Hey, fellas! New chapter for all those who begged for it to happen! I'll answer the reviews right away, obviously I won't answer those that I already had by PM.

Okinami-no-Shinobi: Yes. It was very tempting NOT to write but I simply HAD to.
Zaku-Zat:Yes…Explantaion of Nodoka, below. I still doubt the "Premium Stuff" comment
Akina Tsukana: Welcome to my little story. Hope you enjoy it! I also read the manga but haven't seen the anime. And I also think Ranma and Shampoo make a great couple, if not, you wouldn't be reading this :D
Ss4-link:No comment, huh? Well, mister, I'm placing you in my black list. Naw, Just kidding, you're a great reviewer. But…"Interesting to say the least"?
Dumbledork: It will take a while, at least two chapters of no finding out. I have something else planned for next chapter, and the next to that one.
L33t Ninja Boris: Replied by PM, but what does "oyasumi nasai" mean?

Chapter 20: Catching up

"Shampoo, dear, could you please slice those carrots?" Nodoka requested politely. Smile planted on her lips and her eyes closed in happiness.

"Yes, Ma'am." Shampoo rapidly complied with an almost unnoticeable bow.

"Ranma, Stir the cream, please."

"Right away." Ranma replied and stood next to Shampoo because the bowl was besides her. He commenced to move the spoon but the "paste" was too hard to move it normally. He applied more strength but it was a mistake. The spoon skidded at the end of the bowl and continued moving. The cream was induced with a new trajectory, Shampoo's face…

She looked at him. Seething. Livid. Ranma's eyes grew n fear. Her eyes glittered pink in fury.

"Urm…Sorry…Please, don't hit me…" Ranma begged backing away with his arms extended at the front of the now advancing Shampoo, cream-bowl still with him. She had her hands behind her.

Nodoka just kept looking the exchange. So far, so good, Ranma. Can you keep it up and remain unscathered? This was it. Ranma's first irate Shampoo's incoming. He gulped as his back struck the wall.

Oh, man. I'm dead…And that way her eyes glitter…So…so beautiful and so passionate… His hands slumped to his sides and he kept staring at her, considering, testing, investigating. The bowl of cream made a low sound as it fell on the floor.

Shampoo advanced one more step, dangerously close.

"Uh, Shampoo dear. Please be careful with that. The carrots still have the water in the bowl." Nodoka said calmed down and turned around to start another bowl of cream.

"Water?" Ranma asked, almost begging. It must've been shown in his eyes because Shampoo came to self immediately after. She produced the bowl of carrots from behind her and both looked at it. It was true, the carrots were swimming in water. "P-Please?" Ranma begged in a whisper.

Shampoo sighed and left the bowl on the kitchen table. She turned around to look at Ranma. "You owe me one, now." She said dangerously low and mischievously.

I'm worse than dead. I just have been threatened by the only girl that I don't want to be in her "black list". Great, just great. Ranma went to help her mother again but this time, he was more careful. After almost an hour of fighting with the food, they reached a point where they could rest.

"Ranma, come with me." She ordered and turned to see at Nodoka "Where is the bathroom?"

"It's the second door at the corridor to the right." She replied with a short smile. Both teenagers left the living room.

Inside the bathroom. Shampoo closed the door after Ranma entered. "Wh-What's going on?" Ranma stuttered.

"You. Is going to help clean my hair." She replied, half-explaining, half-ordering as she turned the tap of hot water on. Ranma sighed and applied. Softly and caressing her hair, both started the task at hand.

Obviously, Shampoo just kept under the water while Ranma worked. Somehow feeling relaxed as the touch of his hands reached all the way to her scalp. It send a short shiver to her brain.

"Pray to some god that you don't turn into a cat or it WILL be hard to take this out of your hair." Ranma pointed as he kept scrubbing her head. It feels weird…Not the cream in the hair…The other feeling. Of somehow righteousness that I do this…Nah, must be a bare twitch. My mind playing tricks must be. He shook his head a bit and continued scrubbing.

After ten long minutes, he had finished and her hair was almost perfect. Both went to the living room. Shampoo relieved of having that out of her hair and Ranma happy of having been left out of her "murder list".

As they arrived at the living, the table was already fixed with the food they were preparing. All that was left to do was eat. Too bad that was what the teenagers were second-best to do. That skill of eating, was second because they did another thing best. Martial Arts. That was their life.

"So, looks like Ranma did a good job with your hair, dear." Nodoka pointed to the girl that was playing with a lock of her hair.

"Yes…He should be hair-dresser!" She joked and both women laughed. Ranma just kept staring with a doubt face at Shampoo. He was trying to sort something, something that was complicated to do in just a little while.

"Sit, let's eat." His mother pointed and both sat down. Each at either side of Nodoka, who was sitting at the head. Silently, the ruckus started.

"You know, I kind of missed this…" Nodoka commented with a big grin as both son and fiancée fought over the best food. Ranma had a peak here. Amaguriken.

"What do you mean, mom?" Ranma asked making a pause. A fatal pause. "Hey! That was mine!" He exclaimed as Shampoo grabbed a spring roll

"Was, you said it." Shampoo grinned back and ate it slowly. Ranma sighed and turned back to his mother.

"When your father and Soun were eating at the same table, you had to be fast to get some food, those two bottomless mans…They really were a challenge to fill. But, as always after two or three dinners like that, I learnt to make dinners for elephant size stomachs." She smiled profusely to those memories. Memories of a better past. Past where she still had her son. But, there's always a but in life, she had it back now in front of her.

Mom…He stood up and hugged her. Somehow feeling that she needed that. Her mother hugged him back. There it was. Ranma had an old feeling, feeling that was lost in the travels with his pop.

"Mom, he have to leave." Ranma informed as the clock struck 9. Dinner had been finished a while ago and they were enjoying a cup of coffee with his mother. Coffee was something new to the teenagers, and surprisingly, both enjoyed it very much. Nodoka had given them a bag of coffee beans but warned them that it would make them go hyper.

"Sure, son. I understand you have school tomorrow." Nodoka replied and both teenagers smiled.

"But we promise to come back." Shampoo finished with a bigger smile. At first thought, she wasn't much liking the idea of spending time with Ranma's mother, but after a whole afternoon with her, the idea seemed to change into something more…interesting and calling.

"That I would like it very much. I look forward to it." Ranma looked at Shampoo for a second, like questioning her. She just stared back innocently.

"What, Airen?" She replied smiling. The effect of the last word must've made him realize where he was because he stood up. Shampoo did the same immediately after.

"So, mom. We're leaving now." Ranma said approaching her for a hug. Both united in the embrace.

"I'll be more than happy to have both of you back here." Nodoka pointed as both of them opened the fence to leave the house. The two martial artists waved back and started walking back to the Nekohanten in the obscure surroundings.

"So…" Ranma began. His head rested on his arms, who where supporting his navel.

"So?" Shampoo replied almost too innocently.

"What do you think of mom?" He wondered looking a bit to the other side.

"Ranma." She called him and he looked at her "She's a very nice woman. You're blessed to have her as a mother." At this point, something clicked inside Ranma's head. Away from his mother's influence, his thoughts were a bit more organized.

"You're speaking really good!" He exclaimed surprised. Shampoo lifted a brow.

"Yes. I made an effort to speak well. It's still hard for Shampoo to do it." She replied and winced a bit.

"Oh. But if you can make an effort to speak well, why don't you do it all the time? You'll reach a moment when you'll do it naturally, don't you think?" He smiled and she placed a hand on her chin.

"It not bad idea…" She reached. Her lips curled to a side "I'll try!" Shampoo exclaimed finally and smiled.

"Good…Good." He replied with short nods. Now the language expression problem was almost over. Now she needed to make it sub-conscious. Another thing was going to be necessary for him to be totally cool with her…Her…c-cat problem. He shivered at the realization

"A-Are you ok, Ranma?" She asked placing a hand on his shoulder. He just swatted her arm gently and smiled to her concern.

"Just…thinking what to do next." Ranma replied assuringly. "We'll have to talk to Cologne as soon as we can."

"What are you thinking?" Shampoo asked, brow up. He smiled mysteriously

"You'll see when we reach the Nekohanten." He said simply. She eyed him for some seconds but gave up trying and simply changed tactics. She grabbed his arm.

"Some things never change…" He commented amused and smiling. Shampoo stared but said nothing. "Can I ask you something?" He said casually

"Of course."

"Why did you get all sad when you saw my mother?" He asked. A worried face all over him. She lowered her head and left his arm alone.

"Oh, that…" She replied with a low tone. Her hair covered her face but even so, Ranma could clearly see the tears. He placed a hand on his chin and lifted his head to oblige her to look at him.

"You don't have to answer." He said trying to save the conversation from making her cry and ruining it. "Just…don't cry." That was his weakness. Seeing girls cry.

"I…I have to tell you this some time…" She began. "But…But not here. At home…" She said and a tear rolled all over her cheek. Ranma's eyes puffed to that sight. He kept probing inside those green eyes. Blue met green. Why? Just why does she struck me to this point when she cries? That thought circled Ranma's brain all over the place.

The two of them kept staring at each other. Analysing, Trying, Resolving and Sorting everything they could in that moment of loneliness. Only the sound of night's wind could make a nuisance but both teenagers gave a damn about it.

The time started to freeze. In one moment, the leaf that was floating on the wind went into slow-mo. Shampoo's eyes twitched for a moment while the scan of feelings, memories and experiences almost seemed to finish. She had just got to the part of the Neko-ken training while Ranma was at the same moment in her life but with a different training.

A second later, when the leaf continued its way in normal motion, the two of them were deeply embraced. A new level of relationship was reached for the both of them. It was a level that not many pairings get to. But, these aren't normal folks so it isn't so strange after all. This level allowed them to almost know what the other was feeling towards something or someone mostly themselves.

"Shampoo…" He whispered smiling. Her form never felt so good next to him. She pushed a few centimetres back and looked at him.

"Yes?" She asked. Her eyes sparkling. They looked like a pair of lighthouses in the middle of the night. Ranma froze for a second before reacting to his instincts and acting. She tilted her head back and both leaned in to the fating action that would unite them for a long while. An action that both knew that it was right, and also it was their first trial as a couple. The lips closed in and it happened.

Sooooooooooooooooo, I'M EVIL! I WANTED to finish it there. All this while when the idea occurred to me, I didn't know how to make it, BUT I did it good and I left it as a cliffie! (Malicious grin) I'll go on.

I decided to make a good Nodoka because I have seen the potential of an actual "evil" Nodoka. (If you want further ado, check on ZakuZat's The Road We Follow)

And really, for his story, it sticks really well, but not in this one. Ranma already had his father against him. I didn't want to also make his mother go the other way too.

That would make Ranma walk right into Shampoo's arms, true. But he would be alone besides her.

So, for now, I'll leave the comments. If you have doubts, questions, ideas, or even flames, they're welcome at my review account!