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Disclaimer: I don't own Chun-Li, Street Fighter, or anything involving it.

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The Day With Ken

Another perfect, winter day. Chun-Li didn't know what in the world she was going to do but..., she knew that she did want to see Ken more than anything before she left. She didn't want him to feel as if she had lost interest or anything of the sort. It was about 9 AM – she figured Ken was wide awake by now. Though she was going to hold off calling until she finished washing the dishes from breakfast. With a breath taken, Chun-Li proceeded to dry her hands off then fetch her cellphone from her jeans pocket.

No new messages.

Maybe he was waiting on her call instead?

"Child, don't feel so anxious!" Chao called out to Chun-Li as she waddled her short form back into the kitchen, with mild assistance from her cane this time. "If you feel you cannot wait, just call him!" She complained, waddling behind her grandchild as she made her way to the refrigerator. As she popped it open, Chun-Li spoke out.

"Grandmother, I'm just not sure. Isn't the guy supposed to always call first?" She frowned a bit, placing her phone down lightly on the counter.

"In fairy tales, Prince Charming always comes to save the princess as she lays helplessly in the clutches of evil." Chao said, pulling out her now chilled bottle of an unknown alcoholic beverage. She unscrewed the cap and took a sip, looking as if she had been drinking heaven itself. "Though in real life, sometimes the princess needs to get off her ass and put effort forth! Meet him half way!"

Chun watched as Chao waddled past her again, sipping her alcohol as if it were water. Though, she did have a point. "...Fine," She sighed, lifting the phone up again. Her thumb nail started to push down on the various directional buttons to access her contacts. It was a pretty long list – mostly contacts in law that she had, and family, though she did have Ken on the list, among her friends!

Once hovering over his name for a few minutes...Chun-Li took a deep breath. The butterflies had to be tamed, they were not going to let this opportunity slip away from her. Pressing her 'call' button, she lifted the phone to her ear, listening to the dial tone. She secretly hoped he wouldn't answer.

Her heart skipped a beat as she heard the phone being picked up. What if it was too early to call? What if she disturbed his sleep?

"Hey Chunster!"

Ken's voice sounded as energetic as ever! Phew! "Hey Ken!" She responded, just as up and at 'em as he was! "I was just calling to see if you were busy today. I really was hoping we could hang out?" Did she use the right word? She clinched her teeth, looking over to her grandmother for reassurance. Wrong idea. She wasn't Mai! Chun-Li quickly turned her eyes to the refrigerator instead.

"My schedule's all good today. You have something in mind at all?"

Ken put the ball in her court. Great. "Uh..." She paused for a moment, trying to smile to gain confidence. "..I was thinking maybe we can go ice skating first? I haven't done that in goodness knows how long." It was a good idea for a...date type of setting, she thought.

"Grand babies!" Chao chimed in the background.

Chun-Li placed her hand over the phone, whisper-shouting to her. "Stop that..!"

"Ice skatin'? Well...I'm not exactly a professional, but it sounds pretty fun to me!" Masters chuckled, "So which one you wanna head to? Should I meet you there?"

"Grand babies! Bring me some back!"

Chun-Li covered the phone again. "Would you stop that..!"Removing her hand, she continued on, "Uh..., how about Wollman Rink? Central Park?" She remembered going there a few years back when Po Lin visited America. It was a pretty nice place, to her! "We can meet up there. Maybe in an hour and a half?" She stood by, quite hopeful of Ken's acceptance.

"Make it an hour and twenty, and we've got a deal, sweetheart." He could feel her smiling on the other end. "Can't wait to see your pretty face again..."

"...Oh?" Chun-Li paced as far away from the living room as she could. She didn't want her grandmother hearing her. "Careful, Masters. That kind of talk could get you in trouble," She narrowed her eyes, considering her methods of flirting highly effective! "We wouldn't want that, right?"

"Heh, maybe we do? You gonna cuff me up if I get in trouble, Ms. Officer?"

Damnit! He was going to corner her sooner or later! "It's possible." She didn't try to counter act him, she'd just...look dumb. "Well, you're on the clock. Hour and twenty, Masters. Don't keep me waiting." She clicked over, not giving him a chance to get a word in. Ha! She won! She hopped up and down, twirling out of the kitchen and into the living room! "I'm going on a date with Ken! Woo!" Chun-Li exclaimed, scooping up her slightly shorter grandmother from the couch and kissing her forehead! "Mwah! He's so wonderful, grandmother!"

Chao squealed when lifted – then she struck Chun-Li over the top of the head with two fingers. "Relax!" She commanded, as Li grasped her forehead. "You won't bring me any grand babies if you go in there acting like one!" Chao grasped her cane, supporting herself on it. "Now! You have the date. Go in for the kill!"

Still rubbing her forehead, Chun-Li looked down to Chao. "...The kill?"

"Yes! Take him to the moon! Show him you are worth the time! Make some grand babies tonight!"

Chun-Li's face went red! "Grandma –!"

The elderly woman giggled. "I am only joking, Chunnie," She smile up to her, "Though on this day, you must make sure he sees all of the good in you. Make him fall helplessly in love. It should not be much of a task for you at this stage."

Li didn't understand, was there...some sort of auto-magic way to make it happen? She didn't think she would be satisfied with such an approach. "...How am I supposed to make him 'helplessly in love' with me? I mean, I really like him..., I'm sure he likes me – but love is a pretty big step...right?"

Chao shook her head, "Love is what you make it to be, Chunnie. Love is a major step, a minor step, an emotion, a theory, and a law. It's only defined by the heart, and knows no limits in time span." She examined Chun-Li's face. "Come, sit down."

Chao led her back to the couch, each of them sitting by each other. Chun-Li was as attentive as ever. It was always good to have a moment of bonding between the two of them. She respected her elders above all else, their wisdom would only benefit her.

"Do you believe in love at first sight, Chunnie...?" Chao said, taking her grandchild's hands in her own.

She thought it over, "Well..., not really. If I don't know the person, I don't think it is ever really love. It's just attraction, isn't it...?"

Chao leaned in, her eyes narrowing. "Incorrect."

"What?"

She leaned back and began to explain, "The day your father was born, I was instantly in love. Six years after I met your grandfather, I fell in love. The second you were born...though your mother and I were more often at odds than not...rest her soul, I was instantly in love."

Li shook her head with an exhale of her cool breath. "Those are different things, Grandmother. The love for a man is different than love for family."

"Is it?" Chao challenged, "Love is trust disguised, as well as the unyielding need to protect, provide, and care for another being, or even a thing. Attraction is an added bonus when it comes to finding a mate..., but... it is always triggered by a memorable event. Perhaps you drop your books, and a dashing young man assists you. Childbirth is an example we've covered, but also...something that speaks to the heart and soul. Music."

Chun-Li's head canted to the side. She looked down as her grandmother started to lift her hands up in her own.

"You remember how to play, don't you? If you can get your hands on a piano...play him something from the heart, that he will never forget. He will remember it, and cherish the moment, and the music. He will be helplessly in love with you."

She did have a great talent for the piano. Many times she could recall playing it for her mother and father when she was much younger. She hadn't lost much of her touch – often times she would play the keyboard she purchased years ago in her bedroom. Though most of the time it was folded up in her closet.

Could she play for him? She probably would have felt the same pressure she did when playing at recitals. It was crazy – though she already felt the butterflies. Damn. Though it was not love at first sight...it was feeling right, after all of these years, and now so suddenly coming together. It was impossible for her to ignore the feelings.

"Thanks grandma." Chun-Li leaned in, giving her a firm embrace. "I'm going to go get ready. I'll call you if we're staying out long." She spoke softer as she pulled back.

"What? I'm coming with you." Chao gave a the widest grin Chun-Li had ever see-

"LIKE HELL YOU ARE!" Chun quickly snapped, nearly transforming into a fire-breathing beast – but settled down when she heard Chao fall to the floor laughing and rolling about.

"Hahahaha! Oh Chunnie!" She sat up, catching her breath from laughter. "I am many things, but I'm not a blocker!"

Chun-Li was seriously going to block all the music and teenage channels on her television. "...Augh..whatever." She huffed, going to get dressed!

( Hour and 15 Later )

Chun-Li had arrived at the rink. It was just opening, really. Possibly around ten minutes ago. Chun-Li and a few others had been the first to arrive. She had rented her ice skates, and kept her puffy coat, scarf, and headband on, keeping it over her ears. Her cheeks were slightly rosy from the cold, but she would manage! She had dressed in layers to block out the cold – thank goodness! Otherwise she would be a shivering mess!

"All by yourself?" Ken's voice was heard as he stepped up, also dressed in layers and quite the expensive looking puffy coat as well. His hair was matted down a bit by his red skull cap over his head and ears.

"Ken!" Chun-Li called out, coming to her feet on her skates, chop-walking across the snow a little bit! Ken met her halfway, and she greeted him with a hug! "Come on, get your skates on so we can hit the ice. We're gonna be the last ones on, it looks like."

After pulling back from the hug, Ken had walked Chun-Li safely back to the bench she sat on, joining her there. He started to put his skates on shortly after. "Yeah? Well, that's fine by me. Like I said...I ain't exactly a professional, Li."

Chun-Li smirked. "Oh, the mighty Ken Masters is scared?" She nudged him with her elbow.

It caused the Shotokan to laugh lightly. "Scared? Nah. Petrified? Just a little bit."

"Oh come on. I'm sure you're fine!"

"At falling on my face. Splat." Ken said, finally lacing up his ice skates. He smiled over at her, "But, you'll teach me, right?"

She rested her mitten clad hands in her lap, nodding cheerfully. "Of course I will! It's really easy actually. You just have to get used to it." She placed her hands on the bench, "Ready?" She asked, preparing to stand up.

"As ready as I'll be." Ken had skated before, but he was by no means a veteran at it. More like a glider. He held his hands out to Chun-Li who helped him to a stand. The two chop-walked to the ice, and Chun-Li was the first one on.

"Okay...one foot at a time. Don't fall now, Ken." She teased, holding his gloved hands firmly in her's. "Don't look down. Eyes on me." She wanted an excuse to look into those lovely eyes of his. Ken stepped forward onto the ice, at first a little wobbly, but he righted himself with Chun-Li's direction. She giggled a bit at his clumsiness "There you go..." She sailed backward on her skates, looking up into his eyes as she pulled him along. Others skated pass them, though Chun-Li and Ken didn't budge much.

"Thanks. Now...to the actual skating?"

"In a minute," She paused, enjoying this small moment. "I have to let you go for a second. Can you stay still on your own?"

Unsure, Ken's confidence decided to kick in to save his hide. "Yeah, I got it." Though he honestly doubted it.

"You sure now? I don't want you to bust your butt." She started to let his hands go, so she could turn about some.

"Haha, yeah I got it, Li."

She reached for his hand, now gliding the ice beside him with her hand in his. "Okay, here we go. Just follow my movements." She said, leading him slowly toward the rails for extra support. She skated with him very slowly, keeping her hand in his. She felt a little embarrassed, but at the same time excited.

"So," Chun-Li began a conversation, "I thought you were going to call me around six? I got up extra early for that call." A light hip bump was given to show him she wasn't serious. At least entirely.

"Oh," Ken placed his free hand along the rail, trying to make sure he didn't bust his face on the ice. "My phone must have cut out. I was talking Six PM. I was gonna do it this mornin', but I spent most of it web chattin' with my son and Eliza."

Eliza. Hearing that name made Chun-Li's heart hurt. Maybe Ken still felt for her? Maybe she still felt for him? Maybe it was wrong for Chun-Li to go after him like this? "Oh? How did it go?"

Ken looked upward, then over to Chun-Li with a smile. "Went fantastic, actually. Mel's doing great in school. Wants to play Baseball a lot more too. Don't know if he's still lookin' to be a martial artist like his old man or not."

"Baseball? Well," Chun-Li looked to the ice for a brief time, then to Ken while speaking. "He can show off, taunt his opponents, and drive the girls wild. I don't think it's quite a large departure from you, Ken."

The two laughed a bit together. Ken, in agreement, nodded his head. "Yeah, maybe just a pinch." His hand actually left the rail to make the 'pinch' motion in the air, then returned to the safety rail as they turned the curve of the rink.

Though she hated to ask this, Chun-Li couldn't show any sign of jealousy. "And Eliza?"

Ken was shocked, this was a minefield. "Eliza's pretty good. She's considering a model career. Julia kinda talked her into it. Will's wife. You've met her, right?"

Chun-Li...did remember her...

( Flashback #11: Julia Guile )

During the time Guile and Chun-Li teamed up to track down S.I.N. She actually stopped by for breakfast one morning. Amy had been getting ready to go off to her bus for school, Guile was seeing her off, and Julia was getting the dishes washed.

"Alright! I'll see you soon, daddy!" Amy said, throwing a hug around her father.

"Go show them who's the man." Guile gave the top of her head a pat, seeing her skip out the door to her bus. "Julia. I'm going to do some man stuff like lift weights, eat beef jerky, and piledriver Bull sharks." He stated, going right upstairs. It seemed Julia had totally ignored him.

"...Guile has a Bull Shark?" Chun-Li said, now assisting Julia with the dishes.

"It's actually a street shark. He caught it, and keeps it locked up in the attic." She spoke plainly.

"...Okay..." Chun-Li was getting a bit freaked out.

"By the way, Chun-Li," Julia began to wash a plate. "If Guile gets hurt, I'm going to make some of my famous Chilli, that's going to knock you out for four days." She continued to scrub, "Then I'm going to cover you in barbed wire, and stick little ham squares on the barbed wire, and throw you into a dog cage." She smiled sweetly, placing the plate aside to dry in the rack. "Then once that's done, I'm going to lay you on the dirt, then elbow drop your head until it's buried in it." She kept her same, weary smile and sleepy expression.

"..." Chun-Li just...looked at her.

"Coffee?" Julie motioned to the coffee machine.

"...No thanks..."

"Suit yourself. – How are the pancakes, Bison?"

"This...IS...DELICIOUS!" Bison shouted 'off screen'.

It was just then Chun-Li's inner Terry hopped out of her ear, waving her car keys so she could get out of there. "Keeeeeeeeeysssuh!"

( End Flashback )

Chun-Li snapped out of it, shaking her head. "Julia? Oh yeah...she's an...interesting woman." Interesting as in a nut job, is what Chun-Li wanted to say.

"She's pretty protective..." Ken said, recalling his wedding.. "...Jules threatened to hang me by my cash n' prizes over a spiked pit if I ever put my hands on Eliza."

"Sounds like her." Li chuckled, guiding Ken along. "Ready to get away from the rail?" She asked, seeing if his confidence had built up.

"Noooo! No way, not yet. Gotta take it nice and easy." Ken chuckled, he was enjoying their talk. "How's your grandmother doing?"

Oh, it was Chun-Li's turn to share! "She's doing fine. She is a little excited to go back to Hong Kong...despite moving away from there to live with me. She wants to fight Gen again. They've been rivals since I was born."

Ken knew a lot about rivalries. They died pretty hard! "Oh yeah? Didn't know your Grams was a fighter! Why hasn't she participated in any tournaments?"

It was a long story behind that. "Well, for one she hasn't had much reason to outside of fighting Gen. Another reason was because she was actually helping take care of my mother and my brothers while Gen was away."

Brothers? Ken hadn't heard of this. "Mother and brothers? I didn't know you had more family! How are they doing? They're over in Hong Kong, too?"

Li should have worded it differently! Her mitten lifted to secure her headband resting beneath those covered ox horns of her's. "My brothers are not my brothers by relation. I just call them that. Yun and Yang, I think you've heard of them."

Ken heard of them...he had seen them briefly in the prior tournament. Along with Ibuki, Makoto, and others, they were among the more promising warriors for the future events. "Ooh. They're pretty fast, like Gen. What about your mom?" Ken knew of her father's passing...just not her mom.

Li's heart sunk a bit, "She passed away a couple of years ago. She battled her cancer for years." She looked to the ice in thought, moving her skates further apart, then closer again, making 's' shaped lines behind her.

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that, Chun-Li..."

She shrugged, "It's alright." Though, she felt Ken's hand give her own a light squeeze for support. "Hey, do you have a Grand Piano?" She had to seize the opportunity, maybe she could play him something today?

How could he be a Billionaire without at least one Grand Piano? "Me? Yeah, why's that? You play?"

"Well...," She released his hand, skating backward, tucking her hands into her coat's pockets. "I'm not exactly a professional." She lied, grinning from ear to ear. "I haven't played a real piano in a long time. When I was in school, I used to play talent shows and such."

Ken was impressed! "Yeah? I play a little myself. Never got a chance to do a show..., I'm more of a guitar type of guy."

Li's eyebrows came up, under her headband. "Oh yeah? Electric or Acoustic?"

"Both. Depends on my mood." Though it mostly led to aggressive electric guitar! "Maybe you could play somethin' for me? I'll play somethin' for you if I can find my stuff back home. Think my good Guitars are in Seattle."

"Maybe." Chun-Li's eyes narrowed. She was feeling a bit playful. "Though under one condition, Masters." She spun on her skates, facing forward again. "You have to catch me first!" With that, she began to skate off!

"Hey! That's not fair!" Ken called out, laughing as he tried to skate after her...!

( To Be Continued! )

A/N
Not trying to overwrite it, but I hope you're enjoying it so far! It's hard to write out a full date...cause honestly too much goes on! So I'm breaking it up into sections! The fans get some quality Ken-Chun time!

Too bad there's no good art of them. -sigh-.