To everyone that has reviewed my story; Thank you, thank you, thank you:D I'm really proud that so many like it, and that people want to read it, and it's really a great motivation to keep writing... So, here's the next chapter...

Enjoy!

The Sixth Night

They were closing in on Nerima. Ranma thought they probably were just a couple of miles away from the city border, and would probably be engulfed by the city lights just before the night took completely over again. Akane was trudging behind him, humming softly to herself, and he realised he was grinning goofily as he listened to her happy voice.

#Focus, Saotome! Who knows, those men might decide to try and catch up with us again, and I'm sure it'll be far from a picnic to get through the interrogation from our families when we get home… Better try to think now when I have the opportunity, to plan ahead as best I can… Hmm… Maybe Akane has thought of something smart..?# And his thoughts strayed back to the young woman walking contently behind him, and the events of the day so far.

He had been the first to wake up in their simple shelter, but with the strange surroundings, and the warmth of another body in his arms, he'd been paralyzed for 10 – 15 minutes before his brain also woke and overrode his survival instincts with memories of the previous night. It was broad daylight, and he realised they'd overslept. Akane was still sleeping, her legs entwined with his, her body moulded to his with her back against his chest. She mumbled something sounding like 'Ranma, you pervert' followed by a girlish giggle, and pulled his arms even closer around her if that was possible. Her hair was tickling his chin, with her head resting on one of his arms, and his other arm drawn closely around her waist.

#She's so small… I could easily hold around her and then some with just one arm…# he thought absentmindedly. Not knowing how she'd take it if he woke her up in their current position, he tried to loosen his arm from her death-grip, only resulting in rousing her from her sleep. Sweat-dropping, he quickly closed his eyes, feigning sleep, and tried to slow down his breathing and heartbeat, steeling himself for a possible beating. When several seconds went without anything happening, he almost opened his eyes again, just as Akane started carefully turning around. Trying not to squeeze his eyes shut, he sensed her looking at him, and he almost jerked away when the fingers on one of her hands traced the lines of his face. It was tickling him, and without thinking he automatically tried to swat away her hand as if it was just a fly irritating him. Akane giggled, taking a hold of his pigtail and using the end of it to continue to tickle his face. Not managing to continue feigning sleep, he pretended to wake up, and stared at Akane partially leaning over him, smiling friendly at him.

"Hey there… Slept well?" she asked brightly.

"Uhm… Y-yeah…" he stuttered, wondering why she hadn't mentioned the fact that he was still holding her.

"I think we might have overslept a bit… But I guess we both needed the extra hours, not being bothered by suitors, fiancées, friends or family. Still, we probably should get moving before Father sends out a search-party, which, no doubt, Nabiki will make us pay for." She smiled.

Ranma groaned and momentarily closed his eyes, thinking it was all utterly unfair. Akane slid away from his grip, and he was tempted to hold onto her until he realised what he was thinking. Opening his eyes again, they widened considerably when Akane slid one of her legs over his midsection, straddling his hips for what seemed like hours to him, before she slipped down on his other side and crawled out from their shelter.

#Ohmygods… Now I'm truly turning into the pervert Akane has tagged me as for the last couple of years… Thank the gods that she can't read my mind!# He breathed slowly in through his nose and out through his mouth, using his Soul of Ice to regain his control, before he crawled out after his fiancée.

Akane had already started to prepare the leftovers, adding more of the scraps of food that they had left, and while Ranma got the fire going again, she went to the small stream where she found a private spot to clean up a bit. Ranma watched their breakfast heating up, until Akane came back and he could go get cleaned up too. The cold water triggered his curse, but warming a bit of water over the fire quickly solved his gender problem for the time being. Quickly packing up their things and erasing most of the evidences of a camp ever being set up there, they headed off back home again.

They had just taken a quick stop a couple of times for some water when they came across it, and ate dried beef and other leftovers as they walked.

"Is that Nerima?" Akane asked, breaking off his train of thoughts.

They had just walked up a small hill, and over the next hillcrest they could spot neon lights against the purpling sky.

"Yeah, that would be it. Come on, I'll get us home faster if you'll let me carry you…"

Ranma held out his hands, and Akane let him lift her up in bridal-style, holding on to him as he sprinted off, within minutes reaching the city and bounding off over the rooftops. By the time they reached the Tendo Dojo, Ranma was breathing slightly harder, but he and Akane wore matching grins. Quickly wiping off their smiles as he carefully let her back down in the driveway, they managed to take three steps before Soun came sprinting, sounding like an ambulance siren as he cried, followed by panda-Genma, Nabiki and Kasumi.

"Waaaah! My little baby!" Soun cried rivers, trying to hug Akane, who dodged out of the way and hid behind a grinning Nabiki.

Panda-Genma held up a sign, asking 'Where have you two been?', and grinning bearishly he flipped the sign, a hopeful 'Did you elope and finally get married?' being on the other side.

"Oh my, Akane! I really had hoped that we, as your family, would be present at your wedding." Kasumi smilingly berated her, tripping their father so he stopped chasing Akane around Nabiki.

"Will you all calm down! If we could all get inside, I'll explain everything!" Akane ground out, a bit of her old temper surfacing.

Ranma was using Genma's sign to pound his head in with, dragging the unconscious panda with him after a snickering Nabiki, while Kasumi led a distressed Soun into the living room. As Ranma walked by Akane, she whispered quietly to him,

"Let me handle this, and please, Ranma, try to keep your mouth shut unless you've actually thought through what you want to say…"

Ranma just nodded slightly, letting her know he understood, and brutally yanked his father into the house, leaving him at the floor in the living room. Kasumi came with a teakettle, pouring hot water over Genma and making him revert to his human form at the same time as it woke him.

"Well, Akane, what have you and Ranma been up to this time?" Nabiki asked mischievously from her place at the table.

Spearing Nabiki with a hard look, Akane sat down on her normal place next to Ranma, and started explaining about the encounter with the foreign men a couple of days ago, and how they'd kidnapped her. Ranma even filled in with his part on how he found out about the kidnapping, and before anyone could make him say something stupid, Akane continued to tell a slightly revised story about how Ranma had saved her, and their eventless return.

"It's a good thing that Ranma came to get you then, Akane, or you might not have gotten back here so soon." Kasumi smiled delicately.

"Yeah, he's a true knight in shining armour." Nabiki said sarcastically.

Soun wept for his poor, little baby girl, and blubbered about how brave Ranma was, while Genma slapped Ranma's back proudly, declaring that his son might yet become a man amongst men. Ranma chanced looking at Akane, seeing her sarcastic face expression, but didn't dare say anything that might get him into any more trouble. The fathers took out a large bottle of Sake to celebrate, while Nabiki declared she was going to get whatever beauty sleep she could before school. Kasumi suggested that Ranma and Akane did the same, nudging them towards the stairs.

Before Ranma could escape into his room, Akane held him back briefly on her way to the bathroom.

"You owe me for that one, Saotome." She whispered.

He wondered what she'd make him do to pay her back.

#She did give me the credit for the save, although she poisoned the whole gang on her own, and she kept out the more intimate details that would have gotten us married within hours… So I guess I do owe her.#

"I know, 'kane… Thanks…" he replied in hushed tones, knowing she knew that he wasn't the type who thanked anyone easily.

Akane stopped dead in her tracks, turning slowly back towards him and smiled brightly.

"No, Ranma… Thank you… for all the times you've helped me…"

Ranma stood silently in front of the door to his room, watching her walk off down the hallway. Going into his room he found clean clothes for his own bath later on, and sat down by the wall while he waited for Akane to finish.

#Well… I guess this means that if I'm nice to her, she's nice to me… This could turn out interesting…# He grinned cockily, feeling more invincible than he'd felt in a long time.