This songfic was written while listening to Kenny Roger's The
Gambler.  Ranma 1/2 and all of it's character's are not my property-
neither is the Gambler.  Please don't sue me- I have no money.


This is draft v1.2.  I'd like to thank the people who wrote in,
encouraging me to continue writing and telling me that they enjoyed
the fic.  I'd especially like to thank Megan, who gave in depth C&C on
it. I haven't read the Ranma manga in far too long, nor seen the anime
in longer. If anyone could suggest specific scenes for Ranma to
remember in the verses below, I'd really appreciate it.  Some people
have told me to keep the scenes vague, so if you like 'em the way they
are, please tell me.  Well, thanks again for your time, comments, and
critiscisms.


        Ranma sighed, and wordlessly showed the large gaijin guard his
ticket.
He didn't know where he was, or where the train was going.  It didn't
matter- 
he was just sick of the whole mess... and this field trip had just
compounded it.

        He thought back to what had started this latest disaster, in 
Japan, as he looked for his seat.  A field trip for the english class 
to America, to immerse them over a month in the language they were
learning.
It had seemed like a good way to get away from the troubles in Nerima-
hah.  He should have expected things to go to hell.

        Ranma found the small booth that he had purchased a seat in
for this
trip. The train was bound for who-knows-where in the middle of the
night.  There was only one other occupant in the compartment, an old
looking American playing
with a pack of cards.  Ranma sat down heavily, and pulled out his
bottle of - what was it the shopkeeper had called it?  Yeah, whiskey,
that was it.

        Ranma continued to reminisce.  First of all, none of his
fiancees had
stayed in Nerima- nor had any of his enemies.  And then there had been
the incidents with the LA street gangs... Too tired to sleep, Ranma
took turns staring out the window at the darkness with the gambler. 
In between staring, Ranma continued to gulp down the whiskey, and
think about all the hell he had gone through.  Where did he think
he was going, with little money, barely knowing the language...

        The old gambler must have gotten bored or something, because 
at about that moment he spoke up.  Surprisingly, he spoke flawless 
Japanese. "Son," he said, "I've made my life out of readin' peoples' 
faces, knowin' what the cards were, by the way they held their eyes.  
So if you don't mind my saying, I can see you're out of aces.  For a 
taste of your whiskey, I'll give you some advice."

        Ranma handed him the bottle, and the gambler drank down the
last
swallow of whiskey.  Then he somehow managed to convince Ranma to buy
him a cigarette, and asked Ranma for a light.  Ranma lit it with a
Mouku Takabishi- a small one, anyway, and he stared at the man.  The
night got deathly quiet.  "Jeez," thought Ranma, "I go a couple
thousand miles just to find Pop again... I shoulda known better..."

        The gambler's face lost all expression.  He said, "If you're
going to
play the game, boy, you better learn to play it right."  Ranma looked
up, curious.  

"'Cause you got to know when to hold 'em,"

Thoughts of Akane, in those few tender moments, ran through Ranma's
head.  Then he remembered all the times he'd messed it up by not being
able to say what he truly felt...

"Know when to fold 'em,"

Ranma thought of the times when he just wouldn't shut up, when he kept 
saying the wrong thing, even when it ended up causing him pain.

"Know when to walk away,"

Fights that could have been avoided, enemies who would have been
friends, if it hadn't been for his pride...

"Know when to run."

Thoughts of Kodachi, Genma's stupid schemes, and other...
entanglements...

"You never count your money while you're sitting at the table;
there'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done."

Ranma stared wordlessly at the gambler, understanding dawning in his
eyes.

"Now every gambler knows the secret to survival is knowing what to
throw away,"

Ranma considered his pride again, and his secret fears of additional
complications if he chose whom he would marry, of hurting people if 
he didn't choose them.

"Knowing what to keep."

He thought again of those special, rare moments with Akane.  His mind
lingered especially on her wonderful smile and the way it lit up his
heart.

"Cause every hand's a winner, and every hand's a loser;"

Ranma thought of the cooking and mallet-blows, the love and the
friendship, the special moments, and the horrible fights.

"And the best you can hope for is to die in your sleep."

Ranma nodded, knowing that his life would be full of interesting
times, and maybe peace could only come with death.  For that matter,
wasn't running away like a little death?  He was just killing off part
of his past... Not dealing with it...

        When the gambler finished speaking, he turned back towards the
window, crushed out his cigarette, and faded off to sleep.  As Ranma
thought of holding and folding- of saying what he meant, what he felt,
and shutting up when it was necessary, for once keeping a lock on his
mouth-  well, somewhere in the darkness, the Gambler he broke even,
and in his final words Ranma found an ace that he could keep.

        Ranma rejoined the rest of the students from Furinkan High the
next day, shaken a bit, but somehow changed by his experience.  It had
been three days since he left.  It wasn't long until they found out
what it was.  Akane ran up to him, halting a few feet away
from him.  She looked ready to cry or hit him, as though she hadn't
decided yet.

        Ranma looked at her, and his heart seemed to catch in his
throat,
wanting to say something, but too embarrassed to say it in front of
the others.  "I mean, it wouldn't be too manly, would it?" thought
Ranma, "Not the right image for me..." And then he remembered the
gambler's words.

"'Cause you got to know when to hold 'em."

Ranma quietly said, "I missed you, Akane."
Akane looked shocked.  "I... I missed you too, you dummy!  Why'd you
have to run off like that?"
Ranma was about to spit out a biting retort, when he remembered again.

"Know when to fold 'em."

Instead, he said, "I'm sorry.  I just had to think."  Then he kissed
her.  Akane was too shocked to say anything, but then Ryouga showed
up, screaming his usual "DIE RANMA!"  He sounded more strident than 
usual, after having seen that kiss.  Ranma tensed for a fight...

"Know when to walk away."

Ranma stopped.  Ryouga yelled at him to fight, to be a man.  Ranma
just shook his head.  "Not today, Ryouga.  I ain't in the mood for
it."  Then he put his arm around Akane and turned away.  Akane, happy
that for some reason Ranma wasn't being a jerk or picking on Ryouga,
was more than willing to leave with him.

Unfortunately, Shampoo, Ukyou, and Cologne chose that moment to show
up.

"Know when to run."

Ranma probably should have fought them- they were attacking him and
Akane, after all.  Instead, he picked up Akane and leaped up over the
rooftops.  They gave chase, but Ranma managed to lose them eventually,
turning into a secluded alley.

Akane turned to him, questioning, almost fearful that this moment
would end.  "R-r-ranma?  What's this all about?  How come you're
acting
so nice?"  Ranma began to think about that himself.  Why was he being
this way?  Why had the gambler's simple words affected him so much? 
Why
was he doing all this stuff for Akane?  As he remained silent, Akane
got more and more nervous.

"You never count your money, when you're sitting at the table. 
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done."

He shook his head, smiled at Akane, and kissed her again.  "Because I
love you."  And he let it go from there.  After all, there'd be plenty
of time for counting when the dealing was done...

"Cause you got to know when to hold 'em
        'When to hold 'em'
Know when to fold 'em
        'When to fold 'em'
Know when to walk away
Know when to run
You never count your money, when you're sitting at the table.
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done.

Cause you got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
Know when to run
You never count your money, when you're sitting at the table.
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done."
-- 
Brian A.H.
"I am Don Arturo de Los Angeles.  I am the greatest reader 
of all time.  I have read over a million books in my lifetime, and
 their pages flow through my mind like summer days..."
Phoenix Clan Purifier*Gaijin*Shugenja*ABC Geeky Shugenja Man*Totoroan
L5R(1.1) PX+ S(LA) G++ R Y+ C+ E+ M-- T-- D++ K U+++
L5R(R1.3) GP++ (PR+++ CC++) RP+ GT:! P+ PX/LN+ S++ G+++ R Y+ C++ CG++
U+++ J----
ABC(1.0) PX/ABC++(ic, anyways. =)) S(LA) Y+ A++ D++
BO/OC!N!++++(nosebleed) P+++ 
	U++