A/N: Hi all! Welcome to my first story in forever. Most everything else I have deleted over the years. I have chapter 2 almost completed and hope to upload it tomorrow. I'm older (by a lot) wiser and hope to bust this out in a timely fashion. keeping chapters short to hopefully get content out faster. I have edited them my self but if you see errors please feel free to point them out. Thanks!

Chapter One: Home Again

It was good to be home. Ranma had not been back in Japan for almost a year. The International Special Ops team he worked with had spent most of the last year in the Middle East tracking down a wayward Djinn who was wreaking havoc on the local population. That bastard had been a crafty son of a bitch. Every time they thought they were close he would give them the slip. Took ten months to flesh him out and banish the demon back to his home turf.

He lucked out when a local private job requested him. Some miko was having trouble with the local riff raff and he was called in to babysit. Not his favorite gig but would be a nice change of pace. Hopefully the broad wasn't too prissy and easy on the eyes. He could use some female company for a bit, if you know what I mean, and the ladies were often more than eager to assist. Yes this job might just be what the doctor ordered. With a smirk and an extra bounce in his step Ranma moved away from the baggage claim and hailed a cab to take him to the hotel.

two hours later found Ranma sitting in the hotel bar waiting for the informant. Akio was a lanky dude with an over confident grin. He was dependable though. He slid into the seat next to Ranma and threw down the case file in front of him. "I envy you man, that girl has legs for days. But quite the bite too."

"You meet her then?" Ranma placed the file in his bag, he would review it later.

"Yeah, it was supposed to be just her associate but I guess Miss Princess insisted on being involved. She seemed less than pleased that the ISO was getting assigned to her." That was an understatement. He was not sure what the chick had against them but she was very adamant that they cancel job. Her associate seemed used to her outbursts though and overrode her input as if she wasn't trying to strangle him as he signed the contract. "This is a high priority case, your commitment is open ended until the client or you terminate the contract. You were requested specifically, your reputation precedes you apparently. All necessary information is in the file. You meet with them tomorrow morning at 10am." Akio stood and clasped Ranma on the shoulder on his way out. "I wouldn't get too friendly with the client either, I suspect the client has more than a business relationship with her associate if you know what I mean. You will be working closely with both, so don't make things awkward." With that he grabbed the rest of Ranma's drink, downed it and walked away.

Ranma glared at Akio's back as he walked away. "Ass" Grumbling lightly he stood and started to head back to his room. However he made it only a few steps before a brunette with a nice rack smiled at him invitingly from a table nearby. Well maybe he would check the file later, sounds like there wouldn't be much opportunity to play during this next job anyways, might as well get it out of his system now. New plan made, he swung towards the brunette with his best panty dropping smile.

...

Akane hated this. She felt completely backed into a corner.

"Akane, you look like you are going to maim the next person that walks within 10 feet of you, relax will you, the staff is starting to get antsy and you are doing the exact opposite of being inconspicuous."

Akane decided to transfer her glare to the gentleman sitting beside her. He made a pointed glance at the waitress hovering a table away trying to decide if she should approach. With a deep breath Akane relaxed her expression, channeling her tension into drumming her fingers on the table instead. He gave her a knowing smirk in response.

"Toshi, I don't like this. Experienced or not, I don't like bringing in outsiders. This isn't their problem. It's mine." She smiled at the waitress as she finally decided it was worth the risk to approach the table. She didn't mean to intimidate the staff.

"Can I get you anything to drink while you wait for the rest of your party?" She fidgeted with the ends of her hair. Having the attention of these two was a bit unnerving.

"Bloody Mary please."

"Akane it is only 10AM!"

"Shut it, it's that or I'm punting you out the window, your pick." Akane glared. Toshi glared. Neither was happy with the other.

"Fine, whatever." Toshi threw up his hands and leaned back in his chair flashing the waitress his most reassuring smile. "Just water for me please, someone has to be responsible here." The waitress blushed deeply before wandering away. Toshi was a rather charming companion. His boyish grin and deep green eyes had gotten him out of more than one squabble with the ladies. If only it worked on Akane.

"We talked about this. It has been seven years, you have no guardian, and the last six months have been hell. I will always have your back but I am a guide not a guardian, there have been too many close calls lately, and we are heading into dangerous territory. This guy is supposed to be the best of the best. Loads of experience. You're lucky I hired one, not a whole team. Deal with it." Akane started to try to protest again but he got ahead of it before she could launch into her list of complaints. "Look this was your suicidal plan, I told you I would assist you so long as you were willing to follow through, do what ever it took. And the last 6 months have shown that this is absolutely necessary."

Akane sat back in her chair with a glare and a pout. Damn him. They were managing fine. So last week they may have gotten cornered by a Jorogumo spider demon, she escaped!… mostly. And he couldn't fault her about the Oni from two months ago, he was huge and someone gave him magic. Her side still smarted from that one. Some days she wondered if it was really such a great idea to tackle this head on, maybe hiding out as her predecessors did was the smarter choice. But her cousin Hana had not lasted more than five years and the one before nine. She was already ahead of Hana at least. seven years and she wasn't dead yet. There would be no new Miko thrown into this life if she could help it, the next generation couldn't be touched by this, what if it was her niece? She had not seen her family in seven years but she got updates. Kasumi had married Doctor Tofu and had a daughter. She would be damned if she let this fall to her. There had to be an answer, She slid and glanced at her phone, 10:12. "This wondrous protector is late."

A smooth familiar "Yo" was uttered directly behind her as the waitress returned with their drinks. "Long time no see." a tall muscular pigtailed man with a sexy as hell grin gracefully sat in the chair across from her. She felt her whole world shift and come crashing down. "shot of vodka for the lady and a shot of tequila for me, I think we are going to need it." Then she was left to stare into a pair of steel blue eyes she thought she had left behind seven years ago. A lifetime ago, a memory she had tried hard to bury beneath the weight of responsibility.

"Ranma Saotome right. Glad you could join us." Toshi intervened, eyeing Akane carefully. "Akane, remember you're in public, violence would be unwise."

Akane's eyes finally settled back on Toshi's cautious face. He knew, there is no way he hadn't known. She forced out a snarl between gritted teeth."No." Taking a deep shaky breath refusing to look at the phantom from her past sitting in front of her, "Absolutely not. You treacherous bastard." With that she got up from the table and stormed off to the ladies room. Never looking back.

...

2 hours earlier

The alarm on his phone was jarring. With a groan Ranma rolled over and tried to reorientate himself with the land of the living. There was a sigh and then a pair of feminine hands reached around him to stroke lightly at his arm. Oh right the brunette, what was her name again?

"Hey handsome, do you have time for a shower before you go?" The purr and promise in her voice was very tempting. He glanced at the clock by the bed, 9am, it would be close but he had time.

An hour later found him sitting in a taxi headed for a swanky restaurant about ten minutes away. The file from last night sat closed on his lap waiting for him to review. With a deep sigh and a mental shake Ranma turned his focus to work. Opening the file he took a deep breath and swore violently. Front and center was a picture of one Akane Tendo. She had definitely changed. Gone was her short blue black hair, It was now long and silky looking. Her face had lost some of its roundness, more angular than before. He studied those brown eyes that stared back at him from the picture. They were older, more serious but definitely still defiant. It had been seven years since he had seen her. After breaking their engagement right after senior year she had disappeared.

"Akane Fucking Tendo." He ran his hand through his hair in agitation. "When the hell did she become a Miko." The file was brief and to the point. She and her companion, named Toshi, referred to as her Guide where to be assisted in any way possible. Ranma was to provide security. There was a brief list of possible travel requirements and contacts for safe houses and any needs they may need but basically he was to act as a bodyguard. "This is fucking great, just great."

He snapped the file shut and closed his eyes. What to do now? It would have been easier if he had read the file last night, the distraction in the form of the shapely brunette was maybe not a great idea now. If he had gone back to his room like he had planned this wouldn't be a surprise ten minutes from his scheduled appointment. He had to admit he was curious. What the hell had the damn tomboy gotten herself into now? When did she become a miko? What hole had she been living in all these years? And who was this Toshi Fucker? At that thought he remembered Akio's comment about them appearing to be involved. That just made him moodier. He really didn't want this job now but it was too late to back out of the meeting. He would have to see what the cards dealt going forward. With that thought the taxi pulled up to the curb and let him out. He could see her from the hostess stand, her back was turned but he would recognize that irate aura anywhere, maybe he would get lucky and she would kick him out before things got too awkward. She can't know it was him being sent, could she? He couldn't believe this was her idea. Taking a deep breath and faking a calm he didn't feel he swiftly headed to her table before he could chicken out.

Those eyes, he had forgotten what it was like to be the center of their attention. Deep pools of chocolate, intense and expressive. By the look of her she wasn't expecting him either. Good they could both be thrown off balance then. She was making a light growling noise that he suspected she was unaware of.

"Ranma Saotome right. Glad you could join us." The dipshit sitting next to her eyed Akane warily. "Akane, remember you're in public, violence would be unwise."

Akane finally broke her staring contest with him and whipped her head to glare at her 'guide' "No." The force of that one word said it all, "Absolutely not. You treacherous bastard." With that she got up from the table and stormed off. Never looking back.

Ranma watched her leave. Man the years had been good to her. She filled out those jeans very nicely, she walked with a lot more stealth than she had before too, she obviously had not given up martial arts. He noticed a few male heads turn to watch her progress to the back as well.

"Well that went better than I expected," Toshi said, reaching over and snagging Akane's Bloody Mary. He stole the bacon out of it after taking a large swig. "Names Toshi nice to meet you." He stuck his hand across the table but Ranma completely ignored it.

"I am going to go out on a limb here and assume that you are well aware of who I am and my connection to Akane." He watched Toshi warily. If Akane's reaction was anything to go off of this guy was the mastermind behind this whole fucked up situation.

"You sir are Ranma Saotome. Versed in all things supernatural. Your stats are very impressive. And yes I am aware that you are Akane's ex -fiancee. Is that a problem for you?" Toshi took another swig of Akane's drink before reclining back in his chair to access Ranma.

Ranma just watched him warily. What game is this guy playing at? "Why don't you tell me a bit about what the situation is."

"That is easy. Akane is a miko with some rather unusual responsibilities that are not up for discussion. As of late the demon population has become rather challenging. We are heading to India and China and wee expect to run into more of the same. Once our mission is complete and the situation allows for it you will be released from your contract. We expect travel to take about a month." Toshi pulled out some paperwork and flipped through it. "According to your lead you're familiar with China, we will be flying into Bagdogra Airport in India and then traveling from there to the Shishapangma in the Himalayas. Once business is concluded there we will make arrangements for the next stage of our trip."

"What is this business you have in the Himalayas?" He had been there once with his pops long ago. The Amazons were out that way.

"Lets just say we have a date with a friend that owes us a rather large favor." There was a long pregnant pause after, neither felt the need to continue the conversation. Ranma ran the options through his head. While he didn't particularly want to be anywhere near Akane and her 'Guide' he had to admit to being damn curious. Just then the waitress returned with the 2 shots he ordered. Ranma downed the tequila quickly enjoying the burn. Well there was nothing left to do but wait for the youngest Tendo to return.

...

How long could she stay in here before Toshi came in after her? Akane looked at her phone, she had been in here 7 minutes already. She gently rubbed the gold dragon cuff on her left arm, finding the warm tingle it produced reassuring.

Ranma Saotome. Her heart squeezed painfully. Leaving him behind was the hardest thing she had ever done. But she saw the signs, she knew he would follow her into the mouth of hell if she let him. And that was exactly where she was headed. She would be lucky to see her 30th birthday. This life was not kind, she refused to drag him down with her. He would have either fallen right beside her trying to stop a future that can't be prevented or he would have faced the same fate as her father all those years ago. Her mother had been a previous Miko, her father her mothers guide. Her illness was caused by a poison secreted by a Jorogumo spider demon. There was no antidote. It was a slow painful way to die. In the fourteen years between her mothers death and her taking up the mantle there had been two other mikos. Neither lasted a decade.

Akane splashed some cold water on her face. Looking at her reflection in the mirror she stared hard into her own eyes. "Ok girl, there is no flippin way you can allow this. Get back in there, boot Ranma out the door and drag that sorry as of a Guide onto the next flight to China." Giving herself a firm nod Akane straightened her back and headed for the door. Operation 'get rid of Ranma' was under way.

As she approached the table she noticed two things. One, she had not taken a proper look at Ranma. His time out in the field had definitely removed any trace of boyhood on him and left him as one fine piece of male flesh. She took a breath and adverted her gaze to Toshi as she sat down. He looked quite happy with himself and there sitting in front of him was her ½ finished Bloody Mary. "Bastard" she grumbled as she swiped the glass back and quickly dumped the added shot into the rest of the cup. "You owe me a slice of bacon," she informed him after taking a long swig of her drink.

"I was just informing Ranma here of our plans." Toshi tried for the direct approach. She had news for him.

"No."

"Akane…" there was a warning in his voice.

"I said no Toshi." She glared at Ranma who sat there quiet and smug. She could tell he was thoroughly enjoying her discomfort. "You are leaving, You're not invited." Ranma's smirk only grew.

"Akane, be reasonable. It's this or I strap you with a whole fleet of these guys. It would slow us down and make travel problematic. After last week you are not really capable of defending yourself if another attack were to come." She noticed Ranma shift a bit and eye her trying to subvertly check her for injury. That was an all too familiar look.

"I'm fine Toshi, I told you. It was just a scratch." She grumbled and hunched down in her seat not liking the direction this conversation was going.

Faster than she thought possible Toshi leaned over and squeezed hard on her upper right thigh. For a second her whole body seized, she felt her face blanche white and clammy and nausea rolled through her stomach. It was like a hot poker was thrust into her leg to the bone.

Ranma shifted forward in his seat and started to move towards her before he stopped himself. He glared daggers at Toshi. "What the fuck man! I should knock your brains in!"

Toshi just watched him with a smile as he settled back into his chair. Yes this was going to work out well. The boy was still protective of Akane. "Want to try that again Akane."

"Ass." Akane took a few shaky breaths in. She rubbed the dragon cuff and waited for the feel of the cool numbing power to flow to her injury.

"Look Akane, I signed a contract and I take my job very seriously. I have a flawless record and I don't really want this to be the black mark on it. It sounds like we just have to put up with each other for a month. I promise this will be strictly professional. Get you to wherever you are going and then part ways." Ranma looked at her expectantly. This wasn't something either of them was comfortable with but he had to admit that leaving Akane injured without backup wasn't something he was willing to do. It was just a job. He could do this.

Akane had other ideas though. "No." She stood up and slowly leveled them both with a look. "I don't need a guardian fill-in, I have managed just fine these last three years on my own. I am not a helpless damsel in distress." She glared hard at Toshi. "And If you think for one minute I will put up with you strapping some fleet of bodyguards to me then you have another thing coming. I will punt you into tomorrow and go it alone." With that she turned and walked out of the restaurant.

"So the flight is the day after tomorrow at 1:20pm. Meet us at the airport at terminal 2. Actually it might be better to have you meet us on the plane. She wont be able to make a scene then." Toshi slid Ranma the ticket for his flight and threw a wad of cash on to the table for their bill. "See you then." And then Toshi disappeared to go track down his wayward charge.

"Would you like to order now?"

Ranma looked up at the rather uncertain waitress, and picked up the menu. " Why the hell not."