All Ranma characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, first published
by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North
America by Viz Communications.

                           A Different Viewpoint:  Epilogue part 1

    The celebration was drawing to a close.  Kasumi's return to human
form was like the last string on a present.  Akane could now see the
present opening.  The future was suddenly ripe with possibilities.

    Akane sat alone facing the koi pond, lost in thought.  Nodoka had
decided to take her husband, Soun, Nabiki and Ryoga to the Saotome home
once more, to give Johnathon and Kasumi the honeymoon they had not been
able to enjoy the first time.  Even as Akane pondered the future, they
were all preparing to go.

    Ranma and Akane were to stay behind again, both to prevent further
trouble, (As Mousse and Happosai both were possible visitors.)  As well
as to give them a positive impression of marriage.  The second reason
hadn't actually been stated, of course, but Akane wasn't fooled by their
parents pretended innocence.

    Akane sighed to herself.  <They still want us to get married right
away.  Now that most of the fiancees and rivals have given up, we could
probably manage it.  A month ago, two, I wanted to wait.  At least till
after high school.  Now I'm not so sure....>  Akane heard soft footsteps
coming up behind her, and didn't have to look to know who was sitting
down next to her.  "Kasumi."

    Akane turned and smiled at her eldest sister.  Kasumi looked back
calmly, happiness radiated from her, but the look in her eyes was
serious.  The look was for her, Akane knew, and somehow, she knew why.

    Kasumi began in her calmest voice.  "I think you should tell him,
Akane.  Things are quiet now, Shampoo's in no real danger, I'm cured,
there is no reason to remain silent any longer."

    Akane sighed, shaking her head.  "There is.  There is one reason not
to tell him."

    Kasumi sighed in response, and nodded.  "Ranma won't take it very
well.  He's very honorable... and if he learns what happened... while he
was stuck in the Cat-Fist...."

    Akane looked at the koi pond again.  <It would devastate him, if
Ranma found out he... that while he was acting like a cat he tried
to....>  Akane forced herself to admit it.  <His cat personality tried
to mate with me, and it wasn't going to take no for an answer.  In the
end I chose to let him... have his way with me, rather than let him
attack Johnathon... there were lots of reasons.>  Akane told herself.
<I thought it might bring Ranma out of it.  I wanted it to be my choice,
rather than be forced into it.  I wanted to prove to myself I wasn't
scared of Ranma hurting me, even as a cat.>

    Akane sighed.  <I wish... I wish... I wish it had been 'us' making
the decision.>

    Akane glanced back at Ranma who was giving his mother a good-bye
hug.  (She had hugged him and he wasn't pushing her away.)

    Akane sighed.  "Ranma will be very hurt.  It took awhile, but I've
noticed something.  Ranma hates to hurt other people.  Oh, he'll knock
the heck of Ryoga, but that's because he knows Ryoga doesn't mind that
kind of fighting.  But he can't stand to see someone else in pain.
Ranma took so much time dealing with his other fiancees, in part at
least, because he couldn't hurt them, even Kodachi."

    Akane looked at Kasumi soberly.  "Whenever I've gotten hurt...
Ranma's been hurt too.  I couldn't always see it, but it's true.  Ryoga
told me a bit about when Ranma thought I was dead.  Back when I was...
dehydrated... Ranma thought I was dead... and it was like he was dead
himself.  It wasn't until Ranma learned I could be saved that he snapped
out of it.  He risked his life... and killed Saffron to save me.
Killed.  For me.  Saffron didn't really die... and Ranma didn't have any
choice. Saffron would have killed him.  But he did that for me."

    Akane looked away.  "If Ranma learns what happened, when he was in
the Cat-Fist... I don't know what he'll do.  I've practiced how I'd tell
him dozens of times, but it never comes out right.  Kasumi... I'm afraid
Ranma might never forgive himself... or worse.  I don't even want to
think about the worse case...."

    Kasumi shook her head slowly.  "Don't think about that.  Ranma will
forgive himself if you forgive him, and you do, right?"

    Akane paused, then nodded seriously.  "Yes... yes I do forgive him.
It wasn't really Ranma, it was the cat....  I never blamed Ranma for
it."  Akane shook her head.  "It's funny, I used to blame him for
everything that went wrong, but... not that.  When Ranma, as a cat,
kissed me, months ago, I was angry afterwards... but not because he
kissed me.  I was angry because he said it could have been anyone."

    Akane sighed.  "We both denied the truth for so long.  It couldn't
have been anyone.  Ranma kissed me, as a cat, because he liked me.
That's why I could always bring him out of it.  If it could have been
anyone, then Ranma, as a cat, wouldn't have come back to me that day...
when he was stuck as a cat.  After chasing off Johnathon, he could have
gone anywhere, but he came back to me, because he loved me.  What he
did... as a cat, was because of that love for me.  How can I be angry at
him?"

    Kasumi sat quietly, listening to her younger sister and accepting
her words with understanding.

    Akane lowered her eyes, staring at the floor.  "I never blamed
him... I was just... a little...."

    Kasumi nodded supportively.  "What, Akane?  What is it?"

    Akane sighed heavily.  "I wasn't angry, I was... scared.  I know it
can't happen again... I know he'd never... but... I still was...."

    There was a tiny scrape of shoe against floor and Akane turned to
look.

    Ranma stood there, his eyes wide and frightened.  "Akane..."  He
stammered.  "I... I..."

    Akane was frozen, unable to act.

    Kasumi looked at Ranma, her own eyes going wide.  "Oh my.
Ranma-kun... how much did you hear?"

    Ranma took a step away.  "I... I never knew... Akane... I'm
sorry...."  He turned away suddenly, to flee from the room.

    Akane's paralysis was broken.  "Ranma, stop!"  Her voice rang out
instantly, pleadingly.

    Ranma halted in mid step.

    Akane stood, walking over to his rigid back.  "Ranma, we've got to
talk.  Don't leave until you hear me out.  Haven't we lived through too
many misunderstandings already?"

    Ranma nodded slowly, then turned to face her.  "You're right,
Akane....  I'll listen."

    Akane noticed Johnathon stepping into the living room from the
hall.  His eyes were questioning, but he didn't speak.

    Akane turned back to Ranma, not wanting to blow her chance to do
this right.  "Ranma, come on.  Lets sit down, OK?  I've got a story to
tell you."  She reached out and took his hand, leading him toward the
porch.

    Johnathon, seeming to sense a need for privacy, looked at his wife
and motioned his head toward the stairs.

    Kasumi nodded, then turned to the younger couple.  "Johnathon and I
are going up to bed."  She paused.  "We'll have a nice chat over
breakfast, do you think?"  Kasumi smiled reassuringly at Ranma then
followed after her husband.

    Johnathon waited for her on the stairs and they walked up together.
"What was that all about?"  He whispered as they reached their door,
glancing back down the stairs.

    Kasumi sighed.  "Akane is going to tell Ranma about what happened,
the day he was stuck as a cat."

    Johnathon's eyes went wide, then narrowed..  "OK.  I hope they can
work it out...."  He sighed.  "You don't think we should help?"

    Kasumi shook her head.  "I think that they have to deal with this
themselves."

    Johnathon simply nodded, and opened the door to their room.  Kasumi
went in, and he followed, closing the door behind him.  They both walked
over to the bed and began to undress.  Kasumi pulled back the covers and
laid down, smiling at her husband.

    Johnathon joined her and pulled the covers up.  "I'm worried."  He
whispered.

    Kasumi sighed.  "I am too.  I hope they will be alright."  She
rolled up against his side.  "Johnathon, hold me?"

    He slipped his arms around her, molding his body to hers.
"Forever."

            **************************

    Downstairs, Akane and Ranma sat together on the porch.  Akane had
been quiet for several minutes, trying to think of what to say.

    Ranma fidgeted, worried and uncomfortable.  "Akane... what
happened?  That day I was stuck as a cat... you never said...."

    Akane nodded and sighed.  "I'll tell you, Ranma, although I don't
think you're going to like it...."  She sighed again.  "Scratch that.  I
know you aren't going to like it.  Ranma, I know you pretty well by now,
I think.  So when I say you aren't to blame for what happened that day.
I mean it, OK?  Hear me out."

    Ranma slowly nodded.  "O... OK, Akane."

    Akane's face became serious, and she locked eyes with her pigtailed
fiancee.  "I really do mean it.  And Ranma... what I said about being
scared?  I'm not... not anymore, OK?  That's done.  I love you, and
that's all, OK?"

    Ranma blinked, then tried to smile.  "I... I love you too, Akane."

    She nodded.  "I know you do.  I've known for a long time, I think,
although I wouldn't admit it to myself.  Ranma, I want you to listen
till I've told you everything, promise me."

    Ranma frowned.  <What could have happened that would make Akane so
worried?  It must be something horrible!>  He sighed.  "Alright, Akane.
I promise."

    Akane sat back and took a deep breath, then began.  "You've never
known what you did as a cat, except what you were told.  As a cat, you
act on your feelings, your emotions, with no rational thought.  The
first time you went into the Cat-fist when I was around, you trashed
Kuno, and that tiger.  Later, when your father tried to calm you down,
you clobbered him."

    Akane shook her head reassuringly.  "You didn't seriously hurt
either of them, and you had plenty of reason to.  That day I thought you
might attack me too, after I shot that bag of catnip at you, but you
didn't.  You jumped into my lap."

    Akane blushed slightly, remembering.  "Then, you kissed me....  I
should've known then that you liked me, but you denied it, like always.
It became obvious over time that you act on emotion and instinct as a
cat.  You came to me over and over, and I was the only one who could
bring you out of it."

    Akane smiled slightly, then turned serious again.  "Later you fought
Cologne with your Cat-fist, and won, but even then you didn't really
hurt her.  You even attacked me once, back when Johnathon had first
gotten turned into a cat."

    Ranma froze, his eyes wide.  "I... I... attacked...."

    Akane grabbed his hand and squeezed it.  "Just listen, Ranma, don't
make any decisions yet, just listen.  I had knocked you through the dojo
wall, I can't even remember why now, and into the tree outside.  You met
Johnathon in his cat form out there, and went into the Cat-fist.  I
charged out to hit you again and you swiped at me.  You didn't hurt me,
just tore my gi and scared me.  When I realized you had gone cat I sat
down and called you, and you calmed down and got in my lap."

    Ranma nodded slowly.  "I... I remember a bit of that day.... That's
why Kasumi found scraps of your gi outside... and why you wouldn't let
me turn around."  The pigtailed martial artist bowed his head.  "I'm...
really... really sorry, Akane....  I hope you can forgive me...
someday.  I know I don't deserve it but..."

    Akane smiled.  "Ranma, forget it!  You didn't hurt me, alright?  I
had just knocked you clear through the wall!  I can understand you being
angry at that.  Your cat side had that anger as well, but not your
control.  You would never attack me.  Your cat side wasn't quite so
restrained, but still, you didn't hurt me.  You never hurt me."

    Ranma sighed.  "I'm glad...  I was worried that I might have...
done... something... to you as a cat."

    Akane sighed in response to that.  "You've 'done' a lot of stuff as
a cat, Ranma, but I don't blame 'you' for any of it.  As a cat, you
simply act, in whatever way you fell like.  You're honest as a cat, and
straightforward... and completely without restraint."

    Akane smiled wryly.  "Actually, I always kinda liked your cat side.
I was always worried about you, and scared you'd attack someone, but you
were always friendly to me.  You showed your true feelings, without
reservation, I always knew how I stood with you as a cat.  I really
should have understood that's how you felt as a person, too."

    Akane tilted her head, regarding her fiancee warmly.  "Ranma, you
thought of me as a friend, as someone to be protected, right?  At least
until the last few months."

    Ranma slowly nodded.  "Yeah... yeah I did.  For the longest time.  I
couldn't admit, even to myself, that I might fall in love with you, but
I couldn't let you get hurt."

    Akane nodded back.  "But... that changed, didn't it?  I don't know
when for sure, maybe after the first wedding attempt, or when you told
Kodachi you were going to marry me... but I do know it happened.  It
happened to me too.  I started to stop denying how I felt about you, and
admit I loved you.  I even began thinking about what being married to
you would be like."

    Akane smiled shyly.  "After we kissed... really kissed for the first
time, I started thinking about...."  Akane blushed again.  "Well... you
know."  She sighed and looked at Ranma's eyes.  "You did too, I think."

    Ranma gulped.  "Ah, well... I...."

    Akane giggled.  "It's OK, we knew we were going to get married,
right?  We still are.  It's OK to think about it."  She shrugged,
turning somber again.  "People think about those things all the time.
We just don't act on those feelings, unless we're sure it's OK with the
other person."

    Akane blushed once more, then squeezed Ranma's hand.  "When Happosai
stuck you in the Cat-fist, you thrashed him, then came back to me, like
you always did.  We got a kettle and changed you back to a guy while you
were curled up in my lap, but that didn't bring you out of it.  Instead
of calming down, you started getting excited.  I thought you were just
playing at first, butting up against me, pawing me....  You started
sniffing my hair, and trying to groom it.  I couldn't figure out what
was going on.  Johnathon figured it out first... although since Artemis
and Luna were right there, they might have told him."

    Akane held Ranma's hand in both of her.  "Ranma... your cat side
felt the same way about me as you do.  And your feelings... changed,
didn't they?  Ranma, Johnathon figured out that you wanted to... m-mate
with me.  I didn't understand what you were doing, you... shoved me down
and turned me over and... tore my pajamas...."

    Akane started speaking quickly as Ranma grew more and more
horrified.  "Johnathon came in and splashed you with cold water then,
and jumped out the window.  You went after him.  Your cat side was
furious!  Somehow Johnathon escaped you.  He called, saying he was
coming back.  Kasumi was frightened that you would attack him if you saw
him again, but Johnathon insisted on returning.  You came back first,
female of course, and I decided to do something to save Johnathon, and
to bring you back to yourself."

    Akane sighed heavily.  "I thought I could bring you out of the
Cat-fist by... letting you have what you wanted.  I... I led you into
the bathroom and... s-seduced you."  The last two words had been spoken
very quietly, but Ranma heard them clearly.

    He gaped, petrified.  "You... I... we...."

    Akane nodded slightly.  "I decided to...."  She looked away.  "I
wanted it to be my choice.  Not to let it be an accident because you got
changed back to a guy.  So I... chose to do it."

    Ranma didn't know what to think.  "Akane... I... I...."

    Akane turned back to him, her eyes moist.  "Ranma, I'm sorry.  I
could have left you as a girl, found some other way... but I didn't.  I
wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't afraid of your cat side... and I
was....  I had told myself, the night before the wedding, that I
wouldn't stop you if you... wanted me.  Part of me... wanted you too.
There were lots of reasons, but whatever the reasons, it happened.  I
turned you back into a guy and we... did it... we had sex."  Akane was
blushing furiously now.

    Ranma looked like he was ready to faint.  "We... you... I... we...
we did?"

    Akane, still blushing, nodded.  "Your cat side was... gentle,
Ranma.  Insistent, but gentle.  It was... it felt....  It was really
good, actually.  The one thing that distressed me most, was that you
didn't break out of the Cat-fist... although that would have been very
embarrassing.  You were calm though, and you didn't attack Johnathon
when he returned."

    Ranma hung his head.  "I've heard enough, Akane.  I've dishonored
you... and myself, by what I've done.  I'll...."

    Akane put one hand under his chin and lifted his head so she could
look him in the eye.  "No.  Ranma, this was not your doing.  Genma
trained you in the Cat-fist, and Happosai stuck you in cat mode with his
hypnosis.  The only part you played was falling in love with me.  Was
that dishonorable?  Should I hate you because you love me?"

    Akane shook her head.  "I can't do that.  Besides, in the end, it
was my choice.  You didn't force me.  You might of, but that's not how
it happened.  I seduced you, and you, your cat personality, was
willing.  You didn't hurt me, and I enjoyed it.  I did!  I was scared,
when I didn't know what was happening, and uncertain, when I didn't know
what I should do, but when it was done, I didn't regret it, not really.
I wish it could have been both our decision.  The choice was taken from
you, and I'll never forgive Happosai for that.  But that's all I regret,
that, and that this has hurt you."

    Akane looked into his eyes entreatingly.  "Ranma, forgive
yourself... and please, forgive me... for what I did."

    Ranma's gaze softened.  "Of course I forgive you.  I can't
understand how you can forgive me, but... I don't blame you.  You did
what you felt you had to do.  I understand that."

    Akane leaned forward and hugged Ranma tight.  "Then understand why I
don't blame you.  I did what I thought I had to do, but you had no
thought at all.  Your emotions were there, and your body, but you,
Ranma, were not.  You couldn't do anything about it.  You were the
victim, nothing else."  Akane raised her face up to his, inches away,
she stared into his eyes.  "Please, forgive yourself... let this go."

    Ranma sighed.  "Alright, Akane, I'll try."  Ranma put one arm around
Akane's waist, hugging her back.  The other hand he brought up behind
her head, and gently caressed her hair.  "Akane, why didn't you tell me
this earlier?"

    Akane sighed.  "I was afraid of what you'd do... to yourself.  At
the same time, Cologne couldn't find out, or it would have destroyed
Kasumi's chance to get the Phoenix pill."

    Ranma nodded, then blanched.  "Who else knows?  Did anyone else find
out?"

    Akane slowly nodded.  "Kasumi knew right away, Johnathon soon
after.  Nobody else... except Happosai... and maybe the Senshi.  I guess
Luna and Artemis had to have known."

    Ranma's eyes had gotten very wide.  "Happosai... and the Senshi?
How did they...?"

    Akane looked extremely embarrassed.  "Well, Luna and Artemis might
have told the Senshi..."

    Ranma rolled his eyes.  "And Happosai?  How did he find out?"

    Akane was blushing, brighter and brighter.  "Do... do you remember
how you woke up?"

    Ranma's eyes went wide again.  "We didn't!  We weren't!  We did?"

    Akane nodded, her own eyes wide.  "The bathroom... wasn't the only
time... that day... that we... you know.  Several hours later... you
started getting... um... excited again... and... um... I asked Kasumi to
leave... cause you were getting pretty insistent.  Happosai kinda...
walked in on us... in the middle..."  Akane was turning scarlet.  "He...
had everyone with him... hypnotized....  They don't remember any of it
luckily...."

    Akane buried her face in Ranma's shirt.  "Ach.  It was awful.  I
only managed to pull my shirt on before I had to fight Shampoo.  You
went ballistic and hit Happosai, even young and faster than ever, you
probably would have beat him, but Cologne and Mousse attacked you too.
Johnathon came in and Happosai had the Kuno's attack him.  If Happosai
hadn't blown up the Koi pond to knock you out, we would have lost for
sure.  The water turned Shampoo and Kasumi into cats, and transformed
Johnathon too."

    Akane shrugged.  "I got rid of Shampoo quick and had to face off one
on one with Happosai.  Cologne and Mousse were unconscious because of
you and Happosai's bombs, but we would have still lost if not for the
Senshi showing up.  They kept Happosai busy until I... um... distracted
him.  Then once I knocked him into the air, they toasted him.  Johnathon
managed to K.O. both Kunos, somehow, although he said Artemis and Kasumi
helped, and he got knocked out himself.  That was it.  Sailor Moon
healed everybody, and you woke up."

    Akane hugged Ranma even tighter.  "I was never happier to see you
looking confused than I was then."

    Ranma looked skyward in embarrassment.  "They all knew, all this
time.... I'm never going to be able to look them in the eyes again."

    Akane slowly put her head against Ranma's chest again.  "Sure you
will.  Come on, think about it.  Kasumi, are you going to have trouble
talking to Kasumi?"

    Ranma blinked, thinking about that.  "Kasumi?  No, I guess not...
Kasumi's about as nice as they come."

    Akane nodded into his chest.  "And Johnathon?  Do you think he's
going to start treating you differently?"

    Ranma looked thoughtful.  "No, not really.  I would have expected
him to have started acting different after that happened... but he
hasn't changed at all."

    Akane nodded once more.  "They both know you, Ranma, they know it
wasn't your fault."

    Ranma shook his head.  "Those two can forgive anybody."

    Akane sighed.  "Maybe.  Neither Johnathon nor Kasumi gets mad
easily, and they can certainly forgive wrongs against themselves, but
you know as well as I that Johnathon gets angry if someone hurts a
friend.  He hasn't gotten angry at you, has he?"

    Ranma shook his head.  "He hasn't.  I think I would have noticed
that."

    Akane nodded.  "And the Senshi?  Do you think they've been hiding
their true feelings all this time?"

    Ranma snorted.  "I get your point."  He sighed, letting his chin
rest on the top of Akane's head.  "What now, Akane?  Why did you tell me
now?  You could have kept the secret forever."

    Akane shook her head slightly.  "You needed to know, you deserved to
know why... why the girl you're going to marry isn't a virgin."  She
looked up, causing Ranma to move his head back.  "Ranma... you are going
to marry me, aren't you?"

    Ranma nodded, his eyes serious.  "Yes I am, without a doubt.  Any
time you want, Akane."

    Akane smiled and hugged him tightly again.  "Soon.  Not right now,
but very soon.  Oh Ranma, I really do love you."

    Ranma shook his head incredulously.  "I'm a really lucky guy.  You
know what Akane?  I really do love you, too."

    Akane smiled brilliantly, her eyes sparkling, and kissed him on the
lips with everything she had behind it.

    Ranma responded slowly and broke away after several seconds.
"Akane...?"

    Akane smiled at him shyly.  "Ranma... can we go up to my room?"

    Ranma blinked.  "Huh?  Do you mean...?  Akane, you want to... go up
to your room?"

    Akane sighed.  "Yes, Ranma.  You don't have to, if you don't want
to... but... I want you to..."

    Ranma looked very nervous.  "I'm not sure... are you... sure?"

    Akane nodded.  "Very."  The look in her eyes was serious, her voice
had deepened a bit.  "It's not like I have my... virginity to protect...
I want you... to... to be yourself this time, and not a cat.  Do you
understand?"

    Ranma's eyes were wide, but he nodded.  "Yeah... I do, I think...
I... I...."

    Akane started to lose her smile.  <Does he want me at all?  Is he
just going along with this because of what I did?>

    Ranma stopped stuttering.  <I gotta let Akane know how I feel.>  He
stood, breaking their hug, then tugged Akane to her feet.

    With one smooth motion Ranma scooped her up off her feet and began
carrying her toward the stairs.  Akane put her hands around behind his
neck and smiled at him happily.  He carried her to the stairs silently
and went up with little effort.

    Ranma reached her door and paused.  "Akane, are you sure?"

    Akane nodded, her heart suddenly beating very fast.  "Absolutely
sure.  How about you, do... do you want to...?"

    Ranma nodded, then shrugged, grinning.  "I'm not made of stone,
Akane.  I've been thinking about this for a long time.  If you want me,
then I can't refuse.  I'd be an idiot to do so.  I do want you, Akane,
more than anything."

    Akane reached over and pulled her door open a few inches.  "Good."

    Ranma slipped his foot into the crack and open the door the rest of
the way, then carried Akane inside.  The door shut behind them and Ranma
carried Akane over to the bed and laid her down, kneeling on the bed
above her.

    Ranma hesitated.  "Akane... I'm not really sure... what I should
do."

    Akane smiled.  "Finally, something I know better than you."  She
reached up and started undoing the buttons on his shirt.  "I'll try to
show you."

    Ranma tensed up nervously, his breathing quickening at Akane's
touch.  Akane finished undoing the buttons, and slipped her hands under
his shirt, placing them lightly on his chest, then running her hands
slowly up to his shoulders, drawing his shirt away from his skin and off
his shoulders as she did so.

    Akane's hands were cool on his skin, which was starting to feel
feverishly hot.  Akane began pulling the shirt down his back and arms
and Ranma shifted from arm to arm above her to let her pull it
completely off.  She dropped it carelessly off the side of the bed and
began to run her hands over Ranma's bare back.  That felt good, and
Ranma started to relax a bit.  He looked down at Akane's face, and she
looked back up at him expectantly.

    <Ranma, kiss me.>  Akane thought at him earnestly, but he just
stayed there, propping himself up above her, looking uncertain.  Akane
sighed and smiled at him.  <He really doesn't know what to do.>
"Ranma... kiss me."  She said quietly with a faint smile.  Ranma
blinked, then started to lower himself closer to her.  He bent his head
toward Akane's, and slowly brought his lips to meet hers.  Ranma kissed
Akane on the mouth, holding the rest of his body an inch from hers with
his arms as he straddled her legs with his own.

    Akane melted into the kiss happily.  <We've gone this far before...
kissing, petting... it's time to go all the way.>  Akane determined, and
deepened the kiss, thrusting her tongue into Ranma's slightly open
mouth, then pulling him down on top of her, so his body lay pressed all
along hers.

    Ranma froze, the double stimulus of Akane's body beneath his and her
probing tongue sending him nearly into shock.  Slowly he responded to
her kiss, trying to shut out the signals he was getting from the rest of
his body.  Ranma could feel Akane's breasts squished up against his
chest, her hands roving his back, her thigh pressed up against his....
Ranma shifted a bit, nervously, worried that he might be too heavy for
Akane, that she might notice his sudden awakening passion...

    Akane was enjoying herself, but getting a bit nervous as well.  She
liked having Ranma on top of her, his strong chest flattening her
breasts, his thigh pressed up against hers.  She could feel Ranma shift
his weight a bit and sensed his arousal and concern.  Akane reluctantly
released the kiss and let Ranma push himself up again.

    Ranma peered down at Akane, trying not to breath too heavily.
"Akane?  I'm not too heavy, am I?

    Akane shook her head slowly, smiling.  "Uh uh.  Ranma... why don't
you... help me with my shirt."

    Akane let her arms drop to the bed, opening herself up to him.  He
blinked at her incredulously.  Akane lay passively below him, her arms
wide, looking defenseless but unafraid.  Slowly he sat back on his
knees, and hesitantly reached for the front of her shirt.  Akane smiled
and nodded as Ranma's hands closed on the top button.  Ranma gulped and
started opening the buttons of Akane's shirt one at a time, working his
way down slowly, but with increasing speed.  He got to the last button
and opened it, pulling Akane's shirt slowly out of her skirt.

    Akane shifted a bit helpfully and her shirt opened in front farther,
showing a ribbon of bare skin to her waist, only broken by her bra.
With another gulp, Ranma pulled her shirt fully open in front, leaving
her chest only concealed by her shoulderless white bra.  Akane raised
her arms a bit, holding out the sleeves of her shirt to him.  Ranma
blinked, then took both sleeves, gently pulling them up over her hands.
Akane slipped her arms free and Ranma slowly pulled the shirt out from
under her, then dropped it over the side of the bed to join his.  Ranma
paused again, once more uncertain of how to proceed.

    Akane sighed and smiled up at him once again.  "Keep going Ranma,
don't stop now."

    Ranma swallowed, licked his lips nervously, and reached for Akane's
bra.

                                        End Epilogue part 1 of 2

The web page has been updated.  You can find the first 39 chapters of
this story at:  http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Dojo/1449/fanfics.html

Please tell me what you think, C&C, MST, whatever, I write to improve my
writing, so if you have any critisims, don't hesitate to tell me.  Of
course, if you just loved it and want to tell me so, my ego won't mind
at all.