[Ranma][Beta] I want som C&C

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'Gone' by David Thune
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All rights to Rumiko Takahashi-sama


A car!

She died in a car accident.
She wasn't kidnapped by a demon or lost a fight or anything like normal.
Just a car with bad brakes and she is no more.
She will never yell 'Ranma no baka' at me anymore,
she will never hit me in the head with her mallet anymore,
she will never force her cooking onto me.

She will never smile at me anymore.

It's been three days since tha accident.
When they told me I shut the world down around me and went to her
room. There I sat down on the floor and stared at the frame I gave
her at Christmas.

Someone came in after a couple of hours but I didn't sense her until
she took hold of me and helped me up on my feet. She led me down to
dinner but I just looked at the food and expected HER to start to
argue about something. 
When I turned around she wasn't there, she never will be, ever.

I left the tabla, not touching any food, and went out as the sun was
descending. I don't know how long I was out walking but I ended up
in the empty lot and sat down at the same place I was when they
kicked me out of the house.
This time she didn't come with porkbuns and tea, this time the only
company I had was the cold wind. 

I was looking at the moon, seeing her face, when I heard them.
Someone, a girl, found me and put a blanket over my shoulder. 
It was then I noticed I was shivering of cold. She sat down by my
side and held me. I could hear her crying. I managed to get one of my arms
around her and I could feel her bawling out.
I couldn't say a thing to help her.

After a while she stood up and helped me up, she took my hand and
led me home. The only thing a remember is her warm hand in mine.

The next morning I woke up thinking I had a really bad nightmare, 
So I walked to her room and knocked on the door. No answer.
I opened it and went in. There was no one in the bed, the room looked
exactly like my dream. It took me half an hour to realise that it was no
dream, she was gone.

Like the day before the girl found me on the floor staring. She took
my hand and led me to the bathroom and pushed me in.
She came back ten minutes later and found me just standing there.
She said something I can't remember and throw a bucket of water at me.
I felt my body change and I stared at her, starting to get angry,
but she ignored my stare and took my clothes off and cleaned me up.
I knew I should not show myself naked like this but my brain didn't
tell my body to do something about it.
It was like I observed everything but didn't process the information.
When she was finished and got me dressed again I managed to say
something for the first time since thay told me about it.

"Thanks."

She jumped a bit at my word and looked up and a weak smile appeared.
It was then I saw her puffy red eyes and her hair in disorder.
She led me to the tabla and started to feed me, after the first couple
of mouthful I got the idea and finished it off.






<later>

When I came through the door I saw a woman I recognised, my mother.
She looked up and saw me, she put her arms out to me and before I knew it 
I was in her arms and did something I haven't done for over ten years.

I cried.

I cried for the loss of Akane.
I cried for finally being with my mother in my mala form.
I cried because of the empty feeling I felt inside me.
I cried for finally being abla to cry.
While I was crying in my mothers arms I saw the other family members
gathering around us. It was like a fog had been liftad from my mind as I
started to recognise people around me, even the girl who had taken care of
me the last three days. I could feel their sorrow and their loss over a
beloved sister and daughter.


<dinner and later>


Later when we had eaten, me more than usual, I saw father talk to my mother
for the first time in ten years. I hope things will work out between them.

Apparently it did because when I was going to bed I found the bedroomdoor 
locked and I could hear a quiet conversation from inside and some other
sounds. I turned around quickly and left them.

I made my way to another room and knocked.
There was some shuffling and the door opened.

"Can I come in?" I asked.

She opened the door completely and let me in, closing the door after me.
I looked around her room and could barely recognise it, it was like a small
tornado had gone wild, not the clean and ordered room she used to have the 
few times I have been here. 
When I turned around she was on her bed.

"Nabiki?" I asked.

I could see the old Nabiki build her emotional walls around her again, but
before they were up I reached out with my hand. She took it and I could
feel her warm had in mine. I saw the tears coming and took her into my arms
she relaxed and together we sat and cried.

"Nabiki, thank you." I whispered in her ear.

She seemed to pull herself together a little.

"That's OK Ranma, it was the least I could do for you."

"If it's anything I can do for you, just name it and I will do my best to
help you." I said to her and then added, "Except for a photosession."

At that she did something I suspect she hasn't done in a long time, she 
laughed, but it wasn't her usual snicker but instead a warm heartily laugh.

"I'll remember that Ranma, don't you forget it." she smiled at me.

She, like Akane, have a very cute smile but I haven't seen it before 
because I tried to avoid her most of the time, due to what I owe her.

"How come you helped me as much as you did Nabiki? I thought you didn't 
like me that much."

She broke eyecontact and looked down at her lap trying to draw her into 
herself, her shoulder tensed noticeably. It looked like she didn't want to 
say anything. I put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up.
I have never seen her like that, she was scared.

"I saw myself in you Ranma." her voice was just above whisper.

"Huh"

"You reacted like I did when mother died. You shut everything and everyone 
out. You didn't even recognise people around you, you didn't eat or train 
and for you that is like breathing."

"Yeah.. but.."

"It scared me Ranma. It scared me the hell out of me. I don't want you to 
be like me."

"What do you mean like yourself?"

"I know I'm cold and only thinks of money and stuff. But that's because 
money is just money and it can't hurt you like people can or the loss of 
people you care about does to you..."

"I think I can understand that now when I hear you tell me."

"I lost my mother and now I have lost my kid sister. My family is getting 
smaller and smaller. I don't want to loose you too Ranma, I know I have 
been using you a lot but I DO like you and I consider you a part of our 
family."

"You do? You really mean it"

"Yeah I do mean it Ranma."

"Thanks Nabiki, it means a lot to me, it really does"

"No, thank you for snapping out of your state of mind today, but now I 
think I need some sleep, so if don't mind."

"Sure no problam."

I got up and to the door before I remembered something, I turned around.

"Eh, I don't have a place to sleep tonight."

"What do you mean, nowhere to sleep, you have your room don't you?"

"Yeah but mom is there right now"

"So?"

"They locked the door Nabiki, I'm sure you know my parents have a lot to 
'talk' about."

I couldn't help but to laugh at Nabiki's face when it went from a big 
question mark to understanding to nice shade of red and then she said 
something very out of character.

"Oh my."

"I guess you could say that."

"Well that's no problam, we get another foton and you can sleep here."

"WHAT! I can't... I mean that would..."

"Ranma, I've been taking care of you for the last couple of days. I had to 
wash you, put your clothes on and even feed you before you got the hang of 
it. You were like a baby."

"I was?"

"You don't remember?"

"No, not much. I mean, I felt like there was someone there. I remember a 
hand, a warm hand that led me, it made me feel safe."