Epilogue: Just a Summer's Day

Where life's like an upwards swing…

Akane watched him as climbed higher and higher, his black pigtail blowing behind him in the wind, squealing as his feet tried to reach the leaves of a grown tree. He looked so much like his father who was currently pushing the swing – maybe a little more violently than any other father would.

"Ranma, I think that's high enough!" she called out, but her two men just chuckled (both their laughs so similar, even though their son's was still the high pitched sound of a toddler) and kept going.

"I love it up here, mommy!" Little Chiaki shouted, wiggling his feet. Akane sighed and rubbed her pregnant belly, leaning back. She had long learned there was no point in arguing about such little things with anyone bearing the name Saotome, so she just kept her strength for more important matters. Their daughter Ayumu, twin to Chiaki, was currently perched on her father's shoulders trying to climb onto his head. Akane took in the sight of her perfect family and felt content.

It had been seven years of marriage (even though they had to leave Nerima in order to get married without interruptions) and two years with the unexpected twins. No one had ever told Akane they ran in the family. Ryoga and Ukyo were still an item and by now, Akane's sisters were both married, even though Nabiki was threatening her husband Kuno with divorce papers every other day. Things had calmed down after their relationship had become official, sending the Amazons packing to go back to their home and leaving the dojo in Akane's and Ranma's capable hands. Suddenly everything fell into place.

When Ranma sat down next to her, Akane realized she had been wool gathering. Her own father had taken over the swing while Chiaki was trying to push him with what little strength he had (even though both their children were uncommonly strong for their young ages) and Ayumu was now climbing `Mount Panda´, as she liked to call her grandpa whenever he was in his Jusenkyo form. Ranma and his father had never been cured of their curses, even though all the others had found a way. In the end, they had accepted them as parts of themselves and Akane loved her husband even more for it.

Leaning her head on Ranma's shoulder Akane closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in his scent.

"What are you thinking about, Tomboy?" Ranme whispered, his hand tracing a strand of her still short hair.

"Nothing. I'm just happy, sitting in the sun, listening to our little monsters squealing, being with you," she sighed, snuggling into his embrace as he snaked his arm around her waist, lightly resting on her belly. Ranma grinned and kissed her nose.

"Well, I just wanted to inform you that our twins decided to go on a training trip with my father to Jusenkyo. Chiaki wants to be a Tiger and Ayumu hopes there is a `spring of the drowned unicorn´," Ranma stated, a chuckle apparent in his voice. Akane looked up at him with a scowl.

"I don't care how funny you think this is, but if you or your father EVER take my kids on one of your crazy training trips, I swear to god, Ranma…" she started, but her husband just silenced her with a deep kiss.

"Relax, Akane. I convinced them a trip to the local ice cream shop and dinner at aunt Kasumi's and Tofu's afterwards would be just as much fun."

Akane breathed a sigh of relieve and looked over at her children.

"Good thing they really don't want to miss the episode of Dragonball tonight. Telling them there was no TV on training trips really made my point," Ranma continued, grinning from ear to ear. Akane just shook her head and smiled.

"And, just so you know: Not all training methods my father used were crazy!" Ranma mumbled into her hair, kissing her head.

"Really?" she asked, irony apparent in her voice. "Let me just say `Nekoken´ and `Fighting Amazons´?!"

Ranma coughed and rubbed his neck. "Well, yeah… Those weren't smart choices, you're right," he mumbled, turning towards their kids again.

"Ayumu, stop plucking hairs from gramps' fur, we don't want him to go bald as a panda as well!" he then shouted. Akane smiled again.

"We're quite lucky, aren't we?" she asked, taking Ranma's hand. Ranma just nodded and kissed her again, before standing up.

"Let's go!" Akane called, her fingers still entwined with her husband's. In a flash, the kids were running over to them, hugging their parents' legs and excitedly babbling about what kind of ice cream they wanted to taste. The two grandfathers were unhurriedly following, talking about one thing or another.

Life could go on like this…

The End (for real!)

Author's Notes:

Well, this is it. It only took me so many years to finish.

Thanks a lot for your support. I'd love some final reviews! 3

Hugs, Ria