Michael Gutin

Disclaimer: Insert another one of my disclaimers here
Got some responses to respond to, so here I go!

Lord Raa: I'm all for vague praise man. I also enjoy specific praise. I like any kind of praise really. Any kind. Really. I don't care. Just praise me! PRAISE ME! Ehehehe…I'll shut up now…

ss4-link: Ah yes, the nearly bottomless comedy vault that is Mousse's sight impediment. Oh, and feel free to borrow away, not that you care whether I give you permission or not.

ShadowHunter2000: Already anticipating the end? Shit, I didn't think I had come along quite that far yet. Well, uh, I'm anticipating it as well, because except for some very vague, poorly thought out ideas, I'm pretty much wingin' it.

nonengel: Psh. Making peoples whose names you don't know feel tingly is what makes the world go round. That aside…er, actually, since I agree with the rest of your review, that's basically all there is too say. Damn, that was pointless.

Megaha: Erm, the things you're describing are actions, not personality traits, but I can see where you're coming from. I'll liken it to playing a rather frustrating video game. Ever been stuck and just gotten so pissed of that you shut of the game (possibly by throwing your controller at it) and then did something else for a while, then later decide to come back and give it another go? Basically, Ranma's doing the same thing.

Actual story, go!

Walking A Thin Line

Chapter 7

Recovering

I really didn't wanna go back home yet, but I figured the faster I did, the less damage my little outburst would have had. The funny thing is, it wasn't really Akane who I wanted to avoid meeting. I mean, I did feel guilty about yelling at her out of the blue for doing the same thing she had been for years now, and I was a bit apprehensive about the next time we talked to each other, since it was gonna be damn awkward, but I could quite honestly deal with that quite easily.

In reality, it was Nabiki who was making me cringe with fear. She would be angry. Very angry. I knew that. But that wasn't it. After all, they're all probably angry at me now, well except Kasumi. Akane because I yelled at her and because she's always angry, Soun and Pops because I disrespected my fiancée. I could deal with anger, no problem.

But I think….I think I might have, I don't know, disappointed her in some way. I mean, I know this is my plan, and that Nabiki really stands to gain nothing from it's success or failure, but she was expecting me to do something, and I completely failed to do that. And to do that, because it was to her, made me feel like a horrible person. And deep down I know why it's her of all people I can't stand to disappoint, and that makes me feel even worse.

I could breeze through everything else, my dad's fake tears, Soun's demon head, Akane's mallet, but that look on Nabiki's face, part anger, part sadness, part dissapointment, I don't think I can stand up to that. I really don't.

To have all the effort she put it, wasted, just because she mistakenly put her faith in me? I can't deal with that. But that's the way it is. I'm going to come home, I'm going to hold my head up high, endure all the members of that household without a scratch, then Nabiki will look at me only for a moment, and tell me I'm hopeless and she was wasting her time helping me, and I would be utterly crushed.

I can't blame her though, can't blame any of them. This was purely my fault, and I was going to have to suffer the consequences. I have no right to whine, or to fight it, so I'll just go up and take my punishment like a man.

As I approach the door to the Tendo home, my hand grips then handle, then does nothing. Guess these kinds of things are easier said than done.

I took a deep breath and braced myself for what was to come. Then, ever so slowly, I turned the handle, pushed open the door and stepped in.

Nothing. How anti-climactic. I almost felt cheated, somehow. All this time spent prepping myself emotionally for what was to come, and I was getting off scot-free.

"BOY!"

Or not.

"How dare you treat your fiancée that way! Yelling at her like that. Oh, woe is me, what have I done to deserve such a brute of a son? For did I not care for you, raise you to the best of my ability? You wound your father's heart boy."

You know, were he not such a bad actor, and had he not done this dozens of times before in my life, that would have actually filled me with guilt and shame, but right then, all it did was get on my nerves.

"Go away pops, you're botherin' me." I muttered, before knocking him out cold.

What? I did still have to keep up appearances you know.

Oddly enough, that little episode cheered me up a little. Purely on accident, Pop had actually been a help to me, go figure.

That's not to say I felt so good that I wanted to talk to anyone else right then, so I tried to sneak into my room without running into anyone.

Bah. Who was I kidding? Like I could really avoid Nabiki. She probably knew when I was coming back home before I did. I didn't have a chance.

And sure enough, as soon as I walked by her room the door opened and she dragged me in. Not that I resisted…much.

I walked in and watched as Nabiki sat down on her bed, shook her head at the ground, and sighed.

"Glad to see you're back, Ranma." Nabiki stated dryly.

I scratched the back of my head nervously, "Um, yeah."

"That was really stupid of you, you know that?" She said sharply.

"Yeah…I know…" I muttered.

I braced myself. For her yells, her reprimands, her sighs. But I was totally unprepared for what appeared on Nabiki's face that moment.

Concern. It disappeared quickly, but I'm absolutely positive I saw it. For that one moment, Nabiki had dropped the mask, and showed how she really felt. And she cared. She honestly cared, about me. The cold Nabiki who I had never known to show any emotion but amusement actually cared about me, about what happened to me.

And for the first time in so long, I felt so happy. I know it wasn't as if she was declaring her undying love to me, but she cared. She liked me. She felt my pain, at least a little. And for now, that was enough.

"…at least I managed to fix everything." Nabiki told me. I realized that she had been talking and I had drifted off, but I was feeling to good to care.

"Great. Uh, thanks Nabiki, thanks a lot."

She looked up at me. "For what, for helping you? No problem."

"No." I told her "Thanks for…no, never mind." I finished lamely.

What was I going to do? Tell her "Thanks for caring"? Way too stupid. And considering the Old Ranma has uttered these past years, that's saying something.

I was about to leave, when Nabiki put her hand on my shoulder.

"I saved you ass this time Saotome. But next time I won't be so charitable."

I sighed. "Yeah. I know."

With that, I left the room. As soon as I was out of sight, I started skipping to my room, chanting 'She cares, she cares, she cares' in my head. Right as I passed by Akane's room, Nabiki stuck her head out of her room and yelled "Also, you should really have a talk with Akane."

That stopped me in my tracks. But I could handle it. This would be cake.

I opened the door and peered inside. What I saw is Akane looking up at me forlornly, her face puffy and red from crying.

Oh boy, I'm screwed.

There is one thing that both me and Old Ranma share. We both really can't stand girls crying. Don't ask me why. It's not even a feeling of pity, or of sadness for that person. It just…unnerves me. It's like a crime against nature, is what it is. I know I could easily be exploited because of this, but I can't help it. I don't like seeing girls cry, and when I do I try to get them to stop, and I can't help it.

"Uh, A-Akane" I stammered, "I'm…uh…I'm really, really sorry, I didn't mean any of it honest. I was just um, stressed out…or something. Really. Um, it's all my fault…er, yeah, I just took out my anger on you, that's all…"

Man I was rambling. It was pathetic, and I deep down I knew that, but like I said, I really can't help it.

Akane looked up at me, "Ranma," she said sternly, "you meant at least some of that."

"What? No. I didn't. Well, I guess, maybe a little, but…but I really shouldn't have shouted at you. I'm, I'm sorry I guess…"

Akane looked away, "Sure Ranma, whatever you say."

"Hey," I said indignantly "I mean it!"

Akane looked up again, this time slightly angry. Good, angry, as long as she's not crying. "You always act like a jerk Ranma, it's not like this time is any different."

"Fine!" I shouted, "I don't even know why I bothered to apologize to an uncute girl like you." And with that, I turned around and left her room, slamming the door behind me.

As I walked back, I saw Nabiki next to the door and gave her a smile and a thumbs up. She nodded knowingly, and returned the smile. As I went back to my room, I flopped down and gave a contented sigh. Everything was back to normal. Perfectly fine, at least, for now.

Author's Note: Though I wasn't going to update, didn't you? Though I'd given up, eh? Oh ye of little faith. Well, this chapter wrapped things up nicely, I suppose. But don't worry, it'll go downhill from here, hopefully pretty quickly too.

Review some more, and I'll write some more. Sounds like a fair exchange, no?