closed his eyes for a second before opening them.  "I would like that
very much, Ukyo-san.  Is around five okay?"

"Five it is."  That was safe, dinner at her own restaurant, nothing too
serious yet.

Ikaru bowed to her, then got into his truck and drove away.

Ukyo wheeled her bicycle around the back, bringing it inside her restaurant.
She put the flowers in a vase, filled it with water, and put it in the center
of the grill.  She hadn't turned on the lights, but enough light came through
the windows from the streetlamps that she could see all right.

A lot had happened to her in the last twenty-four hours.  She needed a moment
to balance herself.  She walked out into the dining area and stood for a
few minutes in the center of her restaurant, looking around at everything,
taking it all in.  She had come close to committing adultery, she had 
travelled halfway across Japan and back, she'd pulled a friend back from
the brink and helped him get back together with his wife, and she had perhaps
started something very good with Ikaru. She had found reason to despair, and
reason to find hope.  She'd explored many extremes of her character, and not
found all of it to her liking.

Her restaurant, however, had remained unchanged.  It was what she lived for.
She was, first and foremost, an okonomiyaki chef.  She took different
ingredients and combined them and made something wonderful out of them.  Some
of the ingredients might be unsavory and bitter when tasted individually.  If
she worked hard enough at it and blended them properly, making sure nothing
was missing, she could make them taste delicious.

All it took was a spatula and a little love.

Smiling to herself, she took the flowers off the grill and brought them with
her on her way to bed.