Couple's Therapy
Pointless tales of pairing off
Standard Issue Disclaimer:
Ranma 1/2 is not mine to do with as I please. It belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and some other people whose names I don't recall. Please don't sue me!
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CASE 8: Ranma and Akane Re-Revisited, OR Unsaid
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Akane Tendo stalked through the streets of Nerima, burning with anger, seeking her prey.
Two weeks ago, Genma Saotome had been declared dead, killed in a traffic accident witnessed by Nabiki. Akane, still trying to come to grips with Ranma's leaving and Nodoka's intentions to kill herself, simply couldn't handle this new shock.
She'd just... shut down, become a virtual zombie. She walked, she talked, but she didn't feel anything anymore. The first week after Genma's death passed in a dazed blur.
When Nabiki had announced that she and Kuno were now engaged, it had barely registered with Akane.
When she heard about Ukyo and Ryoga's engagement, and Ukyo's pregnancy, the meaning of the words hadn't registered at all.
When her father and Nodoka announced that the Saotome and Tendo schools would be united after all, by them (the plan was to wed next year), the only reaction Akane could muster was to get up from the table and go to bed.
That was how it had been for her. The world had become a surreal fog which madness and pain sprang out of. It was like a bad dream she couldn't wake up from, and she couldn't cope with it, so she simply decided not to.
Then, a couple of days ago, as she was aimlessly wandering, she caught sight of Genma among the crowd.
At first this too didn't register. She'd just sort of accepted it, not even mentioning it to her family. So Genma was alive? Go figure.
But that night, something changed. She'd just laid there in bed and she couldn't get it out of her head. Genma was alive! He'd survived what the police had said was an unsurvivable accident! How?
Then it had hit her.
It wasn't an accident.
The more she thought about it, the more the conclusion became inescapable for her. Genma had faked his death. Nabiki had probably helped him.
He'd faked his death and left his wife in misery...
That night, the old fire was reawakened. These last couple of days Akane had been searching for Genma, and when she found him, she would have her explanation, by force if necessary.
*****
"Why didn't you let me die?" Mousse demanded as he sat tied to a chair, being fed oatmeal by the not so late Genma Saotome.
"Don't be ridiculous," Genma said. "Whatever happened, it certainly isn't worth killing yourself over. You'll thank me later."
"How can you know that?" Mousse said. "You have no idea what I've done."
"Killing yourself never solved anything," Genma replied. "A man's gotta face his demons head on, not run and hide from them."
The door to the small room where they were staying was suddenly kicked open.
"AND WHO ARE YOU TO BE TELLING THAT TO ANYBODY?!" a barely recognizable voice, full of anger, demanded.
Before Genma could even respond, he was blown through the wall by a blast of rage charged ki. Akane, still literally glowing with anger, quickly stepped over to him, picked him up, and tossed him into another wall.
"What kind of monster are you!" Akane demanded as she approached Genma yet again. "How could you do that to your own wife!"
"I can explain!" Genma pleaded as he was yet again hoisted by his collar and slapped several times.
"SHUT UP!" Akane screamed as she tossed him into the third wall with all of her strength. Genma slumped to the ground, though he was still clearly conscious.
"GET UP!" Akane demanded. "I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!"
Genma shook his head. "It was a difficult decision to make. But I had to do whatever I could to save Nodoka. You have to understand that. Sometimes the decisions we have to make are hard ones, but..." A look of surprise flashed across his face, and he pointed. "Oh my god, look Akane, it's Ranma!"
Almost by reflex, feeling the briefest surge of hope, Akane looked, realizing even as she turned that it was a trick.
And when she looked back, Genma was long gone.
"How could I be so stupid?" Akane chastised herself. "How could I have fallen for that? When I find him again..."
But she didn't really mean it, she realized. Try as she might she just couldn't muster up the same rage that had brought her here, instead feeling a sort of peace. Beating Genma to a pulp hadn't, and wouldn't solve anything.
But... blowing off all her anger like that might have made her feel just a little better. She walked out of the room, perhaps a little bit more ready to face whatever else the gods decided to throw at her.
"Um... Akane," Mousse called after her. "Could you untie me please?"
*****
As Akane walked back towards home, she couldn't help but wonder what would be for lunch, and it suddenly hit her that this was probably the first time in weeks that she had an appetite.
Could this mean that she was starting to heal? To get over what had happened? No, Ranma's absence still felt like a knife shoved into her heart. But... perhaps, just maybe, the world wasn't quite the dark abyss of despair it had seemed like. Beating the stuffing out of Genma, just letting out all the hurt and pain in one massive orgy of violence, really had been good for her.
(of course some might point out that maybe she should find more constructive ways of dealing with grief)
But what would she do now? That was the question, wasn't it? Ranma was... was still gone. The world around her was still utterly mad. She didn't think there was anything she could do about that.
"Why, hello Akane."
Akane turned to see Kasumi standing before her.
"Out for a walk?" the eldest Tendo daughter asked.
"Umm... yeah," Akane replied.
"Such a lovely day," Kasumi said. "You haven't perhaps seen doctor Tofu anywhere, have you?"
"Doctor Tofu?" Akane repeated, feeling a little lost. "No, I haven't seen him."
"What a pity," Kasumi said. "I suppose I will have to keep looking."
She started walking again, but stopped. "That reminds me," she said. "Akane, I need to talk to you about something."
"What, Kasumi?" Akane asked.
"It's about you and Ranma," Kasumi said.
Akane felt the knife in her heart twist cruelly.
"I understand that you two have become very close," Kasumi said, "however, I must tell you that the... intimacy you have shared isn't... well, that is really something you shouldn't be doing right now." Kasumi seemed genuinely concerned about this matter. "That is something you should save for when you are married."
Akane couldn't believe her ears. It was like Kasumi didn't even realize Ranma had left! "How can you say this to me?" she said quietly. All the hurt was rushing back with a vengeance.
"What do you mean?" Kasumi asked.
"Ranma left me!" Akane cried. "Can't you understand that!?"
"Oh dear," Kasumi said. To Akane's amazement she smiled brightly. "I'm sure you two will be able to work out that little problem. If it's important enough to them, a couple can work out anything."
"But..." Akane protested weakly.
"Well," Kasumi said, "I must be off. I will see you later Akane."
Without another word, Kasumi walked away.
*****
Unbeknownst to either woman, another watched this exchange from an alley with a heavy and tormented heart.
"Oh Akane," Ryoga whispered as he watched Akane stand there, a tear streaming down her cheek. "I can't stand to see you like this."
And yet he knew full well that once he would have considered this his golden opportunity. With Ranma gone and Akane week and vulnerable... even now the dark corners of his heart were urging him to take that chance, to show Akane a man who would never betray her...
But he couldn't! One night's mistake had closed that door forever. Even if it hadn't, Ryoga now realized how... wrong it would be to take advantage of her. He realized that he couldn't do that to her.
Damn Ranma! How could he do this to Akane! The coward! If he were here right now Ryoga would make him regret that he was ever born!
Even so, even though Ryoga wanted to track Ranma down and grind every bone in his body into powder, he knew he couldn't. He had to stay in Nerima and take care of Ukyo. It was a matter of honor, something Ranma didn't seem to understand at all.
Still... she loved him.
It was a heart wrenching realization he had come to long ago. No matter what, Akane would always love Ranma. Now that love was tearing her apart inside, because she was convinced that he didn't love her. No matter how much Ryoga hated Ranma, no matter if Akane would be better off without the fool...
No matter that it ground Ryoga's heart to nothing, he couldn't bear to let this go on any longer. He couldn't let Akane descend into the same misery that he had known his entire life.
So, he stepped forward.
"She's right you know," he said.
Akane spun around, surprised. "Ryoga!"
"She's right, Akane," Ryoga said. "It doesn't have to end like this. You have to go find him, talk to him."
"But he..."
"When we were at Jusendo," Ryoga said, "when Ranma thought you were dead, he said..."
"No," Akane cut Ryoga off, "he didn't say it. I... I misheard him."
"No, Akane," Ryoga said. "You didn't. I know, because I heard him too."
Akane looked like she was about to start bawling.
"Ranma would move Heaven and Earth," Ryoga said, "face the very gods themselves for you, Akane. You can't..." Ryoga fought against the lump in his throat, "you can't let it end like this."
"But," Akane fought back a sob, "he's been gone for so long..."
"I don't know why that is, Akane," Ryoga said, "but I know you two are meant to be together. If you let him go, you... you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
A sad smile appeared on Ryoga's face. "I've had to face up to some very difficult truths lately. I've been trying so hard to deny them for so long, but I can't ignore what I know to be real anymore. You... you and Ranma love each other. If... if you hesitate, if you're so afraid of getting hurt that you miss your chance for happiness..." Ryoga was finding it increasingly difficult to continue.
"You're thinking of Akari," Akane said. "Aren't you?"
Ryoga sighed. "Yeah, Akari," he said. Akane would never know what he was really saying. "All this time I've been so afraid to just admit the truth, to let my heart do the talking, afraid that she wouldn't accept me, afraid of rejection. I never realized that hiding my heart only made things worse."
"But she'd never reject you," Akane said. "Akari cares so much for you. Even after what happened between you and Ukyo, I'm sure..."
So Akane knew. There was no surprise there, Ukyo had seemed to take a perverse delight in telling everyone that Ryoga had gotten her drunk and taken advantage of her (even if that wasn't quite the case). It was only one part of the living hell that Ukyo planned for him. "It doesn't matter now," he said. "I have to take responsibility for what happened. Ukyo can't take care of our child by herself, so I have to be there for both of them, no matter what."
He started walking away, but stopped and looked at Akane. "Being alone... being without the one you love... it's an agony. It's an agony I don't want you to experience. You have to find him, Akane."
And without another word, he left, finally leaving Akane behind.
*****
By the time Akane returned home, the sun was low in the sky.
Nabiki was quite surprised by how peaceful Akane looked when she caught sight of her little sister. Something had definitely happened.
"Nice to see you home, Akane," she said. "We were starting to get a little worried about you."
"I'm sorry for being out so long, but I was... thinking." Akane stepped past her sister. "I'm not staying long either, I just have to pack a few things, then I'm leaving again."
"Going on a little trip?" Nabiki asked as she followed Akane to her room. Could it be...
"Yes," Akane said simply, a slight smile on her face.
It was! She was finally going after him. "Don't take too long," Nabiki said. Good for you Akane.
"I've taken too long already," Akane replied as she dug her backpack out of her closet. "Nabiki?"
"Yes Akane?"
"How much did you charge Mr. Saotome?"
Nabiki smiled. Somehow this didn't surprise her. "Five thousand yen for setting things up," she said. "Another three thousand for lying to the police, and forty eight hundred for the medical supplies. Mr. Saotome stole the car himself."
"Medical supplies?"
"An IV needle and bag," Nabiki elaborated. "Where did you think the blood spatter came from?"
"Why, Nabiki?"
For the briefest of moments Nabiki couldn't help but picture their long dead mother in her mind. "Close to thirteen thousand yen is a pretty good day's work, Akane," she said. That's all, profit. And damn you to hell for asking.
"Doesn't anything but money matter to you at all?" Akane asked.
"You'd be surprised, Akane," Nabiki replied. "But a girl's got to make her way in the world."
"You're shameless, Nabiki," Akane said indignantly. "I suppose that's why you're marrying Kuno, too."
Downstairs, the front door slid open and shut, but neither girl paid it much heed.
"Well, I will admit that I wasn't exactly wooed by his charming personality," Nabiki said with a smile.
"I can't believe you!"
In spite of herself, Nabiki had a warm feeling about being the target of Akane's anger. This was the sister she had grown up with! "Aren't you in a hurry or something?" she pointed out. "You don't want to keep him waiting."
"He can wait as long as I want him to!" Akane snapped. "He's kept me waiting long enough..."
Downstairs there was the sound of an awful, almost... celebratory?... commotion. "What is going on down there?" Akane wanted to know. She stomped out of the room, dragging her backpack along without even really realizing it.
Nabiki, in the meanwhile, got a feeling...
"You have got to be kidding me," she said. "It can't be that easy." Almost nervously, she glanced at the ceiling, as though she expected the heavens to strike her with a lightning bolt (again).
Just this once, though, no lighting bolt came.
*****
Akane stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the top of the stairs, her heart pounding and all words she might have said torn from her throat as she caught sight of who awaited her at the bottom.
Ranma.
"Mr. Tendo," he pleaded, having not yet seen Akane, "watch the arm, okay?"
Akane's father had Ranma in a tearful embrace as Nodoka, Kasumi, and Happosai stood by smiling happily. "I'm so happy you've finally come back, son!" Soun cried. "After so long with no word, we had all but given up hope!"
"Ow ow ow!" Ranma cried as his left arm (which Akane quickly realized was in a sling) was pinned to his body by Soun's titanic hug. "What do ya mean no word?" he protested. "Didn't the old freak give you my message?"
Happosai snapped his fingers. "I just knew there was something I forgot to do," he said. "Better late than never I suppose. Ranma called and wanted everyone to know that he'd be coming home after he took care of something. He didn't know how long it would be."
"That was almost three weeks ago you stupid old fossil!" Ranma snapped as he swung at Happosai with his good arm. The ancient master deftly evaded the blow.
Akane tried to process what she had heard. Almost three weeks ago? He called right after he left? But that meant... that meant Ranma had been planning to come back all along!
"Sounds like your fiance just needed some time to sort things out," Nabiki said as she stepped up next to her sister. "Considering the way everything just got dropped on him at once, I suppose I can't blame him about getting cold feet and needing some time alone."
Several different conflicting feelings were at war in Akane's heart, but all were quickly subdued in an instant by one old, familiar friend. "That jerk!" she snapped as her anger got up. She flung her pack at Ranma, smacking him in the head.
"Hey!" Ranma complained as he caught sight of who had thrown the pack. "What was that for?"
"You pathetic little weasel!" Akane shouted. "Disappearing for nearly three weeks and making me wonder what was wrong with me! If you had problems then why didn't you just tell me!?"
"Like you ever listen!" Ranma snapped back. "'specially when you're too busy climbin all over me!"
"How DARE you!" Akane shouted back. "What was so important anyway that you had to stay away so long!?"
"Now now," Soun tried to soothe, "everything's okay now. Ranma's come home and the wedding can proceed."
"FORGET IT!" Akane shouted. She turned and stomped back to her room, closing the door with a resounding slam, then dropping onto her bed. When she looked up to the ceiling, there were tears in her eyes.
Tears of joy.
"He's home," she said to herself. "He's come back to me."
She realized what she was saying, how quickly her anger had vaporized, and chuckled to herself.
"I'm such a fool," she said to herself with a smile. "He's been back for two minutes and already I'm ready to forgive him and take the stupid jerk back. I should have my head examined."
But then, maybe that was the trick. Maybe that was the secret of love.
Madness?
Well... maybe not quite that, but something not too dissimilar.
She didn't know where this would lead, or if it could last, but she didn't care. After what Ryoga had said to her earlier, she'd begun to realize something. She never would know where her life would take her, if it would lead her and Ranma into a life together or finally break them apart. Destiny, if it existed, would be forever hidden to her, but in the end it didn't matter.
All that really mattered was what she felt now, in her heart. As Kasumi had said, if it was important enough to them, a couple could work out anything.
And it was important enough to her. She could only hope it was important enough to Ranma.
*****
"Uncute as ever," Ranma said as he watched Akane storm off.
God he'd missed her.
He didn't know what would happen now. He didn't know if Akane could forgive him for skipping out on their wedding, or if they would ever have what they once had. But he'd learned something in his time away. That didn't matter one damn bit.
All that mattered was how important she was to him. Whatever happened from here on, he'd never leave her, never again. He'd face whatever came, her rage or her love, and stay by her side.
The alternative, he had learned, was too terrible to contemplate.
"So Ranma," Nabiki said as she came down the stairs, "just what happened to your arm?"
Ranma looked down to his arm, wrapped in a cast and suspended in a sling. Three fractures in his forearm, courtesy of a dragon. It brought back an especially painful memory that he wished he could permanently erase. "I... umm... I don't wanna talk about it."
Looking down, he caught sight of the object Akane had thrown at him. Her backpack?
Nabiki apparently caught on to Ranma's unspoken question. "She was packing to go look for you when you came home," she said with a grin.
"She was going to look for me?" Ranma repeated in wonder. Did that mean...
He shook his head. That could wait. "So, did anything happen while I was gone?"
Nabiki's smile grew downright mischievous. "Let's see, where do I begin?"
*****
Meanwhile danger, as in horned, tentacled, super strong, winged danger, approached.
But we'll get to that later.
*****
TO BE CONTINUED!
*****
Author's Notes:
1) Awe, ain't that sweet how Ranma and Akane both decided that their love was more important than any fear of the future? Riiiiight. Like I'd ever make it that easy for them. Words ain't actions, that's all I gotta say. Their war isn't over yet (heck, it's got at least one more chapter in it).
2) So much of that suffering and tragedy of the last two chapters caused largely by a guy forgetting to deliver a phone message. There's a lesson here folks. WRITE DOWN YOUR PHONE MESSAGES! You never know when a phone call might keep a man from faking his death.
3) Yep, Genma faked his death. More detail about that are coming up in a later chapter.
4) Originally (or at least as of revision six of this chapter) I had intended to include in excruciating detail exactly what had caused Ranma to be away so long, broke his arm, and brought about his epiphany regarding Akane. However, after careful consideration (actually while relaxing on my break at work), I realized that if I included those sections, it might very well give away pretty much all of my plans for the new final chapter (which is a long way away), and I just plain couldn't have that. So, SUFFER MORTALS!
5) By the way, Couple's Therapy is returning to its roots. Those of you who have long suffered under the heavy drama content since Case 6 will be happy to know that the humor is on its way back. I expect the next eight or so chapters to be Couple's Therapy in the classic style. A little dark, a little dirty, and hopefully funny as hell (though I'll settle for mildly amusing).
Those of you who prefer the heavy drama to my peculiar brand of humor, well... I guess you'll have to wait a while.
5) Quaker Joe's thought for the day: Love is a socially accepted form of mental illness.
Pointless tales of pairing off
Standard Issue Disclaimer:
Ranma 1/2 is not mine to do with as I please. It belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and some other people whose names I don't recall. Please don't sue me!
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CASE 8: Ranma and Akane Re-Revisited, OR Unsaid
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Akane Tendo stalked through the streets of Nerima, burning with anger, seeking her prey.
Two weeks ago, Genma Saotome had been declared dead, killed in a traffic accident witnessed by Nabiki. Akane, still trying to come to grips with Ranma's leaving and Nodoka's intentions to kill herself, simply couldn't handle this new shock.
She'd just... shut down, become a virtual zombie. She walked, she talked, but she didn't feel anything anymore. The first week after Genma's death passed in a dazed blur.
When Nabiki had announced that she and Kuno were now engaged, it had barely registered with Akane.
When she heard about Ukyo and Ryoga's engagement, and Ukyo's pregnancy, the meaning of the words hadn't registered at all.
When her father and Nodoka announced that the Saotome and Tendo schools would be united after all, by them (the plan was to wed next year), the only reaction Akane could muster was to get up from the table and go to bed.
That was how it had been for her. The world had become a surreal fog which madness and pain sprang out of. It was like a bad dream she couldn't wake up from, and she couldn't cope with it, so she simply decided not to.
Then, a couple of days ago, as she was aimlessly wandering, she caught sight of Genma among the crowd.
At first this too didn't register. She'd just sort of accepted it, not even mentioning it to her family. So Genma was alive? Go figure.
But that night, something changed. She'd just laid there in bed and she couldn't get it out of her head. Genma was alive! He'd survived what the police had said was an unsurvivable accident! How?
Then it had hit her.
It wasn't an accident.
The more she thought about it, the more the conclusion became inescapable for her. Genma had faked his death. Nabiki had probably helped him.
He'd faked his death and left his wife in misery...
That night, the old fire was reawakened. These last couple of days Akane had been searching for Genma, and when she found him, she would have her explanation, by force if necessary.
*****
"Why didn't you let me die?" Mousse demanded as he sat tied to a chair, being fed oatmeal by the not so late Genma Saotome.
"Don't be ridiculous," Genma said. "Whatever happened, it certainly isn't worth killing yourself over. You'll thank me later."
"How can you know that?" Mousse said. "You have no idea what I've done."
"Killing yourself never solved anything," Genma replied. "A man's gotta face his demons head on, not run and hide from them."
The door to the small room where they were staying was suddenly kicked open.
"AND WHO ARE YOU TO BE TELLING THAT TO ANYBODY?!" a barely recognizable voice, full of anger, demanded.
Before Genma could even respond, he was blown through the wall by a blast of rage charged ki. Akane, still literally glowing with anger, quickly stepped over to him, picked him up, and tossed him into another wall.
"What kind of monster are you!" Akane demanded as she approached Genma yet again. "How could you do that to your own wife!"
"I can explain!" Genma pleaded as he was yet again hoisted by his collar and slapped several times.
"SHUT UP!" Akane screamed as she tossed him into the third wall with all of her strength. Genma slumped to the ground, though he was still clearly conscious.
"GET UP!" Akane demanded. "I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!"
Genma shook his head. "It was a difficult decision to make. But I had to do whatever I could to save Nodoka. You have to understand that. Sometimes the decisions we have to make are hard ones, but..." A look of surprise flashed across his face, and he pointed. "Oh my god, look Akane, it's Ranma!"
Almost by reflex, feeling the briefest surge of hope, Akane looked, realizing even as she turned that it was a trick.
And when she looked back, Genma was long gone.
"How could I be so stupid?" Akane chastised herself. "How could I have fallen for that? When I find him again..."
But she didn't really mean it, she realized. Try as she might she just couldn't muster up the same rage that had brought her here, instead feeling a sort of peace. Beating Genma to a pulp hadn't, and wouldn't solve anything.
But... blowing off all her anger like that might have made her feel just a little better. She walked out of the room, perhaps a little bit more ready to face whatever else the gods decided to throw at her.
"Um... Akane," Mousse called after her. "Could you untie me please?"
*****
As Akane walked back towards home, she couldn't help but wonder what would be for lunch, and it suddenly hit her that this was probably the first time in weeks that she had an appetite.
Could this mean that she was starting to heal? To get over what had happened? No, Ranma's absence still felt like a knife shoved into her heart. But... perhaps, just maybe, the world wasn't quite the dark abyss of despair it had seemed like. Beating the stuffing out of Genma, just letting out all the hurt and pain in one massive orgy of violence, really had been good for her.
(of course some might point out that maybe she should find more constructive ways of dealing with grief)
But what would she do now? That was the question, wasn't it? Ranma was... was still gone. The world around her was still utterly mad. She didn't think there was anything she could do about that.
"Why, hello Akane."
Akane turned to see Kasumi standing before her.
"Out for a walk?" the eldest Tendo daughter asked.
"Umm... yeah," Akane replied.
"Such a lovely day," Kasumi said. "You haven't perhaps seen doctor Tofu anywhere, have you?"
"Doctor Tofu?" Akane repeated, feeling a little lost. "No, I haven't seen him."
"What a pity," Kasumi said. "I suppose I will have to keep looking."
She started walking again, but stopped. "That reminds me," she said. "Akane, I need to talk to you about something."
"What, Kasumi?" Akane asked.
"It's about you and Ranma," Kasumi said.
Akane felt the knife in her heart twist cruelly.
"I understand that you two have become very close," Kasumi said, "however, I must tell you that the... intimacy you have shared isn't... well, that is really something you shouldn't be doing right now." Kasumi seemed genuinely concerned about this matter. "That is something you should save for when you are married."
Akane couldn't believe her ears. It was like Kasumi didn't even realize Ranma had left! "How can you say this to me?" she said quietly. All the hurt was rushing back with a vengeance.
"What do you mean?" Kasumi asked.
"Ranma left me!" Akane cried. "Can't you understand that!?"
"Oh dear," Kasumi said. To Akane's amazement she smiled brightly. "I'm sure you two will be able to work out that little problem. If it's important enough to them, a couple can work out anything."
"But..." Akane protested weakly.
"Well," Kasumi said, "I must be off. I will see you later Akane."
Without another word, Kasumi walked away.
*****
Unbeknownst to either woman, another watched this exchange from an alley with a heavy and tormented heart.
"Oh Akane," Ryoga whispered as he watched Akane stand there, a tear streaming down her cheek. "I can't stand to see you like this."
And yet he knew full well that once he would have considered this his golden opportunity. With Ranma gone and Akane week and vulnerable... even now the dark corners of his heart were urging him to take that chance, to show Akane a man who would never betray her...
But he couldn't! One night's mistake had closed that door forever. Even if it hadn't, Ryoga now realized how... wrong it would be to take advantage of her. He realized that he couldn't do that to her.
Damn Ranma! How could he do this to Akane! The coward! If he were here right now Ryoga would make him regret that he was ever born!
Even so, even though Ryoga wanted to track Ranma down and grind every bone in his body into powder, he knew he couldn't. He had to stay in Nerima and take care of Ukyo. It was a matter of honor, something Ranma didn't seem to understand at all.
Still... she loved him.
It was a heart wrenching realization he had come to long ago. No matter what, Akane would always love Ranma. Now that love was tearing her apart inside, because she was convinced that he didn't love her. No matter how much Ryoga hated Ranma, no matter if Akane would be better off without the fool...
No matter that it ground Ryoga's heart to nothing, he couldn't bear to let this go on any longer. He couldn't let Akane descend into the same misery that he had known his entire life.
So, he stepped forward.
"She's right you know," he said.
Akane spun around, surprised. "Ryoga!"
"She's right, Akane," Ryoga said. "It doesn't have to end like this. You have to go find him, talk to him."
"But he..."
"When we were at Jusendo," Ryoga said, "when Ranma thought you were dead, he said..."
"No," Akane cut Ryoga off, "he didn't say it. I... I misheard him."
"No, Akane," Ryoga said. "You didn't. I know, because I heard him too."
Akane looked like she was about to start bawling.
"Ranma would move Heaven and Earth," Ryoga said, "face the very gods themselves for you, Akane. You can't..." Ryoga fought against the lump in his throat, "you can't let it end like this."
"But," Akane fought back a sob, "he's been gone for so long..."
"I don't know why that is, Akane," Ryoga said, "but I know you two are meant to be together. If you let him go, you... you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
A sad smile appeared on Ryoga's face. "I've had to face up to some very difficult truths lately. I've been trying so hard to deny them for so long, but I can't ignore what I know to be real anymore. You... you and Ranma love each other. If... if you hesitate, if you're so afraid of getting hurt that you miss your chance for happiness..." Ryoga was finding it increasingly difficult to continue.
"You're thinking of Akari," Akane said. "Aren't you?"
Ryoga sighed. "Yeah, Akari," he said. Akane would never know what he was really saying. "All this time I've been so afraid to just admit the truth, to let my heart do the talking, afraid that she wouldn't accept me, afraid of rejection. I never realized that hiding my heart only made things worse."
"But she'd never reject you," Akane said. "Akari cares so much for you. Even after what happened between you and Ukyo, I'm sure..."
So Akane knew. There was no surprise there, Ukyo had seemed to take a perverse delight in telling everyone that Ryoga had gotten her drunk and taken advantage of her (even if that wasn't quite the case). It was only one part of the living hell that Ukyo planned for him. "It doesn't matter now," he said. "I have to take responsibility for what happened. Ukyo can't take care of our child by herself, so I have to be there for both of them, no matter what."
He started walking away, but stopped and looked at Akane. "Being alone... being without the one you love... it's an agony. It's an agony I don't want you to experience. You have to find him, Akane."
And without another word, he left, finally leaving Akane behind.
*****
By the time Akane returned home, the sun was low in the sky.
Nabiki was quite surprised by how peaceful Akane looked when she caught sight of her little sister. Something had definitely happened.
"Nice to see you home, Akane," she said. "We were starting to get a little worried about you."
"I'm sorry for being out so long, but I was... thinking." Akane stepped past her sister. "I'm not staying long either, I just have to pack a few things, then I'm leaving again."
"Going on a little trip?" Nabiki asked as she followed Akane to her room. Could it be...
"Yes," Akane said simply, a slight smile on her face.
It was! She was finally going after him. "Don't take too long," Nabiki said. Good for you Akane.
"I've taken too long already," Akane replied as she dug her backpack out of her closet. "Nabiki?"
"Yes Akane?"
"How much did you charge Mr. Saotome?"
Nabiki smiled. Somehow this didn't surprise her. "Five thousand yen for setting things up," she said. "Another three thousand for lying to the police, and forty eight hundred for the medical supplies. Mr. Saotome stole the car himself."
"Medical supplies?"
"An IV needle and bag," Nabiki elaborated. "Where did you think the blood spatter came from?"
"Why, Nabiki?"
For the briefest of moments Nabiki couldn't help but picture their long dead mother in her mind. "Close to thirteen thousand yen is a pretty good day's work, Akane," she said. That's all, profit. And damn you to hell for asking.
"Doesn't anything but money matter to you at all?" Akane asked.
"You'd be surprised, Akane," Nabiki replied. "But a girl's got to make her way in the world."
"You're shameless, Nabiki," Akane said indignantly. "I suppose that's why you're marrying Kuno, too."
Downstairs, the front door slid open and shut, but neither girl paid it much heed.
"Well, I will admit that I wasn't exactly wooed by his charming personality," Nabiki said with a smile.
"I can't believe you!"
In spite of herself, Nabiki had a warm feeling about being the target of Akane's anger. This was the sister she had grown up with! "Aren't you in a hurry or something?" she pointed out. "You don't want to keep him waiting."
"He can wait as long as I want him to!" Akane snapped. "He's kept me waiting long enough..."
Downstairs there was the sound of an awful, almost... celebratory?... commotion. "What is going on down there?" Akane wanted to know. She stomped out of the room, dragging her backpack along without even really realizing it.
Nabiki, in the meanwhile, got a feeling...
"You have got to be kidding me," she said. "It can't be that easy." Almost nervously, she glanced at the ceiling, as though she expected the heavens to strike her with a lightning bolt (again).
Just this once, though, no lighting bolt came.
*****
Akane stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the top of the stairs, her heart pounding and all words she might have said torn from her throat as she caught sight of who awaited her at the bottom.
Ranma.
"Mr. Tendo," he pleaded, having not yet seen Akane, "watch the arm, okay?"
Akane's father had Ranma in a tearful embrace as Nodoka, Kasumi, and Happosai stood by smiling happily. "I'm so happy you've finally come back, son!" Soun cried. "After so long with no word, we had all but given up hope!"
"Ow ow ow!" Ranma cried as his left arm (which Akane quickly realized was in a sling) was pinned to his body by Soun's titanic hug. "What do ya mean no word?" he protested. "Didn't the old freak give you my message?"
Happosai snapped his fingers. "I just knew there was something I forgot to do," he said. "Better late than never I suppose. Ranma called and wanted everyone to know that he'd be coming home after he took care of something. He didn't know how long it would be."
"That was almost three weeks ago you stupid old fossil!" Ranma snapped as he swung at Happosai with his good arm. The ancient master deftly evaded the blow.
Akane tried to process what she had heard. Almost three weeks ago? He called right after he left? But that meant... that meant Ranma had been planning to come back all along!
"Sounds like your fiance just needed some time to sort things out," Nabiki said as she stepped up next to her sister. "Considering the way everything just got dropped on him at once, I suppose I can't blame him about getting cold feet and needing some time alone."
Several different conflicting feelings were at war in Akane's heart, but all were quickly subdued in an instant by one old, familiar friend. "That jerk!" she snapped as her anger got up. She flung her pack at Ranma, smacking him in the head.
"Hey!" Ranma complained as he caught sight of who had thrown the pack. "What was that for?"
"You pathetic little weasel!" Akane shouted. "Disappearing for nearly three weeks and making me wonder what was wrong with me! If you had problems then why didn't you just tell me!?"
"Like you ever listen!" Ranma snapped back. "'specially when you're too busy climbin all over me!"
"How DARE you!" Akane shouted back. "What was so important anyway that you had to stay away so long!?"
"Now now," Soun tried to soothe, "everything's okay now. Ranma's come home and the wedding can proceed."
"FORGET IT!" Akane shouted. She turned and stomped back to her room, closing the door with a resounding slam, then dropping onto her bed. When she looked up to the ceiling, there were tears in her eyes.
Tears of joy.
"He's home," she said to herself. "He's come back to me."
She realized what she was saying, how quickly her anger had vaporized, and chuckled to herself.
"I'm such a fool," she said to herself with a smile. "He's been back for two minutes and already I'm ready to forgive him and take the stupid jerk back. I should have my head examined."
But then, maybe that was the trick. Maybe that was the secret of love.
Madness?
Well... maybe not quite that, but something not too dissimilar.
She didn't know where this would lead, or if it could last, but she didn't care. After what Ryoga had said to her earlier, she'd begun to realize something. She never would know where her life would take her, if it would lead her and Ranma into a life together or finally break them apart. Destiny, if it existed, would be forever hidden to her, but in the end it didn't matter.
All that really mattered was what she felt now, in her heart. As Kasumi had said, if it was important enough to them, a couple could work out anything.
And it was important enough to her. She could only hope it was important enough to Ranma.
*****
"Uncute as ever," Ranma said as he watched Akane storm off.
God he'd missed her.
He didn't know what would happen now. He didn't know if Akane could forgive him for skipping out on their wedding, or if they would ever have what they once had. But he'd learned something in his time away. That didn't matter one damn bit.
All that mattered was how important she was to him. Whatever happened from here on, he'd never leave her, never again. He'd face whatever came, her rage or her love, and stay by her side.
The alternative, he had learned, was too terrible to contemplate.
"So Ranma," Nabiki said as she came down the stairs, "just what happened to your arm?"
Ranma looked down to his arm, wrapped in a cast and suspended in a sling. Three fractures in his forearm, courtesy of a dragon. It brought back an especially painful memory that he wished he could permanently erase. "I... umm... I don't wanna talk about it."
Looking down, he caught sight of the object Akane had thrown at him. Her backpack?
Nabiki apparently caught on to Ranma's unspoken question. "She was packing to go look for you when you came home," she said with a grin.
"She was going to look for me?" Ranma repeated in wonder. Did that mean...
He shook his head. That could wait. "So, did anything happen while I was gone?"
Nabiki's smile grew downright mischievous. "Let's see, where do I begin?"
*****
Meanwhile danger, as in horned, tentacled, super strong, winged danger, approached.
But we'll get to that later.
*****
TO BE CONTINUED!
*****
Author's Notes:
1) Awe, ain't that sweet how Ranma and Akane both decided that their love was more important than any fear of the future? Riiiiight. Like I'd ever make it that easy for them. Words ain't actions, that's all I gotta say. Their war isn't over yet (heck, it's got at least one more chapter in it).
2) So much of that suffering and tragedy of the last two chapters caused largely by a guy forgetting to deliver a phone message. There's a lesson here folks. WRITE DOWN YOUR PHONE MESSAGES! You never know when a phone call might keep a man from faking his death.
3) Yep, Genma faked his death. More detail about that are coming up in a later chapter.
4) Originally (or at least as of revision six of this chapter) I had intended to include in excruciating detail exactly what had caused Ranma to be away so long, broke his arm, and brought about his epiphany regarding Akane. However, after careful consideration (actually while relaxing on my break at work), I realized that if I included those sections, it might very well give away pretty much all of my plans for the new final chapter (which is a long way away), and I just plain couldn't have that. So, SUFFER MORTALS!
5) By the way, Couple's Therapy is returning to its roots. Those of you who have long suffered under the heavy drama content since Case 6 will be happy to know that the humor is on its way back. I expect the next eight or so chapters to be Couple's Therapy in the classic style. A little dark, a little dirty, and hopefully funny as hell (though I'll settle for mildly amusing).
Those of you who prefer the heavy drama to my peculiar brand of humor, well... I guess you'll have to wait a while.
5) Quaker Joe's thought for the day: Love is a socially accepted form of mental illness.