Without You

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

"Akane? Akane, open up! Akane!" Soun implored as he rapped on the door of his youngest daughter's room. She was being stubborn by not opening the door and ignoring her father despite the aroma of food. "Open the door Akane or I'll break it down!"

When there was no reaction to his threat, Soun backed up to get a running start to break the door down with his shoulder. Just as Soun was about to collide with the door though, the door swung open and Soun found himself in his daughter's room trying to regain his composure without spilling the tray of food.

Taking the tray of food from her father, Akane set it down on her desk and turned to find her father straightening himself.

"Akane…" Soun began, only to be interrupted by his daughter.

"Dad, I'm going to Uncle Shihiro's with or without your approval. Uncle Shihiro's giving me a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to America and to go a college of all the arts, a place where I can take martial arts as my major!" Akane declared, gesturing vaguely to her already packed suitcase and backpack.

Closing her eyes, she waited for her dad to break into a lecture of the reasons why she shouldn't be going to America, reasons one through three would be because Akane and Ranma were not married.

"Good luck then."

Eyes snapping open, Akane stared at her father in disbelief for a long while with her mouth partly opened. "Ar-are you serious?" she stuttered a bit, still in shock.

"Yes, after," Akane could feel the aforementioned lecture coming on, "you've been married to Ranma."

Wanting nothing more than to melt into the carpeting or bang her head against the desk, Akane groaned in annoyance. "But daddy…"

"Let me finish Akane," Soun interjected and Akane rolled her eyes before taking a seat at the desk. "I don't want you to leave Japan unmarried only to return home married to a man you found in America."

Again, Akane rolled her eyes. This was ridiculous! Who she married should never be her parent's choice but rather her own! Who was to dictate whom she married?

"Now, I could possibly have a priest come over tonight and we can have a small ceremony with some friends and family members…" explained Soun as he began to tear.

Hanging her head, Akane began chanting, Think Akane, think! There must be somewhere to stop this! An idea finally struck her after the fourth repeat.

"Daddy, how many failed weddings have we had in the past three years?" Akane inquired innocently, leaning back in the chair as her father stopped his sudden pacing.

"Failed weddings, bah! How can you think about the past when we have your future with Ranma to plan out before you leave tomorrow? Now, of course Ranma will have to escort you to the airport and see you off like a good husband and…" Soun continued.

This needed to stop. "What makes you think this 'wedding' won't end up like the other two in the past?" Akane pointed out as she grabbed her bowl of cold rice and began to eat.

Soun paused for a moment and held his chin between his thumb and finger. "Good point, we'll have to keep this as a family affair then," he decided with an offhanded shrug.

Akane shook her head while saying, "Dad, have you forgotten where we live and who Ranma's other fiancées are? Ukyou, Shampoo, Kodachi, and everyone else would know about the 'wedding' and ruin the entire thing again."

"Yes, but hopefully by that time you and Ranma will be married," Soun stated.

"Excuse me, but you were the one who said-and I quote-"lingering relationships should be settled before a couple can be married" and don't try to deny saying that dad." Soun opened his mouth to defend himself but Akane continued, "And you also said that the wedding was to be postponed until Ranma and I sorted out our personal affairs. Unless you're blind, anyone can plainly see that our so-called 'personal affairs' haven't been sorted out. Thus, you and Mr. Saotome can't force Ranma and me to marry before I leave for America."

Akane smiled to herself as she thought, Even Nabiki would have to admit that I handled that pretty well. To say the least, Akane was very pleased with her well won victory.

"That was all before you decided to pack up and leave for America, out of watchful eyes," Soun tried to argue.

"I hate to tell you this dad but you never said that Ranma or I couldn't move away before 'sorting out our personal affairs'," Akane pointed out, getting to her feet. "So, it would be completely useless to try to get me and Ranma married tonight; it's not as though either of us would say 'I do' anyways."

Opening his mouth to say something, anything really, Soun found that he had nothing to argue with. Instead, Soun resigned himself to the fact that he could do nothing to marry his daughter before she left for a college that was countries away from home. That didn't mean he was down for the count though.

"Fine, I promise to keep my word of honor and keep the wedding postponed until you and Ranma have taken care of your other relationships, but Ranma is still to take you to the airport and see you off. Also, you and Shihiro will mail us reports of your training and college progress, monthly. I will not hear any argument to these conditions!" Soun stated.

Akane agreed, as much as she loathed to. "Fine, he'll take me to the airport and mail you guys reports of my progress."

"Good," Soun smiled, his features finally softening into that of a father who was proud of his child. "I'm so proud of you Akane; you got into-what sounds like-a great college! Give me a hug."

With a smile of contentment, Akane willfully gave her father a hug, possibly the last one she would share with him for a long while.

America, here I come.


Ranma hated this! He had been in foul mood since dinner the night before but his horrid mood worsened when Genma informed him that he, Ranma Saotome, was to take Akane to the airport. Alone!

So, here he was on a train to Tokyo with Akane sitting next to him re-reading her pamphlet of the school.

Although he didn't show it, it bothered Ranma that Akane was just picking up and leaving them to go train in a foreign land. Especially since he wasn't going to be going to make certain that…no one died from her cooking. Yeah, that was it, to make certain no one died from Akane's horrible cooking!

Glancing at Akane from the corner of his eye, Ranma watched as her lips moved to form the English words but not a sound came out. She was completely engrossed in the pamphlet and she was obviously nervous for her hands trembled.

With a sigh, Ranma sat back and decided that perhaps he should quit giving Akane the silent treatment.

"So what is this college? A place for brainy people who use big words that most people had no idea even existed?" he spoke up, startling Akane for a moment before she composed herself.

"Actually," Akane replied, "it's a college of all the arts, including martial arts."

Ranma closed his eyes to hide the fact that he was impressed. What college normally offered martial arts as a subject?

"Mph, you'll need all the training you can get with how you've been sparring lately a five year old could get the best of you," Ranma remarked a bit harshly, causing Akane's ki to flare.

With her hand twitching for the mallet, Akane moved down a couple of seats away from Ranma to calm herself.

"Now I remember why you and I never can get married, we can't get along even for a few minutes," muttered Akane, resting her feet on the seats and pointedly looking down at the pamphlet.

"Sorry that the truth hurts so much," Ranma retorted defensively. "Besides, it's not my fault we can't get along! You're just too touchy whenever I point out your mistakes."

Setting aside her reading material, Akane stood up and moved to sit in one of the empty seats near the back. If he was going to keep this up then Akane would have smashed him into the ceiling with her mallet.

"Insensitive jerk," she grumbled staring out the window to watch the scenery pass by in the 6 o'clock sunlight. It was a bit of a surreal image but very beautiful to watch, especially at the speed of the train.

Positioning himself into a lying position, Ranma gazed at Akane before turning away with a sniff. What did he say this time to make her so mad? Why was it always something he said or did that angered Akane?

Deciding to forget the entire matter, Ranma closed his eyes to try to catch a couple more minutes of sleep before having to get off the train.

Spending the rest of the train ride in silence and separated, the two late teens arrived at the stop and exited the train station to make their way to the airport. It was actually Ranma's first time in an airport before and it amazed him a bit with the number of people entering and exiting the place.

"Ranma, come on," Akane spoke up with a tone of annoyance as she stood in line to receive her boarding pass.

Catching up with Akane, Ranma stood behind her while staring up at the surroundings.

It didn't take long before it was Akane's turn.

Approaching the lady who was to handle the boarding pass and baggage, Akane handled everything and even exchanged a few words of English with the woman. As the woman found the information for Akane, she inquired about Ranma's ticket.

"Isn't your husband going with you?" the woman inquired.

Feeling a blush creep up her back and neck, Akane hastily explained that she and Ranma weren't married and how he was just escorting her to security checkpoint.

With the explanation, the woman made no other comment but she kept giving Ranma and Akane thoughtful looks.

"Here you go," the woman said, handing Akane her only suitcase, "you can set it down over there." She motioned to line of suitcases off to the side.

"Thank you," Akane nodded, taking her suitcase and carrying her backpack over to the other luggage.

"Where do we go now?" Ranma asked.

"This way," directed Akane, leading the way to the security checkpoint where a line stretching for several meters stood.

Setting down her bag, Akane turned to Ranma with a small smile on her face. "Well, I guess this is where we say 'good-bye'," she sighed, ignoring the slight feeling of loss.

"Yeah, so good bye," Ranma shrugged lamely and for several moments the two just stood looking at each other awkwardly.

Biting her lower lip, Akane suggested, "I suppose we could hug or something, then go our separate ways."

"Okay," Ranma agreed.

Both of them opened their arms for a hug and uncertainly gave each other a light embrace, after having to figure out which way their arms were going to wrap. Releasing each other from the momentary yet uneasy hug, Ranma and Akane fidgeted.

"See ya, Ranma," Akane murmured before turning around and heading to take her place at the end of the line.

Taking a seat, Ranma watched Akane move through the line and get past security until she was out of sight. Then, with a glance at the nearest clock, Ranma stood up cursing.

"I missed my train just to see her off!" he realized, making a mad dash out of the airport and back to the train station.

Thank you to: The Liz, Hououza, Miko Kagome Archer, cherrybloss9, Jennyroseangel, ranmakane4ver, Mensa-13, panda-tiney, black-lotusblossom, Ulitheal, Key, Trevelyan Duke, and Hanoi.

Wow, that's a lot of people, not that I'm complaining or anything, but…wow! I'm honored, really, to have so many people reading this fic of mine. Also, thank you all for bearing with my horrible grammar, I know it's horrible and no amount of my reading and re-reading can cure it, I've tried. Anyways, thank you all.