This is the followup to 'At The Movies' but it is a prequel to that
story. Both are part of an alternate timeline and do not strictly
adhere to either Manga or Anime canon. C-C and MST-ies are
welcomed and appreciated either publicly or privately.

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned herein are the property of
Takahashi Rumiko and are used without permission on a solely
non-profit basis. All rights reserved to her and her authorized
licensees.

Note: '...Cats and Dogs' takes place within the first two months
of Ranma's stay at the Tendou Dojo and one day after the story, 
'Things To Do:'

Important Note: I would like to thank the following people for their help
in the writing of this story:
My Sister - My first editor, she took the time to work with me on this
story even though she had no interest in Ranma 1/2 or even Anime,
as a whole.
DFire - My toughest Pre-reader, who never lost his patience when
trying to correct the worst of my grammar and punctuation.
P-R-P-Chan - A pre-reader, dependable through it all, his comments
encouraged me when I thought the story was hopeless.
Keener - A pre-reader, when it wasn't working, he let me know it.
Loudly. <BG> His comments made me laugh AND made me think.
Gary Kleppe - For his C-C of the posted chapters and his pre-reading
on parts 2 and 3
Maybeso, CEO, and Ronny from the FFIRC - For their pre-reading on
Part 3.
Sean Hayden - For his MST of Part 1.
Rhialto - For help with the latin translation in Part 2.

Part 6
	
	The field, looking like a finished set for the latest disaster
epic, had seen better days. The cab section of the delivery truck,
missing its trailer, ended up on the exact location of the original
fight. Somehow it managed to land right side up, the tires down
on the ground. Regrettably, the rig was unsalvageable with its
tires about the only thing to survive the crash.
	Thankfully the driver, an independent trucker, was another
story. Having worn his safety belt and being smart enough to
have paid for the full package of safety features on his truck
before moving to Nerima, Mr. Yamoto would live to drive another
day. That said, he was still an absolute mess.
	Slowly crawling out of the wreck, dirt and oil covering him,
bleeding from a cut over his left eye and spilled coffee still burning
his eyes, Mr. Yamato probably needed to go to the hospital. But
at that particular moment, the father of four young children couldn't
have cared less.
	He was busy replaying the memory of that redheaded
she-devil running towards his truck and his entire life flashing in
front of his eyes. The moments just before the truck started spinning
and his world went haywire would stay with him until the day he died.
Yamato Hideaki swore that as long as he lived he would never forget
that girl with the mad eyes.
	Stumbling towards the school, looking for help and a phone,
he mumbled about getting to his local shrine and making a
GENEROUS donation as soon as humanly possible. He was
unaware that he was not alone on the ruined sports field.
	Someone else was out there and she was walking towards
the truck. A girl, carrying a closed umbrella in one hand and a
flashlight in the other, seemed to be calling out to someone. In the
flashlights high-powered beam, She caught sight of the man
making his way from the wrecked rig and ran to meet him.
	Seeing a bright light and something coming towards him,
Mr. Yamato panicked. One thought repeated itself again and again
in his mind as the shape approached him.
	'OH NO!! OH NO!! OH NO!! NOT AGAIN!!'  A terrorified scream
died in his throat when it got close enough for him to get a good look.
>From what he saw, the girl running towards him looked nothing like
the demon. Taller for one thing, her hair was brown, cut in the shape
of a bowl, same as his own youngest daughter, and not even CLOSE
to the monster's red, pig-tailed hair.
	She also carried herself differently. She was tough just
like Keiyuufu, he could tell. Even in this nightmare she was calm
and held herself together. Looking at her face, he saw the concern
there but it was contained and she was clearly in control, as opposed
to the other one. She didn't scream or carry on like he would have
expected, like he might have done at her age.
	Most importantly for him, she was walking upright on two legs.
	"An accident...." coughed the driver. "...quick, a phone, need
to find a phone!  We need help!" he finished in a rush. Despite his
best efforts, he only barely got the words out.

******

	All Nabiki managed to catch from the man's semi-coherent
blathering were the words 'accident' and 'phone'.
	"Straight ahead, turn left at the flagpole, there's an
emergency phone in front of the gate. But wait--!!! " The last she
had to yell because the man took off once he got the directions.
He didn't stop and just kept on running.
	"Damn!" Taking a moment to kick the mud, Nabiki
considered going after the man, to find out if he had seen
Neko-Ranko or Ukyou, but decided against it. 'Somehow I don't
think he'd be much help right now, even if I could catch him,'
she thought.
	Sighing, she wondered if someone, somewhere, had it
in for her.
	'All I wanted to do was make a little money; O.K., a lot
of money. What's wrong with that? A simple fight. That's it. But
then everything goes to hell with that insane storm. Whoever said
it rained cats and dogs didn't know how right they were.'
	Looking up at the darkened sky she proclaimed, "I swear if
I hear anything that even comes CLOSE to a bark, I'm going home.
Those two can take care of themselves."
	Nabiki quickly composed herself and went back to
searching the field. Treking through the mud, she saw the totaled
truck and gave it a wide berth, 'With the way my luck's going, it would
survive the wreck just long enough to explode when I walk by,' Nabiki
groused.
	"RANKO!!! UKYOU!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" she yelled at
the top of her voice. Waving the flashlight in a wide arc in front of her,
she couldn't help but start to get concerned. There was no sign of
anyone or anything, not even the cats.
	'I'm out here, sopping wet, searching through this catastrophe
for my tomboy of a sister's new fiance. The same fiance who just so
happens to turn into a girl whenever he touches cold water and whose
greatest joy right this minute would probably be some warm milk and a
ball of yarn! Not to mention his OTHER fiancee! A crossdressing chef
who carries around a spatula as tall as I am strapped to her back and
can't see what's right in front of her face!! Why me?!'
	Somehow Nabiki resisted the urge to scream.
	She continued walking, trying to get to the trailer, which she
saw at the edge of the sidewalk. It was a few feet away from the last
place she saw Ukyou with Neko-Ranko.
	'Only reason I'm doing this is for Akane. Even if they deny it, 
any idiot can see they are perfect for each other and do care
about each other. Of course they might kill each other before they'll
ever admit it. This is pathetic! I don't know who's worse, Akane for
loving Ranma, Ranma for loving Akane, Ukyou for loving Ranma or
me for--'.
	Nabiki didn't get to finish her silent tirade, her thoughts
derailed by what she saw next.
	Just in front of the trailer on the sidewalk, someone lay
face-down on the ground. From where she stood, Nabiki couldn't
tell who, but whoever it was, they weren't moving.
	Fearing the worst, Nabiki picked up her pace and ran
towards the person. Kneeling beside them, she saw who it was.
	"UKYOU!!"
	Quickly Nabiki inspected her, making sure she was still
breathing, and checked for any blood and or other obvious signs of
injury. Seeing her chest rise and fall evenly and no blood anywhere,
Nabiki sighed with relief. After searching for, and finding, a strong
pulse, Nabiki carefully checked Ukyou again.
	After the second, more detailed examination, Nabiki still
couldn't find anything that would have explained Ukyou being
unconscious. By the time she was finished, Nabiki couldn't find
anything but was reasonably sure the Martial Artist wasn't hurt.
"Nice to know those first-aid classes Kasumi made me take with
Dr. Tofu are finally starting to pay off!" she muttered with equal parts
pride and contempt.
	Moving decisively, Nabiki reached out and gently touched
Ukyou's shoulder, trying to wake her. "Come on Ukyou, rise and
shine!!"
	Getting no response, Nabiki shook a little harder.
	"This is no time for a nap, WAKE UP!" she said, louder.
	"Uhhhh...." was Ukyou's only reply.
	Starting to lose patience, not to mention worrying that
she might have missed something when she went over Ukyou,
Nabiki this time moved to the chef's other side and shook her.
"Not good enough Ukyou, get up!" She said anxiously.
	"Mmmm...." came the reply, a little louder this time.
	"That's it! Snap out of it Ukyou. Open your eyes!" Nabiki
urged.
	"Just a few more minutes Ran-chan..." Ukyou mumbled.
She turned over, away from her would-be rescuer before
slipping back into unconsciousness.
	For Nabiki, that was the straw that broke the camel's
back.
	"Ran-chan?!? No, Ukyou I'm not your precious Ran-chan!
It's me, Nabiki, something you'd know if you just opened your damn
eyes!" she snapped loudly. Getting no response at all, Nabiki
was reduced to something she normally wouldn't do.
	Moving to the fiancee's other side, she put the flashlight into
a pocket in her coat, slipped an arm under her back and pulled
Ukyou up into a sitting position in which her face was positioned
directly opposite Nabiki's own. Holding the restauranteur's head in
one hand, she raised one hand and slapped Ukyou hard across the
face.
	
******

	Unfortunately for Nabiki, but understandable given the
situation, she failed to consider Ukyou's Martial Arts training.
	 Years spent studying and practicing the Art across Japan
had firmly ingrained the forms and techniques into her mind. Enough
so that the application of those techniques had become second nature
to her. The information had wormed its way deeply into Ukyou's mind,
until it had literally became a part of her.
	So while Ukyou was unconscious, she was far from
defenseless.
	Her body responded instinctively to the attack presented by
Nabiki's slap, and acted accordingly. Without warning and with her
eyes still closed, Ukyou's fist coiled and her arm shot forward,
punching Nabiki in the jaw. The impact was enough to send Nabiki
reeling back. She lost her balance and soon found herself flat on her
back.
	
******

	The fact that neither the slap, nor the punch thrown in
response, was enough to wake Ukyou stunned Nabiki momentarily,
leaving her too surprised to do anything.
	'Last time I try THAT,' she thought, sitting up slowly. Shaking
her head, as she tried to clear it, Nabiki knew she had a problem.
	'That hurt, Ukyou! You blind, pancake-loving, obsessed
baka! Damn it, I'm trying to help you and what thanks do I get??
My head's ringing now! After that stunt I have half a mind to get
up and walk away. I can get someone else to drag you to Tofu's
or better yet, leave you here by yourself to rot!' She raged.
	Fortunately for Ukyou, Nabiki quickly regained control of
her temper. "You're just lucky I need you awake right now or
else.....'' she said out loud, resentfully.
	Crawling back to Ukyou, having felt slightly better for
getting that off her chest, Nabiki once again reached for Ukyou.
This time she did so carefully, using a far more cautious touch.
Cradling Ukyou's head in her lap Nabiki heard Ukyou whimper
softly, "Oh Ran-chan...."
	Sighing softly, Nabiki looked once at Ukyou. Clearing the
hair from her face tenderly, she saw Ukyou was smiling softly.
Nabiki knew that Ukyou was completely at ease. Content in
her dreamworld, wrapped in the warm embrace of the man she
loved.
	A frown on her face, Nabiki knew what she had to do.
	Taking a moment, she looked over the playground one
last time to make sure they were still alone. "I'm sorry, Ukyou...."
she whispered, barely making a sound. Clearing her throat,
Nabiki bit the inside of her cheek and slowly bent down to Ukyou
until her lips only inches from Ukyou's ear.
	"Uc-chan, help!! I need you!" She screamed out,
mimicking Ranma's distinctive baritone.
	Hearing that, Ukyou shot up immediately shouting
"Ran-chan!! I'm coming!!" Nabiki barely had time to jerk her back
out of the way as Ukyou bolted to an upright position, eyes wide
open, scrambling to her feet. Ukyou already had her combat
spatula in one hand and a pair of mini-spatulas in the other, ready
to use them against whatever was threatening her beloved
Ran-chan.
	Nabiki wasted no time getting to her feet. Scrambling off to
the side just out of Ukyou's line of sight and, more importantly, her
line of fire, she saw her wandering around looking for Ranma.
Relieved that the Martial Artist couldn't see her, Nabiki called to
her. "Hey Ukyou, over here!" Turning the flashlight back on, she
waved her arms back and forth in the air, trying to get her attention.
	Surprised by the voice she heard, Ukyou spun and saw
the junior businesswoman for the first time. Running to her, Ukyou
shouted, "Nabiki! What are you doing here? Where's Ran-chan? I
just heard him, he needs me!"
	Moaning inside, Nabiki replied with a crafted look of
confusion, "What are you talking about? Ranko isn't here now. You
and I are probably the only people left on this stupid field."
	"But I just heard him!" countered Ukyou. The desperation
clearly visible on her face, Ukyou started scanning the area for any
sign of Neko-Ranko.
	"Listen to me Ukyou, Ranko isn't here!  I haven't seen her
and I went over the whole playground while I was looking for you!
I'm sorry but we just don't have time for this now! Trust me, she
isn't here." Impatience now creeping into her voice.
	"Then we have to go find her. Ran-chan's in trouble, Nabiki.
Come on!" With that, Ukyou took a step forward, her face giving
away her both her fear and anger. The determination in her eyes
and the way she held herself made it clear to Nabiki, and to
anyone who might have been looking, that Ukyou was ready to
charge off that moment and smash her way through anything
in her search for Ranko.
	Unfortunately the rest of her body had other ideas and
she immediately started to swoon, dropping her spatula.
	Instinctively, Nabiki was there. Putting Ukyou's arm
around her neck and stepping under her, Nabiki took command
and supported her. "Ukyou, you can't even walk. You have to stop!
Taking off like this isn't going to do Ranko any good. You'll end up
running yourself down and then I'll have to drag you to Dr. Tofu's,"
she asserted, straining to keep both of them up.
	"I'll be fine, we can't just stand around talking. Ran-chan
is in trouble and I have to help her!" Ukyou cried back. She tried
to push Nabiki away and reach for her weapon. To Nabiki's relief,
Ukyou didn't actually have the strength left to break free.
	Relief quickly gave way to something else as Ukyou
continued to try. Finally, Nabiki put a stop to the struggle. Grabbing
Ukyou by the chin, she pulled her face back. Looking her dead in
the eyes, Nabiki shouted, "UKYOU NO BAKA! STOP IT! You can't
help Ranko if you hurt yourself trying to get free! If you would just
stop and listen to me for a minute! I have a plan!"
	Ukyou, not used to that tone from Nabiki, stopped
for a moment. She realized who she was talking to and forced
herself to accept the fact that she couldn't start pulling again, even
if that was what she wanted. Ukyou reluctantly gave in to the
inevitable, stopped straining and glared at Nabiki. "One minute,
that's all. So get on with it," she barked grudgingly.
	Nabiki looked at Ukyou, who leaned against Nabiki
gathering her strength, all the time throwing spatulas into her with
her eyes. She forced herself to calm down in the face of Ukyou's
rage, took a large breath and began, "O.K., here's the plan: You
and I head back to the Dojo. We tell Daddy, Kasumi and Mr.
Saotome what happened. Call Dr. Tofu, get him over to the Dojo
to take a look at you, make sure you're all right. Then while you're
with him, I'll call my people and tell them to be on the look out for
Ranko and to call me if they find her. Once Dr. Tofu finishes with
you, I'll be done with them. You can help me call all of Ranko's
friends and tell them what happened. After that, we tell them to
meet us at the Dojo. Once they get there, we'll organize search
parties and all of us will go back out and search for her." Done, she
removed her hand from Ukyou's face and stared back at her,
challenging Ukyou to find a flaw in the plan.
	Ukyou looked once around the playground, then back at
Nabiki before closing her eyes. She appeared to be thinking.
	'At least she hasn't tried to pull away again. I don't know
how much longer I could have held her back.' Nabiki thought.
	After the longest five seconds of Nabiki's life, Ukyou
opened her eyes. Taking a moment, Ukyou looked down at herself,
looked back at Nabiki, sighed and replied in a whisper, "Fine,
sugar. Let's go."
	That said, she shook off Nabiki's support and, not waiting
for any reply, started in the direction of the Tendo Dojo.
	Nabiki could do nothing but stand there a moment, too
surprised to move, before she took off running to catch up with
Ukyou.

End ...Cats and Dogs

Coming Soon: <Hopefully? (g)>

The sequel to ...Cats and Dogs - Find out what happens to
Neko-Ranko with Akane not around to get her out of the
Neko-ken.

What Might Have Been; What Is Still Yet To Come - In 2058,
Two friends spend an afternoon catching up on old times.
Find out what the future may hold for the cast of Ranma 1/2.