And once upon a time there was this author named halliegirl who started this fanfic called "Forever." It was many years ago. . . and, wait. Oh, hello again. It looks like I've come back to update on another chapter! Who'd have thought? No matter how long it takes for me to update, I swore to myself (considering that I've read stories that have come to this) that I would NEVER start a dead story. Or at least start a dead story and then post it on the Internet (seriously, my room's filled with dead stories, or as I'd rather put it: stories with "potential") just to drive people nuts. Nope, I'm not that kind of author. So here I am again updating. And I hope y'all don't have TOO many grandkids to take care of yet!!!

Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews, remember it's you guys reviewing that I continue this story for! I'm sorry that it's taken so long for an update, but just so everyone hasn't thought that I've been slacking or something, I have the ENTIRE story done now. At least written up. With a little revising of it as I go along, it'll be done and ready. However, this will be a short chapter, but I hope you all enjoy!

Now on with the story already!

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 does not belong to me. *cries*

Chapter 9

Mousse and Shampoo walked alongside each other to the Nekohanten and entered the place. "We'd better start working again," Mousse said. He went into the back room.

Just then, a strange man walked in with blond hair. "Hey, service here," he impatiently hollered.

"A moment, please," Shampoo said as she approached his table with a menu. 'People get more and more unruly as time goes on,' she thought grimly to herself. 'He had to have seen me just enter the place. He is too too grumpy." She smiled to herself as she handed him the menu. "Here is the menu. What would you like?"

"Well aren't you a cute one?" He said, his hand slipping down as he grabbed her butt.

"AIYAA!" Shampoo shrieked in disgust. "What you think you doing?!" She screamed, forgetting momentarily her formal Japanese. "You no touch Amazon girl that way! Prepare to DIE!" She reached for a lethal pressure point on the man, but was thrown into the back wall.

"I'm well aware of the Amazon laws," he sneered. "So it means, if I defeat you, you're mine?"

"NO! I will die before losing to you," Shampoo said, shakily rising to her feet.

"Shampoo, are you all right?" Mousse asked, coming out into the dining area with Cologne. "We heard a noise- NANI?! Shampoo! He was about to run to her side, when she motioned him to stay there.

Cologne hopped out on her staff. "What have you done to Shampoo? Mousse," she warned, staring hard at the man, "stay back. This man has no intentions to fight fairly. Allow me to handle him."

"I can't allow that," Mousse argued.

The old woman's look cut him off. "You and Shampoo both should stay out of this fight. If he uses any trickery, neither of you will be able to handle it." She stared hard at the man in front of her, waiting for him to make a move. When he did, his aura was flaring, so she sidestepped in a spiral around him. Her eyes flashed as she shouted, "Hiryu-Shoten Ha!" Seconds after, the 'ki' from within her exploded from her hand and countered his aura. He flew out of the doors of the restaurant. Knowing he was defeated, he left angrily. "He would have beaten you both, I'm afraid," Cologne said. "Even you, Mousse, whom I've noticed become very strong. If I hadn't pulled that surprise move, he would have gotten the best of me sooner or later as well."

"I am so ashamed," Shampoo cried, lowering her head.

Her great-grandmother put a hand on her shoulder. "Do not be ashamed for that, child," she soothed. "If you must, be ashamed for that man and the horrible end that will come to him someday when he confronts who he is."

"He would have lost definitely if I had fought him," Mousse growled. "NO one gets away with harming Shampoo!"

The Amazon touched his arm gently. "Mousse," she said softly, surprised at his outburst, yet touched.

"In any even, we should warn everyone else that there is such a man lurking around here," Cologne said. "There's no telling whom he may go after."

"Hai," Shampoo agreed. "Another woman may not be as lucky as I was." She looked to Mousse.

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "He won't be back."

"Hey!" Ryoga poked his head in. "Are you guys okay? We saw the mess!"

"What happened, Sugar?" Ukyo went over to Shampoo.

The old Amazon frowned, and spoke before Shampoo could answer her friend. "There is a dangerous man on the loose."

The Lost Boy frowned as well. "Dangerous?" He looked at Shampoo, who kept her eyes downcast. 'That was the strange feeling I got.' "Shampoo?" He waited for a further explanation.

"H-he. . ." Shampoo found it hard to speak. "Goes only after women," she whispered.

Ukyo gasped. "Could there be a coincidence between this guy showing up after Ranma and Akane? Could that man have been able to get past security at the airports and somehow make it to Japan?"

"I don't know," Ryoga answered. "But, we should warn her, still."

"I don't understand," Shampoo spoke. "What would Akane have to do with this?"

Ryoga and Ukyo exchanged glances, and then Ukyo sighed. "Akane was raped. Long ago. You know when Akane left with her classmates? The trip Ranma and I didn't go on? It happened there. She came back and then found out she was pregnant."

The Chinese girl gasped. "Aiyaa. . . Then that man today. . . could have been the very same one who did that to Akane!" She felt very sick to her stomach suddenly, and collapsed to her knees.

"Shampoo! Are you all right?" Mousse knelt down beside her. He took her by the shoulders. "Talk, Shampoo!"

She smiled weakly. "Hai," she managed.

"This is not good. Ranma must be warned," Cologne said seriously. "Akane is in danger, as is Jina."

"What a haul! What a haul!" Happosai crashed through the wall, and stopped, noticing the gloomy looks on everyone's faces. "I stop in after a six year absence and nobody's glad to see me," he pouted. He then leapt at Ukyo's chest. "Let me cry out my disappointments into the softness of your bosom!"

His face was met with the hard metal from her spatula instead of her soft breasts. "And what makes you think I'd feel sympathy, old man?" Ukyo said disgustedly.

"For your information, there happens to be a sicko after Akane," Ryoga added.

The old lecher peeled his face away from the spatula. "We can't let the poor girl get hurt!" He cried. "Here I come, Akane! I'll protect you!"

Ryoga grabbed Happosai by the back of his cape. "And where do you think you're going?" He growled suspiciously.

"To help my dear little Akane, of course!" Happosai glared up at Ryoga. "You're in my way!"

The Lost Boy matched Happosai's glare. "You stay here," he commanded. "It's people like you we're trying to protect Akane from!" He turned to the others.

Happosai pouted again. "Ingrates! They will pay- all of them! But not before I've saved my darling little Akane!" And he jumped out, following them.

* * *

Akane Saotome sighed in her sleep. Ranma shifted his eyes from the ceiling to her and smiled. "Kawaii," he whispered. He pulled the sheets up closer around her shoulders. Then, he looked back up at the ceiling, and his soft look hardened as thoughts passed through his mind. 'I have to find that damn jerk,' he thought savagely to himself. 'If I don't, Akane and Jina will never be safe.' He sat up and got out of bed. A knock on the door sounded, and Ranma groaned, looking down at his attire, or rather, lack of attire. He scrambled around, grabbing a shirt and boxers. He put the boxers on and hastily threw the tank-top shirt on. He opened the door, and his mouth nearly dropped to the floor when he saw all his guests. First, Akane's sisters, Nabiki and Kasumi were in the front, with Kuno and Dr. Tofu, and Ukyo, Ryoga, Happosai, Mousse, Shampoo, and Cologne were all standing at their doorway. "Uh, you guys DID know that this is supposed to be Akane's and my honeymoon, right?" He folded his arms and stared at all of them.

"I'm sorry, Ran-chan," Ukyo said. "We have to warn you, though. There's a weird guy lurking around."

"Weird guy?" Ranma asked.

Shampoo stepped up to him. "A very bad man came into the Nekohanten and tried to take advantage of Shampoo. . . me."

"Are you okay, Shampoo?" Ranma frowned, studying his friend with worry.

"Mousse was with. I am fine," Shampoo said softly. She looked over at Mousse, who nodded grimly. "He was very strong."

The pigtailed martial artist quickly asked, "What did he look like?"

"Light hair," Mousse answered. "It was blond and he had pale eyes."

Ranma gasped. "It is HIM! Damn! He defeated you, didn't he, Shampoo?"

The Amazon lowered her head. "Hai," she whispered.

"That damned jerk almost got the better of me, too," Ranma said consolingly.

She looked up at him with worry. "Then my great-grandmother and Happosai should go with you, Ranma."

He nodded. "Yeah. Let's find him now! Which way did he go?"

"What about Akane?" Ryoga asked. "He's after her, right?"

"All the rest of you should stay with her," Ranma said softly. "Keep her safe."

Everyone nodded. "Good luck," Ryoga said.

"Thanks," Ranma replied. "Let's get the hell outta here and find that bastard," he said to Cologne and Happosai.

* * *

Akane slowly awoke and turned on her side, expecting to see Ranma, but his spot on the bed was empty. "Ranma?" She asked in nervous alarm. Akane heard voices outside in the living room and sighed. "That baka never told me he invited guests." She slipped into her bra and underwear, and threw on a sundress. When she opened the door, she saw everyone there, everyone except Ranma. "Hello," she began. "Can anyone tell me what's going on, why you're all here, and where my husband is?" She asked at once.

"Ranma left for awhile. He's determined to find out some info about that guy who hurt Jina and you." Ryoga left out the part that the man was in Nerima, for the simple fact that he didn't want to frighten Akane.

"The heat is off," Akane said, shivering. "I think I'm going to put on a sweater over my dress, excuse me. Make yourselves all at home." She went into her room and slid the door partly closed. "Well, it's sunny out. Maybe I should open the window to see how warm it is outside." She slid her window open and breathed in the warm air. "Much better," she sighed, turning away from her window to find a sweater. A shadow appeared in her room and she turned. "Ranma, first you leave home without a word to me, and now you-" she stopped when she saw who was in her room. Then screamed.

Her scream was cut short when he knocked her unconscious. "You're MINE." He disappeared with her through the window.

"AKANE!" Ryoga burst into her room scant seconds later. "She's. . . she's gone," he gasped, horrified at what this had to mean. "We have to find Ranma! We have to get to Jina, before HE does!"

* * *

Author's note: Well, yet again another glorious cliffhanger. Expect the next chapter way sooner than this one though. Any questions, comments, opinions, etc? Review, or e-mail, and eventually I'll get back to ya. Oh, and expect a few long-awaited moments in the next chapter, too. At least, long awaited for me! Maybe you guys too. 'Til then,

Buhbye!

Hai- yes

Baka- idiot

Kawaii- cute