Believe it or not, I got the idea from a friend of mine who used to be a psychiatric nurse...



"BAKA!"

"TOMBOY!"

Again, as with many other days, the Tendo household rang with uninspired argument. Noone was quite sure what the argument was about; It was enough that it was still continuing.

Half an hour of it.

Soun was sitting in his romm, his head in his hands, sobbing quietly. It was a long, long time since he'd really burst into tears- Ranma and Akane had taught him that it wasn't much use to bawl.

"Dad? May I come in?"

Nabiki. A voice of cynical sanity in Nerima.

"Come in, daughter. What is it?"

"I've heard that there is a rather famous psychiatrist visiting soon. Tomorrow. He's giving a lecture tour and book-signing. I think I moght get him to help us with those two."

"Really? Why do you say that?"

Nabiki gave one of her classic, cynical, 'I-know-somehting-other-people-don't' smiles. The sort that could terrify judges across the world.

"I know about his... dalliance a couple of years ago when he was in Japan. And he's just released THIS."

Soun looked at the book. His face screwed up a little as he worked out the title.

Then he smiled.

"Get this Doctor Crane for me. He must have some good advice..."

Nabiki walked out, smiling slightly, as she clutched 'Relationships- and how NOT to make them go Bang' and headed to the phone...

***

The room was sealed; there were only three people in the place. Doctor Frasier Crane, Ranma Saotome, and Akane Tendo.

Every so often, there was a burst of shouting, and then it died out. The good Doctor was surviving, anyway.

Murmuring was all that was coming out of the room.

Eventually the doctor came out.

"You know, Nabiki-san, I've never known a couple love each other so much, and still argue so much. How come they haven't killed each other yet?"

Nabiki shrugged. "They're both really stubborn and really tough."

"Oh. Well, I gave them a bit of advice. It might help. I told them it was Doctor's orders. And feel free to change it a bit as time goes on, ne?"

Nabiki nodded. "Where did it go wrong?"

"That damned arranged marriage business... I have also got a request to see the Kunou family. Are they that bad?"

Nabiki nodded, resignedly. "So what did you tell them?"

"I told them to..."

Nabiki burst into most unladylike guffaws.

***

"BAKA!"

"TOMBOY!"

"HOLD IT!"

Ranma and Akane looked round to see Nabiki pointing along the corridor.

"Remeber what the Doctor said. Take it elsewhere..."

Slightly shamefaced, the two padded to the bathroom...

"Nabiki?"

"Yes?"

"Do we take our socks off or not?"

"That's for you to deal with."

"Really?"

"Yes."

The bathroom door shut. Nabiki pressed her ear to the door, listening carefully.

"So do we take our socks off? It's not as if the bath has water in it..."

"How would I know, Tomboy?"

"Ranma! You just want to get back to... what were we arguing about again?"

"I have no idea. Why should we argue while standing in the bath?"

"The doctor suggested it, Baka..."

Nabiki walked away, grinning. This would ensure that the arguments would become a lot less frequent. They forgot about what they were arguing about... she must change it to the Koi pond next...

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