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I should tell you that I don't own the Ranma comic, nor did I even have a thing to do with the show.

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Freebies

It was a quiet spring day in the Nerima Prefecture for once. The afternoon had come, and since it was also a weekend most of the populous was up and about. Normally there'd be all sorts of chaos and mayhem that stems from one person: The teenage boy/girl martial artist Ranma. His many fiancées and such normally are about plotting some way to get him as their own, but not today.

Shampoo was back in China for a visit to her father, and for some herbs she'll be using when she returns. Mousse attempted to follow after, but he lost his way when he tried to read the map without his glasses. Ukyo went to a cook-off competition so she won't be back anytime soon. Ryoga-A.k.a. P-Chan-had left town two days ago so it's a safe bet he wouldn't be back for a week or so.

Kodachi was out of town due to a martial arts gymnastic meet in America so she was definitely not going to be around for a few days. Tatewaki-the Blue Thunder of Furiken High- was off on a training journey in an attempt to become stronger. Happosai heard word of a beauty pageant at the beaches to the south and ran off in a hurry. Even Nabiki had left for nearby areas in an attempt to raise profits for the dojo.

So the Tendo home was with it's usual cast- minus Nabiki and Happosai- of characters. Kasumi and Nodoka were busy working on the household chores and the two fathers-Genma in panda form- were playing shogi. As for the lucky couple Ranma and Akane…

"Oh thank you mister!" Ranma- in girl form- praised as she graciously accepted a free strawberry parfait. Ranma took it with joy and ate it up as Akane looked on disgusted. Ranma was always using his girl form to get free food. It really annoyed Akane a lot that he did this. However, what made her more angry was that she never received similar gifts.

"Why must you eat that stuff only in girl form? Isn't it the same for either form? So why do you do it Ranma?" Akane questioned before drinking from her milkshake. Ranma meanwhile stopped his greedy consumption of the parfait and looked to Akane's face.

"Free food is why." He starts eating again. "Can't be" He took in another spoonful. "Seen eating this as a guy." Ranma stated as he finished the treat. "Should I try for another one?" Ranma asked looking around for the guy who gave her the first one.

Akane's brow furrowed, but she returned to her normal look. Her body was tense and shaky due to her anger. "You're such an idiot." Akane grumbled with a sigh as she settled down. "One isn't enough for you? You're a greedy and selfish pig Ranma." Akane stated in anger as she rose from her seat.

Ranma angered by her remark, stood up quickly. "Pheh. I am not tomboy. You're just jealous that I get free food and you don't." Ranma said as if he didn't care too much for the matter. But he was really mad inside in result of her insults.

"J-Jealous?" Akane blurted. "Of a guy? I think not." Akane stated before leaving the table in a hurry. Ranma smirked as she watched Akane leave. She knew very well that Akane was indeed jealous, but he didn't know she was hurt also.

* * *

That night at the Tendo home came with a return: Nabiki. She had failed with he try for new students, but she did make some money by selling photos of girl Ranma. Ranma-now a guy- was displeased with that, but he really couldn't do much but yell at the girl. Akane was sounding annoyed whenever she talked to Ranma, and he had no idea she was really made at him for the constant free food binges he sometimes goes on. It was all settled when it came down in one big confrontation that night that went as follows:

Both, Akane and Ranma, go for same piece of pork.

Akane insists on having it and Ranma defends his right to have it.

Akane mentions his free food, and how he shouldn't have the need to be hungry.

Ranma brings up that she is built like a brick and if she was truly a girl she wouldn't need "manly sized" portions of food.

Akane shoves pork down Ranma's throat and storms out after giving him a good whack.

* * *

Akane did what she always did when she was mad about something Ranma did and hid in her room venting. Ranma would act like he didn't give a damn about the girl, and that caused the two fathers to gang up on him. They'd get him to go see her and apologize by threatening him in some manner. He usually got close to apologizing, but he never did or never made one that sounded sincere, and true. He also recalled how he tried to apologize and she never let him say it, or before he said it she said something mean about him. So it wasn't any wonder he didn't apologize to her.

He got to Akane's door- the one with the wooden duck sign with her name on it- and froze. Did he really want to go in there? It's not like she'll even hear him, and she'll probably beat him up and call him pervert if he even just opened the door. He thought about knocking, but he decided against it. Before he knew it twenty-six minutes had past and he was still lingering outside her door. That's when it opened.

Akane was shocked to see him there, and he was nervous now that he had been caught outside her room. He just gave a nervous chuckle and backed away into his room down the hall. Akane watched him the entire time in confusion. She wanted to know why he was there when he was and why he just left without a word. Then it hit her that he was probably supposed to apologize to her like he did every time he made her mad. Thinking that made her smile one of her "cute" smiles and she went for the bathroom for a nice hot bath.

* * *

The next morning was a great one. It was another beautiful spring day, and once more everyone was still out of Nerima so Ranma had time to train, and rest, and get in some television time. However, Akane would be there nearby half the time, and he couldn't help glancing at her on occasion. What he wasn't aware of was that she did the same thing as well. She wasn't made at him anymore, but she still was a bit miffed.

Suddenly by the time following lunch-which Ranma used as a form of siesta- Akane realized Ranma left. She looked all over the home to find him and to see if he was going to apologize or not. He wasn't there however. She got real mad and stormed off to Ukyo's, but found it closed still. She came to the Cat Café and didn't find him there either. She was worried about where he went, and she just returned home and her worry became anger and soon she was mad that he would just run off without any word.

* * *

Ranma showed up later that night at nine. NINE at night for heaven's sake! He had been gone since one that afternoon. Where had he gone those blasted eight hours? Akane confronted him immediately about it and got right in his face. He just brushed her aside and went up to his room and to bed. Akane saw that he was tired, but she also noticed how he just ignored her. That was making her rage even worse. Ranma was getting in deep shit whether he knew it or not. She also noticed one thing about him when he came in besides that he was tired, and that was the fact he was covered in dirt, and there were grass, and sweat stains on his clothes. She couldn't help but want to know what he was up to.

* * *

The next day after school, as well as the rest of the week Ranma would dart off and not show back up until late. When he did Akane confronted him again, and again, but nothing ever was purged from him. He never told her anything about where he had been. Plus he would come back home dirty like he did the first time he disappeared. One day it was grass and such, then there was dirt and clay; next day was white paint, and one-day sawdust. Everyday he'd enter and after getting the usual from Akane he'd go to bed, or get a bath in, and then go to bed. Whenever he awoke in the morning he was well rested, but she always noticed he's be sore even though he didn't show it. He'd sometimes mutter "Ouch" under his breath when he stood up form the table or ran.

Still even though he seemed to always look terrible there was something about him that seemed the best. He was smiling a whole lot more, and he had this cheerful aura coming off of him, plus his grades were actually impressive for once at school. When Shampoo came back and tried to "glomp" onto him he merely broke the embrace and went on his way. When Ukyo offered him a dinner he didn't take the offer, and when Mousse came for a fight he dealt with it quickly. He was in a rush a lot, and it made everyone suspicious. Then on Friday at the dinner table:

"No Ranma again?" Kasumi questioned. "Oh my I wonder where he is."

"I was thinking the same thing." Nodoka added. "Akane do you know where your fiancé is?" Nodoka asked turning her attention to the shorthaired girl. Akane nodded and wore a worried face. "Where is he then?"

"Tendo. You don't think he's found another girl do you?" Genma asked leaning over to the Tendo father.

Soun went into his big, demon head phases, and yelled: "He better not have! How dare he do this to my poor Akane? …" Then after all that he went into a crying fit, and everyone just looked on nervously as if they didn't want to know him.

Akane shook her head gently. "No. He didn't find another girl." Akane stated as the others looked to her. She rose her head and gave them a big smile. "If he were why would he be coming home in the state he does?" She finished her meal and left.

After Akane was gone they all went back to their meals. Nabiki stopped. "What if he is seeing another girl though? I tried to follow him, but he must've known I would because I lost him right away." Nabiki said.

* * *

Then came Saturday, and once school finished Ranma didn't go anywhere to fast. He wasn't in such of a hurry to get wherever he had been going so suddenly. That's what tipped Akane off that it was her chance to interrogate him about his after-school activities.

"Ranma." Akane said looking to the ground as she walked behind him. He didn't turn to her, or nothing. "Ranma!" Akane yelled which Ranma definitely noticed as shown by the cringe that he had when she yelled. He turned to her and the two stopped their walking.

"What's up Akane?" Ranma asked with a smile.

"Don't 'What's up' me! Where have you been going all week?" Akane said right to his face intimidating him a bit.

Ranma nervously let multiple thoughts fly through his head before replying. "I don't really want ta say nothin' about that just yet." He replied.

She grew a bit angry and clenched her fists. "Why not?" She yelled to his face. She stopped and slumps her shoulders still looking to the ground. "Are you seeing some new girlfriend?" She asked in a gentle voice.

"Akane?" He scratches his head. "Do you really think I'd want anymore than I have?" He asked in all seriousness. "I don't have a new girlfriend, or fiancée or nothin'."

"Oh. So you're visiting Shampoo, or Ukyo, or maybe Kodachi then is it?" Akane asked offensively.

"What? No I haven't been seeing them either." Ranma said in an irritated tone.

"Then it is a new girl?" Akane asked angered by his dating some girl.

"I just told you…Pheh." Ranma turned away and gave her the cold shoulder. "You really think of me in that way after so long? I'll answer your dumb question later tomboy." Ranma said in an angry voice as he jumped to the rooftops and away across town.

Akane stood there in her place and began to tear up. "I can't believe him! Honestly! Like he needs anymore girls begging to be his!" Akane screamed as she kicked a garbage can that had a sign reading: 'Don't kick can'

* * *

That evening at about five Ranma came to the house with a big smile, and a small white paper bag. He ran through the house shouting one name: Akane. He finally found the girl up on the roof after asking Kasumi.

"Hey Akane." Ranma said enthusiastically as he jumped onto the roof. He noticed that she had cried. "Hey" He said walking over to her. She hugged her knees more tightly as he got closer and she placed her head in them. "What's wrong Akane?"

Her brow furrowed as a *ping* went off in her head and she went from sad to angry. "What's wrong with me?" She yelled looking to him with a scowl. "You're what's wrong with me! You're acting so weird, and you have some mystery girlfriend that you don't…" Akane rambled as Ranma knelt beside her and stopped her speech by pushing her over using his index finger.

"'Ya shoulda' blocked that." Ranma said with a laugh.

Akane sat up and became enraged and drew her mallet. "How dare you?" She cried for all of Nerima to hear.

"Akane I don't have any girlfriends and you know that." He said quickly taking the mallet away.

"Then where were you everyday?" Akane questioned in post-anger.

"Here." Ranma handed her the white paper bag and she took it with hesitation.

She opened it and took out two bags of candy, a bunch of lollipops, sweet buns, and cherry mochi. "What does all this have to do with anything?" Akane asked looking from the bag's contents to Ranma confused.

"Well" Ranma coughed, but it was the kind you do when you're nervous. "I worked hard all week landscaping, and painting, and building a shed to get some money." Ranma explained. He stopped and grew embarrassed and his face became pink. "I, uh, well, you were acting so jealous about me getting free treats and not you, that I, er, wanted to give you some." Ranma said looking to the roof in embarrassment.

Akane blinked and stared at him, and she looked to the bag and then back at him. She smiled and blushed as well. "Th-thank you Ranma." She let out struggling with the first part. She was wrong, and maybe Ranma wasn't some pervert after all.

"Just be careful," Ranma warned as he walked away. "We don't want your hips getting any bigger then they are." Ranma said with a laugh.

Akane stood there a second taking in what he said, and processed it as an insult about her having big hips. "Ranma!" She took her mallet in one hand and hit Ranma off the roof. "You're lucky I can't hit you as far with only one hand." She said with a giggle and sticking her tongue out to him as he lied on the grass below.

"H-Hey!" Ranma shouted standing up. He was about to yell at her some more, but she gave him one of her patented "cute" smiles and he froze up. She just walked inside and enjoyed her bag of treats as he collapsed to the ground after two hours of standing in that position.