RANMA 1/2 - THE BITTER END - PART 1 OF 2

Irae brevis furor est.  Anger is a brief madness.

This is so because anger is an intense, hot flame that consumes its
fuel quickly, leaving only cold ash behind.

But for some, anger is a breeder reactor - the more it burns, the
more it feeds itself, until the heat builds and critical mass is
reached...


Ranma 1/2 - The Bitter End

Fanfiction by Zen

Based on characters and situations created by Takahashi Rumiko
Ranma 1/2 and characters copyright Shogakukan, Kitty Animation
Circle, and Takahashi Rumiko.
This story copyright 1996 - James A Bateman



*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

"Akane?  Akane, you have a visitor."

The slender girl with the dark hair looked up at the man.  After an
instant, her eyes seemed to focus and she smiled, a bright, childlike
smile.

"A visitor?  How nice!"

The dark-haired young man sat in the chair opposite and smiled, as
best he could.  To him, the smile was forced; a lie.  Lies did not come
easily for him.

"Do I know you?"

"No.  Not anymore."  A pause.  "Tell me... how are you feeling?"

"Oh.  Feeling?  I feel fine!"  A flicker of doubt passed through eyes of
dark chocolate.  "I... I feel like I should know you."

The man's voice caught as he answered her.  "We... were close once.
A long time ago."

"Oh.  Was it a happy time?"

"Sometimes.  Not always."

"That's too bad.  You seem so nice!"

"That's a cute little stuffed animal you have there.  May I see him?"

A look of uncertainty crossed the girl's face.  "You won't hurt him,
will you?  You won't tease him?  He doesn't like to be teased."

"No, I won't tease him.  I just want to look at him."

"You promise to give him back?"

"I promise."

Reluctantly, the girl passed the plushie to her visitor.  "Remember,
you promised!"

The man turned the toy over in his hands, handling it as if it were
made of glass.  It was a small, black piglet - ridiculously cute - with a
yellow and black bandanna around his neck.  "Does he have a name?"

"Name?  I don't know... I never thought about it...  Will you give him
one?"

The man passed the pig carefully back to its owner.  She took it and
hugged it tightly to her chest, as if relieved to have it back.

"How about... P-chan?"  He choked on the last word.

"P-chan?"  The girl's eyes lit up.  "Yes!  That's perfect.  Thank you so
very much!"

Slowly, the visitor got up to leave.  "I'm sorry.  I have... I have to go.
Take good care of P-chan."

"Thank you!  I will!"

She smiled at him again as he left.  That same childlike smile - that
same vacant smile.

##  ***  ##

"Does she remember anything?"

"Maybe in her dreams - or in her nightmares.  If so, she can not or
will not remember any of them after she wakes.  We've tried
everything that we can think of."

"But why?  *Why* can't she remember?"

"Our best guess is that she simply doesn't want to.  There isn't any
organic damage.  She's just run so far away that we can no longer
reach her.  We had hoped that she would remember you; that if she
saw you, it would shock her back enough so we could help her to
recover."

"Do you think she ever will?  Recover?"

There was an uncomfortable silence.  Finally, "We can always hope."
The defeat in the doctor's tone said that he didn't believe it.

There were tears in the young man's eyes as he left.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****
*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

Ranma sat by himself on the roof of the dojo, watching the sun set.
The air was still, and the world was quiet.  If he tried, he could just
make out the clatter of dishes as the dinner things were cleared
away, and the occasional clack of a shogi tile striking the board.  For
once, things around the dojo were truly peaceful.

As Ranma watched, the sun kissed the horizon, throwing the dividing
line between earth and sky into sharp relief.  Gold ran through flame
to the shimmering red of hot coals as the sun sank beyond the edge
of the world.  The once bright sky grew dark, shifting from blue into
indigo and violet to deepest black.  As the sun's last rays faded into
the darkness, the stars began to appear, like diamonds on a velvet
backdrop.

Ranma's eyes adjusted gradually to the darkness, and more stars
became visible.  By the time the sun had been gone for an hour, the
sky was flooded with the tiny lights of distant suns.  Idly, Ranma
scanned for familiar constellations, wondering just how many of
those stars also had worlds like this one, where life had taken such a
tenacious hold.

Ranma sighed and lay back on the roof as his thoughts returned to
earth, and more tangible musings.  He thought again about Akane,
and how beautiful she had been in that wedding dress a few weeks
ago.  Why had he been unable to say it?  Why had he been unable to
tell her?

He had come so close to losing her - back at Jyusendou, he had been
sure that she was dead; and he had never told her - told her that she
wasn't cute - she was beautiful.  He had never told her that she was
the center of his universe.  He had never told her... told her that he
loved her.

But Akane had lived.  Ranma's heart had all but burst from joy as he
had felt her move again in his arms, had heard the soft whisper of
her voice.  And still, he could not tell her to her face.  Why was it so
difficult?  What was it that held him back - that kept him from
sharing the truth with her?

The joy from that moment had been washed away by the destruction
of Jyusenkyou - and the knowledge that he was forever doomed to
be no more than half a man.  It hadn't been fair!

There had been a brief, intense flair of hope when Tendou-san had
revealed his wedding present - a cask of water from the Nannichuan,
the spring of drowned boy, that he had secured before the floods had
washed the training grounds back into the depths of legend.  But that
hope too had been brutally crushed, when Happousai had drunk it
all, thinking that it was sake.

The wedding attempt had been a disaster for other reasons as well.
All of his fiancees had felt obligated to stop the wedding, by
whatever means possible - and rivals for Akane had done the same.
They had succeeded too, and the dojo had been all but destroyed.

But despite all of that, what had hurt the most was his inability to
tell the girl he loved just how he felt.  He longed to hold her in his
arms, to feel her heart beating, the warmth of her breath on his face.
And he could not tell her.  He had tried so hard, and come so close,
but in the end, they had always been interrupted, attacked, spied
upon, or else he had just plain chickened out.

He hadn't been worthy of the cure.  He wasn't even man enough to
say three simple little words.  But in his heart, he knew them to be
true.  "Akane," he said softly, "I love you."

He wasn't sure when or how it had happened... perhaps it had been
that first day.  When he had first arrived, hers had been the only
friendly face in the house.  How long ago it seemed, though in reality,
only a scant eighteen months had passed.  And full months they had
been... full of angst and happiness, heartache and hope.

Ranma knew that Akane's father was going to try again - that his
own father and mother were growing impatient, and that they all
meant to see him married to Akane.  Ranma had bitterly resented
the pressure that they had put on him and Akane to marry, but he
was determined that, this time, there would be no disasters.  This
time, the wedding would happen, and he was going to make Akane
as happy as he possibly could.  The words could come later.

****  ####  ****

Ranma sat in the Ucchan, the plate of okonomiyaki in front of him
untouched.  That in itself was unusual.  The somber air that hung
over him was even more so.

Finally, Ukyou couldn't take the silence anymore.  She told Konatsu to
watch the grill, and trotted over to where Ranma was sitting.  Sadly,
Konatsu watched her go.  He could guess what was coming - Ukyou
had given him the self-same speech just a couple of weeks ago.  It
still hurt.

"Ran-chan?  Ran-chan, are you okay?"

Ranma looked up at her, and she flinched when she saw the sadness
in his eyes.  "I don't know, Ukyou... but we have to talk."

Ukyou.  He'd called her Ukyou.  Oboy.  This was going to be one of
*those* sorts of conversations.  She took the seat opposite him and
spoke to him gently.  "Ran-chan... I'm sorry.  I... I didn't want to
believe that you actually wanted to marry Akane.  I never wanted to
hurt her... or you."

Ranma sighed, making a show of studying the tabletop.  "I know.  I
just... there are so many things that I want to do... to say... and I just
don't know how.  I don't like the idea of hurting people that I care
about, but I can't see any way to avoid it."

Yes, this was *definitely* going to be one of *those* conversations.
"Oh."  Ukyou could feel her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach.
"Maybe you should just come out and say it..."

Ranma looked up at her, and took a deep breath.  She was not going
to like this.  She could tell.

"I..."  He swallowed and started again.  "I... can't marry you, Ukyou.
It's not that I don't like you...  I do...  It's just that I... I love Akane.
You have to believe that I never wanted to hurt you... but I can't go
on like this.  It's tearing me apart.  It's not fair; to me, to Akane, or to
you."

"What do you mean..." began Ukyou.  But she already knew.  Deep in
her heart of hearts, she had known for a long time.  She still didn't
want to believe it.

"Ukyou...  Ucchan...  This has to stop.  There has to be an end to all
this fighting... before someone really does get hurt.  There is just no
way that anyone can come out of this with everything they want."
Ranma hung his head.  "I'm sorry, Ucchan...  You've always been here
when I needed a friend - and I can't give you what you really want.
I'm sorry, but I just can't.  I hope...  I hope that one day you can
forgive me... that we can still be friends..."  That probably sounded
lame even to Ranma's ears, but she knew that he meant it - meant it
with all of his heart.

Ukyou was quiet for a long time.  Finally, in a small voice she asked,
"Are you gonna make a speech like this for Shampoo then, too?"

Ranma paused, and looked at the floor.  "No.  No, I'm not."

Ukyou was surprised.  Blinking back her tears, she asked, "Why not?"
vaguely dreading the answer.

Ranma took Ukyou's hand in his, pausing to choose his words with
care.  "Shampoo... is a nice girl, and I like her.  But I can't lie to her -
I don't love her.  At all.  She is not my fiancee... and she is not my
best friend.  She never had a chance."

Ukyou's head snapped up and she found herself staring into Ranma's
eyes.  "What..."

"Ukyou... you're my best friend - maybe the only real 'friend' that
I've got.  If... if I had never met Akane; if I didn't love her..."

If.  Akane.  If not for her...  She squashed that line of thought.  That
was the sure path to madness.  She nodded at Ranma, more to silence
him than anything else.  She did not think that she could bear to hear
him actually *say* that her dreams would have come true, if only he
had never met Akane...

So.  She was to be his friend.  It was not what she had longed to
hear... she had wanted so much more.  She had hoped that she and
Ranma would grow closer, and that eventually, he would see that she
was the right one for him; that she was the one that really loved him.

Ten years!  Ten years she had invested in him, only now to come in
second - in a race that could have only one winner.  The injustice of
it tore at her heart.  She had been the one that loved him - she had
been the one that wanted him, and had said so.  But she had been too
late.  By the time she had tracked him down again, Akane had
already won his heart.  Ukyou found it bitterly ironic that what she
had most wanted now belonged to Akane - a girl who half of the
time behaved as if it had no value to her.  It was just not fair!

Now, she was faced with a choice of sorts.  She could run away; she
could shut him out and hide somewhere where she would never see
him again, never be forced to think of him.  The trouble was that the
world was just not big enough for that.  She could no more give up on
him than she could cut out her own heart.  In fact, she reflected, the
results would be about the same.

Her only other option was to accept it.  It was the only way that she
could still be close to Ranma - could still keep what she already had.
It was not going to be easy, but if that was what it took to stay close
to him, then there really wasn't any choice for her at all.

Ukyou felt a part of her melting inside.  The heat and pain were
almost unbearable, but at the center was the solid, cool certainty that
Ranma meant everything he was saying; that while she could not be
his wife now, she *was* his best friend, and nothing could take that
away from her.  If that was all she could be, then she resolved that
she was at least going to *be* his best friend - no matter what it
took.

Besides, knowing Akane's temper, she was fairly sure that he would
*need* a friend.  She would not abandon him.  But it hurt now, it hurt
terribly, and she could no longer hold back the tears.  Ranma just
held her as she cried.

After a time, the tears stopped, and Ukyou was able to regain some
of her composure.  "I'm sorry..." she sniffed.

"No, I'm sorry Ucchan.  I..." he looked at her earnestly.  "I don't want
to hurt you...  It's just that Akane and me...  It's just like fate, you
know?  I don't know how to explain it really..."

"Love seldom makes sense, Ran-chan," she sniffled.  "Just take my
word for it, okay?  You don't have to explain anything."  She wiped at
her eyes while she tried to find the right words.  "But you have to
know that I still love you, Ran-chan, and I always will.  If you ever
need anything... if you ever *want* anything, I'll be here."

Ranma looked embarrassed.  "Ahhh..." he stammered.  "No... No, not
that I can think of..."

Ukyou smiled sadly at him.  "What is it, Ran-chan?"

"It's nothing, really..."

"Ranma... I'm your friend.  I always will be.  Now tell me."

"Well... You know that old man Tendou is planning to have another
wedding ceremony..."

Ukyou nodded.  She hadn't known, but she was not surprised.

"He seems to be kinda set on having a western style wedding, and...
well... it's kinda traditional for the groom to choose his second... I
mean a 'best man', and... I was kinda hoping...."  He trailed off
sheepishly.

"Let me get this straight," Ukyou began.  "You want me...  to be the
'best man'... at your wedding to Akane?"

Ranma cringed at her tone.  "I'm sorry, Ucchan.  I guess that I wasn't
really thinking."  Ranma sighed.  "It's just that this 'best man' is
supposed to be the groom's best friend, and, well, that's you.  I
wasn't trying to be mean..."

"No, Ranma... I'm the one who was being mean, and I'm sorry."  She
took a deep breath.  "I would... I would be honoured."

Ranma studied her for a moment.  "Are you sure, Ucchan?  I will
understand if you don't want to..."

Ukyou managed a grin.  "I meant what I said, Ran-chan.  I won't lie.
It hurts now - hurts like hell - but I will always be here for you.  No
matter what."

Ranma sighed in relief.  "Thanks, Ucchan.  That really means a lot to
me."  He paused for a moment.  "I guess that I had better get back to
the dojo, before I get into too much trouble...  I'll talk to you again
soon, okay?"

At Ukyou's nod, Ranma headed for the door.  He stopped on the
threshold and looked back at her.  He sighed to himself - he hadn't
wanted to hurt her; she was his best friend.  He hoped that she still
would be.  He looked back toward the counter at Konatsu, who was
watching him intently.  Their gazes locked for a few moments, and a
wordless communication took place.  Finally, Konatsu nodded, and
Ranma was gone.

It was several minutes before Ukyou came back to reality enough to
realize that Ranma had not touched his okonomiyaki.  Her initial
irritation at that dissolved as she realized the implications.  Ranma
had come to see her - not for food, but to talk to her.  He really did
care.  Even if it was not what she had hoped for, it was progress.  She
allowed herself a sad little smile as she relieved Konatsu and once
more turned to lose herself in her work.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

Some weeks later it came to pass that Saotome Genma and Tendou
Soun had arranged another ceremony for Ranma and Akane to be
married.  They had planned as carefully as they could, enlisting the
aid of both families to see that, this time, it would go without a hitch.
Well, with no more than one hitch.

Nodoka too, was eager to see her son wed, thereby truly completing
his journey into manhood.  With this event, her duties as a mother
would be largely complete, and she could begin to look forward to
her future duties as a grandmother, and matriarch of the Saotome
Clan.

Kasumi had been given responsibility for the decorations and the
food.  The dojo had never looked more festive.  Brightly coloured
banners lined the walls, the tatami mats were all freshly cleaned,
and strings of coloured paper lanterns stretched from rafter to rafter.
A stereo system played soft music through artfully placed speakers,
and tables lined the walls.

At one end of the hall an impromptu altar had been placed, and been
draped with a covering of rich cerulean silk.  Two strips of white silk
accented the altar; wide stripes that bore the family crests of both
the Tendous, and the Saotomes.

Invitations and entertainment had been Nabiki's task.  She had asked
for, and been given, carte blanche; she could handle it any way that
she wanted, so long as there would be no repeat of the disasters from
the last wedding attempt.  Ranma was vaguely apprehensive about
that, but he was kept far too busy to let it worry him all that much.

And so the great day dawned at last - the last morning that Ranma
would see as a bachelor.  The house was abuzz as final preparations
were made, the food prepared and set aside, the last of the
decorations were hung.  Ranma and Akane were each centers of
whirlwinds of activity.

Once Ranma had gotten dressed though, there was very little for him
to do besides wait.  Ranma *hated* waiting.  The dojo was off limits
for the time being, and all of the food was being saved for the
reception; the family members were all busy with last minute
preparations, and for some reason, he was not allowed to see Akane.
Another one of those crazy western traditions, they told him.  But
Ranma knew the truth - they were afraid that if he had too much
chance to talk to Akane before the ceremony, he'd just make her
mad and it'd all fall apart.  No one was taking any chances this time.

The guests started to arrive.  Ranma scanned the faces as they came
in.  Friends from school were scattered about - Hiroshi and Daisuke
were sitting and watching the girls, and Ranma thought he
recognized Akane's friends Yuka and Sayuri.  Hinako-sensei was
there, mooning over old man Tendou, and the Kunous were standing
in the corner, looking aloof and aristocratic as always.  Even Ryouga
had made it in time for the ceremony.  Just about everyone was
accounted for, except... oh, bugger.  Cologne, Shampoo and Mousse
were nowhere to be seen.  Ranma started to sweat.

Ukyou had arrived earlier and was standing nearby as they waited
for the ceremony to begin.  She too, was watching the guests enter,
looking for familiar faces.  Ranma leaned over and asked if she had
seen any trace of Team China.  Shaking her head in the negative, she
told him not to worry about it.  After all, Nabiki had promised that
there would be no interruptions, and Nabiki *always* delivered.

Relaxing somewhat, Ranma tugged gently at his collar.  He was mildly
uncomfortable, being used to clothes that gave him more freedom of
movement.  His current outfit was a simple black tuxedo, though, for
the jacket, Kasumi had used the wooden tie style closures that were
common to his favourite shirts.  The jacket had short tails, and was
worn over a scarlet silk shirt.  Black pants and black soft-soled shoes
completed the outfit.

Ranma looked at his friend.  Ukyou was dressed in a straight cut suit
of an androgynous design, though it did little to hide her figure.  She
had stopped playing that game.  Her hair was drawn into a ponytail
and tied with a jet black ribbon, leaving her bangs to hang over her
slate gray eyes.  Her expression was serious - almost stern as she
stared at nothing.  Ranma could feel the tension, could feel the effort
that it was taking her to maintain that outward calm.

Ranma sighed to himself.  He knew how hard this was for her.  He
still felt guilty for having asked it of her, but she really was the only
one he could think of for the part.  He longed to be able to reach out
and comfort her, but he dared not, for fear of disrupting the control
that she had managed to hold.  Ranma appreciated her sacrifice and
her loyalty more than he would ever be able to tell her.  He vowed
that he would never forget it, and that he would never let her down.

Finally, it was time.  Ranma and Ukyou took their places before the
little altar, and waited.  A silence that was almost tangible descended
on the dojo as Nabiki entered the room.  Her gown was a rich shade
of forest green that brought out the warm highlights in her auburn
hair.  The dress was elegant and well suited to its wearer; designed
to present the most dramatic effect with the least amount of effort.

Ranma was reminded of one of the reasons that Nabiki made him so
nervous.  She was so much like a cat.  Predatory, but subtle - inclined
to play with her victims before making the kill.  Elegant, and utterly
self assured - with that feline air of superiority that so effectively
put her in control of any situation.

After Nabiki had swept into the room, it was Akane's turn.  Ranma
stared, mesmerized.  He had not seen her since breakfast, when she
had been whisked away by Kasumi and his mother to be made
ready.  He decided that it had been worth the wait.  She was the
most beautiful thing that he had ever beheld.

Akane's dress was cut along similar lines to Nabiki's, but was a pure
white so bright that it almost hurt Ranma to look at it.  She glowed
like an angel, and the lace accents on the bodice and sleeves of the
dress just enhanced the illusion.  As the ceremony got underway,
Ranma found himself staring at Akane, his eyes drawn to her like a
moth to the candle flame.

Once Akane and Nabiki were in position, the priest began.  Ranma's
mind was in a fog for the entire first half of the ceremony.  He spoke
his lines by rote, mindlessly following the priest's lead, conscious
thought lost in the shadow of Akane's beauty.  Despite that, he
retained enough of his martial arts training to snap back into full
awareness when the priest got to that critical point in the rite where
he asked...

"If there be any here present who know of good and just cause that
these two should not be joined in the bond of Holy Matrimony, let
them speak now, or forever hold their peace."

Ranma tensed.  If disaster was going to strike, it had just been given
its invitation.  Ranma scanned the room for trouble, but they were all
sitting quietly.  Not so much as a breeze broke the silence that hung
over the makeshift chapel, and Ranma sighed in relief as the priest
went on to say,  "Do you, Saotome Ranma, take this woman to be your
wife - to the exclusion of all others - to have and to hold, for better
or worse, in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live?"

Ranma's breath caught in his throat.  God, but she was beautiful.  Her
short, dark hair framed an elfin face dominated by brown eyes that
he found hypnotic in their glowing intensity.  "I... I do," he managed
to say at last.

"And do you, Tendou Akane, take this man to be your husband - to
the exclusion of all others - to have and to hold, for better or worse,
in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," she said, her voice holding only the slightest of tremors.

Turning back to Ranma, the priest asked, "Do you have the ring?"

Ranma turned toward his 'best man'.  Solemnly, Ucchan handed him
the simple gold band that Soun had provided the night before - the
ring that had belonged to Akane's mother.  Ranma took the ring and
passed it carefully to the priest.

After blessing the ring, the priest gave it back to Ranma, who,
slipping it onto Akane's finger, droned on after the priest - "With this
ring..."

The priest repeated the sequence with Akane, securing the ring,
blessing it, and passing back for her to slip onto Ranma's finger, and
once more the words drifted through the hall - "...I thee wed."

"I now pronounce you..."

There was a pause, a hesitation, as if the universe were holding its
breath.  For a moment, time itself stood still and a tension filled the
air as if the collective mass of people present expected some form of
violent interruption or chaotic event.  But nothing happened, and the
clocks started once more as the priest concluded,

"...husband and wife.  You may kiss the bride."

Hesitantly, Ranma lifted the veil covering his wife's face, and leaned
forward to brush her lips with his.  The kiss deepened as he felt her
arms go around him, and then it was just the two of them; the rest of
the world fading into nothingness.  Finally, they broke the kiss, and
each stood, staring into the other's eyes, lost in their depths.

It was done.  After all the fights, after all the heartache, after all of
the near misses and false starts, Ranma and Akane Saotome were
finally married.

##  ***  ##

The wedding was followed by another western tradition - the
reception line.  Ranma and Akane were obligated to stand there
while their guests filed past, each offering their own best wishes for
the future of the young couple.  Family, friends, acquaintances, all
dissolved into a blur over the course of the event.

A few stood out - that much was unavoidable.  Kunou Tatewaki was
a good example.  He wept loudly for Akane's misfortune, while also
bemoaning the absence of his pig tailed goddess, much to Ranma's
annoyance.  Ryouga seemed oddly subdued to Akane - he would not
meet her gaze.  She was glad to note that, for once, Ranma did not
seem inclined to tease him.

Kodachi had been stiffly formal - her expression oscillating between
wistful longing when she looked at Ranma and tightly controlled
hostility when she looked at Akane.  Yuka and Sayuri were both
giggling like schoolgirls, sappy grins on their faces.  Akane asked
what it was that amused them so, and, blushing, Sayuri whispered
something in her ear.  Akane turned bright red.

Akane was still blushing deeply as the evening wore on, stealing
occasional furtive glances at her husband.  Husband.  That was going
to take some getting used to.  But he was hers now - none of his
other fiancees could have him.  Not Shampoo, not Ukyou, not Kodachi
- no one else.  Ranma had married *her*.  She had won.

Yes, won a rude, arrogant, sex-changing freak, a part of her mind
chimed in nastily.  She squashed that thought.  Ranma was very
handsome.  Indeed, even as a girl, he was devastatingly attractive.
How many brides, Akane wondered ruefully, were jealous of their
husband's figure?  Again, she brushed the thought aside.

She had long dreamed of this day.  Many of those dreams had been
nightmares, but most of them had been a lot like this.  Though she
would never have admitted it aloud, she had waited a long time for
this day - for this moment.  Now that it had finally come, it seemed
unreal - like it was all still just a dream.

Ranma was like no boy that she had ever met before, the obvious
considerations notwithstanding.  He was often arrogant, abrasive and
rude - at times it seemed like he was *trying* to make her angry.
But in those rare moments when he let his guard down, she could see
how much he cared.

No matter how much they had fought, no matter how many insults
they had exchanged, he had *always* been there for her.  He had
never let her down when it mattered.  He had never been able to say
it in words, to Akane's intense frustration, but surely that was proof
that he cared.  Ranma had fought for her every time - and he had
always won.

There were occasions when he looked at her, times that he did not
know she could see him, when he would let his feelings show.  In
those unguarded moments, she could see in his eyes how much he
loved her.

It had taken her a long time to come to these conclusions, and longer
to accept them as reality.  There were times when she still doubted -
times when she was sure it was all a dream, that what she *wanted*
masked what *was*.  But here, now, gazing at her husband and
seeing him smile, Akane was truly content.

##  ***  ##

The reception itself was an exercise in chaos theory.  There was food
and drink, music and lots of noise.  For the most part, though, Ranma
and Akane didn't even notice.  Though they drank each of the toasts,
they really weren't paying attention.  They had eyes only for each
other.

Ranma was not entirely sure what he was feeling... He was excited,
and scared, (though he would never have admitted it) and nervous
all at the same time.  When he looked at Akane, and saw how truly
beautiful she was, it was almost more than he could manage to keep
the tremors out of his voice, or his movements.  No technique he had
learned, no battle he had fought had given him quite this same thrill.

Looking toward one end of the room, Ranma saw that his father and
Akane's were well on their way through another bottle of sake.  The
two men were still incoherent with joy now that the wedding they
had so hoped for had taken place.  If only the damned fools knew,
Ranma thought to himself.  If only they knew that it could have
happened much sooner had they just minded their own damned
business.  He would never have fought their wishes, nor his own
heart with such ferocity, had they not been pushing so hard.  Ranma
and Akane both hated to be pushed.

Still, maybe there was some good to be taken from all of it.  People
never really appreciated things that came too easily.  If you had to
fight for a thing, you generally took better care of it once you had it.
Of one thing Ranma was certain.  After having struggled for so long
to admit to himself his feelings for Akane, after having fought for her
so many times, and after having come so close to losing her, he would
never take her for granted.

Ranma's musings were interrupted somewhat as he was expected to
pay at least minimal attention to some of the speeches that were
being made.  Soun's comments were all but unintelligible through his
joyful sobbing, and Genma's... well, Genma seldom made too much
sense at the best of times.

Ukyou said a few words, and even managed to smile for Akane's
benefit, though it seemed more than a little forced.  After several
more rounds of comments from various friends and well-wishers,
Nodoka motioned for attention, and announced that she had a special
presentation that she wanted to make.

A shocked silence descended on the room as Nodoka brought out a
carefully wrapped bundle - a bundle that Ranma knew well.  He and
his father had lived in terror of that package ever since their trip to
Jyusenkyou.  For an instant an instinctive chill went through Ranma;
but that was over now... in the past.  His mother was still smiling
happily, and so Ranma allowed himself to relax.

Carefully, Nodoka set the bundle down in front of her, and began
unwrapping it.  A collective gasp went up as she withdrew the
contents.  The katana was a work of art, from the long lacquered
sheath that protected the razor sharp steel blade, to the tsuba that
bore the Saotome crest, and the carefully wrapped handle; it was an
elegant weapon from a more civilised age.

"This blade has been in the Saotome clan for generations.  Over that
time, it has come to represent the honour of the line.  And now, with
the marriage of our son Ranma to Tendou Akane, the time has come
to pass that symbol on to the next generation, for they are the future
of both our families."

Oblivious to the nervous muttering in the background, Nodoka
gravely passed the sword to Akane.  "Saotome Akane," she said, her
tone serious, "I entrust the fate of the Saotome clan to you.  May you
find the wisdom to lead it well, and the patience and the peace to
deal with its more... difficult members," she concluded with a dark
look towards Genma.

Akane accepted the gift, her eyes wide, her face a mask of shocked
disbelief.  After taking a moment to recover, she bowed deeply to
her mother in law.  With equal formality, Akane replied, "Thank you,
Mother-in-law.  I will make every effort not to betray your faith."

Nodoka smiled.  "I know you will, Akane.  My son is in good hands."

Akane blushed, and looked back down at the blade in her hands.  "I
guess I'd better start learning how to use this properly, then."

Nodoka laughed.  "In time, Akane-chan... in time."

Ranma was saved the trouble of having to figure out how he was
supposed to react to all of this by Nabiki's timely intervention.  The
middle Tendou had a smile on her face as she drew each of them to
their feet.  "C'mon, you two.  Party's over."

With a mental shrug, Ranma surrendered and followed his wife and
her sister from the dojo.  He felt a little light headed in the cool night
air, and was glad when Nabiki ushered them into the back of a
waiting limousine, where he could sit down once more.  Ranma felt
himself beginning to doze as the events of the day, and the drink
caught up with him.  Akane had settled sleepily against him, so he
put his arm around her.  She sighed and snuggled closer.  Ranma
smiled to himself as the car drove on through the night.

****  ####  ****

Akane drifted back into consciousness slowly.  She felt warm and
snug - the pleasant lassitude that follows a particularly deep sleep.
She must really have been tired.  Gradually, more details filtered
their way into her waking mind.  The warmth of the bed, the weight
of the comforter, the arm draped over her waist, the morning light
that reddened the insides of still closed eyelids, the...  waitaminnit.
The arm draped over her waist?  Akane froze - panic seized her as
she became acutely aware of the fact that she was not alone in bed.
There was another person snuggled up against her - a decidedly
masculine someone, from the feel of... things.

With a scream, Akane lashed out, sending her bed mate flying
halfway across the room to crash into the table.  Akane drew the
comforter around her as she turned to face the molester.

Ranma sat up groggily amidst the remains of the table, and the
pitcher of water that had been sitting on the tray.  Shaking her head
to clear it, Ranma looked up toward the bed.  Her usual cry of "What
didja do *that* for?" died in her throat as she caught sight of Akane,
wrapped only in the bedclothes.

"Yaaaaaaaah!" Ranma screamed and scuttled back to flatten herself
against the wall.  She stared at Akane, a look of pure terror on her
face.  As it dawned on her that she was also naked, Ranma could feel
her face reddening.

Slowly, memories of the previous night began to assert themselves.
There had been a party, with rather a lot of sake, and frequent
toasts.  There had been food, and lots of presents - and when it had
started to wind down, Nabiki had escorted the pair of them here.  But
where was here?  Images, really no more than impressions, flashed
across her mind... a long ride full of twists and turns, arriving at last
to the roar of the surf and the sharp tang of salt in the cool night
breeze.  The stars had been like diamonds against the ebony
backdrop of the moonless sky.

Ranma seemed to remember something about having carried Akane
through the doorway, but that didn't make any sense.  There had
been a bottle on the table, with two glasses.  They had filled the
glasses several times, talking nervously.  Finally, Ranma had worked
up his nerve and leaned forward, and he had kissed Akane.  He had
kissed her and she hadn't pulled away; she hadn't clobbered him.
Instead, she had kissed him back.

That had gone on for a while, and then they had... they had...
Ranma's eyes grew as wide as saucers, and her blush deepened.
They had...  "Oh, my."

Akane's memory had returned at about the same time, and she was
turning very interesting shades of purple.  With an inarticulate cry of
rage, Akane leapt towards Ranma, grabbing one of the chairs that
had been knocked over by Ranma's abrupt departure from the bed.
Akane raised the chair over her head, ready to bring it down on
Ranma, who threw up her arms to block, closed her eyes, and waited
for the impact.

The blow never landed.  After several seconds, Ranma peeked up at
Akane to see her standing, chair upraised, with a shocked expression
on her face.  After deciding that Akane was not going to hit her just
yet, Ranma looked on the floor where Akane was staring.  There,
glinting in the morning light, was a plain, gold ring.  Ranma looked
down at her hand and it hit her - her finger was now at least three
sizes too small for the ring to fit.  It must have slipped off during her
retreat.

Ranma dove for the ring and retreated again, clutching the simple
gold band tightly.  She looked up at Akane, readying herself to ward
off the dark-haired girl's anger as best she could.

But Akane had dropped the chair, and was staring stupidly at the
gold ring that adorned her own finger.  "I... We..." she managed
helplessly.

Ranma nodded, eyes wide.

Akane sank to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself.  "Oh,
Ranma, I'm sorry," she said at last.  After an eternity had passed, she
continued in a very soft voice, "It's all different now, isn't it?  I mean
we're married now - aren't we?"

Ranma nodded again.

Akane looked up at the red-head, tears in her eyes.  "I thought I had
dreamed all of that."

Ranma saw Akane's tears and felt her heart sink.  It had been a
mistake.  Akane had not wanted to get married after all.  Ranma
hung her head.  "I... I'm the one who's sorry, Akane."  Her voice was
little more than a whisper.  "Why didn't you say something?"

"Say?" Akane looked confused.  "What should I have said?"

"You could have said that you didn't want to get married - I'm sure
that your father would never have really forced you into it..."  Ranma
took a deep breath.  "If you had, you wouldn't be... wouldn't be stuck
with me now."

Akane rocked back as if Ranma had slapped her.  "Ranma, is that
really what you think?  That I don't want you?"

Ranma just looked miserable.  "It's my fault.  You've said it often
enough to me.  I just didn't listen.  I didn't think that you really
meant it.  I thought you were just saying those things because you
were angry with me."  She looked down at herself in disgust and her
tone turned bitter.  "Why should you want me?  I'm no more than
half a man."

"Baka."  There was a warmth to Akane's voice.  "If I had wanted to
stop the wedding, believe me, I would have.  I...  I've waited a long
time for this," she finished softly.

That caught Ranma by surprise.  "You have?  But...  I thought...  I
mean with this curse..."

"Oh, Ranma, what's so terrible about turning into a girl?  Do you think
that it changes who you are inside?"

"But you said... I mean... pervert, and..." Ranma trailed off.

A troubled look crossed Akane's face for a moment as her own words
came back to her, from all of those fights since she and Ranma had
met.  "I know, and I'm sorry, Ranma.  I didn't like being forced into
marriage any more than you did, and I'm afraid that I took it out on
you a lot of the time.  I hope that you'll understand, and forgive me."

"Akane... I..."

"But what about you?  You could have married your 'cute' fiancee,
you know."

It was Ranma's turn to look guilty.  "But I did." she said softly.
"You're the only one that I ever wanted to marry.  I just wish... that I
could have been..."

"Cured?  I know.  But being a girl's not so bad.  Trust me, I've been
one all my life.  And hot water isn't all that hard to come by, after all.
Besides," Akane's tone lightened to a teasing note.  "It could have
been a *lot* worse.  Dad *could* have engaged me to Kunou."

Akane leaned forward to hug the speechless red-head, and their lips
met in a kiss that seemed to go on forever.  After a moment, Ranma
realized that they were both still naked, that Akane was awfully
close, and she smelled good.  She could feel her own body responding
to Akane's proximity, and she started turning red all over again.

Akane noticed too, but she just smiled.  "C'mon.  Let's get you into a
hot bath."

****  ####  ****

The newlyweds spent the rest of the week at the ryoukan, all of the
irritations and distractions of the past two years in the dojo all but
forgotten.  Most of the days they spent walking along the paths in
the forest that covered the little peninsula; or playing on the beach,
running, swimming, laughing, each reveling in the other's company.
Ranma didn't even mind being a girl at the time - all that mattered
was being with Akane.

A lot of time was spent just talking.  For the first time since they had
met, Ranma managed to keep from putting his foot in his mouth, and
Akane refrained from punishing Ranma for his indiscretions. Their
conversations would range over topics from the serious to the silly,
though there were still subjects that neither would approach directly.
They would dance around them, hints would be dropped, and even
picked up on from time to time.  But both were confident that those
barriers would come down, eventually.  If they could just keep the
channels open, and the dialogue flowing....

In the evenings, there were long, luxurious soaks in the hot springs.
Ranma silently sent his thanks to whatever forces, human or Kami,
were responsible for sending them to a hot springs resort.  That had
been a stroke of genius.

They would sit on the veranda late into the night, watching the skies,
and the play of the starlight on the water... listening to the pounding
of the waves on the beach, breathing in the scent of the ocean, and
delighting in the contrast between the coolness of the night breezes
and the warmth of their bodies.  Then the nights would grow warmer
still.

When the week came to an end, both Ranma and Akane were sorry
to see it be over.  After that first confused awakening, they had not
fought once.  There had been one near argument over Ranma's table
manners, or more precisely, his *lack* of table manners, but even
that had been insufficient to spoil the moment.

Without all of the demands and distractions that plagued them in the
dojo, they had, for the first time, truly found some measure of peace
in each other's company.  They still had a ways to go, but they had
made the first steps in the right direction.  And now, the time had
come for them to rejoin the chaos and the madness from which they
had finally, however briefly, escaped.

As they were waiting for the car that had been sent to pick them up,
the manager of the inn came hurrying out to speak to them.  He
handed Ranma an envelope, and bowed deeply.  Looking inside the
envelope, Ranma was shocked to find a very thick stack of yen - it
was a *lot* of money.  Ranma looked back at the manager, confusion
evident in his expression.  "What... is this for?" he managed to ask.

The manager smiled.  "Honoured customer, that is the refund of your
unused damages deposit."

Ranma could only gape at him.  "Damage deposit?"

"Yes.  The young lady who made your reservations referred to it as
'insurance' - she said we were to refund any unused portion to you."

Ranma looked in the envelope again.  "But this much?"

The manager shrugged.  "I do not understand it myself - but she was
insistent."  He bowed again.  "I hope that you enjoyed your stay, and
that you will visit us again in future."

Ranma returned the bow and watched in astonishment as the man
turned and returned to the inn.  Looking to Akane, he noted that she
was similarly confused.  He passed the envelope to her, and watched,
amused, as she realized how much was in it.

Enlightenment came like a bolt of lightning to the pair of them.  In
near perfect unison, they cried out, "Nabiki!"  They were still
laughing to themselves when the car came to take them home.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

Upon their return to the dojo, Ranma moved into Akane's old room
with her.  It was a little tight, with the larger bed, but it served well
enough.  Eventually, as things were re-arranged, they would move
into larger quarters, but, for the time being, neither of them seemed
to mind the extra coziness.

Communication between them was still awkward.  Neither Ranma
nor Akane was really comfortable with letting their defences down,
but they were getting closer.  Conversations were peppered with
awkward silences and stuttering, but the nervousness was slowly
starting to pass.  In time, Akane was sure that they would both be
comfortable enough to share their feelings more openly.

He still hadn't said the words, but Akane was fairly certain that he
thought them.  There was a light in his eyes when he looked at her
that made her feel giddy and light headed - a curious warmth that
started in the pit of her stomach and spread throughout her body.
And despite his past vehement denials, the passion with which he
held her implied that he did not find her unattractive.

Marriage, she decided, was a good thing after all.  Oh, they still
squabbled from time to time.  "Uncute!" and "Pervert!" were still
common refrains, but there was no heat in them, and they had
discovered one of the real joys of marriage - the art of 'making up
after a fight'.  It was not the sort of life she had expected - Akane
chalked that up to having read too many shojo manga - but even as
life dropped back into something of a routine, it promised never to
be dull.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

On the outside too, life was as... interesting as ever.  While Kunou had
been forced to accept the fact that Akane was now beyond his reach,
he still went into endless tirades about his beloved 'pig tailed girl'.
His sister, on the other hand, had gone into mourning over the fate of
her Ranma-sama, and had taken to dressing in black.  No one noticed.

Shampoo had not taken the loss well.  She had gone into a desperate
rage when she and her grandmother had returned from Hokkaido
and Nabiki's decoys, and it had taken all of Ranma's speed and skill
to prevent her from destroying the Tendou home, and trying to kill
the middle Tendou daughter.  Afterwards, Ranma had explained to a
tearful Shampoo that while he would always think of her as a friend,
there was just no way that he could love her the way she wanted
him to.

Shampoo had run off crying, leaving a distraught Ranma behind.  He
hoped that he had gotten through to her.  Her great grandmother, of
course, was another story altogether.  Cologne had never really cared
how Ranma *or* Shampoo had felt - such matters were of secondary
importance when measured against what she saw as the good of the
tribe.  That Shampoo had loved Ranma was terribly convenient, but
nothing more.

Cologne was the one that really worried Ranma.  While Shampoo was
an excellent fighter, she was not the most subtle of creatures.  She
preferred the direct approach whenever possible.  But she was very
stubborn, and completely loyal to Cologne.  While Ranma didn't think
that she would do anything now, there was really no telling what the
Amazon Matriarch might try.

Ucchan, of course, had accepted his decision.  He knew that she had
not been happy about it, but there had been little that he could do
about that.  He was just grateful that she had understood - Ranma
*needed* a friend that he knew he could trust.  Ucchan had become
that friend, now more than ever.

The rest of their classmates at Furinkan High seemed to accept it all
well enough, though opinions were mixed.  Some claimed that it had
been inevitable from the beginning, and that they had known it all
along.  Others were sure that it was doomed from the start and were
waiting for the explosion that they were sure was coming.  A lively
betting pool had sprung up, and once again, Ranma and Akane's
relationship was the indirect cause of rather a lot of money changing
hands.

There were still a few die hard nutcases that caused minor problems
from time to time, but nothing serious came of it.  Most students just
planned to enjoy the calm for as long as it might last, and things at
school started to settle back into their normal routines - or at least
what passed for normal.

Ranma and Akane set to the business of finishing up their senior
year, and preparing for exams and graduation.  College was still a
nebulous concept, but Akane in particular wanted to be certain that
she kept her options open.  She decided to enroll in a cram school in
an effort to reclaim some of the ground that the last year and a half
of chaos had stolen from her.

Exam stress was making Akane a bit more snappish - her temper a
bit more easily frayed, but that was only to be expected.  When she
realized what she was doing, she would usually apologize, and they
would share at least part of an evening together while Akane wound
down and Ranma gave her his support and encouragement.  Ranma
was confident that she would calm down once exams were over, and
she had passed them all.

Ranma was not quite as worried about exams, and was left pretty
much to his own devices.  With Akane so wrapped up in her studies,
Ranma had a lot more free time on his hands, so he started looking
for things to do.

For a while, he spent a good deal of time with Ucchan - talking and
eating fresh okonomiyaki.  He had even offered to come in and help
her in the store a couple of afternoons a week.  Ukyou had thanked
him, but had said that with Konatsu around, she had things pretty
well under control.

Ranma tried too, not to take up too much of her time - running a
business and going to school left Ucchan little time for frivolity, so
Ranma made an effort to be considerate.  He admired her ambition
and ability, and was unwilling to impose too much, if he could help it.

Ranma didn't really have any other friends to spend time with and
going to the Neko-Hanten was no longer an option.  Ranma decided
that he ought to come up with something productive to do.  He went
to have a talk with his father-in-law.

Two weeks later, Ranma started to teach a children's class in the
dojo.  Ranma was surprised to find that he actually enjoyed teaching,
and that he was pretty good at it.  There were occasional snags - at
times his class would disrupt Akane's studies and she would take
him to task for it.  Ranma tried to be understanding, but he *did*
wish that she would wait until the class was over before she started
yelling at him.  As things settled into a routine, Ranma was feeling
pretty good about life for a change.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

It was awfully quiet around the dojo.  The hairs on the back of
Ranma's neck were beginning to rise.  He was starting to get that
feeling again - the feeling that something terrible was about to
happen.  Ranma set out to investigate.

Soun and Genma were gone - off for the evening, the note had said.
Nodoka had been at the Saotome home for the past week, and was
not due back for a day or so.  Nabiki was gone - Ranma had no idea
where.  Kasumi had left a note in the hall saying that she was going
to be visiting a friend, and would be back in the morning.

Ranma started to sweat.  Every time the house emptied, it meant
only one thing.  Akane was Fixing Dinner.  Ranma didn't know
whether it was cause or effect, and didn't much care.  Whether the
others had fled because Akane was cooking, or Akane was cooking
because the others were gone, the results were just as toxic.  Ranma's
only hope was the latter - if Ranma could beat Akane to the kitchen,
then there was still hope for an edible meal.

That hope died a horrible death as Ranma neared the kitchen.  There
were... sounds... coming out of there.  There were clangs and clatters
as various pots were shifted about, and the occasional burbling sound
as something lifted a lid and tried to escape.  That would be followed
by pounding noises as Akane drove whatever it was back into its pot.
A series of staccato pops, like tiny explosions, and an odor convinced
Ranma that it might be a good night to eat out.  If he could only get
away in time.

Ranma had almost made it to the back garden wall when a sharp
voice brought him up short.  "And just *where* do you think *you*
are going?" the voice inquired.

Ranma turned and flattened himself against the garden wall.  "Ah...
Akane!" he managed.  "Umm... I was going to...."

"Well, forget it!  Dinner is almost ready!"  Akane stared hard at her
husband, as if daring him to say anything.

Ranma sighed and surrendered to the inevitable.  He hoped that
Tofu-sensei's stomach pump still worked.  Like a man marching to
the gallows, Ranma followed his wife back into the house.

It wasn't that Ranma didn't appreciate Akane's attempts to cook - he
knew how rare her free time was, and how hard she tried.  That was,
he reflected, a large part of the problem.  Akane tried too hard.  She
expected to be able to produce gourmet meals from the start - it
never occurred to her that cooking was like the Art - that skill came
only with patience, and with practice.

Akane in the kitchen was Akane in a hurry.  She had no time to
waste on unimportant things, like labels or measurements.  If
ingredients had the same general colour and/or consistency, they
were considered interchangeable.  But as flexible as the "Anything
Goes" style was, it had no place in the kitchen.

Ranma sat down at the table, apprehension gnawing at the lining of
his stomach.  Idly he wondered if Akane would give him a blindfold
and a cigarette; wisely, he decided not to ask.  He desperately wished
that Akane had made curry - that at least would have been edible.

With a flourish, Akane set a tray in front of him.  Oh, no, thought
Ranma, she's been experimenting again...  Steeling himself, he looked
down at the tray.  There was a bowl that held rice - or what looked
like rice, covered with some kind of dark sludge.  Another bowl held
what Ranma assumed to be soup, if one could ignore the occasional
ripple that flashed over its oily surface.  A plate contained some sort
of cracker topped with what might have been wasabe, if it weren't
for the blue spots.  The (custard?) whatever it was in the dessert
bowl appeared to be moving...

Ranma stared at the meal for a long time - if he could just stall long
enough, it might crawl away, and he wouldn't have to eat it.  Akane,
however, was not going to give him the time.  "Well?" she asked, her
foot tapping.

Ranma gulped, and reached slowly for his chopsticks.  Tentatively, he
prodded the rice bowl.  When nothing prodded back, he took a deep
breath, snared a bite of the rice and sauce, and put it in his mouth.
Hesitantly, he began to chew.  Chopsticks clattered back onto the
table as Ranma's hands covered his mouth.  It was all he could do to
keep from spitting the morsel across the table.  He managed to force
the bite down despite the violent protestations of his stomach.
Gagging, he grabbed for the teacup, and chugged.

It wasn't tea.  Indeed, it was almost, but not quite entirely unlike tea.
Again, Ranma fought for control as his gorge rose - he had to get to
the bathroom.  He lurched to his feet and knew, with stomach sinking
certainty, that he was not going to make it.  Instead, he stumbled out
onto the veranda and leaned out over the edge of the porch.  He just
made it before his abused stomach emptied itself.

Ranma knelt gasping after the purge, his breathing ragged.  He was
dimly aware of the fact that Akane had followed him out onto the
porch.  After several tries, Ranma finally found his voice again - or at
least a weak copy of it.  "What," he gasped, "what *was* that?"

Akane's voice was tight. "It was *rice*, baka - with brown sauce!"

"Brown sauce?"

"It's one of Kasumi's recipes!" Akane shot back defensively.  "I did
exactly what it said!"

Ranma looked up at his wife, the doubts he had showing plainly in
his expression.  "Exactly?" he asked.

"Exactly!"  She paused.  "Well, except for the fact that we were out of
brown sugar, so I used coffee grounds instead, and I couldn't find the
soy sauce, so I used mirin, but that didn't smell right so I added the
vanilla..."

Ranma's eyes had gone wide, and he leaned out over the edge again,
as his stomach tried to void an already empty tank.  After a few dry
heaves, Ranma spit out what he could of the bile in the back of his
throat and turned once more to his wife.  She was not smiling.

Akane bristled.  "It's not that bad, and you know it!"

"Of course!  I love food that comes up faster than it went down!  Why
don't *you* give it a try?"

"You don't have to be so melodramatic about it, you know.  If you
didn't like it, you could just say so."

"You think that I enjoyed that?  Believe me, if I had been given any
choice in the matter, I'd never have tried it in the first place!"

"Is that so?  I go to all this trouble, just to cook you a special dinner,
and *this* is the response that I get?"  This time, there was no trace
of humour in her voice.  "Stupid, insensitive macho jerk!"

Ranma's eyes widened, and even as his voice bypassed his brain to
issue the automatic retort, his mind was screaming - No!  Not this!
Not again!  Please, can't this stop?  But it was too late - the damage
was done as he heard himself drop back into well known territory
with, "Uncute tomboy!  You *know* you can't cook!"

##  ***  ##

Outside the dojo, Nabiki was just returning from an expensive dinner
provided by Kunou.  He was still a market for her backlog of photos
of his pigtailed goddess.  She almost felt sorry for the goon.

As Nabiki was walking through the gate, she became aware of loud
voices coming from the veranda outside the dining room.  All good
things come to an end, she thought with a sigh.  The relative peace
that had ruled the Tendou household since the marriage of its two
most vocal and combative members was torn away with a shout - a
thud - and a splash.  They always seemed to end with a splash.

It was such a pity too.  If they had only made it another two weeks,
she would have stood to collect a fortune.  Two months - was that so
much to have asked?  Still, deep down, she was surprised that the
calm had lasted as long as it had.  At least she wasn't going to *lose*
money.

****  ####  ****

"Dammit, Ranma, hold still!"  Akane punctuated her 'request' with a
series of blows that passed through the spaces Ranma *had* occupied
scant fractions of a second before.

Ranma dodged another flurry with a languid ease that only served to
irritate Akane further.  Still, there was something about the intensity
of her attacks that Ranma found disturbing.  "Akane, what are you so
mad about?"

Akane tried for a sweep kick which Ranma leapt over.  "After last
night, you can ask me that?"  She feinted to one side and lashed out
with another kick, only to hear Ranma's reply from behind her.

"What about last night?"

Akane whirled, but again struck only empty air.  "I worked for
*hours* on that dinner!  Hours!  And what do you do?  You act like I
was trying to poison you!"  Jab - feint - jab jab.

Ranma's stomach cramped briefly at the reminder of the last night's
'dinner.'  He dodged to one side, neatly avoiding another fierce rain
of blows from Akane.  "I never said that!" he exclaimed.  "All I did
was ask you what it was!"

Akane was not mollified.  "Sure!  *After* you went through that act
of yours on the veranda.  Don't you think that was a little much?"
She swung at him with a roundhouse and followed up with a kick.

"What was I supposed to do?" Ranma asked as her foot passed
through an empty space.  "There was no way I was gonna make it to
the bathroom!"

Akane's temper flared again.  "You... you... arrogant *pervert*!" she
spat.  Her blows came fast and hard, but with her anger controlling
her, Ranma could read her like a manga.  He decided that it was time
to end this.

Ducking under another roundhouse, Ranma casually swept Akane's
feet from under her, dropping her unceremoniously onto the mat.
"Akane," he said, "You have *got* to calm down!  You know that you
telegraph your moves when you get like this!"  Ranma reached down
to help his wife to her feet, but she slapped his hand away.  With a
shrug, Ranma turned to leave the dojo.  "We can start again later,
okay?"

Akane watched him go through a red haze.  How *dare* he just walk
out on her like that!  Didn't he take her seriously?  Seething, Akane
got to her feet, took a Bo staff from the rack on the wall, and stalked
off after her husband.  She would teach him...

****  ####  ****

"Ranma!  I haven't seen you in here for a while!"

Ranma grinned.  "Well, things have been pretty quiet lately... no
battles, no kidnappings or anything like that for a change."

Tofu smiled back at his patient and began his examination.  "Say, you
have a couple of pretty impressive dislocations here.  You must have
really made Akane angry this time."

"Yeah, I guess she *was* pretty mad..."

Tofu stopped his examination and moved in front of Ranma.  Pulling
up a stool, he sat facing the young martial artist, his face suddenly
serious.  "Ranma, I was making a joke.  Tell me, did Akane really do
this to you?"

"Well, you know how it is, Doc!  She gets ticked, and... well, I guess I
sorta asked for it..."  Ranma looked sheepish.  "She made this special
dinner and all, and, well, you know how she is in the kitchen..."

Tofu nodded.

"And, like an idiot, I couldn't keep dinner down, or my mouth shut.
She was still a little sore about it this morning."

"I see," said Tofu.

The intensity of Tofu's interest was starting to make Ranma a bit
nervous.  "Really, Doc, it's nothing..."

Tofu watched Ranma fidget for a moment, but said nothing more
about it.  He finished his exam and performed a few adjustments,
and Ranma was good as new.  Ranma thanked him and left.

Watching Ranma leave, Tofu shook his head.  Ranma was probably
right - there was nothing to it.  Akane had certainly given him worse;
but the need for that had passed, hadn't it?  Something about this
just felt wrong somehow.  With a shrug, Tofu put it out of his mind
and went to see about his next patient.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

Ranma was headed toward the dojo for a workout when he was
brought up short by a shout, and several dull thudding sounds.
Peeking into the dojo, Ranma was shocked by what he saw.  Straw
and bits of shredded batting littered the floor.  Dust and wisps of
cotton hung in the air like smoke from a smouldering fire.  At the
centre of the fire was Akane.

Furtively, he watched Akane tearing the stuffing out of the training
dummy with brutal efficiency.  Not the precise, controlled motions of
a martial artist, but angry, savage blows that she punctuated with
inarticulate snarls.

Akane was mad about something, that much was certain.  But what
could it be?  Shampoo hadn't put in an appearance in weeks, Kodachi
had been keeping to herself as well, and she had no reason to be mad
about Ucchan anymore.  Ranma couldn't even remember having
stuck his foot in his mouth within the past few days.  What had he
done this time?

Ranma watched as another flurry of blows reduced the dummy's
mass by half, and shuddered.  He could not imagine what could have
happened that would leave her so very angry, but when she was in a
deep rage like this, any attempts to calm her were almost certain to
meet with failure.

As it was with Ranma when he was under the spell of the nekoken,
very few things could bring Akane out of one of her rages before she
was ready.  Unlike Ranma and the nekoken, her spouse was NOT
among those things.  Where Akane was the cure for his own form of
madness, he was more like fuel for the fire of hers.

Having decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and
certainly the healthier part, Ranma backed slowly out of the dojo.
There would be time for his own workout later.  Right now, he just
wanted to avoid becoming the focus for his wife's 'attentions.'

Ranma was thinking about taking a good long run, when Kasumi
came up behind him.  "Ranma-kun!  I thought that you were going to
be in the dojo!"

Ranma started, but returned Kasumi's smile.  "No, Kasumi.  I was, but
Akane is in there now.  I'll use it later."

"Why don't you work out together?  Wouldn't that be more fun?"

Ranma's smile faded.  "No...  No, I don't think so."  Ranma pictured
Akane's rage filled expression in his mind and shuddered.  He
remembered the *last* time that he'd sparred with Akane when she
was in a bad mood.  "Not right now, anyway."

****  ####  ****

The fact that Ranma and Akane were fighting more often did not
escape the attention of other members of the household.  Indeed, it
was so obvious that it was even becoming a topic of conversation
over the shogi board.

Even Kasumi's carefully constructed shell of oblivion was starting to
show cracks from the strain.  Still, she handled it the way she always
had - by diffusing the conflicts that she could with a gentle word,
and the sheer force of her personality.

But Kasumi's magic was beginning to falter under the new wave of
discord that pervaded the household.  While Akane had often been
angry before, she was often furious now.  Everyone had hoped that
once they were married, Ranma would be able to stop doing things
that made Akane mad;  but it didn't seem to be working out that
way.  In her exasperation, Kasumi had gone so far as to ask Ranma
what he was doing to make Akane so angry.  He'd had no answer.

Nabiki, however, was not so sure that it was that simple.  Yes, Akane
had spent a lot of the past two years angry - that was nothing new.
Akane had always been an angry child.  But now that anger was
taking on a new depth - an intensity that Nabiki found disturbing.

Nabiki was no stranger to emotional control.  It was, after all, one of
the things that she had used so effectively all her life.  She knew how
to keep hers and to make her opponent yield theirs.  That was what
made recent trends in Akane's behaviour so alarming to her.  Akane
was losing all of her self-control.

These were not the simple tantrums of a child, either.  Akane's anger
was starting to really run away with her.  Considering Akane's
training, that could be dangerous.  At the very least, it was going to
be expensive.

The simple excuse, that it was all Ranma's fault, was also starting to
wear a little thin.  Nabiki had been watching Ranma - she always had
- and Ranma had been well behaved.  He certainly hadn't been doing
things lately that warranted reactions as violent as Akane's.  At least,
not often.

When they had first returned from their honeymoon, they had still
been fighting - but they had made up afterwards with equal fervor.
Now, they were fighting more, and making up less.  It was an ugly
trend.

Ranma's mother was particularly dismayed by the lack of harmony
in her son's marriage.  She had so wanted a happier marriage for her
son than the one she'd had, and she was determined to see that he
got it.  Nodoka vowed to put an end to the fighting - but first, there
would have to be peace between the two of them.  She had to
convince Ranma that there was no profit in antagonizing his wife -
she had to appeal to his sense of honour.

****  ####  ****

"My son, I would speak with you..."

Ranma froze.  He did not remember much about his life before he left
home, but one thing stood out in his memory.  Whenever his mother
adopted that overly formal tone, unpleasantness followed.  It was a
sure indicator that she was NOT happy.

Slowly, Ranma turned to face his parent.  "Yes, Mother?"  His spirits
took a dive when he saw her stern expression.  This was not going to
be a fun conversation.

"Son, I am concerned.  It has come to my attention that there has
been conflict between you and Akane... that there are often harsh
words exchanged between the two of you.  I gather that some of
your actions have even provoked her to the point of violence."

Ranma thought about just how easy it was to 'provoke Akane to the
point of violence', but, wisely, did not mention it.  Matching her
formal tone, he said, "I assure you, mother, that provoking Akane has
not been what I have been trying to do."

"That may be, but good intentions are, by themselves, insufficient.
To maintain your honour, you must maintain vigilance.  You must
show the proper respect for your wife, Ranma... She is there to love
you and support you throughout your life.  But you must also love
and support her."

"Love..."  Ranma's stock retort never made it.  He could not lie to his
mother - not anymore.  "I... I *do* love Akane, Mom.  I love her more
than anything."  His voice was a bare whisper.

"I know you do, son.  But you must treat her like you love her.  Do
you believe that insulting her, that calling her 'uncute' will really
make her happy?"

"No, I guess not."

"Ranma... You have grown to be a man among men, despite your
'curse,' and despite your father's influence.  But there are still things
that you have to learn."

Ranma could not argue that point.  "So what can I do?  How do I keep
from making her mad all the time?"

"You must not fight with her.  Do you enjoy it when she strikes you?
Do you enjoy seeing her angry?"

"Of course not!"

"Then why do you antagonize her?  Why do you argue with her?"

"But it's not my fault!  She won't wait to hear my side of anything;
she won't even give me a chance to explain!  She just gets mad, and I
get a slam and a dunk."  Ranma said morosely.

"If you stop doing the things that antagonize her, Ranma, she will
stop getting angry - and she will be more prone to listen to what you
have to say."

Ranma was skeptical.  "Do you really think so?"

"I do."  Nodoka smiled, but it faded into a darker look as her gaze
turned inwards.  "It would pain me to see you make the same errors
that your father has.  His behaviour over the past years has not
been... entirely honourable."

Ranma snorted.  That was an understatement, if ever he'd heard one.
"Not bloody likely.  *Nobody* else could make some of the blunders
Pop has!"

"Ranma...  He *is* your father..." Nodoka admonished him.

"Nobody asked *me* about that," Ranma said darkly.

"Ranma... it is true that you have cause to be angry with your father,
but that is not the point of this discussion.  There are much more
important matters that must be addressed."

"So what do you think I should do?"

"Promise me, my son.  I want your solemn word as a warrior that
you will stop this fighting.  It is not... seemly for a husband and wife
to carry on so."

Ranma started to protest, but his mother's stern expression silenced
him.  Did she really think that all of this was his fault?  That he had
been deliberately trying to anger Akane?  Sure, they had argued...
they often did, but Ranma had looked on it as normal.

He and Akane had argued since the day they had met.  It didn't
mean that he loved her any less.  Though Ranma had to admit, there
were times, lots of times, really, that he wished the arguing would
stop and that life could be like it had been on their honeymoon again.
Ranma considered that.  Was he really the one to blame?  Was it his
fault that Akane was always so unhappy now?

Tofu-sensei's first assumption when he had last been in the clinic
had been that he had done something to make Akane angry.  At the
time, it had not seemed significant.  The neighbors, tired of all the
noise, had begged him to quit tormenting his wife.  Kasumi had asked
him the same question, and now... and now his own mother.

"Promise me, Ranma."

Ranma's shoulders sagged.  It *was* his fault.  Everybody knew it -
had known it.  Everybody but him.  He had been thoughtless, rude
and cruel - to the person that he loved the most.  He *had* been
turning into his father.  Ranma shuddered at the thought, and hung
his head in shame.

"I promise." he said softly.  "I swear to you, on my honour as a
warrior, that I will not fight with Akane again."

Nodoka smiled and hugged her son.  "Then the matter is ended."

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

After the talk he'd had with his mother, Ranma's relationship with
Akane started to change.  Ranma stopped insulting his wife.  When
he opened his mouth, and felt himself starting to utter his familiar
litany of 'uncute' or 'tomboy', he would stop and leave the room.  He
did everything he could think of to avoid saying things that he knew
would upset her.

Ranma still put his foot in his mouth from time to time, and Akane
would pound him for it.  Akane's cooking skills, or lack thereof, were
a particular sore point, but Ranma thought he could deal with that.
What was hardest to take was the fact that Akane was still blaming
him for things that he could not help, or things that were simply not
his fault.

It was hard, so hard, but Ranma kept his word.  There were times
when he wanted to tear his hair and scream at the injustice of it all,
but at times like those, his mother's words would replay in his
memory - "It would pain me to see you to make the same errors that
your father has..." - and Ranma would choke back his angry replies,
and let Akane rant on, unchallenged.  In the end, it didn't really
matter, he thought to himself.  If he deserved it or not, if she was
mad enough, he was in for a pounding.

His mother had been, in one important respect, wrong.  Akane had
not calmed down once Ranma had changed his behaviour.  Indeed, if
anything, she was getting mad at him more easily, and more quickly.

Ranma tried a new strategy.  When Akane would get mad, he would
apologize.  It didn't matter what she thought he'd done, or if he had,
in fact, done it.  Sometimes he didn't even have any idea just what he
was apologizing for.  It was just easier to say he was sorry and be
done with it.

Appeasement had worked admirably, for a time.  Akane had been so
shocked the first time he'd just apologized to her that she quite
forgot what she had been yelling at him about.  A new hope surged
through Ranma at that point.  It had thrilled him to see Akane smile,
and her smile had grown when he'd said so.  She had been in such a
good mood that night that neither of them had gotten any sleep.

It didn't last.  Gradually, even this tactic started to lose effectiveness.

It became a vicious cycle.  A certain level of irritation was sure to set
Akane off.  So, Ranma would try to make sure that he did or said as
little as possible that would exceed that threshold.  He was largely
successful.  But then the rules would change, and it would take less
and less to trigger Akane's wrath.

It sometimes seemed to Ranma as if the anger never really left her;
as if it was always there, straining to get out.  There was a darkness
to her anger that disturbed him.  He felt that there were forces
driving her rage that he could not see, and could do nothing about.

That was, perhaps, the most frustrating aspect of the whole situation.
He knew that his wife was hurting, and he had no idea what was
causing it.  When he asked her what was troubling her, she would get
angry and yell at him for some slight, real or imagined.  Ranma
realized that she didn't always mean it - at least he hoped that she
didn't.  It tore at his heart to think that he might really be the one
that was making her so unhappy.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

Upon getting back from her usual morning jog, Akane went to the
workroom under the dojo to do something constructive for a change.
Akane had taken to manufacturing her own practice dummies.  The
ones she made tended to last a bit longer, and there were one or two
'custom' touches she added that made them particularly effective.
Not the least of these was the pigtail braid that adorned the back of
each dummy's head.

Akane looked thoughtfully at her latest creation.  High art it was not.
Crude as it was, though, it did the job.  Akane set the dummy aside
and reached for a new armature to start the next one.  As her hands
busied themselves winding the straw and cotton batting into what
would be the dummy's head, she allowed her thoughts to drift over
more private paths.

Ranma had started being nicer to her - a lot nicer.  She had enjoyed
it now for weeks, but it was, in an odd way, also starting to make her
uncomfortable.  She had become so accustomed to his constant
teasing and harassment that this sudden change seemed somehow
jarring.  She was more used to Ranma's taunts and jeers - they had
the comfort of familiarity, even if they did make her so mad.

Whenever the darkness in her soul had threatened to overwhelm
her, Ranma's insults had given her a focus for those dark energies -
allowing her to blow off steam and work off her frustrations.  And
since they had married, she had discovered that making up after a
fight could be the most fun of all.

Now, though, that release was gone - It was not that Ranma had been
perfectly behaved - that would have stretched credibility to the
breaking point.  But he wasn't fighting her anymore!  He had been a
*lot* more polite, and he had managed to avoid saying some of the
stupid things that really set her off.  In fact, she could not even
remember the last time that he had called her uncute.

Akane finished the head, and started winding longer, wider strips of
batting around the straw core of the dummy's torso.  Once the body
was wound, bailing wire would hold it all together.  Then she would
start on the arms.  The trick to making them last was in winding the
strips tightly enough.  That could often be good strength training all
by itself.

Why was Ranma acting this way?  It was so unlike the Ranma that
had made the last two years so... so... infuriating.  In the past, when
he had been nice to her, it had always ended in another fight as
Ranma dropped once more into his role as an insensitive macho jerk.
It had never taken long - if he was nice to her in the morning, by
that evening he had stuck his foot in his mouth and they were back
to snarling and snapping at each other.  She had been waiting for the
other shoe to drop now for weeks, and the suspense was really
starting to get on her nerves.

It was ironic.  Ranma was making every effort to be what she had
wanted; more polite and considerate.  He was trying everything he
could think of to get closer to her, but the more he tried, the further
separated from him Akane felt.  In the past, even as he had been
insulting her, Akane could see that Ranma cared.  She knew that a lot
of his bluster was just there to cover his feelings - feelings that he
was as yet, unable to express openly.  When they had squabbled, he
would let his guard down enough so that she could see into his heart.

With the new Ranma, Akane was no longer so sure of her position.
Ranma's guard stayed up and she could no longer tell what he was
feeling with any measure of confidence.  Akane could no longer read
him, could no longer trust her own interpretations of his words, or
his actions.  That uncertainty fed the darkness that lingered deep in
her - the darkness that taunted her with what she had lost before,
and fed her fear that she was going to lose again.  And again, there
would be nothing that she could do to stop it.

When Akane felt the darkness creeping in, she would snap at Ranma
- and Ranma would just take it.  That made her feel bad, for trying to
hurt him; which made the darkness press harder against her soul;
which made her snap at Ranma, and so it continued.

She didn't *want* to hurt him, but she couldn't stop herself.  It was
easier to lash out again than it was to apologize - easier to strike at
him than to swallow her pride and admit that she was wrong.  It was
FAR easier to keep him at arms length than to allow him to really get
close; let alone close enough to hurt her.  She would not allow herself
to be that vulnerable again.

But if she were honest with herself, she knew that it was far too late
for that... and he had gotten under her skin so very easily!  He was
an integral component of her life - she could no more imagine being
without him than she could turn herself inside out.  He had become a
part of her now, and a very important part.  In a very real sense,
what she did to Ranma, she did to herself - and so the darkness
continued to feed.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

Akane wanted to scream.  The evening had started so well - had
been so pleasant - and yet, like so very many before, it had ended in
disaster.  What made it all the more frustrating was that there was
no reason for it.  It was so senseless.

It had taken almost a week for Ranma to work up to it, but he had
asked her to go with him to dinner and a movie.  Akane had been
delighted.  When the day came, the weather was perfect - it had
rained earlier that evening, and the skies had cleared as darkness
fell, leaving the air fresh, crisp and cool.

The restaurant was not Tokyo's finest, but the atmosphere was
romantic, and the food was excellent.  Ranma had even forgone the
new Jackie Chan picture and taken her to see the new Miyazaki
romance instead.  'Whispers of the Heart' was not a film that she
would have expected Ranma to be able to sit through, let alone one
that he would suggest they see.  Akane had enjoyed herself
immensely.

They had walked home, arm in arm, each enjoying the feel of being
in the other's company.  When they had reached the Tendou home -
out on the walk in front of the main gate, Ranma had taken her in his
arms, and stared into her eyes for the longest time.  She had almost
decided that he was never going to kiss her when he'd bent forward
to her brush her lips with his.

Her arms had gone around him and she'd held him tight, lost in the
ecstasy of the moment.  At that point, disaster had struck.  A car
passed, and hit the only puddle that was left from the afternoon
rains.  The puddle was small, the amount of water thrown smaller
still, but it had been enough.

Akane felt her husband shift in her arms, growing shorter and more
curvy, waist narrowing and chest expanding, as the transformation
was completed.  Ranma held the embrace, not even seeming to notice
that the change had taken place.

Maybe it was the suddenness of the change that startled her.  Maybe
it was some irrational fear of being seen by people who didn't know
that the red-head was really her husband.  Akane didn't know, and
now it didn't matter - the damage was done.

Akane had pushed Ranma away with a startled scream and an
almost instinctive slap.  "Ranma, you're a girl now!  Somebody might
see us!  Pervert!"

Ranma had stared back at her, her eyes wide with shock and hurt.
Then she had looked down at herself for a long moment, and she had
shuddered.  Akane could almost feel the wave of self-loathing that
passed through her husband at that moment.

Akane had turned away to try and regain her composure somewhat.
The look of utter despair and hopelessness that crossed Ranma's face
had torn at her heart.  She turned back to apologize, but Ranma was
already gone.

"Damn," she muttered to herself as the tears came.

##  ***  ##

Ranma sat alone in the darkness and wept.  At least that was one
advantage that the curse provided.  In this form, it was acceptable
for her to cry.  Of course, she thought bitterly, if it weren't for the
damned curse, she wouldn't *need* to cry.

Akane had said time and again that the curse didn't matter.  But it
did.  Tonight had proven that.  And Ranma couldn't even find it in
her heart to blame her wife for it.  Why *should* Akane have to
settle for half a man?

That rationalisation did nothing to ease the pain that Ranma felt as
Akane had pushed her away.  After all, hadn't she also been the one
to tell her that being a girl wasn't so bad?  It was so confusing!

Ranma shuddered again and drew her knees up to her chest as she
stared into the depths of the river.  One of these days, she was going
to have to find a cure, or die trying.  It was becoming increasingly
apparent that Akane was never going to be truly happy, that she was
never going to fully accept Ranma, until that day arrived.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

Akane and Ranma had been sparring in the dojo.  The session went
as they all had, from the first day she had met him.  She had struck
and attacked, raining blow after blow upon her target, kick after
kick, lunge after lunge.  Not one of them had connected.  No matter
how quickly or carefully she had struck, by the time her blow had
reached the target, the target was elsewhere.  She had never even
come close.  Finally, thoroughly winded, she had called a halt to the
exercise.

After complimenting her on her improvement, Ranma had gone back
to the house while Akane, after catching her breath, vented her
frustrations on targets that could not escape her every attack.  Akane
did not feel like she had improved.  Compared to Ranma, she still felt
like a clumsy beginner.

She didn't understand it.  She never had any trouble hitting Ranma
when they weren't in the dojo - in fact, she cleaned his clock on a
regular basis.  It was almost as if he were two people.  In the dojo,
when they were sparring, he was a wraith - no material attack came
near him.  He was calm, self assured and untouchable.  Outside of
their training, she clobbered him at will.  Sometimes he would evade
her first attacks, but in the end, her blows would hit their targets,
and Ranma would go down.

Akane sighed, looking at the remains of the training dummy she had
been pummeling.  She sat down with her back against the dojo wall
as a snatch of a memory drifted across her mind...  "Sometimes, when
a guy fights a girl, he... uh... *lets* her win."  Ranma's words.  She
remembered them well - She also remembered how angry those
words had made her.  She remembered how she had vowed to
herself that she would make him eat those words.  It was one vow
she had yet to keep.  She had tried - oh, she had tried - but every
time she had beaten him, she felt that the only reason that she had
been able to touch him was that he had allowed it.

The odd part was that he had never once retaliated.  No matter what
she had done to him, she had never been able to get Ranma to hit her
- to strike back.  Despite his curse, Ranma seemed to think that
women were somehow less capable than men were.  Why else would
he treat them as he did?  Why else would he hesitate to fight a girl?
Even *as* a girl, there were lines that Ranma would not cross - the
times that Ranma had been forced to fight against another girl Akane
had gotten the distinct impression that he was holding back.

His condescension infuriated her.  Women could be just as good as
men, just as strong.  But Ranma always treated them differently, as if
they needed to be protected.  As if they were fragile.  As if they
were somehow inferior.

One of the most galling aspects was that Ranma had been particularly
protective of her.  That he kept singling her out for protection was
enraging.  There had been a time when she had thought it was cute,
romantic even, but it had done nothing to help her get over her
feelings of inferiority.  As time passed, Akane started to get the
feeling that Ranma was rubbing her nose in it.  The rational part of
her mind dismissed that as nonsense, but of late, the rational side
had often not been the winning side.

Before Ranma showed up, she had been the best martial artist in the
area.  There had been Kunou, but he hardly counted.  He was a
capable fighter as a kendoist, but if you took away his stick, he was
harmless.  When Ranma had arrived, he had taken that away.  She
was no longer better at anything, let alone the best.  She no longer
had anything that she could call her own.

Ranma could beat her at *everything*.  Ranma could cook.  As a girl,
Ranma was better looking.  Ranma could fight better, Ranma could
swim, Ranma was faster, the list went on and on.  In her rage, she
lashed out - if she could drive him to fight her, to *really* fight her,
then she could prove that she was every bit as good as he was.

Akane sighed.  The trouble was, she was nowhere *near* as good as
him, and she knew it.  And when her 'rivals' had started showing up,
things had only gotten worse.  At first, it had been a joke to her.  She
remembered how she had teased Ranma - pointing out just how cute
Shampoo was, and taking some pleasure in his discomfort.  For some
reason, it wasn't that funny anymore.

What had been funny once lost its charm in a hurry when it kept
happening, again and again, and again.  First it was Kodachi - then
Shampoo had decided that marrying Ranma would be better than
killing him.  Then there had been Kaori, and finally Ukyou had shown
up...  Even if she had been sure that she wanted to, how was she
supposed to compete with the likes of them?

All of them were beautiful; all were strong fighters - stronger than
she was.  Akane was sure that any one of Ranma's other fiancees
could have beat the snot out of her any time they felt like it.  And
with the exception of Ukyou, who had *tried* to be like a boy, none
of the others had been considered any less feminine for their skills.

Indeed, not only were they better than she was at the martial arts,
but at the feminine arts as well.  She had only been able to find one
thing that she could do that the others could not do better.  Maybe
that was why she kept hurting Ranma - it was the one thing that she
could do that the others could not.

She had trained so hard, devoted her life, her very being to the Art;
and yet, in her heart, she was sure that she would never be good
enough.  She was *always* going to lose the important fights.
Everyone else would always be at least one step ahead of her.  It
made her want to scream.

That was it.  That must have been why Ranma had married her.  It
wasn't that he loved her.  It had never been about love; it was all
because he felt that she needed to be protected.  Ukyou... Shampoo...
maybe even Kodachi... who knew which one he *really* loved?  Her
heart twisted at the thought.  Damn that idiot!

Ranma's fault.  It was all Ranma's fault.  With an angry snarl, Akane
got up and went to fetch another target.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

The sky was a leaden grey, the low hanging overcast swollen with
the threat of the rains to come that afternoon.  A stiff breeze blew
bits of debris along the street - scraps of litter and paper that bore
silent witness to the harried carelessness of the masses.  Except for
the odd pigeon, the street down which Ranma was walking was
deserted - desolate; a perfect mirror for Ranma's current mood.

Ranma was at a loss.  It seemed that no matter what he did, or didn't
do, Akane was going to get mad - sooner or later.  It was inevitable.
Ranma had spent many long hours meditating on the problem.  What
was it that she wanted from him?  He would give her anything in the
world if it would make her happy, but everything he tried seemed
somehow to fall short.  It was never enough.

She had said that she wanted honesty.  He gave it to her.  Since they
had married, he had told her the truth.  Always.  That had caused its
own problems, particularly when she had asked him to evaluate her
cooking - but he would not lie to her.  He had given his word, and he
*always* kept his word.

But what good had it done?  She still wouldn't believe him.  She
seldom even took the time to *listen* to him, let alone grant that he
might actually be telling her the truth.  It hurt Ranma deeply that his
wife apparently thought so little of him.  Honour was very important
to Ranma - he had put up with humiliation, degradation and pain, all
for the sake of his honour.  To have Akane so casually dismiss that
honour was like having a knife stuck into his back.  Every time she
doubted him, she gave that knife a little twist.

What would it take to convince her?  What did he have to do before
she would give him the benefit of the doubt?  There were so many
things she had blamed him for that were not his fault.  When
Shampoo had come and glomped onto him, he had fought her off -
every time.  But did Akane see that?  No - Akane had blamed him.
When Kodachi had drugged him, it had been *his* fault.  Where was
the justice in that?

Whenever there had been trouble, hadn't he always been there for
her?  He had fought for her time and time again.  He would willingly
have died to protect her - what more could he do to prove his love?
Ranma shook his head and sighed.  Maybe he was going about this
the wrong way.

Despite his Don Juan reputation, Ranma's experience with girls was
extremely limited.  Growing up on the road with his father had not
provided the best examples in how to deal with the fairer sex.  Even
Ranma knew that.

Truth be told, girls made him nervous.  Put him in front of a girl, and
all of his wits deserted him, as well as most of his language skills.  If
it was someone that he liked, it made matters worse.  He could never
seem to find the right words - but the wrong ones came easily.  By
the time his brain caught up to his mouth it was too late, and the
damage was done.

Akane was the perfect example - as much as he loved her, he had
never been able to tell her - not with words.  The words just came
out wrong.  There had to be a way to get through!  Maybe if he got
her a present - if he chose the *right* present, it could say the things
that he had not been able to.

He was going to need help for this one.  He needed advice.  Rather
than pay Nabiki's rates, Ranma decided to go see Ucchan.  She'd have
an idea.  Besides.  He was hungry.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

Nabiki was sitting at the table with a number of books spread out in
front of her, sipping a cup of cocoa, when a shout broke the stillness
of the afternoon.

"Akane, WAIT!  It's not what you're thinking!"

"Just how stupid do you think I am, Ranma?  You're a pervert!"

"But Akane...  Yaaaa!"  Footfalls sounded in the hall upstairs as Ranma
gave up on talking and ran.  Nabiki winced at the sound of metal
striking flesh - and again as she heard Ranma half run, half bounce
down the stairs.

As Nabiki watched, Ranma came haring through the door, past the
table, and out the sliding doors into the garden, Akane in hot pursuit.
Akane stopped by the table, and hefting a barbell, hurled it towards
the object of her wrath with as much force as she could muster.

Nabiki turned to follow the projectile on its trajectory - Ranma never
saw it coming.  The barbell struck the fleeing figure in the back of
the head, knocking him forward in a low arc.  Ranma ploughed face
first into the garden pond, sending gouts of water skyward..  Akane
'hmphed' in satisfaction, and dusting off her hands, turned and
stalked back up the stairs.

Nabiki watched her go, shaking her head.  There was no telling what
had sparked that - Akane had been so very touchy lately.  Nabiki
almost felt sorry for Ranma.

Nabiki turned back toward the garden expecting to see a wet, angry
and female Ranma squelching back toward the house.  The garden
was empty and the surface of the pond was calm.  She thought that
was odd since she hadn't heard Ranma haul herself out of the water
yet.  Jumping up, she hurried out into the garden and peered into the
water.  Ranma lay on the bottom, her unconscious body held under
the surface by the weight of the barbell.

With a yell toward the house for help, Nabiki jumped into the pool,
and, pushing the barbell aside, started to drag Ranma toward the
edge of the water.  Here was another reason to be glad of Ranma's
'condition,' she thought; as a girl, Ranma was much lighter.

By the time anyone from the house arrived to help her, Nabiki had
already managed to get Ranma out of the water, and was trying
desperately to force the water out of the red-head's lungs.

"What happened?" asked Kasumi, as she dropped to assist her sister.

Between thrusts, Nabiki told her older sister about the spat that had
led to Ranma's current position, and what she knew about how it had
happened.  A dark look crossed Kasumi's features as she noticed that
Akane was nowhere to be seen.

Working with Kasumi's help, Nabiki was finally rewarded with a
choking gasp from Ranma.  The bedraggled girl drew a shuddering
breath and started retching - coughing up brackish water and a little
blood.  As her breathing stabilised, Ranma lapsed once more into
total unconsciousness.

"We'd better get him to Tofu Sensei..." said Kasumi.  "You watch him
while I get father."

A few minutes later, Ranma and a distraught Soun Tendou had been
bundled off to Tofu's clinic, and the household was quiet once more.
Kasumi announced that she was going to have to talk to her little
sister.  After seeing the expression on Kasumi's face, Nabiki found
that she had no interest at all in eavesdropping, and returned to her
studies.

##  ***  ##

Kasumi reached her sister's room and knocked on the door.  There
was no answer.  She knocked a little harder, causing the little
wooden duck with Akane's name on it to jump.  There was a post-it
note on the door below the duck on which was scrawled 'and Ranma'
in a sloppy hand.  When she still received no answer, Kasumi opened
the door, and entered the room herself.

Akane lay on the bed, the shades drawn, with a pair of headphones
over her ears.  Her eyes were squeezed shut and her hands were
clenched into fists.  She had her stereo turned up so loud that Kasumi
could hear the music from her position by the door.

Shaking her head in exasperation, Kasumi walked over to Akane's CD
player, and turned it off.  Instantly, Akane was up, whirling around
with a shout.  "Leave that alone, you jack..." she started to say.

Akane's outburst stilled as she realized that her visitor was not her
husband.  Calming herself with visible effort, Akane took off her
headphones and hung them on the bedpost.  "I'm sorry, Kasumi," she
said.  "I thought you were Ranma.  Is there something that I can do
for you?"

Kasumi nodded.  "Yes, Akane.  I think that we need to talk."  There
was no trace of a smile in her expression, or her demeanor.

Akane sat back on her bed as though she'd been slapped - in a sense,
she had.  Akane literally could not recall the last time that she had
seen Kasumi this upset.  It frightened her.  "What... what's wrong,
Kasumi?"  She paused for a beat.  "Where's Ranma?"

"Ranma should be at Tofu-Sensei's clinic by now."

"Tofu-Sensei's?  What happened to him?"

Kasumi actually scowled.  "Akane... you *drowned* him.  If Nabiki
had not been watching... if she had not pulled him out of the pond
and cleared his lungs...  Ranma would be dead right now.  You would
have killed him."

"But... but... how..."

"You threw a barbell at him!  He was unconscious when he hit the
water.  The barbell pinned his girl's body to the bottom, and he
drowned."

"oh...  no..." said Akane in a small voice.  A bitter cold washed through
her, and she shivered violently.  "I never meant to..."

"Akane...  You promised me once that you would never strike another
person in anger.  Do you remember that?"

Akane nodded.  "But... I have to defend myself!" she protested.

"Of course you must - but striking a fleeing figure in the back with a
barbell is NOT a defensive action!  Just what did Ranma do that you
felt you had to defend yourself against him?  Had he attacked you?"

"No... but..."

"Akane; you *must* learn control.  You are a trained martial artist -
you have the ability to do a great deal of harm, if you are not careful.
You cannot afford to let your anger control you."

Akane hung her head.  "You're right - I know... but Ranma is so much
better than me - and he just doesn't take me seriously!"

"Of course he does - he loves you!"

"No!  He doesn't!  I used to think that he did, but now I know better!"

"He married you, didn't he?  Would he have done that if he didn't
love you?"

"What did that have to do with love?  Our dads arranged that - he
just did what they wanted - what his mother wanted.  He doesn't
love me!"

Kasumi sighed to herself.  Akane could be so very dense at times.
Couldn't she see what everyone else did?  The way Ranma looked at
her when he thought no one could see - the way that he was always
there - fighting for her, protecting her?  Was she really so blind?  "If
you really believed that, then why did you marry him?"

"It was a matter of family honour!  I *had* to marry him!"

"Akane, there is no honour in marrying someone that you don't love.
If you didn't love him, you should have let one of the others have
him."

"But I..."

"Oh, Akane.  This isn't some sort of competition.  In a marriage
without love, everyone loses.  I'll ask again.  Do you love him?"

Akane stiffened in another momentary burst of anger.  "Of course
not!  How could I love an arrogant, fat-headed freak like him?"

"Akane..."

But Akane wasn't paying attention to her older sister.  As the anger
passed, her shoulders slumped and she sagged forward, hugging
herself against a chill that was more of the spirit than of the body.

"No.  That's not true.  I... I *do* love him..." Akane said miserably.
"It's just that he makes me so mad!  He's always so mean to me!"

"Really?  What did he do this time?"

"The pervert was rooting around in my underwear drawer!  I caught
him at it red handed!"

"That *is* odd.  What do you suppose he was doing?"

"Who cares?"

"Don't you think that you ought to at least give him a *chance* to
explain things?"  Kasumi wandered over to the tansu, and opened the
drawer in question.  Peeking out from under one of the garments
was a small box, wrapped in brightly coloured paper, and tied with a
ribbon.  She lifted the box carefully from its resting place.

"What's this?" she asked.

Akane eyed the box warily.  "I don't know.  Where did you get it?"

"Your underwear drawer."  Kasumi passed the box to her sister.

Akane hadn't thought that she could feel any worse.  Staring
morosely at the bright little box, she felt tears begin to burn their
way out of her eyes.  "He... he was putting this in there, wasn't he?
Oh, Kasumi... what have I done?"

Kasumi softened her tone.  "You have to treat him more respectfully
- he's a person, you know.  More than that, he is your husband.  He
deserves your respect, and your trust."

Akane's voice was very quiet.  "You're right.  I...  What can I do?  He
must hate me now... at the very least he must think that *I* hate
*him*..."

"Ranma still loves you, Akane.  But you have to be patient with him.
He isn't used to expressing those sorts of feelings.  You don't make it
any easier when you won't listen to him."

"I'll try to do better.  Really, I will.  If it's not too late..."

Kasumi patted Akane on the shoulder.  "I know you will.  She headed
for the door.  "If you need anything, call me.  Dinner will be ready in
about four hours."

Akane just nodded.  After Kasumi left the room, Akane set the small
box on the nightstand, and lay back on the bed.  She stared at it for a
long time, making no efforts to stop the tears that flowed from her
eyes.  "Oh, Ranma," she said to herself.  "Why must it always be like
this?"  Akane got up, changed into her gi, and headed for the dojo.
She had a lot to consider.

##  ***  ##

Akane sat in the dojo, leaning against the wall, staring morosely at
the remains of a single set of concrete blocks.  The fragments seemed
to be staring back at her, mutely accusing.  You break things, they
told her silently.  You are always breaking things.  When are you
going to *make* something?  When are you going to create, rather
that just destroy?

Her whole life had centered around destruction - beating the world
into submission - battering it until it let go of what she wanted.  She
was Shiva.  Her anger had only made it worse.  When she was angry,
things got broken; concrete blocks, tables, walls... she looked sadly at
the set of weights in the corner and shuddered... and people.  She had
come close to breaking Ranma today.  Too close.

When the anger overtook her, it was so easy... she hit something, and
it would yield.  It was proof, in a way, that she did have some control
over her environment.  It was also, she would later consider, proof
that she had too little control over herself.  Too many times she had
yielded to the mindlessness that came with her greatest source of
strength.  And when her senses returned, she was surrounded by the
debris.  Sometimes she felt as if everything she touched was doomed
to be destroyed.

She had gotten to the point where she would no longer buy nice
things for herself... what would be the point if they were just going to
be destroyed the next time Ranma or someone else ticked her off?
Sadly, she scanned the dojo, noting the numerous makeshift patches
that adorned the walls.  Proper and careful repairs had long since
been abandoned as hopelessly optimistic.  It was easier and cheaper
just to patch, and patch again.

The only thing that she had ever tried to build, her relationship with
Ranma, was on shaky ground at best.  She imagined that it was like
trying to build a house on a hillside... if the foundations were not laid
just so, and cared for afterwards, the house would slide down into
the ravine.  Akane was afraid that the slide had begun.  She just
hoped that she would be able to stop it in time.

##  ***  ##

Akane was still sitting, lost in thought, when Nabiki came wandering
into the dojo, whistling tunelessly.  Nabiki stared at her sister with a
mixture of pity and envy.  She has everything that matters, Nabiki
thought to herself, and still, she spends so much time unhappy.  Why
can't she see how good she has it?

After a time, Akane noticed her sister's entrance, but she did not
look up.  When she spoke, her voice was low, her tone somber.  "You
saved Ranma's life today."  It was not a question.

Nabiki thought about that for a moment.  Kasumi would have told
her, no doubt.  "Yeah... I guess I did."

"Thank you, Nabiki."  Akane's voice caught in her throat.  "I owe
you... more than I can ever repay."

Nabiki shrugged.  "He's too profitable to lose," she said.

Akane shook her head - the corner of her mouth quirked upwards.
"What does it take, Nabiki, for you to admit that you care?"

Nabiki stared, dumbfounded.  "Of all the people in the world, YOU
have the nerve to ask me that?" she asked, disbelief evident in her
tone.

Bristling, Akane turned to her sister.  "And just what do you mean by
that?" she asked.

"I mean you and Ranma!  Have you ever told him how much you love
him?  For God's sake, you're *married*, and I've never heard either
one of you say it to the other.  The two of you are unbelievable!"

Akane looked as if she were going to say something, but thought
better of it.  She snorted, and let the irritation drain out of her.  "You
know, I really hate it when you're right."

Nabiki sighed and walked over to sit down by her sister.  For a long
time, neither spoke.  They just shared the silence, each taking some
measure of comfort from the presence of the other.

Finally, Nabiki asked, "Why?"

"Honestly?  I don't know."

"You *don't know*?"

"I came into our room... and there he was, bold as brass, digging in
one of my drawers...  I didn't know what he was doing...  I just saw
him, and something inside of me snapped."  Akane drew her knees
up against her chest, and sighed.  "The next thing that I can
remember clearly is Kasumi telling me that you'd hauled him out of
the pond."

Nabiki paused and shook her head.  "I'm sorry, Akane, but I'm afraid
that I just don't see how the punishment fits the crime here."

Akane nodded miserably.  "That's the worst part of it.  There was no
'crime'.  He wasn't doing anything wrong.  If I had only listened to
him..."  Akane trailed off for a moment.  "Have you heard from Tofu-
sensei yet?  Ranma is going to be okay, isn't he?"

"He should be okay.  He was breathing more or less normally again
when Dad hauled him down to the clinic."

Akane sounded relieved.  "Thank God..."

"Akane... let me give you a little free advice."  Nabiki ignored the
eyebrow that Akane raised at her use of the term 'free'.  "You need
to work on having a little more patience.  If you don't, you're going to
keep making mistakes.  Expensive ones.  Or worse."

"I know..." Akane nodded.  "Do you think that Ranma will forgive
me?"

Nabiki smiled as she got up.  "I'd feel pretty safe in betting on it."
Her tone turned serious.  "He loves you, Akane.  Don't let that get
away.  It's too precious a thing to lose."

Akane's answering smile was wan.  "Thank you, Nabiki.  For
everything."

##  ***  ##

After leaving Akane in the dojo, Nabiki had gone back to her room to
resume her studies, and to keep from being in the way of Kasumi's
dinner preparations.  College had been easy for her so far, and she
was determined to keep it that way.  She had finished her Statistics
assignment and was just getting ready to start working on her
Economics when there came a gentle tapping at her bedroom door.

"Come in," she called.

The door opened slowly to reveal Ranma standing hesitantly on the
threshold.  Nabiki stood up, and motioned for Ranma to come into the
room.  Nabiki flinched inwardly as she got a good look at her.

Ranma's clothes were still rumpled from her recent immersion, and
she seemed a little pale to Nabiki.  There was a laboured quality to
her breathing, an asthmatic rattle that Nabiki figured to be a mild
case of pneumonia.  The air of confident assurance that Nabiki had
come to associate with Ranma was gone - her manner was subdued,
and she kept her head down, as though she were afraid to make eye
contact.

"Did you just get back from the clinic?  Are you feeling better?"

The red-head nodded, but did not look up.

"Have you talked to Akane yet?  She's... she's been very worried
about you."

Ranma stiffened slightly and shook her head in the negative.  Nabiki
could all but feel the tension like a charge of static electricity.  Still,
Ranma had said nothing.

"Was there something that you wanted?" Nabiki prompted gently.

"I... I just wanted to thank you, Nabiki..."  Ranma's voice was very
quiet.  "Kasumi told me that you were the one that pulled me out of
the pond.  I... owe you my life."

Nabiki laughed a touch nervously.  "Not to worry, Ranma.  I'll send
you a bill."

Ranma nodded and reached into her pocket, withdrawing the small
pouch in which she carried her money.  She held it out to the Tendou
girl, but Nabiki made no move to take the pouch.  After a moment,
Ranma looked up at her curiously.

Nabiki was staring coldly at the red-head, her expression a mix of
anger, and of pain.  "That was," she said stiffly, "A joke.  You know.
Like the funny kind?"

Ranma blinked uncertainly.  After a moment, she nodded slowly, and
returned the pouch to her pocket.  "I'm sorry, Nabiki.  I didn't mean
to make you angry, too."  She seemed to deflate a little, and, turning
away, shuffled listlessly out of the room.  She paused for a moment
on the threshold.  "Thank you, Nabiki.  I'm... sorry."  The door closed
behind her with a soft click.

Nabiki had watched her go with tears in her eyes.  "I know, Ranma."
Her reply was soft, but her voice was thick with emotion.  "I'm sorry
too...  For a lot of things."

****  ####  ****

Akane found Ranma in the dojo that evening after supper.  He was
working through a kata that was more a dance than an exercise - one
pose dissolving fluidly into the next.  Akane just watched him for a
time, admiring the way he moved, his calm precision, and the aura of
quiet power that he seemed to radiate.  It was quite a contrast from
the timid young girl that had kept shying away from her at the
dinner table.

Akane shuddered.  Dinner had been a tense, almost painful affair.
Despite the others' attempts to act like nothing had happened, Akane
had still felt like a bug under a microscope.  She had not really felt
comfortable trying to approach Ranma with the rest of the family
present.  For her part, Ranma had seemed equally reluctant, even
fearful.  She had remained silent throughout the entire meal, had
eaten little, and would not meet anyone's gaze.

Ranma finished his exercise and toweled the sweat from his body.
He moved to a corner of the dojo, sat down, facing the wall, and
adopted a meditative position.  Taking a deep breath, Akane entered
the training hall.  She had an apology to make.

"Ranma."

In the blink of an eye, the frightened girl from dinner was back.
Ranma faced her, his back pressed to the wall, eyes wide, watching
her warily.  Akane's heart tore at the sight.  Was this what she had
done to him?  Was he really so afraid of her?  A voice in the back of
her mind nagged at her... "Are you satisfied now?" it asked.

Akane came into the dojo slowly, trying her best to project a sense of
peace and calm.  Moving to the centre of the training hall, Akane
knelt on the floor facing him, and put her hands in her lap.  Ranma
twitched once, but held his ground.

"Ranma... I am so sorry.  I... I never wanted to hurt you."

Ranma settled into more of a sitting position, but he kept his back
against the wall.  "Do you think that it feels *good* to be hit with
flying barbells?"  Ranma asked guardedly.

Akane hung her head.  "No.  Of course not.  I was angry - I wasn't
thinking.  I... I am very much ashamed of what I did."

Ranma was silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I just saw you rooting in that drawer, and... and I didn't know what
you were up to.  I don't even know what I thought you *might* be
doing.  After having had Happousai around for so long, I just..."

Ranma's eyes went wide again. "You're comparing me to that... that
old freak?"  Akane winced at the hurt in his voice.

"No!  It's not that!  It's just...  Why?  Why didn't you just *explain*
what you were doing?"

"Akane... when have you *ever* heard me out before clobbering me?
I tried!  But you didn't give me a chance, did you?  You just jumped
to a conclusion, and started throwing!"  Ranma turned his gaze to the
floor.  "Besides.  It was supposed to be a surprise."

"It was that," Akane said dryly.

"You found it then?"

"Kasumi did."

"Did you... did you like it?"

"I haven't opened it... I wasn't sure... I wasn't sure that you would
still want me to have it."

"I bought it for you."

"Oh, Ranma... will you... *can* you ever forgive me?"

Ranma stared into his wife's eyes for a long moment before he said
anything.  Finally, he nodded.  "There is," he said, "a condition."

Akane nodded.  "Name it."

"The next time something like this happens, I want you to promise
me that you'll *listen* before you decide to hit me.  Promise me that
you'll at least hear my side of it first.  Okay?"

"I promise.  I... I don't ever want to come this close to losing you
again."

After a moment, Ranma smiled tentatively and said.  "Why don't you
go open your present?  I'll be up as soon as I bathe."

##  ***  ##

Sitting in the tub, Ranma let the heat soak in and burn away the
tension of the days events.  There was still a tightness in his chest,
but Tofu-sensei had assured him that it would be gone soon.

Ranma hoped that Akane would like her present.  This was not the
way he would have chosen to give it to her - he had hoped that he
could surprise her with it.  But maybe it would be better this way.
Akane had promised to listen to him the next time.

If she would just do that - if she would hear what he had to say
before she started to pound him, then she would see.  She would see
that he DID love her - and that it wasn't his fault.  All it would take
would be that one time, and the others would follow.

Ranma sighed to himself.  Yes, that was the answer.  The next time,
Akane was going to listen before she hit him.  He would make sure of
that.  Then everything would be okay again.  Ranma got out of the
tub and toweled himself off.  Shrugging into his yukata, he headed
upstairs feeling better than he had in weeks.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

The next couple of weeks were frantic indeed.  Finals, and the college
entry exams were all coming up, and everyone was scrambling to get
ready.  Even Ranma was spending most of his time studying.  And so
a peculiar quiet descended upon the Tendou home.

Long hours, lots of tea, and piles of books became standard operating
procedure.  For the N'th time, Ranma thought as he was studying his
algebra, he wished there were such a thing as 'Martial Arts Maths'.

For the time being, he and Akane were getting along well, as long as
the topics did not stray from their studies.  She helped him with his
English and algebra, while he helped her with geometry.  Ranma's
martial arts training had given him a good grasp of spatial relations.
They worked out the calculus together.

Chemistry, physics, history, economics... there was *so* much to be
studied that Ranma and Akane simply didn't have the time to be at
each other's throats for once.  Strained as the relative silence was,
those who were not tearing their hair out over upcoming exams were
reveling in it.  They knew that it would be over all too soon.

When the tests finally came, they were something of an anticlimax.
At first, Akane had been worried - they had been too easy.  She just
knew that she had made major blunders on all of them, so she
tended to be a little snappish while they were all waiting for the
results.  For once, Ranma read her mood correctly, and made an
effort to stay out of her way.  Though he *did* leave her a rose and a
small box of her favourite chocolates on her pillow one night.  She
decided that she would forgive him for that.

When the results were finally posted, the wave of relief that Akane
felt was almost a physical force.  She had consistently scored in the
98th percentile on all of her tests.  While there were one or two
schools in Japan that would want better marks, they were more than
adequate to get her into any school she was likely to want to attend.

Surprisingly, Ranma had also done very well.  His marks were not as
good as Akane's, but he didn't have one below the 85th percentile.
Several of them were even in the 90's.  Ranma's attitude was
noncommittal.  Not a stellar performance, he decided, but he could
live with it.

In reality, Ranma was just as relieved as Akane.  He knew that he
had not been as diligent in school as he might have been, though he
really did not expect to need what they had to teach for his chosen
career.  He already had the training in the Art, and was learning
more every day.

The night that the last of the exam scores were posted, there was a
party at the dojo.  The mood was celebratory as Ranma and Akane
were finally able to relax somewhat, and bask in the glow of their
achievements.  It would start again all too soon if one, or both of
them actually elected to attend college.

Ranma was happy for Akane - he knew how much she hated to do
housework, and suspected that she would choose to go to college, if
only to have career options besides being a martial arts instructor or
a housewife.  An image of Akane in the kitchen flashed through his
mind and he smiled.  Yes, college would be a good choice for Akane.

For his own part, Ranma suspected that he would continue teaching
his classes at the dojo for the time being.  If he changed his mind and
decided to go to college after all, there was always the next year.
The hard part was behind him.  At least, he hoped it was.  He glanced
at Akane, who was in a corner with one of her friends laughing.  It
was good to see her smile again.  He hoped that it would continue,
now that exams were over.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

It was late afternoon, and the rains had come to wash away the heat
and dust of the day.  Occasional thunderclaps rumbled for attention,
adding a base note to the gentle rhythm of the falling rain.

Ranma was relaxing in the tub, letting his mind wander as the heat
soaked into sore muscles.  Why, he asked himself for the thousandth
time, couldn't that old crone just realize that it was over?  That she
had lost.  That there was no way he was going to marry Shampoo.
What had the two of them hoped to gain by that stunt?  Ranma
shook his head in disgust.

At least Shampoo had possessed the good sense to have been
embarrassed about it afterwards.  Ranma was starting to feel that he
had misjudged her... there was a *lot* more to the Amazon princess
than met the eye.  He was sure that she'd be a lot happier if she
could just get away from the old hag.  Ranma could not help feeling
regret at the way Nabiki had insured her lack of interference at the
wedding.  It had worked, but it had not been... honourable.

He was dimly aware that someone had entered the changing room,
but it didn't really register until he heard Akane's voice shatter the
calm.  "What in God's name is that *smell*?"

Ranma listened as Akane began rooting through the clothes bins
until, finally, she thought to check the waste basket.  Oboy, thought
Ranma.  Here it comes.  Almost as if by magic, Akane's shout
followed that thought.

"Ranma!"  The door to the changing room was slid aside so forcefully
that it almost jumped its track.  Akane stood framed in the opening,
waving the shredded remains of one of Ranma's Chinese shirts in one
hand while she covered her nose with the other.  For the second time
that day, Ranma's senses were assaulted by the overpowering scent
of cheap perfume and wet cat.  He shuddered.

"And just what is *this*?!" Akane bellowed at him.

Ranma blinked.  "That," he said carefully, "is what is left of one of my
favourite shirts."

"You know," said Akane through clenched teeth, "what I meant.  Just
what happened?  Why does it smell like a Chinese cathouse?"

Ranma flinched at Akane's choice of words, and tried to sink a little
lower in the tub.

Dropping the tattered rag back in the wastebasket, Akane stalked
towards the tub.  "I'll bet Shampoo had something to do with this. It
was that Amazon bimbo again, wasn't it?"

"Now, Akane, you're not being fair.  You know what her grandmother
is like!"

"So!  It *was* Shampoo!"

Ranma froze for an instant, then, reluctantly, he nodded.  "Yeah.  It
was Shampoo.  I tried to..."

Akane reacted on instinct. "You pervert!  You're married now!  You're
married to *me*!"  She aimed a vicious punch for Ranma's nose.

The blow never connected.  Ranma intercepted it, catching her fist in
his hand.  Akane snarled wordlessly and threw another punch with
her free hand.  Again, Ranma caught the blow.  "Hey!  You promised
that you would listen to me for once, before you tried to beat me to a
pulp.  Don't you remember that?"

Akane glared at him and tried to draw her fists back to strike again,
but his grip was iron.  "You promised," he reminded her again.
Sullenly, she nodded her acquiescence.

After studying her for a moment, Ranma nodded and released her
hands.  She drew up the stool, adjusted the sash on her yukata, sat
down by the tub, and waited for him to continue.

Akane remained expressionless as Ranma related the day's events.
At several points during the narrative, Ranma had paused, as if
waiting for Akane to say something, but she remained silent.  Ranma
would shrug, and resume his explanation.  He told her everything; he
left out no detail, no matter how small.

After he finished his story, he leaned back and waited.  Akane just
sat there, staring at him, saying nothing.  Ranma was starting to get a
bit annoyed and was about to say something when Akane got up and
headed for the door.  She paused for a moment, and looked back at
him, but he could tell nothing from her expression.  Then she flipped
off the lights, and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Well.  *That* went well..." said Ranma to himself.

##  ***  ##

Ranma sat alone, in the darkness, thinking.  Why was she so mad at
him?  He hadn't done anything!  Heck, he'd been trying to get *away*
from Shampoo.  It just wasn't fair!  She never believed him - even
those times when she had seen it with her own eyes.  Why?

He had told her the truth - as he always had.  She had not wanted to
listen at first - she never did.  But Ranma was determined that, for
once, he would have his chance for a full explanation.  For once he
was going to have his say before he let her pound him.  He had
promised his mother that the fighting would stop.  If only he could
get Akane to listen to him - to understand that it hadn't been his
fault - it would all be all right.

So he had told her the truth - and what had it gotten him?

Ranma sighed to himself.  He would be a long time forgetting the look
on Akane's face when he had caught her punch.  The burst of anger,
the grim set of determination, and the second fist had come for him.
He'd caught that one too - and Akane had agreed, reluctantly, to
listen.  But the look on her face had hurt him more than her blows
ever could.  There had been a flash of such anger, of such rage that it
had bordered on hatred.  In a way, Ranma wished that he'd just let
the blows land as he always had.

Despite the heat of the water, Ranma shivered.  Now he had hurt
Akane.  Again.  Ranma got out of the tub, and dried himself off.  He
dressed in a clean set of clothes and followed after his wife.  Maybe
if he told her that he was sorry, he could repair the damage.  He
hoped so.

##  ***  ##

Ranma came up quietly behind Akane.  Then he realized what she
was doing.  All thoughts about apologies vanished from his mind,
replaced by another hurt; an older hurt that was no less painful for
its familiarity.

"Checking up on me?" he asked.

"You didn't really expect me to believe that story, did you?"

"As it happens, I did.  It was the truth!  You don't trust me at all, do
you?"

"Well..."  She looked up at her husband - and flinched when she saw
the hurt in his eyes.  "Ranma..." she started to say.

Ranma took a step back.  "Do you really think so little of me?  Do you
think that I would make *up* a story like that?  That I would lie to
my wife?"

Akane started to get defensive.  "Well, your father certainly..." she
began to say, regretting the words the instant she spoke them.

Ranma stiffened.  Akane could almost see the shields he was putting
up, the barriers that were once more rising between them.  The
barriers that were shutting her out.  Why did it always have to be
this way?  She started to reach for him, but he retreated from her.

Ranma's tone was cold.  "I," he said quietly, "am *not* my father."

Ranma spun on his heel, and was gone.

Akane almost went after him.  Almost.  Instead, she sighed and
turned back to the phone.  She wanted to believe Ranma.  More than
anything, she wanted to believe that he had told her the truth, and
that there really was no reason for her to be angry with him.  But
when it came right down to it, she just could not.  This sort of thing
just happened far too frequently for her to believe that it was all
innocent.

But every time she had checked his stories out in the past, they had
been true.  Why couldn't she just give him the benefit of the doubt?
Why not believe what he told her?  Ranma had told her on countless
occasions that he was not interested in Shampoo...  Was it so hard to
believe that he might have meant it?

An image of the bubbly amazon bounced through Akane's mind.
Shampoo had a supple grace and an exotic beauty that she could not
hope to match.  Whenever she compared herself to Shampoo, she
always felt so plain... positively dowdy by contrast.

Of course Ranma was interested in her.  What man wouldn't be?
What kind of fool did he take her for?  Angrily, Akane seized the
handset on the phone and dialed the first number on her list.

Half an hour later, Akane hung up the phone and sighed.  Ranma had
told her the absolute truth.  Again.  For a moment she almost wished
that he had been lying - then maybe she wouldn't feel so bad for
having doubted him.

##  ***  ##

A gentle rain was still falling when Akane found Ranma in the dojo,
sitting quietly by himself, staring into the nothingness.  The remains
of two training dummies and almost an entire pallet of concrete
blocks lay scattered where they had fallen.  Ranma had been very
upset indeed.

"Ranma..."  The figure before her tensed, but made no other response.

"Ranma..." she said again.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to hurt you like
that.  It's not... it's not that I don't trust you..."

"Isn't it?"  Ranma's voice was almost a whisper.  "Hasn't that been a
part of the problem between us since the day we met?  You've
*never* trusted me."

Akane remembered *that* day well.  "It might not have been, if you
had told me that you were a boy from the beginning..."

"And you would have believed that?"

Irritation washed through Akane.  "That's not fair!  You never gave
me a *chance* to trust you, let alone a reason!"

Ranma sighed.  "Look.  I know that I was difficult to deal with back
then.  But I never wanted to hurt you."

Akane started to interrupt, but thought better of it when she saw
Ranma's expression.

"You have to understand...  I was angry, confused.  This... *curse*,"
Ranma fairly spat the word, "this curse was still new.  And the first
time Pop ever *mentioned* any engagement, we were almost to your
house.  I only found out about it a few minutes before you did."

The memories of that day flowed past her mind's eye.  She was
starting to get mad again just thinking about it.

Ranma, sensing her mood, shifted the topic.  "Do you have any idea
how much it meant to me, that first day, when you asked if I wanted
to be your friend?  How much I wanted that friendship... *needed*
that friendship?"

Akane looked surprised.  Ranma looked at the floor again.

"And after our sparring session... do you remember what you said?"

"About how glad I was that you were a girl?  That I was glad that
you weren't a boy?"

Ranma nodded glumly.  "After that... what was I supposed to say?
There was no way for me to win.  And when you found out that I
*was* a boy..."  Ranma seemed to sag.

Akane flinched as the pain in his voice struck her.  "Ranma..."

"Akane, tell me.  Have I lied to you since we've been married?  Have
I ever given you a reason to doubt me?"

That caught Akane off guard.  "What?!  Of course you have!  Lots of
times!"  she retorted.

Ranma just looked at her sadly.  "Have I?  When?  Just give me one
example."

"What do you...?"

"A single event will do.  Name just one time that you can show that I
lied to you."

Akane gaped at him.  The thousand and one examples that were
always on the tip of her tongue seemed to have deserted her.  She
could not come up with a single instance.  She could feel the rage
starting to build inside her.

"You see?"  Ranma's tone was as mournful as his expression.  "You've
been so angry at me ever since you found out that I was really a boy
that you've never given me a chance to explain anything."  Ranma
paused.  "And when you *did* hear what I was saying, it was always
when I managed to put my foot in my mouth..."

"Well, *that* happens often enough," Akane replied, glad to be back
on familiar ground.

Ranma shot her a dark look, but it did not change the wistful tone in
his voice.  "Then there are the times that you let that anger go.  It
doesn't happen often anymore, but in those moments you are so
beautiful...."

Akane looked at him in shock.  "Ranma...."

Ranma looked wearily up at her.  "Does that really surprise you so
much?" he asked.  He shook his head.  "Our fathers arranged this
marriage.  They made a LOT of mistakes along the way.  But I didn't
marry you because of them.  I didn't marry you because of Mom."
He paused.

"Then why..." began Akane.

"Dammit, Akane, I married you because I lo... I lo... oh hell.  I married
you because I LOVE you!  I love you more than anything or anyone
else in this world!  And I thought... I had hoped... that maybe you
loved me too."  Ranma got to his feet, gave Akane one more sad look,
and heedless of the rain, walked out of the training hall and into the
night.

Akane was left doing a fair impersonation of a goldfish.  Her eyes
were wide, her mouth would open and then snap shut, but she made
no sound.  Those words... that admission had come hard for Ranma.
For an instant, the shields had come down.  He had at last started to
really share his feelings with her.  She had waited so long for this
moment; prayed so hard for it; now it had finally come...

And she had spoiled it.

##  ***  ##

Damn!  Was it always going to be like this?  Were she and Ranma
destined always to be at each other's throats?  She had known that
he loved her - she had known for a long time.  But she had never
been able to admit it to herself, any more than she had been able to
admit her love for him.  There were still times that she was sure it
was all an illusion - that none of what she felt was real.  It was all so
very confusing!

Akane was beginning to feel like she was in over her head.  She
needed to talk to someone.  She needed to get some advice.  With a
sigh, she headed back into the house.  Maybe Kasumi would be able
to help her.

Kasumi, however, was not at home.  A note in the kitchen said that
she had gone to do the shopping, and run some other errands, and
that she would be back directly, with dinner.  Akane hesitated for a
moment, and then headed for Nabiki's room.  If she didn't talk to
*someone*, she was afraid that her head would explode.

##  ***  ##

Nabiki was sprawled on her bed with her nose buried in a manga
when there was a knock at the door.  "Come in," she called.

The door opened, and hesitant footfalls sounded as someone walked
over to the chair at her desk.  The chair squeaked as the person sat
down.  Then there was silence until Nabiki reached the end of the
chapter in her manga, and turned to face her visitor.

"Akane!  What's wrong?" she asked.

Akane just sat there for a few moments, as if trying to collect her
thoughts.  Finally, she said, "It's Ranma."

Might have known, thought Nabiki.  "Don't you ever get tired of
fighting with Ranma?"

"I wasn't fighting with him!" Akane said, a little defensively.  "Ranma
won't fight me anymore."

Nabiki blinked.  "And this disturbs you?  If he won't fight you, then
why do you pound on him so?

"He's always making fun of me - causing trouble.  And he keeps
sneaking around with other women!"

"Other women? What other women?"

"Ukyou, mostly!"

"Ukyou is his friend, right?  He probably doesn't even think of her as
a woman.  Why do you object to him visiting her?"

"Because he spends more time with her than he spends with me."

"First of all, that's not true, and you know it."

"Okay, maybe not, but he spends an awful LOT of time with her!"

Nabiki was getting exasperated.  "Maybe he'd spend more time with
you if you would quit kicking him out of the house!  If you weren't
always hitting him, or yelling at him!"

"Hey!  Just whose side are you on, anyway?"

"I'm not on any side.  I want to see you two get along.  I want some
peace around here for a change!"  Nabiki tried another tack.  "Akane,
I wasn't your first choice to talk to about this, was I?"

"What?  Sure you...."

"Akane, I know better.  You went looking for Kasumi first, didn't
you?"

After the briefest of hesitations, Akane nodded guiltily.

"Do you want to know why?"

Akane blinked.  Wasn't that supposed to have been her line?  "I just
figured that she would have more time to talk..." Akane started to
say.

Nabiki shook her head.  "Nope.  You went looking for Kasumi because
you knew that she would pat you on the head, tell you not to worry,
and that everything would be all right.  And I won't do that."

"That's not fair!"

"Isn't it?  I know that Ranma can be a jerk some of the time...."

"A LOT of the time!"

"Fine.  A lot of the time.  But he is not the sole cause of all of your
problems."

"What's *that* supposed to mean?  I thought that you were going to
help me!"

Nabiki sighed.  "Akane... you came to me for advice.  I'm trying to
give it to you, but I'm not going to sugar coat things like Kasumi does.
You have to take some of the responsibility here.  You can't keep
blaming Ranma for everything.  You have to meet him half way."

"Why are you defending him?"

Nabiki had had enough.  "I'm *not* defending him!  But I know how
the poor bastard feels!  I know what it's like to have everyone doubt
your word - to have everyone suspicious of anything that you do or
say.  I'm not proud of that, but I know who's fault it is!"

"Nabiki!"

"Dammit, Akane, listen to me.  You have *got* to learn to learn that
you are the only one who can control yourself.  You can't blame it on
someone else if you can't control your own temper."

Akane started to get up, fists clenching and a dark expression on her
face.  She took a step toward her sister, but Nabiki froze her with a
look.  "What are you gonna do, sis?  Hit me?  Will that make you feel
better?"

Akane dropped back into the chair, an expression of stunned horror
on her face.  "Hit you?  I almost...  I... I'm sorry, Nabiki...."

"There, do you see what I mean?  You were about to lose it again.
Whose fault would it have been?  Mine?  Ranma's?"

"Yes, I see your point."  Akane shuddered and hung her head.

"Do you?  You didn't hit me - but you *do* hit Ranma.  All the time.
Why should he want to spend his time getting pounded?"

"But he *deserves* it!"

"Does he?  How do you know?  You're never going to get along with
Ranma the way you want to until you learn to listen to him.  You've
got to learn to trust him."

"But how can I trust him?  How can I know that he's telling me the
truth?"

"You have to take it on faith, Akane.  That's what trust is all about.  I
can only tell you that for as long as I've known Ranma, he has never
done anything to deliberately hurt you.  Not deep down.  He loves
you, and he always has."

"Do you... do you really think so?"

Nabiki smiled.  "I know so."

"Maybe you're right...."  Akane slumped miserably in the chair.  "Oh,
God, I've really messed things up now.  The last thing he said to me
tonight was that he loved me.  He said it, Nabiki.  I heard him.  He
finally said it."  Akane looked like she was about ready to cry.  "Now
it may be too late."

"Akane, it is *not* too late.  I've told you before, you just need to
open up a little.  You've got it pretty good, if you'd just open your
eyes and see it."

****  ####  ****

*Ring*

"Damn!  Konatsu, can you take over here for a second?  Thanks."
Ukyou grabbed for the receiver.  "Ucchan's Okonomiyaki Ya!  How
can I help you?  Kasumi?  No, I haven't seen him for a couple of days.
Why?  What's going on?"

Ukyou listened for a few moments, and her brow began to furrow.
"That's not like him... have you tried the Neko-Hanten?"  A pause.  "I
see.  Okay, Kasumi.  Don't worry.  I'll see what I can do.  Ja."

Ukyou hung up the phone and turned to see Konatsu regarding her
with a curious expression.  "Ran-chan's missing." she said in answer
to his unvoiced question.  "He missed dinner.  Apparently, he and
Akane had a bit of a... disagreement this afternoon, and Ranma left.
No one has seen him since."

Ukyou took off her apron and reached for a light jacket.  Then she
buckled on her bandoleer of throwing spatulas.  For a moment, she
considered taking her combat spatula, but decided to leave it behind.
She turned back to Konatsu.  "Take care of the place, will you?  If
Kasumi calls again, tell her that I'll bring Ranma home as soon as I
find him."  At the kunoichi's nod, she walked out into the rain to
begin her search.

##  ***  ##

Ukyou searched for hours.  Ranma was nowhere to be found.  He was
not under his favourite bridge, he wasn't near the school, he wasn't
in the park - none of his friends from school had seen any trace of
him.  Ukyou widened her search pattern, and started checking in
every open eating or drinking establishment that she could find.  She
checked the kissatens, the pubs, the beer halls, and the bars.

Finally, over five hours after Kasumi had first called her, Ukyou's
persistence paid off.  She had come across a seedy little cabaret on
the south side of the district called the Cha Cha Maru.  She walked up
to the bar, and asked the master the same questions that she had
been asking all night.

Had he seen a dark-haired young man with a pig tail?  No, he hadn't.
However, when she asked if he had seen a redheaded *girl* with a
pig tail, she was directed to a little back corner booth, all but hidden
in the shadows.  When she reached the indicated booth, Ukyou was a
little shocked by the sight that greeted her.

Something inside Ranma had broken.  She looked okay physically,
but a bit of the spark was gone, and there was a weariness about her
that went well beyond her years.  Her face was flushed, her eyes
were red and puffy, and it was apparent that she had been crying.
Judging from the number of sake bottles on the table in front of her,
she was more than a little sloshed.

Ranma didn't even look up; she just waved an empty bottle listlessly,
and muttered, "Another one, please."

Ukyou eased into the booth, opposite Ranma.  "Don't you think you've
had enough?"

Ranma looked blearily up at her visitor.  After a moment, her eyes
seemed to clear a bit, and recognition dawned.  "Ucchan!  'sgreat!
Pull up a seat an' siddown.  'ave a drink!"  Ranma started to pass a
sake bottle toward Ukyou, then noticed that it was empty.  She
frowned at it.  "'sfunny... coulda sworn it was full a minute ago...."
Rapping the tabletop with the empty bottle, Ranma called the
waitress.

While they were waiting for the waitress to return with more sake,
Ukyou asked, "So.  What's up?  What are you doing here?"

Ranma smiled drunkenly.  "'m havin' a party!  'm celebratin'!"

"Really?  What's the occasion?"

"Finally told her, didn't I?  Yup!  Finally told her, I did!"

"Told her?  Told who?  What did you tell her, Ran-chan?"

"Told *Akane*.  Finally told her.  Told her I loved her, I did."  There
was a pause, and Ranma seemed to fall in on herself, collapsing like a
poorly inflated balloon.  "She didn't believe me.  She *never* believes
me."

"Ran-chan...."

Ranma hiccoughed and wagged a finger.  "'S'not like I'm like Pop...
nope.  Nothing like the ol' man.  But ya can't tell *her* that... oh, no!
The high an' mighty miss Akane can do no wrong - and lil' ol' Ranma
can never be right.  's'a perfeck match, inn't it?"  She paused to take
a breath.

"What do I have to do, Ucchan?  Why won't she trust me?"  Tears
welled up in the redhead's eyes.  "She never believes me...  I've tried
so hard... but no matter what I do... she still won't take anything I
say on faith...."

Ukyou had no idea what to say.  A silence descended over the little
booth, and the waitress returned with another supply of sake.  After
she left, Ranma took one of the bottles, and drained half of it in one
gulp.

Ranma looked imploringly at her friend.  "I didn't *do* anything,
Ucchan!  I swear, I didn't!  It was the truth!  Only an idiot would
make up a story like that!"

"Whoa, I believe you, Ran-chan!"

"There, ya see?  I tol' her it was the truth, but no...."  The sake bottle
in Ranma's hand exploded as she tightened her grip.  She didn't even
notice.  "Whatever happens... it's always my fault.  It's always my
fault...  my fault..."  Tears were flowing freely now.  "I don't know
what to do anymore..." she said in a small voice.

Ukyou reached across the table, and took hold of Ranma's hands.
"The first thing we do, Ran-chan, is get you home."

Panic filled Ranma's eyes.  "Home?  No... no... can't go there.  Akane...
she's there.  It would be bad...."

Ukyou sighed.  "You could stay at the Ucchan, if you want.  There's a
spare room in the back."

For the first time since she had found her, something like the ghost
of a smile passed over Ranma's features.  "Thanks, Ucchan... I
appreci... appreeshi... I'm grateful for the offer.  But you know as well
as I do what Akane would do if she ever found out about *that*...."
Ranma picked up another little bottle and tossed back its contents.

"Where else can you go?"

Ranma looked glum.  "I'm doomed...."  A brief flare of hope.  "I could
live under the bridge for a while...."  Her face fell.  "No, I guess not."
A heavy sigh.  "I really don't have a choice, do I?"

Ukyou smiled sadly.  "Now, Ran-chan.  You *know* that I can't
answer that one for you."

"'S'not like it matters anyway..." Ranma's tone was bitter.  "It's never
gonna be any different... it's never gonna change, is it?  She'll never
trust me, no matter *what* I do.  'S'not fair!"  Ranma sniffled loudly
and wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve.

Ukyou's heart ached to see the emptiness in her friend's expression.
Ranma had given up hope.  Not knowing what else to do, she
squeezed Ranma's hand and said, "C'mon, Ran-chan.  Let's go home.
It'll be better in the morning.  You'll see."  She hoped that the words
would be true, but deep down, she doubted it.

Ranma nodded resignedly, and got to her feet.  As soon as she was
out of her seat, she was starting to fall.  She caught herself on the
table, and waited for the dizziness to pass.  Then, with Ukyou's help,
she staggered up toward the bar and paid her tab.

They had just made it out of the bar, when Ranma spoke up again,
her voice strained. "Ucchan?"

"Yes, Ran-chan?"

"M'gonna be sick...."

****  ####  ****

Five o'clock in the morning.  Normal people were all asleep, thought
Ukyou disgustedly.  She sighed, and shifted her burden to the other
shoulder.  Even as a girl Ran-chan could get heavy after a few miles.
Fortunately, the dojo was just ahead.

Two blocks later, she was standing in the entryway to the Tendou
home.  She hoped that there would be someone up...  She didn't want
to be responsible for waking anyone, but she had made a promise.
Hesitantly, she knocked at the door.

Seconds later, Kasumi answered.  Ukyou blinked.  Kasumi was not
only up, but was dressed and acting as if she'd *been* up for hours.
Did this woman never sleep?  Shrugging mentally, Ukyou smiled and
said, "Good morning, Kasumi. I found her."

Kasumi smiled warmly and beckoned Ukyou into the house.  "Thank
you, Ukyou.  You are a good friend to Ranma.  Would you bring him
this way, please?"  She led Ukyou into the house, and to a vacant
room on the first floor.  Ukyou set her load on the futon as gently as
she could, then stood and stretched to relieve the cramping in her
aching muscles.  Kasumi had set about tending to Ranma.

Walking to the end of the room, Ukyou sat down on a chest to rest
and catch her breath before making the trip back to the restaurant,
and her own apartment.  She was grateful that she didn't open until
eleven.  Not that it mattered - she was planning on letting Konatsu
handle the morning shift.  She was going to *sleep*.

There was a patter of footsteps outside the room, and the door
opened to reveal a very worried looking Akane.  "Kasumi?  I thought
that I heard voices..."  She trailed off as she caught sight of the figure
on the futon.  "Ranma!" she cried, running forward.

Gently, Kasumi intercepted her sister's charge.  "Now, Akane... you
must let Ranma sleep.  Unless I miss my guess, he has had rather a
lot to drink and will, no doubt, be feeling the effects."  She looked
briefly to Ukyou, who nodded confirmation.

Akane noticed Ukyou for the first time.  Her expression darkened, as
she added two and two to make a well rounded five.  "So," she said,
her voice dripping acid.  "She spent the night with you, did she?  I
might have known it.  And to think that I was *worried* about the
pervert."

"Hey, hey, calm down," said Ukyou.  "She wasn't with me.  I found
her in a bar a couple of hours ago."

"You think that I'm gonna believe that?"

Ukyou shrugged.  "It's the truth.  There are witnesses, if you'd like.
Though I'm beginning to see why Ranma was so upset."

"Then what took you so long to get her here?" Akane growled.

"Akane!" exclaimed Kasumi, scandalized.  "Don't be so rude!  Ukyou
has been very helpful."

Ukyou stood wearily, and headed for the door.  "It's okay, Kasumi.
Some things will never change, will they?"  She turned to Akane.
"For your information, Mrs. Saotome, your husband over there was
drinking herself into a stupor because she's convinced that you don't
love her, and that you don't trust her.  If I were you, I'd be thinking
about how I was going to convince her otherwise.

"And as for 'what took so long to get here,' I carried her back here
over two and a half miles."  Ukyou was out of the room and on her
way out the door before Akane had a chance to start thinking of a
clever response.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

Akane sat alone in the darkness of the training hall, thinking.  The
shattered remains of a large number of concrete blocks were arrayed
around her, like some surreal landscape - all hard, unforgiving lines
and broken edges.  It matched her mood perfectly.

Ukyou's words had stung, more than she cared to admit.  More to the
point, since she had brought him home, there was something wrong
with Ranma.  Something was missing.  He was still as much of a jerk
as ever, but some of the vitality was gone.  He would still declare his
innocence, but there was no more force behind those protestations.
It was almost as if he didn't care anymore.  As though he no longer
expected her to trust him.

Trust Ranma.  Hah!  That was a laugh.  Did everyone think that she
was stupid?  Did she have 'moron' tattooed across her forehead or
something?  It was infuriating!  Nabiki had almost convinced her -
almost had her believing that Ranma really did love her.

Though something Nabiki had said was still bothering her... about
fighting...  Was it true?  Was she fighting with Ranma too much?
How could that be?  He wouldn't fight her!  Nabiki was imagining
things.  Of course it was all Ranma's fault.  Everything would be fine,
if only he'd fight back!  If only she could show him that she was
more than some doll for him to protect.  She, too, was a trained
martial artist.  She, too, was a fighter.

Akane almost could not remember a time when she had not been
fighting.  Fighting had come to define a part of her - it was what
made her feel truly alive.  She thought back over the span of years,
and let the memories wash over her.  Some of the most intense
images were here - of this place.  There were others, but her mind
shied away from them, nervous, in the dark.

Whenever she had come upon a problem that she could not solve,
whenever she had to deal with the frustration of things she could not
control, the dojo had been her sanctuary.  She had come here to vent
that frustration;  to feel the surge of power as the adrenaline coursed
through her;  to strike back, however symbolically, at a world that
didn't seem to care about the needs or the desires of Tendou Akane.
She came here a LOT.  It had been so ever since...  ever since she was
a little girl.

Occasionally, she had slipped.  A new and unfamiliar technique, or
perhaps just her impatience getting the better of her as she rushed
through her exercises, and there would be pain as her body betrayed
her, unable to keep the pace that her mind and heart demanded of it.
When that had happened, Kasumi had sent her to see the doctor.

The first time, she had refused.  The injury had made her angry
more than it really hurt, and it seemed silly to go to the doctor over
such a little thing.  It made her feel weak.  Besides.  What could a
doctor do?  They had no power...

But Tofu sensei had made her feel better.  He had listened to her
account of the injury, and after just a few moments he had made the
pain go away.  He had even told her a secret to help her master the
technique she had been trying.  From then on, when she had hurt
herself, she had gone willingly.

Tofu sensei had always made her feel better - made the pain go
away.  He had a strength that astonished her, yet he was so calm and
so gentle.  It was as if he could channel that peace into her, soothing
her troubled spirit and washing away the embers that burned deep
in her soul, leaving her feeling cool and refreshed.  She had loved
him for it.

As she grew older and her skills had grown, so had the number of
things that caused her frustration.  She had thrown herself into the
Art with a vengeance - earning a reputation for being tomboy in the
process.  Akane wouldn't have minded so much if it hadn't been for
the mildly disapproving feeling that she got from Kasumi.

At least Kunou-sempai and the boys at school were easy to deal with.
If she thumped them in the morning, they would leave her alone for
the rest of the day.  A sort of balance was achieved, and life fell into
a routine.  But when Ranma had come, she had lost her balance - the
routine had been shattered.  In an instant, her entire world had been
turned upside down.

Ranma had a strength and a skill that left her in awe - but he had an
attitude that drove her to distraction.  He could be so nice, but
always in such a backhanded way that she was often unsure whether
he had complimented her, or insulted her.  She had usually felt safer
in assuming the latter.  Had that been fair?  She didn't know.

Strangely, Ranma had also come as a relief - When something went
wrong, she never had to look far for the reason.  He was always
there, at the center of the chaos.  Gradually, her anger had begun to
find a focus.

Before her rage had been spread among the many would-be suitors
that attacked her in the mornings.  As they had given up the chase in
the face of Ranma's arrival, Akane had put more and more of that
energy into her feud with her would-be husband.  Every time he
won a fight, every time he learned a new technique, her drive to
beat him grew - she poured more of her anger out against him.

Ranma had become a symbol of sorts.  It was now almost a religion
to her - to defeat the chaos - to finally win against the forces over
which she had no control, she had to defeat Ranma.  But lately, even
that hope had been denied her - how could she defeat someone who
refused to fight her?

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

Ranma decided to go down and see Ucchan again.  Whenever he was
particularly depressed, he'd go to see her.  He'd been going to see her
a lot lately.  He knew that Akane didn't like it, but he had made a
vow.  He had sworn that he would never abandon his friend - that he
would never neglect her.  For Ranma, friends, real friends, were
entirely too hard to come by.  Ukyou was always there for him, and
she always listened.

When he wasn't in the mood to talk, she would.  She'd tell him about
how business was going, or about a new technique she'd learned.  On
occasion, she'd tell him about the last person she'd gone on a date
with, and why it was never going to work.  She was always so bright
and friendly, so full of life and optimism that spending time with her
never failed to make him feel better.

She was also one of the only people that he would trust to ask for
advice in dealing with Akane.  Her suggestions were usually good
ones, and worked well, as long as he didn't tell Akane where he got
the ideas.  It was a pity, really.  Ranma was certain that Akane and
Ukyou could have been really good friends, if only things had been
different.

Yes, it was definitely time to pay Ucchan a visit.

Ranma's train of thought was derailed, as Akane caught sight of him.

"Where in the hell do you think you're going?"

"OUT."

"You're going to the Ucchan again, aren't you?"

"What if I am?"

"I don't want you to!  I don't like it when you go to see Ukyou!"

"But Akane!  Why?  Ucchan is my best friend!"

"Yah, sure!  She's the 'best friend' who tried to kill me!"

"No, she didn't!  Those little flashbombs of hers were harmless.  They
didn't even make as much noise as Shampoo's nikuman!"

"Well, she certainly tried to ruin our wedding!"

"And she apologized for that!  She was even my best man when we
did get married!"

"Ha!  You're the only pervert that I know who would choose a girl to
be your best MAN."

Ranma clenched his fists in frustration.  Why was Akane doing this?
A dozen angry replies raced through his mind, each more acerbic and
sarcastic than the last, but, mindful of his promise to his mother, he
bit them all back.  Instead, he just glared at his wife, and fought to
keep the hurt from making him say something that he would regret
later.

"I'll see you later." he snarled as he turned and walked out of the
room.

"Ranma!  Don't you *dare* walk out on me!  I'm not done with you
yet!"

Ranma paused for a moment, his back ramrod straight.  Mentally, he
ran through a series of exercises that were designed to reduce stress,
and, once he was sure that he was in control again, he resumed his
stalk out the door, and out of the house.  He did not look back.
Akane's angry shouting followed him down the street.

"Dammit, Ranma, I'd better not find out that you've been seeing
*her* again!"

Ranma kept walking.

****  ####  ****

Friend.  Ukyou was just his friend, he had said.  Nothing more.  But
how could Akane be sure?  For over a year, that friend had done her
best to take Ranma away.  She had failed, hadn't she?  Akane wasn't
so sure.

When Ranma got home that night, Akane was waiting to tear into
him.  "And just where have you been?  Out on another date with
Ukyou, no doubt!"

"No," said Ranma.  "I wasn't."  He started up the stairs.  "I'm going to
bed."

As Ranma entered the bedroom, Akane was right behind him.  "Are
you telling me that you *didn't* go to the Ucchan today?"

"I didn't say that.  I said that I hadn't been out on a 'date' with her.
Let alone 'another' date."

"Yeah?  Well, what would you call it when she brought you home the
other night?  At five in the morning, no less!"

"I'd call it very nice of her," Ranma said.  "I'd never have made it
home at all, otherwise."

Akane harumphed.  "So what *did* you do then?"

"Ucchan's was really busy today, so I made a few delivery runs for
her.  She needed the help, and I wanted the exercise."

"Oh, is *that* what you're calling it now...."

"Akane, don't.  It's not like that!"  Ranma took her hand in his.  "Why
is it so hard for you to believe that I...."

Snatching her hand away, Akane snapped, "Don't touch me, you
philanderer...  don't you ever touch me like that again!"

Ranma looked as if she'd struck him.  He backed slowly away from
her, his expression darkening, hardening as he hastily rebuilt his
defences.  "Fine.  If that's what you want."

Ranma snatched a pillow and a blanket.  "I," he said tightly, "will be
on the roof."  He strode through the door, pulling it closed after him
with exaggerated care.  There was a decisive 'click', and he was gone.

Swearing under her breath, Akane got ready for sleep.  The bed felt
wrong though.  As a place where so many of their early arguments
had been resolved, the void at her side reminded her of just how
many arguments they had been having lately - and just how few
resolutions.  What had once promised to be warm and inviting was
now desolate and cold.

Akane spent the night tossing and turning, sleeping fitfully at best.
Images of Ranma poured through her dreams, memories that she
treasured for their warmth and yet also managed to intensify her
sense of loss:

Ranma, perched on the fence by the canal, trying in his own way to
tell her that she was cute, after Ryouga had cut her hair....

Ranma, confronting Sanzenin Mikado and declaring for all the world
to hear that she was *his* fiancee... and his refusal to let her go in
that dreadful spin....

Ranma after he, Ryouga and Mousse had returned from the battle
with Herb, and the Musk...  The tender look in his eyes as he had
hugged her... *really* hugged her for the first time....

Ranma on Togenkyou, using the last of his strength to destroy the
spring and his own cure... to save her.

Ranma on the plateau at Jyusendou - his tortured scream echoing
through the mountains when he had thought her dead....

Ranma in his tuxedo at the wedding, looking nervous and scared, but
with a light in his eyes that had warmed her heart....

Ranma as a girl on the beach at the ryoukan where they had spent
their honeymoon - laughing and free, reveling in the wind and the
surf as the two of them ran until they had collapsed in a heap....

Ranma hunched over the edge of the veranda, heaving as he threw
up the special dinner that she had worked so hard to prepare....

Ranma *finally* telling her that he loved her - and then walking
dejectedly into the rain....

Ranma stalking out of the house as she had been shouting at him,
forbidding him to see his friend.

Akane awoke with a start as the slam of the door in her dream
echoed through her mind.  There was a flash of lightning outside the
window, and another peal of thunder shook the house.  The clock on
the desk said it was six in the morning, but it was so dark out that it
might as well have been the middle of the night.  Rain was coming
down in sheets, and from the look of the garden pond, it had been for
most of the night.

Akane dressed slowly and headed downstairs for breakfast.  Ranma
was already there, in girl form, eating rice and miso soup.  For once,
she was eating in a civilised manner.  Akane had long wished that
Ranma would learn proper table manners, but faced with the reality,
it was somehow chilling.  As if on cue, Ranma cut loose with a sneeze
and a shiver.

Remembering Ranma's words from the night before, Akane's eyes
widened.  "You were on the roof the whole night?  In the rain?
Baka!"

Ranma just gave her a look.

Akane's temper started to rise.  "Damn you and your male pride!
What is it with you anyway?  Why?  Why won't you ever tell me
what you're feeling?"

Ranma shook her head wearily.  "What'd be the point?  I tried - but
it didn't help... you didn't believe me."

"That's not fair!"

"Maybe not.  But it works both ways, you know.  What about you?
Tell me what you are feeling right now."

"Angry!  I'm feeling angry!"

"Is that all?"

"YES, dammit!"

Ranma almost smiled, though the tone of her voice carried a sadness
that was all but tangible in its intensity.

"Is there nothing more?" she asked.  "No regret, that we spend so
much of our time arguing?  No frustration, that neither of us will let
the other get close?  No fear, that it will never change - that it will
always be like this?  No despair, at the thought of the pain that could
be avoided, if only your stubborn husband would admit his true
feelings?"

The redhead got up, yawned and stretched.  "I'm going to take a
good, hot soak."  Gathering her breakfast dishes, she headed for the
kitchen to give them to Kasumi on her way to the bath.

Akane watched Ranma go in a state of shock.  He'd done it to her
again.  Again he had opened up to her - shown her exactly what she
had wanted to see - what she had ached to see.  And again, she had
spoiled it.  Akane didn't know if she wanted to cry or to scream.

Ranma had been right about every single thing that she had been
feeling - feelings to which she could never confess now.  Not after
having denied them so stoutly.  She hated him when he did that.  It
made her feel so inadequate - so... weak.  It just wasn't FAIR.

"Shit."  Akane said to no one in particular.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

It was a quiet afternoon in the Ucchan.  Ranma and Ukyou had the
restaurant to themselves at the moment.  Ranma was watching as
Ukyou worked at the grill, spatulas flying.

"Here Ran-chan - give this a try and tell me what you think."

Ukyou passed a plate across the counter.  Ranma took the plate,
sniffed at it, and smiled.  "Smells good, Ucchan!  What is it?"

"New recipe - I'm experimenting a bit.  So, go on, try it!"

Ranma popped a bite into his mouth, chewed carefully, and
swallowed.  The rest of Ukyou's experimental okonomiyaki
disappeared in a single gulp.  Ukyou grinned.  "Right.  It passes the
Ran-chan test...."

Ranma nodded enthusiastically and held the plate out for more.
Ukyou was pouring the batter on the grill, when the front doors to
the Ucchan exploded off their hinges.  Instantly, Ukyou had her
combat spatula in her hands, and Ranma had dropped into a crouch.
Konatsu appeared from the back room, also at the ready.

Akane stood in the doorway, seething.

"What the *hell* did you do that for?" cried Ukyou.

Akane ignored the okonomiyaki cook and glared at her husband.
"Go.  Home.  Now." she said.

Ranma looked toward Ukyou.  She smiled at him, and shrugged.  He
gave her an apologetic look and moved toward the door.  Pausing on
the threshold, he waited for his wife to follow.

"Go on."

"It's okay, Ran-chan."

Ranma left the little restaurant, but he did not appear to be happy
about it.  Once he had gone, the tension built like a static charge.  The
air all but crackled with the power of barely controlled emotions.

Turning on Ukyou, Akane snarled.  "Stay the hell away from him.
Ranma belongs to *me*.

"He's your husband, not some kind of pet, Akane.  You don't own
him."

"That's right.  He's *my* husband.  Don't you ever forget that."

"Oh, I won't.  But he's also *my* friend."  Ukyou glared at her
nemesis.  "I'm not going to abandon a friend, just because you say
so."

"We've fought over Ranma before.  I won.  You lost.  I don't have to
be nice to you anymore.  So stay away from him, or you're going to
get hurt."

"A challenge, eh?  You come into my restaurant; you threaten me;
you harass one of my regular customers - give me just one good
reason that I shouldn't put you in hospital right now!"

"Because then Ranma would hate you, wouldn't he?" said Akane
nastily.

Ukyou tightened her grip on the handle of her combat spatula.  "Push
me any farther, and I just *might* take that chance.  Now.  Get.  Out.
Ran-chan is always welcome here - but until you can learn some
manners, *you* are *not*.

Akane glared at Ukyou for a moment longer, eyes flashing.  Then,
with a contemptuous toss of her head, she spun on her heel and
stormed out of the little restaurant.

Ukyou watched her go, torn between the desire to rip Akane's head
off, and the fear that Ranma really would hate her if they had fought.
After a few moments and several deep breathing exercises, she was
able to calm herself somewhat.  She turned toward Konatsu.

"Get a crew in here to fix that door," she said.  "You know where to
send the bill.  Address it to Nabiki."  Konatsu turned to do as he was
asked, and Ukyou once more regarded the shattered door.  "One of
these days," she muttered, "that girl is going to go too far."

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

P-chan sat on the veranda of the Tendou home, staring into space,
trying to sort out his feelings.  He had come, recently, to some very
unsettling conclusions.

He didn't love Akane anymore.  He liked her.  He respected her.  But
he didn't love her.  The thought troubled him.  She had been the
focus of every waking thought, and of every dream for a very long
time.  His entire reason for living had been to make her happy - to
love her and care for her.  Even if it had to be as nothing more than
her pet pig, he had been committed to her happiness.

He was not quite sure when, or how he had come to the realization,
but the conclusion was inescapable.  Perhaps it had begun when he'd
met Akari.  Akari even knew about his curse, and still she loved him.
In an odd way, he had Ranma to thank for that.  It had been Ranma
that had fought so hard to bring the two of them together.  Between
his own sensitivity to his curse, and Akari's devotion to all things
porcine, it had been a hard fight.

Perhaps it had started when Ranma and Akane had finally gotten
married.  He had always known, deep down, that it was Ranma that
Akane loved.  As her pet, he had been privileged to share her
innermost secrets - her hopes, her dreams, her joys and her sorrows.
At the heart of them all was Ranma.  She was forever beyond his
reach.

And so, he had contented himself with being her pet, and her friend,
on those occasions when 'Ryouga' could manage to find the dojo.  He
was willing to accept that fate, if it meant that Akane would be
happy.

But Akane did not stay happy.  For the first few weeks after she and
Ranma were married, she had been almost delirious with joy.  Not
that she let Ranma know it, but P-chan knew, and was happy for her,
even as his own heart broke.

As time passed, Akane started to get angry again; mostly at Ranma.
She still loved him, of that P-chan was certain.  However, nothing
that Ranma could do would please her.  Obviously it was all Ranma's
fault - Ranma's ability to put his foot in his mouth was second only to
his skill as a martial artist.  Lately, though, Ryouga was not so sure.

He was beginning to see a much darker side to Akane... a side that he
had never really noticed before, blinded as he had been by his own
anger with Saotome.  Akane was kind and loving, but beneath that
surface there was steel - steel with a hard temper.  Brittle and cold,
that steel lent Akane's anger a sharp cutting edge.  It frightened him.

The pig stiffened as his senses alerted him to approaching footsteps.
It was too late to run.  He turned to see Ranma coming toward him
along the veranda.  Ranma did not look very happy.  Ryouga's fight
or flight reflex locked up, and he froze.

But Ranma didn't attack.  The only sign that Ranma had even noticed
him had been a listless wave, and a mumbled, "Hey, Ryouga.  How's it
goin'..." as he walked past.  Ryouga watched him go.  Ranma had not
been himself lately, and the pig found it disturbing.  Depression had
been his territory - not Ranma's.

Ryouga let out a startled "Buki!" as he felt strong hands lift him from
the ground.  A panicked instant later, he realized that it was Akane.
He had been dreading this moment.  He struggled to maintain his
resolve.  He had made his decision - it was the right decision, and he
had to stand by it.  No matter how much it tore his heart to do so.

"P-chan!  Where have you been?  I've been so worried about you!"
She turned the pig around, kissed him on the nose and hugged him
tight.  He squealed softly as the air left his lungs.  Akane loosened
her grip and started petting him.  "At least I can always count on
you, can't I?"

Guilt washed through Ryouga.  Oh, Akane, he thought.  I'm so sorry.
But I can't stay with you any more.  You don't need me, and I need to
move on.  I can't stay sane like this.  Maybe one day, you'll be able to
forgive me....  Tears streamed from the little pig's eyes.

"P-chan!  You're crying!  What's the matter?  Don't be upset, baby,
everything's going to be all right.  You'll see!"  Akane's expression
darkened.  "I'll bet it was Ranma, wasn't it?  That big bully's been
picking on you again, hasn't he?  Well, don't you worry.  Mommy will
take care of *him*!"

NO, Ryouga wanted to scream.  Ranma didn't do anything!  But of
course, pigs can't talk.  Akane interpreted her pet's frantic 'bwees' as
confirmation of her suspicions, and a wave of anger poured through
her.  Her grip on P-chan tightened ever so slightly.  Oh, no, thought
the pig.

Tucking her pet into the crook of her arm, Akane stormed off in
search of her husband.  She found him meditating in the dojo, sitting
in lotus position, his eyes closed.  If he was aware of his wife's
arrival, he gave no sign.

"RANMA!"  Akane set P-chan down and stalked toward the silent
figure.  Ryouga watched, transfixed as Akane reached her target, and
hauled him unceremoniously to his feet.  "RANMA!" she cried again.

Ranma blinked, evidently surprised, and more than a little confused.
"What is it *this* time?" he asked her.  There was a weariness in his
voice that suggested that the question was little more than rhetorical.

"Just what have you been doing to poor P-chan?"

Ranma blinked again.  "P-chan?  I haven't done anything to him."

"Don't lie to me!"  Akane shook Ranma by his collar.  "How would you
like it if somebody was always picking on you?"  She let go of his
shirt and drew back her fist.

Ranma barely had time to bring his arms up to block before Akane
was pummeling him for all she was worth.  Ranma had the
advantages of strength and speed, but Akane was driven, and
gradually began to wear him down.

"Akane!  What are you doing?  Why are you so mad?"  Ranma was
slowly trying to back away, but Akane was not letting him escape.
"What did I do this time?"

Finally, one of Akane's blows got through Ranma's defence.  P-chan
winced as her fist connected.  Ranma just grunted and kept trying to
block her attack, until another blow got through.  The second punch
dazed Ranma and he fell back, dropping his arms and his defences
for a moment.  A moment was all it took.  Akane moved in to the
opening with a vengeance, as blow after blow connected with
Ranma's head.

Ryouga couldn't stand to watch anymore.  With terrified squeal, the
little pig turned and ran from the dojo as fast as his little legs would
carry him.  He had long wanted to send Ranma to hell, but this was
too much, even for his hated rival.

Hearing P-chan's distressed cry, Akane dropped her attack on Ranma
and turned to see her pet streaking for the door.  "P-chan!" she cried.
"Wait!  Don't run!  He's not going to hurt you anymore!"  With a last
kick towards her dazed husband, Akane was off in pursuit.  But by
the time she got into the yard, the little black pig was nowhere to be
seen.  "P-chan!  Come back!  Where did you go?" Akane cried.

Ryouga watched from under a bush as Akane searched.  Finally, she
gave up, and headed dejectedly into the house.  He felt his resolve
waver at the slump of her shoulders, the air of defeat that hung over
her.  He hated to cause her such pain.

But it would be worse for her if he stayed.  He had to go.  It would be
easier this way, in the long run.  Eventually, she'd get over the loss of
her pet.  Good bye, Akane, he thought to himself.  I hope that you'll
finally find the peace, and the happiness that you deserve.  Ryouga
turned his back on the Tendou home and started walking.

****  ####  ****

Akane took the disappearance of her pet badly.  For several days
after P-chan had run off, she circulated flyers with his description,
and offered a modest reward for information leading to his return.
She also made regular checks with all of the regional offices for
animal control.  Results had been negative.

Ranma was annoyed with the whole thing, but said nothing about it.
Still, he could do little to hide his irritation from his wife, and Akane
was not pleased.  A little over a week after P-chan had vanished,
Akane had evidently had enough.

"Ranma, will you stop sulking and help me find P-chan?"

"Who's sulking?"

"You are!  I can't believe that you're still jealous of a pig!"

"I am *not* jealous of that pig!  I just don't like him sleeping with
you!  It's just not right!"

"He's just a little pig.  It's not like he's a pervert like you!  You're
anthropomorphising again!  How can you be so clueless?"

Ranma gaped at his wife.  Images of the times Ryouga should have
been caught but wasn't flashed through Ranma's mind.  He almost
laughed.  "I guess it's just my way.  You know I'm totally oblivious."

Akane glared at her husband.  There had been a suspiciously sassy
note to his voice.  It set her teeth on edge.  "You've never liked my
little P-chan!  All you've ever done is pick on him!  It's your fault
that he ran away!  The least you could do is help me find him!"

"For the last time, Akane, I didn't do anything to the pig!"

"Then where is he, eh?"

"How the heck should I know?"

"See!  If you actually cared..."   *Ring*   "...dammit, wait here.  I'll
finish with you in a minute."  Akane left the room to answer the
phone.  After a few moments she came back into the room, and
plopped down by the table.  She looked badly shaken.

"Akane!  What's wrong?  Who was that?"

Akane looked up, tears filling her eyes.  "That," she said slowly, "was
the Animal Control Office in Tomobiki Cho.  They've found the body,"
she choked back a sob, "of a little black piglet.  It had been hit by a
car.  They think it might be P-chan."  Akane's control shattered, and
she started sobbing uncontrollably.

Ranma paled.  Had Ryouga really been killed by a car?  Ranma felt a
little sick.  Despite their fights, Ranma had always thought of Ryouga
as a friend.  At least they understood one another.  To Ranma, that
counted for a lot.

Ranma looked over at Akane.  He hated to see her cry.  He hated to
see her unhappy.  "Maybe it wasn't him, Akane."

Akane looked up through tear-swollen eyes.  "Of course it was him!
How many black piglets have you seen in Nerima?  It had to have
been him!"

"You don't know that.  You can't know that, until you check!  P-chan
is pretty smart for a pig you know.... I can't really believe that he'd
let a car get him."  Ranma reached out and put a hand gently on
Akane's shoulder.  "C'mon, Akane.  Let's go make sure, okay?"

"You're just saying that 'cause you know that it's your fault," Akane
sobbed.  "You chased him off, and now he's...  he's..."  She pulled out
of Ranma's reach and cried harder.

"Akane, don't do this to yourself.  Please.  You have to be sure!"  And
so do I, thought Ranma darkly.  If it is him, someone will have to find
a way to tell his parents.  He stood up and went to get a light jacket
for Akane.  "Here, put this on.  Tomobiki isn't that far - we can go
and see for ourselves, okay?"

Finally, Akane nodded.  She took the jacket, and she and Ranma left
the house, and walked to the bus stop.  The trip to Tomobiki was
made in silence - both Saotomes lost in their own private worlds.
Ranma longed to be able to comfort his wife, but she was still sure
that her pet was dead, and that Ranma was somehow responsible.
Ranma just hoped that she was wrong.

Once they arrived at the Animal Control office, they were led into a
small room and asked to wait.  After a time, an attendant came into
the room pushing a small cart, the top of which was draped with a
sheet.  Carefully, the attendant pulled the sheet back.  Under it was
indeed, a small black piglet.

Akane gasped, and started to sob.  Ranma felt a little green, but he
had to know for sure.  Carefully, he turned the body over, looking for
anything that might reveal the pig's identity.  After several moments
he sat back down and sighed in relief.  He turned to his distraught
wife.

"It isn't him, Akane.  It's not P-chan."

"Yes it is!" she cried.  "It looks just like him!"

"Akane, it's not!  Really!"

"Then prove it!"

"Well, for one thing, it's not wearing P-chan's bandanna...."

"That doesn't prove anything!  He could have lost that!"

Not bloody likely, Ranma thought, he had thousands of 'em.  "AND,"
he continued deliberately, "This pig is a female.  P-chan was a BOY."
Ranma put a bit of stress on the word 'boy,' but Akane didn't notice.
"It's okay, Akane.  It's not P-chan, I promise it isn't."

"Really?" Akane sniffed.  "You're not lying to me, are you?"

An expression of pain flashed across Ranma's face, followed by
resignation.  "No, Akane, I wouldn't lie to you about this.  Check for
yourself, if you like.  This is a girl-pig, and P-chan was definitely a
boy."

Akane looked uncertain for a moment, and glanced toward the
attendant.  "Your husband is right, miss..." the attendant said kindly.
"This pig is definitely a female."

"Oh, thank God," Akane sobbed.  Ranma reached out to comfort her,
and this time, she accepted.  Resting her head on his shoulder, she let
the relief wash over her until she felt like she was ready to make the
trip back to the dojo.  Ranma held her and savored the moment.  He
would always be there for her, if only she'd let him.

****  ####  ****

The next morning, at the breakfast table, Akane was back in worry
mode.  She had been surprised by Ranma's understanding the night
before - he had never seemed to care about P-chan that much.  But it
had been... nice.

"Ranma, will you make the rounds of the shelters today and see if
you can find P-chan?"

"Aw, Akane.... I had stuff I wanted to do...."

"Ranma!  Please!  Something terrible might happen to him!  He's just
a defenceless little pig!"

"Okay!  Okay!  I'll look for him!  Geez!  What are you so worked up
about, anyway?  P-chan's gone missing for weeks at a time before -
he's always gotten back eventually."

Akane started to boil over.  So.  It had all been an act.  Ranma didn't
really care about P-chan at all.  "Don't you have any feelings, Ranma?
It's probably your fault anyway - you're always picking on the poor
thing.  Only you could be low enough to make a pig cry!"

Ranma almost dropped his chopsticks.  "P-chan was *crying*?"  He
sounded shocked.

Akane took Ranma's amazement as evidence of his guilt. Her eyes
narrowed in suspicion.  "You know something about P-chan that
you're not telling me, don't you?  Don't you?"

Ranma looked liked a trapped animal.  He could not - WOULD not lie
to his wife - but neither could he break his word to Ryouga.  "I...  I...."
he stammered as his brain searched desperately for a way out - any
way out of the trap he was in.

"I *knew* it!" Akane stormed.  She grabbed Ranma by the front of
his shirt and shook him.  "Where is he?  What have you done with P-
chan?!"

Those questions, at least, Ranma could answer.  Unfortunately, "I got
no idea where that pig is!" and "I didn't do *anything* to him!" were
not the answers that Akane wanted to hear, nor were they answers
that she was going to believe.  At least, not until she had applied a
little 'persuasion'.

****  ####  ****

Ukyou was just finishing with the lunch crowd when Ranma came
into the little restaurant.  He smiled and waved at her as he took a
seat at the far end of the counter.  Ukyou waved back, and returned
her attention to the customer she was serving.  After filling his order,
she bounded down to where Ranma was waiting.

Ranma was wearing one of his trademark Chinese style shirts, but for
once he had the sleeves turned down to their full length.  That
seemed a little odd to Ukyou, considering the weather, but she let it
slide.  She smiled and started to ask him what he would like to eat.

The smile froze on Ukyou's face as Ranma looked up at her.  His left
eye was covered with a huge purple bruise, swollen so that he could
barely open it.  It looked like it hurt a lot.

"Whoa...  Ran-chan...  Where'd you get the shiner?"

Ranma grimaced.  "It's nothing, Ucchan, really."  Gingerly he felt the
side of his head and gave her a sheepish grin.  "I just... ahh... tripped.
Hit my head."

Ukyou blinked.  "Tripped?!  You *tripped* and did that?  I find that a
bit hard to believe, Ran-chan."  She leaned forward to examine his
eye more carefully.  "If I didn't know better, I'd say someone popped
you a good one.  But there's no one around here that's good enough to
have done it.  No one that could get past your defences like that..."
Ukyou trailed into silence as a nasty suspicion began to form in her
mind.  Unless maybe....

"Really, Ucchan, it's nothing."  Ranma seemed uncharacteristically
nervous; his expression was almost fearful.

Ukyou's eyes narrowed a bit as she started to make one of her
special okonomiyaki for him.  As she cooked it, her attention
wandered back to Ranma's arms.  It was hot outside today.  Now why
would he be wearing long sleeves?  She did not like the feel of this...
did not like it one bit.

Whatever else may have been bothering Ranma, there was nothing
at all wrong with his appetite.  He devoured the okonomiyaki that
she prepared for him in a flash, and the second followed in short
order.  As he finished it he sat back and smiled at her.  "Thanks,
Ucchan.  That was delicious!"

Ukyou smiled back, but her smile did not reach her eyes.  There was
something wrong here, and she did not like the directions that her
thoughts were taking.  Something about Ranma's cheerful attitude
just rang false.  It was like he was trying too hard.  Ukyou decided to
play on a hunch.

"I'm glad you liked it, Ran-chan!  So tell me, how did you get all those
bruises on your arms?"

Ranma froze.  "Bruises?  What bruises?"  There was panic in his eyes.
Almost unconsciously, he tugged his cuffs down over his wrists.

Ukyou winced at his reaction.  She had been hoping that she would
have been wrong.  "Ranma...  What's going on?  Are things... okay...
between you and Akane?"

"Nothing!  There's nothing going on!" he snarled.  "Why do you keep
asking me these questions?"

Ukyou looked at him wide-eyed.  Ranma had never snapped at her
like that before.  The hurt must have shown on her face, because
Ranma seemed to wilt as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Ucchan..."  He stood up slowly.  "I shouldn't have barked
at you like that.  Please... please forgive me..."  He started toward the
door.  "I'd better be going... thanks for the food...."

"Ranma, wait!"

He paused, and turned to look at her.

"Ran-chan, please!  Let me help!  I'm your friend, remember?"

Ranma smiled a bit.  "I remember, Ucchan; and thanks.  But it's okay.
Really it is."  With that, he was gone.

She looked after him for a time, before turning back to her grill,
muttering as she did so.  "No, it's *not* okay, Ran-chan.  Not by a long
shot it's not."

##  ***  ##

Ukyou spent the rest of the day cooking okonomiyaki with savage
efficiency.  She was operating largely on automatic, as in her mind's
eye she replayed Ranma's visit, over and over.  All the signs were
there, but she was loathe to believe them.  This was Ranma Saotome!
The best martial artist in Japan, maybe even the world.  To think
that he might be... it was absurd!  But the evidence, while not totally
conclusive, left little else as a viable interpretation.

Finally, the last customer left the shop, and Ukyou closed up for the
night.  Once the doors were locked, and the griddle had been cleaned,
she went upstairs to her room to think, leaving Konatsu to straighten
the dining area.

Ranma and Akane had been fighting since before she had come to
Nerima.  There had been no secrets there.  Indeed, it had been one of
the things that had led her to believe that she could win Ranma's
heart after all - but it hadn't worked that way.  Ranma had loved
Akane despite the fights and the bickering.

There had been plenty of fights.  It seemed that Akane was always
mad at him about something - usually relating to his other fiancees.
It had been almost comical back then - Ukyou had even started
thinking of Akane as 'mallet girl' because of the way she was always
hammering poor Ranma.  She had never taken it seriously - after all,
Ranma never seemed to mind it too much, and he never seemed to
be seriously hurt.  Over time, she had come to regard it as almost
normal.

The Tendou girl had always been something of a mystery.  Ukyou
had never really understood just what had drawn Ranma to her.
Sure, she was cute, but Shampoo was proof that cute wasn't enough
to hold Ranma's attention.

Understandably, Ukyou and Akane had never really become friends.
They were, after all, rivals.  A truce of sorts had evolved, and, for the
most part, they had tolerated one another.  But that was as far as it
went.  In a way, Ukyou had been glad when Ranma and Akane had
married.  She had hoped that it would put an end to the tension that
had existed between all of them - between Ranma and Akane, and
between Akane and herself.

Again, it hadn't worked that way.  It had looked as though it might,
for the first few months of their marriage; but Akane had grown
distant again, keeping to herself most of the time.  Old patterns
reasserted themselves as Ranma and Akane fell back into the habits
that had evolved during their turbulent courtship.

But this time, something was different.

She had not seen the bruises on his arms, but she knew they were
there.  His reaction had proven that.  As fast as Ranma healed, the
force that would have been required to cause such persistent
bruising was considerable.  It would also have to be applied on a
regular basis.  Coupled with the black eye that he had been sporting,
the conclusions that she was reaching were not at all pretty.

If what she suspected was true... how was she going to find out?
Ranma would never volunteer the information - and it wasn't like
she could just go and ask Akane...  This had to be handled delicately.

Reaching into a desk drawer, Ukyou took out a small spiral notebook.
She had a small stash that she normally used for tracking her supply
orders for the Ucchan.  Opening to the first page, Ukyou wrote the
date, and the time that Ranma had come in, as best she could
remember.  Then she wrote a brief description of Ranma's condition,
starting with his eye, and ending with her speculations about the
bruises on his arms, and the evidence she had to support those
guesses.

Reading over the entry, she nodded to herself.  This would help.  If
she could prove that there was a pattern, she might be able to
convince Ranma that he needed to get help.  Sighing, Ukyou put the
notebook away, and got ready for bed.  She still hoped that she might
be wrong, but she didn't think so.  She just couldn't believe that it
was happening to Ranma.

That night was the first of many that Ukyou would cry herself to
sleep.

*****  ##  ***  ##  *****
*****  ##  ***  ##  *****

Ukyou was nervous.  After three months of careful note taking, she
had finally decided that she had enough data to prove to Ranma that
there was a problem.  She had spent the last week working up the
courage to do something about it.  This was going to be difficult; the
future of her relationship with Ranma would hinge on the events of
this evening.  If she could not convince him - if she could not get him
to accept the fact that he needed help, she would very likely drive
him away from her completely.

The very possibility that she might lose him altogether was like a
lump in the pit of her stomach, dense and heavy.  But she had no
choice.  She could not simply stand aside and watch as her friend, as
the man she loved, was torn apart.  She had to at least try.  If she
succeeded, then Ranma could be happy again.  If she tried and failed,
she would at least know that she had done all she could.

By the time Ranma was supposed to arrive at the Ucchan that night,
Ukyou had everything ready.  The little restaurant was closed to the
public - the notices she'd posted for the past week mentioned a
family holiday, and her regulars had all been good sports about it.
Konatsu was waiting by the door to let Ranma in while Ukyou stood
behind the grill, fidgeting with her spatulas.  The minutes raced by
like hours as the appointed time approached.

By the time Ranma was five minutes overdue, Ukyou was starting to
climb the walls.  With every minute that he was late, Ukyou was sure
that he would not come.  That Akane would not let him out of the
house.  That something terrible had happened to him.  Every sound
from outside had her whirling towards the door to see if it was
Ranma.  She tried to force herself to be calmer - to still the trembling
of her fingers, and the quaver in her voice.

So wrapped up in her meditations was she that when Ranma did
come in a few minutes later, it was all Ukyou could do to keep from
jumping out of her skin.  "Ran-chan!  Thank god!"

Ranma seemed a touch taken aback by the vehemence of Ukyou's
greeting, but he recovered quickly enough.  As he was taking a seat,
Konatsu gathered up a duffel bag and left the shop, locking the door
behind him.  Ranma watched him go curiously.

Sensing the question that Ranma was about to ask, Ukyou said, "He's
going to spend the night at a friend's house.  He's got a line on a
second job that's more... in his field."

"You mean as a ninja?" Ranma asked.

Ukyou nodded as she started to prepare the first batch of her Ran-
chan specials.  Ranma turned back to watch his friend as she worked
her magic on the grill.  Within moments, two fresh, hot okonomiyaki
were staring up at him from his plate.  Ranma moved in for the kill.

Ukyou smiled to herself as she watched Ranma eat.  At least there
were some things that never changed.  Her expression sobered once
more as she considered her purpose in asking Ranma to come - she
still had no idea how she was going to broach the topic that she
wanted to discuss.

"What's the matter, Ucchan?  You seem... I dunno, distracted, I guess."

Ukyou started.  Well, an opening was an opening after all.  She took a
deep breath and said, "Some of my regular customers have been
having sort of a rough time lately.  It's been getting me down.  It's
kind of frustrating, not being able to help."

"Anyone that I know?"

Damn, Ukyou thought sadly to herself.  It's no wonder that subtlety
never worked on you, Ran-chan.  "Yah, I think that you might know
one or two of them.  One you've seen in here before, I'm sure.  Her
name is Miyuki.  Manabe Miyuki."

"Manabe... no... wait a minute...  slender girl... brunette... wears her
hair in a really long braid?  The one who likes cars?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"So why can't you help her?"

"Actually, she's getting help.  I'm a lot more worried about the other
one, though their problems are similar."

"Hmmm.  Sounds like maybe you need to introduce the two, if their
troubles are so much alike."

"I had hoped to do just that.  But there's a problem."

"There always is," said Ranma knowingly.  "Do you want to talk about
it?"

Ukyou looked at Ranma carefully.  This was going to be the hard
part.  She had to play her cards just so, or the fight was lost before it
started.  "Well, okay.  But you have to make me a promise, Ranma."

Ranma was a little startled by that, but this was Ukyou - she was his
best friend, and if he could help her, in any way, it was his duty.  "Of
course, Ucchan."

"You have to promise me that you will hear me out - you must listen
to everything that I have to say tonight."

"Is that all?"

"It won't be that easy, Ranma.  Now, give me your word."

Ranma looked up at Ukyou solemnly.  "I swear, Ucchan.  I'll listen to
whatever you have to say.  So what is the 'problem' that you were
talking about?  What's stopping you from helping this friend of
yours?"

"He won't let me."  said Ukyou simply.  Her gaze was level, betraying
nothing.

"He won't... won't let you?  Why not?"

"I'm not entirely sure that he realizes the depth of his problem.  I've
never gotten a chance to talk to him about it, really.  Whenever I get
close to the issue, he leaves."

"Sounds like a stubborn fellow," said Ranma, as something about her
last statement was nagging at his subconscious.  He had the distinct
impression that he had walked into a trap, but for the life of him, he
couldn't see it.  Shrugging mentally, Ranma took the plunge.  "And
just what *is* his problem?"

Ukyou's eyes locked with his for a moment before she answered.  "He
is being abused.  His wife is beating the tar out of him on a regular
basis.  She's almost killed him once, and he's too stubborn to admit it,
or to get help."

Ranma's eyes opened wide as the connections were made, and the
trap was sprung.  "You... you think that Akane... me...  You *tricked*
me."  Ranma started to rise.

"Sit down!"  Ukyou's tone was firm.  "You promised that you'd hear
what I had to say!"

"But...."

"No 'Buts', dammit!"  Ukyou slammed a small notebook onto the
counter in front of Ranma.  "Read it!" she commanded.

"What is this?" Ranma asked, eyeing the notebook.  He was obviously
angry, but he sat back down.

"It's a catalogue, Ranma.  A list of all the injuries that you've had
when you've come into this shop over the past three months.  Ever
since you walked in here with that black eye that you got when you
'tripped'.  Go on, READ it!  Or would you prefer that I read it to you?
I have the whole damned thing memorized."

Ranma was shocked at the bitterness in Ukyou's tone.  "What are you
so mad about, Ucchan!?"

"You idiot!  I gave up my life's dream - because you loved her.  And
now she's tearing you apart!  She's beating the life out of you, and
you just take it!  You won't do anything to stop it!"  There were tears
in Ukyou's eyes.  "That wasn't part of the bargain!  When was the last
time that you really smiled?  Do you even remember it?  You were
supposed to be *happy* together!"

"Ucchan..."  Ranma was gaping at his friend.  "It's not like that!"

"Do you think that I can't see?"  She slid the notebook toward him.
"READ it!" she commanded him again.  "There's a pattern there, Ran-
chan.  And what's scaring me now is that it's getting worse!  She's
hurting you more every time!"

Ranma made no move to take the little book.

"Fine!  I know every line in there by heart!  Three months ago it was
just a black eye and some bruising.  Two months ago you had what
you called a twisted ankle, and multiple sprains.  Six weeks ago, you
couldn't even bend your right knee, and your left arm was in a sling!
Last month you had at least two cracked ribs, judging from the way
that you were breathing.  Two weeks ago, you were in here dizzy,
disoriented, and just about ready to puke your guts out.  Right NOW,
looking at your eyes, I'd bet every yen I have that Tofu-sensei would
tell you that you had a concussion!  And you've had those bruises on
your arms the whole damn time!"

"No!  That's not true!"

"Then prove it!  Roll up those sleeves, and show me that I'm wrong!"

"Ucchan...."

"Dammit, Ranma!  Do I *look* stupid?  Don't lie to me!  You're not
very good at it."

Ranma froze, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming
semi.  He twitched, and Ukyou was afraid that he was going to bolt
and run.  She could not let that happen.  In a much softer voice, she
said, "Ranma... please..."  She longed to be able to reach out to him,
but she dared not.  This was her one chance; there would likely be no
other.  "I'm your friend.  Let me help."

An eternity passed - the silence was absolute.  Ukyou could feel her
lungs beginning to strain against the breath she was holding.  Would
Ranma run - or would he answer her?  Would he be able to admit
that there was a problem?  Would he trust her enough to let her
help?  Then, suddenly, Ranma was collapsing, and she was hopping
over the counter and catching him, hugging him to her as she gasped
her relief.

Ukyou hugged Ranma as months of repressed pain and frustration
were finally allowed to break free.  It was as close as he would ever
come to crying in his male form.  Ukyou, on the other hand, had no
problems with crying, and the tears were flowing freely from her
eyes.

"What's wrong with me, Ucchan?  I love her so much that it hurts -
and I just can't seem to avoid making her angry!  One minute she's
all sweet and nice, and the next minute she's pounding me into the
floor, and I don't even know what I've done to set her off!"

"There's nothing wrong with you, Ran-chan.  You have to believe
that."

"Then why can't I make her smile anymore?  Why is she always so
angry?  Why is she always hitting me?"

"I don't know, Ranma, but there has to be some cause, some reason
behind it.  Just," she added, "not a good one."

Ranma shook his head sadly.  "But if I can't figure out what I'm doing
to cause this, then how can I fix it?"

"Hey, whoa there, Ran-chan!"  Ukyou looked Ranma in the eyes.  "It
may not be anything that you are doing!  It may have nothing to do
with you!  You can't just assume that it's your fault!"

"Can't I?"  The despair in Ranma's voice cut through Ukyou like a
razor.  "Everyone else thinks that it's my fault... Kasumi, Tofu-sensei,
Pop, even Mom thinks so."

"I don't."

"Thanks, Ucchan... that means a lot to me."  Ranma grimaced.  "But I
don't think that I can use that to convince Akane."

"No, I suppose not.  Still, it can't go on like this.  I know how you feel
about Akane, but this isn't healthy.  You have to do something."

"But what?  I've tried everything I know.  I've gotten ideas from you,
from Mom, from Tofu-sensei; nothing seems to work - at least not for
very long."  Ranma spread his arms.  "I'm fresh out of ideas."

Ukyou smiled.  "Well, you're not alone, you know.  There *are* others
out there with similar problems.  There *are* answers out there, and
I think that I have an idea where we can get some help in finding
some of those answers."

That surprised Ranma.  "Really?  Where?"

"Remember I mentioned Miyuki earlier?"

"Hey, that's right, you did.  You said that their..." Ranma trailed off as
the meaning of what Ukyou had said hit him.  "You mean... Are you
saying that Miyuki's husband is... is beating her?"  Ranma was
horrified.  "But she's so... so *nice*."

Ukyou nodded sadly.  "Yes.  But I also said that she was getting help.
Miyuki joined a help group for battered spouses that meets down at
the Civic Centre.  She likes them a lot."

Ranma looked skeptical.  "But how can that help?  Wouldn't it be
more effective if I just went over and had a little 'chat' with Miyuki's
husband?"

Ukyou sighed.  "Ran-chan... do you think that Akane would be less
angry with you - less likely to hit you - if I went to the dojo and beat
the stuffing out of her?"

"You wouldn't!"

"Of course not!  But if I did, do you think it would solve the problem?
Do you think that it would calm Akane down?"

"No... I guess you're right.  It just galls me to see someone as nice as
Miyuki is get treated that way."

"Believe me, Ran-chan," said Ukyou earnestly, "I know *exactly* what
you mean."

Ranma gave her an odd look.  "So.  What is it that you're suggesting?"

This was it.  "I talked to Miyuki, and she told me when her group
meets.  It'll be on Monday.  Monday at six in the evening."

"So?" Ranma asked, obviously dreading the answer.

"So," Ukyou said evenly, "I've arranged for us to go."

"What?!"  Ranma yelped.  "You planned this!  You planned this from
the start!"

Ukyou sighed.  "Yes.  Yes I did.  What else could I do?  Akane is
tearing you apart, bit by bit.  Even with your rapid healing, you're
injured more often than not anymore!  Something has to be done!"

"But Akane is my *wife*... I can't betray her!"

"No one is asking you to betray anyone!  I'm asking you to get help!
Get help before it's too late!  Before something terrible happens!"
Ukyou paused to collect her thoughts.  "Look.  I know how much you
love Akane.  And I know how much it hurts you when she treats you
like she does.  I can see it in your eyes!  I just want to see you smile
again.  I want you to be happy - I want... I want to know that when I
gave you up I did the right thing."  It was Ukyou's turn to cry.

Ranma was a little startled by his friend's outburst.  Hesitantly he
put his arms around her and hugged.  It all sounded like nonsense to
him... how could talk solve this problem?  But Ukyou seemed to think
that it could help - and Ukyou was his best friend.  He trusted her
implicitly.  For her....

Ranma took a deep breath.  "I hope you know what you're talking
about..." he began.

"Then you'll go?"  Ukyou asked, sniffling a bit.

"I'll go.  I promise.  I don't know what good it can do, but I don't see
how it can hurt either.  And I don't know what else I *can* try."

Ukyou tried not to let too much of her relief show.  "It's a place to
start, anyway."  She let Ranma go, and moved toward the grill again.
"How about another round?"

*****  ####  *****

When Monday night finally came, Ukyou was ready and waiting.  For
once, Ranma showed up on time.

"Ready to go, Ran-chan?  Or would you like something to eat first?"

Ranma sat down at the counter and sniffed appreciatively.  "Smells
like you have a 'special' on the grill right now." he said.

Ukyou grinned.  "I thought that you might like a little something
before we went off to the meeting."

Ranma sobered.  "Yah.  About these meetings.  I'm really not so sure
that this is a good idea...."

Ukyou had been afraid of this.  "Look, Ranma.  I know that this is not
going to be easy for you... but I know that you need help, and to be
frank, I don't know where else we could get it."

"Yes, I know, but...."

"Ran-chan, if you have any better ideas, I'd certainly like to hear
them."  There was an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the
gentle sizzle of the okonomiyaki on the grill.  "That's what I thought."

Ukyou flipped the 'Special' onto a plate, and passed it to Ranma.  "Eat
up, Ran-chan.  We've got a meeting to get to."

Ranma poked at the food for a moment, before looking back up at
Ukyou.  "Are you sure...?"

"Ranma... you promised.  I won't make you go, but if you won't do it
for yourself, would you do it for me?"

Ranma sighed and started in on his okonomiyaki.  "Okay, Ucchan.
You win.  I'll go."

##  ***  ##

In room 101 at the Nerima Civic Centre, Miyuki looked at her watch
for the dozenth time.  Ukyou was late, and the meeting was about to
start.  She had promised that she would be bringing Ranma tonight.
Miyuki had only met Ranma a few times, but he seemed like such a
nice person.  When Ukyou had told her what was happening to him,
she had been appalled.  Well she knew what it was like when the
person you loved had... temper problems.

Miyuki could not even remember how the topic had come up, but she
and Ukyou had spent many hours since discussing domestic violence.
At first, Ukyou's interest had been mostly academic.  But as she had
learned more, her suspicions had been aroused about Ranma, and she
was learning all she could.  Miyuki had been only too glad to help.

Then, when Miyuki had found this support group, Ukyou had gotten
very thoughtful.  Miyuki liked these people - they had helped her
tremendously so far.  She had a much better understanding of what
was happening in her life, and what she could do about it.  It was a
wonderfully liberating feeling.  And now she had a chance to pass on
that feeling - to share her good luck.  If only Ukyou and Ranma
would make it on time!

Finally, Ukyou walked in, wearing a determined expression, followed
closely by Ranma.  Their arrival drew a few curious looks and Ranma
one or two hostile stares.  Ranma looked acutely uncomfortable.
Miyuki heaved a sigh of relief, and waved them over.  She smiled at
Ranma.  "I'm glad you came," she said.  "Come over here.  There's
someone that I want you to meet."

Miyuki led the two over to an older woman, who was standing by the
refreshments table.  She was a little shorter than Ranma, and looked
to be in her mid thirties.  Of medium build, and reasonably fit, she
had thick, straight black hair that fell just past her chin.  She wore
wire rim glasses with round lenses over bright, piercing eyes.  Hers
was a face that was used to smiling.

"Kimiko, these are the people that I mentioned." Miyuki said.  "This is
Kuonji Ukyou, and this is Saotome Ranma."  Turning back to Ranma
and Ukyou, she continued the introduction.  "This is Takahashi
Kimiko.  She's the moderator for this group."

Kimiko smiled and addressed Ukyou.  "I trust that Miyuki has told
you how this group works?"

"More or less," Ukyou answered.

"Well, don't worry too much.  It's really easy to fit in here.  There
won't be any pressure on you - just sit and listen, if you like.  Some
of the girls will want to ask you questions - you can answer them or
not; whatever makes you comfortable.  Feel free to ask a question, or
to jump into the discussion any time you like."

Kimiko started moving toward the ring of chairs in the center of the
room.  She clapped twice.  "Time, ladies!" she called.  While the others
moved in, Kimiko led the newbies into the circle, and waved them
into seats.

The members of the group all started to gather in the circle of chairs,
taking their seats and making last minute grabs from the snacks on
the table.  As soon as everyone was seated, Kimiko opened the
meeting.  "Ladies, we have a new member here tonight.  I'd like you
to meet Miyuki's friend Kuonji Ukyou, and her friend Saotome
Ranma."

There were general greetings and good natured utterances from
around the circle, though Ranma was still getting a few suspicious
stares.  "So, tell us, Ukyou was it?  How long have you been having
trouble with your husband?"

"No, no, you've got it backwards!" Ukyou laughed.  "I'm not even
married!  It's Ran-chan here that needs your advice!"

The room went dead quiet, almost as if Ukyou had thrown a switch.
There was a brief clatter as Kimiko's teacup hit the floor.  Finally, one
woman, a slender girl with short brown hair, broke the silence.
"What is this, some kind of joke?"

"Joke?"  Ukyou was confused.  "No, no joke.  What would make you
think a thing like that?"

"You mean that you expect us to believe," another woman spoke up,
her tone openly hostile, "that some woman is beating up on *him*?"

"You have *got* to be kidding us, right?" asked the brown haired
woman again.

Miyuki was scandalized.  "Natsumi!  She is *not* kidding!"

Another group member sneered.  "Don't be naive, Miyuki.  Can you
honestly say that you believe that men get abused by their *wives*?
It just doesn't happen that way."

Miyuki sounded defensive.  "I believe Ukyou!  And besides!  There
are more ways to abuse someone than by hitting them.  What's so
hard to believe about that?"

"Because that's not the way the world works!" exploded another - a
redhead.  "Look at history!  Show me an example where any woman
was in a position like that!  Men beat on women, not the other way
around.  Look at him!  Can you honestly say that you can imagine a
woman that could get away with thumping someone with *his*
muscles?"

Ukyou could not believe what she was hearing.  Did they just not
understand?  Didn't they have any idea how hard it had been - how
much she'd had to do just to get Ranma to come here?  Did they have
any idea that they were destroying any chance Ranma had at getting
help?  She had convinced him to come and get help once - if this was
the response that he was going to get, there would be no chance that
she could do it again.

More than a few hostile glances were directed at Ranma.  They did
not go unnoticed.  Ranma looked like he wanted to be elsewhere -
very badly.  Ukyou was sure that the only thing that kept him in his
seat was the fact that if he moved, he would attract more unwanted
attention.  She saw him stiffen - could feel the defences he was
building - could feel the doors closing.  That could not be allowed to
go unchallenged.  Opening those doors had cost too much as it was.

She gave Ranma an apologetic look, and stood up.  "Excuse me, but I
have a few things that I'd like to say."  She paused long enough for
some of the muttering to die down.  Once she was sure she had the
group's attention, she took a deep breath, and started as calmly as
she could.

"It may come as a bit of a shock to you, but there *are* men in this
world that don't beat up on their wives.  And there are women who
*do* abuse their husbands."

"Well, *I've* never heard of one..." muttered the red-head.

"You have now," snapped Ukyou.  "Are you all so wrapped up in your
roles as victims that you can't see past your own noses?  A *person*
comes to you for help, but you turn him away because his presence
would remind you that women don't always hold the moral high
ground...."

Another red-head, a short girl with her hair drawn back into a long
pigtail protested "Look here!  You're not being fair!"

"No, *you* look here, dammit!"  stormed Ukyou as months of angst,
frustration and fury spilled out.  "I'M not being fair?  Just what *is* it
with you people?  You're supposed to be *helping* each other.  You're
ALL here because someone abused you, right?  You're here to share -
share your pain, share your strength, and yet you would deny
another victim that same support and understanding?  You would
turn that person away just because he had the bad luck to be born a
man?"  She glared at the group of sullen women.

Ukyou turned to the table and picked up a glass.  She made a show of
ignoring the group as she filled it from the pitcher on the table.
After taking a sip, she turned to face them once more.  "It's easy,
isn't it?  I mean, look at him.  He's a MAN, so he MUST be the enemy.
Is that what you're telling me?  A man strikes you, and it's abuse.  A
woman strikes a man, and it's no more than he deserves?"

Ranma sat miserably in his chair, staring at the floor.  If he stared at
it hard enough, he thought, maybe a portal would open and he could
get out of there.  He could feel the gazes of the women around him,
like ants crawling all over his body.  It was all he could do to keep
from bolting.

Ukyou scowled.  "Do any of you have even the slightest idea what
you've done?  Can you possibly appreciate how hard it was for a
man, for THIS man to come and admit that he needs help?  He's here
in violation of EVERY instinct that he's ever been taught - to ask for
your help - and all he finds are people that laugh in his face.  You
people are no better than the men that have been abusing you."

Ukyou raised the glass of water in mock salute.  "Well, you can be
proud of yourselves.  You're turning away the ONE man on this
planet who can really look at things from a woman's point of view."

Ranma looked up in horror when Ukyou's last words penetrated the
fog around his mind.  It was too late.  The contents of Ukyou's glass
caught him full in the face.

A shocked silence descended on the room as Ukyou's glass shattered
against the far wall.

"C'mon, Ran-chan.  Let's get the hell out of here.  I don't know how,
but I swear to you, I'll make this up to you someway.  There must be
*some* place where we can go."  Ukyou drew the dazed and dripping
redhead to her feet, and stalked off through the door with Ranma
following meekly behind her.

##  ***  ##

Once they had gotten a ways down the hall, Ukyou led Ranma into a
vacant room.  Ranma followed mindlessly, still in a state of mild
shock.  Ukyou led her to a chair, and then pulled up a second seat for
herself.

"I am SO sorry, Ran-chan."  Ukyou's stern facade crumbled, leaving
her near tears.  "I'm sorry that I lost my temper back there, I'm
sorry that I splashed you, I'm sorry that I ever tried to drag you into
this group.  I didn't know what else to do.  I thought... I believed that
they would help...."

Ranma looked affectionately at her friend.  She had thought about
getting angry... she had planned on it, in fact.  But when it came right
down to it, Ranma couldn't find it in her heart to be mad at Ucchan.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ranma found her voice.  "It's...
it's okay, Ucchan," she said quietly.  "I know that you were trying to
help me."  Ranma paused for a moment.  "It was nice of you to try.
I... I don't know *what* I'd have done if I didn't have you to talk to."

Ukyou buried her face on Ranma's shoulder and let the tears come.
Ranma put her arms around her friend as she cried.

Ranma didn't know how long they had been sitting there when a
movement by the door caught her eye.  She looked up to see a
woman coming quietly into the room.

Ukyou stopped crying when she felt Ranma stiffen.  She wiped at her
eyes with the back of her hand, and looked up to see the redhead
wearing a tense, but neutral expression.  The effort it was taking to
*keep* that expression neutral was obvious to anyone that knew
Ranma.  Ukyou turned to see Kimiko standing in the doorway.

"What do you want?" asked Ukyou.  Her tone was cold, flat.

Kimiko flinched when she heard it, but she stood her gound.  "I
came," she said slowly, "to apologize."  She looked toward the floor.
"You were right, you know.  None of us had ever even *considered*
the fact that a man might be the victim of abuse."

"Miyuki-san did." said Ranma quietly.

Kimiko could read nothing from Ranma's expression.  "Miyuki is a
relative newcomer to this group.  She has not had the chance to
become so jaded as the rest of us.  I hope...  I hope that she never
will.  May I come in?"

Ranma hesitated, then gestured silently toward a vacant chair.

Kimiko walked to it, and sat down.  It took her a moment before she
started speaking again.  "You certainly know how to make an exit.
I'm still not sure that I believe what I saw.  Are you really... I mean
you were a... but now you're a...." Kimiko trailed off helplessly.

"It's a *long* story" sighed Ranma.

"I'll buy that."  Turning back to Ukyou, she continued, "Your little
speech caused quite a stir back there.  You said a lot of unpleasant
things - one woman got so angry that she left."

"I wish I could say that I was sorry,"  Ukyou said.

"Don't.  The times when it hurts the most are the times when the
truth most needs to be told."  Kimiko sighed.  "I am more than a little
ashamed of my own behaviour.  I agreed to lead this group because
it was important to me to try and help people who were facing the
same demons that I once did."  She looked to Ranma.  "When I was
beaten by the man that used to be my husband, there were no
groups like this one.  I had gone to the police, but they would do
nothing.  I was his wife, they said.  If he was beating me, I must
have deserved it."

Ranma kept her expression neutral, but nodded for Kimiko to
continue.

"For the longest time, I believed them.  I had no idea what I had
been doing wrong, but it had to be my fault; and so the beatings
continued.  To hide my shame, I wore dresses with long sleeves year
round.  I wore dark glasses, and a scarf over my head.  I was often
ridiculed for my lack of fashion sense, but it was better than letting
them see the bruises that covered me."

Ranma frowned when she caught herself tugging her own sleeves
down over her forearms.  Kimiko winced as she noticed the gesture.

"Let me see..." she said softly.

Reluctantly, Ranma gave Kimiko her hand.  With the gentle skill born
of long experience, Kimiko pushed Ranma's sleeve back to reveal the
purple and yellow mottling of multiple bruises.  Gingerly she traced
the pattern of the injuries with a finger.  "You heal very quickly,
don't you?"  Ranma nodded.  "Such force... this has been going on for
some time, hasn't it?"  After a moment of silence, Ranma gave
another faint nod.  "I thought so."

While she examined Ranma's arm, Kimiko resumed her story.  "I was
lucky.  I had a friend very much like yours here who helped me.  It
took her a long time, but she finally convinced me that there was
something wrong in my marriage, and that it *wasn't* me."  She took
Ranma's other arm, and repeated her examination.  "After a time, I
moved out of my home, and in with my friend.  My husband took it
badly and assaulted me *and* my friend.  He was arrested, and I got
a divorce."

Kimiko met Ranma's gaze.  "After that, I vowed that as long as I
could do anything about it, no victim of domestic abuse was ever
again going to have to face the apathy, and the indifference that I
had found.  Tonight, I am shamed to say, I broke that vow.  I hope
that I can somehow repair...."

Kimiko broke off as a group of women shuffled self-consciously into
the room.  Ukyou and Ranma looked up at the same time, and Ranma
snatched her arm back, once more tugging her sleeve down to hide
the bruising.  It was a moment before anyone said anything.

Finally, after being nudged forward by her companions, one of the
women spoke up.  "We didn't know whether or not Kimiko would be
able to convince you to give us another chance, and, well, we all
wanted to let you know how sorry we were...."

Miyuki spoke up from the middle of the group.  "I'm sorry, Ranma.
It never even dawned on me that people might not take your case
seriously because you were a man..."  She glared at her companions.

Ranma smiled at her, and nodded her understanding.

"Yes," piped up another woman.  "We feel very badly about that..."
the speaker looked up to meet Ranma and Ukyou's gazes.  "It is a
shameful thing to realize just how prejudiced you really are.  I had
thought myself above such behaviour.  Please forgive me.  It will
NOT happen again."

Kimiko's expression was sober, and contrite.  "Will you give us
another chance?  We really would like to help...."

There was a general muttering of agreement with that, followed by a
pregnant silence, as the group waited for Ranma's verdict.  Ranma
studied the group, looking from face to face.  She saw concern, shame
and sincerity - hope and sorrow, but no malice, and no hesitation.

Finally, Ranma spoke.  "You understand," she began, "that I *am* a
guy...  that this..." she indicated herself, "...this body is just the result
of a bizarre Chinese curse..." she let the words hang.

There were nods from the assorted women.  No one even so much as
smirked.  After another long pause, Ranma sighed.  Looking to Ukyou
she gave a weak smile and said, "Okay.  I'm not sure that this is going
to work, but I'll at least give it a chance."  Her expression sobered.
"Thank you."

##  ***  ##

Ranma and Ukyou allowed themselves to be escorted back to room
101.  While the rest of the group got settled, Ukyou went to the urn
on the table and secured a cup of hot water.

"Tea bags are in the tin on the corner" she was told.

Ukyou grinned.  "Thanks, but this is for Ran-chan."

That got her a strange look, until she handed the cup to Ranma, who
promptly upended it over her head.  Again, a disbelieving silence fell
over the room as Ranma's outline blurred and shifted, growing taller
and broader, curves flattening out, and hair darkening.  In seconds,
the transition was complete, and Ranma, once more in his male form,
sighed in relief.

"I saw that.  I don't believe it, but I saw it." muttered one.

"How... but...  ye gods, man... doesn't that *hurt*?"

Ranma grimaced.  "Only my pride."

Miyuki shook her head.  "Every time I see that, it still sends a chill
down my spine."

"Miyuki!  You mean to say that you *knew* about this?"

"Of course I did!  I told you that Ukyou would be bringing in a friend
that needed help."  Her tone softened a bit.  "I guess I should have
made it clearer that Ranma was a man... but I honestly didn't think
that it was important... it never crossed my mind.  I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Kimiko's voice was firm.  "It *shouldn't* make a difference
- I think that we've all learned that lesson by now."

"But what about Hikaru?  She left!"

Ranma looked around.  The red-head with the long pigtail was
missing.  He frowned.  "I'm sorry," he said, starting to get to his feet.
"I didn't mean to cause so much trouble.  Maybe this wasn't such a
good idea after all."

"Sit back down!" chorused Kimiko and Ukyou in unison.

"It's not your fault," Kimiko continued.  "I know Hikaru - she's a very
kind and sensitive person - sometimes too sensitive.  She'll be back
once she's had a chance to cool off."

She paused to take a sip of her tea.  "Why don't we start over, ne?
We'll all introduce ourselves, and then you can tell us a little about
yourself."  She set her cup down and cleared her throat.

"My name is Takahashi Kimiko.  I lead this group, though it might be
more accurate to say I guide it.  You already know the gist of my
story.  I've already experienced a lot of the problems that the rest of
us are facing; the anger, the helplessness the frustration and the
apathy.  Part of my job here is to let you know that you can get past
this - that your problems can be solved."

"We work on a very personal level here, Ranma.  In our meetings we
often share some of the most intimate details of our lives, so it does
not pay to stand too hard on formality.  We are all on a first name
basis."

Miyuki was next.  "My name is Manabe Miyuki.  I was the newest
member until tonight..." she looked at Ranma and smiled.  "I guess
that I'm a lot luckier than most here... my husband only really gets
violent when he drinks.  He's never hurt me seriously... but he's
scared me.  And, himself, I think - he's the one that suggested I join
this group."

Ranma's eyes widened at that.  Kimiko noticed and broke in again.
"That's one thing that you'll have to decide for yourself.  How much
do you tell your spouse about these gatherings...  I do not advocate
dishonesty; but there are those here that would be... punished... for
trying to get help.  Others, like Miyuki here, are more fortunate."

Ranma nodded thoughtfully.  While he had a policy of total honesty
where Akane was involved, he had learned that a lie of omission was
not truly a lie.  If asked about something directly, he would answer
honestly, but as long as no one asked, he knew better than to
volunteer the information.

The next girl who introduced herself was Fujishima Natsumi.  She
had short, dark brown hair that had a mind of its own, and piercing
green eyes.  She was trim and athletic, and had an air of confidence
and enthusiasm that was infectious.  She reminded Ranma a lot of
Akane, they way she had been when they had first met.

Togashi Keiko was the sullen redhead that had set off Ucchan earlier
in the evening.  Her thick mop of fire red hair was trimmed short in
the back and longer in front and was kept out of her face by the
headband that she wore.  Rich chocolate eyes burned with emotion,
and Ranma got the impression that she was not one that hid her
feelings.

After Keiko, a girl wearing a yellow dress spoke up.  Her name was
Takachiho Yuriko, and she was lovely.  Long black hair cascaded
almost to her waist, and bright, blue-green eyes shone under her
bangs.  Ranma liked her almost immediately.  Her natural warmth
and friendliness made him wonder how anyone could even consider
mistreating her.

The next to introduce herself was Okuda Rei.  She was a slender girl,
almost elfin in appearance, with blue hair cut just below the chin and
deep eyes that were such a glowing brown they appeared almost red.
Her voice was so quiet that Ranma had to strain to hear her.  It was
also cold... all but devoid of any detectable emotion.  In a way, she
was the one that most disturbed Ranma - There was an emptiness
about her, but also a quiet intensity that was either determination, or
resignation, Ranma could not tell which.

There were more... Ryouko, Misato, Makoto, Setsuna, Kyoko, Hitomi,
the list went on and on.  Each one had a different story - each one
made Ranma ache to help.

Ranma was astonished at the diversity of the group, and at the range
of problems that plagued its members.  He'd had no idea that there
were so many ways for a relationship to go wrong - or that people
could be so determined to maintain them, to save them.  Ukyou had
been right - he was not unique in that respect after all.  It was truly
an eye opening set of revelations.

Kimiko smiled reassuringly at him.  "Now, Ranma... It's your turn."

Ranma took a deep breath.  "My name," he said, "Is Saotome Ranma.
I am married to a warm, kind hearted woman whom I love very
much.  My problem seems to be that I can not avoid making her
angry...."

##  ***  ##