When they reached their house it was rather late. Akane was feeling too nervous to face Kasumi, her hands becomes sweaty as she bits her lips in her growing nervousness, then she thought to herself,
'Would they understand? I know Kasumi would be angry at me… But, she will understand me.., why I did all this… why I hided this from them.. she will understand, right!'
Akane then felt a nudge on her side, where Akio was sitting. She turned to him and saw him giving her an encouraging smile. He then told her in a low whisper tone,
"Hey.. Don't worry my love.. I am with you in every step you take… I won't leave you alone, I promise.."
Hearing him say that, she nodded at him and gave him a gratitude smile, as she mouthed to him, "Thanks, Akio..."
Akio blinked at her and smiled cheekily at her. Then the car stopped and they all got out from the car. No sound were coming from any of them, only the sound of their footsteps were audioble. They all first went to the leaving room, to check if Kasumi was there and as they thought, they found Kasumi sitting there on a sofa.
Kasumi's eyes were closed as she was massaging her forehead with her fingers, while leaning on the sofa. When she heard them coming, she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at them. At first her facial expression was not pleasant at all, but then when she noticed how rigid Akane had become, she sighs and closes her eyes again to control her emotions. Then, opening her eyes again, she smiled up at her and holds her arms up to Akane, and told her,
"Your pregnant sister is too tired to stand up, imouto. Won't you come and give me a hug while I am sitting here?"
Akane snapped out from her dazed state instantly and rushed towards her. She gave Kasumi a big hug, carefull not to put too much pressure on her belly, as she started to cry on her arms. "I am sorry, Kasumi Onee-chan. Please, forgive me. I missed you so much…"
"I missed you too, my baby." Kasumi said as she gave her a kiss on her forehead and she started rubbing her back as she began saying again,"Do you have any idea..how we felt when we heard about the news of your attack?! Thanks to Kami, Akio was here with you that time.." At that, Kasumi looked up at Akio and nodded at him as she said, "Thank you Akio for always being there for her…" Akio nodded his head at her, as she began again, "Akane, dear.. Look at me.."Akane slowly broke the hug as she looked up at her with uncertain eyes, "How is your health is doing now, dear?" Kasumi asked her with worried filled eyes.
Akane gave her a small smile and told her, "I am fine, One-chan."
Kasumi smiled at her and nodded, then she asked all of them to sit and make themselves more comfortable. Then she saw Akane and Akio were sitting close to each other as Nabiki choose to sit separately from them. She could tell something was bothering her, but she lay that topic aside for later. Then clearing her voice, Kasumi told Akane..
"Dear, I want to apologize to you for something."
"Why, Kasumi?" Akane asked, feeling confused.
"I went to your room without your permission. To check on your new medicines…"
"Oh.. That's not a big deal. You can go there as many times as you wish to, you know that…" Akane couldn't finish as Kasumi cuts her speech in the middle, as she starts again.
"And when I was looking at your medicines, I noticed that you haven't touched your medicines for the last two months now! Why Akane? You know it's important for you to take them regularly!" Kasumi said while slightly frowning at her.
At that, both Nabiki and Akio gave Akane a heated look, as Akane swallowed hard in nervousness. Then she said,
"Actually, Onechan. The thing is…" Kasumi again interrupted her.
"I also found this picture on your study table, Akane." She said as she showed them the picture that she found. A picture of their picnic day, where she, Ranma, Ukyo, Ryoga, Ren and Rio all were posing for a group picture. Akane looked up at her with wide surprising eyes as she contemplated what she would say next. Then she saw Kasumi turned the picture towards her and looked at it with a smile on her face.
"Oh my! What a pleasant surprise it was. The whole Nerima Wrecking Crew is present in here! I was so shocked when I saw this picture. And specially with you in it of course..."
"Kasumi, I…" Akane tried to talk but she couldn't, as Kasumi started again..
"Oh my! Look at Ranma and with bears! Here Genma uncle is struggling with no hair at all. Poor old man. But must say, all of them are looking so happy and healthy together. But who's these kids?!"
"Kasumi, the boy in the picture is Ryoga and Ukyos and the girl is…"
"Ranma and Shampoo's. How silly of me! I should have guessed it from the very beginning. Look, this girl has the same hair, just like her mother and her face is just like her father! Good.. She looks absolutely beautiful." Kasumi said as she looked up at Akane to make her point strongly clear, while giving her a small smile.
Akane's whole body shivers with an unknown fear. A chill ran through her mind when suddenly she heard her sister put this thing up like this. Then she felt as Akio puts his hand over her hand as he squeezed it.
"So, where is Shampoo? Why is she not in the picture? Hmm?" Kasumi asked her politely.
"She was not at the party area as well, Kasumi. And our little sister here was being so intimate with that Saotome as well… With a married man, no less! Can you believe it!" Nabiki said it bitterly, staring daggers at them.
"Nabiki! Don't say it like that! But, Akane! Is it true my dear?" Kasumi asked her politely.
Akio intervened "Kasumi, she was just dancing with him at that time when Nabiki saw her…"
"Akio! Let Akane speak for herself.. I know there must be a reason for all that. Reason for why she hid it from us that she had met Ranma here.. Reasons for her skipping her medications, reasons for her sudden seizures attack, reasons for her sudden interest in a married guy who has a kid to offer her…" Kasumi said the last part not so politely as she looked at Akane straight in the eyes.
Akane was tired of hearing her sister's accusation of her having an affair with a married guy. He pinched her nose slightly and said with a broken tone,
"That's the reason why I didn't inform you guys before."
"What do you mean by that Akane!" Nabiki asked her bitterly, feeling surprised.
"I mean. Look at the way you guys are accusing me! Do you have this little faith on me? How can you guys accuse me of stealing one's husband? Don't you trust me a bit?" Akane sighs with a heavy heart as she continued, "I have become closer to him because, ….. Ranma is living as a single father now. He had left Shampoo four years ago.."
"Still he IS a FATHER of a young child. Isn't he, Imouto?" Kasumi said harshly,matter of fact.
"Yes! He is! But, please I request you guys, please don't drag Ren on all this. She had nothing to do with all this. She is just an innocent little child.." Akane said with a wavering voice.
Kasumi sighed and started to tell harshly, "We won't drag her in this.. It's ok that you have concern for her, wherever she is your enemy's child or whatsoever. It's your all-time personality to give love to everyone. But , here, we want to know, WHY you are behaving so friendly towards those peoples, especially Ranma! You just can't forgive him for what he did to you! Or have you already forgotten about it?!"
Akane felt Akio squeezed her hand in support as he told them, "If you stop questioning her and blaming her, she can start her talking… She is not a child anymore! She knows what she is doing. STOP BLAMING HER!"
"We know our sister more than you do Akio. And we also pretty well know how she acts towards her emotions, especially towards Ranma.." Kasumi said bitterly as she gave a sigh. Then pausing for some moments she told Akane calmly, "Tell us, sister what happened. I am sure there is a reason for all this…."
Akane looked up at her with sorrow-filled eyes. Then she started telling them all about Ranma's past…
After some moment…
Akane wiped her tears as she continued, "I knew, Ranma could never betray me like that. He was just too stupid because he hided it from me.."
Akio rubbed her shoulder to control her emotions as he whispered to her, "Hey, calm down. They will understand now…"
Akane nodded her head at him and began saying again in a low broken voice, "I had become so attached with Ren, long before I knew Ranma was her father. But after I saw them how miserably they were leaving… I couldn't stop myself but to go and help them out. But by doing so… I didn't realize when I fell for him again.. I am sorry.. I am really sorry you guys.. But, when I came to know that Ranma is innocent, he got dragged on this whole hassle. The pain he went through alone, the way he sacrificed for saving his child.. I couldn't stop myself… I started loving him all over again.. "
Hearing her say that, Kasumi closed her eyes for some moments as she slowly digested whatever information Akane had given her. Then opening her eyes she looked at her straight in the eyes and asked her politely,
"Did he have the same feelings for you?"
"I… yeah.. I think.."
"You think or he does?" Kasumi asked her with a stern voice.
"He still has problems with expressing his feelings, Kasumi. Everything changed but he is still our old Ranma… You know how he is.." Akane tried to assure her.
Kasumi sighed with tiredness as she told her, "Look Akane.. What happened in the past, it won't work now. If he confessed to you then it would have been another case.."
"You mean to say, if he confesses his feelings for her, you will have no objection about it?" Akio asked her, hoping for the best.
"Yes, you heard me right Akio. But there is one problem though." Saying that she pulled out one envelope and gave it to Akane.
Akane was stunned to get the envelope as she asked her in surprise, "Kasumi! This is.."
"Congrats sis.. You have got the job you were dreaming for… We would have given you the news before, but you were sick at that time, so…" Nabiki said scarcely, still not meeting her eyes.
Akane had no words to express how she was feeling to get the news at the time like this. Yes, indeed this is her dream job and finely she has got it… But, how can she…
"What's the problem you are talking about ,Kasumi?" Suddenly Akio's voice broke Akane's dazed stance as she looked at Akio first, then she turned to face Kasumi.
"Well, dear, it says she needs to join within this month. And we all know the month is already ending. So, we don't have much time left. I have already booked tickets for us to return back within three days from now. So by that time, If Ranma could man up and confess to you dear sister, which should not be hard for him, then it's all your decision to take. If you wanna continue staying here, you can… but.." She finished sternly as she looked at Akane with a serious expression.
Akane swallowed hard as she asked her, " But, what Onechan?"
Kasumi smiled at her and said, "Look, confessing to you, it's not a new thing for him. So if he fails to confess to you in these two days, you have to promise me that you will return with us, imouto. I don't want to see you missing this big opportunity again because of him. We all know how hard you worked to get this.. And also promise me, you won't tell him yourself to confess to you. And you are not allowed to tell your feelings to him first."
Nabiki looked up heatedly at Kasumi after she heard what she just said. She then said with a hard tone, "What are you saying, Kasumi! We just can't let her stay with Ranma.."
"Nabiki!" Kasumi looked at her and said with a stern voice, "I know what I am saying… Please let her decide this. It's her life after all.." She then turned to Akane and asked her, "So, Akane… What is your decision then? Can you promise me all this?"
Akane sighs, then looks up at her with a sad expression as she tells her, "Okay, Kasumi. I promise you, I won't pressure him or tell him about how i feel and I will leave if he doesn't confess to me within these days.."
Kasumi smiled at her and said, "Thank you, Akane. Now I think you must be tired.. Why don't you go and take some rest.."
Akane nodded her head at her while smiling. Then she remembered something and asked her,
"Kasumi One-chan.."
"Yes,dear.."
"Won't you meet Ranma and Ren?" Akane asked uncertainly.
"Well of course, my dear." She said while smiling. "Tell me, when I can meet them.."
"Oh! You can see them tomorrow, Kasumi." Akio intervened again, "The party will still go on tomorrow as well. So it will be a great opportunity to meet them all. What do you say?" Akio said while smiling cheekily.
"Oh that sounds like a great plan, Akio!" Kasumi said while smiling.
Hearing that, Akane heart skipped a bit with nervousness. Then she slowly stood up and went to hug her again.
"Thank you, Kasumi… Thank you for everything." She then broke the hug and turned to Nabiki. Nabiki sighs and comes to her and pulls her towards her as she gives her a tight hug. Then she whispered to her,
"What will I do with you little sister? You are still the same baka… I missed you so much.."
Akane returned her hug tightly. She was feeling so heavy-hearted when Nabiki scolded her the way she did. She thought she wouldn't talk with her after that, but when she hugged her and talked to her like that, she couldn't stop her tears. Over this years, she had become too close with both her sisters. And Nabiki had become more like a friend to her. She doesn't know how she would have managed if her sisters stubbornly hadn't given up on her. They were close before, but after that incident, they have become inseparable. Her sisters have become her everything. She slowly pulled back from the hug as Nabiki slowly wiped her tears clean and said to her,
"No more tears, sister. We are here now.. Now be a good girl and go to your room."
Akane gave her a smile and nodded her head at her. Then she turned to Akio, as he came towards her. Then taking her hand in his, he led her way towards her room.
Nabiki looked at their retreating form with a frown on her face. When they got out from her sight, she hastily turned to Kasumi, who was slowly standing up from her sofa and went to the table to pour some water for her. Then she told Kasumi with hush venom tone,
"What did you say to her, Kasumi? How could you say that to her! Did you forget about everything? How can we trust our sister with Ranma again? No! I won't.. Kasumi. Onechan or whatever, I am her onechan as well. And I won't let it happen again!"
"Calm down Nabiki.." Kasumi said slowly.
"Calm down!" Nabiki asked, not believing what she was hearing.
"Yes!" Kasumi slowly turned to her with a hard expression and told her, "I know what I am doing, sister… And I promise you, I won't let anyone hurt our baby sister ever again.. and I won't repeat my mistakes again."...
"Why so quiet? What's in your mind?" Akio asked Akane, while closing the door behind him. Then he saw as she went to her bed and sat there, her eyes downcast as she bits her lower lips in worry. Looking at her state, Akio got tense and asked her,
"Are you planning to leave for your dream job!"
Akane looked up at him annoyingly as she sighed with despair and told him, "This is the last thing on my mind Akio. I almost forgot about that."
Akio chuckled hearing her say that, he then walked up to her and flopped down on the ground in front of her as he leaned on the bad rail.
"Well, your silence made me worried for a second there. So, tell me.. What's bothering you?"
Akane squeezed the mattress tightly as she started talking,
"I.. I don't know, Akio. Akio he.. Ranma still struggles with expressing his feelings. What if he… what if he couldn't tell me on time.. What if he failed to tell me his feelings, Akio.. I am really feeling worried this time... Are you even listening to me!" Akane asked him annoyingly and got more frustrated when she saw him pushing some buttons on his cell phone while avoiding her.
Akio hastily puts the cell phone on his ear and smiles at the person over the phone. Then he handed over his phone to Akane and told her,
"Here, take it.."
"Akio! I am not in the mood.." She hushed heatedly at him.
"Just take the call, Babe.."
Akane huffed with irritation as she did what Akio asked her to do,
"Hello, Yes.."
"Kane.."
Akane took a sharp breath when she heard Ranma's voice over the phone. Her heart started to beat rapidly as her lower lips started to tremble. She couldn't control as a soft sob escaped her mouth as she couldn't utter any word to him.
Ranma heard it over the phone and asked her, panicking.. "Hey.. You 'kay?"
Akane sniffed and composed herself a bit. If she hadn't promised to her sisters, she would have forced him to confess to her right here, right now. But she knows, she can't be dishonest with her sisters. So gulping down her overenthusiasm, she told him,
"Umhmm. I am fine.."
"Your voice is telling me otherwise.." Ranma was feeling worried now as he asked her. "You want me to claim up to yar room again?!" Ranma asked her and smiled hearing her giggling over the phone.
Akane's mood slightly cheered up as she told him honestly, "If my sister's were not here,I wouldn't have stopped you. But I can't risk it now.. I am just missing you so much Ranma.."
Ranma looked down, smiling warmly, then he told her, "Yeah, me too.."
Akane suddenly huffed with irritation as she asked him, "Why can't you just say the full sentence to me, Ranma? Is it too hard to say that you are missing me too?"
Ranma chuckled as he tells her, "No, sorry. Actually, the kids just woke up just now and they are staring daggers at me. Their face is too close to me for my comfort, Kane. Please understand.."
Akane sighs with sadness as she told him, "Yeah, I understand alright.." She said, her face instantly fell down.
"Hey.. You will come tomorrow right?"
"Umhmm.."
"Then, please come early. I.. I Want to tell ya something… if ya don't mind.." Ranma stammered over the call.
Akane smiled at that and told him, "I will come soon. And if you don't tell me what I think you are gonna tell me then…"
"Then!?" She heard him smirking..
"I will send you to the next orbit via my mallet.. You understand..? Don't tell me, I didn't warn you before.." Akane said jokingly.
"Yeah.. If I failed to do so.. Then please do, tomboy..."
"Yeah.. I definitely will baka."
"I am missing you badly, 'Kane. Please come soon tomorrow…" he said in a whispered tone.
Akanes heart instantly melted as she smiled shyly and looked at Akio who was looking back at her with a cheeky grin, "Where are the kids now?"
"I think they went into a shocking state." He chucked.. "And I think I should tend to them.."
Akane laughed slightly as she told him, "Yeah.. Go.. See you tomorrow then.."
"Yeah.. Come soon…"
Smiling shyly, she hang up the call and instantly circled her arms around Akio's neck as she told him,
"Thank you so much Akio, Ukyo helped you in it, right?"
"Yap! She always does.. And about your worrying about Ranma's confession. Please don't stress too much, my love." Then he looked up at her and said while grinning, "You are the one who promised them, not me.. So, my dear lady, leave it all to me…"
Akane sighed with relief and hugged him more tightly,
"Oh Akio! Thank you so much...Please help me.. Help us.." she pleaded to him.
"I promised you before and I am promising you now again, I won't let you guys separate anymore.."...
A/N: Honest confession from me guys… I try to write chapters ahead of what I am posting. So, I have already prepared future chapters as well. I told my hubby that I can not concentrate on my study now, if I don't finish this fic. And, now, the tension which is going on in this fic, I can not focus on my exam for that as well. So, I have taken a break from my exam and started focusing on this fic more. Expect some quick updates from now on, because I can't explain to you how panicky I became while writing this chapters. And I don't want you guys to worry too much. The story needs to go on, the intensity as well. But always remember, who is writing this fic… A DIE HEART RANMAXAKANE FAN.. So you are allowed to get panic, but DO NOT STRESS TOO MUCH. Always remember, happy ending is on it's way.. :) .. I know I talk too much, sorry for that ;p.. Anyways, thank you all so much for your love and support. And I hope in the coming days, you will always keep supporting me..
Please read and review guys.. Your reviews work like magic to my tiring eyes :) :)