Arc I: The Plan
Chapter: It's All in the Details

As they entered the gate Akane asked Taro, "Do you want to come in?"

Taro, not wanting to waste time socializing or with pleasantries, said, "No offense, but not really."

"Ok, well go ahead into the dojo and I will see if Grandfather is home."

As she walked into the house, Akane called out, "I'm home!"

"Welcome home, Akane!" Unsurprisingly, Kasumi's voice came from the kitchen.

"Hi, Kasumi. Do you know if Grandfather is home?" Akane asked as she entered the kitchen.

"Grandfather?" Surprised, Kasumi quirked her eyebrow. "Yes, I think he's in his room. He got back from a "training" trip pretty late and had to take a nap. I believe he should be awake now."

"Thanks, Kasumi." Leaving the kitchen, Akane rounded the corner and knocked on Happosai's bedroom door, "Grandfather, are you awake?"

The door burst open and a diminutive flying figure leapt at Akane, "Sweet little Akane, you've come to see me!"

Instinctively putting her book bag in front of her, Happosai was stopped a foot from his goal.

"Good afternoon, Grandfather," Akane said sweetly. "I have something I'd like to talk to you about. Would you come to the dojo with me?"

"Of course!" Following happily, his smile faded into a frown when he saw they were to be joined by Taro. "What's that ungrateful brat doing here?"

Taro was stopped from replying by the look Akane threw at him. "He's here as my guest. Like I said, there are things I would like to discuss and some of it has to do with Taro."

"I'm sorry, Akane. There is nothing you can offer me that would make me want to change his name. It's a wonderful name and he should be happy to have it!" Happosai turned and started towards the door.

"Not even some new pretties?"

This stopped Happosai mid-stride, right arm in mid swing and left leg still in the air. Putting his foot down, he turned around slowly.

"New pretties?"

"Yes."

"Akane, as much as I would like to have some of your pretties, getting a pair, even willingly given, wouldn't be enough."

"How about more than one pair?"

Happosai seemed to be giving the suggestion some thought.

"And not just from me."

Interest piqued, he asked, "How many and from whom?"

Smiling, Akane was, for once, glad that she had gone through so many negotiations with Nabiki.

Ranma had barely made it home for dinner. He spent much of his afternoon at various team practices and club meetings. It took some time, but he talked to as many of the different groups of boys as possible and tried to convince them that their engagement was, in fact, still valid. Most seemed to accept the situation quickly but he also knew that some of his words fell on deaf ears.

Once seated at the table, he was pleased to note that Akane seemed happy.

"Akane, will you please get Grandfather for me?"

"Sorry, Kasumi, I forgot to tell you that Grandfather has left for a short training trip. He won't be back home until Friday, the earliest."

"Hear that, Saotome? He's gone!"

"Yes! Let's celebrate!"

"Hey, I'm as happy as the next guy that the old fart is gone, but dancing around like that is just embarrassin'. Will ya sit down, so we can eat please?!"

"Fine, fine. Kasumi dear, can you get the sake, please?"

"Genma, honey, don't you think you should wait until after dinner to start your celebration?"

Clearing his throat and sitting down quickly, Genma responded, "Of course No-chan, of course."

The rest of dinner went by quickly before the members of the family left to attend to their various activities. Checking to make sure that Ranma was busy, Akane discreetly followed Nodoka into the kitchen.

"Aunty, do you need some help with the dishes?"

Once the Saotomes moved back into the Tendo home, Nodoka and Kasumi came to an agreement regarding household chores. No one else understood their schedule or the division of labor but the two matriarchs were happy and the house was running like a finely oiled machine, so everyone else was fine being left in the dark. Today it seemed it was Nodoka's turn to do the dishes.

"I'd love the help Akane." The two women worked together in silence. As they finished up, Nodoka asked, "Akane, did you have something you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes...Aunty, would you still be willing to help me with my cooking?"

Nodoka looked at Akane, who was apprehensively biting her bottom lip. "Of course, sweetie. Why don't we have some tea and talk about it? Will you please boil the water?" Relieved that this was one request she could handle, Akane smiled.

Seated at the family room table, Nodoka looked at Akane kindly. "What has you so worried, Akane?"

In response, Akane laughed. "You're kidding, right? Don't you remember what happened when you tried to teach me last time? I practically destroyed the kitchen."

"Yes, I remember. But forgive me if I'm wrong, but didn't you manage to cook a very nice curry a while ago?" Akane was surprised that she knew. "Kasumi mentioned it to me."

"Oh. Yes, I managed to make the curry pretty well, not as good as Kasumi's, but I thought it was tasty."

"And what did you do differently that day?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean."

"When you were cooking, were you alone? Were you frustrated? Happy? Calm?"

"Well, I was alone, since Kasumi went out that night, and I was in a really good mood that day. We had just gotten our midterm back and I got an A."

"Ok, and how long have you been cooking?"

"Not long, I never really tried cooking until I started home economics when I got to Furinkan."

"How did you do?"

"Not great, but not terrible either."

"I see. Yes, I think we should definitely restart your cooking lessons. However, we are going to need to set-up some ground rules. Agreed?"

Akane wasn't sure what that meant but it sounded oddly ominous, "Of course, Aunty."

Shampoo was sick and tired of Japan and she was done being rejected by Ranma, who treated her like some kind of leper. Didn't he realize how many men would love to get their hands on her body? He should be groveling at her feet and giving thanks for allowing him to touch her. But no, the stupid fool kept on refusing her!

The problem was, when she looked at his other options, she couldn't figure out why he was doing it. For starters, there was no way that he could be interested in the crazy gymnast. Sure she was pretty enough, had a decent body that she seemed very comfortable showing off, and happened to be wealthy. But her laugh alone could cause a man to go soft faster than seeing Great-grandmother in a bikini. And despite what men liked to think, crazy did not always equate to being good in the sack.

The cook was obviously not a threat to her either. Sure she was also attractive, but what man would want to be with a woman who was often mistaken for a boy? If the cook was smart, she would try to show off her assets instead of binding them all the time. The one thing she had going for her was that she could cook. But it wasn't a big deal since she seemed to only be able to make one dish. Besides, Shampoo was a much better cook than that butch girl could ever hope to be.

But that...that girl was a different story. From the very beginning, she had been a thorn in Shampoo's side. Even before she could really understand the language, she could tell by reading their body language that she had some hold on Ranma. So, Shampoo did what any good Amazon would, she tried to eliminate the competition. She realized now that had been the wrong thing to do, as it only brought out Ranma's protective side.

After all this time, Shampoo still didn't get what Ranma saw in that girl. She could admit that Akane was cute and was apparently popular, too. Shampoo had heard several groups of boys talking about her looks and the groups of girls would often mention her kindness. In truth, Shampoo thought they were all blind. All she saw was an angry, violent, annoying girl who couldn't cook and could barely be called a martial artist. Not to mention she physically had very little to be proud of.

Unlike her own voluptuous figure.

Shampoo stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself. She had spent a lot of time getting herself ready that evening but it was worth it. She looked spectacular. Her hair was thick, shiny, and it flowed around her body with every turn of her head. Her make-up had been applied flawlessly, emphasizing her luscious lips and bedroom eyes. The outfit she picked out for the night displayed her body to perfection. Her breasts were barely contained, standing perky and proud. Her midsection was bare, showing how narrow and toned her stomach was. Every inch of her silky smooth legs was available for perusal. With one last smirk, she pulled her robe on, tying it loosely, put on her delicate slippers and headed for the door.

Tonight, she would seduce Ranma and then soon, she would finally be able to go home. Once Ranma got to experience a night with a real woman, he would forget all about the silly little girls around him. And when they got back to her village, she planned to use these skills to keep him in line; by rewarding him with pleasure when he was well behaved and denying him when he was not. After all, men really are simple creatures.

She knew she had to tread carefully tonight, but she had a plan. And THIS time, her plan would work.

Ranma had gone to bed that night after working himself to near exhaustion, and for someone who was in top physical shape, that was saying something. He couldn't explain the frustration that was welling up inside of him. Normally, he was able to let things go but he recognized how easily agitated he was becoming.

Everything for him had changed when he thought Akane was dead. The first time. When he saw her turning that kinjakan and suddenly disappear, he thought she had died. And something inside him died too. He'd never felt so numb, so empty before. At that moment, everything else ceased to matter. He had no idea what happened next. All he could remember was the Guide trying to take away the only thing he had left of Akane. There had been a flash of anger as he tried to hold onto the last items of clothing she wore but that fell quickly into despair.

What was the point? It'd didn't matter if they took the clothes that she was wearing. They weren't hers. No, in his mind he would always picture her in her school uniform. Which really did nothing for her figure, but somehow still looked perfect on her.

He'd never see her smile again. That one perfect smile that always made his heart race. The smile that offered him friendship so easily. The smile that he fell in love with instantaneously. That smile was gone, forever. So nothing else mattered.

Then miraculously, the Guide produced a doll from within her clothing and told him that Akane was still alive! Relief coursed through him when he found out he had a chance to save her. Vowing that nothing would stand in his way, he fought like he never had before to bring her back to him. He had fought and killed a demi-god for her and he'd do it again. He had given that arrogant bastard a chance to give him the water, to save his love, and the prick just taunted him. It was the first time he had ever taken a life and he felt no guilt. And not because Saffron was reborn. He'd do anything to save her.

When she lay in his arms, unresponsive and incredibly cold, he had believed it was too late. He covered her too cold body to preserve her modesty. But it was too late. She was beyond caring over any embarrassment her nudity would cause her. But he did it anyway. She deserved every last bit of dignity he could offer her.

He froze, no longer able to think but feeling too much for him to contain. So he started rambling, his thoughts just spilling out of him. He was finally able to express his feelings for her, but even then he fumbled. He'd screamed in his head the three words that he always wanted to tell her. The three words he had always been too scared to say to her. He wanted to say them out loud. This was his final chance. But he knew that the others were around and the words he had always wanted to say to her were for her to hear alone.

Yet somehow she'd heard him, and she'd come back. He'd never felt such relief followed by terror at what he may have said. He truly was a coward and couldn't risk being rejected by the one person he loved most in the world.

Even though he couldn't tell her the truth about what he felt, he would keep the promise to protect her and to keep her safe. The people attacking them - her to get to him - wouldn't be tolerated anymore. Bombs thrown at her, so shortly after her life was in danger, became unforgivable.

After an hour or so of his thoughts slowly growing darker, Ranma knew he wasn't going to sleep. He had to calm down before he did anything too drastic. He jumped out his bedroom window so he could take a walk.

For the first time in his life, Ranma found himself meandering around. If there was one thing Ranma never did, it was meander. He could walk miles with a boulder on his back without getting tired, but that was training and had a purpose. The rest of his life was spent rushing from one place to another. This was new, and to his surprise, the mindless walking worked.

He entered a park and was soon reliving memories of a nice afternoon spent with Akane. Ranma came upon the hedge where he had once given her some roses and decided to lay on his back on a nearby patch of grass to finish his daydreaming.

Unbeknownst to Ranma, Shampoo had been following him since he'd left the house. She was surprised to see him go and decided to follow him at a distance. When she saw that he had stopped in a secluded part of the park, she smirked. Looking around, she realized they were alone and would likely not be interrupted at that time of night. Feeling bold, Shampoo loosened the knot on her robe and let it drop to the ground before stepping on the path leading to Ranma.

Ranma quickly sat upright as his instincts finally kicked in and he saw the girl walk slowly to towards him. He was annoyed when he realized who it was, but then his eyes widened when he took in her appearance.

Shampoo was wearing what could loosely be described as a bra but looked more like two small triangles of lace that barely covered her nipples. Even from this distance, he could tell she was cold. Her bottom half was barely covered by the tiniest pair of matching panties he had ever seen and she had put on a garter belt that held up black thigh high stockings that led to a pair of bright red four inch heels.

Despite her many, many flaws, Shampoo was physically a young man's wet dream. He tried to look away. He really did. But he was a hot blooded 17 year old male and his big head was slowly losing the battle to his little one.

Shampoo felt triumphant. She could feel Ranma's eyes travel over her body and it was obvious any resistance he had was waning. She walked as seductively as she could towards him, running one hand through her hair and the other over her stomach.

Ranma gulped. "Whachya doin here?"

"Shampoo go see Ranma at home, saw him jump out window and follow here."

"You shouldn't try to sneak into my room."

"Shampoo want to show Ranma what like to be husband and wife. We have good time, I promise."

Ranma closed his eyes and shook his head. It was easier to think when he wasn't looking temptation in the, um…face. "No. I've already told you that I'm not interested."

When Ranma did not receive a response, he opened his eyes and was startled to see that Shampoo was on her hand and knees, her upper body perched over his legs. She looked down pointedly at the bulge in his pants and purred, "Your body say different."

Ranma looked around frantically, and tried to back up. "Are you crazy?! We're in public!"

In response, she licked her lips and lunged forward, her arms wrapping around his neck, her chest pressed against his, and her mouth moving towards his.

He heard a faint click and a moment later they were splashed as the sprinkler system activated.

"C-C-CAT!" could be heard in the distance as a buxom redhead ran around in circles, unsuccessfully trying to dislodge a small purple cat from his person.

Akane was deep asleep and only stirred when she heard the sounds of scratching and mewing. In her sleep laden state, it took her a few moments to figure out that the sounds were coming from her bedroom door. As she opened it, she was shocked to find her fiancé on all fours and soaking wet, streaking past her into her bedroom.

"Ranma?" she muttered before he came to her side and started rubbing against her leg while purring. Akane knelt down and sat next to her fiancé. "Ranma, what happened to you? Why are you soaking wet? Well, come on, we'll get you to the bathroom and change you back."

Akane stood up and walked towards the furoba. When she got halfway down the hall she realized that she was alone. Returning to her room to get Ranma, she found the redhead had curled up into a ball and already half asleep on her bed. She walked over and started to gently shake him, "Come on, get up." In response, Ranma purred louder and shifted his body to a slightly more comfortable position.

Akane took a moment to consider her choices. One, she could pick Ranma up, drag him to the furoba and dump him into the furo to change him back. Two, she could heat up the water and bring it back to her room, hopefully triggering the transformation and waking Ranma. Three, she could go back to bed. The first option felt like way too much effort and was kind of mean. The second option felt like it would take too much time and she really didn't want to be sitting in the cold kitchen when she could be asleep in her nice warm, now slightly damp bed. Decision made, Akane crawled into the space between Ranma and the wall, falling fast asleep, her last thought being, 'He's a cat and a girl right now. This doesn't mean anything.'

Akane stirred a little as the morning sunlight hit her face. Not wanting to get up, she turned her face to the side and snuggled down into her blanket and pulled her stuffed animal closer into her body. She felt so warm and comfortable she was lulled back to sleep. It took Akane a few moments to realize that she didn't sleep with stuffed animals anymore and even if she did have one, it wouldn't be holding her waist and trying to snuggle closer to her chest. She quickly opened her eyes to stare down and saw a head full of red hair and her face suddenly turned a similar shade as she took in their positions.

It took another moment for her to remember the events of the previous night. She tried to quickly and quietly get out of bed before Ranma woke up, but when she tried to wriggle out of his arms, Ranma would just pull her in tighter.

She stifled a giggle. She really should wake him up. But she was rather comfortable and didn't blame him for wanting to snuggle in tighter, the idea was oddly enticing at the moment. No one would know if she just stayed there for a just a little while longer, would they?

Finally, looking at the time and realizing that she had to get up, she tried to wake her fiancé up.

"Ranma!" She whispered, "Wake up!"

Ranma stirred, feeling oddly refreshed and content. Since their return from China, he hadn't slept well. When they first got back, he had nightmares and would wake up frantic and sweating. As he gained equilibrium and realized where he was, he calmed down but he would stay agitated with worry for his fiancée. He would then sneak into Akane's room to check up on her to satisfy his need to know that she was truly safe. Only then could he return to his room in hopes of falling back asleep.

After the failed wedding, his dreams changed. They were filled with vivid images of his friends pulling a protesting Akane, wearing a wedding dress, away from him. She would then morph into a little doll he carried around in his chest while trying to fight fire. When his dream got to the point where Akane returned to her regular size but stayed motionless in his arms, a small smile gracing her face, he would wake up violently, bolting up to a sitting position as he scanned his surroundings frantically.

This was the first night that he was able to sleep all the way through and his body refused to budge. He hugged his pillow closer to his body, burrowing his face into its warmth, enjoying the soft scent that was so comforting to him.

Somewhere in between sleep and consciousness, he recognized someone calling his name.

"Hmm, fibe mo minnets," Ranma responded while rubbing her face against the softness of the pillow.

Now becoming beet red, Akane shook the boy lightly and said in a louder voice, "Ranma! Wake up!"

"Don't wanna, too comfy."

Having to stifle a moan at the sensations his unintentional motor boating was causing her, Akane took some calming breaths. It would not do to wake up the entire house and she needed to get him out of her room before anyone found them in this position or she would find herself in another hastily orchestrated wedding.

She was just about to try pinching Ranma, when he said, "This is the best dream," as he rubbed his face against her once more.

'What exactly, was he dreaming of?' She wondered and her thoughts started to run away from her. Now getting hot all over she hissed, "Ranma. RANMA!"

Ranma was having a very nice dream about the previous evening. Only, in his dream it was Akane perched over him, her eyes lingering on the bulge of his excitement as she slowly lifted her eyes towards him and made her way over his body. Engrossed in watching the girl in front of him, he barely felt someone shaking his shoulder. He shook the feeling off, not wanting to take his eyes off the blue-haired beauty and the way her breasts swayed as she moved over him. Or the way she bit her lip seductively before giving him a smoldering smile that promised him untold delights. He wanted to touch her so badly. To see if her skin felt as soft as it looked. His hand twitched as he began to reach for her.

But the person trying to get his attention was frustratingly persistent. He turned his head to see who could be bothering him at such a time and to tell the person to go to hell, when he realized he was looking at Akane.

Wait, Akane? Wasn't she…

Now fully awake, he quickly gauged his current position and predicament. He threw his head back as far as possible, loosening his grip and tumbling off the bed.

He was starting to exclaim, "I'M…" when a hand came down and covered his mouth.

"Shhhh! You'll wake everyone up!"

He looked around frantically, "What...why…am I in your room?" he whispered.

Akane blushed.

"You were…it doesn't matter! You need to go before someone catches you in here!"

Ranma's face paled and he nodded his understanding. He stepped towards the door before he heard Akane hiss, "Idiot, use the window! The window!"

Ranma rubbed the back of his head awkwardly with one hand and muttered, "Umm. Sorry." He was out the window a second later.

After Ranma had snuck out of her room, Akane dressed quickly and dashed off for her morning run, hoping to expel some of her pent up energy. After her run had done little to calm her, she forced herself to take a cold shower.

Breakfast that morning was a little awkward. Akane had been so embarrassed that she refused to make eye contact. Following her example, Ranma had also eaten quickly and silently before they left for school. Knowing that she had to broach the subject soon, she was about to break the silence, but was surprised when Ranma beat her to it.

"Umm, hey, Akane?"

"Yes, Ranma?"

"Umm, sorry 'bout earlier. Ummm. I didn't...I mean..."

"Don't worry about it, Ranma. It was kinda my fault."

Looking slightly relieved, Ranma said, "Really? Do ya mind tellin' me what happened? A-and how I ended up in...," he cleared his throat, "your...ummm...bed?"

"Well, I don't really know how, but you were in Neko mode. Sometime late last night, or was it early this morning? It doesn't matter. I woke up and heard mewing at my door and what sounded like scratching. When I opened the door, you came in, acting...well, you know, like a cat."

"Ok, but...how did I end up in..."

"That's where it was kinda my fault. I was really tired and groggy, I mean really tired. You kind of bound in my room and jumped onto my bed. I told you to follow me to the furoba but when I got down the hall, you weren't there. By the time I got back you were asleep. Like I said, I was really tired, and I should have taken you to the furoba or gotten some hot water from the kitchen but I just really wanted to go to sleep. And you were curled into a ball on the corner of my bed! I had no idea that you…we would end up, well umm...you know...the way you did." Akane finally finished with a slightly red face.

Ranma was looking at Akane with some shock. Was it just him or was she acting embarrassed? It was obvious from her little verbal spew that his fiancée was flustered, but for the life of him, he couldn't understand why. He remembered waking up and seeing her face but that was all. Did something else happen? Was she hiding it? If she didn't want to tell him, he figured he didn't need to know.

"It's ok. Sorry, I bothered you last night."

They walked a little further in silence before Akane asked, "So, what happened? How did you end up in Neko mode?"

"Ummm. Well, last night I couldn't sleep and I went for a walk to clear my head. I ended up at the park and suddenly Shampoo showed up in..." Ranma paused. He really didn't want to describe to Akane what Shampoo was wearing, much less how she acted. "Well, she just showed up. When I told her to leave, she jumped at me and just got her tentacles on me when the sprinklers started. And you know, she just wouldn't let go! That's really the last thing I remember."

Ranma looked sideways at Akane, afraid that she would be mad at him for being with Shampoo last night, but it really wasn't his fault! To his surprise, Akane burst out laughing.

"Geez, Ranma. I don't know how you do it. It's like you end up in one really awkward situation after another. Are you sure the Jusenkyo curse is the only one you received during your training?"

Ranma, unsure of how to respond, and for once, made the smart decision to stay quiet. It was then that he remembered that he wanted to ask Akane about the morning attacks.

"So, 'kane, what happened yesterday? I know the reason they attacked you, but why didn't you fight back?"

Akane explained her theory to Ranma. He was surprised by her logic, but was supportive, telling her that her plan would probably work. He had intentionally avoided telling her about his conversations with the boys at school the day before. He was happy to let her think she was handling it on her own.

Realizing they were getting close to school, Akane took a deep breath and started a conversation she wished she could avoid. "Umm. But there's this one thing. I don't know if I can successfully dodge Kuno. I mean, I'm sure I can but he's strong enough that I may actually have to strike back, which would ruin the plan. I was lucky yesterday, he seemed so shocked I wasn't fighting that he never attacked. So...Ranma, I need you to do me a favor." Swallowing her pride proved more difficult than she had thought. "I need you to take care of Kuno for me."

Shocked, Ranma had stopped walking and gaped at her. Did he hear her right? Did Akane actually ask him to fight her fight for her? This was surely the sign of the apocalypse, right? Ranma glanced up to see if the sky was falling. Then he glanced down to make sure that the ground wouldn't split open and swallow him whole. He glanced left and didn't see any dark hooded horsemen riding his way. He glanced right and there were no swarming locusts either.

When Ranma looked like he wasn't going to respond, Akane felt her heart sink. Was he looking around like that so he could avoid her gaze? She didn't think she would really have to try hard to get Ranma to beat up Kuno, who was a constant annoyance to them both.

"You know, it's okay. You don't have to do anything, I'll figure it out."

"Huh? What'ya talkin bout? Of course I'll take care of Kuno for ya. I mean, you're right, a chick as slow as you would never be able to avoid his attacks. Now, if you trained more and got a lil faster, like my female side, maybe you'd have a chance."

Now walking beside his fiancée again, Ranma obliviously missed Akane's fist clenching and the rigid way she was holding herself. With gritted teeth, Akane seethed, "Thanks a lot, Ranma."

Oblivious to her sarcasm, he blithely replied, "No problem! After all, it's a martial artist's duty to protect the weak."

Fortunately for Ranma's physical wellbeing, not to mention Akane's temper, they neared the school and both heard the now familiar battle cry of delusional boys preparing for their daily challenge. Picking up her pace, Akane surged forward dodging all the boys expertly. She saw Kuno, who was for once, in the middle of the pack of boys. She was able to step just left of his swing, and trusting that Ranma was behind her and ready to take over, she ignored his next attack, running full speed ahead, only stopping when she reached the top of the stairs. Looking backwards, she saw Ranma standing casually on Kuno's head, his hands in his pockets, while the kendoist was face down and spread eagle on the ground, a broken bokken lying next to him. Akane gave Ranma a nod and a small grateful smile before heading into the building.

Blushing slightly at the smile he received from Akane, Ranma stared at her until she disappeared into the building before looking around him. He was peeved that the attacks occurred for a second day but slightly mollified by the fact that only a few of the people he spoke to yesterday had shown up today. In fact, now that he took a quick count, he realized that the boys standing around only accounted for half of the people that had participated yesterday. Ranma paid special attention to sports uniforms and faces of the boys in attendance - so that he could have "chats" with them later on - before following after his petite fiancée.

He blithely walked down the length of Kuno's body, making sure to dig his heels in with every step. Normally he'd feel guilty for kicking a man while he was down but there was plenty of residual anger he had towards the wannabe lothario for his part in the wedding disaster, so he made an exception.

Ranma's eyes were trained on the wall clock. A couple more minutes and it would finally be lunch time. He was hoping he could spend the time with Akane today since she was bound to be solicitous towards him after the help he gave her this morning. He thought of the smile she gave him this morning and suddenly felt smug. He loved when Akane acknowledged his skills and more so when she showed him appreciation for his efforts, even when it was as simple as that smile she had graced him with.

Lost in thought, he missed the teacher announcing lunch and the bell, and was shaken out of his daydream by someone bumping his desk on their way out the door. He turned to Akane's desk to find that she was already gone. Looking around, he found her already in the corner of the room deep in conversation with half a dozen girls.

Disappointed, he decided to have lunch outside and then talk to as many of the morning challengers as he could find.

Once again, Akane found herself walking home from school alone. It had been another long day for her but unlike yesterday, she was invigorated instead of tired. She blushed a little as she began to review her day and remembered the very nice way in which it had it had begun. She hadn't shared a bed with anyone since she was a little kid and then, her sisters never cuddled up with her. It was so nice waking up wrapped in Ranma's arms. He was so strong - even as a girl – that she couldn't help but feel safe in his embrace. Though she was embarrassed to think about how much his face resting between her breasts affected her.

She shook her head, this was no time for those kinds thoughts. She had other things to accomplish and wanted to keep her wits about her. She saw her quarry up ahead, waiting impatiently for her.

"Good afternoon, Taro."

"Hey. So, what happened after you kicked me out yesterday?"

Akane rolled her eyes at his lack of greeting and his obvious annoyance. After half an hour in the same room with Happosai and Taro yesterday, Akane realized that having Taro being baited by Happosai was making negotiations harder. She wisely decided to send him away with instructions to meet her at the bridge today.

"Well, after you left, I finally got him to agree to terms that I think we can all be happy with."

Taro stood up straight, excitement pouring off him. "Really?"

"Yes. Do you want to hear all of it or just your part?"

He didn't really care about the rest of it but knew better than to say that, she was helping him out after all.

"All of it."

Surprised but pleased Akane began to tell Taro about what she had termed The Panty Treaty.

"Grandfather has agreed to change your name and stop the panty raids at the school - which includes not peeping in the showers. Actually, we agreed that he would only be allowed on school grounds once a month, just to keep him away from temptation. Additionally, he has agreed that he will no longer interrupt anyone at my house. In exchange, I have to get all the girls at school to give him one 'pretty'. I'll be organizing all the homeroom classes on a yearly schedule so that Grandfather has a new supply every month and each girl only has to make one 'donation' a year. The first trade will occur on Monday, so I have until then to get everyone to agree."

Taro was impressed by her forethought but saw several blaring wholes in her plan.

"You put a lot of thought into this, huh?"

"Yes."

"And how much did you have to change your plans so they included me?"

"Surprisingly, not much. I knew it would have to be something big to get him to stay away from the school, so I just made him think that changing your name was a non-negotiable part of the plan."

"What if the girls at your school don't go along with the plan? What if they give him something he doesn't think is fitting? What happens if he decides that he isn't happy with just one 'donation' as you call it?"

"Well, I have it all planned but you shouldn't be too worried about it, not your part at least. He's agreed to change your name after he receives half of the pretties from the first group. After that, I suggest you leave quickly and avoid him at all costs. Like, for the rest of your life. He can't change your name if he doesn't see you. I couldn't get him to agree to never change your name again, sorry."

"Ok. But how are you going to get the girls to go along with it? And do they trust him?"

"I already talked to some girls today. Surprisingly, they were easy to convince. They are just as tired as I am of not being able to change and shower in peace. I'll talk to the rest of the class tomorrow and work on talking to the rest of the school this week, let me worry about that. I had Happosai take a short training trip for the remainder of the week as a sign of good faith that he will stop his peeping. So the girls get at least a one week reprieve from the madness."

Suspicious by nature, Taro asked, "So, they were just willing to help me out?"

"No, they weren't." Akane looked a little sheepish at this. "Some of them wondered why you were getting something for nothing. So, I had to find a compromise. Each girl who donates that month, gets to request your services for one chore. It has to be reasonable, so don't worry about being made a slave or anything." She waved her hand dismissively.

"What kind of chore?"

"Well, my friend Sayuri just broke up with her boyfriend, she found him cheating on her..."

"So, she wants me to beat him up?"

Akane rolled her eyes. "No. She wants you to take her on a date at the restaurant where he works, so she can rub it in his face. She'll pay. Another one of the girls has a brother who is moving into a new apartment the following week and wants you to help lift furniture. The rest of the girls are going to need time to think about it."

Taro thought it over. There really didn't seem to be a downside for him. Sure he could have a lot of work coming up but he didn't mind physical labor. And the sadistic side of him thought the fake date sounded kinda fun; he loved riling people up. It would all be worth it if he could finally be called Awesome.

"Okay. I'm in."

"Great. You know, it would help me convince everyone else, if you showed up tomorrow after school and took Sayuri on that date. It'll be another sign of good faith, like Grandfather staying away this week."

"Sure. That's fine. Tell her I'll meet her after school." Taro proceeded to walk her home in the best mood he'd been in for a long time. "So, what do you want out of all this?"

Akane looked at him confused. "I don't understand. I told you what I'm getting out of the deal."

"Yes, from Happosai. What about from me?"

"Oh, that? Ummm. Nothing really." She smirked, "Trust me, I can do my own heavy lifting."

Eyebrow quirked, Taro stopped her. "Look, I know you didn't need to help me out. Your plan would've worked without me. My part is just icing on the cake but it's not even your icing. So seriously, what do you want? I owe you for this."

Akane was a little surprised. Taro had always seemed like a brash jerk that would do whatever it took to get what he wanted. But she realized that he too was a martial artist and his pride required him to repay favors.

"Well, to be honest, I don't need anything from you but I have something you can do; stop with the name calling when you talk to Ranma."

"What?"

"The name calling. Look, I know you guys need something to taunt each other, I get that. Just lay off the names that have to do with his curse. No more femboy, tranny, or calling him a girl. Can you do that for me?"

Taro shrugged, "Sure. There are plenty of other things I can call him."

"That's the spirit."

As they reached the gates of the dojo, Taro asked, "Are you sure there isn't anything I can do for you, specifically? I still feel like I am getting a lot more than I am giving here."

Akane laughed. "Look, having one less person have a reason to kidnap me is good enough. Not unless you want to spar with me, of course. I could always use a sparring partner," she joked.

"Sparring? Doesn't fem...Ranma spar with you?"

"No, Ranma dodges and evades, he never really attacks or hits me. You know, forget it. I was just kidding, I'm sure you don't want to spar with me." No one does, she thought sadly.

Taro crossed his arms over his chest, "Sparring it is. When do you want to start?"

"Really? You'll spar with me?" Akane bounced up and down, excitedly. "I was just about to do some katas but sparring sounds so much better. Wanna meet me in the dojo? I'm gonna change real quick."

"Actually, I prefer it if we did it outdoors. It feels more like a natural combat environment to me. Do you have a park or something we can use?"

"Actually, there is an abandoned lot that would be perfect for this, we passed it on the way here. It's three blocks down." She pointed in front of her. "Make a left and three blocks over. I'm going to change and meet you there."

She then turned and raced into the house before he could change his mind.

Akane had sweat dripping down her face, smudges of dirt all over her gi, and was panting with exhaustion. She was sure that she'd be completely sore tomorrow and would have a spectacular bruise on her ribs along with some minor cuts on both her arms. She had just landed on her hip after successfully blocking a kick and unsuccessfully blocking the punch that followed. She could feel another bruise already forming on the hip she fell on.

The petite martial artist was having the time of her life.

They had been sparring for over half an hour. At first, she was afraid that Taro wasn't taking her seriously; his movements were slow and tentative. She quickly realized that he was testing her abilities, never having seen her in a fight. Once he had gauged her skill level, he began to spar with her in earnest.

She was happy to see that he had no issues hitting her because she was a girl. Akane was surprised to learn that while he was baiting her, he wasn't demeaning her skills in anyway. In fact, he encouraged her when she did well and gave her suggestions on how to modify her movements or improve her strategy where he could.

Taro walked over to her and was just leaning down to help her up when he was suddenly thrown across the abandoned lot. A red and black clad figure stood between them, battle aura ablaze.

A/N: I hope you liked how Akane plans to deal with Happosai. Big thanks to PepperonyOwl, KaikiH, and alwaysZutarian for betaing this story for me!

If you like the cover art for the story, it was created by Lady Tiger Lily, who kindly gave me permission to use it. She has an account on Deviant Art, check it out if you can, her pictures are freaking adorable.

Original Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Revised: May 8, 2015