W*ING Higley Presents:

Melted Hearts Chapter 2

Ucchan's was not a happy place. It hadn't been in the three days since it's proprietor, Ukyo "Ucchan" Kuonji had discovered her fiancée, Ranma Saotome, sharing a passionate kiss with Nabiki Tendo.

This fact was not lost on Ranma as he entered the restaurant that Thursday morning.

Konatsu grimaced when he saw Ranma enter. Part of him was delighted that Ranma had betrayed Ukyo, the other part was angered that he had hurt his the girl of his dreams.

The restaurant was empty, which wasn't too surprising at it was still early in the morning.

"Uhh, Ukyo-san...."

Ukyo turned from the grill, then stared at where Konatsu was pointing. The look of sheer guilt on Ranma's face was all Ukyo needed to re-ignite the anger that had been slowly building since the scene at the collapsed building. "What do you want, Ranma?" .

Ranma winced at the coldness in her voice, along with the fact that she called him 'Ranma' instead of 'Ranchan.' "I, uh, I came to talk to you about our engagement." He found it hard to look her in the eyes.

"You mean the end of our engagement, don't you? Unless what I saw in that pit yesterday was a mirage."


Ranma grimaced. "Nabiki and I got engaged yesterday."

"Why? Is she blackmailing you or something."

He shook his head. "It ain't nothin' like that. We just....we just realized in that pit that we lo-....like....uh....um....cared about each other." He frowned inwardly. 'Cared?' Was that truly the limit of his feelings for the middle Tendo daughter?

Slamming down her cooking spatula, Ukyo shouted, "Oh, come on Ranma! You can be so dense sometimes. How can the two of you come to care about each other like that in a little over three hours! Besides, you're supposed to love me!"

Ranma sighed. He was not going to let this conversation/argument head where he knew it was headed. "Uccha....Ukyo, it wasn't just that time in the pit." He began twiddling his fingers. Why was this so hard now, talking about his feelings? It had so much easier back in the darkness, when it was just him and Nabiki.

"I mean...what I'm trying to say, is....I think....I dunno....I mean....maybe I lo-....liked Nabiki before that."

They stood there in silence for a minute as Ukyo digested this revelation. Finally, she sighed and put her hand to her head, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Oh, Ranma." She looked at him as if she was looking at an invalid, or a small child. Walking up to him she placed her hand on Ranma's shoulder smiled in sympathy. "You are one of the sweetest, most naive people I have ever met."

"Huh?" This was not the response Ranma had been expecting.

Ukyo ignored him. "I mean, it's obvious that Nabiki's manipulating you. Just like she did the last time the two of you became engaged."

"Uh, Ucchan, it ain't-"

"And that's okay Ranma. It's okay because you've got people like me. People who love you and will help you. Even if you don't realize that you need help yet." She hugged him.

"You...you're not mad at me anymore?"

"Of course not. It's not your fault you don't like to hurt girls' feelings. It's one of your better qualities, actually. But don't worry, Konatsu and I will be more than happy to help you figure a way out of your engagement to Nabiki."

"Uh...." She had done it again, Ranma thought, Ukyo had completely turned the situation around in her favor. He looked helplessly at Konatsu, who just sighed and began to rub his temples.

"Um, Ucchan, I don't think you understand...."

"Oh, I understand perfectly, Ranchan." Was that just a hint of fear and denial in Ukyo's voice, or was that just Ranma's imagination?

"Now, if you'll excuse us," she began to shoo Ranma out the front door, "Konatsu and I have to get ready for the morning rush."

"But...."

"Don't worry, Ranchan. I will help you."

"But...."

"Yes, Ranchan, I love you too."

"But...." It was too late, however. The door had slammed shut and Ranma was left standing out on the sidewalk.

"Well?" came a voice from behind him. Ranma flinched as he turned to see Nabiki emerging from the alley beside Ucchan's.

"You told her, didn't you?" Nabiki asked.

"Uh, well, you see...." Ranma began fingering the collar of his Chinese shirt.

"DIDN'T YOU?!!?" Ranma didn't like it when Nabiki became angry, because an angry Nabiki was far more dangerous than an angry Akane.

*****

Nodoka shook her head as her son finished his tale of his encounter with Ukyo. Nabiki was with them, a look of disgust on her face.

"Honestly Ranma, is it that hard for you to let this Kuonji girl down?"

"It's always hard for him to let a girl down," Nabiki interjected. "Heck, I've seen him say one thing, then break down and reverse himself once the girl lets the tears flow." She shot her fiancée a hostile glare. "It's pathetic."

Ranma put his hands up. "Hey, look, I'm sorry. I tried to talk to her, but she didn't wanna hear any of it."

"Still...." Nodoka trailed off. "I guess the Kuonji matter will have to wait for now. What about Shampoo?"

Nabiki brightened. "Actually, I've already taken care of that. I called some friends of mine in the Department of Immigration and had Shampoo and company deported back to China this morning."

"WHAT??!!??" Nodoka and Ranma shouted simultaneously.

Nabiki simply smiled. "It was easy, really. Several high-ranking officials in Immigration owe me a favor, so I gave them a call and had Shampoo, Cologne, and Mousse shipped back to China on the first flight out of Narita International this morning."

Ranma and his mother both sweat-dropped.

*****

Dinner was a rather cold affair in the Saotome household, and not just because the house lacked a heater. Nabiki gave new meaning to the term "frigid" with her treatment of Ranma.

As the two stood on the porch afterwards, Ranma made one last attempt to appease his fiancée.

"Look," he said, "I'm sorry 'bout Ukyo."

Nabiki just shook her head. "It just never ends with you, does it Ranma? I would have thought that what we've shared these past few days would finally compel you to stand up for yourself and end all this insanity, but I guess I was wrong."

"Hey, I tried to tell Ukyo," Ranma said defensively. "I mean, it ain't my fault she chooses to only hear what she wants to hear."

The Ice Queen felt her temperature raise a few notches. "No, but it is your fault if you can't get through to her and make her hear the truth."

"Oh," Ranma practically shouted, "well how the hell am I supposed to know how to deal with a delusional girl?"

"Well you've certainly had enough experience with Kodachi! If you weren't so-" Nabiki Tendo stopped herself. She dipped her head and covered her face with her hands.

"No," she said quietly. "No, I am NOT going to fall into the same traps that Akane did. I will not let that happen."

She looked up at Ranma. "I am not going to spend this relationship in one argument after another with you. I'm not my sister."

Ranma was a little surprised at that admission, but was more surprised with his own actions as he found himself moving to take Nabiki into his arms.

*****

"I just...I just cannot stand him anymore!" Akane Tendo fumed as she paced inside her bedroom. "I mean, that idiot! I spend over a year with the baka, and he never shows me the slightest bit of affection, and now he can't even keep himself out of my sister's arms for more than a minute. THAT BAKA!"

On her bed, P-chan nodded happily in agreement. "BWEE!" Ryoga was ecstatic. After such a long time, Akane was finally seeing Ranma for the jerk he truly was.

Akane shook her head and sank heavily onto her bed. "I'm tired, just so tired of all of it." She picked P-chan up and held him between her breasts. P-Chan squealed with delight as Akane began petting him.

"I guess," Akane said, "I guess I should be grateful. I'm out of it now. No more kidnappings, no more attacks." She smiled slightly. "It's all finally over."

She sat there, absorbing this revelation. "And I don't have to get married against my will." Akane's smile now turned into a full fledged grin. Laughing, Akane sprang up and spun around her room in glee, holding P-chan up high.

"Oh, isn't it wonderful, P-Chan? I'm my own person again. I can live my own life, do what I want to do....date who I want to date. I'M FREE!!!"

She stopped suddenly, a look of great sadness replacing her happy smile. Akane slowly sank to the bed. "I'm free," she whispered as tears began to form in her eyes. "Free to save myself the next time I get kidnapped. Free to defend myself the next time some guy makes a pass at me. Free to watch as Ranma does all the nice things for Nabiki that he used to do for me.

P-Chan bweed in confusion as Akane hugged him tightly and began weeping.

"God, I loved him so much," Akane sobbed, "and now I can never tell him. I missed my chance.

She gently placed P-Chan on the floor so that she could cry into her pillow.

*****

Meanwhile, in a detention camp located in the Chinese/Mongolian frontier, two women sat in cramped, 5 x 5 cells, seething with anger.

"Shampoo?" Cologne asked.

The purple-haired Amazon stirred. "Yes, great-grandmother?"

"As soon as we figure out a way back to Japan, I want you to kill Nabiki Tendo."

Shampoo smiled. It was an evil, malicious smile. "Yes, great-grandmother."

To be continued....