Ranma 1/2: Siblings
Episode 5

All Ranma 1/2 characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.  Viz owns the US
rights, and I'm using them without permission.  Don't sue me, I have no
money.

***

"You're taking this a lot better than I expected," Akane said to Andrew.

The Tendos and the Saotomes were travelling to the beach for the weekend. 
Nodoka had rented a van for the occasion, and they were travelling down the
expressway.  The sun was low in the sky, it being just past sunrise.

"What do you mean?" Andrew asked her.

"Well, I'd think you wouldn't want to go," Akane explained.  "With your
curse and all, one splash and it's instant furball."  Andrew and Ranma
exchanged a look and exploded in laughter.  

"What's so funny?" Akane demanded.  The two continued laughing. 
"Raaannnmmaa.."

Ranma gulped and stopped laughing for the most part.  "Go on, tell her,
bro," he said.

Andrew also gulped, and stopped laughing dead.  "NO WAY!" he cried.  "It
was your idea!"

"It's your curse," Ranma countered.

"Yeah, well she's YOUR fiancee," Andrew countered back.

"HEY!  Somebody better tell me," Akane growled.

Nabiki took a sudden interest in the conversation.  "Yes, do tell Andrew."

Andrew gulped again and felt his face turn a bit red.  "Uhh..well, you see,
when I change, I turn into a wolf, right?"  He shot a venomous glare at the
snickering Ranma.  "Well, most people think I'm a d-dog because I'm so
sociable, and well...uh...Ranma said...girls uh...like...dogs."  He paled
as Akane suddenly glowed.

"Andrew, you PERVERT!" she yelled as she decked him.

Andrew rubbed his aching jaw.  "You know, I should have known this was a
bad idea."  He looked over at Ranma.  "Last time I listen to you when it
comes to girls."

"I don't know who's more of an idiot," Nabiki said.  "Ranma, for coming up
with that, or you, Andrew, for listening to him."  She looked at him, a
little peeved.  "What ever possesed you to go to HIM for girl advice?"

"Hey, a guy with three fiancees has to be doing something right," Andrew
said defensively.  "Besides, I can't afford your advice on a regular
basis."

Nabiki patted him on the head.  "You get what you pay for."

***

Andrew walked along the beach, a few meters back from the waterline.  He
wore a blue muscle shirt and grey trunks.  He looked down at the water,
lost in thought.

*I really miss swimming,* he thought.  *Although I suppose I can paddle
around a bit.*  He sighed.  *It's just not the same.  Lucky Ranma, he can
at least go for a dive.*  He suddenly chuckled.  *I doubt he's very
aqua-dynamic in girl form, though.*  He looked around.  *I'll say this
much,* he thought, admiring the figures of a few of the girls who walked
by.  *The scenery is awfully nice.*  He grinned as he felt some gazes on
his back.  *Apparently, the feeling is mutual.*  He suddenly whirled and
winked at the girls who were staring at him, laughing to himself as they
blushed and looked away.  

He walked on for a while, soon reaching a deserted portion of the beach.  A
few meters onward, a rock formation jutted out into the ocean.  He stopped
and watched the water break on the rocks for a few moments.

Andrew's throughts were suddenly pierced by a scream from the rocks.  A
woman's scream.  He ran to them, carefully avoiding the water's spray.  "Is
everything OK?" he yelled.

An voice answered him from behind a rock.  "Andrew Saotome?  Is that you? 
Don't come any closer!"  Andrew recognized the voice as that of Kaori
Hidaka, a girl who transfered into his class a week ago.  He didn't really
remember her much, as she sat behind him, but she was bright and answered
alot of questions.

"Kaori?  Yes, it's Andrew.  I heard a scream.  Are you alright?"

"NO, I'm not.  Some perverted little man felt me up and stole my bikini!  I
have no clothes!"  Andrew could hear sobbing.

"Oh, jeez," he said, panicking.  "Here, I'll give you my stuff."  He
hurriedly pulled off his shirt, and tossed it over the rock.

"Thanks.  Wait!  What are you going to wear?"

"I'll be OK, I've got my curse, remember?"  He started to untie his trunks.

"Your what?"

"You don't know?" He paused before pulling down his trunks.  "I turn into a
wolf when splashed with cold water."

"Yeah, right."

"Look, it's true.  I'm going to toss over my trunks.  Yell when you're
ready, and I'll come around the rock, OK?"  He tossed over the trunks and
stepped into the water, changing into a wolf.

"OK, whatever.  But if you're naked I'm going to hit you!"  There was a few
moments silence, and then Kaori's called out.  "Ready."  Andrew-wolf padded
around the rock, and stood shocked at the sight before him.  

Kaori was probably the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.  She has a
similar figure to Ranma's girl form, but was Kasumi's height.  She had long
brown hair that hung freely down her back.  Andrew-wolf noticed she was
well-toned.  Truth be told, he noticed quite a bit, as his clothes didn't
hide that much.  *She must work out,* he thought.  *The world is a
beautiful place.*

"A-andrew?" she asked hesitantly.  Andrew-wolf shook himself out of his
daze and barked once, wagging his tail.  "This is so weird," she breathed. 
"Are, you still...you?"  Andrew-wolf nodded slowly, and she laughed.  She
reached out and touched his fur.  "You're real."

*God, her laugh is beautiful too.  Please, anyone who's listening, please
let her like me!*  He turned around and took a few steps.   He looked back
and barked once at Kaori.  *I'll take you to Ranma, maybe we can do
something about that guy.*

"You want me to follow you?" she asked.  Andrew-wolf barked in affirmation
and nodded again, his tail wagging.  "I can't believe I'm having a
conversation with an animal," she laughed.  Andrew-chan's tail drooped, and
his ears laid back.  "Oh, I'm sorry, Andrew, I didn't mean it that way." 
Andrew-wolf's ears picked up.  He took another few steps and looked back at
her.  "Alright, I'm coming."

Andrew-wolf led her back to where the Saotomes and Tendos sat.  "Hey, bro,"
Ranma-chan called.  "You get hit by a wave?  Good thing we've got few
thermoses with hot water."

"Andrew, what is that girl doing wearing your clothes?!" Akane demanded. 
"If you did something perverted, I'm going to hit you so hard..." 
Andrew-wolf yelped and hid behind Ranma-chan.

"Andrew lent them to me," Kaori said.  She watched, fascinated as
Ranma-chan threw a blanket over Andrew-wolf, and poured the contents of a
thermos on the wolf hidden inside.  The form under the blanket shifted,
becoming the obvious shape of a young man.  

"Trunks please," Andrew's voice came out.  Ranma-chan tossed a pair of
trunks under the blanket. Moments later, Andrew threw off the blanket. 
"You know, Ranma, there are days I envy you."

Kaori was as awestuck by Andrew's body as he had been by hers.  She looked
at his rather well muscled torso and his handsome face and felt a light
flush come to her face.  *Oh my, he's cute,* she thought.

"Akane, Ranma, this is Kaori, a girl from my class.  She says some little
freak stole her bikini."  He shrugged.  "I couldn't leave her like that, so
I gave her my stuff and changed."  He looked in suspicion at Ranma-chan's
and Akane's faces.  "Something tells me you know this guy," he accused.

"Happosai,"  Ranma-chan sighed.  "The founding master of Anything Goes. 
He's a perverted, old, evil, perverted, sick, twisted, perverted lecher,"
she growled, and suddenly screamed as a little old man attached himself to
her bosom.

"Ranma-chan! Heard you talking about me!" he cried, geting in a good feel. 
Before Ranma-chan could smash him off, Kaori reached over and plucked him
off, holding him by the collar.  She flared with battle aura.

"You're the pervert who stole my clothes!" She cried.  Kaori raised her
fist, which glowed brightly.  "RADASHII KEN!"  She stuck at Happosai, and
there was a bright flash at impact.  Happosai flew through the air and into
the water, driving up huge waves has he skimmed along the surface.  He came
to a rest several hundred meters out to sea, where he sank beneath the
waves.

"Wow," Andrew breathed, looking at where Happosai disappeared.  He looked
back to Kaori, but she had disappeared.  "Kaori?" he yelled, looking
around.  "Where'd she go?"

"That was...incredible," Akane breathed.  Ranma-chan nodded wordlessly.

"The Righteous Fist," Soun said.  "A very powerful technique."

Ranma-chan looked at her brother, who was staring out to see, his eyes
glassy.  "That's some punch, hey, bro?"  She waited for a response.  "Bro?"
 She shook his shoulder.  "Hey, 'Drew!"

"Beautiful," whispered Andrew, staring out to sea.

Ranma-chan smacked her forehead.  "Oh no," she groaned.

***

Akane's battle cry rang through the cabin as she worked in the kitchen. 
For once, she wasn't angry and cooking, she was happy and cooking.  *It's
been such a nice day,* she thought to herself as she mangled some celery. 
*Ranma's been almost polite.  I haven't had to hit him for being a pervert
or a jerk once!*  She threw the celery (and a good portion of the cutting
board) into the skillet to cook.  She stopped as pieces of a conversation
from the dining room came to her ears.

"...it's not worth your life, boy.  Escape..." *Mr. Saotome,* she thought
as she went to listen closer.

Andrew's voice faded into hearing. "Ranma, you're freaking me out.  You
don't have to do this.  You win the bet, OK?"  Akane felt something much
like a blow to her stomach.  *He's been nice all day because of a bet! 
I'll KILL him!*  Her battle aura flared, and she began to stalk out to
them, but what she heard next stopped her cold.

"Good," Ranma said.  "But I ain't leaving."

"Are you insane?"  Andrew demanded.  "Come on, let's go!"

"NO!" Akane heard the sound of fist striking table.  "Today has been
perfect.  Not one fight, not one argument.  She's happy, Andrew.  She's
been smiling all day.  I'm not going to ruin it."  Akane held her breath,
her heart beating quickly.  "I'm gonna sit here, eat the dinner she made,
and keep her happy if it kills me."

"Ranma, it WILL kill you!"  Akane let out her breath and growled.  *No, I'm
going to kill Andrew.*

"Andrew, do you remember when you asked me which fiancee I like best, the
cutest?  What did I say?"  Akane couldn't believe her ears.  *He's in love
with Ukyo?  Oh no no no...*

"Akane is not cute."  *WHAT?!  Why that JERK!  Wait...he said...me?*

"I don't know if I think that anymore,"  Ranma said softly, and Akane felt
like her heart stopped.  "All I know, is when she smiles, it's the most
beautiful thing I've ever seen."  Akane felt tears coming to her eyes.  She
wiped them away with her apron.  *Ranma...I never knew.*

"Son, this isn't like you," Genma began, worried.

Ranma snorted and laughed bitterly.  "I wish I could talk like this around
her."  A moment of silence fell over the room, and Akane quickly banged
around the kitchen so they wouldn't catch on to her eavesdropping.  "Go on,
you two."  Akane heard the others exit the cabin, and went back to fixing
the dinner, her thoughts a jumble.

*Ranma DOES care,* she thought, and smiled, tears falling from her eyes. 
She looked at the mess she had prepared.  *I wouldn't make Kodachi eat
this,* she considered, disgusted.  She picked up the skillet and emptied it
in the trash, dropping the skillet in the sink.  She wiped off her face and
blew her nose, and went out to Ranma.

"Ranma," he looked up at her, his face blank.  "I'm sorry, I ruined
dinner."  She smiled wanly at him.  *I can't believe he'd do that for me.* 
She couldn't help herself, and tears began to mist her eyes again.  "I'm
sorry!"  She turned to walk away.

Ranma leapt to his feet and ran over to her.  He akwardly but a hand on her
arm, and held her back.  "It's OK, Akane."  He saw the tears in her eyes,
and panicked.  "Oh, jeez, Akane, it's OK!  Really!"  Akane sniffed and
looked up at him.  "Come on, don't cry, we'll just go out tonight," he
pleaded.  *PLEASE don't cry, Akane.*  "You can cook for me anytime, right?"

Akane just looked at him, her eyes wide.  She slowly nodded and sniffled. 
"Sure," she said.  "I'll go change, be back in a minute."  She forced a
bright smile onto her face, and noticed with suprise as he seemed to relax
a little.

Ranma watched her back as she walked away. *If it's the last thing I do,*
he swore. *she's never gonna cry again.*

***

Andrew and Genma walked away from the cabin, the sand shifting under their
feet.  "That was wierd," Andrew said.

"I'm tempted to go back there and dump some cold water on him," Genma
admitted.

"Why?"  Andrew asked, suprised.

"Because that's not the Ranma I know.  I want to make sure it's him."

Andrew pondered this for a minute.  "Maybe he's grown up some."

"Son, that was the bravest thing I've ever seen anyone do in my life,"
Genma said seriously.  "Ranma truly is a man among men."  He suddenly
grinned.  "I must tell Tendo!"  He ran off.

"Oh no you don't!"  Andrew yelled, chasing after him.  "Don't ruin it for
him!"

"Maybe I should engage you to someone, boy!"  Genma called back.  Andrew
caught up to him, leveling a kick at Genma's back that knocked him forward,
giving him a faceful of sand.  The two battled back and forth for a while,
the combat ending with a throw by Andrew that sent Genma crashing into the
water.

Genma-panda glared at Andrew.  [Is that any way to treat your father?]

Andrew shook his fist at the wet panda.  "You even TRY engaging me to
someone and I'll tell Mom!"  He nodded as the panda's eyes widened.  "Don't
forget it, Pop."  The panda shuddered and bowed it's head in defeat.  "Now
let's go, I'm hungry."

***

Ranma and Akane sat on the porch, watching the moon's reflection on the
waves.  "Nice night," Ranma said, and gulped.  *Come on, Ranma, now or
never.*  He took a deep breath.  "Akane?"

"Yes?" Akane murmured.

"Today's been really nice n' all, and..." he trailed off.  *Damnit! Damnit!
 Spit it out.*

"I wish we could be like this all the time," Akane sighed.  "But we can't,
can we?  We always fight, maybe it's hopeless."  Ranma's heart began to
beat fast.  *NO WAY!  I'm not coming this far to give up now!*

"NO!" Ranma practically yelled. Akane jumped a little and looked at him in
suprise, and Ranma bowed his head and flushed, thankful for the darkness. 
"Akane, I wanted to ask you if you'd..."

It was now Akane's turn to start to panic.  *What's he talking about?  He's
not going to ask me for real, is he?*

"...go on a date with me.  A real one."  Ranma felt drained, like he had
just fought a battle.  *Damn, that was hard to say.*  He locked his eyes on
Akane, noting the way the moonlight reflected off of her hair.  *Please say
yes, Akane.*

Akane was silent, trying to sort out her feelings.  *A date?  All this for
a lousy date?!*  She began to grow a little angry.  *Why...that JERK!*  She
looked over at him, furious, but saw the look on Ranma's face in the
moonlight.  *He's so...vulnerable.  If I say no he'll probably never ask me
again.*  Her anger faded, and she felt rather ashamed of herself.  *I guess
it was pretty hard for him to ask that.*  She smiled at him, once again
suprised to see his face brighten at her smile.  "Yes, Ranma, I'd be happy
too."  *Did my smile always do that to him?* she wondered.  "But aren't you
worried about the others ruining it?"

Ranma smiled back, and chuckled a little.  "I've got that covered, Akane. 
Just trust me."

They fell silent again.  After a few moments, Akane stood, and went in the
cabin.  "Goodnight, Ranma."

"Goodnight," he returned softly.  He stared out at the water a little
longer.  *Who'd have thought such a dumb bet would do this to me?*  He
turned and went inside, heading to his and Andrew's room.

Andrew awoke at the openning of the door.  "Hey, Ranma," he said softly. 
"I see you're still living."

Ranma grinned in the dark.  "We went out to dinner."  Andrew heard the
sounds of someone undressing, and then he felt the vibrations through the
floor as Ranma lay on his futon.  "Andrew, thanks for making that bet."

"Why?"

"Because," there was a short pause.  "Today was the best day of my life."

"No problem, bro.  Glad to hear it."  Andrew grinned and rolled over.

"I'm still going to collect, though."

Andrew's blood went cold.  "Have you been taking lessons from Nabiki?" he
asked worriedly.

Ranma snickered, and after a moment Andrew joined in.  "Hey, you pick up a
few tricks."

"So what do you want?"

"I was thinking of bodyguard duty...."  he began to explain his plans.

The silence of the house was broken by a loud cry. "NO WAY!!!!"