As always, thank you for the reviews and I'm glad nobody's mad over the
misunderstanding. If anything like that is ever to happen again, I will
make it known. Thank you for understanding ^^. As for the 'common thug,'
just wanna let you guys know that we haven't seen the last of him, and please remember not everything is as it seems. Well, I hope you enjoy the story. If you have any comments, review, for I am sure to read them, but please no flames. My policy is any flames will be deleted. But criticism
is always welcome. Happy reading!
Disclaimer: I've said it before and I'll probably be saying this ten more
times, I OWN NOTHING!
Chapter 3
"Stay close to me, Baby," Akane whispered to Jina. She was reassured when her daughter squeezed her hand a little tighter.
It was a week later, and Akane had taken two weeks off from her job, but her boss had been very understanding, considering that she hadn't taken any time off before in the five years she worked with him, besides maternity leave.
Little Jina kept close to her mother as they walked through the crowded airport in Tokyo. She looked left and right and back again, lost in the crown. Just then, someone bumped into her, and her hand slipped from Akane's. "Momma!" Jina shrieked. She couldn't see her mother in the horde of people. That's when Jina panicked. She looked back and forth, calling out, "Momma! Momma!" She began sobbing as fear clutched her heart. Shakily, she sat down on a bench and cried miserably.
After a while, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into soft blue- gray eyes and a comforting smile which she thought she'd seen before, but her panic-stricken mind couldn't recall. He spoke soothing works that she couldn't understand, and offered her his hand. She reluctantly took it, and they walked to some place, Jina hoped, that would reunite her with her mother. As they walked, she studied the young man. He wore a navy-blue hat that looked somewhat like a beret, and a navy-blue Chinese-style shirt, with black pants. A black braided pigtail poked out from behind his hat. He said something else, and pointed at a man in a uniform. He led her up to the man and they began talking rapidly in that foreign tongue.
Jina tugged on the uniformed man's arm. "Can you help me find my momma?" She pleaded.
"Ah, so you speak English!" The officer said with a smile. He turned to the younger man and spoke a few more strange words, and the man nodded. Then, the officer back to Jina. "Do you know your mother's full name?"
"Yes," Jina said softly. "It's Akane. Akane Tendo. I'm her daughter, Jina."
"All right," the man said. "I'll page her in English." He held up his walkie-talkie and spoke into it.
Moments later, a woman's voice came over the loud speaker. "Akane Tendo, please report to customer service desk number four."
The wait wasn't long. Her mother was there, in tears, and hugging her daughter close. "Jina! Please don't do that to me again! Oh, Baby! My baby!" She stood and faced the officer. "Thank you so much!"
"Well, it ought to be HIM you're thanking," the man said, pointing over to the younger man, who was now faced away from them, staring out the window. "That is, if you speak Japanese. He brought her to me."
She nodded, taking hold of Jina's hand firmly and approaching the man. She cleared her throat. "Sir? Thank you for helping my daughter. I owe everything to you-" she had started in Japanese, but stopped when the man turned around. "R-Ranma?"
"Hello, Akane," he said softly, with a ghost of a smile. "I'm glad I could help her." He studied the beautiful woman in front of him, taking in every feature of her face, eyes searching until they found her lovely brown ones. He noticed that she had grown her hair out once again. It flowed in beautiful dark waves below her shoulders. The pangs of regret in his heart had been frequent when he thought of Akane, and here she was, more beautiful than he had ever imagined, making his heart almost bleed with bitter-sweetness. Akane was. Radiant. Beauteous. Any word describing good looks fit Akane.
She looked away from him, down at Jina. She glanced back at him, finding words difficult to say but easy to think. Ranma was there! Ranma, the man she had once been engaged to, the one she had secretly loved, and still loved even now. He was exactly like she remembered him. Well, almost. He had his attractive face and body, with his intense blue-gray eyes, but his arms were much more powerful looking, and he had grown. He was a very handsome man. "Ranma, it's such a surprise to see you here!" Akane finally breathed.
"Yeah. Well, since Ryoga and Ukyo couldn't be here to escort you home, I came instead." He took off his hat and bowed politely. "At your service, ladies," he said.
Jina tugged on her mother's sleeve. "Momma, do you know him?"
"Oh, yes Jina! This is Ranma!" Akane explained.
The little girl took a step toward Ranma. She turned to Akane. "I like him. Momma, maybe he can be my daddy?" She gave as big of a hug as she could around his waist.
He chuckled as he hugged the little girl back. "She's sure somethin', Akane," he said. "What's she sayin', anyway?"
"Um. She's saying that she likes you. And she's thanking you," Akane said with a blush at hiding the true meaning of Jina's words from Ranma.
The pigtailed martial artist gave Jina a gentle pat on the back. "Well, I was glad to do it."
Unknown to Ranma, instead of relaying his message, Akane was gently chiding her daughter. "Jina, you mustn't say things like that! It's very rude!"
Hanging her head, Jina mumbled, "Sorry, Momma."
"Well, Kasumi's waiting," Ranma said, anxious to get back home away from Akane. It pained him to be so near her, especially now, after being away from her for so long, it took all of his willpower not to touch her or embrace her. He felt the longing deep inside of him, but willed it away. Instead he reminded himself of the reason that he wasn't with her now. It was easy to do. All he had to do was look at the living proof of Akane's unfaithfulness- Jina. This gave him the leverage he needed with his feelings. Still, he looked at Akane, and couldn't help but think, 'Akane, why'd you have to go and be so damn beautiful after all this time?'
Akane held her daughter's hand rather tightly as she followed Ranma outside of the airport. "Ranma? What are we going to be doing?"
"Driving," was his answer.
She snorted at him. "Driving? You? Now THAT'S a scary thought! Pigs will fly before I ever let a raving perverted lunatic like you drive my daughter anywhere! I'm driving."
"Hey!" Ranma shouted defensively. "What did I do to deserve that?! Man, Akane, you haven't changed a bit! You're STILL uncute, still violent, and MY GIRL-SIDE'S STILL BETTER BUILT THAN YOU'LL EVER BE!" He stuck out his tongue at her.
"Why you HENTAI!" Akane slammed her suitcase into his face. "That does it! I didn't even WANT to come here in the first place!" She grabbed Jina's hand and stalked away, half-dragging the stunned child away.
He bounced up from the floor. "Where the hell you think you're going!?" He shouted.
Tears sprang from Akane's eyes as she whirled to face him. "Home! Jina and I are going home!"
"Oh no you don't-" Ranma said, jumping in front of her. "I promised Kasumi that I'd bring you back, and that's what I'm gonna do!"
Disbelief filled Akane's eyes. "You PROMISED Kasumi? Is that all I am to you? A promise? Sayonara, Ranma Saotome."
This time he wouldn't let her have her way. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her rather violently over to face him. "Yes, it's a promise. And you're coming. If I have to drag you there!"
"But aren't YOU even happy to see me?" Akane winced as he tightened his grip on her wrist.
Ranma let go of her. "Not really," he said. "Not when all we do is fight. Sorry, Akane."
"Momma? Why are you so mad at Ranma?" Jina had finally found her words. "Aren't we going to see Aunt Kasumi?"
Looking back and forth from Ranma to Jina, Akane sighed. "Yes, Jina," she answered wearily. She looked back at Ranma. "Ranma, I'm sorry. Just, please drive careful." She looked away. "Jina is my whole life. If anything ever were to happen to her."
"It's okay, Akane. I'll be careful," Ranma promised.
"Friends?" Akane meekly asked.
"Friends," Ranma answered.
* * *
"Jeez, Akane, did you pack your whole house with?!" Ranma complained as he dragged in the fifth and last of Akane's big heavy travel bags into the guestroom (which was also Akane's old room).
Akane herself had brought up her suitcase, which was heavy in its own right. "Oh, Ranma, quit complaining! You didn't HAVE to help us with the luggage."
"Yeah, I keep forgetting that under that nice dress and makeup there's a violent macho gorilla," Ranma retorted.
Moments later a crack formed on the outside of the house, while a loud shrill voice could be heard. "RANMA NO BAKA!"
The noise woke Genma up from his nap. 'Akane's back!' He was still in panda form, but that was forgotten when he clomped down the stairs to give Akane a panda hug. When he reached downstairs, he didn't see Akane there, but he did see a little girl standing there. 'It's Akane's little girl!' He ran at the child to give her a hug, and wondered why she screamed and ran away. Then he turned to see Akane. He gave her clumsy hug. "Mr. Saotome." Akane said softly.
"AAGHH! The panda's eating my mommy!" Jina screamed.
Akane let go of Genma and went over to comfort Jina. "It's okay, Baby," she soothed. "He's a nice panda. Go on. Give him a hug." She nudged Jina forward.
The little girl hesitantly approached Genma. She reached up and tentatively stroked his furry arm. Then she gave him as big of a hug as she could. "Nice panda," she whispered.
"Mr. Saotome, where's Dad?" Akane questioned the panda. The panda pointed up the stairs. "I'll be back," she said walking up the stairs. She came to her father's closed door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked.
"Come in," said a scratchy voice.
She did as she was told. "Hello, Dad."
"Kasumi, could you." Soun trailed off when he realized that the daughter that entered was not his oldest, but his youngest. He coughed hoarsely.
She fell to her knees beside him. "Oh, Dad! Are you all right?"
He pretended to fall asleep. He began fake snoring.
"Oh," Akane whispered, tears threatening. "This is the way you want it? Then forget I was ever here!" She tore out of his room, the tears rolling down her cheeks. She entered her room and closed the door behind her. She stood in the middle of the room for a long while, silently sniffling and with fists clenched at her sides. She looked over at her open closet and realized that it was just how she had left it. Inside were her school dresses and gi. Then, Akane had an incredible urge to do something. She unzipped her dress and stepped out of it. She changed bras and slipped on the gi. She looked at herself in the mirror. Instead of feeling completely comfortable in it, she felt oddly out of place. The gi didn't match her. Her hair fell below her shoulders in beautiful waves, and her face seemed to have replaced its cute fierceness with delicate beauty. She looked longingly at her reflection and touched the mirror. "I don't know you anymore," she whispered to herself. Looking away, she spied a yellow ribbon on her dresser. Akane picked it up and tied her hair back. She looked back at her reflection, still wondering what was missing. Finally, she left to go out to the dojo. She spied Ranma in the backyard and watched him intensely as he performed a kata.
Ranma was aware of Akane the minute she came out, but he pretended not to see her as he moved through the kata. He knew if he saw her that he would lose his concentration, but he could FEEL her presence. That longing in his heart returned to him and he pushed it aside with more abrupt movements. He finished it and turned to her. "Akane, what-?" He saw Akane leaving and stopped in mid-sentence. He hesitated for a moment, then followed her to the dojo itself.
"KYAAA!" Akane screamed in a rage as she split the concrete block in tow with her hand. After doing that, she turned to a punching bag that she had hung up earlier. Then she began her assault on the punching bag. She let out a cry every now and then as both of her fists collided repeatedly with the bag. "YAAAH!" She shouted as she gave the final kick to the punching bag.
She had no idea that Ranma had been watching her. He stood beside the doorway and watched her, amazed. It wasn't that she was going too fast for him, but she HAD gained in speed. 'Guess havin' a little toddler to chase around gets ya in shape,' he thought wryly. He noticed something else, though. He saw a hurt hidden deep behind the angry front she'd put up. He'd seen it before as well. He'd seen it the day she left. He'd seen it when she told him why they couldn't marry. He saw it now. He noticed Akane getting ready to launch another assault on the punching bag. "Hey, I'm surprised that thing is still here," he said lightly.
She didn't look up at him. "Give it another week," she replied. "So far I haven't found a punching bag that can last more than that, and this one is brand new."
"Why does that not surprise me?" Ranma rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Akane, let's spar. It'll give your bag a break."
"You, Ranma Saotome, are asking ME to spar with you?" Akane said, raising her eyebrows. "Wow. Whatever happened to that 'I don't hit girls' speech of yours?"
"Who said I'd be the one attacking?" Ranma smirked, then turned serious. "Try to hit me."
Akane smiled grimly. "Okay. Whatever you say, Ranma." She was about to nail Ranma when she heard Jina's scream. Startled, she missed him and her fist went through the wall. She pulled it out and raced out of the dojo. "Jina! Jina!"
"Ohohohoho!" Kodachi's insane laughter sent ice water through Akane's veins. "My darling Ranma! Who is this little child who has come out of the Tendo home?"
Ranma had stopped and now stood beside Akane. "Let go of the girl, Kodachi. Let go of Jina."
"Jina? Jina! Ugh, what a most foul name for a child," Kodachi said with disgust. She jumped up on the wall surrounding the yard.
"Kodachi," Akane cried. "Please, let her go!"
The crazed woman turned her attention to Akane. "Well, if it isn't Akane Tendo," she said with a wicked grin. "And who, Akane, might this be? Oh, it is your daughter, I believe, conceived out of your deception of Ranma Darling?"
"Let Jina go," Ranma growled out in a voice that wasn't his. "Or things are gonna get really ugly, Kodachi."
"I think not," Kodachi replied, leaping to a high branch of a tree. "For the pain you have caused my Ranma Darling your daughter shall die." She set the child down and prepared to slash at Jina with her ribbon.
"NO!" Akane screamed. She leapt up onto the wall and to the branch that Kodachi stood on faster than she ever thought she could, tackling the mad gymnast.
"Momma!" Jina cried as she lost her balance.
Time slowed for Akane as she watched her daughter plummet to the ground, out of her reach. "Jina!" She blinked and there she saw Ranma, with her child in the safety of his arms. Then, turning her full attention to Kodachi, she lifted her arm and punched the woman out cold. "You almost killed my daughter. I will do far worse to you if you ever come within one hundred yards of her again," she whispered.
It began to rain, and Jina stirred in Ranma-chan's arms. She opened her eyes and looked up at the redhead who held her. "Ranko. You saved me," she said softly. The only word Ranma knew that Jina had spoken was the name she had been given as cover-up form her mother. She gazed down at the little girl in disbelief, then smiled. "Ranko. Eh, kiddo?" Her smile faded when the little girl's head fell against her breast. "Akane, I'm taking her inside. She fainted."
Akane punted Kodachi into orbit and then followed. "Coming, Ranma. Is she.Okay?" She snatched up her daughter the minute Ranma set the girl down.
"She'll be fine, Akane," Ranma said softly.
Seeing her daughter seemingly sleep peacefully. Akane set Jina down and threw herself into Ranma's arms. "Oh, thank you, Ranma! Thank you so much! You saved my girl!"
"Um. Yeah, it's cool, Akane," Ranma said, trying to keep cool herself. "Why did she call me Ranko?" Ranma asked when she was free of Akane's grasp.
"Ranko? Oh, well, we went through some old pictures and when your pictures came up, both male and female of you, I found it easier for her to grasp the concept of you being two people instead of one. You understand me," Akane paused, looking at Ranma sheepishly, "don't you?"
"Oh, yeah, I guess so," Ranma replied with a shrug. "I'm gonna go get some hot water, okay? Is there anything I can get you while I'm gone?" She stood.
Akane blinked. 'Boy, Ranma's sure changed! Or maybe I just didn't see this side of him before.' "Um, if it's not too much trouble.could you bring some tea?"
"Sure," Ranma said, turning to go.
"Oh, Ranma," Akane called before she left and watched her turn around. "Also, I left a box of hot chocolate mix on the counter in the kitchen," Akane started, noticing how Ranma perked up at that. "If you could, could you also make some hot chocolate for Jina? It's her favorite. You can have some, too." Akane giggled.
"'Kay, Akane. I'll be back in a bit," Ranma said, grinning. "Thanks."
"No, thank you, Ranma," Akane corrected her. "You're the one doing all of the work."
The redhead shrugged as she left the room. "No problem, Akane. I'm glad to do it."
With regret, Akane watched Ranma go. "Why," she whispered. "Why could we have been like this years back when it actually mattered?" Then maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way." She trailed off at that thought. She looked at Jina. If things HAD been different, Jina wouldn't have been born. Akane could never have gotten through most hard times she had without Jina there. Jina meant EVERYTHING to Akane. Just as Ranma had once been to her. Now, he was the hardest of all to face, because she knew that she could never have him. And her father? She sighed. No, she doubted that she would ever truly win his approval again, and that hurt. Soon, though, she would be back in San Francisco with only Jina to worry about, and this set her mind more at ease. In San Francisco, she could let her guard down without getting hurt.
"Akane, is something wrong?" Ranma was back, and he'd caught her anguished expression.
She forced a smile. "Oh, not at all! I was just. . . worried about Jina!" She looked at her daughter.
He set two mugs down and reached up for the third mug balanced on his head. Then, he followed Akane's gaze to the little girl and sipped out of the mug. Ranma set it down and placed a palm on the girl's forehead. "She'll be fine, Akane," he said gently. If only he had known the true reason behind Akane's frown.
* * *
Author's note: Hope this chapter was all it was cracked up to be. Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Review! Or even e-mail me (though it may take me years to answer, since I'm not very good at answering e-mails; ask my friends and they'll tell you). Although I've been making more efforts to check my e-mails, so. Who knows? I've been hit with a writer's block lately. So that's what everybody has to look forward to in upcoming updates. You have been warned. LOL. I will be out of town until early next week, so you can probably expect the next chapter to be up sometime in the middle of the week. Until then, take care and I promise to update ASAP. ^^ --halliegirl-
Ranma no baka- Ranma you idiot
Hentai- pervert, or perverted cartoon (this way is used as pervert)
Sayonara- goodbye
just wanna let you guys know that we haven't seen the last of him, and please remember not everything is as it seems. Well, I hope you enjoy the story. If you have any comments, review, for I am sure to read them, but please no flames. My policy is any flames will be deleted. But criticism
is always welcome. Happy reading!
Disclaimer: I've said it before and I'll probably be saying this ten more
times, I OWN NOTHING!
Chapter 3
"Stay close to me, Baby," Akane whispered to Jina. She was reassured when her daughter squeezed her hand a little tighter.
It was a week later, and Akane had taken two weeks off from her job, but her boss had been very understanding, considering that she hadn't taken any time off before in the five years she worked with him, besides maternity leave.
Little Jina kept close to her mother as they walked through the crowded airport in Tokyo. She looked left and right and back again, lost in the crown. Just then, someone bumped into her, and her hand slipped from Akane's. "Momma!" Jina shrieked. She couldn't see her mother in the horde of people. That's when Jina panicked. She looked back and forth, calling out, "Momma! Momma!" She began sobbing as fear clutched her heart. Shakily, she sat down on a bench and cried miserably.
After a while, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into soft blue- gray eyes and a comforting smile which she thought she'd seen before, but her panic-stricken mind couldn't recall. He spoke soothing works that she couldn't understand, and offered her his hand. She reluctantly took it, and they walked to some place, Jina hoped, that would reunite her with her mother. As they walked, she studied the young man. He wore a navy-blue hat that looked somewhat like a beret, and a navy-blue Chinese-style shirt, with black pants. A black braided pigtail poked out from behind his hat. He said something else, and pointed at a man in a uniform. He led her up to the man and they began talking rapidly in that foreign tongue.
Jina tugged on the uniformed man's arm. "Can you help me find my momma?" She pleaded.
"Ah, so you speak English!" The officer said with a smile. He turned to the younger man and spoke a few more strange words, and the man nodded. Then, the officer back to Jina. "Do you know your mother's full name?"
"Yes," Jina said softly. "It's Akane. Akane Tendo. I'm her daughter, Jina."
"All right," the man said. "I'll page her in English." He held up his walkie-talkie and spoke into it.
Moments later, a woman's voice came over the loud speaker. "Akane Tendo, please report to customer service desk number four."
The wait wasn't long. Her mother was there, in tears, and hugging her daughter close. "Jina! Please don't do that to me again! Oh, Baby! My baby!" She stood and faced the officer. "Thank you so much!"
"Well, it ought to be HIM you're thanking," the man said, pointing over to the younger man, who was now faced away from them, staring out the window. "That is, if you speak Japanese. He brought her to me."
She nodded, taking hold of Jina's hand firmly and approaching the man. She cleared her throat. "Sir? Thank you for helping my daughter. I owe everything to you-" she had started in Japanese, but stopped when the man turned around. "R-Ranma?"
"Hello, Akane," he said softly, with a ghost of a smile. "I'm glad I could help her." He studied the beautiful woman in front of him, taking in every feature of her face, eyes searching until they found her lovely brown ones. He noticed that she had grown her hair out once again. It flowed in beautiful dark waves below her shoulders. The pangs of regret in his heart had been frequent when he thought of Akane, and here she was, more beautiful than he had ever imagined, making his heart almost bleed with bitter-sweetness. Akane was. Radiant. Beauteous. Any word describing good looks fit Akane.
She looked away from him, down at Jina. She glanced back at him, finding words difficult to say but easy to think. Ranma was there! Ranma, the man she had once been engaged to, the one she had secretly loved, and still loved even now. He was exactly like she remembered him. Well, almost. He had his attractive face and body, with his intense blue-gray eyes, but his arms were much more powerful looking, and he had grown. He was a very handsome man. "Ranma, it's such a surprise to see you here!" Akane finally breathed.
"Yeah. Well, since Ryoga and Ukyo couldn't be here to escort you home, I came instead." He took off his hat and bowed politely. "At your service, ladies," he said.
Jina tugged on her mother's sleeve. "Momma, do you know him?"
"Oh, yes Jina! This is Ranma!" Akane explained.
The little girl took a step toward Ranma. She turned to Akane. "I like him. Momma, maybe he can be my daddy?" She gave as big of a hug as she could around his waist.
He chuckled as he hugged the little girl back. "She's sure somethin', Akane," he said. "What's she sayin', anyway?"
"Um. She's saying that she likes you. And she's thanking you," Akane said with a blush at hiding the true meaning of Jina's words from Ranma.
The pigtailed martial artist gave Jina a gentle pat on the back. "Well, I was glad to do it."
Unknown to Ranma, instead of relaying his message, Akane was gently chiding her daughter. "Jina, you mustn't say things like that! It's very rude!"
Hanging her head, Jina mumbled, "Sorry, Momma."
"Well, Kasumi's waiting," Ranma said, anxious to get back home away from Akane. It pained him to be so near her, especially now, after being away from her for so long, it took all of his willpower not to touch her or embrace her. He felt the longing deep inside of him, but willed it away. Instead he reminded himself of the reason that he wasn't with her now. It was easy to do. All he had to do was look at the living proof of Akane's unfaithfulness- Jina. This gave him the leverage he needed with his feelings. Still, he looked at Akane, and couldn't help but think, 'Akane, why'd you have to go and be so damn beautiful after all this time?'
Akane held her daughter's hand rather tightly as she followed Ranma outside of the airport. "Ranma? What are we going to be doing?"
"Driving," was his answer.
She snorted at him. "Driving? You? Now THAT'S a scary thought! Pigs will fly before I ever let a raving perverted lunatic like you drive my daughter anywhere! I'm driving."
"Hey!" Ranma shouted defensively. "What did I do to deserve that?! Man, Akane, you haven't changed a bit! You're STILL uncute, still violent, and MY GIRL-SIDE'S STILL BETTER BUILT THAN YOU'LL EVER BE!" He stuck out his tongue at her.
"Why you HENTAI!" Akane slammed her suitcase into his face. "That does it! I didn't even WANT to come here in the first place!" She grabbed Jina's hand and stalked away, half-dragging the stunned child away.
He bounced up from the floor. "Where the hell you think you're going!?" He shouted.
Tears sprang from Akane's eyes as she whirled to face him. "Home! Jina and I are going home!"
"Oh no you don't-" Ranma said, jumping in front of her. "I promised Kasumi that I'd bring you back, and that's what I'm gonna do!"
Disbelief filled Akane's eyes. "You PROMISED Kasumi? Is that all I am to you? A promise? Sayonara, Ranma Saotome."
This time he wouldn't let her have her way. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her rather violently over to face him. "Yes, it's a promise. And you're coming. If I have to drag you there!"
"But aren't YOU even happy to see me?" Akane winced as he tightened his grip on her wrist.
Ranma let go of her. "Not really," he said. "Not when all we do is fight. Sorry, Akane."
"Momma? Why are you so mad at Ranma?" Jina had finally found her words. "Aren't we going to see Aunt Kasumi?"
Looking back and forth from Ranma to Jina, Akane sighed. "Yes, Jina," she answered wearily. She looked back at Ranma. "Ranma, I'm sorry. Just, please drive careful." She looked away. "Jina is my whole life. If anything ever were to happen to her."
"It's okay, Akane. I'll be careful," Ranma promised.
"Friends?" Akane meekly asked.
"Friends," Ranma answered.
* * *
"Jeez, Akane, did you pack your whole house with?!" Ranma complained as he dragged in the fifth and last of Akane's big heavy travel bags into the guestroom (which was also Akane's old room).
Akane herself had brought up her suitcase, which was heavy in its own right. "Oh, Ranma, quit complaining! You didn't HAVE to help us with the luggage."
"Yeah, I keep forgetting that under that nice dress and makeup there's a violent macho gorilla," Ranma retorted.
Moments later a crack formed on the outside of the house, while a loud shrill voice could be heard. "RANMA NO BAKA!"
The noise woke Genma up from his nap. 'Akane's back!' He was still in panda form, but that was forgotten when he clomped down the stairs to give Akane a panda hug. When he reached downstairs, he didn't see Akane there, but he did see a little girl standing there. 'It's Akane's little girl!' He ran at the child to give her a hug, and wondered why she screamed and ran away. Then he turned to see Akane. He gave her clumsy hug. "Mr. Saotome." Akane said softly.
"AAGHH! The panda's eating my mommy!" Jina screamed.
Akane let go of Genma and went over to comfort Jina. "It's okay, Baby," she soothed. "He's a nice panda. Go on. Give him a hug." She nudged Jina forward.
The little girl hesitantly approached Genma. She reached up and tentatively stroked his furry arm. Then she gave him as big of a hug as she could. "Nice panda," she whispered.
"Mr. Saotome, where's Dad?" Akane questioned the panda. The panda pointed up the stairs. "I'll be back," she said walking up the stairs. She came to her father's closed door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked.
"Come in," said a scratchy voice.
She did as she was told. "Hello, Dad."
"Kasumi, could you." Soun trailed off when he realized that the daughter that entered was not his oldest, but his youngest. He coughed hoarsely.
She fell to her knees beside him. "Oh, Dad! Are you all right?"
He pretended to fall asleep. He began fake snoring.
"Oh," Akane whispered, tears threatening. "This is the way you want it? Then forget I was ever here!" She tore out of his room, the tears rolling down her cheeks. She entered her room and closed the door behind her. She stood in the middle of the room for a long while, silently sniffling and with fists clenched at her sides. She looked over at her open closet and realized that it was just how she had left it. Inside were her school dresses and gi. Then, Akane had an incredible urge to do something. She unzipped her dress and stepped out of it. She changed bras and slipped on the gi. She looked at herself in the mirror. Instead of feeling completely comfortable in it, she felt oddly out of place. The gi didn't match her. Her hair fell below her shoulders in beautiful waves, and her face seemed to have replaced its cute fierceness with delicate beauty. She looked longingly at her reflection and touched the mirror. "I don't know you anymore," she whispered to herself. Looking away, she spied a yellow ribbon on her dresser. Akane picked it up and tied her hair back. She looked back at her reflection, still wondering what was missing. Finally, she left to go out to the dojo. She spied Ranma in the backyard and watched him intensely as he performed a kata.
Ranma was aware of Akane the minute she came out, but he pretended not to see her as he moved through the kata. He knew if he saw her that he would lose his concentration, but he could FEEL her presence. That longing in his heart returned to him and he pushed it aside with more abrupt movements. He finished it and turned to her. "Akane, what-?" He saw Akane leaving and stopped in mid-sentence. He hesitated for a moment, then followed her to the dojo itself.
"KYAAA!" Akane screamed in a rage as she split the concrete block in tow with her hand. After doing that, she turned to a punching bag that she had hung up earlier. Then she began her assault on the punching bag. She let out a cry every now and then as both of her fists collided repeatedly with the bag. "YAAAH!" She shouted as she gave the final kick to the punching bag.
She had no idea that Ranma had been watching her. He stood beside the doorway and watched her, amazed. It wasn't that she was going too fast for him, but she HAD gained in speed. 'Guess havin' a little toddler to chase around gets ya in shape,' he thought wryly. He noticed something else, though. He saw a hurt hidden deep behind the angry front she'd put up. He'd seen it before as well. He'd seen it the day she left. He'd seen it when she told him why they couldn't marry. He saw it now. He noticed Akane getting ready to launch another assault on the punching bag. "Hey, I'm surprised that thing is still here," he said lightly.
She didn't look up at him. "Give it another week," she replied. "So far I haven't found a punching bag that can last more than that, and this one is brand new."
"Why does that not surprise me?" Ranma rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Akane, let's spar. It'll give your bag a break."
"You, Ranma Saotome, are asking ME to spar with you?" Akane said, raising her eyebrows. "Wow. Whatever happened to that 'I don't hit girls' speech of yours?"
"Who said I'd be the one attacking?" Ranma smirked, then turned serious. "Try to hit me."
Akane smiled grimly. "Okay. Whatever you say, Ranma." She was about to nail Ranma when she heard Jina's scream. Startled, she missed him and her fist went through the wall. She pulled it out and raced out of the dojo. "Jina! Jina!"
"Ohohohoho!" Kodachi's insane laughter sent ice water through Akane's veins. "My darling Ranma! Who is this little child who has come out of the Tendo home?"
Ranma had stopped and now stood beside Akane. "Let go of the girl, Kodachi. Let go of Jina."
"Jina? Jina! Ugh, what a most foul name for a child," Kodachi said with disgust. She jumped up on the wall surrounding the yard.
"Kodachi," Akane cried. "Please, let her go!"
The crazed woman turned her attention to Akane. "Well, if it isn't Akane Tendo," she said with a wicked grin. "And who, Akane, might this be? Oh, it is your daughter, I believe, conceived out of your deception of Ranma Darling?"
"Let Jina go," Ranma growled out in a voice that wasn't his. "Or things are gonna get really ugly, Kodachi."
"I think not," Kodachi replied, leaping to a high branch of a tree. "For the pain you have caused my Ranma Darling your daughter shall die." She set the child down and prepared to slash at Jina with her ribbon.
"NO!" Akane screamed. She leapt up onto the wall and to the branch that Kodachi stood on faster than she ever thought she could, tackling the mad gymnast.
"Momma!" Jina cried as she lost her balance.
Time slowed for Akane as she watched her daughter plummet to the ground, out of her reach. "Jina!" She blinked and there she saw Ranma, with her child in the safety of his arms. Then, turning her full attention to Kodachi, she lifted her arm and punched the woman out cold. "You almost killed my daughter. I will do far worse to you if you ever come within one hundred yards of her again," she whispered.
It began to rain, and Jina stirred in Ranma-chan's arms. She opened her eyes and looked up at the redhead who held her. "Ranko. You saved me," she said softly. The only word Ranma knew that Jina had spoken was the name she had been given as cover-up form her mother. She gazed down at the little girl in disbelief, then smiled. "Ranko. Eh, kiddo?" Her smile faded when the little girl's head fell against her breast. "Akane, I'm taking her inside. She fainted."
Akane punted Kodachi into orbit and then followed. "Coming, Ranma. Is she.Okay?" She snatched up her daughter the minute Ranma set the girl down.
"She'll be fine, Akane," Ranma said softly.
Seeing her daughter seemingly sleep peacefully. Akane set Jina down and threw herself into Ranma's arms. "Oh, thank you, Ranma! Thank you so much! You saved my girl!"
"Um. Yeah, it's cool, Akane," Ranma said, trying to keep cool herself. "Why did she call me Ranko?" Ranma asked when she was free of Akane's grasp.
"Ranko? Oh, well, we went through some old pictures and when your pictures came up, both male and female of you, I found it easier for her to grasp the concept of you being two people instead of one. You understand me," Akane paused, looking at Ranma sheepishly, "don't you?"
"Oh, yeah, I guess so," Ranma replied with a shrug. "I'm gonna go get some hot water, okay? Is there anything I can get you while I'm gone?" She stood.
Akane blinked. 'Boy, Ranma's sure changed! Or maybe I just didn't see this side of him before.' "Um, if it's not too much trouble.could you bring some tea?"
"Sure," Ranma said, turning to go.
"Oh, Ranma," Akane called before she left and watched her turn around. "Also, I left a box of hot chocolate mix on the counter in the kitchen," Akane started, noticing how Ranma perked up at that. "If you could, could you also make some hot chocolate for Jina? It's her favorite. You can have some, too." Akane giggled.
"'Kay, Akane. I'll be back in a bit," Ranma said, grinning. "Thanks."
"No, thank you, Ranma," Akane corrected her. "You're the one doing all of the work."
The redhead shrugged as she left the room. "No problem, Akane. I'm glad to do it."
With regret, Akane watched Ranma go. "Why," she whispered. "Why could we have been like this years back when it actually mattered?" Then maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way." She trailed off at that thought. She looked at Jina. If things HAD been different, Jina wouldn't have been born. Akane could never have gotten through most hard times she had without Jina there. Jina meant EVERYTHING to Akane. Just as Ranma had once been to her. Now, he was the hardest of all to face, because she knew that she could never have him. And her father? She sighed. No, she doubted that she would ever truly win his approval again, and that hurt. Soon, though, she would be back in San Francisco with only Jina to worry about, and this set her mind more at ease. In San Francisco, she could let her guard down without getting hurt.
"Akane, is something wrong?" Ranma was back, and he'd caught her anguished expression.
She forced a smile. "Oh, not at all! I was just. . . worried about Jina!" She looked at her daughter.
He set two mugs down and reached up for the third mug balanced on his head. Then, he followed Akane's gaze to the little girl and sipped out of the mug. Ranma set it down and placed a palm on the girl's forehead. "She'll be fine, Akane," he said gently. If only he had known the true reason behind Akane's frown.
* * *
Author's note: Hope this chapter was all it was cracked up to be. Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Review! Or even e-mail me (though it may take me years to answer, since I'm not very good at answering e-mails; ask my friends and they'll tell you). Although I've been making more efforts to check my e-mails, so. Who knows? I've been hit with a writer's block lately. So that's what everybody has to look forward to in upcoming updates. You have been warned. LOL. I will be out of town until early next week, so you can probably expect the next chapter to be up sometime in the middle of the week. Until then, take care and I promise to update ASAP. ^^ --halliegirl-
Ranma no baka- Ranma you idiot
Hentai- pervert, or perverted cartoon (this way is used as pervert)
Sayonara- goodbye
