Without You

I don't own Ranma ½ or the characters, however any OCs in here are mine!

Okay, school has started this week for me so now I'm back to updating only on the weekends when I can. So my updations will not always be weekly. I'm planning to do this one every other weekend. Just letting you guys know so you know when to look forward to the next chapter. Do not ask me to update sooner because I do have other stories I need to work on and I have marching band, so I'm fairly busy. Thank you for your cooperation.

Akane hated to model for Nabiki for anything, school or those photos that she sold. At least the modeling session was over with, gratefully, and Akane was able to keep her sister from discovering what was on the tape and what Uncle Shihiro had sent her.

"Thanks for the shots Akane, they'll be most useful," Nabiki smiled, holding up the camera that was stocked with photos of Akane and, Akane was certain, Ranma-chan.

"Uh-huh," nodded Akane from her room as she changed out of the outfit Nabiki had her model in for a few photos. Pulling on her skirt than her shirt, Akane folded up the borrowed clothes and exited the room, handing the clothes to her sister. "By the way, I need another favor of you."

By the time the word 'favor' was out of Akane's mouth Nabiki's eyes were glittering with possibilities, possibilities that would make her money while offering her sisterly services to her baby sister. Having noticed the look in Nabiki's eyes, Akane closed her eyes and rolled them under the eyelids.

Can't teach an old dog new tricks, she commented mentally. "I need to borrow your video camera and I need you to teach me how to use it…"

"Well, I could always record you if you need someone who can work the camera," shrugged Nabiki, she was really trying to find out what it was that Akane wanted to record. "Just to be sure that it works properly," she quickly added when Akane gave her a skeptical look.

With a defeated sigh, Akane shook her head a bit. "Never mind, forget I asked, I'll just ask Kusumi to use the old camcorder," Akane stated, brushing past Nabiki.

Oh no, there was no way that her baby sister was just going to brush her aside like that. No, this was an opportunity that Nabiki could not afford to miss out on, no matter how she had to get the information.

"Akane, you can use my camera, I was just offering my services should you think that you needed them, but if you don't then I can just show you how to use it and you can borrow it," Nabiki told her, acting nonchalance about it while praying that her baby sister was buying the performance.

The younger Tendo eyed her sister a bit, looking for any tell-tale signs of deception. This is Nabiki, Akane reminded herself, she would never let on to anything if she was plotting someway to get information out of me. I just need to try and keep my plans of going the United States a secret until I know for certain if I can go and if I got accepted to the university.

"I think I can handle your camera without breaking it Nabiki," Akane assured with a stern voice that was meant to warn her sister from pursuing the idea of helping making the interview tape.

Knowing when she won't get her way no matter how much she tried, Nabiki agreed. "Okay than, but you owe me a favor when I need a favor," she reminded her baby sister. One never knew when one needed to call upon assistance every once and a while, so Nabiki was using this as an excuse to prepare for this 'time', should it ever come.

Akane was reluctant to agree, she was going to be on her sister's terms as far as what the favor was going to be, but Akane needed to get that tape done. In the end, Akane's need to get her interview taped won over her dislike of her sister's terms.

"Fine."

Hiding a grin of triumph, Nabiki inquired, "Would you like to use it now or after supper?"

Thinking about it for a moment, Akane figured that it was almost dinner time and Kasumi was certain to be calling them downstairs shortly. "How about afterwards," Akane decided, so that after dinner she could use the dojo since that was possibly the place Ranma was occupying.

"I'll have it out for you, but remember that you owe me now," Nabiki reminded.

Almost without warning, Akane pounced upon her sister, hugging her tightly. Leaving Nabiki with no idea how to respond to this; reacting to more emotional situations had never been one of Nabiki's strong points, especially when her sister was squeezing her a bit too tightly.

"Uh…Akane," Nabiki coughed, only receiving a 'mmh?' from her baby sister, "loosen up a bit."

Without letting go of Nabiki, Akane loosened her hold of the older Tendo sister.

"Sorry but thank you so much for all your help," Akane smiled gratefully then hugging her sister again, gently this time; completely forgetting her sister's inability to react to affection such as spontaneous kisses and hugs. It was a bit funny actually, at least to Akane because she couldn't quite figure out where she got that personality trait.

"Okay, okay Akane, you can let of me now," Nabiki pointed out, tapping Akane's shoulder while glancing down the hallway to make sure no one was witness to this moment. She could never let out this tender moment because that could ruin her reputation as the 'Ice Queen'; even in college she carried the name. It was amazing to her.

"Oh right," nodded the younger Tendo, letting go of Nabiki. "Sorry about that, I hope I didn't just ruin your reputation."

"It's alright, but don't let it happen again," warned Nabiki.

"I promise," Akane said absently before retreating back to her room with a giddy smile on her features, something that Nabiki hadn't seen for the longest time. In a way it was very refreshing.

Sitting at her desk, Akane once again took up her pen and began to finish her reply letter to her Uncle Shihiro. In all of the excitement Akane had made many mistakes; spelling, grammatically, and little half, unfinished sentences. The letter called for Akane to write another draft, a better one.


Ranma had been walking around Nermia after lunch, he had decided against going to the dojo to practice as he normally did, and instead opted to go for a walk. It was a dangerous thing to do, especially since it left him open for attacks and kidnappings from his 'other fiancée's'. But Ranma felt the need to do something physical that didn't require him to spar against an invisible partner or to step through a kata, plus his old man had been too 'busy' playing GO to help him train (read: be beat into a pulp or be splashed with cold water to become a panda).

"Who chooses to play GO instead of training?" Ranma muttered, kicking at the invisible stone on the fence.

Maybe he should purposely-for once-stir up some havoc just to keep him entertained for the moment. Of course that would only land him into the usual sort of trouble or even more trouble than the norm.

Somehow Ranma felt like he got the short end of the stick when it came to his life. How was it that trouble of almost every sort followed him? Couldn't whatever higher power go pick on someone else? Or was Ranma the easiest because he had so many fiancée's, all of which were not his choice?!

Ranma sighed, stopping in his walk to sit down on the fence. It wasn't just how unfair his life was that coursed through his head as he sat there. Oh no, the whole mystery surrounding this Shihiro guy was still nagging at him.

"What kind of guy makes a tomboy like Akane suddenly get very excited that she would not get jealous of Shampoo hanging on me in front of her?" wondered Ranma thinking back to all the other times Shampoo had glumped him in front of Akane, she had always gotten very angry and would start steaming with jealousy-at least that was what Ranma thought it to be.

Resting his chin on his hand, Ranma continued to think aloud, "She hadn't mentioned him at lunch." Neither did anyone else for that matter, he realized.

This was starting to aggravate Ranma and being aggravated was never something he handled well, and this Shihiro guy was just starting to push his buttons.

"Ha!" he laughed. "And I don't even know the guy!"

Of course Ranma had thought of doing the most common thing, ask Nabiki but of course she would ask for payment and Ranma was currently broke. He could ask Akane directly but…

"Shihiro's my real fiancée. I'm sorry that I hadn't told you before but I didn't want to hurt you. I love Shihiro, Ranma, not you."

Ugh! Even just thinking about Akane saying something like that caused Ranma's blood to race and his heart to beat rapidly.

"It would break Ryoga's heart," he reasoned for his 'uncharacteristic' concern for Akane's love life, whatever love life she had.

"After all," he continued, "it's not as thought it matters to me. If she loves this Shihiro guy then s-so what?! Why should I care?! It's not as thought she's really my fiancée or nut'ing since it wasn't my idea to get engaged to her!"

Glancing around him, Ranma made certain that his semi-stalker of a father wasn't around to have heard what he just said. No one, the streets were deserted except for that old lady up the street throwing water into the street again.

Ranma groaned, "Who am I kidding?"

"Who indeed, boy?"

At his father's sudden appearance on the fence, Ranma jumped up to his feet, ready in his casual-though a bit tense at the moment-stance but mentally ready should his pops try to pull a 'fast' one.

"W-what are you talking about pops?" Ranma demanded, playing the 'I have no idea what you're talking about' act.

Why couldn't he have a moment's peace? Especially without someone entering upon his business and making it their own?! Wasn't there a law against sticking one's nose into other people's business?

If not, there should be, Ranma added bitterly.

"About you and Akane, boy," Genma answered with a solemn expression on his face as his eyes began to tear up. "I always knew you had wanted to try to make it work with her after that second failed marriage."

Fountains of tears that most people would deem impossible for a human to create, but that was only if a person's dad did not carry the names Soun Tendo or Genma Saotome. Well, Ranma was used to the fountains of tears.

Ranma wished he could drop dead, but he couldn't because life was still out to torture him. So, instead, he punched his father into the cold water below.

"I don't wanna marry no one!" Ranma declared as the panda surfaced. "Ya got that?!"