Chapter 15 – Lines of Destiny

Things went back to normal after that. The Nekohanten soon closed it doors and was sold. The buyer was one of Kuno's subsidiary companies. Mousse stayed at the Tendo dojo and Akane and Nabiki found themselves hospitalized again. The fleeting thought and reaction that Nabiki had had about Ukyo remained unexplained and she forgot about it with the bustle of soon to be leaving hospital and a man who seemed to have grown suffocatingly overprotective. Kuno seemed to be everywhere and would not leave her alone for one second. And Nabiki had to find whole reserves of patience deep down to deal with him. And so two weeks slipped away. Akane started her rehabilitation classes. Tofu was the one who helped her through them everyday. And Ranma was always there to give a hand.

When Akane first saw the wheelchair, tears filled her eyes and it was Ranma who took her in his arm and lifted her chin saying gently, "Hey, this is the way to walking again. That's all it is." And Akane smiled. He picked her up and got her comfortable in the chair and took her outside. Her fear at being seen in the wheelchair soon disappeared. It was a hospital and there were sick people everyone and she was one of them. Nobody noticed her and nobody commented.

Then came the day to go home again. Nabiki had already left two weeks ago and a full month had elapsed since Akane had been admitted to the hospital. Kuno had come to pick the wheelchair up in the morning and take it home. Ranma picked a dressed-up Akane in his arms and smiled at the small face that hid in his shirt.

"What is it?" he was so gentle with her – she thought – as she lifted her head to answer his question.

"I'm afraid Ranma," she whispered.

"Afraid of what Akane?"

"Of going home. Here I'm just another person in a wheelchair. At home, everybody will stare when they first see me."

"Yes, they will but that doesn't change the girl you are. They'll realize that," Ranma told her.

"Hey," he touched her cheek gently, "Just take it as a challenge. One you will win and then you'll just be stronger." He smiled and she smiled back tentatively at first and then it just blossomed into a full smile, the kind that took away his breath. And it did take away his breath and an odd stirring grew in his stomach. And he couldn't resist as he lowered his head and kissed her, kissed her even as her lips smiled beneath his. She giggled, the sound was swallowed up in his mouth. And his lips smiled against hers too.

"I'll be here Akane, always, any time you need me," his smile remained as he told her and she nodded. She said good-bye to the nurses and everyone who had known her during her stay and they waved and smiled at her, held so softly and protectively in the arms of the young man and they sighed at so much love.

He roof-hopped, taking his time, giving her time to adjust again.

And when they reached home, everyone was there: her father, Genma, Kasumi, Nabiki, Mousse, Tofu and Kuno. She got hugged, teased and kissed. They had thought about moving her downstairs but since the bathroom was still upstairs, they had just decided that if Akane needed to go upstairs or down, someone would take her up or down. It was no big deal since Soun and Genma were always at home and then there was Mousse too now and Ranma had decided to hold on university until Akane got back on her feet. They celebrated late into the night and the house rang with laughter and joy for a long time.

Slowly, gradually Akane started getting her confidence back. Ranma took her to the swimming pool everyday for her exercises. He was there every time she needed something, every time she needed a hand to hold hers, a shoulder to cry on, a smile from a friend, a glint of faith in someone's eyes. He was always there and Akane lost some more of her heart. And one morning the promised miracle finally happened. She woke up to find the usual pig-tailed face buried in her hair and she smiled. She turned her face, strands of hair slipping luxuriously from around his face and he moaned lightly in his sleep, his hand just coming forward of its own to clasp her waist and pull her closer. Akane couldn't resist and leaned forward to touch his lips with hers and his mouth opened under hers as his tongue came to probe further wanting to taste some more, and Akane went forward. The kiss deepened and Akane's arms lifted to wound around his next, loosing her hands in his hair. Ranma groaned as his hand slowly moved up to cup her breast and Akane gasped. Pleasure shot up her body and Ranma's other hand pulled her closer. Akane struggled for a second with the bedclothes tangled around her legs and then realization hit in. She had moved her leg! She had moved! She opened her mouth and for a second, nothing came and then she screamed. Ranma shot up! What! He turned to Akane and found shining eyes and a huge smile before she threw herself on him and was kissing him, kissing him and kissing him and Ranma couldn't breath, couldn't think, couldn't move. His mind had gone blank and all he could hear was his heartbeat and all he could feel was all those pleasure explosions in his body overwhelming him. And just when he reached for her, deepening the kiss, she broke away and cried, "I moved! Ranma! My leg moved!" And his mind shut down a second time. And then he whooped in joy and grabbed her in a bone-crushing hug. They were dressed and ready in record time, dropped their bombshell on the family and disappeared to doctor Tofu's clinic. He confirmed their theory and in a few weeks, Akane could move both her legs. Four months had elapsed since Shampoo had left and Akane could now walk slowly with crutches. Her gait was still unsteady but she knew that she would win the fight. Now it was no longer a thread of hope, now it was a certainty. And Ranma was as overjoyed as she was.

Ukyo dropped by a few days later. Since Ranma no longer had time to stop by Ucchan, she had taken it upon herself to drop by the Tendos once a week. Ranma and Akane instinctively refrained from kissing and touching too much when she was around. She was Ranma's friend and she had already been hurt and both felt that there was no need to hurt her some more. Ukyo's jaw dropped and then she screamed in joy when she saw Akane with her clutches for the first time. The only think that her mind could register was 'Akane's walking again, Ranma will not need to stay with her anymore and he can come to me!' and Akane's thoughts were 'She really is a friend' and she smiled back at Ukyo. Ranma showed up smiling at Ukyo enthusiasm,

"You'll soon be walking again Akane," she exclaimed, hands joined in joy. She had waited a long time and now it seemed that things would finally be over. Ranma would soon come to her. And then the feeling slowly paled as Ranma pulled Akane in his side.

He shouldn't be acting this way, her mind told her. And when Ranma dropped a kiss on a smiling Akane' forehead, the feeling died. Their love was there for everyone to see, for everyone to bear witness to. It was in their eyes, in their smiles, in their words and for just a second Ukyo wondered if she had lied to herself and then all she could feel was betrayed. Completely and wholly betrayed. And she reacted.

"No!" she shouted before her hand found a hand full of spatulas and threw.

Ranma reacted with the speed of a man finding his life in danger. He disappeared as he picked Akane and jumped back. Ukyo swung her huge spatula at them but Ranma had already leapt away.

"Ukyo!" his angered shout broke through her maze of anger. She stared at him and then the spatula dropped.

Ukyo stared at them and fury rose in her throat. They looked so damn perfect together! Ranma holding Akane as if she was the most fragile, the most precious thing in his life and Akane's arms which were around Ranma's neck as she let his arms encircle her protectively. Once more, Ranma's voice broke through.

"What the hell is wrong with you Ukyo?" he asked grimly.

"Wrong? Wrong?" she screeched hysterically.

"After all I went through, after all I did for you, you have the nerve to stay with her! I thought you would leave her once she was healed."

"What made you think that Ukyo?" Ranma's voice was icy.

"You never loved her. You only pitied her because she was handicapped. I gave you everything so that you would know how much I loved for you, how good we were together."

"And how did you come to the conclusion that I never loved her Ukyo?" again the flat tone asked.

"Because, all you two did when you were engaged was to fight, then you were friends. And I, I waited so long for you," tears were slowly rolling down her cheeks as she told him.

"No Ukyo, you waited because you wanted to, you gave away half of your life because you decided to, I never let you know that I loved you," Ranma's voice was low and yet strong as he told his friend.

"No! I am the cute fiancée! How can you not love me?" she was back to screaming again.

Ranma gently deposited Akane to her feet, reached for her crutches, gave them to her and went to Ukyo. He laid his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. Ukyo froze and a deep yearning rose in her. She yearned for what Akane had. She yearned so hard for it. She yearned for Ranma.

"Ukyo the decisions you have made are yours. Not mine. I'm really sorry if I somewhat led you to believe that we were more than friends before. But these last years, we have been only friends Ukyo. Everything has changed these last years." He explained slowly and she cried.

"No, I am the cute fiancée!" the sobs rose in her throat.

"Yes, you are a beautiful woman Ukyo but I love Akane more than my life," his voice deepened and her heart tore. Fury like never before engulfed her. When had he started to avow his love? When Shampoo and her had last seen them? When goddammit? Venom rose in her voice as she shrieked,

"You fell in love with her? I gave away my life for you and you fall in love with her! You swine!" She turned her fury to Akane.

"And you! You called yourself my friend! I should have made sure you died in that fucking car accident!" Ranma's hands just fell away from her.

"Shampoo was..." she was cut off when the hand fell around her wrist and tightened. Tightened until she whimpered from the pain. She turned tear-filled eyes to Ranma and whispered, "Ranchan you're hurting me." The look in his eyes killed her fury and sudden fear rose in her throat. Suddenly, she was afraid, afraid like she had never been of.. Ranchan. Why was Ranchan looking at her like he hated her? And she shrank back from his touch but his hold never wavered.

"Shampoo was what Ukyo?" his tone was so cold, so cold.

"Shampoo was... she was right... when... when she said Akane lied..." Ukyo's voice trembled in its lie and died at the look of disgust warring with something else in Ranma's face. He tightened his hold on her wrist and shook her, shook her hard as he spat in her face, "Don't lie to me!"

And something in Ukyo broke. It all was too much. Something should have come out of it all. But not that! Not that!

"I did it all for you," she whispered to him.

"For me?" he screamed at her as he threw her away from him. "You tried to kill Akane for me?" His hands clamped up into fists as he reigned in the fury.

"No, you tried to kill her for yourself. For your own selfish self," Ranma's voice was deadly, "You wanted something she had and you tried to kill her to get it. It was for you. Your decision. Just like you gave away half your life looking for me. It was your decision. You put it in your head that I loved you. Your decision. I was a kid when we were betrothed. A kid thinking that you were a boy! How many times have I tried to tell you and you have refused to hear! Goddammit!" he swore at her. And then a soft hand fell on his arm and he turned. Next to him was Akane and gently she shook her head. Enough, the gesture said and he reached for her. The girl who saved him every time. The woman who helped him up whenever he fell. He reached for her and she pulled him close, letting him bury his face in her hair, running her hand soothingly down his back, giving him the comfort he so needed, the peace he so needed.

Ukyo looked up at the tableau. And deep down something understood all that he had said. She had always thought that she was an independent strong woman. And yet, yet... She looked up and met Akane's eyes. There was no hate there, no disgust, there was only pity. Pity and sadness. For her. And sobs rose in her throat as she clumsily got to her feet and stumbled away. Out on the street and home. And the sobs came and never stopped. And she did not know if she was crying for her broken heart or if she was crying because she had hurt two friends who had cared a lot for her. And Ukyo cried, cried for the mistakes that she had made and the turns of life that she would never be able to change. She cried for how it all turned out.

And somewhere else a man cried too. Cried for a friend and cried because of his guilt. And a woman held him and talked to him in a gentle voice and banished the guilt that was on her behalf for it was the only thing she could take away. The rest would go in its own time.

My Notes :

Thanks for the reviews ^_^

Sorry for the late update; been busy.

And yes, the story's not yet over. Still a couple of chaps I think.

Dunno yet if I will a sequel... Thinking about it and toying with some ideas.

I'll let you guys know.

And about the pseudo :

When I started the story, it did not feel really mine but just something that I was writing, so I used the pseudo "Rhiannon".

And then gradually it did become mine, a part of me and it felt like the pseudo should be a part of me too, so I changed it to the pseudo I've always used : emerieus.

That's me ^_~