This is still not formally titled yet, and new title suggestions in
addition to C&C are welcome.  I'm still not sure whether the end should
be as it is (I like it, but it's a fairly sad, sorry!), and if people
voice enough opinion for change, I just might.

Ranma and all related characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.  The use
of the characters are not meant in offense or meant to be a violation of
copyright regulations.
All rights are owned by people who could paste me with a large legal
battle.
The chartacers introduced in this fic are actually copyrighted by
myself.  Really!

If things are unclear, it's because I'm transferring from a formatted
html document to no formatting here.  I think it's still clear, but if
you're having problems, visit my site at:

http://public.carleton.edu/~tsaie/fanfix.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Three [part 2]

	"Still sounds pretty twisted to me.  You know, now that you mention the
curse, I noticed there are a few others that are cursed to.  That pig
that Akane's got roaming around the house must be cursed too.  No animal
should have an aura like that."
	"You know?" Ranma asked incredulously.
	"Look, I understand your apprehension at my borrowing money.  I don't
like to borrow money either.  The stories you tell me about Nabiki and
money are frightening; but I don't want to borrow your clothes forever. 
I don't think you'd want me to either."
	Ranma looked stumped for a minute.
	"I guess not."
	"Then it looks like I'll have to borrow money from Nabiki."
	"How are you going to pay her back?"
	"I guess I'll get a job somewhere.  I don't see any other choice."
	"Why don't you get a job from Ucchan?  I'm sure she could use the
help."
	Ken blushed.
	"Yeah, well, I guess so." he stammered.
	"You like her don't you?" Ranma asked with a grin.
	"Yeah, well, she's is really cute and all..." he said wistfully.
	"Wow.  You've only met her once and you're hooked.  You're really a
piece of work, you know that?"
	"So what are you two talking about?"
	Ranma and Ken spun around to look at Nabiki grinning at them.
	"Nothing.  Nothing at all." Ken replied quickly.  "Well, Ranma, have a
nice lunch.  I should get going.  I need to find a job and some
clothes."
	Ranma laughed.
	"I guess you've found one already, ne?"
	"Well, not yet.  I'm going to get some lunch of my own.  I told your
mother I'd be out for the day, and Ukyou did offer me some lunch at her
restaurant."
	"Good luck, Romeo." Ranma called to him.
	"Look who's talking.  You're the one with three fiancées!" Ken shouted
over his shoulder as he walked down the hall.
	Nabiki gave Ranma a withering look.
	"Don't tell me you just ruined my chance at a gold mine."
	Ranma glared at her.
	"Don't even think about it, Nabiki.  Ken's not one of your money
machines."
	"Nabiki, please be nice to Ken.  I don't think he'd take kindly to
being exploited like you exploit Ranma." Akane added.  Ranma looked over
to her and smiled.  It was nice having her back him up for a change. 
She smiled back.
	"Suit yourself." Nabiki said with a shrug.

	When Ken got to the okonomiyaki restaurant, things were starting to
wind down from a lunch rush.  He opened the door and waved to Ukyou. 
She looked over to him and waved back with a smile.  He looks so
different in those clothes, she thought to herself.  Looks almost like
some uniform, but it looks pretty good on him.  Ukyou quickly mentally
reprimanded herself for thinking so.  Ken walked up to the counter and
smiled.  Ukyou watched him settled into a seat and drum his fingers. 
She could see the muscles in his arm visibly flex as he strummed his
fingers on the counter.  I wonder if Ran-chan can do that, she mused. 
She quickly turned to the okonomiyaki in embarrassment.
	"So do I get that bite to eat now?" he asked with a grin.
	"You and Ranma are more alike than I thought.  Food's right up there on
your list of priorities, isn't it?"
	"Well, I did get an exceptionally inviting offer from a very well
respected chef in Nerima."
	Ukyou blushed.
	"Well, sit yourself down and I'll fix you up something good."
	Ken sat and looked around.
	"Things starting to wind down?" he asked.
	"Just getting started." she replied.  "This is the first part of the
lunch rush.  It picks up again two more times in the next hour or so. 
Businesses and other folks just come at the same times."
	"Need any help?" Ken asked.  Ukyou smiled.
	"I'd appreciate it.  I haven't had much help since Konatsu left to go
home."
	"Konatsu?"
	"Yeah.  He was a friend of mine, but he wanted more out of it." she
sighed.  "I wasn't really ready to give on Ran-chan, and I guess he
decided to call it quits.  He said something about leaving to do some
work before he returned to show me something.  I really feel bad about
it."
	"Well, it's not like you could do anything about it.  You are engaged
to Ranma, after all."  Ukyou thought he looked a bit depressed as he
finished the comment.
	"Yeah, but I just hated having to break his heart like that.  I mean, I
know I didn't treat him like he treated me, but I didn't want to hurt
him like I did.  He took it pretty tough." she said sadly.
	"Hey, don't worry about it.  If he's like any of the people I've met
that Ranma hangs around with he'll be fine."
	"Well, he didn't especially like Ran-chan, but I'll take your word for
it." Ukyou said with a smile.  Ken found himself staring into her eyes
for a moment, before realizing what he was doing.  He coughed and looked
back to the restaurant.
	"So you're in need of help, I take it?"
	Ukyou laughed.
	"Is that an offer?"
	"Well, I do need the money if you need the help."
	"It's a deal then."
	"Can I start now?"	
	Ukyou raised an eyebrow.
	"So soon?  Is this some kind of come on?  You're not going to end up
like Konatsu are you?"
	Ken laughed and raised his hands defensively.
	"I just need the money so I can get some clothes later on today.  I
didn't want to borrow money from Nabiki.  I keep hearing these stories
about her."
	Ukyou laughed with him.
	"Sure.  I know what you mean, Sugar.  It looks like you're about to go
to war in those clothes."
	Ken blushed.
	"Well, it's all I've got right now.  I didn't mean to intimidate
anyone."	
	"Don't worry about it.  You look pretty handsome in them."  Ukyou
immediately blushed.  I can't believe I said that to him, she yelled
mentally.  What am I doing?!
	Ken looked at Ukyou as she busied herself with the okonomiyaki.  When
she glanced over to him, he quickly averted his eyes and blushed
lightly.  I can't believe I'm staring at her, he thought.  He scolded
himself mentally.  I hope she doesn't think I'm being too forward.  Ken
sighed and turned back to the restaurant.  People were trickling in
again and Ukyou looked a little harried by the flurry of orders starting
to come at her.  Ken walked around behind the bar to stand next to her.
	"What do you need done?" he asked nonchalantly.
	"You want to start now?" Ukyou asked, rather surprised.
	"Well, looks like you need it, and I really don't have anything else to
do.  Might as well earn some new clothes."
	Ukyou grinned.
	"You can start by getting me some more batter and supplies from the
back room.  And make it fast, I don't pay for you to dawdle." she said
in a stern voice.  Her eyes said otherwise.
	Ken gulped audibly and hurried to the back room.  Ukyou chuckled
softly.  It's going to be nice having him around.
	
	When the lunch rush finally died down, Ukyou surveyed the restaurant. 
Instead of having the chaos of crumpled napkins and dishes, the
restaurant seemed more orderly.  There were a few tables that needed
bussing, but on the whole, it was clean.  Cleaner than it normally was,
and a lot more orderly as well, thanks to her new help.  Ukyou sighed
and wondered how it would have been without the help.  Definitely a lot
more messy, she thought to herself.  And maybe a little more lonely?
	Things had been fairly quiet now that Ranma seemed to be completely
attached to Akane.  The wedding had made her face a certain reality that
she had denied until then; the reality that perhaps Akane and Ranma were
actually in love with each other.  It had been quite a reality shock
looking at the two of them together and not complaining for once.  In
fact, she had thought they looked quite nice together in their western
style wedding clothes.  She had always wished for something as nice for
herself and her future husband; but was it going to be Ranma anymore? 
She didn't know anymore.  Sometimes, she felt like she didn't want to
know.
	But now this new guy's here, she mused.  He's no Ranma, but he sure
does have the same charms.  She chuckled softly as she watched Ken
dutifully wipe down the last of the tables and pile the rest of the
plates and silverware for washing.  He was a lot more quiet than Ranma,
but he certainly did have the same appetite she decided.  Ukyou watched
as he rolled up his sleeves and wipe his brow.  She noticed that he
wasn't as heavily built as Ranma, but he had the same definition, if not
better.  I'll bet he's quick on his feet, she surmised.  She blinked and
shook her head.  It was the fighter in her coming out again.  He is
kinda cute, she thought.  The short hair's cute, she decided.  She
chuckled softly again and set about cleaning the grill.
	Ken picked up the stack of dishes and piled silverware and walked to
the back of the restaurant to the kitchen.  He unceremoniously dumped
them all into a large sink full of soap and dishwater.  Scrubbing them
was always tough when everything was fairly dried and crusty, he had
decided, so he leaned back against a counter and waited.  Ken let out a
long sigh.  Waiting on the customers and cleaning had been exhausting. 
People seemed to want to capitalize on the new help and were ordering
him around.  It wasn't annoying, just exhausting for Ken, and he felt
better being able to sit back and relax for a moment.  The past two
hours or so had been fairly busy and had kept him occupied for quite a
while.  He barely had time to call the Tendo's and tell Kasumi he'd
found a job and would go shopping later in the evening.  Ironically,
things had become a lot less hectic now that he had stumbled into
Nerima, despite the conundrum of his new job.  No more running around
watching his back constantly.  People weren't out for blood and he could
finally make friends.  Friends, he thought, I haven't had any in so long
that I don't even know what it felt like.  It felt good, and Ken knew
it.  It was something he missed, and something he knew he wanted to
keep.  Then there was Ukyou.  There was always this indescribable
feeling that gnawed at him whenever he watched her.  She was so
graceful, grilling or serving or just waltzing around the restaurant. 
She had a smile that lit up the room and a laugh that tinkled in his
ear.  He'd never felt this way before.  Does she feel the same way about
me, he asked himself.  He shook his head.  He was someone who had been
disgraced publicly.  He was sure people could see it.  Could Ukyou see
it, he wondered.  Ken sighed and went to scrubbing the dishes.

	"Great granddaughter, what have you done with the circlet?"
	Shampoo looked up from wiping the table.
	"I've put it in my room.  I was hoping to wrap it neatly and give it to
Ranma as a present.  I'm sure he'd wear it I he thought it was a
present.  If I were to flatter him, he definitely wear it.  You know how
stubbornly egotistical Ranma can be sometimes." she replied in Chinese
with a smile.
	"I do not think giving it to Ranma would be the wisest choice."
	"Why not, great grandmother?"
	"Do you remember your fight with the new guest of the Tendos?"
	"That barbarian?" she spat.  How could she forget?  It had been the
most disgraceful event she could remember in a long while.  He had
simply knocked her off her feet, plunged his sword into the ground, and
then a bright light surrounded her.  She couldn't remember anything past
that; just waking up in her room feeling exhausted.  Mousse wouldn't say
what happened and Cologne had a thoughtful look on her face the entire
day.
	"That barbarian bested you fairly quickly, Shampoo.  He is an excellent
fighter.  I do not doubt that his ability exceeds Ranma's.  The
spiritual attack he used was far more controlled and powerful than
anything I have taught Ranma yet.  I have the distinct impression that
even Ranma's Hiryuu Shouten Ha would be precious little against this new
one."
	Shampoo harrumphed and went back to wiping the table.
	"So what do you propose I do with the circlet then?"
	"Find a way to put it on the head of their new guest, Ken."
	Shampoo looked puzzled.
	"Doesn't he already know about it?"
	"Only that there is jewelry that may be dangerous.  He warned that the
jewelry from the strange man would only bring disaster.  It may be true,
but I am not sure if I should trust him. After all, he did kill that
Brutus fellow.  Perhaps he does not want us to discover anything he may
find useful for himself later on."
	Shampoo shrugged.
	"So why do you want me to use the circlet on him?"
	"Because I believe he will be more useful than your future husband."
	Shampoo furrowed her brow.  Cologne chuckled.
	"Your years of training as an Amazon has given you the gift of
perseverance in direction, but not in extravagant creativity.  To use it
on Ranma would be a waste.  It would certainly make things easier for
him to admit his feelings for you, but nothing else.  Using it on this
Ken fellow could prove interesting.  We would be able to eliminate many
problems with him under our influence."
	"So you've discovered how to use the circlet?"
	"I have not used it on anyone out of fear that it may become
permanently attached until death.  However, after reading a great many
tomes and scrolls on this matter, I believe I know how it is employed. 
For now, we must concentrate on slipping it on our friend's head so that
we might experiment."
	"Why don't we use Mousse?"
	Cologne shook her head.
	"Imposing my spiritual will upon his weak mind would be too easy." she
said.  "We must use it on the newcomer; but we must plan things out well
in advance."
	Shampoo nodded in assent, but inwardly wondered what her great
grandmother would do with someone like Ken under her control.  Great
grandmother knows best, she thought to herself, and finished washing the
tables.

	"Hey, Ken!"
	Ken turned around to see who was calling out to him.  He saw Ukyou
trotting up behind him.
	"You left your sword behind.  Wouldn't want you to forget that piece of
work, would we?" she said with a smile.
	Ken laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.
	"Uh, heh heh...  Guess not.  Thanks for bringing it out."
	"No problem.  See ya later, Sugar!" she called over her shoulder as she
walked back to Ucchan's.
	Ken's mind started working overtime.  Should I ask her to a movie or
something, he asked himself.  Maybe we can go for a walk someplace.  He
watched as she made her way back to her restaurant, his mind racing for
an excuse to talk.
	"Ukyou?"
	She stopped and turned.  She looked over to see Ranma, with the sun
behind his back, wind rustling his hair.  He had an angelic glow around
him that sent shivers up her spine.  She shook her head and saw Ken
walking up to her with a slightly embarrassed grin.  She could feel her
face flush a bit, and made a point of coughing and looking at the
ground.
	"Yes?" she asked brightly.
	"I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk around.  I'm not too
familiar with Nerima, and I need to find a place to pick out some
clothes.  It's not too late, I hope."
	Ukyou laughed.  He loved the way she laughed.  Not the insane cackle of
some witch, but a soft sound that made its way from her heart  and put a
roguish tinkle in her eyes.
	"You forget I've got a restaurant to run.  I've still got a dinner rush
to take care of back there."
	"Then why did you say I could leave?"
	"I didn't want to be that hard on you."
	"Won't you need my help?"
	"It's nothing really, I-"
	"Need my help." he finished for her with a smile.  "I'll just call and
tell them my new job is taking me longer than I expected.  I'm sure
they'll understand.  Besides, it gets me out of their hair for a while."
	Ukyou shook her head with a grin.  
	"You and your chivalry, mister.  Come back and work, but remember, I'm
not paying you to sit on your butt and eat free okonomiyaki."
	Ken laughed.
	"If it's anything like the lunch rush I won't have any free time."
	Ukyou put on a mischievous grin.
	"Sugar, you ain't seen nothin' yet."

	Kasumi put down the phone and walked into the dining room.
	"Ken just called.  He's still at Ucchan's and won't be back for
dinner.  He said he needed to work the dinner rush there."
	Sound nodded.
	"Such an industrious lad.  It's nice to hear he got a job so quickly."
	"Yeah, "Ranma agreed, "now he doesn't need to wear my clothes."
	"Don't you think his getting a job is awfully fast considering he only
got here yesterday?" Akane said with a knowing smile.  Ranma raised an
eyebrow.
	"I don't get it."
	Nabiki snorted derisively.
	"There goes the loan I was ready to give.  I'll just have to put it
aside for you, right Ranma?" she said with a predatory grin.  Ranma took
one look at Nabiki and busied himself with his food.  Fortunately, his
mother's frequent admonitions of his father's eating habits had
instilled enough civility in Genma to leave Ranma's food alone.  Ranma
was able to busy himself effectively until Nabiki started talking again.
	"So Ranma, exactly what did you say about me to our new guest?"
	Ranma half-choked on his food.
	"What do you mean?" he asked defensively.
	"You must have said something to make him so paranoid about taking out
a loan from me."
	"Me?  I didn't say nothin'!  Right Akane?"
	"Don't look at me!"
	"So you told him I'm a money hungry mercenary, looking to make a quick
buck?" Nabiki asked snidely.
	"No!  I didn't say anything bad about you.  Why can't you believe me?"
	"Because you haven't paid off your loans yet."
	"Nabiki, I'm sure Ranma didn't say anything bad about you to Ken."
	"See!"
	"Fine, fine.  Take it easy Ranma."
	The rest of dinner was uneventful.  Nodoka and Kasumi quietly spoke
about Dr. Tofu, while Genma and Soun spoke about an upcoming shogi
tournament.  Even Ranma and Akane had become civil to each other during
dinner, an event that was rapidly becoming commonplace after the failed
wedding attempt.
	After dinner, Ranma left for the dojo.  It was a place to practice, a
place to relax and unwind.  Things were becoming more and more sedentary
now that the wedding had come, failed, and gone.  Aside from Ken's
sudden intrusion, the only pressing matter was his mother's insisting on
another wedding soon.  Ranma wasn't sure if it was necessary.  Perhaps
Kasumi was right.  Things seemed to be falling into place, and it looked
like there was really only one person who was important now.  He knelt
in front of the small shrine and closed his eyes.
	"Ranma?"
	Ranma turned to the door.
	"Oh.  What do you want, Akane?" 
	"Nothing much.  You wouldn't want to go for a walk, would you?"
	Ranma smiled.
	"Sure, why not?  That wouldn't be half bad."
	Akane smiled back.  She sat down next to Ranma and her expression
became more serious.
	"You know, you were a little defensive when Nabiki was asking about
Ken."
	"Yeah, well, I don't like seein' any of my friends gettin' the short
end of the stick, I guess."
	"You really don't think too highly of Nabiki, do you?"
	"No.  Not at all."
	Akane winced slightly.  Nabiki was her sister, and she didn't expect
Ranma to like her very much seeing how she used him frequently for
money; but the frankness of his reply stunned her a bit.  Ranma saw the
look on Akane's face.
	"Sorry.  I don't mean anything personal."
	"Well, she is my sister, Ranma."
	"If it helps any, you two are pretty different."
	"What do you mean?" Akane asked.
	"Well, she's always on the lookout for cash.  She really isn't that
good at fighting as far as I can tell.  Well, you are quite a fighter."
	Akane blushed at the comment.  Could he really mean that, she asked
herself hopefully.
	"I gotta hand it to you, I don't think anyone would mistake you beating
up guys for your sister; I mean, it's a pretty macho thing to do." he
said with a laugh.  Ranma didn't notice the look on Akane's face.  It
had been going so well up until then.
	"So you're saying I'm more of a tomboy than Nabiki?"
	"Well, kinda-" Ranma started.  He instantly realized what he said and
hit his head with the palm of his hand.
	"Ranma, you insensitive jerk!  So you're saying I'm not as much of a
woman as Nabiki?!  My own sister?!"
	"No!  Why don't you ever listen to me?"
	"I don't need to know what you're saying!"
	"No you don't!  Whenever any of the other girls come along and grab me,
do you think I tell them to?"
	"That's different!  You don't even bother to tell them to stop it!"
	"You don't think I try to?"
	"I don't see you trying whenever I'm around!"
	"You think it's that easy, don't you!"
	"Yes, it's that easy!"
	"How would you know?  I don't see guys chasing after you!  Maybe if you
stopped acting like some macho chick, you'd know what I was talking
about!"
	"Shut up!  You'd even tell me you think my own sister is sexier than
me!"
	"Hey!  It's not like that!  All I said was that you're different in a
not-so-money hungry tomboyish way!"  Ranma winced when he heard himself
say that.  He instinctively recoiled and braced for some form of
physical abuse.  It never came.  He looked up cautiously.  Akane stood
above him with tears in her eyes.
	"If you think she's so much more womanly than me, then why don't you
marry her instead." she spat out, then turned and ran from the dojo.
	Ranma sighed.  Things were going so well.

	Akane ran to her room and slammed the door.  She threw herself on the
bed and buried her head into her pillow.  It was times like this that
she wished P-chan was around.  He'd just sit there and listen and nod. 
Sure, he wasn't too eager to listen to her talk about Ranma, but at
least he'd listen.  Trusty P-chan.  It was a pity that he'd always
wander off somewhere and then not show up for a few weeks on end.
	Akane wiped her eyes and reached for a Kleenex to wipe her nose.  Maybe
I should have listened, she thought.  But he always says such mean
things to me!  Why do I have to put up with it, she screamed in her
head.  A knock on the door caught her attention.
	"Akane?  It's me.  I think we should talk."
	Akane quickly blew her nose and wiped her eyes.
	"Come in, Kasumi."
	Kasumi gently closed the door as she walked into the room and sat down
on the bed next to Akane.  She gently took Akane's hands in hers and
looked at her.
	"It's Ranma again, isn't it?"
	"He's such a jerk!  Why can't he say anything without insulting me?"
	Kasumi sighed and smiled.
	"Perhaps Ranma is too clumsy with expressing himself."
	"That can't be true.  He expresses himself pretty easily when it comes
to insulting me."
	Kasumi shook her head.
	"I think you know what I mean, Akane.  Isn't it time you stopped
expecting him to say what you want to hear?"
	"What do you mean?"	
	"Everyone knows, Akane.  It's very clear that you love Ranma.  Everyone
can tell.  I think that's why Ranma's mother is so eager for the
wedding."
	"I don't know anymore, Kasumi."
	"Why?"
	"Why won't he say it then?  Why does he pretend to be nice, and then
insult me?"
	Kasumi shook her head.
	"I think Ranma cares about you more than you think."
	"How would you know?  You're not the one being insulted."
	Kasumi peered at Akane intently.
	"Akane, I want you to listen very carefully.  What I'm going to tell
you should not be spoken beyond the both of us.  What Ranma and I spoke
of the night Ken arrived is very sensitive to Ranma.  I really shouldn't
tell you, but I think it should be said to you so that you'll
understand.  Everyone's tired of hearing the two of you fight.  Whenever
you do, it's absolutely awful."
	Akane nodded.
	"I won't tell anyone.  I promise."
	Kasumi took a deep breath.
	"Ranma isn't familiar with love at all really.  I don't know if you, or
any of our friends are.  I know Father knows, and the Saotomes as well;
but between you and Ranma, neither of you really know yet.  Perhaps you
do, but you don't know it's love.
	"Ranma told me that between you, Ukyou, and Shampoo there was a certain
love that existed for all of you from him."
	Akane clenched her hands into fists.
	"Akane!  Please.  I'm not finished." Kasumi said quietly.  Akane seemed
to deflate slightly.
	"Ranma told me that with Ukyou and Shampoo, he could describe how he
felt.  In fact, whenever he talked about Ukyou and Shampoo, he rained
reason after reason why he loved them.  With you, it was different."
	"He couldn't think of a reason, could he?" Akane said quietly, and
lowered her head.
	"Precisely.  He couldn't think of a reason he loved you, but he loved
you as much, if not more than any of the others."
	Akane looked up quizzically.
	"You didn't need to fight, or cook, or act beautiful for him to notice
you and to fall in love with you, Akane.  Ranma loves you for who you
are, and he didn't need to explain it.  He couldn't explain it; but it
was there, and it was as strong as any bond anyone could ever wish for."
	Akane smiled, and wiped her eyes.
	"He loves me." Akane said with a small smile.  Kasumi got up and opened
the door to leave the room.  She cast a look back to her younger
sister.  Akane was resting on her side, her head on her pillow with a
bemused, distant look.  Kasumi smiled as she left the room.
	"Yes, he does.  Very much." Kasumi said quietly as she closed the door.