CAN'T LET GO 
(A Ranma 1/2 fic by Cass and GSL)

Authors' Notes aka stuff we wanna say now or we might end up being sued 
or flamed:
We have written this story out of fun. In no way do we own the 
characters of this story, they belong to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan 
Inc, Shonen Sunday Comics, and Viz Video.  This story is meant for 
entertainment, non-profit purposes.

This story deviates from the Ranma universe after Ukyou arrived in 
Nerima.  Some of the characters have been given mind-altering drugs by 
us and that's why they act out-of-character.  8-) This is generally a 
dark fic.

Comments, criticisms and MSTs are welcome. You can reach us at 
chiaty@singnet.com.sg
You can view this at http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics.htm

We also would like to thank our pre-readers, Justin Baugh, Jed Bidwell, 
Arthur Edwards and Maurice Phillip.

[ ] = dream sequence
< > = character's thoughts
{ } = conversations in chinese 


Part 5A: Opposite of Love is Hate
---------------------------------

(Jusenkyo)
  
	Ranma stood before the nannichuan pool, his heart pounding.  If this 
didn't work, he didn't know what else to do.  <It has to work.  It will 
work.>  Repeating those last two sentences like a mantra, he plunged 
into the pool.

	Moments later, Ranma surfaced.  He climbed out of the accursed pool, 
his hands immediately touching his chest.  No lumps of flesh!  His hands 
headed south and found his manhood.  He wanted to leap for joy but a 
tiny part of him was wary.  He needed to know that this cure was 
permanent.  The guide sensed this and poured hot water, then cold water 
on him.  No change.  As relief and happiness flooded his senses, Ranma 
began dancing a silly and utterly wacky dance.  "I'm cured!  I'm cured!"  
He pranced around, with the abandonment of a child, his feet terribly 
close to the edge of a pool.

	"Careful, Ranchan.  You don't want to slip into another pool," 
cautioned Ukyou.

	Suddenly aware of the danger they were in, Ranma slowly followed the 
guide out of Jusenkyo, careful of every step that he took.  It would be 
terribly ironic to have cured himself of one curse, only to obtain 
another one the next minute.  Ukyou followed behind.

--------------------------------------------------------------
	(To prevent boring our readers, we have fast forwarded the story.  We 
now rejoin Ranma and Ukyou in a place that we have no name for, after 
they had bid farewell to the Jusenkyo Guide.)

	  "Quick!  I think I see shelter up ahead.  We can stay there until 
this storm passes," yelled Ukyou.  She held her huge spatula above her 
head as an impromptu umbrella and ran.  Noticing Ranma didn't follow, 
she turned back, only to watch Ranma stare up at the rain clouds with a 
mixture of amazement and joy.

	"I'm free," uttered Ranma, speaking more to himself than to his best 
friend.

	"What?" asked Ukyou loudly.  During torrential downpours like such, one 
would have to shout to make one self heard.

	Ranma yelled happily, "I said, I'm free!  No more wondering when I 
would get splashed, no more wearing a girl's swimsuit whenever I want to 
swim.  And no more worrying about my identity slipping away with every 
time I touch cold water."  He closed his eyes, letting the rain wash 
away his troubles, if only for the moment.

	Being the sensible one, Ukyou quickly retreated to the shelter - a run 
down old temple - and started building a fire to warm herself.

	An hour later, Ranma entered the temple.  Ukyou thought it was because 
he finally had enough of standing in the rain when actually, it was due 
to the smell of food cooking.  "So, where to now?" asked Ukyou as she 
cut her okonomiyaki into neat little squares before popping them, one by 
one, into her mouth.

	"I was thinking of revisiting a place Pops brought me for training.  
It's peaceful and close enough to a village so you can sell your 
okonomiyaki there," answered Ranma as he consumed his share with a speed 
that never ceased to amaze her.  "We'll start your training in the 
Saotome School of Anything Goes tomorrow," he continued.

	She nodded as she tried to find a comfortable place to rest.  After 
much shifting and poking, she finally settled down and went into a deep 
sleep.  

	Ranma sat in front of the fire for a long time, euphoric about the 
day's events but still thinking about Akane.  <Maybe I should write to 
her and tell her the good news.>  He rummaged through his backpack and 
found a pen and a piece of paper.  He started writing.

		'Hey Akane,'

	But that was all he wrote for he couldn't think of words that could 
adequately describe how he felt now.  Maybe he should have paid more 
attention during composition lessons.  He shrugged, deciding to wing it.

		'Just wanted to tell you that I got a cure.'

	<That sounded cold> he thought and cancelled the line.

		'Finally I'm free of the troublesome condition that has 	plagued me 
for so long.  Am presently enjoying my freedom.'  

	<What if Akane thought that the troublesome condition I was referring 
to was our engagement?  And is that how 'plagued' is spelt?>
He struck off the two sentences and begun anew.

		'Roses are red
		Violets are blue
		Am in China
		Found a cure
		No more half-girl
		And how are you now?'

	<What the hell was that?!>  He grimaced.  <It's worse than any of 
Kuno's flowery speech.  That's it, man.  I'll tell her when I get back.>  
He crushed the paper and threw it into the fire.  Lying down, he stared 
at the burning paper until sleep came.

--------------------------------------------------------------

(Same day.  Nerima Hospital)

	Akane awoke to soft female humming, she recognized the tune to from a 
popular pop song about love lasting forever - in other words, a common 
love song.  Somehow that depressed her.

	"Oh, you're awake.  There was a visitor just now.  Male."  The nurse 
winked conspiratorially.  "He left those roses for you." 

	Akane's heart raced as she reached for the roses and the small card 
attached.  <Ranma>. She smiled at that thought and opened the card.  
Anger, annoyance and mostly disappointment flitted on her face as she 
read out loud, "For the fair maiden, from Tatewaki Kuno".  The roses and 
card fell to the floor.  Picking up on her mood, the nurse quietly left 
the room.

	<Ranma, you stupid jerk.  Where are you?  Why haven't you visited me?>  
Imagining her pillow (who had the misfortune of being at the wrong place 
at the wrong time) to be Ranma, she threw punches at it.  Stab.  Punch.  
His confident smirk superimposed onto the pillow and she could almost 
hear him call out, "Tomboy!"  Her punches hastened and became more 
forceful. "Kawaiikune!" Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "Akane's my 
fiancT!" Her arm stopped in midair. Other memories flashed in her mind. 
How many times had Ranma risked his life for hers?  She couldn't 
remember.  But why, this time he wasn't here?  Why?

	Tentatively, she brought the pillow towards herself and hugged it 
fiercely.  (So snug was her embrace, that if the pillow was P-chan, it 
would have bled to death already.)  <I miss you so much, Ranma.  I don't 
know why, you're a pervert.  An immature, insensitive, chauvinistic 
jerk.  But no one can take your place.  Not Kuno, not Ryouga or any of 
the other guys in school.  Why haven't you visited?  Maybe you don't 
care for me after all.>  A single tear travelled slowly down her cheek, 
and eventually plopped down onto her blanket.  <Who cares if you come or 
not!  I certainly don't!>  Even as the thought occurred to her, she 
realized it to be a lie, one that she had been saying to herself for so 
long.  Akane hugged her pillow tightly and stared at the numerous paper 
cranes hanging from the ceiling.  <Why couldn't it be you who made 
them?>

	"Hello sis," said Nabiki as she walked in and seated herself on a 
chair.

	"Hi.  The doctor said that I can be discharged next Monday."   Akane 
paused as she wondered if she should ask Nabiki about Ranma's 
whereabouts.  "Ranma never came to visit me during my stay here.  Do you 
know why?"  She continued hurriedly as a blush began forming on her 
cheeks, "It's not like I care or anything, I'm just curious, that's 
all".

	"Oh really," Nabiki eyed her sister suspiciously but didn't probe 
further.  "Five thousand yen."

	"Fine." 

	Nabiki yawned as she divulged her findings, all the while noticing 
Akane's reactions.  "After daddy threw him out, he stayed with Ukyou and 
helped out as a waitress in Ucchan's.  Shampoo approached him to 
convince him of her 'innocence' but he rejected her and told her to 'Go 
and die'."  

	Akane frowned at the mention of the name 'Shampoo' - the one who had 
taken advantage of her vulnerable state and poisoned her.  At least 
that's what Nabiki and the rest told her.  Further harsh, strongly 
worded thoughts about that Amazonian were interrupted by the rest of 
Nabiki's words.

	"Kasumi told him you were awake but he didn't say if he would come and 
visit you.  Kasumi said that he seemed glad, relieved and sad upon 
hearing the news.  Strange, is it not?"  The money-making machine peered 
at her sister, knowing that her next line could lead to a explosive 
reaction.  "The second day after you regained consciousness, Ranma and 
Ukyou left for China.  I think they were on a training trip."

	"That's it?"

	Nabiki blinked in surprise.  <No violent outbursts about him leaving 
with Ukyou?  No shocked expression?  No tears?  Just a surprised look 
that turned contemplative.>  "In addition, I think that their trip will 
be a short one because Ukyou never sold her restaurant.  So they will be 
back."  Nabiki paused.  "I don't know anything else but I can find out."

	"Ok." Akane leaned back to ponder things through.

	"For another five thousand yen."

	"What!  No way I'm paying that much!"

	"Ok, ok, three thousand yen," relented the elder sister.

	"Deal."

	"Deal."

-------------------------------------------------------------
	
	Once back in her own bedroom, Nabiki flipped the pages of her phonebook 
and dialed a number.  "Hello, can I speak to Seiyu-san, please?"

	"Speaking."

	"This is Tendo Nabiki."

	"Ah yes, what can I do for a pretty girl like yourself?  Just say the 
word and it'll be done."

	"Careful, you don't want your wife to hear that."

	"No, I wouldn't.  Or I would wake up one morning without my"  He 
paused.  

	Nabiki laughed.  "Anyway, I was wondering if you have any business 
contacts in China."

	"Why?  Is it about that Amazon woman, Shampoo?"

	"It has nothing to do with her.  I need you to find out the whereabouts 
of Saotome Ranma and Kounji Ukyou..."

--------------------------------------------------------------

	Weeks had passed like a blur to both Ranma and Ukyou.  They had settled 
down in a village called Jing Lai Fei Si, well not actually _in_ the 
village, more like near it, for they could not afford the rent and so 
stayed in the surrounding forest.  While our main characters are still 
sleeping, let me take this opportunity to describe to you the landscape 
(need to practice my descriptive skills, you know).  Jing Lai Fei Si, a 
village with the population of thousands (that is, if you included farm 
animals), had never really prospered.  Being right smack in the middle 
of Qin Hai and away from any main rivers or important traveling routes, 
it was not in a strategic position.  As such, one could understand why 
this village had never took off.  

	Its one chance of becoming a town took place fifty years ago when a 
villager discovered a tin mine in the northern part of the forest.  
Unfortunately, the mine was soon depleted, leaving behind unsightly 
cliffs and deadly holes filled up with rain water to become deceptively 
shallow ponds.  The top soil removed, the land could no longer be 
returned into its former glory.  The other parts of the surrounding 
forest fared better, free from man's meddling, except for the occasional 
hunting and tree logging, not to mention ki blasting.   Our duo resided 
in the northwestern part of the forest, only a few kilometres away from 
the mining area and the village.  Whenever they needed money for 
supplies, Ukyou would set up a okonomiyaki stall in the village square.  

	Ranma proved to be an impatient teacher, naively thinking that Ukyou 
could master moves after a few demonstrations and practices.  Luckily 
for both of them, Ukyou's diligence and determination compensated for 
her relatively slow learning speed.  Gradually, Ranma became a better 
teacher, giving informative advice, rather than insults, to his first 
real student.  In the short span of time, Ukyou had mastered...

	"Wake up, Ucchan," shouted Ranma as he shook the sleeping figure.

	"Huh?" Ukyou yawned and stretched lazily, her vision blurry from sleep.  
"Why are you up so early?  Usually had to wake you up," murmured Ukyou 
as she stifled yet another yawn.

	"Its that damn narrator!  She woke me up with her yapping."  Ranma 
shook his fist at the general direction, then took a few cleansing 
breaths.  He moved away from the campsite and began practicing the basic 
kata steps.  

	After drinking a cup of warm tea from her thermos, Ukyou felt more 
alert.  She took out her spatula and wielded it in a series of strikes 
and slashes.  While she learned bare-fisted defensive and aggressive 
moves from Ranma, she still had lots to learn about her own style of 
martial arts.  Picking up speed, she fended herself against an imaginary 
enemy, all the while growing increasingly vicious in her attacks.  

	"That's pretty good, Ucchan.  Learning the Chestnut Fist has certainly 
paid off, eh?"

	Ukyou whirled around, she didn't know she was being watched.  Her 
surprise must have showed, for Ranma reprimanded, "You've got to be more 
aware of your surroundings.  If I were to launch a surprise attack...  
Right, I've thought of what your next training will be.  From tomorrow 
onwards, I'll ambush you at any time of the day or night, so be very 
alert.  Now, what's for breakfast?"

--------------------------------------------------------------
(Same day in Nerima.  On an open field)

	"{Pull back the string. Quick, pull back.}"

	"{Hey, stop bossing me around. I know what to do.}"

	"{Look! Careful with the... ARGH!}" Mousse exclaimed as the kite fell 
gracefully onto the ground. He shot a wearied look at his companion who 
was more than agitated.

	"{See, it's all your fault. You distracted me.}" Shampoo pouted and sat 
on the grass heavily.

	Mousse gave a sigh and ran forwards a few metres to pick up the kite. 
As he bent down, he stole a glance towards Shampoo who had purposefully 
looked away from him, finding the trees more interesting. He sighed 
again and ran towards her. 

	Dropping the kite before her, he squatted to her face level. Pulling 
his ears and masking a puppy dog expression, "{I'm sorry. Will you 
forgive me?}" She refused to meet his eyes and shifted away from him. He 
replicated her movements, still searching for her eyes. He dropped his 
hands from his ears and proceeded to pull her hands, asking for 
attention. "{Please...}"

	She sneaked a peak at him and her facade ended. Her urge to laugh 
outweighed her urge to stay angry. After a burst of laughter, she hit 
him playfully on the shoulder. "{You are not to command me. Got that?}"

	"{Yes,}" he said resignedly. 

	She motioned him to sit down beside her, and clung onto his hands. No 
words were exchanged, as each seemed to be in deep thoughts. She looked 
up and stared intently at him. He had closed his eyes seemingly enjoying 
the breeze blowing at his face. <I could get used to him,> the thought 
creeping into her mind. Looking away from him, she snuggled closer, 
enjoying the warmth of his body.  

	Although his eyes were closed, his mind was whirling. She had begun to 
accept him. Good. Did she love him? He wasn't sure. But with time, he 
might accomplish just that.

	He was slightly startled when she moved closer to him. He looked down 
at her and was mesmerized by her smile. Impulsively, he pulled out his 
hand from her grip and swung it around her shoulder, pulling her closer 
to him. Tearing his eyes away from her, he faced the front reminiscing 
the scent of her hair. Enjoying the silence and basically each other's 
company, they stared into the horizon, waiting for the sun to set.

--------------------------------------------------------------
(Yes, we're back in China)

	For the next few days, Ukyou was ambushed and attacked from behind so 
many times that she became paranoid.  She never stayed in one spot for 
too long, preferring to stand or squat when she could sit, keeping her 
back covered whenever possible.  Her eyes peering at dark corners, 
moving bushes and strangers.  And that was just the effect Ranma was 
striving for.  In addition, he was having fun sneaking up on her.  The 
anticipation while hiding patiently in wait for his prey, the thrill 
when he managed to succeed, the enraged look on her face.  He smirked 
and almost laughed out loud.  Ranma sobered, he didn't want to give away 
his location and waste his hours of planning and hiding precariously on 
top of a ceiling beam.  <There she is!> Ranma tensed and prepared to 
land on top of her.  <Only a little more, come on Ucchan, walk forward, 
come on.>

	Ukyou Kounji sighed as she left her okonomiyaki cart outside the 
provision shop.  Sales weren't good today and she wouldn't be able to 
afford some of the groceries that they desperately needed.  <Maybe we 
could sell some of Ranma's catches,> she thought.  {Hello, Mr Wang, how 
are you today?  What a nice broom, how much does it cost?} she said in 
broken Mandarin, fingering the broom and thrusted it upwards.

	Ranma, caught offguard, toppled down.  He quickly got up and tried to 
salvage his pride.  "Oh hi Ucchan, what are you doing here?  Mr Wang has 
a problem with uh, bats, so I was up there trying to kill them," he 
explained, trying to look innocent and utterly failing.

	"Oh come on, Ranchan, lay off it.  You were trying to ambush me and you 
failed," shouted Ukyou in a smug tone.  

	"No I wasn't!  Nope, not me!  He really has bat problem, if you don't 
believe me, look up!  Wait!  Don't look up, the bats aren't there 
because, uh, well, uh, they're gone.  I've chased them away."

	"Ranma," warned Ukyou, her hand still firmly grasping the broom handle.

	{Are you people going to buy stuff, or not?} interjected the impatient 
shopkeeper.

	Ukyou turned to Mr. Wang, in all her excitement, she had forgotten 
about the groceries.  Minutes later, after much haggling on both sides, 
Ukyou and Ranma walked out of the shop, her wallet empty and his hands 
full.  She happily whistled all the way back to their present home.

	"Don't get too cocky," said Ranma sullenly.  "You've only won once.  
Until you can spot me and protect yourself from my initial attacks, five 
times in a row, this training is not over."

	<Sore loser!> thought Ukyou.  <I'll show him!> And showed him she did.  
For the next four ambushes, Ukyou managed to spot Ranma and attack him 
before he could.  It didn't matter if he was masquerading as an old man 
wobbling on a stick, lying motionless in wait on a tree branch or in a 
large clump of long grass.  She still discovered him and blocked his 
attacks from behind in time.  

	Needless to say, Ukyou whipped up a feast that night and celebrated 
alone.  Ranma was too busy sulking, for his huge ego had suffered a 
blow.  

--------------------------------------------------------------
(Nerima.  Tendo house)
	
	"Akane."  Nabiki held her hand out.

	Wordlessly, Akane rummaged through her purse and came up with eight 
thousand yen.  She waited anxiously for her sister to tell her the news, 
hope and fear warring in her heart.

	"My source said that Ranma and Ukyou were seen together in the Jusenkyo 
pools three weeks ago.  There Ranma obtained a cure."

	"He's cured?  That's great!"  shouted Akane happily.  She knew that 
Ranma hated his female form with a passion, which was why she kept 
teasing him about it.  "And?" she prompted Nabiki.

	"My source couldn't find out where they went after that.  He went to 
Chengdu, in case Ranma wanted to visit his father, but they weren't 
there.  Presumably, they wanted somewhere peaceful to train but there 
are a lot of places in China that would serve as good training spots.  
To search each and everyone of them would be counterproductive."

	"That means you have no way of finding out where they are." commented 
Akane, her voice shaky.  

	Nabiki nodded.  She pitied her little sister.  "I'm sorry," she 
whispered.

	Akane looked up at Nabiki.  She didn't want pity from her or anyone 
else.  The thought fueling her rage, Akane yelled, "No, you're not!  You 
don't care about me or Ranma!  You're just concerned that your major 
source of income is gone!"  A tear trailed down her cheek but she took 
no notice.  "You said you could find out his whereabouts.  You broke 
your promise!"

	Kasumi rushed out of the kitchen, wanting to comfort Akane.  However, 
Akane moved away from Kasumi's embrace and ran up to her room, leaving 
the two sisters to stare at the flight of stairs.  "Akane doesn't mean 
what she said.  She was just upset." Kasumi said in a soothing voice.

	"I know," Nabiki replied as she turned on the television, her face 
still remained emotionless.  She stared at the MTV but her attention was 
not on the show at all.

--------------------------------------------------------------

	It's 2 am in the morning and a figure can be seen tiptoeing down the 
stairs, carrying a backpack.  Carefully placing a letter on the dining 
table, it cast one final look back, before stepping out of the house.  

	In the living room, Ryouga stared at the shut door.  He had fallen 
asleep on the sofa, waiting for his favourite midnight anime show.  
Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he wondered if he was seeing things 
but the clicking sound of the lock slipping into place, made him rush 
out of the house.  

	A few blocks away from the Tendo house, the figure heaved a sigh of 
relief.  <Safe.>

	"Akane,"

	The figure whirled around to find Ryouga looking worried, a few paces 
away.  

	"Akane, what are you doing?  You're not running away, are you?"

	"Of course not!  I'm just leaving for a short trip, that's all," 
replied Akane, as she adjusted her backpack's position.  

	"Where to?"

	"Nowhere in particular.  Here and there," hedged Akane as she started 
walking away.  

	"If you're going, so am I.  A girl shouldn't travel alone."

	"You don't even know where I'm heading.  And I can take care of myself, 
Ryouga.  Thanks, but no."
	
	"I'll find out your destination once we get there.  Besides, I can 
roughly guess where.  China.  To trace Ranma's whereabouts."  The 
surprised look on Akane's face confirmed his suspicions.  "Let me come 
with you.  I can speak some Mandarin," pleaded Ryouga.  "It's terribly 
lonely when travelling alone in a foreign land.  I should know.  If you 
don't let me come with you, I'll follow behind, anyway."

	Seeing the determined look on his face, Akane relented.  Having him 
along might increase the chances of finding Ranma.  So what if he went 
along to fight Ranma?  When she found him, the first thing she would do 
is to smash him into a pancake with her trusty mallet.  "Come on, then.  
Take my hand.  We have to go back to get your things."

	Ryouga blushed slightly as he firmly gripped Akane's left hand, feeling 
the familiar tingle in his skin.  He wondered if Akane felt it too.

--------------------------------------------------------------
(Breakfast time at the Tendo's)
		
	"Where's Akane?" asked Soun as he sipped his tea.
	
	"If she doesn't come down soon, she's going to be late for school," 
commented Nabiki, nonchalently.

	A frown creased Kasumi's forehead as she passed Akane's letter to 
Nabiki.  "She left to look for Ranma, father."

	"Alone?  My baby, alone and defenseless in this cruel world, with no 
one to protect her!" cried Soun.

	"I think Ryouga went with her.  His things are missing and I haven't 
seen him around this morning either.  Don't worry, Ryouga will look 
after Akane." 

	Soun blinked away his tears.  At least his baby wasn't alone.  Ryouga 
seemed trustworthy enough.  But what was Akane doing, looking for that 
ungrateful and irresponsible Ranma?  Fury replacing worry in just 
seconds, he shouted, "Why should she look for Ranma?!  He's trouble 
waiting to happen!  What if he injures her again!  No.  I must bring her 
back."

	"She was engaged to him once, father," replied Kasumi softly.  "Despite 
all their fights, I think they actually..."

	Soun stood up.  "I'll leave immediately.  Maybe I can catch up to her 
before she leaves Japan."

	"Calm down.  If my associate couldn't find Ranma, Akane wouldn't be 
able to either.  She'll be back soon," said Nabiki confidently.

	"We don't know exactly where in China, she will be.  So, all we can do 
is stay here and wait.  Don't worry.  Akane can take care of herself."  
Finishing her speech, Kasumi refilled Soun's teacup.

	"I suppose so," replied Soun as he sat down again.  Still, he couldn't 
help but worry.  

--------------------------------------------------------------
(12:30pm in China.)

	Akane wiped the sweat off her brow and pored over a map.  She had kept 
track of their journey so far, following Ranma's trail.  It was pretty 
smooth sailing, until they reached Jusenkyo.  There the trail vanished, 
for the Jusenkyo guide didn't even know which direction Ranma and Ukyou 
were headed.  <How hard would it be to remember that!  It has only been 
a few weeks.  It's not like he gets many visitors!  From Jusenkyo, they 
could have gone in three directions, one leading to Joketsuzoku, the 
Amazon village (it was unlikely they went there), one leading back to 
the way they had came, the last leading to small villages dispersed 
among thick, lush forests.  Thus, Ranma must have gone in the last 
direction but after days of travelling, neither she nor Ryouga spotted 
him.  Maybe she had deduced wrongly.  Maybe there was a path that he had 
taken, that was not shown on this map.  Or maybe he didn't want to be 
found.  

	"Akane, what's the name of this town?" asked Ryouga as he stared at the 
map.

	"Shengxi town," she replied as she pointed to a dot on the map glad for 
the distraction.  

	"And where is the village we visited yesterday?"  

	"Here," as she pointed to another dot.

	"So, we've been heading north."

	Akane wordlessly folded the map and led Ryouga out of the noodle shop, 
not bothering to correct his earlier statement.  Best to save her breath 
for inquiring Ranma's whereabouts.

	 "{See swindler... Japanese boy... this high... with a girl?} asked 
Akane to a man about to enter the noodle shop.  

	"{No,}" replied the man.

	Ryouga thanked him as they turned and left.  Hand-in-hand, they made 
their way to the marketplace, questioning the locals along the way.   

	"{Have you see Japanese boy?}" 

	Local A replied, "Don't bother me!"

	Local B asked, "{Are you going to buy something?}"

	Local C winked and suggested, "{How about you give me a treat and I'll 
tell you what I know?}"
	
	Ryouga sighed.  <And I thought it would be easier to find Ranma this 
time around because of Akane's help.  Shows how much I know!  At least, 
I'm used to getting rude or useless responses.  Poor Akane, she looks 
like she is about to burst from all the frustration.>  Suddenly, he 
caught of something wonderous.  <Candied Haw!  I haven't eaten that for 
ages!  I'll buy some for Akane.  That will cheer her up.>  Eyes firmly 
planted onto the Candied Haw seller, he released Akane's hand and walked 
briskly to him.

	"{2 Candied Haws, please,}" asked Ryouga as his mouth watered at the 
tempting sight of many sticks of Candied Haw.  He paid and was about to 
return to Akane's side when he remembered to ask about Ranma. 

	"{Not him again.  Your girlfriend asked me already.}"

	"{Not my girlfriend,}" replied Ryouga as he blushed.

	"{Don't lie.  I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice.  I know 
lovers when I see them.  Oh no, she's leaving without you.}"

	Surprised, Ryouga shouted, "{Where?}" and headed off in the direction 
the hawker had pointed, not noticing that Akane was right where he had 
left her.

	Meanwhile, the girl in question looked around anxiously for Ryouga.  If 
he had gotten himself lost, then what was she going to do?  Search for 
him or continue to find Ranma?  Damn it!  If she had paid more attention 
to Ryouga then this wouldn't have happened.  Mentally cursing at her 
luck, she began asking around if people had seen TWO boys and a girl.

	Ryouga stopped suddenly and whirled around.  He couldn't find Akane 
anywhere.  Desperation mounting, he yelled, "AKANE!  Where are you?"  
No!  He couldn't have lost her.  He'll just have to backtrack to where 
they were together last and start the search from there.  He turned left 
and walked briskly, pausing only to ask the passerbys if they had seen 
her, not knowing that with each step, he was getting further and further 
away from her.
	
	The hawker stared at the departing figure of Akane, realising that he 
had made a mistake earlier.  <Oh dear, his girlfriend is here all 
along...  I feel so guilty.  I hope he'll be able to find her.>  He 
cracked a smile, revealing his yellow and decayed teeth.  <Ah, this is 
such a small town, they'll meet soon enough.> 

	As the sun set, Ryouga grew even more despondent.  Five hours!  He had 
been looking fruitlessly for Akane for five whole hours!  Granted, that 
was not as long as most of his searches for Nerima.  Those sometimes 
lasted for months.  But still, Akane and him are in the same puny town!  
And he knew he was still in Shengxi for he had passed by Shengxi Eatery 
a mere minute ago.  Where could she be?  Was she as anxious as he was?  

	<Perhaps Akane isn't out looking for me.  Maybe she left me behind 
deliberately.  She doesn't want me to stand in her way of happiness with 
that Saotome cur> a part of him pointed out.

	<No!  Akane isn't like that!  She is out searching for me right now> 
his heart countered.

	<Sure she will - for an hour, maybe two.  Then she'll leave this town 
and me behind.  After all, finding Ranma is her sole agenda.  Not to 
play nanny to a boy who keeps getting lost.>

	<No!  She's my friend!>

	<And that is all she will ever be!  The next time we meet, she'll be 
pregnant with Saotome's child.>

	<NO!  I'll find her before she finds Saotome Ranma, this I swear.  I 
love her so much, I don't know what I'll do if I lose her forever.  I 
love her...>  Ryouga felt tears pooling in his eyes.  <My heart will 
show me the way to her.  I'm sure of it!  I just have to concentrate and 
she'll be there around the corner.>

	<You're too old to believe that nothing can stand in the way of two 
lovers.>

	<If I don't believe in that, what do I have left?>  Hearing no 
objections from his inner self, Ryouga resolutely set forth to find his 
love.  However, he saw no vision of Akane in her lovely straw hat in the 
next alley, or the one after that.  

	He found her in the third alley.  Or rather, she had found him.

	"Ryouga!" yelled Akane as she ran towards him.

	"Akane!" shouted Ryouga in relief, letting a tear fall. 

	"Where did you go?  Why did you let go of my hand?  I've been looking 
all over for you!"  Her face expressing relief, happiness and anger all 
at the same time. 	
	
	"Akane," murmured Ryouga.  He wanted to touch her face or her hands to 
assure that he wasn't dreaming.  But he knew she would get mad and punch 
him, so he settled for staring at her the way a thristy man in a desert, 
looks at water.

	Seconds passed.  Akane fidgeted and blushed at the stare Ryouga was 
giving her.  She refused to meet his eyes.  Instead she focused on 
something he was holding.  "What's that?" 

	Ryouga blinked and held up the objects.  "Oh, uh I saw a hawker selling 
this and I wanted to surprise you, so I let go of your hand.  They are 
called Candied Haw.  One of my favourite foods.  But after so many hours 
in the sun, they have melted and turned into a gooey mess.  He threw 
them away with a sigh, grimacing at the sticky feeling on his left palm 
and fingers.

	Akane smiled and replied, "We'll buy some tomorrow.  But now, let's go 
for dinner, ok?"

	Ryouga grasped Akane's outstretched hand and smiled.  "Ok."
	
--------------------------------------------------------------

	"{Sir, have you see pigtailed Japanese boy so tall,}" Ryouga's hand 
rose to signal the approximate height, "{with pigtail?}

	The shopkeeper gave him a puzzled look and then shrugged. He was too 
busy to entertain questions. Besides, there were many who could fit into 
this description. "{No such person,}" he snapped as he shooed Ryouga out 
of his textile shop.  

	Realizing that it was another fruitless attempt, Ryouga turned 
dejectedly towards the door. Akane was there. Her downcast eyes showed 
that she wasn't successful with the neighbouring shopkeepers too. <Damn 
Ranma! He wasn't here and yet he still managed to hurt her.> Managing a 
small smile, he walked towards her, taking and squeezing her hand 
slightly to give her encouragement. "Never mind, Akane. As long as he's 
alive, we'll find him."

	She wasn't hopeful. Their search was worse than finding a needle in a 
haystack. At least the haystack wouldn't bark and shove you away. Some 
of the people they asked were downright unfriendly, others provided 
little or misleading information. They were led on a merry goose chase, 
going from one town to another. And all they got for their efforts was a 
big disappointment.

	Akane never bothered to look up at him so he tried again, "Come on, 
that Tamahome guy said that he saw a person fitting Ranma's description 
in this town. Don't give up yet."

	"I don't know. I wonder if we can trust a man with the character 
'ghost' on his forehead." Akane replied, and began walking on a slow 
pace, clutching Ryouga's hand to prevent him from wandering away. "We 
have been away for so long," she paused, trying to count the days she 
was away from home. "I missed my family."

	Ryouga quietly looked at Akane, he didn't know what to say. He was 
fraught with conflicting emotions during the whole trip. On one hand, he 
didn't want the search to end so that he could be alone with Akane. On 
the other hand, he was afraid that he would lose Akane if they found 
Ranma.

	"Ryouga?" Akane asked, looking up to meet his gaze.

	"Yes?"

	"I..." Akane stuttered, her decision wavering.

	"Do you want to go home?" 
	
	Akane thought for a moment. There was some part of her that didn't want 
to give up yet. But she was so tired. "I want to ...," she didn't get to 
finish her words when she caught a glimpse of a man in red shirt and 
black pants. Without saying another word, she gave chase to the 
aforementioned person, pulling a bewildered Ryouga behind her.

	It should be noted that they were at the marketplace in the morning. 
Many people were on the streets, making running and maneuvering a 
difficult task.

	"Sorry!" Ryouga cried as he crashed onto a man, sending him a few paces 
back, knocking onto more people. Akane looked exasperated at the scene, 
fallen bodies on the ground, Ryouga saying sorry to everyone and pulling 
them to their feet. She turned back to where she last saw 'Ranma' but to 
her horror, he was gone without a trace. Ignoring everyone else, she 
pulled Ryouga out of the mess and ran forwards, combing for the sight of 
Ranma.

	Once the pair was out of sight, Ukyou came out of her hiding place, her 
face a mask of worry. She knew what they were here for. But she couldn't 
and wouldn't let them have him. Her shopping forgotten, she disappeared 
into the crowds. There was someone that she needed to keep from being 
seen.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

	Ranma wasn't into music but his stomach was growling a symphony on its 
own. Walking along the streets, he searched for Ukyou. She should be 
buying some foodstuff for the day. He would have waited for her return 
if his stomach was more obedient. 

	Not having enough money, he couldn't treat himself to any food 
substance offered for sale by road vendors. And to make it worse, the 
sights and smells of such delicacies had made his stomach drum louder. 
And god knows how much he wanted to just grab something and make a run 
for it. 

	As he was debating his decision, he stepped onto something hard. 
Looking down and removing his feet slightly, a shiny penny was 
uncovered. He stepped on it again, grinning madly, thinking that his 
problem was solved at last. Now, he has enough money to buy at least a 
bun. Looking around frantically, he bent to pick up the one-dollar coin.

	Suddenly, he felt a presence. It was just a feeling that someone 
important to him was nearby. And he usually had this feeling when Akane 
was close by. He stood up sharply and strained his eyes to look for 
anything familiar, namely a short-hair girl renowned for her temper.

	Out of the corner of his eyes, he thought he saw a figure that 
resembled Akane's. When he went closer for a second look, the person was 
gone or simply merged into the morning crowd.

	A surge of disappointment filled him. <That can't be Akane. She's in 
Japan, recuperating.> Sighing, he turned away from the direction where 
the figure disappeared to and headed towards the opposite direction, his 
heart unsettled. <Akane, how are you now? I think I miss you.>

	"Ranchan!" Ukyou almost screamed, pulling him towards an alley. 

	"Uh, Ucchan, what was that for?"

	"Um...," Ukyou fumbled, "you were standing in the middle of the street 
blocking everyone else. That's road hogging, you know? What were you 
thinking about?" 

	He smiled uneasily while deciding the best course of action to take. He 
didn't want to tell her that he felt Akane's presence, lest she grew 
angry and refused to cook for him. "I had things on my mind," he said, 
not too far from the truth. And his stomach chose this moment to growl 
again.

	"Come, let's take care of that." Ukyou said, pointing to his stomach. 
She wasn't going to stay around more than necessary. She poked her head 
out to check for clearance. Satisfied, she ignored Ranma's baffled gaze 
as she dragged him for a sprint back to camp.
	
	"Damn! Where did he go?" Akane uttered desperately. She was surrounded 
by people, in the middle of some street. Turning to a different 
direction every few seconds, she searched fruitlessly for her fiance, 
pain evident in her eyes. 

	"Akane?" Ryouga asked uncertainly. The grip Akane had on his hands was 
crushing his bones but that was not the topmost on his mind. "Please, 
Akane calm down."

	"No Ryouga, I saw him. Ranma. He was there and then he was� gone." The 
last word was said in a whisper. The implied meaning of the word chilled 
her heart. Two months of searching and now that it seemed that she has 
found him, she lost him again. <No! I'm not going to let Ranma get away 
from me.> With that thought in mind, she found new strength to carry on 
the search for the young Saotome. 

	"Akane," was what Ryouga could manage before he was pulled into another 
morning run in the village called Jing Lai Fei Si.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

	Akane and Ryouga have finally settled down for lunch although it was 
long past lunchtime. Akane was barely touching her food, preferring to 
fiddle with her chopsticks. It took several nudges from Ryouga before 
she started her first bite.

	"Akane if you don't eat, you won't have the strength to find Ranma." 
Ryouga coaxed, and finally he seemed to have done something that worked. 
She started to put more effort in putting rice into her mouth. On seeing 
this, he sighed audibly.

	"{Hey, the two of you,}" A brutish man said rather loudly and sat on a 
chair beside Akane. "{I heard you're looking for 2 individuals.}"

	Ryouga eyed the man suspiciously and inconscientiously pulled Akane 
towards him. Akane was looking at the man with distaste, not really 
understanding what the person was saying until�

	"{Japanese boy with pigtail, red shirt, black pants and a Japanese girl 
with a big spatula on her back.}"
	
	She has used those descriptions so many times and realization struck 
like a brick. She jumped immediately out of her chair and was on the man 
the next moment. "Where is Ranma?!" She screamed, then realized that she 
spoke in japanese and immediately changed to chinese. "{Boy, where?}"

	Ryouga tore Akane away from the man and was trying to hold her down. 
Inwardly, he was worried. They had found Ranma. 

	"{For a sum of money, I bring you to them.}" The man said after 
straightening his shirt, indignantly.

	Akane looked at Ryouga uncomprehendingly, cursing her lack of knowledge 
for the chinese language. He explained and she nearly wanted to unload 
all her money when Ryouga stopped her. 

	Turning towards the chinese guy, "{how much you want?}" That guy said a 
sum, and Ryouga agreed to pay him half now and the other half when they 
found Ranma. Hands were shaked, money was exchanged and now they were on 
their way.

	They came to a small house. Inside was where their 'guide' said as to 
the whereabouts of Ranma and Ukyou. Akane knocked on the door, a little 
tentative which was strange since now she would get to see Ranma after 2 
months on the road. Shuffling of footsteps was heard and a boy about 16 
years of age, wearing red shirt and black pants answered the door. 

	Akane bit back a scream. The face of the boy didn't belong to Ranma. 
Except for the tastes in clothing and hairstyle, he was nowhere similar 
to Ranma. 

	"{Is this one you bring us find?}" Ryouga asked incredulously, the 
gloom in his heart lifted. 

	"{Yes, isn't him the one you're looking for?} He asked almost too 
innocently.

	Running steps was heard and Akane was gone. Ryouga chased after her, 
ignoring the Chinese's cry for the remainder payment. He also failed to 
notice a certain spatula-wielding girl handing what looked like a sum of 
money to the brutish man afterwards. 

	Maybe luck was on his side for once, because he managed to keep Akane 
within his line of sight and therefore hadn't gotten lost halfway into 
the chase.  He caught up with her and pulled her to a stop. "Akane, I 
know you're sad and disappointed but�"

	Ryouga was saying something but she tuned him out completely. All her 
emotions were fighting at the same time to warrant for her attention. 
She felt like crying, to slump to the ground and let her tears go dry. 
She wanted to scream and hit something, anything. She wanted to...

	"Akane? Answer me, Akane." Ryouga shook her gently. When he still 
couldn't get her attention, he began to use more force and his words 
became more urgent. "What's happening, Akane? Look at me. Talk to me. 
Anything� please don't just stare into space."

	She looked at him blankly then blinked, her senses returning. Slowly, a 
grim determination formed on her face. She heard him call her name 
again, then finally registered the worried look on his face. Suddenly 
she felt pity for him. Why did he choose to fall in love with someone 
that was in love with another?

	But that was a question to be dealt with later. Right now, she had only 
one wish. "Let's go home."

--------------------------------------------------------------
(One and a half week has passed since Akane and Ryouga returned to 
Nerima)		

	Bang!  Akane slammed her bedroom door shut, wishing she could shut off 
her emotions just as easily.  Just the mere thought of Ranma abandoning 
her and in love with Ukyou was enough to make her cry.  She paid no heed 
to the tears and slumped down despondently on the floor.                                            

	"Akane?  What are you doing here?" asked a confused Ryouga who had just 
emerged from her closet.  

	For a moment, she was speechless as grief and fury warred for control.  
It soon became clear as to which emotion won.  "This is my room!  What 
are _you_ doing here?!"

	Ryouga sweatdropped.  He stammered, "I was looking for the toilet and 
uh... Akane, are you crying?"

	"None of your business!  You're trespassing so get out!"

	He sat down in front of her and said gently, "I'm a friend, that makes 
it my business." He blushed as his interest in her was more than 
friendly.  "Please tell me what is bothering you.  I can be a good 
listener."

	Akane opened her mouth to shout at him to leave but what came out was 
"It is just that I keep seeing images of Ranma and Ukyou kissing and 
hugging.  I try not to think about him but...  Sniff.  He didn't even 
write back to say 'hi' or ask about me.  It's like he doesn't even care 
about me," she continued even as tears threatened to overwhelm her.  
"And we spent so much time in China looking for him but to no avail.  
Maybe he dosn't want to be found!"

	His anger at Ranma making Akane cry overshadowed his joy at the loss of 
a rival, for Ryouga shouted, "Why that Saotome Ranma!  How can he be so 
heartless?!  If I see him, I'll give a good thrashing for you, Akane!  
That two-timing, no good bastard!"

	Akane fumed, no one was allowed to scold Ranma, except her.  She 
interrupted his endless tirade by yelling, "Then why don't you leave.  
Go find him and punish him!  Instead of sponging on us!  If you hate him 
so much, go and find him.  I don't see why you stayed here with us for 
so long anyway."  She opened the door and gestured for him to leave.

	"Akane..." he muttered in a strained voice.  Was that really how Akane 
thought of him?  As a freeloader whose presence was unnecessary?  He 
closed his eyes, not wanting to see the loathing for him in Akane's 
brown eyes.  "For you," he whispered.  "I stayed here, wearing out my 
welcome, for you.  When you said you wanted to go home, I wanted so much 
to continue on the search alone.  Not to seek vengeance for what he had 
done to me but to seek justice for you.  But I'm afraid.  What if I 
can't find my way back here?  Or what if I do but you're already... 
married or something?  When I think about this, I... I can't leave."  He 
stared at his feet and whispered so softly that Akane could hardly hear 
him, "You're worth far more to me than revenge."  Before Akane could 
respond, he hurriedly left.

	As the door shut behind him, Ryouga sighed forlornly.  After all this 
time, he was still no closer to winning Akane's love.  Then he grimaced.  
He frantically looked to the left and right as he fidgeted on one foot, 
then another.  He really, really had to pee.

--------------------------------------------------------------
(A few days later, one hot afternoon)

	Ukyou "oohed' and "aahed" as she gently eased herself into the small 
wooden tub filled with warm well water.  It was really kind of Mr Chen, 
the village head, to let Ranchan and herself use his tub occasionally.  
"I've certainly deserved a long soak after what Ranchan put me through 
these past few months."  She grimaced as she remembered the rigorous 
training sessions with Ranma, the slave driver.  "It'll be worth all my 
hard work if I can reach his level."

	Taking a piece of soap, she lathered her long brown hair, then piled it 
into a beehive shape on top of her head.  She was about to stand up to 
lather her body when a stone grazed her shoulder.  She turned around and 
saw Ranma standing there, smirking.  "I've told you to be alert at all 
times!  You should never put down your guard.  Your punishment is 
running 10 laps around the village."

	Ukyou crossed her arms in front of her chest, her face growing redder 
with every word he said.  "Ranma," she screamed, "I'm bathing!  Get the 
hell out!"  Her hand shot out from the tub to point the way.

	"Oops!"  He laughed sheepishly and scrambled out of there.  He was so 
caught up on performing a successful sneak attack, that he didn't think 
about the...  A trickle of blood flowed out of his nostrils as his 
fertile imagination took over.  Shaking his head to remove those images, 
he shuddered as he wondered how Ukyou would seek vengeance.  He had 
better be very alert tonight.

--------------------------------------------------------------
(Meanwhile, Ryouga approached Kasumi in the kitchen)

	"Kasumi?  Is there something I can do?  I mean, I don't want to be a 
free-loader, so..." asked Ryouga.

	Kasumi turned to him and smiled.  "Thank you but no.  You're a guest, 
Ryouga.  We certainly can't ask a guest to pay or help out."

	"Oh yes, we can," interjected Nabiki as she helped herself to some 
freshly baked cookies.

	"Nabiki," started Kasumi, trying to convey her disapproval with that 
single word.

	Nabiki ignored her sister as she signalled Ryouga to follow her into 
her 'office'.  She sat in her chair and gazed at Ryouga who was 
fidgeting uncomfortably.  He felt as if he was the fresh meat in the 
market and Nabiki was the hungry buyer.

	"You want a job?" inquired Nabiki.

	He nodded.

	"I can help you find one - for a price.  Two months' pay and after 
that, 10% of all future income."  Sensing his outrage, she explained, 
"It's the standard charge.  Every employment agency has the same terms.  
Trust me, I won't cheat someone who has treated my sister so kindly."  
She smiled innocently at him and it was all he could do not to smile 
back in response.  Taking his silence as consent, she continued, "In 
addition, 50% of your pay will go to me as payment for the household 
expenses."  Ryouga's eyebrow shot up in shock.  Noticing it, she played 
her trump card, "Or would you rather be considered as a freeloader by 
Akane?"

	"Fine.  I accept.  But what's the job?  I'm not going to do anything 
humiliating or disgusting."

	"Don't worry.  Sign here first."  She thrusted a piece of paper at him.  
He did as she asked.  She smiled inwardly as she filed away the legal 
document.  "Let me make a few phone calls.  Sit there, don't move," 
ordered Nabiki.

	Several phone calls later, Nabiki swirled around in her seat to face 
Ryouga.  "Ok, there are two jobs suitable for you.  Demolition worker 
and Gym teacher.  Which one you want?"

	He pondered.  <Hmm, sweating under the hot sun with other sweaty men, 
destroying buildings or teach gymnastics to high school girls, maybe 
even Akane?>  "Gym teacher," he answered almost instantaneously.

	Nabiki nodded.  "Ok.  I'll arrange for the Nerima Elementary school bus 
to send you back and forth."

	"Nerima Elementary?"

	"Yeah.  I'm sure that the little school girls will absolutely adore 
their new Gym teacher."  

	A sweatdrop formed on the back of his head.

--------------------------------------------------------------
(NOTE: Ranma and Ukyou have been in China for three and a half months 
now)
 
	Ukyou stood on top of a barren cliff that provided her with a view of 
the entire mining area, and stared off into space.  She folded her arms 
in front of her chest, as if seeking warmth and protection.  She was 
deep in thought and barely acknowledged Ranma's presence with a slight 
nod.

	Seeing her bad mood, Ranma tried to think of a way to lift up her 
spirits.  He smiled when he remembered something, it was so childish 
that it just might work.  He quickly ran off and a few moments later, he 
was back.  "Ucchan?"

	Ukyou turned around to face Ranma.  

	"Super Fast Attack of the Twin Paint Rollers Revised!" he yelled as he 
waved his wet hands in circular motion.  

	Two seconds later, the attack stopped.  Ukyou wiped her face with her 
hands and yelled, "What did you do that for?"  She grimaced as she 
sniffed at her hands.  "And what is this stuff you sprayed on me?"

	"Well, you seemed sad and I wanted to cheer you up so I sprayed you 
with the water from the mine holes."

	"WHAT!"

	He quickly placed a bucket filled with clean water in front of her in a 
conciliatory attempt.  "Well, it seemed funny when I thought of the idea 
and when I look at your face now," he broke off, trying to contain his 
laughter.

	Ukyou grumbled as she cleaned herself and headed back to camp in a 
huff.  <If I develop rashes or pimples because of his shenanigans, I... 
I...>  She slowly counted to a hundred to calm herself down.  Ranma 
wisely chose to quietly walk behind her.  

	"Did I hear you correctly just now?  'The Attack of the Twin Paint 
Rollers'?"

	"It is actually the 'Super Fast Attack of the Twin Paint Rollers 
Revised'!" corrected Ranma.

	"What?" commented Ukyou with a smile.  "What a stupid name for an 
attack."

	"I've learned it from a fight with a pugilist from the House of Paint 
school of marital arts."  Seeing Ukyou's curious expression, he 
explained further.  "You see, it was about five years ago, me and Pops 
were eating at this restaurant that served the juiciest steak in the 
world.  The meat was so tender and fresh.  The sauce is so smooth, with 
just the right amount of spices to complement the meat..."  His voice 
trailed off as he drooled.   

	A hard poke at his side from Ukyou, prompted him to continue.  "Anyway, 
there we were, enjoying our meal, when this guy rushed in.  He was 
dressed in overalls covered with paint and carried paint buckets, 
rollers and brushes of different sizes.  He shouted, 'I challenge 
Saotome Ranma to a duel!  If you're man enough, show yourself!'  So, 
naturally I got up and accepted the match.  I mean, how dared he 
interrupt such a delicious meal.  This guy had to be punished."  

	Ukyou sighed, <how come Ranma's fights usually revolved around food?>.

	"Man, what a joke that match was.  I defeated him in two minutes flat."  

	<Meaning you fought for at least twice as long> thought Ukyou 
sarcastically.  She knew he often exaggerated his recounts of fights.  

	"I could have won sooner but wanted to toy with him, you know.  His 
attacks were so lame.  I mean, attacking using paint rollers attached to 
long bamboo poles."  Ranma started physically demonstrating the fight, 
playing both himself and the challenger.
    	
	"All he ended up doing was painting my shirt.  Then he yelled, 'Super 
Duper Shabon Spray' and paint started spewing out from the rollers.  
What was he trying to do?  Paint the entire place?  So, I blocked using 
an umbrella."  Ranma picked up a fallen branch with leaves and pretended 
it was an umbrella.  

	"He threw away the rollers and kicked me.  I jumped away and he threw 
paint cans at me.  I jumped up and did a triple somersault.  Whenever 
those paint cans landed, they exploded, causing the whole restaurant to 
be in splotches of blues and yellows."

	Ukyou watched as he jumped up and down, giggling at his antics - and 
the two leaves sticking out from his head, like a pair of bunny ears.

  	"Apparently a month ago, his family, the famous family of wall 
painters, Michaelandjello, was almost about to complete a masterpiece on 
a giant wall when me and Pops ran through it.  We were running away from 
our pursuers so we didn't care.  The guy said that never again could 
they ever achieve such a masterpiece and we ruined it.  So they sent 
him, the best warrior of the family's own special brand of martial arts 
to seek revenge - and to claim damages of a million yen.  

	"But he was no match for me!  So he launched the 'Ultimate Don't Use 
Until You're Really Desperate Move'.  I ducked and Pops ended up being 
the target.  His whole face was painted with 'X's and 'O's."  
	
	Ukyou laughed, holding her sides and rolling on the ground.  "I can't 
believe it!  The ultimate attack is playing tic-tac-to on your 
opponent's face?"  She laughed even louder, with Ranma joining in.

	Minutes later, they settled down, Ukyou leaning terribly close to him, 
trying to catch her breath.  Ranma looked into her eyes, about to make a 
silly remark about 'House of Paint' school of martial arts but didn't.  
Mesmerized by the beauty in front of him, he froze as Ukyou moved closer 
towards him, with desire evident in her eyes.  Their lips were about to 
touch when suddenly he stood up and walked away, leaving Ukyou to kiss 
the ground.

	<I almost betrayed Akane just now.  How could I do such a thing?> Ranma 
berated himself.  <How could I?>

--------------------------------------------------------------
(2 weeks later, dinnertime at the Tendo house)

	"Did you two have fun at the movies?" asked Soun Tendo as he sipped his 
miso soup.

	"Yeah, the movie was nice," answered Akane.  

	Ryouga nodded, his mouth crammed with pieces of Tandori chicken.

	"I'm so happy my baby girl enjoyed her date!" cried Soun, tears falling 
into his soup.

	"It's NOT a date!" yelled Akane.  

	Ryouga looked at her, his face a myriad of emotions - confusion, 
disappointment, sadness and love. 

	"Did Ryouga pay for the tickets and everything else?" inquired Soun.

	"Yes," replied Akane.

	"Did you two arrange to go together?  With no one else tagging along?" 
questioned Soun.

	"Yes.  Yes.  So what?" answered Akane.

	"Did you hold hands, hug or kiss?" asked Nabiki, her eyes twinkling 
with amusement.

	Akane replied defensively, "Hey!  We only held hands because-" 

	"Wahh!  My daughter went on dates!" interrupted Soun.  "If only her 
mother can see her now."  Tears were now gushing out like twin 
waterfalls.  "Nothing would make me happier than seeing you two 
lovebirds getting married!  In fact, why don't you two get engaged right 
now?"  He pulled Akane and Ryouga together for a bone-crushing hug.  

	Ryouga blushed and stammered, "If Akane... wanted to, uh... I..."

	Akane didn't let him finish.  She broke free from her father's embrace 
and shouted at the top of her lungs, "We were not on a date!  And we are 
not getting engaged!"  Not knowing what else to say, she left for the 
dojo.  Nothing like smashing innocent bricks into dust to release all 
this anger.

	"Akane," whispered Ryouga as he stared at her retreating figure.  
Should he chase after her or let her cool off?  No.  He had acted like a 
coward long enough.  Now was the time to settle everything.  "Akane!" 
Ryouga called out as he ran to the dojo.

	Kasumi looked on, with a worried expression, ignoring Soun's bawling.  
Something told her that she should have stopped Ryouga.  

	"Come on, sis.  We don't want to miss this, " said Nabiki as she 
dragged Kasumi to the dojo.

	(At the dojo, an emotional scene was playing out, just as Nabiki and 
Kasumi got themselves front row seats outside the dojo, hidden from 
view.)

	"Akane." stammered Ryouga, his determination having left the moment he 
stepped into the dojo.

	"What!" shouted Akane as she split a tower of five bricks into half 
with a single chop.

	"About what your dad said earlier."

	<Oh no.>  She steeled herself for what was about to come.  

	"Would it be so bad to be engaged to me?  To be my wife?" questioned 
Ryouga softly.  Nabiki and Kasumi had to lean forward to hear his words.

	"Yes," said Akane irritably, crossing her arms in front of her chest.  
Her gaze softened as she noticed how depressed Ryouga looked.  Not 
willing to see the despair in those black eyes, she stared at her feet.  
"I'm sorry if I had led you on.  But I...  I don't feel that way towards 
you.  You should find someone more deserving."  

	"Ryouga has left already."

	Akane looked up, a single tear sliding down her cheek.  "Kasumi?"

	Kasumi smiled and gently wiped away the lone tear.  "Tell me, why are 
you crying?"

	"It's just that I feel sad for Ryouga.  I know how he feels about me 
but I..." her voice trailed off.

	"Are you sure you're not crying because you're losing him?"

	Akane shook her head in denial.  "He's a dear friend but that is all.  
My heart," she paused, "Belongs to someone else."

	Kasumi sighed.  "Akane, you have got to face the facts.  Ranma has gone 
for four months already.  During this time, he never once called or 
wrote.  He didn't even say goodbye."  She pulled Akane close in an 
embrace.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to make you cry.  But you have got 
to stop deluding yourself.  He isn't coming back."  

	Akane sobbed louder, whispering words of denial.  The eldest Tendo 
sister sighed as she rubbed Akane's back.  "You have to let go.  It is 
the only way you can find happiness."

	Akane wanted to retort that her happiness lied with Ranma but more sobs 
came out instead.  

	"I know that you think Ranma is the only one who can make you happy.  
However, that's not true.  You're still young.  You'll find some other 
boy who can make your heart sing."  Kasumi smiled and continued, "I 
think that you already have.  I've seen how happy you looked when you 
and Ryouga came back from one of your outings."

	"Not you too," groaned Akane.  "I don't want to hear about how good 
Ryouga is to me or that we would make the perfect couple."  She rested 
her head on her palms.  <I don't want to hear those words.  Not yet.>  

	"I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to play matchmaker."

	"Yes, you did."  Akane glared at her sister then smiled.  "Thanks, 
Kasumi.  For being my mother, sister and confidante all rolled into 
one."  The two sisters grinned at each other, one who has stopped 
crying, another who was about to start.

--------------------------------------------------------------
(Meanwhile, outside the dojo)

	"Hey!  Wait up, Ryouga!" He turned around and saw Nabiki running 
towards him.  "Where are you going?" she asked.

	"To the house to collect my stuff and then I'll be off.  Always wanted 
to visit Europe.  Who knows, maybe this time I'll actually get there."  
Ryouga laughed but without a trace of humor in it. 

	"I'll lead you back to the house but you're not leaving.  This is your 
home now."

	Ryouga stared at her in shock.  "Nabiki," he started.

	"Now, don't get all mushy on me.  You've paid for this month's rent 
already.  And since I've spent the money on new furniture, I can't give 
you a refund.  So you might as well stay put."

	"No.  I stayed here for Akane but now..." Sadness overwhelmed him as 
the whole situation sank in.  

	Nabiki squeezed his hand and said encouragingly, "It's not over until 
the fat lady sings.  And you don't see a fat lady around here, do you?"  
Taking in his confused expression, she mentally sighed.  "Be patient.  
Akane will change her mind soon enough."

	"I don't think so.  She has a stubborn streak," countered Ryouga, 
intent on wallowing in his misery.

	"Trust me.  I can tell that her heart is with you, her mind just 
refuses to acknowledge it, that's all."

	"You think so?"  Hope shined in his eyes.

	"Yeah.  What did you think I was trying to tell you!  Come on, let's go 
inside."  She tugged his hand to get him going in the right direction 
but he refused to budge.

	He smiled at her, saying, "Thanks, Nabiki."

	"Yeah, well I'm doing this pep talk because Kasumi bribed me with her 
chocolate fudge cake.  If you want to thank somebody, thank her."

	"I'll be sure to thank her, then," replied Ryouga, though he knew she 
was lying.  "Still... I must thank you."  Staring straight ahead, he 
failed to notice a smile on Nabiki's face.

--------------------------------------------------------------

	Ranma slowly got up, still very much asleep.  Barely opening his eyes, 
he fumbled in the darkness, slowly moving away from the campsite.  A 
suitable distance away, he pulled down his pants and peed.  After what 
seemed like an eternity, he was done.  Slightly more awake, he moved 
quickly back to the campsite, to his nice sleeping bag.  

	"No!"

	Ranma sat up, sleep forgotten, his eyes casting around anxiously for 
the source of the disturbance.  His ears picked up a soft noise.  <Was 
that sobbing?  Ucchan?>  He hurried over to her sleeping form.  

	Ucchan writhed in her sleep, her arms and legs thrashing about 
violently, her blanket kicked away to one side.  "Please stop hitting 
me.  I'm sorry.  Didn't mean to spill your drink, I swear..." pleaded 
Ukyou.  

	Ranma shook her gently.  "Wake up.  It's just a nightmare."

	Ukyou cringed under his touch, all the while murmuring, "No,  daddy, 
stay away!  Daddy please... I've been good..."  Ranma stared at his best 
friend, not knowing what to do.  He didn't know if her nightmare was a 
reflection of real life, or just a case of eating too much dinner.  He 
remembered his years spent on the road with his father, knowing some of 
the things his father had done would be considered as child abuse.  If 
Ukyou had been abused by her father, he would find that man and do some 
abusing of his own.  He popped his knuckles, grinning ferally.  

	Ranma looked at Ukyou and heaved a sigh of relief.  She was through 
thrashing about and was sleeping peacefully.  He covered her with the 
blanket, for it was a cold night.  She murmured something too soft to be 
understood.  Leaning down, he placed his ear very near her mouth and 
heard her whisper, "I love my Bear bear.  Thanks, Papa".  Smiling, he 
went back to his own sleeping bag.  It seemed he was over-reacting, she 
was just having a bad dream, not a flashback of her past.  

	When morning came and breakfast commenced, Ranma fidgeted about.  
Ukyou's nightmare seemed so... trivial but he just couldn't forget the 
terror in her voice, her cries for help.  "Ucchan, I had a dream last 
night and my dad was in it."

	"Oh?" she commented.

	"Yeah, well that made me think about how long it has been since I last 
saw him.  I don't miss him at all, I'm glad that he's off in Chengdu but 
he is family after all."  His voice trailed off.  "Do you miss your dad, 
Ucchan?  I hardly hear you talk about him."

	She looked up, her eyes guarded.  "Yeah, sure.  Like you said, he's 
family.  Blood is thicker than water and all that stuff."  She laughed.  
"I call him once a while just to chat and he will fuss over me like I am 
a 6 year old.  'Have I got enough to eat', 'do I have friends in 
Nerima', you know, basic parental fussing."  Ukyou stood up and cleared 
the dishes, thus ending their conversation.

--------------------------------------------------------------
(It was now bedtime for Ranma and Ukyou)  

	Ukyou had fallen asleep, her back towards the small fire and Ranma.  
Ranma, on the other hand, was not in dreamland.  He laid facing Ukyou, 
resolved to watch her <just for tonight>.  The whole day, after he asked 
about her father, she had seemed a little... off.  And that just 
increased his suspicions.  

	"Don't hurt me, please!"

	Ranma immediately sat up, did Ukyou say something?  He tiptoed towards 
her and the noises grew in volume.

	"Please... don't hit me.  I'll be good, I swear.  Don't be angry, 
daddy..."  Ukyou grabbed her arm, as if she was hurt there.  Ranma 
froze, not wanting to hear her plaintive cries for help, trying 
desperately to deny the truth, that Ukyou...  What should he do?  If he 
woke her up, she would be embarrassed and probably deny the abuse.  But 
how could he let her suffer in a nightmare, how could he let her relive 
her painful past night after night?  Ukyou screamed.  She lifted her 
arms to protect her face as she moaned in pain after each imagined blow 
after blow.  "Mommy, where are you?  Help me."

	Instinctively, he pulled Ukyou up into a loose embrace and whispered, 
"Hush now, you're safe, I'll protect you."

	Ukyou sobbed, "Mommy?"

	Ranma paused.  He would have given up anything to have his curse back 
now.  A quick splash of cold water and he could have masqueraded as her 
mother.  But Saotome Ranma wasn't one to give up easily.  He cleared his 
throat and said in a female pitch, "Yes, it's".  Ranma winced, it was so 
obvious that he was pretending to be a female.  He coughed and tried 
again, this attempt being more effective.  "Ukyou, it's me, your 
mother."

	"Mommy?"

	"Yes, now be a good little girl and stop crying ok?  Mommy doesn't like 
it when you cry."

	"Daddy doesn't like it either.  That's why he hits me."

	Ranma didn't know what to say.  Should he say something like 'Daddy is 
bad', 'Daddy is upset when he hits you, he doesn't mean it' or 'it isn't 
your fault'?  

	"Mommy, make Daddy stop.  I hurt," cried Ukyou.

	Ranma's grip tightened.  "I've chased Daddy away.  Can you see it?  
He's gone now, no one will ever hurt you again, I promise."  He slowly 
rocked her body, trying to calm her down.  Eventually, she did and went 
into deep sleep.

	Ranma sighed for the umpteenth time that day, as he pondered what to 
do.  He gently laid her back onto the sleeping bag and moved to sit next 
to the fire.  Poking through the embers with a stick, he remembered his 
own childhood.  Did Ukyou suffer through something similar or worse?  
God, he hoped not.  

	He didn't sleep a wink that night.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was raining heavily in Nerima. Dark clouds loomed overhead while 
droplets of water fell mercilessly onto the earth's occupants. The foul 
weather miraculously had not dampened the moods of 2 special 
individuals, special in the way that they turned into animals when 
splashed with cold water.

	"{Hey! Watch it,}" exclaimed Mousse as he avoided the streams of water 
that was sent towards his way by Shampoo. She giggled as a response to 
his grouchy look. 

	Wanting revenge, he walked away from Shampoo, taking away their only 
source of shelter - the umbrella which he was holding. Just as the rain 
dampened her shoulders, she glomped onto him. "{So, are you enjoying our 
little match,}" she purred.

	He swallowed the lump in his throat and attempted to make a sound. 
Awestruck by her beauty and noticing how certain parts of her body are 
pressed against him, he didn't know what to say except "{Yes...}"

	"{I'm glad, because the game hasn't ended.}" With that, she snatched 
the umbrella and pushed him into the rain, effectively changing him into 
a duck. "{The last one back will be the other's slave for one week.}" 

	She laughed like a carefree teenager, forgetting about everything 
except the duck which was quaking nosily and making a straight dive in 
the direction of the Nekohanten. "{Hey, no fair, you have a headstart.}" 
The duck ignored her complains and continued his flight while Shampoo 
increased her pace to outrun him. As she passed the wobbling duck, she 
stuck out her tongue at him, making dirty faces and increased her speed. 

	It came to no surprise when she returned first, the duck a close 
second. She gathered the duck into her arms and gave a quick peck onto 
its head. "{I'm going to bathe, so no peeping.}" She smiled girlishly 
and bounced out of sight.

	Mousse waddled towards the kitchen and upset a kettle of warm water 
over himself. Back to a man, he groggily touched the part where Shampoo 
had kissed him. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he recalled the 
intimate act. 

	<Witch! She's trying to distract me again.> At the thought, he rubbed 
forcefully at his forehead, hoping to rub away any presence of Shampoo's 
lips on it. Hatred in his eyes, he berated himself for almost losing 
control. Now that he was so near to his goal, he had to be more careful. 
Straightening himself, he remembered that he had more important things 
to do.
	
-------------------------------------------------------------------

	Singing a happy song that matched her moods, Shampoo slowly got up from 
the furo to change. She felt so relaxed in the few months that she had 
spent with Mousse. He had fulfilled his promise; he made her happy 
again. Mousse had been so patient and understanding, his every step 
calculated to make her forget about her sorrows and injected fun and joy 
into her life. As the song reached the climax, she finished dressing. 

	Bustling out of the bathroom, she adjourned to look for Mousse. It was 
already evening and the restaurant was as dark as the night outside. 
Vaguely, she remembered turning on the lights before bathing and this 
unsettled her. "{Mu Tsu,}" she began to call out. 

	There was no reply. 

	Her nerves were getting to her. She hurried into Mousse's room to look 
for him but he wasn't there. Becoming paranoid, she called out for him 
again and strained her ears to catch his reply. But all she heard was 
crickets creaking. 

	Jittery, her hands began to shake as she thought that Mousse had left 
her like the others. Over the days, she had grown dependent on him. It 
was as if he had become her sanity, her joy, her happiness, her 
existence. As wetness began to gather on her eyes, soft music floated to 
her ears. It was a sentimental love song, about a man expressing his 
love for his loved one.

	Following the music, she walked cautiously and observed that there was 
a warm glow of light as she came to the stairs. Looking down, covering 
her mouth with her hands, she held back a squeal. A disbelieving look 
appeared on her face as she continued to stare at the scene before her.  

	In the now empty dining area of the Nekohanten, candles were arranged 
in a heart shape. And in the middle of the candles formation stood 
Mousse, holding a bunch of red roses, her favourite.  He looked up at 
her and smiled uncertainly. The lighted candles whilst providing light, 
also accentuated his features. He had changed into one of his better 
outfits and he looked really dashing. 

	 If it was before, she would have scolded him for causing a fire hazard 
to the restaurant. But now, everything has changed... Her legs were 
about to give way and she held onto the railing for support. He hadn't 
spoken yet but she was already touched by his actions. To her, the world 
had disappeared. There was only Mousse and her. 

	"{Shan Pu... uh... I hoped you like this,}" he pointed to the candle 
formation. "I've planned this for days and I... uh...," he looked away 
from her hesitating, gathering his thoughts of what to say. When he 
returned to face her, she could see the determination in his eyes. "{I 
know we're just getting together. But these few months were the best in 
my life. We had known each other almost our whole lives. You know who I 
am and I wouldn't want anyone except you.}" 

	Putting on a nervous smile, he continued, "{I don't know why I find 
this so difficult, I mean, I have said the words many times before. But 
believe me that each time I said it, it came from the bottom of my 
heart. And it pains me greatly for you to reject me over and over again. 
Still, I'll never give up.}" Taking a deep breath and bracing for the 
worst, he fell to his knees and dropped the bomb (figuratively), "{Shan 
Pu, will you marry me?}"

	Rendered speechless, her expression changed from surprise to 
indecisiveness and lastly ecstasy. She didn't know why she had made the 
decision, but it just came to her. And she knew that Mousse would strive 
to make her happy as she was now. 

	For Mousse, this was the time when the results of his efforts were 
announced. Passing this test would secure him the satisfaction of his 
ultimate revenge. Holding his breath and amazed by how fast his heart 
was beating, he waited for her answer. 

	It never came. But when he saw her overjoyed expression, he knew he had 
succeeded, scoring an 'A' for his efforts. Smiling from ear to ear, he 
jumped out of the candles formation and ran upstairs towards Shampoo. 

	Stopping a step in front of her, he presented the roses to her and took 
out a ring box from his pocket. Opening the box, he showed her the 
contents nervously. It didn't had any gem stones, just an ordinary gold 
band. The only thing special was that the underside of the ring was 
carved with their names. "{I'm sorry I couldn't afford a better one 
but...,}" she put a hand on his lips hushing him.

	Wordlessly, he kissed her hand and slipped the ring into her ring 
finger. Together they began to admire the gold band around her finger. 
Stealing a look at his bride-to-be, a warm sense of passion flowed 
freely through him. 

	And it was at this particular time that Shampoo turned to face him. 
Locking gazes for a moment, he leaned forwards and brushed her lips with 
his. Feeling no resistance, he deepened the kiss and held her tightly to 
him.

	It was a moment before she broke off the kiss, gasping for air. "{You 
know, I haven't said yes yet,}" she smiled playfully, fiddling with his 
collar.

	"{Too late. You are wearing my ring now.}" He said, holding her hand up 
for emphasis.

	"{Oh, you mean this is not just an ordinary gift for me,}" she replied 
innocently, taking her hand away from him. Her fiancTe face-faulted much 
to her enjoyment. 

	"{Stop playing games with me,}" he begged. Then, a fit of giggles was 
heard. He was exasperated but a plan quickly formed in his mind. "{Well, 
if this is how you want to play it...," he launched a tickle attack 
which made Shampoo trying desperately to get away from him. Even so, he 
managed to score a few hits, producing laughter on Shampoo's part. 
Without stopping, he relayed his cease-fire conditions, "{say yes or 
else...}"

	"{Yes...(laugh)... yes... (laugh),}" Still under ferocious attack, she 
had no choice but to surrender. Her attacker however hadn't stopped and 
was seemingly having a great time. "{Yes what?}" He had to hear her 
exact words.

	"{Yes, I'll marry you.}" Upon hearing the words, he stopped his 
tickling and looked at her, searching her eyes for confirmation that it 
was not a joke or a game of hers. His face turned serious and his hands 
brought her nearer to him. "{Say it again.}"

	She slung her hands lovingly over his neck and replied seductively, 
"{Yes, I'll marry the duck-boy. Get this into your head as I'm not going 
to repeat it again.}" Noticing that his somber expression was still on, 
she decided to help him relax and proceeded to french-kiss him.

--------------------------------------------------------------

	When Ukyou seemed to be having a nightmare, Ranma rushed over and 
hugged her.  He rocked her while murmuring soothing words in a female 
voice.  He listened to Ukyou's cries for help, to her graphic 
descriptions of what her father was doing to her, to her pleas for 
'Mommy' to stay.  His heart broke.  

	He felt Ukyou calming down and he gently let go of her.  Instantly, she 
began crying out for her mother.  "Hush my baby, I'm here.  I'll always 
be here."  He gently caressed her face and wiped away her tears.

	Minutes later, back in his own bed, he mentally uttered profanities.  
He never suspected that the friendly Uncle Kounji he met a decade ago 
was so violent towards his own daughter.  That he would hit her, kick 
her for the slightest mistake or if he was in a bad mood.  If he did 
know, he would have taken Ukyou away in a heartbeat.  <What if you 
triggered it all?> his mind warned.  <Pops took away their cart and left 
Ucchan behind.  That might have caused that Kounji bastard to hit 
Ucchan, to vent his frustrations on a defenseless child.>  Ranma's heart 
sank at that thought.  <Great, just great>, he thought sarcastically, 
<just what I need, another sleepless night>.  Luckily, he was exhausted 
so he soon fell asleep, casting pity and guilt off temporarily.

--------------------------------------------------------------
(Back in Nekohanten)

	Vengeance. This was the word that filled his teenage years. Now he was 
so near to it that he could smell victory. But why was it bothering him? 

	Shampoo was a fine specimen of a woman. And maybe that was why. He 
would miss such a voluptuous woman, he convinced himself. Who wouldn't 
want Shampoo for life? There were her kisses and with a body like hers, 
he believed that she could do other things just as great. His male 
hormones had been acting up but he would wait, not for long, the wedding 
date was just a couple of days away.

	Shampoo came into sight carrying a tray of food. Dispersing his 
thoughts, Mousse got up and helped her set up the table. After lighting 
the candles, he was done.

	"{Hmm, all set.}" Shampoo said, putting the last dish onto the table. 
Turning to look at Mousse, a playful thought came into her mind. 
"{Gentleman, table for two?}"

	"{Why, yes, of course, my beautiful waitress. Would you care to join me 
in this splendid dinner?}" He bowed, taking her hand and pulled her a 
chair. Gracefully, she sat but not before engaging him in a brief kiss. 

	Taking an opposite position, Mousse started, "{Well, let's tuck in.}" 

	"{What's with the candles? I mean you could hardly see, particularly 
when the place is so dimly lighted,}" Shampoo teased. "{You know, 
although this is romantic, I won't want you to mistake the plant for 
me.}" 

	Not to be outdone, he retorted, "{Oh, I still have some leftover 
candles from the proposal, so no point wasting them.}" He watched the 
smirk disappear from her face and laughed as her face turned to a scowl. 
"{As for my eyesight, I've finally gone to an optometrist and got 
contacts. So, I can see perfectly.}"

	"{Humph, how romantic you are,}" she scorned, surprised at how the 
tables were turned against her. Now, it was his turn to smirk. Without 
taking his eyes off her, he walked over to her. Squatting to maintain 
eye level with her, he held her hands and admitted defeat. "{Okay, I'm 
sorry. I shouldn't have make fun of you. I really wanted to spend a 
romantic evening with you.}"  

	He seemed to know what buttons to push to get her into where he wanted. 
Right now, she couldn't stay or act angry even if her life depended on 
it. Smiling, she didn't realize that he had won again.

	"{You know I was thinking, why don't we move to Hong Kong? I'm sick of 
the prejudice we received in Japan. And I especially hate the way people 
are looking at you.}"

	She had to agree with him. People still viewed her as a killer. And 
they were making her feeling very unwelcome. "{Why Hong Kong?}"

	"{Well, we can't return to Joketsuzoku,}" he saw that she was becoming 
downcast and quickly continued, "{I wanted a new start for the both of 
us. It's a prosperous place, and our business would flourish there.}"

	"{Our business?}" 

	"{Yeah, we could reopen Nekohanten. And with your cooking skills, I'm 
sure it would do very well.}" Shampoo seemed to be accepting the idea, 
but he continued anyway, a gleam in his eyes. "{When we have children, 
they could help us in the restaurant. And when we are old, we could give 
the restaurant to our children.}"

	"{What children? Who says we're having children?}" She said, making fun 
of him. In response, he pretended to be angry. "{You're going to bear me 
children.}"

	She leaned forward to him, their faces inches apart, her voice 
alluring, "{What if I refuse?}" He could feel her hot breath on his face 
and it turned him on. "{I don't think you have a choice,}" he replied 
hoarsely and closed whatever distance between them, taking pleasure from 
her lips. Yeah, he would definitely miss her.


End of Part 5A.

DICTIONARY:

1. Akane mispronounced the chinese word 'pig-tail' (bian zi) into 
'swindler' (pian zi). 

2. Candied Haw or bing tang hu lu = a famous sweet in China that has 
been around since a long, long time ago.  It is basically a reddish 
fruit (?) covered with hardened sugar.    
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com