Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma, Akane, or any other "Ranma 1/2" characters that appear in this story. However, the story is my own, well as much as my own as the people in my head tell me it is.

Chapter Two

Two more days. That is what the doctor said, anyway. The child was already a month overdue, and as Soun paced the floor uneasily, he waited for the doctor to finish his latest exam. When he began to consider knocking on the door for the third time, it suddenly opened.

"Well?" The doctor sighed heavily as he closed the door behind him. Through the crack Soun could see his wife, wrapped in bedding, a look of immense pain on her face.

"She is having contractions now. The child seems willing to be born now. But-"

"But what? Isn't that a good thing?" Soun impatiently interrupted the doctor, clinging to hopes his 'son' would be born alive. Soun didn't know for sure it was a boy, but after two still born children before this, he was hoping that his 'son' would finally be born and he would no longer have to worry about the future of his school.

"There is a problem. Because of the late time and the symptoms she is having...."

"No. Not again. Please doctor...."

"Doctor! She is ready! Doctor, please hurry!!" The nurse yelled through the door. Without a second glance the doctor rushed into the room, closing the door behind him. Soun heard his wife's screams amidst the doctor and nurses voices, doing whatever they could to save the life of his 'son'. Moments later, he could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise as one last scream was heard from behind the closed door. Something was not right. A birthing scream was not like that. It was a sound of immense pain, of sure absolute agony, and then it suddenly stopped. More noises from behind the door, voices, curses, shuffling of chairs and feet on the floor. And then silence. And as Soun looked helplessly at the closed door in front of him, he didn't know what was worse. The screams of the only women he ever loved in pure agony, or the silence that now befell the household. And then he heard it. It was small at first, but then roaring with clear displeasure. The wale of a child. Soun fell to his knees, hands on the floor and tears stinging his eyes. "

"He is alive!! Bless the spirits, he is alive." He whispered, still hearing the scream of his wife in his mind. "Never again will she have to endure this. With our son, no more is needed. Never again."

"Ahem." Soun looked up and saw the doctor standing before him, looking very grave. Soun rose to his feet and approached the doctor, expecting to see a smile on his face, a congratulations on the birth of his son. But the doctor just stared, before finally looking down to the floor. "Mr. Tendo, I- I don't know how to tell you this,.." Without even raising his eyes to meet Soun's, the doctor continued. "The birth was very painful, and she lost a lot of blood. There " Before the doctor could continue, Soun rushed past the doctor into the room and saw the lifeless body of his wife on the bloodstained sheets of their bed.

"NO!! Akane, no, please. Wake up. W-wake u-up, p-p-please." Soun hugged the body of his wife, ignoring the wetness of the blood she was pooled in. Heavy tears ran down his cheeks as he sobbed, pleading with his wife to awaken. Only after the nurses peeled him away did he let go, but he refused to loose sight of the beautiful angel that lay on the bed. Behind him he heard the voice of one of the nurses.

"Mr. Tendo, do you want to see your daughter?"

----------

Authors note: I know the last two chapters are short, but I wanted to get in some back story first. I do promise longer chapters! And sorry about late updates, with working and home stuff, I'll try to update as soon as I can. Please review and any suggestions are welcome!