Disclaimer:

The characters in this story aren't mine, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi and other publications. I do not own any of the characters and gains no profit from writing this story…

So again please don't sue! I already have enough problems managing bill payments…..

I do not intend on making any profit from making this story but only a writer writing about one of her favourite character, namely Nabiki.

Italics means thoughts and memories

Bold Italics means voice over the phone

Bold means sign

xxxxxxx

The moment Tatewaki Kuno heard Nabiki's short reply, he couldn't help but hold his breath. He didn't know wether to feel relieved or feel anxious. He really didn't know what to say since he wasn't really prepared for her call nor was he prepared for her answer. To be honest he assumed she would have declined since Nabiki Tendo rarely delayed any reply or took too long to make up her mind.

Nonetheless, her agreeing suited him and brought a small smile upon his lips. "I am glad to hear that you have accepted my offer, shall we start making arrangements then?" he asked trying to mask any of the emotions he felt which he knew that the girl in the other line could easily pick-up.

"No, not now. Not over the phone anyways. I'll meet you at lunch on Monday and we will talk about the arrangements then."

A frown creased his features. He didn't want to push his luck. "Very well, I will be looking forward to our little meeting Nabiki Tendo."

Tatewaki heard the audible click in the other line, informing him that Nabiki had hanged up on him. He wasn't offended by her abruptness. He was used to Nabiki's no nonsense direct approach but he did wish that perhaps he could speak to her for a little bit longer.

Tatewaki sighed as he ran his fingers through his thick ebony hair in frustration. He was away from prying eyes right now, and there was nothing really stopping him from letting go of the mask he wore. He didn't really know what prompted him to even ask her such a thing after all the things that had happened but a little niggling voice in the back of his head kept bothering him. That even though he denies it, he was glad he took a risk and asked her.

"What troubles you old friend?" the sign read which Genma whipped out from subspace. He was currently in his cursed form, too lazy to change back. He had noticed his friend's melancholy mood after a couple of rounds of cheating at shoji. It wasn't fun when he was the only one cheating at the game while his opponent seemed to be lost in his own world.

"Nani?" Soun blinked a couple of times, bringing him back to reality and pushing his concerns away for the time being.

"You seem distracted" Genma once again whipped out.

Soun merely shook his head. It was hard to have a serious conversation with your closest life-long friend, especially if he was in his panda form.

"Nothing is wrong my friend, There are just a lot of things in my mind."

"Want some advise?" the sign read.

Soun looked at his life-long friend, really looked at him, not as a friend but as a human being. He contemplated on their past history as well as their friendship but as he looked at his friend's current form, he knew he wasn't the best person to look for any advise. Especially a fatherly advise.

Soun shook his head. "No, it is alright. I think I'll go for a little walk just to clear my head."

Genma was about to volunteer his company when he saw the look of seriousness in his friend's features. He could do nothing to ease his friend's worries as he watched Soun's retreating back.

Soun wandered aimlessly in the streets of Nerima. The citizens all greeted him warmly as he smiled in return. Walking about with no destination in mind, he couldn't help but drift back to the memories that were still imbedded in his mind.

In his mind's eye, he could still see images of Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi running along the streets quite freely as they did so. Kimiko's arm was linked to his as she leaned on him for support as they both watched over their giggling daughters.

Flashback:

"You guys are far too slow!" Kasumi giggled as she ran ahead of her sisters and parents, blowing them a raspberry as she did so. Her beautiful Sunday dress billowing around her legs as a small breeze brushed by.

"Nu Uh!," Nabiki countered running after Kasumi dressed in her favourite yellow coverall, trying to prove that she wasn't as slow as her sister teased, then pointed at Akane. "Akane's the slowest!"

Akane on the other hand dressed in her sunny yellow dress, tried to catch up to her sisters as fast as her little legs could carry her. "No I'm not! Mommy and Daddy are the slowest!"

Kimiko laughed at her bantering daughters and couldn't help but join in. "What's the rush girls? The playground is not going to close anytime soon."

"Your mother is right girls. Don't run so fast or you'll be too tired to play by the time we get there." Soun agreed with his wife. He couldn't help but grin when his daughters all stopped running and looked at him and their mother.

"But daaad…" Nabiki whined as though that was enough of an explanation to continue dashing towards the playground.

On cue, both Kasumi and Akane also whined.

"If we don't get there first the other kids will get the slides and see-saw!" Kasumi whined.

"Someone will get to the jungle gym first!" Akane also complained as she approached their parents in the verge of tears.

Kimiko let go of her husband's arm to engulf Akane into a comforting hug. "But sweetheart you're too short to even reach the bars," Kimiko teased her youngest daughter.

"That's why daddy is here!" Akane pointed out. "He'll give me a lift on the bars and the slides so I don't have to climb the stairs!"

Soun chuckled at Akane's answer as he ruffled her hair. "But what will your mom do while I'm helping you play Akane-chan?"

By now Nabiki and Kasumi had also joined them, wondering what's taking their parents so long to catch up. Hearing his question, Nabiki answered him.

"Mommy can buy us juice and ice cream while we play!" Nabiki responded with glee while her sisters nodded in agreement.

"So I'm suppose to just buy food and drinks while all of you have all the fun?" Kimiko asked, one eye brow raised.

"Don't be silly mother, you're too big to go on the slides and see-saw with us." Kasumi giggled.

"Please mommy?" Akane pleaded, soon Kasumi and Nabiki all looked at her with cute puppy dog eyes.

"Fine," Kimiko pretended to grumble but couldn't help but laugh when Nabiki and Kasumi hugged her enthusiastically.

"You're the best mommy!" Akane cheered as she tried her best to hug her mother's legs but was only able to hug Kasumi's back since her two older sisters' had occupied too much space.

"You're the coolest mom!" Nabiki cheered.

"The greatest!" Kasumi cheered.

Kimiko smiled lovingly at her daughters as Soun embraced her from behind. "She is isn't she?"

Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane all nodded in unison.

"But what about me?" Soun asked teasingly. "I feel jealous now."

"Don't worry anata, you're still the only one for me." Kimiko answered as she gave him a kiss on the lips.

"Eeewwww…." Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane all cried out in disgust as they watched their parents kiss, making them all laugh.

End flashback….

"Was it really that long ago?" Soun asked himself as he walked the very same path towards the playground.

He looked up and saw to his wry amusement that he had indeed arrived at his mind's desired destination. He smiled bitterly as more images from his distant memories flashed before his eyes once again making him feel more melancholy than before.

The laughter of the children playing brought so much ache in his heart, knowing that it had been such a long time since he had heard his daughters to laugh so freely. If he had arrived sooner, he would have witnessed Ranma playing with the very same children that he was currently watching but he had missed him by mere seconds before he bid his farewell to his new found little friends when he had remembered that he was suppose to meet Akane and their friends outside the cinema.

Soun took a seat at the wooden bench, preoccupied by memories of the past and wishing he could bring it all back, unaware that he had caught the attention of a few mothers watching over their children.

"Who is that man?"

"He looks so handsome!"

"I'd like a piece of that!"

"Don't you know? That's Tendo Soun!"

"The Tendo Soun?"

"Wow! He's dreamier than I thought!"

"Do you think the rumours about him are true?"

"Who knows? This is Nerima after all."

"Soun-chan!" A feminine voice broke him from his thoughts, before embarrassingly correcting herself. "I mean Tendo-san, fancy meeting you here?"

"Ah Ninomiya-san, How are you this fine day?" Soun greeted warmly as he watched her shyly approach. Ninomiya Hinako's arrival certainly got the attention of the other women who had been checking out Tendo Soun and who wouldn't?

The woman just screamed sex appeal. From her long flowing brown hair, to her alluring figure right down to her stylish shoes. The only thing that looked awkward about her, was the fact that she was currently carrying a fishbowl with a fighting fish swimming in it as well as her shy demeanour.

Seeing the man of her affection smiled at her warmed Hinako to the very core and took the opportunity to sit beside the object of her affections. "I am fine Tendo-san, how about yourself? You seem lost in your musings that it was almost a shame to disturb you," she replied back guiltily.

Hinako just couldn't help herself. When she had caught sight of him, she had wanted to talk to him and be beside him. Seeing him in such a melancholy mood, made her even more determined to be by his side. She still cared deeply for him but she knew that it will take time until he could realise her feelings. She couldn't fault him for that since it was one of his more endearing qualities. His dedication and loyalty to his long departed wife touched Hinako and made her hope that if one day she did succeed to gain his affections, she knew she will be well loved and cared for.

Hinako closed her eyes as her past life flashed in her mind's eye. Her sickly childhood as well as her unusual ability had isolated her from her fellow peers as well as the community. She grew up alone and lonely. As she grew up and learned to utilise her powers, she had used them to help people, hoping that in doing so, she will finally be accepted. It worked to some extent but she still felt alone and isolated because she was still different. She also found out that she had to have constant supply of ki to retain her normal age, making her similar to a vampire. Not knowing how to counter her ability without making her weak or sickly like her childhood life, she accepted her fate. That is until she had come to Nerima.

Nerima felt like home to her. A place where the strongest and strangest of martial artists seemed to be drawn to. Where her uniqueness easily blended in with the eccentric community, giving her the "normalcy" she craved. She found an added purpose in her life and led her to the man of her dreams who was currently sitting beside her.

"You didn't disturb me Ninomiya-san, I always appreciate your company," he smiled at her, making her heart flutter with delight.

Soun studied the woman beside him, wondering if she could help him with his growing concern unaware that his gaze was making Hinako giddy.

"Ninomiya-san," Soun paused trying to choose his next words carefully.

Hinako on the other hand held her breath as a dozen or so scenarios flashed in her mind about Soun's trepidition. Could it be that Soun had finally noticed her? Could it be that he is about to ask her out on a date? Hinako tried to fight the urge to hyperventilate.

Soun noticed that his companion started looking anxious and blurted out the first words that entered his head despite the fact that he was trying to look for an appropriate way to word his question."You're a girl right?" Soun blurted out in panic, as soon as the words left his mouth he immediately regretted them.

Hinako's world came crashing down from Soun's tactless question. A girl? She wasn't a girl! She wasn't even in her child form! She was a woman! Well not always but more often now as long as she had her fighting fish or a steady supply of ki.

"I mean, I need to ask you a question in regards to your feminine point of view!" Soun quickly quipped, hoping that in saying so, he would have recovered face from such a stupid question. It seemed to have worked since Hinako had stopped twitching.

"I see," Hinako strained herself to calm down. Soun maybe the object of her affections but that doesn't mean she wasn't entitled to get angry at him from such comments. "Then please do go on, I will try to help as best as I can."

Soun once again began brooding, trying to find the right words to ask what was bothering him but not enough information to let the other woman know what truly bothers him. Hinako on the other hand watched her companion patiently. There was no reason for Hinako to rush since she was satisfied just being close to him.

"Do you think a man and a woman could truly be just stay as friends?" Soun asked. It was an age old time question as far as he knew but one that perfectly described his concern in regards to the growing situation between his daughters and Saotome Ranma.

Hinako was startled by the vagueness of his question. A million scenarios flashed briefly through her mind, a couple that stood predominantly in her mind for the possible reasons for his question, where that he could possibly asking indirectly to start a friendship/relationship with her or there was another woman in the picture that he's possibly friends with that he wants to pursue a relationship with. She really didn't want to dwell on the question but the question bothered her deeply.

"I-I don't really know," Hinako answered him honestly.

Soun sighed, "It's alright Ninomiya-san, I myself don't know the answer to the question. I was hoping someone did."

Hinako bit her bottom lip out of guilt of not being able to help him, but perhaps if she knew more then she could help him. "Can I ask what had prompted you to ask a question?"

Soun for a while didn't speak as he looked at her, wondering if he could trust the woman before him, especially the woman who taught two of his daughters and Ranma. He decided he owed her at least an explanation. Soun chuckled nervously, still trying to explain to his companion his fears in regards to his daughters.

"You can probably just call it a father's intuition, you see I grow worried about my little girls. They grow up so fast right before my eyes, so fast in fact that I feel that I was hardly even there." he answered sullenly. A slight piercing pain cut through his chest, knowing that he had somehow managed to stumble upon an unspoken truth that he had tried to keep at the back of his mind. Almost immediately he felt the his chest grow heavy from the guilt of not being there emotionally for his daughters. He knew he must have put them through a lot because he also took the passing of his wife quite deeply and fears that he may never recover from the pain and how could he?

Right before his eyes, there was a constant reminder of her. Kimiko. His beloved wife's visage was in all three of their daughters. Her inner peace and serenity, her steadfast and strong will, and last but not the least her empathy and ability to be compassionate about others. He always saw her in his daughters and it always brought such great pain to him. The only sole reason he had not followed her was the fact that their daughters needed him, but that still did not excuse him for his shortcomings.

"I don't see why…" Hinako began but paused when he continued.

"I grow worried that some guy would come and sweep my little girls off of their feet that won't take care of them and make them cry." Soun paused. "It scares me." he replied back truthfully, not bothering to hide his emotions. He had already hurt them with his inability to cope. He didn't want them to get hurt again by anybody else or by each other.

Hinako for her part felt her heart swell even more for Soun.

"I guess, a selfish part of me doesn't want them to grow up you know? I just want them to remain like the innocent, giggly little girls they used to be." he sighed wistfully, if that were to trully happen then he would right the wrongs he had done in the past knowing what he knew now, "I'm sorry Ninomiya-san, I'm rambling." he apologised sheepishly when he realised he was getting a little carried away with his thoughts.

"I understand Tendo-san," Hinako reassured him. She didn't even notice how she had placed her hand comfortably on his thigh as a gesture to comfort him. The moment she did however, made her fluster and was about to remove her hand on his person when Soun grasped her hand on his own.

"Thank you Ninomiya-san, you don't know how much talking to you have eased my mind," Soun sincerely said to her, oblivious to the effects he was giving her. "Can I make a selfish request?" He asked almost boyishly shy not relinquishing his hold upon her hand.

Hinako could only nod in response, afraid her voice would betray her from the amount of emotions she was feeling.

"Would you mind so much to sit by me for a little while?" Soun asked almost pleadingly. He really didn't feel like being alone right now. Not in a place full of fond memories.

"I would love to," Hinako smiled at him while he smiled in gratitude. To Hinako's slight disappointment, Soun had let go of her hand but Hinako was content at simply being by his side as she remained seated with him. They sat there at the park bench and watched the kids in the playground continue to frolic and laugh merrily.

Hinako couldn't help but hope that one day someday, she will be watching her own kids playing in the very same playground with him by her side. She closed her eyes and continued to smile. For now being with him was enough.

The day for Nabiki seemed to be long and torturous. She felt emotionally drained and she couldn't explain why. She wondered around aimlessly around Nerima thinking about nothing and everything. It occurred to her that it was probably pointless to continue walking around without a particular destination in mind and went home. It was already late in the afternoon when she came home.

When she got home however, it seemed no one was around. It seemed that her father and her uncle had gone towards the town as well, probably spying on Ranma and Akane's date while she assumed Kasumi had gone off and headed off at Dr Tofu's. Nabiki hoped that no one was severely hurt or that the good doctor didn't have many patients when her sister dropped by.

She opted to change and decided to lounge around for a while but after a few moments of channel surfing on the TV and finding out that there was absolutely nothing there to watch, she decided to retire to her room to take a quick nap.

She was half-way up the stairs when Ranma had entered rather boisterously in the house.

"Stupid tomboy," Ranma grumbled under his breath. "Stupid uncute tomboy!" he continued as he made his way through the Tendo home.

"I take it that the movie was a bust?" Nabiki couldn't help but remark, slightly startling the pigtailed boy from his grumbling.

"Nabiki? Where's everybody?" Ranma asked, finally aware that the house was unusually quiet.

"Out," Nabiki answered him as though it was the most obvious answer in the world. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Fine, the movie was fine. Want to eat?" Ranma asked as he made his way to the kitchen, not waiting for her answer.

Nabiki not really having much else to do decided to follow Ranma to the kitchen. When she got there though, she found Ranma already preparing snacks for himself. She wasn't sure if he prepared her one as well since Ranma eats a lot.

Hearing Nabiki enter the kitchen, he tossed her a packet of potato chips while he held a bag of chocolate chip cookies. "Drink?" he asked her as he rummaged through the fridge for sodas.

Nabiki merely nodded her head as Ranma got two cans of soda from the fridge then led them towards the kitchen table. Nabiki took a seat across from him while Ranma opened his drink to take a drink.

"So how was the movies?" Nabiki once again asked as she opened her bag of potato chips but eyed Ranma's bag of cookies as well.

Ranma seemed to have noticed for he offered her the bag of cookies in which Nabiki happily took a cookie out but offered her bag as well.

Ranma not really noticing Nabiki's sudden generosity ignored this and happily took out a couple of chips and munched on them as he explained to Nabiki about his day at the movies.

"We watched Shrek 3" Ranma grumbled which made Nabiki giggle.

"Are you for real?" She asked dubiously.

"I hope I was! Akane and her friends chose the movie, I wanted to watch Pirates of the Carribean 3!" Ranma continued to grumble.

"So why didn't you?" Nabiki prodded.

"Because Dai and Hiroshi was dragged in the theatre by Yuka and Sayuri before we could get the tickets." Ranma explained.

"So how was it?" Nabiki continued to question him.

"It was alright I guess, but it lacked action." Ranma answered. "I heard Pirates of the Caribbean had a lot of fight scenes and stunts."

Nabiki agreed. "That and Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom." She sighed dreamily.

"I don't really care about the tax collector dude or the flower boy I just wanted to see that movie," Ranma pointed out, also displaying his limited understanding of the English language.

Nabiki's lips twitched as she tried not to giggle but did agree with Ranma. "Me too, I heard the movie got a lot of great reviews and this movie has a lot of special effects."

"Really? I never knew you liked this type of movies," Ranma replied back amazed at how lively Nabiki looked as she spoke about the movie. He had always assumed Nabiki would be into more of the Sci-Fi and conspiracy theory genre rather than action and fantasy.

"You mean action and swash-buckling adventure?" Nabiki smiled. "Goes to show how much you know about me Saotome." she teased him.

"You can say that," Ranma said sheepishly, "I can't believe that underneath that tough exterior you show, inside your just a hopeless romantic."

"I'm a girl Saotome in case you have forgotten, and I'm not a hopeless romantic." Nabiki pointed out to him. "It just so happens that the movie happens to have the two hunkiest guys I fancy,"

"I know that but it's still a bit unexpected you know?" Ranma replied back as he could sense a small trace of annoyance from her. "Especially the other dude, I saw the posters and that guy you girls seems to be crazy about looked like he could use a bath and a shave,"

"It's part of his role, Saotome." Nabiki sighed exasperatedly. "If Johnny Depp was clean shaven and properly clothed then he wouldn't fit the role of a pirate,"

"Yeah I guess," Ranma relented since he really didn't know anything about the American actor or anything else to say for that matter.

An uncomfortable silence then fell on them, suddenly making them aware that there were only the two of them alone and unsupervised in the house. They could hear the slight breeze that drifted through the open windows, the monotone stacato ticking of the kitchen clock and the birds chirping, announcing that the day seem to now end. Ranma not really comfortable with the silence decided to break it.

"I really wished I could have seen that movie," he sighed dejectedly once again.

Nabiki watched Ranma as she took a sip of her soda. They were alone in the house with nothing to do with each other as company, and while she was giddy being alone with him because of her newly discovered feelings for her companion, she still felt uncomfortable around him. She felt restless just being with him now. She didn't know what prompted her to say her next words but she deduced it as having such a mundane and unfulfilling day. "Let's go,"

"Huh?" asked a puzzled and befundled looking Ranma.

"I said let's go, just let me get changed and we'll go see the movie!" She replied back cheerfuly as she got up from her seat.

"Are you serious?" Ranma asked, not sure what prompted Nabiki to become rather spontaneous.

"Why not? It looks like the others won't be back for a while and there's really nothing else to do around the house but lounge around, so why not?"

"If you say so, but Nabiki I don't got any money with me,"

"That's fine, I'll treat you," she smiled at him, "I'll just put it in your tab." she said playfully as she watched Ranma groan.

"Fine, but hurry up or we'll miss the previews." Ranma gave in.

Almost an hour later after Ranma and Nabiki both headed back to the cinema to watch Pirates of the Caribbean 3, an unsuspecting visitor wandered near the Tendo residence.

"Where am I Now?!" The lost boy shouted to the heavens. "Ranma, this is all your fault!" he cursed his eternal rival.

Meanwhile at the cinema ticket booth, one Ranma Saotome sneezed.

"You ok?" Nabiki asked as she presented Ranma his ticket.

"Yeah I'm fine, must be one of my many rivals cursing some sinister plot for me a suppose," he sighed before turning his attention to the snack bar. "Can we?"

"Fine, but remember Saotome that you owe me so nothing too big or too expensive," Nabiki warned.

"Geeze Nabs I know already." he sighed in exasperation once again as he grabbed her hand and led her to the snack bar.

"Nabs?" Nabiki questioned him with one eyebrow raised.

Ranma didn't reply since he didn't have any explanation. He was getting used to Nabiki now and it was only natural for him to give her some sort of nickname, and while he was still a bit uncomfortable being around her, he's reservations towards her was slowly fading. Besides, after all the things that had happened between them these couple of weeks, there was bound to be some changes in how tehy deal with each other.

Nabiki on the other hand, suppressed the urge to blush as she noticed that Ranma still held her hand as he ordered a jumbo size popcorn and drink as well as a bag of candy. He only relinquished her hand when they had received their purchase.

Armed with snacks the two youths then entered the cinema watch and enjoy the movie.

Back at the Tendo Dojo,

Soun waited patiently for his middle daughter to arrive home, hoping against hope that nothing bad had fallen on to his little girl. Akane had rang earlier, claiming that she was sleeping over Sayuri's place tonight and will be coming home the next day. Kasumi was long finished with her household chores and was now keeping him company while his best friend Genma had retired to bed early having had some sake earlier at dinner.

Soun didn't like the whole situation at all. Apparently sometime during the afternoon after Ranma and Akane had finished watching a movie with their friends, Ranma and Akane had yet again had another disagreement that made the boy separate from them and left elsewhere and Akane had not heard from him since then.

Soun feared that perhaps always forcing his youngest daughter and Ranma was putting a lot of tension between the two and maybe pushing them away in the process but Genma had assured him that everything will eventually fix itself since Ranma genuinely cares for Akane but Soun still felt unsure.

Kasumi could tell her father was deeply troubled and to tell the truth she did too. She couldn't help but grow concern over the subtle changes that were happening within their household and she didn't know how to fix it without coming out as a meddler.

Finally, what seemed like forever to Soun, the object of his concern entered the Tendo home but she was not alone.

Nabiki entered the house happily giggling and enigmatically talking to Ranma when she entered the house. Immediately she felt a heavy air of tension filled the air.

"Where have you been Nabiki?" Soun asked in his most authoritative voice. One that Nabiki had not heard for a long time.

"I was out in the movies with…" but before Nabiki could explain, her father had cut her off.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Soun found his voice slightly getting louder, almost angrier.

"Look Mr Tendo, I can explain," Ranma found himself interrupting. He had never actually seen Mr Tendo like this before.

"Father," Kasumi interjected as she placed a hand upon her father's shoulder. She noted that her father was unusually tensed and knew that her father was trying to reign in his anger.

"Ranma I appreciate your concern but I need to speak to Nabiki alone." Soun eyed Nabiki. "Come with me." he instructed his daughter as he made his way towards her bedroom expecting her to follow without another word.

Nabiki for her part, looked rather shaken. She tried to look at Kasumi, searching her sister's eyes for any indication as to why her father seemed to be so upset. Receiving nothing but a look of sympathy from her older sister, Nabiki decided to just follow her father and see if she could find out what could have possibly made him so upset with her.

Ranma was about to follow, worried about Nabiki but Kasumi seized his right arm, effectively stopping him.

"She'll be fine Ranma-kun," Kasumi assured him. "They just need to talk."

"But Kasumi," Ranma tried to reason to her, to tell her that Nabiki hasn't done anything wrong, but she simply shook her head.

Kasumi instead led him to sit down. "Ranma-kun may I ask you something?" Kasumi asked him tentatively.

"Uh sure I guess?" Ranma replied back rather distractedly, his eyes kept drifting up at the ceiling towards Nabiki's room hoping that Nabiki wasn't into too much trouble.

Kasumi noticed Ranma's restlessness which urged her to continue. "Ranma-kun?" she tried again to gain his attention to focus on her next words carefully. Once she was sure that Ranma now has her full attention she decided to proceed to question him about what has been troubling her for weeks now.

"Yeah?" Ranma said, still not sure why everyone was acting weird and why did Kasumi looked so bothered. He noticed her hands were fidgetting on her lap as though she was struggling to get the correct words to speak to him.

"Do you have feelings for my sister Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked as she searched his surprised blue eyes.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ranma panicked. None of this made sense to him.

"Do you like Nabiki, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi continued to question him, as she searched his eyes for any signs that may betray him.

"Of course I like Nabiki! Just like you and Aka…" but he never got to finished as Kasumi simply once again shook her head negatively.

"I think you know exactly what I'm asking you Ranma-kun." Kasumi replied back to him, effectively cutting off any reasoning or excuses that Ranma may have been thinking about.

Ranma was speechless as he contemplated Kasumi's words and his own feelings. Did he really like Nabiki?

Taking advantage of Ranma's silence Kasumi continued. "If you really do have feelings for Nabiki could you do something for her?" she asked as her heart constricted painfully in her chest. "If you really do care for her I ask you humbly to do this,"

Ranma looked into Kasumi's eyes. Wondering what was causing the normally serene and peaceful girl so much distress. "What is it Kasumi? I'll do anything if it will ease your worries."

Kasumi felt a pang of guilt as Ranma spoke those words but even though it pained Kasumi, even though she knew her heart constricted as though razor sharp barb wires slowly tightened around her chest, she still managed to say the words that she knew will drive the boy before her, that she treated like her own brother away.

"Stay away from her." she managed to voiced out rather shakily but with so much conviction that she can muster.

xxxxxxx

Author's Notes:

Finally updated! Did you readers liked it? Never fear for the next chapter is currently on it's way. I just love it when inspiration hits, only problem is to write it coherently. Thank you for everyone that waited ever so patiently for me to update. I know I haven't been updating for a while and I sincerely apologise. There has been a lot of issues that I have to deal with the past couple of months as well as my study commitments needed to be addressed. In other words, I'm really horrible when it comes to time management. Sighs.

Thank you for everyone who continued to support and review this story and I will try and write the chapter as fast as I can.

Please check out my profile since I normally post there what I have been up to as of late.

Again I hope you liked this latest chapter and please leave me a review of what you think. Thank you.

Ja Ne