10/16/17

This is only my second story and fist for Ranma 1/2 - let me know what you think of it. I would love to get some comments to know how I am doing.

This is going to be a Halloween special story. I will have it completed by Halloween, so expect regular updates in order to make the deadline. Not sure how long it will be as I don't want to rush it but I also don't have a lot of time. I hope you all like it thought.

Like everyone says, I do not own Ranma 1/2 or its characters.

~~OO~~

Beep Beep Beep - Akane smashed her alarm clock into bits then rolled over onto her side to continue staring at the wall. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night, nor any night recently in the past few weeks since the latest failed wedding attempt. 'I just can't take this status quo anymore. Something has to change around here. If it wasn't for all those stupid 'fiancées' Ranma and I would be married right now. I would be waking up in Ranma's arms right now, but instead here I am alone again and the only physical interaction we have is when he is being an idiot and I slug him into next week. We haven't even had a moment to talk about just how close we came to getting married, let alone finish discussing what I know I heard him say to me at Jusenkyo yet he refuses to admit to say. I have to do something to shake things up around here or nothing will ever change, but what can I do?'Sighing and throwing back the covers Akane got out of bed to get dressed for the day.

Akane soon joined the rest of the family around the breakfast table and took her normal seat next to Ranma. Over the last few weeks since the failed wedding attempt everyone was trying to walk on eggshells whenever Akane and Ranma were in the room, but in the last few days things had started to slip back into its normal pattern. Ranma even started to pick on Akane like usual and Akane had started making a Ranma shaped pancake every morning at the breakfast table with her mallet. This morning appeared to be shaping up to be no different.

"Yo, Akane! No morning run again today? You better watch out or your thick thighs are going to get even bigger than they already are." Ranma joked and chuckled to himself as he waited for Akane to get angry and chase him around the breakfast table yelling 'Ranma You Jerk!". He knew he shouldn't mess with her like that as he was well aware her thighs were not thick but instead the most shapely and beautiful legs around. But he couldn't help it. Seeing the spark in her eyes as she came after him was the most glorious sight he could think of, and nothing got his heart racing like it did when his fiancée's full attention was focused completely on him. Who cares if it meant he got smacked around a bit in the process, it's not like he didn't know how to take a hit or two.

However Ranma was stunned silent, as was the rest of the family, when Akane just casually sat down in her seat with a "Good morning to you too, Ranma" in response to his comment. Clearly she was living on another planet right now.

"Earth to Akane. You going to join us here today?" Nabiki asked before taking a drink of her morning coffee and taking in the obviously distracted state of her sister.

"Huh, oh yeah sorry. I was just thinking. So what did I miss?" Akane asked as Kasumi brought in the breakfast dishes.

"Not much, Akane." Kasumi said with her normal sweet smile. "Now eat up all of you or you will be late for school.

The rest of breakfast Akane didn't respond to any of Ranma's normal teasing as she appeared to be deep in thought While this seemed to annoy Ranma that he couldn't get a rise out of her, the rest of the family enjoyed a relatively peaceful meal which was quite rare in the Tendo household. Nabiki however just watched her sister trying to pick up any small clue to explain her strange behavior.

On the walk to school Akane continued to be deep in thought and Ranma just watched her from his spot atop the fence. After they had gone about halfway in complete silence Ranma couldn't take it any longer. He jumped down in front of her as it appeared the only way to get her attention was to get directly in her face.

"Akane, what's up with you today. You haven't said one word the whole walk and you have hardly notice anyone or anything all morning. Did something happened that I should know about?" Ranma asked as he eyed her up and down looking for any noticeable bruises or injuries to help explain her odd behavior.

"Huh, what's that?" Akane asked as she shook her head to clear her thoughts and attempted to side step around him to keep walking. "Oh nothing is wrong Ranma. I have just been doing some...thinking."

"Thinking? Thinking about what?" Ranma asked while jumping back in front of her trying to keep her from proceeding on towards school and shutting him out again.

"Well... about how everything has seemed to go back to normal in the last few weeks, you know since that last wedding attempt. I mean basically nothing has changed much between us since you first came here a few years ago, well except you only had one fiance when you first got here and now you have three, plus one stalker." Akane looked up into Ranma's eyes with a sad hurt expression and let out a sigh. "Look I mean aren't you tired of all this craziness around here? We are constantly fighting and the few times we aren't one of your other fiancees come around to mess with us. I am just tired of all the fighting and us being upset with each other. We almost got married a few weeks ago and someone could have really gotten hurt during that mess. And I don't know about you but I don't to go through that anymore. I don't like being angry all the time. I really think something needs to change around here."

Ranma just stared at Akane as he wasn't quite sure how to respond. He agreed that all the madness that followed them around, mainly due to the other 'fiancées', was quite annoying but he wasn't sure how to solve it, well aside from telling them all in no uncertain terms that he didn't want anything to do with them and had absolutely zero desire to marry them. But to do that he would not only have to admit to himself his feelings but he would have to make them know to everyone else which would mean a lot of people would be angry with him and he may lose a few friends along the way. Not to mention the chance that Akane may not feel the same way about him.

Just as Ranma was starting to stutter a response they heard the familiar 'Ring Ring' of Shampoo and her delivery bike. Ranma had just enough time to push Akane out of the way of the bike and jump to the side himself as it came crashing down in between them.

"Nihao, Ranma!" Shampoo yelled as she tossed her bike aside to jump onto Ranma. "You skip school and take Shampoo on date, yes?"

"Ah man! Come on Shampoo. Let me go. Why do you have to tackle me everyday." Ranma shouted while he tried to escape the death grip she had on him.

Akane looked upon the all too familiar scene and let out a small sigh. 'I swear every time we try to have an serious conversation someone has to come along and interrupt us. How are we ever supposed to figure out whatever this is between us if we can't have more than a five minute conversation alone.'

While Ranma continued to struggle to release himself from Shampoo and Akane watched in annoyance, Ukyo joined the group and tried to insert herself between Ranma and Shampoo. The three of them appeared completely oblivious to anything else going on around them at the moment. Akane realizing the time decided to go on and head towards school alone. "Well I am off guys. I will see you at school Ranma." She waited a moment to see if anyone would respond and when no one did she let out a big sigh and turned to continue her walk to school.

As soon as Akane entered the gate of Furinkan High Kuno leapt from behind a tree in front of Kagome with a single red rose in his hand.

"Ah the fair Akane Tendo had graced us with her presence again today. I see that you have finally rid yourself of the vial Ranma Saotome, come and we shall date today."

As Kuno offered her the rose and droned on in his attempt to be poetic, Akane's friends Yuka and Sayuri noticed her arrival and waved in hello.

"Hey I don't see Ranma with Akane today." Yuka said to her friend as they watch Kuno as he painfully declared his undying love for Akane yet again this morning.

"Maybe they had a fight on the way to school or something. So just another normal Thursday." Sayuri said with a chuckle. "Man Akane sure is being patient with Kuno today. Normally she just knocks him across the yard and doesn't look back." She noted with a bit of confusion in her voice.

"Maybe she is working on her temper." Yuka said and then both girls broke into laughter at the possibility of their friend thinking before hitting.

Akane narrowed her eyes at the upper classman and placed her hands on her hips as he droned on. "Upperclassman Kuno. How many times do I have to tell you I will never date you before you get it through that thick skull of yours. I don't care if Ranma is here or not I will not date you, EVER!. Now if you please, move out of my way before I am late for class. Or I will be forced to move you."

Kuno raised his head to look at her from his bow, with utter confusion across his head. "But my dear Akane. I thought that with Ranma gone the spell he cast on you to keep us apart would be broken." Standing up straight he continued, "I will hunt him down and destroy him so we can finally be together my love." Kuno said as he reached up and grabbed her hands.

Yuka and Sayuri's jaws hit the ground as they saw Kuno take Akane's hand and she just stood there staring at him. "He is touching her and she hasn't hit him yet, what is going on?" Sayuri asked.

"I am warning your Kuno. I don't want to do something I will regret. For the last time let go and leave me ALONE."

When Kuno made no attempt to release her Akane had finally had enough and hit him so hard into the far wall that a crack formed in the wall as Kuno slid down it to land in a crumpled heap on the ground.

"Now that is more like it." Yuka said as she watched Kuno fly across the yard. "But I wonder what was up with that just now. I haven't seen Akane use that much restraint in a long time. Something is up with her."

As two girls rushed over to join Akane as they walked into school together, Nabiki turned from her window on the second floor as she thought about what had just happened. 'Something is definitely up with Akane today. First her head was so far in the clouds during breakfast she didn't even acknowledge Ranma and all his teasing once. Next she arrives at school without Ranma, which only ever happens when they are fighting. Then she tries to deal with Kuno by talking first instead of just slugging him. Something is going on with her and I am going to find out what.'