On Tue, 29 Oct 1996, Zen wrote:

In a way, it is.  I challenge you, Mousse.  I challenge you to take care
of Shampoo and to make her happy.  She deserves someone who can
be devoted to her without reservation or condition.
Enclosed, you will find a snapshot that Nabiki took of me after a fight
with Akane.  When the time comes, you can use it as evidence that
you won *this* fight.

	Ah-hah!  Knew Ranma couldn't throw a fight.

Tell Shampoo that I just could not bear to face her after having lost,
and that I have gone away.  Eventually, she may accept it.

	Maybe.  Depends on just how badly she *doesn't* love Mousse...

Ukyou put on a fresh pot of tea and they sat down to talk.

For the first time since he'd gotten there, Ukyou took a really close
look at Ranma.  He looked like hell.  There were bags under his eyes,
fresh bruises that were just beginning to fade, and he looked like he
hadn't really slept in a week.  There was also a sadness in his
expression that she could not quite define.

	Ukyou would know about the class trip, so if he's not on that, 
that's her first big clue something's wrong.

"Another fight with Akane?" she asked.

Ranma reddened slightly.  "Is it that obvious?"

"To me," she said simply.

	And to anyone in Nerima...

After Ranma had finished, Ukyou was silent for a long time.  Like
Shampoo, she knew that Ranma had cared for Akane, even if he
would never have admitted it.  "So you're leaving," she said finally,
indicating the pack.

	That's right, he's not choosing you because he loves you, just 
because you're the most palatable alternative.

Ranma winced.  "What else can I do?  If I stay, it'll only get worse.
Anyway, I certainly can't stay at the dojo anymore.  If Akane and I
ever did get married, both of us would be miserable.  Duty may be
enough to arrange a marriage, but it's not enough to sustain one, and
I won't marry anyone against her will.  Akane doesn't want me, and
never will."

	Too bad you didn't ask before...

Ranma took her hands in his and gazed solemnly into her eyes.
"Kuonji Ukyou...  will you marry me?"

	Woo-hah!  Blade, break out the confetti!

Before he could move, Ukyou grabbed him in a great big teary hug.
"Of COURSE I'll marry you, Ran-chan!"

	Silly goose.  You just said what she's been waiting years to 
hear.  Did you really think she'd let you escape now?

"I'm not sure when I'll be able to come back for you."

"What do you mean, 'come back for me'?  I'm bloody well coming
with you!"

	Like I said, you really think she's going to let you escape her 
obsessive grasp?

was genuine, and he saw no hesitation in her eyes.  He finally
allowed himself to start to believe that it might just work.  He smiled
and chuckled a bit as the tension drained from him.

	Ignore the warning signs of thunder...

into their offices.

For the past six months, one of the more aggressive real estate
concerns in the area had been after her to sell the shop.  Their offer
had been very generous, more than three times the actual value of
the property.  Since the shop had been her primary means of being
near Ran-chan, she had always refused.  Now, however, that was no
longer a concern.  In the morning, she would call and tell them that
she had decided to sell.  The money would pay off the mortgage
balance, and keep the two of them going almost indefinitely.

	Have Yatai...Will Cook for Food...

"Ranma...  Akane doesn't hate you.  I think...  I think that maybe she
loves you."

"She has a peculiar way of showing it..." muttered Ranma.

"Well, you don't have a lot of room to talk there, do you?"  Ukyou
indicated the picture that Ranma was holding.  "Did you ever tell her
that you liked her?"

	Yes, best to get this out of the way at the start.

think that I could live with myself if I did that.  Ranma, Akane
doesn't hate you.  Really she doesn't."

There.  She had done it.  She had given him back to HER.

Ranma smiled sadly.  "I wish that I could believe that.  Hell, maybe
it's even true."  Ukyou flinched.  "But Ucchan..." Ranma took her
hands in his, "It doesn't matter."

Ukyou looked up, a surprised expression on her face.  "Na... nani?"

"It doesn't matter, Ucchan.  I've made my decision... and it's the
*right* decision. 

	Sure. Right.  Uh-huh.

"But... you love her, don't you?"

"As a friend, Ucchan.  As a friend.  It might have been more, once.
But I've thought long and hard about this," Ranma smiled, "and for
the first time in my life, I feel really good about the choices that I've
made."

	Just wait, though...

"But you were still there for me... with me the whole time.  Do you
remember, just before we left the Medical Centre, how I told you
that I didn't know what love was?"

"Yes... I think so."

"Well, now I know.  And this time, I'm not letting you go!"

	I wouldn't bet the farm on it...

Genma looked down again at the abandoned frames.  He did not like
this at all.  It didn't make any sense.  Why would Ranma take all of
these pictures down for a short field trip?  Why had he taken them
out of the frames, and where were the photos?  Genma lifted the
frames out of the drawer and placed them on top of the chest.  He
would ask Ranma about it when he got back from his class trip.

	Idiot.

Sales did indeed go well, and by the end of the evening, while they
had not run out of anything, it had been a near thing.  All of her
regulars had come in, and none of them had been happy to learn that
the Ucchan would be closing.  They had, however, all wished Ukyou
well, even though they were sorry to see her go.  No one could guess
why such a successful restaurant would close its doors so abruptly,
and Ukyou would not say.

	Good thing most of the regulars are out of town, since Ucchan's 
closing is a dead giveaway something is wrong...

SKJAM!