Wednesday August 23,

Its been a month since we all went to the beach. A month since Shampoo was possessed by some demon and tried to kill me. Looking back at it now it almost seems like a dream. Everything has been moving on like if it never happened. Everyone seems more happy nowadays...well almost everyone. I wouldn't include myself in that. I've just been moving along with the pace like a shadow. That's probably the best way to describe it. Since I woke from my coma things have completely changed. Ranma wont even speak to me or dare look at me in the face. I miss him, as much as I hate to say it. The only time I see him is at dinner and the rest of the time he's in the dojo sparring with Ryoga or in his room locked up. I really don't know what's wrong with him. I know he's not mad at me, we haven't even had the chance to talk let alone fight. But something else is keeping him from me. I wish I knew. With Ukyo and Ryoga's wedding getting planned it almost seems ironic that once the attention was on us. Now I'm not so sure what's going to happen in between us. I'm trying to be happy for my friends but its hard to. Their wedding just reminds me of the one we were suppose to have.

Akane sighed and stared at the paper under her palm. She had been keeping a diary to keep the pain flowing into something else than her dreams. The fact was that it was getting unbearable to be in the Tendo house and as the days came closer to Ukyo and Ryoga's wedding the more she thought of Ranma.

Ranma.

That boy that haunted her dreams and thoughts. The pig-tailed boy that always kept her safe from all harm. She couldn't understand why he always avoided her and even when she would have the chance to be near him she almost wished that he would disappear entirely. To have him so close yet far was torture.

"Hey hun!" A familiar voice came through the door.

Akane turned to look at Ukyo and Shampoo standing at her door with a stacks of papers clutched in their arms.

"Hey Ukyo. Hey Shampoo" She smiled at them. The bride-to-be walked into her room and sat in Akane's bed spreading the papers around her. Shampoo sat on the floor beside the stack of CDs near the bed looking through them.

Ukyo clapped her hands together, "Alright, I have an idea about the dress I want you guys to wear." She searched through the papers. She handed one to Akane. "I found a tailor in town and he said he would have the dresses ready in a week."

Akane stared at the paper, not exactly interested. Ukyo frowned, "Alright Sugar, what's wrong?"

"I like the dress, its beautiful." She faked her smile.

Ukyo and Shampoo looked at each other and sighed, "Akane act stupid." Shampoo looked at her, "Ranma still not talking to you?"

Akane stayed quiet and looked down at her hands. What else was new?

Ukyo placed her hand on her shoulder, "I'll tell Ryoga-honey to talk to him."

"No! No Ukyo. If he wants to talk to me then he'll do it. I don't want to force him." She swallowed up the tears forming in her eyes.

"Just like you gave me and Ryoga-honey advise I'll give you: if you two don't talk about it, its never going to get better. You can disagree with me but you know its true. My wedding is in 2 weeks and I want it to be a happy day. And it would make me happy if you and him would make up." Akane stared at her for a moment and frowned.

"Please?" Ukyo said, looking down at the papers scattered in her bed.

On the other side of Akane's door Ranma leaned his forehead on her door and sighed. He stared at the ever-smiling duck that read "Akane". He frowned.

Punch. Kick. Dodge. Block. Elbow. Knee.

Ranma panted.

"That's it for today." A sweaty and tired Ryoga slumped on the floor, Ranma joined him.

"You seemed a little sloppy today." The pointy-toothed boy said. Ranma rubbed his neck and looked at him a little annoyed.

"What do you mean 'sloppy'? I'm never sloppy." He raised an eyebrow.

"You had your focus on something else." Akane's face flashed through Ranma's mind and he frowned.

"Have you talked to her yet?" Ryoga looked down at Ranma laying flat on his back in the dojo floor. Ranma placed hands over his head and sighed.

"If you want things to change you need to talk to her." Ranma closed his eyes and imagined his kiss with Akane. He did miss her. He just felt so ashamed and scared. He couldn't look at her and only being around her made painful memories in his heart. So many times he's thought that he's lost her and if he would feel that again one more time he would die at the spot. If her being around him only threatened her life then he would rather not be around. If he disappeared then she would be safe. He couldn't live with himself. He hated himself for hurting her.

"I cant talk to her." He finally said.

Ryoga crossed his arms. "You know that you can. You know that you hate how things are going between you two."

Ranma looked at Ryoga for a long time. He knew that it was true.

"I know." His voice shook.

"If you know then why don't you do it?" Ryoga's voice grew louder.

"I---" He stood up and walked around Ryoga, searching for an answer. "Trouble follows me and you know that...I'm so tired of her getting hurt. If I wasn't around, she would be safe." He tightened his fists.

"Ranma dont say that. She's safe because of you!" He looked at him, rage was boiling his blood. "Why are you so scared to say that you love her?"

Ranma's heart was racing. His back was to Ryoga. Feeling his stare burn holes in his scalp, Ranma turned to look at his friend. Ryoga stared at him with a serious face, Ranma felt defeated.

It was late, the night was still and the street-lamps were off. The pig-tailed boy sat in the roof of the Tendo house, he had his face in-between his legs. His heart fluttered at the sounds of Akane sleeping. She always kept her window open in the summer and every night he sat in the roof listening to her. It brought peace to him to know she was alive and safe. He sighed.

Coward.

He ran his hands through his hair. He couldn't sleep but he felt exhausted. The next day was Ukyo and Ryoga's wedding and it amazed him how all the puzzle pieces around him were falling into place. Not his pieces, they all seemed scattered. He thought of everything that Ryoga and Mousse would tell him. "Grow the balls and talk to her." He sighed. He could defeat his greatest opponent and battle monsters but he couldn't face a short-haired Akane.

"Ranma. What are you doing up there?"

He froze as he recognized Akane's voice. His mouth went dry and his heart thumped in his throat.

"Uh..." He managed to croak.

He heard her sniffle, he knew that she was crying. He felt his heart shatter. He hung himself backwards in front of Akane's window. Her room was dark.

"Akane?" He whispered. Her sobs were muffled but he couldn't see her.

He jumped through the window inside her cool room. His eyes searched wildly for her. Then his eyes rested on the big lump on the bed.

"Akane?" He tried to keep his voice steady. The lump moved and Akane cried silently, not looking at him. Ranma sat on the floor in front of her bed, his back against the frame. Every breath seemed to choke him and her cries made him want to die.

"Please don't cry." He whispered to her and himself as silent painful tears rolled down his face.

Akane's cries died down, "Tell me why, Ranma." Desperation tainted her voice.

He stayed quiet for a long time turning the wheels in his head and trying to find the guts to talk.

"Every single day..." His voice was shaking, "I think about how it all came this way. I'm sorry Akane. For everything I couldn't do. I'm hurting myself by hurting you." He put his hands to his face trying to keep himself together. Akane sat up and looked at the back of his head, a bad feeling sat at the pit of her stomach. His shoulders shook and the clear sound of his sniffles assured her that he was crying.

"If I wasn't in your life...you would be safe. Because of me...you've almost died. I cant live with myself." He looked down at his hands and wept. Akane scoot to the edge of the bed and hung her legs over the frame. The familiar warmth of him made tears pour down her chin wildly. Ranma looked at her hanging legs next to him and then he placed his arm underneath one of her legs and touched her smooth skin. The touch brought comfort to him. Akane placed her hand on top of his head to soothe him. He exhaled and closed his eyes letting her fingers lace through his dark locks of hair. He needed her and dreamed of her constantly. Her smell haunted him and all his focus was on the painful memories. He couldn't forgive himself.

"I miss you." Akane's small voice whispered behind him. The sweetest sadness in her voice.

He sat next to her and took her hands in his. He rubbed his thumb against the skin of the back of her small hand. He didn't look at her.

"Please don't be scared." Akane looked hard at Ranma. He looked up at her searching her face for something.

"Akane." He said breathlessly. He edged his face closer to her and kissed her lightly in her lips. Akane felt a sudden pain in her chest. Despair conquered her.

"I love you so much it hurts." His voice no longer full of confidence. "I know I'm not perfect. I was stupid...I was lying to myself all these years that I didn't feel like this. I was scared to tell you and I thought you hated me. But there was no one else that I wanted. I don't want anyone to take your place because there is nobody better. I love you so much that I want to kick myself for making you cry."

Tears rolled down her face.

"Ranma, I love you too." She wrapped her arms around his neck and dug her face in his neck. "You dummy. I need you. I need you to save me."

Ranma returned her embrace and placed his chin over her head. He sighed in relief. The feeling of having her in his arms was unlike anything in the world. He was hers. He was always hers. It just took so many years for him to say the right words.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear and smiled.

**I have one more chapter left. One thing I will say that its just a closure chapter so I'll be updating soon. But whilst you wait... SEND ME REVIEWS! Thanks. .**