A.N.: hey readers! Happy thanksgiving! I was cooking and cleaning and eating all day yesterday, so I wasn't able to post.(I also had to wait until the website was functional again), Please read and review! And I hope you like this chapter! It reaches further into the fiction part of the fanfiction I guess, being that this sort of stuff didn't really happen… only in my head! I don't know if I should lower the rating, or atleast until I add a lemon or something… well, actually, that might happen… I mean after everything that's all full of drama…. B/c I've got drama coming. Please stick with the story! Thanks a lot! --CJD

Disclaimer: this story is all mine, but the characters and curse belong to Rumiko!!

Chapter 10: Cooking Lessons

"Now Akane, cooking isn't too hard. You just need some practice, and some good taste buds. And no worries! You'll have tons of practice with this dish-its Ran's favorite!" She said with excitement. "you make it sound so easy, Mrs. Saotome!" "That's because it is, and please call me Mom." "Okay, Mom." She said, looking a little sad. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry. Its just that seeing you two like this, it is very surprising, and I'm forgetting my place a little bit. I could never take your mother's place." She said, taking Akane into a big hug. "No, its ok, really. I hardly remember her. She died so long ago. Did you know her?" She asked. "Well, Genma and I have always been great friends of your parents. Yes. She was a wonderful woman. It's such a tragedy what happened to her. Leaving such beautiful daughters behind, but look how nicely you've turned out. I must say, I was a bit worried at first. I even offered to help raise you and you sisters, but your father refused. Somehow he knew he could manage, and he did! Its very comforting to see that. He loved your mother very much, and you can see how his love spread." She gave Akane another hug. "Thank you." "No, Thank you for being so wonderful to my son. He truly did fall in love with the right person." She smiled. "yeah, so did I."

The cooking lesson continued, and the two were chatting for an hour, while preparing Ranma's favorite dinner. "That's not half bad." Mrs. Saotome said, tasting one of the dishes Akane was in charge of. "Really?" Akane was amazed that she didn't burn it. Ranma would be so proud of her. "Alright, I'll set the table, you go wake Ran up, and tell him to be amazed at your new found skills!" she said. Akane nodded and went in search of Ranma's room.

The house was very large so it took a few minutes. She finally opened the door and saw his half naked form asleep on the bed. It was a small bed, for when he was a child, but he slept in it anyway. It was his bed, and his room, filled with little toys and things having to do with the martial arts. Akane walked in and admired her fiancé, sleeping peacefully. He was holding his pillow, and was partially covered by the blanket. Akane could see his boxers, which was the only piece of clothing he was wearing. She approached the bed and sat down on the edge. She started rubbing his back. "Ranma…Ranma…its time for dinner…" she said in a calm voice. He must have been more exhausted than he led on. He rolled over a little and said, "Let me sleep a little more mom…just a half hour…" "Ranma…I'm not your mom. Open your eyes sleepy head!" she said with a chuckle. "Wha?" Ranma said groggily, opening his eyes. "Huh? Akane…was I saying weird things? I'm sorry I was really tired." He said sitting up. He saw that she was wearing an apron and said, "so you were making dinner with my mom?" "Yeah, mom and I were making your favorite dinner." She said. "Mom?" He asked, and placed a light kiss on her lips. "Yeah, she wants me to call her mom. I mean she sort of is now." He took her in his arms. "You don't have to do that if you don't want to. I don't want her to replace your mom." "No one can replace my mom. Besides, I want to say it. It sounds cool." She said. "Uh-cool?" "Yeah! Oh whatever! Just get dressed and come down for dinner!" She said getting up and tossing him his shirt and pants. He dressed and followed Akane downstairs. He saw the food that was on the table and said, "Akane, you made some of this? You mean you actually made something without burning it?" He was shocked. "Yeah, and it's pretty good! Your mom ate some of it and is living to tell the tale!" Mrs. Saotome smiled, making Ranma smile. "Akane! You can cook! Hooray!! This is so exciting. I want to eat it all!" He sat and started piling tons of food onto his plate, and then shoving it into his mouth. He was acting a little bit like an animal, but didn't care because it was his favorite dinner, which was made by the two women who loved him the most in his life.

A little while later he couldn't eat anymore and gave many compliments on how good it was. Akane was so happy he ate so much. Of course she was worried something was wrong with it, but Mrs. Saotome had been helping her, so it was all right to eat.

"Ah! Thank you so much, to the two women I love the most! This meal was delicious!" He said. They both smiled and blushed at the compliment, and started clearing the table. "Please, I slept all afternoon, let me help with some chores." He said getting up and taking some plates out of Akane's hands. "Yeah, Akane I bet you're dying for a shower. Go relax, Ranma and I can handle the dishes!" Akane followed the orders. "Oh, um, where is the bathroom?" She asked. "I'll take you, be right back" Ranma put the plates down and took Akane's hand, leading her to the humongous bathroom. "Here you go, if you need anything don't hesitate to ask." "Alright, thanks." Ranma left to help with the dishes again.

He reentered the kitchen and started washing dishes, making sure the water was hot before putting his hands under it. "Ranma I'm so happy for you. It's a mother's dream for her son to have such a wonderful girl. You two are so perfect for each other. I'm so proud of you!" She said. "I'm really happy you approve. I was worried you wouldn't. I mean it's been so long since I saw you, and I'm returning home, all grown up and with my fiancée, I was worried you would be too shocked to like her." He said. "Ranma, its so nice that you came. You have grown up but you're still my son. And how can I not like Akane? She's a wonderful girl. She's really grown up too. The last time I saw her, she was such a tomboy! But now, she's a beautiful young woman, about to be married, and she wanted to learn to cook so she could please you!"

"Well, I am very pleased. I can't believe she could love someone like me, I'm the lucky one."

"Ha ha! You two say the same things! She was amazed you loved her, too, but she loves you so much. And you are quite a catch, if I do say so myself." She chuckled. "Well, there was one thing I noticed though." She said. Ranma started to worry, there couldn't possibly be something wrong with Akane, could there be? "What?" He asked, wanting to know. "Well, its something small and insignificant, but I have come up with the perfect solution!" "What is it already?!" he said, a little anxious. "Well, she was sipping her tea this afternoon, and I noticed it. Ranma, you haven't given her an engagement ring!" "Oh, That. That's part of the reason I brought her. I brought her, so I could introduce you two, and so I could give her an engagement ring. I wanted to ask your opinion on the matter though, because jewelry is not one of my strong points." "All right, the dishes can wait. Come with me, I have the perfect thing." She turned the water off and pulled Ranma out of the kitchen and up to her room. "Mom, what's the perfect thing?" "Just follow me and I'll show you!" she said, getting a girlish attitude and pulling her son over to her closet. "Here it is!" She said, pulling out an old dusty box. She opened it and pulled an even smaller box out of it. "This belonged to your grand mother. It would be such an honor for me to see it on your fiancée's hand." She said, and started crying tears of joy and sadness. Ranma took the box and opened it.

"Whoa! Oh my goodness… this ring is gorgeous!" He said. "Mom, I can't take this from you." "Don't be silly! I want you to give it to Akane. She deserves it, for all of the love she has for you." She told Ranma and gave him a stern look. "Are you sure?" He asked, still not believing this. "Yes! Of course I'm sure! Now if you don't take this ring, I'm going to- to- just takes it!" She said, trying to sound threatening, but to no avail.

"Alright. I will. Thank you so much, mom. This is so wonderful! Akane's going to die of shock." He smiled and hugged his mother. "Well, it's the least I can do, for not being there to watch you grow up for all of these years." She said.

The two sat talking for another half hour, catching up. Ranma told her about his younger years, his fear of cats, and other interesting stories. Every once and a while, Mrs. Saotome would laugh or add something, but she mostly sat admiring her son. He might have grown up on the outside, but she could still she the child in which she knew, so many years ago.