"Of Loss, Life, & Love"
Chapter 11: Broken
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Luna12


WARNING: Rated T for some adult language.


Ranma approached Ukyo's restaurant in good spirits. He couldn't help but feel amused at Akane's jealousy. He'd shared a meal with Ukyo tons of times before. What would make tonight any different?

He was about to find out.

Soon as Ranma took his first step into Ukyo's diner, his stomach sank.

The restaurant had been cleared of all other customers. The lights had been dimmed low, and white flickering candles were scattered across the tables. Only one small table for two had been set in the center of the restaurant, adorned with a white linen tablecloth.

This was not looking like the normal, chummy sharing of food between platonic friends.

Ukyo was behind the counter, but not in her normal chef's attire from before. For a moment Ranma had trouble recognizing her. Not only was she wearing a cute dress (black with pink sakura blossoms on the print), but her face looked all different. It took a moment for Ranma to realize; Ukyo was wearing make-up. Although not as obvious as Shampoo's, Ukyo was wearing smoky eye shadow and her lips were painted a rich crimson. He had to admit, she was looking far better than just 'cute' today.

Ranma stood rigid in the room, unsure what his next move should be. This was looking uncomfortably romantic, when all he had been wanting was a casual get together with a childhood pal.

Ukyo's eyes lit up when she saw Ranma, and she eagerly brought over a large platter of okonomiyaki to the table.

She stood by the chair, also unmoving. After a while, she gave a frustrated "ahem" and motioned to the chair.

Ranma remained clueless. Was there something he was supposed to do?

"Won't you help me to my seat?" Ukyo finally asked.

"Oh. Uh, sure." Ranma awkwardly pulled the chair out for her. Ukyo is sure being weird tonight, he thought.

Ranma sat down and managed to take a polite moment to admire the food before digging in. As usual, it was delicious.

Ukyo hadn't eaten a bite yet. "You like it?" she asked.

Ranma nodded. "Of course. Your cookin's always the best."

Ukyo beamed. "I'm so glad. Being able to cook is such a valuable asset as a wife, don't you think?"

Ranma choked a little as he swallowed the last bite, eagerly gulping down some water to avoid a response. Ukyo was giving him a look he recognized too well from Shampoo, and it made him feel trapped.

"I, uh, wouldn't know," he answered evasively.

Ukyo frowned. Ranma wasn't making this easy.

"So now that we're alone..." she began.

Ranma's uneasiness trippled.

Ukyo continued. "Won't you tell me about your last trip to China?"

Ranma's face clouded over. He had hoped Ukyo would forget about that. "It's really not a fun story," he excused.

Ukyo watched Ranma's face carefully. It was so unusual for him to avoid a subject so strongly. Her Ran-chan was many things, but shy or hesitant to tell a story was not one of them. His hesitance only made Ukyo want to hear the story even more. She hated the idea of Ranma having some secret from her. Worse, it was obvious that Akane knew all about whatever it was that happened and was actually taking on the role of comforting him, or bonding over whatever ordeal he had to endure.

Ukyo reached across the table to grab Ranma's hand. "I care about you, hun. If something bad happened or is troubling you, you should tell me. If you can't tell your oldest pal, who can you talk with?"

The 'fiancee-gleam' had left Ukyo's eyes and he relaxed. Maybe Akane was right. He had felt edgy ever since returning from Jusendo. He couldn't talk about it with Akane. It made the memories too real and raw.

Since Ukyo had never been there, it made it easier to pretend it had been the usual grand adventure. So, he began to tell her everything. It wasn't so bad, starting out, just telling her about the disaster of seeing the Jusenkyou pools drained, or of Shampoo brainwashing his dad to be her personal slave, or of the bratty, child-god Saffron. As he continued, he got more into the groove of building up the story, eating off the raw attention Ukyo was paying to his every word.

"There I was, my hands encased in some crazy crystal threads trying to eat me. It was sucking the strength and life-force outta me and I couldn't move!"

Ukyo continued to be the perfect audience, with her hand to her mouth in eager anticipation. "How did you escape?" she breathed.

Ranma continued. "So then Akane shows up, screaming at me to get away, and turns the tap off and -" his voice cracked as if he were in the midst of adolescence.

"And...?" Ukyo prompted. Ranma's face had gone a shade paler. He was staring into the lit candle on the table, unable to meet Ukyo's face.

Ranma refused to relive it. He thought it would be different, talking about it with Ukyo, but it was just as horrible.

The flash of light. Akane's empty clothes fluttering to the ground before him. Saffron's taunting words... Akane was dead, foolishly trading her life for his.

Ranma suddenly snapped back to the present. "How about we skip the details?" He gave a forced laugh. "Akane saved me, and I saved her. In the end I defeated Saffron and we all made it back safely. That's all there is to know."

Ukyo continued to stare at Ranma, having difficulty recognizing the young man before her. As much as she loved Ranma, she would be the first to admit he was far from mature. The Ranma she knew was cocky, naive, and dashingly daring. The young man she was dining with no longer fit that simplified description. It was clear he had witnessed something seriously traumatic. Yet, Ranma had faced cursed monsters, ghosts and other strong foes before without being the least bit shaken. What could have happened at Jusendo to destroy his childlike belief that everything would always be okay?

Ukyo wouldn't push him. To be honest, she now felt afraid to know the details. Her instincts told her it had to be about Akane, something that had drawn them closer, and she wanted nothing more than to ignore it.

Ranma still seemed distant, nibbling absentmindedly on the food, rather than with the full gusto he had before. "I almost lost her," he admitted softly, his eyes still on his food.

Ukyo felt her chest tighten. "You mean Akane?" she asked.

Ranma nodded, lifting his gaze from the food back to Ukyo. "She was such a dummy, risking her life to save me...and I almost didn't save her in time."

Ukyo gave his hand another squeeze. She felt terribly conflicted. Part of her was immensely pleased to have Ran-chan opening up to her, while the other part writhed in jealousy that he was so focused on Akane.

Ukyo tried to drift the conversation to a more light-hearted note. "Well, she's tough. No point worrying, right?"

Ranma didn't respond at first. "Yeah, but Shampoo picked a fight with her today. A serious one. It got me all tense again, you know?"

Ukyo wanted to shout. She did NOT know. She did not want to know or hear about Ranma worrying about Akane.

She put on a forcibly cheerful face. "Anyway..." Ukyo desperately tried to steer the conversation away from her rival. "I'm just glad you all made it back safely!"

At the lack of response from Ranma, Ukyo tried to draw him back in to the discussion. "You're glad to be back, right?"

"Of course," Ranma grinned. "Though I might go back someday for a real cure."

Ukyo smiled. The old confident Ranma she knew was coming back to life. "Don't forget you can have my cooking anytime, sugar. No need to spend all your time with the Tendos."

Ranma frowned. He wasn't sure what Ukyo was getting at. The Tendos had always been good hosts to his family, and he found himself feeling defensive at the negative tone Ukyo used.

Ukyo took a deep breath before continuing. "So, you love my cooking. We're old friends who are engaged. Aren't you ready to tell me something?"

Ranma blinked, confused. "Tell you what?"

"How you feel about me. Finalizing the engagement, of course."

"I, uh..." Ranma flustered.

Ukyo pounced on his hesitation. "You're not about to marry that slutty Amazon, and you've always protested the engagement to Akane. I bet you can get out of it, now, considering - "

Ranma interrupted. "It's not that simple, Ukyo."

Ukyo pouted in a way she hoped still made her look cute. Subtly was not working. She would have to be direct.

"Ranma, do you love me?"

Ranma had just taken a sip of water, and nearly choked.

Ukyo was looking at him directly, her face perfectly serious and hopeful. "Do. You. Love. Me. Come on now, Ran-chan. It's been two years. You have to know by now."

Ranma gulped hard. "Ucchan... I - I mean, love? That's a big word to throw around."

"I am one of your fiancées," She stated firmly. "I'm a hell of a cook, we get along, I know and understand the Art you love. Doesn't that mean something?"

Ranma had always known a day like this would come, where he would have to clearly and painfully choose one girl over another. He had always hoped it would be farther in the future. Not because it was so hard to decide, but because of the negative impact of revealing his decision.

Ukyo was looking at him with hopeful, devoted eyes, with only a trace of irritation at his delay. Sheesh. He didn't want to hurt any girl's feelings, especially an old friend's. Dammit, why did his Pop have to put him in such a mess?

"Look, Ucchan. I've been meaning to tell you, things between me and Akane have changed."

Ukyo's eyes flashed. "What do you mean, 'changed'?"

Ranma took a deep breath. It was now or never. "You see, Akane and I agreed to stick with the engagement. I really know how I feel, after everything, and I - "

Before Ranma could finish, Ukyo hurriedly placed her fingers over his lips. This wasn't happening. Ranma could not be seriously stating he liked Akane, that he was choosing her? Just because they had some life-or-death experiences in China to bond over, Ukyo refused to believe it.

"Ran-chan, sugar, I think you're confused."

Ranma would have protested, but Ukyo still had her fingers over his mouth.

"Let me help you figure out your real feelings."

Ranma hopped out of his seat as if scalded. He did not like where this conversation was going.

Ukyo was standing in front of him, her hands trailing over his biceps. Cute was no longer the appropriate adjective. Seductive, he guilty thought, was quite fitting.

With that thought, came another: Akane was going to kill him. The promise he made earlier was fresh in his mind.

Ranma gently pulled Ukyo's hands away from him. "Ukyo," he purposely refrained from using her nickname. "You gotta stop."

Ukyo's eyes watered for the briefest of moments. She walked over to the counter, then returned. She had her arms behind her back.

"Ranma, just look at this for me, okay? Before you say anything else, look at it and tell me what you see."

Ukyo brought the ebony framed mirror up to Ranma's face.

Ranma's eyebrows scrunched in puzzlement. "Ucchan, you got me really confused here. Why'd ya want me to look at a picture of Akane?"

Ukyo's face drained of all color. "You see Akane in that mirror?"

Ranma looked at Ukyo as if she'd gone crazy. "What mirror? Are you feeling alright?" He touched Ukyo's forehead to check for fever. She had to be delirious or something, but it was cool to the touch. "Ukyo, that's just a photo of Akane."

Ukyo felt her world begin to crash around her. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't! She felt tears sting her eyes and escape down her cheeks. After ten years of searching for Ranma for revenge, and two years of desperate courtship, she had lost?

"Hey, don't cry!" Ranma felt horribly unnerved. He never knew what he was supposed to do when girls cried. The only thing he could think of was to give Ukyo a hug, like a true friend. He didn't expect her to grip him so fiercely in return. Ranma sighed. He really didn't understand what the hell was going on, and he seriously doubted he would ever understand girls.

Ukyo pulled away slightly. Her hands grabbed his face gently but firmly, and suddenly her lips were placed firmly on his own.

"OW!" Ranma jerked away. Something had hit his head, twice and hard, from behind.

At his feet lay a dark blue umbrella and a thermos container, the objects that had pummeled his head. The person who had thrown it was only a few feet away by the door.

Ranma's eyes were wide in panic as he saw Akane. She was clutching a dripping wet, yellow umbrella in her own hand, her face livid with anger.

He suddenly realized how horrible the situation looked.

"Akane!"

He expected her to punch him through the roof, or to send him flying with a roundhouse kick through the wall.

What happened was much worse.

Unshed tears glistened in Akane's eyes. The anger had drained from her face, leaving behind hurt and deep betrayal. A kicked puppy would have been less sympathetic.

"I can explain!" Ranma pleaded, but she had fled through the door.

He lunged to follow, but Ukyo had clenched his arm in a vice-like grip.

Ranma glared at his friend. "Ukyo, let me go."

Ukyo's grip tightened. "You want to run off, to go back to her?" Her voice was distorted with held back tears.

Ranma did not have time for this. "Ukyo, please." He tried to gently shake her grip off, but Ukyo was not budging. He didn't want to hurt Ukyo, physically or emotionally, but right now Akane was out there, thinking the very worst of him, and he had to find her.

"You're telling me that kiss didn't mean anything to you?!" Ukyo half pleaded, half yelled in disbelief.

Ranma didn't know how to answer. In truth, it had felt nice, but also weird. It was like kissing his sister, if he had a sister.

"Ucchan, you're my pal, but I don't like you like that."

Ukyo let go as if she had been slapped. Ranma didn't hesitate to run out of her restaurant.

Ukyo stared numbly at the open door, the wind mockingly kept it wide open, the rain from outside sprinkled inwards.

Ukyo picked up the enchanted mirror, wanting to throw it out in the trash, or smash it to a million pieces, but when she looked at it, Ranma's image calmly stared back at her, and her hand stopped.

"Ukyo-sama..." Konatsu's polite, soft voice came from behind her. Ukyo couldn't even say if he had been there the entire time. His ninjutsu techniques at stealth were nearly inhuman.

"What is it Kon-chan?" Ukyo managed to keep her voice from breaking.

"Please don't be so sad," Konatsu begged. "I know it must hurt, but now you know the truth."

"Truth?!" Ukyo yelled. She flung the mirror back at Konatsu, who deftly caught it undamaged. "That, that thing was a trick. It's lying. It has to be!"

Ukyo straightened her back. What was she doing, moping here when her Ranma was out there? Akane and Nabiki had probably come up with the plot together. Akane's arrivial was no coincidence, but had planned to ruin her date. That was it. It all made sense, now. Ranma may not be in love with her, yet, but he could not be in love with Akane.

With renewed fire, Ukyo quickly donned a rain jacket, and picked up the umbrella that had bounced off Ranma's head.

"Ukyo-sama?" Konatsu looked at her in concern, but made no move to stop her.

Ukyo gave Konatsu a look of pure determination. "It's not over."


Previously, at the Tendo residence...

Akane put her book down for the tenth time and sighed. Her concentration was shot. A certain martial artist kept invading her thoughts.

He promised, she reassured herself. There was no reason for her to be jealous, right? It was just a simple dinner between friends. Friends that are engaged, a little voice forcibly reminded her.

Akane genuinely wanted Ranma to have a good conversation with Ukyo and (hopefully) talk away some of his stress, even though she was a bit envious of the cute chef. Akane had trouble fully remembering the details of what happened once she was magically dehydrated into a dying doll-form, but the memory of Ranma's tear stained face as she awoke in his arms was vivid.

It was frightening, how close she had come to death. Yet, her near-death experience had spooked Ranma even more than herself. He had been so overprotective of her since Jusendo that it was becoming a real concern. It was as if Ranma had made her safety his personal responsibility. She didn't necessarily mind him being a little protective of her, that only meant he cared. However, she couldn't have him continue to fret over her accepting sparring challenges, even if Shampoo was serious about inflicting real damage.

The sudden, yet familiar sound of wet pitter-patter at her window interrupted her thoughts. The rain was coming down swift and hard.

Akane checked the time on her nightstand alarm clock. It had been over an hour since Ranma left; he would be heading home soon.

Akane looked out her window and frowned. Dark storm clouds filled the sky with no sign of parting. The least she could do was bring a hot thermos of water and an extra umbrella. It would certainly take her mind off waiting and imagining unsavory scenarios between Ranma and Ukyo.


Akane approached Ukyo's restaurant, concerned that the lights were off and the sign on the door said "Closed".

She cautiously tried the door, which opened freely.

The lights were indeed off, but the room was lit dimly throughout with candles on every table. In the center of the room was Ranma, his back towards her and seemingly unaware of her presence. However, it was clear he wasn't alone. Ukyo's arms were entwined around his body in a full embrace and his own arms reciprocated the gesture.

For a moment, Akane was too stunned to move. It was looking as badly as her jealous imagination had envisioned. She began to open her mouth to announce her presence and break them up, when Ukyo lifted her head and kissed Ranma full on the lips.

Instinct kicked in, and Akane threw the thermos at Ranma's head. Still unsatisfied, she tossed the extra umbrella she had grabbed for him, too.

"OW!" Ranma's head jerked up upon contact, breaking the passionate embrace. His eyes met hers, and Akane felt her knees tremble.

"Akane!" he shouted in startled surprise.

Akane's fists clenched. After everything they had gone through, after all the words and promises, he still chose someone over her. His childhood pal, the "cute" fiancee, the one who could cook his favorite meals. How could she have believed that he would be faithful to her, the "uncute tomboy"?

Akane felt trapped between rage and sorrow, overcome with betrayal and disillusionment. She felt her eyes water involuntarily. No, she would NOT cry in front of him. She would not humiliate herself further.

She barely heard him call out "I can explain!" as she tore out of the restaurant.


Ranma cursed his delay, looking down both sides of the street in dismay. He couldn't see Akane. He could only hope she had turned to head home, so he took off in that direction, running hard. Soon as the cold rainwater hit him, he had transformed, but he didn't care.

It didn't matter that it was Ukyo who had started it, who had caught him by surprise with that kiss. He had broken a promise. He NEVER broke his promises, and now, to all people, he had broken one to Akane. He knew how hard it was for her to trust men, especially himself. For most of her teenage years, Akane had to put up with obnoxious, pushy, perverts at school and at home. He had witnessed it himself when he had arrived at Nerima, surprised at the vehement actions of Kuno and the jokingly dubbed 'hentai horde' of boys that continuously pestered Akane. Aside from Kuno's admiration, he had put a permanent stop to those actions, but the damage was done. Akane's knee-jerk reaction was to assume the worst in men. It didn't help that their first meeting in his male form was an accidental, naked run-in at her home. Ironically, the one guy she didn't immediately suspect of any hanky-panky was Ryoga, and that jerk snuck into her bed as her precious pet P-chan.

Making matters worse, Ranma didn't know what Shampoo was up to. Nabiki was trying to negotiate a permanent divorce, but until then there was nothing to stop the Amazon from trying to get rid of 'obstacles' her own way. He needed to find Akane, to know she was safe, even if he got a stern slap to the face for his efforts.


Hurt and angry, Akane kept running. She tried her best to ignore the sharp pains at her sides. Her ribs seemed to stab at her for each ragged breath she took. She wouldn't be able to keep this pace up for long. As much as she hated to admit it, Shampoo's little match had left her injured and weakened.

Forced to stop, Akane leaned against the railed fence she and Ranma passed everyday to school. As much as she wanted to hurt Ranma for his betrayal, to scream and pummel him, she wasn't ready to face him again, either. She didn't want him to know how much he had hurt her, to blatantly show her vulnerability.

If she wanted to avoid Ranma, standing in the middle of the sidewalk wouldn't do, nor would heading back home.

Knowing he would look for her in the usual places, Akane hid somewhere unexpected. Although Ranma had become fairly familiar with Nerima in the past couple years, Akane had lived and played here her entire life. She knew where a hidden underpass formed on the opposite side of the fence, a place where the canal never rose high enough even in the rainy season.

Mentally preparing herself to ignore the pain of her aggravated sides, she leaped onto the fence railing. Her left arm spun like a pinwheel and her right wobbled with the umbrella as she steadied herself. Ranma made it look so easy, but the rail was far more slippery and narrow than the gymnastics balance beam she had mastered. Steady at last, she jumped down to the secret underpass.

It provided her relief from the rain and the privacy she craved to sob her heart out.

She thought Ranma had really cared for her, had even fallen in love with her. Hadn't Jusendo proved that? Then again, maybe it didn't. Ranma always did like to play the hero. It probably meant nothing for him to save her life. He denied having said he loved her at the failed wedding. She had thought their recent time spent together, teaching and sparring, was special, but the sight of him caressing Ukyo in his arms now made her feel like a fool. He either never had felt love for her or he was a cheating playboy. In fact, both theories seemed true.

Akane heard pounding footfalls from above and she quickly closed her hand over her mouth to stifle her sniffling.

"AKANE!"

Ranma's voice called out from above. He sounded desperate, worried. Akane felt tempted to answer and reveal herself, but stubborn pride prevailed. It served him right to worry after what he did. Why did he even bother about her if he was going to act like such a stupid pig?

Eventually she heard his voice fade away, his footsteps retreating from the area.

Akane clenched her sides. Even though she had been immobile under the bridge, they were aching worse than before. The sticky humid air and general dampness around her was hardly comforting, either. Akane started to feel childish for hiding.

Still, she did not want to return home, at least not yet. Normally she would have been glad to return to the dojo and vent her rage at practice dummies and cinder blocks, but the dojo no longer seemed a place of comfort. It was full of too many mixed memories. It was hard enough to ignore the missing ache her father left, but whenever she was in the dojo by herself, she kept reliving the moment Soun had clutched his chest and collapsed, never to awaken again. When actively teaching with Ranma and her students, the dojo became a place full of life and new beginnings. It was there that Ranma and she worked together, feeling like true partners. Now, that partnership felt like a lie. The presence of the dojo would only mock her pain, not release it.

Eventually she thought of a better solution: Doctor Tofu's clinic. She could get her ribs checked out, as the consistent pain was starting to worry her, and it would give her a legitimate reason to stop on her way back home.

As Akane pulled herself back on the sidewalk, she was met by the one person she wanted to see even less than Ranma.

Ukyo Kuonji.


Ukyo stopped dead in her tracts, umbrella in one hand and the mirror tucked away under her other arm.

What was Akane doing here? The girl was climbing over the fence from the canal. She had expected the Tendo girl to be at home, pummeling Ranma or plotting with her sister, snickering over her romantic rival's defeat.

The image before her had no match to her imaginings. There was no smirk of triumph. Akane's eyes were red and slightly swollen, tell-tale signs of a long, hard cry.

Was this tear-stained face another act? Ukyo had never seen Akane look so devastated. Even at the recent funeral, she had simply been withdrawn and a little depressed. This was not the face of a gloating rival. Ukyo felt her carefully crafted world where Akane was the villain begin to falter.

Maybe Akane wasn't behind this after all. It didn't change Ukyo's belief that Nabiki had tricked her with that mirror, though.

Feeling awkwardly unsure of herself, Ukyo thrust the enchanted item towards Akane. "Here. Take that back to Nabiki."

"W-what?" Akane tried to process what was happening, but she felt as if her thoughts were running in slow motion. Akane glared at the oval-shaped object in Ukyo's outstretched hands.

Confusion gave way to her hurt pride and anger. "I'm not your messenger, Ukyo. If you want to return some blown up photo of Ranma you purchased, do it yourself!"

Ukyo's eyes doubled in size and shock. Akane saw Ranma? Ukyo shook her head. Could this still be a trick? Nabiki could have told Akane about the mirror, right? Ukyo felt like she was grasping at straws. Akane's face was livid with genuine annoyance and indignation.

Ukyo gave a small laugh she didn't feel. "Stop trying to fool me, Akane. Just give her back the stupid mirror, okay?"

Akane looked at Ukyo as if she had turned into an alien. In the span of a few hours, the girl had taken Ranma out on a a date, made out with him, and then started cursing at her to make a delivery over some framed picture? If this was Ukyo's way of gloating her romantic conquest, it was weird.

"Why don't you go back to Ranma and leave me alone? The last thing I want to look at is his photograph!"

Akane turned her back on the chef, and began to walk in the opposite direction toward Tofu's.

Ukyo felt her body tremble with shock. All her inner denials and hopes shattered. Akane wasn't that good of an actress. Those were real, raw feelings of hurt and betrayal. Akane Tendo had looked into the mirror of true love and saw Ranma Saotome. It really was nothing more than a horrible twist of fate that Akane witnessed Ukyo stealing that kiss.

Ukyo could barely get the words out of her mouth. "You love him."

It wasn't a question.

Akane stopped, but refused to turn around and look back at Ukyo. For a moment, her shoulders drooped and her knees trembled.

It was the truth. Akane loved Ranma, and she hated herself for it.

With all her will, Akane forced herself to stand straighter, to lock her knees into place and ignore the tightness in her chest.

She kept walking, but her silence was a stronger confession than any words could have been to Ukyo Kuonji.

Ukyo silently watched her rival leave as tears of defeat slid down her own face.


Akane shyly opened the door to Doctor Tofu's clinic. It was only a few minutes before his usual closing time and she was starting to feel foolish for bothering him so late in the day.

The waiting room was empty and still. Akane nearly turned back when she heard Tofu's voice from down the hall.

Akane peeked down the corridor. Tofu was sitting in his office chair, with Betty the skeleton next to him. Tofu was twirling the skeleton's wrist absentmindedly as he talked on the phone, his glasses only partly fogged.

Akane began to back away, but Tofu spotted her. Like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he jumped out of his seat, knocking Betty over. "Oh! Akane. Just a moment."

He mumbled what Akane could only suppose was a goodbye on the phone before replacing the phone on the hook.

Always the medical professional, he quickly scanned her appearance for observable injuries. Akane was clenching her sides oddly, and her breathing was rapid and shallow. Secondly, he noticed the slight redness to her eyes and her melancholy demeanor. After years of being a friend to the Tendo family, he knew this was more than a medical visit.

Tofu gave her his best reassuring smile. "What scrapes have you gotten into now, Akane?" he gently teased, hoping to draw the girl out.

Akane tried to smile back, but it turned into a feeble twitch in the corner of her mouth. "I had a match with Shampoo. It didn't turn out so well for my ribs, I think."

Tofu's eyebrows rose. This was news indeed. He was surprised he didn't see Ranma nearby, especially if Akane was injured. That, along with Akane's depressed demeanor, was enough for Tofu to put together the pieces; Ranma had hurt Akane's feelings again. Only this time, it looked more serious than usual.

Tofu knew her physical condition could wait. He scuttled off to his tiny kitchenette and poured some tea. He gestured for Akane to take a seat and handed her the steaming cup.

"Why don't you tell me what's really hurting you?" he gently asked.

After all the events she had faced today, the warm, unconditional kindness felt overwhelming. Akane thought she had exhausted her tears, but her eyes surprised her. She wiped the hot, salty trickles away from her face.

Tofu sipped his tea patiently, making no embarrassing fuss of her emotional state.

She took a deep breath and began. "It all started when..."


Ranma ran full speed into the Tendo household, not even bothering to remove his soaking shoes. He nearly collided with Kasumi, who was pleasantly chatting on the phone.

"Oh really?" she spoke into the receiver as her eyes met Ranma's. "I'll talk to you later then." Kasumi placed the phone gently back on the hook.

She gave Ranma a mildly disapproving look as she noticed the puddle of water he had tracked onto her clean floors. It was clear the boy-cursed-in-girl-form was in a panicked rush, but as no one was chasing after him (which was a far too-often occurrence) she felt less forgiving at the mess.

"Ranma, would you please take off your shoes?" Kasumi asked gently.

Ranma quickly yanked his shoes off, but kept them in his hands. "Where's Akane?" he asked, mildly out of breath. "She come home yet?"

Kasumi tilted her head to the side, taking in Ranma's distressed face.

"No..." she began, noticing Ranma's face fall with disappointment.

Ranma cursed under his breath, quietly enough that Kasumi was unable to pick up exactly what was said. He had already checked the dojo, as it had a separate entrance, and hadn't spotted her the entire way back to the Tendo residence. Where the hell could she be?

Seeing that Ranma was about to bolt again, Kasumi placed a gentle hand on the red-head's soaking wet shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

Ranma's eyes fell to the floor guiltily. "I, uh, really need to find her. And apologize," he added bashfully. "She ran off. With Shampoo on the loose, I gotta find her. Fast."

Kasumi remained surprisingly calm. "Oh, she'll turn up eventually," she replied, a brighter than usual smile on her face. Her voice, which usually was pleasant and soft, carried an additional sing-song quality that Ranma was not used to hearing.

Ranma shook his head, not wanting to directly argue with kind Kasumi. It was just like her to not see the obvious danger. He couldn't afford to wait. Ranma started to put his shoes back on.

"If you're determined to go outside to look for her," Kasumi began, "Would you mind returning a book I borrowed from dear Doctor Tofu?"

Ranma blinked. He could hardly refuse a simple request from Kasumi, but he didn't feel he had the time for errands. He hadn't even registered Kasumi's term of endearment for the good doctor.

Kasumi's cheerful face beamed at him expectantly. Ranma inwardly sighed. "Okay," he agreed reluctantly.


Ranma burst into Tofu sensei's waiting area, hoping to find the doc as soon as possible and be on his way.

"Doc?" he called out. He knew it was past his usual office hours, but the lights were still on in the back hallway.

As Ranma continued towards the examination rooms, he recognized a very familiar, sunny yellow umbrella leaning against a door. It was Akane's, and by the tell-tale drops of rainwater still clinging to the membrane, she had only recently arrived.

Tofu's voice carried through the doorway, which was open a crack. "Thankfully nothing worse than hairline fractures, but they are extensive. Avoid any contact sports and sparring for the next few weeks."

Ranma burst through the door, breathless. "Akane!"

Akane's eyes went wide. Her shirt was off, but she was still decent. Tofu had finished applying a compression wrap over her ribs to keep them immobilized. "GET OUT!" she screamed at him.

Tofu instantly stepped between the two. "Ranma, it's not polite to barge in on my patients."

The doctor's normally friendly voice was surprisingly stern. It was so uncharacteristic, but it sure sounded as if Tofu was angry with him. Then again, if Akane had told him what happened at Ucchan's, it made sense. He had always been like an uncle or older brother towards Akane.

Ranma nodded and quickly stepped out. In some ways, he felt immensely relieved. He had found her. She wasn't in some battle to the death against Shampoo. Then again, he now had to deal with facing a justifiably angry Akane.

After a beat, Tofu exited the room and gave Ranma a grim, parental glare. "I'll just leave you two to talk things over," he announced.

Ranma reentered the room. Akane was fully dressed again, but she wasn't facing him. Instead, she was staring out the small window.

Ranma wasn't sure what to expect. He half hoped she would just come over and hit him. It was so much easier to fall back to their familiar patterns. She would smack him and vent her anger, then she'd forgive him. It was how their chaotic relationship normally worked. A quiet, seething, hurt Akane was not something he knew how to deal with.

"Akane?" he began, woefully unsure how to approach her.

She made no reaction, so he continued. "You okay?"

Soon as the words left his mouth, Ranma realized how dumb it sounded. Obviously she was less than okay, physically. The tail end of the diagnosis he had heard, the compression wrap he had spotted, and the chest x-rays plastered on the walls told him as much. As he had suspected earlier, Akane had been the tough macho chick hiding how much she had been hurt. Emotionally, it was also obvious she was far from 'okay'.

Akane turned her head to face him, her eyes glaring with anger. "I'm not speaking to you!"

Ranma crossed his arms. "Fine. Then just listen. What you saw, it was -"

"You broke your promise," Akane interrupted.

Apparently she was going to speak to him. Ranma wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign. "You gotta believe me," he rushed. "Ucchan caught me off guard. I didn't mean to kiss her!"

Akane was no longer looking at him. She couldn't stand to maintain eye contact, instead choosing to concentrate on a single drop of water on the window pane as it trickled down.

Ranma took a deep breath. He was about to do something very rare, but obviously necessary. "Look, Akane... I'm sorry."

Akane made no reaction. It was as if she never heard him.

"Akane?"

He was greeted by more silence.

"I apologized already. Ain't you gonna hear me out?"

Still, no change.

Ranma's guilt was weighing heavily on him, and it was making him annoyed. He was making an effort, but what was the point if she wasn't listening? "Would you look at me, you stubborn tomboy?!" he shouted.

Akane spun her head to face him. Her eyes were filled with tears, but none managed to fall. Suddenly, Ranma wished he could take back that last part.

Akane left the room and slammed the door behind her, without giving Ranma a chance to accompany her.

Ranma groaned. He was in deep shit, and he knew it.


Author's Note:

Oh no! Just when things were starting to work out.

Super long chapter. It felt a little painful writing it, as I kinda hated doing that to the characters, but it will all work out in the end...I promise.

I tried to subtly hint at some Kasumi/Tofu romance. Given that the doc gets overwhelmed talking to Kasumi in person, I reasonably guessed that conversations on the phone would be easier for him to handle. Maybe he'll even build up enough resilience to talk to her normally face-to-face! I probably won't delve into that too much, but thought I'd give a cute nod to that pairing.