A Lesson In Love
By Marisa Price
Copyright to Marisa Price, 1996

Chapter XI: There and Back Again (working title....)

This is only Part -A-, Part -B- coming tomorrow or 
Thursday....


        Ranma glanced up at the clock: it was almost 7:30 and.... quitting
time! The restaurant itself had closed a half-hour before, but Ranma had the
grueling task of washing the mounds of dishes afterward while Ukyou cleaned
the tables in the dining room.
        He looked down at the brown bubbly water with distaste. He thought
of the whole dishwashing thing as "Ukyou's revenge." When she assigned him
the task she KNEW that having to keep scrubbing the dishes in the hot water
and then needing to rise them in the cool water would cause Ranma to have to
suffer through the "change" over and over and OVER again.
        Ranma sighed and looked down at his sudsy hands and then began to
scrub again at the caked utensil.
        It was difficult to concentrate on this stuff this particular
evening, as it was the anniversary of the day he and Akane had first met.
Akane had realized a few days before that it had been a year since they had
met, and he somewhat shyly had suggested that they have some sort of
celebration.
        It didn't seem as if a year had already passed since he met Akane,
but, then again, it felt as if he had known her forever... As stupid as it
sounded, he had know from the day he met her that they were "destined for
each other."
        Ranma chuckled. He worried that the shojo manga he had stolen from
Nabiki was having a twisted effect on his mind... Perfect love, destined to
marry each other...
        He suddenly shivered a bit, because they had also agreed that it was
time to tell the family about their revised situation. Somehow (probably
because Nabiki had kept her mouth shut after the "incident") no one had
noticed that Akane and Ranma's feelings had changed. Ranma shrugged. In some
ways, that was for the best. However, it might be easier to tell them now
and get it over with than to wait for someone to figure it out and have them
married on the spot.
        Like Pop. Like Mr. Saotome. Like Mom.
        Ranma shuddered again.
        However, this time he was going to do it right. To ensure it, he had
a surprise gift for Akane. It was carefully wrapped among his dress clothes
in the linen closet, waiting for the evening ahead. He wondered if should
would like it.
        Ranma chuckled to himself. What was he thinking? Of COURSE she would
like it... in fact, she would LOVE it. Maybe it would make up for the time
that he...
        Ranma's thoughts, and his dishwashing, were interrupted as he felt
two arms wrap around him from behind. It was definitely a female embrace.
Ranma stiffened and said, quietly, "What 're you are doing, Ucchan?"
        There was a familiar giggle and a cute face framed by short black
hair peeked her head around Ranma's arm and smiled up and him. She said,
slyly, "Ok. You passed."
        Ranma sighed in relief and laughed a bit.
        "Whew," Ranma said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head, and
finished with, "You really surprised me... I was scared for a sec that Ukyou
had decided to start goin' after me again or somethin'. Hey..." He looked
curious, "What dija mean by 'passed'?"
        Akane smiled again and said, "You acted the right way. If you had
turned around to sweep 'Ukyou' into your arms, I probably would have killed
you on the spot."
        "Uh..." Ranma bigsweated.
        She giggled and added, "Maybe I should test you more often?"
        Ranma got even more disturbed looking and then asked, pleading,
"Please, no? I've had enough of that stuff to last me a lifetime..."
        Akane chuckled again and walked around to stand in front of Ranma.
Ranma took a good look at her, drinking her in. She was dressed in a short
dark blue velvet dress. It fastened around the neck and was sleeveless and
open-backed. A small triangle framed the front of the dress, showing
(deliciously) a bit of cleavage. Ranma stood, open-mouthed.
        "Do you like it?" she asked, noticing his glazed stare, and did a
quick turn to show him the full view. She added, "Nabiki helped me pick it
out. Do you think it is too adult for me?"
        Ranma managed to pick his jaw up off the floor and said, softly,
"You look... so pretty, Akane." He reached his hand out to cup her cheek and
she gave him a sweet smile, her eyes glowing.
        She backed up a bit before they ended up making out in the kitchen
and getting caught by Ukyou, and said, "Well, I cam to pick you up for
dinner and I -really- didn't want to have to wait outside, so I snuck in
through the back door. Are you ready to go yet?"
        Ranma nodded and finished the last rinse and wipe and drained and
cleaned the sinks. He washed his hands with soap and hot water, and dried
his hands. He grinned at her and said, "Give me a sec, I gotta go change."
        Akane nodded and sat down at the small chair in the corner of the
kitchen. She prayed that Ukyou wouldn't come barging in, and hoped that they
could leave without having to say goodbye.
        That girl. Akane wished that she would just get over it. She should
move on to someone new, Ryouga or whomever. Akane sighed as she realized
that was cold: how would -SHE- feel if Ranma had dumped -HER- and gone for
Ukyou instead? She shivered. And Ryouga... Ryouga might never be coming
back. Poor Ukyou.
        She was lost in her thoughts when Ranma finally emerged from the
back room, all dressed up in his one and only tux. He looked wonderful in
black, and it was cut in such a way that showed off his musculature. 
        Ranma stood there preening and asked, "Well? How do I look?"
        Akane said calmly, "Like a peacock."
        Then she giggled.
        "You look very nice, Ranma. You even brushed your hair... now THAT
is impressive."
        Ranma just stuck his tongue out at her and then gave her a lopsided
grin. He held his arm out and said, casually, "Shall we go, m'lady?"
        Akane giggled and said, "Ohhh! Where have you taken -MY- Ranma! This
debonair guy HAS to be an imposter."
        They both chuckled over that, and Akane walked over and took his arm.
        Ranma said, as he tacked a note to the back door, "We should go out
this way... The last think I want on -our- evening is a confrontation
between you and Ukyou..."
        Akane nodded and sighed in relief, resting her head on Ranma's
shoulder as they walked out the back door and closed it softly behind them.

*****

        Ukyou was cleaning the tables, frequently sighing. She was -not-
looking forward to Akane's arrival, as she had already heard about the
"anniversary" from her -dear- friend Ranchan, who just -had- to share the
story with his -dear- friend Ucchan.
        Bleah. She scrubbed so hard at the table that a small fragment of
wood popped loose and became embedded in her finger.
        "Ouch!" she yelped, and looked down to investigate the minor wound.
It was deep, but she could probably get it out with her fingernails.
        She grimaced as she slowly started to pull it out, wincing at each
micrometer. 
        Then, she felt the wind softly blow at her hair as someone slid open
the door to the restaurant.
        Ukyou made herself busy, trying to get the splinter out, and said
(without looking up), "Ranma is in the back, Akane."
        "Are you alright?" a masculine voice asked just as Ukyou pulled the
last of the splinter out.
        She started at the voices and raised her head toward the door, and
then gaped at the dirty and tired figure in her doorway: it was Ryouga.
        "Ryouga..." she said, softly, almost hopefully.
        "Ukyou?" Ryouga said brightly, hoping beyond hopes that she was not
mad at him, and moved out of the shadows of the doorway and into the lighted
room.
        Ukyou was about to shout, "I am so happy you came back!" when
reality crashed down on her.
        He had left her. Run off when she needed a friend, ANY friend, the
most. He was just like any other man.
        Her eyes turned cold and she said, quietly, "Get out, Ryouga. Get out."
        Ryouga took a step back he was so struck by her coldness.
        "Wha... what?!" he asked, his eyes rounding.
        "GET OUT!!!" she shouted, and then added in an acrid tone, "Did you
SERIOUSLY think I would just take you back into my home and work after you
just RAN OFF like THAT, LEAVING me when I needed a friend the most?! Your
promises were LIES, Ryouga!!"
        Ryouga stood there, framed by the afternoon light from the doorway,
in shock. He finally managed, "But... Ukyou... I came back to apolo..."
        "LEAVE!! I don't want to hear your APOLOGIES!!! I will give your
stuff to Ranma when he leaves today, and when you find him, no, IF you find
him, he can give it to you! Get out of my store, Ryouga! You are no longer
my friend. You are just the stupid idiot I always thought you were!"
        Ukyou turned her back on him and strode proudly off into the kitchen.
        Ryouga was frozen, his movements slowed by the ice of her vehemence.
His senses, however, were screaming, and his hopes were in shambles around
him. Now, he had gambled, and now, he had lost.
        Finally, Ryouga managed to turn and walk stiffly out the door.

*****

        Ukyou crashed into the kitchen, saying loudly, "God. Ranma. That
loser Ryouga is back. Would you BELIEVE that..."
        Her words trickled off as she noticed that no one was in the
kitchen. The dishes were all clean and on the drying rack, and the sink was dry.
        She caught the white flash of a piece of paper attached to the door.
She walked over and read Ranma's brief note:

        "Hey Ucchan. Me and Akane went to dinner. Its our Anniversary,
remember? Have fun tonight, Ranma."

        Ukyou crumpled to the floor, the note crushed in her fist.
        "Oh god oh god oh god...." she said over and over again.
        Finally she put her head in her hands and cried.

*****

Part B coming soon! lemme know what you think....

        
        
Marisa Price
marisa@value.net
http://value.net/~marisa/