DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranma 1/2. Nor do I own any other recognized series/characters that may appear in this story. Characters and series elements are copyright of their respective owners.


A/N: The crossover element of the fic pics up yet again in this chapter. You may have noticed I've been using Ryouga as a vehicle for bringing in crossover characters. He's just so convenient for that ;) That will continue but now in addition, other characters will start to find themselves in crossover situations. Enjoy!


Ranma was dressed up neatly and standing outside Akane's trailer working up the nerve to knock on the door when it opened suddenly. There, face to face with Ranma, stood Akane, dressed in her finest. Her dress was casual enough to pass for street clothes, but still looked radiant on her. Ranma commanded his jaw to remain in place and not drop to the floor. Both blinked in surprised at the sudden appearance of the other. His hands nervously shifting in his pockets as one clenched a certain jewelry box, Ranma finally spoke.

"You look beautiful Akane." he said with a genuine smile that Akane could definitely appreciate. She wasn't sure, but she could swear she saw a pink hue cover his cheeks.

"Thank you Ranma. You look very nice as well." she answered with a sweet smile that made his heart melt. Ranma took her hand and turned slightly leading her down the trailer stairs. "We should g't goin'." he stated politely. It was now Akane's turn to blush. The hand Ranma had taken was the same on which he had bestowed the accidental kiss earlier. The memory came back to Akane the instant he touched her hand and she felt her heart flutter. A nod was all she could manage in response. Shaking off the lightheadedness, she followed Ranma once again to his car.

Ryouga had wandered around the entire studio looking for Sasuke, but being Ryouga, had only managed to get himself going round in circles. Sasuke had long given up and left, figuring Ryouga would sleep in his trailer for the night. Suddenly Ryouga found himself witnessing something that nearly made him do a backward facefault. In front of his own eyes was Ranma Saotome, leading 'his' Akane by the hand from her trailer. *He better not be trying anything.* Ryouga thought as he frowned at the sight. He then unknowingly spoke aloud to assure himself. "Feh, Ranma's a jerk around females. He wouldn't know what to do with a second rate one, let alone a gem like my Akane. She's a good listener though. Maybe he'll tell her what the heck's going on with him. I'll get the answers out of my lovely in the morning. She'd tell me anything I asked." Ryouga determinedly followed the two at a safe distance out of the studio and through the lot. *Just to make sure Saotome stays in his place.* he told himself. Sadly, he took a wrong turn just before the parking lot came into view and it took him another hour to locate the entrance. By then Ranma and Akane had long gone.

---

Nabiki meanwhile was impatiently waiting outside the studio. Ukyo had instructed her to wait there while she retrieved the two friends she had spoken of. Nabiki was happy to oblige, since nothing would give her more satisfaction than seeing Ukyo return on the arm of the beautiful young artist she had spoken of earlier. Nabiki glanced at her watch one final time and frowned. *If she doesn't come back in 5 minutes, I'm heading-* her thought was cut off by the sight of three figures heading toward her. She recognized Ukyo almost immediately and assumed the other two to be their dates. Ukyo walked up to her object of interest and smiled, taking her hand. "Nab-chan, sorry we're late.." Nabiki cringed, both at the hand holding and the use of the pet name. *Easy Nabiki..* she told herself *It's just until she introduces you.*

"I'd like ya to meet Haruka Tennou and Michiru Kaiou."

Nabiki smiled politely and eyed the one called Haruka giving him the once over. *This must be the race car driver.* she thought pleasantly. Then, she noticed two things. Haruka's smile had turned from her and was now directed toward Michiru, and unless she was mistaken, they were holding hands. That meant... *Noooooooo!* Nabiki inwardly screamed. This left Ukyo as her date. She sighed, realizing how rude she would appear if she attempted to get out of the evening at this stage. Shrugging to herself, she took comfort in the thought that even though he appeared taken, perhaps she could get through the evening by flirting with Haruka anyway. This would at the very least discourage Ukyo and set her 'straight' about Nabiki's preference in dates.

"Well, let's get going! It's time for a good old fashioned girls' night out!" Ukyo stated cheerfully, taking Nabiki's arm. Nabiki blinked at the statement and then spotted Haruka taking off his sports jacket to reveal a quite obviously feminine figure. *He's a SHE?!! I'm doomed......* The two pairs headed off arm in arm, much to Nabiki's chagrin.

---

Mousse parked his car just outside the Red Dragon, the classiest restaurant he could think of on short notice. As he reached to take Shampoo's hands he felt a tinge of nervousness creep up on him again. *Just antsy about making sure the evening goes well. It's only right to make up for things afterall.* he told himself. Shampoo, who hadn't stopped beaming since they left the studio felt the electric touch greet her all too suddenly as she was led into the restaurant. Only upon seeing exactly where they were dining did she come out of her trance-like state. *Oooooh, but I hate chinese food!* she silently whined. Reminding herself just who she was with, Shampoo promptly shut up and followed him inside.

---

Ranma's car pulled into his driveway slowly, though it had seemed like an eternity for him. The drive from work had gone slowly, both he and Akane silent as stars floating in separate galaxies. "We're here." he said softly, releif in his voice. He needn't have really stated such, Akane having been to his home just the previous night. Akane delicately exited the car and followed Ranma up the steps to his door.

Ranma, to his credit was successfully maintaining a neutral outward appearance while allowing tons of tiny thoughts and reminders to flow through his mind. The fan from the night before exclaiming that he was 'taken', his accidental kiss to Akane's hand, the reverie he had gotten lost in while mocking Ryouga's script, and Akane's sudden acceptance of his second invitation. Silently, they danced around in his mind like puzzle pieces trying to fit together to form a larger picture. Everything he wanted lay in the beautiful girl before him. Happiness, company, love. Unlocking the door, Ranma demanded that his mind shoo such thoughts away for now and concentrate on the night ahead of him. The last thing he needed was to get high expectations going when he hadn't even gotten through their second date. He opened the door for Akane and stepped aside to allow her entry.

Akane smiled at the gesture and stepped inside the house only to stop in surprise just inside the door. Greeting her almost immediately with a friendly brush of the leg was Scarlet, purring softly as she nuzzled her head against Akane's ankle.

"Heh, looks like someone's happy ta see ya back here." said Ranma with a grin. *..Besides me that is.* he thought as he made his way to the kitchen. Scarlet left Akane in favor of making sure Ranma's visit to the kitchen was with the purpose of feeding her as she padded over to him with a demanding meow.

"I hope ya like french cookin'!" Ranma called to Akane, who had just sat on the couch. Smiling, Akane hoped she wasn't causing Ranma to go to too much trouble. "That sounds wonderful." she replied politely. Ranma's heart skipped a beat. Her praise always made his day. And this time he hadn't even done anything yet. He made a silent vow that nothing would ruin this dinner.

---

Nabiki fidgeted in her seat. Half empty cups of coffee decorated the small table of four. All except hers. She had barely taken a sip, choosing instead to clutch it as she nodded politely at the conversation around her. Haruka and Michiru had inched their chairs closer to each other as the evening wore on. This left a huge void consisting of Nabiki and Ukyo's respective chairs. Ukyo had once tried to move her chair closer to 'Nab-chans', but noticed Nabiki freeze up at this, so remained as she was.

"So how long have you two known each other?" Nabiki looked on as the inquiry came from Michiru. She was stroking Haruka's hand contently and the look in her eyes as she spoke indicated that she was under the impression that Ukyo and Nabiki were a couple. This made Nabiki turn more than a little green. "We've known eachother for.." Nabiki cut Ukyo off, but fast! She was afraid that any answer given would further support the 'couple' theory and she couldn't have that. It would only encourage Ukyo and her advances were bad enough already. "We were hired for the same series. We're co-workers!" Nabiki shot the sentence out with a determination that left Ukyo a bit crestfallen. What Nabiki said was true, but she couldn't help but feel rejected. Nabiki caught Ukyo's visage and hoped that the others hadn't noticed. She felt bad, but she had to set the situation straight. She had nothing against same sex relations, but she herself was straight and Ukyo needed to understand that. "Working together huh? Must get akward sometimes." Haruka stated. They weren't getting it. *Help......* Nabiki thought as she sank further in her seat.

---

Ryouga had long give up tracking down Ranma and Akane. He had wandered the lot for what seemed like forever and decided to put his faith in Akane's ability to take care of herself. He made a note to introduce Ranma to his fist should Akane show up at work with even a hint of unhappiness. "That jerk may be hopeless around women, but he better not try anything with MY woman." Mumbling to himself, Ryouga pushed open a door marked Stage #9. As he looked around, his visage fell, frustration taking over his features. "This isn't it either... What I wouldn't give to at least locate my trailer. I'll get the boot if I keep holding up production. Ryouga was so busy worrying to himself that he failed to notice some wires on the stage floor. Without warning, he tripped over three large ones and went flying into a pile of props. Groggy, he tried to stand, but he felt himself lose footing and fall into something large. Then before you could say "Where on Earth am I now?", he had been hit on the head. Confused and dazed, Ryouga lost conciousness.

---

Shampoo smiled across the table at the man she admired. She was doing a very good job of hiding her excitement, given that the thought of being on a real date with Mousse still left her in a state of what seemed like pure heaven. Mousse caught her smile and smiled back nervously. He was new to the dating experience and although he had initiated this date, he had no idea what he was doing. *Any other night I'd be rehearsing next week's script with a bowl of Ramen in front of me. How does one act on these things?* He motioned over to the waiter who had taken their order. He needed to distract himself while they waited for the food. "Two waters please." The waiter nodded and went to the kitchen.

"I very much enjoyed your fight scene today Mousse." Mousse snapped out of his thought process and looked up at Shampoo. "Thank you. Ranma was in rare form today wasn't he." Mousse wasn't used to compliments, so shifting the focus on Shampoo's best friend seemed appropriate. "So were you." She smiled another radiant smile as the conversation shifted right back to Mousse. He smiled and nodded a simple thank you as he tried desperately to hide the blush threatening to show on his cheeks. This dating thing was going to be harder than he thought..

---

Ranma and Akane sat eating their dinner by candlelight. The silence as they concentrated on the meal was both relieving and unnerving to Ranma. On the one hand he was relieved to have some time to think over possible subject matter while he ate. But by the same token, he was greatly worried that his nervousness would leave him unable to carry on a decent conversation with Akane. What would they talk about? He had no desire to just talk about work. Sure, their work environment was where they shared the most common ground, but Ranma wanted to get to know Akane. He wished to learn every aspect of her and share aspects of himself as well. Microscopic beads of sweat collected on the back on Ranma's neck as he searched for a starting point. To his great relief, Akane finished the morsel of food she'd been working on and spoke.

"So are you ready for tomorrow's shoot? We start a new episode schedule you know." she said with a smile. Ranma's visage fell just slightly. *Damn.. More talk about work. Ah well, better'n not talkin' at all I guess..* Ranma shot her back a shyer version of his cocky grin and replied.

"Yeah. I gave the script the once, twice and thrice over last night. All set." Taking in a gulp, Ranma decided now was it. He was going to shift the conversation. Crossing his fingers under the tablecloth, he proceeded. "So whaddaya do with yer days, Akane? I mean free time an' all."

Akane was caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, and for her part, wondered why Ranma was suddenly interested in knowing the answer. Then she made a note of where she was. She and Ranma weren't at work. Why should they restrict their conversation to it? Smiling and a bit flattered by Ranma's initiative, she answered him. "Oh, all kinds of things, really. I like to cook. I keep a garden. And of course I need to keep up my skills for the show, so I do head to the gym. But I prefer my evening jog." Ranma nodded as each beautiful word hit his ears. A smile crossing his lips as he got his first glimpse into the life of the girl before him. "What about you?"

*Huh?!* Ranma snapped out of his reverie and blushed slightly as he realized it was his turn to return the favor.

"Nuthin special. I go to the gym too. Three times a week. Plus all kindsa other athletic stuff. I write a bit in my spare time, spend time with the furball here an' I enjoy watchin' a good sumo match. Heh." Ranma dropped his hand down to scratch Scarlet lightly on the head, his voice hiding nervousness as he spoke.

"You're a writer?" Akane's eyes lit up with interest as she learned of a side of her co-star she would have never expected. The athletic aspect was no surprise, but the thought of Ranma Saotome engaging in writing seemed foreign to her and it intrigued her to no end.

"Well, yeah. I've been writin' far before I ever caught the acting bug. Nuthin' published 'course, but...." Ranma stopped as his eyes caught sight of Akane's. He was astonished at how well he seemed to have captured her attention. *YEESSS!!!* went off the voice in his mind. "Err, you wouldn't wanna,... y'know see some of what I wrote sometime? It's okay if ya don't."

Akane smiled. "I'd love to. What kinds of things do you write?" Ranma beamed at the first three words, then soon realized a lot of his writing lately had been about his feelings for Akane. Nothing directly mentioned her by name but the risk was still there if she should read any of it. Quickly, he thought of some of his older material and stood up. "Short stories mostly. Wait here, I'll go grab ya one." Ranma had carefully summarized his writing, leaving out words like 'romance tale' or 'love poem' when answering Akane. As Ranma stepped out of the dining room, Akane noticed a small jewelry box had dropped from his back pants pocket.

---

Ukyo let out a small sigh as she smiled to Haruka and Michiru across the table, her smile hiding the concern in her mind. For most of an hour, she had witnessed Nabiki turn from frozen up, to very uncomfortable, to downright scared and defensive at the constant gentle verbal nudges regarding her and Ukyo. *What am I doing.. It's hopeless. Nab-chan isn't interested in me that way...* Glancing over to the fidgeting Nabiki once more, she bit her lip in defeat and decided it only fair to get the poor girl out of there. "We're just friends. I didn't want to be a third wheel so I asked Nabiki to join me when meeting up with you two.." Haruka and Michiru stopped their questions and nodded, finally taking the hint and letting the topic go. Nabiki for her part was doubly stunned. Once for the comment itself and once more for Ukyo's sudden use of her actual name, rather than the 'Nab-chan' nickname she'd ackwardly grown used to hearing from her. Nabiki let go of her long since cold cup of coffee and adjusted her seat, straightening up and giving a nod to the pair across the table. "That's right. I couldn't refuse the request of a friend, so here I am. Though I should be going home soon. I have an early shoot tomorrow." Nabiki stood up and Ukyo followed suit as this seemed to serve as the cue for the 'girl's night' to come to an end. Haruka expressed pleasure at having met Nabiki on behalf of both Michiru and herself while Michiru simply smiled and held Haruka's arm. The couple left with Ukyo and Nabiki following behind until just outside the coffee shop. And then there were two. Nabiki nodded to Ukyo who had an obvious saddened expression on her face, despite her best efforts to hide it. "Thank you, Ukyo. I appreciate what you just did." Nabiki bowed a small thanks to her before rising upright again. *You're welcome Nab-chan* Ukyo thought as she simply nodded back, unable to speak for fear of her voice showing the wrong emotion to Nabiki.

Nabiki wanted to offer words of comfort to her dejected co-worker but was afraid that any such words could be taken as her showing affection. She did not want things to turn down the route they had just managed to finally stray from. Smiling a soft, encouraging smile to Ukyo, she turned to go. "Bye Nabiki.." Ukyo stated softly. As Nabiki faded into nothing more than a small speck, a single tear fell from Ukyo's cheek, a symbol of her admission of defeat. "Ukyo? Ukyo Kuonji? Is that you?" Ukyo turned to the voice behind her and saw a girl with long flowing pink hair stroll up toward her. "Utena? I haven't seen you since before I started my job at the studio. How are you?" Ukyo smiled for the first time in what had been more than an hour. The loss of her conquest pushed to the back of her heart in favor of talking to an old friend. "I moved to this district a week ago. I work at your same studio now! Come on, let's grab a coffee. We have so much catching up to do!"