Well, here we are, another chapter. A little late, but still better timing
than last time, especially since I spent most of my vacation away from home
first in the cities and then in Las Vegas. Viva Las Vegas, man! Since it
was a cliffhanger I didn't want to drive everyone nuts for too long. I HAVE
been very busy lately. Frost-Dragon wasn't lying. Still, I do what I can
to keep on updating so people here don't think I croaked or something.
Believe me, if I died, Frost-Dragon would be the first to know LOL.
Okay, there was a question about the name of this story. I was gonna just e-mail the person (which if I get enough time online to do so, I will), but
decided also that everyone else may want to know the idea of the name. Basically, it's for all those reasons mentioned like Ranma and Akane's love
being forever, and Akane probably is going to have that terrible memory forever. Also, there is a main reason for the name, more than any other. Everyone is forever changed. And forever is a long time. (I think there
is becoming another reason for this story's name, though. It is taking
FOREVER to finish! LOL!)
Read, Enjoy, and please review!
Disclaimer: Okay. . . For a funny one. . . Um. . . I'm rich! BWAHAHA! Well, I'm not so please don't sue me! Ranma 1/2 does not belong to me, or
I would be rich enough to sue or be sued!
Chapter 8
The dim lighting in Akane's room made it difficult for Bill to see as he set Jina down on the bed. The child hadn't stirred at all since he had her. He wondered if the fall hadn't injured her in some way. She had fallen on her head. "Daddy never wanted it to be this way," he tried to explain to his daughter's unconscious form. He had to ease his guilt. It gnawed at his insides. A door creaked, which caught his attention. HE approached it and in the doorway, a feminine figure stood. "So there you are, Akane. Come!" It slowly came closer. But the person was silent. It maneuvered its way over to the room where Jina was in, until Bill put his hand on the person. He flipped the light switch on with his elbow, expecting Akane to be in his arms, but instead of her, but instead of the raven-haired beauty, he was holding onto a fiery redhead. "Who the hell are you?" Bill gasped, but looked the girl over. She had a lovely face with soft blue eyes. Her red hair contrasted prettily with her face. She was petite, but not as small as Akane. He noticed her gorgeous figure as well. She was definitely worth wrestling to the floor. "You're as good as mine!"
She slipped from his grasp. "So this is what you did to Akane you BASTARD!" She shouted in Japanese.
"Ah, so you speak Japanese," he said so she could understand him. "Well so do I!" He made a grab for the woman, but she evaded grip again.
"I'm here for the child," she hissed.
"That's one thing you can't have," Bill taunted as he grabbed her by the arm and slammed her into the wall.
Ranma gritted her teeth. 'Damn! He's. . . too. . . strong!" She gathered all of her energy into one huge blast. Take THIS! MOKO TAKABISHA!" The blast hit him, and he flew back, stunned. She raced into the other room, and was horrified to find Jina laying still as death. "Jina?" She shook the girl. "Damn what did he do to you? He even hurt you!" Finding that she couldn't wake the child, she pulled Jina's limp body into her arms and jumped through the window, landing on a tree branch. There, Ranma looked back and hesitated when she saw the man in the window. She wanted so badly to just lay Jina on the branch and face him, to tear his limbs apart ; she almost did. But she could tell that Jina was in dire need of medical attention, and every wasted minute just may have meant one less minute to live for Jina. Ranma also worried that if Akane lost her daughter, that she might just lose Akane, and she couldn't let that happen. Decision made, she turned away. Ranma would let him go, for now. She'd hunt him down later. But now, she used the Saotome Secret Technique- she ran, and disappeared from the man's view safely with Akane's daughter.
* * *
"Ranma!" He blinked when he heard his name. It was Akane. "Ranma! You got Jina back! Thank God!" The relief on her face somehow consoled him.
He nodded. "Hai. She is safe. For now. Akane, you have to come home with me."
"I know," she said softly. She spotted a nasty bruise on Ranma's arm. "I told you he was a monster."
A nurse approached them both. They were outside the intensive care unit in a hospital. Ranma had first raced to the nearest hospital and then called Akane at Beverly's. The nurse sighed. She hated bringing bad news to parents about their children. "Excuse me, Miss Tendo, but we just finished up on Jina. She's in a coma. The trauma to her head while she was asleep sent her into a deep coma. From what we can tell, she isn't in danger of death, but I can't tell you when, or even if she'll regain consciousness. It could be today. . . or never. I'm sorry."
"Akane?" Ranma could only tell that the situation wasn't good from her reaction. "How bad is it?"
She looked at him. "She's comatose, Ranma. The doctors don't know how long she'll be like that. For all they know, it could be forever." A tear fell down her cheek. "Ranma, take us home. I don't want to stay here any longer." She accepted his embrace and buried her face in his shoulder. Tears soaked into the fabric of his shirt.
"Then we're going home," he whispered.
* * *
It was weeks later, and Akane was still fighting for citizenship papers for Jina in Japan. And there was the matter of the state allowing Jina to transfer hospitals. Finally., they reluctantly released their hold on the girl, and the citizenship papers for Jina were finalized. Akane marveled at how quickly the process had worked; she'd heard that these things usually took months, or even years. So far she'd been lucky. Although, she also knew that part of it had to do with safety. The man responsible for Jina's injuries was still at large. She sighed, looking out of the window of the plane.
A warm and gentle hand squeezing her shoulder startled her. "What's on your mind?" Ranma asked.
"Jina," Akane answered in a whisper.
"You have to have faith, Akane," Ranma said softly.
Her only response was a sigh as she lay her head on his shoulder. They remained that way until they reached the airport. The first stop they made was to the hospital, to check on Jina. The girl had arrived an hour before. Akane stared at her daughter. She hadn't improved at all, and Akane was beginning to lose hope of her daughter waking up. "Ranma," she said finally. "I just don't know if she'll pull through. I've heard that the more time passes, the less hope there is of someone coming out of a coma."
"Akane. . ." Ranma took her hand. "Whatever happens, I'll be here for you."
She swallowed hard and nodded, looking up at Ranma with a tearful expression. "I know. I have to ask you, Ranma. Do you still want to marry me after this?"
"Of course I do," Ranma said, before she could say anything else.
Akane continued. "I don't want a large wedding or anything. Just a private one with you and me. I only want a large reception. . . if. . ." Akane sobbed. "If Jina wakes up! You don't know how much she loved you. She wanted you so much to be her daddy, Ranma." Akane made an attempt to compose herself. She wiped a tear away from her cheek, but became frustrated when more followed.
"Hey," Ranma said, cupping her face in both hands. "Let's not talk like this. She's still alive, Akane. She still has a chance of living-"
"We ALL had a chance to live!" Akane wailed. "And we all blew it! If we hadn't been forced into being fiancés in the first place, none of this would have happened! We wouldn't have fought so much, and I wouldn't have been so afraid to tell you what that jerk DID to me!" Tears flowed freely, and Akane made no move to brush them aside. "If life won't give you and I a second chance, then what makes you think that Jina will get her second chance that she so deserves?"
Ranma flinched as the truth of her words hit him. Tears were near falling down his own face and he lowered his eyes to the floor. It was at that moment that he realized that not everything Akane had said was true. He raised his eyes to hers. "Our lives didn't end. It took time, but we are living out second chance right now, Akane! We lost a little time the first time around, but then all that means is that we make the best of what time we have now. If we skip this chance, then, yeah, we may not get another chance. Give Jina time. She'll make it. She's your daughter."
"Ranma. . ." Akane stared into his eyes. "Then, be Jina's father. She wants you to be, as do I," she whispered.
"I will," Ranma said, looking past Akane to the listless girl on the bed. He approached the bed and knelt at Jina's side. "You're a lucky girl, Jina," he whispered. "You have Akane for a mother. And I will be the best father I can be. I promise you both that I'll do whatever I can to protect, and love the both of you. Wake up soon, Jina."
A knock sounded on the door, and Genma came in with Soun. "We heard the news," Genma said. "Is the girl all right?"
"I have a lot to tell you, Dad, Mr. Saotome." Akane looked at Ranma, who smiled reassuringly. So Akane told them everything, about the rape, the fear of exposing her weakness to everyone, especially Ranma; her feelings for Ranma, Jina, the evil man, and what he had done to Jina.
Soun grabbed his daughter into his arms. "oh, my little girl! I should have known that you'd never do that to Ranma! Can you ever forgive this foolish old man?" He began crying streams of water.
"Dad," Akane whispered. "It's okay."
He continued sobbing. "Don't worry! Daddy will protect you!" Soun had completely soaked Akane's shirt with tears.
Genma stood there silently. 'So, Akane, I was right. I was right all alone. You weren't to blame for any of this,' he thought.
"And Pop, Mr. Tendo, Akane and I are getting married," Ranma said proudly. "But, Akane wants a PRIVATE wedding." He emphasized the word 'private.'
"Oh, I'm so happy!" Soun hugged Ranma, who struggled against the sobbing man.
"Tendo?" Genma chuckled nervously. "Maybe you should let go of the boy before you choke him and he can't get married," he suggested when he saw his son turning blue.
"Th-thanks, Pop," Ranma gasped as Tendo let go of him.
Akane chuckled, despite herself. "I'm so glad we're HOME."
* * *
The door opened in the hospital room, and Ranma led Akane in. She was dressed in her wedding kimono. T was a week later. She and Ranma had been married that afternoon privately. Akane walked over to Jina's bedside. "Hi, Sweetheart," she whispered. "We're here. You have a daddy and it's official. When you wake up, you're going to start learning Japanese. Then you can talk to EVERYONE! Won't that be wonderful?" Akane bent over and kissed her daughter's cheek.
Her husband went over to join Akane. He stood next to her, and took the girl's hand. Ranma then looked at Akane. He smiled, recalling the moment just hours before when the preacher had pronounced them husband an wife. They were out in a field of wildflowers, away from everyone else. He had been staring into her eyes, and everything around him seemed to fade. His heart had been pounding hard in his chest, and he realized that they hadn't truly kissed before this. As his lips drew closer to hers, he became more determined to make up for that. And he had. As he looked at Akane, now, he marveled at her beauty. "Akane," he said softly. She looked up at him.
As usual, the moment was interrupted. Ryoga, Ukyo, Kuno, Nabiki, Mousse, and Shampoo all came in to greet them and congratulate them. "Look who finally tied the knot," Ryoga teased.
"Or the noose," Nabiki added, laughing. "I mean, knowing my violent sister."
Ranma smiled, wrapping an arm around his bride. "Violent or not, she's just perfect. That's how she keeps in shape, you know," he teased back.
Beside Ranma, Akane blushed. "Oh, stop it," she said sheepishly. "You're embarrassing me!"
"How is Jina?" Shampoo asked in fluent Japanese. "Mousse and I have a stuffed animal for her."
"Arigato, Shampoo," Akane said, taking the stuffed animal and putting it underneath Jina's limp arm.
Ukyo put a comforting hand on Akane's shoulder. "Don't lose heart, Sugar. Jina's a fighter, like you."
"Thanks, Ukyo," Akane said with a grateful smile.
"I hope you guys don't mind," Ranma said, "but Akane and I are making our exit. You guys can stay and keep Jina company if you want."
"We'll stay for a while if you don't mind," Ryoga said.
Akane smiled. "I don't mind," she replied. Jina would love the company."
"If Ryoga and Ukyo are staying, we'll give them some time with Jina," Nabiki said. "C'mon, Kuno-baby, we'll visit tomorrow."
"I follow, Beloved," he said, following her out the door.
Shampoo nodded. "Then we will return tomorrow, too."
"Yes, Shampoo," Mousse agreed. "Well talk to you later, everyone," he called as they left.
"Well," Akane said. "Thanks, both. We'll see you tomorrow, most likely." She smiled at both Ryoga and Ukyo.
"Why tomorrow?" Ranma asked.
"Because I don't feel like cooking." She stuck out her tongue at him. "I already have work in a couple days."
"I still can't believe that you went from being the world's worst cook to being a prized cook in the United States," Ranma teased as they walked out.
"Yep," Akane replied, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "And I'm cooking at my new job, too."
He took her hand. "There's nothin' you can't do, Akane. You amaze me."
She smiled shyly. 'thanks, Ranma." The rest of the walk him, they were silent. It was peaceful. Finally, they reached the Saotome-Tendo dojo. It was quiet, as everyone purposely had gone out for the night. They both went upstairs and Akane was surprised to see that her room was rearranged around. It had a larger dresser and bed, with both Ranma and Akane's clothes hanging up in the closet. "Well, they had to do something."
"I guess," he replied. "Since they couldn't plan the wedding."
She sat down on the bed and looked out the window. "Hmm, I guess we'll both be in here from now on."
"Akane?" Ranma knelt in front of her. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Ranma," she said.
Slowly, he rose to her height, and kissed her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. "Alone at last," she said devilishly.
Ranma smiled. He glanced over at the door to make sure it was closed.
They spent the whole night in each other's arms.
* * *
It was morning in Nerima, and Bill Richards stormed outside of the Inn he had been staying in. "You may have fooled me once, bitch," he hissed. "But you're NOT gonna fool me again!" He stood outside the wall of the Saotome- Tendo dojo. He turned and walked quickly away down the street, as not to be seen.
* * *
Author's note: Okay, kind of another cliffhanger, but hopefully not as bad of a one this time! And a shorter chapter as well. Man, these take forever to type up! (Maybe another reason that my story's called forever?) Oh, and I'll be adding those Japanese words to the bottom of all my chapters now. So, I'll see everyone later. Hope you enjoyed, and please review. Buhbye! --halliegirl
hai- yes
arigato- thank you
to keep on updating so people here don't think I croaked or something.
Believe me, if I died, Frost-Dragon would be the first to know LOL.
Okay, there was a question about the name of this story. I was gonna just e-mail the person (which if I get enough time online to do so, I will), but
decided also that everyone else may want to know the idea of the name. Basically, it's for all those reasons mentioned like Ranma and Akane's love
being forever, and Akane probably is going to have that terrible memory forever. Also, there is a main reason for the name, more than any other. Everyone is forever changed. And forever is a long time. (I think there
is becoming another reason for this story's name, though. It is taking
FOREVER to finish! LOL!)
Read, Enjoy, and please review!
Disclaimer: Okay. . . For a funny one. . . Um. . . I'm rich! BWAHAHA! Well, I'm not so please don't sue me! Ranma 1/2 does not belong to me, or
I would be rich enough to sue or be sued!
Chapter 8
The dim lighting in Akane's room made it difficult for Bill to see as he set Jina down on the bed. The child hadn't stirred at all since he had her. He wondered if the fall hadn't injured her in some way. She had fallen on her head. "Daddy never wanted it to be this way," he tried to explain to his daughter's unconscious form. He had to ease his guilt. It gnawed at his insides. A door creaked, which caught his attention. HE approached it and in the doorway, a feminine figure stood. "So there you are, Akane. Come!" It slowly came closer. But the person was silent. It maneuvered its way over to the room where Jina was in, until Bill put his hand on the person. He flipped the light switch on with his elbow, expecting Akane to be in his arms, but instead of her, but instead of the raven-haired beauty, he was holding onto a fiery redhead. "Who the hell are you?" Bill gasped, but looked the girl over. She had a lovely face with soft blue eyes. Her red hair contrasted prettily with her face. She was petite, but not as small as Akane. He noticed her gorgeous figure as well. She was definitely worth wrestling to the floor. "You're as good as mine!"
She slipped from his grasp. "So this is what you did to Akane you BASTARD!" She shouted in Japanese.
"Ah, so you speak Japanese," he said so she could understand him. "Well so do I!" He made a grab for the woman, but she evaded grip again.
"I'm here for the child," she hissed.
"That's one thing you can't have," Bill taunted as he grabbed her by the arm and slammed her into the wall.
Ranma gritted her teeth. 'Damn! He's. . . too. . . strong!" She gathered all of her energy into one huge blast. Take THIS! MOKO TAKABISHA!" The blast hit him, and he flew back, stunned. She raced into the other room, and was horrified to find Jina laying still as death. "Jina?" She shook the girl. "Damn what did he do to you? He even hurt you!" Finding that she couldn't wake the child, she pulled Jina's limp body into her arms and jumped through the window, landing on a tree branch. There, Ranma looked back and hesitated when she saw the man in the window. She wanted so badly to just lay Jina on the branch and face him, to tear his limbs apart ; she almost did. But she could tell that Jina was in dire need of medical attention, and every wasted minute just may have meant one less minute to live for Jina. Ranma also worried that if Akane lost her daughter, that she might just lose Akane, and she couldn't let that happen. Decision made, she turned away. Ranma would let him go, for now. She'd hunt him down later. But now, she used the Saotome Secret Technique- she ran, and disappeared from the man's view safely with Akane's daughter.
* * *
"Ranma!" He blinked when he heard his name. It was Akane. "Ranma! You got Jina back! Thank God!" The relief on her face somehow consoled him.
He nodded. "Hai. She is safe. For now. Akane, you have to come home with me."
"I know," she said softly. She spotted a nasty bruise on Ranma's arm. "I told you he was a monster."
A nurse approached them both. They were outside the intensive care unit in a hospital. Ranma had first raced to the nearest hospital and then called Akane at Beverly's. The nurse sighed. She hated bringing bad news to parents about their children. "Excuse me, Miss Tendo, but we just finished up on Jina. She's in a coma. The trauma to her head while she was asleep sent her into a deep coma. From what we can tell, she isn't in danger of death, but I can't tell you when, or even if she'll regain consciousness. It could be today. . . or never. I'm sorry."
"Akane?" Ranma could only tell that the situation wasn't good from her reaction. "How bad is it?"
She looked at him. "She's comatose, Ranma. The doctors don't know how long she'll be like that. For all they know, it could be forever." A tear fell down her cheek. "Ranma, take us home. I don't want to stay here any longer." She accepted his embrace and buried her face in his shoulder. Tears soaked into the fabric of his shirt.
"Then we're going home," he whispered.
* * *
It was weeks later, and Akane was still fighting for citizenship papers for Jina in Japan. And there was the matter of the state allowing Jina to transfer hospitals. Finally., they reluctantly released their hold on the girl, and the citizenship papers for Jina were finalized. Akane marveled at how quickly the process had worked; she'd heard that these things usually took months, or even years. So far she'd been lucky. Although, she also knew that part of it had to do with safety. The man responsible for Jina's injuries was still at large. She sighed, looking out of the window of the plane.
A warm and gentle hand squeezing her shoulder startled her. "What's on your mind?" Ranma asked.
"Jina," Akane answered in a whisper.
"You have to have faith, Akane," Ranma said softly.
Her only response was a sigh as she lay her head on his shoulder. They remained that way until they reached the airport. The first stop they made was to the hospital, to check on Jina. The girl had arrived an hour before. Akane stared at her daughter. She hadn't improved at all, and Akane was beginning to lose hope of her daughter waking up. "Ranma," she said finally. "I just don't know if she'll pull through. I've heard that the more time passes, the less hope there is of someone coming out of a coma."
"Akane. . ." Ranma took her hand. "Whatever happens, I'll be here for you."
She swallowed hard and nodded, looking up at Ranma with a tearful expression. "I know. I have to ask you, Ranma. Do you still want to marry me after this?"
"Of course I do," Ranma said, before she could say anything else.
Akane continued. "I don't want a large wedding or anything. Just a private one with you and me. I only want a large reception. . . if. . ." Akane sobbed. "If Jina wakes up! You don't know how much she loved you. She wanted you so much to be her daddy, Ranma." Akane made an attempt to compose herself. She wiped a tear away from her cheek, but became frustrated when more followed.
"Hey," Ranma said, cupping her face in both hands. "Let's not talk like this. She's still alive, Akane. She still has a chance of living-"
"We ALL had a chance to live!" Akane wailed. "And we all blew it! If we hadn't been forced into being fiancés in the first place, none of this would have happened! We wouldn't have fought so much, and I wouldn't have been so afraid to tell you what that jerk DID to me!" Tears flowed freely, and Akane made no move to brush them aside. "If life won't give you and I a second chance, then what makes you think that Jina will get her second chance that she so deserves?"
Ranma flinched as the truth of her words hit him. Tears were near falling down his own face and he lowered his eyes to the floor. It was at that moment that he realized that not everything Akane had said was true. He raised his eyes to hers. "Our lives didn't end. It took time, but we are living out second chance right now, Akane! We lost a little time the first time around, but then all that means is that we make the best of what time we have now. If we skip this chance, then, yeah, we may not get another chance. Give Jina time. She'll make it. She's your daughter."
"Ranma. . ." Akane stared into his eyes. "Then, be Jina's father. She wants you to be, as do I," she whispered.
"I will," Ranma said, looking past Akane to the listless girl on the bed. He approached the bed and knelt at Jina's side. "You're a lucky girl, Jina," he whispered. "You have Akane for a mother. And I will be the best father I can be. I promise you both that I'll do whatever I can to protect, and love the both of you. Wake up soon, Jina."
A knock sounded on the door, and Genma came in with Soun. "We heard the news," Genma said. "Is the girl all right?"
"I have a lot to tell you, Dad, Mr. Saotome." Akane looked at Ranma, who smiled reassuringly. So Akane told them everything, about the rape, the fear of exposing her weakness to everyone, especially Ranma; her feelings for Ranma, Jina, the evil man, and what he had done to Jina.
Soun grabbed his daughter into his arms. "oh, my little girl! I should have known that you'd never do that to Ranma! Can you ever forgive this foolish old man?" He began crying streams of water.
"Dad," Akane whispered. "It's okay."
He continued sobbing. "Don't worry! Daddy will protect you!" Soun had completely soaked Akane's shirt with tears.
Genma stood there silently. 'So, Akane, I was right. I was right all alone. You weren't to blame for any of this,' he thought.
"And Pop, Mr. Tendo, Akane and I are getting married," Ranma said proudly. "But, Akane wants a PRIVATE wedding." He emphasized the word 'private.'
"Oh, I'm so happy!" Soun hugged Ranma, who struggled against the sobbing man.
"Tendo?" Genma chuckled nervously. "Maybe you should let go of the boy before you choke him and he can't get married," he suggested when he saw his son turning blue.
"Th-thanks, Pop," Ranma gasped as Tendo let go of him.
Akane chuckled, despite herself. "I'm so glad we're HOME."
* * *
The door opened in the hospital room, and Ranma led Akane in. She was dressed in her wedding kimono. T was a week later. She and Ranma had been married that afternoon privately. Akane walked over to Jina's bedside. "Hi, Sweetheart," she whispered. "We're here. You have a daddy and it's official. When you wake up, you're going to start learning Japanese. Then you can talk to EVERYONE! Won't that be wonderful?" Akane bent over and kissed her daughter's cheek.
Her husband went over to join Akane. He stood next to her, and took the girl's hand. Ranma then looked at Akane. He smiled, recalling the moment just hours before when the preacher had pronounced them husband an wife. They were out in a field of wildflowers, away from everyone else. He had been staring into her eyes, and everything around him seemed to fade. His heart had been pounding hard in his chest, and he realized that they hadn't truly kissed before this. As his lips drew closer to hers, he became more determined to make up for that. And he had. As he looked at Akane, now, he marveled at her beauty. "Akane," he said softly. She looked up at him.
As usual, the moment was interrupted. Ryoga, Ukyo, Kuno, Nabiki, Mousse, and Shampoo all came in to greet them and congratulate them. "Look who finally tied the knot," Ryoga teased.
"Or the noose," Nabiki added, laughing. "I mean, knowing my violent sister."
Ranma smiled, wrapping an arm around his bride. "Violent or not, she's just perfect. That's how she keeps in shape, you know," he teased back.
Beside Ranma, Akane blushed. "Oh, stop it," she said sheepishly. "You're embarrassing me!"
"How is Jina?" Shampoo asked in fluent Japanese. "Mousse and I have a stuffed animal for her."
"Arigato, Shampoo," Akane said, taking the stuffed animal and putting it underneath Jina's limp arm.
Ukyo put a comforting hand on Akane's shoulder. "Don't lose heart, Sugar. Jina's a fighter, like you."
"Thanks, Ukyo," Akane said with a grateful smile.
"I hope you guys don't mind," Ranma said, "but Akane and I are making our exit. You guys can stay and keep Jina company if you want."
"We'll stay for a while if you don't mind," Ryoga said.
Akane smiled. "I don't mind," she replied. Jina would love the company."
"If Ryoga and Ukyo are staying, we'll give them some time with Jina," Nabiki said. "C'mon, Kuno-baby, we'll visit tomorrow."
"I follow, Beloved," he said, following her out the door.
Shampoo nodded. "Then we will return tomorrow, too."
"Yes, Shampoo," Mousse agreed. "Well talk to you later, everyone," he called as they left.
"Well," Akane said. "Thanks, both. We'll see you tomorrow, most likely." She smiled at both Ryoga and Ukyo.
"Why tomorrow?" Ranma asked.
"Because I don't feel like cooking." She stuck out her tongue at him. "I already have work in a couple days."
"I still can't believe that you went from being the world's worst cook to being a prized cook in the United States," Ranma teased as they walked out.
"Yep," Akane replied, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "And I'm cooking at my new job, too."
He took her hand. "There's nothin' you can't do, Akane. You amaze me."
She smiled shyly. 'thanks, Ranma." The rest of the walk him, they were silent. It was peaceful. Finally, they reached the Saotome-Tendo dojo. It was quiet, as everyone purposely had gone out for the night. They both went upstairs and Akane was surprised to see that her room was rearranged around. It had a larger dresser and bed, with both Ranma and Akane's clothes hanging up in the closet. "Well, they had to do something."
"I guess," he replied. "Since they couldn't plan the wedding."
She sat down on the bed and looked out the window. "Hmm, I guess we'll both be in here from now on."
"Akane?" Ranma knelt in front of her. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Ranma," she said.
Slowly, he rose to her height, and kissed her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. "Alone at last," she said devilishly.
Ranma smiled. He glanced over at the door to make sure it was closed.
They spent the whole night in each other's arms.
* * *
It was morning in Nerima, and Bill Richards stormed outside of the Inn he had been staying in. "You may have fooled me once, bitch," he hissed. "But you're NOT gonna fool me again!" He stood outside the wall of the Saotome- Tendo dojo. He turned and walked quickly away down the street, as not to be seen.
* * *
Author's note: Okay, kind of another cliffhanger, but hopefully not as bad of a one this time! And a shorter chapter as well. Man, these take forever to type up! (Maybe another reason that my story's called forever?) Oh, and I'll be adding those Japanese words to the bottom of all my chapters now. So, I'll see everyone later. Hope you enjoyed, and please review. Buhbye! --halliegirl
hai- yes
arigato- thank you
