Hello all!

Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction
"The High Cost of Loving - Chapter Two"
"The Money Pit - Part Three"
by Suds-kun (suds1964@tir.com)

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Ranma 1/2 characters are created by and copyright Rumiko Takahashi.
Published by Shogakukan Inc. and VIZ Comm.
Used without permission.
Intended for the sole non-profit use of fans.
============================================

Shampoo smiled as she wheeled along on her bicycle.  The emergency
call from the Tendou dojo was welcome news.  An opportunity to show
off amazon superiority should never be passed up.  "Akane lose Ranma
to Shampoo and then try to poison everyone."  Shampoo's triumphant
laugh trailed off as she remembered her successful capture of Ranma.

===

"Nihao, Ranma!"

Shampoo smiled at husband.  He always enjoy my surprise greeting with
bicycle.  But he not smile this time."

"What wrong, Ranma?"

"That mean, ugly Akane tossed me out of her house and then that awful
spatula girl kicked me out of HER house.  Now I have no where to
live, so now I'm sleeping in the streets."

"Shampoo's heart breaks at how those mean, awful girls treat you. You
can live with Shampoo at the Neko Hanten.  O.K. Ranma?"

"Sure, if pop and I can have our own room."

"It's settled, let's go tell great-grandmother!"

===

"Ahh!" Shampoo sighed at her memory of Ranma.

"O-baba said that Ranma had to work as a waitress and his father had
to help with paying rent, but husband is living with me!  I was so
happy, I cleaned out the store room in back for husband.  He was
really impressed with my speed.  Although, last night he locked the
door when he went to bed. "

"Stupid Mousse is upset, but I don't care.  In one week I'll have
husband returning to China with me, and Mousse will be just a
memory."

Shampoo glided up to the entrance of the Tendou dojo and walked up to
the door with the order of ramen.  She straightened her outfit and
knocked. Nabiki opened the door.

"Good, you're here!  We were about ready to have to eat Akane's
cooking." Nabiki quickly grabbed the carrier and set it on the table.

"Oh, konbanwa, Shampoo!" Kasumi greeted Shampoo and motioned for her
to enter. Soun Tendou smiled at Shampoo as she stepped inside.

"Nihao, Kasumi!  Why nice Kasumi not cook tonight?"

"Oh, Akane wanted to cook tonight to take her mind off of things, but
she seems to have had some problems in the kitchen tonight."  Kasumi
smiled as she turned to help Nabiki pass out the bowls of ramen.

"Akane is upset?" asked Shampoo in mock surprise, "is she mad over
Ranma living with Shampoo?"

Kasumi, Nabiki and Soun looked at Shampoo in stunned silence.

"They didn't know, good." thought Shampoo, "This will be fun!"

Shampoo hesitated, "Why do they have that funny look on their faces?"

Shampoo turned towards the source of their frightened stares.  Akane
was standing in the doorway, anger etched on her face.

"You have HER come with dinner after I cooked all afternoon?" The air
started to crackle around Akane.

"Shampoo got phone order to deliver emergency ramen to Tendou dojo.
Husband even help prepare order."  Shampoo smiled evilly.

"H-hus... Ranma?" stammered Akane.

"Yes, husband is living with Shampoo."

"But he's staying at Ukyo's."

Shampoo looked at Akane, "Now for the kill," she thought. "Spatula
girl told husband to leave and he came to Shampoo for help.  Spatula
girl and violent Akane don't want Ranma, but Shampoo does."

Akane started to glow blue and then stormed upstairs, yelling, "You
can have that unfaithful hentai!  I don't care!."

Shampoo smiled and then waved as she left.  "Enjoy your ramen!"

===

Shampoo arrived at the Neko Hanten, the smile still on her face.
Stepping in the back entrance, she watched onna-Ranma carrying eight
bowls of ramen to the different customers. Each customer smiled or
whistled as they received their bowl.  "The restaurant sure has more
customers now that husband works as waitress." she thought as she put
the take-out carrier away.

She watched Mousse trying to keep up with onna-Ranma, but not being
very successful.  "Stupid Mousse," she said as she approached O-baba.

"Ah, Shampoo, son-in-law is doing very well.  You sure you didn't use
any potions or spice on him?"

"No, great-grandmother, I just asked him to stay with us and he
accepted."

"Well, Mousse is not happy.  We'll have to convince son-in-law to
return to China with us soon, or we may have problems like the Kuonji
girl had."

"Problems?" Shampoo thought, "she doesn't love Ranma as much as I do.
She just couldn't deal with him living with her.  Ranma wants to
live with me, he wouldn't be here if he didn't."

Cologne sighed at the look of bewilderment on her
great-granddaughter's face. "Shampoo, after you brought son-in-law
here, I went to Ucchan's. It is closed for repairs. There are no
tables for customers and one whole wall is missing. We must get
son-in-law to China before the Neko Hanten suffers the same fate, it
is not built as strong as the Tendou dojo. Do you understand,
Shampoo?"

Shampoo bobbed her head up and down, then turned to watch onna-Ranma.

Cologne sighed and shook her head. "If only I had some intelligence
spice."

===

*Knock* *Knock*

"Come in, Nabiki."

"Good news, oneechan."

Kasumi set down the book she was reading and looked at her sister.
"What did you find out?"

"After we were finished eating, I followed daddy. He met uncle Genma
in the park. They weren't very secretive, so it was pretty easy to
eavesdrop. It seems that their plan is moving faster than what they
were expecting. The plan is to have Ranma alienate all of the girls
chasing him. The ideas they came up with for Shampoo and Cologne were
pretty stupid, but the last one is going to involve Happosai. They're
going to trick him into going to the Neko Hanten tomorrow."

"Well, that will work out o.k." smiled Kasumi. "I was able to talk
with Akane while she, uhm, cooked this afternoon. She's starting to
miss Ranma and was getting jealous of Ukyou. Have you noticed what
Akane has been doing with the cement blocks she practices with?"

Nabiki rolled her eyes as she plopped down on her knees. "How
couldn't I? She's used up one month's worth of cement blocks and she
keeps piling them up in the corner of the yard. I wish I knew what
Ranma did with those broken pieces."

"Can we afford another shipment of blocks?"

"Well, the contractor did offer me a discount if I increased my
order. Why do you ask?"

Kasumi smiled, her eyes briefly shown in a mischievous light. "I have
an idea of a good use for those blocks. I think it would help Akane
out very much."

"O.K., Oneechan. I hope your idea works. We need to do something
quick. Cologne will do something to Ranma to get him to return to
China with her and Shampoo."

"I think father, Uncle Genma and ojiisan will take care of that.
I'll talk with Akane tomorrow."

"Good night, oneechan."

"Good night, Nabiki."

===

Akane walked up to Ukyou during lunch hour. She was sitting under the
tree where she would eat lunch with Ranma. But today, she was alone
and looking quite depressed.

"Konnichiwa, Ukyou. Where's Ranma?"

Ukyou looked up at Akane and started to speak, but her bottom lip
began to quiver. She quickly looked away and put her hand to her
face, trying to prevent the flow of tears.

Akane was taken aback by Ukyou's response. She knelt beside Ukyou and
waited for her to compose herself.

"Gomen, Akane. I.. I thought I could make it through the day without
breaking down like that." Ukyou tried to smile, and wasn't very
successful. She noticed that Akane looked concerned.

"Um, what did he do, Ukyou?"

Ukyou straightened herself and tried to look strong. "That baka
destroyed my restaurant. All of the tables, chairs and windows are
destroyed. One wall is even gone."

Akane was dumbfounded. "How could he do that to you?"

Ukyou sighed, "He'd get into a fight with his father and they would end up 
breaking a couple of the tables and things. But what finally did it, was the 
fight with Tsubasa and Ryouga. All I could think about was how my life as an 
okonomiyaki cook was being destroyed.  I couldn't let that happen. After the 
fight, I told Ranma to leave. I haven't seen him since."

"Oh Ukyou, I'm so sorry. I know he can be pig headed sometimes and he
does attract a lot of people wanting to fight him." Akane looked down
and started to fidget. "Um, Ukyou? Do you know where he's staying,
now?"

Ukyou shook her head and looked down.

"Well, he's staying with Shampoo."

Ukyou jerked her head towards Akane and looked at her in disbelief.
"Nani?"

"She delivered some ramen last night," Akane unconsciously balled her
hands into fists, "and said that he was living with her and that you
kicked him out."

"That, that, PLAYBOY!" Ukyou shouted. "He just used me and then
tossed me aside." She began to shake with anger, but was soon
sobbing.

Akane reached out to put a hand on Ukyou's shoulder, but Ukyou turned
away.

*sniff* "I'm going now. I need some time to myself." With that, Ukyou
stood up and walked away.

Akane watched Ukyou disappear around the corner of the high school.
"Do I act like that towards Ranma? She acted like she really hates
Ranma now. I mean, I may say I 'hate' him, but I don't really mean
it. I need to track him down and have a talk with him."

After looking around, Akane stood up and followed her classmates into
the building as lunch time ended.

===

"Can I go on a break now, old ghoul?" Onna-Ranma snarled.

"It's almost closing time, so yes.  Mousse can bus the tables."

Mousse grumbled as he gave onna-Ranma an icey stare.

"Wo ai ni!"  Shampoo shouted as she glomped onto onna-Ranma.

"Not now, Shampoo!" shouted the red haired girl as she tried to push
her attacker back.

"I have had enough!" shouted Mousse as he sent a spike towards
onna-Ranma's head.

Ranma ducked and tossed Shampoo to the side.  Rolling the other way,
Ranma jumped to her feet. "What are you doing, Mousse?" she yelled as
a spike and a hook flew by her.

Cologne shook her head, "We were so close."  She pogoed out of the
way of a flying Mousse.

"Why does everybody have to attack me?" Ranma shouted.

"Sweeto!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Onna-Ranma peeled the old letch from her front and punted him into
one of the beams in the ceiling of the Neko Hanten.  Happosai wiggled
his head out of the rafter and fell to the floor.  "Now I am mad.
Happo-dai-karin technique!" he shouted as he tossed the small bomb at
onna-Ranma.

Ranma quickly tossed the bomb back at Happosai, which exploded before
he could react.  When the smoke cleared, the old hentai staggered to
his feet.  His face contorted with anger.  "Now you will pay," and he
produced a very large fuse bomb.

Onna-Ranma, Shampoo and Mousse vainly tried to escape the restaurant
before the explosion.

===

Akane looked out her bedroom window, "What was that?  It sounded like
an explosion somewhere in the city."  She turned and sat back down on
her bed.  "It's probably Ranma's fault."

She scratched P-chan's chin and then hugged him. "How can I be
missing that unfaithful hentai, P-chan?  When we talk during lunch at
school, he doesn't say anything about Ukyo or Shampoo.  He just asks
me how I'm doing and Kasumi and Nabiki.  He _has_ been acting pretty
nice lately.  He's even apologized to me for what happened to
Ukyou. She hasn't talked to him for five days now. When I talk to
her, she's quite adamant in not talking to or even seeing him."

Akane half-heartedly laughed. "I guess I'm more of a friend to Ukyou
now, than Ranma. But, she still has some resentment towards me. Why,
I don't know."

Akane looked down at P-chan and smiled. "Still, I haven't argued with
Ranma this week. He hasn't insulted or made fun of me. I really like
that." A smile appeared on her face as she thought of an idea. "I
think I'll ask Kasumi to make a second lunch so I can give it to
Ranma. What do you think, P-chan?"

The little black pig shook his head violently.

"I knew you'd understand P-chan!"  Akane hugged the kawaii pig and
didn't see the tears in his little eyes.

===

"Wake up, mukodono."  Cologne tapped onna-Ranma.  Slowly she began to
stir.

"What happened?" She slowly opened her eyes and looked around in
shock.  The Neko Hanten was unrecognizable.  Her gaze wandered about
the room. Happosai was at the bottom of a huge crater in the middle
of what used to be the dining area. Mousse was lying on top of
Shampoo, as if he was trying to protect her from the explosion.
Shampoo looked better than Mousse. His clothes were tattered and
still smoking. Her eyes stopped at his legs. "Mousse!" she shouted as
she jumped the distance to his side. She quickly grabbed his pant leg
and tore it along the seam. She watched as blood spurted into the air
from a gash to his inner thigh. "Call an ambulance!" she shouted as
she pressed her fist into the inside part of his leg. The spurting of
the blood was reduced to slow ooze.

She looked up and saw Cologne standing next to them. "The paramedics are 
on their way." Cologne looked down at the wound and the blood on the floor. 
"He's lost a lot of blood." She then hopped over to Shampoo and quickly 
checked her for any injuries.  "She's fine." She announced.

"Why did he have to get cut in the thigh?" Onna-Ranma grumbled. "I'm
not strong enough to stop this kind of bleeding."

Cologne prodded Shampoo a few times. The Chinese girl slowly began to 
wake up mumbling. "Stupid Mousse no need to protect Shampoo." Shampoo 
sat up and looked around. She woke up fully at the shock of the damage she 
saw. She then noticed onna-Ranma and Mousse. "Ranma! Why you molest 
Mousse?" Shampoo tried to pull onna-Ranma away from the prone boy, but 
was stopped by Cologne.

Shampoo was going to ask what was going on, when she heard the
sirens. She looked down at Mousse's leg and saw the blood. She
watched o-baba direct the paramedics to onna-Ranma and Mousse. She
began screaming when she saw blood arc through the air toward her.

Cologne pulled her great-granddaughter away from the paramedics and
tried to calm the hysterical girl down. "Stupid Mousse die trying to
protect Shampoo! Shampoo didn't need Mousse's help!" Shampoo kept
repeating the words and crying as she held on to her o-baba.

Onna-Ranma sat beside the crying girl and tried to calm her down. She
watched as the paramedics stopped the bleeding and prepared the
injured boy for transport. She then looked to Shampoo and smiled.
Shampoo wiped away the tears and looked at her. "Why, Ranma?" she
asked.

"I don't know."

Their attention was brought back to Mousse, who was being moved to
the stretcher. As the paramedics finished loading Mousse into the
ambulance, Shampoo jumped past the paramedics and sat beside Mousse.

Cologne waved, "I'll meet you at the hospital."

Onna-Ranma watched the ambulance drive away. She turned toward
Cologne and could tell that she was upset. Cologne moved closer on
her stick to look into onna-Ranma's eyes.

*SLAP*

Onna-Ranma staggered back, more from shock than from the blow. She
felt her cheek and could make out the outline of a small hand. She
looked at Cologne who seemed even older now, if that was possible.

"I spent a year planning, setting up this restaurant, training
Shampoo and all for the purpose of you marrying my
great-granddaughter. And you destroy it in a matter of minutes."
Cologne turned away. "Mousse was starting to wear down Shampoo, and I
thought that I could get you to marry her before I had to separate
them. Now, she's probably going to stay the night with him at the
hospital." Cologne pointed toward the opening that used to be the
entrance to the Neko Hanten. "Leave. I want you out of here before
you do any more damage."

A panda looked through one of the larger holes in the wall.
Onna-Ranma waved at the panda to come in.  The two went to their
former room to get their things.  As they were leaving onna-Ranma
approached Cologne.

"Did you want me to help in the cleanup, Cologne?"

"No, mukodono, Happy will be helping in the cleanup and repairs."

"Gomen nasai." She said as she bowed to the older woman and then left
with the panda.

============================================

Thanks to the following for their comments and C&C:
Kun-chan
Sebastian Weinberg
Raphael See
Don Wang
Peter Schell


--
suds-kun (Shaun Schillinger)
suds1964@tir.com
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/8222/
"THIS time, we didn't forget the graaavy!" Cat & Mouse to Dog