Author's Notes: Welcome to the start of the first fic I've published on this site. I hope you'll stick around long enough to give this a fair go and perhaps even a review if you are so inclined. I have no idea how often I'll get around to uploading new chapters as my current schedule is a bit chaotic, but hopefully you'll bear with me. This story does take place after the end of the manga (I`m not that familiar with the anime) as a continuation of sorts and the characters contained within, with the exception of a few original characters, are my take on the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. If they seem different then how they are in the manga or anime that is because I am writing MY interpretation of how the characters think, act and react. That being said true believers in the Ranma/Akane pairing should probably turn back now as I have no intention of going that route. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Nabiki didn't want to do this. She really didn't want to do this. She was the Ice Queen of Furinkan High, she could handle anything that comes her way. Except this time she couldn't. She had to ask HIM for help. Since the wedding disaster things have been very tense around the house. Any little thing could send Akane flying off the handle, and Ranma has been extremely quiet lately. The morning sparring sessions with Genma rarely lasted more than a few minutes, and Ranma barely said a word during them. It goes without saying that Ranma and Akane weren't speaking.

Now she needed his help. Climbing out onto the roof she spotted Ranma in his usual place. Shivering slightly from the cool night air, Nabiki didn't bother announcing herself, she knew Ranma could tell who it was.

"I need a favor." Nabiki said as she sat down next to Ranma.

"Hmm?" Ranma looked curiously over at the middle Tendo. It was rare, almost unheard of for Nabiki, to ask for anything. He could almost appreciate this independent attitude if it didn't end up, more often than not, with him owing her large amounts of money.

"Since when does Nabiki Tendo need help from me?" Normally Ranma would say yes to just about anyone asking him a favor, but seeing as how this was Nabiki he wanted to know what exactly he would be in for.

"I'm in trouble." This was all she could get out now. It hurt her pride having to admit weakness. She built her whole reputation as the Ice Queen on not showing any weakness. She stood there shivering and trying to get the information out.

"You look cold Nabiki" Ranma said as he handed her his red silk shirt. "It ain't real warm, but it's better than nothing right?"

Nabiki took the proffered shirt as she once again pondered the puzzle that was Ranma Saotome. Sometimes he could be incredibly kind and thoughtful, others he was childish and dense as a brick wall. It wasn't hard for Nabiki to see why he had so many girls after him. He was attractive, kind, and had a really cute butt. Nabiki shook these thoughts from her head. This was a business meeting, plain and simple. There was no room for such thoughts at a business meeting. She took a deep breath and started in on why she needed help.

"You remember last week when you fought that blonde girl, Karin Kanzuki?" Nabkiki asked.

Ranma scrunched his eyebrows together and looked off into the distance as he thought back to the different fights he had last week.

"Let's see… Last week there was the martial arts karaoke and that martial arts calligraphy guy again, man was that guy annoying…"

Nabiki watched him as he thought back over the events of the past week. She couldn't help smiling a little and thinking to herself that he did look kind of cute when he thought real hard, even if he is an ego maniac jock with more brawn than brains. She mentally slapped herself for going back to those thoughts, and wondered why she couldn't focus tonight.

Suddenly Ranma sat up and snapped his fingers. "Yeah, I remember her now. Man, that chick was more macho than Akane! I didn't think that was possible!"

He turned and looked at Nabiki with a quizzical expression. "What's that fight got to do with anything? I beat her of course, and I can do it again so what's the problem"

"The problem Ranma, is the fact that you did beat her" Nabiki started.

"Huh?" At this point in the conversation Ranma was completely lost.

Nabiki smiled to herself, she loved playing mind games with other people. Then she shook her head to clear away such thoughts. There was no time for that now. "Listen Ranma, the fight between you and Karin Kanzuki happened so fast I didn't have time to do any research on her. If I had I would have found out that her father is Ken Kanzuki, the biggest yakuza boss in Japan."

"I still don't get it Nabiki. So what if her Pop's a gangster? If he wants to fight me I'll just beat him up like any other guy who challenges me."

"You don't understand Ranma. You beat up his daughter and I made money off of it. We embarrassed his family and made him look weak. He doesn't just want to beat you up, he wants to kill us."

Ranma merely shrugged his shoulders at this. "Do you have any idea how many death threats I get in a week? Heck, I'm already up to six death threats and it's only Tuesday!"

Greater than any martial arts technique was Ranma's ability to say and do all the right things to really tick someone off. Nabiki wanted to smack Ranma but she knew it would have about the same effect as hitting a brick wall.

"I said he wants to kill US" Nabiki said "US. As in you AND me. And this guy isn't just a martial artist, he's a yakuza boss. He doesn't even have to do anything himself. He's a Yakuza boss, he's got enough money to pay someone to kill us. "

Ranma became serious for once. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need a bodyguard. I want you to be my bodyguard and keep me safe, until I figure out a way to get out of this situation."

Ranma thought about this for a moment. Since he had arrived at the Tendo household he had faced nothing but trouble. Jealous rivals, insane challengers, and more fiancés than anyone had a right to. His relationship with the Tendos was more or less constant. Soun schemed with his Pops for some way to get him and Akane married, Kasumi kept the house in order and did the cooking, Nabiki blackmailed and extorted what little money he managed to scrounge up, and Akane yelled at him or hit him whenever he did something she didn't like. Through it all it the only thing keeping him from leaving was his own sesne of honor and duty, and it was this honor that ultimately made the decision for him. It was his duty as a martial artist to help those who asked for it whoever they may be. Ranma Saotome couldn't and wouldn`t leave anyone in trouble.

"I'll do it." Ranma said

Inwardly Nabiki gave a little sigh of relief. After everything she had done to him, she wasn't sure Ranma would actually help her.

"I'll do it," Ranma repeated "but you gotta do something for me."

Nabiki cringed inside. She was hoping Ranma would simply help her without asking questions like he normally did. On the outside she remained as cool and calm as ever. "Alright, what is it you want?"

"No more pictures." Ranma said "I'm sick and tired of you feeding peoples' obsessions with my girl side. And no more pictures of Akane either. Kuno's crazy enough as it is without you feeding him those pictures."

Nabiki frowned and thought for a moment. The picture business was basically only one client, Tatewaki Kuno, but the money he paid for them was a substantial part of her income. These thoughts were only fleeting though, as she really had no other choice. Coming into this she knew she would have to accept Ranma's terms whatever they may be.

"Fine." She said "No more pictures of you or Akane. In exchange, you'll be my bodyguard until I can figure a way out this situation with Ken Kanzuki."

She extended her hand for a handshake and Ranma took it. It was then that he noticed that her hand was ice cold and shaking.

"Geez! Nabiki you're freezing!" He exclaimed. "C`mere." He put his arm around her and drew her closer to himself..

Nabiki started to resist out of habit, but stopped when she felt the warmth of his arms around her. Despite the fact that he was wearing less clothing than she was he felt incredibly warm. From her new position, she looked up at Ranma with a questioning look. "What are you doing?"

"I've been working on this new technique." He said "It`s kinda the opposite of the soul of ice. Instead of keeping my ki cold, I'm making it hot"

Nabiki's instincts for self-reliance and independence were all telling her to break Ranma's embrace and go back inside, but he was warm and comfortable. So instead she asked another question. "Why is it always martial arts with you? You never do anything but practice your next technique."

Ranma shrugged while still keeping his arm around Nabiki. "It's all I really know. One of my earliest memories is doing balance exercises with Pops. Now that I met Mom I kinda remember her from earlier in my life, but that's real hazy. Basically, I grew up with Pops training in martial arts. Everything was martial arts training. Even meal times, when we had something to eat, was training. I've never known anything but martial arts."

Nabiki gave no reply to Ranma's explanation save for a small snore as she had fallen asleep. Ranma decided the wisest course of action was to simply remain put for now. It was only a few moments later when a noise roused the slumbering Nabiki. Confused for a moment as to where she was she failed to notice the fact that she was still leaning up against Ranma and still wearing his shirt. Her mental faculties only kicked into full gear as the source of the noise revealed itself to be Akane noisily climbing onto the roof.

"I was looking for you Ranma" Akane said in an irritated tone "Kasumi told me to tell you that the bath was ready…"

The scene that greeted Akane on the roof was not at all what she expected. Akane drifted off mid-sentence as her mind stalled when she noticed that Ranma and Nabiki of all people were sitting next to each other. And Nabiki was even wearing Ranma's shirt. Akane's mind immediately jumped to the only possible conclusion, that Ranma and Nabiki were doing something PERVERTED on the roof. Her vivid imagination ran wild as she mentally conjured up scenarios in which Nabiki would be wearing Ranma's clothes.

Nabiki could see the wheels turning in her younger sister's head, and decided to try to head off her sister's thoughts before they went to pervert territory.

"Akane, Ranma and I were just having a little business discussion. I got cold and Ranma offered me his shirt. That's all. Nothing else happened."

Try as she might though it was too little too late.

"Pervert!" Akane said pointing a finger at Ranma accusingly "You were trying to seduce Nabiki weren't you?" And without even bothering to listen for a response Akane angrily made her way back inside.

Ranma simply sighed, having gotten used to his fiancé's outbursts, and made his own way inside. He would have to somehow make it up to Akane soon, but that could wait for another day. Ranma decided to take his bath and head to bed before the fat panda could steal all his blankets.

And thus Nabiki was left with little choice, but to head inside herself and try to figure out how she could potentially defuse this volatile situation. She knew from experience that Akane would not be willing to listen to any type of reason at least until the morning, and so she resolved to straighten things out then. Probably on the way to school when Akane would have nowhere to go and no chance to escape the reasonable explanation for what she saw. Nabiki didn't hold out much hope that her hotheaded younger sister would actually listen.

End Notes: Thank you to anyone who has made it this far and not already turned back. If you liked this chapter please review it. If you didn't like this chapter please review it anyways. I'm always looking to improve on my writing.

Mysterious One D

Edit: Someone pointed out that I had Ranma giving Nabiki his shirt twice in the course of one conversation, and upon closer inspection of this chapter I found a few places that could use some polishing. I fixed the error with the shirt and made a few changes here and there. Nothing major to affect plot or character development. I also want to point out that the ki warming technique Ranma is working on is only related to the soul of ice in terms of temperature. It has nothing to do with his emotional state.