Disclaimer: As I'm sure you are well aware, Ranma and CO. belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, and Viz, and all those happy people. All Street Fighter characters belong to Capcom. Chris Lewin, of course, belongs to me.

A/N: Hello to all my readers. I do so apologize for the state my last chapter was in. The paragraph format looked all wonky when I posted it, even though it was fine when I uploaded it. I will endeavor to correct that to make it easier on your eyes to read. I hope the same doesn't happen with this chapter either. I also fixed it so all my fine readers can review, not just FanFiction members. Thanks in advance, and enjoy part 3!

Book 3: Winter

          It was one week before Christmas.  Nerima was blanketed in snow.  Stores hung signs in their windows promising huge savings for last minute Christmas shoppers.  Houses in the neighborhood were decorated with all sorts of flashing lights, and the Tendo house was no exception.  Almost every square inch of the houses' exterior was covered in strands of multi-colored, flashing lights, thanks to the efforts of an overenthusiastic Soun and Genma.  When the time came to get a tree, Ranma, Akane, and Chris had hiked into the mountains and come back with a tree so big, it had to be set up in the dojo, since it was the only part of the house with a ceiling high enough to accommodate it.  Nabiki was home from college.  So too, much to most everyone's dismay, was Kuno, who set about almost immediately getting on people's nerves.  The Tendo's, the Saotome's, and Chris had decided they would host a big party on Christmas day with all their friends.  It was on this subject that Ranma had just gotten off the phone.

          "Ryoga says he and Akari will be here no problem.  What about
Shampoo and Mousse and Cologne?"

Chris was tugging on his coat.  "Just on my way to ask them."  He stepped out into the chill air and began to trek down the snow encrusted street.  Nerima had little in the way of automobile traffic, so the roads were never completely plowed when it snowed.  Chris inhaled deeply of the crisp air.  As a rule, summer was his favorite season, but winter had its good points as well.  The snow had a way of making everything look different, and brand new.  And he especially like the way the individual flakes look when they were dusted in Ukyo's dark brown hair.  A small smile crept along his face as he let his thoughts wander towards his very pretty girlfriend.  It still seemed odd at times, to think about it.  Amazing how things had changed in six months.  Though far from complaining, Chris reflected on how fate had a strange way of turning out sometimes.

          Speaking of fate, it had apparently led him to his destination, as he realized he had arrived at the Nekohanten.  He tapped his boots against the wall to rid them of excess snow and stepped inside.  He unbuttoned his coat in the warmer air and set about finding one of the restaurants employees to extend the invitation to.  He spotted Shampoo bringing a tray of ramen from the kitchen to a customers table and made his way over.  His purple-haired friend replaced the tray she had been carrying and turned back to see if any more orders needed to be taken.  Seeing none, she was about to re-enter the kitchen when she saw Chris.

          "Nihao Chris!"  She said, smiling brightly like she always did when she saw her best friend.  "What bring you here today?"

          "I just dropped by to say that there's a party on Christmas day at the Tendo's, and you, Mousse, and Cologne are invited."

Shampoo was about to respond when he heard a tapping of wood on the floor behind him.  He turned to see Cologne looking at him from her perch on her staff.

          "A party?  Sounds delightful.  But first, I wonder if I might have a word with you?"

Chris shrugged and followed her into a storeroom.

          "I bring you warning, Chris.  Dark energies are near, and they seem to center around you."

Chris scowled.  "I appreciate the warning, Khu Lon."  He said, using her name's proper pronunciation.  "But this isn't the time of year I want to be hearing about dark energies."

          "Vigilance, boy.  That's how you stay alive."  Cologne reprimanded.  "No matter what time of year it is."

Chris nodded in acceptance.  "I understand, honored elder."

Cologne smiled toothlessly.  "Excellent.  Rest assured that I, Shampoo, and Mousse will be in attendance at your party."

          "Glad to hear it."  He bowed once to her and walked out of the storeroom.  He waved to Shampoo on the way out, and stepped into the street.

          (Dark energies.  You really know how to be a buzz-kill old woman.)

Chris continued his walk down the street.  He finally determined that he would not let Cologne's warning spoil his holiday.  Whatever dark energies were gathering, they could wait until after Christmas.  He gave a definitive nod as he pushed open the door to Ucchan's.  The first thing he noticed was it was strangely deserted.  He struck upon the reason why a few moments later.

          "Why's it so cold in here?"

          "Sorry honey."  Ukyo said, appearing from behind the counter, bundled up like she had been outside all day.  "Heater's broken, and the repairman didn't say anything about when he'd be by to fix it."

          "Man, in the summer, you have no AC, and in the winter, no heat."

          "You're telling me.  I must've done something pretty bad in a previous life to be punished so now."  She crossed the room to where he was standing and leaned up to kiss him.  "So what's up?"

          "Big party.  Tendo's.  Christmas day.  You'll be there, right?"

          "Of course I'll be there silly."

          "Great.  So anyway, it doesn't look like you're going to get much business today.  Why don't you close up and come back to the Tendo's with me?  We got a pretty big tree, and we could need all the help we can get decorating it."

          "Sure, sounds like fun.  Give me a sec and I'll be right with you."  She kissed him again and set about closing up the restaurant, which didn't take long, due to the lack of business.  In a few minutes they were walking down the street towards the Tendo's.  They passed a group of children playing in the snow.

          "Kids."  Chris said, smiling slightly.

          "You were one to, y'know."  Ukyo replied, hanging on his arm.

Chris' mood soured a bit.  "Not like that.  Not much time for playing in the snow when I was a kid."

Ukyo frowned, and then poked him in the ribs.  "Stop it."

          "Stop what?"

          "Angsting.  You're giving me a headache."

          "Sorry.  Just having a little moment.  Won't happen again."

Ukyo smiled and poked him in the ribs again, more playfully.  "Lighten up honey.  It's Christmastime, remember?"

A mischievous little smile crossed Chris' face.  "You're right, I should lighten up.  How about like this!"  In one fluid motion, he jumped back, scooped up a handful of snow, formed it into a ball, and plastered Ukyo in the back of the head.  Then he took off running down the street.

          "Why you!"  Ukyo gave chase, flinging snowballs and shouting death threats.

          Kasumi greeted a snow covered Chris and Ukyo at the door.

          "Welcome back Chris.  Hello Ukyo.  You two look like you've been having fun."

          "Up until I was two feet from the front gate, and Ukyo found the perfect trajectory that would cause the snow to dribble down my back."  Chris said, kicking snow off of his boots and hanging up his coat.  "I'll be right back, as soon as I've changed into something a little drier."

          "The others are in the dojo, Ukyo."

          "Thanks, Kasumi."  Ukyo hung her coat next to Chris' and walked into the dojo, where the Tendo and Saotome clans were decorating the giant tree.

          "Hiya Ucchan!"  Ranma called.  "Where's Chris?"

          "Wallowing in defeat."

          "Huh?"

          "He's changing clothes."

Ranma's eyebrows rose slightly.  "And, why is he changing clothes?"

          "Because he's wet."

Ranma's eyebrows rose further.  "And, why is he wet?"

          "Because I hit him with a snowball."

          "Oh."  Behind Ranma, Akane shook her head and mouthed, "Hentai."

They returned to the task of decorating.  Chris rejoined them a few minutes later, wearing new clothes.  With everyone working together, they managed to get the tree finished in short order, though some aerial acrobatics were required on Ranma and Chris' part to get the ornaments on the upper branches of the tree.

          "Perfect."  Akane beamed.  "This'll be the best Christmas ever."

Cologne's warning ran through Chris' head.  (I dearly hope you're right, my friend.)

          Christmas Day came with a fresh snowfall, and the occupants of the Tendo house rushed about, making final preparations for the party.  The dojo was covered in decorations, and a large pile of presents sat under the tree.  A knock at the door announced the arrival of the first guests.  Chris pulled the door open and was immediately greeted by and armful of Ukyo.

          "Merry Christmas, honey."  She said, kissing him.

          "Merry Christmas yourself."  Chris replied, kissing her back, before shooing her off into the dojo.  He waited by the door until he heard another knock.  He pulled it open and barely had time to register the shout of "Nihao!" before his arms were full again.  This time with his purple-haired best friend.  Chris then shook hands with Mousse who, to his credit, did not appear upset by Shampoo's enthusiastic greeting.  He bowed to Cologne, and waved them all into the dojo.  Ryoga and Akari arrived not long after, and Chris was prepared to join the party when there was another knock on the door.  He pulled it open and was greeted by the last person he wanted to see.

          "Season's greetings!  I am sure you are all honored that I have deemed to grace this gathering with my illustrious presence!"

Chris stared at Kuno for a long time before he found his voice.  "Who invited you?"

Kuno blinked, confused.  "Why, Nabiki Tendo of course.  Although, I found it odd that one would have to pay such an exorbitant price to attend a festive event, did you not?"

          "Uh, sure.  (Anything to make a yen, eh Nabiki?)  Party's that way."

Kuno nodded and strode pompously into the dojo.  The first thing he did upon entering was glomp onto Akane and began spouting horrible, Christmas-themed poetry.  Chris swallowed nervously as he glanced at Ranma.  In that instance, his pig-tailed friend looked capable of murder.  He was saved the trouble, however, when Akane booted Kuno across the room.  He came to a stop by Nabiki at the refreshment table.

          "Hey there, Kuno-baby.  Punch?"  She held out a cup to him.

Kuno regained his feet as if nothing happened and accepted the proffered cup.

          The party went smoothly after that.  Kuno actually managed to behave himself for the most part, except when he got too close to the mistletoe.  Dr. Tofu amused everyone with his antics whenever he got within two feet of Kasumi.  Soun and Genma amused everyone with their antics after they got too much sake in their systems.  Akane, Akari, and Ukyo got a little contest going to see how many times they could catch Ranma, Ryoga, and Chris under the mistletoe.  Once, possibly by pure coincidence, Mousse managed to get under the mistletoe at the same time as Shampoo.  The kiss she had given him, no matter how quick and chaste, managed to make Mousse so deliriously happy he passed out.  Surprisingly enough, to anyone looking closely enough, it was hard to miss the small blush on the Amazon girls' cheeks.

          Happosai crashed the party a few hours in, and immediately began to throw a tantrum at not being invited.  He recovered as soon as he saw how many pretty girls were in attendance.  Of course, he didn't get very far, thanks to the various males also in attendance.  So he was forced to settle with talking to Cologne.

          Eventually, the time came to exchange gifts.  Ranma got a few new pairs of the Chinese silk shirts he preferred.  Chris gave him a small plaque that read "Put your mind in gear, before you put your tongue in action."  At which everyone had a good laugh, including Ranma.  Ryoga received a high-tech compass with a Global Positioning System that told him what direction he was going, and into which he could program a destination, and have it tell him exactly how to get there.  Chris received a care kit for his coat.  Mousse's favorite gift by far was the reusable contact lenses he received from Chris.  He would finally be able to see without covering his eyes, by far his best physical feature.  Chris had a funny little smile on his face, which caused Ukyo to look sidelong at him.  She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

          When the party ended, the three Amazons returned to the Nekohanten.  Kuno was booted home by Ranma.  Soun, Genma, and Happosai collapsed upstairs in their rooms with the promise of a nasty hangover in the morning.  Ryoga and Akari declined an offer to stay at the Tendo's longer, saying no one was watching the pigs.  Ukyo hung around a little while after, before leaving after giving Chris what she deemed a special "Christmas Kiss" which left him quite short of breath.

          Akane waved as Ukyo walked down the street, and then turned to see Ranma standing behind her, shuffling his feet nervously.

          "What is it Ranma?"  She asked.

          "I've, uh, got one more present for you."

She blinked.  "Why didn't you give it to me at the party?"

          "It's…um, a little different."

          "What do you mean?"

Ranma looked around.  Kasumi and his mother were still up, talking quietly.  He grabbed Akane's hand and pulled her upstairs into her room.

          "Ranma, what's going on?"  She asked as he shut the door.  "What's this other present?"  She got her answer a moment later when Ranma dropped to one knee before her.  She had read enough books, and seen enough TV to know what was coming next.  And yet, somehow, she was still completely surprised when Ranma pulled the ring from his pocket.  Still surprised when he slid it on her finger, still surprised when the words, "Akane, will you marry me?"  came out of his mouth.  Her body went numb for a moment, and then she managed to move her head up and down in the affirmative.  Ranma, looking like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders, jumped to his feet and kissed her.  As she melted into it, her words from a few days before came back to her.  And she had been right; this was the best Christmas ever.

          December melted into January, and those close to Chris noticed his mood darken slightly.  Though he seemed fine at the onset of the month, by the second week he was on his way to being downright gloomy.  No one, the Tendo's, the Saotome's, Mousse, or even his best friend Shampoo could figure out what was troubling him.  No one, save Ukyo, and even that had been by accident.  He had accidentally left his wallet at her restaurant after a visit one day and a bout of curiosity led her to have a bit of a root through it.  There were a few pictures, one of Chris standing with two other, slightly older men. One was Japanese, in a white gi with short, spiky brown hair, the other was American, dressed in a red gi with his long, blond hair in a ponytail.  Ryu and Ken, she surmised from what Chris had told her, his fellow Shotokan students.  She was also slightly flattered to find a picture of herself, though she wasn't sure where he got it.  Then, Ukyo found his driver's license.  That was an initial surprise, as she didn't know he had a license.  Then she saw his date of birth.  The thirteenth.  Of January.  Eight days from now.  All of the pieces of the puzzle fell into place save one.  He was depressed because his birthday was coming up.  But she couldn't figure out why.  She decided she would have to tell someone about this, but whom?  Should she go straight to Chris?  Or seek the help of her friends?  She decided the latter might be the better option for now, and, pocketing the wallet, headed for the Tendo's.

          "His birthday?"  Ranma said, scratching his head.

          "That's right."  Ukyo nodded.  "For some reason, it's making him all gloomy."

          "And he hasn't said a word about it?  No reason why he's like this?"  Akane asked.

Ukyo shook her head.  "Not even the slightest hint."

They all sat around, trying to figure out what to do when Chris stepped into the room.  He blinked at the little assembly.  "There a party going on I don't know about?"

Ranma, Akane, and Ukyo all jumped when they heard his voice.

          "No, not at all hun."  Ukyo said, shaking her head.  "You just left your wallet at the restaurant, and I was bringing it back."  She held it out to him.

          "Thanks."  He said, taking it.

Ranma nudged Ukyo with his elbow.  "Uh, um...could I talk to you for a minute, Chris?"  She said, getting up and heading into the kitchen.

          "Okay."  Chris shrugged and followed her.

Ukyo was fidgeting slightly.  "Um…Chris, when I found your wallet, your license, uh, fell out."

          "Uh-huh."

          "And I saw your birthday."

Chris blinked once, but his expression remained completely neutral.  "You did."

Ukyo stepped up to him and rested her hands on his chest, trying to catch his eyes with hers.  She noticed that their normally bright green color seemed a bit dulled, to match his mood.  "Chris, honey, what's wrong?  Why is your birthday putting you in such a bad mood?"

          Chris seemed reluctant to look her in the eyes, which was odd, since he often said he enjoyed doing so.  "It's nothing."

          "Chris, it can't be "nothing", no one acts like this around their birthdays without some type of reason."

"Look, you want a reason that badly?  I've never made a big deal out of my birthday.  When I was a kid, I didn't have a family to celebrate with.  And when I was doing my martial arts training, it was never the time nor the place to worry about something like birthdays.  So don't worry about it, alright?"  He backed away from Ukyo and turned to leave the kitchen.     "Thanks for bringing my wallet back."  He said while departing.  Ukyo remained standing there, stunned and near tears.

          "So that's it, huh?"  Ranma said after Ukyo had relayed what happened to her friends.  "What're we gonna do about it?"

          "The answer is obvious, is it not?"  Soun said as he, Genma, Kasumi, and Nabiki arrived suddenly on the scene.

          "What are you hinting at, Tendo?"  Genma asked.

          "Simple, Saotome.  The guaranteed cure-all for situations such as this."

          "Are you saying…?"

          "Yes indeed…"

          "It's so simple…"

          "Dad!"  Akane shouted, frustrated.  "Get on with it!"

          "Yes, Father.  What is it you're trying to say?"  Kasumi asked, voice soft with her endless patience. 

          "A surprise party."  Soun said quite simply.

Ranma pounded his open palm with a fist.  "That's it!  Why didn't we think of this sooner?  I'll go call Ryoga."  And he scrambled out of the room.

Ukyo jumped to her feet and grabbed Akane's hand.  "C'mon, we need supplies."  And she pulled her friend out the door.

          January the thirteenth arrived.  The sun was shinning brightly that day, but judging by Chris' behavior, one would think it was raining.  He walked aimlessly down the street, hands in the pockets of his trenchcoat, eyes downcast.  In the back of his mind, he knew he was acting somewhat childish.  He was going out of his way to avoid his friends, and was even acting cold and distance towards Ukyo.  He knew it was hurting her, and it made him feel incredibly guilty, but he couldn't help it.  He always got this way at this time of year.

          He stepped up to the front door of the Tendo house and pushed it open, kicking off his boots and hanging up his coat, fully prepared for a few hours of sulking in his room until this day was over.  He looked up just in time to avoid colliding with Ukyo.

          "Hi honey!"  She said brightly.

          "Ukyo, what...?"  He said, then looked behind her and noticed the living room was quite full of people.  They had decided to forgo the jumping out and yelling "surprise", deciding it was too corny.  But nevertheless, by the look on Chris' face, they could tell he was surprised nonetheless.

          "You…all of you…"  Chris stammered, still quite unable to believe what was going on.

          "Happy birthday Chris."  Ukyo said, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

          "How...how…?"  

          "Oh, come one.  You didn't think I was going to sit around and do nothing after you told me what was bugging you?"  Ukyo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chris finally recovered from his shock and moved into the living room.  He was greeted by his friends with their birthday wishes.  The Tendo's and Saotome's where there, obviously.  Along with Shampoo, Mousse and Cologne.  Even Kuno had been invited to join, mostly because it afforded Nabiki more chances to make money.

After Chris had received his presents from his friends, Ukyo pulled him into the next room, saying her gift was of a slightly more private nature.

          "Ukyo, I don't know what to say."  Chris said once they were alone.  "All this, I never expected it."

Ukyo wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, before looking up at him, noticing his eyes had returned to their normal, bright color.  "Sweetheart, you're surrounded by friends now, you'll have to get used to these things now."

Chris smiled slowly.  "Okay, you're right.  So what's this present you wanted to give me?"

Ukyo gazed up at him for a few moments before speaking.  Chris saw something sparkle in her blue eyes that made him get goosebumps.  "Chris, this is something I used to throw around with Ranma all the time, but this is the first time I've ever really meant it.  I love you, Chris."

Chris was speechless for a long time.  He had gotten a lot of wonderful gifts from his friends tonight, but this was by far the best present he could ever get.  He tightened his grip around her waist and pulled her off her feet, so they were looking eye-to-eye at each other.  "I love you too, Ukyo."  And he pulled her in for a kiss that easily beat out any one shared by them before.

          For once, Chris truly understood the words "happy birthday."

          M. Bison stared hard at the bald little man on the screen before him.  Even though they were not in the same room, his servant was visibly terrified of his master, as well he should be.

          "Shall I send for Balrog, Master?"  the little man squeaked.

Bison growled.  "Balrog is useless, he will fail easier than Vega and Sagat did.  I tire of this endeavor, I will finish this myself."

The lackey blinked in surprise.  "Y…yourself?  My lord Bison, are you sure that is wise?"

Bison leaned forward in his chair, milky eyes narrowing dangerously.  "Are you saying I make an incompetent decision?"

Baldy began to sweat heavily and shook his head vehemently.  "No my lord!  Of course not!  I shall make ready you plane this moment."

          "See that you do."  And Bison slammed his fist into the controls, severing the connection.

          Ranma, Ryoga, and Chris all sat in a circle in the dojo, grave expressions on their faces.  It looked like they were attending a council of war.

          "So."  Ranma spoke up, "In less than two weeks, it will be that day."

Ryoga and Chris nodded.  "That day."  They intoned solemnly.

          "We need to decide here and now what we're gonna do about it."

Ryoga and Chris nodded again.

          "Any ideas?"  Ranma asked.

          "Well, I've been thinking…"  Chris began.

          "Go on."  Ranma urged.

          "Well, I did some thinking, perhaps a triple date?  Some dinner, a little dancing…"

          "Perfect!"  Ryoga exclaimed.

          "They'll love it!"  Ranma said.  "Only…"

          "Only…?"  Chris prompted.

          "Where're we gonna go?  Most places fill up quickly, and they like to jack the prices on Valentine's Day."

Ranma, Ryoga, and Chris lapsed into silence.

          "Perhaps I can be of service."  A voice behind them said.  They all turned to see Mousse standing at the doorway.

          "How do you mean, Mousse?"  Chris asked.

          "I know of a place that can accommodate us, if you are willing to make your triple date a quadruple."

Ranma blinked.  "You mean Shampoo agreed to go on a date with you on Valentine's?"

Mousse cleared his throat, shuffling a bit nervously.  "Ermm…yes, she did actually."

          "Well, that's great.  Sure Mousse, if you know a good place, you're welcome to join us."

Mousse nodded.  "I will give you the details later.  Good day."

          Mousse headed down the street towards the Nekohanten.  Okay, so he had told one tiny little fib back there.  Shampoo hadn't agreed to go on a date with him, because he hadn't asked her yet.  He knew it was probably rash, making arrangements with the others before the fact.  But she couldn't possibly refuse him on Valentine's Day of all days.  Could she?

          Well, he would find out.  He stepped into the Nekohanten and slid the door shut behind him.  It was not yet open, and Shampoo was taking chairs down from the tables.  Cologne was nowhere in sight.  Good, having the ancient matriarch around would make this more difficult than it already was.

          "Shampoo, could I ask you something?"

Shampoo paused in her work and looked over to him.  "What you want, Mousse?"

Mousse gathered every ounce of courage he possessed.  "Well, I was talking to Chris and the others and they were making plans for V…Valentine's, and…uh…" his resolve was quickly leaving him.

Shampoo looked mildly annoyed.  Spit it out, Mu Tsu, I have work to do.

Mousse swallowed and spoke very quickly.  "And I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me and the rest of them."  By the time he was done, he was sweating and very red in the face.

Shampoo stared at him for a long time, and then shrugged.  "Okay."

          "O…okay?"

          "Sure.  May be fun.  Get out of house."

Mousse had never been happier in his entire life.  He barely noticed when something hard hit him in the back of the head.

          "Why are you standing around boy?  Get to work."  Cologne snapped.

          "Right away, honored elder!"  Mousse said and near skipped off to the kitchen,

          Cologne stared after.  "What on earth has gotten into him?"  When she looked at Shampoo, her great-granddaughter merely went about her work, blushing ever-so slightly.

          Ukyo sighed, basking in the warmth her now-fixed heater provided.  It was also much better for business, now that people didn't have to bundle up to sit down and eat.  What was better was the fact she didn't have to pay for it.  Ranma and Chris had stayed up all night fiddling with the thing until it was working properly.  They promised to do the same thing with her AC in the summer.  They were so good to her.  Ranma, her best friend, and Chris, who she loved.  The thought still gave her those little shivers up and down her spine.  Not quite a year ago, she had thought Ranma was the only man for her.  Then Chris came along, and she had completely and totally fallen in love with him.  She had told him so; it was her birthday present to him.

          Speaking of which, she looked over at the door as her two favorite men walked in.  "Hey guys."  She said as Ranma and Chris took seats at the counter, Chris leaning over to kiss her before he did.  "Where's Ryoga?"

Ranma began to scarf on the okonomyaki placed in front of him.  "Back at Akari's."

          Ukyo raised an eyebrow.  "You let him wander back alone?"

          "We put him on a train."

          "Oh.  That's good; otherwise he probably wouldn't make it back to her in time for Valentine's."

          "Speaking of which…"  Chris leaned forward on the counter.  "That's what we're here to discuss.  We were thinking a big quadruple date.  All eight of us."

          "Eight?"

Chris counted off on his fingers.  "Ranma and Akane, Ryoga and Akari, you and me, and Mousse and Shampoo."

          "Shampoo's going out with Mousse?"

          "According to him."

Ukyo smiled widely.  "Sounds like fun, you can bet I'll be there."

Chris winked.  "I hope so, or else I'd look pretty dumb sitting there all by myself."

Ukyo was about to respond when a new voice called out.  "I thought I'd find you here."

The three turned to see Cologne in the doorway, perched on her staff.

          "Cologne, what…?"

          "Chris, do you remember the warning I gave you before Christmas?"

          "Yes…"

          "Take heed.  I fear what I have predicted shall soon come to pass."

         If anything could be said about Shampoo's great-grandmother, her predictions were never off.  Friday, the thirteenth day of February, the day before Valentine's, would become one of the unluckiest days in history.  The sun that day seemed to be blocked out by the massive airship that hovered low in the sky over Nerima.  The normal citizens thought it was odd enough, but the town's resident martial artists could feel the air of doom and gloom that seemed to surround it.  Ranma, Akane, Chris, Soun, and Genma stood on the Tendo's front lawn and watched as the gigantic vessel came to a stop over the house.  A figure could be seen floating through the air down towards them.  He stopped inches before his heavy, booted feet touched the ground.  Black cape billowing around him, square jaw scowling slightly, pure whit eyes narrowed menacingly.

          Soun too a breath and stepped forward.  "My name is Soun Tendo, and I wish to know what you are doing on my property."

Blank eyes snapped to Soun.  "I am Bison, lord of Shadowlaw, and my intentions are no business of yours."

          "Well, look here Bison!"  Ranma shouted.  "I've had enough of you Shadowlaw clowns.  So pack it up and go home!"

Bison's scowl deepened.  "Insolent child."  He raised his hands, and a ball of pink energy formed between them.  Ranma was expecting a physical attack.  But instead, found his body surrounded by a pink light.  He raised into the air, suspended by some invisible force.  He was then thrown backwards, slamming into a tree.

          "Ranma!"  Akane shouted, running over kneeling next to him.  "Are you OK?"

Ranma groaned and sat up, rubbing his head.  "I will be, once I get a piece of him."

Chris cupped his hands and began to gather his ki.  "Hadouken!"  He shouted, attempting to level Bison with his blast.  Bison merely floated where he was.  The energy ball impacted on some shield surrounding him and dissipated.

          "Come on, Tendo!"  Genma yelled, leaping at Bison.

          "Right behind you, Saotome!"  Soun jumped after, and the two stuck out their legs in a double flying kick.  Bison raised his hands and the pink glow surrounded the two, stopping them in mid-flight.  Bison separated his hands, and Soun and Genma floated a few feet apart.  Then, Bison clapped his hands together, and Soun and Genma collided hard, dropping to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

          Ranma pulled himself to his feet.  "Akane, get the others.  Shampoo, Mousse, Ukyo, anyone and everyone you can find."

          Akane looked extremely worried.  "I don't want to leave you."

Ranma reached out and touched her cheek, smiling reasuredly.  "I'll still be here when you get back.  But we need help."  As of to prove his point, he watched Chris get thrown back from a failed attempt at attacking Bison.  Akane nodded, kissed Ranma, and took off.

          Bison frowned down at them, and then turned to address Ranma, Soun, and Genma.  "Originally, you had no part in this, and would've been allowed to live.  But since you've decided to be a thorn in my side, I'll kill you too."

          "And why exactly are you showing such interest in me?"  Chris asked.

Bison shrugged.  "Business."  He raised a hand, and Chris found himself levitating, turned upside down, and dropped unceremoniously on his head.

          "Why don't you come down here and fight like a man?!"  Ranma yelled.

          "You stand no chance against me either way.  Besides, it's more entertaining to beat you with my Psycho Power."

          "Psycho this!  Mokou Takabisha!"  Ranma fired his ki blast, but had no more luck connecting than Chris had.

Soun and Genma tried another attack from behind, and were shocked to find themselves flying through Bison and landing in a heap on the ground.  Bison's after-image faded, and he was revealed to be floating a few feet to the side.  Bison raised his hands re-exerted his Psycho Power on the combatants, throwing Ranma, his father, and Soun in different directions, and dragging Chris towards him.  Bison's large hand closed around Chris' throat, beginning to squeeze the air out of him.  Chris gripped Bison's hand and tried to pry the fingers open, but the grip was like iron.  Genma made another leap for Bison, and the tyrant swatted him away with his free hand.  Chris continued to struggle long after a normal person would have blacked out, but he was weakening, and Ranma and the others attempts to free him were meeting with failure.

          So assured was Bison in his victory that he failed to notice the danger from behind until something large, flat, and metal hit him square in the back.  He barely grunted, barely moved, but still dropped Chris in surprise.  He rotated in the air to be greeted by the sight of Ukyo, battle spatula held before her, with Akane, Shampoo, and Mousse behind her.

          "Hands off my boyfriend!"  Ukyo shouted, and swung again.

Bison grunted.  "Predictable."  He swept his arm in a wide arch, and a blast of Psycho Power knocked Ukyo and the others off their feet.

          Mousse recovered first and fired a volley of weapons, which were deflected by Bison's psychic shield.  He turned in time to deflect an attack by Ranma, then another by Ukyo, but a bonbori smashed into the back of his head, thanks to Shampoo.  Bison intended to deal with her and caught an unexpected snap kick from Akane in the kidneys.  Another assault form Mousse was prevented, but not Chris' attack from behind, or Soun and Genma's joint attack.  He was being overwhelmed and couldn't bring his Psycho Power to bare.  He touched onto the ground, tore his cape from his shoulders, and prepared to fight hand-to-hand.  He blocked an elbow from Akane, deflected Chris' kick, backhanded Mousse, snapped a kick backwards into Soun's gut, and leapt away from Ukyo's spatula.  Genma was waiting for him when he landed and kicked Bison in the back of the knees, causing him to stumble forward.

          "Tatsu Maki Sen Pu Kakyu!"  Chris came at Bison with his hurricane kick and slammed him in the head and chest several times with his feet.  No sooner had Chris gotten out of the way did Ukyo double Bison over with a mid-section spatula shot.  Ranma and Shampoo attempted a double-team, but Bison looked up again, rage burning in his white eyes.  He brought the two with his Psycho Power and flung them away.  Psychic energy engulfed his body and he threw himself forward, spiraling like a flaming torpedo.  "Psycho Crusher!"  He scattered Soun and Akane, and bowled over Mousse and Ranma.  He came up from his attack and turned in time to catch Ukyo's spatula coming in.  He wrenched it from her hands and turned it on her, striking her in the ribs.  She cried out and fell backwards, to be caught by Chris, who bounded a safe distance from Bison.

          "Are you alright?"  He asked, setting her carefully down.

She sucked in a breath.  "Ribs."  She choked out, tears brimming over her eyes.  It obviously hurt to talk.

Chris gently felt around where Bison hit her.  "Nothing broken, cracked probably.  You stay here; I need to help with the fight."

Ukyo nodded and took his face in her hands.  "Be careful."  She whispered.  "I love you."  She leaned up and kissed him.

          Chris stroked her hair softly once, and then returned to the battle.  Bison was defending himself from a multi-pronged attack from Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, and Genma.  Soun was out cold, and Mousse was getting groggily to his feet.  Chris joined in on the offensive.  Despite the overwhelming numbers, Bison was proving to be a resilient opponent, using his superb martial arts skills, in combination with bursts of Psycho Power to ward off attacks.  Blows were still slipping by his defenses, he took a heavy shot to the ear from Shampoo's bonbori, and Ranma slammed a knee into his face with a shot that should have broken his jaw.  But Bison proved his jaw was the farthest thing from glass, and swept Ranma's feet out from under him.  Unfortunately for him, he did not see the next attack coming.

          "Shoryuken!"  Chris' dragon uppercut connected and Bison flew upwards several feet, landing hard and not moving.

          "Is that it?"  Akane asked wearily.

In answer to her question, Bison leapt to his feet, looking as dangerous as an enraged version of his namesake.  "This ends now!"  He brought his hands together and gathered his energy.  Ranma and Chris began to gather theirs as well, hoping to counter.

          "Psycho Shot!"

          "Mokou Takabisha!"

          "Hadouken!"

All the energy met in the air and created a blinding flash.  When the dust settled, the three were still standing.  Bison snarled and made to attack again, but found himself immobile.  Mousse had snuck around and now had Bison tied up, much like Vega.  Ranma attacked with an Amaguriken, peppering Bison with punches.  He then leapt away and Chris came in with another dragon uppercut.  Bison's head snapped back, than snapped forward again when Shampoo slammed him with both bonbori.  He collapsed and stayed down.  The crime lord had finally fallen.

          Everyone stared at Bison's fallen form.  "What should we do with him now?"  Genma asked, helping a groggy Soun to his feet.

Chris wiped the sweat from his forehead.  "Same thing we did with Sagat."  He turned and headed back to where Ukyo still lay.  "How are you?"

          Ukyo smiled bravely.  "I feel better after watching you knock that jackass senseless."

Chris smirked and picked her up as carefully as he could.  "I'll take you home.  We'll go see good ol' Doc Tofu in the morning."  Bidding his goodnights to his friends, he took off for Ucchan's.

          Ukyo awoke next morning to a dull pain in her side.  She turned her head to see Chris sleeping soundly in a chair by her bed.  She smiled softly and attempted to slip out of bed without waking him up, but she twisted the wrong way and sucked in a sharp breath.  Chris' eyes snapped open.  Ukyo blinked.  "How do you do that?"

          "I've trained myself to be able to wake up at a moments notice."  He stood and stretched.  "I'll just step outside while you get dressed."

It took a few minutes longer than usual for her to dress, but they were soon on their way.

          Chris looked up as Dr. Tofu stepped out of the exam room.  "What's the verdict?"

Tofu adjusted his glasses.  "The worst of it was some minor cracks, slight bruising in the surrounding area.  She'll be fine in a few days with the medicine I gave her."

          "Doctor, we had some plans tonight…"

Dr. Tofu smiled.  "As long as she doesn't overexert herself, you shouldn't have to cancel."

Chris sighed with relief.  "What about you Doctor, any plans tonight?"

Tofu fidgeted slightly.  "No…not really…"

          "Dr. Tofu, if I may ask, how old are you?"

          "Twenty-five…"

          "Twenty-five.  So, why is that whenever you get around Kasumi, you act like a love-struck sixteen-year-old?"

Tofu fidgeted some more.  "She's just so pretty and…"

          "Doctor, you are driving her away with your little antics.  She may have thought they were cute at first, but I think she's starting to get the idea that you may not be interested.  If you really want her, you have to start acting your age."

Dr. Tofu took a deep breath.  "You're right Chris.  It's time I stopped acting like a fool."

Chris smiled, clapped the doctor on the shoulder, and went in to visit with Ukyo.

          "Chris, I've got problems."

          "What's the matter Ranma?"

          "I've got nothing to wear!"

Chris blinked.  "I'm sorry?"

          "All I've got are the silk shirts I wear all the time.  I can't wear those tonight!"

Chris nodded.  "Yes, I think I see your problem…I know.  I've got some stuff you can borrow; we're about the same size."

          "Oh, thank you Chris!"  Ranma bowed at his feet.

          "Err…yeah.  C'mon pal, let's see what we've got."

It was not two hours before the big quadruple date.  Ryoga and Akari had arrived earlier in the day.  Ryoga was looking sharp, Akari, cuter than ever.  Chris, like his first date with Ukyo, had forgone his big coat in favor of dark pants and a white button-down shirt with dark tie.  Now, he was digging through his clothes for something for Ranma.  He gave him a pair of his khakis, and a dark blue shirt.  Ranma had to struggle to find words when he saw Akane in her dress, which accented her feminine qualities far more than her normal attire.

          "Bah…bah…bah…"  Ranma had 'said.'

          "He means you look very beautiful tonight, Akane."  Chris translated.

Ukyo had arrived a little later, and Chris found himself in a state much like Ranma when he saw her in a dark blue evening gown that seemed to match her eyes perfectly.  You couldn't even tell her ribs were taped underneath, though she was moving a bit slower than normal.  All that remained was to wait for Shampoo and Mousse, as the Chinese boy was the only one who knew where they were going.

          Shampoo huffed impatiently as she waited by the door.  "Hurry up Mousse!  You make us late!"

          "Coming, Shampoo!"  Mousse called.  The problem was, he was having trouble concentrating on what he was doing.  Shampoo was wearing a VERY form-hugging Chinese style dress, which caused Mousse to stumble every time he looked in her direction.

          Not that Mousse was anything to sneeze at, in Shampoo's opinion.  He had traded his voluminous robes for a style of dress closer to what Chris normally wore.  And Shampoo found it difficult to tear her gaze away from his eyes.  Though she had never said so out loud, she always thought his eyes were his most attractive feature.  And ever since Chris got him those contacts for Christmas, she got to look at them more often than she used to.  She had a slight suspicion her best friend had gotten Mousse those contacts with less than innocent intentions.

          "Finally, we're all here."  Ranma said as he opened the door for Mousse and Shampoo.  He, Ryoga, and Chris had to use all their willpower to keep form staring at Shampoo.  The glares from Akane, Akari, and Ukyo helped a tad.  "Alright Mousse, this is your endeavor, lead on."

          As it turned out, Mousse came through in spades.  The nightclub he led them to, a relatively new establishment, was a combination five star restaurant and dance floor.  Mousse had chosen it because they were offering group discounts for Valentine's.  The eight of them sat talking and eating, exchanging jokes and the like.  Ryoga and Chris entertained them with stories of their travels (Ryoga's being slightly more extensive).  When the time came for the dancing, they all got onto the floor, save Ukyo, who's ribs hurt too much, and Chris, who refused to leave her behind.

          "You don't have to miss out on the fun on my account, honey."

Chris waved a hand dismissively.  "Nah, I can't dance like that anyway."  He gestured to the wild gyrations on the dance floor to the fast-paced music.  So the two sat there and waited, until the music changed to a slower tempo.  Chris sat up and smiled.  "This, however, I can do.  And it shouldn't bother your ribs either."  He stood up and held out his hand to Ukyo, who took it, smiling sweetly.

          Akane gently ran her fingers through the hair at the back of Ranma's head, above his pigtail as they danced.  "You know Ranma, we still haven't decided on a date."

Ranma considered this for a few minutes.  "How about sometime this spring?"

          "This spring?"

          "Yeah.  When the weather gets warmer, we can have an outdoor ceremony, under the cherry blossoms and everything."

          "Why Ranma, I had no idea you could be so romantic."

Ranma cocked an eyebrow with a small smirk.  "I can be romantic if I try."  And he leaned in to kiss her.

          Ryoga and Akari watched the two from where they danced, a few feet away.

          "You know Ryoga, speaking of dates…" She looked up at him.

          "Sometime soon, maybe a few months after Ranma and Akane."

          "You know, you still haven't officially asked me to marry you."

          "I beat Katsunishiki; I thought that sealed the deal."

          "Ranma and Akane have been engaged since childhood, and he still asked her."

Ryoga smiled.  "You're right Akari.  I'll rectify the situation soon enough."  And he leaned in for a kiss as well.

          Mousse was quite sure Hell had frozen over.  It had been enough of a shock that Shampoo had agreed to come in the first place.  Now he was dancing with her, she was allowing him to hold her incredibly close. 
She looked up at him and something he saw in her violet eyes made his heart stop for a moment.

          Mu Tsu… she said, barely above a whisper.

Mousse swallowed.  Y…yes, Xian Pu?

          You have the most beautiful eyes.  Did you know?

Mousse almost fainted on the spot.  Xian Pu, thank you.  You look incredible tonight.

Shampoo raised an eyebrow in a teasing manner.  You mean I don't always look incredible?

          N…no, I didn't mean that at all, I meant…

Shampoo cut him off by placing her fingers over his lips.  You need to relax, Mu Tsu, you worry too much. Then she replaced her fingers with her own lips.

          Yup, Mousse thought, Hell had definitely frozen over, and it was more than welcome to stay that way.

          Chris watched the two Amazons with a knowing little smirk.  Ukyo gave him a funny, sideways look.  "You knew exactly what you were doing when you got Mousse those contacts, didn't you?"

Chris looked down at her, still with the silly little smirk.  "Maybe."  Then, off her look; "Alright, yes.  Shampoo told me a while ago she always liked Mousse's eyes.  So I just fixed it up so she could look at them 24-7, the rest worked itself out."

Ukyo shook her head with a smile.  "You've done so much good since you arrived here."

Chris blinked and actually blushed very slightly.  "Ah, c'mon…"

          "No, seriously.  You got Ranma and Akane together.  Now Mousse and Shampoo."

          "Stop.  I helped things along a bit, lent some advice.  I can't take all the credit though."

          "Maybe.  But what you can take credit for is making me happy, and giving me someone to love."  As she reached up and kissed him, Chris found he couldn't argue with that particular logic.

         The four couples returned to the Tendo's shortly after midnight, and were greeted by Nodoka.  Soun and Genma were playing their usual game of Shogi; Kasumi was nowhere to be seen.

          "Hey Mom, where's Kasumi?"  Ranma asked, hanging up his coat.

          "Oh, that nice Dr. Tofu showed up and took her out."

Eight jaws hit the floor.

          "You mean Dr. Tofu actually asked Kasumi out?"  Ranma said, incredulous.

Nodoka nodded.  "Oh yes, he went about it quite well."

          "Any more surprises tonight?"

          "I don't know."  Akane said.  "But if Nabiki calls and says she's dating Kuno, I'm gonna flip."

The phone rang.

Everyone stared at it for a while.  It rung several more times.  Finally, Chris edged towards it, picking it up hesitantly.  "Hello…Tendo residence."

          "Hello Chris."  Came Cologne's voice.

          "Oh, hello Cologne."  He said louder, sending a glance at Shampoo and Mousse, who stiffened visibly.  "What can I do for you?"

          "I was wondering if you'd seen Shampoo and Mousse tonight?"

          "No, Cologne, I haven't seen either of them." He made furious 'get going' motions at them, and they slipped out quickly.  "Yes, I'll call if I see them.  Good, bye."  He hung up.

Ranma looked worried.  "Whaddya think Cologne'll do to them when she finds out?"

Chris shook his head.  "I expect she's known for a while, it's hard to put things past her."

          Failure.  That didn't sit very well.  He had no one to blame but himself, really.  He had made the mistake of assuming Bison and his cronies could get the job done.  Well, he had learned his lesson about making assumptions.  The fact still remained.  The Shotokan was alive.  He should be dead.  He would be dead.

          Akuma always finished what he started.

                                                                            End 3