Here is is with the spelling and other changes from the list.
Thanks all.
I'm going to let the ending stew a bit, Maybe i'll upload it to my
psion again so I can take it on vacation next week.
I'll let you all know If I'm going to change it.

BTW, It's at 78 (or so) chars per line, the paperback I was
looking at was about 55 chars per line. I may try a re-format
to see if it looks better.
 
J.

____________________


Orange 
 
[A Ranma 1/2 Fan fiction] 
 
By Joseph Palmer 
 
	"What is it with you and cold water anyway?" Nabiki wasn't looking for 
an answer, it was just a question that had crossed her mind from time to time. 
	"Oh, you should have seen it!" Akane chimed in. "He was reaching 
for some carrots at the back of the display when those mist things 
came on, and of course the nozzle picked that moment to come off, 
I turned around and he, well she,  was soaked." 
	"Hey... I would have loved to have seen that. Anyone notice the 
change?" Nabiki was getting into it, leaning across the table in  
anticipation.  
	"I did." Ranma said sourly, She was still pulling at her wet shirt.  
	"It's been so quiet around here without you, Ranma."  Nabiki observed 
sweetly. 
	 
	Lately Ranma had noticed a change in Nabiki's attitude towards him. 
Since he had moved out they had been getting along much more like brother 
and sister. Her sarcastic barbs  had mellowed a little, or at least had
begun to be distributed more equitably. 
	 
	"The water's ready Ranma." Kasumi entered carrying a kettle and 
small bundle. "Leave your wet stuff in the basket and I'll hang it out to dry." 
	"Umm, thanks Kasumi, but I'll take care of that." Akane said 
hesitantly. She blushed a little. 
	"OK." Kasumi smiled at Akane. "Ranma, this ought to fit you." 
She let the bundle unfold, revealing it to be a Yukata. "It's a little thin for 
this time of year, but it ought to be okay for around the house. 
	"Thanks, be right back." Ranma left carrying the thin robe at arms 
length away from her wet clothes. 
	 
	Nabiki looked mischievously at her younger sister.  
	"What?!?!" Akane demanded. 
	"So, what's your plan? I bet you're going to try to time it so 
you walk in on him before he has the robe on, right?" 
	"No way!" Akane protested. 
	"Oh come on, It'd be fun." 
	"Hentai." Akane sniffed. 
	"Nabiki, stop teasing your sister." Kasumi intoned.  
	"I'm  serious." That was your plan, wasn't it, Akane?" 
	"No! Jeez." Akane shook her head. 
	"Stop it you two." Kasumi stepped in. "Akane, please tell father that
dinner is ready, Nabiki, please help me bring things in." 
 
	Kasumi led Nabiki to the kitchen, Akane slid open the outer doors, 
just wide enough to poke her head out. The outside air was cold on her face, 
and she could feel it pouring past her legs into into the hallway. 
	"Father, dinner's ready!" She called across the yard, her breath 
visible as a white mist. 
	"Be right in!" He was skimming leaves from the koi pond with long 
pole that ended in a small flat net. Akane quickly slid the doors closed 
again to conserve the heat in the house. 
 
	"Man it's cold out" Ranma said, entering from the back of the 
house. He pulled the robe tightly around himself. "I'm really glad to 
be out of these wet clothes." He held a damp bundle in his free hand. 
	Akane looked him over, seeing him in a yukata reminded her of 
times they'd stayed at onsens, and the cabin on the beach. 
	"What?" he asked. 
	"Oh, nothing, just thinking." 
	"Well, I think I smell dinner." He said. 
	"You always smell dinner. Let me take those." She reached for 
the clothes. 
	"No, I can take care of this." he paused. "Um where should I..." 
	"Men." Akane scoffed. "Use the pole on the porch." 
	"Hai!" He answered obediently then headed upstairs. 
	 
	"Akane, looks like you missed your chance again..." Nabiki 
was carrying a large platter to the table. "Well, the night is young..." 
	"Nabiki!" Akane shouted in mock anger. 
	"Everyone, dinner!" Kasumi carried the rice and tea. 
	"Mmm, yakisoba! My favorite! Thank you Kasumi." Soun took his usual 
place at the head of the table.  
	"But, daddy, everything's always your favorite" Nabiki observed. 
	"Mmm well, that's true." He broke apart a pair of chopsticks. 
	Ranma entered and plopped down next to Akane.  
	"Ranma-kun," Soun eyed him. " You're not at a resort you know..." 
	"Well, my stuff got soaked..." 
	"As usual.." Nabiki offered. 
	"And Kasumi found this for me." 
	"Mmm." Soun nodded wisely. "Lets eat!" 
	 
	The yakisoba was excellent, as usual, and Ranma noticed that the 
carrots that had caused him so much trouble were tender and sweet. 
They talked about the Saotome's new living arrangements, and Ranma 
related stories about his new home life. Kasumi had another encounter 
with Toufu, she laughed at how funny he could be. Soun had been catching 
up in the yard, and had been spending more time working out in the doujo.  
Nabiki was particularly animated throughout dinner, slipping in sly 
comments and even once doing a passable impression of Kuno. 
 
	After dinner Soun announced that he had a surprise, and produced a 
new electric heater to mount to the bottom of the table for the upcoming 
cold winter evenings. He and Ranma spent nearly an hour pouring over the 
installation manual and after a couple of vexing false starts managed to 
get it secured safely to the table. Kasumi appeared with the quilt to cover 
the table, and soon the room was equipped for the coldest nights. 
 
	They watched a couple of comedies on TV, sharing the warmth of the 
table.  Then the news came on, Kasumi drifted away to start the bath, Nabiki 
went to the kitchen to search for a snack and Akane went to get Ranma's 
clothes. 
 
	She found them on the deck of the porch still sopping wet.  
	"Baka" She said. He must have just flipped them over the pole, and 
they slid right off.  Her hands were numb from the cold by the time she had 
finished rehanging them, this time sliding the pole through the arms of the 
shirt, and the leg of the pants.. Returning downstairs she found her father 
on the phone. 
 
	"Okay, Saotome-kun, tomorrow at 11:30, see you then."  
	"Wait!" Akane reached for the phone. 
	"Saotome-kun, hold on." Soun passed the phone to Akane. 
	"Mr. Saotome, Akane here. Ranma's clothes are all wet, he'd freeze if 
we sent him home in them. I think he should stay tonight." She looked to her 
father who nodded approval.  
	Ranma's father agreed  that given the circumstances Ranma should 
stay the night, and he promised to tell his wife so that she would not be 
worried about him. 
	"OK, Bye Bye." She handed the phone back to her father. As she walked 
away she could hear her father whispering into the phone and laughing. 
Those two are impossible, she thought. 
 
	Ranma was lying half under the side of table watching the news. Akane 
sat behind him, flipped up the quilt and slid her feet between his calves.  
	"AYEEEE!" Ranma squealed. "COLD!"  
	Before he could wiggle free she grabbed his legs with her icy hands. 
	"Ahhh! j- jeez that's c- c- cold!  
	Akane giggled and wriggled her toes. 
	"Ah. That's better" she said. "It's all your fault anyway." 
	"Huh? AHHHH" She had moved her feet and hands to find more warmth. 
	"Your stuff fell off the pole and is still too wet to wear, so you're 
staying here tonight. And since I froze myself rehanging your clothes, you 
 have to warm my feet." 
	"Ah so... Akane?" 
	"What?" 
	"Where did you find liquid nitrogen on such short notice?" 
	"Oh now, it's not that bad, dear." 
 
	Ranma shut up. That was the first time she'd called him that, and even 
in jest it was nice to hear. They watched the news together, Akane 
occasionally shifting to seek out more warmth. The weather lady came on and 
cheerfully announced the approach of a big storm, due to hit in the next 
afternoon. Ranma commented that the cold front had already found Akane's 
feet. 
	Nabiki returned from the bath, her hair wrapped in a fluffy white 
towel.  She picked up the the TV listings and flipped the pages. 
	"Junk, junk, junk, Oh no wait a second, that one's  garbage... junk." She 
flipped the page. "Woah, hey, Akane, your favorite!  Channel 12 is running 
all night horror shows!" 
	"All night horror?" Soun entered in his pajamas, bushing his teeth.  
	"Daddy, do you want to watch with me?" Akane asked brightly. 
	"No, I think I'll pass on that." 
	"Nabiki?"  
	"Pass." 
	"Kasumi, you want to watch all night Horror films with me?" Her sister 
had entered carrying towels. 
	"Thank you, but no, Akane. They give me scary dreams." 
	"Ranma?" 
	"Well, since I'm stuck here tonight anyway..." 
	"Hmm?" Nabiki's face lit up with a fiendish grin. "Akane you rascal! 
That's way better than anything I came up with!" 
	"Stop joking around! Anyway it's his fault." Akane fumed at her sister. 
	"Now, now." Soun scolded. "Enough of that. With the TV and all this 
bickering, I think  I'll get more sleep  in the upstairs guest room tonight." 
	"It's already made up, father!" Kasumi said brightly.  "But do you think 
it's a good idea to leave them alone together?" she  suddenly looked 
worried. 
	"Oh Kasumi, don't worry." Nabiki reassured her sister. "After all, we'll 
be right upstairs, and anyway, if anything untoward happens one shout will 
bring us running. Your virtue will be perfectly safe tonight, Ranma." 
	"NA-BI-KI-----" Akane growled menacingly. 
	"Joking-Joking. Nite nite." Nabiki slipped around the corner. 
	"Argh!" Akane threw a pillow after her. 
	"I think I'd better take my bath now." Ranma took a towel from Kasumi 
and retreated to the bath. 
	"Don't take too long, I want to finish my bath before the movie starts." 
Akane called after him. 
	Nabiki poked her head back around the corner, "Well you could always 
share..." She ducked the next pillow, but was hit firmly by the third before 
she could escape. 
  
	"Akane-chan." It was that serious tone that Kasumi reserved for 
when she was filling in for mother. "Akane, I..." Kasumi was torn, cooking and 
cleaning was one thing, but there were some things she had trouble dealing 
with. She wondered if she should share some motherly words of caution, but 
after all, Akane was only three years younger than herself. Giving that 
sort of worldly advice seemed out of place somehow, perhaps because she 
had decided  to put the needs of her family before her own, and had yet to 
begin to deal with her own desires.  
	Akane looked at her sister, smiled, and took her hands. "Kasumi, you 
needn't to be worried. Ranma and I won't be..." She paused, searching not 
only for the words, but for her feelings. "There's no hurry." It was the 
closest she came to expressing what she felt. There were a lot of other 
mixed emotions, fears, and desires, but there was no urgency. Not yet. 
	Kasumi seemed to accept this because the cloud had lifted from her 
face. After some discussion they decided to bring a futon, comforter and 
pillow into the living room  in case Ranma dozed off. Ranma returned, 
buffing his hair dry with a towel.  
	"Your turn." He sat at the table and picked up the remote, and 
switched channels until he found a channel running replays of todays 
Sumo Basho.  
	"How much time do I have?"  
	"About 20 minutes" Ranma checked the time on the VCR.  
	"Okay, I'll be right back!" Akane raced for the bath. 
	Kasumi sat at the table across from Ranma. 
	"What is it, Kasumi?" 
	"Ranma, I'm depending on you to be a gentleman tonight." 
	"Eh?" Ranma was confused. What does she... Oh. That. 
	"Do you promise?" Kasumi gave him her stern look. 
	"No It's not like that at all. It's not like I  planned to be here or 
anything. Really, I put the pole through my clothes just like you always do, 
the pole must have fallen or something. " 
	"Ranma..." Kasumi held her gaze. 
	"I promise, Kasumi." He said resignedly. 
	"Thank you, Ranma. Good night." He watched her leave, he heard the 
light switch in the kitchen, then the light from the hallway went out. He 
heard her walking up the steps, the fourth step squeaking as usual. 
	On the TV Takanahana got past Akebono and forced him out of he ring. 
They replayed those 12 seconds again and again in slow motion. The house 
seemed to be going to sleep, the TV suddenly too loud. He reached for the 
remote and turned down the sound. He head the door to the bath slide open, 
and Akane's footsteps as she neared the door. There was a pause, then a 
flash of pink towel and legs.  
	"Forgot my pajamas, be right back." she said as she rushed for the 
stairs.  
	 
	Akane picked a loose pair of pajama pants and pulled them on, the 
soft fabric catching slightly against her damp skin. She pulled the ties 
tight around her tummy and tied them in a simple bow. She found the 
matching top, turned it so the tag was in the back, and pulled it over her 
head. The top was loose and a little short, she smiled as she noticed that a 
little skin flashed as she combed her hair. She checked once more in the 
mirror, then left to join Ranma.  
 
	"Psst, a second please Akane..." Nabiki whispered from her darkened 
room. Akane entered, Nabiki closed the door and turned on the light. 
	"Look sis, are you really ready for this?" Nabiki asked in a 
conspiratorial tone. She sat on her bed and patted a spot for Akane to sit 
down. 
	"What do you mean?" 
	"Have you prepared?" 
	"What do you mean, 'prepared'"? There was a long pause. 
	"Akane, do you have any... protection?" 
	"You don't mean... Nabiki!" Akane blushed dark red and stared in wide 
eyed surprise at her sister. 
	"Look, I'm not saying that anything is going to happen tonight, I just 
think it would be prudent for you to have some protection ready, just in 
case...." Nabiki reached under her pillow. "Here, take this."  
	Akane let her eyes fall to Nabiki's hands. One was cupped over the 
other, hiding the object inside. Akane held out her hand guiltily, Nabiki 
pressed a small green plastic squirt gun into it. Akane blinked at it 
	"One squirt and you're safe!" Nabiki said with a straight face. Then she 
began to giggle hysterically, rocking back and forth on her bed helpless to 
defend herself against Akane, who was frantically squirting her. Akane half 
emptied the gun then stormed out of her sisters room, slamming the door on 
her way out. 
 	"You pervert!" she spat under her breath as she headed downstairs. 
Akane could still hear her sister giggling from the bottom of the stairs. 
  
	"What was all that about?" Ranma asked. 
	Akane walked in, the squirt gun hidden behind her back. She knelt 
and placed the squirt gun on the table in front of her. 
	"Urk." Ranma managed.  
	"Nabiki doesn't trust you, she thought I might need some protection." 
	"I see." Ranma said. He didn't. 
	 
	Soon the movie started, and Akane got up to turn the light off, 
leaving the room bathed in flickering bluish light from the TV. She pulled 
the pillows from the bedding and plopped them on the floor beside the 
table. Sitting  next to Ranma, she briefly obscured his view of the TV, then 
she wormed her way under the table, propped her head in her right palm 
and settled in to watch the show. 
	Ranma followed the curve of her hips down to the exposed ribbon of 
skin. No more than a fingers' width was visible, but he found himself 
mesmerized by it. His gaze traced from the front where the curve of her 
tummy was lit by the TV over the top where the pajama pants dug into her 
hips, then down the back where his view disappeared into the shadows.  He 
thought it strange, he'd seen so much more of her a dozen times in swimsuits, 
but it had never affected him like this. He retraced it over and over, 
imagining the feel of her soft skin against his finger tips. 
	Akane reached behind her back and slid her hand under the hem of 
her top the began to scratch idly. She struggled a bit to reach higher. 
	"Ranma, could you scratch..." 
	Ranma reached out and touched her back cautiously, the warmth of her 
skin electric on his fingertips. He rubbed slowly, her skin was so soft, so 
smooth. 
	"Mmm that's nice...  nails please." 
	Ranma was surprised at the request. He gently raked her skin, she 
melted to the floor. 
	"Higher." 
	He scratched upwards, quickly noting the lack of a strap. He worked 
his way up the middle, then back and forth down to the small of her back. 
He repeated the process twice, Akane responding sensually to the attention. 
She rolled back onto her side, straightened the fabric of her top, then rolled 
to her back. She took Ranma's hand and locked her fingers in his. 
	"Okay, you can stay my iinazuke." She said softly, pulling him 
downward. Ranma resisted playfully, then giving in he lay beside her. He 
brushed the hair from her eyes and leaned over her, his lips inches from 
hers. She reached up and wrapped a hand around the back of his head, and 
grabbed his ponytail with the other. She tried to pull him downward, but he 
resisted again with a coy smile. She pulled herself upwards to his lips. They 
kissed then, Ranma gently lowering her to the pillow, her hands freed to 
course through his hair. It went on and on,  their hearts beating faster and 
faster until they parted, each startled by their passions. 
	They looked in each other's eyes, trembling and questioning. After 
what seemed like an eternity, Akane bit her lip and reluctantly shook her 
head. Ranma smiled in relief and disappointment. 
	He sighed, then  lay on his side and propped his head on his hand. 
Akane turned to her side, then wriggled back to him, so they could lay 
together like spoons. He tentatively let his free hand rest on her hip, she 
took it, pulling his arm around her. She kissed his hand and held it to her 
and blinked away some tears. 
	 In time their heart quieted, and Akane broke the uneasy silence. 
	"Ranma... I'm sorry." 
	He squeezed her gently. "It's okay." He said, his voice  betraying his 
real feelings. "Anyway Kasumi made me promise to be a 'gentleman' tonight. 
	Akane looked up at that. "Oh, she got to you too?" 
	"Too?" 
	"I think she wanted to give me one of 'those' talks, I kind of told her 
I wasn't in a hurry." Akane was no longer sure of that statement. 
	"I guess we couldn't break our promises to her." Ranma was relieved to 
be able to blame his frustrations elsewhere. 
	"No,  I suppose not. But I don't think she would object to this." Akane 
began to rock gently against him. 
	"No, I don't think so, how about this?" He said and kissed her ear. 
	"Ooooh that tickles." Akane squirmed trying to pull her ear out of 
reach. "No, that's definitely ungentlemanly." She giggled as he kissed her 
ear again.  
	"You know, Kasumi only made me promise to be good 'tonight', and it's  
now officially after midnight, so it's already tomorrow." Ranma said 
hopefully. 
	"Baka." She replied and elbowed him playfully in the ribs. 
	"Well it is..." 
	Akane sighed. "Watch the movie." 
 
	They lay together, Akane tucked into Ranma's lap, sharing the warmth 
of each other and the table and quilt. In time Ranma fell asleep and Akane 
listened to his gentle breathing. She turned the volume even lower so as not 
to disturb him and watched until she too fell asleep. 
 
	He dreamed of flying, he had Akane in his arms, and for no particular 
reason he leapt in the air, and somehow if he just kept stretching the 
effort he could stay in the air. It was exhilarating, the warm wind in his hair 
and the town passing below them. They landed in the park, but for some 
reason the park was now in the country with nothing around but mountains 
and forests. They searched for a place where they could kiss and touch 
and... more. But no place was suitable, and finally Akane said there's no 
place, and that she was sorry, then she kissed him, her body pressed tight 
against him, her breath sweet and warm. 
	He woke then, the dream still vivid in his mind. Akane was sleeping in 
his arms, he wanted to wake her, to continue the dream, but somehow holding 
her was enough for now. Spying the remote at the edge of the table, he 
unwrapped his arm and found the off switch. He held her again and she 
 stirred, hugging his arm like it were a stuffed animal.  
 
	When he awoke again the room was bathed in a dim orange light,  the 
product of battle between  rising sun and an approaching storm. Akane 
stirred. 
	"Good morning, dear." She said with a sleepy smile. "I guess I fell 
asleep." 
	"Good morning."  
	They looked at each other for a time, each thinking that in the light 
of the morning, perhaps they'd made the right decision the night before. 
	"I think I'd better go up to my room before anyone else wakes up." 
	"Do you have to go?" 
	"I should." She got up and leaned over him. "Good night again." She 
kissed him on the forehead and headed for the stairs. 
	Ranma heard her take the first 3 stairs, then back down and through 
the hallway to the bathroom. He climbed out from under the table and 
unfolded the futon, laid out the bed quilt and fluffed and placed the 
pillow. He found the switch and turned off the table heater.  
	The futon and quilt were cold against his legs and arms. He lay looking 
at the ceiling panels, the room now glowed in a strange orange light. He 
heard Akane return from the back, and enter the room. She knelt next to 
Ranma and brushed the hair out of his eyes. He reached up and pulled her 
on top of himself, his lips finding hers. They kissed passionately, Akane 
lying fully on top of him, this time there was no guilt, no fear, just a joyous 
sharing and anticipation.  
	She broke the kiss, then pecked him on the nose. "See you in the 
morning." She whispered. 
	"See ya..." Was all Ranma could think to say. 
	She padded out of the room, he heard the first 3 steps, then a break 
in the rhythm as she skipped the fourth step. He turned on his side and 
snuggled the pillow, it still smelled like her. 
 
	At breakfast there were a few awkward moments as Nabiki tried to 
accuse them of a night of torrid passion, Kasumi looked at Akane for a 
moment, and the concerned look on her face dissolved. Later Ranma said his 
goodbyes to the others and Akane walked with him to the gate. They kissed 
again briefly and clutched hands, then Ranma ran for home, the approaching 
storm no match for the one in his heart.  
 
End. 


_____________________________________________________________________
Joseph Palmer                    | "Never join a titanic battle unless
Director of Hardware Engineering | you get to be the iceberg" --J.
Be, Incorporated                 | 
http://www.be.com                | http://www.best.com/~jpalmer/