KTKG: Hey everyone! How's it going? I trust everything is going great!!! Sorry for such a long wait for this chappie . . . I had History Day . . . does anyone else know about that?? Well, anyway let's just say I've been having some drama about that . . . ::ahem:: But enough with my ranting on about school work and such . . . ON WITH THE STORY!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

(Insert standard disclaimer here)                                                                                                                                                                       

Chapter 9!

Nabiki lazily strolled downstairs to the family room. She was bored as much as she hated to admit it, and she really needed something to do. Once she reached her destination of the quiet little deserted room, she sat down at the table and promptly grabbed the remote, flipping through all the channels possible. She stopped on the American channel (an: I wonder if there really is a channel like this there??) and settled for watching the music videos that were playing.

She moaned and placed her head down on the table in a very un-Nabiki type way. Man!!! She hated being bored!! She had finished counting the day's earlier profits and after checking her income twice, had finished her homework. With both of these aspects out of the way, she had nothing better to do except let her boredom take over.  

NO! Nabiki Tendo never got bored! EVER! And even if she did, there was always a way to rid her of the unpleasant feeling. She lifted her head and smiled. She could always make a profit off of this. Besides, Kuno had placed an order for more pictures of his beloved 'pig-tailed girl' so why not fill that order now. She looked at the clock on the VCR under the television. Oh yes, she was definitely about to have some fun.

Quietly she crept up the stairs and snaked her way gracefully over to the guest room. As carefully as she could with the bucket of water that she had acquired on her way up and a camera, she slid the shoji aside and immediately dumped the contents of the bucket onto the sleeping figure on the floor. Quickly she raised her camera and was about to press the button that would capture the moment, but stopped when she noticed what she would have captured.

"Mr. Saotome?" Her only response was a loud grotesque snore. She frowned and dropped the camera to her side. "Where's Ranma?" she wondered aloud to herself as she left the sleeping Panda in the room. She began to walk down the hallway. "Usually he'd be taking a nap . . . where could he be?" She stopped and listened for a moment. "I don't hear anything coming from the dojo . . ."

Without thinking walked over to Akane's room and opened the door. "Say Akane, do you know where Ranma is?" She looked around and sighed, closing the door behind her. "Of course you wouldn't know, you're not here either." A bit confused as to where her little sister and her fiancée could be, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

Kasumi looked up and smiled upon seeing Nabiki's confused face. "What's the matter Nabiki-chan?" Nabiki sat down at the table. "Do you know where Akane or Ranma is?" Kasumi 'hmm'ed as she turned off the water she was washing dishes with. "Hm . . .  well Akane is at the Beauty pageant rehearsal, and Ranma . . . hm? I don't know where he could be." She looked at the clock on the wall. "Now that you mentioned it, those two should have been home by now. Do you think you go looking for those two for me?"

Nabiki's face brightened up somewhat. "Sure Kasumi, no prob." * At least I won't be bored anymore.* Kasumi smiled in response. "Great! Thank you Nabiki. Now, hurry and get back as soon as you can, it looks like there might be rain."

Nabiki nodded and was on her way, her camera packed carefully in her jeans pocket and her umbrella in the other hand.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"That's not going to work Akane. Even with your gorilla like strength, you still won't be able to open that locked door."

Akane wasn't listening, she was too busy grasping the doorknob twisting and pushing with all her might. "Akane . . ." "Shut up Ranma!" She stopped and slid down the wall to the floor, her breath coming heavy and loud in the darkness of the room. Akane was angry, angry and upset. Not to mention exhausted. Who knew that trying to open a locked door would give someone such a work out? Nevertheless she was angry and upset. She was in an awkward situation and she hated it. Her heavy breathing slowed and all became quiet. Only the buzzing of electrical wires could be heard as the estranged fiancées were left to their thoughts.

Ranma fidgeted in the darkness. It was too quiet for him, he wanted to say something but what he didn't know. Akane on the other hand was thinking about her current predicament. * Great, juuuuuuuust great. I had been avoiding this confrontation all day and what happens? I get locked in a closet with the one person that I have been running away from!* Just then a thought popped into her head. * Gorilla . . .?* "Did you just call me a gorilla?"

"I thought you didn't want to talk." It came suddenly after what seemed like an eternity to the both of them. Akane unconsciously started to chew on her lip. She did say that, didn't she? But . . . "Well . . . it's not like there's anything better to do. We're stuck in here until someone comes by and gets us out so . . . we might as well talk." She crossed her arms and legs simultaneously, trying to make herself comfortable in the cramped space.

Ranma felt something brush against his leg and upon realizing that it was Akane and not a rat, shifted also. "Well, let's talk . . . I know you have questions, so I guess I'll answer anything you want to know." She snorted. * You got that right, I've got about a thousand of them.* She was thoughtful for a moment. "Well . . . for starters . . . I want to know . . . why did you enter the contest?" Again, Ranma was silent. * How am I supposed to tell her I did it for her own good without her killing me?*  "Ranma . . ." her voice was soft and easy, unlike it's normal harsh self in situations like this. He sighed in relief. She didn't seem angry. With that thought in mind he smiled to himself.

Maybe things were going to go smooth . . .

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nabiki walked the streets, listening to the rain as it hit the top of her gray umbrella. She sighed; she hadn't found Ranma anywhere. He wasn't at Ukyo's or Shampoo's stuffing his face. "Where could that idiot be?" She sighed some more. "Just a couple more blocks to go until I get to the pageant headquarters. . ."

Suddenly a car pulled up beside her and suspiciously she peered into the window. Slowly it rolled down, revealing a young man about her age smiling at her. "Hey Nabs!" Nabiki started at the boy for a minute until her memory kicked in. "Hey! I remember you! Jun from summer camp! Hey how's it going?" She smiled despite her tired feet. "It's ok. Say, where are you headed?" Nabiki pointed straight in front of her. "A couple of blocks that way." Jun's eyes lit up. "Really me too! Do ya want a lift?"

"Sure."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 * Tell her!!* Ranma's mind was screaming at him to tell her why he had done what he well . . . had done. * But what about if she gets really mad and winds up killing me or at least seriously injuring me?* He was about to say 'never mind' when he remembered what his mom had told him before she had left that night. 'Just be honest with her. After all, honesty is the best policy right?' Ranma snorted * yeah, the best policy to get killed! But still, it wouldn't hurt to tell her, right?* He took in a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever would happen next. "Well . . . I did it because . . . well, I did it to protect you, you know, from Ukyo and Shampoo."

Akane blinked despite the darkness. * Protect me?* He grunted a response and she realized that she had just voiced that thought aloud. Her anger was rising inside of her but by taking a deep breath, she had managed to suppress it for a bit. "But Ranma . . ." she trailed off. There really wasn't a reason to be upset with him. He was looking out for her, and nothing more right? "Are you sure you were just 'protecting' me as you say? Or is there more to it?" She had to admit that the sentence that was just said was full of rudeness and suspicion, but she had to know. After all, Ranma could be a very competitive person.

"Of course Akane! Why else would I enter a stupid thing like a beauty contest?" "To prove that you're right, that I'm ugly and that even in female form you're better than me." It was said quietly, but to Ranma, it rang in loud in his ears like she had just yelled for the whole world to hear. * Mom was right . . . she did take it seriously.* He cast his gaze downward now that his eyes had began to adjust to the dark.

Once again, silence had made itself known.

Shifting noises were made and Akane stared at the outline of the pig-tailed martial artist. * Why isn't he saying anything? Usually we would be arguing right about now . . .* She was struggling with herself to keep her anger in check. She had decided during the day that if and when she would talk to him, she wouldn't get angry. So far she had done a good job, but all this silence and tension that seemed to smother her was taking its toll.

"Akane . . . you're wrong. That's . . . no that's wrong."

Akane let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Well . . . what about when you pretended that you were my friend? You tricked me Ranma." Ranma took a calming breath; he had to think carefully about the words that left his mouth. "Akane, I wasn't pretending. You can't pretend to be something you already are . . ." He sensed her brows crease together. Whether in anger or confusion he didn't know. "Like I said, I wasn't pretending, I was really being your friend . . . and I still am."

Akane was silent. "But . . . what about . . . all of those names that you call me? You're constantly telling me how terrible at things I am . . . how uncute and tomboy like I am . . . who in their right mind would tell their friend that? I don't but you do! Why Ranma? Why?" She couldn't help it, she had been waiting for so long to tell him that, to ask him the questions that had been burning a hole in the back of her mind for what seemed like months on end. She had to know why he was always saying those things; did he mean them . . . or not? Suddenly she felt something wet slide down her cheeks and she involuntarily inhaled . . . twice.

::sniff sniff::

Ranma straightened up at the sound. She was crying. He mentally sighed. He never knew how to deal with her when she cried, his words would always seem to catch in his throat and he could never explain why.  This time however he couldn't see her face, which made things a bit easier. But still, because he knew she was crying, what he was about to say wasn't going to be that easy. Taking in a silent breath he gathered the courage to voice what's been his mind so for long.

"Akane-chan . . ." Akane wiped her tears away. * Akane-chan* "I don't really mean any of those things . . ." Her first reaction was to interrupt him with an 'I don't believe you', but she held back, interested in where he was going to take this. "I guess . . . I guess I just say them because . . . well because I'm not good at saying what I really want to."

She was confused. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? No, that couldn't be right? Yeah, obviously he doesn't feel the same way she feels for him, there's no way that's what he could be saying.

Ranma swallowed the lump of fear that had begun to rise in his throat. He was gonna do it, yeah he was really gonna do it. * I'm gonna do it, I gotta do it, I will do it, I NEED to do it!* He started to move towards the outlined figure in the dark. Reaching out he touched damp flesh and when he felt something feather soft touch is hand, he realized that it was Akane's tear-stained cheek. "Ranma, what are you . . ." "Akane, just listen to me please?" Akane softened at the sincerity and pleading sound in his voice.

She had to admit it; she was surprised at his forwardness. Never had she thought he would be doing and saying the things he was now. Ok, maybe in her dreams she did, but sure enough not in reality. Well, at least she hoped he was saying what she thought he was saying . . . but at the moment, he wasn't saying anything! She was beginning to worry. He sure was taking a long time. What could her possibly want to say?

"Akane . . ."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jun pulled the car into the parking lot smoothly. "So why are you here?" Nabiki exited the car and eyed him in her regular way. "If you want such information, it's gonna cost you." Jun laughed lightly. "Same ol' Nabiki." Nabiki smirked as they started across the parking lot. She sniffed as her foot descended into a puddle of seemingly black waters. "What are you doing here?" "I'm here to get my drumsticks . . . what about you?"

"I'm here to get my sister Akane . . . Your drumsticks?" He smiled and kicked a stray rock. "Yeah, my friend Hisa and I are lending our musical talents to the competition. Hisa left his drumsticks here. Well, actually they're mine, but I'm letting him use them." Nabiki arched an eyebrow "Hontou? What do you play then?" He ran a hand through his thick hair, "the piano".

They entered the seemingly deserted building, their tennis shoes squeaking on the white marbled floor. Nabiki looked around. "Hm . . . I don't see them anywhere." Jun looked also. "What does your sister look like?"

The two turned towards the lady at the front desk. She had long hair that was brown but streaked with blonde. She looked to be in her early twenties. "Um, well, she has short bluish-black hair and is about ye tall . . ." Nabiki raised her hand up to her forehead, indicating the youngest Tendo's height. "Does she have brown eyes?" Nabiki nodded slowly "yeaaaahhhhh" * Why would she ask a question like that?* The lady smiled at Nabiki's shocked face. "She and a young man with a pigtail headed off in that direction." The lady pointed to her left, making Nabiki and Jun look that way also. "Okay, thanks."

The two of them headed off down the huge hallway, the silence multiplying their footsteps a seemingly ten fold. "Where could they be? This building seems as deserted as a ghost town!" Nabiki looked at Jun blankly. "Wow, you sure seem like you're into finding my sister more than I am." Jun blushed slightly. "Well, I just want to help you find her, I mean, she's kinda missing right?" Nabiki smirked. "Yeah . . . I guess you could say that." *hmm . . . something is going on here*

Nabiki pondered for a moment as she rested against a wall. "We've been looking all over! Where could they be??" Jun snorted. "Well, they could be in a janitors closet making out." It was now Nabiki's turn to snort. "Pfft, yeah right. If you really knew those two, you would know that it would take some kind of miracle for that to happen!" She placed her hand on the doorknob beside her. "Where are you at Akane?"

In a burst of sudden un-Nabiki like frustration, she twisted the knob violently, surprising herself when the door obliged and opened.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Akane sat rigid. She had nearly leapt out if her skin when he had placed his slightly calloused hand on her cheek. He was getting closer and closer and she could feel it. * What is he planning?*

"Akane, listen . . . what I really want to say is . . ."

Suddenly, a burst of light entered the room and two storm blue eyes came into view. Akane and Ranma blinked and promptly moved away from each other when they realized how close they really were. They didn't get to far however when a second burst of light was seen, followed closely by a clicking sound. Turning to the side, the two teens were met with a smiling Nabiki who was waving a camera in the air. "Well well well, what have you two been doing in this lil' closet here hmmmmmm?"

They turned back to each other and blushed, and then it hit both of them what had just happened. Both embarrassed beyond belief, they did the only thing they could do, and that of course was let old habits kick in.

"Ranma you idiot!"

"What? What are you screamin' at me for?"

"You hentai! You were trying to take advantage of me in the dark weren't you!"

"I was not!"

"Were too!"

"Kawaiikune Tomboy!"

"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr . . . RANMA NO BAKA!!!"

A loud crashing noise was heard and Jun spotted Akane stomping out of the closet and into the hallway. She stopped and crossed her arms as she turned her back towards them. Slowly Ranma also exited the closet sporting a few lumps on the head, no doubt caused by Akane. Nabiki smiled. "Well, looks like we found them. Say Jun, you don't mind giving us a ride home do you?"

Eyes wide, Jun slowly nodded. "Uh, yeah, sure . . . just let me get my drumsticks and we'll be off." He turned and headed off down the hall, followed by a happy Nabiki. Akane stood for a minute, lost in thought. Ranma started to make his way after them but was stopped when a small hand grabbed a hold of his shirtsleeve. "Ranma, wait . . ." He turned and looked over his shoulder.

"Hmm?" She looked at him, gazing into his eyes for a minute. * He's not mad?* "Uh . . . when we get home . . . we . . . we need to talk." He looked at her, "Uh, sure . . ." * So now she wants to talk.* "Meet me in the regular spot." She nodded and let go, giving him a slight smile. "Sure." She started after her sister but stopped and turned slightly. "Uh . . ." "Hm ?" He looked at her expectantly. "Sorry . . . about hitting you. It was just uh, habit." He waved his hand. "Don't worry about it, I guess it was habit too . . . I mean . . . about what I said." She nodded and turned back around, walking away slowly.

* Wow, this is going to be a night to remember . . . hopefully for the best.* His name being called brought him out of his thought.

"Coming!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

KTKG: ooooooooooooooooook. Yeah, sorry about the delay, not too sure that you guys liked this chapter or not. Let me know what you think! Oh and just to let you know, there will be some R/A fluff next chapter . . . not too sure how much. But there will be some none the less! Give me some ideas! Fear not! This story is far from over!!!!!!! Hahahahahaha ::ahem:: well you guys know the drill! Review! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah, in the last chapter there were some spelling mistakes . . . 'Star' in the AN was supposed to be 'Stare' hehehe, sorries!

Oh yeah . . . I've been thinking about writing a Inu Yasha fic . . . of course romance . . . but I don't know if I should or not . . . what do you guys think??

REVIEW~!