Chapter 7 – Forging Decisions

Ranma went to her, holding the tray. He opened the door and never would forget the look of horror in her eyes when she saw him. He started at the short hair. What had she done to her hair? And then the question came – What had he done to her? He saw her pull back; flatten herself in the armchair and his heart clenched. So hard. He gently deposited the tray on the table and stayed where he was.
"Akane," his voice was soft. "I am so sorry. So sorry for what I did," his head lowered but the horror never left her eyes. It was like she could not hear him, could only sit there with horror glazing her beautiful wounded eyes and paralyzing her limbs. And he understood. It was too soon. He would have to give her time to heal. Time. And he turned away, a man with a huge burden on his shoulders and slipped out. He went to Shinosuke and asked him to look after Akane and Shinosuke understood as he nodded and returned to the one who held his heart. He started spending his days with Akane, giving her strength, teaching her to live again. And slowly, the weeks slipped by. And one week became three. Ranma never returned. But he stood hidden watching her spar with Shinosuke and at night slipped silently in her room to watch her sleep. When the nightmares made her toss and turn, his hand smoothing away her strands of hair from her face ever so lightly lulled her back to peace. He watched as slowly Shinosuke brought back her smiles, as gradually the fire that had burnt so bright in her before grew aflame again and now it flamed with a vengeance. And yet there were moments when her eyes showed so deep a sadness, so sad a deep wisdom. And in those times he knew that he would forever carry this burden and he knew Shinosuke knew too. He was always by her side in those times, making her smile again.

Shinosuke got to his feet and stretched.

"I have to get going Akane," he smiled at her.

"I'll see you later," she smiled back.

"No Akane, not tonight," She wriggled her eyebrows playfully asking why and he took a deep breath and told her, "Ranma's bringing you dinner."

He watched hate glint in her eyes briefly and then she nodded, a mask into place. She had learned to do that lately. Wear a mask. Shinosuke went to her and he regarded her softly, "He has done the unforgiven Akane but give him a chance to say he's sorry Akane. Just to say he's sorry," he pleaded gently with her and she smiled for him and slowly nodded. Shinosuke left then, fighting the bitterness in his heart, fighting the instinctive urge to just take her away, away from this, away just to teach her to live again and maybe one day love him a little. He closed the door and Akane was off her window ledge in a flash. She did not have much time left.

Ranma gently pulled the door open and held it with his shoulder as he took the tray inside. And dropped it. There was a rope made of clothes and bed sheets tied to one of the bedposts and going out of the window. He was by the window ledge in a few seconds and staring down at Akane's face less than a meter away. She jumped as his face appeared and her hold slipped. Ranma's heart stopped when he saw her hand try to clutch the rope and slip and then she was falling away. No! His heart shouted. Not when I've just found her! And he made a grab for her. He felt his fingers touch hers and a future without her flashed before his eyes and just a picture stayed; a picture of him dead and living, living everyday waiting to see her again. And he knew, he knew how much he loved her. His doubts, uncertainties, everything disappeared in that second when his hand finally closed around hers. He had her! Ranma had never been so happy or so angry in his life. His eyes flashed at her as she stared up at him and again he found himself facing a fearless Akane. Goddamnit, didn't she know that she would die if she fell! Didn't she know he would die!

"What the hell are you thinking about?" he yelled even as he started to pull up her swinging body. And she answered, "Damn you!" and grabbed his wrist, wrestled her hand away from his and let go. Ranma could not believe his eyes as she started to fall away.

"No! I won't lose you!" he shouted as he threw himself out of the window. His feet wrapped themselves around her rope and his hand clenched down on her arm, jerking her fall to a stop. For a moment, both swung wildly on the fragile rope and then Ranma was pulling her up. With superhuman strength, he pulled.

"I am going to lift you as high as I can. I want you to climb up my body and the rest of the way," and without waiting for her answer, he pulled. She came up and grabbed his waist and climbed the rest up. He panted from the effort and started to reach up to grab the rope with his hands when he felt the robe being pulled up. Slowly, he was pulled up until his feet touched the ledge and then he just reached up and grabbed the ledge and vaulted inside. Akane dropped the rope and Ranma stood staring at her panting slightly. His racing heart would not slow down and he wanted, God he wanted so much to crush her in his arms and make sure that she would never leave him again. He caved the feeling in, finally sighed and dropped on the window ledge, his long feet before him and crossing his arms to the muscular chest before lifting his eyes back to her. She stared brazenly back.

"I'm sorry," his soft humble words took the wind out of her sails and she stared surprised at him, her mouth half open.

"Why did you save me?" Akane tried swallowing her hatred but it was there, so evident in the blaze of her eyes.

"I couldn't..." he almost said, "lose you," but held back the answer and said instead, "Let you die. I am sorry for what I did. I know it's not enough but I am sorry." Shame shone in his eyes and she gulped and then nodded lightly. His blue-grey eyes went soul-deep as he stared at her. And she stared back, wondering if she would ever forgive this man.

"Can I just drop by in the evenings?" he knew he was asking much but he couldn't help it.

"I am not pregnant," Akane's whisper came. He nodded back, "I know" and slowly smiled and Akane's heart clenched for the pain in his eyes. She hated him so fiercely and yet, yet there was so much pain in this man's eyes.

Hate and pity for him warred in her heart and she could not find any answer for him.

He smiled gently, understanding and then got to his feet.

"I'll leave you to it," he walked away, his heart aching. He would have given so much for her to stop him. But she needed time. And he would give her time. And so it began again, each night he brought her dinner and dropped in for a few minutes, talking about everything while she sat on the windowsill staring silently in the night, never uttering one word.

And then the day came when decisions had to be taken. He called for Xian Pu. She knew that things had not gone very accordingly to her plan.

"What is it Ranma," Xian Pu asked sitting down. The revealing dress showed a tantalizing view of her long legs and as she bent towards Ranma, her full lush breasts swung in view. Xian Pu smiled satisfactorily. Ranma smiled back at her,

"Xian Pu, you are going to have to move out of the palace," he said slowly.

"What? What do you mean?" Ranma frowned at her words.

"Just what I said," he snapped.

"And where will I go?" she asked.

"There will be a house waiting for you and you will receive a substantial amount of money that will enable you to live at ease," he replied looking away.

"I will no longer be needing your services but I am sorry this has to be this way," he looked away, hating what he was doing.

Xian Pu got slowly to her feet. "How much time do I have?" her voice was composed.

"Two weeks," Ranma was glad that she was taking it so well.

"I will need two months to put my affairs into order and get all my things from the palace." she replied slowly. "I also have a few other things to take care of."

Ranma was silent for a long time thinking about it.

"I will not show myself unnecessarily in the palace and I'll use the secret passages to move about," Shampoo added and felt a surge of victory when Ranma nodded slowly. He owed her that much. She nodded back then and left.

That evening also came the most difficult moment of his life.

"Akane, we need to have a serious talk." He slowly sat down in the single armchair of the chamber.

She turned to him and regarded him stonily.

"It is time to let your father know that you are here."

She lifted wide eyes to him but kept her silence.

"It is your choice Akane. If you wish to go back, no one will know what happened that... no one will ever talk about it and Shinosuke will take you back. I shall surely have to go to war but then it is my doing. Or you can stay and we will let your family know that you are here. It will end a feud and prevent a war. But this is your choice. Whatever you decide, I will accept it, respect it and understand."

And he did understand. And he knew she would leave. Three months that she had been captive. Now it was time to let her go. And his heart knew that she would soon be gone and that he would be alone then. Forever alone.

Akane was silent for a long time and then softly she said, "I have decided. Send word to my father. I will marry you."

Hatred still burned in her heart and yet there were so many people lives' at stake that her hatred seemed small. And everything had changed. Her life would never be the same again, even if she returned home. Shinosuke was her friend and he would help her survive. He would help her cope. And she could never send Shinosuke to his death, to war. Not after all he had done for her. He was the closest friend she had ever had. And finally, something deep down told her that she should stay, that both these men would need her. And so, she accepted. An unknown future with a man she hated beyond everything. But then she had let go of the dreams that she had once had that night. She had lost all her illusions that night.

Ranma stared at her, not believing her answer. She was making all his dreams come true just by staying and yet he had to know, "Why?"

She stared at him for a long time before answering, "If I can prevent a war, then I will do it. And I have made a friend here, well I like to think that Shinosuke is my friend," she turned away then and finished, "And I don't want my friend to go to war."

Shinosuke, Ranma murmured the word to himself, yes, Shinosuke, the one he would have to thank for her.

A smile unlike any she had ever known blossomed on his face and her heart tightened at her decision. He was just a man, she was starting to realize, and he made mistakes. And she did not want to think anymore of it. She did not want to.

"Thank you Akane," Ranma's answer was joyful and yet she misunderstood the joy he was feeling at her stay for joy that he could finally prevent the war. But she was glad, glad for Shinosuke and for his people. Somehow, she would make a life for herself here.

"Do you want to come to live in the palace?" he asked gently.

"I... I don't know." She was hesitant about it. Here she was used to it.

"Then you can stay here. If you wish, I'll show you around tomorrow so that you may know your way around and not get lost," he smiled at her.

"Can I still spar with Shinosuke?" she asked softly.

"You are free... now Akane," he replied. "You can do as you wish just as Shinosuke can." He smiled at her again.

She nodded back at him and her straightforward gaze caught his. And he saw the emptiness that filled her, the solitude that was hers. Such emptiness and such solitude.

"Goodnight Akane," he got to his feet.

And opened the door and stopped. He slowly withdrew the key and returned to her, gently and hesitatingly taking her palm and lifting it before dropping it in her hand. "It's yours now Akane," and his blue-grey eyes stared down into hers. Akane could have drowned in them and she had the feeling that he meant more than the key. And then he smiled down and turned and was gone, closing the door softly behind him. Akane stared at the door and then down at her hand and asked herself why she felt so lost, so bereft. He had held her hand and she had surprisingly felt no repulsion.

Akane shook her head at herself and went to the door. The knob turned easily under her hand and the door swung open. She popped out a head and the long corridor was lit up by torches on both sides. Akane stared around and then decided to wait until the next day for some exploration. Her head disappeared and Ranma heard the key being turned from the inside. He smiled and stepped out of the shadows going back to his chambers, his heart singing and his step light.

AN :

Sorry, sorry, I'm late again. Hehe… But I try, I really do :o)