Part 4<<<<<<<<<

Akane     (Bent over crying)  No.....How could I be so
stupid...Ranma....don't you know I
too....Why?  Why is this happening?  Don't you remember that we...

Nabiki is standing outside Akane's room with Kasumi who just came
upstairs to find woud what all
the yelling was about.

Nabiki     Its probably not wise to talk to her just yet.

Kasumi     She needs her big sister right now.  She can't just sit there
by herself like this. (Knocks on
the door)

A sobbing "Go Away" can be heard from the other side of door.  Ignoring
this, Kasumi enters and
the door is closed leaving Nabiki outside.

Kasumi     Would you like to talk about it Akane?

Akane     Leave me alone.

Kasumi walks over and puts her arm around her crying little sister who
turns to cry on the older
sister's shoulder.

Akane     How could I be so stupid?  I was so jealous but couldn't admit
it to myself.

Kasumi     Don't worry.  Everything will be alright.

Akane     I didn't want to lose him, but now...I pushed him too far...

Kasumi    He'll be back.  Don't worry.

Akane     But he won't.  I could just tell.  I never thought he'd say
what he did.  (For the longest time
she quietly wished to hear Ranma say he loved her, but not then, not the
way he did in that situation
only an hour ago.  Remembering Ranma saying, "I can't believe I actually
began to think I was
beginning to fall in love with you..."  burned in her mind over and over
and was tearing her apart.)

Ranma-chan, trudging through the rain that has recently started up began
thinking about what
happened that night and other recent incidents.  His mind was swimming
in all the emotions he had
ever experienced before, sadness, anger, happiness, hopefulness, he felt
terrible about doing this to
Akane, yet relieved he was finally getting this fiancée thing over with
once and for all.

Ranma     (Thinking)  "If I stayed, nothing would have changed.  She
would have still been violent, I
would have still been chased by everyone, and pop would have just kept
bothering me about my
"duty" to marry her...  I hope this will solve some of my problems...

Ukyou had just gotten into her bed when there was a knock at the door.

Ukyou     (Slightly annoyed at this disturbance)  Who could it be at
this hour?  (Slowly she gets up,
extremely tired from her hard day's work.  She finally makes it to the
front door by the fourth knock
when she opens it ready to give the unknown party a piece of her mind.)

Ranma     Ucchan?  Sorry about this, but...

Ukyou     (Noticing he has a large backpack with him)  Ranma?  Why are
you here?  Its late, I was
ready to go to bed...

Ranma     (Extremely embarrassed)  Well...I was hoping I could spend the
night here...

Ukyou     Of course you can stay here.  Did something happen?

Ranma     Well I...sort of...moved out.

Ukyou     (Suprised)  What?!?  Come inside, you'll get sick out there in
the rain.  (Getting out of the
way so as not to be hit by Ranma's bulky backpack)  Tell me what
happened.

Sitting at a table, Ranma recounts the argument that had occurred
earlier that night while Ukyou
heats up a tea kettle.

Ukyou     How is Akane taking it?

Ranma     How should I know?  I left as soon as my stuff was packed.  I
didn't want to explain this
to Mr. Tendo and pop.  I never would have gotten out of there if they
caught me.

After about 3 cups of tea, the drowsiness finally gets to Ukyou.

Ukyou     Lets talk about this tomorrow.  I'll show you the spare
bedroom.

She goes upstairs, followed by Ranma to a door across from Ukyou's
room.  Inside was bare, dark,
and small.  Only the bedroll and wooden walls kept it from being
completely barren.

Ukyou     Its not much, but its yours for as long as you need.  I'll see
you tomorrow morning then.
(She moves to give Ranma a kiss on the cheek, but quickly backs off,
unsure of how he would react
and from her own embarrassment.  All of a sudden, the man she loved was
living under her roof.
Happy, but not wanting to accidentally change this situation, she turns
around and quickly goes to
her room and shuts the door behind her.)  This might work afterall.
(Soon, she is fast asleep with a
slight smile on her face.)

Ranma unpacks some of his stuff, trying to fill the room and drive out
the loneliness present in the
small chamber.  This was a change from the spacious room he was used to
at the Tendo's.  Lying
there, in the bedroll, he wondered if he was getting spoiled in that big
house he lived in for a year.
But drowsiness too get to Ranma and he too begins to sleep with the
thought of "This isn't so bad, I
can begin to get used to this..."

After two days, word spread throughout the neighborhood about Kasumi's
wedding.  Along with the
good news was the news of Ranma's breakup with Akane.  This was all good
news for many like
Kuno, but bad for others like Genma, Soun, and Shampoo who felt Ranma
leaving Akane for
Ukyou was an even greater threat to her bid at marrying him.

Ranma     Looks like everyone knows where I am now... (Looking out the
window and seeing
Ryoga and Kuno approaching from across the street.)

The door opens, letting in the warm mid -day sun along with two of
Ranma's enemies.  Only now,
they are a little relaxed and not ready to attack him at first sight.

Kuno     Well, if it isn't that vile lecherous Ranma...so thou hast seen
the light and given up your hold
on Akane Tendo.

Ryoga     You have dishonored Akane, Ranma, but I'll let it go because
of the results.

Ranma     If this is your way of cheering me up, you have a weird way of
showing it.

Ryoga     What do you mean cheer you up?  You mean you aren't happy just
having Ukyou, so you
want to drag Akane along a little longer?  You are an enemy of women
Ranma...

Ranma     Now hold on.  I was going to marry her a few days ago, and you
just think I liked leaving
the Tendo's house for here?!?

A plate shatters behind the three.  Ukyou had just come from the back
storage room and just heard
Ranma's last statement.  She then breaks into tears and runs up the
stairs.

Ranma     Uh...oh...am I going to get it now...

Kuno     Normally, I'd smite thee on the spot, but I feel Ukyou will
give you a beating more than
sufficient.

Ryoga     Remember, you brought this on yourself.  Don't think you can
crawl your way back to
Akane because I won't let it.

Kuno     (Turning against Ryoga)  And who sayst that you will be laying
your hands of my rose?

Ranma     Could you guys take it outside?  I don't want to have to clean
up your mess.  (Ranma has
taken some duties around the restaurant for the room and board.)

Kuno     Good luck.  I will need you in one piece for I to destroy you
myself.  You are still a lowly
man in my eyes Ranma...

As the two leave, Ranma tries to figure his way out of this one.  Not
just because she is his ticket to
China, but something more, something he cannot quite figure out quite
yet.  However, the two
entering the restaurant just as Ranma starts upstairs gives him that way
to get out of the mess.

Soun     Ranma!  Please...please come home.  My little girl wants you to
come back.

Genma   Why are you staying here, boy?  Don't you know where your
obligations are?

Ranma     Well if Akane was so sorry, why isn't she here now?

Genma     She's waiting for you to get back, so you better pack your
bags now.

Soun     My little girl hasn't been the same since you left.  You will
come home, won't you?

Ranma     Things will only return to the way they were, she'll keep on
being that violent tomboy, and
all those weird people will just be after me again.

Genma     And what about the little tomboy you're living with now?  Do
you mean the last 8 years of
putting you with one of Tendo's daughters was all for nothing?

Ranma     Now hold on right there.  Ukyou is different, and besides,
wasn't Ukyou made my fiancée
10 years ago?

Genma     Uh...er....well...  That's not important, what is is that you
come home and apologize to
Akane.

Ranma     Don't change the subject old man.  So that's why you didn't
tell me when Akane was
made my fiancée.  Also, when we first got here, didn't you Mr. Tendo say
I could marry any one of
your daughters?

Soun     Ummm...I don't seem to recall.

Ranma     That would mean, I wasn't engaged to Akane nearly as long as I
was to Ukyou.

Genma     You just don't understand, Ranma, do you?

Ranma     Well I do know that once I get to China and find out where
that spring is, I'll be a whole
man again.  Now would you like me to tell you where it is or... (throws
the water left in the mop
bucket at his father)  do you actually want to be a panda?

Genma     (now a panda)  Sign:  That's not fair.

Soun     There's always time for the spring.  Akane is the one who needs
you now.

Ranma     (Quite decisive)  Well pop, looks like that ring you gave me
last Christmas will be handy
after all.  (Starts up the stairs)

Meanwhile upstairs, Ukyou is in her bedroom, face down, crying her eyes
out.  As the conversation
downstairs grown into a loud argument, she couldn't help to hear the
last few lines.  She immediately
dries her eyes and gets up quiet overjoyed about hearing Ranma wanting
to propose to her.

Ranma continues up the stairs and to his temporary room where he starts
digging through his
belongings for the ring once meant for Akane.  Genma and Soun both
follow accompanied by their
pleas for Ranma to come to his senses.

Ranma     Well looks like you two will be witnesses.  (He breaks out of
a couple holds put on him as
he exits the room and quickly proceeds into Ukyou's bedroom.

Suddenly, Ranma gains a backbone that rivaled Ryoga's when he sees Ukyou
sitting on her bed, fists
up on her mouth, waiting for this moment.  Genma and Soun are now
stopped cold.

Ranma     Ummm...Ukyou?  I want to tell you......that.......

Ukyou     (excitedly)  yes?

Ranma     I just wanted to say......

Soun     Ranma...no...please...

Genma     Ranma, don't do it.

Ranma     (given a boost of confidence from them)  I love you.  I want
to marry you Ukyou.

Ukyou     (crying, this time with tears of joy)  Oh Ranma...you don't
know how long I've been
waiting to hear that from you.

Ranma     As soon as we get back from China, lets get married, ok?

Ukyou     Sure honey.  You don't know how much this means to me.

Unable to hold her excitement any longer, she leaps off the bed and onto
Ranma.  Throwing her
arms around him, and kissing him on the face, she could almost be
mistaken for Shampoo, only
Ranma doesn't decline her show of affection.

Ranma     (Turning to the two laying on the ground in shock)  Next time
you see Ryoga, tell him he
can have Akane.  I'm with Ukyou now.

The two finally get up and leave in defeat.  Now Ukyou and Ranma are
sitting on her bed discussing
what's to be next.

Ukyou     Won't Tsubasa be pissed...

Ranma     Oh yeah...forgot about him.  At least its better than having
everyone else on me because
of Akane.

Ukyou     Poor Akane.  Maybe we should go and see her and try to cheer
her up, she's still our
friend even though she is so broken up over you and probably wants me
dead right now.

Ranma     Don't worry about her, she only wants to kill me.

They exchange laughter as they talk about how everyone else they know
will react.  After a while,
Ukyou decides she'd better get back down and tend to the restaurant.

Ukyou     (before she goes back down)  I'm going to close early today,
I've got to go out shopping
and give you a little suprise of my own.

Ranma     Oh?  What's that?

Ukyou     (giggles)  You have to wait.  You'll like it, I swear.  (She
runs downstairs, thinking of how
Ranma will react to what she's going to do)

At about 5 PM, Ukyou locks up the restaurant and leaves to get her
suprise.  Ranma stays behind
by Ukyou's orders not to follow her or go off until she came back.

After two and a half hours, Ranma hears the lock turn and the door slide
open.  Curious, he gets up
from his room and goes downstairs to see what the big deal was.  As he
gets half way down, enough
to see what was going on, he stops suddenly in shock.  There standing in
the dining room of the
restaurant is not the same girl who was mistaken often mistaken for a
boy, a tomboy who always
wore guy's clothes and bound her chest.  Instead, in a light, blue
summer dress, a woman shed her
disguise and shown her beauty to the man she loved.  She was quite
developed, which was easily
missed before.  The binding, also part of the disguise shed only
recently revealed there was definitely
a woman under it all.  Ranma dropped his jaw in disbelief that this
woman could ever have been so
beautiful, a woman that could have ever looked feminine.

Ukyou     (slightly embarassed)  You like it?  I'm not really sort of
used to this kind of clothing.
(Although she felt strange to be in the dress, she was actually quite
happy she could finally eliminate
the bitterness of her dishonor which seemed only a mere distant memory
now compared to what
was to come)

Ranma     (Still in a mild stupor)  Uhhhh....yeah....  You are
so....beautiful.

Ukyou     Really?  Thank you.  I've bought a couple more, you don't
mind, do you?

Ranma     Uh, no.

Ukyou     Thinking:  "I've never been so happy.  I wish this moment
wouldn't end."

Ranma     Thinking:  "Um...what am I supposed to say now?  She's just
so...beautiful."

Unable and unwilling to change the subject or move, they both just stand
there staring at each other
for a long time. Only the knock at the door disturbs their moment.