A/N: I'm back! Oh quick note. Thoughts are italicized. Also used for normal emphasis, but you guys are brilliant. I'm probably just talking for the sake of hearing my own voice echo in my head...head...head...
Oh and sorry for those who had an alert on my first chapter :-) I had to edit and replace a small character that you won't even notice...anyways...Enjoy!
A Delicate Covenant : Chapter Two.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
-MacBeth
The only thing he could think of was getting to her. She was so close to her car. So precariously close. The dread surrounded him, leaving him as breathless as the pitch fever sprint he was engaging in. Please legs move faster! He caught her just as she reached out for her door handle, a few precious seconds from opening the door, leading to whatever bane outcome was at hand. He took no time to stop and think, he just launched himself at her. When they came to a stop, thinking that he had outwitted disaster, the car exploded anyways, the secondary fail-safe mechanism activating when she had previously started her engine.
The heat was almost unbearable to his system, heating up the air around him, stealing his breath away. But nothing was more painful then seeing the horror play in Akane's eyes as she realized what had happened. He was saved further pain when she fainted away a few seconds later. Once the flames from the explosion went off, the blaring noise of the other car alarms caused by flying shrapnel and the shock wave, grabbed his attention. Above the noise he could hear the approaching sirens of police vehicles and most likely an ambulance.
He shifted to his right, taking his weight off of the woman below him. He checked her for any harm, and other than being scared to death, she looked fine. He took a quick survey, making sure no remaining danger could surprise him and lifted himself to his knees, his arms shaking from the energy it took. What in the hell...
At that exact moment, a car rounded into the parking deck, setting Ranma back on high alert. He was in no shape to defend himself or Akane, but he would try anyways. As quickly as he could managed, he climbed to his feet, wrapping an arm around his left side. The car speed towards him, and if he could just attract enough attention to himself, maybe the would forget that Akane was lying there, giving her a chance to escape...if she ever woke up.
Bracing himself, he reached down and grabbed a piece of steel that was lying nearby, an marred piece of her luxury car that was no more than debris at this point.. He lifted his only weapon over his head, ready to heave it at the window of the approaching car, when the car stopped short of him. The door swung open and a figure jumped up out of the driver's seat.
"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! I knew I should have never let you out of my sight! Your father is going to have my head on a nice shiny silver platter, for leaving you to your own devices. Even worse! He may demote me! I'll have your head if they put me back on sentry duty. Shit!"
Ranma recognized the voice instantly, enough to make him drop the steel, and squint his eyes against his fleeting energy.
"Ryoga?"
"Yes you damnable fool! Who else would be there to save your ass?" Ryoga slammed the door shut, running to his friend's side. He quickly shouldered under Ranma, taking the weight off his legs after seeing him favor his right ankle. "I don't even want to know what happened. I'm just getting you out of here before the authorities make an appearance, and we have to explain all of this. C'mon, lets go."
Ranma wanted to shake his head, but found himself to drained to do so. "How...I thought I told you to stay at your apartment! I am more than qualified to take care of myself Ryoga! What...why are you here?"
Ryoga resisted the urge to roll his eyes and drop Ranma where he stood. "Shut 'yer trap. Regardless of what you tell me to do, sir, I am not exactly bound to your command here. I have a job to do, since you made that decision, those months ago. I've been following you to work from jump. The only...ONLY reason I wasn't here whenever .." Ryoga gestured angrily to his surroundings, " this bullshit went down was I was chasing the car that tried to run you over the first time."
Sputtering, Ranma's eyes the size of saucers just started at his friend. Amazing. Nobody ever listens to me. But his hardheadedness was in my favor today. I should thank him, but I won't. Not with him ranting and raving like a damn fool. "You probably got lost, is what happened. Look, I don't have the strength for this. Please, help Akane to the car." Ranma looked back at Akane on the ground, his eyes darkening at the position she was in. Because of me.
Ryoga whipped his head around see who Ranma was looking at. On the ground, passed out was a young lady he'd never seen before, but had heard plenty of from his cohort he was currently assisting. Turning to lean Ranma up against the car, he went over to her prone form, scooping an arm under her legs and neck, careful not to injure her any further. "Can you get to the car or do I need to carry you as well?"
He wanted to sneer at Ryoga, but he knew the man was perfectly serious, so he controlled his face. "I' can make it, guy. I'm fine, just make sure she's okay." Looking above him, he noticed the sprinklers. Groaning, he thanked the kamis. Cold water is the last thing I need right now....
"Well get a shuffle on it, Hobbles. We only have a few minutes before half of the Tokyo police department is jammed in this garage, with guns pointing at us. And trust me. That steel pipe routine you pulled earlier ain't gonna be your ticket outta here."
A tick formed over Ranma's cheek and he clenched his raised fist. "Don't. Call. Me. Hobbles." At Ryoga's boisterous laugh at his expense, he shook his head and followed as quickly as he could to the car.
Once they reached the apartment, Ryoga first attended to Ranma's injuries despite his protest. After taking a look at him, he went to the kitchen, returning with a bag of frozen peas. Tossing them to his friend, he stated "You got a bruised rib there buddy, and your ankle is just slightly sprained. With your level of training, its should be fine in a couple of hours. Your girlfriend on the other hand..."
His eyes slitted at the implied nickname. "Cut it out. She's not my girlfriend."
"Chill out. You're fooling no one with the tough guy routine." Ryoga grunted. "Anyways, nothing is physically wrong with her. Just let her sleep it off while we figure something out." Ryoga looked over to her again. "Have you told her?"
Ranma lowered his head into his hands, grabbing handfuls of hair as he sighed. "It not like I've had all the time in the world to sit down and explain any and everything. Not that I wanted to anyways. I just really had my first conversation with her an hour before all of this happened."
"Do you plan on telling her?"
Ranma took a look behind him at the woman passed out across his couch. Even with her torn shirt, mussed hair, and impossibly filth smeared face, she was still beautiful. She looked peaceful, and he was in no mood to ruin that for her. He would let her rest, then he would get her out of this situation as quickly as he knew possible.
"Do you have the envelope?"
He reached into his pocket, amazed that he hadn't lost in in the fray of things. No it was still there.
"Yes."
Ryoga smiled a smile that quite didn't reached his eyes. "Good. Lets figure something out."
It had been a long time since Ranma had cared about anything. A long time since he was actually able to care about anything. The life he lead, the family he came from, only certain things mattered. Your appearance to the world, your studies and and how hard you fought. Status, intelligence and strength. All of that encompassed under the word "Honor". Everything else would be taken care of, they told him. He grimaced at the meaning behind the words and shook his head. At this point in his life he loathed the word, as the definition had been stripped to the bones and mutated into something different all together. A form of control that after twenty seven years of existence he still wasn't used to. Or wanted to get used to. Or wanted to accept. But there were things that were bigger than him, than his father or his family. Things that he couldn't alter.
He sighed and shook his head. She had been sleep for hours now and he was beginning to get worried. Remembering how she had spent her nights for the last couple of months, he realized that on top of all the commotion of today, the woman may just exhausted. He watched her chest rise and fall, the only thing he focused on, making sure she was still with him.
He was content to just watch her, share such an intimate moment that most would never get to see. He took a look at his coding book, sliding his pencil between the pages, done with his notes for the time being. He dropped his coding book and it was quickly followed by his laptop. She had definitely taken precedence over his prized laptop and reading information. Not that I'd tell her that...or anything. Noticing goosebumps on her uncovered arms, he reached down to the foot of the couch and grabbed a blanket.
It was a simple innocent gesture he was making. She looked cold, and he had a remedy for it. As he pulled the blanket up, it gave him slight moment to notice other things about Akane that he'd never been close enough to notice. A small smooth mole on the inside of her right knee. Her shirt was raised slightly, and from his vantage point he could see a small scar running right above her bellybutton. The further the went up the more things he noticed. Like she didn't' have pierced ears. How unassuming....and cute. He continued up in slow inches until he was able to tuck the blanket around her.
Something stirred and Ranma pulled back slightly, and was greeted with two doe brown eyes staring at him intently. He meant to pull back even further, but found himself unable to. He had heard somewhere that it was possible to get lost in someone's eyes, but he always thought it to be the sappiest crock of bull his ears had ever had the displeasure of hearing. Now, he wished he could find that person at this moment, and eat crow pie. He couldn't find himself out of this hush, this calmness that Akane Tendo's eyes were, even if he had a lifeline pulling him to safety.
She had actually been up quite some time before she actually opened her eyes. She sat still, feeling Ranma's presence near, hoping that he would spill some information while he assumed she was still sleep. Nothing, but him sighing like some kind of moronic fool for the last three or four minutes. When she felt him move, she went to open her eyes, but then she felt his hands near her ankle, and she had to suppress a shiver. Its only a damn ankle for heaven's sake Tendo. Get a gri...Her thoughts paused into nothingness as she felt his hands slide up even further, skimming across the skin of her thigh. Mentally she snorted. This isn't the time to divulge in one of your fantasies Akane. He's just pulling a blanket up. But by the time she felt his hands floating slightly over her arms as he tucked the blanket, her heart was beating so damn erratically, she'd thought she'd go into arrest at any moment. Woman! Of such little self control! For the love of...
Opening her eyes, she was greeted by the shock of his black hair just inches from her nose, causing her to wrinkle up at it to keep from tickling her. Suddenly he was right in front of her, a hazy look in his eyes, yet no smirk on his face. She watched as the same eyes locked onto hers and it took everything that made her a Tendo not to reach out and move the piece of hair falling over his eyes. It was blocking her view, and for one fleeting moment she wanted to be as lost in his eyes as he seemed to be in hers. So this is what its like to be this close to him. I'm tempted to say its better than my imagination, and that's saying something as vivid as mines is.
"AHEM!"
Both of their heads snapped up, Ranma's a little faster than Akane's, resulting in the top of her head meeting with his chin.
His hand immediately went to his face, rubbing his now sore chin. "Dammit Ryoga. The least you could do is tell me when you're sneaking into a room."
The man by the doorway, chuckled, picking an imaginary piece of lint off of his hoodie. "I stood here a solid minute, and you two were so wrapped up over there making googly eyes at each other, that you didn't notice me. I had to say something." Ranma stood, balling his fist as he approached the bandana clad man. "We could always try a different method of gaining my attention. Like pissin' me off you stupid..."
"Don't be rude, your hi...." Ryoga caught himself. "...Ranma. Introduce me to your lady friend, who looks to have taken permanent residence on my couch." Taking a glance at the scowl still pervading over Ranma's face, he chuckled again. Musta embarrassed him or something. Comedy. "Never mind, you brute." Brushing by Ranma, Ryoga approached the still sitting Akane, leaning over and grabbing her hand. "My couch enjoys your company and the pleasure is all mines, Ms..."
"Tendo. Akane Tendo."
"Hmmm..." Brushing a kiss across her knuckles, he smiled fetching smile at the young lady. "That which we call a rose
by any other name would smell as sweet..." Ryoga was forced to stop as a wad of paper bounced unceremoniously off of his head. Twisting his head towards Ranma, his eyes grew to the slits.
"Cut it out Romeo, you're gonna make me throw up that miserable dinner you fed me." Ranma resumed his spot against the board of the doorway, that boyish smirk playing on his lips. Ryoga instantly straightened up, and stalked over to where Ranma was. "Don't make me..."
"BOYS! Boys! I swear. Spare me the battle for male dominance." The both turned to see Akane rising from her sitting position. She moved slowly obviously sore from the adventure of a lifetime she'd had after meeting Ranma. "If you two could find a moment to spare, I REALLY need a bath."
She lifted her arms above her head, stretching the last of the kinks out. The movement caused her shirt to lift higher exposing the smooth skin of her belly. Ranma noticed Ryoga noticing and out of the side of his mouth mumbled "Don't make me kill you."
Ryoga mumbled under his breath. "I'm just kiddin' around Ranma. So territorial in such a short amount of time. She must have really had your nose wide open at work." And before Ranma could reply, Ryoga was moving away and pointing towards the hallway for Akane. "Excuse Ranma's rudeness. The bathroom is down this way, first door on your left after the mirror."
Akane smiled her thanks and moved past both men towards the hallway. She caught Ranma's eye one last time before she noticed the mirror that Ryoga had mentioned. She knew she must look a mess. She still needed answers from the two of them, seeing as Ryoga seemed to be involved or wizened to tonight's events. But that could wait until after she had a nice warm shower. At first she only took a fleeting look at the mirror until she noticed something, very, very odd. Facing the mirror, the whipping her head to the side, she realized that the whole bottom left of her hair was singed and choppy. She was calm for one evanescent moment before threw her head back and screamed.
Ranma was the first to reach her, but came to a screeching halt when he noticed what she was looking at. Dammit! Why didn't I remember to mention that to her before she saw it? Oh yeah. I didn't want to be withing reach when she tried to take bolt cutters to my neck. "Akane...the fire from the blast...it singed your hair..." Akane quirked her head towards him. "Clearly." Without another word, she turned and marched towards the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.
"Well she's a feisty one, isn't she? How much trouble are ya in, pal?" Ryoga was still in the living room, obviously enjoying the plight his friend was in.
"Ryoga. Can it. She hears you laughing and she'll use that headband that take that pretty little head of yours off." And with that the laughter died down.
Ranma heard the shower turn on and approached the bathroom door timidly. He called out to her, and heard no response, just the water hitting the floor as she rinsed off. Then tiny steps and a soft splash as she slid into the bath water. He sighed.
"I...I haven't apologized for the position I put you in, tonight. I apologize about that, and...and your hair. I know..."
This was so not the plan. I mean there was no plan, he didn't know that he was going to be attacked today of all days. He knew the probable reason behind it, but he would have never approached her, never invited her into his space, if he knew she'd be put into this type of danger. He reasoned with himself just to tell her the truth, let her know exactly how much danger she was in. He could imagine her walking through the doors without a seconds hesitation, never looking back. But the more she knew the more dangerous it would be for her.. He wouldn't allow it. He'd never forgive himself is she was dragged down into the darkness because of his decisions.
"You won't understand...I can't make you understand...." He let out a string of curses, frustrated with himself. He was surprised at realizing his lack of self control. He was supposed to be calm, cool and collected. He was raised to be in complete control in situations like this.
A tiny voice came from behind the door. "Ranma?"
Ranma slid down the wall he was leaning against, running a hand through his head once he reached the floor. He then rested both his arms on his knees, leaning his head against the bathroom door. "You ever heard the story of the Fountain of Youth? My dad....he would tell me stories every night before I went to bed. Some I'd remember, others I'd discard after he was finished. You see, he wasn't really good at telling stories. But there was one, and I never forgot it because I thought it was so sad." He paused when he heard her making her way out of the bath water and over to the shower to rinse off. When she stopped moving he continued.
"Anyways, its an old story, about an old man and an old woman up in some mountains. One day he finds the spring and drinks from it and returns to his youth. He hurries home and explains to his wife and lets her know he'll stay here, she can go to the spring and recapture her youth as well. So she goes and he stays at the house. And he's waiting and he's waiting. He starts to get worried. So he goes after her. After looking and looking, he finds her at the spring. She's a little baby. She had drank too much. Sadly he takes her home."
A long moment of time passed before either one said anything. Ranma staring at the wall and Akane in the bathroom doing Kami knows what.
"That's very sad, but why are you telling me this Ranma?"
"Because Akane. Everything has a cause, and there are repercussions for our every actions. Even bedtime stories can morph into tragedies..."
"What are you trying to tell me..." Ranma's head suddenly feel backwards as the door to the bathroom opened. As quickly as he could muster, he righted himself up and stood. Surprised, he reached out across the space between then, daring to run his hands through her now short locks. He raised one eyebrow up at her and smiled.
"You think fast on your feet, lady."
Akane smiled carefully as he examined her haircut. At first when she went into the bathroom she was mad as a hellcat. In that moment there was nothing to do to salvage her hair. She stared at herself in the mirror, mortified at the turn of events. First her computer, then making a fool out of herself in front of Ranma. Then when things couldn't get any worse...she almost dies...twice. I must be a Gemini.
She giggled at herself. She took the bath that she was praying to Kami for, it calming her nerves, allowing her to think rationally. As Ranma was telling her the story, she tried to search for a plausible link of relativity from the story to tonight's events, finding none. As she starred at the door waiting for an explanation, she noticed a pair of shears. So she did what she thought was best. No way she was running around town with a hairstyle that asymmetrical. She was modern and trendy...but not THAT modern and trendy.
She reached back to where his hands was playing with her newly chopped ends and caught his hand in hers. She looked back up at him, questions playing back and forth in the depth of her eyes. Ranma took her hand and tightened his grip around her, as he pulled her a fraction of a step closer.
"I will protect you Akane. I promise." He didn't know what was pulling him, he didn't even know where the words came from. All he knew is that he meant it, his swift assertion of guard over her person echoing through in and through out every corner of his heart. He moved closer to her until he was able to smell the jasmine scent floating around her like a spectral web of attraction.
He watched with mild amusement as she took a step back until she abruptly stopped, her back smooth up against the bathroom door. Akane eyes fluttered for a second, a hard shock of de ja vu playing on her senses. He moved swiftly but at the same time, it felt like slow motion to Akane, the closer her drew to her. When he was only inches from her face, he whispered. "But I need you to trust me."
Instantly the haze lifted from in front of Akane's eyes, and in that brief second Ranma could see that the moment was lost. A smile slowly formed on her lips as she lifted her head slightly to look him in the eyes. "How can I trust you with my protection, when you won't trust me with the truth. You must think I'm some kind of idiot."
When he didn't answer she kept going in. "Lets see, Saotome. We are almost ran over, then my car explodes and to top it all off I then manage to wake up in a strange apartment owned by a man who randomly fires off Shakespeare quotes. Obviously something is going on. What I don't understand is your reluctance to clue me in."
Never removing himself from her space, he gently ran his thumb across the skin of her palm. Sighing he took a step back. He wasn't quite sure what made him do that in the first place. He could admit that her wanting to know was a justifiable answer. But he couldn't help what she didn't understand. And that knowing would be more dangerous than ignorance.
"This is for your own good."
"My. Own. Good? Who the hell do you think you are? Do I look like some four year old to you? Who said I needed your damn protection in the first place? I was doing just fine until I met you!"
Ranma closed his eyes. That came out wrong. So very wrong. "I'm not saying that..."
"No, you fool! You're not saying anything!"
He opened his eyes, pinning his gaze on her, willing her to understand. "If you'd just listen, what I'm.."
"Oh screw this! I should just leave!"
He would protect her. Even if it meant....
"That's what I want you to do! That's what I wanted you to do all along! Leave! Nobody is keeping you here! All I want you to do is get away from me!
Hearing something so forbearing coming from his lips caused her to snap. The car, her hair; they were catalyst already tap dancing on her nerves, but this was the last straw. Snatching her hand back from his, she sneered at him. Balling her newly freed hand, she threw a punch in his direction. Only good fortune allowed him to miss it. He didn't account for her speed in the first jab as the second one landed right on his cheek. He hit the floor more out of surprise that hurt, although he wouldn't admit it, but his ears were ringing slightly.
She stood over him, hand on her hip, a sardonic smile of satisfaction playing on her face. She walked off momentarily, coming back with clothes in her hand. She kicked his left firmly, and turned to the door opening. As she entered and slammed the door for emphasis, Ranma could barley hear her on the other side whisper. "You can't get rid of me that easily."
Ranma lifted himself on his elbows, letting his drop backwards, allowing him to look straight above him. Just allow me to get through this without killing her. I promise you, I'll be a good boy.
Ryoga sat at his kitchen table, looking out into the night sky. The clock in the corner read twelve fifteen at night. He bemusedly listened through his walls, at the couple's argument. You can't write this sort of stuff, its hilarious. He had scampered to the kitchen sink, to give the semblance that he wasn't eavesdropping once he heard Ranma approaching his kitchen. Once Ranma rounded the corner, Ryoga turned to him, willing himself to keep the grin that was dancing around in his stomach off his face. What Ryoga found so hilarious was Ranma reaction to Akane.
The type of lifestyle that Ranma was used to allowed for a certain breed of female to pomade around him as if he was a fresh slab of meat to hungry wolves. These women, so needy for his attention would mind his every word, except the ones to leave him alone. They swore their devotion to him. Oh the multitudes of love letters he would receive. Ridiculous. So Ryoga was swimming in satisfaction at being able to witness a woman that not only challenged him, but from the sounds of it, packed a mean right punch.
Actually she sounded right up his alley, and he would be tempted. Very tempted, if he wasn't already engaged himself. If only I had met her sooner.
Ranma had a no nonsense scowl across his face, as he rubbed his offended cheek. He kicked a chair out and landed with a thump. "That...that WOMAN...she hit me."
"I wonder what would cause her to do a thing like that." Before Ranma could reply to the obvious sarcasm in his voice, Ryoga cut him off. "Uyko is on the way." At Ranma's raised eyebrow, Ryoga explained. "You did plan on making sure Akane got home safe and sound right? I certainly hope you didn't think you were going to personally escort her there?" The look of subtle awareness lit Ranma's face up.
Ryoga nodded. "From the looks of it, no one followed us here when we left the garage. It was dark, so we can't be a hundred percent sure. But if someone, possibly the man who tried to run you two over, spotted her, then we'll have Ucchan stay with Akane, just to be sure."
"There are a few things I still just don't get." Ryoga walked to the refrigerator, grabbing a beer and a bottled water for Ranma.
"And that is...?"
"Before today, other than me following her around and making light of an office crush, they would have no reason to target Akane. I know for a fact that we were the only two in the building, and it was only by chance that we ran into each other. No one would have known that we would meet and end up leaving together. How would they know what car she drove, what she looked like?.And even with all that information, why would they bomb her car? Why not mines?"
Ryoga scratched his head, the same questions had been playing in his mind earlier. He didn't know much about the woman, but he knew other than tonight, there was no connection between her and Ranma. He knew why these people were after Ranma. But he wanted to know who was behind it. He wanted to know how they knew about him being in Tokyo. How they knew where he worked and how they knew he would have the envelope with him when they attacked. What was the link between Ranma, the envelope and Akane Tendo?
A knock at the door interrupted the conversation, both men pausing mid thought. "Well, that was fast. What did she do? Fly over here on a rocket?" Ranma looked at the door and then at Ryoga. "You might want to go get that. Ucchan will kick that door down in the next thirty seconds. And you might wanna chill down all that Shakespeare you was ranting off earlier." Ranma let a cocky smile grace his features, as Ryoga blanched.
"Utter a word about it and I'll make it to where she can use your ass for target practice." Ryoga moved towards the door as Ranma rolled his eyes. While Ryoga went to the door, Ranma decided to go check on Akane once again. She couldn't' spend all night in the bathroom. Plus Ucchan was here.
He rounded the corner to the bathroom, when he knocked on the door, it opened. Peeking inside he found it to be completely empty. Panic instantly set in. She wasn't in the kitchen or the living room. "AKANE??!!" For the love of Ramen soup! I didn't want her to LEAVE leave. I wanted her to ….why didn't I just say that...why can't I just say ANYTHING right around her?
"Oh calm down, you dolt. I'm in here." The voice called from the end of the hallway. Ranma calmed that second. Oh. I forgot to check my room. Ha. Moving down the hallway to his bedroom, he pushed he door open, to find Akane sitting on his bed. He gulped. In one of his shirts. He gulped again. His favorite shirt. I could never wear my shirt as well as she is wearing it right now.
"I hope you don't mind me wearing this. I tried to put on my clothes from earlier. But they were all dirty. Plus the shirt was all torn up. Do you know how much I paid for that....never mind." She patted a spot close to her on the bed. "Here, come sit with me." He hesitantly moved towards her, and she noticed. "Ah. About that. I'll ask for your forgiveness about me punching you...and kicking you. You made me very mad. But that's no reason for me to...you know."
Ranma hand tentatively touched the slightly sore spot where Akane's punch had landed earlier. "No big deal. You hit like a girl." She cocked on eyebrow at him and he smiled, softening his words. Once he took a seat next to her, he noticed that her eyes were lightly puffy, like maybe she had been crying. He wisely chose not to say anything about it. Akane didn't seem to be the type of person to take lightly of any kind of weakness, proven earlier when he had to duck a punch. He instead chose to put her arm around her, allowing her to put her head on his shoulder.
"You're going to send me away, aren't you?" She surprised him with her question, and he took a second to look over to her. She reached back and rapped her knuckles against the walls. "Thin walls in this apartment building."
Ranma chuckled, remembering the cheap rent and even cheaper architecture of the run down apartment complex he and Ryoga chose to live in.
"I don't quite understand what you and Ryoga were talking about. But I do understand that there might be someone targeting me. Don't you think its wise that I stay with you and not be sent off like some damsel in distress? But then again." She sighed. " That's what this Ucchan woman is here for isn't she." Ranma opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. She already knows the answers to her questions, doesn't' she.
He wanted to laugh again, but her suddenly wrapping her arms around his torso stopped him. "I am scared. But you are taking me way too lightly." Ranma looked down at her, a sound temptation to kiss the top of her head, but he ignored it.
"That's not it Akane. I've dragged you into something...into a situation where I don't even have all the answers. Just really good educated guesses. I just want you safe, away from me. Just in case targeting you was by coincidence. Uyko will keep you safe while I figure everything else out." He reached down, tipping her chin back so he could look her in the eyes. "But I promise you. I will come for you when I'm know more. Know everything."
In that moment the drive to kiss her was insatiable. He didn't understand and couldn't get a grip on his feelings. What was driving him to want her this much? Yeah he had appreciated her from a distance, and maybe just the close proximity to her sweet smell and delightful smile that was making him act like he'd known her all her life, when in reality it had only been a short few months. Maybe if she would stop looking at him with those crazy, prepossessing eyes.
He inched closer to her, despite his brain telling him he was moving entirely too fast. The second he felt the moist skin of her lips ghost over his, a loud whistle broke the quiet, albeit feverish atmosphere of the room. Ranma looked out the corner of his eyes to find Ryoga and Uyko standing in the doorway.
"No please! Don't stop! This is better than that money I spent watching that cheesy romance movie Ryoga rented last week." The grin plastered on Uyko's face was obviously contagious as her fiancee had it smacked across his face too. Ranma lowered his head. No wonder they are engaged. They both are meddling interfering assholes. Running his hand over his face and blowing air upwards towards his bangs, he stared at the two.
"Do you two have nothing better to do than this? EVER?" At their continued smirks and the infuriating chuckle coming from Ryoga, Ranma gave up. He turned to Akane to find her actually smiling, as well. Seeing how he had lost a battle he didn't even know he was fighting, he sighed as Akane gently de-tangled herself from him and sat up. "You must be Uyko."
Uyko sauntered into the room, squeezing between Akane and Ranma as she took a spot on his bed. "Well I sure am, honey! I hope these two boys have been treating you alright. If not, tell me. I know how to deal with these two very well." And with that she grabbed Ranma, throwing him under her arm and running her knuckles across the top of his head. "You see men sometimes only understand violence, Akane. Especially these two." Ranma pulled from Ucchan's grip and ran to the door.
"Why you...." Ranma stuck his tongue out at Uyko and turned to Ryoga. "Lets go. Let those two have...girl talk or whatever it is that women like to do when there aren't men around.." Ranma marched out of the room with Ryoga following behind him. "Probably us. Good thing these walls aren't worth shit. That way they can't get out of hand with the trash talk."
Once the two men left, Uyko turned to Akane, instantly noticing her attire. "Heh...That's Ranma's favorite shirt. Must mean something if he let you wear it."
Akane fingered the silky fire red shirt that she was currently clothed in. "His favorite?"
Ukyo nodded. "Him and his pops trained in China. For a while when he was younger, that's all he wore, Chinese clothing that is."
Akane quirked a brow up. "Training...I thought he was a computer engineer"
The young woman reached into the bag swung over her shoulder and started looking for something. "Anything Goes Martial Arts. Yeah him and his father were big on it for years and years. Traveled all of China and Japan. I know he doesn't look it, but he is an excellent and powerful fighter. Trust me. I've sparred with him. "
Akane whipped her head around to look at the young woman still hunched over. "That's...that's the name of the martial arts that my father mastered. Why does...."
"Hmmm, you might want to ask him about that. I don't know much about it, other than what he has told me."
Akane filled that information for later. A question had been on her mind for a while and she had meant to ask Ranma, but figured now that Uyko was in "charge" of her, she would be the better person to ask.
"Do you think it would be possible or even advisable for me to return to work. I have a huge presentation I need to give tomorrow, and if I make it out of this situation alive, I would like a life to return to. Especially a job to return to.
She waited a beat. Then another. When Uyko didn't say anything, she cleared her throat. Waited another second.
"Uyko..."
"FOUND IT!" Uyko flung her hand in the air. "Call me Ucchan, sugar." She reached out and grabbed Akane's wrist and slid a bracelet around it.
"I know this is all untoward and everything, but that bracelet shouldn't come off. As you know, Ranma is pretty damn smart. Since we were kids, its been all about training. Until he discovered electronics and those damn computers. In his spare time when he wasn't training, he was building little doo-dads and thingamajigs. Through out the years he's built hundreds of gadgets, which are really cool. This is one of them. Its a tracker."
Akane fingered the bracelet. Simple looking in its making, a powdered blue metal, a silver dragon etched into it, running the entire length of the bracelet.
"Until we figure out what the hell is going on and how it involves you, we need to know where you are. For the next couple of days, I'll be with you, while Ryoga is with Ranma." Jutting her own wrist out, she showed Akane a powder pink bracelet. "Its twin. You can always locate me as well. As long as we have these bracelets, we'll never be lost." Winking at Akane, she reached back into her bag and pulled out a her cellphone. "What we'll do later on tonight is have Ranma sync the tracking program, he created by the way, to your phone."
Akane quipped at her brow, surprised to find tiny drops of sweat there. So much...in so little time. "This is so surreal...I don't even want to..."
Uyko smiled and punched Akane lightly on the shoulder. "I know, honey. There is so much that needs to be discovered before anybody can explain what's going on around here. I'm still majorly confused myself. But it'll be over in a couple of days. One way or another. I promise."
She tensed like she was about to get up from the bed but turned to Akane one last time. "Oh yeah, work should be fine. I'll clear it with Major Knucklehead and Captain Peabrain. But it should be okay."
Akane smiled weakly at the woman beside her as she sprung up from her bed and left the room. Her spirits are awfully high for a jacked up situation as this. She looked down at her bracelet again. These bracelets are obviously not new. Ranma created a tracking program? Why would they have tracking bracelets readily available. And Ranma's a disciple of Anything Goes? Who are these people?
Akane threw a hand threw her hair and laid down. "What have I gotten myself into?"
A/N: Are Are!(Oh My) I hope I don't confuse myself ^_^. Anyways if you didn't get the "Almost Died twice...I must be a Gemini" phrase that was a joke... Chris Rock. Champagne Room? No? Ha! Well I laughed.
I want to thank ALLLL of you. I got this feeling like a gigantic fairy (Navi presumably) was over me sprinkling fairy dust on my head when I read your reviews. As you can see I'm not that accustomed to getting them, so I appreciate them SOOO MUCH . I hope that you'll continue reading, because I'm going to continue writing. Ja, ne!