VENOM

II

If there was something Ranma Saotome dreaded as much as his curse; that something was definitely flying. Living the first years of his life travelling around with no other transportation but his own feet, taught him, or rather made him, value Mother Nature more than most people did.

Airplanes with their distinctive smell and awful lighting always made him miss those days of his life; the days when he had no money and all the time of the world to swim in order to get to China. But since Ranma Saotome was not and would never be fond of his past, the paradox of missing it always got him extremely cranky. The fact that he was in a bad mood before he even got in the plane, didn't help a bit either.

Ranma Saotome was annoyed. For a second there -before boarding- he even thought swimming home was a good idea. He waved it off immediately, of course. He knew his busy agenda didn't allow those little games anymore. Besides, he had his own private jet there, waiting for him only. Not using it would be simply stupid.

"Do you wish something to drink Mister Saotome?" The fly attendant that always flied with him asked nervously as soon as the plane took off.

Ranma shook his head hastily, a deep frown marring his features. It wasn't long before the girl left, virtually running away from him. One of the advantages of his sour mood was that he never had to deal with flirting girls when he didn't feel like it. This one in particular seemed completely terrified of him.

The man sighed wearily. Thank God they'd land in Hong Kong in only a few more minutes. It had been too of a long a day to keep going. Looking through the window with a bitter expression; he asked himself for the fiftieth time what the hell had possessed him when he decided that an impromptu trip to Nerima was a good idea. For the fiftieth time too, he reached the conclusion that it was all Meiling's fault.

Yes, Meiling's fault. The woman with her psychological babble, and her mental games, and those sleeping pills she made him take, surely had somehow made him had the stupid dream that got him wanting, needing, to see Akane again.

"A morning wasted." He told himself, his frown deepening. He hadn't accomplished anything but feeling like dirt for a while and stirring the bones of a past long time buried. Why in earth he had listened to that woman's advice. He couldn't say.

She's gonna hear me out. He thought crossly while glancing at his watch. They were landing soon and Ranma was going to have just the time to make it to his date with the woman.

------------------------------------------------

Little Touya Tendo arrived home to a very unusual welcoming sound. An eerie silence had replaced the usual racket that always came from the kitchen when he came back from school at this hour.

"I'm home!" He shouted after dropping his bag near the door. When silence was the only reply, the boy frowned. "Mom?" He asked to the air and then went looking for her.

It wasn't long before he found her. He only had to follow the distant sound of crashing followed by the KYAAAs! that came from the Dojo. She was crushing cement blokes with her bare hands. Something, Touya knew, she only did when she was mad about something… and that was a pretty rare occurrence, actually.

"Mom?" The dark haired boy asked cautiously, just before Akane had the chance to break another bloke.

She looked up in surprise. "Touya?" The woman said in confusion at the sight of her eight year old son standing at the door. "Why are you home so early?" She asked worriedly tucking a lose strand of hair from her braid behind her ear.

Touya Tendo frowned watching his mother carefully. She was sweaty, which meant she had been in the Dojo for a while now. Whatever happened that morning had definitely left her with the need of venting. "Mom…It's three o' clock." The dark haired boy tilted his head in confusion. "How long have you been in here?"

Akane was honestly surprised. "Really?" she shook her head, "Well look at that… time really does fly," she commented with a bashful smile.

Her son narrowed his eyes in suspicion, giving her a look.

"What?" The mother asked defensively.

"Are you okay?"

She smiled nervously and waved it off. "Of course I'm okay. Why would you ask?"

Touya cocked and eyebrow signalling at what was left of the slaughtered cement blokes. "Maybe, because you just killed the twenty blokes we were supposed to use in today's lesson, mom."

"Ow." Akane flinched and made a face after hearing her son's answer. "I'm supposed to teach with those today, aren't I?

The boy nodded. "Yep… but don't worry," he said with a wave. "We can do some katas instead. It's just the beginners group."

Akane clicked her tongue. "I guess we'll have to do strength tomorrow then." She looked around and couldn't help but frowning. "Oh boy…" she said pouting, "I'd have to clean this mess before everyone gets here."

The woman shook her head. She shouldn't have let her emotions take the best of her. Still she couldn't help but think her reaction had been, all in all, quite good. It was definitely more of what she could have ever expected from herself. Yes, she was not the volatile girl she had been anymore. But she wasn't made of ice either. And the ghost of Ranma Saotome knocking at her door was not something she could simply ignore… even if she tried.

"Are you SURE you're all right?" Her son asked again, still worried.

She smiled at him gently. She thanked the kamis for giving her such a wonderful son. "Totally," she assured walking towards him. "I just needed some venting," she explained with a shrug. "It was nothing really. But I think I went a little overboard. I didn't even finish making supper."

"Ah… it wasn't a total loss, then." Touya teased with a smile dancing on his lips. His smile didn't waver even after Akane playfully punched him on the head.

-----------------------------------------------

Meiling Ichiro looked up startled when her office's doors burst open without previous notice. Then, she caught a glimpse of the intruder and her surprised expression morphed into an amused smile.

"Mr. Saotome," she said as a greeting. "You're late."

"Really? I didn't notice," was the man's annoyed answer.

The woman smirked. He was in a sour mood, like usual. "How are you Ranma?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Just great," He answered, sarcasm dripping from his words.

The woman gave him a brilliant smile. "Oh, I'm glad," She said almost beaming. After months of these sessions she knew this was the best way to deal with her "patient." Mr. Saotome's bad mood was a perpetual trait of him. It wouldn't go away no matter what she did… I might as well get on his nerves too, she usually thought. At least this way someone's having fun.

"You might be glad to know, miss," the man started with content fury. "I followed your advice." The counsellor looked intrigued by his announcement. "And ended up in Nerima this morning," he finished seeming mortified and abruptly sitting on a nearby couch.

"Oh?" The woman said, feeling surprised but still pleased by the news. It was definitely a breakthrough. "So how'd it go?" she asked curiously.

"Not at ALL bad," was his sarcastic reply.

Meiling cocked an eyebrow, seizing him up. "By your no-broken-bones look, and assuming all I know about this woman is truth," she said calmly. "I'd say it actually went pretty well."

"She threw me out!" he spat angrily, moving his hands around.

Meiling smiled kindly, shrugging. "Well, after ten years you couldn't possibly expect her to give you an open arms welcome," then, she looked at his expression and knew better. "Or did you Mr. Saotome?" she asked amusedly.

"No," the man stuttered. "Of course not."

Meiling's smile morphed into a smirk. "Then, you'd agree with me in that it was not such a bad first step, right?" she asked tilting her head in a weird gesture of modest superiority.

Ranma Saotome stood up immediately. "No," he said confidently. "Definitely, not. Bad, bad step," he declared pacing around. "How am I supposed to make my life better by re-acquaintance this woman if she hates my guts?"

"Simple," Meiling shrugged. "You'll have to change that first."

"And how am I supposed to do that, Meiling?" he asked derisively.

"Using your irresistible charm, of course." The lady retorted getting up; a smirk on her face.

Ranma once again collapsed on the couch. His only answer was a withering stare towards the woman's general direction.

She tried, but couldn't keep herself from laughing. "Ranma, please, I told you it'll be a long process. You knew it would be hard."

"I just don't see how risking myself getting pummelled by going back there it's going to cure that thing you say I have."

"Anxiety, Mr Saotome. That's what you have, anxiety."

"Argh… the only thing I had was insomnia, miss."

"Yes, insomnia, caused by anxiety. That's one symptom no the real pro--."

"Oh, come on! That's a load of sh—"

"Ranma!" the woman bellowed, getting up.

The man crossed his arms over his chest, glowering. "I would've kept the damn insomnia, instead." he muttered, a scowl on his face.

Meiling sighed. Ranma looked remarkably like her spoiled, five-year-old niece after being chastised. "Now, you know this is for your own good Mr. Saotome," she affirmed with the same sugary voice she used with her niece in those situations. "You need to get over this stage of your life. I already explain to you that your insomnia and these dreams you've been having; they're all caused by the same thing. Having your past as an unfinished business and hanging above you; is what causes this anxiety that won't let you be. You need closure. To finally get over it."

"Well, that's exactly what I did when I left that place ten years ago." Ranma replied, annoyed. "I just don't get how the hell I'm going to get over it by coming back there."

The woman shook her head. "No, no, no. Ranma what you did ten years ago was running away. You're NOT over it. Not even close. You just left and you thought you could leave everything behind, to simply forget about it."

"With all due respect Miss Ichiro. It was forgotten, until you started with your mental games and your shrink babble."

Meiling gave him a sour smile. "If it had been forgotten, as you say sir, you wouldn't have needed a shrink in the first place."

Ranma made a face. "All I had was some trouble sleeping," he muttered again.

Meiling Ichiro watched him curiously. Her weekly sessions with Ranma Saotome were always far from boring. Who could have guessed such a successful business man had such a messy personal life. The owner of the biggest chain of Dojos in China was a unique case. He was definitely something she had never seen before.

"Now, Mister Saotome why don't you tell me everything that happened in this first meet with Akane?" The women asked, putting on her glasses and getting ready to take some notes.

TO BE CONTINUED

Thank you for all your reviews. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This IS a Ranma and Akane fic. I like that couple. But the thing is, they're both different now. They'll have to get to know each other again first, right?

Anyway I don't think this is turning angsty as I first planned so I'm changing the category… Again Thank you for your reviews, and I wouldn't mind a few more at all.

See ya!