"Go ahead and do it, Ranma!"

But I don't want to!" I was rewarded with a disapproving glance.

"I said do it, Ranma!"

"Look Akane, I'm not gonna."  Akane looked at me cooly, almost
sideways.  I picked up the phone.

"Yo Shampoo!"  that got another disapproving look from Akane.  I toned
down my voice, made it more somber.  "Would you like to come over?  I
have something to tell you." After squeals of joy Shampoo agreed to
come right over.

"You seemed awfully glad to speak to her."

"No really, I wasn't!" I knew what was coming.

"I think you need to be punished."

"No...no I don't, Akane!"

"Yes...I think you do, Ranma.  And you know what your punishment is."

"In front of Shampoo!  Please don't..."

"Accept your punishment now, or would you rather wait until when your
father is here?"

"Yeah, that'd startle him, wouldn't it?"  asked Nabiki, walking into
the kitchen and handing me a bucket of water.  "Not quite following
the path of a true martial artist?"  When I came back downstairs a few
minutes later, Shampoo was there.  I blushed, but I sat down and
crossed my legs.  Nothing was happening.  Nothing wrong, anyway.  If
it was, then...well, the possibility was unimaginable.

"Uhh...why you dress like that, Ranma?"  asked Shampoo.

"Oh, Ranma doesn't mind dressing like that anymore." answered Kasumi.

"Ranma make good husband anyway.  Is influence of pervert-girl Akane,
who likes Ranma when girl-type.  What you want speak of, Ranma?"

"Well, Shampoo, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you
for some time now..."  I stopped talking!  I shouldn't be doing that!
Was I making a resistance?  I felt the euphoria of escape, but only
for a few seconds.

"Go on, Ranma." ordered Akane.  All will was broken.  "I want you to
stop trying to marry me.  I'm Akane's man now.  I always have been.
Why don't you marry Mousse?"

"No!"  Shampoo started to cry.  I felt sorry for her.  I didn't want
to continue, but I did.

"I don't love you and I never loved you, I was being a jerk.  Why
don't you marry Mousse?"

"You demon!" Shampoo lashed out at Akane.  "You make Ranma crazy.  You
I kill." But before Shampoo had moved more then a step or two at
Akane, she froze.  She looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
Slowly a change came over her expression.  She looked...well...I guess
you'd call it...tranquil.  I wondered...is that what I had looked like
a few days ago, when Akane had first...

"Me sorry, Ranma.  I will take advice and marry Mousse!" Shampoo
giddily exited the house.

"There now, isn't that nice, my transvestite fiance?"

"Akane, I'm not a..." I stopped mid-sentence.

"You're not a what?"  She went at me with those eyes!  You don't how
painful it is to describe...It may seem like nothing, but those eyes
are inside of you.  I mean, they engulf you.  I don't want to go on
any longer.  I flinched under the pressure.

"Yes...yes I am, Akane."

"Do you have anything you want to say to me, Ranma?"

"I love you, Akane."  It would have been so difficult to say that just
last week.  But...well...I think last week I would have meant it.

Akane smiled.


FIN

**

I like writing these silly little things.  If you liked it I'd
appreciate a reply to:
     jdrutsch@ucdavis.edu

I told repliers who asked that there wouldn't be a sequel.  Well, I
lied. ^_^


****jdrutsch@ucdavis.edu***********************Jeff Rutsch************* 
"Ranma's not a boy...he's a girl!"
"Akane is MY fiance!  You TOUCH her, and I'll KILL you!"
"Ranma, change back into a boy while I buy you some time."
"But if I seem to act unkind/it's only me, it's not my mind."
"Ranma [sic],/give your heart to Akane [sic]. /Soon,/right away."
**^_^*****^_^*****^_^*****^_^*****^_^*****^_^*****^_^*****^_^*****^_^**