I decided I like the idea of Akane and Ukyo as friends, because without the rivalry they really ought to get along great. They are both violent and somewhat sensible...

I used a little poetic excerpt from the poet George Meredith, as poetry is not really my forte and I required a short Ryoga monologue.

I do not own Ranma 1/2, I just wanted the story to keep going.

Chapter 2

Ukyo mercilessly scrubbed the last bit of grease from the grill, then stood back surveying her work with a smile. With a deep sigh she looked around her empty restaurant. The sun was warm and bright filtering through the windows, it was the kind of day when everyone went to the beach or on a picnic with their family or friends, and business had been non existent. She picked up her mop to scrub the floor a second time just to keep from going crazy with boredom, when her door opened.

"Hello! Welcome!" She yelled a little to exuberently.

"Hey Ucchan!" Came the friendly reply from the short haired girl who had once been her nemesis.

Ukyo smiled, "Hey there Akane. What brings you here, hungry?"

She shook her head with a smile, "No thanks. I was just wandering around town and thought I'd stop and say hello."

"Well I'm glad you did. I haven't had a customer all day and I'm about to go crazy! It's almost enough to make me miss school."

Akane chuckled, "You're not alone, I think I was the only person in the shops today." She reached into her bag and pulled out a tin of star candy. "Hold out your hand."

She poured a little pile of the colorful stars into Ukyo's hand.

"Thanks!" Ukyo said popping one in her mouth.

"I got this too." She pulled out a magazine giggling.

"What is it?" Ukyo asked as she and the short haired girl sat down at a table.

"One of the magazines the other girls were always reading in school. I never actually looked at one, and decided I was curious."

"Teen miss huh?" Ukyo lifted an eyebrow, and both girls burst out in laughter. "Lets read it, I've always wondered what they were about too, never had time to read one."

Akane perused the first few pages reading out loud, "How to make guys want you...Quiz to find your perfect soul mate...Perfect gorgeouse eye make up...my most embarassing moment...hmm lets read that."

Ukyo chuckled, "they were worse bimboes then I gave them credit for."

Akane laughed. " Hmm, embarassed in the bistro...I was on a date with the cutest guy in school and brought my adorable little puppy along because I couldn't bear to leave him at home with my stupid brother. We were having a great time and everything was perfect, he leaned over to kiss me and my puppy farted really loud! My date got a really grossed out look on his face, and I explained that it was just my dog but I could tell he didn't believe me. He took me home, and never called again."

Akane was laughing until she looked up. "Ukyo! What's wrong?!"

Ukyo was horror struck, tears rolled freely down her cheeks. "I...I don't know!" She gasped out.

"What is it, you can tell me." The short haired girl put her arms around her friend.

Ukyo looked at her in utter confusion, "the dog, I...I feel bad for it! But I don't know why!" The situation was so ridiculous and Akane's look of perfect confusion was so priceless that the tears abruptly turned to guffaws of laughter so infectious the other girl was laughing again too in no time.

They sat giggling and reading the magazine for a while longer until the door swung open again.

"Hey Ucchan! There you are Akane, I've been lookin for you." The pigtailed boy said flopping himself down on a chair. "What're you two reading?"

The girls both looked at each other and giggled.

"Look Ranma, we found the perfect outfit for you." Akane showed him a photo of a red haired model posing in a light green dress.

He gave them an offended look, "man, thats not funny."

"She does kinda look like you though." Ukyo said standing up. "So what'll it be Ranchan, you must be hungry."

A while later the two left and Ukyo was alone once more. She finally decided to give up and close the shop after waiting another hour. She was just turning off the lights when there was a knock. She rushed over to open the door, after all one customer was better then none.

"Ryoga!"

"Hey Ukyo." He said shyly.

She jumped at him engulfing him in a hug. "I missed you jackass! Where have you been?!"

"umm...I don't really know."

"I didn't really figure you would." She said smiling.

"Where are all your customers?" He said looking around.

She detatched herself, blushing a little at her overly affectionate behavior. "It's been a slow day."

He nodded absently, fidgeting with with a strap from his pack. She could tell he wanted to say something, and was suddenly afraid that he might be regretting his actions all those weeks ago.

"Spit it out sugar, I can tell you want to say something."

He jumped warily eyeing the giant spatula strapped on her back. "Umm...I've been thinking... that I uh..didn't behave very well, b..before.." his cheeks were blazing as he valiantly stuttered on. "and..um..."

"and..." Ukyo repeated dangerously, after a long pause.

"And I uh was wondering, if maybe, if you want I mean...I could take you out sometime, be...because your g..great Ukyo, and I want to treat you...right."

She broke into a smile.

"That would be really nice. You had me worried there for a minute, I thought you were gonna break up with me!"

"What! I'd never! I'd have to be a complete moron to do that."

That earned him her most brilliant smile, and she was happy to see the one he flashed her in return was genuine. He really is a cutie, she thought affectionately.

"Want to go somewhere now? I gotta get out of here." She offered brightly.

He smiled brightly, obviousely pleased. "Yeah lets."

"Wait here a minute while I change." She bounded off, then had a thought and ran back. "Sit down and don't wander off!"

He laughed lowering his backpack to the floor and obediently sitting in a chair.

Ukyo sank into the cushioned seat relaxing immediately. She leaned on her old friend feeling glad to have him back, however long or short his stay ended up being. Someone was squeezing between the row behind them foretold by the grunts and apologies erupting from that area. Ukyo yelped as something cold splashed on her shoulder.

"Hey! Watch it buster!" She yelled standing and brandishing her fist.

The man glanced at her and broke into a wicked smile. "Well hey there cutie, what are you doing here by yourself."

"Excuse me?!" She countered as her eye twitched violently, "you must be blind and stupid if you can't see..." She trailed off as she heard a grunt, and looked down to see a very angry little black piglet on Ryoga's seat. She sighed, then turned back to the troublesome fellow, "I'll deal with you later."

"I look forward to it girlie." He said suggestively as he sat down.

Ukyo found herself reaching for her spatula, which of course she had left at home, when a small black whirlwind flew at the interloper, viciously biting and kicking. Her anger quickly dissapated as the jerk attempted unsuccesfully to fend off the adorable creature, and she gathered up the clothes from the seat beside her.

"Come on P-chan." She commanded and the little piglet stopped abruptly with a snort, turned around, and jumped into her arms, leveling a last warning grunt in the man's direction. "Lets fix you up, we'll take care of him later." She made sure she spoke loudly enough to be heard.

Ukyo stood at the bathroom doors for a long time debating whether to use the mens, or womens. She shrugged and walked into the men's bathroom, strode casually to the sink and turned on the hot water.

"Hey, how ya doing?" She said in her friendliest voice when a man using the urinal noticed her. "It's filthy in here." she commented absently looking around.

"Buka." came a noise from her arms. The piglet was eyeing her strangely.

"What?! Would you prefer the womens restroom?"

He squeaked and snorted in surprise, shaking his head fervently.

"I didn't think so. Oh, there. It's hot now." She put him in the sink and strode out of the bathroom, greeting a fellow who was walking in, and chuckled when she heard the yelp of surprise from the men behind her.

Just then the man who caused all the trouble in the first place walked up. "Fancy meeting you here beautiful. How about you come sit by me, I'll show you a good time." He leered.

"Not a chance." She said rolling up a sleeve.

The slightly dishevelled and damp lost boy appeared suddenly with a crash, leaving crumbling plaster and bits of wall behind him. Right next to the door.

"You." He glared at the man, "leave her alone!"

The man, who was rather large and muscled, looked the other up and down raising an eyebrow. "What are you gonna do about it?" He sneered, causing an ironic fanged smile to appear on the lost boys face.

One swift punch, and the jerk was lying unconscious against the opposite, swiftly crumbling wall.

"Hey! What'd you do that for! You could have held back a little!" Ukyo yelled chiding.

"I..I did." He stuttered nervously, lifting an arm to scratch at his head while his cheeks blazed. "Sorry Ukyo."

The wall crumbled the rest of the way revealing the girls restroom, full of preening females fighting for mirror space. There was a sudden chorus of shrieks.

Ukyo put a hand to her head and growled, "lets get outta here before they find out it was you." she mumbled grabbing his hand.

They walked out of the chaotic theatre, and down the sidewalk a ways.

"I'm really sorry Ukyo." He said quietly after a long silence, looking miserable.

She smiled, "it's alright sugar, it was kind of fun!"

He visibly perked up.

She slipped an arm into his, "I enjoy walking anyways, and the stars are so pretty tonight."

He nodded absently.

"What links are ours with orbs that are so resolutely far: The solitary asks, and they give radiance as from a shield: Still at the death of day, the seen, the unrevealed."

Ukyo glanced up at him smiling, then dropped his arm suddenly as a wave of nausea hit her like a ton of bricks. 'Not now!' she thought as she ran away to puke behind a tree.

"Ukyo, are you ok? Where did you go?" She heard faintly behind her, but could not answer.

A few moments later when she had caught her breath, and after the heaving stopped she weakly stepped out from her hiding place, "please don't have wandered off." She grumbled to the wind as she looked around. "Stupid, stupid Ucchan! Leave the lost boy by himself." She searched, and searched but could not locate him. Finally feeling defeated she sat down on a bench and sighed.

Then it started to rain.

"Damn."

A group of wildly yapping dogs ran by, then an old woman brandishing a chefs knife. "Weird." Ukyo muttered. she did not know how long she sat as she was slowly soaked through. But suddenly there was a tapping sound on the bench beside her, and something was nudging her arm. She looked down and felt her heart lift.

"You actually found me!" She laughed weakly scooping the wet grunting piglet up, he appeared a little worse for wear. "I think it's time to go home."

He snorted twice in affirmation. She hugged the little piglet close as she walked.

"Are you alright Ukyo?"

The worry in his eyes was so intense she could not help but speak the truth, though she still played down the importance.

She smiled disarmingly, "It's nothing, sometimes I feel a little off thats all. Then it passes so quickly I forget it even happened."

"You mean you get sick like that often?"

"No! I mean, never. Until recently that is." She purposely didn't look his way as she hedged around the truth she had been avoiding. The truth that for some reason, she had not been quite well for a while.

"How long."

"I dunno, a couple months." She finally admitted.

His eyes flashed, "A couple months! Did you see the doctor? Something could be wrong!"

"Don't get so excited, its nothing." She said anger rising.

"I care about you Ukyo." He shouted fervently, and her anger quickly melted away.

She scooted a little closer and wrapped her arms around him, sighing contentedly when he hugged her back much too tightly. Or maybe she was actually gasping because the wind was knocked out of her, she couldn't be sure. Though she was certain she was happy to be there.

"I'll go see dr. Tofu tomorrow." She mumbled begrudgingly.

"Hey Ryoga..." She said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Wh..what?" He asked fearfully.

"Thanks." She smiled dangerously inching closer still.

He turned red, stuttering incoherently as she reached up to kiss him.