Chapter 21

"Oh, come on Ryouga! Ain't it a little bit too early for this?"

Ryouga snickered, not wanting to fall into his game. "Maybe. What are you doing here, anyway? Did Akane finally kick you out?"

"As if! I'm taking a break with Pop. We're getting out of here as soon as he comes back, so why don't you do what you do best and get lost?"

"Why you! Do you really think I'll let you go back to my girlfriend's house?"

"Your girlfriend? I didn't know you were dating Nabiki."

"Nabiki Tendo? You wish! I'm talking about my dear Akane."

"That's funny. Akane hasn't mentioned anything about dating you."

"You lie! She said so herself! You're just jealous because I was man enough to tell her how I felt, and you haven't."

"If you only knew," Ranma thought. "Look, you want to go ask her yourself, head that way and you'll find your way to Nerima."

Ryouga stared at the direction Ranma pointed at before staring back at him. "Now, why should I trust you? You probably want to send me away from her! I'm just gonna stay right here and follow you back home."

"As if he needed my help to get lost, the bastard."

Ranma frowned at his failed attempt to get rid of the eternal lost boy. Ryouga sat down next to his backpack, as he waited for Genma Saotome to return. Ranma, knowing he was going to stick around, had to attempt his second plan.

"Are you sure you want to wait for us, Ryouga? You know, Akane had an accident and she just got out of the hospital. Why don't you go right ahead and go see how she's doing."

Ryouga considered the option given by Ranma, but his instincts kicked in, telling him there was more than what Ranma was telling him. "I don't think Akane had any accident. You're just trying to get me out of there, and I want to know why."

"How about because I can't stand you? And why would I lie about something like that?"

"Why would you be here taking a break if Akane is injured? You'd be the first one by her side."

Ryouga had him there. It seemed his childhood friend knew him a little bit too well. Ranma rubbed his face in desperation before he began putting away the supplies. Ryouga observed him as he moved around the campsite, not knowing that Ranma was just gaining time as he thought of other ways to get rid of Ryouga.

"Hey, Ranma?"

"What now? You're still here?"

"If you are training up here with your dad, how come you're still wearing pajamas at noon?"

Ranma looked down at his outfit, forgetting that neither he nor Akane had bothered to dress up after they woke up. He cursed his stupidity but tried to look nonchalant for Ryouga.

"We're done training and I let Pops go do whatever business he had to finish while I took another nap. I didn't know it was a crime to walk around in your underwear."

Ranma continued to clean up the campsite, opening the tent to take out his backpack and put away his belongings. Akane remained as still as possible inside the tent, hoping Ryouga would eventually give up and go away.

"Akane is injured, you know. I took her back home from the clinic just a couple of days ago. She dislocated her shoulder and sprained her wrist."

"Oh, Ranma," Ryouga spat. "How low will you sink in order for me to get lost on my way to seeing my girl?"

"She's not your girl!"

"Yes, she is! And she's waiting for me!"

"No, she's not. All she's waiting for is the ability to write so she can respond to your stupid postcard and tell you to fuck off!"

"How dare you, Ranma? Akane would never do that to anyone. There is no mean bone in her body for such cruel actions."

"You really don't know her. Did you know she has been seeing a guy at school?" Ranma lied, trying to get Ryouga mad enough to run back to Nerima by himself in worry.

"She wouldn't."

"She did. His name is Orochi or some other."

"Orochi? The guy she met at the trip? She didn't even like him!"

Ranma finished zipping up the tent before he walked up to Ryouga.

"How would you know something like that?"

"Uhm," Ryouga hesitated, knowing he had been caught. However, seeing the curious look on Ranma's face, and knowing he would get him riled up if he told him how he found out about Orochi, was too much of an incentive to stop now.

"Akane told me. She was weighting out dating you or him. I guess she chose him, uh? Though, I don't think my beloved Akane would betray me like that. We had the most wonderful personal conversation before I left."

"When did Akane tell you? You were gone by the time,,,"

"What's wrong, Ranma? Surprised that after you left her bedroom, I waltzed right in?"

"You're lying!"

"Oh, grow up! You know Akane will tell me everything, even if she doesn't know it's me."

"I…I don't know what you mean," Ranma said in a poor attempt to deviate the conversation to something else. If Akane heard Ryouga confess he was P-chan, and Akane figured out that Ranma knew about it all along, he did not want to think what Akane would do to the both of them.

"What's wrong with you? You know about my curse! It's your fault! Are you gonna claim innocence again? Take responsibility for your actions, Ranma Saotome!"

"Ryouga, I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about."

Ryouga became upset at Ranma's denial. It was one thing to try to keep him from seeing Akane, but to lie about his responsibility for his curse was something entirely different.

"How dare you undermine your involvement in my curse? If it wasn't for you and your panda of a father, I wouldn't have to be running away from the rain, and lakes, and ponds, and…"

"SHUT UP, RYOUGA!"

"But you know, it serves you well," Ryouga continued his verbal attack on Ranma. "Who would have thought such a curse would backfire on you? Do you want to know what else Akane confesses in her sleep? Doesn't it kill you that she won't hesitate to kick you out of her room, but she takes me to her bed?"

"Only when you sneak around me!" Ranma yelled back, for a moment forgetting that Akane was just a few feet away from them. Even though in his heart he knew that Ryouga had nothing but distorted situations to go by, the fact that Ranma was still jealous of any man sneaking into her room was enough to push him over the edge. "You know you'd never sleep with her if it was up to me!"

"Puh-lease! Akane's always there to defend me. Even from you."

"Oh, yeah? What are you planning to do when you take her out on a date and you get splashed with cold water, uh? She's gonna love you, then."

Ryouga narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't have it all figured it out but I will make her love me enough to forgive my moments of weakness…or, I'll just throw it back at her that you knew about it all this time, and didn't tell her."

Shit.

"Because you made me!"

"Oh, yes! Blame it on your honor. You wouldn't have to bear the responsibility if you hadn't thrown me into that spring in the first place!"

"You know what? I'm getting really tired of this shit. Why don't you grab your things and walk your ass back home. I'm done here."

Ryouga stood up, facing Ranma who had started walking towards the forest, trying to engage Ryouga into a fight on his way to the river to activate his curse. "You want to solve this like men? I can carry your beat up ass back to Nerima. I'll just wait for your dad to lead the way."

"Now you're talking," Ranma said, cracking his knuckles. "I hope you brought plenty of supplies because you're gonna wake up even more lost than you already are!"

"I'm gonna wake up in Akane's bed as P-chan!"

"R-Ryou-ga?"

Both males froze at the voice behind them as they turned around. Ryouga's eyes widened so much he thought they were going to pop up out of their sockets at seeing Akane standing behind him, wearing only Ranma's shirt. He stared at her up and down and saw she was barefoot, her hair was unruly, and he could see her bra as the top three buttons of the shirt were undone.

"Did you just say P-chan?"

Ryouga stuttered something that not even he knew what it had been. He stood between Ranma and Akane, staring back and forth between them. He eyed the tent, and their clothes, and thought about Ranma's insistence for him to leave, and it all became too clear to him.

"Were you guys…doing…?"

He could not force himself to finish his question. It was obvious to him what was happening. He looked at Akane, who had an unreadable face on her. He then looked back at Ranma, who had since crossed his arms and was frowning. Whether he was frowning at him or at Akane, he was not sure.

"Your dad is not here, is he, Ranma?"

Ranma took a deep breath.

"Nope."

"RYOUGA!"

Her angry scream made them both turn to stare at Akane. She walked up to Ryouga and stood on her toes so she could reach his face. Ryouga stood there, entranced by her angry eyes and stance, and almost distracted by the view of her chest.

"Did you just say you…you're cursed?"

"Akane, I can explain…"

"Oh, yeah, this should be interesting," Ranma said from behind.

"Stay out of it, Ranma," Ryouga threatened. Akane did not take this distraction lightly, pulling on Ryouga's shirt and forcing him to face her.

"Are you P-chan?"

"Akane, I…"

"Answer ME!" Akane cried as she shook him by his collar. Ranma almost felt bad for Ryouga as he had seen Akane angry before, but he knew what would come in an instant was going to break the records of her anger. Ryouga finally nodded to her, making Akane's eyes flare even more.

"I wanted to tell you…earlier on…but…"

"You…you are my P-chan? All this time…"

"Akane, listen. I wasn't trying to take advantage of this, it's just, time passed and it got more difficult to tell you."

"So it was easier to just pretend and to lie to me, and…and…GOD! I can't believe this."

Ryouga knew there was no way out of this. If Akane was going to be mad at him for years to come, he was not going to go down by himself.

"Akane, I know what I did was wrong…I know you trusted me…"

"I DID! I DID TRUST YOU! All my secrets…you…you…"

"But Ranma knew too, Akane! He knew and he didn't tell you!"

Akane released Ryouga's collar, walked around him and headed to Ranma. Ranma immediately held his hands up in a surrender motion, gulping hard with every step she took towards him.

"And you! You knew this shit was going on behind my back? Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Akane, I couldn't!"

"Couldn't or didn't want to? You're nothing but a coward!"

"Akane, I TRIED to tell you. I did!"

"That's the story he just told me," she said while pointing at Ryouga. "You better tell me another one."

"I swear I tried, but you wouldn't listen to me. I tried to kick him out of the house, and your room, but you kept kicking me!"

"Because I thought you were being ridiculous, being jealous of a pig!"

"Honestly, Akane, would you have believed me if I had told you Ryouga and P-chan were the same?"

"Of course! I would have…" she stopped herself midsentence. Of course she would have never believed him! Even though he had no reason to lie, back then he was still the stupid guy her dad had engaged her to. Today, she would have listened to him, back then, no way in hell she would have.

"That's not the point! The point is that you," she turned to point at Ryouga "you pretended to be my pet for all this time and you were just taking advantage of me; and you," she said, now pointing at Ranma. "You knew this was happening and you didn't stop it!"

"Dammit, woman! I did try! You think I wanted that ball of lard sleeping with you? Possibly seeing you naked?"

"Hey! I'm not a ball of lard! And I only saw her naked twice…"

"WHAT?!" Ranma and Akane turned around to face Ryouga. Ryouga's eyes shifted to both sides, as if looking for a way out of the hole had just dug for himself. He scratched his head and shook his head as he tried to mend his statement.

"I meant only three times, four…six…OK, what was I supposed to do?"

"Oh, my God!" Akane said as she covered her face with her hands. "That's why P-chan kept getting nose bleeds every time he saw me naked! And that's why he wouldn't shower with me! And why he would always try to help Ranma find the Nannichuan! And why Ryouga and P-chan have THE SAME FUCKING BANDANA!"

"Wait a minute, you saw her naked?"

"Uh, Ranma…"

"I'm gonna kill you, motherfu-" Ranma began as he walked past Akane, fists up in the air aiming at Ryouga.

"No, wait, Ranma! I tried not to look, I promise!"

"The fuck you didn't! Ryouga…PREPARE TO DIE!"

Ryouga ran around the campsite, avoiding Ranma's punches and kicks. "Ranma, calm the fuck down! Besides, you've obviously seen her naked, too!" Ryouga said as he pointed to Akane's scanty outfit. "Call it even?"

"Call it EVEN?! Are you out of your mind?! Get back here!"

"No, he hasn't seen me naked!" Akane said, "And probably never will!"

"Akane, I can see your…uhm…chest…by the looks of it, I'm sure he's seen more," Ryouga countered. Akane looked down and realized she had not buttoned up her shirt so she did so hastily.

"Let me get this straight. You saw my girlfriend naked, and then you come here and call her a slut in front of me?"

"What? I never…Wait; she's not your girlfriend, is she?"

"Of course she is! What do you think we're doing here? Skiing?"

"Ranma!" Akane said.

"I'm sorry, Akane, but he needs to know the truth or he'll never leave. Ryouga, when you asked Akane for permission to date her before you left, she wasn't paying attention to a thing you said."

"What?"

"Oh, and when she told you that you were right about dating, she had no clue what she was agreeing to, either. We've been dating for a whole…week…and she has no interest in you!"

"You're lying! Akane! Please tell me he's lying!"

Akane shook her head. Any other day she would have tried to let him down gently, but after finding out what she had just found out, she did not care to let ANYONE down gently.

"No, Ryouga, it's true. I wasn't paying attention. However, if you must know, I'd considered dating you if you weren't SUCH A PIG!"

"HA!" Ranma said, adding insult to Ryouga's injury.

"And as for you…you shouldn't have let your other fiancées go, because now you're single!"

"HA!" Ryouga spat back at Ranma, crossing his arms.

"What? No, Akane!" Ranma said as his hands covered the top of his head. "Think about this! You don't mean it! You're just mad, that's all."

"I am mad! You kept the truth from me! You…I trusted you!"

Ranma jogged back to Akane, holding her hands in his. "Please, Akane, just think about it, OK? Why would I willingly hurt you? I wouldn't do this to you on purpose, and I know you know this. Please, just give it some time to…"

"Time to what, Ranma?" Ryouga screamed from behind. "Just accept that we've failed Akane. I for one accept responsibility," Ryouga said as he bowed to Akane. "Akane, please forgive me."

"I thought I told you to get lost! This is between me and my fiancée."

"Ex-fiancée," Akane corrected him.

Ranma growled. "Come on, Akane. Let's talk about this. OK?"

"Akane, can you accept my apology?" Ryouga asked as he got near the couple, standing next to Ranma.

"Go away, P-chan!"

"You go away, I'm trying to do the right thing here and apologize!"

"She's not gonna forgive you! Just give up!"

"Why don't you give up? What kind of fiancée are you? Oh, wait, you are NOT!"

"I told you to shut up and leave!"

"Make me! I'm not leaving here until Akane accepts my apology!"

"You realize all I gotta do is throw your ass into that lake, right?"

"Even as P-chan, I can still scratch the hell outta you!"

"You know, I need some bacon for my okonomiyaki."

"What you need is a shitload of luck for Akane to forgive you!"

"And you need a shitload of luck to find your head out of your ass!"

"ENOUGH!"

Ranma and Ryouga stopped their bickering and stared at a fuming Akane. Her aura was so heavy that her hair was floating around her head, and sparks of electric charge could be seen coming out of her body.

"I've had enough from both of you!"

"Akane, just give us a chance to…"

"AAAHHH!" Akane screamed as she reached forward and grabbed Ryouga by his collar and Ranma by his arm and threw them both into the water. The splash of the water prevented them from hearing her whimper of pain as she pulled her shoulder out of her socket again, or her fast steps as she ran away from the campsite.

The two cursed forms floated on the lake, growling at one another. "Now you've done it, bacon breath."

"BWEEE! BWEE!"

A/N: Wow! I never thought this story would be so long. I haven't even gotten to the only idea I had for this. Hehehe…reviews keep the chapters going! See you soon!