Hi everyone,

Thanks for reading the preliminary version of this and thank you everyone for pointing out the obvious plot holes… Below is the revised version of my story, without plot holes hopefully. Please do let me know what you think!

Thanks to my beta reader pursemonger for her invaluable help in fleshing out the plot and giving suggestions which have now borne fruit in the story below!

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"Seriously? C'mmon 'kane, why can't you talk to me as a guy?"

He could feel her eyes on him but refused to turn around and look at her.

"Please? I'll pay. Big chocolate ice cream sundae... please?"

Damn her for knowing his weaknesses and for being able to convince him so quickly. Not that he was giving in just yet. He turned around and hopped from the fence to face her – and realised his mistake almost in that very same instant.

Big, doe like chocolate coloured eyes were on looking at him pleadingly, white teeth catching her lower lip and hands folded in front of her chest. He gulped, then sighed. She had him – and she knew it.

"Alright already... just... stop looking at me like that."

Her smile turned mischievous, her tone of voice soft and innocent.

"Looking at you in what way?"

His glare was ineffective and did nothing to stop her smiling – not that he particularly wanted her to stop. Giving it up as a bad job altogether, he sighed again.

"So... where are we going?"

"The one on the other side of town?"

Ranma looked at her in surprise. The last time she'd convinced him to 'go for ice cream' had only been a little over a week ago but the only reason she ever chose the one on the other side of town was when she was either particularly vulnerable or needed to talk a lot and didn't want to be interrupted.

Their 'ice cream outings' as Akane had dubbed them were still unknown to most people as it could be mistaken as a date – with the exception that Akane always had him go as a female.

He let her choice of ice cream parlour go without comment, knowing she wouldn't want to talk about it until they were there.

"Y'know, I still don't get how chocolate ice cream can taste different as a girl."

Hands behind his head he walked off, knowing she was just a few feet behind him. It still irked him that Akane would only talk to him in his female form. Beyond these outings she never seemed to have a problem as always identifying him as a male – hell, often she didn't even notice when he'd changed, but... it was free ice cream. And uninterrupted time with Akane, time during which she would actually talk to him was rare and he was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth (well, not beyond a few token protests at least).

Deeming them a safe distance from the school, Ranma scooped her up in his arms and started roof hopping. This was admittedly another bonus of their joint ice cream escapades.

"I still don't get why you won't teach me roof hopping – I mean, I must be heavy and-"

Ranma smiled wryly.

"Akane, if I can't carry you then I'd be embarrassed as hell as a martial artist. I mean, even with your thick thighs and your muscles, I can easily carry you."

Holding her like this, carrying her – it was definitely a perk to the entire thing. He could feel her right hand on his chest, feel her head leaning against his arm, her hair brushing against him with the breeze. Her breasts were pressing against him as his arm went around her back to hold her waist. His other arm was touching the soft, bare skin on her legs as he held her aloft. He could feel the warmth radiating from her, could smell the scent of the orange shampoo she'd used this morning intermingled with the strawberry-vanilla smell that was purely, uniquely Akane. He knew his heart was racing and tried to calm down, knowing she could feel it.

"Ranma, you had better apologise right now or I WILL strangle you!"

Her glare was on him, but she made no effort to struggle against him. Ranma couldn't help the confident smirk on his lips as he looked at her.

"What, and ruin this handsome face?"

Akane spluttered, blushing before her hand hit his chest in admonishment. At his grin, she started giggling. Somehow, since his fight with Saffron, their insults had more affection in them than either of them meant for there to be. Since then it had been much easier to ignore the words.

Her eyes were on his, sparkling with mischief and for a moment he lost his footing, focused on her alone.

Blushing, he corrected this course and decided to watch his feet more than his fiancée– even if she was particularly cute today.

"You nearly dropped me!"

He heard the teasing in her voice, the smile in her tone of voice but couldn't help and respond seriously.

"You know I'd never drop you."

He chanced a glance at her – brown eyes were soft and warm, full of affection that made him blush and her smile was inviting as she looked up at him and admitted.

"I know. I trust you."

So many things went unspoken with those words, so many adventures (and misadventures), so many experiences, both good and bad.

"You always catch me when I fall."

Clearing his throat at the fondness mixed with exasperation in her voice, he determinedly looked at his feet.

"Can't let a tomboyish macho chick like you fall, you'd break every bone in your body!"

He grinned at her, but quickly stopped when he saw her furious expression. There was that small nerve pulsing beneath her eyes that let him know that she was beyond ticked off at him. He quickly cleared the last house with a large jump and landed in front of the fountain.

Depositing her carefully in front of him, he quickly splashed himself with the cold water, feeling the by now familiar transformation take place as he shrunk slightly, gained hips, a waist and breasts. He gave a small, apologetic smile to his fiancée, not wanting to ruin her mood.

"So... Ice cream?"

He watched as she closed her eyes and breathed out. Upon opening them again she sent him a small glare.

"You had better be a really good listener today, Baka, or we will have a fight later today."

Ranma grinned in relief, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the ice cream parlour.

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They both sat down on a bench in the nearby park, having located one that was slightly obstructed by trees and bushes, hiding them from the view of the casual passerby.

"So... what did you want to talk about?"

Curiously, Ranma looked over at Akane.

"Oh, nothing in particular... Can't we just, you know, chat?"

Ranma sighed. He'd half expected this, of course, but wondered why she wouldn't just say what was bothering her. Yet, without fail, it happened every time.

"So, err... nice weather, huh?"

Akane sent him a small smile before relaxing into the bench beside him.

"Yeah. Rather hot summer this year. Can you believe that Kuno has an actual, real life girlfriend?"

Ranma's head shot up, staring at her in astonishment.

"What? Where did you hear that? That can't be right! I mean, c'mmon, the only way a girl would date him was if she had a few screws loose herself."

Akane giggled.

"Well, Kuno is rather handsome... as long as he doesn't open his mouth."

Ranma couldn't help but stare at her, aghast. Kuno?

"Handsome? Kuno, handsome? Damn, if you wanted to date him you should've told me and I would have stopped beating him up."

With satisfaction he watched Akane's face twist into a disgusted grimace.

"Eurgh. Don't even joke about that."

Ranma chuckled, pulling his legs up beneath him, staring at the glimpses of the shimmering water of the lake beyond the trees. He could feel it, knew that she would start talking now about what was really bothering her.

"I... I am a martial artist, Ranma, and before you came to town I actually fancied myself as being rather good. When you came... and then Shampoo, Ryoga, Ukyo, Happosai and god-knows-who-else I had to realise that I wasn't excellent – I was only good.I could probably beat Ukyo in a fair fight but... I am not sure I'll ever reach the level you're at. And that's... that's kind of okay. Because I know you're on my side and you'll protect me. But when we were fighting..."

Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed her stopping, clenching her hands slightly before relaxing again, brown eyes focused on nothing in particular.

"In China. When we were in China. I wasn't even able to defend myself. I was at home – safe. And they grabbed me, kidnapped me – ME! I am not a damsel in distress, Ranma. I am not a housewife like Kasumi. I can defend myself – I am a martial artist... But I couldn't. I fought and I lost. And when I watched you – against Saffron, I realised that I was helpless. I couldn't defend myself, I couldn't help you. I was shrunk – I was a doll. And there was nothing I could do."

He heard her sigh, watched as she pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them, eyes empty and mouth pulled into bitter lines.

"I know what Shampoo said. I know what she did. And I know that she was under orders to kill you, stop us but... I could feel her hand squeezing me and I suddenly realised that there was nothing I could do to stop her. I have... sort of gotten used to you rescuing me. You're always there when I need you, always just in the nick of time you grab me, defeat the enemy and before we know it we're back at school like nothing ever happened. And... I mean, don't get me wrong. I can live knowing I might die one day protecting myself, protecting you or someone else. I am fine with that – well, sort of. I don't want to die, but if I do die, at least there should be a reason."

It was hard, wrestling down his own emotions and listening, especially on the topic of China and Saffron – it was still too recent, too fresh. He'd done it more than once though on one of their chats, so he kept quiet, watching as she sighed and gathered her own thoughts once more.

"Did you know I died twice when we were in China? The spring of the drowned Akane – or whatever it's called. I had to actually drown. They brought me back using CPR, I am still not quite sure why they went through all that effort to revive me. But... you know what my worst fear was? All this time, all this fighting... I am afraid to drown. Sometimes at night I can still feel the water crashing in over my head, the need to breathe growing stronger, my lungs feeling pained until I gasp and I can feel them filling with water. It was... painful. I struggled and I tried to swim... but, well, you can imagine how that went. I still remember how everything went dimmer, how it seemed as everything was fading away. It was frightening."

He watched her swallow, watched as she wiped at her eyes, which were shining with emotions and fear. Ranma found himself struggling to breathe, the panic inside himself rising at her description, at the realisation that he'd nearly lost her... twice. His hand sought out hers and squeezed it slightly, unsure whether he was reassuring her or himself that she was still here – beside him. Back in Nerima. Alive and well.

Against their usual unwritten – and unspoken – rules, Akane turned to face him and gave him a thankful smile, interlinking their hands, before turning back and continuing to talk.

"And once again I could not protect myself. You don't understand what it's like – I am a martial artist. I have just as much right as you do to defend myself and to defend you. I shouldn't be a mere distraction; I should be fighting at your side, fighting for myself, for you, for everything. I am not a weak girl awaiting her rescuer."

Ranma smirked. He would certainly never accuse her of that, though he could see her point; more often than not, people had used – or attempted to use – her as leverage. She was a tool, not a challenge or an equal. He grimaced slightly, thinking how he'd take it if this was him. Not half as well as her probably, he admitted to himself.

When she remained quiet, introspective, Ranma decided that now was as good a time as any.

"Why martial arts?"

"Hm?"

Brown eyes focused in on him again as she turned to face him, intrigued by the curiousity in his eyes and the slight blush on his face.

"I mean, I've met a lot of girls"

Her raised eyebrow let him know that this was unlikely to be a good way to start the conversation unless he wanted a fight.

"Not what I meant. All I wanted to say is that I've seen quite a few women with skills in martial arts – Ukyo, Shampoo, hell – even Kodachi. But you're the only one I've ever seen who is..."

He bit his lip, suppressing the 'like me' he'd nearly said.

"You're the only one who loves martial arts for its own sake, not as a means to an end. You practice, you spar, you challenge and even when you lose it just inspires you to train harder, fight harder. All the others... they are good, some even better than you are but they don't have that passion, that drive. Martial Arts is something they do – with you it's who you are. Why?"

Ranma looked at his fiancée – her brown eyes were wide open and fixed on his, a blush colouring her cheeks and her lips slightly parted in surprise.

Raising an eyebrow in challenge he found her responding as he'd expected; her mouth snapped shut and she rolled her eyes at him.

"My mom was a lot like Kasumi is – a kind, gentle, loving mother and wonderful wife. But she was also a fantastic fencer and almost as bad as cooking as I am – no interruptions, Ranma! From what dad says she could beat him within seconds when it came to kendo but hand her any other weapons and you were as likely to die as she was to kill herself accidentally. Apparently only her soups and stews were edible. Anything else she simply couldn't cook. I have to admit that I only ever remember that she made fantastic chicken soup when I was sick."

Ranma looked out to the darkening sky, afraid to distract or interrupt Akane. It was incredibly rare for her to open up as much as she had. The only times she ever mentioned her mother was when it was the yearly anniversary of her death.

"Sorry. I went off on a tangent. What I meant was that it wasn't just my dad who taught students. My mom had her own students. Dad taught all of us when we were kids – Kasumi, Nabiki and me. Even before mom died Kasumi preferred to help in the household. She still does katas but they are calming exercises rather than anything she associates with violence. Nabiki – well, when mom died and dad dropped his students, we were in financial troubles for a while. I think... that stuck with Nabiki as she has always been eager to amass money and she took to budgeting and saving like a fish to water. Dad by then was training only me. When I was young I looked remarkably like mom. It was the only time I had with dad where he wasn't crying or upset. He seemed happy."

Akane shrugged self-consciously.

"At the beginning it was something to make my mom and dad proud. Then it was something, the only thing, to make my dad happy. It took me a lot longer to realise that the pleasure I got when I learned a new kata was not because of that anymore. I just... I love martial arts. It's simple for all it complications. I love learning a new kata. I love the way my body feels when I am absolutely exhausted and have pushed myself beyond what I thought was possible. I love sparring with an opponent, that rush you get. I love the way you can always learn more, always improve beyond where you thought you were at your best. I love how it's not just a match of strength and skill but also of wits. I love the way it feels after a stressful day when my body can just flow from one kata to the next. Martial arts is something I want to practice for the rest of my life, something I always want to improve. Someday I want to be able to have a match with you and at least give you a workout."

Ranma found himself staring at her, eyes wide and heart racing. She was... absolutely perfect. He could feel the fluttering in his stomach, the desperate need to taste her lips; a need he'd had for what felt like forever.

He had never thought – never even contemplated – that her talking so candidly about why she looked at martial arts the way she did would get him so aroused and at the same time so completely, utterly, head over heels in love with her; it was as though he was falling for her all over again.

"I'm sorry, that sounded weird, didn't it?"

He noticed he blush, her averted eyes but it was difficult to concentrate on anything beyond the rushing sound of his blood in his ears.

"No, never."

His voice came out in a hoarse whisper instead of his normal voice and he watched as her head turned to look at him, eyes wide and blush darkening. Her smile was gentle and soft and damn, if it didn't make his heart pick up speed yet again.

She truly was beautiful beyond belief.

And Ranma found he wanted a full smile from her – the one that spread across her face, lighting it up, causing her brown eyes to sparkle The words were out before he could even think of stopping himself.

"I'll train you."

Brown eyes widened in disbelief.

"Come again?"

He knew why she was cautious, why she had trouble believing him.

"I thought you don't hit women?"

And there it was.

"I don't, usually."

He watched as the fire behind her eyes ignited, her hands clenched and it took him a moment to see how she had misinterpreted his words this time.

"What I meant is that you are a martial artist, aren't you? That's how you want me to view you, isn't it? A martial artist above all else. And you were right; you have to be able to defend yourself. It isn't exactly fair to you to expect you to twiddle your thumbs during fights. So yes, I will train you."

There it was – the smile that lit up her face and made her eyes sparkle with joy. And for that moment in time, surrounded by green trees and light pink Sakura blossoms, sitting on a bench in a park far away from home, he couldn't imagine ever having seen someone more stunning than the young woman next of him.

His heart was beating fast, his stomach fluttering and everything in his head was screaming to kiss her... so of course his mouth opened and he said the exact opposite.

"You're such a tomboy. I mean, what sort of female likes martial arts? You should really try harder to be at least a bit sexy, otherwise you'll never manage to find a husband!"

He watched as her smile froze and wished he could take his words back. If she got even sexier, he'd have a heart attack. Should he tell her that? Probably not, he'd probably say it wrong and insult her even more.

He sighed, ducking his head and awaiting the inevitable blow to his head. When it didn't come he dared to glance up and his heart sunk at the moisture he saw gathering in her eyes, the trembling of her lips.

"Akane, I-"

Her eyes snapped back to him and the glare made him automatically step back slightly, hands up in a defensive position.

"Just take me back home, Ranma baka!"

Her voice was cold and Ranma flinched slightly as he bent down to pick her up. Boy, he'd really managed to screw this one up. It was only when he lifted her up that he realised he was still in his female form. Blinking in surprise he set her down again softly.

Akane was the only person who'd never made him feel like a freak. She was the only one who treated him exactly the same, whether he looked female or male. The only one who could actually manage to make him forget which shape he was currently in as his mind was... well, still him.

Quickly dousing himself with the warm water from the thermos Akane had brought along, he turned back into his male form, picking up Akane again with ease. She stilllooked incredibly hurt even as she had waited patiently for him.

Once he was certain she was secure he jumped up through the trees, onto a fence and onto the first roof, starting their journey back home.

"... I..." Ranma knew he needed to fix this somehow, needed her to smile again. It had always been the case from when he first met her. He would pull silly faces, throw insults or he would compliment her – anything, as long as she wasn't crying. He couldn't stand to be the one that made her cry.

"I... don't think you're unsexy, y'know."

He blushed but noticed immediately that Akane was simply angry again and still upset.

"And what is that supposed to mean, huh? No, let me guess – I am about as sexy as a ten year old boy, that's what you wanted to say, isn't it? Huh?"

Ranma choked on that image for a moment before wondering how their communications always went so wrong in such a short space of time.

"That's definitely NOT what I'm saying, 'kane."

There was so much wrong with that mental image he didn't know where to start. Knowing his foot-in-mouth disease it was better if he didn't even try.

"Oh yeah? What is it you're trying to say then?"

Now angry himself at her challenging tone, her determined expression and the way she just wouldn't relax into his arms like she normally would, he put her down on one of the roofs.

"Damnit, would you just listen for once? All I am saying is that I think you're very sexy! Now what the hell is wrong with that!"

It took a moment before Ranma registered what he'd said – and it took a fraction of a second longer before Akane's eyes widened and a blush spread across her face. Before she could duck her head quickly enough Ranma noticed the small, pleased smile on her lips and he would've rolled his eyes if he hadn't been too embarrassed.

He hadn't meant to blurt it out like that.

He watched her hands twist, the way she bit her lips as she looked back up at him. There was no mistaking the vulnerability in her chocolate coloured eyes, no mistaking the anxiousness and the desperate need for reassurance.

"Really?"

Her voice was silent, almost a whisper and he knew she worried he'd hurt her again. Sighing to himself, stomach knotted in both anxiety and nervousness he stepped closer, putting a stray strand of her behind her ears.

"Really." Her eyes were still wide, expectant and Ranma nearly gulped at the realisation of what she wanted.

His blush darkened but he met her eyes with determination. How come this was so hard to say? His words had implied it but to actually say the words seemed infinitely harder.

"I think you're very sexy, 'kane."

God, why did the earth never open up and swallow you when you wanted it to? His heart was racing, his body was feeling both hot and cold and all he wanted was to run away as far as possible and pretend this never happened.

And then he looked up at her face again and his heart stopped. Her smile was wide and brilliant as she stepped closer to him, arms going around his neck as she hugged him. It took Ranma a moment to regain enough power over his limbs to put his own arms around her, pulling her body closer to his, feeling her breasts press against him, her hips, her curves. It was a new, much more pleasant form of torture than he'd ever experienced before.

Before he knew it his arms tightened around her waist and his face was buried in her hair. And all he could think about was how he wanted this moment to last for the rest of his life. She seemed so small in his arms, so ... incredibly feminine and needing his protection. Oh, he knew better than to say that to her – he'd get hit into next week.

As if sensing his thoughts, Akane stepped back slightly, blush still pronounced in her face but her eyes were sparkling with happiness. There was a moment were both paused, her hand on his chest, their face separated only by a few millimetres. Another breath, another moment and they stepped apart entirely.

"I, ah... Let's go home, Ranma."

Ranma found himself nodding before he'd even thought about it and was sweeping her off her feet the next moment to hold her securely in his arms.

"Y'know, it's a minor miracle that we haven't been interrupted yet."

Akaned nodded, her head brushing against his chest slightly in her movement and he nearly lost his footing – again. He really hoped she didn't catch on any time soon to how distracting her every move was for him. It was bad enough that she knew by now that smiling at him in a certain way would almost certainly make him cave and turn into a girl – a girl! – for his fiancée.

"'Kane... Why can't you talk to me as a guy? Y'know it's still my mind inside a girl's body."

The blue haired girl was looking at him as if he'd lost his marbles.

"Of course I know that. What else would you be? No, the reason I ask for you to turn female... is..."

Akane sighed. She'd expected this question sooner, really, but it didn't make the confession any easier. Worrying her bottom lip, she gave in. Ranma had been honest with her – and she knew it was hard for him to say anything like that – her heart still rushed when she remembered him saying she was sexy – She! Akane, the 'unsexy tomboy'... She smiled to herself. It was nice to know her fiancé didn't mean all the things he said. There'd been indications, of course, but it was always nice to hear the words.

"When we first met, the boys were attacking me. Kuno was attacking me. They somehow thought that hitting me and defeating me was the way to win my affections; I still wonder sometimes about the lack of intelligence. But the point is that even now, after all that we've been through... I trust you, but it's hard to not assume the worst when you are male. I know girls, I know women. Guys always just seemed after one thing – and I'll admit you have always been a gentleman because you have certainly had plenty of occasions you could have easily abused. But you didn't. You never did."

Ranma felt her cuddle closer into him, watched as brown eyes looked up at him through long, dark eyelashes.

"I know that honour goes above all else for you, Ranma. And I do trust you. But... it's hard to confess feelings and thoughts to you, as a guy."

He squeezed her gently, letting her know he understood.

"It wasn't just empty words I said back at Jusenkyo, y'know. I kinda understand now that it wasn't a curse to begin with. I mean, of course I'd still like to be a guy full time, but all I'm saying is I don't... y'know, mind being a girl when we go out together."

Again, her brilliant smile lit up her face and Ranma inwardly congratulated himself for making her smile like that at him – and him alone – so often today.

Before he knew it they were close enough that Ranma jumped back down onto the street and set Akane down on her own two feet. It wouldn't do for anyone to see him carrying her, so it had become the norm for them to separate as they got closer – and to start a fight, just in case anyone thought they'd been out together. Ranma had made it a condition when he'd first agreed to go out, so that he didn't have to worry about any attacks from Shampoo or Ukyo the moment he left Akane undefended.

"Pervert!"

"Tomboy!"

"Jerk!"

"Crazy, violent chick!"

Ranma and Akane glanced at each other, almost smiling at exchanging their typical insults in such a meaningless fashion.

"Idiot!"

"Unsexy!"

To his surprise , Ranma watched as Akane blushed at his comment instead of being insulted – or laughing - at the fake insult.

They both paused momentarily, unsure whether to carry on with their previous commentary or start a more honest discussion, but both then decided to simply continue on their way home in silence, glancing at one another at irregular intervals.

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"So, Ranma, have you ended your other engagements yet? When can we finally hold the wedding between you and my little girl?"

Soun sniffed and ignored the scathing look his youngest daughter sent him with the ease of practice.

Ranma simply sighed, knowing this was an almost weekly ritual.

"No. Never."

"Yeah daddy, you know we never agreed to be engaged!"

Ranma looked up in curiousity – Akane barely ever interfered now when her dad asked him. He watched as she blushed at her father's next word, mortified.

"But you yourself agreed to the wedding!"

Feeling chivalrous – not at all related to the intimate moments they'd shared today – Ranma couldn't stop himself from interjecting.

"'kane was only agreeing to get me the Nanniichuan water, right Akane?"

Aforementioned girl looked at him, hesitant at first but must have noticed his expression. He knew there were a lot of other reasons, a lot of things neither of them dared to talk about yet.

"R-Right. I mean, daddy, you were blackmailing me!"

Ranma watched her father squirm and mutter something before hiding behind his newspaper. Akane, on the other hand, simply sighed in despair at her father's frequent plots regarding their engagement before sending Ranma a look to convey her quiet gratitude – he sent her a superior smirk that both acknowledged it as well as rattled her, causing her to send him a small glare.

"Though it has certainly been rather quiet lately. Even Shampoo hasn't been by to visit lately."

Kasumi smiled at everyone, eating her food, trying to remember the last time they'd seen the Amazon.

"Pah, good thing too. We're still paying for the repairs from the wedding." Nabiki sent a small glare at her older sister.

Sighing, Ranma stood up.

"I'll go have a bath now."

He'd noticed – of course, he had. How couldn't he have? What the others didn't know was that he had met Shampoo only a few days after the wedding. He'd still been furious with her for attacking him and Akane, ruining the wedding and for threatening to kill Akane in China when she'd been helpless. It was even worse now, after today's discussion with Akane.

But he'd made it clear to her that if he saw her near either him or Akane over the next few days he'd not be responsible for his actions.

Ah well – a hot bath would relax him and give him time to think about how to train Akane. He still wasn't sure he could bring himself to actually hurt her – which, kind of, defeated the point. As soon as he entered the bath room he wondered if maybe Kasumi had cursed him with her announcement at dinner.

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"YEOWCH!"

"AAAH!"

"NOOO!"

The Tendo household barely paused in the middle of their dinner.

"Akane, would you please go and look what's wrong with Ranma?"

Akane sighed. She knew already that somehow she'd be roped into it anyway, but couldn't help and at least try to have someone else do it at least whilst Ranma was potentially naked in the bath... though maybe that wouldn't be so bad. Quickly shutting down that embarrassing thought, she ducked her head long enough for the blush to disappear.

"He's in the bath, wouldn't it be proper for daddy or Genma to check on him – you know, a male?"

Good, at least her tone had been biting and sarcastic rather than sounding too eager.

"Oh it's fine. You're nearly married already."

Sending a cold glare at her father, she put her bowl of rice down with force – making the table groan beneath her – before standing up again.

By the time she arrived by the bathroom door it had gone eerily quiet – concerned despite herself she knocked quickly before entering.

On the floor, at her feet was Shampoo – in cat shape. Her arms and legs were bleeding with cuts and Akane couldn't hold in her gasp at the sight. Looking up she noticed an agitated – naked – Ranma on the other side, hissing and obviously under the control of Cat Fist.

"Shampoo, can you walk?"

The cat sent her a small glare but gave a slight nod and Akane realised she was playing dead – only Ranma was aware that she wasn't.

"Right, I'll calm him down and you leave. My family is downstairs, they'll help get you patched up."

The cat sent her a measured glance as if judging if she could calm down Ranma the way he was now. Akane ignored her, stepping past her and into view of him – within seconds he was in the air and she found herself sitting on the floor a moment later, with a purring Ranma in her lap.

He only gave a small warning noise as Shampoo left them.

"Shh... Hey... it's all okay now... see – only you and me. Nothing to be angry about... It's all okay."

Muttering meaningless platitudes, Akane couldn't help but remember the way Shampoo had looked – how she'd been bleeding from what looked like cat claws. It was still intriguing that Ranma sought out only her and no one else in cat form.

"Now... let me just grab that Yutaka over there, okay?"

Surprisingly, Ranma was easily dislodged from her lap, happy to follow her on her heels, purring, rubbing against her legs.

Akane blushed. He was really quite cute like this – much more open with his affection.

Wrapping the Yutaka around Ranma took a bit more effort, though luckily he seemed happy enough to be manipulated by her, as long as she kept up a constant stream of chatter.

Akane paused – she'd been about to walk downstairs with Ranma, which was odd in itself. Shaking her head at her own obliviousness, she took some of the cold water and sprayed Ranma with it – he shifted to his female form but only gave her an annoyed hiss in return.

Flabbergasted, Akane watched as Ranma went over to the warm water and dunked his head,turning back into a boy, before shaking his entire body as if he was shaking out the wet from his non-existent fur. Even when he returned to her side, butting his head against her hand she was unable to regain complete focus.

Ranma not only didn't return to his right mindset, but he also turned himself back into a boy... What the hell...?

Did that mean – Oh god, would he remain like this forever? Thinking he was a cat?

Within seconds Akane was out of the bathroom and running downstairs.

"DADDY! KASUMI! COME QUICKLY!"

Her family was gathered at the bottom of the stairs by the time she reached them – a bandaged Shampoo in their midst.

"I... Ranma, he's not turning back. I- I splashed him with cold water but he still thinks he's a cat."

In that very moment Ranma pushed her behind him and prowled – honest to god prowled – up and down in front of her, agitated, staring at her family, who quickly took a few steps back.

"Akane, take him up to your room. We'll call Dr. Tofu over."

It wasn't hard to agree, seeing how even Shampoo was flinching back from Ranma as he was in full protective mode in front of her.

"Come here, kitty, kitty."

With a satisfied purr, Ranma leapt after her and followed her into her room.

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"Now what?"

What do you do with an eighteen year old male in your bedroom – well, an eighteen year old male who thought he was a cat.

Giggling, Akane lowered herself to the floor, hands almost automatically caressing his head.

"You make a pretty cute kitty!"

She laughed as he simply continued purring, obviously not understanding her words.

"Our life is never going to be boring, is it?"

Akane paused mid-stroke. But surely, like all the other times there would be a cure for this, right? He wouldn't be stuck forever now with only catlike intelligence, no human recognition.

She stared at Ranma, who lifted his head to look at her – there was no acknowledgement of all the emotions and thoughts usually reflected in his eyes, no blushing at their closeness, no understanding. Ranma in neko ken was cute and it was nice that finally he was showing his affection openly but... she kind of found herself missing the man behind the exterior, the one who had an amazing talent to say all the wrong things at the wrong time.

"Ranma…"

Hugging her fiancé close to her, she was surprised when his only reaction was to purr and rub his head against her. She wiped at her eyes and sternly reminded herself that nothing had happened yet; she was bawling for no reason.

Sighing, she continued her ministrations on Ranma, watching as he purred in contentment, a small smile on her lips at his obvious satisfaction with the treatment.

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"So, Dr. Tofu, what's wrong with him?"

The examination had been hell, Akane reflected. She really did feel for Dr. Tofu and all the awkward situations he found themselves in with her and Ranma. The only way Neko Ranma had allowed Dr. Tofu near him was after he placed himself between Dr. Tofu and Akane – by the same token, she was not allowed to leave the room or he would throw a hissy fit. It had been... rather difficult for both her and the poor doctor.

"His neko state has overwhelmed his human mind. Usually, when he turns into a cat it's only when he is confronted with his fear – cats. In this case, it's somewhat more complicated. He turned into a cat due to his fears and normally the cold water and his body changing would give him enough of a shock to snap him out of it and thus allowing his human mind to take over again. It's rare enough as it is, that people develop a second personality to deal with their greatest fears, but to have it be a cat."

Dr. Tofu shook his head in wonder – he cursed Genma for what he'd done to his only child and at the same time he was amazed by the sheer resilience of the boy to actually bounce back from this sort of maltreatment.

"Now, however, it's not fear that holds Ranma's cat personality over his human mind. Akane, I believe you've told me he has on a few occasions invoked this frame of mind voluntarily to defeat someone in a fight?"

At her confident nod, Tofu continued.

"In doing so, Ranma has confirmed to himself that he is stronger in neko ken than he is as a human. At the moment he is feeling a... particularly strong desire to protect you, Akane. His cat state will remain whilst he believes her to be at risk, so that she can have the optimum protection. Bear in mind, that this is not a conscious decision on his part, rather his subconscious mind has decided this for him the moment his cat mind took over this evening."

"Oh my."

Dr. Tofu pretended he hadn't heard Kasumi's soft voice, well aware of how important this was and how hard pressed he'd be to talk in complete sentences once he was aware of her presence.

"How long will this last for?"

Akane flushed and ducked her head, hoping to escape scrutiny. The doctor had told her in private that he suspected the reason Ranma's desire for her protection was so strong because he could smell – smell! – that she was ovulating and, seeing her as his mate, wanted to stop any other males from being near her.

"About a week, give or take a few days."

Technically, it would only be three days, but Ranma was obviously this way despite it not having started yet so they added a few days on either end to be safe.

"Is there anything we need to know?"

Dr. Tofu sighed.

"Akane is the only one that can calm him down, so until he returns to... himself, they will both be unable to attend school. Moreover, I would suggest that no one come close to either of them and that any challengers, fiancées or people who might otherwise interfere are kept far away from Ranma. I shouldn't have to say this, but Ranma is a cat. His human mind believes in honour, not hitting girls and not killing – his cat mind is bound by none of these restrictions. If anyone comes near Akane that he believes to be a threat, he will do his utmost to incapacitate them, potentially permanently."

The rest of her family gulped, staring at Ranma who was currently lying in her lap, purring, but with his eyes open, watching every move from them intently.

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Akane sighed and tried to put a pillow over her head. Ranma was outside her door, meowing pitifully. He'd not stopped since she'd gone to bed – that was over an hour ago.

"GOD! Akane, do something about that noise!"

Rolling her eyes at Nabiki, Akane yelled back.

"What do you want me to do? He's not staying in my bedroom!"

"Akane!"

Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Akane opened the door to look at her assembled family – aside from Nabiki.

"What is it, daddy?"

"I give you permission to take Ranma into your room."

Akane snorted slightly at the suggestion that she'd been holding out because she was waiting for her fathers approval.

"Daddy, if it had been your permission we'd been waiting on, he would have been sleeping in my bed before the first week of our engagement was over."

"Now, Akane – Ranma is a cat, for all intents and purposes. He won't touch you inappropriately. I think it would only proper if you helped him since he is so intent on protecting you."

Kasumi looked at her, obviously believing in her reasoning. Akane was just glad she didn't know about WHY exactly Ranma was so intent on protecting her.

"Even you, Onee-chan?"

Kasumi gave her the look – the one that said you are being incredibly childish, unfair and that she should really start being reasonable. Akane found herself looking at the floor at the unspoken chastisement.

"Now, Akane, I know you never really accepted the engagement, but after all that Ranma has done for you – even now he is stuck in neko ken only because he is protecting you- surely you can set that aside for now and let him sleep in your room? Please, Akane."

Sighing, Akane opened her door wider and Ranma happily bound his way inside, rubbing against the back of her legs, purring, trying to convey his happiness.

"Now, please leave us all alone."

Her family disappeared quickly and she turned to Ranma sitting patiently on the bed, staring at her.

"Nah-uh, no way."

She crawled under her covers and found herself sending Ranma off the covers more than once.

Half an hour later, he was still trying to jump on the bed and, tired and exhausted, Akane fell asleep before she could convince her arm to move enough to send the boy off the bed again, her last thoughts going to what an interesting week she was bound to have with her fiancé in permanent neko ken.

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Righto – what do you guys think?