Chapter 14: Wedding Bells, I Think Not

The next morning, after the once happy couple had spent the night on opposite sides of their bedroom, marched into the Cat Café'. Shampoo was extremely surprised to see them and was struck silent.

Cologne hobbled out of the kitchen to see what the silence was. "Oh Ranma, Akane, what brings you two by?"

Ranma tried to control his anger, at least long enough for him to get an answer. He put a hand up and started patting around at the barrier. "Do you know anything about this?" Akane simply stood in the center looking lost and helpless.

"Oh, how did Akane get a hold of the 'Break-a-Heart Bracelet'?" Cologne hopped over to Akane on her stick and grabbed her left hand, holding it up to see the bracelet.

"It was sent to me with a note of 'congratulations'." Answered Akane and she looked up at her fiancé.

Cologne turned on her stick and looked straight at Shampoo. "Great Granddaughter, why did you do this?"

Shampoo folded her arms defiantly across her chest. "Shampoo not do this. Gave to crazy black rose girl before announcement."

"Great Granddaughter!"

"Shampoo didn't know tomboy was carry child at the time." Shampoo held her hands up and shrugged her shoulders. She then went into the kitchen.

"Cologne…How do we get the bracelet off?" Ranma asked very sorrowfully.

Cologne pivoted on her staff and sighed. "The 'Break-a-Heart Bracelet' is exactly that, to break your hearts and break you apart. It won't come off until you hate each other."

Akane and Ranma stared at each other feeling like all their hopes had been smashed and there was no way to fix it.

"There might be another way." Cologne bounced into the kitchen and went upstairs. She returned a moment later. "I'm not sure this will work, but let us try." Cologne pulled a small, thin golden rod from her robe and placed an end to the side of the bracelet. "As an elder of the Amazons we're given the 'Soaltic Rod'. Hidden powers are locked inside. We Amazons aren't exactly sure of them all either."

The couple listened to Cologne's story and waited. They eagerly and patiently awaited a result. Without warning the chain released and fell to the floor. Ranma and Akane stared down at the bracelet, to make sure it was truly off. They looked up at one another then ran to each other and embraced tightly.

They were finally able to touch the other. No more invisible barrier. They were free again to show their love and they did so by not releasing the other from the hug.

While still hugging Ranma tightly, Akane looked over his shoulder and smiled at Cologne. "Thank you."

She nodded her acceptance and ushered them outside. "Ok, out with you, I have a restaurant to open."

The now ecstatic couple left happily. For once Ranma wasn't walking on the fence, but was right beside Akane with her pulled firmly against his side. They continued down the street, not caring where they went. They were just enjoying the warm summer afternoon and the welcoming company.

They wondered into a park and Ranma spotted a large water fountain. He looked at Akane from the corner of his eye as a mischievous smile worked its way across his lips.

Akane was totally oblivious to the thoughts running through her fiancés mind. She had been watching some kids playing in the water jets of the fountain, so she was caught completely off guard when Ranma picked her up from behind.

Ranma ran straight for the water shooting up from the ground. When he hit the first jet he released Akane's legs and let her arms wrap around his neck, then he started to spin. They were completely soaked and yet they continued to spin and laugh. The kids had started to laugh along with them, so Ranma placed Akane on her feet and they all started to play tag.

Hours later Akane and Ranma entered their house soaking wet and exhausted. Quickly they snuck back to the bathroom to change their clothes. They then tried to sneak up to their room. They'd had an annoying 24 hours and weren't ready to be bothered yet.

"Akane, Ranma?" Questioned Kasumi as she saw them tiptoeing by the kitchen, holding hands. "I see you solved the bracelet, that's good." She turned and went back to cooking dinner.

Akane started to push Ranma toward the stairs as she answered her sister. "Ya, we did, now Ranma and I have some things to discuss. Holler when dinners ready!"

They quickly made it back to their room. Ranma closed the door behind them and turned around to face Akane. "So what do we need to discuss?"

The answer he received was a full out attack. Akane lunged at him and pulled his face down for a kiss. She then stared to pull him toward the bed.

As they reached the bed's edge, Ranma placed his hands on her shoulders and put her at arms length. He could see the questions rise up behind her chocolate brown eyes and he gave her a small smile. "I love you, you know that right?"

Akane smiled and rested her cheek against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. "I do know that and I love you." She tilted her head up and kissed him again. She then twisted her right leg around his left, causing him to fall over on top of her, pressing her into the mattress. "Let's deal with everything later."

"Gladly!" Ranma whispered as he leaned down and started to kiss her neck.

Later that night Ranma and Akane had asked Nodoka and Kasumi for a conference in their room.

"We need your help tomorrow." Stated Ranma bluntly. He was holding Akane's hand as he spoke to his mother and future sister-in-law.

Nodoka and Kasumi looked at each other, both wondering the same thing, 'what do they need our help for?'

"We want to get married tomorrow, secretly." Said Akane and looked at them hopefully. "We were hoping you'd be our witnesses. But it will just be us four."

"If you can't, we'll elope." Said Ranma defiantly.

"Ok course we'll witness!" replied Nodoka and clasped her hands together happily. "But why be so secretive?"

"Because of all our suitors." Replied Akane saddened. "We don't want a repeat of last time. Even though everyone knows now how we feel, we doubt that would stop them from interfering."

The adults nodded in agreement. "Ok, what time tomorrow? And there will be no getting out of a party afterwards." Kasumi responded with a wink.

Akane hugged her sister gratefully as Nodoka hugged her son.

"We were planning about noon. And not a word of this to anyone, especially not our fathers. We don't need them knowing until after.

When everyone left the next morning it was surprisingly peaceful. Come to find out, Nabiki had college thing to take care of and the fathers were in the dojo drinking, planning a wedding.

Ranma rolled his eyes after checking on them and headed out to meet everybody at the front gate, 'Enjoy your wedding, old geezers!' Ranma was dumbfounded when he saw Akane waiting at the gate. She was in a white dress with a long, matching, jacket and a white lily in her hair. He stood staring at her for a minute, until his mother told him to hurry up.

Akane was equally speechless as she stared back at Ranma in his white tux and tails. Kasumi had to nudge her little sister along next to her fiancé.

They had managed to make it to the courthouse without any uninvited guest showing up. The justice of the peace had recognized them immediately and asked why they were there.

They explained that they truly didn't want their wedding ruined last time and that's why they were marrying in secret today. Ranma assured him there would be no problems this time since the only people who knew, were already in the room.

The justice of the peace nodded and agreed to give it one more try. He started to speak very quickly, but when the third lane came and went with no explosion, he slowed down.

When it came to the part of exchanging rings, Ranma panicked, he'd forgotten all about getting them. He was tapped on the shoulder and he spun around to see his mom was holding two gold bands. He picked them up and looked at them. There was a heart engraved on the tops. He handed the man ring to Akane; on the inside was an engraving, "Eternity". He looked at the inside of the band he was about to place on Akane's finger, it said "Forever". Ranma slid the ring onto Akane's left ring finger. "I do, forever."

Akane glanced at the ring in her right hand quickly, and then looked up at Ranma smiling. She slid it onto his left ring finger as well. "I do, and eternity."

Before the justice even got a chance to say "you may kiss the bride!" Ranma had, happily and fully.

The justice of the peace sighed heavily as he sank into his chair. "I seriously hope there aren't anymore couples like you two.'

They all laughed and bid him farewell. They parted ways at the door. Kasumi and Nodoka were to get food for the party and Ranma and Akane were to go home and relax.

The moment the newlyweds entered the front door, Soun and Genma called them into the living room.

"How does a week from today sound, next Saturday, for the wedding?" Soun looked up at the couple quizzically. "Why are you two dressed like that?"

Akane kneeled by her father and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Father, there isn't going to be a wedding."

"WHAT?" yelled Soun and Genma in unison.

Akane stood up next to Ranma and wrapped her arm around his waist. "The reason we're dressed like this is…we just got married down at the courthouse."

Soun fell over backwards, having fainted. Genma sat still, rubbing his temple with his thumb and forefinger.

"What will your mother say when she finds out!" grunted Genma as he looked over his ecstatic son and daughter-in-law.

"Somehow, I think she'll be fine", stated Ranma.

"All our years of planning wasted!" whined Genma.

"WASTED? You two wanted us married so you could combine families and dojos. That's what you got. Just no big ceremony." Ranma hollered at his father, upset that he didn't congratulate them.

"OK. Who's ready for a party?" Nodoka shouted throughout the house as she and Kasumi entered carrying several grocery bags.

"Nodoka, you knew about this, about them?" questioned Genma, wide eyed.

Nodoka stopped in her journey to the kitchen and looked at him. "Of course I knew, I am his mother."

Genma glared at his wife as she walked into the kitchen.

"The wedding was supposed to be a big deal." Cried Soun from the floor, still lying on his back from fainting.

"Honestly dad, if we were to have a big wedding like last time?" Akane helped her father sit up and looked sad. "It probably would've ended like last time as well…fighting, unmarried and depressed."

"You know, she has a point daddy." Agreed Nabiki from the doorway. She walked over close to Ranma and hit him in the back of the head. "I guess you're officially my brother-in-law now, huh."

Ranma rubbed the back of his head and saw Nabiki wink. Before anyone could say another word, Nodoka and Kasumi entered the room carrying several large platters.

"Let's celebrate shall we." Cheered Nodoka as she pat Akane and Ranma on the back.

Somewhere in Japan…

Somewhere in a forest…

Stumbling over rocks and branches wondered another of the people with the Jusenkyo curse, feeling totally lost and abandoned; he didn't see the cliff right in front of him and he fell downwards. Once he hit the bottom and stopped rolling, he looked back up. It was at least a 50 foot drop, but he was too numb to notice. He started to walk along the cliffs wall with no place of where in mind. He stumbled on through the woods for hours, until he came upon a campfire. There was a girl with long brown hair sitting next to it and she was armed with a giant spatula.

"Ukyou?"

She looked up at him bewildered. "Ryoga, what are you doing here?"

Ryoga stumbled over and sat down next to her by the fire. "I've lost Akane. She's marrying Ranma."

Ukyou looked at him then at the flames before her. "I know. That's why I'm camping out; I don't want to see them."

"I understand how you feel." Ryoga then looked into the fire as well.

Ukyou felt a kindred spirit within Ryoga. They had both just lost someone they loved. "Ryoga, it's ok if you hide out here with me ok."

Ryoga smiled at her and nodded, "thanks Ukyou!"