Okay, I know it's not as long as my normal chapters, but when I reached the point that is the end of this one... ::grins:: I just COULDN'T write anything else in the chappie! It HAD to end with what it ends with! Er... just read. You'll see what I mean!

MattSaotome

Chapter 4

Minutes to Midnight

Shampoo fidgeted in her chair, occasionally hitting a button as the Wildstar continued at high warp towards the former Deep Space 3. She had been pouting furiously for the last two hours, and no matter what happened on the bridge, nothing appeared to improve her mood. From the command chair, Goku was occasionally eying the young Amazon warrior, and finally decided that it was high time he discovered what had her so down in the dumps. He rose from his chair and stepped over to her console. Leaning over it a little, he put both hands on the top of it and gave her a concerned look.

"What's bothering you, Commander?" he asked, genuine concern lining his voice.

Shampoo sighed deeply. "Airen not here," she explained. "Stupid mission to Risa mean husband leave with pervert girl. Now they alone together and no way to contact them."

Goku's face went from puzzlement, to surprise, to humorous, to sympathetic all within a few seconds.

"Commander, why do you call Doctor Tendo 'pervert girl'?" he finally asked.

Shampoo looked at him somewhat incredulously before remembering that he'd asked her a question. She sighed again.

"It long story," she answered. "Short version is Akane say something long time ago make her sound like pervert." Shampoo shrugged. "Now just call her that-"

"To piss her off?" Goku finished.

Shampoo took a second to nod, but finally admitted that her commanding officer was right.

"Now husband alone with her."

Goku leaned a little closer. He didn't know why, but he always loved lending an ear to people, if only to make them feel better.

"And this makes you upset," he surmised.

Again, Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo talk funny, but no mean is stupid. Shampoo know airen care for pervert girl. Shampoo see it too too often, even if he no admit it."

Goku smiled a little warmly. It was, after all, obvious as Shampoo had just put it. They could try to fight it, but when his Captain and the doc were in the same room together, you could practically TASTE the sparks flying back and forth between their auras. It was a wonder that the two hadn't jumped each other ages ago!

"Shampoo," Goku said softly, "If you know he feels for someone else, then why-"

"Is Amazon law!" Shampoo drew herself up indignantly. "Ranma beat Shampoo in battle. Law says Ranma becomes Shampoo's husband."

Goku sighed heavily. "I don't think the Captain would take very kindly to being 'owned'."

Shampoo began to pout again. "Shampoo know that, stupid… That why try to make him feel happy all the time. Husband always ignore Shampoo's effort…"

Goku didn't know what to say to that. He was, however, quite certain that he didn't want to be in the middle of this situation at all, so he quickly switched back to work mode.

"Well, anyways, any success in trying to raise Starfleet?"

Shampoo somberly shook her head. Goku breathed out heavy in frustration before turning back to his command chair and walking to stand in front of it.

"Ryouga, how long 'till we reach Deep Space 3?"

From her back console, Dana chuckled and muttered under her breath, "Assuming we're even heading that way…"

Ryouga's sharp hearing had him turning quickly to flash Dana a dirty look.

"Another hour or so," he answered before turning back and muttering something of his own.

Steven peered carefully around the next corner. Seeing only an empty corridor, he quickly pranced across it to continue on his way. It wasn't as if he couldn't just walk around the ship freely, but with someone who was supposed to be in the brig following closely behind, it certainly wasn't advisable that he be seen. As he continued their pace, Kuno was growing impatient.

"Where are we going?" he hissed.

Steven didn't even bother to look back at him as he came to an access hatch for the Jeffries tube he intended to use to complete their journey.

"Auxiliary Control," he answered neatly. "We need to shut down the warp reactor and halt the ship."

"What?!" Kuno barely managed to keep his voice quiet. "But that will gain us nothing!"

Now Steven stopped, his ascent up the ladder to the tube halting at Kuno's unwanted criticism to his actions. He slowly turned to look down at the young man, letting go of the ladder with one hand.

"Listen, Blue Blunder!" He hissed. "I don't have time for twenty questions! There's a ship out there hunting this one, and we gotta stop the Wildstar before that'll do us any good!"

Kuno's eyes went a bit wide. "But… if this ship is destroyed… No! What will become of the beauteous Akane Tendo?! And my love, the pig-tailed girl!?"

"Quiet, you moron!" Steven snapped. "You need to relax! They both left in a runabout almost two hours ago! They'll be just fine!!"

Kuno's entire expression changed to one of determination as a grin played its way across his features.

"Then I shall truly have victory over the foul sorcerer Saotome! Both of my loves, freed from his evil grasp!"

Steven rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, then you can go and fuck like monkeys, bla bla bla bla… Listen here, white noise! ANY more interruptions or stupid questions…"

Steven lifted his free hand, palm up, and stopped it just inches from Kuno's nose. The kendoist's eyes grew quite large as a ball of ki formed in Steven's upturned hand, glowing a terrifying red and reaching nearly eight inches in diameter. He swallowed hard at the implied threat, and decided that it was best not to look a gift horse in the mouth after all.

"U-u-understood…"

Ranma threw his starfleet issue back pack onto the bed in front of him with a huff before slumping down on it and holding his head up with his hands. In front of him, Akane was surveying the room with a wary eye. She dropped her pack on the floor near the entry way, sighing heavily as she noted the only flaw with the room that really mattered to her.

"There's only one bed," she grumbled.

Ranma nodded slowly. "You can have it," he mumbled. "I'm used ta sleepin' on the floor, anyways."

Akane shot him a look. "How kind of you," she muttered sarcastically.

Ranma growled as he shrugged his reply. It was bad enough that he'd been told to do this mission in the first place. He was always so bored on these stupid medical runs. To make matters worse, his idiot of a father had sent him with Akane. Now, the two had recently discovered (after crash-landing there, of course) that there was no actual situation on Risa. Genma had led them there on a wild goose chase. They were effectively stranded, and had just been informed that there was only one remaining room in the entire settlement, since this was a popular time of year for tourists.

There was one thing that still puzzled him the most. If Genma had sent them there, he had to know that they would have been able to turn tail and leave upon discovering a significant lack of a medical emergency. There was absolutely no way that he could have predicted this exact turn of events; CERTAINLY no way that he could have known that they would be unable to contact the Wildstar to retrieve them. It just wasn't adding up.

"Yo, 'Kane," he called out, noting that she had retreated into the bathroom with a few supplies from her bag.

"Yeah?"

"How the hell did this happen?" Ranma began to look around, somewhat lost. "I mean, I know my pops would be stupid enough ta try somethin' like this, but… there's just no WAY he coulda predicted everything that's happened ta get us where we are now!"

Akane slowly emerged from the bathroom. Ranma was so right that it had her worried sick. Of course Genma couldn't have known what was going to happen to them… Sending them to Risa would have become a waste of time for an entire starship! The stupid fat panda hadn't even known the Wildstar wouldn't be here.

"I… I don't know…" Akane finally sighed.

Ranma shook his head. "Well, however he knew, it worked flawlessly."

Akane's face suddenly became angry again as she pointed a toothbrush at Ranma.

"YOU are sleeping in the living area, mister!"

Ranma snapped to full attention. "…What?!?"

Akane put her hands on her hips. "You heard me. I'm NOT sleeping in the same room as you, you pervert!"

Ranma drew himself up to his full height, looking quite intimidating. "Look who's the pervert, pervert! I wasn't even THINKIN' about sleepin' in the same room as you! Who'd wanna be anywhere near an uncute, violent tomboy like you, anyways?! 'Specially at night!"

Akane seethed, quickly changing tactics, even as she began to shake with emotion. "What, my body's not good enough for ya?!"

"Are you kiddin'?!" Ranma shot back. "You're built like a brick, your thighs are too thick, you look like a stick, your fa… ce…"

Ranma trailed off into silence. In front of him, Akane's head was hanging down low. Under her bangs, he could barely make out a deep red flush beneath her eyes, and blinked wide eyed as she began to cry silently.

"So… that's it, huh?" she whispered. "Never cute enough… never strong enough… never woman enough…"

Ever so slowly, her face lifted until she was looking him in the eye. Ranma jolted hard at the sight of her tear-soaked face, managing to boil it down to a very slight flinch as she continued.

"Why?" she sniffed. "What… what have I done to deserve your hatred?"

Ranma flinched again, but quickly reacted to it this time. He immediately began to shake his head firmly before crossing the few steps of distance between where he was at the bed and where Akane was standing in the doorframe of the bedroom.

"No," he whispered firmly. "Never! I-I… I could… never, not for a moment…"

Akane continued to stare deep into his radiant copper-blues, searching for what he was trying to say, but coming up short. "Never… what, Ranma?"

He tried his best to think about how he would reply. He had to be careful what he said to her. After all, she detested their engagement so much… admitting anything to her would be a huge mistake on his part, and most likely would end with him beaten to an unrecognizable pulp. Unfortunately for him, his mouth muscles would have none of that, and quickly worked of their own accord, his vocal chords eagerly joining in the mutiny.

"I could never hate you, Akane. Never!"

A tiny 'eep' left him immediately afterwards, and he slapped both hands over his mouth as he went redder than a stop light. Akane's eyes were bigger than saucers, and shimmering hard now. In spite of himself, Ranma whimpered against his hands.

GOD, she's gorgeous! He thought, still fighting to regain his lost composure.

"Then why…" Akane asked. "Why act like it? Wait… no, I need to know… Ranma, do you… like me? At all?"

Ranma's hands slowly fell from his face, and his Rudolph impersonation slowly faded down to a modest blush as he began to examine the floor by the dresser.

"…What do you think, tomboy?"

A second passed before Akane shook her head. "Don't do that, Ranma."

He looked up at her, puzzled.

"Don't hide behind name-calling like that, and don't try to make me answer a question I asked you."

Ranma sighed. "S-sorry, 'Kane." He knew it wasn't visible, but he could feel the very tiny shaking of his body. He trembled for a few long seconds before finally getting some of his voice back.

"I… I d-d-don't…"

Akane's face began to fall.

"…d-dis-like… you… Akane…"

Her expression shifted swiftly from depression to confusion mixed with anger.

"Wha… What the hell kinda answer is that?! It's just another stupid loophole!"

Ranma allowed his frustration to seep through. "Hey, I'm tryin' here, alright?! This ain't exactly easy stuff, ya know!!"

Akane snorted as she crossed her arms. "Shouldn't be too difficult for someone like YOU, Ranma! I thought you could master ANY challenge. I thought you weren't afraid of ANYTHING!"

Ranma became indignant. "I can! And I ain't!!"

Akane stepped right up to his face, sneering at him. "Then prove it!"

Ranma moved a little closer. "How?!"

"I don't know! Maybe give me some straight answers!"

"Then ask me a straight question!"

"I already did that!"

"So do it again!"

"Do. You. Like. Me?"

"No!" Ranma was getting furious now, but he sensed an enormous change in the playing field, his nose mere centimeters apart from Akane's. If he was gonna go down this way, she was not getting off easily!

"A thousand times over, NO! I can't LIKE you, Akane!! It's physically impossible for me ta LIKE you when I LOVE you so DAMNED MUCH!!!"

Akane nearly fell backwards, but, realizing the game he had settled them into, held her composure as best she could, returning his furious declaration with equal fervor.

"Love me?!? Hah! How could YOU love someone as UNCUTE as I am?!?"

"You're only uncute because your so damned beautiful!! Cute doesn't even BEGIN ta describe you!!"

"What happened to me being a TOMBOY, then?!"

"THAT"S THE BEST PART OF YOU, YA IDIOT!!!"

"Prove it!!"

"WHAT??"

"You heard me!"

"Oh, so I suppose I should just kiss ya, then, is that it?!"

"Maybe you should!"

"Fine then, I will!!"

"Fine!!"

"FINE!!!"

Ranma and Akane threw themselves forward at the same instant, latching onto the other for dear life as their lips crushed together in a searing kiss. Both were almost immediately breathing hard, fighting to pour every second of their frustrating pasts through the suddenly electric connection. Every nerve ending in their bodies was on fire. Even as Ranma fought against his raging male instincts, Akane's knees began to fail her. Tongues shot out to push their way into the other's mouth, and as they began to caress, Akane let out a very feminine moan and Ranma shuddered.

His hands pressed into her back, holding her tightly to himself even as they moved up and down in exciting caress. She had both hands on his cheeks, holding his face like nothing else mattered. After her moan, one hand quickly found its way behind his head, pulling him deeper into the kiss. She took a handful of his hair in her grip before releasing it and sliding down to his pigtail. She grabbed onto it and tugged it towards her, having the same effect in the end.

In response, Ranma's wandering hands slid down her back to the top of her butt and in one smooth motion, slipped under her uniform top to begin caressing her bare lower back. He shuddered at the sudden contact he had initiated, and a low groan passed his throat. Akane sucked in a sharp breath through her nose, rising to her tip-toes and pulling him even harder towards her. The kiss kept getting more and more eager, the slight scraping of teeth becoming a mantra for their pent up desire as they continued to try and reign some kind of control over their raging hormones.

As if even considering the word 'hormone' could set someone off in a fragile situation, Akane lost control of her hands, and she soon found that she had effectively ripped the front of Ranma's uniform tunic open, and was already sliding it in no gentle manner off of his arms. Sentient thought left her as Ranma gave in to his urges, his hands now moving to the clasp of her bra beneath the fabric of her top.

Even as her hands reached down for his belt buckle, Akane barely managed to pull away from the kiss for the brief second it took to breath out a sentence.

"Thank GOD there's only one bed!"

Heh heh... it wrote itself! Hopefully it isn't too horrible...

MattSaotome