** I do not own Ranma 1/2. That masterpiece is the property of Rumiko Takahashi.**

** Ranma420, I'm not sure which question you are referring to but would be more than happy to answer anything :) **
** Thanks for the reviews. They vary so greatly, which is expected in this type of story. They are always appreciated. **

Ranma took a very slow deep breath as he mustered up the confidence to knock on the front door of the Tendo residence which sat directly in front of him. Megami was sound asleep in the stroller to the side of him. Ranma wore his nice blue silk shirt that he knew Akane liked, was showered and made sure he smelled good. Behind his back, he held a flower. Enough time passed to make the hesitation awkward, so he counted down from three in his head before he used the hand not holding the flower to finally knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Ranma waited expectantly for someone to answer the door, hoping it would be Akane so he could get this nerve wracking moment over with. He was able to let out the breath that he didn't realize he was holding when he saw that it was Kasumi who answered.

"Hello Ranma," Kasumi greeted him sweetly, "How are you on this lovely day?"

Ranma smiled nervously at Kasumi, "Hello Kasumi. I'm great. Is Akane home?" he asked.

Kasumi nodded. "Yes, she's in her room. I can watch Megami for you while you go talk to her. I haven't seen her in a couple of days and would love to spend some time with her," Kasumi offered with no intention of letting Ranma turn her down.

"Thank you Kasumi. I won't be too long," Ranma said before taking another deep breath and walking inside the Tendo house. He made his way up the stairs and could hear Akane humming to herself in her room as he approached her doorway. He lightly tapped on the door.

"Come in!" Akane called.

Ranma opened the door slowly. Akane was sitting at her desk brushing her hair. She was wearing a cute sundress and clearly getting ready to leave the house. "Hey there, Akane," Ranma started. His nerves were going to be the death of him today.

Akane's face dropped when she saw Ranma. "Hello Ranma. What can I do for you?" she asked, her voice changing from her sweet to annoyed.

Ranma could physically feel the tension in the room and steadied his breathing. He cleared his throat and pulled the flower out from behind his back and handed it to Akane.

"What is this?" Akane asked, eyeing the flower.

"It's a flower," Ranma replied.

"I know it's a flower, you dummy. What is it for?" Akane asked.

"It's for you. I thought you would like it. It's pretty and smells nice- just like you," Ranma tried a line he had been working on in his head on the way over.

Akane stared at Ranma expressionless for a few moments, contemplating how to handle the situation in front of her. After what felt like forever to Ranma, but was really only a few seconds, Akane sighed, and then spoke. "Ranma, a flower isn't going to fix anything," she told him.

Ranma's face dropped. "I know it won't, but I'm trying my best to start somewhere. I promise this flower comes with no expectations or strings attached," Ranma reassured her as he tried to hand her the flower again.

Akane looked at the flower, then up at Ranma's expectant eyes, and then back at the flower. "Fine. I'll take the flower," Akane said as she took the flower. "This doesn't mean anything, though. I'm still with Kaze," Akane said sternly. Akane was more sure of this fact after now that she and Kaze have connected more intimately when they kissed the night before.

Ranma gave her a sad smile and nodded his head. "I respect Kaze, but I am not giving up," Ranma said with determination.

"Akane!" Nabiki called from the front door. "Kaze is here!"

Akane looked at Ranma's glum expression and almost felt bad for him. She didn't want to reject him or hurt him, but too much had happened. She had forgiven him a long time ago, but couldn't forget. Akane stood up and fixed her dress. "Kaze and I have a date. I will talk to you later, okay?" Akane said as she walked past Ranma. Oh my God, why does he smell so good? Akane was caught off guard. She always knew Ranma was handsome, but he usually didn't give much thought to his appearance and especially not his scent. Akane kept her composure and continued out of the room, leaving Ranma alone.

Ranma lowered his head. Ouch.

Ukyo and Ryoga walked down the street hand in hand with two of the biggest smiles on their faces. Ukyo's ring shone in the sunlight and she couldn't wait to show it off to all of her friends. She spent a lot of time staring at her ring when she should have been paying attention to where she was walking. Luckily, Ryoga was more than happy to help her before she crashed into things. He was quite amused with how happy he was able to make her with something he felt was so simple. He had spent quite a while saving his earnings from the restaurant to get her that ring, as he had been helping Ukyo at Ucchan's for several months now.

"I think I'm going to ask Akane to be my maid of honour," Ukyo stated.

Ryoga nodded. "I guess I need a best man then?" Ryoga thought for a moment. "I guess there's really only one option there. I'm going to have to ask Ranma. Do you think he can handle that?" Ryoga asked.

Ukyo pondered for a moment. "Maybe it'll be good for him. Maybe it will give him some time with Akane so they can figure everything out, even if it's not what he was hoping. I know he said he wants to be with Akane and is going to prove himself to her, but I'm concerned that he's not over Miyuki." Ukyo told Ryoga.

Ryoga nodded. "I know what you mean. They weren't together that long, but it was incredibly intense. He is definitely still affected, especially since he has a constant reminder in Megami. I mean, I can't really blame him. It's not like they broke up- she died. Kaze's great, too. He'd be a hard one to compete with and right now he has the upper hand," Ryoga continued. "Do you think he's just scared of losing Akane to Kaze because of what happened with Miyuki?"

Ukyo looked confused, "Do you mean that maybe he's just scared that if Akane and Kaze get married one day that she wouldn't be around to be there for him?" Ryoga nodded. "Possibly. I hope this isn't just a case of him being lonely. Honestly, I've thought about that. Akane deserves someone who respects her and treats her well- and that has been Kaze for months now. If Ranma is being genuine with his feelings right now, then there's going to be a lot of drama involved. I hope Megami doesn't get stuck in the middle of it all." Ukyo said with worry in her voice.

"I'm sure Megami will be fine. Everyone loves Megami, so I'm sure all involved will make sure to keep her under consideration," Ryoga assured Ukyo.

Ukyo smiled at Ryoga. "I'm sure you're right. Speaking of Megami, I'm dying for a baby fix. Can we go see her? That way we can announce the engagement to Ranma and ask him about being your best man!" Ukyo said, excited to make their first announcement.

Ryoga could feel how happy Ukyo was, which thrilled him to no end. "We can do whatever you would like, my bride." Ryoga smirked at Ukyo.

Ukyo giggled like a young schoolgirl as they set course for Ranma's home.

Behind them stood a beautiful figure with long purple hair and a massive frown on her face. "Ranma love stupid Akane again?" Shampoo looked angry as a red aura started to surround her.

Kaze and Akane walked along the streets of Nerima toward a local cinema. Kaze and Akane hadn't seen each other since the first kiss, and weren't very sure how to act at this moment. Kaze looked over at Akane, who was looking ahead, and then decided to make a move. He reached over and grabbed her hand to hold as they walked. Akane jumped slightly when Kaze's hand connected, but quickly relaxed and smiled up at Kaze. They continued to walk along to their destination.

When they reached the cinema, Kaze let go of Akane's hand and approached the attendant to purchase tickets. They hadn't spoken very much since they met up, but both seemed much more relaxed than their previous encounter. Kaze and Akane made their way to their seats and got comfortable.

Kaze put his arm around Akane, then leaned into her. "Hey Akane?" he nudged.

"Yes?" Akane asked, looking back at Kaze with curiosity.

"Do you want me to get us some popcorn and drinks?" he asked.

Akane smiled. "That's very thoughtful of you, Kaze. I'm okay for now, though." she answered.

Kaze nodded then got more comfortable. He took Akane's hand and kissed the top of it. Akane blushed lightly. The movie began as Akane and Kaze settled in. Akane felt comfortable and happy in this moment and felt content with her decision to continue her relationship with Kaze. She took her hand and reached for Kaze's cheek, pulling him in for a quick kiss to end the little bit of awkwardness that remained.

Ukyo and Ryoga arrived at the Saotome residence, being welcomed in by Nodoka and sent toward Ranma's room. When they approached the room, they saw the door slightly open and peered in. Ranma was sitting with his arms folded on top of his desk with his head buried in them. Ukyo looked at Ryoga with concern. Ryoga returned the look. "Hey, Ranma?" Ryoga called out to him.

Ranma's head shot up quickly. He looked at the pair in his doorway with a look of shock. "Sorry guys. Come in," he told them.

"What's wrong?" Ukyo asked as she approached her best friend.

Ranma sighed. "I'm just feeling a little defeated. It's my own fault. I deserve it," he told them.

"Deserve what? What happened?" Ukyo asked. Ryoga came up beside her as Ranma turned his chair to look at them. Ukyo and Ryoga took a seat on Ranma's futon.

Ranma searched for the words. "I don't know if she's ever going to actually forgive me. She said she did and I understand why I have to work for this, but something has shifted. She's acting more cold toward me than she was before I tried to kiss her. I don't know what to do. I can't lose her." Ranma dropped his head.

Ryoga and Ukyo looked at each other with a mutual understanding that now may not be the best time to make their announcement. Ukyo took her right hand and covered the engagement ring on her left hand.

Ranma's eyes darted toward Ukyo. "What was that?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Ukyo asked nonchalantly.

Ranma stood up and walked over to Ukyo. He grabbed her left hand and looked at the ring. "You two.. got engaged?!" Ranma said with excitement for his friends, a smile creeping onto his lips.

Ukyo and Ryoga sheepishly nodded. "We didn't want to rub this in when you're down, Ranma," Ryoga told him.

Ranma shook his head. "Don't do that for me, guys. I'm thrilled for you two! This is amazing news!" he told them.

Ryoga smiled. "Well, good then because I need you to be my best man," Ryoga declared.

Ranma stood expressionless for a moment, a feeling of shock overwhelming him. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Ryoga nodded. "You're basically my only friend, Ranma. You have to do it," Ryoga chuckled.

Ranma thought for a moment. "Then.. I'd be honoured," he agreed. "Wow. Who would have guessed I'd be your best man?" Ranma laughed.

"There's something else, though," Ukyo said, "I'm going to ask Akane to be my maid of honour."

Ranma took a deep breath. "If that's what you want, Ukyo, then that's what you should do. It's your day," Ranma said as he forced his smile to stay put.

"I'm happy you are going to be up there with us, Ranma, but is there anything I can do to help you in return?" Ukyo asked.

"Got any ideas to show Akane I care? I'm really struggling with it. I know it's my own fault, but how do I fix this?" Ranma asked.

"Ranma, can I ask you something else?" Ukyo asked. Ranma nodded. "Why do you want to be with Akane now? What changed other than Miyuki passing away?" she asked.

Ranma thought for a moment, considering the question. "Well, I honestly don't know what life would be like today if Miyuki was still here. I still love Miyuki and maybe I always will, but the reality is she's gone. I have always cared very much for Akane, even when I was trying to hide it. We became really close since I came to Nerima and she became very important to me. I know I screwed up royally, but we went through so much together before Miyuki came along and that means something. She's my rock. Whenever she's around me, everything feels better somehow. Well, it did until I tried to kiss her.." Ranma trailed off.

Ukyo smiled at Ranma's answer. "Okay Ranma. I will try to help. I have an idea." Ukyo said with a smirk.

The next day, Ukyo set her plan into motion. She didn't know how Akane was going to feel, but it was innocent enough that she shouldn't be too upset if this didn't work out. If Akane got mad at her, she would just pop the maid of honour question and hope that does the trick. After school, Ukyo took Akane out to the mall for a couple hours before dinner. At the Tendo house, Ranma was in the kitchen, cooking a somewhat romantic meal with Ukyo's directions. Kasumi was in the living room happily watching Megami and Nabiki was out at the moment with some friends.

Ranma took his time to set a private table in the dojo and placed the two meals down, with lids on top to keep them warm. Ranma looked over his work and took a little pride in his efforts. I hope this at least makes her smile.

Ukyo arrived after a short while with Akane and they entered the house. Akane walked in and saw Kasumi with Megami. "Oh. Kasumi, is Ranma here?" she asked.

Kasumi smiled. "He's in the dojo," Kasumi told Akane, well aware of what Ranma was up to. Akane looked at Ukyo, shrugged then wandered toward the dojo to see what was going on. Ukyo donned a wide grin as she watched her plan play out. Kasumi smiled up at Ukyo. "You're such a kind friend, Ukyo. Ranma is lucky to have you," Kasumi told her.

Ukyo blushed. "Thanks Kasumi."

Akane noticed that Ukyo wasn't following her then stiffened as she could feel that something was going on. She entered the dojo and her jaw dropped to see the effort Ranma put into putting together a simple romantic dinner that was clearly meant for her. Ranma's back was to her as he lit the candle in the center of the table. "Ranma?" Akane asked incredulously.

Ranma stiffened and took a deep breath before he turned to look at Akane. This is it. Now or never.

"Akane. Hi there," Ranma greeted with a smile and a small wave.

Akane looked at him confused. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I made us dinner," Ranma said nervously.

"You cooked?!" Akane stood in disbelief.

"Uh, yeah. Would you like to sit with me?" Ranma gestured toward the setup, hopeful that Akane would at least entertain the plan.

Akane raised an eyebrow at Ranma for a moment while she considered her options. "Okay," she decided. He put in all this effort, I can at least eat.

Ranma removed the lid from Akane's plate to unveil a rather fancy looking noodle dish. Akane sniffed the food and then sat down in front of it. "What is this?" she asked.

Ranma smiled at the fact that Akane was even entertaining the idea of eating this meal with him. "Yakisoba," he answered her.

Akane took her chopsticks and picked up some of the Yakisoba to try. She slurped the noodles into her mouth and then her eyes widened. "Ranma, where did you learn to cook?" Akane asked, surprised.

Ranma chuckled. "I followed Ukyo's recipe," he admitted.

Akane nodded as she kept eating. Ranma sat and watched her happily, not taking a bite from his own dish as he was too nervous.

Akane slurped the rest of the dish down, then cocked an eyebrow at Ranma. "You aren't eating?" she asked.

Ranma chuckled. "I'm just happy you sat with me," he said honestly.

Akane put her chopsticks down and grabbed the side of her head. "Ranma.. what was in that food?" she asked anxiously.

Ranma's smile dropped. "A few things. Noodles, obviously, mushrooms.." Ranma trailed off.

Akane's pupils dilated quickly. "Ranma, something is happening." Akane said, with fear starting to surface in her voice.

"What's wrong?" Ranma asked Akane as he watched her skin start to turn a pale green.

"I.. the world is spinning.. I can't see straight…" Akane told him. Akane's skin started to change to a very yellow green. "What's happening to me?" she asked.

Ranma got up, concerned. "Do you feel sick? Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

Akane started laughing and pointing at Ranma. Ranma stared at her stunned and confused. "Ranma, why do you have antlers?" Akane asked.

"I.. don't.. what?" Ranma was incredibly confused.

Akane kept laughing before falling over onto the floor of the dojo. Ranma ran to the dojo door and called for Kasumi and Ukyo.

Kasumi and Ukyo ran inside to find the hysterical Akane rolling around on the floor. "What happened, Ranma?" Kasumi asked.

"I have no idea. She ate her meal and then this started. She asked me why I had antlers," Ranma told them.

Ukyo inspected the dish. "Ranma, what are these?" Ukyo pointed to the mushrooms in his bowl.

"Mushrooms. Just like you told me," Ranma explained.

Uyko raised an eyebrow. "These aren't the mushrooms that I bought for you," Ukyo told him. "They look funny. Those aren't normal mushrooms."

Akane let out a high pitched scream as she looked at her hands, then fell back into a fit of laughter.

"Ranma, stay here with her. Ukyo, stay with Megami in the house away from this. I'm going to get Dr. Tofu," Kasumi took charge.

Ukyo and Ranma nodded. Ranma was left alone with Akane. He felt helpless and guilty. Akane got up and tried to run, but fell flat on her face. Ranma sighed. "I'm so sorry, Akane. I don't know what happened." He helped her up as she started to laugh again.

"Oh, Ranma. You're so.. so.." Akane started to gag. Ranma knew what this meant and ran to grab the garbage bin near the doorway. He almost didn't make it back before Akane started to vomit. Ranma held her hair back with one hand and the garbage bin with the other, as sat on his knees beside her. Once he was sure Akane was finished, he offered her a glass of water he had previously poured for her. Akane took it and chugged it down quickly.

"You're so nice," Akane slurred as she looked at Ranma and wiped her mouth. Ranma knew this compliment came from a place of some sort of intoxication, so he left it alone. Akane was going to be furious with him when she snapped out of this. Akane belched, then started to crawl up Ranma's lap.

"What is going on?"

Ranma looked over in horror as he saw Kaze standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. "Kaze, man, I can explain."

"It looks like you two are having a little date here," Kaze said. Ranma had never heard anger from Kaze before, but right now it was spitting out like venom.

"It's not what it looks like," Ranma assured him as Akane wrapped her arms around Ranma's neck, mostly for balance. Kaze stared at him, awaiting an explanation.

"Okay, we were kind of having a date. I made her dinner. Something in the dinner seems to.." Ranma started, but Kaze cut him off.

"That's all I needed to know." Kaze started to take off.

"Kaze, man. Please. Something is wrong with Akane," Ranma pleaded.

"What's wrong with her?" Kaze said as he turned around to see Akane giggling while hanging off Ranma's neck.

"I'm not sure. She started acting like this after she ate the food. Ukyo thinks it's something to do with the mushrooms, so Kasumi went to get Dr. Tofu." Ranma explained to an angry looking Kaze.

Akane started swaying back and forth off of Ranma's neck. Ranma gave her a strange look. "What are you doing, Akane?" he asked her as she started giggling again.

"I love you, monkey man," Akane told Ranma with a lack of volume control.

Kaze raised an eyebrow at the scene in front of him. He was very clearly not impressed with what he walked in on, but wasn't about to leave his girlfriend alone with Ranma in this state.

"Shit. Akane, you need to snap out of it," Ranma pleaded with her. Akane let go of Ranma's neck and let herself fall back to the floor where she proceeded to pretend to make snow angels. Ranma and Kaze watched her with concern.

Dr. Tofu arrived quickly, and almost ran into the dojo to assess the patient. He looked Akane over, then looked at Ranma. "Where are the mushrooms?" he asked him. Ranma pointed to his bowl, as hers was empty. Dr. Tofu's face dropped. "We need to get her to the clinic. We need to detox her immediately," he said as he looked at Ranma again, "You need to find out how Amazonian Amanitas made their way into your food. They are poisonous." Dr Tofu said sternly.

Ranma's face dropped at the mention of "Amazonian." He picked Akane up in his arms and nodded at the doctor. "I'll get her there as fast as I can," Ranma told the doctor with new found determination. "Hang in there, Akane." Akane smacked Ranma in the face, still hysterical. Ranma shook it off as he prepared himself to run. Kaze walked up behind Ranma. "I'll take her. She's my girlfriend and I will make sure she's safe." Kaze told Ranma as he snatched Akane from Ranma's arms. "You've done enough." Kaze glared at him as he started toward the clinic, leaving Ranma riddled with guilt.

Ranma looked at Ukyo and Kasumi. "We need to get over there, too," he told them. Both girls nodded.