Tuesday morning was rather calm for Akane Tendo. She woke up and went for a run with no interruptions and got a bit of a workout in afterwards, ever since the whole almost dying thing, she had decided to dedicate a bit more time to training than before. Before, training, while it was still a passion, was more of if she had time or if she had steam to blow off, but now she had a training schedule that she had stuck to since the beginning of the new school year. She was sure that if she could just get someone to spar with her more often, she could probably get even better.

"Akane!" a voice yelled, quickly approaching. "Kasumi says it's time to eat."

The sweaty girl whipped her head and smiled as she caught her breath, running a hand through her hair. "Ryoga, good morning, I'll be done in just a bit."

"Ah okay," He feigned walking away as he gripped the door frame, in search for a reason to talk to her. "I don't think I remember you working out this much in the morning... or at all really."

"That's 'cause I didn't, but ever since the whole... for lack of a better way to say, nearly dying thing, I've been trying to get stronger. The only thing really holding me back is that I have no one to spar with so I don't even know if I'm getting better at all" She paused, an idea taking form. "Actually, now that you're here you wouldn't mind sparing with me, would you?"

"Uh, well-"

"Come on please, we're friends and Ranma refuses to. If not because we're friends, then to stick it to Ranma." And so I can figure out what you lot are plotting.

"Don't you hate it when we mess with each other?"

"We're all mature now, I think he can handle it." She walked over and grabbed his hands, gripping them between hers and giving him puppy dog eyes that even Nabiki would be proud of. "Please, Ryoga."

His face went red, she was so close his heart was gonna burst. Calm down, Ryoga, you have a girlfriend you should be able to resist her. "Sure, tomorrow we can start." I'm no better than any other man.

"Really?! Thank you, Ryoga, I knew I could always count on you." Akane grinned. I'll get it out of him in no time.

Before the two could continue to talk they were quickly interrupted by a very tense pigtailed boy who swiftly broke the link between the pair.

"Kasumi says it's time to eat." Ranma glared at Akane. "Which means we gotta go eat and not do whatever this is." He waved his arms around before pointing at them.

"We we're on our way for you're information, but of course you have to be a jerk about everything, as per usual. Besides, what do you care what I do with Ryoga?"

"I don't care what you two do, I just don't want Kasumi to scold us over missing breakfast. You two can hold hands as much as you want just as long as it doesn't inconvenience anyone else." He crossed his arms.

Akane felt steam coming out of her ears. "Oh right, I forgot, you don't like me so you don't care at all what I do and with who."

"That's right I don't. Who in the right mind would feel jealous over someone who's as uncute as you."

Ryoga watched as the two were glaring daggers at each other, their faces barely 20 centimeters apart. He had seen this happen before and he knew it was best to just observe and watch the scene play out. The sight was almost down to a formula really: Ranma would say something to infuriate Akane, Akane would bite back, they'd possibly throw in a few extra insult and accusations before the eventual climax that ended the scene with Akane throwing, punching, kicking, malleting, or slapping Ranma into next week. But to his surprise, that didn't happen. No instead, Akane took a deep breath and walked past him, throwing a punch at the wall next to the entrance.

Ranma watched as his fiancée had walked away, fists clenched before returning his attention to the bewildered houseguest. "What?"

"Nothing just... I've never seen her walk away so calmly from an argument with you and it's just, y'know, uh-"

"It's weird, I'm aware." He scoffed. "Ever since the wedding incident she stopped hitting me. No matter how much I provoke her the biggest reaction I've gotten out of her was a slap to the face."

"Huh, well color me surprised." Ryoga smiled. "But that's a good thing right? You didn't like that she hit you, even if you deserved it."

Ranma scratched the back of his head. "I think, but it almost makes me feel bad for the stuff I say. I'd prefer she hit me so then I wouldn't feel so bad after our arguments." He grimaced before shaking his head. "Whatever, lets go back inside and eat, we have to talk to Kasumi after breakfast."

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Kasumi began. "And let's be quick, you and Akane have to go to school."

"Aw come on, Kasumi, you let me skip yesterday what's another day." Ranma looked around, he had never seen the older girls room. Weird.

She shook her head. "You're a second year, Ranma, you have to start getting more serious. Besides, I'm the adult until our fathers return, and I say you mustn't miss any school."

He huffed and leaned back on her bed, his neck leaning onto the mattress behind him. "Yeah, yeah, I get it, lets get this meeting going." Not like it matter, I'm not going to college anyway.

Kasumi clapped her hands together. "Alright, I've been thinking since yesterday about a surprise birthday party, but I'm not sure what day. I don't want it to be too soon but not too far away, when do you boys think it'll be best?"

The two boys shared a look, neither really sure what to say until a very specific detail reoccurred to Ranma. Self-absorbed she says.

"... what about on my birthday? It'll be a week from now and we can play off our preparations for the surprise party for her."

"But what about you're birthday, Ranma? We highly value birthdays here, Tendo or not." She protested.

"Relax, we can do something the next day over, I don't mind and we can have surprise on our side."

Kasumi stiffened, wanting to refuse Ranma but she couldn't deny it really wasn't a bad idea. "... okay, fine. But next year we're going to throw you a birthday party for real."

"Sounds great, we have an idea, but how are we gonna pull it off?" Ryoga chimed in as he spun around in Kasumi's swivel chair. "Akane isn't stupid, she can piece things together."

"I suppose you have a point, we should organize who does what to distract her, like when and how." Kasumi closed her eyes in thought, humming shortly before returning to the conversation. "The obvious choice during the day is Ranma, you two go to class together. But keeping her distracted during the afternoon may be difficult if she thinks something is suspicious."

"I think I have a way to keep her distracted for sure during the afternoon. Earlier before breakfast Akane asked me if I could spar with her so she could get better, I could probably weasel my way into a whole training routine to keep her focused on anything but you." He looked at Kasumi. "During the day you could begin party preparations, later on we could include others in like Mrs. Saotome and Nabiki."

"Eh," Ranma grimaced. "You really wanna train her, sure she can even handle that?"

"I'll go easy on her, besides it's just for the week. That is unless you have a better idea, Ranma." Ryoga crossed his arms. "Or is it something else?"

"I'll show you a better idea, pig boy." Ranma shook his fist.

"Okay, meeting ajourned." Kasumi clapped her hands, ending the meeting the same way she had begun it, sensing that the situation was turning hostile. "Let's get going we have a long day ahead of us, but one last thing for Ranma, I thought of a way for you to keep her distracted for sure."

The pig tailed boy raised an eyebrow. "Guaranteed?"

Kasumi smiled, a bright look in her eyes. "A 100% success rate if you do it correctly."

Ranma almost wanted to barf. How Kasumi knew so much about her little sister's weaknesses was beyond him, but that didn't bother him as much as what said weakness was.

"I've noticed that the best way for you to have the upper hand over Akane, is to be a total romantic. That girl absolutely falls for it every time no matter how suspicious you are."

"She sure is observant, that Kasumi." He said under his breath. I'm never that suspicious with my shenanigans.

"What did you say?" Akane asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Are you even listening to me? It's like I've been talking to a brick wall."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "I'm paying attention, my mind just wandered a bit." What a way to spend my lunch break.

"'A bit'? Really? What were we just talking about?"

"... infrastructure?"

"The homework assignments we have to get done, idiot." Akane sighed. "Ranma, when have we ever talked about that? I'm not even mad just disappointed."

"Well we were talking about it in class weren't we?" Ranma's eyes widened. "We were, right? If not then I'm losing it, cause I feel like I was paying attention today."

It was now Akane's turn to roll her eyes. "Yeah, but why would we be talking about it during break? I was talking about assignments in general, more specifically the ones you haven't been doing."

"I do most of them." Ranma looked at his rice, picking at it. "Anyway, what do you care?"

"I care because you have to have at least a high school diploma to do anything. And future with you or not, Ranma, it would be nice to not have you struggling with basic things like math or Japanese."

"I guess you have a point, but still, it's my business so lay off, would ya?" Ranma leaned back. "I promise I won't flunk outta school."

Akane grumbled, rubbing the bridge of her nose in an attempt to relieve some stress she was in. "You better or I'll never forgive you for humiliating me." She paused, quickly remembering her main reason of agreeing to lunch. "Unrelated, but could I ask you something?"

"Shoot." Ranma said with a mouth full of omelet.

"What were you doing in Kasumi's room today?"

The teenager nearly choked on his food before regaining composure and swallowing calmly. Just say something. "We were talking about school. You two really care about my grades."

Akane raised an eyebrow. "Really? I suppose Ryoga does too."

"What can I say, he's really coming around to the whole friend thing." He smiled. "That's all."

"Bullshit!" She slammed her lunch, spilling the little remains onto the floor. "I know you're planning something. I know all 3 of you are and I am going to find out, dead or alive."

"Dead or alive for who?"

"I'm still not decided." Akane strengthened her glare, nearly closing the gap between the two. "But I have a certain bias."

Don't chicken out Saotome, she's not as scary as she thinks she is. Ranma took a deep breath and gave the most charming look he could muster. "What reason do we have to hide anything from you, especially me."

"Especially you?" A twinge of rage had risen to the surface. "Explain?"

"Well I have no reason to lie to you, at least not to hurt you."

"So, all those mean insults you say you're not lying?" The girls face had contorted to a sort of angry hurt. "You're not making the case you think you are."

Think, Saotome, think! "Well, that's an exception."

"... How so?" her face began to soften, their faces ever remaining close.

"Well, that's just me messing around. I just... you know." Ranma felt himself get embarrassed, at a loss for words.

Akane began to lean in closer. "I don't know."

His heart was about to burst out of his chest. Calm down, just calm down, it's only Akane. Super uncute, built like a brick, macho chick, Akane.

"Well...?" her eyebrows furrowed. "Are you gonna finish what you started, spit it out."

"Listen, Akane, I'm bad with words and feelings and stuff so can we just leave it at that, that you do know?" He began to play with his thumbs.

The young girl relaxed her composure, perhaps the last year had matured her a bit after all. "But I don't know. I need you to clarify, even if you suck at words I can piece it together."

"Well, if you really want to know." One super romantic thing and she'll be too distracted for any investigating. No deeper meaning to this. "I get a bit overwhelmed with my feelings for you."

Ranma felt his face heat up and instinctively looked away in shame almost. She's totally gonna see through this, all of this embarrassment for what? The pigtailed boy quickly glanced up and to his surprise saw a beet red Akane Tendo, sitting with her hands on her lap and with a mouth open in shock. She looked away and covered her face.

"Feelings for me?" A smile cracked on her lips. "Your feelings for me."

Habit kicked in and Ranma began to stutter a poorly thought out defense to what he had said but Akane swiftly covered his mouth, a fat grin on her reddish-pink face.

"I can't let you ruin this, so I'm going to shut your mouth and leave before you say something stupid."

Ranma didn't move, maybe he'd let her have this just for this week. Just for this week, yeah.

"Kasumi, it was mortifying. If we hadn't been hiding from Ukyo or Shampoo and had done this in public, my life would've been over." Ranma wallowed on the kitchen table, crocodile tears forming. "The things I do for the good of this household."

Now if Kasumi were a normal person with a normal temperament, she would have rolled her eyes, but Kasumi being Kasumi she merely gave him a pat on the shoulder in condolences as she served them some tea. "There, there, Ranma, it's only for the week while we get party preparations going. Today while you two were at school I had Ryoga take care of the household chores while I took care of the party supplies."

"Ryoga? Household chores?... and he didn't get lost on the way to the backyard?" He cracked a smile. "I don't think a lot got done today."

The older girl sat down next to her sister's fiancee and offered her typical calm look. "Actually, Ryoga managed fine, nothing that was too difficult to fix or too complex for him to handle on his own. To keep him from getting lost I locked all the doors that led to the streets and laid out tape for him to follow around the house along with a few signs."

"You know, Kasumi, that still doesn't convince too much."

Kasumi's shoulders stiffened and ever so slightly her smile strained. "Well, the moral of the story is that he got the major tasks out of the way while I was out, okay, Ranma." She let out a sigh. "He'll get used to it, I hope."

Ranma laughed briefly, even Kasumi could get stressed from the full-time job that is making sure Ryoga doesn't get lost. "For you I hope he does. Where is that freak anyway, I haven't seen him since this morning."

"Oh, he decided to start training Akane this afternoon for the sake of keeping her distracted, he used the quiet time of household chores to think of a training routine for her." She placed a hand upon her cheek. "I sure do hope he takes it easy on her, she's such a fragile girl."

"Physically, yes, she is." Ranma chuckled. "She'll be fine, Kasumi. Ryoga's still kinda got a thing for her so I'm sure that'll get in the way of any actual hardcore training. I wouldn't worry, I'm sure she's just lifting weights or something."

The two shared a laugh, completely unaware of the tragedy on Akane's muscles currently taking place on the other side of town on the mountain side.

"I thought you were a student of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts?" Ryoga shouted. "Is this all you got?"

"Oh my god, will you shut up." Akane panted. "This literal ton of garbage is heavier than it looks!"

"Please, I can carry this in my sleep." Ryoga stood up on the pile of scrapmetal as Akane struggled uphill, sure taht her legs would give out any moment now. "Come on, Akane, just imagine Shampoo or Ukyo laughing at you. I know you wanna show them up, just imagine the look on their faces when you show that you're stronger than them."

Akane grunted. "I'm trying!"

"Yes, channel that anger, Akane, use it."

"If you don't shut up, I'm going to channel this anger to kick your ass!"

"If that's what it takes, I'll gladly allow it." Ryoga stated valiantly.

"I'll mount your head on the dojo wall!"

The rest of the climb continued with death threats and positive reinforcement, but finally when the pair reached the top, Akane was far too tired to keep the back and forth going and settled with falling to the ground. No way in hell I actually managed to do that, no way. She groaned and laid face down on the dirt. "How am I gonna walk to school tomorrow if my legs are dead?

"Your more important concern is how are you going to get through tomorrows training if this took you out." Ryoga extended a hand. "I'm sorry, I thought you could handle it."

Akane looked up, tired but too determined to give up she grabbed his hand with whatever strength she was able to find within her and pulled herself up, legs shaking underneath her like a newborn chick. "Don't be, I'll be all better by tomorrow." She paused, a smile shared between the two in the moment, hands continuously interlocked. "But, Ryoga, I have to tell you something."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Tomorrow isn't for a few more hours, right now my legs are gonna stop working so you're gonna have to carry me home."

Ryoga almost laughed if it hadn't been for Akane falling backwards, a faint yelp leaving his body instead.