Tear I´m so happy...55 REVIEWS LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! This is a new record for me. Ok, enough happines for now. We have a new chapter now. I know that it´s just plain wrong that Ranma could grab a cat that easily, but it was for helping a girl. And you must remember that Ranma usually helps EVERY girl in front of him, or did you just forgot about the Ghost Cat episode? ) Ok, that´s out of the list, what next? Uhm...lemme see...Oh, yeah! The guessing contest, only two people tried, and only one counts because the other say it was familiar but didn´t try. It was from Freakazoid! Yeah, i´m a bit for the old cartoons, even if i´m seventeen years old, i still do silly stuff. And one last thing, get used to the cliffies because in this chapter and next, there´s gonna be one. Enjoy next chapter!

Chapter 9: The Cat is Back

Both of them had their backpacks besides them. The whole house was sitting in the living room. Only one person didn't know what was going on, the obvious one.

"What's happening?" Akane asked "And why do they have their packs prepared?" No one cared to answer

"So, son. This is it." Genma started in a way to shorten the agony. The waiting was killing everyone.

"Yes." Ranma replied "This is the farewell." He added and got up. There was no need for words now. This was the time to make actions and not to stop and chat. This was the time for changes and not to stay in the old way. This was the time to go on and not be relented to only one place. This was the time to think and not to simply waste the days in nothing.

"So, you really are leaving…" Nabiki commented but in a tone that had a faint note of amusement. "I guess…I'll see you around, you two."

"You bet on it that we'll see each other." Ranma replied and Shampoo nodded at his side, now she was up too.

"Come back anytime." Kasumi said with her smile. Both nodded. They grabbed their backpacks. Ranma didn't need a word from either Akane or Soun to feel better about what he was doing. After all, Shampoo had already given up on her honour when she left the Amazons, if she did so, then he could do it with something like this.

"Shampoo has to say something." Shampoo spoke when Ranma turned. He analyzed her look and nodded after some seconds. "Shampoo has to say thank you for your hospitality. Shampoo knows that Shampoo isn't very much welcome here after what is done, but you did so anyway, so, thank you." She bowed deeply and almost everyone except Ranma, who smiled, shocked and looked stunned. They didn't know the changes Shampoo went through in the time she came in to their house until the end.

"You are welcome too, Shampoo. Anytime." Kasumi spoke for everyone and they nodded in concordance to her words. Shampoo smiled when she rose. Both grabbed their packs again and bowed shortly before leaving.

The streets. One and a half minute later. Both where walking in silence. Silence that broke when Ranma lowered his head in suffering. A sob was what stopped them dead in their tracks.

"What wrong?" Shampoo asked placing a hand on his shoulder, but to no avail. He was drowning quickly. She resolved to hug him, not like the old style, the new style. The new style where she worried about him and not tried to trick him or anything alike.

Both stayed that way for many minutes. Trying to take Ranma out of his pain is a tough job but someone had to do it and Shampoo was the only one available to do it. Not that she didn't want to. On the contrary, she was glad to help him in any way she could.

When he was in speaking-status, he did so.

"I'm sorry…I wasn't going to crack…" He started

"Is okay. Shampoo understand." She replied holding him closer. Ranma pulled closer too, looking for the so much needed comfort. Minutes passed that way. Ranma stepped back and Shampoo let him go.

"Let's…go." He said and she nodded slowly, not sure that he was all right. She reluctantly followed him towards the Neko. Silently, she was caring about him, wondering why he didn't want to talk about it. She knew that it was going to make him feel better in the long run but he was way too stubborn to really open that to anyone.

She looked at his face, all his feelings in that moment. She could only find sorrow and a bit of happiness. Again, she wondered why he had sorrow but mostly why the happiness. Maybe it is because he wants to be away from them... She wondered with a quick glance to him.

Even so, if he was happy about that, why did he crack or even had sorrow in his attitude? That was a question Shampoo couldn't answer. And mostly, why did he want to do this? What was the thing that moved him to make this whole changes? And why did he accept to be under Cologne's blanket?

Those questions were placed in the back of her mind because they arrived to the Neko. Again, it was in it fullest glory. The painting was made anew and the whole place was crystal clean.

"Wow." Ranma gasped at the sight. The sorrow was immediately replaced by a surprised smile "I never thought this place could be so amazing…" He added looking around in the inside of the building

"So, you like the look of it?" Cologne asked appearing behind them

"Is great!" Shampoo agreed. "How great-grandmother did this?"

"It was half an hour's work." Cologne replied "If Mousse really placed his thoughts in doing the cleaning of the place, it would look even better than this." She added

"What do we do now?" Ranma asked still impacted.

"Let Shampoo show Ranma where to leave stuff." She said and he nodded before following her upstairs. In Shampoo's bedroom, they left their backpacks and she began to unpack her things. "Never thought Shampoo be back here." She said casually

"It's a nice place, now." Ranma replied unpacking too. The room was spacious and could let them sleep in different beds without any problem. And also it had a personal bathroom. But there was no furo, just a shower. It didn't matter as long as one could bath.

When both descended after unpacking almost everything, (Ranma had to finish unpacking half of his bag) Cologne was waiting for them.

"Now young ones, we have some matters to discuss." The three sat down on nearby chairs "First of all, this is work, so no failures are accepted. Second, who is going to make the deliveries?" She looked at both of them. They knew that both of them could make a really fast delivery taking that race they did some time ago. Both arrived at the same time at Kuno's and in a really short time.

"Any of us who is available at the moment." Ranma simplified and Shampoo nodded in agreement.

"Ok. Who's going to cook? I can lend a hand with some dishes, but I'm not going to do the whole work."

"Um, Shampoo do it." She said

"All right." Cologne acceded

"I can help you in the cooking, I'm not that bad." Ranma added and Shampoo nodded. The truth was that he didn't cook since he got to Nerima. And he was a bit rusty about it, except that night when he cooked with his mother as Ranko. That night she did it perfectly.

"Sure." Shampoo applied

"Now, about the pay." She started and both stiffened a bit "You know how much it is, Shampoo. So you'll tell him later." Shampoo nodded again "About the relation. Between work hours, we'll have a boss-worker relation, is that ok?" Both nodded "And outside those hours, I'm Shampoo's great-grandmother and sensei. If you, boy, want to train with my manners, then we'll talk later." Ranma nodded "And I don't care if you are not an Amazon anymore, Shampoo. You still have stuff to learn and I won't take a no for an answer." Cologne added and Shampoo gave in. In fact, she was happy that she could continue with her training in the Amazon way. She was almost Ranma's level in Anything Goes and Ranma was the same in her style.

"Ok." Shampoo agreed

"What about school?" Cologne asked with her face frozen. She was smiling in her insides.

"Shampoo not care for school. Already know what need for living." She replied and Ranma nodded in concordance to her.

"I simply despise school. And as she said, I know the basics and a bit more than necessary." Ranma added.

"I knew that would be your answer. But I have to disagree. You should stay in the school for at least until the end of the year." She held up her hand to silence them when they opened their mouths to protest "It's less than a month for them to finish. And it's not that big deal." She added and both held back their comments. "Prepare for the day next to tomorrow after school, because we are re-opening this place to its full." She advised

"We're…we're going to train in the back." Ranma said and both left to the backyard. Both entered stances and waited for the other to start. Both launched at the other in the same instant and arms slammed onto the other's one. A jump and both were up the fence around the yard. From that moment the fight changed into air mode.

The two jumped and battled in mid-air until they started to fall and prepared in the last second to land and jump away from the opponent. It was a weird battle because the pair used the same moves at the same moment and it only could be won by speed. Thing that both were equal in. Ranma had the Amaguriken but it was useless to win the lead in his male form. Shampoo was too quick to make it worth the use.

And Shampoo was in the same position. The moves she used were from the Anything Goes because she didn't had her weapons and it was more effective unarmed. She considered change to the Amazon for some moves to disconcert Ranma and then change again and beat him but she didn't know if it was going to work.

Both jumped back to the front and continued their battle. Punch Ranma predicted and he blocked it with a punch of his own Kick Again blocked High Punch Wrong! It was a sweeping kick and he fell for it Mh, Amazon, uh? Well, now goes a High Kick Wrong! Shampoo punched him in the stomach leaving him defenceless

"An opening!" She exclaimed and continued with a flurry of blows in randomic change from Anything Goes to Amazon. In thirty seconds, Ranma was on the floor and beaten. Shampoo was smiling innocently and a bit of her tongue out.

"Nice. Never thought of that." Ranma said from below her. She helped him up. "Ow… Man, that hurt. You could held back a bit when I couldn't reply any hit, could you?" He asked and she shook her head

"No. Shampoo fight all out in serious battle with Ranma." She smiled again. Cologne appeared landing in front of them

"Impressive battle, Shampoo. Were did you learn that other style?" she asked shocked. Her great-granddaughter had developed a secret weapon without her knowing. And looking at it, the power was demonstrated in Ranma's current state. But somehow, it was familiar.

"I…taught her that." Ranma replied "It's Anything Goes." He explained

"I see. It's impressive the way she combined them both."

"Yes, I felt it." Ranma furrowed his brows. And Shampoo smiled. "I'm going to take a bath." He added and left.

"So, Great-granddaughter, how is your hunting doing?" Cologne wondered how much progress she made in that time.

"Not much progress. Just being different from before. But Shampoo think that something is better than before. Much better." She replied and Cologne nodded.

"Good." Cologne said and went inside. Shampoo practiced a pair of Amazon katas before going in with the others.

"Well. Hello, Shampoo." A voice said from atop the fence.

I told you that you are going to get used to the cliffies with this two stories. And in both i´m going to take your breath for a full day. I´m so evil! WOOHOO! Man, i love that expression... Hey, if anyone has MSN and wants to talk to me, add me, it´s theworstsoldier ok? Well, ´til tomorrow!