Five days later

Akane was discharged from the clinic the previous day. All this days she had been overwhelmed by the love and care her family and friends had shown her. So many of her friends including Kuno, Ukyo; they all visited her at the hospital and wished for her speedy recovery. She was so happy to see all of them. Nodoka came every day to see her, she used to stay by her side and took care of her like her own daughter. Her father, Mr Saotome, and her sisters were always present at her sight. Only left was Ranma.

Even though she had asked him to leave that night, all through the days she had been wishing to see his face. When her anger died down, she remembered the way she saw him. He looked so devastated, so tired, so broken! His hair was messy, his clothes wrinkly, he looked a complete mess. Everyday at the hospital, she wished that he would come and visit her once. Although she was still angry with him for what he did and what he said to her, but still she wanted to see him. No matter whether they talked or not, she would have appreciated it if he had come and silently sat by her side.

She was resting in her room at that moment as she thought about him. She just finished her breakfast and came up to her room with the help from her father. She still had a bandage on her head and was still having difficulty walking by herself. She had to take help from a stick for walking. She sighed as she looked out at her window. She noticed she had been checking out her window a lot lately after returning home. All the time wishing to find him peeking at her from the window, but to her dismay he also didn't show up there as well. She growled angrily and muttered to herself,

"That idiot! Insensitive perverted jerk! See if I care.."

"Oh my; who are you talking with, Akane?"

Suddenly, Kasumi entered the room, carrying some washed and folded clothes for her imouto. Akane got embarrassed getting caught like that, she looked down and said in a low tone,

"No one, Oneechan. I was just.."

"Missing Ranma?" Kasumi asked with a soft smile on her beautiful face.

Akane looked away angrily and said, "I don't miss anyone! And why would I miss that jerk who didn't have the guts to pay me a visit!"

"Oh my!" Kasumi said in a shocked tone. She went to her bed and sat by her side and asked her politely, "Correct me if I am wrong, but you are the one who kicked him out that night, isn't it..?"

Akane moaned and said in a frustrated tone, "I didn't kick him out, Oneechan! I just told him to get out of that room! But still he could have come and visited me the next day! But that coward didn't show up! He has changed, oneechan! He is not the same Ranma that I used to know.. He has changed.."

Kasumi sighed softly and laid her hand over Akane's hand, then she said, "You know, when he came to the hospital hearing about your accident, he broke down in front of me just like a child. For a whole day you have been unconscious, Akane. That poor guy stayed by your side every second of the day and I often used to find him clutching to your hand and crying for forgiveness. He didn't want to eat anything or take any rest; he just used to stare at you and waited for you to open your eyes. That night when you woke up and told him to leave, I was afraid that he would be upset at you and leave. But you know where I found him?" She clutched her sister's hand tightly and said, "Outside your room. He sat over the waiting chair and stayed there. He didn't even went to his house to change or eat. He took showers at Tofu's, ate what his mother or I used to bring for him and all day long, he used to sit in the waiting room area and he left just before you were discharged from the clinic."

Akane eyes were getting wide and wider as her sister began to reveal the truth to her. After Kasumi finished talking, she looked down in deep thought and asked Kasumi, "Why did nobody tell me about this?"

"Tofu told us that we should not pressure you. That's why Ranma had warned everyone that we don't tell you that he was waiting outside. He.. he was also afraid that if you found out about him waiting there, you would tell him to leave from there as well!"

It became so hard for Akane to control her emotions in front of her sister. She bites her lower lips and said in a shaky tone, "Good, if he wants to hide from me and act like that, let him. I Don't care!"

"He is leaving for a long training trip, Akane.."

That made her look at Kasumi again. This time though, she couldn't hold back her tears as they freely fell on her cheeks. She angrily wiped her face and said in a furious tone,

"Why are you telling me this, Kasumi? We are not related anymore! I also broke my engagement with him! So why should I care if he stays or leaves?!"

"So you don't care then? Ukyo called me and passed me this information on Obasama's request. She said Obasama was crying so much because Ranma was not telling her when he would return home this time. She is worried that he won't return home anymore.."

Akane closed her eyes and shook her head and said, "So what? Let him run away! I don't care.."

"If you don't care, why are you crying then, Akane?"

Akane hid her face with her palms as she said with a broken tone, "BECAUSE THAT IDIOT SCREWED ME!! I HATE HIM, Oneechan! I hate him.."

Kasumi pitifully looked at her crying sister as she said, "There there, Akane! Dont cry, dear! I know you don't mean it! You don't hate Ranma. You can't hate him!"

Akane composed herself a bit and said in a weary tone, "If you knew what he had done to me, you would gonna hate him too, oneechan.."

"I know what he had done, Akane. In fact, I would say, I know more than you know about what he had been doing."

"What? ... I don't understand.." Akane said in disbelief.

Kasumi smiled at her and said, "Although Tofu warned us not to do anything which might pressure your mind; but I think if I don't tell you now it will cause more damage to you. You see Akane, Ranma didn't want to break the engagement with you. This idea… actually this was our father's idea."

"Father?! What are you saying, Kasumi?"

Kasumi nodded and said, "Father was scared for your safety, Akane. That's why one day he suggested to Ranma that he should rethink about being engaged with you. Ranma declined his proposal at first and convinced him that he would take care of that matter. But poor Ranma failed and that's why maybe he decided to listen to our father."

"Did you knew it that time?"

"No, I didn't. I found out about it after Ranma left the Tendo house. I asked Father and he had no other choice but to tell me."

"And you didn't stop it? Why, Kasumi?"

Kasumi sighed and said, "Because like father, I was also worried about you, Akane. When father pointed out to me that after Ranma broke his engagement with you, Shampoo had stopped her attacks on you; I also decided to stay quiet about it. Then I heard about Ranma choosing Ukyo as his fiance, and then Shinnosuke came. I thought maybe you guys are moving on. Then your accident happened and after that I have come to know more truth about Ranma." Kasumi gave her a serious look and said, "I found out from Ukyo that, Ranma had already broken his engagement with both her and Shampoo as well."

"What?" Akane whispered in disbelief, "But that can't be true!! He said to me that.."

"That Ukyo is his fiance?" Kasumi sighed and said, "He asked Ukyo for a favour to help him. He asked her to lie about their relationship for the time being."

"BUT WHY WOULD THAT IDIOT DO THAT?"

"Because he wanted you to move on in your life! He couldn't stand to see you depressed and broken. That's why before leaving Nerima he wanted to see you happy with someone reliable."

Akane growled angrily and said, "And that's why he had called Shinnosuke, isn't it Oneechan?"

Kasumi gently smiled at her and said, "Although his intention was pure, his plan backfired on him badly. Well, in his haste to see you happy, he forgot that he could lie to the whole world but not himself. When Shinnosuke started escorting you, at first he tried to act cool about it, but he couldn't stay casual about it long. You know how he is, Akane. He can't see you with any other guy. He has been like this from the very beginning."

"But he could be with any girls he wished to." Akane said bitterly.

"Maybe.. But his eyes were only on you all the time, dear. In sickness and in health, you guys were always together! I know what I said it meant for a married couple; but you guys may not be married yet, but you two do act more like a married couple, you know!"

Akane was already in tears as she started sobbing softly. She shook her head and said, "He doesn't care about me, Oneechan! If he does, he wouldn't have make this decision to leave Nerima!"

"Oh dear, please don't cry! I am also confused about why he is leaving though! Oh wait a minute.." Kasumi thought for a moment and said, "Ranma looked pretty depressed when he waited at the waiting room. Once I asked him about it, he didn't tell me much about it, only stated that he have mistreated you and hurt your feelings. I asked Ukyo about it and then I got to know about everything.."

"What everything?" Akand asked, curiously.

Kasumi slightly got embarrassed, she hesitated at first and said, "Umm about what Ranma said to you on the school roof and about …. what happened between you two the night before he called off the engagement between you two.."

Akane's eyes bulged open with surprise. Her face instantly became red with embarrassment; she moaned annoyingly and hid her face with a pillow as she called out in a muffled tone,

"THAT IDIOT!! Why did he tell Ukyo?"

Kasumi giggled seeing her reaction. She patted her head softly and said, "Don't blame him, dear. Poor him was so lost about what he should do, he needed help that time, and that's why he told Ukyo about it. I know he shouldn't have behaved that way with you on the roof. But maybe his insecurities have triggered it? You know how he is, Akane. And that moment he was on the verge of losing you to another guy. That's why maybe he acted that way. Akane, please forgive him. You have no idea how much he had cried for you."

"I don't know, Kasumi. Even if I forgive him, I don't want to stop him from leaving. And I definitely won't confess to him anymore. My pride has been hurt so often. I can't low myself in front of him anymore."

Kasumi sighed tiredly and said, "I am not asking you to confess to him, Akane. With you breaking the engagement, there is no betrothal between you two now! You two need time to heal. You two need time to figure out what you guys really want from each other. All I am asking you to do is just talk to him. One has to act maturely in a relationship, dear! Ranma, although he is a strong martial artist, he is still childish. Especially when it comes to you, he can't act maturely at all! But someone has to take charge! At least, go and tell him that he has a home here and people who would wait for his return. Make him believe that you still value your friendship and would want to see him return. Akane, can you please be honest with me?"

Akane nodded her head as she kept on crying, hiding her face on the pillow. Kasumi sighed and asked her,

"Do you still love Ranma? Do you want him to come back?"

Akane slowly looked up at Kasumi with a tear-stained face and whispered to her in a defeated way,

"What will I do without him, Oneechan? I… I love him.. I can't live without him.."

Kasumi also got emotional hearing her sister's honest confession. She went close to her and gave her tight hug and said,

"Then let's go to the Saotome's. At least you could bid goodbye to him.."

Akane didn't say anything to her, she bites her lower lip hard and hugged Kasumi more tightly.

Ranma was busy with the last-minute packing. Nodoka stood by his door, her heart paining to see her son leaving her again. The miserable thing that was happening was that he was not even telling anyone when he would return back home. She shook her head in misery and cleared her voice to indicate her presence to Ranma. He looked back at her and smiled at her as he said,

"Mom? When did you come here?"

"Long enough.." She said as she entered his room. She quietly sat beside him on the floor and started helping him to fold some clothes inside his backpack.

Ranma looked up at her face and said, "Mother.."

"Just come back soon this time! Your mother is not getting any younger , you know.."

Ranma smirked and said, "I will return, mother." He paused for a moment and then asked again, "Mom, please take care of yourself and .. please look after Akane as well."

Nodoka gave him a hard stare and asked him, "Who will look after me then?"

"I know Akane. As long as she is around you; I don't have to think about you at all.."

"Then you should know that I will do the same for her. Even though your engagement is broken , I still see her as my own daughter. I am not going to abandon her like you are doing."

Ranma smiled at her and nodded his head, "Thanks, mom! I know you won't."

Nodoka narrowed her eyes and said, "Don't worry, son! You go and have fun on your own. I will always give you news about her. I will tell you when she will get engaged, when she will get married to someone and I am even going to send you their newborn babies picture! Don't forget to send me your address, son!"

Ranma growled hearing that, he rubbed his face with his hand as he said while moaning, "Mom, you definitely know-how to put salt in an open wound."

Nodoka gave a long sigh, she laid her hand over his hand which was over the bag as she said, "At least go and talk to her before leaving, dear."

Ranma looked up at her and said with an annoyed tone, "The last time we had a decent talk, she officially broke our engagement. Then when she woke up from her unconsciousness, she didn't want to see my face. I am still trying to recover from those traumas, mother! The last thing I want before leaving is to hear more disgraceful things from her mouth..!" Ranma sighed and looked down defeatedly as he said, "Her every words means the world to me! I won't be able to take it if she hates me and thinks badly about me. I haven't left any space for her not to think badly about me. I have messed up everything mother.! I don't know how to.."

"IS ANYBODY HOME?!!"...

Ranma paused as he looked at his mother with shock in his eyes. "Mom! Did ya tell Oneechan? Why is she here?"

Nodoka blinked her eyes innocently, she slowly stood up and said, "I promised you I Won't tell any Tendos; so I didn't. I don't know who told her! Anyway, she is here now, you should come down and greet her."

Saying that she quickly went out of the room. She smiled when she was climbing down the stairs. Yes, she promised Ranma that she wouldn't call Tendo family; but he didn't made her promise about not telling this to Ukyo! She told her everything in hope that Ukyo would pass the message to the Tendos. And she did!! She sighed happily as she walked towards the entrance. She had to stop in shock when she saw who came in to her house. She gave a happy shaky laugh as she called out to Ranma excitedly,

"RANMA! Son!! Come down QUICKLY! Look who came to meet you!!"

A/N: One more chapter then it's DONE!! YAYYY!! Thank you for your comments, I really appreciate that you guys are enjoying and writing to me.

A guest reader asked me where is Shampoo here? Your question is valid, friend. But if you had read my other fics, you would know that I don't like to write about Shampoo that much :p . In My "Love You Again" fic, the story was primarily based on Shampoo, but I hardly wrote anything about her on that fic ;p. And most funniest thing was, no one missed her ;p.

I hardly get time for writing, but when I do, I only like to write about Ranma and Akane :).. Thanks for reading guys. Please don't forget to leave me a review this time :). See you soon!